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