I have to admit that I've been a bit down in the dumps this week, sports-wise, that is. The Gopher hockey team had a chance to get its season back on track with a sweep of an inferior Alaska-Anchorage team and lost a 2-1 game Saturday, one night after throttling UAA with a seven-goal effort. The next day, the Gopher basketball team put up its worst defensive performance in three seasons in a nationally-televised loss at Ohio State to drop their league mark to 4-5. A last-second victory over winless Penn State over the weekend evened the mark at 5-5.
Thank goodness I am no longer a Viking fan, or the discontent would be only that much deeper.
I'd like to think that I am a bit measured when it comes to my local teams. However, I have to admit that I had sky-high expectations for both the Gopher basketball and hockey teams this season, and that my expectations have been completely crushed thus far. There are still two months for both programs to turn things around, but both appear unable to do so. Never can I remember being so thoroughly disappointed with the performance of my winter sports teams than in the winter of 2009-10.
Let's start on the hardwood. Coach Tubby Smith brought the Gophers to the NCAA Tournament in 2009 in his second season on the bench. Although the Gophers lost in the first round of the Big Dance last season, there were plenty of reasons to be optimistic about this season. The Gophers lost just four players off last season's 22-11 team, and neither was a major contributor. Solid players Lawrence Westbrook, Damian Johnson, Paul Carter, and Al Nolen all returned. Freshman contributors Ralph Sampson III, Devoe Joseph, and Colton Iverson were all coming back more experienced and polished, and each had shown signs in 2008-09 of being very good players. Add to the mix, a recruiting class which was nationally-ranked, and many thought the Gophers had an opportunity to finish top-three in the competitive Big Ten with a shot at making a run in the NCAA Tournament. A preseason #18 ranking was thought by many to be a conservative estimate.
Trouble started early for the M&G basketball team. Before the first game, Coach Smith suspended senior Devron Bostick and incoming freshman Royce White for undisclosed violations of team rules. White was the centerpiece of a strong recruiting class who was expected to be a major part of the rotation this season. Also, incoming transfer Trevor Mbakwe was also suspended due to pending legal issues stemming from an assault charge the previous spring in Miami, FL. Mbakwe was the big man of the incoming class who was counted upon to be the bruiser and banger to compliment the athleticism of White, Westbrook, incoming freshman Rodney Williams, and others. Instead, he has yet to suit up for the Gophers. Bostick returned after his suspension, but White's troubles were just beginning.
He was charged and pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge stemming from an alleged theft incident at Macy's at the Mall of America, in which White was charged with getting into a physical altercation with a security guard. As this process was playing out, he was suspected in an apparent theft of a laptop computer in a U of M dorm room. White quit college basketball via a YouTube video, only to be allowed to practice with the team after family members and other advisers intervened on his behalf with Smith. White was charged with misdemeanor trespassing in the laptop theft incident, and just Monday announced he was withdrawing from the U - this time permanently - but has yet to speak with Smith. The roller-coaster involving White has proven to be a distraction for the team all season long.
Despite all the off-the-court shenanigans, the Gophers started the season with some promise. They beat three cupcakes at home before picking up a nice victory against #10 Butler in the 76 Classic holiday tournament. They lost to a red-hot Portland squad one night later in the tourney, and lost a tough consolation game to Texas A&M two nights later. In the ACC/Big Ten Challenge three nights later, the Gophers blew a lead and lost to Miami on the road, making it three consecutive losses for the team in games they should have probably have won. The team righted the ship after that and won its next seven games, including the first two Big Ten outings against Penn State and Iowa to move to 11-3. After a competitive first half, the Gophers were blown out at #4 Purdue, but rebounded with perhaps their best performance of the season against Ohio State a few days later, winning 73-62 and completely shutting down OSU's all-Big Ten player Evan Turner.
