Minnesota Golden Gopher Women's Hockey 2013-14 Season

[brookyone]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Women's Hockey 2013-14 Season

http://www.mndaily.com/sports/women...phers-will-reload-after-title-loss-ya-feel-me

Ya feel me? Line makes me chuckle.

 

[brookyone]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Women's Hockey 2013-14 Season

http://gophersportsupdate.com/2014/...eer-press-gopher-beat-reporter-marcus-fuller/

Brausen segment begins in part 2.

 

[brookyone]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Women's Hockey 2013-14 Season

http://minnesotahockeymag.com/2014/03/24/beaten-defeated/



Seeing several parallels here between this Gopher squad and a great Wisconsin team that lost it's final game to Minnesota.

 

[FredsDeadFriend]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Women's Hockey 2013-14 Season

Despite not having won their last game, I seriously doubt that most of us will live to see the day when ANY team dominates women's D1 hockey like the Gophers have over the past three years. Let me know the next time ANY team goes 113-7-3...or for that matter 79-2-1 over a two year period.

D2D, I dare say that we just might see a team repeat that 2 year record, or that 3 year record, and I'm talking about the 2014-15 and 2015-16 Gophers. What team has more coming back next year than Minnesota?

 

[brookyone]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Women's Hockey 2013-14 Season

D2D, I dare say that we just might see a team repeat that 2 year record, or that 3 year record, and I'm talking about the 2014-15 and 2015-16 Gophers. What team has more coming back next year than Minnesota?

I think it's going to be monumentally difficult to sweep some of those season series going forward...as they did for two consecutive seasons.

 

[clarksoncluck]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Women's Hockey 2013-14 Season

I think it's going to be monumentally difficult to sweep some of those season series going forward...as they did for two consecutive seasons.

In the ECAC alone:

Harvard has Pucci, Picard and Fry. Along with Armstrong (coming back from a red shirt year) who is a big, gifted forward. All are seniors.

Cornell has Jenner. Enough said. Or I can say more, as she will likely be on a line with Saulnier and Fulton. Do the math.

Hockey East:

BC has Carpenter, and as I saw it a very up and comer in USA Hockey.

BU has MPPoulin, and she will have a Lafort to work with.

NU has Coyne and NU should never be underestimated.

 

[brookyone]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Women's Hockey 2013-14 Season

In the ECAC alone:

Harvard has Pucci, Picard and Fry. Along with Armstrong (coming back from a red shirt year) who is a big, gifted forward. All are seniors.

Cornell has Jenner. Enough said. Or I can say more, as she will likely be on a line with Saulnier and Fulton. Do the math.

Hockey East:

BC has Carpenter, and as I saw it a very up and comer in USA Hockey.

BU has MPPoulin, and she will have a Lafort to work with.

NU has Coyne and NU should never be underestimated.

i was thinking kind of exclusively about Wisconsin, Duluth and NoDak on the conference schedules. In particular, and not to discount the rest of the WCHA. You're correct though. A lot of teams throughout D-I are going to be pretty seriously fortified vs. the 2013-2014 editions.

For Minnesota, I thought KT was a pretty clear team MVP in 2013-2014. A healthy #8 returning the obvious likely candidate to assume that role.

 

[mnpokecheck]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Women's Hockey 2013-14 Season

i was thinking kind of exclusively about Wisconsin, Duluth and NoDak on the conference schedules. You're correct though. A lot of teams throughout D-I are going to be pretty seriously fortified vs. the 2013-2014 editions.

For Minnesota, I thought KT was a pretty clear team MVP in 2013-2014. A healthy #8 returning the obvious likely candidate to assume that role.

Patty Kaz candidates will be a very impressive group next season. I would think Minnesota will have at least 4 viable candidates - Bona, Brandt, Ramsey and Kessel.......and possibly a fifth depending on Leveille.

 

[Bhikukhu]

Patty Kaz candidates will be a very impressive group next season. I would think Minnesota will have at least 4 viable candidates - Bona, Brandt, Ramsey and Kessel.......and possibly a fifth depending on Leveille.

