NCAA Frozen Four 2012 - Cornell vs. Minnesota

[ARM]

Here's a place to put links on stories regarding the teams, discuss the upcoming game, and if Matt feels so inclined, he can talk smack and call us names like TTT would.

[mattj711]

Re: NCAA Frozen Four 2012 - Cornell vs. Minnesota

... and if Matt feels so inclined, he can talk smack and call us names like TTT would.

Unfortunately, I don't see that happening. As I have often said, the Gophers have been my second favorite team since about 1999, and I have the utmost respect for their program. Also, I don't have a history of rampant uncontrollable delusion during NCAA tournament action. Probably would be a more entertaining thread if I did!

[ARM]

Re: NCAA Frozen Four 2012 - Cornell vs. Minnesota

I was really hoping for a Cornell vs Minnesota championship game in 2010, but unfortunately, UMD messed that up.

Cornell earns a 2-0 victory in their first test this weekend against Harvard. Mazzotta played great in net, and it was all around one of Cornell's best defensive efforts this season. I would have liked to see more offense from Cornell (only took 14 shots on Harvard's goal), but Cornell seemed more content to focus on defense in this one.

The saying goes the Defense win championships, so IMHO their "Focus on defense" is the right approach.

It seemed that Cornell was really focusing on the defensive end of late based on scores, so the question people in Minnesota have in mind is what the blue blazes happened on Saturday? I get that BU has some amazing offensive talent, but they didn't exactly light it up against teams like Providence and UConn. Just a fluke game?

[brookyone]

Re: NCAA Frozen Four 2012 - Cornell vs. Minnesota

The oft mentioned theory of an edge to the WCHA teams in tournament play per the "preparation" as a result of the intense competition throughout their conference schedule, a theory I don't disagree with at all, but, I'm thinking Cornell has encountered equally intense competition recently that has prepped them well and should be of benefit in a big game like this. Plus, prior tournament experience usually pays dividends. I was very impressed with both teams in the Cornell / BU q'final. Minnesota will need their "A" game every shift. If they bring that it should be a semi of classic magnitude.

What's the protocol for officiating crews? Is there a mandatory mix of conference officials or merely arbitrary? Asking due to previous opinion that WCHA officials allow more physical play than their HE and ECAC counterparts. There are a few WCHA officials I would really rather not see working at AMSOIL.

[ARM]

Re: NCAA Frozen Four 2012 - Cornell vs. Minnesota

What's the protocol for officiating crews? Is there a mandatory mix of conference officials or merely arbitrary? Asking due to previous opinion that WCHA officials allow more physical play than their HE and ECAC counterparts. There are a few WCHA officials I would really rather not see working at AMSOIL.

Given that the WCHA referees assigned to work the previous two weekends have been Ludwig, Mendel, Lick and Lick, I'm guessing that is all we will see out of the WCHA crew this weekend. Should there be a UW vs UM meeting, then I'd expect an all-WCHA officiating crew. For anything else, it should be mixed or neutral.

As much as we bash on them, I thought that Ludwig and Mendel did well in all three games that we've seen them do lately. They kept control without taking over the game in all three. As for the Licks in the UMD and UW game, I can't make the same statement.

[Timothy A]

Re: NCAA Frozen Four 2012 - Cornell vs. Minnesota

There are a few WCHA officials I would really rather not see working at AMSOIL.

Are there any? Every UW game I've been to see this yr the officiating has been horribly inconsistant. This all Lick crew from Saturday was bad.

I usually never root for the rodents, but there seems to be this east/west thing in gal's hockey, and I'd like to see the west continue to win. Go Rodents.

[dave1381]

Re: NCAA Frozen Four 2012 - Cornell vs. Minnesota

It seemed that Cornell was really focusing on the defensive end of late based on scores, so the question people in Minnesota have in mind is what the blue blazes happened on Saturday? I get that BU has some amazing offensive talent, but they didn't exactly light it up against teams like Providence and UConn. Just a fluke game?

