By Brian Deutsch on March 29, 2013 4:04 PM
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Thoughts about the Gophers NCAA West Regional 3-2 loss against Yale.
Bulldogs Win
Minnesota fell to Yale in the first game of the NCAA West
Regional, 3-2 in overtime. Jesse Root scored the game-winning goal for the
Bulldogs less than 10 seconds into the extra frame. The Gophers received goals
by Nate Schmidt and Zach Budish to erase a two-goal deficit in the third in
order and send the game to overtime. Minnesota's season ended after suffering
back-to-back loses for the first time all season.
Failing Behind
The game followed a similar path to the game against
Colorado College at the WCHA Final Five. After a scoreless first period,
Minnesota's opponent scored twice in the second period to take a 2-0 lead after
40 minutes. Yale got on the board first courtesy of Kenny Agostino. The Bulldogs' second goal was scored by defenseman Gus Young on the power play. Minnesota
lacked jump in the first two periods and failed to get quality opportunities around Yale goaltender Jeff Malcolm.
Fighting Back
Minnesota came back with much better effort in the third
period and would tie the score to send the game to overtime. The Gophers' top-ranked
power play finally converted on its fifth the chance of the game. Nate
Schmidt's point shot found its way past Jeff Malcolm with a nice screen in
front set by Erik Haula and Nick Bjugstad. Zach Budish tied the score with a
great redirect in front of the net. He received a fancy centering pass from
Erik Haula, who was stationed in the corner. Budish's goal came 13:40 into the
third period and was the last goal of regulation.
Season as a Whole
Minnesota's season concludes with today's loss. The Gophers stayed
at or near the top of the national polls during the entire season, never dropping
lower than fourth in the USCHO.com Poll. The highlight of the Gophers season
was capturing a share of the MacNaughton Cup as WCHA regular-season champion. Overall,
Minnesota won 26 games this season and did not lose a regular-season series all
year. Erik Haula led a very talented group in scoring with 51 points. Freshman
Adam Wilcox was a revelation in net, taking over the reigns in the first month
of the season and running with it. Next year's version of Pride on Ice will undoubtedly
have a different makeup, but the 2012-13 Gophers were one of the most talented
in history and accomplished a lot.
By Brian Deutsch on March 28, 2013 8:13 AM
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The Minnesota men's hockey team met with the media Wednesday
prior to flying off to Grand Rapids, Mich. for the NCAA West Regional beginning
Friday afternoon.
The Gophers' opponent in the opening round of the tournament
is the Yale Bulldogs. The Minnesota players are not too familiar with their
Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference opponent, but they are looking forward
to the challenge.
"It is always fun to play a team new team like Yale,"
forward Nate Condon said. It is the first meeting between The Gophers and
Bulldogs since Minnesota claimed a 7-3 victory during the 2002 Dodge Holiday
Classic at Mariucci Arena.
Head coach Don Lucia, who has coached alongside Yale head
coach Keith Allain, offered some insight into how the Bulldogs like to play.
"(Yale) wants to get up and down the rink. They try to
recruit skilled players," Lucia said. "This year, they had had a lot of
success. They beat Denver, beat Colorado College, and tied Boston College all
on the road."
Senior defenseman Seth Helgeson thinks the Gophers are well
prepared to face Yale. "In our non-conference schedule we played a team like
(Boston College), and they were a quick team, so we should be ready for
(Yale)," Helgeson said. "We know we have to play physical, but we like to play
an up and down type of game too."
A Gopher win on Friday afternoon means a matchup with either
North Dakota or Niagara on Saturday. While some of the players admitted they
might have to guard against looking ahead towards a potential matchup with archrival
North Dakota, defenseman Nate Schmidt knows the focus needs to be on Yale.
"Hopefully, we will have a great game Friday night. I am just
really excited to play Yale," Schmidt said. "If we win the game, whoever we get
after that will be a great game."
All three games from the NCAA West Regional can be seen live
on ESPNU. The Gophers will tangle with the Bulldogs on Friday at 1 p.m. CT. The
regional final is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT on Saturday. The Gophers are two wins
away from a return trip to the Frozen Four after reaching the crowning event of
the college hockey season for the first time in seven seasons last year.
Story by Communications Student Intern Josh Brennock
By Cory Hall on March 27, 2013 9:47 AM
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This feature on the Gopher women's hockey team exemplifies what this team and staff is all about. It gives an in depth insight on the team culture, the coaching staff and more.
By Brian Deutsch on March 26, 2013 5:17 PM
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As the Gophers prepare to open the NCAA tournament against Yale this Friday at 1 p.m. CT in Grand Rapids, Mich., we've been doing a little research into the history between these two squads. We discovered the box score from Minnesota's 7-3 win over the Bulldogs on Dec. 27, 2002 (the last time these two programs met) over at CollegeHockeyStats.net, and what we found was pretty amazing.
