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The Minnesota Gopher Hockey team has played well on Saturday nights so far this season only losing one game (@ Minnesota State) & tying another (@ Alaska-Anchorage.) Let’s see if the the Gophers can keep the unbeaten streak alive!!!
Line Chart – Minnesota Golden Gophers
Left Wing – Center – Right Wing
Kyle Rau-7 – Nick Bjugstad-27 – Christian Isackson-26
Nate Condon-16 – Erik Haula-19 – Zach Budish-24
AJ Michaelson-15 – Travis Boyd-22 – Seth Ambroz-17
Justin Holl-12 – Tom Serratore-14 – Jake Parenteau-6
Left Defenseman – Right Defenseman
Brady Skjei-2 – Nate Schmidt-29
Mike Reilly-5 – Mark Alt-20
Seth Helgeson-4 – Ben Marshall-10
Goalie
Adam Wilcox-32
Ryan Coyne-31
Scratches: G-Matt LaPrade-30, D-Blake Thompson-3, F-Ryan Reilly-9, F-Chirstian Horn-18, F-Jared Larson-23
Injured: F-Connor Reilly-21, F-Sam Warning-11, G-Mike Shibrowski-1
Line Chart – Vermont Catamounts
Left Wing – Center – Right Wing
Chris McCarthy-3 – Jacob Fallon-17 – Pete Massar-16
Jonathan Turk-8 – Robert Polesello-29 – Kyle Reynolds-9
Brett Bruneteau-13 – Matt White-19 – H.T. Lenz-11
Ben Albertson-18 – Mike Montagna-7 – F-Anthony DeCenzo-14
Left Defenseman – Right Defenseman
Nick Bruneteau-4 – Nick Luukko-25
Caylen Walls-26 – D-Blake Doerring-22
Anders Franzon-27 – Yvan Pattyn-15
Goalie
Brody Hoffman-37
John Vezzano-1
Scratches/Injured: G-Billy Faust-32, D-Michael Paliotta-2, F-Colin Markison-6, F-Kyle Mountain-10, F-Ryan Rosenthal-12, F-Connor Brickley-23, F-Tobias Nilsson-Roos-24
A few changes to each team’s lineup for the rematch tonight. For the Gopher hockey lineup, Justin Holl is in and Jared Larson is out (hopefully not because of injury.) AJ Michaelson moves up to the 3rd line playing a wing. Tom Serratore moves to center for the 2nd consecutive Saturday with defenseman playing on his wings. That worked last week when he had the game-winning goal against Wisconsin so what will happen tonight?
The Catamounts made changes to their 4th line, putting in Ben Albertson & Mike Montagna and scratching Kyle Mountain and Tobias Nilsson-Roos. Blake Doerring is also in for Michael Paliotta.
Let’s DROP the CLUTTERPUCK!!!
All comments are from the point of view of the puck carrier or the offense unless otherwise noted.
1st Period
- Hey, FSN went through lineups! Imagine that!
- Of course, they do it while the game is going on so if you’re watching the lineups, you miss the game. BRILLIANT!
- Why, as a station broadcasting sports, would you want to take the viewer away from watching the game?
- Who watches the game for the graphics? If you are watching the game, you are watching THE GAME!
- PENALTY – Tom Serratore for Hooking on Mike Montagna at 3:12 of the 1st period –A tip dump-in by Seth Ambroz hits the linesman causing a quicker transition so a pass up the middle of the neutral zone gets Mike Montagna a step on Tom Serratore so he tries to lift Montagna’s stick then gets his stick up underneath his arm and the official calls him for hooking.
- I don’t see a hook there. I see a player trying to check/defend the other player but once Montagna has to adjust to the check, the official sees that as a reason to call a penalty.
- Isn’t that the whole point of playing defense? Forcing a player to adjust their hands or their angle making offense more difficult.
- What does it say when the official puts the wrong player in the box?
- Ben Marshall is put in the box for the penalty instead of Tom Serratore.
- The players crossed each other’s path and the official is watching the puck at that point so I’ll give him a very small piece of slack on that.
- Should he know the personnel and who plays where for each team?
- PENALTY – Nick Bruneteau for Hooking on Zach Budish at 7:28 of the 1st period – An aggressive forecheck has the puck in right corner of the Catamount zone with Erik Haula and Nate Condon and the puck comes out of the corner behind the net. Zach Budish was playing low around the face-off dots, sees the puck go behind the net and lifts the stick of Nick Bruneteau, steals the puck and takes the puck to the net around the right side (to Brody Hoffman’s left) but he’s slowed down by the stick of Nick Bruneteau and the official calls hooking on the play.
- PENALTY – H.T. Lenz for Slashing on Erik Haula at 8:23 of the 1st period –Erik Haula is bringing the puck up the middle of the neutral zone and H.T. Lenz is coming forward to defend him. Haula makes a move to the left and Lenz hits him in the midsection tripping him up and the official calls slashing on the play.
