MINNEAPOLIS -- When Sam Warning scores goals, they seem to come in bunches for the Gophers senior forward.
That was certainly the case last season when he finished tied for second on Minnesota's roster with 14 goals. He scored five goals in the Gophers' first four games, but then didn't find the net again for 15 games. When he did, though, he went on to score five goals in a three-game span before going goalless again for the next seven.
It's been a similar trend for Warning during his senior campaign. Though he's not scoring at quite as high of a rate as he did a year ago, he's endured the highs and lows once again. The latest is a six-game stretch that has seen him tally five assists -- including five on Saturday against Ohio State -- but no goals.
The Gophers believe Warning is due. His fellow linemates, Seth Ambroz and Travis Boyd, had big weekends the past two series. Ambroz scored four total goals against Wisconsin two weeks ago, and Boyd netted a hat trick and had a four-goal weekend in Minnesota's sweep of the Buckeyes.
"Hopefully that means it's Sam's turn this weekend," Boyd said.
Warning knows he's a streaky player, but it hasn't seemed to rattle his confidence during his career. Look no further than last year -- when he finished second on the Gophers in total scoring -- as an example of that.
Yet as the Gophers continue to try to make up ground in the Big Ten standings, they'll need some players to step up on the offensive end. That includes Warning, who has just two goals in Minnesota's last 13 games.
"Sometimes if those aren't going my way, you've got to find another game, whether that's playing defense or just getting in front and getting a greasy goal," Warning said. "They're not all going to be pretty, but they all count the same."
Gophers head coach Don Lucia is quick to point out everything Warning does for Minnesota. Not only has he thrived in five-on-five situations -- six of his seven goals are even-strength goals -- but he's also playing on the power play and the penalty kill for the Gophers. Warning's plus-10 is the second-highest on the team, behind only defenseman Mike Reilly (plus-13).
As Minnesota's second line of Warning, Boyd and Ambroz has continued to click, the hope is that they'll keep rolling into the weekend as the Gophers host a high-powered Michigan Wolverines team. Whether or not Warning finds the net, his linemates know he'll impact the game in one way or another.
"Sam is a streaky player, so when he gets on his streaks he's hot and he'll score in bunches," Boyd said. "Hopefully last weekend was the start of a streak for him. Hopefully this weekend . . . Seth and I can maybe set him up for a couple goals."
On a team filled with Minnesota natives, Warning is one of the few exceptions. He grew up in Chesterfield, Mo., about 25 minutes west of St. Louis. Outside of Sweden natives Leon Bristedt and Robin Hoglund, Warning is the only other player on this year's Gophers team who grew up outside the state of hockey. Last year on Hockey Day Minnesota, the Missouri native was ironically the hero for the Gophers as he had a hat trick to lift his team to a win over Ohio State.
Warning already knew several of his future teammates before arriving in Dinkytown. He played with Christian Isackson on the U.S. U-18 Select Team in 2009 and played against current Gophers Ben Marshall and Kyle Rau. Now all six of Minnesota's seniors are roommates and jell together both on and off the ice.
"Knowing those guys coming in here made it a little more comfortable transitioning from juniors to college," Warning said. "I think the biggest reason (for coming to Minnesota) was the guys."
Lucia doesn't often have to go outside of the state to bring in talent, as some years' rosters have been comprised entirely of Minnesotans. But he and the Gophers are glad they found Warning in Missouri.
Now they hope he gets on one of his patented hot streaks in the final stretch of his senior year.
"He's starting to come on again offensively," Lucia said. "Like some of the guys that hadn't scored much, whether it's an assist or a goal, we need him back on the board. . . . Whether it's Sam, whether it's Boyd scoring now, Ambroz has picked up his scoring, that's what you have to have if you're going to have success as a team."
Follow Tyler Mason on Twitter
