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Roman Augustoviz spends Minnesota's winters covering college hockey, specifically the Gophers, and other University of Minnesota sports. During the summer, he writes about the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx, with a dose of U sports sprinkled in. Follow him on Twitter @RomanStrib.
Posts about Gophers roster moves
Three U recruits tearing up USHL in scoring
Posted by: Roman Augustoviz Updated: December 25, 2012 - 2:48 PM
The Gophers are having trouble scoring goals this season, especially five-on-five.
But they have some good prospects who are doing well in the USHL. Taylor Cammarata of the Waterloo Black Hawks is leading the USHL in scoring with 14 goals and 26 assists for 40 points. He is a plus-14 and has played in 21 games.
Teammate Justin Kloos, who nearly was a Gophers this fall, is tied for second in USHL scoring with 13 goals and 24 assists for 37 points. He had a big game Saturday with two goals, including the game-winner, and an assist in a 5-4 overtime victory over Sioux City. He has five power-play goals, including his last goal in OT.
The 5-9, 170-pound Kloos, who is a plus-15, was going to join the Gophers if Nick Bjugstad decided to turn pro and leave early.
Here is a nugget on Bjugstad from Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald:
Minnesota – Nick Bjugstad, the preseason player of the year, racked up 1.38 points per game during the first 16 league games of last season. In his last 23 league games, Bjugstad is averaging just 0.61. He’s currently 64th in the race for the league scoring title with seven points in 12 games.
But back to the USHL ... Tied for eighth in scoring is another future Gopher, forward Gabe Guertler of Fargo. He had 19 goals and 11 assists for 30 pints in 28 games. He is a plus-10, with five power-play goals and five short-handed. He also leads the USHL in shots on goal with 116, so he has been active on the ice.
By comparison, Cammarata has 62 shots, Kloos 79.
Fargo is second in the Western Conference of the USHL with a 15-8-5 record for 35 points, one point back is Waterloo at 17-9-0.
Waterloo has scored the most goals in the USHL with 109 -- the Black Hawks are averaging 4.2 goals per game -- Fargo is tied for second with 101.
Too bad the Gophers can't call up one or two of these players for the second semester. The season-ending injury to freshman forward Connor Reilly (knee) at a preseason team party looks a lot more damaging than ever.
He was expected to be a top six forward perhaps and be able to score.
None of the other freshmen have added much to the offense.
FASCHING UPDATE
The Hockey Writers are predicting that Hudson Fasching, another future Gopher, will got No. 27 (near bottom of first round) in NHL draft next June.
A photo of Fasching signing his national letter of intent with the Gophers in mid-November that he tweeted is here.
The Hockey Writers' write-up on Fasching, who played hockey for Apple Valley, before leaving this season to play for the under-18 U.S. national development team based im Ann Arbor, Mich.:
27. Fasching, Hudson
a – Vitals: R – RW – 6’2, 214 – 28-Jul-95 – USA – USHL – USA U18 #22
b – Rank: NHL–USA-3; CR-THR–21; ISS-24; McK-25; THN-19; TSN-69
c – Commentary: Mr. Special – Power forward in the making with excellent size, good skating and decent hands, makes this player special. Go ahead, Hudson, add some every game consistency and drive, and you can turn that special into extra special.
In nine USHL games, Fasching has two goals and one assist for three points.
Minnetonka defenseman Vannelli commits to U
Posted by: Roman Augustoviz Updated: December 3, 2012 - 4:06 AMTommy Vannelli could have gone to Ann Arbor, Mich., and joined the U.S. national development team. But he chose to stay home, and play with Minnetonka.
Now, it seems, he has decided to stay home for college, too. Late this afternoon, he announced he had committed to the U of M.
Vannelli is a 6-2, 175-pound defenseman who appears to be on the fast track in development.
Last season he had seven goals and 18 assists in 28 games with Tonka. This summer he was at the USA Hockey Select 17 camp in June and played with the U.S. team in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in ther Czech Republic and Slovakia in August.
This fall he was on the Team Northwest team in the Upper Midwest Elite League. His team tied for first during the regular season with a 14-4-3 record while he had four goals and 10 assists for 14 points.
He is 17 and a second cousin to the Vannelli brothers, Tom and Greg, who coach St. Thomas Academy. The Skippers, off to a 3-0-0 start, play the Cadets, a Class 1A power, on Thursday at Pagel, the Skippers' arena. Minnetonka has beaten Apple Valley, Osseo and Hibbing without much trouble so far, outscoring them 18-3 and holding them to an average of 12 shots.
Tommy Vannelli has one goal and five assists in those three games for six points.
