Lucia: Defense dug in to hold one-goal lead

The Gophers improved their goals-against average a little more on Saturday in a 2-1 victory over Colorado College. They are now fourth nationally in GAA at 2.07, only seven-hundreths behind Union which is second at 2.00.

"As the game went on we did better job of getting on top of puck in the offensive zone and protecting it and getting some end-zone offense," Gophers coach Don Lucia said.

"That's what you worry about," Lucia said. "You are dominating the game and has some great chances but we couldn't get that separation goal. Defensively, we dug in pretty good. [Jaden] Schwartz had the one goal [Saturday] and he was really noticeable. But that is all they were able to get. They had a chance at the end."

PATTERSON A STEADY ROCK

But Gophers goalie Kent Patterson had everything under control. "I just had to worry about doing my job and let the team do the rest," he said.

Patterson made one of his biggest stops with about five seconds left when Jeff Collett had a much-too-good chance from about 15 feet in the slot.

"Just making sure I got squared up to the shot," Patterson said, asked how he stopped Collett. "I read the play and it kind of caught me up in the shoulder. I just wanted to make sure I got squared up with the puck and got over there quick."

Patterson lay on the ice for a few seconds; Civitarese got a goalie interference penalty. What hurt? "Just my arm. It kind of got squeezed in between the pipe and the guy," Patterson said. "I just shook it off."

BEST IN FRONT

The Gophers fell behind Colorado College 1-0, but still won. What's the big deal?

Let Nico Sacchetti explain. "We've won only one game where we have not scored the first goal, so that was big in itself," Sacchetti said. "It was big for us to come back. And to do that, [Nate] Condon's goal kind of jump started us. And mine just found its way to the back of the net. And since then we had pretty much all the momentum."

Sacchetti is right. The Gophers have score first in 15 of their 17 victories. The only other time they fell behind early and won was on Oct. 15 in Duluth. The Bulldogs led 2-0, but lost 5-4.

What about all that sitting? "It is obviously frustrating," Sacchetti said, "but you can't show that because you want to keep the team up and be there for the team even if you are not in. You are still a part of it and want us to do well.

"I am excited every time I get in and it's the opposite of that every time I find out I am not in."

He has started to play more since Thanksgiving weekend. "The first game I got back [in] against Michigan State," Sacchetti said. "I hadn't played in 11 games or something like that. It was probably the most uncomfortable I felt just because there is nothing you can really do to keep yourself -- practice isn't at the same pace as games. ... It was the first time in a long time I have been nervous for a game.

"Since then I have been in and out a little more frequently. I was just happy to be in and wanted to do something to contribute."

Sacchetti's day did not start out the best. He was on the ice when Jaden Schwartz of CC scored their only goal in the first period.

"So I went out there and it was [Nate] Condon and [Nick] Bjugstad. The positions were messed up on that one. I didn't know who was doing what and where I was supposed to go. I am just frustrated because the goal I got, there were still two seconds on the power play so I was still minus-1 which I am not happy about."

Actually, Sacchetti's goal, his first of the season, came two seconds after the Gophers power-play expired. So he was even for the game.

Sacchetti hopes he did enough to get another chance to play against St. Cloud State this weekend.

"[The coaches] always say, make us put you in the lineup," Sacchetti said. "We don't make the decision who is playing."

GOOD SIGNS

* Kyle Rau and Zach Budish, the wings on the Gophers top line, making big hits in the last minute of the opening period.

THE WAVED OFF GOAL

Condon, who already had a short-handed goal in the game, appeared to score near the end of a Gophers' power play in the middle of the second period. But after a long review, the officials waved it off.