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

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

DHP said:
For some reason I just have a feeling the Gophers will tie Friday's game, get beat in the shoot out 1-0, and clobber tUMD on Saturday afternoon.
Click to expand...

You clearly haven't seen us in a shootout this year...
 
Re: North Star College Cup - MN, UMD, MSU, SCSU

Heading to Mancini's for the Blue Line Club luncheon tomorrow. For anyone here doing the same, I learned that they unfortunately will not be operating their bus to and from, like they do for the State High School Tourney...kind of surprising and a little disappointing.
 
Re: North Star College Cup - MN, UMD, MSU, SCSU

By all accounts, the SCSU Huskies may prove to be THE toughest opponent the Gophers have faced all season. Although there are significant pairwise implications, forget about the polls, poles, pohls, etc., as this reignited rivalry for MN college hockey supremacy will most likely be a full on ‘balls to the walls” clash at high speed and arguably the most entertaining college hockey matchup in the nation on Friday night. SCSU has been in a little bit of a funk lately and are 4-3-3 in their last 10 games, while the Gophers will step on the ice with an 8-0-2 record over the last 10, but with some very key players (i.e. Fasching, Cammarata, Rau and Condon) experiencing midseason scoring struggles of their own.

These are two very evenly matched teams with similar “racehorse” style offensive systems that rely on a speed game, crisp passing, lots of SOG, a mix of shutdown and offensive D, as well as solid goaltending. Their AWAY records reflect only one loss for each team (SCSU/9-1, Gophers/6-1-1) and both teams tend to put lots of shots on net with the Gophers being outshot only 4X/22 games (3-1) and SCSU 5X/20 games (3-0-2).

With teams this evenly matched, lineups often become critical decisions on the way to a W. Motzko frequently mixes up the lines, and with Benik out it’s difficult to say what the SCSU lines might look like at gametime, but I suspect we’ll see the same lines as last game for the Gophers. SCSU will need some of their key players such as Murray, Morley, Dowd and Brodzinski to be in top form, who have combined for 21 goals over the last 10 games. The Gophers will rely on scoring by committee supported by the most productive freshman class in college hockey with upperclassmen Sam Warning and Seth Ambroz leading the way with 10 Gs each.

I expect both teams to come out of the gate flying and this game will come down to which team wins puck battles down low and in front of the net. IMO 4 keys for a Gopher W will be keeping turnovers down, going hard to the net, getting the early lead and staying out of penalty trouble. The SCSU PP has been fairly good this season (21.6%), while the Gopher PP has been inept at times (16.5%), but has shown some life lately. Both Faragher (2.28 GAA) and Wilcox (2.02 GAA) have generally been solid all season and I expect both goalies to be severely tested by each team’s brand of high octane offense. I’ve got this tilt at nearly dead even. But if SCSU shows up with their A game, I tend to think the Gophers will suffer their 3rd loss of the season. Go Gophers! RAH! :)

SCSU lines in practice this week:

Murray-Dowd-Bertsch
Thorson-Kossila-Brodzinski
Papa-Morley-Tedesco
Oliver-Rehkamp-Holka
Belisle-MIlan

D
Prochno-Prow
Gravel-Daly
Nevalainen-Storm
Burrell

Gopher lines last week:

Cammarata-Rau-Fasching
Warning-Kloos-Condon
Serratore-Boyd-Ambroz
Reilly-Lettieri-Isackson

D
Skjei-Holl
Reilly-Brodzinski
Bischoff-Marshall
 
Re: North Star College Cup - MN, UMD, MSU, SCSU

D2D said:
Heading to Mancini's for the Blue Line Club luncheon tomorrow. For anyone here doing the same, I learned that they unfortunately will not be operating their bus to and from, like they do for the State High School Tourney...kind of surprising and a little disappointing.
Click to expand...

I wanted to go, but I have meetings all day. :( Half hour lunch break won't get me to Mancini's and back far less through the luncheon.
 
Re: North Star College Cup - MN, UMD, MSU, SCSU

HarleyMC said:
By all accounts, the SCSU Huskies may prove to be THE toughest opponent the Gophers have faced all season. Although there are significant pairwise implications, forget about the polls, poles, pohls, etc., as this reignited rivalry for MN college hockey supremacy will most likely be a full on ‘balls to the walls” clash at high speed and arguably the most entertaining college hockey matchup in the nation on Friday night. SCSU has been in a little bit of a funk lately and are 4-3-3 in their last 10 games, while the Gophers will step on the ice with an 8-0-2 record over the last 10, but with some very key players (i.e. Fasching, Cammarata, Rau and Condon) experiencing midseason scoring struggles of their own.

These are two very evenly matched teams with similar “racehorse” style offensive systems that rely on a speed game, crisp passing, lots of SOG, a mix of shutdown and offensive D, as well as solid goaltending. Their AWAY records reflect only one loss for each team (SCSU/9-1, Gophers/6-1-1) and both teams tend to put lots of shots on net with the Gophers being outshot only 4X/22 games (3-1) and SCSU 5X/20 games (3-0-2).

