Gophers still struggling against the WCHA's elite

Wisconsin was the third team picked in preseason polls to finish ahead of the U. Giving up a goal 24 seconds in didn't help.

By ROMAN AUGUSTOVIZ, Star Tribune

Last update: November 7, 2009 - 8:48 AM

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WISCONSIN 4, GOPHERS 2

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MADISON, WIS. - Three teams were picked in the preseason WCHA polls to finish ahead of the Gophers. After five games against those three, the Gophers remain winless (0-4-1).

Wisconsin was the latest of the big boys to frustrate Minnesota, beating the Gophers 4-2 on Friday night at the Kohl Center before an announced crowd of 12,508. Senior center Blake Geoffrion scored Wisconsin's first goal at 24 seconds and got the game-winner midway through the second period.

"The thing that hurt us more than anything tonight was turning some pucks over," Gophers coach Don Lucia said.

"We talked about that. They ended up scoring goals two, three and four as a direct result of us not making a good play with the puck."

Minnesota (2-4-1 overall and conference) outscored Alaska Anchorage 9-2 last weekend in a series sweep but has gotten only one tie facing North Dakota, Denver and now Wisconsin.

Mike Hoeffel and Patrick White had Minnesota's two goals.

White's came on a power play in the ninth minute of the third period, but the Gophers had only 18 shots on net. That's their lowest total since they had that same number in a 3-1 victory over the host Badgers on Jan. 28, 2006.

Wisconsin took its quick lead in this game when defenseman Ryan McDonagh took a long shot and the puck caromed off Geoffrion.

"It was a [shot] that went off a guy's skate 20 feet away from the net and changed directions," Lucia said. "It is not the way you want to start, but we came back and made it 1-1.

"Then there were those two plays in the second period that put us down 3-1. Whitey [White] turned it over. Tony [Lucia] turned it over, and you just can't do that against a good team that is a very good transition team."

"We are getting turnovers from guys that have been around, myself included," said White, a sophomore center. "Guys like us should know better and we should be making the smart plays there."

Defenseman Cody Goloubef gave Wisconsin a 2-1 lead early in the second period with an unassisted goal 43 seconds after Hoeffel's. Goloubef stole the puck in the Gophers' end and beat goalie Alex Kangas with a backhander from the slot.

Geoffrion's second goal, from the top of the left circle, made it 3-1 halfway through the period.

Minnesota had the only two power plays of the second period but did little. Sophomore winger Nico Sacchetti had the best two chances in succession from 5 feet. His first shot went off goalie Brett Bennett's body, his second missed the net. Sacchetti slammed his stick in frustration.

"Some guys had some looks," Lucia said. "We didn't have enough looks. Too many shots were blocks."

The Badgers (4-2-1, 2-2-1) blocked 30 of the Gophers' 59 shot attempts.

The Gophers' power play was 1-for-32 this season when White scored with five seconds left on their fourth man advantage of the game. The goal came at 8:47 of the third period.

The score stayed 3-2 until Wisconsin tri-captain Ben Street's goal with two minutes left.

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