I don't think Cornell has done particularly well defensively against the better offensive teams it's played this year, with the exception of maybe the last Mercyhurst game. And BU surely was the most talented offensive team Cornell faced, so there was an adjustment. But Slobes posted a 25-save shutout in Game 2, so maybe there was an adjustment.

I also agree with brookyone's point, that this Cornell team is probably the best positioned for a run of any ECAC team in the last several years, though the competition remains strong as well.

[taz91]

Re: NCAA Frozen Four 2012 - Cornell vs. Minnesota

I've always been pretty content with the job Mendel does. I don't recall many games that he's really gotten himself into. I can't say the same for the Lick brothers. I've only seen Dave a couple times and am pretty indifferent. Dan, on the other hand, is terrible. The other two I think do a solid job usually are Joe Harris and Michael Elam. Only saw Joe a couple times this year and he was good. Saw Elam a number of times at Ridder and I don't recall him losing control of any games or becoming to involved in them.

As far as the game. The thing Cornell will need to do, which not many teams have this year, is solve Noora. Correct me if I'm wrong ARM, but I don't remember many goalies on a run like this into the tournament. She's given up 27 goals in 21 games since Christmas which includes shutting out UMD twice and Wisconsin and North Dakota once each along with three other shutouts. Offensively, which line do you want to stop? Schoullis line has the best numbers for the season, but Davis' line with West has been on fire. Oh, and the third line has been pretty solid getting some goals from Brausen and Terry. I saw someone mention on another thread that the Lams didn't do much this past Saturday and I recall a couple shifts when the third line got them bottled up in the defensive end. Top to bottom this is probably the hottest the Gophers have been getting to this point in the season and that includes the title runs with Darwitz and Wendell.

[mattj711]

Re: NCAA Frozen Four 2012 - Cornell vs. Minnesota

I was really hoping for a Cornell vs Minnesota championship game in 2010, but unfortunately, UMD messed that up.



It seemed that Cornell was really focusing on the defensive end of late based on scores, so the question people in Minnesota have in mind is what the blue blazes happened on Saturday? I get that BU has some amazing offensive talent, but they didn't exactly light it up against teams like Providence and UConn. Just a fluke game?

I would say so. Certainly isn't typical for Cornell to give up 7 goals, and I would say Mazzotta wasn't at her sharpest to start the game. As I've pointed out on a number of occassions, Cornell's densive zone coverage has left some things to be desired at times. The first half of the first period and the PK during the third were no exception.

The Cornell players probably started the game not quite focused enough on defense, which left Mazzotta a bit of a sitting duck. No goalie would likely look too sharp in that situation. Fortunately, they really tightened things down densively for most of the OTs.

I'll be interested to see who Derraugh starts on Friday. Mazzotta has been the number one goaltender when healthy this season, but Slebodnick came up big when needed most last saturday, and her stats speak for themselves. I can't imagine she won't be the number one tender next season. With that said, I suspected we'll see Mazzotta get the nod.

As far as refs go, I can't say there are any from the ECAC I'd like to see make the trip west.

[ARM]

Re: NCAA Frozen Four 2012 - Cornell vs. Minnesota

I also agree with brookyone's point, that this Cornell team is probably the best positioned for a run of any ECAC team in the last several years, though the competition remains strong as well.

If looked at as a whole, I think 2010 was a better chance, in that all of the top teams in the WCHA were down that year. The big three had all been to the FF in Boston, but they all lost a ton, so Minnesota wound up leading the league for most of the season by default. It wasn't until Larocque came back and UMD got hot that the WCHA really had a championship-caliber team.

I realize that Cornell is better this year, at least from a talent standpoint. However, that year, they came into the Frozen Four playing great. The question regarding the Big Red schedule this season is not so much whether the postseason has pushed them -- it obviously has -- but whether they got tested enough earlier to improve to the extent that they may have.

