#1 Ranked Minnesota Gophers Up Next For DU

From: Rocky Mountain News
by Pat Rooney

Minnesota is not accustomed to looking up at the front-runners in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.

Yet that is exactly where the league's coaches and media contingent believed the Golden Gophers would be at the outset of the college hockey season, as Minnesota, in both preseason polls, was picked to finish in a fourth-place tie with Wisconsin. [rest of article]

5 comments:

du78 said...

Maybe Stoa will sign with the Avs when their plane lands on Thursday ;-)

dggoddard said...

I'll make a few calls over to the Avs and see if they can't throw a financial package together for Stoa.

Anonymous said...

Big challenge for DU this weekend. Aside from lack of consistent scoring, the other weakness I notice week after week is a lack of physical game. Actually, I've noticed this ever since Pauko left. DU is too easy to play against. Too often the hittee and not enough the hitter, especially among the forwards. How many games have you seen where our guy gets pummeled against the boards but there's nothing in return? There's just no consistent hard forecheckers. Opposing d-men have it way too easy. Even on defense, too soft. Nutini and Ryder throw their weight around a little but that's about. I really hope Gwoz can bring in some bangers one of these years. I'd be curious what others think.

dggoddard said...

interesting point about the hitting.

I think hitting is way down for the last two years and the new rules probably have a lot do with it. Refs are calling far more roughing and 5 minute majors than they used too. You can no longer hit a players w/o the puck.

The hitting was getting out of control and too many players were getting separated shoulders, concussions and similar injuries.

Matt Carle called college hockey "kamikazee hockey" when he graduated and he wasn't far off. Players were flying around at 90 mph looking to knock heads off.

Look at the juggling act DU is doing to make the 18 scholies limit. We had to move mountains to squeeze Wiercioch in and next year looks like a complete clusterbomb with more players coming in than graduating.

msbdu said...

I would like to see some more consistency. You never know which DU team is going to suit up. I don't see a lot of heart and most of the time not a lot of hustle outside of guys like Mullen, The Goal Czar and Bozak. Colbourne kind of just ambles on down the ice and he won't give a hit. Having said that, I think in the Minn Duluth game I saw a little more fire.

What does it take to get these guys fired up???