I know some of those that have been nominated or won, have been nominated more than once but can you win the Patty Kaz more than once? Just wondering if there's a rule against it, or the fact that it's a committee, if they would choose someone else just to give someone else the recognition. Obviously there have been multiple girls very deserving of the award each year. So would they just give it to someone else instead of, say Kessel... I'll just use her as an example because if anyone could win it more than once it would be her... And the fact that all the other recent winners have all graduated.

 

[mnpokecheck]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Women's Hockey 2013-14 Season

I know some of those that have been nominated or won, have been nominated more than once but can you win the Patty Kaz more than once? Just wondering if there's a rule against it, or the fact that it's a committee, if they would choose someone else just to give someone else the recognition. Obviously there have been multiple girls very deserving of the award each year. So would they just give it to someone else instead of, say Kessel... I'll just use her as an example because if anyone could win it more than once it would be her... And the fact that all the other recent winners have all graduated.

Jennifer Botterill of Harvard has won it twice, so no rule against. If Kessel can duplicate her junior season she has to be a favorite, but will have plenty of competition. I think anyone(outside of goalies) with 2013-14 type season numbers will fall short with all the Olympians returning.

 

[FireKnight]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Women's Hockey 2013-14 Season

Jennifer Botterill of Harvard has won it twice, so no rule against. If Kessel can duplicate her junior season she has to be a favorite, but will have plenty of competition. I think anyone(outside of goalies) with 2013-14 type season numbers will fall short with all the Olympians returning.

There's no rule against it but I'd imagine that the seniors get a little bit of advantage unless someone really stands out of the crowd. I'd also think that someone who has won as an underclassman would really have to be way above the competition to win a second award. You guys will definitely have a bunch of candidates out there at UMTC.

 

[frozenfeet]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Women's Hockey 2013-14 Season

http://minnesotahockeymag.com/2014/03/24/beaten-defeated/



Seeing several parallels here between this Gopher squad and a great Wisconsin team that lost it's final game to Minnesota.

I would think with all the success they’ve had over the past 3 years they would not go down the path of moral victory.

“Remember, if you ain’t first you’re last”…Ricky Bobby

 

[KTDC]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Women's Hockey 2013-14 Season

I would think with all the success they’ve had over the past 3 years they would not go down the path of moral victory.

“Remember, if you ain’t first you’re last”…Ricky Bobby

Brad Frost has been on record that he decided a few years ago that the bar within the program for judging whether a season has been successful or not would not be whether they won the national championship game or not. He has 'process' expectations set up along the lines of effort and behavior and values rather than wins and losses to make that judgement.

I think it's quite clear that they expect to win a lot of games and I expect this is a difficult week emotionally for all of them within the program. But I think Brad Frost wanted to remind his players and everyone else that by their already stated standards for success that this was a successful year.

 

[FredsDeadFriend]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Women's Hockey 2013-14 Season

I would think with all the success they’ve had over the past 3 years they would not go down the path of moral victory.

“Remember, if you ain’t first you’re last”…Ricky Bobby

I know you are trying to be both funny and yet maybe make some kind of a point by quoting Ricky Bobby, but you do realize that the character portrayed in that movie was a complete and total idiot, right?! COLLEGE athletics is not the same as PRO sports. The #1 differentiation can be gleaned from the word "COLLEGE". These athletes "PAY" for the privilege of getting a college education, either with money, or their time and efforts applied on the field, court or in the rink. The MAIN focus of a college/university, especially a state school, is to equip/educate/train the students that attend the school, with the tools, the information, the skills, to go out into the world and be successful.

Is it nice to come in #1 in whatever? Does the Business School strive to be rated the #1 business school in the country?! ABSOLUTELY!!! But does it feel it has not succeeded if it ranks #2? Or #22 for that matter? Even if its graduates all go out into the world and become successful?!


