MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Freshman goaltender Rob Gunderson posted a career-high 43 saves in net, but it wasn't enough as the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves dropped their third-straight Western Collegiate Hockey Association game Friday with a 5-1 loss to the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Mariucci Arena.
Minnesota (11-9-3, 8-7-2 WCHA) held a 2-0 lead after just six minutes of play until Alaska Anchorage (7-13-3, 6-11-2 WCHA) responded in the final minutes of the first with a power-play goal by sophomore Mitch Bruijsten. The Gophers then took control of the game, adding two more goals in the second and one in the third.
The Golden Gophers got out to a two-goal lead following back-to-back tallies from Nate Condon at 4:30 and Tom Serratore at 5:36 with the game winner. The goals came on the fifth and sixth shots of the night, respectively, in a frame that UM outshot UAA, 19-10.
Throughout the opening stanza, both teams were whistled for two minor penalties, but it was only UAA that was able to capitalize. The Seawolves cut the lead in half with a power-play strike from Bruijsten (Nijmegen, Netherlands) with just 1:16 left in the period and 18 seconds left in the man advantage.
UM's netminder Kent Patterson was able to make the initial save from senior defenseman Luka Vidmar, but the rebound trickled to the side of the net where Bruijsten collected and made an easy wraparound before Patterson could cross the crease. Senior forward Tommy Grant was credited with the second helper.
The Seawolves momentum was quick lived as junior defenseman Brad Gorham was whistled for holding just 22 seconds into the second. UAA's penalty-kill unit was able to block three shots before Nick Larson found a crack at 2:19 – with just three seconds left on the power play – for a 3-1 lead.
The Gophers extended the scoring gap to three at 10:57 with an even strength tally by Jake Hansen and then added their final tally at 10:54 of the third frame for the 5-1 score.
UAA allowed a season-high 48 shots on net – the most since Minnesota Duluth placed 49 on net on March 7, 2009 – while posting 29 shots on Patterson (28 saves). Gunderson recorded a career-high 43 saves in the loss, dropping his record to 6-10-2.
Throughout the game, UAA went on seven power-play opportunities, while UM skated on six with both teams connecting on one. The Seawolves went 7-for-25 on penalties after sophomore Chris Crowell picked up a five-minute major for checking from behind and a 10-minute game misconduct at 17:34 of the second. UM was 7-for-14.
The Gophers held a slight lead in faceoffs at 33-31.
The Seawolves and Gophers will rematch tomorrow at 4:07 p.m. AST.
