How Riese Gaber fools goaltenders with his shot

Oct. 1—GRAND FORKS — When the Dubuque Fighting Saints picked Riese Gaber in the third round of the United States Hockey League Phase II Draft, they thought they were getting an extremely competitive player with a lot of upside.

"I'm not going to sit here and pretend to be 'super scout' and say I expected Riese to become MVP of the USHL," Dubuque general manager Kalle Larsson said. "We didn't think he was going to be the pure goal-scorer he was. We saw his compete and the way he plays. But he really worked on his game with our coach, Oliver David. There was some natural ability there, but he also worked a lot to learn how to score."

At the end of each practice, Gaber would grab a bucket of pucks and shoot repeatedly on the net.

"He'd pull bucket after bucket," Larsson said.

By his second year in the USHL, Gaber was the league's best goal-scorer. He tallied 34 in 47 games before the season was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Only four of those goals came on the power play.

Now, Gaber is on his way to becoming a prolific goal-scorer at the college level.

In an era where scoring has become increasingly difficult, Gaber is one of the few players who can beat a goaltender from beyond the faceoff dot as a natural finisher.

He buried 11 in his rookie season and followed that up with 15 last year. This season, he'll try to become UND's first 20-goal scorer since Shane Gersich in 2016-17.

The 20-goal mark isn't easy to hit. Consider that in the last 10 seasons, the only UND players to do it are Gersich, Drake Caggiula, Brock Boeser and Danny Kristo.

Gaber's secret to success isn't just the pace of his shot.

He has mastered the art of changing the angle of his shot at the last second to fool defenders and goaltenders.

"He can pull it in and shoot it," Larsson said. "When you change the angle of the shot, it's hard for the goalie to read where the puck is going."

Last season, UND's power play was set up around the defenseman at the top dishing the puck to Gaber in the right circle.

When Gaber had a clear lane to the net, he often beat the goalie with pace and accuracy. When he didn't have a clear lane, he got creative.

Gaber will hold the puck as he lines up a shot, then at the last second, he'll pull the puck closer to his body to use the defender as a screen. Then, he'll release it, creating a new lane to the net and firing it on a goalie who never sees the release.

"A lot of times in our league, players defend well with their sticks and bodies," UND coach Brad Berry said. "He has a way of getting himself out of the lane of the defender and getting a puck on net."

Senior alternate captain Judd Caulfield, who has played the net-front spot on UND's power play, said: "He finds a way to score, because his shot is unbelievable. When he's shooting the puck on the power play and coming downhill, he doesn't just shoot it into a defender. He shoots it around the defenseman, using him as a screen. He'll pull pucks (in), or he pushes them out wide. He's just really deceptive with his shot and that's what makes him a great goal-scorer."

Larsson said his unpredictability helps, too.

"He can dangle as well," Larsson said. "You can't just say, 'Here comes Riese, he's going to go bar down.' He might toe drag. You can't trust that he's going to do the same thing every time."

Gaber might have the benefit of playing with high-end setup guys this season — much as he did his second year in Dubuque.

The Fighting Hawks have two freshmen who are known as pass-first players in Owen McLaughlin and Jackson Blake.

Larsson had a front-row seat to watch Gaber become a big-time goal-scorer in the USHL. He's been watching from afar as Gaber has done the same in college.

"He's going to do it at the next level, too," Larsson said. "He's not going to get denied. He's a special player. But his mindset, his willingness to do whatever it takes, is out of this world."

2021-22: Riese Gaber, 15

2020-21: Shane Pinto, 15

2019-20: Shane Pinto, 16

2018-19: Jordan Kawaguchi, 10

2017-18: Nick Jones, 15

2016-17: Shane Gersich, 21

2015-16: Brock Boeser, 27

2014-15: Drake Caggiula, 18

2013-14: Rocco Grimaldi, 17

2012-13: Danny Kristo, 26