Gophers vs Bulldogs

[Team Otter]

Congrats to the 'Dogs. The Gophers should have saved themselves the trip over to the Excel. Embarassing.

Now I'm pulling for the Sioux!

[northernsportman]

same here otter

[cbrooks]

Congratulation to the bulldogs. Minnesota still stands a chance of playing in the regions. One website had the gopher having 25% chance of making the regions.

[solbes]

Boo, pulling for the Sioux?!? Oh well, going to be tough for anyone to beat ND in this tourney. UMD played physical on the boards in the first, fell asleep in the second, and played pretty well in the last 2 minutes again.

With a hot goalie, anyone can win. Stalock was a little lucky in a few instances, but only let in that sharp deflection. Would be nice for the Dogs to win tonight, but their main goal should be to at least split their next two games to get into the NCAA's.

I agree that the Gopher team did not look themselves last night. Stinks that Kangas had the flu; that's not how you want it to go in the playoffs. Still an outside chance they make the tourney.

[IFallsRon]

I've heard the media say for weeks that the next loss could be the last for the UMD coach yet the Minnesota coach seldom gets ripped even though he can choose from the best talent.

[only ice]

Here We Go Bulldogs!! Here We Go!!!

[Splake]

"Stalock was a little lucky in a few instances", I think he had a horseshoe in each back pocket.

[redlake]

I think Stalock was the difference. Luck or not, he made the saves.

[PierBridge]

I guess I don't understand some of the adjectives used to describe the Gophers last night.

We all knew it was going to be an eveningly matched game. UMD I think is just a bit better than us this year and they have proved that on the ice especially of late. You knew it was a first goal wins type of game and when we fell down 2 goals and Duluth went into there 5 man trap it was going to take some luck and effort to get the game tied. It was frustrating no doubt.

I know it seemed like we didn't have the best effort for a while there but lets give the credit to the Dogs. And you certainly can't fault the Gophers for there play in the 3rd period.

Lets face it like we thought going into the year we're just not that good. I hope we don't back into the NCAA's and a more deserving team goes.

That being said Go Bulldogs! "my 2nd fave"

[Splake]

It aint braggin if you do it. Go Dogs. (that still hurts a little)

[PierBridge]

I think Stalock was the difference. Luck or not, he made the saves.

Luck was the only Gopher goal. UMD has allowed 3 goals in the last 3 games all on the road... thats not luck my friends!

Go Dogs!

[fishyguy]

I've heard the media say for weeks that the next loss could be the last for the UMD coach yet the Minnesota coach seldom gets ripped even though he can choose from the best talent.

I guess when you have been to the Final Five semis the previous 10 years, have a few Final Five titles, regular season trophies, and a couple of national titles you build up a little of the forgivness factor. Lucia should take some heat for the season but it would be a little premature to say he is failing. On the other hand, Sandelin has not built up anything that buys him time. At this point, he should be asked to have better teams to keep his job.

[solbes]

Lucia is a good coach. I don't think there's any controversy there. I don't consider him to be failing either, but college hockey has evolved from when he started. He's always been an excellent recruiter, but guys leave really early now for the NHL. Okposo, Johnson, Kessel, Vanek. All awesome talent and they all left after freshmen or sophomore year. Tough to get to the frozen four without these guys developing further. Expectations are high though when you get this much national attention and given the rich Gopher history.

I don't understand why Sandelin is under heat though. He's not a media savy guy, but look at some of his accomplishments: Frozen Four in '03-'04 where he was just a whisker away from the title game. Numerous appearances in F5, developed Hobey winner, possible repeat NCAA appearance this year. Recruiting at UMD is a much tougher effort. But Fontaine, Stalock, Raymond, Garrison, and Niskanen were all his. He's got the same issues as Lucia, e.g. Niskanen and Raymond, who also left as sophomores. If those guys were seniors today they could have just wrapped up a WCHA title.

[fishingMN4eyes]

"Stalock was a little lucky in a few instances", I think he had a horseshoe in each back pocket.

