Gophers-Clarkson hockey preview
October 27, 2017 at 4:04AM
Clarkson makes rare visit to U
Preview: The Gophers (3-3) are No. 7 this week in the uscho.com poll after a split at North Dakota; they won the first game 2-1, lost the second 4-0. The No. 9 Clarkson Golden Knights (4-1-1) are coming off a split at home last weekend. They lost to UMass-Lowell 3-1 but beat Providence 4-0 for coach Casey Jones' 100th career win in his seventh season. The Gophers edged Clarkson 4-3 in overtime on Leon Bristedt's goal almost exactly a year ago, Oct. 28, in Potsdam, N.Y., in their first regular-season meeting ever. Minnesota also has three postseason wins — two at home in 1990 — over the Golden Knights for a 4-0 all-time series record.
Players to watch: Gophers junior goalie Eric Schierhorn stopped 34 shots in the win at UND and had a shutout until giving up a power-play goal with 6:20 left. The Fighting Hawks scored three power-play goals on him the next night. Freshman Brannon McManus leads the Gophers in goals with three, all in the third period of a 6-3 win over Penn State. Goalie Jake Kielly, a sophomore from Eden Prairie, has started every game for Clarkson and has a 1.32 goals-against average and a .958 save percentage with two shutouts. Sophomore Sheldon Rempal leads the Golden Knights in scoring with three goals and five assists for eight points.
Numbers: Over the past six seasons, the Gophers lead all Division I teams in home wins with 84 and home winning percentage, .746. … Minnesota's power play is struggling at 9.7 percent (tied for 49th out of 54 teams); Clarkson's penalty kill is tied for No. 6 at 91.7 percent.
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"We would get some big wins and then we would have some tough losses," Minnesota athletic director Mark Coyle said hours after firing men's basketball coach Ben Johnson.
