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Wisconsin-Minnesota Border Battle

Re: Wisconsin-Minnesota Border Battle

In the national semifinal, Frost had the Brandt line against the Badgers' top line and Pankowski and Clark were owning their matchup and dominating faceoffs. Frost made a switch and it was a huge change in the game.

Both teams play a possession game, though it's more a deliberate strategy for Wisconsin, whereas it's more that Minnesota has the puck a lot because they're better than most of their opponents, not that it's a specific strategy (does that makes sense?)

Wisconsin has to keep control of the puck to successfully implement their game plan. They struggled with that at times against Dartmouth last week.

Special teams are going to be a big factor - UW's PP hasn't been anything to write home about, but as mentioned above. Minny is making other teams' PP units look especially good.

Another "intangible" will be which Amanda Leveille shows up. She's had some wobbles this season - usually she has Stecklein et al to help in that regard, but this is by far the most attackable that defense has looked in a few years. Additionally, Leveille has a tendency to leave rebounds hanging out in front of the net. Once again, the size of Stecklein and their D tends to help control that area and not allow teams to pounce. But if UW can find a way to break through, there's a lot of chances to be had.
 
Re: Wisconsin-Minnesota Border Battle

tristarscoop said:
In the national semifinal, Frost had the Brandt line against the Badgers' top line and Pankowski and Clark were owning their matchup and dominating faceoffs. Frost made a switch and it was a huge change in the game.
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Don't think that's true. From the recap of the semi:

Clark dominated faceoffs through the first period and a half. She won the first eight straight against Minnesota’s Kelly Pannek. (Remember Pannek was a freshman...she's on a different level this year). From there, Minnesota coach Brad Frost adjusted his lines, putting his No. 1 against Wisconsin’s No. 2 when there was a draw in the Gophers’ defensive end.

“[We had a slow start because] we had some matchups that we wanted, line-wise, early on and they weren’t working,” Frost said. “Starting in the second period, once we put Hannah [Brandt]‘s line on the Clark-Pankowski line, the tide turned a little bit.”

“Similar to our game last Saturday, when you’re playing against world class athletes, at the end of the game you don’t want to see them on the score sheet,” said Johnson. “It just seems like the past two years, Hannah always seems to play a strong game against us. Rachel Ramsey plays a strong game against us. Cameranesi plays a strong game against us. Their elite players, their go-to players, seem to come up big in the big moments. When they needed a boost in today’s game, Hannah stepped up and scored then she set up a couple of more plays.

“That’s why she’s so special.”
 
Teams are very close from a talent perspective. It will come down to goaltending and based on performance so far this year, I would have to give the edge to the Badgers.
 
Re: Wisconsin-Minnesota Border Battle

MSU put their top line on Brandt's line every chance they got in the 2nd game last weekend. Obviously, you can't stop that line, but you can make it more difficult for them. UW has the change and should match against them with their best line. UW has depth and ARD is playing great. I see UW with a slight edge in Madison.
 
Re: Wisconsin-Minnesota Border Battle

brookyone said:
http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_29198487/womens-hockey-complexion-border-battle-shifting

Go Gophers!
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Frankly the first part of that article is comical. Yeah, Minnesota has a lot of Minnesota-born players being the premier program in Minnesota. When the state of Wisconsin doesn't put out a lot of upper tier players, where are they supposed to go? Plus (as the article did point out), many of Minnesota's top players over the years have been out-of-state and out-of-country.

Wisconsin has several more Minnesotans in the recruiting pipeline (much more than recent classes), but that will probably be spun as the Badgers need the help of Minnesota to win. Look, it's great when Wisconsin has top end Wisconsin-born players (Decker, Rigsby, Vetter, Zaugg to name a few), but they will probably never have a roster made up from majority Wisconsin players. This year, two of the captains are from upstate New York and one from Ontario. Doesn't bother me at all.

ON WISCONSIN!
 
Re: Wisconsin-Minnesota Border Battle

Badger Booster said:
Frankly the first part of that article is comical. Yeah, Minnesota has a lot of Minnesota-born players being the premier program in Minnesota. When the state of Wisconsin doesn't put out a lot of upper tier players, where are they supposed to go? Plus (as the article did point out), many of Minnesota's top players over the years have been out-of-state and out-of-country.

Wisconsin has several more Minnesotans in the recruiting pipeline (much more than recent classes), but that will probably be spun as the Badgers need the help of Minnesota to win. Look, it's great when Wisconsin has top end Wisconsin-born players (Decker, Rigsby, Vetter, Zaugg to name a few), but they will probably never have a roster made up from majority Wisconsin players. This year, two of the captains are from upstate New York and one from Ontario. Doesn't bother me at all.

ON WISCONSIN!
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I don't know why you give it a second thought. Its the structure of upper Midwest college hockey. Minnesota recruits primarily Minnesotans and hopes other great talent comes here. Nearby competitors recruit Canadians and Minnesotans. And MN's competitors frequently have the upper hand. Not so much here, not so much now. But I was hoping it did bother you. :)
 
Re: Wisconsin-Minnesota Border Battle

5mn_Major said:
I don't know why you give it a second thought. Its the structure of upper Midwest college hockey. Minnesota recruits primarily Minnesotans and hopes other great talent comes here. Nearby competitors recruit Canadians and Minnesotans. And MN's competitors frequently have the upper hand. Not so much here, not so much now. But I was hoping it did bother you. :)
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"...hopes other great talent comes here." Yeah, like it's a complete dice roll and random when Minnesota gets top end talent from out-of-state/out-of-country. That's funny.

