Published Star-Tribune Saturday, January 3, 1998
>
> College hockey: Gophers 6, Mankato State 2
> John Millea / Star Tribune
>
> The Gophers probably didn't notice, but a small group of fans wore paper bags over their
> heads Friday night at Mariucci Arena. In an apt motto for Minnesota's disjointed hockey
> season, a simple plea was scrawled across one of them: "Please win."
>
> By the middle of the second period, the bags were off. That's when the Gophers took
> control of their downstate collegiate cousins from Mankato State with a 92-second,
> three-goal flurry that put a hammerlock on a 6-2 victory in the first meeting between the
> teams.
>
> Whether they were playing Mankato State, the Detroit Red Wings or an ice-show troupe
> from the Little Sisters of the Poor, the Gophers -- just like their fans -- knew what they
> needed to do.
>
> "We needed to win," said coach Doug Woog.
>
> The victory was only the second in 12 games for the Gophers (6-13), who will go after
> their first sweep of the season tonight. The Mavericks are 7-8-2.
>
> The Gophers scored six goals for the third time this season and the second time in three
> games. They are 5-0 when scoring four or more goals but 1-13 with three or fewer.
>
> The team that reached three goals first has won 17 of the Gophers' 19 games, and that
> was the case Friday. Dave Spehar scored for the Gophers before Ryan Rintoul and Jesse
> Rooney put Mankato State ahead 2-1 early in the second period. But the second-period
> barrage, with goals by Casey Hankinson, Wyatt Smith and Mike Anderson, made it 4-2,
> and Erik Westrum and Reggie Berg scored in the third period.
>
> Smith, the team leader with 10 goals, also had two assists. Hankinson added an assist and
> Dylan Mills had two assists.
>
> "It's a good boost for us," Berg said. "We've had trouble scoring goals, that's no secret.
> With a year like ours, any win's a good win."
>
> While his teammates were matching their season scoring high, Gophers goaltender Steve
> DeBus played one of his best games of the year, stopping 22 shots. In Woog's words,
> "He stood up and won the game for us."
>
> And for one of the few times this season, some breaks went the Gophers' way. Westrum's
> goal, for example, came on a high slapshot from the blue line that hit the crossbar with a
> resounding clang and dropped behind Mavericks goaltender Des Christopher (23 saves).
>
> "They didn't get the breaks, and we did," Woog said. "Our fortune was a little better than
> it's been."
>
> The game was up for grabs until the three quick-strike goals. The first one came on a
> power play, and that turned the tide.
>
> "We kept them under control for a period and half. But we took some penalties and the
> momentum switched," Mankato State coach Don Brose said. "They skated at will when
> and where they wanted. For the first period and a half, we took that away from them."
>
> There were 32 penalties in the game, and the boxes were crowded midway through the
> third period when four Mavericks and three Gophers were sent off after a scuffle.
>
> "It's not a knock against them, but we didn't want to lose to Mankato State," Hankinson
> said.
>
> Added Woog: "This was important for our guys. Our credibility was being tested as it is.
> No discredit to Mankato, but we've got to get it done."
>
> The Gophers already have suffered through as many losses as all of last season, but
> Friday's victory was a good way to start 1998. As Hankinson put it, "We're undefeated
> this year, anyway."
>
> Notes
>
> Gophers forward Cory Miller will not play tonight because of a sprained knee, an
> injury that bothered him earlier in the season. The Gophers' Bill Kohn remains sidelined
> because of a concussion, and Minnesota also is without Ben Clymer (shoulder), Jason
> Godbout (elbow), Ryan Kraft (hand) and Aaron Miskovich (with the U.S. Junior National
> team).
>
> Mankato St. 1 1 0--2
> Gophers 1 3 2--6
>
> FIRST PERIOD: 1. Gophers--Spehar 7 (Hankinson, Smith),
> power play, 10:04. 2. MSU--Rintoul 6 (Christopherson,
> Zacharias), 13:42. Penalties--Berg, Gophers (interference), 0:15;
> Abrahamson, Gophers (roughing), Wolfe, MSU (checking
> goaltender, roughing), 1:03; Deis, MSU (slashing), 3:54;
> Westrum, Gophers (interference), 5:44; Guidarelli, MSU (checking
> from behind), 8:18; Senden, Gophers (roughing), 11:25; George,
> MSU (roughing), 11:25; Abrahamson, Gophers (interferenc),
> 11:37; Smith, Gophers (interference), 19:20.
>
> SECOND PERIOD: 3. MSU--Rooney 4 (Wolfe, Holoein), 3:51. 4.
> Gophers--Hankinson 6 (Smith, Mills), power play, 8:09. 5.
> Gophers--Smith 10 (unassisted), 8:35. 6. Gophers--Anderson 6
> (Mills), 9:41. Penalties--Wolfe, MSU (roughing), 7:46; George,
> MSU (roughing), 8:35; Trebil, Gophers (roughing), 8:35; Rintoul,
> MSU (elbowing), 13:08; Pagel, Gophers (charging), 16:05; Berg,
> Gophers (holding stick), 18:50.
>
> THIRD PERIOD: 7. Gophers--Westrum 3 (Leimbek), 2:36. 8.
> Gophers--Berg 7 (N. Miller), 16:20. Penalties--Holoein, MSU
> (cross-checking, double minor roughing), 9:05; Rooney, MSU
> (double minor roughing), 9:05; Hawn, MSU (double minor
> roughing), 9:05; Pagel, Gophers (double minor roughing), 9:05;
> Anderson, Gophers (double minor roughing), 9:05; Berg, Gophers
> (double minor roughing), 9:05; Westrum, Gophers (roughing),
> 19:52; Guidarelli, MSU (roughing), 19:52.
>
> SUMMARY: Shots on goal--Mankato St.e 10-9-5-- 24, Gophers
> 11-7-11--29; Power-play opportunities--Mankato St. 0 of 6,
> Gophers 2-6. Goaltenders--Mankato St., Christopher (29
> shots-23 saves); Gophers, DeBus (24-22); Referee--Greg
> Shepherd. Linesmen--Derek Shepherd, Jon Campion. A-- 9,831.
 
--
            \\\/////
            / ^   _ \
           ( (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.