And COLLEGE athletics should be more than just winning championships. ONLY ONE SCHOOL a year can claim to be the National Champs. Would you honestly try to make the argument that all other schools are failures?!


A lot of college sports fans will try to argue that winning Championships is the only thing that matters, but a large percentage of those college sports fans, didn't play college sports, and some of them didn't even go to college or at least the college that they are cheering for, and they usually just so happen to be a fan of a team with a lot of Championships. Wow, go figure.


If that kind of path was to be followed, I could list how UMn Women's Hockey has MORE NCAA tourney invites than any other school, more Frozen Four appearances, more Championship Game appearances and just as many Titles as any other school in the nation. UMn probably has the most All-Americans and Olympians as well. But NONE of that would mean that no other school in the nation can claim to have a successful women's hockey program.


So you can try to say that Frost is trying to make this into a moral victory all you want, but I've been reading about his philosophy of what he thinks success is for quite awhile now, from well before we won that 2nd title and broke the winning streak record, and its one of the reasons why the Women's Hockey team is my favorite Gopher team to follow. It won't surprise me if in 10 or 20 years I'm reading about how successful all of these young ladies are or have been since graduating from UMn, and my guess is the vast majority of them will find that success away from the ice rink.

My guess is that ALOT of women hockey players from colleges all over the country, NOT just ones that won Natl Championships, will end up being seen as very successful in whatever paths they choose to go down in the real world, post graduation.

 

[frozenfeet]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Women's Hockey 2013-14 Season

I know you are trying to be both funny and yet maybe make some kind of a point by quoting Ricky Bobby, but you do realize that the character portrayed in that movie was a complete and total idiot, right?! COLLEGE athletics is not the same as PRO sports. The #1 differentiation can be gleaned from the word "COLLEGE". These athletes "PAY" for the privilege of getting a college education, either with money, or their time and efforts applied on the field, court or in the rink. The MAIN focus of a college/university, especially a state school, is to equip/educate/train the students that attend the school, with the tools, the information, the skills, to go out into the world and be successful.

Is it nice to come in #1 in whatever? Does the Business School strive to be rated the #1 business school in the country?! ABSOLUTELY!!! But does it feel it has not succeeded if it ranks #2? Or #22 for that matter? Even if its graduates all go out into the world and become successful?!


And COLLEGE athletics should be more than just winning championships. ONLY ONE SCHOOL a year can claim to be the National Champs. Would you honestly try to make the argument that all other schools are failures?!


A lot of college sports fans will try to argue that winning Championships is the only thing that matters, but a large percentage of those college sports fans, didn't play college sports, and some of them didn't even go to college or at least the college that they are cheering for, and they usually just so happen to be a fan of a team with a lot of Championships. Wow, go figure.


If that kind of path was to be followed, I could list how UMn Women's Hockey has MORE NCAA tourney invites than any other school, more Frozen Four appearances, more Championship Game appearances and just as many Titles as any other school in the nation. UMn probably has the most All-Americans and Olympians as well. But NONE of that would mean that no other school in the nation can claim to have a successful women's hockey program.


So you can try to say that Frost is trying to make this into a moral victory all you want, but I've been reading about his philosophy of what he thinks success is for quite awhile now, from well before we won that 2nd title and broke the winning streak record, and its one of the reasons why the Women's Hockey team is my favorite Gopher team to follow. It won't surprise me if in 10 or 20 years I'm reading about how successful all of these young ladies are or have been since graduating from UMn, and my guess is the vast majority of them will find that success away from the ice rink.

My guess is that ALOT of women hockey players from colleges all over the country, NOT just ones that won Natl Championships, will end up being seen as very successful in whatever paths they choose to go down in the real world, post graduation.

