Denver beat Minnesota 3-2 on a break-away goal by Elders with 11.7
seconds left in the 3rd to complete a two-game weekend sweep over the
dazed and confused Minnesota Gophers.
 
The red Pioneers dominated the Gophs for a second night in a row, with
their physical and close defensive play effectively quashing any MN chance
in front of DU's entertaining goalie Sinus Wallihimhinoh.
 
The first DU goal was a result of a Minnesota defensive break down,
something they seemed to do more often this weekend than any other time
in the season. DU's Ortize came down the left side alone and faked the MN
defender out of his socks and deposited the biscuit where "grandma hides
the peanut butter."
 
The Second goal was similar...
 
MN ties it up on a couple of hard-fought goals and seems to have momentum
going into the final minutes of the third. The Goph's had two or three
incredible rushes in the last 5 minutes, but couldn't convert.
 
Finally, with the clock running out the Gophers try to bring the puck out
of their zone. Out to neutral ice but play goes back to the boards, back
into the MN zone, puck up along in front of the MN bench, a couple of
players roughing it up..... and the puck somehow gets passed out to
Elders all alone on the left side of the ice -- no defensemen just
Elders and Callinan -- Elders comes in on Callie's right Callie charges
out of the net, sprawling on the ice trying to poke the puck off Elders'
stick Elders maintains control of the puck and shoots the puck home from
a steep angle over the prostrate Callinan for the winning goal.
 
DU's first sweep at MN since 1985.
 
DU is a lot better than I thought they were! With tonight's win they move
ahead of the Badgers into second place in the WCHA.
 
As for the Gophers...... They looked pretty sad. I'll leave it to the
analysts for explaination of MN's poor play. Basically MN was manhandled
by a big DU team.