University of Minnesota Athletics
Weekend Preview: Wisconsin
11/3/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Hockey
Last Time Out: Minnesota won both games at Colorado College to earn their first WCHA roach sweep since Dec. 11-12, 2009 when they won a pair of 3-2 games at Michigan Tech. On Friday, Taylor Matson had two goals, Erik Haula had a shorthanded tally and Kent Patterson recorded 27 saves in a 4-1 win.
On Saturday, the Gophers offense erupted for a 9-4 win. The nine goals were the most Minnesota had scored since they beat Alaska Anchorage 9-0 at home on Nov. 11, 2005. Freshman Nate Condon had five points and eight different Gophers scored. Condon is the first Gopher to record five points in a game since Ryan Potulny (4g-1a) against St. Cloud State on March 17, 2006, in the WCHA Final Five. He is the first freshman to do so since Phil Kessel (1g-4a) had five points on Nov. 11, 2005.
Series History: Minnesota leads the all-time series with Wisconsin 152-83-18. The teams split both series last year. The Badgers won both Friday games a year ago, while Minnesota won both Saturday games. The Gophers are 15-5-2 in the second game of two-game series against Wisconsin under coach Don Lucia. Gopher assistant captain Mike Hoeffel missed the team's 5-2 win in Madison due to an allergic reaction. Jacob Cepis was not yet eligible for that series because of NCAA transfer regulations and Jay Barriball was lost for the season the previous week. The Gophers were 5-for-8 on the power play in a 6-1 win on Senior Day (March 7, 2010) last year at Mariucci Arena. That was the only game contested between the teams at Mariucci, as they played two days prior at Target Center.
About The Badgers: Wisconsin reached the Frozen Four last year where they beat RIT 8-1 in the semifinals and lost to Boston College 5-0 in the final. This year's team looks nothing like last year's squad, but has continued to win. The Badgers lost seven of their top eight scorers from their 2009-10 Frozen Four team, including Hobey Baker finalist Brendan Smith, Hobey Baker winner Blake Geoffrion and U.S. Junior Team captain Derek Stepan. The seven players combined for 284 points (an average of 40.6 points per player). Their leading returning scorer, Craig Smith, leads the team in scoring though eight games this season (5g-6a). Goalie Brett Bennett is third in the nation in GAA, allowing exactly a goal per game and is second in the nation with a .960 save percentage. The Badgers are 5-2-1 and 4-0-0 at home. They are 1-2-1 away from Kohl Center (0-1-1 away and 1-1-0 neutral site) and 2-1-1 in the WCHA. They are 5-0-0 in games decided by three or more goals and are 0-2-1 in games decided by two goals or less.
Earning An A: Junior defenseman Aaron Ness was named an assistant captain for the rest of the 2010-11 season last week. He responded with a combined three assists and a plus-five rating in two wins at Colorado College. Ness was not on the ice for any of the five goals allowed by Minnesota at Colorado College.
Can Do Condon: Freshman Nate Condon was held off the scoresheet and took only one shot on Friday at Colorado College. Saturday was a different story. Condon scored twice, had three assists, recorded a plus-five rating and was named first star in Minnesota's 9-4 romp of the Tigers. Condon is the first Gopher to record five points in a game since Ryan Potulny (4g-1a) against St. Cloud State on March 17, 2006 in the WCHA Final Five and the first freshman since Phil Kessel (1g-4a) on Nov. 11, 2006, in a 9-0 rout of Alaska Anchorage. Condon was named the WCHA Rookie of the Week for Nov. 2.
Matson Matters: Junior Taylor Matson entered the season with three career goals in 32 games. He had three combined even-strength goals and blocked three shots last weekend as Minnesota completed a road sweep of Colorado College. Matson registered the first two-goal game of his career last Friday, which included the game-winning goal. He also added the Gophers' third goal at the 16:59 mark of the third period to give Minnesota a 3-1 lead and seal the victory. On Saturday, Matson won 13 of 20 faceoffs and gave Minnesota a 2-1 lead with his third goal of the weekend at the 14:02 mark of the first period. Matson scored in consecutive games for the first time in his career and is on a career-high four game point streak. Matson is the only Gopher who has played in all eight game this year, but has not taken a penalty. He now has more career goals (7) than career penalties (4) and more career points (11) than career penalty minutes (8). Matson was named the WCHA Offensive Player of the Week for Nov. 2.
Mr. Versatile: Senior Pat White has played in five games this year, but he has already played on all four lines and on both wings. He played on a Friday for the first time last week at Colorado College and was a +1. He scored his first goal of the year on Saturday.
Moving Up: Senior Cade Fairchild was a -7 entering last weekend's series at Colorado College. He is now only -2 on the season after combining for a +5 rating against the Tigers. Fairchild also recorded a shorthanded goal and two assists on Saturday.
Man Down: The Gophers had two shorthanded goals last weekend against Colorado College. Freshman Erik Haula opened the scoring on Friday with a shorthanded strike and Cade Fairchild scored Minnesota's eighth goal on Saturday. Prior to last weekend the last shorthanded goal for the Gophers was scored by Ryan Flynn on March 5, 2010 against Wisconsin.
