University of Minnesota Athletics
Overtime Goal Gives Tigers Sweep of Gophers
10/21/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Hockey
For the first time since 2004, Minnesota was swept in a road series and opened the Western Collegiate Hockey Association season with two losses as the Gophers fell to Colorado College 2-1 in overtime on Saturday in Colorado Springs.
Minnesota fired 21 shots on goal in the third period and had the Tigers on their heels, but Colorado College finally broke through against Gophers’ goaltender Jeff Frazee when Chad Rau launched a shot from the slot over Frazee for the game-winner 2:42 into the extra period. The goal came after a short flurry where Frazee made three solid saves. The junior was strong in net all night long with 25 saves, including several outstanding first period stops.
It marked the first time Minnesota was swept on the road since two losses on Feb. 27-28 in Denver. The last time the Gophers were swept in Colorado Springs was Feb. 5-6, 1999.
Minnesota held a 39-27 advantage in shots, including a 21-9 advantage in the third period. The Gophers also had a solid scoring chance in overtime when Blake Wheeler had an open look that was stopped by Colorado College goaltender Richard Bachman. The freshman had a big night with 37 saves for the Tigers.
The Gophers had a four-on-three power play for 1:35 of the third period, but could not get a puck past Bachman. The Tigers took an interference penalty in a four-on-four situation with 7:32 remaining and Minnesota called timeout prior to the power play. It was the Gophers’ 16th straight power play in which they failed to score since Kyle Okposo’s game-winning goal in the final minutes of the season opener against Rennselaer.
Minnesota scored its goal at the 4:24 mark of the second period when Blake Wheeler put in a rebound off a shot by Ben Gordon. Wheeler collected the puck on his backhand side and slid it under the right pad of a sprawled Bachman. The goal was Wheeler’s third of the season as the junior has now scored points in each of the Gophers’ four games. Ryan Flynn also assisted the goal for Minnesota.
Colorado College responded with a power play goal at the 15:36 mark as the Tigers caught Minnesota on a long second period line change. After the Gophers cleared the puck and all four players left the ice, Bachman took the puck behind the net and passed to defenseman Nate Prosser, who remained in the defensive zone. Prosser fired the puck up ice to Scott McCulloch, who found himself on a two-on-none and dished to Chad Rau for the goal.
The Gophers outshot the Tigers 12-6 in the second period and had a 24-second five-on-three power play in the final minute.
Neither team mounted many scoring chances in the first period with the best of the scoring opportunities coming shorthanded. Colorado College had three of its eight shots when down a man, while one of the Gophers’ best looks came from Mike Howe on a shorthanded breakout. The Tigers had a five-on-three power play for 53 seconds midway through the period, but were unable to manage any quality chances.
Minnesota plays its first game at Mariucci Arena on Thursday when the Gophers host Ohio State at 7:05 p.m. in the first of a two-game series.
