NCAA Game Night: 10-6-18
#13 Minnesota Gophers 1 @ #1 Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs 1
F Cole Koepke, UMD: 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM, 2 SOG, 0/2 FO
Season Totals: 1 GP, 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM
D Ryan Zuhlsdorf, MINN: 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM, 0 SOG, 0/1 FO
Season Totals: 1 GP, 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM
’17-‘18 Totals: 38 GP, 0-9-9, +1, 40 PIM
F Sammy Walker, MINN: 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM, 2 SOG
Season Totals: 1 GP, 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM
The top-ranked Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs opened the 2018-19 campaign against in-state rival Minnesota Golden Gophers Saturday night in the first half of a home-and-home series that featured three Lightning prospects, two of which made their NCAA debuts as freshmen. The two teams battled to a 1-1 tie per new NCAA rules for non-conference contests that remain unsettled after a 5-minute 5-on-5 overtime session.
Freshman Gophers forward Sampo Ranta (COL, 2018 3rd round pick) notched his first collegiate goal in the 1st period with assists from senior Thomas Novak (NAS, 2015 3rd round pick) and Walker's former teammate at Edina High School defenseman Clayton Phillips (PIT, 2017 3rd round pick). Ranta was teammates with both Walker and Koepke at Sioux City last year, where Koepke edged the Finnish winger as the Musketeers scoring leader.
After a scoreless 2nd period, Peter Kreiger (undrafted) knotted the game on a power-play marker early in the 3rd. Bulldog forwards Koby Roth (undrafted) and Riley Tufte (DAL, 2016 1st round pick) helped set up the game-tying goal. These two teams will square off in St. Paul Sunday afternoon to complete the season series.
Alberta Golden Bears 4 @ #9 Denver Pioneers 6 (Exhibition)
F Cole Guttman, DEN: 0-3-3, +2, 2 PIM, 4 SOG, 6/12 FO
Season Totals: 0 GP, 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM
Lightning prospect Cole Guttman notched three assists and was 50% on draws in exhibition play Saturday night making his freshman NCAA debut for the ninth-ranked University of Denver Pioneers against the visiting Golden Bears from the University of Alberta. Guttman assisted on the first two goals of the game, one a power play marker by Norwegian Emilio Pettersen (CGY, 2018 6th round pick), before setting up the 3-3 equalizer just prior to the end of the 2nd period. Pettersen scored twice for the Pioneers with Denver also getting tallies from Jarid Lukosevicius (undrafted), Michael Davies (undrafted), Jaakko Heikkinen (undrafted), and Ryan Barrow (undrafted). After falling behind 2-0 in the 1st period, Alberta responded with three straight to take a brief 3-2 lead in the 2nd behind a pair of goals from Steven Owre (undrafted). The Golden Bears also got scores from Riley Keiser (undrafted) and Luke Philp (undrafted). Denver opens its 2018-19 NCAA campaign next weekend against the Air Force Academy and the University of Alabama-Huntsville.
*USCHO poll used for rankings