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MINNEAPOLIS — For the first 10 minutes of Minnesota’s Big Ten opener against Penn State on Oct. 13, the Gophers failed to put a shot on goal. This slow start was part of a concerning trend for Minnesota and head coach Don Lucia.
On Saturday, any concerns of a slow start were just a distant memory.
No. 5 Minnesota scored twice in the opening 10 minutes of the game. The Gophers added another goal in the second as Minnesota blanked Michigan State 4-0 to sweep the two-game, Big Ten series.
Looking at Minnesota’s past few strong starts, the formula is simple — score early. In both games this weekend, the Gophers scored on their first shot of the contest.
On Friday, it was sophomore defenseman Ryan Lindgren getting Minnesota on the board. In the second game, junior captain Tyler Sheehy had the honors.
“Whenever you beat a team the first night, they’re going to come out ready to beat you,” Sheehy said. “For us, we got the momentum right away and took off right away.”
For Sheehy, the goal was not only big for his team, it was big for himself. The Gopher captain had yet to score a goal through nine games.
“It’s kind of a weight off your shoulders,” Sheehy said. “Getting the first one is a good feeling.”
And Sheehy wasn’t the only one to get off the schneid on Saturday. Sophomore defenseman Tyler Nanne scored his first goal of the season to put Minnesota ahead 3-0.
Along with some first-time goal-scorers, the Gophers found some help from those who have consistently produced. Freshman forward Casey Mittelstadt continued his strong start with his third goal of the season. The Eden Prairie, Minn., native put home a point-blank shot from in front of the net.
As Lucia pointed out after the game, Mittelstadt and his linemates — Rem Pitlick and Scott Reedy — will continue to get points throughout the season. It will be players like Sheehy and Nanne that will need to produce.
“We need some other guys to contribute,” Lucia said. “Casey and his line are going to get their points. You saw that tonight. That’s what we need with this team.”
After Minnesota took a commanding lead, Gopher goalie Eric Schierhorn and the Minnesota defense worked their way to a shutout. The senior netminder was challenged in the third period but picked up a shutout. It was his second of the season.
“I thought our defense played well all weekend. When you see them blocking shots, they’re bailing me out,” Schierhorn said. “If we’re giving up 21 or 27 shots a night, we have a good chance to win.”
With a sweep in the books, the Gophers move into sole possession of first place in the Big Ten. Minnesota will be tested again — and quickly. The Gophers’ next two conference series are on the road at Michigan and Notre Dame.
“It’s a competitive league,” Lucia said. “Any time you can put a win in your back pocket, you have to do it.”
Big Ten Roundup
No. 10 Notre Dame 3, No. 16 Ohio State 2
After getting off to a 3-0 start, Notre Dame held on to pick up its second win as a member of the Big Ten and the Fighting Irish’s first-ever sweep in Big Ten play.
Cal Burke got the scoring going for Notre Dame at the 18:48 mark of the second period. In the third period, Dylan Malmquist and Jake Evans scored 34 seconds apart to give the Irish a 3-0 lead. Evans had a goal and two assists on the night. Andrew Peeke picked up a pair of assists in the win.
Ohio State’s comeback attempt came up just short in the final frame. Mason Jobst scored the Buckeyes’ first goal on the power play. Dakota Joshua scored with 1:55 left in the third to cut the lead to 3-2. Joshua also had an assist in the loss.
No. 17 Penn State 7, Mercyhurst 5
In a back-and-forth shootout, Penn State scored two third-period goals en route to a 7-5 win against Mercyhurst at Pegula Ice Arena.
The Nittany Lions were led by James Robinson, who picked up a true hat trick in the win. He scored the first three goals of the game for Penn State and gave the Nittany Lions back the lead 29 seconds into the second period.
The Lakers took their only lead of the game in the first period thanks to goals from Jack Riley and Taylor Best. Mercyhurst tied the game 5-5 in the third with goals from Zach Todd and Kane Elliot. Nikita Pavlychev scored the game-winner for Penn State.
No. 4 North Dakota 2, No. 7 Wisconsin 2
In the second game of a non-conference series, North Dakota and Wisconsin played to a 2-2 tie at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis.
The Badgers were paced by a pair of Dhooghes. Sean Dhooghe scored his first collegiate goal late in the first period to give Wisconsin an early lead. Jason Dhooghe scored the Badgers’ second goal of the night.
The Fighting Hawks trailed in the third period until Shane Gersich knotted the game at two at the 14:48 mark of the third.
