Lucia: Defense, freshmen improving

Gophers coach Don Lucia said the Gophers made sure they had players back all game long against Michigan. "Our D's gaps were better [Sunday]," he said. "You take away speed with tighter gaps and with our forwards back and better positioning.

"We had some clips after Michigan State where we had a couple guys getting beat with a pass. We wanted to make sure we did a better job of defending the red line and they did. The guys responded in great fashion.

"Michigan is a very good team. And we had to play a very good game to win [Sunday].

"We have a young group. Sometimes you take two steps forward and may take a step back. This is a good step forward for us. We had five freshmen forwards playing for us and two of them scored goals [Sunday]. And the young D came in and did a good job. Cade [Fairchild] and Helgy [Seth Helgeson] responded because they had off nights on Friday."

Fairchild is a senior, Helgeson a sophomore.

"The freshmen struggled a bit as a group Friday and that is going to happen. As long as the trajectory is still climbing, kind of like the stock market. As long as it is going up longterm, fine, but there is going to be some bumps along the way.

"[Sunday] was just a good effort on our part. They were into it on the bench, they blocked shots. They did the things we have to do to be successful. We are not a great team. We are a young team that's learning. We can play with anybody if we can play like that."

"All of a sudden you let in a couple you don't normally let in and young guys, they get down a little bit. And all of a sudden when they see the goalie is on and we score that first goal [like Sunday], then we are a different team. But I sensed we were a different team from the drop of the puck [Sunday]."

THE DON SAYS

* On senior defenseman Kevin Wehrs: "For not practicing all week until [Saturday], he really came in and made a difference in our performance as well, too." ... Wehrs injured himself slipping on the ice on Nov. 21. He missed four days of practice and the Gophers' 5-2 loss to Michigan State on Friday. ... He had the key assist on Nick Larson's game-winning goal on Sunday.

SCOUTING GOALIE HELPS CONDON

Nate Condon, the freshman who centers the Gophers' second line, relied on a scouting report to score the first goal in Minnesota's 3-1 victory over then-No. 8 Michigan on Sunday.

Condon said that he and the other freshmen forwards are getting used to their linemates. "We are building some good chemistry," he said. "I know the first line [with freshman Erik Haula at center] is doing pretty well. Me and [Jacob] Cepis and [Nick] Bjugstad are starting to get the hang of things.

"It is just going to be better for us down the road here."

Condon said Cepis, a senior left wing, often gives him the puck in good spots, like on his goal Sunday.

"If I would have missed that, [Cepis] would have let me know all week,' Condon said. "Trust me, it's Cepis."

One of Cepis' nicknames is Papa Chirp.

The Wolverines were the first team the Gophers have beaten this season that was in the top 10 at the time of the loss.

Nick Larson, a junior forward, gave the Gophers a 2-0 lead late in the second period. Then Michigan scored and, before the period ended, Erik Haula responded for the Gophers with a power play goal for the final 3-1 score.

"That's been a problem for us, responding when they score," Condon said. "When we have, we have had a lot of success. ... Whenver we can get momentum on our side, that's great."

PEAK AT RATINGS

Minnesota Duluth is cruising along at 11-1-2 and this week is a unanimous pick for No. 1 in USA Today's national poll.

Other WCHA teams in the top 10 are No. 4 Nebraska Omaha, No. 7 NoDak, No. 10 Denver. ... Michigan, after tying Wisconsin 4-4 and losing to the Gophers 3-1, dropped three spots to No. 11.

The Gophers were No. 15 last week, but dropped out of USA Today's poll which only rates 15 teams after losing to Michigan State 5-2 on Friday before upsetting the Wolverines.

The U of M received 13 votes, so it is in the "receiving votes" category, tied with Merrimack.

TIDBITS

* There were no penalties in the first period of Sunday's Gophers-Wolverines game.

* Junior defenseman Aaron Ness got a 5-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for checking from behind in the middle of the second period. It was not a vicious hit but very visible. ... First penalty killers out there forwards Erik Haula and Barriball and defensemen Fairchild and Helgeson. ... Next came out forwards Condon and Mike Hoeffel, and defensemen Mark Alt and Wehrs.

* Named the three stars of Sunday's games were goalie Alex Kangas and forwards Nick Larson and Condon. ... Kangas made 36 saves, his second highest total this season. ... Larson had three shots on goal and was a plus-1. ... Condon had two shots and was even.