Serratore making his goals count; he has three game-winners

Junior forward Tom Serratore has five goals this season -- and three have been game-winners, including his goal Friday at Colorado College.

Serratore scored early in the third period of the Gophers' 4-2 victory over Colorado College. Serratore, usually a fourth line winger is tied for the team lead in game-winners with Kyle Rau.

Serratore is tied for fourth on the team in goals and he is finding the net better than anyone on the team when he shoots. He has five goals on 17 shots, a .294 percentage.

THE DON SAYS

"We are still not finishing enough for me," Gophers coach Don Lucia said on his weekly radio show this week. "We need to do a better job of winning the third period."

The Gophers won the third period Friday by a 2-0 margin.

He said the identity of this team is showing itself. "I don't think we will be an extremely high-scoring team," Lucia said. "We have a good goalie, strong specialty teams play and a good defense."

* Lucia lived in Colorado Springs for six years before taking the job at Minnesota. He said he would like to get CC on the Gophers' schedule. Not every year, but every few years, he said.

He said the Tigers are an up-tempo, very highly skilled team this season. "Their seniors are having great years and they lead the league in scoring," Lucia said.

CC had scored three goals or more in its past seven games until Friday.

THREE STARS

Named the three stars of the game were:

2. Zach Budish. The redshirt junior winger and Gophers captain had an empty-net goal at the end and an assist. He was a plus-2 for the game.

3. Archie Skalbeck. The junior forward from Hopkins had a goal and an assist for CC. He was a plus-1, had two shots on net. The goal was his seventh of the season.

ETC.

* Junior center Erik Haula and junior defensemen Nate Schmidt led the Gophers with five shots on net. Next is sophomore forward Seth Ambroz with four. ... Schmidt was also a plus-4. He had the best plus/minus number on the team, Nick Bjugstad had the worst, a minus-2.

* Seven different Gophers had two-minute minor penalties. Two were for unsportsmanlike conduct -- Ben Marshall and Kyle Rau -- and one was for roughing -- Seth Helgeson. ... The Gophers were 0 for 2 on the power play, CC 0 for 4.

at Minnesota Duluth 4, Bemidji State 2

Michigan Tech 1 at Wisconsin 1 OT

at Minnesota State 3, Alaska Anchorage 1

Denver 2 at North Dakota 2 OT

Nebraska Omaha 6, at St. Cloud State 5