Slow down my point wasn’t that thought out. I’m referencing Ricky Bobby so recognize the source. You are correct I was trying to make a point while trying to keep it light. To better explain my position...please indulge as I expand my thought…

My point was whatever you think of Frost or the program and this emphasis on creating a culture and playing for the next gal is all good and honorable and sounds great. However, being a Gopher fan and that of women hockey in general I would liked to have seen something more accountable… something that alluded to the fact that they did indeed failed…yes failed. This team is in another stratosphere…understood. They not only get the top 1 A blue chip players from around the region they also get the 1 B players (from Minnesota) to come for partials. Players that are full scholarship players anywhere else (except maybe Wisconsin) and are paying their way! Did you see this team? They got "end of the bench" players that would be starters on most other teams. Their three centers could be successfully argued to be in the top 5 of all centers in the game! All American defenseman! I could go on but really all one needs to say is STACKED…and to think they had two National players absent…scary! They were better at every position except maybe goalie... against Clarkson. What I witnessed was a team that looked complacent (whom can blame them)…for pete sake they choose their uniform on how they would look in the winning photo! They had the banner on order before they dropped the puck… and it cost them. I guess when you by three you get the third one free? This team was not only set up to win it this year but probably every year in the conceivable future. It just would have been more refreshing if you heard someone…anyone… claim that they flat out blew it. These are D1 player skating on the tax payer dime…so step up and be accounted for…and before anyone wants to criticize me for discounting Clarkson…please! Clarkson is a good team…so is Wisconsin, ND, Cornell, Mercyhurst, ect… but none of them are as talented as the Gophers. Clarkson took advantage of their scoring opportunities and shut down the Gopher’s vaunted power play…period…and yes they WANTED IT MORE. For this I give them all the credit in the world. The Gopher players are human and they took it for granted… this can happen. Just a little acknowledgment would be nice…that is.

 

[mnpokecheck]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Women's Hockey 2013-14 Season

My point was whatever you think of Frost or the program and this emphasis on creating a culture and playing for the next gal is all good and honorable and sounds great. However, being a Gopher fan and that of women hockey in general I would liked to have seen something more accountable… something that alluded to the fact that they did indeed failed…yes failed. This team is in another stratosphere…understood. They not only get the top 1 A blue chip players from around the region they also get the 1 B players (from Minnesota) to come for partials. Players that are full scholarship players anywhere else (except maybe Wisconsin) and are paying their way! Did you see this team? They got "end of the bench" players that would be starters on most other teams. Their three centers could be successfully argued to be in the top 5 of all centers in the game! All American defenseman! I could go on but really all one needs to say is STACKED…and to think they had two National players absent…scary! They were better at every position except maybe goalie... against Clarkson. What I witnessed was a team that looked complacent (whom can blame them)…for pete sake they choose their uniform on how they would look in the winning photo! They had the banner on order before they dropped the puck… and it cost them. I guess when you by three you get the third one free? This team was not only set up to win it this year but probably every year in the conceivable future. It just would have been more refreshing if you heard someone…anyone… claim that they flat out blew it. These are D1 player skating on the tax payer dime…so step up and be accounted for…and before anyone wants to criticize me for discounting Clarkson…please! Clarkson is a good team…so is Wisconsin, ND, Cornell, Mercyhurst, ect… but none of them are as talented as the Gophers. Clarkson took advantage of their scoring opportunities and shut down the Gopher’s vaunted power play…period…and yes they WANTED IT MORE. For this I give them all the credit in the world. The Gopher players are human and they took it for granted… this can happen. Just a little acknowledgment would be nice…that is.

A bit silly I think to be calling for an acknowledgement of failure, just so that you will feel all is right in the hockey world. Listen to any Frost interview before or after any game and all you will hear is respect for their opponents about skill and effort. This is a coach that has his **** together.

Just say Congrats to Clarkson and let it go......but next year......NO MORE MINNESOTA NICE!

