Big Ten Network : Minnesota Top Stories

Illini pressure Weber, take down Gophers

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 09:01:00 +0000

MINNEAPOLIS -- Terry Hawthorne returned an interception for a touchdown and Clay Nurse had four of Illinois' eight sacks to lead the Illini to a 35-32 victory over Minnesota on Saturday. Jacob Charest threw for 185 yards and a touchdown after replacing Juice Williams, who left in the first quarter with an injured left ankle. Illinois (3-6, 2-5 Big Ten) led 28-7 at halftime. Jon Hoese scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns for Minnesota (5-5, 3-4). Gophers linebacker Keanon Cooper blocked a punt that Ben Kuznia scooped up for a score to pull Minnesota within three points with 3 minutes to play. The ensuing onside kick went out of bounds, and the Gophers couldn't overcome a dreadful first half from quarterback Adam Weber. After throwing for 416 yards and five TDs in a breakout game against Michigan State last week, Weber completed 5 of 17 passes for 74 yards with a fumble and the interception returned for a score in the first half against Illinois. He finished 14 of 31 for 221 yards. The blunders, and a furious pass rush, helped Illinois compensate for the loss of Williams. It's been a long and difficult senior season for Williams, who has never been able to recapture the magic that helped him lead the Illini to the Rose Bowl during his sophomore year. He finally had a breakout game last week with 220 total yards in a 31-13 win over Michigan and looked sharp early against Minnesota. He completed all five of his passes, including a 22-yard TD pass to Jeff Cumberland on the opening drive to get the Illini rolling. But he injured his left ankle and fumbled during a run later in the first quarter and watched the rest of the game on crutches from the sideline. Weber probably wishes he could have joined him. The Gophers quarterback also broke out of a season-long slump last week in a win over Michigan State. He followed that with a brutal first half against Illinois, missing several wide-open receivers and taking too many sacks after not getting rid of the ball quickly enough, drawing boos from the home crowd. Weber fumbled on a bad exchange with DeLeon Eskridge in Illinois territory and telegraphed a throw to Hoese near the sidelines in the first quarter. Hawthorne, who chased down Michigan receiver Roy Roundtree and prevented a touchdown last week, read Weber's eyes and stepped in front of the pass. He returned the interception 44 yards for a score and a 14-0 lead going into the second quarter. Minnesota cut the lead to 28-25 on Hoese's second score of the game. But Charest threw a 4-yard TD pass to Arrelious Benn on the next possession.

Minnesota avoids sweep, beats Wisconsin

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 22:34:00 +0000

MADISON, Wis. - Wisconsin men's hockey (4-3-1, 2-3-1 WCHA) fell 5-2 to Minnesota (3-4-1, 3-4-1 WCHA) in its bid for a sweep on Saturday night in the Kohl Center. Though they outshot the Gophers 47-28, the Badgers just could not seem to find the net. The Gophers returned the favor from last night's game by scoring in the wee-minutes of the game. Minnesota jumped out to a 1-0 advantage after a goal by senior Tony Lucia just 1:13 into the first period. The Gophers scored again, this time by freshman Zach Budish. The goal came at the 13:07 mark of the first and put Minnesota up 2-0 early in the game. Though UW outshot the Gophers 17-6, the Badgers were not able to find the net in the first. Heading into the second period, the Badgers trailed the Gophers, 0-2. After a scoreless first 15 minutes of the second period, the Gophers added another goal when junior Patrick White found the net for the Gophers. The goal came at the 15:38 mark of the second, and put Minnesota up 3-0. Having outshot Minnesota 32-16 through two periods, the Badgers couldn't seem to find the net, though their opportunities were there. It only took the Badgers 28 seconds of the third period to register their first goal of the contest. The goal came on a wrist shot by sophomore defenseman Jake Gardiner (Minnetonka, Minn.) past a screen set by senior tri-captain Blake Geoffrion (Brentwood, Tenn.). The primary assist went to freshman forward Craig Smith, his third of the series. The secondary assist was credited to Geoffrion, who won the faceoff prior to the goal. This was Gardiner's first goal of the season. The Gophers added to their lead right around the halfway point of the final period. The goal was scored on a wrist shot by senior Brian Schack through a screen at the 11:29 mark. This put Minnesota at a 4-1 advantage. The Badgers inched their way closer after a crazy goal by junior tri-captain Ryan McDonagh (Arden Hills, Minn.). After a shot by senior forward Andy Bohmbach (Hudson, Wis.) ricocheted off Minnesota goaltender Alex Kangas, former Minnesota state high school baseball champion McDonagh was there to bat the puck out of the air and into the net for his first goal of the season. The play was under review to check for high-sticking, but the goal was upheld. Bohmbach and Craig Smith were credited with the two assists. The score was now 4-2 in favor of the maroon and gold. The Gophers scored once more on an empty net goal by Zach Budish, his second of the game. The goal came at the 1:01 mark of the third period. This solidified Minnesota's win, 5-2. It just seemed to be one of those nights that nothing the Badgers shot would go in. With the Badgers pushing to close the gap with the score still at 4-2, senior forward Ben Grotting (Birmingham, Ala.) saw his shot ping off the post to exemplify the night for Wisconsin. Junior goaltender Brett Bennett (Williamsville, N.Y.) notched 23 saves in the contest, but saw his record fall to 3-2-0 on the season. Gopher goaltender Alex Kangas' record climbed to 3-3-0 on the year with 45 saves. The Badgers get right back into action next weekend, as they play a two-game home series against the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves. The Friday-Saturday series at the Kohl Center is scheduled for 7 p.m. both nights.

Johnson, Gophers steamroll Minnesota Duluth

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 14:36:00 +0000

MINNEAPOLIS - In the first preview of 2009-10 Golden Gopher basketball, Minnesota played host to Minnesota Duluth on Friday in an exhibition tilt at Williams Arena, with the Gophers claiming a 114-47 win over the Bulldogs. Minnesota scored the last 21 points of the first half to take a 50-13 lead into the locker room at the break. Minnesota Duluth's last field goal came at the 5:50 mark to make the score 29-13, but by then the rout was on. In the second half, the Gophers were running on all cylinders, outscoring the Bulldogs, 63-34, in the period while hitting 26-of-39 (66.7%) shots from the field. Minnesota opened its lead to as many as 65 points when it led 93-28 with 7:07 left to play. As potent as the Minnesota offense looked, its defense was equally impressive. The Gophers forced the Bulldogs into 28 turnovers, swiping 19 steals on the night. In the first half alone, the Bulldogs committed 21 turnovers. Minnesota out-rebounded Minnesota Duluth 43-to-26 and collected 14 blocks in the contest. While the Gophers were shooting 44-of-73 (60.3%) from the field, their smothering defense held the Bulldogs to just 18-of-56 (32.1%), including a 5-of-19 (26.3%) tally in the first half. When the final horn sounded, all 11 Gophers had scored, led by a 19-point effort from Lawrence Westbrook (Chandler, Ariz.). Damian Johnson (Thibodaux, La.) notched a double-double on the night with 16 points and a game-high 10 rebounds, while also adding seven steals, four assists, and three blocked shots. Freshman Rodney Williams (Minneapolis, Minn.) had a very nice showing in his debut with 11 points, making good on his first four field goals. Three other Golden Gophers chipped in double figures, including Devoe Joseph (Pickering, Ontario) with 18, Ralph Sampson III (Duluth, Ga.) with 13 to go along with a game-high six blocks, and Colton Iverson (Yankton, S.D.) added 12. The Golden Gophers will play one more exhibition game before officially opening the 2009-10 season. On Monday (Nov. 9), Minnesota State Moorhead visits Williams Arena for another exhibition game, and the real action starts Friday, Nov. 13, when Minnesota plays host to Tennessee Tech at The Barn.