Five points from Minnesota's top line of Thomas Vanek (2-0--2), Matt Koalska (0-1--1) and Troy Riddle (0-2--2). The game-winning goal (and an assist) from current Penguins defenseman Paul Martin and a shorthanded goal from Vancouver blue liner Keith Ballard. In all, 13 different Gophers with a point.
Jerrid Reinholz picked up his first of two points in the win with a goal just 2:15 into the game, and Minnesota was cruising soon after. The Gophers built a 6-0 lead midway through the battle before the Bulldogs found the net for the first time.
It's also worth noting that the win gave Minnesota its seventh-straight victory over Yale while the Gophers went on to pick up a Dodge Holiday Classic title the next night with a 201 overtime win over No. 6 Boston College.
And of course, we all know how the 2002-03 season ended...
USA TODAY Minnesota women's hockey team finishes perfectly http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/hockey/2013/03/25/minnesota-golden-gophers-perfect-season-championship-amanda-kessel-brad-frost/2016365/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+UsatodaycomCollegeSports-TopStories+(Sports+-+College+-+Top+Stories)
NEW
YORK TIMES Minnesota
Women's Hockey Wins 49 in a Row to Win Title
http://thequad.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/25/streaks-alive-minnesota-womens-hockey-win-49-in-a-row-to-win-title/
CBS - WCCO Gophers Get Perfect Season
With NCAA Women's Title http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2013/03/24/gophers-get-perfect-season-with-ncaa-womens-title/
NBC - KARE11 Gophers get perfect season
with NCAA women's title http://www.kare11.com/sports/gophers/article/1018185/452/Gophers-get-perfect-season-with-NCAA-womens-title
By Brian Deutsch on March 25, 2013 11:26 AM
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The Don Lucia Radio Show continues tonight at the Beacon Public House on campus. If you haven't checked out the new restaurant yet, catch tonight's show live starting at 6 p.m. as Coach Lucia and Wally Shaver discuss all things surrounding Gopher hockey. Tonight's show also airs live on 1500 ESPN.
Tonight, Lucia and Shaver break down Minnesota's NCAA West Regional opponent Yale from the ECAC. The two teams meet for the first time ever in the NCAA tournament this Friday at 2 p.m. ET at Van Andel Arena with North Dakota and Niagara also in the regional. The Bulldogs enter the week with an 18-12-3 overall record and finished third in the ECAC regular season with a 12-9-1 mark in league play. Yale, who will take on the Gophers for the first time since 2002, is led by seventh year head coach Keith Allain. Tonight's show will also examine last weekend's WCHA Final Five at Xcel Energy Center as well as several other topics regarding the Gopher hockey program.
The Beacon Public House offers great deals each week for the Don Lucia Radio Show including half price entrees and a happy hour special. The Beacon Public House is located in the new Commons Hotel on campus (615 Washington Avenue SE).
By Sarah Turcotte on March 25, 2013 10:47 AM
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The
Minnesota women's basketball team filmed numerous videos during the 2012-13 season
that were used during home games, on Gophersports.com and on
Twitter and Facebook. The end products used the best shots and were always
professionally produced, but the Gophers had a lot more fun with the
videos than their fans were able to see.
With 2012-13 coming to a close, Gophersports.com gives fans an inside look at
some of the best bloopers from the year. Check out all of the fun that
the team experiences behind the scenes!
By Justine Buerkle on March 23, 2013 7:30 PM
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On
Sunday, March 24, in Austin, Texas, the Gophers will
continue their quest to make a deep NCAA Tournament run
a Third Round matchup against No. 3 seed Florida in the South Regional. GopherSports.com's Jeff Fett took a peek at what the Gators have accomplished so far this season, and how the Gophers will match up with them.
Florida Preview Head Coach: Billy Donovan Overall Record: 27-7 SEC Conference Record: 14-4
Top 5 Leading Scorers: Erik Murphy-12.8 ppg; Kenny
Boynton-12.3 ppg; Mike Rosario-12.2 ppg; Patric Young-10.5 ppg; Scottie
Wilbekin-9.1 ppg.
Top 5 Leading Rebounders: Patric Young-6.3 rpg; Will Yeguete-5.9
rpg; Erik Murphy-5.5 rpg; Casey Prather-3.8 rpg; Michael Frazier II-3.3 rpg.
Notable wins: Wisconsin, Middle Tennessee State,
Marquette, Florida State, Air Force Academy, Missouri, Mississippi, Kentucky,
Alabama
Florida is a
team that is a serious contender for the Final Four if they are hitting on all
cylinders.
Senior
forward Erik Murphy and senior point guard Kenny Boynton lead the Gators. The
two led the team in scoring and on the defensive side of the ball. Sophomore guard Scottie Wilbekin's defense has also been important to Florida's success.
