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U's Sacchetti ends scoreless streak with game-winner
- Article by: ROMAN AUGUSTOVIZ , Star Tribune
- Updated: January 22, 2012 - 7:29 PM
The little-used senior's luck changed at an opportune time: The victory over Colorado College put the Gophers alone atop the WCHA.
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Gophers forward Nico Sacchetti had played at least 30 games every season until this year.
Saturday's game against Colorado College was only the eighth for Sacchetti, a senior from Virginia, Minn., and he still was looking for his first point.
Fortunately for the Gophers, his scoreless streak ended. Sacchetti's rebound goal off his own shot early in the second period was the game-winner as the Gophers edged the Tigers in a 2-1 victory at Mariucci Arena.
With the victory, the Gophers (17-9-1, 13-5-0 WCHA) took sole possession of first place in the WCHA race. They have 26 points, two more than Minnesota Duluth, which played a nonconference series this weekend, and four more than CC.
The No. 11-ranked Tigers (14-9-1, 11-7-0) won the first game of this series 2-1 and could have created a three-way tie for the top spot with a sweep.
"I just went to the front of the net," Sacchetti said, describing his 12th goal in 112 college games. "[Zach] Budish saw me and tried passing to me.
"It was a little bit behind me, and I kind of tipped it between my legs and it just went in on net. The goalie didn't see it, and it hit his pad and came right back to me."
Sacchetti had an easy tap-in on CC goalie Josh Thorimbert. It came two seconds after a Gophers power play expired and broke a 1-1.
"I feel like a lot of my goals have been game-winners since I have been here," he said.
He's right: Five of his 12 goals have decided games.
"I didn't think when I scored that was going to hold up," Sacchetti said.
Sacchetti, a second-round NHL draft pick of Dallas in 2007, got a chance to play because Nick Larson, another senior, suffered a broken wrist last weekend against North Dakota. He had surgery Tuesday and will be out four weeks at least.
"It is tough to see Nick Larson go down -- he was having a really good year," Sacchetti said, "but all that does is just open up opportunities. I am trying to make something with mine."
Senior Joey Miller was the right winger on the fourth line -- Larson's normal spot -- on Friday before being replaced by Sacchetti for the second game.
Tom Serratore and Travis Boyd were Sacchetti's linemates.
"Coach was really happy with us," Sacchetti said. "We were all moving; we were all clicking. We did not spend much time in our own end at all. It is fun to play like that."
Sacchetti, playing for the first time since Dec. 31, scored on his only shot on net. Serratore and Boyd each had three shots on goal, helping the No. 2/4 Gophers outshoot CC 37-20.
Jaden Schwartz gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead at 15 minutes of the opening period. But about 2 1/2 minutes later, Nate Condon's fourth short-handed goal of the season for the Gophers tied the score. Only Austin Smith of Colgate has more goals while killing penalties; he has five.
Sacchetti was named the first star of the game and gave his first postgame interview this season, encircled by a horde of media.
"I am happy for Nico," Gophers coach Don Lucia said. "He has been frustrated. I am sure he wants to play more. But [after] a game like he played tonight, he deserves to play more. So he will get rewarded next week."
That promise is exactly what Sacchetti was hoping to hear.
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