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Minnesota Women's Hockey 2016-2017 (aka Season 20)

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  • Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2016-2017 (aka Season 20)

    Originally posted by 5mn_Major View Post
    A big opportunity for this team is to get lines 2+ scoring at a higher rate. The team was too dependent on the top line and that limited its effectiveness.
    ... and yet those two lines outplayed their counterparts in the semi IMO

    Originally posted by D2D View Post
    ... I would agree that shooting (including the failure to capitalize on Grade A chances) was Minnesota's biggest weakness. ..
    if I were a Badger fan I'd be saying the same thing about the NC$$

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    • Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2016-2017 (aka Season 20)

      My main concern for next year is not the scoring, but at the other end of the rink. Will we see improvement in the young defenders Marshall and Robinson toward smarter and quicker decision making? Will Brown, Zumwinkle and Knowles be defensive assets (if they all play defense) sooner rather than later? No one is going to be able to replace one of the Gophers all-time best defenders in Lee Stecklein, at least not right away. Her steadiness and leadership were remarkable. And I haven't forgotten Megan Wolfe. She will be missed, too. But can next year's defenders get the job done by committee? We shall see.

      After a year in goal, I fully expect Peters to be more consistent next year. But again, we shall see.
      Last edited by bluffrinkrat; 03-24-2017, 12:16 PM.
      "Everything that rises must converge." Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

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      • Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2016-2017 (aka Season 20)

        Originally posted by ARM View Post
        Not saying it all falls on the goaltender, but the next time we win a national championship with a starting goalie who stops less than 92% of the shots will be a first.
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iq2WJ2r0NkM
        Minnesota Golden Gopher Hockey

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        • Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2016-2017 (aka Season 20)

          Will the Gophers carry four goalies next year? Is Alex Gulstene good enough to start as a freshman, if need be?
          "Everything that rises must converge." Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

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          • Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2016-2017 (aka Season 20)

            Originally posted by bluffrinkrat View Post
            Will the Gophers carry four goalies next year?
            AFAIK, there isn't a goalie arriving in the fall of 2018, so I think they have to carry four next year if they want three the year after. I could be wrong about no goalie in 18 months, however.
            Originally posted by bluffrinkrat View Post
            Is Alex Gulstene good enough to start as a freshman, if need be?
            Maybe Frost goes with a two-goalie mix and lets them battle it out for starts down the stretch. The other option is one more season with Peters as No. 1, and then four years of a lot of Gulstene, but if she gives them a better chance to win, the future is now.
            "... And lose, and start again at your beginnings
            And never breathe a word about your loss;" -- Rudyard Kipling

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            • Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2016-2017 (aka Season 20)

              Originally posted by bluffrinkrat View Post
              Will the Gophers carry four goalies next year? Is Alex Gulstene good enough to start as a freshman, if need be?
              Good question...I think she has a good chance of doing that.

              And Zumwinkle is a forward who, because of her shot, may be utilized on the point on the power play. You never know, but it seems unlikely she will be asked to switch to defense.
              At the outset, we could hang with the dude...

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              • Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2016-2017 (aka Season 20)

                Originally posted by FiveHoleFrenzy View Post
                Good question...I think she has a good chance of doing that.

                And Zumwinkle is a forward who, because of her shot, may be utilized on the point on the power play. You never know, but it seems unlikely she will be asked to switch to defense.
                I don't really follow the high school players that closely. I went by Joe Christensen's list of the players coming in next year to the Gophers in the Star Tribune. He shows Zumwinkle as a defenseman. Still can't trust what you read in the paper, I guess.
                "Everything that rises must converge." Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

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                • Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2016-2017 (aka Season 20)

                  Originally posted by ARM View Post
                  Maybe Frost goes with a two-goalie mix and lets them battle it out for starts down the stretch. The other option is one more season with Peters as No. 1, and then four years of a lot of Gulstene, but if she gives them a better chance to win, the future is now.
                  I think ARM nailed it. I would add that as the returning senior who has put in her dues I think Peters will be given every opportunity, with the job being hers to lose, at least initially. Frost will obviously be looking for a lot more consistency throughout the entire season. He knows how good Sid can be, but better consistency - game in and game out - will determine how long she will hold her position as the primary starting goaltender.

                  Meanwhile, I would expect Gulstene, as the highly touted freshman, to be given opportunities to display her wares. As the games are played and assessments are made I would expect Frost to lean more heavily toward the tender who he thinks gives the team the best chance to win, down the stretch and through the postseason, as ARM said.

