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| Goldy Gopher, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities mascot. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Recently, we have heard from Gopher fans how the Xcel Energy Center is not a home game for the Minnesota Gophers. that is false since the Xcel Energy Center is eight miles from the University of Minnesota campus.
Check out this stat, it's pretty telling, the Minnesota Gophers have hosted a regional championship, both at the Xcel Center and Marucci Arena (2003, 2005) five times since 2003 and made the Frozen Four three times.
Also, the three seasons the Gophers missed the making the Frozen Four when they were the host team, was when they failed to qualify for the NCAA tourney (2009, 2010 and 2011).
B.C. Interuption --- Since the tournament expanded to 16 programs for the 2002-3 season, the University of Minnesota has hosted the West Regional on five separate occasions (2003, 2005, 2009, 2010 and 2012). In three of those years, the Gophers were able to advance to the Frozen Four. Still don't think there's an advantage to playing closer to home come tournament time?So to claim by Gopher fans and others that the Xcel Energy Center is not like home ice for the Golden Gophers is disingenuous and short sighted.
Granted many times the NCAA Regionals are hosted by schools that won't even sniff an NCAA Tournament bid in any given year. Teams like Holy Cross, Fairfield and Michigan Tech rarely make an NCAA Tournament appearance but continue to host a regional every few years. Other college hockey heavyweights -- like New Hampshire, North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin -- are regular hosts for either the Regional round or the Frozen Four.
Congrats to the Minnesota Golden Gophers for making the NCAA tourney and we see how your team matches up with the high flying Boston College Eagles. [Goon's Prediction]