Just A Minute: The Gophers have scored three goals in the first minute of a period this year and four goals in the final minute of a period. Those seven goals represent 21.2 percent of the 33 goals Minnesota has scored this year.
Going Deep: Every Gopher has dressed at least once in the team's first six games and only 11 of 24 skaters have played in all six games. Seventeen skaters and everyone who has played more than three games have at least one point this year.
A New Streak?: Senior Jay Barriball and freshman Erik Haula began the year with a point in the first four games of the season. Both players saw their streaks come to an end against St. Cloud State on Oct. 22. However, the linemates have been back on the scoresheet each of the last three games. Barriball has three goals and one assist in the last three games, while Haula has one goal and three assists.
Good Point: Jay Barriball, Erik Haula and Jacob Cepis all average at least a point per game. Barriball (11 points in eight games) averages 1.375 points per game. Haula and Cepis (10 points in eight games) both average 1.25 points per game.
Captain Jay: Jay Barriball is second in the nation and first in the WCHA with eight goals. He averages one goal per game and is tied for first in the nation with four power-play goals. He is on a three-game goal-scoring streak and has goals in six of eight games this year.
More Barriball: Jay Barriball leads the team in goals for a reason. He shoots more than anybody else. He has 34 shots this year and has taken five more shots than Jacob Cepis. Barriball's 23.5 shooting percentage leads the team.
Busting Out: Minnesota's offense was clicking on all cylinders last Saturday at Colorado College. The Gophers set or tied their high marks of the year for goals in each period. They scored three goals in the first period, four in the second and two in the third. That was the first time that Minnesota scored four goals in a period this year. They have scored three goals in the first period in two games this year and have scored two goals in the third period in six of their eight games this season.
Eight Is Enough: Eight different players scored a goal for Minnesota on Saturday and 10 different players scored at least one goal during the weekend. Jay Barriball, Nate Condon and Taylor Matson each scored twice over the weekend. The Gophers have 24 skaters on their roster, including 10 freshmen, and 19 of them have at least one point this year.
Finish Strong: Minnesota has scored 33 goals this year and 13 of them (39.4 percent) have come in the final period. Seven of those 13 goals have come in the final five minutes of the game. The Gophers have 11 first-period goals and nine second-period goals. Minnesota has allowed only five third-period goals in eight games this year. Last year Minnesota ended the season with 30 first-period goals, 34 second-period goals and 42 third-period goals.
First Period Goals: Minnesota is 5-0-0 when scoring a goal in the first period this year and 0-3-0 when failing to score in the first period. The Gophers are 4-0-0 when scoring the first goal of the game.
Block Party: Three Gophers, all defensemen, have recorded 15 or more blocked shots this year. Senior Cade Fairchild, who had five blocked shots on Friday at Colorado College, leads the group with 22. He is followed by Aaron Ness (16) and Mart Alt (15 in seven games). The trio is responsible for 40.1 percent of the team's blocked shots this year (53 of 132).
Kangas Moving Up: Alex Kangas entered his senior season fourth all-time in program history with 2,571 saves. The 23-year-old has played in four games this year and has stopped 121 pucks. In doing so he moved into third place all-time in saves with 2,692. He recently passed Steve Janaszak (2,639 saves) and should end the year second in program history in saves. Kellen Briggs (2,968 saves) and Adam Hauser (3,777 saves) are the only players ahead of Kangas. Kangas (104 games) is also third in program history for games played by a goalie. Kellen Briggs is second with 132 career games played and Adam Houser owns the record with 151 games played.
Follow The Pattern: Junior goaltender Kent Patterson has played the last 206:13 for the Gophers (entered at the 33:33 mark of Oct. 22 game against St. Cloud State) and has stopped 88 of the 94 pucks (.936 save percentage) he has seen during that time. Patterson is 3-0-0 during the stretch and 4-0-0 on the year. Against Colorado College, Patterson saved 51 of 56 shots (.910 save percentage), but of the five goals allowed only three of them came at even strength. Patterson is one of two collegiate goalies with four wins and no losses or ties (Miami's Cody Reichard is also 4-0-0).
O From The D: The Gophers have 83 points (33g-50a) this season and 18 of those points (4g-14a) have come from defensemen. Six blueliners have at least one point. Senior Kevin Wehrs (1g-4a) and junior Aaron Ness (5a) lead the group with five points. Cade Fairchild (1g-3a) has four points, while Mark Alt (2a) has two. Seth Helgeson and Justin Holl each have one goal this year.
Shoot, Don't Shoot: Minnesota took a season-high 44 shots on Saturday (9-4 victory) at Colorado College and won for the first time this year when taking more than 40 shots. The Gophers took 42 shots in an Oct. 15 loss to Nebraska-Omaha and in an Oct. 22 defeat to St. Cloud State. On the flipside, the Gophers took only 24 shots on Friday and won 4-1. The Gophers are 2-0-0 when taking less than 30 shots in games this year.
