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**Carmine Scarpaglia** · 12-30-2012, 10:19 PM

Re: Mariucci Classic: Minnesota - Air Force - Boston College - UAH 12/29-12/20

The most interesting part of the game to me was the shift after the Condon goal in the second period. BC comes up the ice and you see terrific gap control by the Gophers D and the BC player with the puck gets smoked when he crosses the blue line. The Gophers come up the ice and the BC defensemen back in past the top of the circle. A few second later the puck goes the other way again and a BC player tries the same thing and gets smoked into oblivion into the boards the second he crosses the blueline, which ended up being called a penalty on Alt (terrible call).

It's amazing BC wins the amount of games they do with this style of defense.

**HarleyMC** · 12-30-2012, 10:21 PM

Re: Mariucci Classic: Minnesota - Air Force - Boston College - UAH 12/29-12/20

The Gophers showed this weekend they want to put the first half behind them and play hard for 60 min winning the 2012 Mariucci Classic for the first time since 2008. The Gophers clearly wanted to leave everything on the ice and it showed by outscoring opponents 12-1, oddly enough the way this season started with Sparty (Grade: A).

Tonight's game was a special teams game as BC handed the Gophers PP opportunity after opportunity to take this game out of reach with 4 PP goals. SOG were Gophers 36, BC 33 with an amazing 20 SOG on the Gopher PP alone which was firing on all cylinders.

The D played puck smart with physicality allowing BC only 11 grade A shots in the paint for two periods and ZERO in the third. Offensively, The Gophers laid siege to BC netminder Milner and everything seemed to go in for the Golden Gophers tonight. Bjugs (6 pt.), Rau, Haula, Schmidt, Isackson, Condon had standout performances. Adam Wilcox is becoming a consistent difference maker for the Gophers and was stellar again, making several big saves this weekend (Grade: A).

Haula went off with an upper body injury...Lucia: No current update. Final: Gophers 8, BC 1

Go Gophers!

**Stauber1** · 12-30-2012, 10:25 PM

Re: Mariucci Classic: Minnesota - Air Force - Boston College - UAH 12/29-12/20

Well, I had been worried the Gophers might be looking ahead to Notre Dame and their big conference series against Anchorage in a couple weeks, so it was nice to see them come out with a workman-like attitude and take care of business against the perennial Mariuccui Classic cupcakes.

No. Seriously though...

If only BC could have played sixty minutes 5-on-3, maybe this game would have been a bit more competitive.

I kid, I kid...

But if Jerry York would have just devoted a bit more practice time to the Eagles' 2-minute drill, they might have had a better chance of finding the endzone and earning a late tie.

Hey, you know what they say about arrogance and Minnesota:

**Stauber1** · 12-30-2012, 10:46 PM

Re: Mariucci Classic: Minnesota - Air Force - Boston College - UAH 12/29-12/20

Now that I've had my bit of fun, and all teasing aside...

I'm sure with BC at full strength in terms of the players out of the line-up tonight, this game would have looked much differently. That being said, this was the most complete game for the Gophers since opening weekend. Fans have been waiting to see this Gopher team put on an offensive display like this for a couple months now. They've been waiting to see Bjugstad score goals like his second one tonight. They've been waiting to see the PP look lethal on a consistent basis over the course of a game. They've been waiting to see a high compete-level in blocking shots and tying guys up in front of their own net. And they got to see all of that tonight.

The Gophers need to keep this play up. They're just starting a very difficult stretch of their schedule, and it's going to take consistently good play night in and night out for MN to be in the hunt for the MacNaughton and a #1 seed.

It was great to see Condon really lighting the jets and using his speed to an effective end this weekend, and it was even better to see Bjugstad do what he did on his second goal tonight. Those are things that MN needs to see a lot more of over the second half if they want to be in any championship discussion.

Lastly, Wilcox continues to impress. I can count on 1 hand the number of bad goals he has given up this year (and I don't even need all 5 fingers to do it). He hasn't had a stinker of a game yet. He makes every save he should make, and a few he shouldn't. Having him step in as a freshman and play at the level he is playing at is truly a luxury.

**SanTropez** · 12-30-2012, 10:54 PM

Re: Mariucci Classic: Minnesota - Air Force - Boston College - UAH 12/29-12/20

That is all... oh and may BC continue to keep on winning until we meet again.