Geoffrion leads Badgers past Gophers, 4-2

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 11:41:00 +0000

MADISON, Wis. -- Senior tri-captain Blake Geoffrion (Brentwood, Tenn.) scored twice, including a goal 24 seconds into the contest, as the Wisconsin men's hockey (4-2-1, 2-2-1 WCHA) skated to a 4-2 victory over border-rival Minnesota (2-4-1, 2-4-1 WCHA) Friday night at the Kohl Center. UW scored once in the first, twice in the second, and once again in the third to skate to the team's fourth victory of the season. Wisconsin did not take long to strike first, 24 seconds, to be exact. Geoffrion deflected a slap shot of fellow tri-captain Ryan McDonagh (Arden Hills, Minn.) past the Minnesota goaltender Alex Kangas to give Wisconsin the first goal in a game for the sixth time in seven games this season. McDonagh's shot, from just inside the blue line, soared towards the goal waist-high, and Geoffrion managed to send it off track just enough to put the Badgers up 1-0. Freshman forward Craig Smith (Madison, Wis.) was credited the secondary assist. This concluded the scoring for the first period, with the Badgers on top by one. The Badgers were also outshooting the Gophers 12-6, heading into the second. The Gophers evened the game quickly in the second, only 1:31 into the period, on a back-hand goal by senior forward Mike Hoeffel. UW didn't let the game stay tied for long, as junior defenseman Cody Goloubef (Oakville, Ontario) regained the lead for the Badgers just 42 seconds later on a back-hand goal from straight on. Goloubef gained control of a loose puck just inside the Minnesota blue line, charged at the Minnesota goaltender and flicked the puck to the back of the net. Freshman forward Derek Lee (North Vancouver, B.C.) and senior forward John Mitchell (Neenah, Wis.) were credited with assists on the play. With 9:44 remaining in the period, Geoffrion added his second goal of the game, giving the Badgers a 3-1 advantage. His slap shot, from inside the blue line, sped past Kangas for Geoffrion's fifth goal of the season. Craig Smith was credited with the assist, also his second of the game. Heading into the third, the score was in favor of the Badgers, 3-1. About halfway through the final period, Minnesota inched a little closer, after senior forward Patrick White scored for the Gophers with 11:13 remaining. This brought the score to a 3-2 UW advantage. With 1:51 remaining in the third period, senior tri-captain forward Ben Street (Coquitlam, B.C.) cemented the Badgers' victory, as he took a pass from fellow senior forward Michael Davies (St. Louis) to put the Badgers up 4-2. On a three-on-two break, sophomore forward Jordy Murray (Fairbault, Minn.) advanced the puck to Davies, who then found an open Street behind the Gophers' defense. Street flicked in a top-shelf shot and solidified the victory. Badger goalie Brett Bennett notched 16 saves, and raised his season record to 3-1-0. Gopher goaltender Alex Kangas fell to 2-3-0 on the year after stopping 28 Badger shots. The Badgers are now 4-2-1 overall, with a 2-2-1 WCHA record. The Gophers fell to 2-4-1 overall and in conference. The puck drops tomorrow, November 7, at 7 p.m. The Badgers look to sweep Minnesota and extend their modest winning streak over the Gophers to four games. The game can be viewed live on WISC-TV in the Madison area, as well as Charter Extra 87 and Time Warner Cable. A live broadcast can also be seen on FSN Minnesota and Fox College Sports. The game will air tape-delayed on Wisconsin Public Television at 11 p.m., and again on Sunday at 6 p.m. on The Wisconsin Channel.

Gophers blank Hoosiers, 1-0

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 23:49:00 +0000

St. Paul, Minn. - In what could have been the final game of the season tonight (Nov. 6), the Minnesota soccer team made a strong case for it not to be, beating visiting Indiana 1-0. Minnesota (12-5-3, 5-3-2) came into the game needing a win to strengthen their NCAA Tournament resume before the selections are made Monday evening. Indiana (10-7-2, 2-6-2), meanwhile, need a win to snap a three-game skid that saw them fall below .500 in conference play. The Gopher offense created chances all night, but quality opportunities were often stopped by a right-place-right-time Indiana defense. Shots were even at the end of a scoreless first half, with just four per side. Minnesota had the only shot on goal in the first 45:00 minutes while their defense kept goalkeeper Cat Parkhill (Apple Valley, Minn.) without facing a shot on net. "I thought their mentality was fantastic," head coach Mikki Denney Wright said about her offense after the game. "Our two attacking mids and all of our forwards were so mobile and created so many chances, it was a fun game." The Gopher attack ramped up toward the end of the first half and carried into the second where Minnesota held a 6-to-2 edge on shots for a 10-to-6 margin in the game. The lone goal and game-winner came late in the second half on a play set up by the ever attacking Gopher offense. As they had most of the half, the Gophers controlled the ball deep in the Hoosier zone, forcing the ball out the backline to earn a corner kick. In controlling the half, the Gophers took six total corners compared to none for the Hoosiers and held a 9-to-2 advantage on corners in the contest. As she has been all year, Katie Bethke (Eau Claire, Wis.) was called upon to take the kick and unleashed a beauty towards the waiting Minnesota offense. At the front was Molly Rouse (Cambridge, Minn.) who took the ball off a bounce, turned and fired a shot near post that was too much for the Indiana keeper to catch up with. "Molly scored, she's clutch, she scored the game-winner, she deserved it," Denney Wright said. "I'm just really proud of our team, our ability to kill the game, and what a great win for our program." After nearly 80 minutes of battling, the Gophers had finally broken though, calling on their top two scorers to do so. The goal by Rouse was her fifth of the season, setting a new single season career high for the junior. It was also her third game-winner on the season, also setting a career high and tying Bethke for the team lead. The assist was a team leading seventh on the season for Bethke and moves her into an eighth place tie with Alison Rackley on the Gophers' career assist list with 19. The win assures Minnesota of at least a share of fourth place in the final Big Ten standings. Their 5-3-2 mark in Big Ten games makes 2008 and 2009 the first seasons of back-to-back winning records in conference games since the 1998 and 1999 season. On a night set to honor their seniors, the Gophers did so in the best way possible, with a victory. In a season full of memories another has been added, but the possibility for more remains. Seniors Sara Clancy (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) and Dana Tripp (White Bear Lake, Minn.) will anxiously await the NCAA Tournament selections with the rest of their team, as the 64-team field is announced Monday (Nov. 9) evening. "Dana and Sara have meant the world to our program, have been great people and great players," Denney Wright said. "And we had to send them out right."

