Here's the Gopher hockey article from today's (2/14/94) Minnesota Daily.  I'll
add that Joe Dziedzic did, indeed, re-break his left arm, and is out for the
rest of the season.  (This was in John Gilbert's story in the Star-Tribune
today, which said that he was injured by a cross-check.)  That's really a shame,
as Dziedzic was finally emerging as a force during his senior season after his
injury in the second game of the season at Colorado College.  It also leaves the
Gophers with injuries to two of their first-line forwards until Tony Bianchi
gets back from his shoulder injury.  More line-juggling ahead.  Sigh.
 
Headline: <%-2>Hockey Gophers win,<%0> tie at North Dakota
Publish Date: 02/14/1994
 
David Jackson
 
Staff Reporter
 
Grand Forks, N.D. -- The North Dakota Fighting Sioux have knocked
three times on Minnesota goalie Jeff Moen's door this year, and he
has yet to open it.
 
<%-2>Saturday night Moen recorded his third straight successful
effort against the Sioux, making 26 saves, and Minnesota recorded its
highest scoring output of the season, winning 7-2 before 5,714 fans
at Engelstad Arena.<%0>
 
Moen, who shut out North Dakota 3-0 on Dec. 12, also relieved Jeff
Callinan in the second period Friday night as the Gophers rallied
from a 3-1 deficit to tie the Fighting Sioux 3-3. Until Darcy Mitani
scored the first North Dakota goal at 3:05 of the third period
Saturday, Moen had not permitted a Fighting Sioux goal in 134 minutes
and 49 seconds of play.
 
``Our defense made it easy,'' Moen said. ``I didn't have to make any
tough, spectacular saves tonight. We didn't give the puck up.''
 
<%1>With the win, Minnesota maintained its first-place standing in
the WCHA with 34 points, while North Dakota fell into a tie for last.
The Gophers' excitement was tempered, however, by another injury to
forward Joe Dziedzic's left arm. The senior left the game in the
third period and was taken to the hospital for X-rays for what Gopher
officials believe is a fracture. Dziedzic had previously broken the
arm in the second game of the season.<%0>
 
Despite anticipation of physical play between the two historic
rivals, Minnesota and North Dakota kept the gloves on most of the
weekend and concentrated on the games themselves. After a spotty
performance Friday, the Gophers attacked their opponent with pucks
rather than bodies Saturday and used a four-goal second period to
break open a tight game, which they led 1-0 after the first period.
 
<%1>``The key is that our defensemen are putting it on net,'' said
forward Dan Woog, who scored two goals, both of which were
deflections of shots by defensemen. ``That way their defensemen can't
tie us up. They have to try and clear the puck.''<%0>
 
The Gophers had three breakaway chances in the first period, and on
the third they were successful. Jeff Nielsen snuck behind defenseman
Mark Pivetz and took a long pass from Charlie Wasley in the left side
of the offensive zone. As Pivetz tried to hook him from behind,
Nielsen fired the puck to the far side of the net, beating goalie
Toby Kvalevog for his 20th goal of the year. Earlier in the period,
Kvalevog had stopped breakaways by Dziedzic and Nielsen.
 
Then came the second period, which has been the cause of the Sioux's
demise all season. With Minnesota's four goals, North Dakota has been
outscored 59-30 this season in the second period. Jed Fiebelkorn,
Brian Bonin, Woog and Nielsen scored the goals.
 
<%-2>``We weren't good from the onset,'' UND coach Gino Gasparini
said. ``They were great; we were bad. Even when we were good, they
were better.''<%0>
 
Gasparini's team did rally at the start of the third period. Goals by
Mitani and Marty Schriner got them within 5-2 with 12 minutes
remaining. But a subsequent North Dakota turnover went right to
Nielsen in the Sioux zone, and Justin McHugh one-timed the senior's
centering pass at 11:50 of the period to put the game away. Woog
added his second goal to finish the scoring.
 
<%-2>On Friday, McHugh's goal with 53 seconds left in the third
period gave the Gophers a tie at 3 and a point in the standings that
they did not deserve.<%0>
 
The underdog Sioux played Minnesota evenly in a lackluster first
period and dominated the second period, using two goals by sophomore
Dino Grillo to take a 3-1 lead into the final 20 minutes of
regulation play.
 
Nielsen got one back with a power-play goal at 9:19 of the third
period, set up by McHugh, and the Gophers began attacking the net
with fervor. ``Certainly a lot of our guys had some energy left,''
Coach Doug Woog said after the game.
 
<%-2>McHugh's goal came 13 seconds after goalie Moen was pulled for
an extra attacker. Chris McAlpine slid a centering pass into a crowd
in front of the net. Dziedzic got off the first shot, which Kvalevog
saved. McHugh jammed the rebound under Kvalevog as the goalie was
falling to<%0> the ice.
 
<%-2>``I've been pressing all year for a goal late in the game,''
McHugh said. ``I think I've been pressing a little too <%-3>hard, but
it was nice to finally get one.''<%0>
 
 
 
Pam Sweeney                            Go Gophers!!!
[log in to unmask]         1993 WCHA Playoff Champions!!!
[log in to unmask]              Ski-U-Mah!!!