The Gopher Hockey team makes its first ever appearance at the Vermont Catamounts and the Gutterson Fieldhouse after playing them for the first time last season. The alma mater of great players like Martin St. Louis and Tim Thomas. Those are the only two names I know from Vermont but those are some pretty nice names! Both have won the Stanley Cup and have been major parts of their NHL teams for a long time!
Line Chart – Minnesota Golden Gophers
Left Wing – Center – Right Wing
Kyle Rau-7 – Nick Bjugstad-27 – Christian Isackson-26
Nate Condon-16 – Erik Haula-19 – Zach Budish-24
Jared Larson-23 – Travis Boyd-22 – Seth Ambroz-17
Tom Serratore-14 – AJ Michaelson-15 – Jake Parenteau-6
Left Defenseman – Right Defenseman
Brady Skjei-2 – Nate Schmidt-29
Mike Reilly-5 – Mark Alt-20
Seth Helgeson-4 – Ben Marshall-10
Goalie
Adam Wilcox-32
Ryan Coyne-31
Scratches: G-Matt LaPrade-30, D-Blake Thompson-3, D-Justin Holl-12, F-Ryan Reilly-9, F-Chirstian Horn-18
Injured: F-Connor Reilly-21, G-Mike Shibrowski-1, F-Sam Warning-11
Line Chart – Vermont Catamounts
Left Wing – Center – Right Wing
H.T. Lenz-11 – Brett Bruneteau-13 – Matt White-19
Pete Massar-16 – Jacob Fallon-17 – Chris McCarthy-3
Jonathan Turk-8 – Robert Polesello-29 – Kyle Reynolds-9
Anthony DeCenzo-14 – Kyle Mountain-10 – Tobias Nilsson-Roos-24
Left Defenseman – Right Defenseman
Nick Bruneteau-4 – Nick Luukko-25
Michael Paliotta-2 – Caylen Walls-26
Yvan Pattyn-15 – Anders Franzon-27
Goalie
Brody Hoffman-37
What is a Catamount? Is it a little saddle you would use to ride a cat? Noooo…that would be a cat-a-mount! A catamount is a medium sized or large cat, esp. a cougar. Sooooo…never tried to mount a catamount! I’ll leave the cougar comments to someone else! Umm…yeah.
For some reason, FSN doesn’t show lines for either team or let us know who’s in and out of the lineup. Do we need to watch pre-game for that?
Erik Haula is now an alternate captain for the Minnesota Gopher Hockey team!
All comments are from the point of view of the puck carrier or the offense unless otherwise noted.
DROP THE CLUTTERPUCK!!!
1st Period
- WOW! This camera is close compared to most Gopher hockey telecasts. You can’t even see the boards on the near side very often.
- PENALTY – Nick Bjugstad for Holding on Pete Massar at 4:03 of the 1st period – Vermont gets some sustained pressure in the Gopher zone and gets a couple chances in front of the net forcing Nick Bjugstad to commit a holding penalty to keep Pete Massar from getting at a rebound.
- PING! POST SHOT! – AJ Michaelson hits the post with a wrist shot at 7:32 of the 1st period –Nick Luukko skates the puck out of the Vermont zone up the left boards and he tries to bank it off the left boards to get the puck around Travis Boyd but Travis gets his stick on it and waits for AJ Michaelson to enter the zone through the middle and passes him the puck. Michaelson skates to the front of the net and takes a snap shot that rings off the right post (to Brody Hoffman’s left) and you hear the crowd with the exciting “OH!”
- Who doesn’t get excited at the sound of vulcanized rubber hitting Metallurgy? Huh? WHO? Nobody!
- GOAL! – Seth Ambroz from Travis Boyd & AJ Michaelson at 7:52 of the 1st period – After Michaelson hit the post, the puck is cleared and dumped in to the Gopher zone. Jake Parenteau picks up the puck while going around his own net and makes a pass to AJ Michaelson at the left half-wall for quick one-time pass to Travis Boyd breaking out of the middle of the Gopher zone with Seth Ambroz coming up the right boards. As Boyd gets to the red line, he makes a pass to Ambroz and Vermont defenseman, Nick Bruneteau, tries to intercept the pass which creates a quick little 2-on-1 with Boyd coming in on Michael Paliotta. Paliotta takes away the pass and Ambroz goes in on Hoffman, looks like he’s going to shoot but he makes a move to his backhand, loses the puck but is fortuitous as the puck deflects off of Paliotta’s right skate and slowly goes over the goal line. GOPHERS 1-0!!!