Gophers earn second-straight Big Ten win of the season

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 21:51:00 +0000

The University of Minnesota women's swimming and diving team won 10 events en route to a 176-118 win over the Iowa Hawkeyes, tonight in Iowa City, Iowa. With the win the Gophers improve to 2-0 on the dual season. Minnesota started the night with a win in the 200 medley relay. The foursome of Hannah Whitehead, Jillian Tyler, Kaylee Jamison and Alison Eggers combined for a time of 1:44.23 and 11 points. Minnesota's B relay of Castina Wabke, Paige Bradley, Kelsey Ridder and Marissa Davies added a third-place showing with a time of 1:46.57. Kristen Steenvoorden won the 1000 free in 9:54.62, while Loren Brandon finished second (9:57.02) and Lissa Tommerdahl was third (10:02.63). Like the 1000 free, Minnesota went 1,2,3 in the 200 free. Ashley Steenvoorden won event in 1:51.30, while Lauren Weis added a time of 1:52.68 for second, followed by Whitehead in third (1:53.00). After Iowa won the 100 back, the Gophers returned to a win in the 100 breaststroke as they took the top three spots. Emma Jackson won her first collegiate event of her short Gopher career when she touched the wall in 1:05.08. Bradley came in second with a time of 1:05.47, while Molly Belk added a time of 1:05.48. The Gophers added another top-three finish in the 200 fly. Annalise Colton won her first Gopher event in 2:04.87, followed by Megan Braun in second (2:06.78) and Elizabeth Weitz in third (2:07.06). Although Iowa's Christine Kuczek won the 50 free (24.09), Minnesota took the next three four spots and recorded scores for three. Jamison and Davies tied for second (24.14), while Eggers followed in fourth (24.34). Abigail Staats was fifth (24.39) but did not record points for the Gophers. Eggers led the Gophers led the Gophers in the 100 free when she clocked a time of 52.87. Staats added a time of 52.96, followed by Weis in 53.39. Jackson accomplished her second win of the evening when she also won the 200 breaststroke. Jackson chipped in a time of 2:20.67 for the win, while Belk placed third in 2:22.66. Davies won the 500 free in a time of 4:58.22. Jamison won the 100 fly in 56.47 and led the Gophers in the 200 IM with a second-place finish in 2:08.38. Minnesota closed the night with a second-place finish in the 400 free relay. Davies, Staats, Weis and Eggers added four points to the Gophers' total with a time of 3:28.29. In diving action, Kelci Bryant earned to wins in the 1- and 3-meter events. Bryant posted a score of 314.85 in the 1-meter, while adding a score of 366.60 in the 3-meter. Katie Grunawalt followed Bryant when she finished second. Grunawalt held scores of 278.17 in the 3-meter and 264.00 in the 1-meter. Minnesota hosts its only home meet of the first half of the season with the Grand Prix, Nov. 13-15 at the University Aquatic Center. Action begins every day at 9 a.m.

No. 12 Minnesota downs Hoosiers

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 20:59:00 +0000

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.- The Indiana University volleyball team (14-14, 3-11) dropped a match in Minneapolis Friday night, defeated by the No. 12 Minnesota Golden Gophers (18-7, 9-4), 25-15, 25-13, 25-15. Kelsey Hall was Indiana's top performer with eight kills, a .304 hitting percentage and seven digs. Caitlin Cox paced IU with 10 digs. Hall brought her 'A' game in the opening set, finishing off five of 10 errorless swings for a smooth .500 hitting efficiency. She also dug two balls and successfully passed a pair of Minnesota serves. The Hoosiers other California native, Whitney Granado, was also locked-in early on. Granado tallied four digs, all of which were spectacular defensive efforts by the Riverside, Calif., product. The rest of the Hoosiers struggled, however, as the Golden Gophers recorded a 25-15 set winner. Samantha Thrower was inserted into the line-up at middle blocker for set number two, and she instantly produced with kills on her first two swings. An ace by Laura Matula completed an 8-2 run for IU, putting the Cream and Crimson ahead 8-4. Indiana's edge remained at two points moments later, leading 12-10 before the wheels came off. Minnesota grabbed 15 of the next 16 points for a 25-13 triumph. Freshman Shawn Hindman entered the match in the final frame, ripping three aggressive attacks. Her third attempt found pay dirt as she hit .333 in the set. The final score leaned in favor of Minnesota though, 25-15. The Hoosiers are on the road next weekend, heading to the state of Michigan for matches against the Spartans and Wolverines.

