University of Minnesota Bragging Rights: Gophers vs Bulldogs

[5mn_Major]

Re: University of Minnesota Bragging Rights: Gophers vs Bulldogs

fwiw Vegoe has said good things about Nanne and Stucker. Nanne make some mistakes last year to be sure but he didn't play a game for 2 full years.

Nanne gave a glimpse of what he was capable last year. I bet he has a big year.

Gates and Sheehy had as many goals last year as Rem and Sheehy was never really fully healthy was he? Don't sleep on Ranta either even as an incoming Fr.

No they don't return a lot of goals but they severely under-performed on the PP last season which is something I don't think will repeat and look for guys like Rossini and Phillips take a step forward on the blueline offensively. I think they'll be much more gritty this year and get a few more greasy goals. Word from camp is guys like Phillips and Sheehy have added weight and Brinkman, and Brinkman, Wait and Ranta have done the same since arriving for their very first practice.

Hope so...as the Don said, the team goes as does the seniors.

[SteveO]

Re: University of Minnesota Bragging Rights: Gophers vs Bulldogs

I think we'll see a different Gopher team take the ice this season against in-state rivals like UMD than in previous years. Motzko has been busy this past two weeks integrating his systems into the Gopher playbook.

“We’re doing two things, trying to get used to each other but we want to get a strong foundation in. We’re pushing our systems right now a little bit faster than I want to because we’ve got to play those two games.”

UMD lost some key offensive power from last season, while the Gophers although down in scoring last season return most of their top scorers. So I would give the edge to the Gophers on offense in this series.

However, the Gophers are clearly more inexperienced on D. UMD returnees on D like sophomores Scott Perunovich (11-25-36), Mikey Anderson (5-18-23) and others may comprise one of the best D corp in the NCHC...advantage UMD. I'm guessing we may see Schierhorn and Robson alternating in net in this series. Both need to have very good seasons for the Gophers to be successful going forward. UMD netminder Hunter Shepard (25-14-1, 1.90 GAA, .925 SV %) really performed well last season, especially in FF.

The Gophers are 1-9-1 vs. UMD over the past 11 games inc. what is currently a eight game losing streak vs UMD that stretches back to the 2014-15 season. I expect that streak to be broken this weekend.

[D2D]

Re: University of Minnesota Bragging Rights: Gophers vs Bulldogs

I think we'll see a different Gopher team take the ice this season against in-state rivals like UMD than in previous years. Motzko has been busy this past two weeks integrating his systems into the Gopher playbook.



UMD lost some key offensive power from last season, while the Gophers although down in scoring last season return most of their top scorers. So I would give the edge to the Gophers on offense in this series.

However, the Gophers are clearly more inexperienced on D. UMD returnees on D like sophomores Scott Perunovich (11-25-36), Mikey Anderson (5-18-23) and others may comprise one of the best D corp in the NCHC...advantage UMD. I'm guessing we may see Schierhorn and Robson alternating in net in this series. Both need to have very good seasons for the Gophers to be successful going forward. UMD netminder Hunter Shepard (25-14-1, 1.90 GAA, .925 SV %) really performed well last season, especially in FF.

The Gophers are 1-9-1 vs. UMD over the past 11 games inc. what is currently a six game losing streak vs UMD that stretches back to the 2014-15 season. I expect that streak to be broken this weekend.

Good comments. Given the abysmal record the Gophers have had against the Dogs the past 11 games I would be very happy with a split this weekend. Hope the players want more.

[Biddco]

Re: University of Minnesota Bragging Rights: Gophers vs Bulldogs

I don’t understand the title. I didn’t realize the gophers were playing themselves.

hmm should have put University of Minnesota - Minneapolis Falcon Heights vs University of Minnesota Duluth Bragging Rights: Gophers vs Bulldogs.

[dxmnkd316]

Re: University of Minnesota Bragging Rights: Gophers vs Bulldogs

I dunno. I thought it should have been Minnesota vs, Superior-North

[SteveO]

Re: University of Minnesota Bragging Rights: Gophers vs Bulldogs

Good comments. Given the abysmal record the Gophers have had against the Dogs the past 11 games I would be very happy with a split this weekend. Hope the players want more.

I'm wondering if Motzko will start Robson tonight. Just saw where Mat Robson and Hunter Shepard were both named to the preseason WATCH LIST for the Mike Richter Award. Schierhorn was on the list last season, but was dropped from this season's list.

[Koho]

Re: University of Minnesota Bragging Rights: Gophers vs Bulldogs

He was the ideal hire. Experience coaching world juniors team with a bunch of UMD players and talent from all schools..Lucia got lazy. Did he lose it himself, or did B1G turn him into a drone? Getting his *** slapped around by a school from Indiana—****someone’s gotta have some state pride. Motzko will be a boone. Don’t forget, he took SCSU from like 0-11 in NCAAs to a strong .500

I wasn't saying he wasn't a good hire. What I am countering is people who think in the first game of the season we will see a team playing well because of new coaching. The coaches won't have had enough time to teach a team a different way of playing, due to NCAA restrictions for practicing. It is only logical to expect players might be still transitioning from Lucia's style to Motzko's, and that could create hesitation at times, or even confusion. That is not to say that by mid-season there will be any issues like that. (And I just listened to a Motzko interview where he said exactly what my point was, essentially: 'wish we weren't playing Duluth this early, because one week of practice isn't enough to prepare a team with new coaches'.)

