SOLDIER FIELD 2013 • Wisconsin vs. Minnesota & Miami vs. Notre Dame

[HarleyMC]

Re: SOLDIER FIELD 2013 • Wisconsin vs. Minnesota & Miami vs. Notre Dame

We lost. It happens. I'm disappointed, sure. However, the reason I'm disgusted is NOT because of the outcome, it's because of the conditions of the rink itself. That was a tragedy and a mockery of the sport. You could throw any two teams in college hockey out there, and who knows who the heck would have won, due to the conditions. THAT'S my point. It was out of the hands of the basic skill of the players. PSU could have played BC (or to use rankings, Qbert), and PSU might have won, due to the bounce of the puck, nothing more.

Sometimes, the rants are due to bigger things than the simple outcome of the game.

A tragedy and mockery?? That's totally absurd Brent. Take a deep breath, you're whining. Have you ever played this game outdoors? If not, nothing anyone can say will change your thinking because you don't understand how this works outdoors amidst all kinds of ice conditions. The ice wasn't tilted today, so each team needed to show up with their best shot. "It was out of the hands of the basic skill of the players". What specific skills are referring to?

[Slap Shot]

Re: SOLDIER FIELD 2013 • Wisconsin vs. Minnesota & Miami vs. Notre Dame

"The simpler you play the game the more effective..."

Anyone that still has the game recorded go back and listen to Eaves' pre-game interview about playing outdoors. It was spot friggin on, and yet it wasn't about a game that favored UW it was about a game that favored the team that best took advantage of the conditions. UW used that more effectively and simply got the better bounces. The "ice was a travaschmockery" crying is a joke - the Gophers had their chances and didn't finish and weren't as lucky with the bounces around the net. The ice didn't cause any of UW's goals, whereas better defense and Wilcox not giving up a fat rebound may have helped as much as more opportunities to score.

btw did people not watch the game? The Gophers still looked much faster than UW and there weren't that many cases where i thought, "the ice just effed us". Stop crying about the ice, the Gophers didn't play as well in the end. Period.

[Stauber1]

Re: SOLDIER FIELD 2013 • Wisconsin vs. Minnesota & Miami vs. Notre Dame

No need to lie to yourselves and the rest of us. I wouldn't care if we were playing in boots as long as we got two points out of it.

Who's lying? Of course I would take the two points if MN had won this game. I would have taken them and said get the hell out of there.

Harley, you said it yourself. It takes a different skill set. It takes a different mentality. It takes playing a different game than you play in every single other game of the season. That seems like a stupid way to divvy out conference points.

Playing outdoors is fun, and it is how most of us grew up. But I don't see this as being anything like going down to the park to play hours of pick-up. Referees? Line changes? Manufactured ice? Piped in coolant systems? Soldier Field? Ramifications beyond a bit of park pride? This isn't harkening back to "the origins" or how any of us grew up playing the game.

It's neat that some people get a kick out of these types of stunts, but for my money I'd take games played in venues and environments that are the same as every other game played during the year and that every one of these players has spent years learning, preparing and training to play in.

MN just saw their last good chance at getting back into the race for the MacNaughton bounce up over their stick, off their shinpad, into the goal and out the door.

[HarleyMC]

Re: SOLDIER FIELD 2013 • Wisconsin vs. Minnesota & Miami vs. Notre Dame

"The simpler you play the game the more effective..."

Anyone that still has the game recorded go back and listen to Eaves' pre-game interview about playing outdoors. It was spot friggin on, and yet it wasn't about a game that favored UW it was about a game that favored the team that best took advantage of the conditions. UW used that more effectively and simply got the better bounces. The "ice was a travaschmockery" crying is a joke - the Gophers had their chances and didn't finish and weren't as lucky with the bounces around the net. The ice didn't cause any of UW's goals, whereas better defense and Wilcox not giving up a fat rebound may have helped as much as more opportunities to score.

btw did people not watch the game? The Gophers still looked much faster than UW and there weren't that many cases where i thought, "the ice just effed us". Stop crying about the ice, the Gophers didn't play as well in the end. Period.

Ka-ching!

[solovsfett]

Re: SOLDIER FIELD 2013 • Wisconsin vs. Minnesota & Miami vs. Notre Dame

With unbiased eyes, I would say that the Badgers played a very good game. In the first period, they had trouble maintaining possession, but the defense and Rumpel always stayed strong to hold off the Gophers. The second period looked way different, with the Badgers creating chances and actually completing them and converting them into goals. Say what you want about playing outside (and who is the better team overall) — the Badgers narrowly played the better game today. Both teams had streaks of intense pressure throughout the game.