Gophers will be without top newcomer until his legal issues are resolved

Marcus R. Fuller — Wed, 4 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

The University of Minnesota men's basketball team needed Trevor Mbakwe to be the physical inside presence it lacked last season. But the Gophers might have to do without one of their top newcomers for the entire 2009-10 season. A 6-foot-8, 240-pound junior-college transfer from St. Paul, Mbakwe will not be allowed to play basketball until his felony battery case is resolved in a satisfactory manner, Gophers athletics director Joel Maturi announced Monday. Mbakwe was charged in an alleged assault in April in Miami. The pre-trial hearing is scheduled to begin Dec. 14. Mbakwe's attorney, Gregory Samms, did not respond to requests for an interview Monday, but has said he'd like to postpone the court date until after the basketball season to ensure his alibi witnesses are there. "If this doesn't get resolved during this basketball year, (Mbakwe) could still come back to play two additional years. He could look at this as a redshirt year," Maturi said. "I told he and his mom that this would give him the opportunity to make sure he gets his degree before he leaves. That could be a very positive thing." Mbakwe will continue to attend classes and practice with the Gophers, but he will not dress for home games and won't travel with the team, Maturi said. "There was no need to make (the decision) sooner, because we made a decision earlier to allow him to practice. There was no need to come to a finality on this until this week," Maturi said. "He's been charged with a serious allegation, a serious offense. I believe that being the highly visible student-athlete that he is, and the highly visible sport that he competes in, that it wasn't in his best interest or our best interest for him to play." Maturi said he met with Mbakwe and Mbakwe's mother, Ana, in his office on Thursday to let them know his decision. "Trevor is a quality young man," Maturi said. "That's what made this more difficult. His mother is an unbelievably wonderful young woman. I know they both would have liked for him to play. They believe very strongly that he's been wrongly accused and that he's going to unfairly miss some games. I'm respectful of that." Minnesota coach Tubby Smith expected Mbakwe to play a major role on a team that is ranked No. 25 in the Associated Press' preseason poll, the program's first preseason national ranking since 2002-03. Mbakwe, a junior college All-American last season, was a projected starter for the Gophers. The former St. Bernard's and Henry Sibley standout was arguably the most impressive player in the Oct. 16 scrimmage in front of fans at Williams Arena. "I think he's the type of kid that would have had the potential to lead the Big Ten in rebounding," said Henry Sibley coach Tom Dasovich, who coached Mbakwe for two seasons. "You could see from Tubby's Tip-off that he was the best player on the floor. When you can make an argument that the best player is going to have to sit out, then obviously that's going to affect any team." Without Mbakwe, Smith has a number of options at power forward, including 6-11 sophomore Ralph Sampson III, 6-8 freshman Royce White, 6-7 senior Damian Johnson and 6-8 junior Paul Carter, although White, Johnson and Carter are better suited for small forward. Former Gophers center Spencer Tollackson, the team's new radio analyst, watched Mbakwe dominate the paint in practice with his aggressiveness and leaping ability. "He is that physical, athletic presence that (they needed)," Tollackson said. "He can rebound better or as well as anyone out there, I think. I was impressed with how quickly he got off the ground. He's extremely explosive and physical. You know, that's extremely vital to have in the Big Ten. There were a couple plays where he was camping out by the hoop on the baseline, and Blake (Hoffarber) was just throwing him alley-oops. He would just go get it and dunk on people." Maturi said if Mbakwe is found not guilty, his playing status would be up to Smith. Gophers coaches and players were unavailable for comment Monday and newcomers such as Mbakwe are not allowed to address the media until the Big Ten season starts. One of Mbakwe's mentors, Errol Carlstrom, said he talked to him Sunday night to offer support and advice. "I told him that if you can't resolve this until the spring, then you have to use this as a positive," said Carlstrom, chairman of the Howard Pulley AAU basketball program. "You have another year to study and get your grades better than they are already. You have to work to make the team better this year. (Mbakwe) said, 'I understand. I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying at Minnesota, and I'm going to be an asset.' " Samms said previously that three of the alibi witnesses were members of Mbakwe's Miami-Dade College basketball team. They are expected to testify that Mbakwe was at a team party during the alleged incident, according to Samms. Minnesota's season opener is Nov. 13 against Tennessee Tech at Williams Arena. The first exhibition game will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at home against Minnesota-Duluth. Copyright 2009 St. Paul Pioneer PressAll Rights Reserved

Gophers' win takes some pressure off Weber, Brewster

Marcus R. Fuller mfuller@pioneerpress.com — Tue, 3 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Adam Weber redeemed himself in a big way. Tim Brewster had his biggest coaching win. Athletics director Joel Maturi was glad University of Minnesota's quarterback and head football coach both silenced their critics for one night in Saturday's exciting 42-34 victory over Michigan State at TCF Bank Stadium. "I certainly don't know everything, but I'm close enough to know how well Adam has played, even when his numbers haven't been as good as people would have liked them to be," Maturi said of Weber, who passed for a career-best 416 yards and five touchdowns with an interception and a fumble. "I know the preparation that was put in. I know the belief of coach Brewster. It's good to see that they had success. I've never lost confidence. I don't feel differently about coach Brewster or Adam Weber, but I'm happy for them." Weber, who had no touchdown passes and five interceptions in his previous three games, became the school's all-time leading passer, surpassing Bryan Cupito with 7,509 yards. The Shoreview native also has 50 career touchdown passes, six away from breaking Cupito's record of 55. The Gophers (5-4, 3-3) are two wins away from matching last season's total. Seven wins would be more impressive this year because of a tougher schedule. They're also a win away from being bowl-eligible for the second consecutive season, with two home games coming up against Illinois and South Dakota State. Illinois (2-6, 1-5) won its first Big Ten game Saturday with 377 rushing yards and 500 total yards in a 38-13 win over Michigan. "We're still one game away from being bowl eligible with three games left to play," Maturi said. "Our kids feel good about themselves about last night, as they have every right to. But now we've got a more talented Illinois team to play than people first realized. You saw what they did against Michigan." CBSSports.com predicts that Minnesota will play Jan. 2 against Texas Tech in the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio. That's based on the fact that the Gophers, who haven't played in a New Year's Day bowl since 1962, are fifth in the Big Ten standings. They lost to Kansas in the Insight Bowl in Arizona last season. "I'm happy for him," Maturi said of Brewster. "One thing I know about coach Brewster, his heart and soul is in it. He's about as passionate an individual as I've ever met. He's very emotional. I know he felt the kids had a great week of preparation. I think it showed on the field." Maturi wasn't pleased that Brewster's team set a school and Big Ten record with 17 penalties for 156 yards. But he thought the offense and defense responded well after Ohio State and Penn State won by a combined score of 58-7 the previous two weeks. "If you lose, that becomes a major story, but those are correctible kinds of things," Maturi said of the penalties. "I thought (offensive coordinator) Jedd Fisch called one heck of a game." Briefly: Weber was named Big Ten offensive player of the week Sunday after his record-setting performance. Weber also earned conference player of the week honors in 2007 and 2008. The last Gophers quarterback to throw for 400 yards was Cory Sauter against Michigan State in 1995. Senior defensive tackle Garrett Brown was named Big Ten defensive player of the week. Brown set career highs with seven tackles and three tackles for loss, while also forcing and recovering a fumble. Copyright 2009 St. Paul Pioneer PressAll Rights Reserved