 

[UCONN FAN]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Women's Hockey 2013-14 Season

Slow down my point wasn’t that thought out. I’m referencing Ricky Bobby so recognize the source. You are correct I was trying to make a point while trying to keep it light. To better explain my position...please indulge as I expand my thought…

My point was whatever you think of Frost or the program and this emphasis on creating a culture and playing for the next gal is all good and honorable and sounds great. However, being a Gopher fan and that of women hockey in general I would liked to have seen something more accountable… something that alluded to the fact that they did indeed failed…yes failed. This team is in another stratosphere…understood. They not only get the top 1 A blue chip players from around the region they also get the 1 B players (from Minnesota) to come for partials. Players that are full scholarship players anywhere else (except maybe Wisconsin) and are paying their way! Did you see this team? They got "end of the bench" players that would be starters on most other teams. Their three centers could be successfully argued to be in the top 5 of all centers in the game! All American defenseman! I could go on but really all one needs to say is STACKED…and to think they had two National players absent…scary! They were better at every position except maybe goalie... against Clarkson. What I witnessed was a team that looked complacent (whom can blame them)…for pete sake they choose their uniform on how they would look in the winning photo! They had the banner on order before they dropped the puck… and it cost them. I guess when you by three you get the third one free? This team was not only set up to win it this year but probably every year in the conceivable future. It just would have been more refreshing if you heard someone…anyone… claim that they flat out blew it. These are D1 player skating on the tax payer dime…so step up and be accounted for…and before anyone wants to criticize me for discounting Clarkson…please! Clarkson is a good team…so is Wisconsin, ND, Cornell, Mercyhurst, ect… but none of them are as talented as the Gophers. Clarkson took advantage of their scoring opportunities and shut down the Gopher’s vaunted power play…period…and yes they WANTED IT MORE. For this I give them all the credit in the world. The Gopher players are human and they took it for granted… this can happen. Just a little acknowledgment would be nice…that is.

You want these girls to tell you they blew it? SERIOUSLY? What does that accomplish? How about you thank them for the best 2 year run by any DI Women's hockey team EVER? Life goes on. Now pull of the shades, turn the lights on in Mom's basement and go get a job.

 

[FredsDeadFriend]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Women's Hockey 2013-14 Season

Slow down my point wasn’t that thought out. I’m referencing Ricky Bobby so recognize the source. You are correct I was trying to make a point while trying to keep it light. To better explain my position...please indulge as I expand my thought…

My point was whatever you think of Frost or the program and this emphasis on creating a culture and playing for the next gal is all good and honorable and sounds great. However, being a Gopher fan and that of women hockey in general I would liked to have seen something more accountable… something that alluded to the fact that they did indeed failed…yes failed. This team is in another stratosphere…understood. They not only get the top 1 A blue chip players from around the region they also get the 1 B players (from Minnesota) to come for partials. Players that are full scholarship players anywhere else (except maybe Wisconsin) and are paying their way! Did you see this team? They got "end of the bench" players that would be starters on most other teams. Their three centers could be successfully argued to be in the top 5 of all centers in the game! All American defenseman! I could go on but really all one needs to say is STACKED…and to think they had two National players absent…scary! They were better at every position except maybe goalie... against Clarkson. What I witnessed was a team that looked complacent (whom can blame them)…for pete sake they choose their uniform on how they would look in the winning photo! They had the banner on order before they dropped the puck… and it cost them. I guess when you by three you get the third one free? This team was not only set up to win it this year but probably every year in the conceivable future. It just would have been more refreshing if you heard someone…anyone… claim that they flat out blew it. These are D1 player skating on the tax payer dime…so step up and be accounted for…and before anyone wants to criticize me for discounting Clarkson…please! Clarkson is a good team…so is Wisconsin, ND, Cornell, Mercyhurst, ect… but none of them are as talented as the Gophers. Clarkson took advantage of their scoring opportunities and shut down the Gopher’s vaunted power play…period…and yes they WANTED IT MORE. For this I give them all the credit in the world. The Gopher players are human and they took it for granted… this can happen. Just a little acknowledgment would be nice…that is.

Yes, I'm a little disappointed, well, more than a little actually. But at the same time, as much as I want to believe the Gophers are in another stratosphere, I have to question as to whether that truly is the reality or not?!

