Patterson puts himself into goalie picture at U

Junior Kent Patterson said the Gophers' 2-1 victory over St. Cloud State was a huge win for Minnesota, a good stepping stone. He made 25 saves, 13 in the third period.

"I was kind of expecting it," Patterson said, referring to the Huskies' barrage in the final period. "That's the way most teams are. I just had to keep my mind focused. Break every play down, every shot, just not get ahead of myself. Just make sure I made the saves I need to and be there for the team."

He made one of his biggest saves early in the third period on Travis Novak when the Huskies were on the power play. "I anticipated it," Patterson said. "I was aware the guy was on the back door. I knew St. Cloud [State], they are a power play team and they like to sneak guys back-door and get shots any way they can."

In front of him, defenseman and forwards took turns blocking shots, 16 in all. "They played great," Patterson said. "I love to see guys do that. That's something again that Don [Lucia] has been harping on the past couple of weeks here. Guys playing their roles and blocking shots. For our captain to step up and do that, it was a geat job. That's what a leader does."

Patterson said he tried to go in and play relaxed rather than looking at his second start of the season as a chance to prove himself to the coaches. "If you start thinking about that, then you will get off your game," he said.

He gave up a few rebound chances, which has been a problem in recent game, "but nothing too severe. They were right in front of me. I was able to bat them or have my defensemen bat them away or I covered them up. It's something you always work on in practice and it paid off."

The Huskies pulled their goalie for a sixth skater and put a lot of pressure on Patterson in the last minute of the game. "[The action] goes a little faster," Patterson said, "that's why I try not to look at the clock. Just play until the buzzer."

"Kent played very well when he went into the game on Friday night and didn't give up any goals the second half of the game," Gophers coach Don Lucia said Monday on his weekly radio show. "[And] Kent played very well in nets [Sunday].

"Obviously the way Kent has played he has earned more ice time. It is hard to look at him and tell him he is not going to play this weekend. So he is going to get back in there and play this weekend [at Colorado College]. How we work it -- is he going to play Friday night, are we going to split our goalies, exactly how we are going to do it, we haven't had enough time to digest all that at this point in time. It is just good to see.

"What I liked about Kent more than anything was a lot of pucks were hitting him in the stomach, which means he was very good positionally. He wasn't overplaying anything. He was swallowing the rebounds. When you goaltender is getting pucks to the chest and holding on that means positionally he is good but it makes it easier for the defensemen, too, because he is not kicking those rebounds out and all over the slot."

Patterson stopped eight shots below the circles, all in the second ar third periods.

CEPIS: DEFENSE BETTER

Another way is by drawing penalties. And the 5-8 Cepis seems to draw at least one per game. "I am sure teams do get joy out of hitting a smaller guy like me," Cepis said. "But I like the physical aspect [of hockey]. That's fine if they want to hit me, it's part of the game, right?"

Cepis drew a penalty late in the first period against St. Cloud State. On the ensuing power play, Cepis set up Jay Barriball for the Gophers' second goal, which proved to be the game-winner.

Next is Colorado College, on Friday and Saturday in Colorado Springs. "We usually get a scouting report during the week," Cepis said. "[The Tigers] will be like any other team in the WCHA. There are no easy wins in this league. Everyone can see that. So it will be another battle. Battle the altitude up there and it will probably be a hostile environment."

Cepis, one of six seniors on the Gophers, said the players talked before Sunday's game about how important it was to win it and not start the WCHA season 0-4 at home.

"There was a sense of urgency [Sunday]," he said. "We needed these points that's the bottom line. Not only confidence-wise but for our league. We've got to get points. There are all these games. We've got to climb the ladder. Yes, it's early but it's a big [two] point[s].

QUICK SHOTS

* Top two penalty killing units for Gophers on Sunday: Forwards Mike Hoeffel and Nico Sacchetti and defensemen Seth Helgeson and Aaron Ness, and forwards Erik Haula and Jay Barriball and defensemen Mark Alt and Cade Fairchild. ... The Huskies power-play was 0-for-5 and had nine shots.

* Senior forward Garrett Roe, one of Huskies' top players, crashed into endboards late in first period. He skated off gingerly and appeared to have a right shoulder injury. The Huskies trainer talked to him on the bench but he was able to resume playing.

* The Gophers had good puck movement on Barriball's power play goal. Haula, at the top of a triangle near the center of the blue line, started the play. He fed Cepis low in the right circle. Cepis said he intended to shoot but goalie Dan Dunn dove to block any shot, so he slipped a pass underneath Dunn to Barriball by the opposite post.

* Cepis drew a holding penalty, called on Drew LeBlanc, to put the Gophers on the power play. It took Minnesota 13 seconds to score with the man-advantage.

* Neither team scored in third period either. Barriball had one special play. He was knocked down on a rush in the middle of the period, but lying on his stomach, still got a shot off.