Scott Brown

Evidently, Alaska-Anchorage is getting used to big victories. One week after claiming the school’s first two WCHA playoff wins ever, the Seawolves advanced to the league semifinals with a gutty 4-1 win over Colorado College in Thursday’s play-in game at the Xcel Center. Goaltender Chris King continued to impress, stopping 44 Tiger shots to follow … Read more

For a moment Saturday, St. Cloud State had a chance to get back in its playoff series with Minnesota. Then the Gophers’ Troy Riddle slammed the door on the Huskies’ season. With Minnesota up just 3-2 after giving up a shorthanded goal early in the third period, Riddle scored his second goal of the game … Read more

At times this season, Minnesota has relied on its stars. At others new faces have taken turns in the spotlight. Friday at Mariucci Arena, there was room in the camera eye for the whole Gopher roster. Led by four points by Troy Riddle, a playmaking three-point performance from Thomas Vanek and two goals out of … Read more

After Friday night, Minnesota and St. Cloud State knew they’d be seeing each other again next weekend. The only question was where. Saturday’s matinee determined the answer: Minnesota’s Mariucci Arena. The weekend finale provided some of the sharp play expected when the series began, ending in a 4-2 Gopher win. Minnesota (22-13-3, 15-12-1 WCHA) held … Read more

In something out of a goaltender’s nightmare — or an NHL All-Star game — Minnesota and St. Cloud State seemed to play with defenses optional Friday at Mariucci Arena. The result: 11 goals on 56 shots, and a 7-4 Gopher win that left Minnesota (21-13-3, 14-12-1 WCHA) one point from home ice in the first … Read more

Stuck on two? Not this time. After a narrow win Friday, Minnesota coach Don Lucia worried about his team’s inability to convert chances, especially in the early going. In their last nine games, the Gophers have scored an average of just 2.6 goals, never getting more than two goals in the first 40 minutes of … Read more

There were anxious moments, but in the end Minnesota made the return of captain Grant Potulny a happy occasion. Coming off a pair of lopsided defeats at Minnesota-Duluth, the Gophers dominated play early, but Alaska-Anchorage rallied to tie it after two periods, forcing Minnesota to try to win the third — something the Gophers haven’t … Read more

After two periods, it looked like another close finish could be in store. Saturday, though, fifth-ranked Minnesota would have none of it. With the Gophers leading Bemidji State just 2-1 at the second intermission, Troy Riddle scored his second goal of the game, on a five-on-three power play 44 seconds into the third period, to … Read more

In the waning moments of the first period, it looked like a rout. By the time the final horn had sounded, “dogfight” was a much better description. Up 2-0 in the first period and already sporting a 20-5 advantage in shots on net, Minnesota gave up a last-second goal — literally — to Bemidji State, … Read more

Once again, Minnesota took a one-goal lead into the third period. This time the Gophers kept it. On goals from Danny Irmen and Matt Koalska, Minnesota carried a 2-1 edge into the second intermission Saturday. And unlike Friday — when North Dakota rallied to win with three third-period goals — the Gopher defense clamped down, … Read more

Friday’s confrontation between Minnesota and North Dakota had all the elements that were expected. Up-and-down skating — scoring chances aplenty? Check. Bad blood? Hard hitting? Special teams in a critical role? Check. An hour-long delay due to unplayable ice conditions? Check. In a game with a little of everything, North Dakota shook off a lengthy … Read more

If you thought Friday’s tie between Minnesota and Boston University was wild — well, as the saying goes, you ain’t seen nothing yet. A high-spirited game again turned into a shootout. Minnesota battled back from a two-goal deficit in the third period on Garrett Smaagaard’s shorthander and two power-play goals, only to see BU knot … Read more

It wasn’t a win, but for Boston University it sure felt like one. The Terriers rallied from a two-goal deficit, surviving a major penalty late in the second period and a Minnesota power play at the end of overtime to gain a 5-5 tie at Mariucci Arena. BU goaltender Sean Fields’ numbers weren’t spectacular — … Read more

Despite controlling play for most of the afternoon, Miami led by just one goal after two periods Sunday at Mariucci Arena. But led by captain Derek Edwardson, the RedHawks scored twice in the third to secure a 5-3 win over pesky Princeton in the consolation game of the Dodge Holiday Classic. Miami outshot Princeton 45-18 … Read more

Nine months ago, Minnesota and New Hampshire met in Buffalo, N.Y. for the NCAA championship. Sunday at Mariucci Arena, if the stakes weren’t quite as high, the emotion was. Minnesota grabbed a three-goal lead early, but a determined New Hampshire squad kept the suspense up until the end, rallying within a goal before the Gophers … Read more

The defending national champions were frustrated. Minnesota entered the Dodge Holiday Classic with a sub-.500 record — a record which included some questionable efforts and some good efforts that went unrewarded. The Gophers had seen their brief win streak stopped in Anchorage, then were forced to wait two weeks to rid themselves of the bad … Read more

For six minutes at Mariucci Arena, it was a shootout. Friday afternoon, Miami and New Hampshire scored three goals in the game’s opening minutes, then turned on their defenses. The result was a tight-checking matchup which ended up a 3-1 Wildcat victory in the semifinals of the Dodge Holiday Classic. “You could tell it was … Read more

The late charge that pushed Minnesota to a win Friday? It wasn’t needed Saturday. The Golden Gophers scored one goal in each period while dominating territorially and putting 48 shots on goal, and netminder Kellen Briggs stopped all 18 Michigan Tech shots for a 3-0 win at Mariucci Arena. Freshmen Danny Irmen and Jake Taylor … Read more

Heart, passion, spark: by whatever name, Minnesota may have found it. The Golden Gophers, who relinquished two-goal leads twice last weekend, could have gone down the same road against Michigan Tech Friday. With Minnesota up 3-1, Tech’s Colin Murphy scored in the final minute of the second period, raising the specter of collapses past. Minnesota, … Read more