North Dakota had a chance to expand its five point lead in the WCHA standings to seven over the Gophers. And blew it.
Jacob Cepis scored with two minutes left in regulation for the Gophers and the game ended in a 3-3 tie. With the victory the Gophers stay in seventh place. The Sioux drop to sixth because Wisconsin, the team they were tied with for fifth, beat Colorado College 4-0.
North Dakota is 3-0-2 in 2010. The Gophers are 6-1-1 in their last eight games so these are two hot teams.
Cepis is a character. Not only can he score --- three goals in five games -- he can talk. A lot. He is a great quote, especially by hockey player standards.
He likes to jaw with opponents as well and is feisty at 5-8. He put a hand in the face of 6-4 Ben Blood to draw a roughing penalty. He admitted that was a mistake as was trying to take Blood out once with a hit.
Cepis was called for two penalties, but also drew two. He's an agitator, the kind of player the Gophers really didn't have. He will make things interesting the second half of the season.
Other thoughts:
* Zach Budish made a crisp pass to Jordan Schroeder at the top of the right circle to set up Schroeder's goal. Budish one-timed a pass to him. Defenseman Cade Fairchild started the sequence by hustling and stopping a puck just before it crossed the blue line.
