Coming off two uninspired loss, the No. 1 Golden Gophers (26-6-6, 14-3-3-0 B1G) topped a gritty Robert Morris (19-18-5, 13-9-5 AHA) squad by a score of 7-3 to advance to the round of eight. Senior captain Nate Condon led the way with two goals while tallying his 100th point as a Gopher.
Here is what I saw:
– This was a different Gopher team than we saw last weekend against Ohio State. Both squads came out strong with Robert Morris playing very physical and finishing their checks. It was good to see Minnesota respond to the aggressive play by staying calm and sticking to their game throughout.
– Don Lucia mentioned in his press conference that the seniors stepped up their game tonight which was obvious by the play of Nate Condon. The captain’s goal to give the Gophers a 1-0 lead seemed to allow Minnesota to breathe a bit in the first. Condon also added a long-range empty net goal for his second of the game and his 100th point in Maroon and Gold. It’s great to see a player stick with the program for four years and be rewarded with hitting that landmark tonight.
– Adam Wilcox has been stellar all season but seemed to struggle a bit tonight. The Colonials capitalized on some great chances but there were a couple other instances where he looked to be fighting the puck. He has come up huge in big games all season and I expect a bounce-back performance tomorrow evening.
– Getting away from the Gophers for a second, I was very impressed with what I saw from Robert Morris. This is a team that started the year 2-12-2 and battled back to make the postseason. In just their 10th season of a hockey program, the Colonials made their first NCAA Tournament appearance and didn’t look out of place. Their players and head coach, Derek Schooley, were very gracious and humble following the game which is awesome to see even as their season ended.
Notes and Quotes:
Thanks to Nate Condon’s goal, Minnesota was able to get on the board first. When they open up the scoring, the Gophers are 16-0-5 on the season.
Minnesota is 16-0-3 this year when Justin Kloos tallies a point. The talented freshman scored the game’s third goal at 19:43 of the first period.
The Gophers have been great in the opening frame all season. After scoring three goals and giving up none in the first, Minnesota has now outscored their opponents 48-29 in the first period this year.
Minnesota head coach Don Lucia:
Opening Statement…“It was the type of game we needed to have tonight. We were led by our captains; both Nate [Condon] and Kyle [Rau] had outstanding games tonight. When you get to this point of the year, your leaders have to step up and do the job of leading the way. I thought both of them set the tone, they contributed offensively and they were very noticeable in their play all over the rink. It’s just nice to get through the first [game]; in many ways the first game of this tournament is the most difficult from the standpoint of pressure and everything else the kids go through.”
On freshmen dealing with the expectations of playing for the University of Minnesota…“They just understand it. It’s one of the reasons they wanted to come here. We have a lot of expectations in this program; all you have to do is look up at the rafters and that’s something we’ve talked about with all our kids. You’ve got four years max to be here to try to contribute and add to the tradition. They come because of the banners left there before us and they’re here to try and put some of their own banners up. We did with the regular season Big Ten Championship and tomorrow we’re playing for a chance to get to the Frozen Four. You can never take that for granted.”
Minnesota captain Nate Condon:
On scoring the first goal and taking some pressure off of the team… “Our team has been great this year when scoring the first goal. I don’t think we’ve lost too many games [when scoring first] so we always like to get the goal first. I came down the ice and shot through a screen and it went in the lower corner. I just used the screen and my speed to get that first goal.”
On taking advantage of scoring chances… “In hockey, momentum is a big thing and anytime you can get a couple goals and things start going your way, guys kind of settle down and start playing their game. We had three late in the first period and guys kind of fed off of that. [Robert Morris] came back in the second period and put up a couple [goals] so the momentum went back to them but you have to battle through those things and just stick to your game, play sound defense and hopefully get a couple more shots.”
Gopher captain Kyle Rau:
On home ice advantage… “We enjoy it. We were really fortunate that the regional was right here in our backyard and we have the best fans in college hockey and they were supporting us here tonight and I’m sure they’ll come out tomorrow and do the same.”
Robert Morris Head Coach Derek Schooley:
Opening statement… “We never quit, I am really proud of our hockey team. I thought we played hard. We did everything possible, they scored to make it 5-2, we scored again, and that’s the result of our hockey team. That’s how our hockey teams played since January 1. It’s a team that didn’t quit, a team that worked so hard. Our goalie was very good, and I thought we created a lot of chances. Our goalie gave us a chance and we never quit. I am really proud of our hockey team. I hope everybody in Minnesota now realizes our team and how hard we play.”
RMU forward Zac Lynch:
On the growth of Robert Morris hockey… “Being from Pittsburgh, I’ve watched this program grow from the start. Coach Schooley, from day one has had this program moving in the right direction. To be a part of this experience and bring us to the national tournament is just a humbling experience. It’s just great to be a part of this.”