Is this your quote or did a Gopher coach or player say this? Stalock was solid last night and I can only think of one instance where he got lucky. It was in the third period when I forget who it was hit Hoeffel down the middle and the rebound came of to the one side and Hoeffel couldn't quite get there and Stalock got his pad and skates to the pipe just in time. Then there was that one timer late in the game on the PP from Fairchild that the defender got his hand on. That's just great defense, but if the defender doesn't get there in time, that's a goal, I think. Stalock was my biggest fear going into this weekend and he showed why last night. Now I have to go back down there to wtch ugly [PoorWordUsage] sue fans dance around all night. Not to mention there will be a few sconni idiots as well. I'm not sterotyping und and uw fans. It's just that the bad fans stand out and make the rest of them look bad....plus I am stil angry about last night and I need to take it out on someone .

[PierBridge]

Good stuff as always Solbes!

[Bear55]

Nice game by the dogs and Stalock they deserved the win.

The fact is the gophers just aren't that great this year. I still think it might be helpful if they don't make the NCAA's this year, sitting on the couch watching might light a fire under their butts. All too often I think we try and slide by on skill and we don't see that great of an effort from shift to shift. Except maybe Bostrom but he alwasy gives it his all and that could have been his last game as a gopher.

[fishingMN4eyes]

It may light a fire under those who stay for next year. Other guys might just bail and go try it pro. I wouldn't blame them I guess. I understand your point about not making the tournament though. I am still sitting on my West Regional tickets and I don't want to give them up and I don't want Gopher hockey season to be over yet so I have my fingers crossed at the moment. Wisconsin and UMD need to lose today and Wisconsin needs to beat UMD in the Third Place game. A UMD win or a tie combined with an RIT win in the Atlantic Hockey Tournament gets both UMD and Minnesota in.

[crothmeier]

GO ANYONE PLAYING THE GOPHERS!!!!!!!

[IFallsRon]

Mike Guentzel was the recruiter and Lucia sacked him.

[PierBridge]

Actually the Gopher program recruits itself.

I think Lucia has done one of his better coaching jobs this year considering what he had to work with.

I will say the heat will be on T-Don the next 2 years and if things go south then we can talk rationally about him being replaced.

So stay tuned Ifallsron you may get your wish.

[Bear55]

It may light a fire under those who stay for next year. Other guys might just bail and go try it pro. I wouldn't blame them I guess. I understand your point about not making the tournament though. I am still sitting on my West Regional tickets and I don't want to give them up and I don't want Gopher hockey season to be over yet so I have my fingers crossed at the moment. Wisconsin and UMD need to lose today and Wisconsin needs to beat UMD in the Third Place game. A UMD win or a tie combined with an RIT win in the Atlantic Hockey Tournament gets both UMD and Minnesota in.

Part of me wants them to get in too, but even if they do get in I can't see them making any noise, I do hope I am wrong.

[Bear55]

I can't agree with you Ifallsron, we have loads of talented recruits lines up for the next few years.

[fishing tech]

The gophers showed up for 1 period last night. They have the talent but sometimes i think they try to be to fancy. When you are not getting the bounces you need to throw and crash and make the bounces turn your way. They didn't have it last night and haven't had it since Thanksgiving.

[Bear55]

The gophers showed up for 1 period last night. They have the talent but sometimes i think they try to be to fancy. When you are not getting the bounces you need to throw and crash and make the bounces turn your way. They didn't have it last night and haven't had it since Thanksgiving.

Agreed, UMD was in a playoff elimination game last night and the gophers were playing just another game they wanted to win. Watchig the Sioux and Bulldogs tonight, now that looked like a WCHA playoff game.

[Bear55]

Whatever happens whoever takes the play-in-game easily beats the Sioux.

In my best Yoda voice... See the future, I can.

[PierBridge]

I love the double standards in here .. Gophers were horrible, embarrasing, and didn't want to play. But the Sioux who were BLANKED in a game they were heavly favored in ....never mind carry on!

[Bear55]

Good point Pier, we as fans can certainly be too hard on the gophs, myself included. Looking back we were 1 Nico Sachetti open net away from overtime. Or if you take back that bad rebound Kangas gave up on the first goal it a tie game, but its been that kind of year so what do you do.