Scoring from D-men difference in Gophers' season opener

INSIDE GAME 1

Final score: Gophers 5, UMass 3 ... Really a one goal game. Zach Budish scored an empty-net goal with 19 seconds left.

Key plays

First period

* Freshman center Nick Bjugstad draws a checking from behind penalty at 3:57.

It's a five-minute major and a game disqualifictation. Really messes up lines.

But first Gophers have to kill penalty. They do so in spectacular fashion. Lucia throws out at least 12 different players. Tom Serratore and Nate Schmidt, two freshmen on first shift, along with Kevin Wehrs and Taylor Matson, maybe team's best penalty killer.

Nest is Mike Hoefffel and Nico Sacchetti. Ness and Helgeson stay out. Then its back to Matson, Serratore, plus Cade Fairchild and Jacob Cepis.

UMass, playing with two new power play units, did not get a shot until 1:25 is left in the power play. T.J. Syner missed wide open, half side of the net with 20 seconds left in power play.

"That was a turning point in the game, for sure," UMass coach Don [Toot] Cahoon said. "If we could have jumped ahead --."

* First power play goal, first goal for Jay Barriball.

Gophers on their second power play in first period score at 17:41 of opening period. Zach Budish has puck in slot, shovels it to Barriball near left post. He one-times puck into open side. Took only 35 seconds for U to score into man advantage.

Second period

* Jacob Cepis draws a penalty. Predict he will lead team in drawing penalties because of his speed, fondness for chatting with opposing players and size. He is 5-8, easy to knock down.

Cepis drew a hooking call late in second period, which led to Gophers second goal. Twelve seconds into second period, Budish, from behind goal line on right side, passes across slot of Mike Hoeffel on other side. Hoeffel's first shot is blocked by goalie, his second is not. Minnesota 2-0

* UMass forward Michael Pereira gets puck, come around net to front and scores on a rebound.

It's a UMass power play goal. Nobody was there to stop him once he circled to get into prime goal-scoring territory.

His shot from the left point appears to have been deflected into net, probably off UMass player. Lots of congestion in front.

* Alex Kangas hurts right knee. Flexes it after a collision with one of his own teammates with 37.5 seconds left in period.

Kangas is fine. Lucia said Sunday on This Week in Hockey show on WCCO-radio that Kangas may have just had a cramp.

Third period

* UMass scores on power play at 4:29; Erik Haula was off for hooking.

* Freshman D Justin Holl scores at 12 minutes on slick move.

Holl, the freshman from Minnetonka, stops a puck just short of blue line in offensive end, skate down to bottom of left circle and beats UMass goalie for unassisted goal. It was his only shot of game on net.

* T.J. Syner of UMass gets puck near center ice and scores on breakaway.

Syner scores with senior D-man Cade Fairchild trying to catch him. Fairchild gets hooking call on delayed penalty despite the goal. New rule this year, penalties on delayed whistles still served whether attacking team scores or not.

Should lead to more offense.

Erik Haula made first pass to send Mike Hoeffel and Budish on a 2-on-1 rush. Hoeffel probably could have kept the puck and scored himself but opted for assist.

Last words

* Five different players score goal for U, seven get points. U 2x3 on power play; 4x6 killing penalties. Gophers took four shots on power plays in 3:49, scored on two of them. ... Nico Sacchetti 8-7 on faceoffs (won 8, lost 7), only Gopher above .500.

* "A lot of times, whoever wins the specialty team battles is going to win the game," Barriball said. "We've got to put an emphasis on that, especially our power play. It wasn't very good last year. So far it has looked better this year. That's a good sign."

* Barriball on first line: "We have only been playing with each other for a week or two now. But with Hoff [Mike Hoeffel] you know what you are going to get with him. He has a good shot. He is always going to get his goals. And [Erik] Haula is going to be a big part of this team. The guy is a great playmaker. I am excited to play with those two from here on out."

NEBRASKA OMAHA SERIES HISTORY -- SO BRIEF

The Gophers had played Massachusetts only once before sweeping them in in a two-game series last week. Now Nebraska Omaha comes to Mariucci and their history is limited, too.

Minnesota has played the Mavericks only once, in 2003. The Gophers won that game 7-3.

SOPHOMORE CLASS SMALL

The Gophers' sophomore class is down to two players, forward Zach Budish and defenseman Seth Helgeson.

QUICK SHOTS

* After playing in both UMass games, junior forward Taylor Matson still has missed 10 more games than he has played in during his career. As a freshman he suffered a season-ending knee injury; last season he had a season-ending ankle injury. He has played in 34 games for the Gophers, missed 44.

* Defenseman Jake Parenteau is wearing the same No. 6 as a freshman that his dad Tom had in the 1980s. Jake did not play in the Gophers' first two games.

* The Don's advice to four freshmen D-men: "We talked to our young defensemen. [Telling them] that we are not concerned with offense right now. We want them to concentrate on playing defense more than anything else. Offense is a bonus especially early in the season.

"You make a good play but then you can make a play where you get caught in to deep and that's what happened on their third goal. Those are lessons that you have to learn. You have to read the clock and what the situation is during the course of the game."