With biased eyes, I'm just super happy about what I just saw!!!

Final thoughts: I was quite pleased with Wisconsin's effort and execution. I love that UW sent some of the band there! Did any of the other schools send theirs? I didn't see the early game, and I don't think I heard band music I didn't recognize. I wish more fans were there for both games (would have made for a better spectacle), though I guess the side with the suites and press box stuff was pretty full for the second game. I decided I like Seth Helgeson the least of all the Gophers.

interesting take. UW played as well as they could but to be honest, time of possession, SOG, they were manhandled. for me it was great to see UW win but the constant harping on "defensive" style of play by the BTN crew has to be considered in the recruiting game. if I'm 15 and I'm a forward thinking of going the D1 route I'm choosing to play the wide open run n' gun style. You have to think any kids at this game could see the clear disparity between these two teams. UW played their game, MN didn't and that's why UW won but let's not kid ourselves if they play this another 10x I guarantee MN wins handily in about 7-8 of them.

so in a nutshell UW got lucky. Kudos to Rumple, but gd this is going to be a long 2 years until they get some effing forward talent in madison. I can only hope Kerdiles is still around at that point

[The Rube]

Re: SOLDIER FIELD 2013 • Wisconsin vs. Minnesota & Miami vs. Notre Dame

A tragedy and mockery?? That's totally absurd Brent. Take a deep breath, you're whining. Have you ever played this game outdoors? If not, nothing anyone can say will change your thinking because you don't understand how this works outdoors amidst all kinds of ice conditions. The ice wasn't tilted today, so each team needed to show up with their best shot. "It was out of the hands of the basic skill of the players". What specific skills are referring to?

While not skating, I've played probably hundreds of boot hockey games outdoors. And the basic skills: passing. You direct a pass, but due to the ice, that puck bounces funny ways, out of your control, you can only hope that it reaches the target. The ice at that point dictates the path of the puck. Not the player. Whether you're a trap team or a transition team, doesn't matter. That pass will probably not go where you want it to go. Things like that.

I've seen GREAT outdoor games, the first Edmonton one being one of them, that PIT game being another. This was about as bad as you can get. And FTR, the ND-MIA game was even decent.

[Stauber1]

Re: SOLDIER FIELD 2013 • Wisconsin vs. Minnesota & Miami vs. Notre Dame

"The simpler you play the game the more effective..."

Anyone that still has the game recorded go back and listen to Eaves' pre-game interview about playing outdoors. It was spot friggin on, and yet it wasn't about a game that favored UW it was about a game that favored the team that best took advantage of the conditions. UW used that more effectively and simply got the better bounces. The "ice was a travaschmockery" crying is a joke - the Gophers had their chances and didn't finish and weren't as lucky with the bounces around the net. The ice didn't cause any of UW's goals, whereas better defense and Wilcox not giving up a fat rebound may have helped as much as more opportunities to score.

btw did people not watch the game? The Gophers still looked much faster than UW and there weren't that many cases where i thought, "the ice just effed us". Stop crying about the ice, the Gophers didn't play as well in the end. Period.

Correct. Given the environment, MN didn't play as well. Then again, the things that make them a better hockey team than the vast majority of college teams were significantly mitigated given the environment.
That's all I'm saying. Wisconsin earned the win today. Good for them. I just think it's pretty ****ing stupid to play a game like this when it affects conference standing. Maybe if playing outdoors was at all routine or regular it wouldn't be quite as dumb.

If people want to call this whining, so be it. I've been critical of outdoor games before, but it has been tempered because MN was never involved in them. Well, today they were and not to a satisfactory end. That riles me up more than the previous idiocy of these games.

[HarleyMC]

Re: SOLDIER FIELD 2013 • Wisconsin vs. Minnesota & Miami vs. Notre Dame

While not skating, I've played probably hundreds of boot hockey games outdoors. And the basic skills: passing. You direct a pass, but due to the ice, that puck bounces funny ways, out of your control, you can only hope that it reaches the target. The ice at that point dictates the path of the puck. Not the player. Whether you're a trap team or a transition team, doesn't matter. That pass will probably not go where you want it to go. Things like that.

I've seen GREAT outdoor games, the first Edmonton one being one of them, that PIT game being another. This was about as bad as you can get. And FTR, the ND-MIA game was even decent.

