Gopher Hockey Recap – vs Michigan State Spartans – 10-12-2012

Minnesota Gopher Hockey got underway last night as the Gopher Hockey team took on the Michigan State Spartans at Mariucci Arena to start the 2012-13 Gopher Hockey season!

Starting Goalies: MSU: Will Yanakeff; MIN: Michael Shibrowski

Line Chart – Minnesota Gophers

Pronunciation: Skjei = Shay
Scratches/Did Not Play: MIN: G-Ryan Coyne-31, G-Matt LaPrade-30, G-Adam Wilcox-32, D-Justin Holl-12, D-Blake Thompson-3, F-Christian Horn-18, F-Jared Larson-23, F-Ryan Reilly-9
Injured: MIN: F-Connor Reilly-21

Line Chart – Michigan State Spartans

1st Period

• Wow! Sam Warning has some speed! I don’t remember seeing that last season! He got a breakaway off a turnover at the Gopher blue line so the defenseman was flat-footed but it still looked impressive.
• Gophers come out flying and look like a team that should be ranked high!
• GOAL!!! Ben Marshall from Zack Budish and Sam Warning at 4:07 (1st Period) –Ben Marshall gets the 1st goal of the 2012-13 season off a slapper from the right point that gets past the screened goaltender of the Spartans, Will Yanakeff at 4:07 (15:53 on the clock) of the 1st period. Helgeson wrapped the puck around the left boards in the Gopher defensive zone to Warning, Warning made a little pass up to Budish into the neutral zone, Budish carried the puck into the left side of the offensive zone turning at the blue line and finding Marshall trailing the play, Marshall had time to wait for a screen to develop before he launched a slapper from the right point that went in the low left side of the net past Yanakeff! Give the Gophers time and space and they will dominate!
  • That’s what happens when the defense give too much time and space to the oncoming forward. Budish had absolutely no pressure on him as he handled the puck.
• PENALTY!!! 4:32 (1st Period) – Mike Reilly for Interference – Mike Reilly gets the 1st penalty of the season right after the goal – 2 minutes for interference at 4:32 (15:28 on the clock) of the 1st period
• GOAL!!! Bjugstad from Mike Reilly and Kyle Rau at 6:40 (1st Period) – The Gophers kill off the penalty and score shortly after when Nick Bjugstad gets his 1st goal of the season. Mark Alt uses a little poke check to get the puck to Kyle Rau on the right boards as Mike Reilly gets out of the box and Reilly receives a quick pass from Rau to create a 2-on-1 with Bjugstad coming up the left side. Reilly makes a pass to Bjugstad but its to his feet, Nick just kicks the puck to his stick and fires a laser to the upper right to make it 2-0 GOPHERS!!!
• 2012 Wild Draft Pick John Draeger is a top defenseman for the Spartans. He’s wearing #7 and he’s paired with Chris Chelios’ son, Jake Chelios!
• Christian Isackson is the lucky player that gets to move into the right wing slot on the top line and play with Nick Bjugstad and Kyle Rau. Nice spot to be in playing with those two guys and it’s obviously worked out pretty good so far as he netted a hat trick in the exhibition game against Lethbridge.
• GOAL!!! Isackson from Bjugstad at 13:38 (1st Period) – A Gopher turnover in the neutral zone turns into a quick, little 3-on-2 for the Spartans but Christian Isackson breaks it up with a good back check covering the center and knocking the puck away to the right boards where Nick Bjugstad picks it up and heads down the right side with Rau. Isackson makes it a 3-on-2 coming up the center of the ice trailing the play, Bjugstad finds him and Isackson has time to pick his spot and rips one into the upper right corner to make it 3-0 GOPHERS!!! The rout is on!!!
• A questionable hit late in the period on Nate Schmidt causes some friction between Rau and Darnell of the Spartans. Could’ve been called checking from behind but probably a good no-call by the official. Schmidt was able to turn and hit the boards on his side instead face first.

2nd Period

• GOAL!!! HAULA from Reilly & Budish at 17:46 (2nd Period) – The Gophers get some solid offensive zone time with the 2nd line of Haula, Budish and Warning with Mike Reilly taking the puck into the zone. Haula makes some great moves with the puck behind the net to get Budish a shot that goes wide. Mike Reilly still playing in deep while Warning covers his d-spot gets the rebound to Haula behind the goal line to the right of the net (Yanakeff’s left). Haula looks to make a pass with a defender coming at him trying to take the passing lane away so he spins to his left, goes to the net and gets a shot off that rebounds up in the air right back to him in the air but he’s able to slap it out of the air into the net for a 4-0 lead for the Gophers!

3rd Period

• PENALTY at :45 of the 3rd Period – Mark Alt for Slashing! – A shot/pass from the left point was intercepted by Deblouw and Matt Berry gets a breakaway and Alt back checked but gets a questionable slashing penalty. All he did was hook his stick but the official must’ve viewed it as he took away a chance to score. I don’t know. I’m not going to try to understand the official on that one.
• PENALTY at 7:15 of the 3rd Period – Bjugstad for Hooking! – Obvious penalty in the neutral zone by Bjugstad, hooked him from behind, easy call for the official!
• PENALTY at 9:39 of the 3rd Period – Darnell for Tripping! – Pretty clear trip behind the goal line!
• PENALTY at 10:10 of the 3rd Period – Reimer for Tripping! – Tripping penalty on the forecheck! Oops! 5-on-3 power play for the Gophers!
• GOAL!!! Boyd from Ambroz & Condon! – Probably should’ve been a goal by Condon from Boyd but Condon received a bullet pass on the side of the net that was hard to handle. He got the shot off but it was saved by Yanakeff, Ambroz was there for the rebound, whacked at it a couple times never getting a good piece of it and Boyd came in to clean it up!
• GOAL!!! Sorenson from Bondra at 15:59 (3rd Period) – Sorensen was the F1 on the forecheck (1st forward in) and he forced Helgeson to make a play. Helgeson dropped the puck back to Nate Schmidt, who didn’t appear ready for it, so Bondra beat him to the puck, wheeled around the net and passed it to an open Sorensen for a one-timer snipe just over the right pad of The Big Shibrowski!!!
  • Not a good play by Helgeson there as Schmidt wasn’t really open, which would explain why he wasn’t ready for the pass. Helgeson should whip it around the boards there. After the turnover, the Gophers went into chase mode, chasing the puck instead of finding a man to cover!
    • Never been a big fan of the drop pass!
• Serratore got off a big check on Bondra late in the 3rd period! 4th line never stops playing hard! Keep your head up when Serratore is on the ice!!!

Gopher Hockey Recap from GopherSports.com – Gophers Cruise to 5-1 Win in Season Opener

In other WCHA action last night,
Colorado College beat Clarkson 5-4
Wisconsin lost to Northern Michigan 2-1
Minnesota State beat Alabama-Huntsville 4-1
Minnesota-Duluth beat Ohio State 6-2
St. Cloud State lost to New Hampshire 5-3
Nebraska-Omaha beat Army 5-1
Alaska-Anchorage beat Canisius 2-0
North Dakota beat US Under-18 Team 6-4 (Exhibition Game) (Future Gopher Hudson Fasching had a Goal and an Assist!) – Men’s Hockey Team Wins 6-4 in Final Exhibition Game

In other College Hockey action last night,
Penn State lost their inaugural NCAA game in OT to American International – PSU Recap, USCHO Recap

In the future, I will hopefully be able to write up an actual recap of the game but for now, I’ll post my notes on Gopher Hockey games! I hope you enjoy them. Let us know what you think by commenting about the game, my notes or your thoughts on anything about Gopher Hockey!

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