Published Star-Tribune Sunday, January 4, 1998
> College hockey: Gophers 4, Mankato State 3
> By John Millea
>
> Star Tribune Staff Writer
>
> For the first time in 10 months, the Gophers hockey team gathered around center ice
> Saturday night at Mariucci Arena in the traditional salute that follows a series sweep.
>
> It's a wonder the players had enough strength left to lift their sticks.
>
> Playing for the fifth time in eight days, the Gophers finally bagged their first sweep of the
> season with a 4-3, down-to-the-wire victory over a Mankato State team that refused to
> quit.
>
> "The guys worked hard, and there wasn't much left in the tank," said coach Doug Woog
> after his Gophers (7-13) held off the Mavericks (7-9-2) to win for the third time in four
> games.
>
> Minnesota opened the season by splitting four series, and then came a school-record nine
> straight losses. But the Gophers -- whose last sweep came against Alaska-Anchorage
> during the WCHA playoffs in March 1997 -- moved to 2-0 in 1998 behind Wyatt Smith's
> second consecutive three-point game and the goaltending of redshirt freshman Erik Day.
>
> "This is a huge confidence boost for us," Day said after stopping 21 shots.
>
> And maybe, just maybe, things are starting to fall in Minnesota's favor. The Gophers have
> next weekend off before a stretch of 16 WCHA games over eight weeks. They share last
> place with Denver, their opponent at Mariucci in two weeks.
>
> The break gives the Gophers a chance to put an end to the manpower shortage that has
> dogged them for weeks. Bill Kohn, who missed this weekend because of a concussion, is
> expected back for the Denver series; Aaron Miskovich is due back this week from his
> stay with the U.S. Junior National team; Ryan Kraft (hand injury) should return by the
> Denver series; and Jason Godbout (elbow) is due back in early February.
>
> Of course, the Gophers' training room has been crowded all season ("We use more ice
> than the Radisson," Woog said). The newest victims: Cory Miller has a torn right knee
> ligament and will miss three to four weeks after surgery this week; Dave Spehar is
> day-to-day with a bruised shoulder; Casey Hankinson needed some stitches on his
> forehead Saturday; and Smith -- who has figured in 10 of the Gophers' last 18 goals, with
> three goals and seven assists -- was examined for a knock on the head that was not
> believed to be serious.
>
> But with the next game 13 days away, the Gophers will have a chance to recharge for the
> meat of the WCHA season.
>
> "We've had a lot of weeks off in the last month, but this one will be the most cherished,"
> Woog said. "It's hard to play that many games in that many days; it's hard to maintain a
> good physical presence and a good mental presence."
>
> Minnesota fell behind Saturday when Mankato State's Ryan Schrick scored 3:20 into the
> game. That was a bad omen for the Gophers, who came into the game 0-8 when the
> opponent had scored first. But power-play goals by Hankinson and Spehar 55 seconds
> apart made it 2-1 after one period.
>
> Smith scored a shorthanded goal 61 seconds into the second period, and the Mavericks'
> Aaron Fox soon made it 3-2. Rico Pagel put Minnesota ahead 4-2 going into the third
> period, and that provided a rare good omen for the Gophers; they entered the game 5-0
> when scoring four or more times (they were 1-13 with three or less).
>
> Mankato, of course, cared not a whit about such statistics, as evidenced by Rob White's
> goal early in the third period that pulled the Mavericks within 4-3. The quickly tiring
> Gophers kept the lid on the net rest of the way, but not without some panic-inducing
> moments.
>
> "They ran out of gas and we had some great opportunities," said Mankato State coach
> Don Brose. "The good side of this for Minnesota is that maybe the monkey's off their
> back, maybe they'll start to roll."
>
> The size of the imaginary primate was not a topic of complete agreement. "I wouldn't say
> we felt it was a large monkey," said Woog. "We just had to start winning some games."
>
> Mankato St. 1 1 1--3
> Gophers 2 2 0--4
>
> FIRST PERIOD: 1. MSU--Schrick 7 (Deis, George), 3:20. 2.
> Gophers--Hankinson 7 (Mills, Smith), power play, 11:19. 3.
> Gophers--Spehar 8 (Smith, Mills), power play, 12:14.
> Penalties--Anderson, Gophers (cross-checking), 3:20; MSU bench
> (too many men on ice, served by McDonald), 9:31; Fermoyle,
> MSU (slashing), 11:11; Hawn, MSU (cross-checking), 12:55.
>
> SECOND PERIOD: 4. Gophers--Smith 11 (Abrahamson),
> short-handed, 1:01. 5. MSU--Fox 9 (Krug, Wolfe), power play,
> 5:08. 6. Gophers--Pagel 2 (Anderson, Berg), 7:22.
> Penalties--Lyons, Gophers (tripping), :24; N. Miller, Gophers
> (cross-checking), 5:40; Fox, MSU (double minor roughing), 8:38;
> Anderson, Gophers, (double minor roughing), 8:38; Hankinson,
> Gophers (holding), 9:21; Deis, MSU (holding), 10:35; Rintoul,
> MSU (holding), 14:36; Mills, Gophers (interference), 17:25.
>
> THIRD PERIOD: 7. MSU--White 9 (George), 4:47.
> Penalties--George, MSU (high-sticking), :44.
> SUMMARY: Shots on goal--Mankato St. 11-8-5--24, Gophers
> 15-12-5--32. Power-play opportunities-- Mankato St. 1 of 5,
> Gophers 2-6. Goaltenders-- Mankato St., Christopher (32
> shots-28 saves); Gophers, Day (24-21); Referee--Greg
> Shepherd. Linesmen--Derek Shepherd, Jon Campion. A-- 9,852.
 
--
            \\\/////
            / ^   _ \
           ( (o) (o) )
 *====oOOO=====(_)=====OOOo====*
 |        Kevin L. Ames        |
 *=============================*
 |     [log in to unmask]     |
 |      [log in to unmask]      |
 *================Oooo.========*
           .oooO  (   |
           (   )   ) /
            \ (   (_/
             \_)
 
HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey;  send information to
[log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.