Gophers suspend White, Bostick for breaking rules

DAVE CAMPBELL — Tue, 3 Nov 2009 16:32:00 +0000

MINNEAPOLIS(AP) Minnesota coach Tubby Smith has suspended two players indefinitely for breaking team rules. Smith would not say Tuesday why freshman forward Royce White and senior guard Devron Bostick were in trouble. They'll be held out of exhibitions Thursday (against Minnesota Duluth) and Monday (against Minnesota State Moorhead) and possibly more, until Smith decides they're ready to return to the No. 25-ranked Gophers. "It could be two games. It could be five, six. It could be more,'' Smith said, adding: "It could be 20. It depends on what I want, what I decide.'' White has a Nov. 17 arraignment scheduled for two misdemeanor citations, theft and fifth degree assault, stemming from an Oct. 13 incident at the Mall of America in Bloomington, a suburb of Minneapolis, according to the city attorney's office. Bostick is a reserve who averaged 11 minutes per game last season. White was dismissed from DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis last year for academic misconduct before finishing his prep career at Hopkins. White is part of a touted recruiting class that includes transfer Trevor Mbakwe, who is also out indefinitely while a felony aggravated battery charge against him goes through the legal process. "If you do something wrong, our guys know that playing time ... is a privilege,'' Smith said. "We expect them to conduct themselves in a proper way. When they don't, unfortunately they force our hands and force us to do something we really don't want to do.'' White and Mbakwe were expected to give Minnesota some bulk and athleticism at the power forward spot. Damian Johnson and Paul Carter, who are more natural at small forward, will play more inside while White and Mbakwe are out. For now, the Gophers are down to 11 players including freshman walk-on guard Dominique Dawson, who was expected to redshirt but might be activated instead to provide more depth. "We still have a really solid group,'' Smith said. As for Mbakwe, Smith said he agreed with athletics director Joel Maturi's decision to keep the junior from playing until he's cleared in the court system. Mbakwe wasn't at practice Monday or Tuesday to take care of his legal matters. "We love Trevor, and he's done everything we've asked him to do since he's been here,'' the coach said. Smith said he wasn't sure when he would decide whether Mbakwe should be redshirted or not. "He'll have two years of eligibility left if he does sit out this year, but if he gets it resolved in his favor he'll be back on the court immediately,'' Smith said. Minnesota's first regular season game is against Tennessee Tech on Nov. 13. Mbakwe is scheduled for a Dec. 14 trial date in Miami-Dade County for an alleged attack on a woman in Miami in April. His attorney, Gregory Samms, said Tuesday he's been told the case will take priority in court that week and won't be pushed back.

Gophers' Mbakwe can't play until cleared in court

DAVE CAMPBELL — Mon, 2 Nov 2009 16:32:00 +0000

MINNEAPOLIS(AP) Junior forward Trevor Mbakwe, one of Minnesota's touted new recruits, will not be allowed to play for the 25th-ranked Gophers until his pending court case on a felony aggravated battery charge is cleared up. Athletics director Joel Maturi announced Monday his decision on Mbakwe, who faces a December trial for an alleged attack on a woman in Miami in April. His attorney, Gregory Samms, told the Star Tribune newspaper this summer that his client was mistakenly identified. Samms didn't return messages Monday left by The Associated Press. Mbakwe can attend classes, practice and participate in team functions, but Maturi said he can't play until the legal matter ``has been resolved in a satisfactory manner.'' Mbakwe also can't suit up for home games or travel with the team. Maturi said he has spent the past several weeks speaking "to as many people as he possibly could'' before making what he called a difficult decision about Mbakwe, who transferred to Minnesota for this season. "There's not a person who knows him who didn't respond to me telling me what great character he has. Everybody said what a wonderful young man he is, not that we would feel any differently,'' Maturi said. "The decision is not at all based on whether I feel he is innocent or guilty. It's an educational decision that I feel will allow Trevor to learn from.'' If the situation drags out and causes Mbakwe to miss several games, he could take a redshirt season and still have two years of eligibility left. Neither coach Tubby Smith nor Mbakwe were available for comment Monday. "I think he's very understanding of the situation,'' Maturi said of Smith. ``He cares for Trevor. He recruited Trevor.'' Mbakwe appeared in 11 games during an injury-plagued freshman season at Marquette after playing for two Twin Cities area high schools - Henry Sibley in Mendota Heights and St. Bernard's in St. Paul. He transferred to a junior college in Miami last year before deciding to return to Minnesota. If he's allowed to play, Mbakwe will give the Gophers some needed bulk at the power forward position. He's part of a nationally lauded recruiting class that includes freshmen Royce White, Rodney Williams and Justin Cobbs.

Weber, Gophers outlast Spartans, 42-34

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:09:00 +0000

MINNEAPOLIS -- Adam Weber passed for 416 yards and five touchdowns, helping Minnesota hurdle a school-record 17 penalties and hang on to beat Michigan State 42-34 on Saturday night. Playing without injured star wide receiver Eric Decker for the first time, Weber stepped up for his struggling offense at the best possible time. Completing 19 of 31 passes for the career high in yardage, Weber had his first five-score game since his freshman year. Running back Duane Bennett caught two of the touchdowns for Minnesota (5-4, 3-3 Big Ten), including an incredible recreation of the famous Immaculate Reception by Franco Harris for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1972 to stretch the lead to eight with 6:04 left. Tight end Nick Tow-Arnett, who had a career-high eight catches for 81 yards and two scores, caught a third-and-17 pass from Weber near the Michigan State 35 and landed on his back after a jarring hit. The ball never touched the ground and popped right up into the hands of Bennett, who ran the rest of the way for the 59-yard touchdown. The fans were fed up with the refs, who flagged the Gophers for 157 yards in penalties -- also the most in their history. The calls evened out in the end, though. Right before Bennett's score off the bobbled ball, Tow-Arnett lost a fumble that was recovered by the Spartans. It was overturned by replay review, which ruled an incomplete pass. On the following possession, the Spartans were whistled for four of their nine penalties. They reached the 39, but Kirk Cousins overthrew his receiver on fourth down. They stopped the Gophers on third-and-1, but punter Blake Haudan drew a roughing call on Kendell Davis-Clark and Minnesota was able to run out the clock. The Spartans (4-5, 3-3) were fortunate to be in the game in the second half, given all the self-inflicted problems by the Gophers. This was a familiar tough loss, though; all of Michigan State's defeats this year have come by eight points or less. Cousins dropped a snap and threw an interception in the first half, but neither turnover led to points for Minnesota. He finished 21 for 35 for 236 yards and two touchdowns, both of them impressive throws. His 11-yard toss to tight end Dion Sims gave the Spartans their first lead, 31-28 heading into the final quarter. The third quarter actually belonged to Keshawn Martin. The sophomore wide receiver took the kickoff back 82 yards for a score and then raced 84 yards for a touchdown on an end around to put the Spartans in position for the wild finish. The Gophers ditched their spread offense for a pro-style power running system this season, and Weber's struggles have been glaring at times during the transition. Without Decker, it was natural to assume the worst. On the first play from scrimmage, though, Weber used a textbook play-action fake to find Bennett open along the sideline for a 62-yard catch and tiptoe streak along the sideline. After the Spartans fumbled the kickoff, Weber found Brandon Green in tight coverage in the corner of the end zone from 37 yards out to make it 14-0 just 107 seconds into the game. Decker badly sprained his foot the week before and will have season-ending surgery on Wednesday. Leaning on crutches, he smiled at Weber as his close friend and roommate hugged him following the second score.