- Paliotta did the right thing in taking away the pass but he gave too much space to Ambroz to come in all alone without anyone checking him.
- Jonathan Turk was back checking and then started to coast and never took anyone. If he skates hard the whole way, he can get back to cover either Travis Boyd or Seth Ambroz and disrupt the play.
- Turk could tell him to take Boyd so he can move over and defend Ambroz.
- Talking to your teammates is a huge part of the game and will help throughout the game and the whole season.
- PENALTY – Yvan Pattyn for Interference on Tom Serratore at 8:11 of the 1st period –The Gophers are entering the Catamount zone on the left side and the puck is dumped in. Yvan Pattyn throws a body check on Tom Serratore and it doesn’t look like he ever had the puck. TWOOOOO MINUTES!
- No replay of the play.
- Is that FSN?
- They have to have a replay of that, don’t they? What are they doing?
- Then to compound that, they don’t even tell us what the penalty is for! WOW! I don’t like FSN coverage!
- Go watch a broadcast on TSN and learn something about sports coverage.
- No replay of the play.
- NO GOAL! – Brady Skjei scores at 10:18 of the 1st period but the goal is called off right away –A good forechecking job in the right corner from Tom Serratore throwing a body check on Anders Franzon creates time for AJ Michaelson to get the puck back to Brady Skjei at the right point. Skjei skates in, makes a move to get around Tobias Nilsson-Roos and takes a wrist shot that might’ve been tipped by Tom Serratore. The official is calling goalie interference as the reason for no goal because Tom Serratore and Jared Larson were in the crease and interfered with the goalie’s ability to make the save.
- Here’s the rule from the NCAA 2012-13 Rulebook
- Rule 73 – Interference on the Goalkeeper
- 73.1 Interference on the Goalkeeper – A player of the attacking team may stand on the goal crease line or in the goal crease, or skate through the goal crease, unless, in the opinion of the official, the player is physically or visually preventing the goalkeeper from defending the goal.
- PENALTY—If a goal is scored, it shall be disallowed. Faceoff at the nearest neutral zone faceoff spot.
- The key phrase would be “in the opinion of the official.”
- Kevin Gorg says “the goalie is clearly impeded” – he was barely touched and had the opportunity to play the puck but that’s the rule and since both Serratore & Larson had their skates in the crease, the goal is called off!
- Good job to get to the net and create some havoc but Serratore has to know where he is and not get in the crease. If he’s 6 inches forward, he’s fine and the goal counts.
- Jared Larson is fine and wouldn’t have impeded the goalie in that instance even if Kevin Gorg never mentions that.
- Is it hard to figure out that I’m not real fond of Kevin Gorg or FSN for the matter?
- Good idea and keep getting in the goalie’s face to disrupt his ability to make the save.
- Just don’t be in the crease while you do that!
- It’s weird to not get a penalty for that but the rule reads “if a goal is scored, it shall be disallowed” so the “penalty” is having the goal taken away.
- Does anyone else think that’s strange? If it’s a penalty, shouldn’t Vermont get a power play out of it?
- Here’s the rule from the NCAA 2012-13 Rulebook
- GOAL! – Brett Bruneteau from Matt White & H.T. Lenz at 15:26 of the 1st period – Mark Alt wraps the puck around the left boards of the Gopher zone (to Adam Wilcox’ right) to Zach Budish but a good forecheck by H.T. Lenz forces a turnover that Brett Bruneteau eventually corrals and he takes a bad angle shot from the left of the face-off dot that is deflected by Brady Skjei’s stick and hits the back of the net. Skjei loses his stick on the deflection so he can’t check or keep Matt White from getting the puck behind the net. White skates the puck into the right corner, sees Brett Bruneteau in front of the net, and passes the puck in front for a quick one-timer into the net. GAME TIED AT 1!!!
