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

[pgb-ohio]

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

My first thought was to agree with Ted and say that Frost should schedule elite eastern teams for the good of women's hockey. After all, if your goal is to end the season as one of the top eight teams, who then control their own destiny through the tournament, so what if you stumble once or twice during your non-conference season? It wouldn't knock the Gophers out of the tournament.

That's a remarkably generous reading of Ted's post. I have this little sneaking suspicion that "the good of women's hockey" wasn't what he had in mind. But going with that thought, sure: As a fan of the sport, I'd love to see more elite non-conference match-ups during the regular season.

But then I considered how the Gophers won the championship game: they hounded BC in a way they weren't used to, and it took BC most of the game to adjust. If the Gophers gave them a free look at how a game against UM or UW go, back in December, it could change how the tournament games were played. It seems to be smarter for Frost (and Johnson) to let BC practice against the Bulldogs, and wait for March to see what pressure looks like.

There certainly could be something to that. And whatever motivations lie behind the Gophers' scheduling strategy, things seems to have worked out rather well for Minnesota over the last five years -- as FHF points out.

I'd say it's up to the rest of us to figure out ways to beat the Gophers. Demanding scheduling charity from the champions is charming and all. But no such obligation is owed.

 

[ne7minder]

ask you coach to have the guts to play BC, Harvard, BU, NE during the season. I think I heard somewhere he is too worried about the seeding if he loses. as one bleeding heart Lib said to the other "great philosophy Sean, that way you can go through life and never really know what it's like to lose to an eastern team during the regular season." oh, that's what they do now. How do you like them apples?

Ah, he HAS played BU Harvard, Northeastern and Princeton within my memory. Perhaps it is BC trying to avoid losing a place in the finals?

There is a better than even chance that there would have been no unbeaten season or #1 ranking for the Eagles had they played M or W this year

 

[play-by-play guy]

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

Ah, he HAS played BU Harvard, Northeastern and Princeton within my memory. Perhaps it is BC trying to avoid losing a place in the finals?

There is a better than even chance that there would have been no unbeaten season or #1 ranking for the Eagles had they played M or W this year

And they will be playing at BU next season.

 

[Golden Tuuk]

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

Last post ever on Sue twins. Sorry. Five minutes of my life I'll never get back posting on this subject?

I am eternally grateful for the Lams. I am sure that a couple of those championships and 41-0 would never have happened had they not gone. We owe those two a lot.

Totally disagree. They did not win with the Gophers. The most hilarious fact is that the Gophs went 41 doughnut without them. Meaning if they were on the team the they couldn't have been one iota better. Couldn't have one any more games. I talked to some of the Gopher players after that and when asked about playing against the twins they would cringe and describe it as contentious at best. Anyway, no hard feelings and it worked great from a Gopher standpoint.

Let's let it go already. The Lams are great players, and not bad people either. They wanted to go home, and the overall college hockey landscape is the better for it.

That's a nice thought. If you knew anybody in their family you would know they all hate the U. Daddy planned out the whole scenario for them. They wanted to go to UND right away but knew they needed a much better team and the overall exposure the U would give them to make the USA team. convenient Olympic year off and back to GF. Worked perfect. For them.
Anyway, no hard feelings and it worked great from a Gopher standpoint.

 

[bluffrinkrat]

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

As a fan I love it when the elite or any of the eastern teams come to Ridder. No offense, but seeing the same WCHA team possibly six times a year or more can get a little boring, although traveling to the away games is always fun. We enjoyed the Yale games a lot this year at Ridder.

As far as strategy for the NCAA tournament goes, playing Dartmouth a total of four times in the regular seasons of 2004 and 2005, even though they lost twice, didn't seem to hurt the Gophers when they faced them again in the two tournament semifinals. I suppose there are only so many spots available on the Gopher's schedule and so many eastern teams to choose from.

We haven't seen the Quinnipiac Bobcats, yet. Just a thought.

 

[Golden Tuuk]

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

http://www.uscho.com/2016/03/25/minnesota-boston-college-lead-2016-all-uscho-womens-d-i-teams/

Wow. Who picks this USCHO team? Had to look at it about three times. Is this the BC forwards consolation prize? I do agree with the Wisco goalie on first team however.

 

[bluffrinkrat]

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

http://www.uscho.com/2016/03/25/minnesota-boston-college-lead-2016-all-uscho-womens-d-i-teams/

Wow. Who picks this USCHO team? Had to look at it about three times. Is this the BC forwards consolation prize? I do agree with the Wisco goalie on first team however.

MY wife said it sounds like sour grapes from out east. I would have had it a little differently, but certainly all tremendous hockey players. No bitterness here.

 

[Arafel]

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

http://www.uscho.com/2016/03/25/minnesota-boston-college-lead-2016-all-uscho-womens-d-i-teams/

Wow. Who picks this USCHO team? Had to look at it about three times. Is this the BC forwards consolation prize? I do agree with the Wisco goalie on first team however.

Well considering we're all out west, no, that's not the case. You have an issue with the top three scorers in the country, including two Kazmaier finalists, being on the first team? As well as the top-scoring defenseman?

 

[ne7minder]

Totally disagree. They did not win with the Gophers. The most hilarious fact is that the Gophs went 41 doughnut without them. Meaning if they were on the team the they couldn't have been one iota better. Couldn't have one any more games. I talked to some of the Gopher players after that and when asked about playing against the twins they would cringe and describe it as contentious at best. Anyway, no hard feelings and it worked great from a Gopher standpoint.

