Tom Serratore prides himself on doing "the little things" for the University of Minnesota hockey team.

If someone makes a big clear while on the penalty kill, chances are Serratore is around the play. If someone lies down to block a blistering slap shot, the senior winger is most likely in the vicinity. And when someone lays a bone-jarring hit into the boards, it's almost always Serratore.

He has a knack for making plays that don't show up in the box score.

"I just try to bring energy when I'm on the ice," Serratore said. "I try to outwork everyone else."

He still manages to find the net from time to time.

Serratore scored an insurance goal in the Gophers' 3-0 win over Minnesota State Mankato on Saturday. It was his first goal of the season, and he said it provided him some much-needed confidence.

"I was just gripping the stick a little tight before that," Serratore said. "It's nice to get that monkey off my back, so to speak. It felt great."

His teammates are noticing that extra confidence.

Serratore has attacked the net a lot more in practice this week, junior Seth Ambroz said. Ambroz has played on the same line as Serratore for much of the past two seasons and said it was nice to see his linemate score an important goal.

Ambroz said he and Serratore feed off each other.

"We're both physical players," he said, "and we almost have an inner competition trying to get some hits on the board and put pucks in the net."

Serratore has only two points this season, but coach Don Lucia said he has been satisfied with his play as of late. Lucia said he talked to Serratore before the series against Minnesota State Mankato about pitching in more offensively.

"He really responded with, I think, his best game of the year," Lucia said. "He had a lot of hits ... and scored the type of goal Tom Serratore needs to score."

While he scored an important goal, Serratore knows his role with the Gophers.

"I scored in juniors and all that, but at the college level I had to find my game," he said. "It's a different beast in college. I just try to work my hardest every day and come ready to battle."

He hasn't wavered since he arrived in the Twin Cities.

Though Serratore's father is the head coach at Air Force and his uncle coaches at Bemidji State, he chose Minnesota. Serratore considered Air Force but said he didn't have the grades to get in. He said he never really talked to his uncle about Bemidji State.

"I thought it was probably in my best interest to stay away from the whole family thing," he said. "I talked to other schools, but once Minnesota came ... and I watched a game here, it was pretty hard to say I didn't want to be a Gopher."

Serratore said it took him a bit to find his niche.

He has 17 points in his 3-1/2 seasons with the Gophers but has made more "little plays" than his coach can count.

"His role is what we recruited him to be," Lucia said, "and that's a type of guy that's going to play in our bottom six and develop into a good penalty killer and be a physical presence. He's been a very good complementary player for our team."

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