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The women's national team beat Hopkins and play Eagan on Tuesday.

Anybody go to the game vs. Hopkins? Was it good hockey? Fun to watch?

starmvp wrote:Anybody go to the game vs. Hopkins? Was it good hockey? Fun to watch?

I went to the game, and yes it was very entertaining. Both teams had many excellent chances to score, and I would say the shots were pretty even (did not hear the final count). Hopkins had at least 4 lone breakaways, but didn't convert any of them (the U.S. team scored the game winner on a breakaway).

The women dressed 23 players (they still need to cut 2 before the Olympics) so they used some different players each period. This may have affected their team play some, as their line combinations changed throughout the game. Maybe for Eagan they will have more of a set lineup.

Final
5-3 Women's National Team

Question:
Is this group of women just that good? In the past when they have play our high schools the boys have won. They have been close ones, but the boys won. This time the women won; it's nice to see them winning.

From "Crazy Dave" off of the womens' college hockey forum:

Final from Eagan...
Code:

Score ----- USA 2 2 1 5 Eagan 0 0 3 3 Shots ----- USA 6 10 4 20 Eagan 4 6 13 23


First of all, it was a packed house at the Eagan Civic Center -- standing room only. Not sure what that place seats, but I would guess it to be in the neighborhood of 1,000 people, which was great given the winter storm occurring.

Second, because of the weather, the game got a late start by about 30 minutes. Team USA didn't arrive at the arena until 50 minutes before the scheduled start time.

Also, the game was played to Minnesota high school rules with 17-minute periods and two refs and one linesman.

Team USA caught the Eagan boys napping right on the opening faceoff as Knight scored just 18 seconds into the game (assist to Darwitz). Zaugg-Siergiej made it 2-0 on a power play goal at 15:13 of the first (assists to Lawler and J. Lam). There were several Eagan odd-man rushes, but they didn't convert any of them.

Team USA kept the pressure up in the second. Jenny Potter applied a short-handed forecheck, caught the Eagan goaltender out of the net after playing the puck, swiped the puck and tucked it into the net for the unassisted tally at 1:40. Later on, a Keseley-to-Chu-to-Darwitz passing combination as the three came up the ice led to Natalie burying a twisted wrister for a 4-0 lead at 5:32 of the second.

The Eagan boys appeared to have had enough as they came out for the third period playing very aggresive and turning on the speed as well. The pressure led to their first goal at 4:16, and then Eagan senior Ryan Lutz pickpocketed Angela Ruggerio and converted it to a goal to make it 4-2 at 6:39.

Lutz's goal was the first of three goals in a 36-second span... Team USA came back and M. Lam scored on a slapper from the right point just 15 seconds after the Eagan goal, but the Wildcats pulled back within 2 goals just 21 seconds after that. That was the end of the scoring, but Molly Schaus (who played the whole game for Team USA) made some great saves near the end of the game -- including back-to-back saves off her mask and right shoulder.

A good night for hometown gal and team captain Natalie Darwitz as she had 1 goal and 1 assist. Jenny Potter also had a goal and an assist.
__________________
Now in my 13th year of heckling Gopher Women's Hockey opponents!

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HShockeywatcher wrote:Final
5-3 Women's National Team

Question:
Is this group of women just that good? In the past when they have play our high schools the boys have won. They have been close ones, but the boys won. This time the women won; it's nice to see them winning.

Haha no. They're playing mediocre at best high school teams. Match them up against Tonka or EP and see how they'd do.

Roseauverrated wrote:

HShockeywatcher wrote:Final
5-3 Women's National Team

Question:
Is this group of women just that good? In the past when they have play our high schools the boys have won. They have been close ones, but the boys won. This time the women won; it's nice to see them winning.

Haha no. They're playing mediocre at best high school teams. Match them up against Tonka or EP and see how they'd do.

Hopkins is down this year as their best player (and one of the best in the state), Travis Boyd, left the team to play with the National Development Team in MI.

What I heard regarding the Hopkins game was that the women are probably better skaters than the teams at this level they are playing but once the boys catch on to the style of the game and realize that "some" contact is allowed the flow changes.

Well, like I questioned in the other thread; why don't the women scrimmage 30 teams instead of having 3 games against mediocre teams? I doubt very many teams wouldn't scrimmage them, but taking up a game is the issue. they could probably scrimmage nearly every top 25 team in the state.

Top Ten Reasons the Top Boys Teams would not play The women's Olympic team:
1. Giles Afraid of getting Fired
2. St. thomas only like Boys
3. White Bear can't even Beat Hill Murray
4. Coaches egos are too Big
5. Duluth East play without checking, no way
6. Already have White Bear on their Schedule
7 Privates- afraid of getting HIV
8. Eden Prairie girls don't play fair
9 St Francis didn't think they could win by 5
10. Duluth Marshall could not bring their own refs

Getemupscout wrote:Top Ten Reasons the Top Boys Teams would not play The women's Olympic team:
1. Giles Afraid of getting Fired
2. St. thomas only like Boys
3. White Bear can't even Beat Hill Murray
4. Coaches egos are too Big
5. Duluth East play without checking, no way
6. Already have White Bear on their Schedule
7 Privates- afraid of getting HIV
8. Eden Prairie girls don't play fair
9 St Francis didn't think they could win by 5
10. Duluth Marshall could not bring their own refs

This is great

Getemupscout wrote:Top Ten Reasons the Top Boys Teams would not play The women's Olympic team:
1. Giles Afraid of getting Fired
2. St. thomas only like Boys
3. White Bear can't even Beat Hill Murray
4. Coaches egos are too Big
5. Duluth East play without checking, no way
6. Already have White Bear on their Schedule
7 Privates- afraid of getting HIV
8. Eden Prairie girls don't play fair
9 St Francis didn't think they could win by 5
10. Duluth Marshall could not bring their own refs

Wow, you list WBL on your list of TOP TEAMS twice. They must be good.

Pretty Good I must Admit

HShockeywatcher wrote:Well, like I questioned in the other thread; why don't the women scrimmage 30 teams instead of having 3 games against mediocre teams? I doubt very many teams wouldn't scrimmage them, but taking up a game is the issue. they could probably scrimmage nearly every top 25 team in the state.

I would guess the answer is that the U.S. Women simply chose not to plan their schedule this way. Instead they chose to play mostly college womens teams and conference all star teams, which didn't allow for enough open dates to fit many games or scrimmages against boys teams. The Canadian Womens team took a different approach, playing a regular league schedule against boys midget teams. If you read this very interesting article, this approach seems to be paying dividends and may give them an edge in the Olympics in Februrary:

CANADIAN WOMEN RELY ON CLASHES WITH MEN’S MIDGET TEAMS FOR OLYMPIC PREPARATION

http://www.hockeycanada.ca/index.php/ci ... a_id/1.htm

Too bad the U.S. team didn't schedule more games here against the best Minnesota high school teams which would have given them the same level of competition, maybe more.

I doubt it would be a bad thing for either the boys or women to allow them to play 50 of our teams. Maybe play on Sundays, or something to that effect. Or leading up to Olympics years, or all the time, have the MSHSL not count the game as one of the 25.