At 12-4, the Gophers faced a brutal task of having to play at Michigan State and Ohio State in a two-plus week span, sandwiching games at Indiana, at home vs. Michigan State and Northwestern. The Gophers played MSU tough in East Lansing for parts of the game only to fade at the end to drop to 12-5, and then lost an inexcusable game at Indiana in OT, while neglecting to close out an under-manned Hoosier team. The Gophers then came home to play Michigan State without their starting point guard in the most recent off-the-court issue, as Al Nolen was ruled academically ineligible for spring semester. Still, the Gophers played inspired ball against the Spartans, taking a 13-point lead with seven minutes remaining in the game. The Spartans mounted a furious rally and the Gophers' last-second chance to win went up in smoke with a tough loss. After rebounding from a sluggish start to beat Northwestern, the Gophers failed to show up at Ohio State and were blown out of the gym, thanks to 63% Ohio State shooting and plenty of alley-oops and dunks. Again, a last-second Westbrook shot at Penn State saved the team from further embarrassment.
At 14-8 (5-5 in the conference), the Gophers are faced with having to make a serious run to qualify for the NCAA Tournament; something which looks very unlikely.
On the ice, the problems have been different, but the results have been no less disappointing. The Gophers finished sixth in the competitive WCHA last season, but returned virtually everyone. Talent-wise, many thought this year's Gopher team was better than Coach Don Lucia's NCAA Championship teams of 2002 and 2003. The 2009-10 team featured three NHL first round draft picks (David Fischer, Nick Leddy, Jordan Schroeder), along with two high second round picks (Aaron Ness and Zach Budish). All in all, the Gophers have 20 NHL draftees on their current roster. With an incoming class featuring Leddy and Budish, the Gophers were thought to be adding to an already supremely-talented team which already had holdovers Schroeder, Ness, Cade Fairchild, Jay Barriball, and Alex Kangas in goal.
The problems started early for the Gophers. The team was shut out by North Dakota in its first game 4-0 up in Grand Forks, only to rally for a tie the next night. Returning home to face nationally-ranked Denver, the Gophers were shut out 3-0 on consecutive nights to start the season 0-3-1 in the league, scoring a total of three goals and losing all three games via shutout. The consecutive shutouts at home marked the first time that had occurred in over 60 years.
With pressure intense, the Gophers throttled Alaska-Anchorage at home on October 30, only to lose Leddy in the game to a broken jaw. They swept the Seawolves to move to 2-3-1, but were playing short on the blueline. The week which followed was not good, as Barriball went down with a season-ending knee injury suffered practice. Then, sophomore defenseman San Lofquist quit the team to join the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League, leaving the Gophers with five regular defenseman and forcing walk-on Brian Schack into the lineup. The Gophers split that weekend at Wisconsin, and then split the following weekend at home against Bemidji State. The Sunday night loss to Bemidji started a four-game losing streak which culminated in the Gophers losing in their worst performance in recent history - a 6-0 loss to Michigan. They rebounded to beat Michigan State the next night, but then lost a home game to Minnesota State the following weekend.
Starting with Saturday, December 5's victory at Minnesota State, the Gophers appeared to have righted the ship, launching into a 7-1-2 run which ended with a three-out-of-four point weekend against North Dakota. The following weekend, the Gophers were swept against St. Cloud State, and split last weekend's set at Alaska-Anchorage. In Saturday night's game, the Gophers lost a chance to pass North Dakota in the standings and pretty much relegated themselves to second-division status in the WCHA.
The pucksters are 13-13-2 overall, and just 8-10-2 in the WCHA. The are currently in seventh place in the league, seven points out of fifth place - and the final home ice spot for the WCHA's first round playoffs. They are 36th nationally in goals per game (2.79) and are hanging by a thread in the vaunted PairWise rankings. Despite hosting a regional for the second year in a row, the Gophers appear to be a long-shot to get an NCAA Tournament bid this season.
Which performance is more disappointing is tough to say. Both teams had reasonable lofty expectations going into the season and neither squad has delivered. Both teams have significantly underachieved. Both squads have battled issued beyond their control, with the cagers battling off-the-court academic and legal issues while the pucksters have fought injuries and defections, but good teams move beyond issues.
