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Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2019-2020: Motzko 2.0
- Thread starter Slap Shot
- Start date
trixR4kids
New member
Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2019-2020: Motzko 2.0
As I said on GPL I think this team got a solid infusion of talent in the back end in Lacombe and Johnson who already look like our most competent D in terms of moving the puck but the offense lost a lot of the talent they had and could use a similar infusion on that end next year.
Meyers really needs to center his own line too just to spread out the talent and depth at center a little more and Reedy can continue to center the third. I feel like finding a third for MW shouldn’t be as hard as as replacing what you lose in center depth when you put Meyers on that line. Maybe just put McManus or go back to Burke there.
Also Moe looked really solid last night and kept them in it with a few big saves throughout the game including some nice late ones.
As I said on GPL I think this team got a solid infusion of talent in the back end in Lacombe and Johnson who already look like our most competent D in terms of moving the puck but the offense lost a lot of the talent they had and could use a similar infusion on that end next year.
Meyers really needs to center his own line too just to spread out the talent and depth at center a little more and Reedy can continue to center the third. I feel like finding a third for MW shouldn’t be as hard as as replacing what you lose in center depth when you put Meyers on that line. Maybe just put McManus or go back to Burke there.
Also Moe looked really solid last night and kept them in it with a few big saves throughout the game including some nice late ones.
Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2019-2020: Motzko 2.0
Koho: tl;dr but I know your rep, so I'll trust your observations.
My brief one is that we have the talent to beat tUMD. We do. We skated with 'em the whole weekend. HOWEVER, we don't have the experience to harness that talent. And there was the difference. tUMD harnessed it, and flexed it, and there's the sweep. I wasn't even mad. If we split, I would have been giddy. You take the youngest team in college hockey going against the B2B champs? Not a small task at all.
Koho: tl;dr but I know your rep, so I'll trust your observations.
My brief one is that we have the talent to beat tUMD. We do. We skated with 'em the whole weekend. HOWEVER, we don't have the experience to harness that talent. And there was the difference. tUMD harnessed it, and flexed it, and there's the sweep. I wasn't even mad. If we split, I would have been giddy. You take the youngest team in college hockey going against the B2B champs? Not a small task at all.
I was just shocked how they couldn’t put it home in the third on saturday.I know Shepard is a star and maybe his positioning made it look easier, but for 75% of the third period I thought there was no way we weren’t going to give up a goal until the 4:20 mark which was the turning point. I was standing and more nervous than I was in the ‘18 championship vs Note Dame. It was the same complete dominance that Bulldogs had in the first period on Friday—getting in passing lanes, felt like over half the pucks off the players sticks went to the other team. Team chemistry is important but it only takes one snipe to even the score. A lot of youth on the team, maybe a lot of angst?
trixR4kids
New member
Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2019-2020: Motzko 2.0
Shepard was really good in the 2nd game as was Moe, you're not gonna get a ton of grade A chances against Duluth's stifling D and he covered up the breakaways and back door stuff brilliantly. With the Gophers I think they do lack some of the shooting talent they've historically had which also makes things tough. Guys like Sheehy, Kloos, and Pitlick (not to mention players from other eras) had above average shots and that carried the team in some of those years under Lucia.
Shepard was really good in the 2nd game as was Moe, you're not gonna get a ton of grade A chances against Duluth's stifling D and he covered up the breakaways and back door stuff brilliantly. With the Gophers I think they do lack some of the shooting talent they've historically had which also makes things tough. Guys like Sheehy, Kloos, and Pitlick (not to mention players from other eras) had above average shots and that carried the team in some of those years under Lucia.
Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2019-2020: Motzko 2.0
Let's go, Gophers, you can beat those shiny helmets!
https://farm1.static.flickr.com/625/31622763550_74d3f45013_b.jpg
Let's go, Gophers, you can beat those shiny helmets!
https://farm1.static.flickr.com/625/31622763550_74d3f45013_b.jpg
Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2019-2020: Motzko 2.0
Probably not much since college hockey is considered a niche sport and has very little if any national media exposure that would entice sponsors and endorsement organizations to a sign a contract with college hockey players. NCAA football and basketball teams that have high profile national media exposure with a player(s) that has an elite record of awards, stats and/or national name and player recognition will be prime candidates for third party sponsorships and endorsements and be directly paid for use of their name, image and likeness.
This legislation will obviously lead to furthering the professionalization of college sports and may have many unintended consequences. It will most likely result in the best players in the nation seeking out financial opportunities at schools that have high profile national media exposure, thus creating some talent and recruiting inequities among teams across various conferences. The ruling will not take effect until 2023 in CA. Given the NCAA's hand was forced into this ruling (CA = $$$) and they are not in agreement, it remains to be seen how they will respond. If more states begin to enact similar legislation, the NCAA for example may impose limiting restrictions on scheduling for teams who are in participating states.
