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Bulldogs turn 2-0 deficits into sweep at Minnesota
By John Gilbert Last Updated: Monday, December 07th, 2009 11:00:22 PM Every state has its big sports rivalries, such as the Chicago White Sox and Cubs, Southern Cal vs. UCLA, and Florida against Florida State, in college football. When The Sporting News selected the biggest rivalry in each of the 50 states earlier this year, the college hockey rivalry between the University of Minnesota and Minnesota-Duluth was declared Minnesota's biggest. It's an appropriate selection, one that tells how important hockey is in Minnesota, while also honoring a traditional match-up that dates back to when UMD first left the small-college ranks to put a skateblade onto Division I ice as an independent in 1961-62. The excitement in Northern Minnesota when UMD lost 6-1 and 6-4 in those first meetings 48 years ago proved the games were more important than the results, and it has only intensified over the years. Among the many pinnacles of their rivalry, the most recent came in November when the Bulldogs invaded Mariucci Arena and stunned Minnesota for a pair of come-from-behind victories. The Bulldogs, off to a good start, fell behind 2-0 both nights to the aroused but struggling Gophers. But UMD battled back with equal parts poise and ferocity to claim a 4-3 victory in overtime in the first game, and stormed to a 3-2 victory in regulation in the second. The sweep means UMD is off to an even-better start, and the Gophers are struggling even more. Historically, Minnesota leads the series 127-70-13, with that margin bolstered by a 21-6-1 stretch in the 1961-1970 years when UMD first moved up to D1 and into the WCHA, and bolstered further when the Herb Brooks-coached Gophers ran up a jinx-like 21-game unbeaten stretch against the Bulldogs (20-0-1) in the 1970s. Regardless, the Bulldogs always have risen about a foot taller for any game against Minnesota, wherever it's played. Last year, the Bulldogs tied and lost at Minnesota in the only two meetings between the two in concluding the WCHA regular season. But the Bulldogs came back two weeks later and rode goaltender Alex Stalock's brilliance to a 2-1 victory over Minnesota in the play-in game of the WCHA playoffs. The Bulldogs went on to also beat North Dakota and Denver -- the top two teams in the WCHA -- to claim the league playoff title, for good measure. All of that set the stage for the first UMD-Minnesota meetings this season, when even the most ardent UMD backer couldn't have dreamed up a better or more dramatic weekend. The Gophers rose up for perhaps their most forceful game of the season in the Friday series opener, when the teams battled through a scoreless first period. Jordan Schroeder scored a mesmerizing, highlight-film goal to open the second period for Minnesota, beating both a defenseman and goalie Kelly Reiter with a slick move to his backhand before scoring at the left edge. The Bulldogs fought back, but after they peppered goalie Alex Kangas, Minnesota sped back down the ice and made it 2-0 on a Jake Hansen goal at 5:00. The already-sizzling pace accelerated even more, and the Bulldogs got a power-play goal from Jack Connelly a couple minutes later. Late in the wild middle period, Cody Danberg with a deflected shot, and it was 2-2 at the second intermission. Jack Connolly, the unstoppable ignition of the Bulldog offense, just as he was on Marshall's state tournament team three years ago, scored again, and UMD led 3-2. One of his goals he batted out of the air, and the other was a rebound that ricocheted in off him. No matter. UMD's 3-2 lead was being held firmly until Jack Connolly was called for holding, and Nico Sacchetti tied it for Minnesota with 2:19 remaining in the third period. The Gophers seemed relieved to get the game to overtime, killed off a UMD power play that overlapped into the five-minute extra session, and the teams went through the final minute still 3-3. But showing remarkable poise, UMD sniper Justin Fontaine made a deft little pass from deep on the right side to Rob Bordson, who fed it back ahead to Travis Oleksuk. Oleksuk whirled and spotted a hole on the short side and drilled a shot through traffic for a goal with only 12 seconds remaining in overtime. UMD had snatched a 4-3 victory. The next night, UMD coach Scott Sandelin switched goalies, from Reiter, who had played well, to Brady Hjelle, and the game started out with remarkable similarity. A Nico Sacchetti goal was disallowed when he high-sticked the puck in for an apparent Gopher goal, but Mike Hoeffel scored a goal that counted midway through the first period for Minnesota. Kevin Wehrs connected on a two-man power play for a 2-0 lead before the first intermission, and for the second night in a row it appeared the Gophers had snapped into focus. Apparently, these Bulldogs don't seem to mind 2-0 deficits. Early in the second period, Jack Connolly -- who else? -- scored a power-play goal to cut the deficit to 2-1. The third period started, and Kyle Schmidt tied it for the Bulldogs 2-2. UMD scored again, but after a lengthy review, the officials declared it a non-goal because of a pile of players that crashed, with the puck, into the goal. When the officials explained it to Sandelin, the coach said, "Did you see the puck go across the goal line?" The ref said yes, so Sandelin said, "Did you see it get kicked in?" The ref said no. In UMD's view, that meant it should have been a goal. A week later, after WCHA officials reviwed the play further, they acknowledged it should have been a goal. As it was, the call seemed to fire up the Bulldogs. It was still 2-2 with three minutes remaining when Mike Montgomery got in deep on the left side, with nowhere to go with the puck, so he flipped it out front, knowing that sometimes good things happen when. The good thing in this case was a friendly bounce off Gopher defenseman Cade Fairchild's skate, and the puck ricocheted through Kangas for a goal with 2:02 to play. Hjelle and the Bulldogs held on tight to the 3-2 lead, and for the second night in a row, UMD had turned a 2-0 deficit into a one-goal victory. "It's huge..." said Sandelin, knowing that the first UMD sweep at Mariucci in six seasons lifts the Bulldogs into a tie for first place with Denver and Colorado College. The Bulldogs next took a weekend off, then prepared to face league co-favorites North Dakota and Denver on successive weekends at the DECC. During their week off, the Bulldogs can reflect on having dealt the Gophers their first loss in two years when they were leading after two periods -- snapping a 34-game streak that measured 29-0-5 in Minnesota's ability to hold its leads. The WCHA conference-game scoring race was top-heavy with Bulldogs, claiming four of the top five slots. Fontaine leads the league with 9 goals, 5 assists and 14 points. Jack Connolly (6-7--13), Bordson (1-12--13), and Colorado College's Bill Sweatt (5-8--13) are tied for second, and next comes Mike Connolly (3-9--12). In all of NCAA Division I statistics, Jack Connolly (10-11--21) leads the way, while Fontaine leads in power-play goals with 8, in game-winning goals with 3, and is second with 11 goals. Bordson leads the nation with 16 assists. As a team, the Bulldogs are second in total goals with 49, one less than Ferris State, and the 'Dawgs have the most power-play goals with 24. Plus, they have now claimed three straight victories over their "cousins" at the "Main U." |
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