What happened to goalie rotation?

Gophers coach Don Lucia in the middle of last week said he would probably play both goalies. Then he changed his mind and stuck with Alex Kangas for both starts against Bemidji State.

"I did," Lucia said, when asked if he considered starting Kent Patterson in the second game. "But [Kangas] was playing so well. But then we talked to Justin."

Justin Johnson is the Gophers first-year volunteer goalie coach.

As it turned out, maybe Sunday would have been a good spot to give Patterson his third start. Bemidji State does not put a lot of shots on net and Kangas often seems to play his best when he is busy.

The Beavers only had four shots in the first period on Sunday, but two went in and BSU led 2-0 after the first period so Lucia pulled Kangas.

"We just didn't think [Kangas] was quite on tonight early," Lucia said. "They scored the two, and one went off the pipe, too. So we said, 'It's a good time to get Kent back in there then.' Alex had played so well. Then Kent went in and he struggled a little bit.

"And that's why it was good to see when Alex went back in [early in the third period], he olayed as well as he did."

Let's look at the goals -- and pressure -- the Beavers got:

FIRST PERIOD

First goal: Shea Walters intercepted a breakout pass by U defenseman David Fischer intended for someone in the center of the rink in the neutral zone. Walters skates down the slot unmolested, both D are on the sides with not enough time to close on him.

Walters pulls trigger from 35-40 feet, nobody is screening Kangas but shot beats him to glove side. It is either the first or second shot Kangas has seen. It came at 8:02. Normally Kangas stops it. But he has not seen any shots.

Second goal: Matt Read, the Beavers' most dangerous player, skates down the right side and scores from near the right dot. A Gophers defenseman stays several feet away from him, maybe he is trying to block Read's view, maybe he wants to block the shot. Doesn't work.

Read's eighth goal of the season goes over Kangas' right shoulder into the far corner of the net. Nico Sacchetti and Cade Fairchild are around the cage, too, but neither knock Peluso down.

Instead, to add insult to embarrassment, BSU captain Chris McKelvie knocks Kangas down in the last seconds. He was given a penalty for goalie interference at 20:00.

Lucia also mentioned a shot that hit the post. Peluso clanged the pipes from the right circle. Not sure when that happened.

But if you look at the shot sheet, BSU attempted only 14, six were blocked by the defense, three mised, one hit metal and four were on net, Read's goal, from 25 feet was the closest shot attempted. Five were from near the blue line. The defense was doing a solid job. No shots inside the circles.

SECOND PERIOD

Gophers score on only shot of their second power play this period. Jordan Schroeder buries one-timer from left side after three-four passes around the perimeter. So it is 2-1, BSU still leading.

Beavers get power play at 13:50 when Gopher Zach Budish gets five-minute major for checking from behind.

Jamie MacQueen scores on Beavers' first shot on this PP. It came at 16:11, so BSU needed 2:21 before scoring. This period, Patterson makes six stops, only one from inside the circles. MacQueen's goal was a 40-footer from top of right cicle.

Period ends on a bad note for Gophers. Assistant captain Jordan Schroeder called for cross-checking behind the Beavers' net at 19:59.

THIRD PERIOD

Gophers are clearly in shock. It's 4-1 Beavers.

MacQueen, who had one goal in nine games, gets his second of this game at 1:52. That's 14 seconds after Hunt's goal. MacQueen's goal is on a breakaway, he shoots from edge of crease.

Aaron McLeod makes it 6-1 at 3:04 -- three goals in 1:26 -- on a short backhander. He cycles from behind the goal-line, in front and nobody knocks him down or bothers him.

After three quick goals on three or four shots -- there is a little confusion about that -- Patterson is pulled and Kangas finishes the game. Kangas makes five saves.

Gophers add a power play goal by Jake Hansen -- his first of the season -- at 8:36 for final 6-2 margin. Hansen's deflects shot by Kevin Wehrs with his stick.

Beavers finally get some shots in close in third period, taking five within circles. Two go in.

Kangas finished with seven saves, Patterson with six. Neither had much work. Kangas gets the loss, falling to 4-4-0.