- As we see so often on a turnover, too much puck-watching by the defensive team and in this case, the Gophers.
- Brady Skjei, Mark Alt & Erik Haula were all watching the puck while Bruneteau is finding a passing lane for Matt White.
- None of them think to get down to try to block a pass to the front of the net either.
- Brady Skjei was already behind the net and chasing White so he isn’t as much to blame on that breakdown.
- When in doubt, cover a body/find a man! Don’t watch or chase the puck!
- How do you train your team to not watch the puck in the defensive zone and especially after a turnover? That has to drive coaches crazy!
- GOAL! – Kyle Rau from Zach Budish & Erik Haula at 18:39 of the 1st period – Jake Parenteau dumps the puck around the right boards and Erik Haula gets to the puck first behind the net. He wins the battle and skates the puck to the left of the net (Brody Hoffman’s right) and tries a backhand centering pass that is deflected onto the back of the Catamount net. Nick Bruneteau hits the netting with his stick to get the puck off the net and the puck bounces to the left in his skates. Zach Budish is there to make a quick pass to Kyle Rau at the right side of the net for a quick shot into the relatively open net. GOPHERS 2-1!!!
- Tough play for Nick Bruneteau but it’s probably always a better play to wait for the whistle when the puck’s on the back of your own net!
- Brody Hoffman doesn’t have much of a chance on that one as he’s not even sure where the puck is.
- Kyle Rau knows where to be to score goals. He just finds open ice and will get to the tough areas as well!
- Good forecheck by Erik Haula to get to the puck first and good awareness by Zach Budish to get the puck to Rau quickly when it comes off the back of the net!
2nd Period
- What kind of adjustments will be made for both teams for the 2nd?
- PENALTY – Matt White for Hooking on Nick Bjugstad at 0:42 of the 2nd period –A bad pass by Matt White to the skates of H.T. Lenz creates a turnover in the neutral zone. Nate Schmidt picks up the loose puck and passes to Nick Bjugstad at the center of the blue line for a mini-breakaway on the goaltender but he’s hooked from behind by Matt White.
- I recently purchased an HT Lens for my camera! Haha! HEY! They can’t all be gems!
- GOAL (POWER PLAY) – Zach Budish from Kyle Rau & Nick Bjugstad at 2:26 of the 2nd period – Erik Haula has the puck at the right half-wall, skates it in towards the slot and makes a pass to Kyle Rau at the right of the net. Rau takes the puck to the front of the net and tries to stuff it through Brody Hoffman. The save is made but the puck is still loose and goes to the left of the net where Nick Bjugstad shoots it back towards the goal and it goes off Hoffman to Kyle Rau who tries a backhand shot that goes off Hoffman’s toe and back out front to Zach Budish who shoots it right away and it goes over Brody Hoffman and through Michael Paliotta, who had gotten behind his goalie to try to stop the puck. GOPHERS 3-1!!!
- Good power play time with great puck movement and the Gophers finally get it to go in on a rebound in front of the net.
- Sometimes you just have to take the puck to the net and make things happen.
- PENALTY – Nick Bjugstad for Interference on Michael Paliotta at 10:25 of the 2nd period –Nick Bjugstad is trying to create some havoc in front of the net and he pushes Michael Paliotta into Brody Hoffman with the puck nowhere to be seen for an easy interference call for the official.
- Probably a retaliation for a good hit that Nick Bjugstad took shortly before he took the penalty.
- GOAL! – Nick Bjugstad from Nate Schmidt at 12:30 of the 2nd period – A shot from Nick Bruneteau from the right point is saved off of Adam Wilcox’s left pad to the right corner where Nate Schmidt quickly shoots it high off the glass where Nick Bjugstad is coming out of the penalty box and he gets a breakaway on Brody Hoffman. Coming in from the left, Bjugstad takes a snapper that goes in just over Brody Hoffman’s glove to the upper right corner of the net. GOPHERS 4-1!!!
- Adam Wilcox may get an assist on that goal!
- I’m not sure Nate Schmidt made that play to get the puck out of the zone or if he knew Bjugstad was coming out of the box.
- That’s an awesome play if he made that play as a pass!
