USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll

Minnesota handed college hockey’s last remaining undefeated team its first loss on Saturday with a 4-1 victory over Bemidji State at Mariucci Arena.

The Beavers entered the game ranked seventh in the country with a 7-0-1 record, but Minnesota limited them to just 22 shots on goal and scored four unanswered goals after an early Beavers’ tally for the win. The Gophers have now won all seven meetings with Bemidji State as the teams met for the first time since 2004.

Minnesota has now won four of its last five games to run its record to 4-4-1 overall. The Gophers got a goal and assist from Hoeffel and Sacchetti and two assists from Ness in the victory. Minnesota outshot the Beavers 29-22 for the game.

The Beavers took advantage of a fortunate bounce to score their early goal just 3:03 into the game. Minnesota was pushing up the ice out of its own zone when Tony Lucia attempted a cross-ice pass that bounced off the skate of a teammate and free to Bemidji State’s Jordan George, who skated in all alone on Gophers’ netminder Alex Kangas and scored on a backhanded shot.

Minnesota needed less than two minutes to tie the game as Sacchetti scored his first goal of the season at the 4:29 mark. The play started with a shot from Aaron Ness at the point and the rebound bounced free. Beavers’ goaltender Dan Bakala thought he had the puck covered up, but Sacchetti stayed with the loose puck and poked it into the net. Mike Hoeffel also got a stick on the puck during the scrum and gained an assist.

Hoeffel nearly put the Gophers ahead early in the second period when he took a pass from Sacchetti behind the defense for an open chance that hit off the crossbar. However, minutes later, he converted a five-on-three power play goal that gave the Gophers the lead at the 15:23 mark. Minnesota passed the puck crisply during the two-man advantage with Aaron Ness going cross-ice to Cade Fairchild, who found Hoeffel open in the slot for his fifth goal of the year. It was Minnesota’s third power play goal of the season.

Bemidji State had a prime opportunity to tie the game when Minnesota was whistled for four penalties during a span of 57 seconds in the second period. Both teams were called for coincidental minors, setting up a four-on-four situation where just 12 seconds later, the Gophers were called for two penalties on the same play.

Another Minnesota penalty gave Bemidji State a power play that lasted for a total of four minutes, including two minutes, 12 seconds of a five-on-three. For all but 12 seconds of the power play Minnesota had just three players on the ice. Kangas made five saves during the Beavers’ power play and got a fortunate bounce off the pipe to keep the Gophers’ one-goal lead intact.

Neither team mounted many third period scoring chances until the Gophers’ Jordan Schroeder notched a power play goal at the 13:35 mark of the period. Sacchetti took the initial shot that bounced out to the far side to Schroeder, who blasted in the rebound from the faceoff dot to put Minnesota ahead 3-1. It was Schroeder’s first goal of the year and his first since Feb. 27.

Mike Carman also broke a long scoring drought with a blast from the opposite faceoff dot just 54 seconds later. Zach Budish assisted the goal, which was Carman’s first in 18 games since Feb. 6.

Minnesota’s two power play goals matched its total for the season through the first eight games as the Gophers went two-for-seven for the game. The Gophers also killed off all four Bemidji State power plays and have killed 23 consecutive penalties.

Kangas, who was last week’s Western Collegiate Hockey Association Defensive Player of the Week, made 21 saves in the victory, while Bakala finished with 25 saves for the Beavers.

The two teams play again Sunday at 6 p.m. at Mariucci Arena.

Duluth 8, Michigan Tech 1

No. 18 Minn.-Duluth scored four power play goals to defeat Michigan Tech 8-1 Saturday (Nov. 14) in WCHA play. Junior Justin Fontaine led the Bulldogs (7-4-1, 4-3-1) with five points on the night (four goals, one assist).

