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Start of the 2nd half of the WCHA. Goph's need to pick it up a to earn home ice. My prediction is a weekend split:

Friday
NoDak - 5
Gophers - 2

Saturday
NoDak - 2
Gophers - 3
(Patterson in goal)

Which team will be in St Paul?

mulefarm wrote:Which team will be in St Paul?

Unfortunately I think the hackers will be making a trip to St. Paul.....
Go Beavers!!!

Cupcake U will be too busy running for their lives over the weekend. You can't run in the NHL sized rink--they aren't playing at the figure skating rink at the hole! :lol: Go Beavers!!

UND by forfeit--Cupcake U will be too scared to get off the bus.

Go Beavers

What about the third game than?

Friday
Gophers 4
Sioux 3

Saturday
Gophers 2
Sioux 5

Sunday
Gophers 3
Sioux 2 OT

Fri
Minn 2
UND 4

Sat
Minn 4
UND 3 2ot

Sun
Minn 1
UND 4 eng

Anyone else think that the refs are missing a good game both ways in the game on sunday? I am not saying they are missing calls just one way, I think they are missing calls both ways on both teams. Since when can you run a goaltender over and get no penalty?

They have been terrible all weekend.

It was a rough weekend for the refs. They were flat out bad. End of story.

The better team won the series. The Gophs are officially done.

UND 6, Minn 0
Minn 4, UND 2 eng
UND 4, Minn 1 eng

Goals tonight:
UND:
Blood (pp)
Gregoire
Frattin (pp)
Hextall (en)

Minn:
Hansen

[quote="BlaineJGA"]Anyone else think that the refs are missing a good game both ways in the game on sunday? I am not saying they are missing calls just one way, I think they are missing calls both ways on both teams. Since when can you run a goaltender over and get no penalty?[/quote]


In the Sioux's defense, he was pushed into Kangas...

fresh25 wrote:

BlaineJGA wrote:Anyone else think that the refs are missing a good game both ways in the game on sunday? I am not saying they are missing calls just one way, I think they are missing calls both ways on both teams. Since when can you run a goaltender over and get no penalty?

In the Sioux's defense, he was pushed into Kangas...

Agreed on that one.....hard to defend the 15 stride charge/boarding/flying shoulder to the head shot that Frattin put on Wehrs though. Should have been a game misconduct. Hard to score the winner from the locker room!

I can't believe a Gopher didn't fight Frattin. This will continue until the Gophers show they won't take it anymore. May not be the right thing to do in many peoples eyes,but they have to take a stand sometime.

Exactly Mulefarm, but this is one huge reason why Goldies boys are on the outside looking in. This team didn't deserve any other fate. Some one should have driven Frattin's face into the ice. Then Blood drives his elbow into Kangas as Fairchild runs like a little school girl. They could trade Fairchild for a bag of pucks and a water bottle and come out smelling like a rose as far as i'm concerned. What a coward!

Apparently all of you missed when Nick Larson tackled him, or when Seth Helgeson tried to jump in but was attacked by another Sioux player.

MNhockey, got any quotes regarding last nights game? Or just Saturday because your Sioux felt they were slighted? The Gophers will be back, soon. Stay tuned.

nipeshow18 wrote:Apparently all of you missed when Nick Larson tackled him, or when Seth Helgeson tried to jump in but was attacked by another Sioux player.

MNhockey, got any quotes regarding last nights game? Or just Saturday because your Sioux felt they were slighted? The Gophers will be back, soon. Stay tuned.

I'm sure that tackle put the fear of death into the Souix! They really backed away from the physical play after that.

nipeshow18 wrote:Apparently all of you missed when Nick Larson tackled him, or when Seth Helgeson tried to jump in but was attacked by another Sioux player.

MNhockey, got any quotes regarding last nights game? Or just Saturday because your Sioux felt they were slighted? The Gophers will be back, soon. Stay tuned.

Oh they'll be back. Will it be next year? I don't know. I've been following Sioux and Gopher hockey for years. The Gophers problem this year wasn't the Sioux. They were 2-3-2 against them. Their problems are simple to me. 1) They need to stop getting kids straight out of high school. 2) Recruit out of state. That doesn't mean go to Canada. Which everyone seems to throw a fit over. 3) Recruit kids with good attitudes and leadership skills. Flynn is a hot-head with no skill. Lucia is the coaches son, enough said.