As indicated earlier, there is still time to prove me wrong, but it looks like we'll have no dogs in the hunt come NCAA Tournament time for both basketball and hockey.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Gopher Hoops Bailed Out in the End
Lawrence Westbrook's deep jumper as time expired allowed the Gophers to escape snowy State College, PA. The senior's 19-foot jumper came just seconds after the Gophers allowed Penn State to tie the score with ten seconds remaining in the game, and the 66-64 win evened Minnesota's Big Ten mark at 5-5.
With Minnesota leading 64-62 with less than 40 seconds remaining in the game, the Gophers inbounded to Westbrook - one of the team's best foul shooters - and the senior stood almost motionless, expecting to be fouled. Instead, Penn State tied-up the basketball, forcing a jump ball and giving the Nittany Lions possession. In Penn State's subsequent possession, a loose ball eventually found its way to Talor Battle, who laid the ball in for a 64-64 tie. Electing not to call time out, the Gophers ran the length of the floor, and Westbrook's shot sealed the win.
Ralph Sampson III and Damian Johnson led the Gophers with 13 points apiece, and Sampson's two blocks in the game's final minute were crucial. He also added 10 boards in another solid effort. Westbrook and Blake Hoffarber each scored 12, with Hoffarber's points all coming courtesy of the three-point basket. The starters (the four listed above plus Devoe Joseph) accounted for 54 of Minnesota's 66 points on the afternoon.
For Penn State, Battle had another solid game, pouring in 20 points. Forward David Jackson added 18. Penn State is now 0-11 in Big Ten play, the worst start since joining the league in 1993.
Minnesota shot 47% from the floor and held Penn State to just 40% shooting.
14-8 Minnesota's next contest is this Thursday at home against Michigan. The Wolverines are struggling again this season at 11-12 and just 4-7 in Big Ten play. This is a game which the Gophers can and must win.
This is a game Minnesota had to win to keep its slim NCAA Tournament hopes alive, but it's unrealistic to believe tournament teams have to go to the buzzer to defeat an 0-11 team - home or road. The Gophers proved once again that closing games out is a huge struggle and are lucky to escape with a victory. Of course, after last Sunday's embarrassment at Ohio State, this team will take a win.
With Minnesota leading 64-62 with less than 40 seconds remaining in the game, the Gophers inbounded to Westbrook - one of the team's best foul shooters - and the senior stood almost motionless, expecting to be fouled. Instead, Penn State tied-up the basketball, forcing a jump ball and giving the Nittany Lions possession. In Penn State's subsequent possession, a loose ball eventually found its way to Talor Battle, who laid the ball in for a 64-64 tie. Electing not to call time out, the Gophers ran the length of the floor, and Westbrook's shot sealed the win.
Ralph Sampson III and Damian Johnson led the Gophers with 13 points apiece, and Sampson's two blocks in the game's final minute were crucial. He also added 10 boards in another solid effort. Westbrook and Blake Hoffarber each scored 12, with Hoffarber's points all coming courtesy of the three-point basket. The starters (the four listed above plus Devoe Joseph) accounted for 54 of Minnesota's 66 points on the afternoon.
For Penn State, Battle had another solid game, pouring in 20 points. Forward David Jackson added 18. Penn State is now 0-11 in Big Ten play, the worst start since joining the league in 1993.
Minnesota shot 47% from the floor and held Penn State to just 40% shooting.
14-8 Minnesota's next contest is this Thursday at home against Michigan. The Wolverines are struggling again this season at 11-12 and just 4-7 in Big Ten play. This is a game which the Gophers can and must win.
This is a game Minnesota had to win to keep its slim NCAA Tournament hopes alive, but it's unrealistic to believe tournament teams have to go to the buzzer to defeat an 0-11 team - home or road. The Gophers proved once again that closing games out is a huge struggle and are lucky to escape with a victory. Of course, after last Sunday's embarrassment at Ohio State, this team will take a win.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Gopher Football Signing Day Misses Top Target, Yet Yields Talent
Look, I absolutely hate college football signing day.
The whole recruiting process sucks to begin with. Coaches fly around the country in pursuit of high school players, woo these kids with smooth talk and prospective exposure, and then talk about how he will be the missing cog in the building of something special or in keeping tradition. Keep in mind, these are 16-18 year-old kids who are still developing and nobody knows how they will end up as students and football players. And, of course, we always hear about how these kids are students first and athletes second.