What I saw was the Gophers came out strong and controlled play...difficulty in passing the puck didn't seem to be a problem for either team. As is true in ALL outdoor games, the ice degrades somewhat as the game goes on and anyone that has played hockey outdoors for years understands you naturally compensate for that factor as a part of your game. I didn't think the ice conditions were that bad at all to affect the outcome of the game...a little chippy in areas but you compensate for that. It's a different game outdoors. I didn't see any of the basic skills of the game drastically hindered for either team. Goals scored by the Badgers were NOT due to poor ice conditions. Very simply...the Badgers adjusted better. All Gopher players know how to do this outdoors and they didn't get it done today...period.

[Wisko McBadgerton]

Re: SOLDIER FIELD 2013 • Wisconsin vs. Minnesota & Miami vs. Notre Dame

Gofers put 36 pucks on the net while averaging 33 shots/game. I guess if the ice was decent they would have had 50 or 60?

[The Rube]

Re: SOLDIER FIELD 2013 • Wisconsin vs. Minnesota & Miami vs. Notre Dame

What I saw was the Gophers came out strong and controlled play...difficulty in passing the puck didn't seem to be a problem for either team. As is true in ALL outdoor games, the ice degrades somewhat as the game goes on and anyone that has played hockey outdoors for years understands you naturally compensate for that factor as a part of your game. I didn't think the ice conditions were that bad at all to affect the outcome of the game...a little chippy in areas but you compensate for that. It's a different game outdoors. I didn't see any of the basic skills of the game drastically hindered for either team. Goals scored by the Badgers were NOT due to poor ice conditions. Very simply...the Badgers adjusted better. All Gopher players know how to do this outdoors and they didn't get it done today...period.

As for the actual loss, someone else put it succinctly: MN is still trying to make plays like they are playing indoors. This is true.

However, I'm still standing by my opinion that the ice severely bastardized this game. WI still may have won, please do not get me wrong, but the ice was the name of the game today.

[Slap Shot]

Re: SOLDIER FIELD 2013 • Wisconsin vs. Minnesota & Miami vs. Notre Dame

Whether or not a conference game should be played outdoors is different argument - I'm rebutting the crying about the ice being the cause for the loss. It wasn't.

[The Rube]

Re: SOLDIER FIELD 2013 • Wisconsin vs. Minnesota & Miami vs. Notre Dame

Whether or not a conference game should be played outdoors is different argument - I'm rebutting the crying about the ice being the cause for the loss. It wasn't.

The ice made the winner (whoever it might have been) a coin toss.

[Slap Shot]

Re: SOLDIER FIELD 2013 • Wisconsin vs. Minnesota & Miami vs. Notre Dame

The ice made the winner (whoever it might have been) a coin toss.

The ice had nothing to do with UW's goals, nor with UM failing to convert on their chances - that's not a coin toss.

[The Rube]

Re: SOLDIER FIELD 2013 • Wisconsin vs. Minnesota & Miami vs. Notre Dame

The ice had nothing to do with UW's goals, nor with UM failing to convert on their chances - that's not a coin toss.

I disagree. Everyone seems to only concentrate on the shots that scored the goals. What led up to the shots is another matter.

[Stauber1]

Re: SOLDIER FIELD 2013 • Wisconsin vs. Minnesota & Miami vs. Notre Dame

What I saw was the Gophers came out strong and controlled play...difficulty in passing the puck didn't seem to be a problem for either team. As is true in ALL outdoor games, the ice degrades somewhat as the game goes on and anyone that has played hockey outdoors for years understands you naturally compensate for that factor as a part of your game. I didn't think the ice conditions were that bad at all to affect the outcome of the game...a little chippy in areas but you compensate for that. It's a different game outdoors. I didn't see any of the basic skills of the game drastically hindered for either team. Goals scored by the Badgers were NOT due to poor ice conditions. Very simply...the Badgers adjusted better. All Gopher players know how to do this outdoors and they didn't get it done today...period.

That first bolded section is an observation I'd agree with, but I'd take it a little further. The Gophers controlled play at the beginning of each period, and as each period wore on, things evened out. Which I think can be strongly attributed to the second bolded section.

As for the third bolded section, basic skills aren't the issue. It's the more highly tuned skills and abilities. The kind of stuff that separates great teams from average ones (at least in the college game as it is typically played...indoors). The ability to carry the puck at pace from zone to zone. The ability to play a fast and precise passing game in tight spaces. The ability to clear a defender's reach in your first 2-4 strides. The ability to stick-handle your way out of tight spaces. The ability to change directions on a dime. The speed at which you can close people down. If you think the ice didn't affect any of those things today, you're nucking futs.

Would MN have won today if they had played at Kohl Center? I don't know. Maybe Rumpel stands on his head and Wisconsin still get a couple fluky goals. But it would have allowed them to utilize their talents and the skills they have spent years developing and honing (and practicing together all season) to the level that they are able to utilize them every other day of the season.