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North Star College Cup - MN, UMD, MSU, SCSU

Brenthoven said:
We're not SCSU. They did hang tough for a bit, then apparently we decided to play (honestly no insult intended in that remark). MN was a different team for a good stretch of the game. I wish they could do that all the time. Either way, once we put our foot down, game over.
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This is rich considering Mazzocco, Gorg and Chorske all seemed to say St. Cloud was out playing the Gophers.

The Gophers are probably one of the top 2 teams in the country, have a great goalie and their players have a knack for getting pucks in the net. But to act like they blew the Huskies off the ice tonight is absurd.
 
Re: North Star College Cup - MN, UMD, MSU, SCSU

Tipsy McStagger said:
This is rich considering Mazzocco, Gorg and Chorske all seemed to say St. Cloud was out playing the Gophers.

The Gophers are probably one of the top 2 teams in the country, have a great goalie and their players have a knack for getting pucks in the net. But to act like they blew the Huskies off the ice tonight is absurd.
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Don't get me wrong. If SCSU capitalized on the opportunities tonight...different game. MN decided to actually play to their recruited ability. They held tough enough, and boom scored. The same instance when tUMD beats us. Pesky, takes care of mistakes, etc. ;)
 
Re: North Star College Cup - MN, UMD, MSU, SCSU

HarleyMC said:
Definitely not a pretty W, but the Gophers manage to escape with a 4-1 win tonight and move onto the North Star College Cup Championship game against UMD. Credit the SCSU Huskies who showed one hell of a focused effort tonight at the X. They outplayed the Gophers for most of the game, and won puck battles down low and in front while maintaining a huge SOG advantage all game (39-29). Johnny Brodzinski had a standout game and showed why he’s a stud on ice scoring the Huskies lone goal with some very strong play near the paint. SCSU held the edge in scoring chances all game, but the scoring woes that have plagued the Huskies lately continued tonight as they failed to capitalize and get pucks by Adam Wilcox who was at his stellar best again.

Overall, the Gophers played terrible 5 x 5 hockey, struggled passing the puck, and showed poor puck management committing 7 turnovers in the opening period. But good teams always find a way to win; and Gopher special teams and the extraordinary play of Wilcox were enough to hold off a strong offensive attack all game by SCSU. The Gopher PP has been subpar all season, but tonight the Gopher PP pulled a rabbit out their hat going 2/2 in their best performance to date. I thought the third line of Serratore, Boyd and Ambroz were the best line again for the Gophers. Boyd, a 20 year old junior, always comes ready to give 110% on the ice and opened the scoring with a PPG and his career best 7th goal of the season to give the Gophers the lead. Nate Condon finally got on the scoresheet with the GWG on a wrist shot with traffic in front that got by Faragher. The win extends the Gophers nation leading unbeaten streak to 11 games.

The most telling story for me about this Gopher squad so far this season is there are really no special “go to guys” this year as in previous seasons. Yet I can’t think of a Gopher team in recent history where it seems every game someone or something different (i.e. PP tonight) comes up big to seal a W and that’s the kind of team effort championship teams are made of. Go Gophers! RAH! :)
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Excellent summary, HarleyMC. I was SO disappointed with the Gophers' play in the first period. Honestly, if it wasn't for Wilcox and some puck-luck when the Huskies somehow couldn't convert on several golden opportunities, the Gophers could have easily been down by 3 or 4 goals after one. But credit the Gophers for coming out and playing MUCH better in the 2nd and 3rd. Even then it wasn't always pretty, but they did what they had to do to win.

I do think when the coaches review the tape with the team that this game will prove to be a good teaching tool and a valuable learning lesson. The experience of playing such a quality opponent on an NHL-sized rink should serve them well as they head down the stretch run, into the playoffs and the NCAA's.

Best of luck to St. Cloud the rest of the way, at least until such time should they play the Gophers a second time, possibly in the West Regional?
 
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Re: North Star College Cup - MN, UMD, MSU, SCSU

Gophers have played plenty of games this year where the opposing goaltender was the best player on the ice. Last night Wilcox was needed and Wilcox showed up.
 
Re: North Star College Cup - MN, UMD, MSU, SCSU

I don't see Harley's posts as he's been on ignore for a while, but his post as quoted below is a very apt description of last night's game. I do feel the Gophers' play picked up quite a bit after they started hitting a little in the second.

I'm going to have to watch the recording first, but it sure didn't look to me like Condon's goal was soft as someone described it. Admittedly I was on the other end of the rink from where he scored, but the replay looked like he fired a pretty good shot past a screen.

Overall a fun night with two very well-played games between four very good teams. Excellent start to this tourney.
 
D2D said:
Excellent summary, HarleyMC. I was SO disappointed with the Gophers' play in the first period. Honestly, if it wasn't for Wilcox and some puck-luck when the Huskies somehow couldn't convert on several golden opportunities, the Gophers could have easily been down by 3 or 4 goals after one. But credit the Gophers for coming out and playing MUCH better in the 2nd and 3rd. Even then it wasn't always pretty, but they did what they had to do to win.

