The boys over at Gopher Puck Live had this in their twitter feed today so I thought I would share it with you. Wally Shaver does the Gopher hockey radio broadcasts along with Frank Mazzocco. Should be a good series between the Fighting Sioux and the Minnesota Gophers.
Except for a fluky goal by Mark Alt in the first period the Sioux took it to the Gophers tonight and really didn't let them get “too much” sustained pressure in the Sioux defensive zone. The Sioux also punished the Gophers every chance they got and in the end the Gophers were looking not to get hit and at times avoided going into the corners to get the puck. Aaron Dell had a much better effort and made the stops when he had to. In the Defensive zone the Fighting Sioux cleared the rebounds out of the reach of the Gopher forwards and made the Gophers earn every inch they got in the offensive zone. It was not easy sledding for the Gophers and they don't like to play that kind of hockey.
In my opinion, it was a much better effort all the way around the ice tonight. The Fighting Sioux limited the number of stupid penalties taken and went 2/6 on the power play and didn’t allow a power player goal to the Gophers. Ironically, the Sioux and the Gophers had an even number of power plays on the weekend, that's 12 for each team, or 6 power plays a piece each night. The UND Fighting Sioux went 4/12 on the power play while Minnesota went 2/12.
Turnovers kill
In other end of the ice I thought that the Gophers turnovers would eventually came back to haunt the Minnesota Gophers, you can’t give the Sioux forwards chances in the slot and not pay for it eventually, the Fighting Sioux have too many talented forwards that know how to score goals. If you play with fire long enough you’re going to get burned, I don’t care how good your goaltender is… A Gopher fan called it on Twitter last night: “We can only make horseshit passes in front of our net for so long before you guys capitalize.” I went back and re-watched last night’s game on the NHL Network this afternoon and UND let a lot of opportunities go to waste, they should have won that game last night as well. Tonight that fortune changed and the Sioux forwards buried the puck when they had to.
As a Sioux fan I am saddened by the departure of Alex Kangas from the college hockey ranks, his career has ended due to a lower body injury. Alex Kangas has sure been good to the Fighting Sioux. According to Roman from Goal Gophers Kangas is one of the better goaltenders to ever put on a UM jersey.
Kangas Ranks
1st: in save percentage, .912
3rd all time: in minutes played, 6,359,
3rd all time: in saves, 2,802,
3rd all time: in games, 108;
3rd all time: in consecutive starts, 51 in freshman and sophomore seasons.
4th all time: goals-against average, 2.56
How dare Golden Gophers head coach Donny Lucia say that UND is the best hockey team in the nation. I guess he didn't get the memo? Lol!!!
Goal Gophers ---- Gophers coach Don Lucia said North Dakota fans will fill the Ralph and make it a tough place for his team to win.
"They give their team a great advantage," Lucia said on Monday during his weekly radio show on WCCO. "There is no question the games will be sold out. They will be all excited that we are coming in because we are their greatest rival. But beyond that, they have a very good team.
"I really, truly believe, they are the best team in the country. They've got all facets of what you are looking for: good goaltending, a big, strong, vetereran D-corps and a group of forwards that can score and can play physical, too.
"They have a bunch of guys that decided that we all are going to come back because they felt that this team could win a national title. And I am sure for this group that anything less will be a disappointment for them. They are kind of geared up for it this year."
The Fighting Sioux were picked to win the WCHA regular-season title and, at the halfway mark, are in first place by two points over UMD and Denver. North Dak
Since it's Gopher vs Sioux week I thought I would include a check by former Golden Gopher Keith Ballard as he give former MSU Spartan Drew Miller a ride with a marvelous hip check. Unfortunately for the Gophers none of the current Gopher defensemen or forwards can hit like this.
This is one of the more exciting series of the college hockey season. The Sioux and the Gophers play this weekend in Mariucci arena in Minneapolis Minnesota. With this week of course brings the worst out of the fans from both teams. So let the stupidities begin. I was surfing the Star and Tribune’s web page and I saw a couple comments that really stuck out for me, that pretty much illustrate my point. Check out this one.
UND?
Why does some idiot always feel the need to go on about UND? Does anyone in the Cities even care about UND? Why do UND fans feel the need … read more to continually grasp at getting attention for themselves? Could it be the rest of us have lives, have the Twins, the Wild, the Vikings, the Timberwolves, Big Ten DIVISION ONE sports that can keep us occupied on the sports scene. Here is a news flash for all UND fans: WE DON'T CARE, AND WE NEVER WILL! It's college hockey! Women's beach volleyball gets more TV airtime than college hockey. And if UND is so great, why were they only one point ahead of UM at the halfway point? Not much to be proud of for UND fans either.
Swing and a miss here. I would be willing to bet that College hockey probably outdraws Women's beach volleyball. Last time I checked UND is 5 points ahead of UMN, oh course the Sioux have two games in hand. That fact really is a mute point, while the Sioux are sitting in a tie for 5th place UND is sitting at 9th in the Pairwise will the Gophers are sitting at 25th.
This is another briliant piece right Here. I am sure his mother would really be proud.
RinkPiggie - You must be a closet Gophs fan because game after game you always comment about how they played. Here's a thought; if UND is so sweet, why don't you try watching one of thier games sometime? Maybe you live in the cities and can't watch your beloved Susie's. Can only watch UND in a 2 mile radius from the Ralph I suppose... while Minny can be seen far and wide on FSN...jealous much?
ND is a horrible place to live and you hicks all move to Minny the first chance you get; and than you pretend how horrible it is...what color is the sky in your world Mrs. Piggie? Go back to Tractor town; because nobody wants you here either.
I guess this moron hasn't got digital cable? You can get the Fighting Sioux on expanded digital cable if you get the sports package, UND’s entire hockey home games are covered on FCS. Also, that means if you have Direct TV you can also get them on channel 617. Also, there are many satellite television dealers that will sell you a FTA dish and you can get Fighting Sioux hockey that way as well. Another swing and a miss.
I always love how the Gophers fans call UND fans a bunch of hicks, which is quite ignorant of course, most outstate Minnesotans resemble the people North Dakota, in their life styles and demographics. I would be willing to bet that he didn’t study sociology and or demographics in college. So basically he has just insulted his fellow fan base that lives outside of the metro area.