Despite my hatred of signing day, it is a big deal for many, and sites like scout.com, rivals.com, and Tom Lemming's site have made recruiting serious and sophisticated business. I admit that I had the Gophers live blog of signing day going when I got into my office at 6:30 Wednesday morning.
As expected, the Gophers missed out on their top target, Cretin Derham-Hall behemoth offensive lineman Seantrel Henderson, who committed to USC - but did not sign his letter, waiting until the fallout of the Trojans' potential NCAA violation process. Coach Tim Brewster pursued Henderson aggressively and by all accounts did a good job selling the program to him. However, the Gophers were always a long-shot for a guy who was ranked by Lemming as the top recruit before his sophomore year. That the Gophers were even close at the end is a miracle and should not be used as another strike against Brewster - there are plenty of legitimate ones to cite and this is not one of them.
There were no surprises in the Gophers' class of 2010, which has been viewed by many as Brewster's most critical to date. The Rivals site ranks the Gophers' haul at #50, while Scouts has them checking in at #68. There is little science here; for example, Rivals has Wisconsin at #86 while Scouts has them way up at #33. I guess that's just proof that nobody really knows what the hell they have.
Either way, the Gophers' class is middle-of-the-road in the Big Ten. The big guys (Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, et. al.) are at the top as usual, but Michigan State scored a big coup by getting the conference's only five-star recruit (DE William Gholston) to break into the top division of the Big Ten.
The Gophers' class is solid, if not spectacular, and definitely addresses some acute team needs. Four-star recruits Lamonte Edwards (Woodbury LB) and Jimmy Gjere (Irondale OL) head the class and it's nice to see two of the state's top recruits behind Henderson stay home. Both should have solid careers in the maroon and gold, and one may see Gjere getting some looks come fall. The Gophers signed five offensive linemen, which was a huge disappointment in 2009 and needs immediate improvement this fall. Solid three-star Florida running backs Donnell Kirkwood and Devon Wright also come in highly-touted and should help an experienced core which features juniors DeLeon Eskridge, Duane Bennett, and Shady Salomon.
Perhaps the most intriguing recruit signing Wednesday is 6-7, 342 lb. offensive lineman Johnathan Ragoo of Opalocka, FL. The three-star recruit comes in with a solid reputation and definitely has the size to play at this level.
It was a decent recruiting class for Brewster at first glance. However, the 2003 class which included Brandon Owens, Laurence Maroney, Amir Pinnix, Ernie Wheelright, Tony Brinkhaus, Logan Payne, Desi Steib, and John Shevlin didn't generate a lot of buzz right away, either. Also, WR Paris Hamilton was rated as a four-star recruit that year, and he didn't do much.
Brewster's role will be to coach this group. The sheer measure of this class will be how well they perform at Minnesota, and that part is on Brewster and his staff.
The whole recruiting process sucks to begin with. Coaches fly around the country in pursuit of high school players, woo these kids with smooth talk and prospective exposure, and then talk about how he will be the missing cog in the building of something special or in keeping tradition. Keep in mind, these are 16-18 year-old kids who are still developing and nobody knows how they will end up as students and football players. And, of course, we always hear about how these kids are students first and athletes second.
Despite my hatred of signing day, it is a big deal for many, and sites like scout.com, rivals.com, and Tom Lemming's site have made recruiting serious and sophisticated business. I admit that I had the Gophers live blog of signing day going when I got into my office at 6:30 Wednesday morning.
As expected, the Gophers missed out on their top target, Cretin Derham-Hall behemoth offensive lineman Seantrel Henderson, who committed to USC - but did not sign his letter, waiting until the fallout of the Trojans' potential NCAA violation process. Coach Tim Brewster pursued Henderson aggressively and by all accounts did a good job selling the program to him. However, the Gophers were always a long-shot for a guy who was ranked by Lemming as the top recruit before his sophomore year. That the Gophers were even close at the end is a miracle and should not be used as another strike against Brewster - there are plenty of legitimate ones to cite and this is not one of them.
