Minnesota was on the way to being blown out by Nebraska-Omaha on Saturday night when Kevin Wehrs made a leadership move that put the Gophers back in the game.
Wehrs, a senior defenseman from Plymouth, took a carom off the boards near the offensive blue line and, in one motion, turned and fired it on net, where it found a hole in the far corner to cut the Mavericks' lead to 3-1 in the third period.
"At that point in the game you've got to get the puck on net and get a bounce," Wehrs explained Wednesday, "and if you don't get the puck on the net, you're not going to score."
Wehrs set up the next goal by firing a slap shot from the blue line that was deflected into the net by freshman center Erik Haula, cutting UNO's lead to 3-2. It was as close as the Gophers got — they lost 4-2 after an empty-netter — but it showed what can happen when a veteran makes the right play.
Those are the kinds of plays Minnesota will need more of as the season unfolds, starting with Western Collegiate Hockey Association games tonight and Sunday against St. Cloud State (1-2-1, 0-0 WCHA) at Mariucci Arena. Problem is, the Gophers (2-2, 0-2) are relying on a handful of freshmen.
"There's only one way to get experience: You can't buy it; you have to play," coach Don Lucia said.
That's not an excuse; it's a reality. When the Gophers line up against the Huskies tonight, their top three centers will be freshmen: Haula, Nate Condon and Nick Bjugstad. In addition, freshmen Mark Alt and Nate Schmidt are among the top six blue liners.
"We have some young guys up the middle — freshman centers and freshman defensemen — that are a little indecisive right now," Lucia said. "They're thinking too much: 'When do I go? Should I go?' and that's part of the learning process; it's part of the curve they're experiencing."
When asked Wednesday if he would have made the plays he made Saturday as a freshman, Wehrs said, "Probably not."
"As an underclassman, I think I came in trying to make the perfect play," he said. "Being here a couple of years, you learn that you've got to get the puck on the net and score those dirty goals. That's how most goals are scored these days."
With players such as Kyle Okposo, Jordan Schroeder and Nick Leddy leaving for the NHL in the past few years, Lucia finds himself needing his freshmen to grow up quickly. They're talented — Bjugstad, Alt, Haula and Condon have been drafted by NHL teams — but they have much to learn, Lucia said.
The lack of experience has been particularly acute on the defensive end; nearly every one of UNO's eight goals in last weekend's sweep came on second-chance shots. Part of that was because senior goaltender Alex Kangas wasn't controlling his rebounds well; part of it was because of mistakes in the neutral zone and a failure to block out.
"I can see some improvement in some of those guys from Week 1 and Week 2," Lucia said. "Some are still caught in between right now, which is natural, so now it's all about showing them on video and teaching them when they can and can't go.
"Hockey's such a reactive game, and when you're thinking, you're not reacting, and when you're reacting, you're a step slow. That two-second wait hurts you. That's an issue I think will get better as they get experience."
Lucia hopes his team has a different look by December or January.
) have been putting lots of rum and/or vodka in their Kool-Aid after the last three games against UNO last week and SCSU last night.