- It’s possible one of his teammates is telling him to send it deep right away!
- GOAL! – Mike Reilly from Jake Parenteau at 14:56 of the 2nd period – Michael Paliotta tries a long pass from deep in his own zone that’s intercepted by Jake Parenteau at the center of the neutral zone. Parenteau skates the puck through the center and to the right of the Catamount zone. Caylen Walls poke checks the puck off Parenteau’s stick but Jake is able to retrieve the puck at the right half-wall and makes a cross-ice pass to Mike Reilly at the left point. Reilly takes the puck in, fakes a slap shot, makes a move to the left of Michael Paliotta and shoots a low wrist shot that sneaks under Brody Hoffman’s blocker arm into the left part of the net. GOPHERS 5-1!!!
- That’s the 1st collegiate goal for freshman #5 Mike Reilly!!!
- Seth Ambroz was in front creating a screen of the goaltender.
- Great play by Jake Parenteau creating that scoring chance
3rd Period
- PENALTY – Nick Bjugstad for Checking From Behind on Jacob Fallon at 3:52 of the 3rd period –Nick Bjugstad comes in on the forecheck and basically runs into Jacob Fallon from behind knocking him over and the official calls him for checking from behind.
- That’s an iffy call there but with checking from behind, they probably would rather call them than not call them to show that you better control your body when hitting or running into an opposing player.
- Injury? – Jared Larson at 7:55 of the 3rd period –Jared Larson is skating into the left corner of the Catamount zone on the forecheck, racing Nick Bruneteau to the puck. Larson wins the race, bends down to get the puck and gets hit up in the shoulders by Bruneteau and it looks like his head hits the glass. Larson reacts like he’s hurt but continues his shift.
- Let’s hope that doesn’t turn into anything bad for Jared Larson
- PENALTY – Caylen Walls for Roughing on Seth Ambroz at 12:33 of the 3rd period –Both Seth Ambroz and Caylen Walls are battling on the right boards but the official obviously thinks Walls was a little too rough on the play.
- Probably should’ve just sent them both on that play although Seth Ambroz was more just defending himself when seeing the replay.
- PENALTY – Zach Budish for Roughing at 14:43 of the 3rd period – Zach Budish with a little too much action after Brody Hoffman makes a save and he gets the 2-minute minor for roughing because of it!
- Starting to get a little rough with the body checks in the waining minutes
- Seth Helgeson looks like he’s trying to pick a fight.
- TIMEOUT! – Gophers! –Kevin Gorg – “Why is the clock running?” – Sorry, I couldn’t help but laugh at that quote! He said it like he had no idea what was going on.
- I don’t know if they set the clock for the timeout and started it or what but Mr. Gorg was lost at that moment.
- PENALTY – Nick Luukko for Hooking on Seth Ambroz at 19:18 of the 3rd period – Nick Luukko takes a dumb penalty probably just to get at Seth Ambroz but who knows. There was no reason for it or at least no good reason.
Minnesota Gophers 5 Vermont Catamounts 1 is the final score!
The Gophers basically dominated this game as they should because they have more talent than Vermont. That’s not taking anything away from the Catamounts because they battled until the final buzzer and will come out tomorrow night with a lot of energy to see if they can come out of the weekend with a split of this non-conference matchup.
Gopher Hockey Recap from GopherSports.com – Gophers Take Down Catamounts 5-1 in Series Opener
Gopher Hockey Box Score from GopherSports.com –
Minnesota-Vermont Stats
Gopher Hockey Recap from UVMAthletics.com – Men’s Hockey Drops Opening Game of Series With #4 Minnesota
In other WCHA College Hockey Action,
“Home=”vs”, Away=”@””
Alaska-Anchorage tied @ Bemidji State 2-2
Minnesota-Duluth won vs St. Cloud State 2-1
Minnesota State won @ Wisconsin 4-2
Non-conference College Hockey action,
New Hampshire tied @ Colorado College 4-4
Yale won @ Denver 2-1 in OT
North Dakota won @ Notre Dame 2-1
and
Alabama-Huntsville lost @ Nebraska-Omaha 3-2
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You’ve Been ClutterPUCKED!!!