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Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2018-19: The Motzko Era Begins!

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  • Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2018-19: The Motzko Era Begins!

    Originally posted by D2D View Post
    Season ticket holder for 46 consecutive years, with no plans to "check out" anytime soon.

    I was a big supporter until the last couple of years, when I started to think that a change was needed. Losing four consecutive games to Penn State and failing to make the NCAA's was a huge disappointment and solidified that view. And this year's team which, other than Burke, is all Lucia recruits has only reinforced that opinion.

    I remain optimistic about the team's future, but that does not include the remainder of this season. I still enjoy going to the games, but I have to say that the lack of effort and all around poor play I witnessed Saturday night made it not fun at all.
    Originally posted by D2D View Post
    I'm also optimistic beyond the next couple of years, after the team is mostly comprised of his recruits. But this year, not so much.
    Judging from your two previous posts above, it sounds like you have already checked out on this season and the next two. Then you restate that you are optimistic about the team's future? Sounds like a measure of duplicity to me. I assume that means as you stated BEYOND the next couple of years?

    They've played 11 games and there's 24 regular season games left. Imo a little early to be checking out don't you think? And how would you know whether Lucia's recruits over the next couple years will perform well or not? Maybe you've been hanging around too many negative voices on GPL.

    Grant Potulny was also involved in recruiting the current players. Are you throwing him under the bus too?

    I played this game for many years including in the minor leagues. As a player, my experience is positive fan support plays an important role in the good times and the bad. Imo there's plenty of talent to turn this season into a success. Don't give up yet buddy.
    Last edited by SteveO; 11-26-2018, 10:37 PM.

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    • Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2018-19: The Motzko Era Begins!

      Originally posted by SteveO View Post
      Judging from your two previous posts above, it sounds like you have already checked out on this season and the next two. Then you restate that you are optimistic about the team's future? Sounds like a measure of duplicity to me. I assume that means as you stated BEYOND the next couple of years?

      They've played 11 games and there's 24 regular season games left. Imo a little early to be checking out don't you think? And how would you know whether Lucia's recruits over the next couple years will perform well or not? Maybe you've been hanging around too many negative voices on GPL.

      Grant Potulny was also involved in recruiting the current players. Are you throwing him under the bus too?

      I played this game for many years including in the minor leagues. As a player, my experience is positive fan support plays an important role in the good times and the bad. Imo there's plenty of talent to turn this season into a success. Don't give up yet buddy.
      I've hung in there through good times and bad, including the last couple under Woog which put fan loyalty to a real test. I base my opinions on what I observe with my own eyes, and this team's performance, by most any measure you want to use, has been flat out poor in too many games. Their most recent: Saturday night vs. a very mediocre MSU team. That stinker might have set a new season low, especially considering the Gophers played pretty well the night before (though it's hard to read too much into that because the Spartans' goaltending was abysmal that night). But for most of Saturday's game they looked like they were just going through the motions, very un-Gopher like, with poor decision making and only brief spurts of intensity. We've seen this in other games, most recently when they managed to lose to St. Lawrence, which at the time was 59th out of 60 teams in the Pairwise.

      As far as it being too early to "check out" I suppose it depends on what you mean, how you define it. As I said I'll remain a fan and will continue to attend the home games. And while I'll still hope for a turnaround, my eyes are telling me that any kind of a sustained turnaround this season is very unlikely - just being realistic based on the inconsistency they've shown so far. That said, there's nothing I would love more than the team to prove me 100% wrong.

      Beyond this season it's much more difficult to say, as a major part of it will depend on the recruiting classes and how quickly they adopt to Motzko's systems and coaching style. I am optimistic that over the long term he will return the program to where we all think it should be, but I don't see it happening overnight.
      Last edited by D2D; 11-27-2018, 12:48 AM.
      Minnesota Golden Gopher Hockey

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      • Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2018-19: The Motzko Era Begins!

        Originally posted by SteveO View Post
        Imo a little early to be checking out don't you think?
        I guess I don't blame anyone who is frustrated and/or getting ready to jump off. I get pegged as a negative and I'm obviously not happy with the current state of this team and program as a whole. But I wait all summer looking forward to Gopher hockey season, I'm **** sure going to watch as many games as I can. I'm sure D2D will be watching too, but I certainly understand the frustration.

