mnstate0fhockey
New member
I am far too lazy to read back in this thread so I will just post a few thoughts.
I think Gopher fans complaining about the ice conditions is silly. Both teams had to deal with it and sconnie handled it much better than the Gophers did. The number of mishandled passes by Minnesota was far more than sconnie. I wouldn't disagree with anyone who claims that Gopher fans would have complained less if the Gophers had been winning. I think that is totally true. Did ice conditions affect the game? Absolutely. Did it affect the OUTCOME of the game? I'd say not.
It's really too bad more people didn't stick around after the Miami/ND game. The north end of the stadium really cleared out after that first game. It's also too bad the Gophers decided to play like poop until the 3rd period because the atmosphere got noticeably better after the Gophers scored. And that was after quite a few fans left early.
I thought Wilcox sucked. That first goal really set a tone for the game. It's unfortunate because the Gophers really dominated the 3rd.
Overall I thought it was a fun event but the two separate games really took away from the attendance on a single game basis IMO. I'm really glad we went. Our group had a blast, we had seats in the first row of the 300 level and we could see most of the ice. The one complaint I have (which was probably discussed) is shame on the U of M for not sending their band. The other three schools did, why couldn't the U?! I was disappointed and embarrassed when all the fans around us kept asking why the Gophers were the only team that didn't have a band at the event....
I thought the event was a lot of fun too. And I 100% agree with you about not blaming the ice for the loss. Sure, the ice prevented the Gophers from being able to play "their game" more than it did Wisconsin, but the Gophers knew that going into the game and are completely capable of playing a dump and chase, grind it out game.
I thought the Gophers played a strong first period, but didn't control the front of the net as well as they needed to. Rumpel played really well on Sunday and with how well he was seeing the puck, the Gophers weren't going to beat him on the first shot too often.
In the second period I thought the Gophers really got away from their game plan. They stopped getting pucks in deep and were trying to make too many pretty plays. Guys out skating pucks and passes because of the ice and turning the puck over too often. I too thought Wilcox was battling the puck a bit, but credit Wisconsin for getting guys to the net and our defense failing to clear traffic some as well.
Looked like the Gophers really put it together in the 3rd period, but the hole was too deep by that point. Loved the resolve and no quit attitude from the team, but the come back came up short.
As for the complaining about outdoor games, I don't really get it either. My group had a blast at the event. Obviously the Badger fans in my group had a bit more fun than us Gopher fans, but we all had a great time. I'd like to see one in Minnesota.
But to be fair, there have been plenty of Gopher fans on GPL and elsewhere that have been against playing in an outdoor game for years. I understand their concerns about conference points and outdoor ice, and think they are entitled to those opinions. However, I think the entertainment value of these games and the visibility it brings to college hockey and the program outweighs the risk of losing points.
I know some people brought up injuries because of ice conditions as a major concern, and I know Nate Schmidt had an awkward fall during the game, so that is another valid point to consider as well.
Overall though, it was a good game, great atmosphere, and something I'll always remember.
That would have been a really really long march though. Back in the day, I remember Target Center being much farther than I had expected.