**HarleyMC** · 12-30-2012, 10:55 PM

Re: Mariucci Classic: Minnesota - Air Force - Boston College - UAH 12/29-12/20

Originally posted by FiveHole12 View Post

Great game Gophers. Your boys can really play the game.
Hope to meet up with you later in the season.

Your boys aren't too bad yourselves...except tonight.

There's no doubt BC is an outstanding team and your program's consistent FF appearances over the last 15 years is a true model of consistency in college hockey. I'd be concerned about the inexperience on D though.

**J.D.** · 12-30-2012, 11:03 PM

Re: Mariucci Classic: Minnesota - Air Force - Boston College - UAH 12/29-12/20

MacLeod should be back soon but even being without alber for possibly the rest of the year puts that much more pressure on the young guys. Just not as deep as in previous years.

**HarleyMC** · 12-31-2012, 01:24 AM

Re: Mariucci Classic: Minnesota - Air Force - Boston College - UAH 12/29-12/20

Highlights of the 8-1 Gopher drubbing of Boston College:

**Kenny** · 12-31-2012, 05:20 AM

Originally posted by Case_04 View Post

"So much for Tampa Bay spring of 2012!!!"... amazing unintentional comedy from the Minny commentator.

I heard this as well. The guy was saying ridiculous things all night, but this took the prize. He was almost as bad as BC's game.

**goldy_331** · 12-31-2012, 07:13 AM

Re: Mariucci Classic: Minnesota - Air Force - Boston College - UAH 12/29-12/20

Originally posted by state of hockey View Post

Yeah, I wish he would shut the hell up about that.

See, the solution is to be in the arena so you don't have to listen to him.

**Tiggsy** · 12-31-2012, 09:05 AM

Re: Mariucci Classic: Minnesota - Air Force - Boston College - UAH 12/29-12/20

Originally posted by Stauber1 View Post

Now that I've had my bit of fun, and all teasing aside...

I'm sure with BC at full strength in terms of the players out of the line-up tonight, this game would have looked much differently. That being said, this was the most complete game for the Gophers since opening weekend. Fans have been waiting to see this Gopher team put on an offensive display like this for a couple months now. They've been waiting to see Bjugstad score goals like his second one tonight. They've been waiting to see the PP look lethal on a consistent basis over the course of a game. They've been waiting to see a high compete-level in blocking shots and tying guys up in front of their own net. And they got to see all of that tonight.

You're right. The players BC was missing definately would have accounted for at least a goal. Maybe even 2 or 3. So that would have made the final score 8-4. Much closer.

**J.D.** · 12-31-2012, 09:13 AM

Re: Mariucci Classic: Minnesota - Air Force - Boston College - UAH 12/29-12/20

Originally posted by Tiggsy View Post

You're right. The players BC was missing definately would have accounted for at least a goal. Maybe even 2 or 3. So that would have made the final score 8-4. Much closer.

Still would have lost, but the bigger issue was defensively with two veteran dmen out with injury. Minny must have been salivating at the opportunity to go against all those rookie dmen.

**goldy_331** · 12-31-2012, 09:28 AM

Re: Mariucci Classic: Minnesota - Air Force - Boston College - UAH 12/29-12/20

Originally posted by J.D. View Post

Still would have lost, but the bigger issue was defensively with two veteran dmen out with injury. Minny must have been salivating at the opportunity to go against all those rookie dmen.

I learned from the comments on "BC Interruption" that the issue was that the refs were all against the Eagles last night. Apparently the first Gopher goal should not have counted and none of the Eagle penalties were deserved while the Gophs should have had several 5 min majors.

With impartial refs, I'm sure the Eagles would have triumphed, even missing several players.

**J.D.** · 12-31-2012, 09:38 AM

Re: Mariucci Classic: Minnesota - Air Force - Boston College - UAH 12/29-12/20

I read the exact opposite in the score thread courtesy of Gopher homer golfsarg...so that stuff goes both ways.

The only complaint I had was the first "goal". BC bench didn't like that one and I agreed. But, made no difference.

**GrinCDXX** · 12-31-2012, 09:41 AM

Re: Mariucci Classic: Minnesota - Air Force - Boston College - UAH 12/29-12/20

Wow, THAT was the "pushing the goalie into the net" that the BC fans were harping about in the game thread?

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Mariucci Classic: Minnesota - Air Force - Boston College - UAH 12/29-12/20

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