Obviously injuries have played a roll the last 3-4 years. But the Sioux lost arguably the best player in the conference and look what they've done. What in the world has happened to Carmen? David Fischer? Patrick White? These guys have disappeared. Why does it seem a kid leaves the school every season? A lot of question marks. And I think it starts with Mr. Lucia. Every year they have the most draft picks and it amounts to squat. What's wrong with getting a kid from ND (Potulny's, Irmen), Europe (Vanek)?

I can see it now. Gardiner, Bjugstad, Holl, Isaackson, Alt all straight out of high school. It's not easy folks. One day you're playing Coon Rapids, then the next you're up in Grand Forks getting verbally and physically abused for 2 1/2 hours. Use the USHL. That's why it's there. UMD, SCSU, and UND use it well.

The Gophers aren't going to miss a single senior. They WILL be better next season. I look for Leddy, Birkholz, Budish, Hoeffel, Kangas, and Schroeder to all have big years.

Anyone know about this Finnish player that the gophers are getting next year? Will he bring some toughness to the team or is he more of an offensive guy?

I agree with most of that, but i for one think the problems run deeper than just a few kids not living up to their potential. Don't get me wrong. Nick Larson-P.White-N. Sachetti-A. Ness. All these guys were big studs coming out high school and none have come even close to living up. Schroeder and Fairchild (take off the skirt) led the team in Plus-Minus. both were dissapointments in my eyes.
And where was Big Bad Zach Buddish all weekend? And any time there was any mix ups throughout the year? Wasn't he suppose to be the big tough enforcer that could score? What's he going to do next year when Schroder's gone. The'll be no one to get him the puck. Granted he's only a freshman, but exactly the point i think MNhockey is making. These kids aren't ready for the WCHA yet. It's like men against boys and it really showed this weekend. I don't buy the injury excuse either. Barriball's best days are behind him. We saw that after his freshman year. Mattson won't score more than 8-or 10 goals in any season moving forward. So you get those guys back and you win what, maybe 2-3 more games a year that's not going to turn this program around. Lucia and his stafff have to go. Period! They need a fresh start. New idea's. They need someone who understands that the MN High School hockey player isn't ready to play against men in the WCHA.

MNHock

You're absolutely right on all aspects for the Gophs. They need to get out of this mentality of recruiting only instate kids and allowing them to play right out of high school. If they demand to play right out of high school, let them go unless they are truly ready. Canada is a logical place to recruit, and they have loads of talent there. I would rather have a program that is successful than worry about where the kids are from that are coming to play at the U. Minnesota is too soft, and when it plays a physical team like UND, it really throws them off their game. UND was able to have a successful season despite losing one of the top college players in hockey in November, and despite having many of their guys out during the year with injuries. They are also a younger team that the U. If the U plans on bringing in these kids striaght out of high school next year, 2010-2011 will be a long year again for Gopher fans.

Even Lucia's kid went to the USHL first. Check my timing, but things started to hit the crapper when John Hill joined the staff. Him chasing Guentzel out of the picture only made things worse. I think Hill is a bigger problem that Lucia is.

Blue&Gold wrote:Even Lucia's kid went to the USHL first. Check my timing, but things started to hit the crapper when John Hill joined the staff. Him chasing Guentzel out of the picture only made things worse. I think Hill is a bigger problem that Lucia is.

I agree 100%. Lucia has shown he can win everywhere he has coached. Once Guentzel and Hastings were out at the U, things went downhill quickly.

Lucia4President wrote:

Blue&Gold wrote:Even Lucia's kid went to the USHL first. Check my timing, but things started to hit the crapper when John Hill joined the staff. Him chasing Guentzel out of the picture only made things worse. I think Hill is a bigger problem that Lucia is.

I agree 100%. Lucia has shown he can win everywhere he has coached. Once Guentzel and Hastings were out at the U, things went downhill quickly.

Actually, Hastings was only there last year. Motzko leaving was a bit of a hit, but Hill coming in was BAD, and Guentzel leaving was really BAD. Lucia should be fired if only because he allowed Hill to chase Mike away.

What will happen this weekend? Will any gopher go after Frattin, or will they allow him to knock another gopher out? Will they take a physical stand or lay down and let the sue run them over?

mulefarm wrote:What will happen this weekend? Will any gopher go after Frattin, or will they allow him to knock another gopher out? Will they take a physical stand or lay down and let the sue run them over?

Like usual both teams are going to try to knock each other out regardless... Its the Gophers versus the Sioux; anything can't happen because its a rivalry game. (To say the least) Sioux are ranked 2nd in the nation (USA Today and USCHO); however, rankings don't matter in this series at anytime. I would not be surprised by a split nor a sweep by the Sioux.

Best of luck to both teams.