Gopher's losing the state's best recrutis?

[saintpaulhockey]

Do you think the Gophers are becoming less attractive to recruit's or what? I have noticed that many of the state's best recruits are signing with UND or Wisconsin. Are these players not getting scholarships from the U of MN or are they simply choosing not to go there. A few examples are McDonagh, Danny Mattson etc.

[Neutron 14]

Isn't Recrutis the disease UMD has?

[RBKhockey0099]

Gophers just lost Kyle Okposo, he just left I saw it on the news

[Indian Head]

OMG really what are they gonna do.......

[Can't Never Tried]

Isn't Recrutis the disease UMD has?

I thought that's what the wrestlers were getting??

[Gopher Blog]

Do you think the Gophers are becoming less attractive to recruit's or what? I have noticed that many of the state's best recruits are signing with UND or Wisconsin. Are these players not getting scholarships from the U of MN or are they simply choosing not to go there. A few examples are McDonagh, Danny Mattson etc.

They only have 18 full scholarships to give out and they aren't going to be able to land every MN kid out there. They still nail down the majority of the guys they go after in the state. But they will never be able to land all of them. You named two guys (one of which they really didn't recruit because of the roster didn't call for it at the time). I don't know how old you are but you would seem rather young if you think that good MN kids have never played at UW or UND before.

[Zamman]

Back in the late 80's and 90's there was this coach called the Wooger, he always had the states best and they played as a single player not as a team. Having too many all stars can be bad. When the team plays as one they will succeed. Okposo leaving will open the door for someone else to step in and play now. Maybe that is what the team needs to start winning....

[RLStars]

It also has alot to do with where a kid thinks he will fit in at their position. If the UofM has a ton of talented young defensemen, then a kid might look somewhere else if he feels he will be backing some one up for a year or two.

They may chose another school to get playing time right away or maybe, just maybe, those other schools have the degree they want.

[SEMinnHockeyNut]

Wooger did not get the state's best...he screwed up big time...he took Kraft over Cullen...Leimbek over Notterman.....I could go on and on.

[saintpaulhockey]

They only have 18 full scholarships to give out and they aren't going to be able to land every MN kid out there. They still nail down the majority of the guys they go after in the state. But they will never be able to land all of them. You named two guys (one of which they really didn't recruit because of the roster didn't call for it at the time). I don't know how old you are but you would seem rather young if you think that good MN kids have never played at UW or UND before.

I am not saying that the Gophers are bad at recruiting, I am saying that they seem to be taking the wrong players. McDonagh was only was offered a half scholarship! Are you telling me that Wehrs is better than McDonagh? Also Birkholz from Blake was not that impressive when I watched him - it would have been nice if they could have landed Fink from Hopkins or Mattson in his place. Don't get me wrong, I'm a Gopher fan and I am VERY excited for Schroeder and Hanson and Sacchetti etc next year but they still are losing some key recruits.

[Iceburg]

Wooger did not get the state's best...he screwed up big time...he took Kraft over Cullen...Leimbek over Notterman.....I could go on and on.

In both of your examples the players you mention entered college two years apart. Hard to see how it was one over the other.

[sicknasty7722]

Do you think the Gophers are becoming less attractive to recruit's or what? I have noticed that many of the state's best recruits are signing with UND or Wisconsin. Are these players not getting scholarships from the U of MN or are they simply choosing not to go there. A few examples are McDonagh, Danny Mattson etc.

T. Mattson, Hansen, Ness, Sachetti, Schroeder, (maybe Larson), and that's just off the top of my head. Obviously you can't get all of the best, but to say that many aren't going to the U of M is a little exaggerated.

[Gopher Blog]

Are you telling me that Wehrs is better than McDonagh?

You have to remember that timing plays a part in these things. As does how you allocate your scholarships. It isn't always going to be strictly a player for player comparison.

Also Birkholz from Blake was not that impressive when I watched him - it would have been nice if they could have landed Fink from Hopkins or Mattson in his place.

We'll have to see. What we see today doesn't necessarily mean it will be that way two years from now. Birkholz had some good programs after him so we aren't exactly talking chopped liver. Dean Blais would be his coach in the USHL at some point. I don't know about you but I doubt you'll find anybody better equipped among junior hockey coaches to push a player's development to greater heights.

but they still are losing some key recruits.

As I said, they will never get them all. Usually the ones they miss on are not the ones they go after the hardest. There are exceptions but they win much more in recruiting battles than they lose and you are blowing the issue up as if they always got their player. That has never been the case.

[SEMinnHockeyNut]

SEMinnHockeyNut wrote:
Wooger did not get the state's best...he screwed up big time...he took Kraft over Cullen...Leimbek over Notterman.....I could go on and on.


In both of your examples the players you mention entered college two years apart. Hard to see how it was one over the other.



Leimbek and Notterman graduated from Mayo the same year...Notterman played two years of juniors in Green Bay.....Cullen was let slip away and could've been secured w/ the right offer. Kraft was ALWAYS over-rated in my book.

