University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Dealt 4-1 Home Loss to Denver
11/4/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Hockey
Denver’s Tyler Bozak scored a hat trick with two shorthanded goals as the Pioneers overcame a strong Minnesota start to deal the Gophers their fourth straight league loss with a 4-1 decision on Sunday at Mariucci Arena.
Minnesota scored the game’s first goal and had a five-minute power play to end the game, but the Pioneers scored an empty net goal with 1:53 left to seal the win. The defeat put the Gophers at 4-4 overall and 0-4 in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association for the first time ever. The league began in 1959-60 as Minnesota did start 0-5 in the Western Intercollegiate Hockey League in 1956-57. The Gophers also suffered their first four losses to Denver and Colorado College in that season.
Minnesota came out with intensity in the opening period and missed several quality scoring chances, including a pair of open-net chances that went wide. The Gophers finally connected for the game’s first goal at the 11:33 mark when Blake Wheeler finished off a nifty passing play for his fourth goal of the year. Tony Lucia intercepted a pass in the corner and dished to Evan Kaufmann behind the net. Kaufmann sent a perfect feed in front to Wheeler for the goal.
Denver countered with two goals in a span of one minute and 13 seconds. Bozak scored his first goal when he fought off a defenseman in a one-on-one situation and beat Gophers’ goaltender Alex Kangas to the short side at the 16:13 mark. Rhett Rakhshani scored the team’s second goal on the Pioneers’ first power play chance of the game. Brock Trotter assisted both goals and Tyler Ruegsegger added an assist on the second.
The teams played a scoreless second period with each failing to score on two power play chances. Minnesota had a power play chance early in the third period, but Bozak picked the puck from a defenseman’s stick at the point and raced the length of the ice for the first shorthanded goal allowed by the Gophers this season.
Trailing 3-1 with 5:09 left in the game, the Gophers had a great chance for a comeback when Denver’s Tom May was called for a five-minute major for checking from behind on Kaufmann in the corner. Minnesota fired seven shots on goal during the power play opportunity, but Denver’s Peter Mannino stopped them all. The Gophers pulled the goalies with 2:35 left in the game and Bozek converted an unassisted empty net goal for his second shorthanded score.
Mannino finished the game with 32 saves as Denver has now allowed one goal or less in seven of its eight games while improving to 6-2 overall and 3-1 in the WCHA. Minnesota put 15 shots on goal in power play situations, but has now failed to score on its last 30 power play chances. Kangas made 19 saves in his second career start.
The Gophers outshot the Pioneers 33-23, including a decisive 12-3 advantage in the final period. Despite scoring one goal in each of its four WCHA defeats, Minnesota has put at least 33 shots on goal in three of the four games.
The Gophers face Minnesota State next weekend in a home-and-home series. Friday’s game is at Mankato at 7:35 p.m. and Saturday’s game is at Mariucci Arena at 7:07 p.m.
