MINNEAPOLIS -- In the first half of the season, the Gophers' offense was slower to start than your father's Olds on a cold Minnesota morning. But that's not the case anymore -- and just in time.

The defending national champions scored twice in the opening 98 seconds Saturday at Mariucci Arena, then matched Ferris State goal-for-goal to win 7-4 and advance to the Frozen Four.

"We kind of got sick of the coaches yelling at us, so we picked it up right away,'' joked Thomas Vanek, the West Regional MVP, after scoring two goals against the Bulldogs.

Minnesota, which trounced Mercyhurst 9-2 Friday, plays in the semifinals April 10 in Buffalo, N.Y., against the winner of Colorado College and Michigan, who play Sunday in the Midwest Regional final. Ferris State beat North Dakota 5-2 Friday.

"It might be one of those situations where you learn from your mistakes,'' the Gophers' Keith Ballard said of the team's quick starts in their last three games. "We're ready to play, finally.''

The Gophers out-shot the Bulldogs 25-6 in the opening period on their way to a 49-20 edge for the game.

"There was nothing they could do wrong in that first period,'' said Ferris State's Troy Milam. "It was hard for us to come back.''

The Bulldogs did manage a comeback, getting two goals from Chris Kunitz and a shorthanded score by Derek Nesbitt to cut the lead to 5-3 late in the second period.

That's when Vanek stepped out of the penalty box, took a pass from Matt Koalska, raced in on the net and flipped it up and over Ferris State goaltender Mike Brown to regain the three-goal lead.

"That was a big-time play,'' said Minnesota coach Don Lucia. "We were able to answer. You have to be able to take a punch.''

The early offensive onslaught set the tone. Matt Koalska scored on the game's first rush off the opening faceoff, tipping Vanek's pass by Brown just 13 seconds into the game. It was the fastest opening score ever in an NCAA regional game.

Ballard scored unassisted 1:25 later, and Jake Fleming made it 3-0 on a slap shot past Brown with 13:51 left in the first period.

"Minnesota scored quickly and it put us back on our heels,'' said Ferris State coach Bob Daniels. "We started losing our composure. I had to collect myself, I told them were not that bad and they're not that good.''

After Chris Kunitz scored in the first period to cut the lead to 3-1, Vanek stole a pass in the offensive zone and went top-shelf on goaltender Mike Brown just 39 seconds later.

Kunitz scored his second goal late in the first period, but Matt DeMarchi blasted in a shot from inside the blue line 1:06 later. That gave the Gophers a 5-2 lead.

Vanek's second goal came nearly seven minutes after Derek Nesbitt's shorthanded score, and put Minnesota up 6-3.

The Gophers seven goals were the most given up by Ferris State this season.

"When the team's back is to the wall, they play their best,'' said Lucia. "Last year's team had that same trait.''

The Gophers made it back to the Frozen Four despite losing their three top scorers from last season -- Johnny Pohl, Jeff Taffe and Hobey Baker winner Jordan Leopold. They also fought through a rash of injuries that saw Koalska, Grant Potulny, and Barry Tallackson, among others, miss substantial playing time.

"The growth has been as good as any team I've coached,'' said Lucia. "I think they developed some mental toughness with all the injuries.''

Lucia is headed to his third Frozen Four as a coach. His Colorado College team lost to Michigan in the 1996 championship game, and last year's Gophers edged Maine in overtime for the school's fourth national crown.

Minnesota starting goaltender Justin Johnson, who gave up two goals in the first period, was replaced at the start of the second period by Travis Weber. Johnson made just four saves, giving up both goals by Kunitz. The second score was shorthanded, with Kunitz shooting from a severe angle on the goal line and banking the puck in off Johnson's stick.

Kunitz played only briefly in the last two periods after injuring his thigh on a collision with Ballard. He got back on the ice late in the game, but his return drew a penalty for too many men on the ice.