[DC78-82]

Re: NCAA Frozen Four 2012 - Cornell vs. Minnesota

I get that BU has some amazing offensive talent, but they didn't exactly light it up against teams like Providence and UConn. Just a fluke game?

I think that the Hockey East team's familiarity with each other, combined with a very real parity from the top through fifth place this year, meant that all else equal (illness / injury) many of our teams had each other's numbers, so to speak.

Cornell, on the other hand, had limited viewing and practice opportunities to prepare for BU and vice-versa.

[DC78-82]

Re: NCAA Frozen Four 2012 - Cornell vs. Minnesota

I usually never root for the rodents, but there seems to be this east/west thing in gal's hockey, and I'd like to see the west continue to win. Go Rodents.

What, technically, is a badger? I always thought the mid-west teams had a curious propensity for choosing mascots that are generally considered pests; of course, to us fans of the east, appropriate choices

[mattj711]

Re: NCAA Frozen Four 2012 - Cornell vs. Minnesota

The Cornell players probably started the game not quite focused enough on defense, which left Mazzotta a bit of a sitting duck. No goalie would likely look too sharp in that situation. Fortunately, they really tightened things down densively for most of the OTs.

I would add that Cornell really dominated play for much of the time from the drop of the puck until BU got two quick goals about 5 minutes into the first. When Cornell has gotten into trouble defensively this season, it has usually been when they feel their offense is clicking, and they forget that they need to play it.

[Blackbeard]

Re: NCAA Frozen Four 2012 - Cornell vs. Minnesota

I was really hoping for a Cornell vs Minnesota championship game in 2010, but unfortunately, UMD messed that up.

You might very well get to see the championship game this Friday...meaning that it may very well end up being the best game of the three...it sure has the makings...as ended up being the case in 2008...the UNH vs UMD semi final was a far better game than was the UW vs UMD Championship Game.

I'm torn...my heart says Cornell after their triple OT loss to UMD in the 2010 Championship Game and their triple OT win over BU on Saturday...my head says UM after seeing them play several times this season...the best UM team I've ever witnessed play.

If I had to lay money down, assuming no other influencing factors, I'd somewhat hesitatingly lay it on the gold square. But then again, what does an easterner like me know?

I'm really looking forward to this one!

[ARM]

Re: NCAA Frozen Four 2012 - Cornell vs. Minnesota

I've always been pretty content with the job Mendel does. I don't recall many games that he's really gotten himself into.

After the 2005 WCHA championship game, Johnson likely wouldn't agree with that.

The other two I think do a solid job usually are Joe Harris and Michael Elam.

Not a fan of Elam. In poor condition and in the way and out of position a lot, then he tries to compensate by making calls on plays he didn't really see. I'd prefer Lund over him.

Correct me if I'm wrong ARM, but I don't remember many goalies on a run like this into the tournament.

Vetter, every year but her junior season.

Top to bottom this is probably the hottest the Gophers have been getting to this point in the season and that includes the title runs with Darwitz and Wendell.

I agree, especially compared to the 2004 team, where the third line just plain couldn't get out of their own zone for long stretches, and the blue line was 4 sophomores and a frosh, three of them on the small side. But up front, we had the big hammer, and they weren't afraid to lead.

The Cornell players probably started the game not quite focused enough on defense, which left Mazzotta a bit of a sitting duck. No goalie would likely look too sharp in that situation.

Thanks. I only saw BU goals 3 (has to be stopped) and 4 (not much of a chance for the goalie).

I'll be interested to see who Derraugh starts on Friday. Mazzotta has been the number one goaltender when healthy this season, but Slebodnick came up big when needed most last saturday, and her stats speak for themselves.

UND's coach had the same dilemma on Saturday: start the senior who has been #1 most of the year but was shaky in her previous outing, or the other goalie with better numbers. He started the senior, she gave up a goal on the first shot a minute and a half in, and he pulled her inside of 3 minutes gone without another SOG. So Derraugh could say, "You're starting Amanda, you're my girl," and whisper to Slebodnick, "Stay ready."