There were no surprises in the Gophers' class of 2010, which has been viewed by many as Brewster's most critical to date. The Rivals site ranks the Gophers' haul at #50, while Scouts has them checking in at #68. There is little science here; for example, Rivals has Wisconsin at #86 while Scouts has them way up at #33. I guess that's just proof that nobody really knows what the hell they have.
Either way, the Gophers' class is middle-of-the-road in the Big Ten. The big guys (Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, et. al.) are at the top as usual, but Michigan State scored a big coup by getting the conference's only five-star recruit (DE William Gholston) to break into the top division of the Big Ten.
The Gophers' class is solid, if not spectacular, and definitely addresses some acute team needs. Four-star recruits Lamonte Edwards (Woodbury LB) and Jimmy Gjere (Irondale OL) head the class and it's nice to see two of the state's top recruits behind Henderson stay home. Both should have solid careers in the maroon and gold, and one may see Gjere getting some looks come fall. The Gophers signed five offensive linemen, which was a huge disappointment in 2009 and needs immediate improvement this fall. Solid three-star Florida running backs Donnell Kirkwood and Devon Wright also come in highly-touted and should help an experienced core which features juniors DeLeon Eskridge, Duane Bennett, and Shady Salomon.
Perhaps the most intriguing recruit signing Wednesday is 6-7, 342 lb. offensive lineman Johnathan Ragoo of Opalocka, FL. The three-star recruit comes in with a solid reputation and definitely has the size to play at this level.
It was a decent recruiting class for Brewster at first glance. However, the 2003 class which included Brandon Owens, Laurence Maroney, Amir Pinnix, Ernie Wheelright, Tony Brinkhaus, Logan Payne, Desi Steib, and John Shevlin didn't generate a lot of buzz right away, either. Also, WR Paris Hamilton was rated as a four-star recruit that year, and he didn't do much.
Brewster's role will be to coach this group. The sheer measure of this class will be how well they perform at Minnesota, and that part is on Brewster and his staff.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Gopher Nation Needs to Accept Brewster Extension
Still, the way college football does business these days suggests that coaches cannot operate under lame-duck status, mostly because of recruiting. It's exceedingly difficult for a coach to recruit athletes with one season remaining on his contract. Recruits are looking at the coach and his staff alone when selecting a school, and not at the big picture which suggests that a coach could be fired at-will. With four seasons now remaining on his contract, Brewster is able to look his current recruiting class in the eye and say that he has four seasons remaining on his current deal and that he's not going anywhere.
Yes, the detractors have their points:
- 14-24 overall mark
- 6-18 in the Big Ten
- 0-6 against Iowa and Wisconsin
- Second-tier bowl losses in consecutive years
Monday, February 1, 2010
Gopher Hoops Embarrassed in Columbus
Ohio State honored its 1960 NCAA Championship team at halftime of Sunday's game with the Gopher basketball team and played inspired basketball throughout, defeating the Gophers 85-63 and dropping the maroon and gold to 4-5 in Big Ten play.
The Gophers shot a respectable 51% from the floor, but Ohio State's torrid 63% shooting carried the day. After being relatively ineffective the first time the two teams met earlier this month at Williams Arena, all-Big Ten guard Evan Turner paced Ohio State with 19 points and 8 assists in this game. William Buford scored a season-high 26 points for OSU, highlighted by a 4-5 performance from three-point territory. Jon Diebler also had 19 points for the Buckeyes.
Rodney Williams had 13 points off the bench for the Gophers to lead the team in scoring. Ralph Sampson III had 11, and Damian Johnson and Blake Hoffarber each had 10. The Gophers turned the ball over 17 times and allowed OSU to shoot lights-out the entire game. The Gophers had been the Big Ten's leading defensive team going into the game, limiting opponents to 36% shooting.