                  Needless to say it will be very interesting. Ideally the competition for playing time will be friendly and helpful to both of them in terms of skill development. And from the coaches' point of view, with no disrespect to May and D'Angelo, it'll be good to have two primary options.
                  Minnesota Golden Gopher Hockey

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                  • Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2016-2017 (aka Season 20)

                    Originally posted by pokechecker View Post
                    ... and yet those two lines outplayed their counterparts in the semi IMO
                    They were recruits with resumes superior to the top recruits at most other schools. And they had the opportunity to train with the top line (arguably in college hockey) with the Frost brain trust. They should have outperformed their counterparts in the semis and most of the rest of the year.

                    I know often expectations are extremely high. But its simple this was not a national title team...there must be some opportunity for improvement somewhere.
                    Go Gophers!

                    Comment


                    • Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2016-2017 (aka Season 20)

                      A couple of weeks old, but a very interesting article on the Gopher/Badger rivalry that I don't recall seeing posted here previously:

                      Wisconsin and Minnesota Await Latest Round in Ice-Melting Rivalry
                      https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/10/s...n-gophers.html
                      Minnesota Golden Gopher Hockey

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                      • Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2016-2017 (aka Season 20)

                        Originally posted by D2D View Post
                        A couple of weeks old, but a very interesting article on the Gopher/Badger rivalry that I don't recall seeing posted here previously:

                        Wisconsin and Minnesota Await Latest Round in Ice-Melting Rivalry
                        https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/10/s...n-gophers.html
                        Thx. Berkman is good. He seems to be the Times' go-to guy for women's sports. He's certainly been keeping his eye on women's hockey.

                        Comment


                        • Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2016-2017 (aka Season 20)

                          Originally posted by 5mn_Major View Post
                          They were recruits with resumes superior to the top recruits at most other schools. And they had the opportunity to train with the top line (arguably in college hockey) with the Frost brain trust. They should have outperformed their counterparts in the semis and most of the rest of the year.

                          I know often expectations are extremely high. But its simple this was not a national title team...there must be some opportunity for improvement somewhere.
                          I am optimistic, I thought Agnew played better at center, after 2 years perhaps Skarzynski can spend the entire year at one position, forward. They are losing a lot of experience at D, but I thought the two freshman progressed and played well.
                          In the NFL it is tough to repeat because the coaches have the off season to study the tapes of all games and figure out a strategy to defeat the division, conference, and SB champs. Plus they can fill holes by stealing players from other teams.
                          No doubt the other coaches have been trying to figure out a way to beat the Gophers these past 6 years, now they have to figure out how to beat the Badgers and Bulldogs too. Making it to the final four and falling by one goal is a successful season. They should do well again next year, if they can score more often, there will likely be more banners flying at Ridder.

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                          • Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2016-2017 (aka Season 20)

                            They graduated 3 D and recruited 2 in this class, so if #5 stays up front, they'll have to find another D from somewhere. It doesn't look like any current D are going to be centralized, so depending what happens with the forwards may determine where the greatest need is. Maybe one of the four goalies can play D.
                            "... And lose, and start again at your beginnings
                            And never breathe a word about your loss;" -- Rudyard Kipling

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                            • Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2016-2017 (aka Season 20)

                              Originally posted by ARM View Post
                              They graduated 3 D and recruited 2 in this class, so if #5 stays up front, they'll have to find another D from somewhere. It doesn't look like any current D are going to be centralized, so depending what happens with the forwards may determine where the greatest need is. Maybe one of the four goalies can play D.
                              I thought Patti Marshall was playing great by the end of the year. And I was feeling good about Robinson. Hopefully Sydney Baldwin can raise her decision making and positioning up closer to the level of her talent and ability! And I think Sydney needs to concentrate on shooting a little bit harder and more effectively. She scored twice in 104 shots (.019)

                              I was one who thought the Strib calling Zumwinkle a 'd' recruit was a typo. But when Eeyore called it out it was very intriguing. It's all theoretical because I haven't seen her play (lol) but the slapshot is more effective from a d in the women's game than a forward. And we really missed the big cannon from the point this year. So now, with all my knowledge of Z's game, I love the idea of moving her to defense!!

                              Comment


                              • Re: Minnesota Women's Hockey 2016-2017 (aka Season 20)

                                Originally posted by KTDC View Post
                                And I think Sydney needs to concentrate on shooting a little bit harder and more effectively.
                                She has a very nice snap shot. The problem is that too many of them get blocked. Bozek had an innate ability to get her shot past the top defender, while others like Albrecht and Gagnon always seemed to hit the nearest shin pad. The play can go in the other direction in a hurry when it gets blocked that high in the zone.

                                Odds are good that we'll see Zumwinkle on the point on the PP at some point; MLam played there immediately as a rookie. But a big shot alone won't warrant shifts on D when it is 5-on-5. She has the size to play D, but I haven't seen her skating backwards, defending the net, or handling the puck low in her D-zone enough to say if that is an option.
                                "... And lose, and start again at your beginnings
                                And never breathe a word about your loss;" -- Rudyard Kipling

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