Roseau junior defenseman Aaron Ness is ratedas the35th best player available in the upcoming NHL Entry Draftby the Central Scouting Bureau.

Ness, although just a junior, is expected to sign with the Gophers sometime this spring. He is taking junior classes and, through the Internet, senior classes at the same time this school year. So he expects to graduate this spring.

The top-rated player by Central Scouting is Minnetonka forward Jake Gardiner who is going to Wisconsin.

A LOOK BACK AT ST. CLOUD SERIES

The Gophers had 17 shots on goal in a row — without St. Cloud State getting any — after the first few minutes of the third period on Friday. The Huskies won that game 3-1.

One key point of the second game of the series — a 4-4 tie in St. Cloud on Saturday, was a five-on-three power play the Gophers had for 1 minute, 41 seconds. They could not score.

When Tony Lucia scored in the second minute of play for the Gophers it was the 18th time in 24 games the Gophers have scored first

Defenseman R.J. Anderson has eight points in his last six games.

Minnesota plays eight of its last 14 regular-season games on the road this season.

The Gophers have been outscored 22-6 in the third period in 14 WCHA games, and 32-17 in 24 games overall.

POLL-WATCHING

Michigan was a unanimous choise for the No. 1 team in this week’s USA TODAY/USA Hockey Magazine’s men’s college hockey poll.

Miami (Ohio) was second followed by two WCHA schools, Colorado College and Denver.

The Gophers? They were amog other teams receiving votes. They had two, Rochester Institute of Technology which beat the U earlier had one vote.

Minnesota Duluth, the team the Gophers face this weekend, had 34 votes. The Bulldogs were the leading vote-getter among five teams in the others category.

St. Cloud State, which beat the Gophers 3-1 and tied them 4-4 after overtime, was No. 13 in the ratings.

In the USCHO.com/CSTV poll, which goesfive teams deeper tothe top 20, Minnesota is No. 18.

OKPOSO WATCH

Kyle Okposo, the ex-Gopher, had two assists in his first game last Friday. But Bridgeport, his team, lost 3-2 at Binghamton in an AHL game.

Okposo, a right wing, passed up an open shot from the left side five minutes into the game.

“When you are playign your first game, you try to kiss the puck a little bit,” Bridgeport coach Jack Capuano said. “But you know, he’ll learn as he goes. You don’t get many chances in this league to go up to the NHL. When you get your chance, you want to make sure you take the shot and make the best of it.”

Okposo played on the Sound Tigers’ top line with Jeff Tambellini and Frans Nielsen.

He got checked into the boards in the first minute and hit a few other times. “I got thrown around a few times,” he said. “I just got to pick my head up a little bit and I got to shoot the puck more.”

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