They needed overtime to beat some of their opponents last year and they were without Kessel, Bozek and Raty this year and had to come back from behind on several occasions. It might have been better had they lost in the WCHA conf tourney maybe?! But they didn't.

And I don't think their choice of uniform color showed that they took Clarkson for granted as much as it showed how they were aware of just how incredible their winning a 3rd title in a row would have been and why not look good while doing it?! They were the favorite going in. But maybe in years to come there will be more out of conference games played against the best teams so that we can judge more accurately just how good some teams are.


Clarkson had FIVE senior forwards on their team, a senior defender and a senior goalie considered to be a very ****ed fine goalie. They were ranked #2 in the nation going into the NCAA tourney, they won their conf title, and arguably had a tougher schedule to get through. They got the Patty Kaz winner, and that was BEFORE they won the title game. UMn only got 3 on the AA squad that got picked before the final game. Bona didn't even make AA, nor did Leveille, despite stats that could have been argued made them deserving. So maybe those in the know suspected that the Gopher players weren't in another stratosphere as compared to other players on other teams? And only 1 voter out of what? 30 or so for the 2 polls gave UMn the #1 vote after the game. If the Gophers simply blew it and were clearly the better team, you'd think maybe a 2nd or 3rd voter would have still voted them #1?! And as much as I, a diehard Gopher fan, hates to admit it, it is altogether possible that UMn was just a tad overrated and Clarkson just a tad underrated going into the NCAA tourney?!

Good thing for Gopher fans that UMn is returning so many from this years team and from the Olympics and that Clarkson is graduating so many.



And don't get me wrong, I do see what you are trying to say, and you could have a point, it is possible that UMn was the better team and that they just took for granted that they'd win and so played uninspired hockey and that in this regard, its possible that it could be argued that the team failed on that one day. That would seemingly bode better for the future I suppose. But still, the season as a whole can not and should not be seen as a failure. Sometimes there is actually more that can be learned from losing. Not that I would EVER encourage it, lol, but just saying, since the mission of a college is to train up young adults to become successful older adults, life is rough and not everything is going to be set up as nicely as being a Gopher Women's hockey player is set up, and in the long term, losing that game could serve all of the Gophers on that team better than winning would have. And likewise, winning the title for Clarkson is something that team has never experienced before, and something the east hasn't experienced for a long time, so it could be better for women's hockey as a whole than had UMn won.

Again, I'd never want or desire my team to ever lose, but now that its done and in the past, and can't be changed, I try to glean as many positives out of the situation as I can, vs trying to focus on any negatives, which calling the season a failure would seem to be doing. But I suppose someone has to represent the other side of the coin, so I appreciate your thoughts and do not fault you for posting them here. Makes for interesting discussioin.

 

[frozenfeet]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Women's Hockey 2013-14 Season

You want these girls to tell you they blew it? SERIOUSLY? What does that accomplish? How about you thank them for best 2 year run by any DI Women's hockey team EVER? Life goes on. Now pull of the shades, turn the lights on in Mom's basement and go get a job.

Okay, I didn’t expect the players to nor should they…but Frost…yes something from Frost. Go back and look at his interviews throughout the past couple years. He comes across as a little arrogant. To which I have no problem with…he’s earned it. But then… man up. Admit that you didn’t have this team ready to play. Great power comes with great responsibility…or something like that. You know if this was the men’s program you would not have a problem with this rhetoric. They are worthy of this type of answerability and scrutiny…but not the women…no can’t have any of that now. Might break a nail

 

[KTDC]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Women's Hockey 2013-14 Season

Yes, I'm a little disappointed, well, more than a little actually. But at the same time, as much as I want to believe the Gophers are in another stratosphere, I have to question as to whether that truly is the reality or not?!

so I appreciate your thoughts and do not fault you for posting them here. Makes for interesting discussioin.

I agree.

I'm hesitant to use the term "over-rated", but for me another way of saying it is maybe in some ways they didn't get enough credit for how difficult it was (is) to win all of those games.