The month of January ends with the Gophers sitting at 13-8 overall and 4-5 in the Big Ten. They are clearly going to have to go on a serious run to have any shot at an NCAA Tournament berth this season. A winnable road game lies ahead next Saturday at Penn State, followed by Michigan at home; two games the Gophers should win. A 10-8 record will not likely assure a tournament bid this season, so that means the Gophers will have to win at least seven of the remaining nine games to have a realistic shot at the big dance. That is highly unlikely, even though the Gophers are done with both Ohio State and Michigan State. Therein lies a problem: the team has no "signature win," making a seven-of-nine streak may indeed be necessary to get in. Purdue and Wisconsin are remaining home games, and certainly would qualify for solid victories. However, wins against either of those squads seem like long-shots at this point.
It's a bit too early to think about a serious run for the Gophers, who have seen off-the-court issues derail a promising season. The experienced core of this team has the potential to make a solid run, but it seems unlikely for yet another game-to-game University of Minnesota winter sport.
The Gophers shot a respectable 51% from the floor, but Ohio State's torrid 63% shooting carried the day. After being relatively ineffective the first time the two teams met earlier this month at Williams Arena, all-Big Ten guard Evan Turner paced Ohio State with 19 points and 8 assists in this game. William Buford scored a season-high 26 points for OSU, highlighted by a 4-5 performance from three-point territory. Jon Diebler also had 19 points for the Buckeyes.
Rodney Williams had 13 points off the bench for the Gophers to lead the team in scoring. Ralph Sampson III had 11, and Damian Johnson and Blake Hoffarber each had 10. The Gophers turned the ball over 17 times and allowed OSU to shoot lights-out the entire game. The Gophers had been the Big Ten's leading defensive team going into the game, limiting opponents to 36% shooting.
The month of January ends with the Gophers sitting at 13-8 overall and 4-5 in the Big Ten. They are clearly going to have to go on a serious run to have any shot at an NCAA Tournament berth this season. A winnable road game lies ahead next Saturday at Penn State, followed by Michigan at home; two games the Gophers should win. A 10-8 record will not likely assure a tournament bid this season, so that means the Gophers will have to win at least seven of the remaining nine games to have a realistic shot at the big dance. That is highly unlikely, even though the Gophers are done with both Ohio State and Michigan State. Therein lies a problem: the team has no "signature win," making a seven-of-nine streak may indeed be necessary to get in. Purdue and Wisconsin are remaining home games, and certainly would qualify for solid victories. However, wins against either of those squads seem like long-shots at this point.
It's a bit too early to think about a serious run for the Gophers, who have seen off-the-court issues derail a promising season. The experienced core of this team has the potential to make a solid run, but it seems unlikely for yet another game-to-game University of Minnesota winter sport.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Predictable Split Puts Pucksters in Deeper Hole
Alaska-Anchorage's Friday night woes are well-documented. The Seawolves are 0-6-0 in Friday night games on home ice this season, including Friday night's 7-4 loss to the Gophers. So, it should come as no surprise that the Seawolves turned things around and beat the Gophers 2-1 on Saturday night at the Sullivan Arena.
After Zach Budish's first period goal gave the Gophers a 1-0 lead, UAA's Josh Lunden scored less than a minute into the second period to tie the game. Kevin Clark's goal 14 minutes later - short-handed, nonetheless - gave the Seawolves a 2-1 lead they would not relinquish. After a listless third period in which UAA goaltender Jon Olthuis turned aside all seven shots, the Gophers left town with a split when anything other than a sweep would have been unacceptable.
Alex Kangas played much better in goal on Saturday night, stopping 22 of 24 UAA shots. Budish completed a four-point weekend with his goal, set up by Jordan Schroeder, who had a solid three-point weekend.
So, the Gophers are in a much bigger hole after Saturday's loss. The remain mired in seventh place, a full seven points out of the final first round home ice spot, and just one point ahead of eighth-place Alaska-Anchorage. The Gophers missed an opportunity to bury the Seawolves on Saturday night with the loss, given that the Gophers have two games in hand over UAA, and also missed an opportunity to pass North Dakota (in the process of being swept at home by Denver) for sixth place.