Wisconsin 6, Anchorage 2

MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin men’s hockey team (6-3-1, 4-3-1 WCHA) finished off its sweep of the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves (4-8-0, 2-6-0 WCHA) after beating them 6-2 Saturday night in the Kohl Center. Behind two goals and an assist by senior tri-captain Ben Street (Coquitlam, British Columbia), the Badgers were able to prevail. Freshman forward Craig Smith (Madison, Wis.) contributed his second goal of the series and the year en route to the Badgers’ win.

The Seawolves struck first. After a scoreless first 15 minutes of the first period, senior Josh Lunden punched one in for Anchorage at the 4:28 mark.

Just eleven seconds later, Street notched his third goal of the season, tying the game at one. Freshman Derek Lee (North Vancouver, British Columbia) advanced the puck to senior Ben Grotting (Birmingham, Ala.), who was on the side of the net. Grotting found a slashing Street skating to the left side, who gained control of the puck and cashed it in for the Badgers.

This concluded the scoring in the first, with the teams locked up at a goal apiece. Together, the teams took 14 shots, 10 of which belonged to UW.

Wisconsin took its first lead of the game at the 7:23 mark of the second period after senior tri-captain Blake Geoffrion (Brentwood, Tenn.) scored his sixth goal of the season. Geoffrion stole a loose puck in the skates of a Seawolves’ defender behind the net. From there, he skated around the front of the net and fired a top-shelf goal past UAA goalie Bryce Christianson, putting the Badgers up 2-1. Sophomore forward Derek Stepan (Hastings, Minn.) and junior tri-captain Ryan McDonagh (Arden Hills, Minn.) were credited with the two assists.

This accounted for all the scoring in the second. The Badgers’ powerful defense was making shooting very difficult for UAA. Just like in the first period, the Seawolves were only able to attempt four shots on goal in the second. Wisconsin, on the other hand, had 13 shots on goal. The Badgers were outshooting the Seawolves 23-8, altogether.

Just 2:32 into the third, Wisconsin added to its lead. The goal was scored by junior forward Patrick Johnson (Madison, Wis.) for his first goal of the year, and his first in 17 games. Junior defenseman Brendan Smith (Mimico, Ontario), who was at mid-ice, got the puck to senior forward John Mitchell (Neenah, Wis.). Mitchell skated to the top of the faceoff circle, before finding a wide-open Johnson, who was cutting down the middle at the net. Mitchell’s pass led Johnson, so he laid out and managed to glide it past the Seawolf defender. This put the Badgers up 3-1 in the contest.

The Seawolves attempted to crawl their way back after senior Josh Lunden short-handedly scored his second goal of the night, bringing UAA within one at the 13:24 mark of the third.

Freshman forward Craig Smith (Madison, Wis.) did not let them stay within one for long. At the 12:18 mark, he scored his second goal in as many nights. Junior defenseman Cody Goloubef (Oakville, Ontario) advanced the puck up the ice to Craig Smith. From there, Smith outmuscled his way to the net and managed to fire a rocket past the UAA’s Christianson. Street was credited with the secondary assist, his second point of the contest. This gave the Badgers some cushion at 4-2.

The cushion got bigger when freshman defenseman Justin Schultz (West Kelowna, B.C.) scored his first goal as a Badger with just under three minutes remaining in the third. After UAA pulled its goalie, nothing stood in the way between Schultz and the goal. Assists were credited to Goloubef and Stepan, the second of the game for both. The Badgers scored once more in the contest, and it was by Street again. After Street snuck behind the Anchorage defense, Goloubef found him for his second assist. Street delivered a shot from just outside the faceoff circle, cementing the Wisconsin victory. The secondary assist was credited to Jordy Murray. The score was now 6-2 in favor of Wisconsin with just over 11 seconds remaining.

Scott Gudmandson (Sherwood Park, Alberta) found himself in the net for UW tonight. He stopped 11 UAA shots and is now 2-1-1 on the year. Christianson managed to stop 33 Badger shots, as his record fell to 2-4-0 on the year. The Badgers led the Seawolves in shots on goal, outshooting them 42-13 in the game.

Denver, IDLE