2014-2015 Minnesota Women's Hockey: The Maroon & Gold Strike Back!

[Greyeagle]

Re: 2014-2015 Minnesota Women's Hockey: The Maroon & Gold Strike Back!

Went to my first game this afternoon, Gophers put on a clinic. They are so quick, so fast, and so creative....just amazing to watch them. Really fun team to watch.

[KTDC]

Re: 2014-2015 Minnesota Women's Hockey: The Maroon & Gold Strike Back!

Went to my first game this afternoon, Gophers put on a clinic. They are so quick, so fast, and so creative....just amazing to watch them. Really fun team to watch.

Come back soon!

I'm with you, I love to watch them play! Their passing today was beautiful.

A lot of shots lately, with not quite so many goals per shot as we've seen. Like to see them keep plugging away and start to convert the shots into goals a little more as the season progresses.

[Eeyore]

Re: 2014-2015 Minnesota Women's Hockey: The Maroon & Gold Strike Back!

Went to my first game this afternoon, Gophers put on a clinic. They are so quick, so fast, and so creative....just amazing to watch them. Really fun team to watch.

I'm still worried about our defensive zone coverage. It was pretty spotty last night in Mankato. Today it hardly mattered because it was only tested about three times all game but still worrying.

And it turns out that Rachel Ramsey has a really nice backhand in close to the net; it produced the Mavericks' second best scoring chance of the weekend.

[Greyeagle]

Re: 2014-2015 Minnesota Women's Hockey: The Maroon & Gold Strike Back!

I should clarify....first game of this season.
The Mankato goalie made some fantastic saves.
My wife and sat right behind the net on the west end, I thought the biggest differences in the game was the ability of MN's D core to push the puck up the ice, great transition and MN's puck support on the forecheck.

Part of the d coverage issue seemed to be they are looking to transition so quickly and get caught breaking the wrong way on a bad or deflected pass.

[D2D]

Re: 2014-2015 Minnesota Women's Hockey: The Maroon & Gold Strike Back!

Pretty decent recap of the game in the Star Tribune:

U women's hockey beats Mavericks for series sweep
http://www.startribune.com/sports/go...283601901.html

[ManBehindTheCurtain]

Re: 2014-2015 Minnesota Women's Hockey: The Maroon & Gold Strike Back!

Except that the box score credits the "Menefee" goal to Brandt.

[CrazyDave]

Re: 2014-2015 Minnesota Women's Hockey: The Maroon & Gold Strike Back!

Except that the box score credits the "Menefee" goal to Brandt.

Yeah... the scoring was changed (from Menefee to Brandt) after the game, and the local rags often don't catch things like that.

[ManBehindTheCurtain]

Re: 2014-2015 Minnesota Women's Hockey: The Maroon & Gold Strike Back!

After three games to evaluate the changes, my view is that I like Wolfe a LOT as a D.

She is assertive and confident moving the puck, a very strong player at this postion.

And if Wolfe is a D that moves Garzone back to F and here again my view is that I like Garzone quite a bit up front.

She has been fine at D but watching her back up front it just seems like her natural in game instincts are better suited to F than D.

I think the change has made the Gophers stronger.

[ARM]

Re: 2014-2015 Minnesota Women's Hockey: The Maroon & Gold Strike Back!

I agree with you on Wolfe. She usually puts the puck where it is supposed to go. She had the one high-profile "oops!" moment where she wound up on her posterior and a two-on-one resulted, but she does a lot more good things than bad. I think Garzone is starting to get more comfortable, but she hasn't played all that many game shifts at forward in her Gopher career, so it will likely take time for her to reach her potential there. The more I watch Stecklein, the more I fully comprehend how big a hit it was to the team last year when they didn't have her services. It kind of did to the back end what losing Kessel did up front this year. Stecklein defends the two-on-one rushes as well as anyone, and she's very patient about holding the puck even when pressured, rather than just throwing it anywhere for the sake of getting rid of it.

[D2D]

Re: 2014-2015 Minnesota Women's Hockey: The Maroon & Gold Strike Back!

Pannek has hat trick as Gophers women's hockey shuts out St. Cloud State
http://www.startribune.com/sports/go...283787051.html

[Eeyore]

Re: 2014-2015 Minnesota Women's Hockey: The Maroon & Gold Strike Back!

I like Wolfe's potential at D, too, but there were several incidents last night that would have been scary had the game been closer. Late in the third she had the puck behind the net and brought it out almost through the crease with a forechecker in her face.

[pokechecker]

Re: 2014-2015 Minnesota Women's Hockey: The Maroon & Gold Strike Back!

After three games to evaluate the changes, my view is that I like Wolfe a LOT as a D.

She is assertive and confident moving the puck, a very strong player at this postion.

And if Wolfe is a D that moves Garzone back to F and here again my view is that I like Garzone quite a bit up front.

She has been fine at D but watching her back up front it just seems like her natural in game instincts are better suited to F than D.

I think the change has made the Gophers stronger.

I agree, and would add Haley at F
despite where they may have played in HS, all 3 appear to take to these positions like a duck to water
with Kelsey Cline playing so well at D, they have found the 6 D, that IMO, approaches 2012/13 in skill
no small accomplishment, the only better blueline corp in the world would be Team Canada & USA
if they need a sub, they can always move Garzone back there

I like Wolfe's potential at D, too, but there were several incidents last night that would have been scary had the game been closer. Late in the third she had the puck behind the net and brought it out almost through the crease with a forechecker in her face.

so, IOW, she plays like every other blueliner
that sounds more like an endorsement than a criticism

[TonyTheTiger20]

Re: 2014-2015 Minnesota Women's Hockey: The Maroon & Gold Strike Back!

Brandt is killing my fantasy team, I drafted her #1 overall. What gives? Is she going to turn it around or what?

[Eeyore]

Re: 2014-2015 Minnesota Women's Hockey: The Maroon & Gold Strike Back!

Brandt is killing my fantasy team, I drafted her #1 overall. What gives? Is she going to turn it around or what?

Look, she was never a good candidate to provide you with penalty minutes.

[KTDC]

Re: 2014-2015 Minnesota Women's Hockey: The Maroon & Gold Strike Back!

Lee Stecklein is growing, her listed height on the roster is up to 6'!