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NCAA Semifinal & Border Battle Supreme: Minnesota vs. Wisconsin

brookyone

brookyone

Deport Right Wing Nuts
http://www.twincities.com/gophers/ci_27715012/gophers-womens-hockey-minnesota-wisconsin-meet-again

I thought Wisconsin played very well in their NCAA q'final vs. BU. Not all that unprecedented for UW...they appear to be peaking at the right time. Pankowski was particularly impressive but Johnson can clearly put three very good lines on the ice. Probably the best effort I've witnessed by Ann-Renée Desbiens as well.

Obviously there will be no surprises in this semi. Always great games each team gets up for. Guaranteed Wisconsin will come out blazing and both teams will attempt to set the tone early.

Should be a treat for all in attendance.
 
Re: NCAA Semifinal & Border Battle Supreme: Minnesota vs. Wisconsin

I agree, UW is firing on all cylinders right now. I wish I could have watched the rodent tilt with RIT just to get a feel for how they dealt with them. They way they handled BU's top line makes me feel confident they can bottle up UM's big guns, but BU is not UM talent-wise. I so wish I could be able to get to Ridder Friday, but it's just not goint to work. I'm laying the foundation for a bonzi Sunday run to Ritter once I can confirm my plans late Friday night. Should be a classic battle for the ages.
 
Re: NCAA Semifinal & Border Battle Supreme: Minnesota vs. Wisconsin

Timothy A said:
I agree, UW is firing on all cylinders right now. I wish I could have watched the rodent tilt with RIT just to get a feel for how they dealt with them. They way they handled BU's top line makes me feel confident they can bottle up UM's big guns, but BU is not UM talent-wise. I so wish I could be able to get to Ridder Friday, but it's just not goint to work. I'm laying the foundation for a bonzi Sunday run to Ritter once I can confirm my plans late Friday night. Should be a classic battle for the ages.
Click to expand...
Also wanted to mention, Nurse, Sylvester, Clark, Turnbull, in the WCHA tournament and yesterday's quarterfinal, all playing very well right now too. Pankowski though starting to look like the difference maker she was always expected to be. Going to take a complete game with absolute minimum mistakes to come out on top in this one.

Wisconsin is very good at creating traffic / mayhem around the net and cashing in. Hope the Gophers can keep the house clean.

I find myself wishing Lee Stecklein could play 60 minutes.
 
Re: NCAA Semifinal & Border Battle Supreme: Minnesota vs. Wisconsin

brookyone said:
Should be a treat for all in attendance.
Click to expand...

Absolutely! Some of the best hockey games I have seen have been between these two teams over the last 6-8 years. Should be a barn burner & tons of fun.

Remember a couple of weeks ago the wailing from the popcorn skunks about the team not playing up to ability? Yeah, that all went away that last two weeks & all is right in their world. Its not just MN fans that are spoiled!
 
Re: NCAA Semifinal & Border Battle Supreme: Minnesota vs. Wisconsin

I am so very happy that this game is first -- I'll be stressed as hell for BC's game but at least I can enjoy this without the risk of possibly already having lost.

Really excited to see UM vs UW in person for the first time!
 
Re: NCAA Semifinal & Border Battle Supreme: Minnesota vs. Wisconsin

I guess Wisconsin didn't get the memo about BU physicality.

Wisconsin might be the team that is playing the best right now of the top four teams.

Minnesota has been Wisconsin's kryptonite the last few years so we will see if Wisco can put an end to that.
 
Re: NCAA Semifinal & Border Battle Supreme: Minnesota vs. Wisconsin

FiveHoleFrenzy said:
Minnesota has been Wisconsin's kryptonite the last few years so we will see if Wisco can put an end to that.
Click to expand...

I think Wisconsin has been Minn's "spinach" the last few years; I watch the Gophers deny UW 'time and space', and just smother them, and I think "how does this team ever get beat?"... and the next week (day) the Gophers struggle with Bemidji or North Dakota (or Clarkson).
 
Re: NCAA Semifinal & Border Battle Supreme: Minnesota vs. Wisconsin

I just crunched the numbers, and the shots on goal in the four regular-season contests were a combined 122-122. But Leveille's save percentage was a ridiculous 0.967 (118 saves).
 
Re: NCAA Semifinal & Border Battle Supreme: Minnesota vs. Wisconsin

FiveHoleFrenzy said:
Minnesota has been Wisconsin's kryptonite the last few years so we will see if Wisco can put an end to that.
Click to expand...

A few years back it was the exact opposite. MN just could not seem to beat WI when it mattered. I assume sometime in the distant future it may go back.
 
Re: NCAA Semifinal & Border Battle Supreme: Minnesota vs. Wisconsin

ne7minder said:
A few years back it was the exact opposite. MN just could not seem to beat WI when it mattered. I assume sometime in the distant future it may go back.
Click to expand...
The pattern has been that the cycle shifts every six years. We're four years into the current cycle.
 
Re: NCAA Semifinal & Border Battle Supreme: Minnesota vs. Wisconsin

ARM said:
The pattern has been that the cycle shifts every six years. We're four years into the current cycle.
Click to expand...

A pattern based on somewhat connected but ever changing substructures is not much of a pattern.
 
Re: NCAA Semifinal & Border Battle Supreme: Minnesota vs. Wisconsin

Timothy A said:
A pattern based on somewhat connected but ever changing substructures is not much of a pattern.
Click to expand...
The problem isn't so much the turnover of the teams but the short duration of the rivalry. It could go 6-6-4-4-2-2 for all I know. And I do realize it is just a coincidence and not based on anything factual (other than the teams going long periods where they mostly win or lose versus each other.)
 
Re: NCAA Semifinal & Border Battle Supreme: Minnesota vs. Wisconsin

brookyone said:
Wisconsin is very good at creating traffic / mayhem around the net and cashing in. Hope the Gophers can keep the house clean.

I find myself wishing Lee Stecklein could play 60 minutes.
Click to expand...

This has been the difference-maker this season. Leveille will give up a bunch of rebounds, but Stecklein and the D are constantly there to clean it up. They have the area around her on lock-down and, especially once UW had the scoring drought, Johnson really emphasized the need for UW to shoot with purpose and not just to score. He wants them to have the pucks on the net so the second and third chances are there, but that's just not something that happens with Stecklein there. UW had a stretch where less than 50% of their shots were on net, so the strategy to refocus the puck has been a good one, but it hasn't been successful against Minny.

I have high hopes for this game - in three of the four games the teams have played this season, Wisconsin looked good and like a team that could win. Obviously, some of the games got out of hand as they went on, but I never thought UW was just totally out-classed. That hasn't been the case in years past (Fill the Bowl last year).
 
Re: NCAA Semifinal & Border Battle Supreme: Minnesota vs. Wisconsin

CrazyDave said:
I just crunched the numbers, and the shots on goal in the four regular-season contests were a combined 122-122. But Leveille's save percentage was a ridiculous 0.967 (118 saves).
Click to expand...

the trend that matters

and last year the shots were 146-144 in favor of WI
Leveille saved 140 of 146 .959%

but shot by period tells a different story:
WI 49-61-36
MN 37-49-58
 
Re: NCAA Semifinal & Border Battle Supreme: Minnesota vs. Wisconsin

ARM said:
The pattern has been that the cycle shifts every six years. We're four years into the current cycle.
Click to expand...

Cycles can and do vary in length, most cycles are 4 to 7 years in duration. That applies to many things, not just hockey.
 
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