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Huskies win one, tie Gophers
Earning three of four points against Minnesota will most likely move SCSU into the nation’s top spot
 Media Credit: Michael Martin/Managing Editor SCSU´s Dean Weasler makes one of his 37 saves during the third period Friday night at Mariucci Arena. The Huskies defeated the Gophers 3-2. Weasler also played Saturday night after Jake Moreland suffered a slight concussion.
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 Media Credit: Michael Martin/Managing Editor SCSU´s Matt Hendricks knocks the puck away from Minnesota’s Erik Wendell during the Huskies victory Friday night.
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It’s been awhile since a heavyweight bout actually lived up to it’s billing, but this weekend in Minneapolis and at the National Hockey Center, the top two teams in the nation put on a show that actually matched the hype surrounding the weekend series.
Minnesota and SCSU entered the weekend ranked first and second respectively in both major polls, but will likely flip-flop after the Huskies took three of four points from the Gophers, beating them 3-2 Friday night at Mariucci Arena and skating to a classic 2-2 tie in the rematch Saturday at the NHC.
“There was some excellent hockey played by both teams this weekend,” said SCSU head coach Craig Dahl.
The Huskies came out a bit flat, Friday night but still managed to skate to a 1-1 tie after a first period in which they were outshot 17-9.
Mike Doyle opened the scoring for the Huskies on accident. Nate DiCasmirro’s power-play shot hit Doyle’s skate as he was crashing the net and the puck slid by Minnesota netminder Adam Hauser. The Gophers tied the game at one when Jordan Leopold slammed home a rebound during a two-man advantage.
“We were real nervous in the first period,” said Dahl. “I think that sports psychologist call it competition anxiety, but I told them after that period that we can’t play like mice, we have to go after it and play hard.”
Dahl’s team listened, as they jumped on the Gophers in the second racing to a 3-1 lead. DiCasmirro hit a streaking Derek Eastman, who had jumped into the play from his defensive position and redirected that pass under Hauser to put the Huskies up 2-1 at the 6:19 mark. Then, on the power play, Ryan Malone made an outstanding play as he muscled his way to the net and put a shot on Hauser that again deflected on a Husky skate, this time Matt Hendricks’, and into the net.
The Gophers made it a game when freshman Barry Tallackson knocked a rebound past a sprawled out Dean Weasler to get his team within one, still with over 10 minutes to play in the game. Weasler and the Huskies responded, turning away every Gopher rush the rest of the way to escape with a 3-2 win in front of a record crowd of 10,231 at Mariucci.
“(Weasler) played great,” said Hendricks, whose game winner was his twelfth goal of the season. “He saved us a lot of times tonight and we love him for that.”
Hockey
“You always like playing against the Gophers,” said Weasler, who turned away 37 of 39 shots. “You’re not an athlete if you don’t like playing in these big games.”
There was another big game the next night in St. Cloud, and the hottest ticket in the history of the program witnessed the two teams skate to a wildly entertaining 2-2 tie.
Neither team was able to score in the first. The Gophers did get to the Husky net however, knocking out starting goaltender Jake Moreland after he suffered what might be a slight concussion on a nasty collision with Minnesota forward Troy Riddle. He stayed in the game for the rest of the period but was spelled by Weasler at the start of the second.
“A skate hit my head pretty hard,” said Moreland, who had looked sharp before the incident. “I was a bit woozy and couldn’t really see straight after that. I thought I could go on but coach said we should go with Dean to start the second.”
Like the previous night, the Huskies used the second frame to open the game up. They used two goals in the final 1:42 to take a 2-0 lead in the intermission.
DiCasmirro scored on a wicked wrister after he stopped and did a 360 just inside the blueline. He beat a surprised Hauser to give the Huskies a huge momentum boost. Seconds late, Ryan LaMere intercepted a pass and came in all alone on Hauser, crashing the net and forcing Hauser into a dumb penalty after the senior goaltender elbowed LaMere while he was inside the Gopher cage. Hauser was assessed a roughing penalty and the Huskies promptly took advantage.
Joe Motzko started the play, feeding Ryan Malone, who put a shot on Hauser from the right circle that was stopped, but Jon Cullen, playing in only his third game of the year after returning from a knee injury, was there to pounce on the rebound. For the second consecutive night, the Huskies were up by two going into the third.
This time, however, the Gophers would have an answer.
“We said in between periods that this was our season,” said Minnesota forward Grant Potulny, who would score the eventual game-tying goal after Tallackson’s rebound goal got the Gophers within one. “We knew if were going to have a chance at winning the league, we couldn’t get swept and be forced to go to (third-ranked) Denver needing a sweep next weekend.”
Potulny tipped home Leopold’s shot from the point halfway through the period to tie the game at two, and that is where the drama began.
The game was thought to be over twice after that. First when Hendricks had apparently scored the game winner with three minutes left to play in regulation, and then in overtime when Minnesota freshman Jake Fleming scored a goal that went off his skate but was immediately disallowed.
On Hendricks’ effort, he took a pass in the slot and tipped a shot that – replays later showed – beat Hauser. The puck hit the pad in the center of the net and came out as fast as it went in. The horn sounded and Hendricks celebrated, but referee Robin Anderson never signaled anything and play went on.
“I don’t know if it went in,” said Hendricks. “You tip home so many shots like that and you think you know what it looks like, but I guess I was wrong.”
The Huskies outshot the Gophers 47-27 on the night but couldn’t solve Hauser, who played what might have been the best game of his four-year career with Minnesota.
“Adam played great,” said Potulny. “He might have stolen this tie for us.”
Both teams are preparing for tough challenges in Colorado next weekend as Minnesota travels to Denver and the Huskies face a rematch with Colorado College, the only team to beat them this year.
In a quiet locker room following Saturday night’s game, Hendricks wouldn’t allow the feeling of letting one slip away escape his mind.
“We feel good that we took three of four points from the top team in the nation but to be up by two going into the last period of the weekend, a period where we normally play our best hockey, to have them come back and tie it up on us is disappointing,” Hendricks said. “But that was some fun hockey played this weekend, I wouldn’t mind playing them every weekend.”
Neither would the fans.
Nick Clark can be reached at: [email protected]
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