Experience helps Gophers hockey top Bemidji State in home opener

The Gophers showed off the familiarity that comes with a lineup full of experience.

The power play produced a pair of goals. The defense killed four penalties and scored shorthanded. Quick passing in the offensive zone led to two early goals. Goaltender Adam Wilcox collected 29 saves, and the Gophers rolled over Bemidji State 5-2 in Friday night's home opener at Mariucci Arena.

Senior forward Travis Boyd led the Gophers with two goals, one on the power play and one shorthanded for the first multi-goal game of his career. Sophomore forward Taylor Cammarata scored the game's first goal and assisted on two. Senior captain Kyle Rau had a goal and an assist.

"It just comes with being familiar and knowing where everyone is going to be and knowing kind of what everyone's tendencies are," Boyd said. "I definitely think that helps us coming into this year. I feel a lot more comfortable than last year."

The comfort even carried over to the new additions on the Gophers' first three lines. Senior forward Sam Warning took Justin Kloos' pass and fed Cammarata on the cross for a quick goal in his first period skating with the sophomores.

In his college hockey debut, freshman forward Leon Bristedt assisted Rau and then cleared the way in front of the net for Rau in the opening seconds of the second period.

Rau's goal sparked a three-goal period for the Gophers and Bemidji State couldn't slow the momentum.

"It was almost like a restart to our season having a week off, and tomorrow will create a new challenge because we haven't played back-to-back games yet."

The one sloppy part of the Gophers' game gave Bemidji State a hint of confidence. Two times the Gophers turned the puck over exiting their zone, and the first mistake Wilcox couldn't redeem.

Mitch Cain picked up the deflected pass and beat Wilcox one-on-one with a high shot. Charlie O'Connor wasn't as fortunate after the Gophers' second defensive turnover in front of their goal. O'Connor appeared to beat Wilcox, but the Gophers' veteran goaltender extended his stick across the goal line and fell on the puck to save the goal.

Boyd thought it might have been the best save Wilcox has made in three seasons in net for the Gophers. Wilcox made several stops that reminded the home-opener crowd why he was the Big Ten's Player of the Year as a sophomore.

Bemidji State's freshman goaltender from Moorhead, Minn., Michael Bitzer, kept the Gophers from running away with an early lead. The Gophers got off seven quick quality shots on goal in the first five minutes and had to settle with a 1-0 lead after one period.

Bemidji State coach Tom Serratore was happy with how his young goaltender held together early on but said his team had a difficult time keeping up with the Gophers on the bigger ice surface.

"It was nice to get a few power-play goals. Last week our power play was a little discombobulated," Cammarata said.

The Gophers unveiled their Big Ten championship banner in front of 9,579 fans before the game. Boyd said the large crowd and pregame ceremony helped fuel the quick start.