Minnesota Gopher Women's Hockey 20-21

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

What I remember from the 11/12 season was Schoullis and West coming back as 5th year seniors from injuries and helping lead the Gophers to a National Championship. That despite Schoullis having the oft reported and infamous "upper body injury" early in the season. As for Emily West, Frost's quote, "I think her overall perspective has changed. She's really enjoying the game and appreciating everything it has to offer. When you're younger, you can take things for granted. But after her experience she's savoring every moment." Emily's response, "To come back and compete again puts a smile on my face every day. It makes me so happy, there are no words for it." And smile she did after Ludwig got a rare call correct in Duluth.

Bluffrinkrat...Nice to see you post. Haven't seen you on here in awhile.

 

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

That was the season Muzzy joined the staff, but there was a delay due to visa issues, so she didn't arrive until a month into the season (and promptly stepped on the "M"!) One player's sister died suddenly. Another player was having a personal crisis and took a leave from hockey, and the team was concerned for her safety. A couple parents were diagnosed with cancer. There was a practice dust up between team leaders and morale was totally shot. Frost's dad suffered a stroke and was hospitalized on the eve of the conference tourney. By the time the FF rolled around, that was easy by comparison, because it was just hockey.

Practice dust up? Dang, that sounds like something the current squad could use.

 

[ARM]

Practice dust up? Dang, that sounds like something the current squad could use.

The immediate aftermath wasn't pretty in terms of the product on the ice, so I don't think that they have time. Would need to make up very quickly. But, yeah, some passion would be nice. That's what I think that we lack most w/o Muzz.

 

[Lindsay]

That was the season Muzzy joined the staff, but there was a delay due to visa issues, so she didn't arrive until a month into the season (and promptly stepped on the "M"!) One player's sister died suddenly. Another player was having a personal crisis and took a leave from hockey, and the team was concerned for her safety. A couple parents were diagnosed with cancer. There was a practice dust up between team leaders and morale was totally shot. Frost's dad suffered a stroke and was hospitalized on the eve of the conference tourney. By the time the FF rolled around, that was easy by comparison, because it was just hockey.

Oh wow. That really is a lot. A reminder that there is life outside of hockey, and we don’t know what people have going on.

And lol at Muzzy stepping on the M! Justin Bieber did something similar I think in an NHL room. Come on folks!

 

[bluffrinkrat]

Bluffrinkrat...Nice to see you post. Haven't seen you on here in awhile.

Thanks! The 11/12 season has always been one of our favorites and the next season too, of course. It was our first trip to Bemidji to watch the games. We had a great time despite a certain goalie or as one reporter wrote on USCHO, "A critical component at the other end of the ice is Slovakian Olympic goaltender Zuzana Tomcikova, know as "Z" to her teammates. She saved 41 of 42 Minnesota shots to preserve the BSU upset." I remember we eased our sorrow at the 2-1 loss with beer and food at Brigid's Cross Irish Pub.

 

[Hockeybuckeye]

The immediate aftermath wasn't pretty in terms of the product on the ice, so I don't think that they have time. Would need to make up very quickly. But, yeah, some passion would be nice. That's what I think that we lack most w/o Muzz.

I'm glad we have her now but I hear she's very demanding. Every year we get a new assistant coach and I don't know if it's our program is a short stepping stone for assistant coaches moving upwards in their careers or they just can't work under Muzzy?

 

[ARM]

I'm glad we have her now but I hear she's very demanding. Every year we get a new assistant coach and I don't know if it's our program is a short stepping stone for assistant coaches moving upwards in their careers or they just can't work under Muzzy?

Please feel free to send her back if you like.

 

[Hockeybuckeye]

Please feel free to send her back if you like.

You wish!
Only issue I have is I'd be afraid to run into her in a dark alley!

 

[Offsides Guy]

I'm glad we have her now but I hear she's very demanding. Every year we get a new assistant coach and I don't know if it's our program is a short stepping stone for assistant coaches moving upwards in their careers or they just can't work under Muzzy?

I think it is more the latter. Muzz is definitely a “my way or the highway” type Coach and Muzz’s favorite person is always Muzz. Having said that I have grudgingly come around to seeing her as the best coach in the WCHA if not the country. Once she got past her first couple of seasons and got the players to buy into her program, OSU really took off. I think it’s safe to say she demands more from her players than any of the other coaches (any other team have a dry season?) and her attention to detail and use of biometrics is quite impressive (in-game monitoring of heart rates so she can let the team know between periods if they’re really working as hard as they think they are). I can’t imagine how good her program would be if she regularly got the players who are going to Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Now I am curious to see is how she absorbs transfers into the program. It’s one thing to get freshmen to buy into a very challenging, total commitment program but it’s another to get veteran players to buy in and buy in quickly. I also wonder how such players might impact the culture the players have established for themselves. Hopefully that all goes well.

 

[Hockeybuckeye]

I think it is more the latter. Muzz is definitely a “my way or the highway” type Coach and Muzz’s favorite person is always Muzz. Having said that I have grudgingly come around to seeing her as the best coach in the WCHA if not the country. Once she got past her first couple of seasons and got the players to buy into her program, OSU really took off. I think it’s safe to say she demands more from her players than any of the other coaches (any other team have a dry season?) and her attention to detail and use of biometrics is quite impressive (in-game monitoring of heart rates so she can let the team know between periods if they’re really working as hard as they think they are). I can’t imagine how good her program would be if she regularly got the players who are going to Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Now I am curious to see is how she absorbs transfers into the program. It’s one thing to get freshmen to buy into a very challenging, total commitment program but it’s another to get veteran players to buy in and buy in quickly. I also wonder how such players might impact the culture the players have established for themselves. Hopefully that all goes well.