The Gophers are idle next weekend but face four very difficult series to close out the WCHA regular season. Out of the break, the Gophers head to Denver to take on the Pioneers (#2 in the PairWise), followed by a home series against Colorado College (#12 in the PairWise). A road series at UMD (#6 in the PairWise) is followed by a home matchup against Wisconsin (#3 in the PairWise) to close the regular season. Obviously, there are opportunities there for the Gophers to improve their #22 PairWise ranking. However, there are also plenty of opportunities for the Gophers to drop out of the rankings altogether.
There is no shame in losing on the road at Alaska-Anchorage. However, the loss Saturday night was a microcosm of the Gophers' inconsistency this season, which has seen them seemingly incapable of putting together solid efforts on consecutive nights. With the season on the line every game the rest of the way, one would have expected more from the squad Saturday night.
Elsewhere in the League:
After Zach Budish's first period goal gave the Gophers a 1-0 lead, UAA's Josh Lunden scored less than a minute into the second period to tie the game. Kevin Clark's goal 14 minutes later - short-handed, nonetheless - gave the Seawolves a 2-1 lead they would not relinquish. After a listless third period in which UAA goaltender Jon Olthuis turned aside all seven shots, the Gophers left town with a split when anything other than a sweep would have been unacceptable.
Alex Kangas played much better in goal on Saturday night, stopping 22 of 24 UAA shots. Budish completed a four-point weekend with his goal, set up by Jordan Schroeder, who had a solid three-point weekend.
So, the Gophers are in a much bigger hole after Saturday's loss. The remain mired in seventh place, a full seven points out of the final first round home ice spot, and just one point ahead of eighth-place Alaska-Anchorage. The Gophers missed an opportunity to bury the Seawolves on Saturday night with the loss, given that the Gophers have two games in hand over UAA, and also missed an opportunity to pass North Dakota (in the process of being swept at home by Denver) for sixth place.
The Gophers are idle next weekend but face four very difficult series to close out the WCHA regular season. Out of the break, the Gophers head to Denver to take on the Pioneers (#2 in the PairWise), followed by a home series against Colorado College (#12 in the PairWise). A road series at UMD (#6 in the PairWise) is followed by a home matchup against Wisconsin (#3 in the PairWise) to close the regular season. Obviously, there are opportunities there for the Gophers to improve their #22 PairWise ranking. However, there are also plenty of opportunities for the Gophers to drop out of the rankings altogether.
There is no shame in losing on the road at Alaska-Anchorage. However, the loss Saturday night was a microcosm of the Gophers' inconsistency this season, which has seen them seemingly incapable of putting together solid efforts on consecutive nights. With the season on the line every game the rest of the way, one would have expected more from the squad Saturday night.
Elsewhere in the League:
- Minnesota State 3, Michigan Tech 2 = Split - Rylan Galiardi (1-1-2) for MSU; Kevin Genoe (42 saves) for MTU
- Colorado College 6, St. Cloud State 4 = Split - Mike Testwuide (1-2-3), Andrew Hamburg (2-0-2) for CC; Garrett Roe (2-1-3), Tony Mosey (1-1-2), Drew LeBlanc (0-2-2) for SCSU; 9-game winning streak snapped for SCSU
- Denver 4, North Dakota 2 = DU Sweep - Rhett Rakhshani, Joe Colborne, Drew Shore (1-1-2) for DU; Chris VandeVelde (2-0-2) for UND
- UMD 4, Wisconsin 0 = Split - Kenny Reiter (28 saves), Mike Connolly (1-1-2), Jack Connolly (0-2-2) for UMD
- WCHA Standings
- Updated PairWise
- RPI Rankings
- Strength of Schedule Rankings
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Gopher Pucks Win a Wild One
After dropping both games last weekend against St. Cloud State, the Gopher hockey team desperately needed a win Friday night to keep their flickering NCAA Tournament hopes alive. They did so, defeating Alaska-Anchorage 7-4 in a shootout at the Sullivan Arena in Anchorage.
Jordan Schroeder and Mike Carman each scored twice for Minnesota. Freshman Zach Budish picked up a goal and three assists for a career-high four points. Jacob Cepis notched three assists in the game, and freshman defenseman Nick Leddy set up two Minnesota goals. Patrick White and David Fischer were the other goal-scorers. The Gophers' anemic power play went 3-5 in the game, and Minny threw 36 shots on the UAA goal.
