Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Women's Hockey 2013-14 Season
Davis has spent much of her Gopher career centering a defensive line. I think she looks REALLY good as center of of what looks to me like a first line, with Bona and Lorence on the wings. This pairing has allowed us a reintroduction to the offensive skills of Sarah Davis and she is blooming. The line looks to me like a possibly dominant really good first line.
Brandt still has the magic hands, she seems likely to be able to make it work with lots of different wingers as she waits for the return next year of Kessel. For now Menefee seems suited to be what she was last year with Brandt and Kessel, an opportunistic scorer and a solid presence. Schipper had some moments early in the season. The coaching staff thinks enough of her to use her at the point on the PP, personally I take that as an indication that they think she is plenty good. This line is a good line offensively, any line with Brandt on it is a good line defensively.
Kelly Terry seems likely to make it work with anyone who can get down the rink fast enough to be in position for a back pass after Terry's first in the nation speed has blown up the defense. Camaranesi has been excellent at this so far, she is another frosh who the staff thinks enough of to use on the PP. Brausen has yet to find a scorer's touch but she does so many things so well and at such a high rate of speed, I think she fits with Terry.
PK always provides evidence of which are the best two way players. We are getting heavy doses of Brandt with Bona, Davis with Terry. It is probably way too early to start this speculation but is Bona a candidate at center next season after Davis and Terry leave? Camaranesi looks like another candidate to me.
Gillanders, Ramsey and McMillen have done the improbable, they have stepped up and shown the way, teamed with the freshman D and provided to this point a much better than expected blue line. I agree that it would be nice to see the rotation settle out a little and find out which of the last four currently rotating D corps are going to be the last two going forward and possibly get them situated with some sort of regular pairing.
I like Garzone's play a lot at D, I also like Burns. I am just a trifle more comfortable with those two at D but only a trifle. Both Cline and Haley are having moments although a couple of Cline's moments have come at forward.
It is an adjustment getting used to not having the best goaltender in the world between the pipes but this new kid has done every thing she should do to this point. She may not be the "none shall pass" that we got used to for the last four years but she definitely looks an awful lot like at least "very few shall pass".
19-1.
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