As for Lucia, I don't know if there was an issue with his coaching. He clearly was one of the best coaches in college hockey at one time. It is impossible for us watching only games to know when issues related to coaching, or team chemistry, or injuries, etc. Every year there are teams that seem to under-perform based on talent on paper and others that over-perform. Hard to know the dynamics from our view. So I think it is hard to know if Lucia 'got lazy'. (And look what Lucia did to turn around CC, if you want to talk about coaches turning teams around.)

Overall, I am excited to see how this team does this season with Motzko in charge and with some different chemistry. I am just hoping that after paying all the money for tickets for tonight, that I don't see a disorganized team playing the #1 team 9with most of the same players from last year and same coaches). Last year, MN did not play well in the first game, other than in goal, and it wasn't a great game to watch. And it had huge implications at the end of the year. Hopefully the game is good.

[Biddco]

Re: University of Minnesota Bragging Rights: Gophers vs Bulldogs

I dunno. I thought it should have been Minnesota vs, Superior-North

This is also accurate because UMD is north of Lake Superior.

[Biddco]

Re: University of Minnesota Bragging Rights: Gophers vs Bulldogs

As for Lucia, I don't know if there was an issue with his coaching. He clearly was one of the best coaches in college hockey at one time. It is impossible for us watching only games to know when issues related to coaching, or team chemistry, or injuries, etc. Every year there are teams that seem to under-perform based on talent on paper and others that over-perform. Hard to know the dynamics from our view. So I think it is hard to know if Lucia 'got lazy'. (And look what Lucia did to turn around CC, if you want to talk about coaches turning teams around.)

I would describe Lucia's last few seasons of coaching as stale. His teams just didn't seem to have the spark they used to. Changing coaches felt like the thing to do to get some fresh air into the program. Just my third party thoughts.


It's also interesting to me now that these teams are not in the same conference I really don't know the players UMMFH has. The NCHC has maintained a certain status quo with teams played and level of competition. So as a UMD fan things haven't changed a whole lot. Opposite of the Gophers where there is still a lotta consternation about being in the Big Ten. Although the coaching changes and the improvement of the Big Ten conference has perhaps made it a little better for Gopher fans. Either way we all miss the old WCHA days.

[Koho]

Re: University of Minnesota Bragging Rights: Gophers vs Bulldogs

I would describe Lucia's last few seasons of coaching as stale. His teams just didn't seem to have the spark they used to. Changing coaches felt like the thing to do to get some fresh air into the program. Just my third party thoughts.


It's also interesting to me now that these teams are not in the same conference I really don't know the players UMMFH has. The NCHC has maintained a certain status quo with teams played and level of competition. So as a UMD fan things haven't changed a whole lot. Opposite of the Gophers where there is still a lotta consternation about being in the Big Ten. Although the coaching changes and the improvement of the Big Ten conference has perhaps made it a little better for Gopher fans. Either way we all miss the old WCHA days.

This year looks on paper like the Big10 will be a power conference as people were expecting. And for MN fans, we have UW, and UMi has always been like a rival for me, at least. But even with better teams, it still hasn't reached anywhere near the rivalry with other schools that the WCHA provided. I think that will continue to improve as teams play each other more. But there is something about playing other schools from your state with conference points on the line, knowing a lot of the players on the other team are gunning for the Gophers because all the teams have a number of Minnesotans, that I don't think the BIG10 will ever quite replicate.

[The Rube]

Re: University of Minnesota Bragging Rights: Gophers vs Bulldogs

IS IT GODDAM GAME TIME YET? JESUS EFFING CHRIST.

Needed that. Carry on.

[5mn_Major]

Re: University of Minnesota Bragging Rights: Gophers vs Bulldogs

Hip checks aren't allowed?

[dxmnkd316]

Re: University of Minnesota Bragging Rights: Gophers vs Bulldogs

Yeah that was horse****.

[state of hockey]

Hip checks aren't allowed?

I don't agree with it either, but refs call that a lot now when you get that low. Combined with it being Nanne (not big) v Samberg (a friggin moose) and it looks even worse. Kind of a reverse Chris Pronger defense.

[The Rube]

Re: University of Minnesota Bragging Rights: Gophers vs Bulldogs

I don't agree with it either, but refs call that a lot now when you get that low. Combined with it being Nanne (not big) v Samberg (a friggin moose) and it looks even worse. Kind of a reverse Chris Pronger defense.

Didn't think of it that way, but yes, that would be correct in the way the refs' thinking.