PIPELINE TO MINNETONKA
The Gophers already have one Minnetonka player on their roster, junior defenseman Justin Holl.
And, in late October, junior forward Jack Ramsey of the Skippers committed to the U. Then there is Vinni Letteri. He would have been a senior forward at Minnetonka this season but chose to play in the USHL for the Lincoln (Neb.) Stars.
Letteri also has committed to the U. He is the grandson of Lou Nanne, the ex-North Stars and Gopher player. He led Minnetonka in scoring last seaosn with 23 goals and 37 assists for 60 points in 28 games.
This season Lettieri, who turns 18 in February, has six goals and eight assists for 14 points in 17 games for the Stars. He is 5-8 or 5-9, 165 or 170, depending on where you look on the Internet, and a plus-5 in even-strength situations at Lincoln.
So Vannelli makes it three Skippers on the way to Don Lucia's Gophers. ... Max Gardiner, another Minnetonka forward, was at the U for one season, but left. He played in the USHL for Dubuque last season and now is a sophomore center at Penn State (6-5-0). Gardiner is the Nittany Lions' second-leading scorer with two goals and seven assists for nine points.
Bjugstad still has not made decision
Posted by: Roman Augustoviz Updated: July 2, 2012 - 6:26 PMIn the rush to be first on Twitter, an erroneous report came out Monday afternoon that Nick Bjugstad had decided he was going to return to the University of Minnesota.
It had me scurrying to recheck my sources. I had blogged Bjugey, as Gophers coach Don Lucia usually calls him, would decide after Panthers training camp, after he returned home.
Could something have happened to speed up the decision? It's always possible, I suppose. But it turns out, what a source close to Bjugstad told me a while ago, is still true: no decision until after training camp.
The Panthers' first day of camp was Monday and at the end of the day, general manager Dale Tallon was asked about Bjugstad's sophomore season for the Gophers.
"He had a great year," said Talon, who last month got a multi-year extension after the Panthers made the playoffs for the first time in 11 years. "He was disappointed [the Gophers] did not win a national championship. But he is 6-foot-6, 220 pounds right now. So he is going to play at 6-6, 240, maybe more. They are hard to find. We are looking to get centermen and top offensive players and there are not many around. And the ones that are, are expensive.'
Bjugstad, as a rookie, would not be.
Talon said the Panthers are excited about Bjugstad's future -- even if they have to wait.
"Whatever he decides to do, then we will move on with it," Talon said. "If he wants to turn pro and play for a spot, then we will go for it. If he wants to go back to school, then we will let him do that.
"We never tell kids whether to go to juniors or college, or leave college or leave sooner then they are ready. ... It has always been our philosophy [to] let the kids decide what they want to do. And they will kind of tell you when they are ready."
To watch a five-minute interview with Tallon, click here.
LED U IN GOALS, SHOTS
Bjugstad led the Gophers in goals last season with 25. He also was first in shots with 145 and in efficiency, scoring on 17.2 percent of his shots. He was third on the team in points with 42, third with a plus-21 rating, tied for second in power-play goals with eight and had three game-winners, one hat trick and three unassisted goals.
He turns 20 later this month. He accelerated his studies in high school at Blaine so he could finish in three years and join the Gophers early.
He was always listed at 6-5, 211 last season, so it seems he has grown an inch and put on about 10 pounds since the start of last season.
* Kyle Rau, Bjugstad's left wing, is also at the Panthers camp. ... So are four other first-round draft picks. Florida took Bjugstad at No. 19 in the first round of the 2010 NHL draft.
Rau not innocent on hit, but one-game suspension wasn't a no-brainer
Posted by: Roman Augustoviz Updated: February 11, 2012 - 2:27 PMMy first reaction last night, when the NBC Sports Network broadcasters talked about supplemental discipline to Gophers forward Kyle Rau was, they really don't know what they are talking about. Maybe they are just trying to add a little drama to their telecast.
But they were right. The WCHA came down with a one-game suspension.
So the question is why?
I am not condoning Kyle Rau's play. It should have been a penalty. And with college hockey's emphasis on hits from behind, hits to the head and dangerous plays this season, I can see it being a major penalty and a game misconduct.
But an extra game? Didn't see that. Not at all.
I know Kyle Rau. He doesn't look like he could hurt anyone. He is 5-8, 172. But he likes to play physical. Says when he hits guys -- even those much bigger than him -- it gets him more into the game.
He has not had a major penalty this season until Friday. He is not a dirty player. Clearly, this one time he hit Jason Zucker along the boards after the Wild prospect had gotten rid of the puck. Rau was called for boarding.
Don't think he was trying to hurt Zucker, but he did. Zucker lay on his stomach for the longest time, was finally turned over and gingerly walked to the dressing room with help.