Minnesota cruises to sweep over Alaska

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 19:30:00 +0000

Four different players scored as Minnesota recorded its first home regular season sweep since January 2008 with a 4-1 victory over Alaska Anchorage on Sunday at Mariucci Arena. Alex Kangas made 31 saves for the Gophers, who got a goal and an assist from Tony Lucia, Mike Hoeffel and Jay Barriball. Jordan Schroeder also collected two assists for the second straight game. Combined with Friday's 5-1 win over the Seawolves, the Gophers earned their first regular season home sweep since beating Wayne State on Jan. 4-5, 2008. Minnesota did sweep St. Cloud State in last year's Western Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs and also won the Dodge Holiday Classic last season. Minnesota had played 10 regular season series at home since the last sweep. The wins pushed the Gophers to 2-3-1 in overall and conference play. Alaska Anchorage was swept for the first time this season and dropped to 3-5 overall and 1-3 in the WCHA. The Gophers opened the scoring with their first power play goal of the season as Patrick White tallied the goal at 12:31 of the first period. Minnesota had been 0-for-25 on the power play for the season and had failed to score on 30 straight power play chances, dating to last season. It originally appeared David Fischer scored the goal on a shot from the blueline that got past Seawolves' goalie Bryce Christianson, but the officials ruled the shot hit the post. It bounced free to Lucia in the crease, whose shot deflected the White on the opposite side of the net for the goal. With 16.8 seconds left in the first period, the Gophers made it 2-0 when Hoeffel finished off a four-on-one breakout. Barriball passed across to Schroeder for a one-timer that Christianson saved, but the rebound came free to Hoeffel for his third goal of the season. Minnesota made it 3-0 at 5:13 of the second period as Lucia recorded his third goal and fifth point of the weekend. The senior came down the slot on a three-on-two and fired a high shot over Christianson's shoulder. Taylor Matson and Kevin Wehrs picked up assists on the play. Lucia nearly had his second straight two-goal game, but was stopped on a breakaway by Christianson with five minutes left in the second period. Alaska Anchorage had a breakaway of its own just 30 seconds later when Jade Portwood got behind the Gophers' defense, but Kangas made the save. Lucia also hit a post during a Gopher power play with about three minutes left in the game. Kangas looked unbeatable for much of the game until the Seawolves finally got on the board with 8:46 left in the third period when Mickey Spencer lofted a shot through a screen from the faceoff dot. The officials looked at the video replay for an extended period, but confirmed the goal. Prior to the Seawolves' goal, Kangas made two outstanding third period saves to keep his shutout alive. He stopped Tommy Grant on a rebound attempt during an Alaska Anchorage power play with 17:10 left and then later stoned a two-on-one with just under 15 minutes remaining, stopping a shot by Spencer. It didn't take long for Minnesota to get the goal back as Barriball scored just 19 seconds later off a perfect feed from Schroeder. Barriball was streaking towards the net and Schroeder passed from along the boards, hitting Barriball perfectly in stride for his first goal of the year. Hoeffel also had an assist on the goal. Alaska Anchorage finished with a 32-31 advantage in shots as Christianson finished with 27 saves for the Seawolves. The Gophers were one-for-four on the power play and stopped Alaska Anchorage on all four of its man-advantage opportunities, including one over the final 1:13 of the game. Minnesota played without freshman defenseman Nick Leddy, who was injured in Friday's game and is expected to miss about six weeks with a broken jaw. The Gophers conclude an eight-game stretch of league games to open the season next weekend with a two-game series at Wisconsin. Games are Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. each night.

Minnesota's Mead defends Big Ten crown

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 18:17:00 +0000

Minnesota junior Hassan Mead captured the individual title at the Big Ten Cross Country Championships leading the Golden Gophers to a third-place finish in the team standings. Mead covered the 5.2-mile course at the Penn State Cross Country Course in a time of 25 minutes, 0.2 seconds. He is the third Gopher to win two or more Big Ten cross country crowns, joining Fred Watson (1913-15) and Garry Bjorklund (1969-71). Mead is the 19th Big Ten multiple champion and first since Wisconsin's Simon Bairu won back-to-back crowns in 2004-04. Mead, who crossed the finish line 5.7 seconds ahead of his nearest competitor, also collected his third All-Big Ten First Team honor of his career. Senior Matt Barrett contributed a ninth-place finish to earn All-Big Ten Second Team accord. Barrett was timed in 25:35.2. The Gophers compiled 97 team points to finish third behind Wisconsin (26) and Ohio State (91). The Badgers won their 11th straight Big Ten title. Completing the scoring for the Gophers was Ben Blankenship, who finished 18th (25:53.4); Pieter Gagnon, who placed 27th in 26:09.4; and Derek Storkel, who finished 42nd in 26:41.9. Other Gophers running were Paul Hilsen, who finished 55th in 27:06.2; and Mike McFarland, who placed 66th in 27:42.9. Minnesota next competition is the NCAA Midwest Region Championships on Nov. 14 in Springfield, Mo.

Gophers tally first CCHA sweep since 2007-08

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 22:11:00 +0000

KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- Michigan State withstood late pressure from the Western Michigan power play and held on for a 5-3 victory in Kalamazoo on Saturday evening. The Spartans recorded their first CCHA sweep since late in the 2007-08 season. Corey Tropp got the eventual game-winner, but in a week that Rick Comley emphasized the need for the Spartans to get some scoring from places other than their top two lines, MSU got the first two goals of the game from fourth-line freshmen. Both Anthony Hayes and Dean Chelios netted their first collegiate tallies. "I thought we played well tonight- better than we did last night," commented Rick Comley. "Im happy with our results, and it was great to get the fourth line on the board, too. I'd like to see us cut down on the penalties, but they are hard-work penalties, not ones that we're taking out of laziness. Our kids are working hard every week, and its nice to see them being rewarded." Both teams came out with good energy, and the Spartans got on the board early on a nice goal by Anthony Hayes, his first collegiate point. The puck was tied up in the neutral zone along the wall, and was freed by winger Kevin Walrod. Walrod dished it to Hayes, who broke across the blueline with Dean Chelios. Hayes put the puck on net - the save was made by Riley Gill, but he bobbled the puck and it bounced behind him and into the back of the net. The home team tied the game with a power-play goal at 10:38. Jared Katz got the marker, his second of the year, by beating Jarosz high blocker side with a shot from just to the left of the goalcage. Michigan State went up 2-1 with a goal early in the second frame. Carrying the puck into the offensive zone on a rush, Hayes dished to his winger Chelios, and Chelios got his first collegiate goalwith his shot that beat Gill short-side. A persistent MSU offense added to its lead less than 90 seconds later - with lots of pressure down low, Gill made three straight point-blank saves off the sticks of Daultan Leveille and Dustin Gazley before Andrew Rowe's tap finally snuck through the netminder's pads. Katz cut into the lead with his second goal of the evening, a tally at the eight-minute mark of the middle period. He wristed a shot from the right circle through traffic and under the right arm of Jarosz. That sent MSU into the locker room with a 3-2 advantage after two periods. The teams each had a penalty to kill off in the early part of the final period, and both did so without incident. MSU added to its lead at 6:44, when the top line broke through with its first goal of the weekend when Nick Sucharski carried the puck into the offensive zone and got it to the net for Tropp, who was stationed at the left post. It was Tropp's seventh goal of the season. Things got hairy for the Spartans in the final stages of the third period. With Kevin Walrod in the box on a boarding call, Torey Krug was whistled for a hitting from behind major, giving Western a five-on-three for 1:10 and just over four minutes of non-releaseable power play time. Chris Clackson converted on the five-on-three to bring WMU within a goal at 17:03, and WMU called its timeout with 1:31 on the clock. Riley Gill headed to the bench at that point to give Western an extra attacker, and the Broncos skated 6-on-4. The Spartan defense stood tall, as freshman Chris Forfar came up with a big block at the hash marks with seconds remaining, and Gazley and Andrew Rowe combined for a shorthanded empty-net tally. The Spartans, now 6-2 overall and 3-1 in CCHA play, will host a Thursday-Friday home series against Nebraska-Omaha. Gametime each evening is 7:05. NOTES: Michigan State won its third road game of the season, one more than it won in all of last year ... The Spartans have now won three straight conference games and sit atop the conference standings (tied with Miami) with nine points ... Dustin Gazley finished his weekend with two goals and an assist, which included the game-winner on Friday and a shorthanded marker on Saturday ... Anthony Hayes scored his first collegiate goal and had his first collegiate assist as well ... Freshmem accounted for three of MSU's seven goals this weekend ...