[Iceburg]

Leimbek and Notterman graduated from Mayo the same year

I knew that. So your contention is that Woog made a mistake by not going after Notterman right out of high school?

[flatontheice]

They only have 18 full scholarships to give out and they aren't going to be able to land every MN kid out there. They still nail down the majority of the guys they go after in the state. But they will never be able to land all of them. You named two guys (one of which they really didn't recruit because of the roster didn't call for it at the time). I don't know how old you are but you would seem rather young if you think that good MN kids have never played at UW or UND before.

I am not saying that the Gophers are bad at recruiting, I am saying that they seem to be taking the wrong players. McDonagh was only was offered a half scholarship! Are you telling me that Wehrs is better than McDonagh? Also Birkholz from Blake was not that impressive when I watched him - it would have been nice if they could have landed Fink from Hopkins or Mattson in his place. Don't get me wrong, I'm a Gopher fan and I am VERY excited for Schroeder and Hanson and Sacchetti etc next year but they still are losing some key recruits.

Birkholz is in the top 15 in scoring in the state. He is having a great year and will only get better.

[pucknstick10]

Back in the late 80's and 90's there was this coach called the Wooger, he always had the states best and they played as a single player not as a team. Having too many all stars can be bad. When the team plays as one they will succeed. Okposo leaving will open the door for someone else to step in and play now. Maybe that is what the team needs to start winning....



National Championships at Minnesota:
Wooger: 0
Lucia: 2

This is not intended to be a knock on Woog but to show that Lucia is getting the players he needs. Wooger never went outside the state and Lucia does so Woog would get more MN players.

[eagle4life9]

The U always seems to recruit the same kind of players every year. The soft, fast finesse players. Leddy from EP is a great example of this. He is an extremely talents and fast play who would rather stick handle that hit someone. The U has always brought in and recruited those types of players and they probably will continue to do so with hockey trying to help the skilled forwards by changing rules (interference, holding, etc.)

[newsguy35]

The U always seems to recruit the same kind of players every year. The soft, fast finesse players. Leddy from EP is a great example of this. He is an extremely talents and fast play who would rather stick handle that hit someone. The U has always brought in and recruited those types of players and they probably will continue to do so with hockey trying to help the skilled forwards by changing rules (interference, holding, etc.)

No offense but Bickle is not a finesse player, Matt Demarchi was not a finesse player, Wendell (sp) was not a finesse player. I fail to see your point as far as stick handle rather than hit... I understand we take "pretty boys" but we also mix in with the "goons" or physical players...

[Gopher Blog]

The U always seems to recruit the same kind of players every year. The soft, fast finesse players.

Not sure if that is entirely true. They certainly recruit the high end skill guys and will continue to do so. But guys like Bickel, Schack, and Grant Scott (2008 recruit) are all big, physical players whose job is less about finesse and more about playing tough. The last Gophers series (in Grand Forks against UND), the Gophers were actually the more physical team that weekend. The Gophers have also shown recruiting interest in Andrew Conboy and he is a physical player as well. So I wouldn't go too far with your generalization.

[flatontheice]

"Leddy from EP is a great example of this. He is an extremely talents and fast play who would rather stick handle that hit someone."

That is a very ignorant comment. Nick comes out of the corner with the puck 90% of the time and then beats you to the blue line. I thought that was the object. Running around "hitting" someone is a quality of the past. Leddy represents the ultimate model of a new era defensemen. Don't be dissin on my man Nick anymore.

[eagle4life9]

Yes I understand that every kid they recruit is a finesse player I was just saying that seems to be there favorite. I agree they have some kids who are big physical players and thats good, they need that. Plus I never said that the players they were getting werent tough because most of them are. I just dont see them going after any Derek Boogaards (not that they should because you really dont need that kind of a player in college).

Also I wasnt "dissin" Nick Leddy at all. Check out the name (eagle4life9). Im an EP fan and think Nick is a phenomonal player that will do great for the
Gophers.

[tomASS]

The U always seems to recruit the same kind of players every year. The soft, fast finesse players. Leddy from EP is a great example of this. He is an extremely talents and fast play who would rather stick handle that hit someone. The U has always brought in and recruited those types of players and they probably will continue to do so with hockey trying to help the skilled forwards by changing rules (interference, holding, etc.)

EXACTLY! who's carrying the lunch pail and wants to go do a little work;
It's not 'Project Runway" (not that I have ever seen that show...only heard about it)

[Hockeyguy_27]

When Lucia first arrived, I liked the mix of players he was getting. Guys like Potulny would never have been recruited by Woog--regardless of where they were from. The Gophers need a lot of immediate help defensively and I'm not overly thrilled with the players we've recently lost to Wisconsin and North Dakota but like some of you have said--you can't get them all.

[hockeyknight]

Leimbeck was a very good HS hockey player who would have been best served doing the same thing Notermann did by playing 1-2 yrs in juniors. Then to compare, Leimbeck would have been by far more attractive to any college hockey program than Notermann would have been.