NCAA Game Night: 10-7-18
#1 Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs 4 @ #13 Minnesota Gophers 7
F Cole Koepke, UMD: 0-1-1, E, 0 PIM, 2 SOG
Season Totals: 2 GP, 0-1-1, E, 0 PIM
D Ryan Zuhlsdorf, MINN: 0-1-1, +1, 0 PIM, 1 SOG
Season Totals: 2 GP, 0-1-1, +1, 0 PIM
’17-‘18 Totals: 38 GP, 0-9-9, +1, 40 PIM
F Sammy Walker, MINN: 1-0-1, +1, 0 PIM, 2 SOG
Season Totals: 2 GP, 1-0-1, +1, 0 PIM
A night after drawing to a 1-1 tie, offensive fireworks erupted as these two in-state rivals combined for 11 goals Sunday night with the Golden Gophers knocking off top-ranked Minnesota-Duluth by a score of 7-4. Sammy Walker notched his first collegiate goal late in the 2nd period to give Minnesota a 4-2 lead. Ryan Zuhlsdorf scored his first point of the season, helping set up the second of Brannon McManus’ (undrafted) two goals as part of a Minnesota three goal 1st period. Meanwhile, Cole Koepke tallied his first collegiate point for the Bulldogs when he set up the first of two 3rd period Jackson Cates goals that cut the Gopher lead to 6-3.
Down 3-0 at the first intermission, UMD’s Noah Cates (PHI, 2017 5th round pick) and Mikey Anderson (LAK, 2017 4th round pick) each scored for the Bulldogs to shave the margin to 3-2 before Walker and Rem Pitlick (NAS, 2016 3rd round pick) restored the Gopher three-goal lead prior to the end of the 2nd period. In the 3rd frame, the two teams each traded a pair of markers, including Minnesota’s Sampo Ranta (COL, 2018 3rd round pick) notching his second goal in as many nights.
Zuhlsdorf and Walker and the rest of the Golden Gophers will play an exhibition next Saturday against the USA U18 team, while Koepke and his Bulldogs will take on a two-game weekend series against Michigan Tech.
Acadia Axemen 3 @ UMass-Lowell River Hawks 4 (Exhibition)
F Ryan Lohin, UML: 1-1-2, -2, 0 PIM, 4 SOG, 6/14 FO
Season Totals: 0 GP, 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM
Lightning prospect and UMass-Lowell junior co-captain Ryan Lohin tipped in the game-winning power play goal with about four minutes remaining in regulation as the River Hawks came from behind to defeat Acadia in exhibition play Sunday afternoon. Lohin also assisted on a Colin O’Neill (undrafted) power play marker that opened the scoring in the 1st period.
Former Bolt prospect Cristiano DiGiacinto set up former Oilers prospect Jackson Houck for a power play goal to knot the score at 1-1. The Axemen also got goals from Jack Flaman (undrafted) and Owen MacDonald (undrafted), while Lowell got tallies from Chris Schutz (undrafted) and Charlie Levesque (undrafted).
Lohin and the River Hawks open their 2018-19 NCAA campaign next weekend with a pair of games against the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Mt. Royal Cougars 2 @ #6 St. Cloud State Huskies 6 (Exhibition)
D Nick Perbix, STC: 0-1-1, +2, 0 PIM, 1 SOG
Season Totals: 0 GP, 0-0-0, E, 0 PIM
Nick Perbix made his collegiate debut Sunday night for the St. Cloud State Huskies, assisting on a game opening power play marker in the 1st, as St. Cloud defeated the Mt. Royal Cougars in exhibition play. The Huskies were led by two goals from Nick Poehling (undrafted) and a pair of assists from brother Ryan Poehling (MTL, 2017 1st round pick). St. Cloud kicks off their 2018-19 NCAA season next weekend against the University of Alaska-Fairbanks.
*USCHO poll used for rankings