What's new
USCHO Fan Forum

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

  • The USCHO Fan Forum has migrated to a new plaform, xenForo. Most of the function of the forum should work in familiar ways. Please note that you can switch between light and dark modes by clicking on the gear icon in the upper right of the main menu bar. We are hoping that this new platform will prove to be faster and more reliable. Please feel free to explore its features.

Minnesota Women's Hockey 2025-26

Neither were the refs…same as Friday, terrible. Btw, Hemp wasn’t off…2/3 were great shots, first goal on her was a deflection. SC had to put in #2 goalie cold after #1 was taken out by an out of control Minnesota player or that game wasn’t going Minnesotas way.
They all were deflections. The first Laitinen got her stick in the way, the second hit Graham and then bounced off the St. Cloud player's skate, the third was a great tip. (Credit to SCSU's video quality, some of the best I've seen.) Minnesota was the better team in that game.

I still would feel a little more comfortable if 56 got both games against OSU (unless the first game goes completely awry) because the Gophers right now are in "prove it" mode and I think they need to play the teams ahead of them with their best possible lineup.
 
They all were deflections. The first Laitinen got her stick in the way, the second hit Graham and then bounced off the St. Cloud player's skate, the third was a great tip. (Credit to SCSU's video quality, some of the best I've seen.) Minnesota was the better team in that game.

I still would feel a little more comfortable if 56 got both games against OSU (unless the first game goes completely awry) because the Gophers right now are in "prove it" mode and I think they need to play the teams ahead of them with their best possible lineup.
St Cloud's Husky production crew does excellent professional quality work. They often broadcast both Men's and Women's games on the Fox 9 affiliate station and spoil us with some "free" hockey.
 
SC had to put in #2 goalie cold after #1 was taken out by an out of control Minnesota player...
Not how I saw that play. The UM forward was attempting to cut to the front of the net, and the SCSU D made contact to prevent that. The Gopher was able to get to the outside of the post so the contact wasn't as severe as if she'd skated right into her. I realize that the goalie is concentrating on keeping the puck out and got the worst of the contact, but much of the momentum toward the crease was coming from the defender. If I'm a Husky fan, I'm going to think that enough wasn't done to protect my goalie on the play, but I believe that the officials saw the play much as I did.

As for the UM goalie switch, I thought that if you're going to make a change, during intermission was the time to make it. The third goal allowed looked a little squirrely in that she seemed late coming across and not ready for the shot. I didn't see a tip on it, but if someone else did, I will yield to better eyesight. In any case, Hemp's level of not being ready for the shot wasn't at the same level as on UM's 4th goal, where Chobak was caught in between on a spin-around shot.
 
It could be as simple as she didn't want to have to 'compete' with her mother's career at Minn, Or even more simply, she grew up in/around the Cities, and wanted to experience a slice of life 'somewhere else'. Think of the Kessels growing up in Madison but going to school at Minnesota.

She was interested in the U of M, she chose U of W. As someone pointed out last week with steck/brandt/pannek, home town kids used to dream of wearing the maroon and gold.

The men's and women's programs did pretty well when their rosters were filled with MN kids btw.
 
Not how I saw that play. The UM forward was attempting to cut to the front of the net, and the SCSU D made contact to prevent that. The Gopher was able to get to the outside of the post so the contact wasn't as severe as if she'd skated right into her. I realize that the goalie is concentrating on keeping the puck out and got the worst of the contact, but much of the momentum toward the crease was coming from the defender. If I'm a Husky fan, I'm going to think that enough wasn't done to protect my goalie on the play, but I believe that the officials saw the play much as I did.

As for the UM goalie switch, I thought that if you're going to make a change, during intermission was the time to make it. The third goal allowed looked a little squirrely in that she seemed late coming across and not ready for the shot. I didn't see a tip on it, but if someone else did, I will yield to better eyesight. In any case, Hemp's level of not being ready for the shot wasn't at the same level as on UM's 4th goal, where Chobak was caught in between on a spin-around shot.
Yeah that's on me I rewatched the third goal on Twitter and it wasn't tipped, Hemp slid over late and got too little of a piece of it. The skater in front missed the tip.

Second goal was how I described it though.
 
According to Kennedy, Adrianna Milani will join the Gophers next year, joining Primerano as recent Gopher recruits to come in a year early.
There may have been others over the years, but I've forgotten much of what I used to know. Darwitz didn't play HS hockey after her sophomore year, as she was centralized with Team USA, but she started college in what was her normal class. Maybe the existence of the PWHL will accelerate the process for more of those who are ready scholastically and athletically.
 
It's nice that folks who aren't tunneler fans are worried about the development of a tunneler recruit. Thank you for your sharing and caring.
In professional sports we've all seen players with huge potential get called up early and then never realize their potential because physically and/or mentally they were not ready and they never recover.
 
Milani is undersized especially by the standards of who the Snowman usually recruits. But this seems to be a player-driven decision, especially with the announcement coming this early. She must feel she'll have outgrown the OWHL and needs the next challenge. Plus there is Canada's historic limited trust in young players (compared to the US, where she is also a citizen) and maybe she feels that making the step up early will impress the HC brass—and will get her to the pros a year sooner.

8 was physically and mentally ready and had a great statistical freshman season but still went through some growing pains, particularly against Wisconsin. In year 2 she's the Gophers' most complete blueliner but they're going to have to play a lot of games without her because of national team duties.
 
By and large, I think that female athletes are more likely to be ready both physically and mentally at the same age than their male counterparts. Going to the Olympics at 16 didn't destroy a Sydney McLaughlin or numerous gymnasts and figure skaters on the women's side. In the pros, it's often the huge dollars before they are ready that has damaged many a male athlete.
 
I know I've seen plenty of badger men's hockey players leave early and then never reach their full professional potential other than maybe getting some fourth wine action in the NHL or wallowing in the AHL for 10 years.
 
Back
Top