Ohio State sweeps No. 7 Minnesota

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:59:00 +0000

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Ohio State (18-7 overall, 6-6 Big Ten) women's volleyball team, with four players scoring double-figure points, upset seventh-ranked Minnesota (17-7, 8-4), 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-15) Saturday night in St. John Arena. The Buckeye victory is OSU's first win over a ranked team in 19 tries under head coach Geoff Carlston. Buckeye Katie Dull posted a team-high 12.5 points (10 kill, two ace serves and one assist block) with Kelli Barhorst contributing 11 (nine kills, one ace serve and two assist blocks), Emily Danks 10.5 (nine kills, one ace serve and one assist block) and Anna Szerszen 10 (eight kills, one ace serve and two assist blocks). Lauren Gibbemeyer posted a match-high 13.5 points (12 kills, one solo block and one assist block) for Minnesota with Ariana Filho adding six points (six kills). Ohio State opened the first set by scoring the first 10 points of the match. The run began with an Ashley Hughes kill, a Minnesota error, two kills from Barhorst and a solo block by Hughes for a 5-0 lead. Two kills each from Hughes and Dull and a Gopher error made it 10-0. Two Buckeye errors and one from Minnesota moved the score to 11-2. Three kills from Gibbemeyer, two Buckeye errors, a Tabitha Love solo block and one from Gibbemeyer cut the OSU lead to 11-9. A Barhorst kill and a Danks-Barhorst block made it 13-9, OSU. At 23-19, an ace serve from Amanda Peterson made it 24-19 and set point for Ohio State. A Buckeye error stopped the point at 24-20. Ohio State won the set, 25-20 with a kill from Danks to take a 1-0 lead in the match. The Buckeyes hit .130 for the set to .114 for Minnesota. Tied at two in set two, kills from Barhorst and Danks gave OSU a 4-2 lead. A kill from Gibbemeyer cut the lead to one at 4-3. A Minnesota error and back-to-back kills from Danks gave the Buckeyes a 7-3 lead. At 17-13, a Dozier-Anna Szerszen block, a Szerszen kill and two Minnesota errors gave OSU a 21-13 lead. A Minnesota kill from Katherine Harms and an OSU error made it 21-15. A Kristen Dozier kill and an ace serve from Danks put the lead at eight, 23-15. A Hailey Cowles kill and a Buckeye error reduced the lead to six at 23-17. The Buckeyes, with a Szerszen kill, reached set point at 24-17. Minnesota kills from Megan Wilson and Gibbemeyer stopped two set points to make the score, 24-19. The Buckeyes, off a Minnesota error, won the set, 25-19, to take a 2-0 lead in the match. Ohio State hit .516 for the set to .314 for the Golden Gophers. Set three saw a four-four tie broken with a five-point Buckeye run to open a 9-4 lead. Kills from Szerszen and Danks and an ace serve from Barhorst made it 7-4 as Minnesota called time out. OSU made it 9-4 with back-to-back kills from Danks. The Gophers responded with kills from Filho and Tabitha Love to make it 9-6. Szerszen, with two kills, made it 11-6. Two OSU errors, one from Minnesota and a Szerszen kill moved the score to 13-8. A Minnesota error, a solo block from Hughes and a Dull-Barhorst block gave Ohio State a 16-8 lead. Two kills from Gibbemeyer and two Minnesota errors moved the score to 18-10, OSU. Two ace serves from Dull and a Minnesota error opened a 21-10 Buckeye lead. A Gibbemeyer-Taylor Carico block and a kill from Barhorst made it 22-11. A Minnesota error and a Filho kill moved the score to 23-12. A Buckeye error made it 23-13. Ohio State reached match point with a kill from Danks at 24-13. Two OSU errors stopped match points to cut the lead to 24-15. The Buckeyes, with a Dozier-Szerszen block, won the set, 25-15 to win the match, 3-0. Ohio State hit .320 for the set to .042 for Minnesota. Ohio State hit .294 for the match to .170 for Minnesota. The Buckeyes had a 45-33 margin in kills and a six-to-two edge in ace serves. OSU's Dull posted a match-high two aces in the match. Minnesota gave up seven service errors to four for OSU. Defensively, Ohio State had a 44-39 advantage in digs. Dull posted a match-high 13 for the Buckeyes for a double-double (kills-digs). At the net, Ohio State had a six to three margin in team blocks. Five players shared match-high honors with two blocks each. OSU's Barhorst, Dozier and Szerszen had two assist blocks each while Hughes' posted two solo blocks. For Minnesota, Gibbemeyer recorded a solo and an assist block in the match. At setter, OSU's Hughes posted a match-high 37 assists while Carico recorded 31 for Minnesota. Ohio State returns to the road next week to play at Iowa, Friday, Nov. 6 and at Wisconsin, Saturday, Nov. 7.