        We'll see how quickly Motzko can get his system and players in the program. Hey, if there is a positive from last weekend, we finally saw Sheehy starting to look like his old self. Hopefully his play will be contagious for some of the other underperforming upperclassmen.

        I'll be at the game Saturday night. Hopefully Bob will have the boys jacked up for both nights and see if we can't get a Saturday evening stick salute against a good tOSU team.
        "It ain't over, baby! And that took only six seconds!"

        USCHO gives me another reason to not do work while I am at work.

        Everything is Hill's fault.....

        "Hakstol you hack!!!!"

        Comment


        • Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2018-19: The Motzko Era Begins!

          Originally posted by gopher wes View Post
          I guess I don't blame anyone who is frustrated and/or getting ready to jump off. I get pegged as a negative and I'm obviously not happy with the current state of this team and program as a whole. But I wait all summer looking forward to Gopher hockey season, I'm **** sure going to watch as many games as I can. I'm sure D2D will be watching too, but I certainly understand the frustration.

          We'll see how quickly Motzko can get his system and players in the program. Hey, if there is a positive from last weekend, we finally saw Sheehy starting to look like his old self. Hopefully his play will be contagious for some of the other underperforming upperclassmen.

          I'll be at the game Saturday night. Hopefully Bob will have the boys jacked up for both nights and see if we can't get a Saturday evening stick salute against a good tOSU team.
          I agree it's frustrating when you wait all summer for Gopher hockey season and then the team shoots blanks. But it's far too early to "take your ball and go home". B1G test this weekend.

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          • Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2018-19: The Motzko Era Begins!

            Being a realist doesn't mean you have "checked out" or are "taking your ball and going home."

            I'm guessing most the people in this thread are going to watch every game, cheer for the team and hope they perform well and win. But that doesn't exclude one from recognizing this team has some glaring problems that don't seem likely to be fixed in the near future.

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            • Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2018-19: The Motzko Era Begins!

              Originally posted by Stauber1 View Post
              Being a realist doesn't mean you have "checked out" or are "taking your ball and going home."

              I'm guessing most the people in this thread are going to watch every game, cheer for the team and hope they perform well and win. But that doesn't exclude one from recognizing this team has some glaring problems that don't seem likely to be fixed in the near future.
              This. I'll still listen to the games on the radio, although if the game at hand becomes absolutely embarrassing/blowout not in our favor, I'll shut it off to save my sanity. And then listen to the next game anyway. I won't abandon them, though. I've gone through 25 years of Bills' embarrassment, I can handle Gophers' hockey.
              Never really developed a taste for tequila. Kind of hard to understand how you make a drink out of something that sharp, inhospitable. Now, bourbon is easy to understand.
              Tastes like a warm summer day. -Raylan Givens

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              • Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2018-19: The Motzko Era Begins!

                Happy game day!
                "It ain't over, baby! And that took only six seconds!"

                USCHO gives me another reason to not do work while I am at work.

                Everything is Hill's fault.....

                "Hakstol you hack!!!!"

                Comment


                • Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2018-19: The Motzko Era Begins!

                  Originally posted by gopher wes View Post
                  Happy game day!
                  Sure hope so!
                  Minnesota Golden Gopher Hockey

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                  • Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2018-19: The Motzko Era Begins!

                    Originally posted by gopher wes View Post
                    Happy game day!
                    Yep
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                    The reason for the talent in the west? Because MN didn't rely on Canada.

                    Originally posted by MN Pond Hockey
                    Menards could have sold a lot of rope

                    this morning in Grand Forks if North Dakota had trees.

                    Comment


                    • Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2018-19: The Motzko Era Begins!

                      So when do we switch to posting in the bottomdwellers thread? Amazing how down the Blueblood programs are collectively this year.

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                      • Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2018-19: The Motzko Era Begins!

                        Originally posted by Koho View Post
                        So when do we switch to posting in the bottomdwellers thread? Amazing how down the Blueblood programs are collectively this year.
                        Be an optimist. Half of my goal for the Gophers each year is no one gets arrested, pees in an elevator, throws a lawnmower, breaks out of a police car, gets a DWI, hits a girlfriend, gets on TV for underage drinking, cheats on class papers, or gets an NCAA violation. One of my favorite things is to see the players in nice looking suits and being outstanding young men representing my Gophers. As far as I know this team meets that, so all they have to do is win a few games, and I am set.
                        XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX


                        The reason for the talent in the west? Because MN didn't rely on Canada.