- Pretty obvious call for the official on that one.
- 1:07 of 5-on-3 for the Gophers Power Play!
- Vermont kills off the penalties with most of the shots coming from the point and/or the perimeter. Good Kill!
- Mike Reilly has a bomb for a slapper from the point and some sick mitts! He’s going to turn into a heck of a player!
- He still needs improvement defensively though.
- I’m sure it takes some time to adapt to the speed of the game of college hockey and the talent that you have to play against.
- PENALTY – Seth Helgeson for Interference on Kyle Reynolds at 11:05 of the 1st period –Seth Helgeson and Kyle Reynolds are battling for the puck in the right corner of the Gopher zone with Kyle Reynolds getting a good hit on Helgeson to start the battle and Helgeson finishes it but goes a little too far with his hit and the official calls….?
- The announcers say interference but who knows?
- Not a very good angle to see the play.
- Helgeson is known for being an emotional player but he tends to take those emotions too far in the thick of battle and takes stupid penalties.
- PENALTY – Blake Doerring for Tripping on Travis Boyd at 15:30 of the 1st period – Travis Boyd skates the puck into the left of the Catamount zone around the back of the net to the right corner. Blake Doerring is covering him and gets his stick in Boyd’s feet tripping him up and getting the tripping call from the official.
2nd Period
- GOAL – Tom Serratore from Ben Marshall & Kyle Rau at 2:49 of the 2nd period –The Gophers get a good forecheck going getting the puck deep and just getting relentless pressure on the Catamount defenseman behind the goal line. Jake Parenteau takes the puck into the left of the Catamount zone and dumps it behind the net. Kyle Rau, just off a line change, has a lot of energy and uses it to pursue the puck and Anders Franzon as they go around the net into the right corner. Rau makes a stick check and causes Franzon to lose the puck. Jonathan Turk picks it up but is forced to take it back behind the goal line and make a pass to Caylen Walls but the pass gets away from Walls and goes into the left corner. Justin Holl is able to get to Walls and force a D-to-D pass behind the net to Blake Doerring. Rau has turned and is right on Doerring and takes the puck from him, comes around the right corner and passes the puck to Ben Marshall coming down the right side at the top of the circle. Marshall, with the speed he had coming in, takes the puck just shy of the goal line and makes a pass to Tom Serratore at the front of the net for an easy tap-in for a an easy goal! GOPHERS 1-0!!!
- Is there anything more beautiful than a relentless forecheck?
- where the forecheckers are reading where the play is going and forcing the defenseman to make quick plays and eventually force a bad pass or a mistake.
- The eventual turnover puts the defense in panic mode which more often than not means someone wide open near the net.
- Tom Serratore was the high man for that whole forecheck and forced the play to be turned back behind the goal line because of his position near the half-wall.
- As soon as Marshall gets the puck, you see everyone watching the puck and Serratore goes to the net to be available for the tap-in. Just tap it in – Happy Gilmore!!!
- Just awesome to see players skating hard on the forecheck trying to get the puck and forcing quick plays.
- Bad plays come from having no time or space to prepare to make a play!
- A loose puck is a reason to pounce!
- It all started with a simple dump-in that was immediately cleared but that allowed the Gophers to set up their forecheck!
- Is there anything more beautiful than a relentless forecheck?
- GOAL – AJ Michaelson from Travis Boyd at 3:59 of the 2nd period – A face-off to the left of Adam Wilcox is lost by Travis Boyd behind the net but Seth Helgeson gets to the puck first and wraps it around the left corner to the half-wall past Mark Alt, Matt White and AJ Michaelson. AJ has position on Matt White and shields him away from the puck while he gains speed. Michaelson passes the puck (or tips it) to Travis Boyd and he takes it up the left side through the neutral zone and to the left half-wall of the Catamount zone. Seth Ambroz drove to the net and Mark Alt pinched up the right side keeping the defense honest and allowing Michaelson to trail the play and set up for a one-timer near the top of the left circle for a slapper that beats Brody Hoffman low glove side into the low right corner. GOPHERS 2-0!!!
- Just driving the net with speed by Seth Ambroz and Mark Alt opened that play up for Michaelson.
- Learn to play without the puck!
- Not sure if Hoffman saw that puck as it appeared like he reacted late on it.
- Good low shot too!!!
- BIG HIT! – Justin Holl on Kyle Reynolds at 9:00 of the 2nd period –Justin Holl comes off the bench on a line change right onto the forecheck and sees Nick Luukko in the left corner is going to turn around and play the puck up the boards so he turns and says HELLO to Kyle Reynolds who was looking down to control the puck. BOOM! “I’m Wide Awake!”
