Gophers' goalie Eric Schierhorn, a savvy veteran hidden behind freshman mask

The most celebrated example of Eric Schierhorn's grit came in mid-January, when the Gophers goaltender felt blood dripping down his face. A shot by Wisconsin's Grant Besse had struck Schierhorn squarely in the forehead, opening a cut that would require several stitches — but Schierhorn didn't miss a minute, completing a 4-0 shutout after he was bandaged and his blood cleaned from the Kohl Center ice.

As much as that inspired his teammates, forward Hudson Fasching was even more impressed by what Schierhorn did in a 9-2 blowout victory the following night. "We kind of fell asleep after we got a big lead, and he was still battling," Fasching said. "He was angry we were letting off the gas a little bit. He was fired up about it. He's just so competitive."

Gophers coach Don Lucia knew he was getting a seasoned, mature goalie when he landed the Alaska native in January 2015. But Schierhorn, 20, has outperformed expectations. The freshman has started all 35 games and was named Big Ten Goaltender of the Year after leading the league with 19 victories, three shutouts and a 2.67 goals-against average.

A major void opened in the Gophers' lineup last spring when Adam Wilcox, one of the best goalies in program history, turned pro after his junior season. Schierhorn stepped in fearlessly, and the Gophers need the rookie to continue playing that way as they begin the Big Ten tournament in Friday's semifinals.

The Gophers' only chance at an NCAA tournament berth appears to be the automatic bid that comes with winning the Big Ten tournament. Though Schierhorn is new to this stage, he carried Muskegon to the USHL's playoff finals last season and has won multiple gold medals in international play, giving him and his team confidence that he can take another step forward.

"I feel good," Schierhorn said. "It helps that I played in big games last year throughout the playoffs. I have that experience to draw from, which will be nice.

"But you can't think about it too much. You've just got to play the game you've been playing all year and not change anything at this time."

Following stints at Shattuck and in a midget program in Kansas City, Schierhorn was spotted by Muskegon GM John Vanbiesbrouck while playing at a USA Hockey festival. The longtime NHL goalie and U.S. Hockey Hall of Famer invited him to join the Lumberjacks, where Schierhorn's competitive streak and Vanbiesbrouck's tutoring fueled his development.

An aggressive, athletic netminder who loves to challenge shooters and roam from the net, Schierhorn learned during two seasons in Muskegon to become more disciplined and analytical. Last spring, he was named the USHL's goaltender of the year after going 26-13-4 and posting a league-best save percentage of .927.

He was at his best when the pressure was highest. He posted a .915 save percentage in the USHL playoffs, and at midseason, went 3-0 at the World Junior A Challenge with a save percentage of .959 as the U.S. won gold.

"One of the reasons we liked him was the amount of games he's played, the experience he's had," Lucia said. "We wanted to recruit somebody we felt could play heavy minutes, and Eric had proven that.

"He's a pretty confident kid, very quiet and even-keeled. And whenever he's had a subpar game, the next night he's bounced back and played extremely well. That's a credit to the mental toughness he brings to the game."

"Having Schierhorn step in since the first game and being really solid, it's been one less thing to worry about," Kloos said. "He's been rock solid for us all year, even when we've struggled a little bit. That's been huge."

Schierhorn said he chose the Gophers because of the program's history of success. Given his competitive nature, he's eager to do his part as they try to add to it this weekend.

"This first year has been great, everything I kind of imagined Gopher hockey to be," he said. "Obviously, we want a few more wins. We have a regular-season championship under our belt now, and we're looking for the next one."