Muzz kind of reminds me of Michigan's softball coach Carol Hutchins. "Hutch" is actually Michigan's coach with the record for all time wins of all the Michigan sports programs. She's a crusty old bird who's also very demanding but you can't deny the results if you commit yourself to do what coaches like Muzz & Hutch ask of you.

 

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

Meh...Can't really be mad as this is just another example of the same stuff that has been seen all year. Put Minnesota out of it's misery and do not select this team for the tournament. Please.

And just a note from a fan to management. This season is a wakeup call to your staff. GET IT TOGETHER and don't come back next year with a squad that gets outhustled and outworked by the opponent more often than not. Kumbaya and all ain't cutting it anymore.

 

[Offsides Guy]

Meh...Can't really be mad as this is just another example of the same stuff that has been seen all year. Put Minnesota out of it's misery and do not select this team for the tournament. Please.

And just a note from a fan to management. This season is a wakeup call to your staff. GET IT TOGETHER and don't come back next year with a squad that get outhustled and outworked by the opponent more often than not. Kumbaya and all ain't cutting it anymore.

I thought the Gophers played better in periods two and three but then the goalies did them in on the last three goals.

 

[D2D]

I thought the Gophers played better in periods two and three but then the goalies did them in on the last three goals.

What was a strength earlier this season developed into a weakness later on. Paul and Bench each gave up a softie today which, against a team as talented as Wisconsin, you just can't do and expect to win.

 

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

What was a strength earlier this season developed into a weakness later on. Paul and Bench each gave up a softie today which, against a team as talented as Wisconsin, you just can't do and expect to win.

Wisconsin didn't have to even touch the puck on the last goal and just had to tap in the other mistake for the 4th goal. I wasn't able to see the first two periods so I can't speak to the earlier stuff.

 

[robertearle]

Wisconsin didn't have to even touch the puck on the last goal and just had to tap in the other mistake for the 4th goal. I wasn't able to see the first two periods so I can't speak to the earlier stuff.

The first was a good pass into a skater coming up the crease, and just redirected in. Not really anyone to 'blame'. The second as best I recall was one of the two - second and third - by Webster and they were replays of one another. You hope a goalie can stop them, but it was a 'flip' up and by the shoulder. I feel bad for Bench on #4...

-----------

I went back and looked, #2 was a quick wrist shot blocker side that Paul might have gotten a piece of, Yeah, defense a little out of position.

 

[ARM]

The first was a good pass into a skater coming up the crease, and just redirected in. Not really anyone to 'blame'.

At this level, it can be a rather unforgiving game. The definitive play of the 2019 Championship was UM's #19 basically watching while UW's #19 made a hustle play to get the puck and score a shortie that made it inevitable that UW would win. On the Badgers' first goal yesterday, Minnesota's #9 has position on Wisconsin's #9 as the play enters the zone, relaxes for a couple of strides, and gets beaten to the crease. When the Gophers were winning championships, they used to pay the price to defend. This year, I've seen way too many UM players who couldn't be bothered to move their feet. Where's Minnesota's second D on that play? Didn't get the puck deep while her team was changing, stopped to watch the play, wouldn't have been a factor had her goalie stopped Shirley. And a rebound shot. And another rebound.

These days, the Gophers look like BC when it comes to playing defense. That's never a good thing. Do you want to win? Then tell your skates that.

 

[robertearle]

At this level, it can be a rather unforgiving game. The definitive play of the 2019 Championship was UM's #19 basically watching while UW's #19 made a hustle play to get the puck and score a shortie that made it inevitable that UW would win. On the Badgers' first goal yesterday, Minnesota's #9 has position on Wisconsin's #9 as the play enters the zone, relaxes for a couple of strides, and gets beaten to the crease. When the Gophers were winning championships, they used to pay the price to defend. This year, I've seen way too many UM players who couldn't be bothered to move their feet. Where's Minnesota's second D on that play? Didn't get the puck deep while her team was changing, stopped to watch the play, wouldn't have been a factor had her goalie stopped Shirley. And a rebound shot. And another rebound.

These days, the Gophers look like BC when it comes to playing defense. That's never a good thing. Do you want to win? Then tell your skates that.

(I don't understand you guys and your use of uniform numbers instead of just saying the name. I don't know who wore #19 for the Gophers last year! I barely remember who did so for Wisconsin!)

 

[ARM]

(I don't understand you guys and your use of uniform numbers instead of just saying the name. I don't know who wore #19 for the Gophers last year! I barely remember who did so for Wisconsin!)

In this case, I liked the symmetry of each teams' #19 (in 2019 no less!) and yesterday, the #9 of each team. Or maybe I don't know anyone's name and I'm too lazy to look them up ...

 

[ManBehindTheCurtain]

(I don't understand you guys and your use of uniform numbers instead of just saying the name. I don't know who wore #19 for the Gophers last year! I barely remember who did so for Wisconsin!)

2019 is two years ago. Pankowski and Pannek. Yesterday was Shirley and Heise.

 

[Timothy A]

(I don't understand you guys and your use of uniform numbers instead of just saying the name. I don't know who wore #19 for the Gophers last year! I barely remember who did so for Wisconsin!)

They don't want to publicly hurt anyone's feelings LOL. I'll admit when I come in here and read the numbers I just don't have the desire to go to their roster and figure out who is who.