- Throw the body to get the other team making quicker decisions which leads to mistakes.
- PENALTY – Erik Haula for Roughing on H.T. Lenz at 16:31 of the 2nd period –A battle between H.T. Lenz and Erik Haula has Haula knocking Lenz down then Lenz taking Haula’s feet out from underneath him and that doesn’t sit well with Haula so he gets up and jumps on Lenz and gets the 2-minute minor for Roughing.
- Retaliation always seems to get you in the box!
3rd Period
- PENALTY – Caylen Walls for Checking From Behind on Justin Holl at 3:13 of the 3rd period –Justin Holl gets the puck at the left half-wall of the Catamount zone, turns to protect the puck and gets hit from behind and the far official makes the call.
- Tough play for Walls as Holl is turning but checking from behind is going to be called more often than not so he gets to rest in the penalty box.
- PENALTY – Kyle Rau for ? on Chris McCarthy at 3:56 of the 3rd period – A turnover in the neutral zone gets the Catamounts a chance in transition. Chris McCarthy is driving the net looking for a pass and Kyle Rau is back checking. The pass comes but I’m not sure if McCarthy ever gets his stick on it and Kyle Rau knocks McCarthy down to the ice and gets called for something – Interference, Roughing, Hooking, Tripping, Illegal Use of the Stick to Knock an Opponent Down…
- GOAL (4-on-4) – Jacob Fallon from Yvan Pattyn & Chris McCarthy at 4:15 of the 3rd period – Anders Franzon takes a shot from the left point that Adam Wilcox saves but the puck trickles out behind the net. Chris McCarthy picks up the puck and skates around the left boards, comes out to the top of the slot and shoots a high shot that goes off of Wilcox’ blocker, bounces up, hits Ben Marshall’s helmet, then goes off Adam Wilcox’ blocker again and lands in front of Adam Wilcox in Yvan Pattyn’s skates. Pattyn gets a piece of it but Jacob Fallon whacks at the puck and gets it to go through Wilcox’ legs and it slowly goes into the net. CATAMOUNTS 1-2!!!
- Amazing how the puck finds its way through the leg pads like it did!
- 7 players in front of the net makes it hard for Adam Wilcox to have any chance to freeze the puck.
- Huge GOAL for the Catamounts making this a game now!
- GOAL (Empty Net) – Nate Condon from Nate Schmidt & Erik Haula at 19:06 of the 3rd period – With the puck behind the Gopher net, both teams are battling for possession and the puck goes into the right corner. Nate Schmidt wins a battle for the puck at the right half-wall and gets the puck up to Nate Condon who has a relatively clear path to the open net for the clincher! GOPHERS 3-1!!!
- PENALTY – Brett Bruneteau for Slashing on Nate Condon at 19:06 of the 3rd period – Brett Bruneteau made a diving slash attempt on Nate Condon to try to keep him from scoring the empty-net goal!
- PENALTY – Seth Ambroz for Roughing Hitting After Whistle at 19:56 of the 3rd period – With little time left in the game after a shot on Brody Hoffman is saved, Seth Ambroz tries to get some last licks in on the Catamounts and gets 2-minutes for it.
Minnesota Gophers 3 Vermont Catamounts 1 is the final score!
Gopher hockey picks up their first road sweep of the season and move their road record to 4-2-1 and their overall record to 9-2-2. The Minnesota Gophers next game is on Friday, November 30th when they open up a 2-game series with Nebraska-Omaha. Both games begin at 7pm CST and are televised with Friday night’s game on FSN and Saturday night’s game on FSN+. Check here to find out where to watch Gopher Hockey in your area!
Gopher Hockey Recap from GopherSports.com – Gophers Pick Up Sweep of Catamounts with 3-1 Win
Gopher Hockey Box Score from GopherSports.com –
Minnesota-Vermont Stats
Gopher Hockey Recap from UVMAthletics.com – #4 Minnesota Holds Off Vermont Comeback Effort for 3-1 Win
In other WCHA College Hockey action,
“Home=”vs”, Away=”@””
Bemidji State won vs Alaska-Anchorage 5-4
St. Cloud State won @ Minnesota-Duluth 5-1
Minnesota State won @ Wisconsin 4-2
Non-conference College Hockey action,
Yale won @ Colorado College 6-5 in OT
New Hampshire won @ Denver 6-4
Notre Dame won vs North Dakota 5-2
and
Alabama-Huntsville lost @ Nebraska-Omaha 8-0
If you missed it like I did, Minnesota Wild 2012 2nd round draft pick, Mario Lucia, scored his 1st collegiate goal a week ago against Michigan.
Here’s the video highlights of the Notre Dame/Michigan game with Mario Lucia’s goal at the 1:11 mark of the video.
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You’ve Been ClutterPUCKED!!!