With teams this evenly matched, lineups often become critical decisions on the way to a W. Motzko frequently mixes up the lines, and with Benik out it’s difficult to say what the SCSU lines might look like at gametime, but I suspect we’ll see the same lines as last game for the Gophers. SCSU will need some of their key players such as Murray, Morley, Dowd and Brodzinski to be in top form, who have combined for 21 goals over the last 10 games. The Gophers will rely on scoring by committee supported by the most productive freshman class in college hockey with upperclassmen Sam Warning and Seth Ambroz leading the way with 10 Gs each.

I expect both teams to come out of the gate flying and this game will come down to which team wins puck battles down low and in front of the net. IMO 4 keys for a Gopher W will be keeping turnovers down, going hard to the net, getting the early lead and staying out of penalty trouble. The SCSU PP has been fairly good this season (21.6%), while the Gopher PP has been inept at times (16.5%), but has shown some life lately. Both Faragher (2.28 GAA) and Wilcox (2.02 GAA) have generally been solid all season and I expect both goalies to be severely tested by each team’s brand of high octane offense. I’ve got this tilt at nearly dead even. But if SCSU shows up with their A game, I tend to think the Gophers will suffer their 3rd loss of the season. Go Gophers! RAH! :)
Click to expand...

tSandbagging
 
Re: North Star College Cup - MN, UMD, MSU, SCSU

D2D said:
Heading to Mancini's for the Blue Line Club luncheon tomorrow. For anyone here doing the same, I learned that they unfortunately will not be operating their bus to and from, like they do for the State High School Tourney...kind of surprising and a little disappointing.
Click to expand...
A bit annoying, but I'll just drive down to the X and park as soon as the lunch is done, then bar hop til 3:45 or so :D
 
Re: North Star College Cup - MN, UMD, MSU, SCSU

Slow day at work.... Worked this up manually

All-Time Records at the X

Minnesota 19-12
UMD 9-6
SCSU 5-10
Minnesota St. 0-5
 
Re: North Star College Cup - MN, UMD, MSU, SCSU

Weekend preview from Gophersports

The No. 1 University of Minnesota men's hockey team returns to action with the inaugural North Star College Cup this weekend at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn. Four of Minnesota's five Division I hockey programs will compete for in-state bragging rights at the event with Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota State and No. 5 St. Cloud State joining the Gophers.

The Bulldogs and Mavericks open things up at 4:10 p.m. CT on Friday followed by a top-five meeting between the Gophers and Huskies. The consolation game for the North Star College Cup is slated for 4:10 p.m. on Saturday followed by the championship game at 7:10 p.m. All four games will be broadcast on FOX Sports North.

About the North Star College Cup

The North Star College Cup came to fruition on March 23, 2013 when Minnesota's five Division I men's hockey programs announced their intentions to maintain in-state rivalries despite a split in conference alignments. While all five programs previously competed in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, 2013-14 marks the first season in which the Gophers compete in the Big Ten Conference while St. Cloud State and Minnesota Duluth have moved to the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.

Minnesota State and Bemidji State continue to compete in the WCHA. The changing landscape of college hockey provided the impetus for non-conference rivalries between the five programs, and the North Star College Cup ensures those rivalries will remain intact. The University of Minnesota will serve as the event's permanent host with three of the other four institutions participating on a rotating basis over an initial four-year schedule.
Click to expand...

http://www.gophersports.com/sports/m-hockey/spec-rel/012214aac.html
 
Re: North Star College Cup - MN, UMD, MSU, SCSU

5mn_Major said:
I can't imagine the gophs win this. We've had a softer schedule, haven't put in too many dominating performances recently and unlike teams like OSU, MN rivals get up for the gophers anywhere they play them.
Click to expand...
Plus, opening up against a team from the mighty NCHC......it pretty much spells doom for the Gophers.

Cloud win 52 to -12
 
Re: North Star College Cup - MN, UMD, MSU, SCSU

pgrass01 said:
Slow day at work.... Worked this up manually

All-Time Records at the X

Minnesota 19-12
UMD 9-6
SCSU 5-10
Minnesota St. 0-5
Click to expand...

Great stat. Didn't know our record there was that good. Makes some sense though. Although if you take away the 2009 Final Five and the 2011 national title game they are below .500 in the building. Plenty of one and dones in there that explain that.
 
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Re: North Star College Cup - MN, UMD, MSU, SCSU

Game Day *****es!
Safe travels everyone.
 
Re: North Star College Cup - MN, UMD, MSU, SCSU

SCSU just isn't a top 3 team. Without Benik they're in even worse shape. Their biggest weakness is their goalie. Faragher just hasn't been that good this year, but aside from last weekend he hasn't been exposed. Faragher has faced the 3rd and 18th best offenses and went 1-2-1 and has been posting 2.28. Wilcox, for comparison, has faced the 1st, 4th, 5th and 11th best offenses and has posted a 2.02. Faragher will get lit up and the Gophs win 4-2.
 
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Re: North Star College Cup - MN, UMD, MSU, SCSU

Faragher has struggled a little lately, but to say he hasn't been good this year is just plain wrong.
But then when it comes to your "analysis" of us, wrong is what you usually are.
 
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