I do think when the coaches review the tape with the team that this game will prove to be a good teaching tool and a valuable learning lesson. The experience of playing such a quality opponent on an NHL-sized rink should serve them well as they head down the stretch run, into the playoffs and the NCAA's.

Best of luck to St. Cloud the rest of the way, at least until such time should they play the Gophers a second time, possibly in the West Regional?
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Chorske nailed it. The Gophers came out with the intensity of a team that was trying to beat a team with the skill of PSU or OSU. SCSU is light years above the skill level of those teams and they showed it last night. They anticipated and picked off way too many of the Gopher's outlet passes, and it took the Gophers some time to adjust. SCSU is a great team and this game could have easily gone the other way, but the Gophers got phenomenal goaltending and played some outstanding team defense the second half of the game.
 
Re: North Star College Cup - MN, UMD, MSU, SCSU

It was great to see the resiliency of UMD last night despite some defensive lapses and average to below average goaltending. UMD will jump a bunch of spots in the PWR if they can get the win tonight. I don't have a great feeling about the game tonight especially because UMTC remembers the last time they played...
 
Re: North Star College Cup - MN, UMD, MSU, SCSU

Two things that make this Gopher Hockey team scary good this year is their scoring depth and their back-end. The Gophers are almost always potent offensively, but unlike the past few seasons, they have a wealth of scoring depth. They have 9 players with at least 5 goals, 6 players with at least 7, and 11 players who have double-digit points this season. They are second in the nation in scoring, and this is with a power play that has been less than Gopher like (at just over 16%). Their power play has been heating up (two goals tonight), and if it keeps improving, watch out.

They are also a really, really strong team defensively. That starts with Wilcox, of course. He's been absolutely outstanding this season. But their defensemen (and entire team for that matter) have played very well defensively in front if him as well. You have to go back to Thanksgiving weekend to find a game where the Gophers have given up more than two goals. So unlike years past, they don't need to put up a ton of goals to win.

This d-corps the Gophers have is special. The freshmen have been fantastic, but man are Mike Reilly and Brady Skjei special players. If Reilly stays another year, he could be a very strong Hobey contender.

If the Gopher's 18-2-3 record to start the season wasn't impressive enough, they've done it against the nation's second most difficult schedule. Lots of hockey left to play, and certainly still stuff they need to work on, but this team could end up being very special when all is said and done.
 
Re: North Star College Cup - MN, UMD, MSU, SCSU

Biddco said:
UMD beat MSU-M despite allowing two power play goals, a short handed goal and one of the weakest goals you'll see. Nice! I think
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Give us some credit. You let up "one of the weakest goals you'll ever see," but we let up THE weakest goal you'll ever see. So we have that going for us.
 
Re: North Star College Cup - MN, UMD, MSU, SCSU

The Gophers were outplayed at times, but this wasn't a game in which they looked lazy, weren't hitting and were getting beat to loose pucks for much more than a chunk of the 1st.

Who knows how different the game may have been had SCSU potted a couple early. The Gophers may have folded sure, but more likely they would have responded like they have all season. (8-1-1 when their opponent scores first). Can't aver either way.

SCSU looks good and will be a team you don't want to play in the NCAAs.
 
Slap Shot said:
The Gophers were outplayed at times, but this wasn't a game in which they looked lazy, weren't hitting and were getting beat to loose pucks for much more than a chunk of the 1st.

Who knows how different the game may have been had SCSU potted a couple early. The Gophers may have folded sure, but more likely they would have responded like they have all season. (8-1-1 when their opponent scores first). Can't aver either way.

SCSU looks good and will be a team you don't want to play in the NCAAs.
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I would say the Huskies played harder than the Gophers last night. Not that the Gophers were lazy, the Huskies just played really hard. However, the Gophers passing, puck-handling, defense, goaltending, and execution in general were superior and that's what makes them such a good team.
 
Re: North Star College Cup - MN, UMD, MSU, SCSU

Anyone know how cheap single session tickets might be on the street? I'm thinking about buying a club level ticket on
stubhub but want to know if theres anything cheaper out there.
 
Re: North Star College Cup - MN, UMD, MSU, SCSU

Steve_MN said:
Already working on it :D

Got a window seat to watch the parade and everything.
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Thought about tonight's game, but a previous engagement prevented that. So....I'm going to be drinking and enjoying the.....um...."quiet charms of Delano." Yeah. I'm not even going to be able to watch the game. :(
 
Lady wore Black said:
Make your way towards Reid's awas thereround 1:30. I will buy you a round.
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That might actually be enough to pull me away from my window booth at the Liffey before the parade ;)

EDIT: the other question would be how I find you there... I was there yesterday and there were a ton of Husky fans
 
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Re: North Star College Cup - MN, UMD, MSU, SCSU

Brenthoven said:
Thought about tonight's game, but a previous engagement prevented that. So....I'm going to be drinking and enjoying the.....um...."quiet charms of Delano." Yeah. I'm not even going to be able to watch the game. :(
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I bet Koho's dad will tape it for you. Just put on your blinders when you go to pick it up. Word has it that he doesn't have a good poker face.;)
 
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