Gaudet’s pair leads Minutemen
UMass will now face Bemidji State for spot in the Frozen Four
UMass advanced its standing on the national stage with a convincing 5-1 victory over Lake Superior State in the opening round of the Bridgeport Regional on Friday night at Webster Bank Arena.
The No. 2 seed Minutemen will face No. 4 seed Bemidji State (16-9-3) in the regional final on Saturday (5 p.m.) The Beavers upset top-seeded Wisconsin 6-3 in the matinee game.
UMass goalie Filip Lindberg finished with 30 saves having allowed just four goals in the last four games while the Minutemen’s vaunted penalty kill stoned the Lakers over parts of six power plays. Senior captain Jake Gaudet led the attack with two goals.
“I had not given Filip Lindberg a lot of credit down the stretch, but he deserved it all tonight,” said UMass coach
Greg Carvel. “He was outstanding when we were not great against a lot of odd man rushes and breakaways.”
UMass (17-5-4) opened the scoring on a delayed penalty at 10:17. Defenseman Zac Jones pinched low and got the puck across the slot to Jerry Harding, who fired on goal. Gaudet got the puck and got it by Lakers goalie Mareks Mitens (32 saves) for his fourth of the season.
Lake Superior State produced the equalizer on a breakout at 17:14. Jacob Nordqvist forced a turnover and fed left wing Pete Veillette in the neutral zone. Veillette fired into a screen and Ashton Calder flicked in the rebound.
The middle frame featured outstanding saves at both ends. Mitens held up under a UMass power-play blitz early the frame while Lindberg was challenged on successive odd-man rushes.
UMass made 2-1 at 11:02 of the second period on a piece of work by Hockey East tournament MVP Bobby Trivigno. The junior right wing won a battle on the boards, reversed course and skated the puck into a scrum in front of the net. Josh Lopina got the loose puck and flicked it by Mitens for his ninth of season.
The Minutemen went up 3-1 on a tick-tac-toe play at 13:00. Oliver Chau broke into the Lakers’ zone along the left boards on a 3-2 surge. Chau dropped it back to Ty Farmer in the high slot, who relayed it to Carson Gicewicz in the right circle. Cicewicz one timed it by Mitens for his 14th of the season.
UMass went up 4-1 on a 5-on-3 power play at 10:49 of the third. Chou center the puck through the low slot and it was flipped in Gaudet for his second of the game. Anthony Del Gaizo emerged from the penalty box and scored into empty net for his first of the season at 15:47.
Terrier tough
The Boston University Terriers have a certified “difference maker” patrolling their back end according to St. Cloud St. coach Brett Larson.
Larson will need to contain BU defenseman David Farrance offensive rushes when No. 2 St. Cloud St. (1710-0) engages No.2 BU (104-1) today (1 p.m.) at the Times Union Center in Albany, New York. Farrance last week was named a Hobey Baker Award finalist for the second year in a row.
Farrance played in 10 games and finished with five goals and 11 assists and his 1.60 points per game average ranks first national among defensemen and fourth overall.
“He has been really impressive,” said Larson. “I’m really impressed and we’ve watched him quite a bit over the course of the last week and he’s obviously a difference maker.
The Richter scale
Boston College goalie Spencer Knight was informed on Friday that he is one of the three finalists for the Mike Richter Award, given annually to the to the top goaltender in Division 1.
Knight, a sophomore from Darien Conn., is the Hockey East Player of the Year and a Hobey Baker Award finalist. He entered the NCAA tournament with 2.13 goals against average and a .933 save percentage. Knight took a leave of absence in January and led the United States to the gold medal in the World Junior Championships.
“Just from his body of work he is well deserving of his selection,” said BC coach Jerry York.