Gophers beat Bemidji State 4-1, clinch home ice, stay in first

The Gophers' second-line players stole the spotlight against Bemidji State on Saturday.
Erik Haula scored two goals and linemate Jake Hansen one as the Gophers beat the Beavers 4-1 at Mariucci for a sweep of their key WCHA series. Both had one assist, too.
Seth Ambroz added an empty-net goal near the end.
With the victory, the No. 7-rated Gophers (21-11-1, 17-7-0) clinched home-ice for the first round of the conference playoffs and remained atop the standings.
One night after the Gophers first line had three goals and three assists in a 3-0 victory over BSU, Haula's line almost duplicated that effort with five points.
This was Haula's fourth two-goal game this season; the other three were all in October. The sophomore center from Pori, Finland now has 14 goals and 21 assists for 35 points -- one behind Nick Bjugstad, the team leader.
Hansen's two points gives him 29 points. He was all over the ice, with eight shots in the first two periods.
For the third game in a row, the Gophers scored a quick goal. Haula started the trend last weekend, scoring 38 seconds into the second game against Denver.
Zach Budish turned the lamp on one minute into the first game of this series. Then it was Haula again, giving the Gophers a 1-0 lead Saturday at 1:17 with his 13th goal of the season.
Haula took a centering pass from Jake Hansen on his right, and scored on a 30-foot from the slot.
The lead stood until the Beavers got their first power-play opportunity late in the period on Nick Bjugstad's minor penalty for checking from behind. BSU patiently worked the puck around perimeter and kept it in the Gophers' zone for 1:23 before defenseman Brad Hunt got the puck at the point.
His fifth goal from there came on the Beavers' only shot with the man-advantage.
The Gophers nearly retook the lead in the closing seconds when Hansen got the puck on the edge of the blue paint and took three quick whacks.
Hansen, who had five shots on goal in the first period, was rewarded for his hard work this game early in the second. He tipped defenseman Justin Holl's shot from the point past Bakala at 2:05 and pumped his fist in celebration.
Haula made it 3-1 Gophers five minutes later. Jeff Jubinville of the Beavers went off for tripping at seven minutes. And seven seconds later on the Gophers' first power play of the game, the top power play unit moved the puck around with precision.
Defenseman Nate Schmidt found Kyle Rau down low, Rau passed to Haula who one-timed a shot from the right circle.
Haula nearly had a hat trick later in the period on another Gophers power play, but he swung and missed the puck near the right post.
Beavers forward Brance Orban hit a post midway through the period.
Notes: The Gophers' 2002 national championship team was honored between the first and second periods.