University of Minnesota Athletics
Helgeson's First Goal Helps Gophers Even Series
3/14/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Hockey
Seth Helgeson couldn't have picked a better time for his first career goal as the freshman scored with 7:02 left in regulation to lift Minnesota to a 4-2 win over North Dakota on Saturday and even the teams' Western Collegiate Hockey Association first round playoff series.
The Gophers trailed 2-1 with less than eight minutes left before Jacob Cepis and Helgeson tallied goals just 48 seconds apart to put Minnesota ahead. Jordan Schroeder added an empty net goal to seal the win and force a deciding game on Sunday at 7 p.m. in Grand Forks. The winner will advance to the WCHA Final Five. Sunday's game will be the seventh meeting between the two teams this season with the series even at 2-2-2.
North Dakota won Friday's opening game of the series 6-0 and it is the third time in four years Minnesota will play a third game in its opening round series. The Gophers have lost in the opening round just once in the last 32 years, coming in 1998 at Minnesota Duluth.
Minnesota avoided being swept in the first round of the WCHA playoffs for the first time since 1973 and kept alive its hopes for reaching the WCHA Final Five for the 12th consecutive year. The Gophers are now 18-18-2 overall, while North Dakota is 21-12-5 and looking for its eighth straight trip to the Final Five next weekend at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
The Sioux outshot the Gophers 43-26 for the game, but Alex Kangas made 41 saves for Minnesota. The Gophers also finished three-for-four on the power play and stopped North Dakota on all three of its man advantage chances.
North Dakota owned a 14-3 advantage in shots in the opening period, but Minnesota scored the only goal during a four-on-three power play. Mike Hoeffel scored by tipping in a puck in front of the net at the 17:20 mark of the period. Cepis and Cade Fairchild had assists on the play. It was Minnesota's only scoring chance of the period and North Dakota also had only one scoring opportunity.
The Gophers' lead held until the 7:03 mark of the second period when the Sioux tied the game on a goal by Corban Knight. North Dakota's Darcy Zajac won the faceoff back to Danny Kristo, who put a shot on goal that Kangas saved, but the puck bounced free to Knight on the opposite side of the net and he put it away for the goal.
Kangas had a big save a few minutes later and appeared to bring the puck across the line in his glove, but the officials reviewed the play and ruled the play dead before Kangas pulled the puck back after being hit by a crashing forward. North Dakota outshot the Gophers 14-11 for the period.
Minnesota had a terrific scoring chance with the game tied and 10:25 left in the third period when Cepis had a wide open breakaway and got a forehand shot on goal, but North Dakota goaltender Brad Eidsness came up with a spectacular pad save to keep the game tied.
North Dakota converted just over a minute later with a goal from Matt Frattin at the 10:44 mark. Chris VandeVelde took the puck along the left boards and behind the net before passing out to Frattin for a one-timer at the right faceoff dot.
It took Minnesota less than three minutes to get the lead back. Cepis got the first goal with a power play goal at the 12:10 mark with a shot from the top of the right faceoff circle that beat Eidsness between his legs. Mike Hoeffel and Jake Hansen assisted the play.
Helgeson picked up the go-ahead goal with a long shot from the point through a screen for his first career point. Nico Sacchetti won the faceoff back to the freshman for the shot that Eidsness never saw and put the Gophers ahead.
North Dakota pulled Eidsness for an extra attacker in the final minute, but was called for a too many men on the ice penalty with 49 seconds left, negating any comeback chances.
Helgeson wasn't the only Minnesota player to record his first career point as Kangas picked up an assist on Schroeder's empty net goal. The junior goaltender made a save and then passed the puck ahead to Tony Lucia, who fed Schroeder for the easy score.
Sunday's game will air on Fox Sports North's alternate channel. A complete list of stations where the game can be seen is below.
Sunday alternate channels:
Provider - Channel
DirecTV - 658
Dish Network - 450
Cable One (Fargo/Moorhead) - 44
Hiawatha Broadband (Winona) - 20
Comcast - 692
Charter - 421
Mediacom - Connections Channel
