Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

[ARM]

Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

Thanks, also, to the gang at UNH -- DC78-82, Hux, zoofer, lancer, whoop87, and anyone else I may have missed. Good to see you all.

So Hux is still alive? Good to know.

 

[brookyone]

Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

http://www.twincities.com/2016/03/2...ins-a-fourth-ncaa-championship-in-five-years/

http://www.twincities.com/2016/03/20/gophers-womens-hockey-amanda-leveille-backstops-championship/

 

[brookyone]

Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

A quick thank you to the seniors for their contributions to what has been an amazing run for the Minnesota program.

Seconded! Incredible achievements by this group of seniors! Thanks for their contributions and for a great ride for the fans!

 

[Eeyore]

Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

So Hux is still alive? Good to know.

Well, he appeared to be alive, but I've been wrong about that kind of thing before.

 

[KTDC]

Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

Amanda Leveille-TTT just mentioned her in the BC thread, but he only said what seems practically universal opinion outside the UM fanbase. Leveille has a weakness in giving up rebounds and isn't a good goaltender when measured against other good goaltenders.

So here in the Gopher thread I want to give her credit on my own behalf. I don't think the Gophers won 2 National Championships and one runner up in spite of Leveille. I think she was a major contributor and she more than carried her weight. In the big games she was a star at least her share of the time. I wasn't on pins and needles worrying about our goaltending heading into big games and I think the players could play with confidence in front of her. If the players don't trust their goalie it's hard to play with confidence and I think they trusted Leveille. We had good defensemen who could establish presence in front of the net and clear the puck, but Amanda was very good at keeping the puck out of the net. And she was best at it when it mattered most.

 

[ARM]

Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

... Amanda was very good at keeping the puck out of the net. And she was best at it when it mattered most.

Exactly. Sometimes there were rebounds because the puck would have been in the net on the first shot against many goalies. She gave up three goals this weekend. She maybe had a 1-in-3 chance on the Shaver goal by Wisconsin. She had virtually no chance on Clark's goal, and no chance on the BC goal that changed direction severely twice on the way in. Give me a goalie who finishes her career 8-1 in the NCAAs, and fans of other teams can gripe all they want, and I'll just smile. As you said, her teammates never seemed to have a problem with Lev. They always said that they went against her in practice every day and knew how hard it was to score on her.

 

[Leather helmet]

Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

To put Lev's career into perspective, now that it is complete:

W/L Record: 98-9-5 (4th place all time in goalie wins)
Win Pct: .897 (1st place all time)
3 championship games, 2 championships

To paraphrase Buddy Ryan: 'She just wins games.'

 

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

Leveille sure does have her detractors but as Leather helmet points out, she's got the numbers and hardware that matter the most.

 

[wwhyte]

Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

Leveille sure does have her detractors but as Leather helmet points out, she's got the numbers and hardware that matter the most.

I thought she looked shaky during BC's best part of the game, the last ten minutes of the first period, but was dominant for the rest of the game. As was Burt at our end for the first and second periods.

 

[pokechecker]

Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

I thought she looked shaky during BC's best part of the game, the last ten minutes of the first period, but was dominant for the rest of the game. As was Burt at our end for the first and second periods.

so what you are saying is, she probably has no future in figure skating where style matters
you are probably right about that, do disagreement from me

 

[mnturkey]

Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

I read the BC thread and almost replied there but thought better of it.
A goalie is supposed to stop the puck from getting in the net. The rebounds are a result of stopping the puck for the first time. The goalie hopes and has confidence that the defense will do their job and take the rebound and get the rebound out of the zone. That's why it is a team game, you work together as a team.

Amanda Leveille-TTT just mentioned her in the BC thread, but he only said what seems practically universal opinion outside the UM fanbase. Leveille has a weakness in giving up rebounds and isn't a good goaltender when measured against other good goaltenders.

So here in the Gopher thread I want to give her credit on my own behalf. I don't think the Gophers won 2 National Championships and one runner up in spite of Leveille. I think she was a major contributor and she more than carried her weight. In the big games she was a star at least her share of the time. I wasn't on pins and needles worrying about our goaltending heading into big games and I think the players could play with confidence in front of her. If the players don't trust their goalie it's hard to play with confidence and I think they trusted Leveille. We had good defensemen who could establish presence in front of the net and clear the puck, but Amanda was very good at keeping the puck out of the net. And she was best at it when it mattered most.

 

[clarksoncluck]

Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

I read the BC thread and almost replied there but thought better of it.
A goalie is supposed to stop the puck from getting in the net. The rebounds are a result of stopping the puck for the first time. The goalie hopes and has confidence that the defense will do their job and take the rebound and get the rebound out of the zone. That's why it is a team game, you work together as a team.

Rebounds ....... Food for thought.........

Many how have not played goal do not understand rebounds.

#1. Goalies sometimes attempt to kick a big rebound out versus having it hand close to their crease.

#2. There are several different manufacturers of goalie pads. Some have more ribs, based on padding and sticking which will kick rebounds to places unknown and unanticipated.

#3. New pads create bigger rebounds and so it depends where the lifespan of the pads are at.

#4. Not all puck are mad the same and if you have a small indent or chip the puck will come off the pads differently than normal.

#5. Soft (old) pads give soft rebounds but are sloppy on the goalie and in fact create a shrunken goalie, yes better rebound control, but smaller goalie.

Overall note is that goaltending is a game of micro inches (not inches).

 

[bc6696]

Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

Rebounds ....... Food for thought.........

Many how have not played goal do not understand rebounds.