Please reread what I said . . . they did all that great stuff BECAUSE the Lames left. The Gophers owe a huge debt of gratitude to them for going away.

 

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

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

Well considering we're all out west, no, that's not the case. You have an issue with the top three scorers in the country, including two Kazmaier finalists, being on the first team? As well as the top-scoring defenseman?

Certainly those are very deserving choices.

However, I would like the chances of the 2nd team against the 1st team in a game setting. I like the 2-way aspect of Brandt, Cameranesi, and Pankowski together on a line and I really like the pairing of Stecklein and Ambrose for similar reasons. I would also be confident with Leveille in a big game setting.

 

[D2D]

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

Well considering we're all out west, no, that's not the case. You have an issue with the top three scorers in the country, including two Kazmaier finalists, being on the first team? As well as the top-scoring defenseman?

Of the five skaters on the first team, three played for BC. Makes one wonder how they lost. Maybe if it was basketball, they wouldn't have.

 

[bluffrinkrat]

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

Well considering we're all out west, no, that's not the case. You have an issue with the top three scorers in the country, including two Kazmaier finalists, being on the first team? As well as the top-scoring defenseman?

So it's all about numbers? I don't have a quibble with any of the choices though. Well, I would have put Lee Stecklein on the 1st team for sure.

 

[Iceburg]

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

I posted this on GPL, but I suspect some on here might be interested. A nice way to ease into the off season rather than "cold turkey"

The "USA Hockey" National Championships for girls is at the Super Rink in Blaine this year and starts next Thursday. New this year is that teams from the Elite Girl's Fall League are able to compete. Shattuck Prep and Elite Black qualified last fall for the 19U division, and Elite White and Elite Red have been added as "at-large" teams. In the 16U division Shattuck 16U and Elite Gray qualified in the fall and Elite Sky Blue is an "at-large" addition.

Gopher recruits involved: Patti Marshall (Shattuck Prep), Alex Woken (Shattuck Prep), Kippin Keller (Elite Black), Katie Robinson (Elite Red), Emily Brown (Elite White), Taylor Wente (Elite White), Grace Zumwinkle (Elite White), Crystalyn Hengler (Elite White), Emily Oden (Elite White), Catie Skaja (Elite White), Gracie Ostertag (Shattuck 16U) and Taylor Heise (Elite Sky Blue)

19U Schedule, 16U Schedule, 14U Schedule

 

[Arafel]

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

So it's all about numbers? I don't have a quibble with any of the choices though. Well, I would have put Lee Stecklein on the 1st team for sure.

Partly. It can also be team value. I think Koelzer is more important to Princeton than Stecklein to Minnesota.

Just so you know, the first team always always starts with the Patty Kaz trio, and then we build it from there, just like the men's team starts with the Hobey troika.

 

[ManBehindTheCurtain]

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

Partly. It can also be team value. I think Koelzer is more important to Princeton than Stecklein to Minnesota.

Well.

I don't know if you had an opportunity to view the Minnesota v. Princeton quarter-final. And I don't know if you saw it live or on video-stream. I have Gopher season tickets, I had a really good seat to view these two teams and these two players live.

Koelzer impressed me as a very good player, clearly Princeton's best.

More important to Princeton than Stecklein to Minnesota? The person who sits next to me at Gopher games remarked once this season that Lee Stecklein's work was never done.

In actual game play that boils down to that each and every thing that Koelzer did for Princeton, Stecklein was also doing for Minnesota. First out defenseman. First PK, first PP, always the first of the top set of D to take shifts with the 5th D when the rotation expanded beyond 4 defenders. They both did the same things for their teams.

The separation between Stecklein and Koelzer should then be who is the better player. For a non western bias view of this please observe the 2014 USA Olympic roster and check back again after the 2018 team is named.

I accept that naming post season all-something or another teams is a thankless task but if I nominate Lee Stecklein for non-goaler defensive player of the year I bet she gets more votes than Kelsey Koelzer. Just sayin'.

 

[ARM]

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

The separation between Stecklein and Koelzer should then be who is the better player.

If I could just pick the people who I think are the best players, I'd wind up with a different team. When doing awards, you have to also look at who had the best season. If we're just looking at who do I think is the best defenseman or who would I pick first if I wanted to build a winning team, then I think you know who I'd pick.

And for the record, I don't agree with the assertion that Candace made that Koelzer is more important to Princeton. No slight to Koelzer, because I thought she was great a year ago and even greater this year. But Stecklein's importance to Minnesota can't be overstated. If left to my own preferences, I'd have a team with a bunch of D like her, Bilic, Krzyzaniak, Roesler, and Fast.

 

[KTDC]

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

1 PM today, a week late but what the heck, I'm in!

A nice prelude to Easter dinner.

 

[brookyone]

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

1 PM today, a week late but what the heck, I'm in!

A nice prelude to Easter dinner.

I'm in as well. Ya know, I'm still very surprised the cowardly Gophers didn't quietly hightail it out of town and sneak back home once BC won their semi.

 

[5mn_Major]

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

The separation between Stecklein and Koelzer should then be who is the better player.

Yep. If you take the 'more important player to its team' logical conclusion, you often not have the best players in the country on the team. There are many of the best players in the country on a UW, MN or BC team. You take one away and they'll still win.

 

[brookyone]

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

http://www.letsplayhockey.com/images/pdf/1184cover.pdf