Probably not much since college hockey is considered a niche sport and has very little if any national media exposure that would entice sponsors and endorsement organizations to a sign a contract with college hockey players. NCAA football and basketball teams that have high profile national media exposure with a player(s) that has an elite record of awards, stats and/or national name and player recognition will be prime candidates for third party sponsorships and endorsements and be directly paid for use of their name, image and likeness.
This legislation will obviously lead to furthering the professionalization of college sports and may have many unintended consequences. It will most likely result in the best players in the nation seeking out financial opportunities at schools that have high profile national media exposure, thus creating some talent and recruiting inequities among teams across various conferences. The ruling will not take effect until 2023 in CA. Given the NCAA's hand was forced into this ruling (CA = $$$) and they are not in agreement, it remains to be seen how they will respond. If more states begin to enact similar legislation, the NCAA for example may impose limiting restrictions on scheduling for teams who are in participating states.
Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2019-2020: Motzko 2.0
Haha... I thought they played better as the game went on last Fri against UMD and had a chance to tie it up in the third But for the second time, Scott Reedy took an unnecessary late penalty and it cost the Gophers a chance to win. Notre Dame currently has the best PP% in the nation. If the Gophers want to eek out a split they must stay out of the box tonight to give themselves a chance to win. I wonder who will start in net? Motzko pulled LaFontaine last Fri. who was not as effective as he was in previous games.
Haha... I thought they played better as the game went on last Fri against UMD and had a chance to tie it up in the third But for the second time, Scott Reedy took an unnecessary late penalty and it cost the Gophers a chance to win. Notre Dame currently has the best PP% in the nation. If the Gophers want to eek out a split they must stay out of the box tonight to give themselves a chance to win. I wonder who will start in net? Motzko pulled LaFontaine last Fri. who was not as effective as he was in previous games.
Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2019-2020: Motzko 2.0
FWIW, in the Star Tribune series preview today it closes with, "Look for coach Bob Motzko to continue alternating goalies Jack LaFontaine and Jared Moe."
captain beefheart
New member
Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2019-2020: Motzko 2.0
Nice game Gophers. Moe is solid.
Nice game Gophers. Moe is solid.
Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2019-2020: Motzko 2.0
Nice game except for the long time out they took the whole second period. And you're right about Moe - one heck of a game.
Hockeybuckeye
Well-known member
Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2019-2020: Motzko 2.0
I saw the OT, very exciting finish!
I saw the OT, very exciting finish!
captain beefheart
New member
Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2019-2020: Motzko 2.0
Hopefully 'another lesson learned' for this young and inexperienced team.
So true. Gophers looked so good in the first, when with a little puck luck they could have expanded on their 2-0 lead. But the Irish were able to turn the momentum, and it was all downhill for the home team the rest of the way. For Gopher fans the 3rd period was particularly disappointing, as it seemed their team lost energy, and with it came a loss of focus and commitment. And with that you never believed they could mount a comeback, as at the end they were being thoroughly outplayed.
Hopefully 'another lesson learned' for this young and inexperienced team.
Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2019-2020: Motzko 2.0
Still lots of empty seats even with single game tickets starting at $10 and selling beer now. The only answer for the attendance problem is WIN.
Michigan on the road this weekend. Two evenly matched teams at 3-4-1 and both have problems in scoring. Need to get the early lead for a change and hold it. Moe was good last Friday but not so much on Sat. Motzko will most likely go with LaFontaine on Friday and Moe on Sat. in Ann Arbor. Let's try to get some more chatter on this thread Gopher fans...2nd page??
Still lots of empty seats even with single game tickets starting at $10 and selling beer now. The only answer for the attendance problem is WIN.
Michigan on the road this weekend. Two evenly matched teams at 3-4-1 and both have problems in scoring. Need to get the early lead for a change and hold it. Moe was good last Friday but not so much on Sat. Motzko will most likely go with LaFontaine on Friday and Moe on Sat. in Ann Arbor. Let's try to get some more chatter on this thread Gopher fans...2nd page??
Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2019-2020: Motzko 2.0
Odd start times this weekend, 5:30 on Friday and 4:00 on Saturday? At least they're both on the widely available BTN.
Looking at Michigan's stats I see that, like the Gophers, their offense is off to a slow start, in fact even more so, with no scorers having more than 4 points through 8 games. Should we expect a pair of low scoring games, like 1-0 or 2-1?
Odd start times this weekend, 5:30 on Friday and 4:00 on Saturday? At least they're both on the widely available BTN.
Looking at Michigan's stats I see that, like the Gophers, their offense is off to a slow start, in fact even more so, with no scorers having more than 4 points through 8 games. Should we expect a pair of low scoring games, like 1-0 or 2-1?