                        Originally posted by MN Pond Hockey
                        Menards could have sold a lot of rope

                        this morning in Grand Forks if North Dakota had trees.

                        Comment


                        • Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2018-19: The Motzko Era Begins!

                          Originally posted by Happy View Post
                          Be an optimist. Half of my goal for the Gophers each year is no one gets arrested, pees in an elevator, throws a lawnmower, breaks out of a police car, gets a DWI, hits a girlfriend, gets on TV for underage drinking, cheats on class papers, or gets an NCAA violation. One of my favorite things is to see the players in nice looking suits and being outstanding young men representing my Gophers. As far as I know this team meets that, so all they have to do is win a few games, and I am set.
                          This is rare, but Happy makes one heck of a point.
                          Never really developed a taste for tequila. Kind of hard to understand how you make a drink out of something that sharp, inhospitable. Now, bourbon is easy to understand.
                          Tastes like a warm summer day. -Raylan Givens

                          Comment


                          • Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2018-19: The Motzko Era Begins!

                            Originally posted by Happy View Post
                            Be an optimist. Half of my goal for the Gophers each year is no one gets arrested, pees in an elevator, throws a lawnmower, breaks out of a police car, gets a DWI, hits a girlfriend, gets on TV for underage drinking, cheats on class papers, or gets an NCAA violation. One of my favorite things is to see the players in nice looking suits and being outstanding young men representing my Gophers. As far as I know this team meets that, so all they have to do is win a few games, and I am set.
                            Sorry, but I have higher expectations for these players than 'not to act like they play for the Whioux".

                            Most of the players look defeated from the beginning of a game, loosing one-on one battles to players that they should at least be equal to in ability. The break-out looks more like a clear while short-handed than an attempt at creating offense, over half the time. I just can't muster optimism this year until I see something more promising. Looking more and more like back to back years with low odds of making the NCAA. Last year, I remember them being inconsistent, but at times they looked like they could play with anyone in the country if they could have found consistency. I haven't felt that this year since the second game of the year.

                            And with Scooby only on GPL, someone has to pick up the slack.

                            Comment


                            • Originally posted by Koho View Post
                              Sorry, but I have higher expectations for these players than 'not to act like they play for the Whioux".

                              Most of the players look defeated from the beginning of a game, loosing one-on one battles to players that they should at least be equal to in ability. The break-out looks more like a clear while short-handed than an attempt at creating offense, over half the time. I just can't muster optimism this year until I see something more promising. Looking more and more like back to back years with low odds of making the NCAA. Last year, I remember them being inconsistent, but at times they looked like they could play with anyone in the country if they could have found consistency. I haven't felt that this year since the second game of the year.

                              And with Scooby only on GPL, someone has to pick up the slack.
                              This.

                              I’ve followed Gopher hockey for 50+ years, and I’ve never seen this style of play in the Gopher program.

                              Ever.

                              Comment


                              • Re: Minnesota Golden Gopher Season 2018-19: The Motzko Era Begins!

                                Originally posted by Koho View Post
                                Sorry, but I have higher expectations for these players than 'not to act like they play for the Whioux".

                                Most of the players look defeated from the beginning of a game, loosing one-on one battles to players that they should at least be equal to in ability. The break-out looks more like a clear while short-handed than an attempt at creating offense, over half the time. I just can't muster optimism this year until I see something more promising. Looking more and more like back to back years with low odds of making the NCAA. Last year, I remember them being inconsistent, but at times they looked like they could play with anyone in the country if they could have found consistency. I haven't felt that this year since the second game of the year.

                                And with Scooby only on GPL, someone has to pick up the slack.
                                That's why it is only half of my expectations. The other half is winning, and what goes with it. That half seems pretty iffy at this point.
                                XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX


                                The reason for the talent in the west? Because MN didn't rely on Canada.

                                Originally posted by MN Pond Hockey
                                Menards could have sold a lot of rope

                                this morning in Grand Forks if North Dakota had trees.

                                Comment

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