Zucker didn't see Rau coming, but it seems the injury was caused by Zucker going backward into the boards. Rau didn't hit him in the back. It was a hit to the upper chest and maybe Zucker's head. Hard to tell. Wish I could see a close-up.
Rau got a one-game suspension because ...
College hockey is trying to clean up the game
Zucker was hurt and missed the rest of the game ... and probably will miss tonight's game
And, just maybe, the referees thought the Gophers were trying to rough Zucker up. In the first period, Nick Bjugstad cut Zucker's chin with a high stick. Looked unintentional, but Zucker was bleeding and left the bench for medical attention.
No doubt the referees noted that in their game report to league officials.
My point is, if Zucker gets up and continues to play, if there is no split chin, Rau doesn't get an extra game.
Rau has a real high hockey IQ, his coaches say, he will learn from this.
And he probably feels bad for Zucker, who was the captain for the U.S. team in the World Junior Championships. How odd that Bjugstad and Rau, two of his teammates, were the ones to hurt him twice on Friday.
* The two extra players the Gophers took with them to DU were forward Tom Serratore and defenseman Chris Student. Serratore will undoubtedly be in the lineup tonight in Rau's place.
What bench-warmers will play in Mariucci Classic?
Posted by: Roman Augustoviz Updated: December 27, 2011 - 5:34 PMThe Gophers have played 20 games so far and 13 players -- seven forwards, five defensemen and one goalie -- have played in every game.
But two of those forwards, Nick Bjugstad and Kyle Rau, are gone this week competing in the World Junior Championships and won't play in the Mariucci Classic on Friday and Saturday. So what new faces will Gophers fans see this weekend?
Here is a look at the Gophers roster and some thoughts:
The 13 iron men so far
Forwards/ Bjugstad, Rau -- their streak ends Friday -- Erik Haula, Taylor Matson, Jake Hansen, Zach Budish and Nate Condon
Defensemen/ Nate Schmidt, Mark Alt, Seth Helgeson, Justin Holl, Ben Marshall
Goalie/ Kent Patterson
Played in 19 games: forwards Seth Ambroz and Tom Serratore
Played in 18 games: forward Sam Warning
Played in 17 games: forward Travis Boyd, defenseman Jake Parenteau
Played in 16 games: forward Nick Larson ... missed last game on Dec. 10 versus Michigan Tech with flu
Expect the 11 iron men still with the team to play ... also the six players who have missed only one to four games. That's 17 players, need two forwards more each night. Here are the candidates:
Forwards
Nico Sacchetti. Senior from Virginia. Played 104 games in his first three seasons Expected to be a goal-scorer. Has played in only five games, zero points. Role on team has diminished. 25 percent chance of playing
Christian Isackson. Freshman, played at Sioux Falls of USHL last season. Sidelined with infection for a while. Has size at 6-0, 185, potential. Pointless in five games. 60 percent chance
Joey Miller. Senior from Wayzata, alternate captain. Highly popular on team. Scored goal in last Gophers' game, his first game of season. 50 percent chance
Jared Larson. Sophomore forward from Apple Valley. Came to U via Fairbanks of NAHL. Played in eight games last season, none this year. 5 percent chance
Defensemen
OK, none are missing this weekend. But if Lucia wants to throw in somebody new, the candidates are:
Blake Thompson. Big defenseman (6-2, 212) from Eden Prairie who played at Waterloo of USHL last season. Has played in only three games. Had penalty problems in two of them. Coach Lucia impressed with him in last game. Out for a while with mono. 75 percent chance
Chris Student. Sophomore transfer from Northeastern, a team Gophers could play in second game of Mariucci Classic. Practiced with team all of last season -- when he was ineligible -- and first half of this season without playing when he could have. Has to be itchy to get on the ice. Had two assists in 24 games as freshman at Northeastern in 2009-10, 5 percent chance
Goalies
Patterson has played every minute of every game except when the Gophers pulled him for an extra skater. Who knows when his streak will end, but here are the other two goalies on the roster in case you don't know their names:
Mike Shibrowski. Sophomore from Benilde-St. Margaret's via Colorado College and Des Moines. Played half a season at CC, but got into only two games. Won only start, beating Mercyhurst 5-3 on Feb. 6, 2010. Was 21-16-5 for Des Moines of USHL last season. ... Backup to Kent Patterson, so if Patterson gets hurt or is ill, Shibrowski will play. 10 percent
Jake Kremer. Senior from Eden Prairie. Has only played in exhibition games. Practice goalie. Would get in only if Patterson and Shibrowski were both unable to play. 1 percent
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