Sophomore Christian Isackson, a little-used forward last season, scored the first three goals as the highly touted Gophers crushed Lethbridge 7-0 on Saturday at Mariucci Arena.
This exhibition looked like a scrimmage between a varsity and a JV team. The Gophers, tied for first in one preseason national poll and second in the other, dominated as expected. They outshot the Pronghorns from Alberta 65-16.
Lethbridge played shorthanded early when one of its forwards received a five-minute penalty for checking from behind at 4 minutes, 17 seconds of the opening period.
Isackson, scoreless in 11 games as a freshman, got goals 1:45 and 4:13 into the power play. He got his hat trick 68 second into the second period.
Maybe his star is rising. The 6-2, 190-pound right wing also was on the Gophers' first line with holdovers Nick Bjugstad and Kyle Rau.
The other goal scorers were forward Sam Warning, defensemen Mark Alt and Ben Marshall and forward Seth Ambroz.
Junior Mike Shibrowski and freshman Adam Wilcox split time for the 'U' in the nets. Shibrowski played the first half of the game and made nine saves, Wilcox had seven.
ROMAN AUGUSTOVIZ
Points for Gophers:
Three
Christian Isackson, all goals
Ben Marshall, one goal, two assists
Two
Sam Warning, one goal, one assist
Seth Ambroz, one goal, one assist
Travis Boyd, two assists
Mike Reilly, two assists
Erik Haula, two assists
One
Mark Alt, goal
Nick Bjugstad, assist
Seth Helgeson, assist
Zach Budish, assist
Nate Condon, assist
Three stars of game: Isackson, Marshall and Alt
Most shots on net: Isackson, 10; Haula seven, Condon, Ambroz and Bjugstad five
Penalty leaders (Gophers had 10 for 20 minutes): Tom Serratore, Zach Budish and Seth Ambroz with two minors apiece for four minutes