Coming into this game, Bemidji State had never beaten the Minnesota Golden Gophers. However, this version of the Beavers was different. They were undefeated and, at 7-0-1, playing outstanding team defense. Meanwhile, Minnesota was struggling to find its offense. In particular, their power play was struggling.<\/p>\n
The game was hard fought and very tight until midway through the third period.<\/p>\n
“I don’t think there was a lot of easy ice out there tonight,” remarked Bemidji State coach Tom Serratore.<\/p>\n
One of the Gophers struggling young stars, Jordan Schroeder, scored his first goal of the season on the power play to put the Gophers up 3-1 at 13:43 of the third period. It was the second power play of the game for the Gophers, but only their fourth in nine games this season.<\/p>\n
“It deflated us a bit,” added Serratore.<\/p>\n
Nico Sacchetti set the play up on a wraparound attempt that went straight to Shroeder in the weak side circle. Schroeder one-timed the puck past Dan Bakala, who was late getting over after covering the pipe on the wraparound.<\/p>\n
Mike Carmen made it 4-1 at 14:29 of the third on a partially screened wrist shot from 35 feet.<\/p>\n
“There was a lot of relief in the locker room tonight,” remarked Sacchetti.<\/p>\n
Minnesota’s first power-play goal of the game came in the second period on a two-man advantage at 4:37. Mike Hoeffel got the goal on a one-time redirect on a pass from Cade Fairchild. <\/p>\n
While the Gopher’s power play has struggled in this early season, their penalty kill has been superb and, just 1:43 after Hoeffel’s goal, they found themselves in a big hole. Minnesota took four minor penalties in a one-minute interval while the Beavers took just one.<\/p>\n
The Gophers faced killing over four straight minutes of power play and over two minutes of two-man advantage. <\/p>\n
Alex Kangas stood tall, freezing the puck four times, allowing numerous line changes and no rebounds. <\/p>\n
“The most important turning point in the game was that kill, down four straight minutes,” said Gophers’ coach Don Lucia.<\/p>\n
“We couldn’t convert on the five-on-three; that makes things difficult,” said Serratore.<\/p>\n
The Beavers started fast at 2:03 when Jordan George scored a highlight real goal. The play started when Tony Lucia went after a puck just outside his own blue line. He beat a Bemidji player to the puck, but his pass went off a skate and the puck wound up 25 feet inside Minnesota’s zone. <\/p>\n
George picked it up the and went in all alone on Kangas, lifting a backhand shot over Kangas into the upper right corner.<\/p>\n
Minnesota answered quickly, scoring at 4:29 on a team goal where all five skaters played a part. Schroeder skated the puck in the zone, did a quick 270-degree turn to gain space and found Fischer at the line. Fischer one-timed a pass to Ness, who had an open lane to the goaltender Bakala. <\/p>\n
Hoeffel got the first rebound and Nico Sacchetti stuffed the puck in on the second rebound for his first goal of the year, completing the five man play.<\/p>\n
Minnesota controlled the play in the first period with seven quality scoring chances to just two for the Beavers. <\/p>\n
Bemidji State gets its second chance to beat Minnesota for the first time Sunday night at 6:05.<\/p>\n
“Hopefully, we will respond differently,” remarked Serratore.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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