The key portions of this game when Schroeder scored a power play goal with one second remaining in the opening period, giving the Gophers a 2-2 tie into the intermission. In the second period, Fischer's goal just 32 seconds in gave Minnesota a lead it would not relinquish.
Not all was cream cheese for the Gophers in this one. Goaltender Alex Kangas was shaky in the nets, notching just 17 saves in 21 attempts. He saved just two of four UAA shots in the first period, marking the third-consecutive game where he has been less-than-stellar in the first period. The Gophers need to get him going.
On the plus side, it's obviously good to get a win, but it's especially encouraging to see the team find the back of the net. Carman had been in quite a funk lately, and it's nice to see him get two goals. Budish has really emerged of late and Cepis continues to impress, stretching his points streak to eight consecutive games and has notched 5-6-11 in his nine games in the maroon and gold.
For the Gophers, they aim to do what only St. Cloud State has been able to accomplish this season: sweep UAA on home ice. The Seawolves are now 0-6-0 in Friday night home games, but have only been swept once. In last weekend's series, UAA was hammered by Colorado College 6-1 on Friday night and then defeated CC 2-1 on Saturday. Given the close proximity UAA has to the Gophers in the WCHA standings - three points separate the two teams - the Gophers really cannot afford to have anything other than a victory in Saturday night's game.
A win on Friday night is a good place to start.
Jordan Schroeder and Mike Carman each scored twice for Minnesota. Freshman Zach Budish picked up a goal and three assists for a career-high four points. Jacob Cepis notched three assists in the game, and freshman defenseman Nick Leddy set up two Minnesota goals. Patrick White and David Fischer were the other goal-scorers. The Gophers' anemic power play went 3-5 in the game, and Minny threw 36 shots on the UAA goal.
The key portions of this game when Schroeder scored a power play goal with one second remaining in the opening period, giving the Gophers a 2-2 tie into the intermission. In the second period, Fischer's goal just 32 seconds in gave Minnesota a lead it would not relinquish.
Not all was cream cheese for the Gophers in this one. Goaltender Alex Kangas was shaky in the nets, notching just 17 saves in 21 attempts. He saved just two of four UAA shots in the first period, marking the third-consecutive game where he has been less-than-stellar in the first period. The Gophers need to get him going.
On the plus side, it's obviously good to get a win, but it's especially encouraging to see the team find the back of the net. Carman had been in quite a funk lately, and it's nice to see him get two goals. Budish has really emerged of late and Cepis continues to impress, stretching his points streak to eight consecutive games and has notched 5-6-11 in his nine games in the maroon and gold.
For the Gophers, they aim to do what only St. Cloud State has been able to accomplish this season: sweep UAA on home ice. The Seawolves are now 0-6-0 in Friday night home games, but have only been swept once. In last weekend's series, UAA was hammered by Colorado College 6-1 on Friday night and then defeated CC 2-1 on Saturday. Given the close proximity UAA has to the Gophers in the WCHA standings - three points separate the two teams - the Gophers really cannot afford to have anything other than a victory in Saturday night's game.
A win on Friday night is a good place to start.
Elsewhere in the league:
- Denver 2, North Dakota 0 - Marc Cheverie with the shutout with 33 saves for DU
- St. Cloud State 5, Colorado College 4 - David Eddy (2-0-2), Ryan Lasch (1-2-3), Aaron Marvin (0-3-3), Tony Mosey (0-2-2) for SCSU; Bill Sweatt (2-1-3) for CC; nine straight wins for SCSU
- Michigan Tech 4, Minnesota State 1 - Malcolm Gwilliam (2-1-3), Kevin Genoe (30 saves) for MTU; Huskies break an 0-14-1 skid with the win
- Wisconsin 5, UMD 2 - Aaron Bendickson (1-2-3), Blake Geoffrion (1-1-2), Jake Gardiner (1-1-2) for UW; Kenny Reiter (47 saves) for UMD; UW held UMD to 0-7 on power play chances
- WCHA Standings
- Updated PairWise
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