Gophers Shutout By Vermont, 3-0, in Season Opener

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With so many freshmen and veteran players thrust into new roles, it’s going to take time for this team to hit its stride. Getting shutout on opening night, at home, was certainly surprising but the Gophers didn’t play poorly—they just didn’t capitalize on opportunities. The Maroon and Gold had some quality scoring chances but Vermont’s goalie Mike Santaguida was very good on Saturday. He made a few tricky saves and didn’t allow many second-chance opportunities.

Gopher goalie Eric Schierhorn looked a little nervous early, but that’s to be expected from a true freshman playing his first colligate game. He got out of position a few times after the initial shot but Lucia said following the game he’s most concerned with being in good position to make the first stop—which he was. He also seemed to struggle with rebound control, which lead to the second goal. Overall, he played well enough to give the Gophers a chance to win; unfortunately the offense was stymied by Vermont’s defensive, trapping style and sound goaltending. The Gophers should win most games their goalie holds the opposition to two goals.

Of the freshmen, Jack Ramsey really surprised me. He was more physical than I thought he would be. He had a couple strong hits on the forecheck, played with good grit on the boards, and hustled. He produced a prime scoring chance when he used his strength to get by a defender in the corner and then took it hard to the net. While he didn’t score, the Gophers got two quality scoring chances, in the blue paint, from that play. He’ll be a perfect complement to many of the higher skill players on the top lines.

Tommy Novak flashed a few times. The freshman had two scoring chances and he’ll get many more this season playing on the power play. He also went 8-5 in the faceoff circle.

If you enjoy the physical aspect of hockey, you’re going to love junior defenseman Nick Seeler. He plays with a nasty disposition and seems to relish contact of any kind. He nearly decapitated a Vermont forward early in the first period, just missing a huge hit. He’s bound to start more than a few scrums this year protecting his goalie or leveling the opposition. Should be fun to watch.

His defensive partner, sophomore Ryan Collins, seemed much stronger and more physical compared to last year. The 6-foot-5, 212-pounder had a couple big hits early and imposed his will in the corners a few times. Collins could be poised for a big year.

Hudson Fasching wasn’t as visible as he should be. He seemed to struggle with puck control a few times, registered just one shot, and wasn’t involved that often. Justin Kloos said after the game that captains need to play much better; Fasching is certainly capable of that.

The Gophers play Minnesota Duluth in a home and home series next weekend. The weekend will open at Mariucci and conclude at AMSOIL on Saturday. Both games start at 7 p.m. and will be televised on FSN.
 

Nice wrap up. Novak certainly had his moments and Seeler's decapitation hit seemed wicked; but I couldn't figure out exactly what happened.
 

Excellent summary of the game. Simply put, we looked young and a bit raw. Experience will change that and I sincerely believe that this team will be one to contend with over time.
 




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