Fresh Idea: There are 10 freshmen on the Minnesota roster this year and all 10 have plyed in at least one game. Six of them have at least one point and Erik Haula leads the group with 10 (2g-8a). He is followed by Nate Condon (3g-3a), Tom Serratore (1g-1a), Mark Alt (2a), Justin Holl (1g) and Nick Bjugstad (1a).
Bjugstad Out: Freshman Nick Bjugstad played against St. Cloud State on Friday, Oct. 22, but was then diagnosed with mononucleosis the next day. Bjugstad is expected to miss the next few weeks.
Transfer Agreement: Senior Jacob Cepis, a transfer from Bowling Green, is playing in his first full season with Minnesota this year. He missed the first half of the season a year ago because of NCAA transfer regulations. He joined the lineup at mid-season a year ago and has averaged nearly a point a game since. He had 19 points (7g-12a) in 21 games a year ago en route to receiving the team's Unsung Hero award and has picked up this year where he left off last year. Cepis has three goals and seven assists in eight games this year and now has 29 points in 29 career games. His one point per game average leads the team for any player who has competed in more than 10 games during his career.
Fresh Import: Freshman Erik Haula, who hails from Pori, Finland, became the first European-born player to pull on the M sweater for the Gophers since Thomas Vanek (Graz, Austria) in 2003-2004. Haula and Vanek are the only Europeans to play for Minnesota. Haula, who was drafted by the Minnesota Wild in the seventh round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, is tied for second on the team in points (10) and first on the team in assists (8).
Feel Good (Story) Coach: Coach Don Lucia was diagnosed with sarcoidosis in January 2009 and was forced to miss four games during the 2008-09 season. After receiving treatment and medication, Lucia enters the 2010-11 season fully healthy after receiving a clean bill of health from his doctors in July 2010.
Preseason Picks And Rankings: Minnesota is picked to finish fifth in the WCHA by the coaches and sixth by the media. The Gophers began the year ranked No. 15 in both the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine and the USCHO/CBS Sports Rankings polls. The No. 15 ranking ended a 10-year streak of the Gophers being ranked in the top 10 to begin the season.
Something Change?: The Gophers roster has been drastically remodeled from last year to this year. Only 11 of the 18 skaters in the lineup for the final game of 2009-10 are able to play this year. In addition to the ten incoming freshmen, redshirt senior Jay Barriball and junior Taylor Matson will return to the ice after suffering season ending injuries last year. Only 10 of the 24 skaters on the roster played in more than 30 games for Minnesota last season.
Growing Up: The Gophers began their 90th season of play on Oct. 8 with 20 players on the roster who are 20 or older. The Gophers may have ten freshmen, but that does not mean they are not an experienced team-over half of the players on the roster are 21 or older and the team's average age is 20.6. The oldest player on the team is 23-year-old Jay Barriball, who is one day older than netminder Alex Kangas. The youngest player on the team is freshman Nick Bjugstad, who was only 17 when he graduated from high school in the spring and turned 18 in July.
Noticeable Draft: Nineteen Gophers have been drafted by NHL teams. The junior and freshman class each have six draftees, the senior class has five and both of the team's sophomores have been drafted. Incoming freshmen Nick Bjugstad, Mark Alt, Justin Holl and Max Gardiner were selected in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, with each of them going in the first three rounds (and top 74 overall). Other than Bjugstad, senior Patrick White (No. 22 in 2007) is the only other first-round pick.
Excuse Me Mr.: The highest distinction a high school hockey player in Minnesota can receive is being named Mr. Hockey. This year's team has two players - junior Aaron Ness and freshman Nick Bjugstad - who received that honor. Additionally eight players (Jay Barriball, Nick Larson, Taylor Matson, Joe Miller, Patrick White, Justin Holl, Max Gardiner and Mark Alt) were named finalists for the award.
You're Not From Around Here: With the additions of freshmen Nate Condon (Wausau, Wis.), Tom Serratore (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Erik Haula (Pori, Finland), the Gophers now have four players (joining Jacob Cepis who is from Parma, Ohio) from outside of Minnesota. The last time Minnesota's roster featured at least four players from outside the state was during the 2005-06 season when six non-Minnesotans played for the Gophers.
Minnesota Nice: The Gophers play 26 of their 34 regular-season games in Minnesota. They do not have consecutive road trips this year and do not travel to Alaska. The Gophers leave the state only four times all season to play WCHA road contests at Colorado College, Michigan Tech, North Dakota and Wisconsin.
Come One, Come All: Teams from four of the five major ice hockey conferences will visit Mariucci Arena this season. In addition to 14 WCHA home games, Minnesota will host Union of the ECAC and the CCHA's Michigan State, Michigan and Ferris State. Hockey East's Massachusetts already visited Mariucci this year.
Gracious Hosts: Minnesota hosts the 2011 NCAA Men's Frozen Four from April 7-9 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn. The last time the Frozen Four was held in Minnesota was 2002, when current Gopher assistant coach Grant Potulny scored the overtime game-winning goal against Maine to give Minnesota its first national championship since 1979. Minnesota also hosts the 2012 West Regional at Xcel Energy Center.
