The Don stays status quo -- no lineup changes for tonight

"No changes," Gophers coach Don Lucia said when asked if there were any lineup changes. This is probably the first time this season Lucia has stayed with the same lineup two games in a row.

November 22, 2009 at 1:12AM

Alex Kangas will start his eight game in a row in the nets for the Gophers and every line and defensive pair will be the same, too. Minnesota actually played pretty well against a high-powered UMD team on Friday but lost 4-3 in overtime. Both teams had chances to win in regulation.

The Gophers lineup:

Forwards

First line/ Jordan Schroeder centering Mike Hoeffel and Nico Sacchetti. ... Schroeder and Sacchetti both scored goals on Friday; Sacchetti's was on a power play in the last three minutes of the third period to tie the score at 3-3.

Second/ Patrick White centering Tony Lucia and Zach Budish ... This line has to do a bit more. Budish had three shots the first game, Lucia and White only one apiece

Third/ Taylor Matson centering Mike Carman and Josh Birkholz ... Three underachievers with one goal between them. Lucia like Birkholz's speed, Matson also is quick and had four shots including one that slipped under the goalie but stopped on Friday.

Fourth/ Nick Larson centering Jake Hansen and Ryan Flynn. ... Hansen has really picked up his game of late. He had one goal Friday and would have had another if an alert UMD defenseman had not covered an open net to block Hansen's dead-eye shot.

Defensive pairs

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First/ Aaron Ness and David Fischer. ... Ness was a minus-2 Friday; Fischer had no shots on goal. Both were on the ice for the overtime game-winner. Bad memories.

Second/ Cade Fairchild and Brian Schack. ... Fairchild, the offensive defenseman, had no shots on goal Friday while Schack, the defensive defenseman, had three. Something wrong there.

Third/ Kevin Wehrs and Seth Helgeson ... Helgeson is 6-5, 220. Wish he would be a bit more noticeable on the ice. He and Wehrs were not on the ice for any of Friday night's games.

Goalie

Alex Kangas. He has emerged as the clear No. 1 goalie. Kent Patterson must not play well in practice because he quickly was out of the goalie rotation after two weeks.

UMD JUGGLES DEFENSE

Bulldogs coach Scott Sandelin mixed up his defense for Saturday. Sophomore Brady Hjelle replaces Kenny Reiter in the nets and one of the three defensive pairs is different. Freshman Wade Bergman is in the lineup with Brady Lamb, replacing Scott Kishel.

Bergman and Lamb are the second pair. Moving up from the second pair to the first is Dylan Olsen and Mike Montgomery.

Sandelin also one made change among his 12 forwards. Freshman Dan DeLisle of Totino-Grace is the fourth-line center tonight. He is a 6-5, 225 big body.

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