PHILADELPHIA<\/b> — Before Minnesota’s 2-1 win over North Dakota Thursday night, senior Justin Holl was known as a stay-at-home defenseman and the consummate role-playing teammate, one who saw a little time as forward last season when asked, one who went back to defense willingly this year when told to do so.<\/p>\n
One day later, Holl is a hero, scoring his first goal of the season with 0.6 seconds left in regulation, a beautiful, perfectly placed goal-scorer’s shot from between the circles that sailed past North Dakota’s Zane Gothberg and caught the net just inside of the right post.<\/p>\n
Sometimes, the big stage creates big stars out of previously unknown players. In 2013, it was Yale junior Clinton Bourbonais, whose fourth goal of the season at 19:56 in the second period held up to be the winner against Quinnipiac. In 2009, it was Boston University sophomore forward Colby Cohen, whose eighth goal of the season at 11:47 in overtime lifted the Terriers over Miami.<\/p>\n
This year, it’s Holl.<\/p>\n
“I’m really happy for Justin, obviously,” said Minnesota forward and captain Nate Condon. “Being a really selfless player for our team, you’re really happy when a guy like that gets a big goal like that.”<\/p>\n
Before Thursday night’s contest, Condon said that he and his teammates were joking about who would do the proverbial stepping up, mentioning Holl because he had yet to score a goal this season.<\/p>\n
On a team where scoring is a collective effort, however, anyone can be the hero for the Golden Gophers on Saturday, if there’s a hero to be had.<\/p>\n
There’s Condon himself, whose nine goals this season are three short of his career-high 12 in 2012-13, and whose last goals were two against Robert Morris two weeks ago, breaking a six-game drought.<\/p>\n
There’s senior forward Tom Serratore, who has three goals this season — four fewer than last year — and who last scored March 1 against Penn State, the winner at 13:15 in the third period of a 2-1 game.<\/p>\n
There’s junior defenseman Ben Marshall. With three goals this season, he’s five short of last year’s total. Like Serratore, Marshall’s last goal was a game-winning marker against Penn State — 20 games ago, at 15:59 in the third period of a Jan. 12 contest against the Nittany Lions.<\/p>\n
Then there’s senior defenseman Jake Parenteau, who is one of two Golden Gophers skaters without a goal this season. In 30 games, Parenteau — another stay-at-home defender — has three assists. The only other skater without a goal is sophomore forward Ryan Reilly, who has played in just three games.<\/p>\n
And Condon said that Parenteau was named alongside Holl before Thursday night’s game.<\/p>\n
“I’m more than happy that Justin took the cake on that one,” said Parenteau. “That was a big goal and I’m glad he got it. We’ve still got one more game, so we’ll see what happens.”<\/p>\n
Parenteau has four career goals in 112 career games.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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