Gophers break out of slump, card first win

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:27:00 +0000

Minnesota broke out of its offensive slump in a big way Friday night, scoring five times to roll past Alaska Anchorage 5-1 at Mariucci Arena for its first win of the season. Tony Lucia scored two shorthanded goals as the Gophers got goals from four different players in the victory. The scoring included two career first-time scorers in Kevin Wehrs and Zach Budish, who scored less than two minutes apart in the second period. The Gophers had been held to just three goals over their first four games and were shutout three times. Minnesota also got a solid performance from its defense and goaltender Alex Kangas, who made 22 saves as the Gophers outshot the Seawolves 34-23 for the game. Alaska Anchorage had 11 of its 23 shots in the third period. Lucia became the first Gopher player to score two shorthanded goals in a game since Nov. 25, 2006 when Mike Carman scored twice against Michigan. That game also marked Lucia's only previous shorthanded goal prior to his two on Friday. His second score came at 3:54 of the third period and was set up by Jay Barriball, who became the 78th player in school history to score 100 career points. The Gophers improved to 1-3-1 overall with the win in their fifth straight conference game to open the season. Alaska Anchorage is now 3-4 overall and 1-2 in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. The Seawolves have split their previous three weekends and were coming off a 2-1 win over North Dakota last Saturday. Alaska Anchorage struck first in the opening period, but the Gophers shut down the Seawolves the rest of the period from that point, holding a 13-3 advantage in shots. Nick Haddad scored a power play goal, tipping a long shot in front of the goal at 8:09 of the first period, but it would be Alaska Anchorage's last shot attempt of the period. Trevor Hunt and Curtis Leinweber had assists on the play for the Seawolves. Minnesota, which had been shutout in both of its games last weekend against Denver, finally broke its scoreless streak with a goal from defenseman Aaron Ness at 13:25 of the first period. It was just the third career goal for the sophomore, who broke the Gophers' scoreless string at 146 minutes, 33 seconds. It also nearly broke Minnesota's power play drought, but came one second after the Seawolves' player left the penalty box. Jordan Schroeder took the original shot from the slot and the rebound bounced free to Ness to the left of goaltender Bryce Christianson and he buried the shot. Cade Fairchild also assisted the goal. Alaska Anchorage had plenty of opportunities to take command early in the second period, getting three overlapping Gopher penalties early in the period that resulted in two five-on-three power plays of one minute, 31 seconds and one second. However, Minnesota and Kangas kept the Seawolves off the board and then tallied a shorthanded goal of its own on the final penalty. Kangas Lucia scored his first goal and the Gophers' second shorthanded goal of the season on a breakaway at 4:47 of the second period on an outlet pass from Taylor Matson. It was Lucia's second career shorthanded goal and first since his Nov. 25, 2006 in his freshman year against Michigan. Wehrs and Budish each scored their milestone goals late in the period to push Minnesota's margin to 4-1. Wehrs tallied his goal from above the left faceoff dot on a low shot that slid under the outstretched glove of Christianson. Lucia started the play with a cross-ice pass and Wehrs connected for his first goal in 79 career games played. Budish scored his a short time later with a rebound goal on a delayed penalty against the Seawolves. Schroeder passed in front of the net to Patrick White, who tried a backhanded shot that bounced free to Budish on the far side for the tip-in. Minnesota added to its lead with Lucia's second shorthanded goal. He and Barriball came into the zone on a two-on-one and Barriball passed to Lucia directly in front of the net. Lucia patiently waited for Christianson to commit and then he calmly lifted a shot into the upper corner. The Gophers appeared to add another a short time later when Mike Hoeffel whistled a shot through Christianson's legs. However, the officials ruled that Barriball slid through the crease and knocked the net off before the puck crossed the line. Minnesota was unable to score on five power plays, including three in the first period and a five-on-three during the final two minutes of the game. The Gophers are now 0-for-25 on the power play for the season, but have scored three shorthanded goals. Alaska Anchorage was one-for-eight on the man advantage. Christianson made 29 saves in net for the Seawolves. The final two minutes were marred by penalties with 36 minutes of penalties called during the final stretch. For the game, Minnesota had 19 penalties for 38 minutes, while Alaska Anchorage had 16 penalties for 40 minutes. The Gophers also played most of the night without freshman Nick Leddy, who was injured after taking a hit on a shot attempt in the first period. The two teams will meet again Sunday at 4 p.m. at Mariucci Arena. They are taking Saturday night off due to the Gopher football game against Michigan State at TCF Bank Stadium.

Wildcats fall to Gophers in overtime

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:12:00 +0000

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Kylie Kallman's overtime goal was the difference Friday as Northwestern women's soccer fell, 1-0, at Minnesota. The two sides battled Mother Nature for most of the match, as rain and cold temperatures created sloppy playing conditions and limited scoring chances for both sides. Kallman scored the game's only goal in the 98th minute. A Northwestern foul gave the Gophers (11-5-3, 4-3-2 Big Ten) a free kick from the top right corner of the 18-yard box, which Minnesota's Katie Bethke put in front of the net. Kallman tipped the ball into the goal for her second tally of the season. Northwestern's best scoring chance of the match also came in overtime, when Jennifer Baumann (Waukesha, Wis./Catholic Memorial) put a high, arcing shot on frame that Minnesota goalkeeper Cat Parkhill just managed to get underneath and hold. The Wildcats (6-9-2, 3-4-1) took 10 shots in the match, including four from Alicia Herczeg (Agoura Hills, Calif./Agoura Hills). Herczeg recorded NU's other shot on goal in the first half. Four Minnesota natives saw action for Northwestern Friday, including Briana Westlund (Cottage Grove, Minn./Park). The freshman center back took one shot off a corner kick in the first half. Carolyn Edwards (Lincolnshire, Ill./Stevenson) made four saves in the contest for the 'Cats.

Penn State tops Minnesota, 3-0

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:37:00 +0000

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Behind a superb effort by senior Megan Hodge (Durham, N.C.) who recorded a match-high 19 kills, the No. 1 Penn State women's volleyball team secured a 3-0 (25-14, 25-16, 25-17) victory against No. 7 Minnesota for its 88th consecutive match win. The Nittany Lions are now tied for fourth place for Division I NCAA winning streaks with the UCLA men's basketball team coached by John Wooden, which won 88 straight games from 1971-1974. Penn State also extended two other streaks Friday night. The Nittany Lions have now won 68 straight matches in the confines of Rec Hall, as well as 57 straight Big Ten matches. In addition to Hodge, who attacked a .429 clip for the night, freshman Darcy Dorton (Muncie, Ind.) tallied eight kills on .636 hitting. Junior Blair Brown (Purcellville, Va.) also posted eight kills against the Gophers. Senior setter Alisha Glass (Leland, Mich.) dished out 36 assists and guided the Nittany Lion offense to a .341 attack percentage. On defense, junior Arielle Wilson (Broadview, Ill.) registered a match-high six total blocks and junior Cathy Quilico (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) led the team in digs with 12. Penn State posted 40 kills, three aces, 37 digs and 9.0 total team blocks. The Gophers were held to a meager .011 hitting percentage, 24 kills, two aces and 7.0 total team blocks.

Decker out for season with foot injury

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:18:00 +0000

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Minnesota star wide receiver Eric Decker will miss the rest of the regular season because of a foot injury. Gophers coach Tim Brewster said Tuesday that Decker may need surgery to fix the arch he sprained in last week's game at Ohio State. If he doesn't need surgery, he might be able to play in a bowl game. Either way, the loss of the senior captain and leading receiver is a devastating blow for an offense that has struggled this month. The Gophers have only managed seven total points in consecutive losses at Penn State and Ohio State. Decker is one of 10 finalists for the Biletnikoff Award, given annually to the nation's top receiver.