Penalties energize Gophers to fight back, rout Seawolves

Jeff Wheeler, Star Tribune

Minnesota's Zach Budish puts the puck past Anchorage goalie Bryce Christianson in the second period to give the Gophers a 4-1 lead.

Tony Lucia ignited a three-goal run after the U was goaded at the wrong time.

By ROMAN AUGUSTOVIZ, Star Tribune

Last update: October 31, 2009 - 12:25 AM

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GOPHERS 5, ALASKA ANCHORAGE 1

Up next: 4 p.m. Sunday vs. Alaska Anchorage • Mariucci Arena • TV: FSN (830-AM)

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Alaska Anchorage came to Mariucci Arena knowing it was facing a winless Gophers men's hockey team, desperate to win, hungry even for a goal to get going.

The Seawolves, with the score tied, antagonized the already-testy Gophers late in the first period. Jade Portwood, a 6-3, 207-pound defenseman, dropped Nick Leddy with an elbow to the chin.

Enough was enough for the maroon and gold -- or so it seemed.

The Gophers scored three unanswered goals in the second period en route to a 5-1 drubbing of the Seawolves. Co-captain Tony Lucia led the attack with two shorthanded goals and one assist in the first two-goal game of his career.

The penalty-filled game ended with 11 players crammed into the two penalty boxes.

As for Leddy, the freshman defenseman was helped off the ice and never returned to the bench.

"You got to stick up for your teammates," Gophers winger Jay Barriball said. "We got upset after that hit and took it to [the Seawolves] for two periods."

Portwood was not called for a penalty on his hit on Leddy, which came just after Leddy's shot inside the blue line. Seawolves coach Dave Shyiak said Portwood made a clean play: "Anytime a kid comes across the middle of the ice with his head down, he is going to get hit. It was a clean hit. Hits are allowed in hockey."

This one changed the complexion of the game, and the penalties added up.

With the Gophers (1-3-1 overall and conference) shorthanded at 4:47 of the second period, Lucia scored his first goal to put his team ahead 2-1. Taylor Matson set it up by intercepting a pass near the blue line as the Seawolves (3-4, 1-2) were trying to set up. Matson then found Lucia at mid-ice, and he beat goalie Bryce Christianson high on a breakaway.

"The shortie kind of stung us," Shyiak said. "We turned it over and obviously they went down and capitalized on it. We lost momentum and composure. After that, we did not make any plays at all."

The Gophers did.

Two Gophers each scored their first career goals less than two minutes apart in the middle period to make it 4-1. Junior defenseman Kevin Wehrs, scoreless in 78 games, got the puck at left point and beat Christianson's glove to the far side at 14:49. Freshman center Zach Budish, in his fifth game, got the other goal in a scramble in front of the net. His goal came on a delayed penalty. When Gophers goalie Alex Kangas reached the bench, Jordan Schroeder jumped onto the ice and got the first assist.

Lucia's second shorthanded goal came four minutes into the third. Barriball pried the puck from an Alaska Anchorage defenseman at the blue line and joined Lucia on a 2-on-1 rush. Barriball's centering pass for an assist gave him his 100th career point.

The Gophers had been shut out in three of their first four games and had scored three goals.

"To get five goals tonight really was a weight off our shoulders," Lucia said.

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