upuk110809
On the homepage
Sunday's paper
Out There
View Finder
Access Vikings
Offensive flurry backed by Kangas' solid effort
The goalie stopped 45 shots as the Gophers ended a scoring drought.
Print this story
E-mail this story
Save to del.icio.us
Share on Facebook
Share on DiggMADISON, WIS. - When the opposition outshoots the visiting team nearly 2-to-1, its goalie better play well.
Alex Kangas certainly did on Saturday. The 6-2 junior stopped a career-high 45 shots as the Gophers defeated Wisconsin 5-2 at Kohl Center before an announced crowd of 14,063.
"I told [Alex] after, 'That is Genghis Khan, right there,'" Gophers coach Don Lucia said, making a reference to the Mongolian conqueror. "[Kangas] has played so well in the past. That's what he is capable of doing.
"In the first two or three minutes, he was really on. And usually when a goalie is on like that, he is going to be on the rest of the night."
He was, and Minnesota needed his best until the end. The Gophers, who were outshot 47-28, took a 3-0 lead into the third period, but the Badgers cut the lead to 4-2 with nearly eight minutes still left.
The Wisconsin goals were scored by their two defensemen from Minnesota, sophomore Jake Gardiner on a deflection and junior Ryan McDonagh on a backhanded swipe on a rebound.
With 3:10 left and the score still 4-2, Ben Grotting of the Badgers hit a post from the slot. The tension finally eased when Gophers freshman Zach Budish scored an empty-net goal with 61 seconds to play.
"Even when they got those goals -- one was a faceoff, it hit off something in front and the other one the guy batted out of midair like a baseball -- no harm there," Lucia said, meaning neither were Kangas' fault.
"I knew I had to redeem myself from [Friday] night. I didn't play so well," said Kangas, referring to a 4-2 loss to the Badgers in the first game of the series. "We were able to weather the storm early [tonight] and pulled out a big 'W'."
The Gophers (3-4-1 conference and overall) also had to overcome a bit more adversity on Saturday. Mike Hoeffel, the left winger on the Gophers' first line, got ill during pregame warmups. He had an allergic reaction, probably from the peanut allergy he has, Lucia said. So all four lines were quickly juggled.
The Gophers had already lost two key players to injuries, but Lucia's players responded well, especially his son. Tony Lucia gave the Gophers a 1-0 lead at 1:17 of the first period, beating Brett Bennett over the left shoulder.
Less than six minutes later, Lucia set up the Gophers' second goal with a hustle play. He tapped the puck ahead along the left boards, then beat a Wisconsin defenseman to it.
Instead of shooting, Lucia slipped a pass to Budish alone in front of an open net. Budish's goal made it 2-0.
"[Tony] has really played well this year and he has elevated his game with the ice time he has been given," Don Lucia said. "He has had to earn everything since he has been here."
Patrick White increased the Gophers' lead to 3-0 at 15:38 of the second period. Defenseman Kevin Wehrs intercepted a pass just before it crossed the blue line and spotted White near the hash marks.
Defenseman Brian Schack, playing in his first game, had the fourth Gophers goal.
Recent Gophers stories
Rodney Pierce scores 18 as Buffalo beats Towson 78-69 in OT - November 8, 2009
Rodney Pierce scores 18 as Buffalo beats Towson 78-69 in OT - Rodney Pierce scored 18 points to lead Buffalo to a 78-69 win over Towson in overtime on Saturday. More
 Open House ShowcaseThousands of homes open this weekend!View all open houses >> View all homes for sale >>  Save Your $$ With CouponsDiscounts on services, entertainment, dining, gifts, and more. Start saving! |
Win tickets to the North Star Roller Girls' second bout at the Minneapolis Convention Center.Vita.mn presents the North Star Roller Girls' second bout at the Minneapolis Convention Center on Dec. 5. |
Comment on this story | Read all 11 comments | Hide reader comments