#1. Goalies sometimes attempt to kick a big rebound out versus having it hand close to their crease. I agree

#2. There are several different manufacturers of goalie pads. Some have more ribs, based on padding and sticking which will kick rebounds to places unknown and unanticipated. After 8 months of practice and games goalies (better ones anyway) know their pads and limit their "unknown and unantcipated" rebounds

#3. New pads create bigger rebounds and so it depends where the lifespan of the pads are at. Maybe

#4. Not all puck are mad the same and if you have a small indent or chip the puck will come off the pads differently than normal. That's a theory I have never heard before...not a likely one though

#5. Soft (old) pads give soft rebounds but are sloppy on the goalie and in fact create a shrunken goalie, yes better rebound control, but smaller goalie. Reiteration of #3

Overall note is that goaltending is a game of micro inches (not inches).

Most coaches would like to see goalies have a strong command of their rebound control. With said the three most important criteria for goaltenders are: Wins, GAA, and SV % - Leveille lead the tournament in all three categories.

 

[mnpokecheck]

Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

Lee Stecklein has won 3 NCAA Championships with one year remaining (she was with Olympic Team the year Clarkson won). Winning a fourth would be a surreal (to use Coach Frost's favorite new word) accomplishment.

 

[ne7minder]

Rebounds ....... Food for thought.........

Many how have not played goal do not understand rebounds.

#1. Goalies sometimes attempt to kick a big rebound out versus having it hand close to their crease.

#2. There are several different manufacturers of goalie pads. Some have more ribs, based on padding and sticking which will kick rebounds to places unknown and unanticipated.

#3. New pads create bigger rebounds and so it depends where the lifespan of the pads are at.

#4. Not all puck are mad the same and if you have a small indent or chip the puck will come off the pads differently than normal.

#5. Soft (old) pads give soft rebounds but are sloppy on the goalie and in fact create a shrunken goalie, yes better rebound control, but smaller goalie.

Overall note is that goaltending is a game of micro inches (not inches).

Several very good points. Depending on style some goalies do try for big rebounds. This works particularly well if you can see the whole ice and direct pucks out away from the other guys. We touched on this in the early gwh thread as I thought Amanda was struggling a bit and pucks were not going where she needed them to. There are lot of reasons that might happen, not all of them her fault even if she takes the blame when it isn't her's. For whatever reason that seemed to correct late last year and she dominated when it mattered.

<em>Imagine if at your job there was a big red light and a fog horn behind your desk. Then imagine anytime something broke down at work the light and horn went off, even if the mistake was not yours. Then imagine a few thousand people standing up and heckling you for the failure. A goalie doesn't have to imagine, they have experienced it!</em>

Edited to change wanted to needed because, again, not all of those were her fault.

 

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

Several very good points. Depending on style some goalies do try for big rebounds. This works particularly well if you can see the whole ice and direct pucks out away from the other guys. We touched on this in the early gwh thread as I thought Amanda was struggling a bit and pucks were not going where she wanted them to. There are lot of reasons that might happen, not all of them her fault even if she takes the blame when it isn't her's. For whatever reason that seemed to correct late last year and she dominated when it mattered.

<em>Imagine if at your job there was a big red light and a fog horn behind your desk. Then imagine anytime something broke down at work the light and horn went off, even if the mistake was not yours. Then imagine a few thousand people standing up and heckling you for the failure. A goalie doesn't have to imagine, they have experienced it!</em>

So true...Just look at the first 13 seconds of the championship game Sunday on the highlight video that Whoop87 posted. The heralded one from bc (#4) had her pocket picked by Brandt. Potomak was left all alone in the slot by #6, #5, and #22. and was able to quickly deposit a beautiful pass from Brandt into the back of the net. The only one of the bc players on the ice that remotely tried to take a defensive posture was #12 who briefly shadowed Kessel before turning away from her. That poor team defense hung Burt out to dry and 13 seconds in they are down 1-0 with all eyes on the goalie fishing the puck out the net.

 

[bluffrinkrat]

Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

Lee Stecklein has won 3 NCAA Championships with one year remaining (she was with Olympic Team the year Clarkson won). Winning a fourth would be a surreal (to use Coach Frost's favorite new word) accomplishment.

I wondered if she could be the first player, not just woman player, which she would be, to do that, but I didn't want to spend the afternoon looking up old Michigan rosters from the late 40's and early 50's. If I still curled up in Eveleth, I suppose I could have asked Mr Mayasich, since I understand he throws those rocks in the same place I did for a few years. He probably doesn't know though. I could also have asked at the Hockey HOF, but when I lived up there for 21 years they were having trouble just keeping the lights on. Wonder if they still constantly play the US-USSR game on a television in one of the rooms.

Stecklein is a remarkable player, and like Bozek my stomach relaxes whenever she has the puck or is defending because I know she is going to do what she needs to do. The last of our very tall and talented defensemen. Do we have any 6 foot defensemen coming in next year?

 

[KTDC]

Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

Do we have any 6 foot defensemen coming in next year?

Katie Robinson was 5'10" 2 years ago as a sophomore. Maybe she's there now!

 

[Eeyore]

Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

I wondered if she could be the first player, not just woman player, which she would be, to do that, but I didn't want to spend the afternoon looking up old Michigan rosters from the late 40's and early 50's.

I did look through old Michigan rosters, and I'm pretty sure that she would be.

 

[bluffrinkrat]

Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2015-2016 (Part 2) -- Amanda Kessel Enhanced

Great! 5'10" should be okay. Bozek was 5'9" after all. As ARM once admonished me it's better to have a shorter player that can skate than a tall one that can't skate or something like that.

Speaking of skating, when 6 foot Johnny Pohl was a freshman my brother and I watched him play a few games at the start of the season and both said, "This kid just can't skate well enough or fast enough to play." Boy were we wrong. By the time he was a senior he was the best forward in the country and it was a coin flip between him and Leopold for the Hobey Baker award. I can still see that shot he rifled off past the Maine goalie.