Lucia: Injuries took a toll on Gophers' readiness for UAA

Injuries hurt the Gophers last weekend against the University of Alaska Anchorage.

"We has some guys playing hurt," coach Don Lucia said on Saturday after his team's 2-0 loss to the Seawolves. "We had some guys who didn't practice [last] week. That hurt a little bit for continuity.

"So they were a little rusty in the Friday game [a 4-3 loss] and they played a little better [Saturday]."

Lucia did not go into detail on who missed practices with what injuries, except for Erik Haula.

Haula, he said, suffered a broken foot in the Bemidji State series on March 4-5.

Presumably, Haula missed some practice time. And probably senior captain Jay Barriball and maybe junior defenseman Aaron Ness.

Barriball suffered a knee injury on Feb. 5 at Minnesota Duluth. He missed the next five games before returning for the Bemidji State series. After one game there, he was walking around with a bad of ice strapped to his right knee.

Ness and junior forward Taylor Matson were injured in the first game at Bemidji State. Each missed the second game, but Ness came back to play against Alaska Anchorage, Matson didn't.

Ness maybe missed some practice time last week, too. The nature of his injury has not been disclosed. Matson, it appears, sustained a lower-body injury. He was limping after one of the Bemidji State games.

"We missed Taylor Matson [last weekend] for how he was playing -- his speed and tenacity," Lucia said. "But injuries are a part of [college hockey], too."

SENIORS HURTING INSIDE, TOO

"For all the seniors, they care," Lucia said. "That is the hard part" of a season coming to an end.