For men’s hockey, scoring was scarce over the weekend

© Jim Rosvold 2011 – jimsville.com

If this were the heart of the WCHA season, a three-point weekend for the men’s hockey team wouldn’t be something to be concerned about.

But this weekend’s tie and win against the U.S. National Team Development Program’s Under-18 squad and Canisius College weren’t against ranked teams, or even against college players in the instance of the former.

Minnesota started the weekend with a tie at Mariucci Arena against the USNTDP U-18 squad. A group of some of the top prospects in the country who gave the Gophers a challenge at home.

The game was only to be an exhibition, but many people may look at it as an eye opener for the players and coaching staff.

Minnesota trailed 2-0 after the first period. They were scored on by Vinni Lettieri, a Gopher recruit from Minnetonka, Minn. for the first goal of the game.

Lettieri is the grandson of Minnesota hockey legend Lou Nanne. He committed to Minnesota along with his cousin Louie Nanne, who skates on the high school stage for Edina.

The other first period goal was scored by Tyler Motte, a Michigan recruit that Minnesota fans should be ready to hear from again as the Big Ten Hockey Conference begins next season.

The Gophers would earn the tie thanks to second period goals from Tom Serratore and Nick Bjugstad.

The Gophers did not roll with their “A” Roster Friday. They rested some key players in the exhibition game that could have opened the door for some younger players off the bench to step up, but it didn’t happen.

Junior Michael Shibrowski worked the game between the pipes and made 27 saves in the tie.

Defensively Minnesota looked shaky at times. They allowed the teenagers to out shoot them in the third period 11-6 and had to dig themselves out of a 2-0 deficit following the first period.

This Minnesota offense averaged 4.5 goals in each game coming into the weekend, but it would only muster up 3 goals overall.

The third goal on the weekend came just 0:12 into this afternoon’s 1-0 win over the Canisius Golden Griffins.

Kyle Rau scored the game winning goal well before the home crowd could get comfortable in their cold plastic seats.

Freshmen netminder Adam Wilcox earned his first career shutout and now carries a 3-0 overall record on the season with a 1.13 GAA and a .943 save percentage.

The South St. Paul native has played well and will need to continue this success as the schedule gets harder in the second half of the season.

The defensive concerns for Minnesota also seemed to be adjusted from Friday’s tie. They allowed only 20 shots on goal against Wilcox through the 60 minutes of regulation.

The scoring concerns still hold true coming off the weekend. It should be noted that the Golden Griffins did have a stellar performance from goalkeeper Tony Capobianco, who made 41 saves against the No. 2 ranked team in the country.

Looking ahead to the next three weekends, Minnesota will get back to WCHA action with a home-and-home with Minnesota State-Mankato this week. Then they will head on the road to Anchorage, Alaska to play deep into the Alaskan night against the Seawolves for two before coming home for a border battle against rival Wisconsin.

I would recommend that fans look past this weekend’s games. Write them off and start getting fired up for a run against three WCHA teams that I would predict to finish in the bottom half of the final conference standings.

Prediction: At least 9 points in the next six games. If they have off weekends scoring, the defense is good enough to get more 1-0 wins.