Mainly my issue with the first part of the article was it portrayed Minnesota's recruiting strategy as more pure than Wisconsin. As if Wisconsin is shunning in-state players to recruit nationally as if there is any other choice to compete for national titles.

That and a late week root canal during Minnesota week has made me more surly going into this weekend.
 
Re: Wisconsin-Minnesota Border Battle

Little surprised that the series isn't sold out yet. Not that there is a ton of fan crossover, but there is no doubt that there some fans that will instead be going to the Badger volleyball NCAA tournament game tonight. Walk-up should easily make it a sell-out, but they have sold out games against Minnesota, UMD and North Dakota prior to game days in the past.
 
Re: Wisconsin-Minnesota Border Battle

Badger Booster said:
Little surprised that the series isn't sold out yet. Not that there is a ton of fan crossover, but there is no doubt that there some fans that will instead be going to the Badger volleyball NCAA tournament game tonight. Walk-up should easily make it a sell-out, but they have sold out games against Minnesota, UMD and North Dakota prior to game days in the past.
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it wasn't sold out as of 9 this morning, I got mine the old fashioned way, walked up to the ticket office
nobody else was there buying hockey tickets, several were buying volleyball and football

Leather helmet said:
I recall the Terry line used to be on the ice a lot when the other team's top line was out there. To me, that is a checking line. If they can also score, so much the better.
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in women's hockey, the best defense is a line that can keep it at the other end, or get it their quickly
her JR year she had Bona & Kortum for the 2nd half of the season, very stingy
 
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Re: Wisconsin-Minnesota Border Battle

pokechecker said:
it wasn't sold out as of 9 this morning, I got mine the old fashioned way, walked up to the ticket office
nobody else was there buying hockey tickets, several were buying volleyball and football
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Good strategy, as it gets to be a log jam at the two entrances prior to the game (plus saving on service fees). Be wary of getting in the wrong line. I've seen people with tickets stand in the will-call line or line to buy tickets. If tickets are in hand, just get through to the people scanning tickets right away.
 
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Re: Wisconsin-Minnesota Border Battle

Badger Booster said:
but there is no doubt that there some fans that will instead be going to the Badger volleyball NCAA tournament game tonight.
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That sucks. I wonder if wiscdc is going to vb or hockey? I am SO freaking stoked for tonight!!!!!!!!!!

Let's go RED!
 
Re: Wisconsin-Minnesota Border Battle

Timothy A said:
That sucks. I wonder if wiscdc is going to vb or hockey? I am SO freaking stoked for tonight!!!!!!!!!!

Let's go RED!
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My plan is to be at hockey with a radio (and earbuds) listening to VB, and then running - literally, 3/4th a mile - to the Field House, I hope to catch the end of the third set and whatever may follow that. (OT at hockey would not make me happy).

And if it were anybody other that Minn, I'd probably be at VB.

Saturday 3 PM and Sunday 3PM for hockey would have fit nicely, wouldn't it? No Packer game to conflict with, and no Minn VB conflict either - they are the #2 overall seed in the tournament and play their first round match at 6:30 PM tonight. Who's in charge of the scheduling around here, anyways??
 
Re: Wisconsin-Minnesota Border Battle

robertearle said:
My plan is to be at hockey with a radio (and earbuds) listening to VB, and then running - literally, 3/4th a mile - to the Field House, I hope to catch the end of the third set and whatever may follow that. (OT at hockey would not make me happy).
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That's an ambitious plan. Yeah, it's not a short jaunt to the Fieldhouse (I would have guessed a mile). Your worst-case scenario (timing-wise at least) would be a penalty-filled game that goes to a shoot-out along with some issues with the ice.

I totally understand those Badger fans that are more sport-neutral going to volleyball. The volleyball game is for the Sweet 16 and the last game in Madison no matter what for the season. As big as the hockey game is tonight, there is a game tomorrow that's just as important.
 
Re: Wisconsin-Minnesota Border Battle

Badger Booster said:
That's an ambitious plan.
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Last year the second round on NCAA VB fell on a day when there was womens hockey in the afternoon and mens hockey at night. I already had tickets to do the hockey 'double header' when the day and time were announced for VB. But VB was early enough that I figured if they swept in three sets, I might be able to hustle the other direction down Dayton and get to men's hockey for the puck being dropped to start the second period.

VB did sweep, and I made the second period faceoff with seconds to spare. Triple-header! (Women beat North Dakota in overtime, men lost to Penn State)
 
Re: Wisconsin-Minnesota Border Battle

robertearle said:
Last year the second round on NCAA VB fell on a day when there was womens hockey in the afternoon and mens hockey at night. I already had tickets to do the hockey 'double header' when the day and time were announced for VB. But VB was early enough that I figured if they swept in three sets, I might be able to hustle the other direction down Dayton and get to men's hockey for the puck being dropped to start the second period.

VB did sweep, and I made the second period faceoff with seconds to spare. Triple-header! (Women beat North Dakota in overtime, men lost to Penn State)
Click to expand...

That's a nice day for Badger sports. Leave it to men's hockey not to hold up their end of the bargain.
 
Re: Wisconsin-Minnesota Border Battle

Almost time to DROP THE PUCK!

And, as Badger Bob famously said, "It's a great day for hockey, even if we lose." :D
 
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