When you saw the glass shatter behind the Gopher net during pre-game warm ups, and then watched as Minnesota moved the net to the corner to continue getting ready, you felt like something was a little off. Little did the 9,710 fans who braved the weather to witness the game know, that was just the beginning of what would be a strange night between the Gophers and Mavericks. In a bizarre game that saw that pane of glass break into a thousand pieces prior to the start, Travis Boyd lose the blade off his skate after a collision, and an overabundance of questionable calls by the officiating crew, the Gopher hockey team managed to complete the weekend series sweep of Minnesota State, with a 3-2 win at Mariucci Arena.
Once the pre-game mishap had been dealt with, the game got off to a fairly normal start. The Gophers came out guns a blazin’, and took it to the Mavericks. They had Minnesota State on their heals, and got one early on the power play when Zach Budish threw the puck at the net from the corner, and Freshman Seth Ambroz swiped at the puck repeatedly until he was able to chip it up and over MSU Goalkeeper Austin Lee for his third of the year just 2:37 into the first period. Taylor Matson, who would be voted the number one star of the game at it’s conclusion, had the second assist on the goal. A little less than six minutes later, Matson would get one of his own, compliments of Nate Condon and Ambroz. Matson grabbed the puck in traffic with his back to the net, then turned and fired one over the shoulder of Lee for a 2-0 Gopher lead halfway through the first. Shortly thereafter, Freshmen Travis Boyd collided with a Maverick player near the boards, and somehow lost the blade from his skate. He struggled to get to the bench on the other side of the rink as the crowd, believing he was injured, booed the Officials for not blowing the play dead. Minnesota would end the period on a high note though, when Kyle Rau scored with just over a minute left. On the play, Mark Alt had his back to the boards when he saw a streaking Rau cutting down the middle of the ice, and hit him in stride as Rau charged the net, and skillfully tipped the puck past the Maverick goaltender.
Minnesota started the second period on the power play, but couldn’t quite convert, although they had a lot of good opportunities to do so. Their best opportunity came when Jake Hansen was planted in front of the net all alone, but missed on his one time attempt of the pass from Erik Haula. The Gophers wished they would have netted that goal, as Minnesota State would get on the board a couple of minutes later while on a power play of their own, making their deficit only two. The goal brought energy to MSU, and briefly turned the momentum in the Mavericks favor. The Gophers would weather that brief storm, and there would be no further scoring in the middle session, though Rau came close when he put a shot off both posts, only to have it bounce out harmlessly. Early in the third period, Mankato State would go on a five on three power play, the result of a couple borderline calls by the Referees. The Mavericks would take advantage, scoring to make it a one goal game with sixteen minutes left in regulation. It would be a see-saw battle the remainder of the game, with both teams getting their scoring chances. The Gophers best opportunity happened late in the game while on the power play, and clinging to a one goal lead. Rau got the puck at the side of the net, and with Lee laying on the ice, put a shot over the goal and into the safety netting. The last chance for MSU would come with just over a minute left in the game, when Seth Helgeson nearly made a critical mistake as he pinched in to take a shot, and it was blocked. The Mavericks turned that blocked shot into a three on one rush, but fortunately for Helgeson, Justin Holl was able to break up the offensive charge with a little help from some back-checking teammates to help preserve the victory.
Unfortunately, the officiating turned into a major focus of the game. Officials are constantly scrutinized by the Fans, Players and Coaches for what is seen as poor judgement on their part, but tonight that criticism may have been warranted. Minnesota State scored a crucial goal on a five on three power play, after a couple of questionable calls. Rau was given a Roughing penalty on what looked like a hard but clean hit, and that was followed up by a Slashing penalty on Jake Hansen when he hit the MSU player in the shin pad with his stick, a play that happens numerous times each game. By that time, the Mariucci crowd was incensed, as were the Gopher Players and Coaches. And it wasn’t just the Referees that were having a difficult game, it was the Linesman as well, missing calls, and getting in the way of the play, creating opportunities that could change the course of a game. By the end of the game, both teams were fuming at the officiating crew, and the classic scene where the referees are chased out of town, may have in fact played out.
The all important sweep of Minnesota State keeps the #5 ranked Gophers (12-4-1, 9-2-0 WCHA) in first place in the WCHA, standing atop the league with 18 points, one point ahead of the surging Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs, currently ranked #4 in the nation. Minnesota’s next opponent will be the #20 Michigan Tech Huskies (8-6-1, 5-5- WCHA). Game time is 7:00 PM Friday, and 8:00 PM Saturday night. Both games will be broadcast on Fox Sports North.