The Gators
average 71.9 points per game and allow just 53.5 points per game, which is
third in the nation. In fact, Florida's defense has been so stout that it has
allowed more than 70 points just once (80 points in a loss to Arkansas) and
allowed 50 points or fewer 13 times this season.
In their Second Round game, the Gators held the highest scoring team in the nation in
Northwestern State to 34 points below its season average.
However,
Florida is not without its weaknesses. The Gators are 0-6 in games decided by
six points or fewer this season. They have also let three double-digit leads
slip away.
If the
Gophers can get up and down the court and take the Gators out of their element
and turn this into a high scoring game, there is a good chance they could make
it into the Sweet 16.
By Brian Deutsch on March 22, 2013 9:47 PM
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Minnesota fell 2-0 to Colorado College at the WCHA Final
Five tonight.
Tigers Top Minnesota
Minnesota dropped a 2-0 contest to Colorado College in the
semifinals of the WCHA Final Five. The Tigers will meet the University of Wisconsin
in tomorrow's championship game. Despite outshooting the Tigers in ever period,
the Gophers never solved Colorado College goalie Joe Howe, who made 35 saves to
earn the shutout. Minnesota's final game at the WCHA Final Five will go down as
a disappointment.
Gophers Play From
Behind... Can Not Catch Up
After a scoreless first period, Colorado College took a 2-0 lead
with two goals in the second period. Rylan Schwartz gave the Tigers a lead 59
seconds into the period when he let a strong wrist shot go after a fancy toe
drag. Schwartz was able to use the Gophers defenseman as a screen for Minnesota
goalie Adam Wilcox on the play. Charlie Taft doubled Colorado College's lead
with his seventh goal of the season just over three minutes later. The two
goals would be all that The Tigers needed to earn a birth in the title game.
Minnesota is now 1-4-1 when trailing after two periods.
Up Next
The Gophers now turn their attention to the NCAA tournament.
The regionals are take place next weekend. Minnesota will find out their
opponent at 8 p.m. Sunday night when the NCAA releases the tournament bracket. Signs
point to the Gophers being the number one seed in Grand Rapids, Michigan, home
of this year's west regional. The other three regional host sites and potential
destinations for Minnesota are Toledo, Ohio, Providence, Rhode Island, and
Manchester, New Hampshire. The selection show will be broadcasted on ESPNU.
Written by University of Minnesota intern Josh Brennock
By Brian Deutsch on March 21, 2013 6:44 PM
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The 2013 WCHA Final Five is officially underway at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, and even with the Gophers off until tomorrow's semifinal against either Colorado College or North Dakota, Thursday was a full day for most of the team.
With the rest of campus on Spring Break, the Gophers woke up early for morning practice at Xcel Energy Center after breakfast at the team hotel. The Gophers prepped for practice in an auxiliary room at the X with all of the arena's locker rooms spoken for on Thursday (Minnesota staff will move the team into a locker room following Thursday's quarterfinal action). The dressing area was completely adequate for the Gophers with some members of the team remembering a similar situation at the Hockey City Classic with the Chicago Blackhawks using Minnesota's locker room at Soldier Field.
Thursday's skate was a typical practice for the Gophers including ending the skate with a team shootout. Your winner? Junior Nick Bjugstad who started the shootout off with two-straight goals and was not challenged for the lead...even when associate head coach Mike Guentzel stepped in as Minnesota's last hope to unseat the team's leading goal scorer this season.
"It's great to have a little fun at the end of practice," Bjugstad said. "Most of our practice is spent focused on the task at hand, it's nice to have that last 10 minutes to blow off a little steam...you never know who is going to make it interesting."
For some members of the squad, playing at Xcel Energy Center is nothing new. For others, this weekend marks the first time playing at the venue. For all, it's no doubt another special occasion -- perhaps even more so with this year marking Minnesota's final campaign in the WCHA.
"This is such a great venue and a great event. You can't help but smile when you're out there on the ice," junior Jake Parenteau said. "We're looking forward to Friday night no matter who we play. Hopefully we take care of business and get the chance to close out the WCHA season on Saturday."
Thursday afternoon was a fun experience for the Gophers. With fans from around the WCHA showing up for the start of this year's tournament, most of the team stuck around downtown St. Paul to get lunch and watch as crowds grew around Xcel Energy Center (Chipotle lunch seemed to be the favorite for most of the team and staff).
Lunch was followed with a return to the hotel for some while others took in the first quarterfinal game between Wisconsin and Minnesota State (the Badgers picked up a 7-2 win in that one).
The Gophers players will not attend Thursday's second quarterfinal. Instead the team will remain at the hotel, either watching the action on TV or resting up for another full day tomorrow.
Since winning the national title last season, our sights have been set on
returning to the Frozen Four, especially with it being hosted at Ridder Arena.
And after a long, exciting and history 2012-13 season, we have finally achieved
one of our goals.
With the rest of Minnesota on Spring Break, our schedule has been very
flexible. We had a team breakfast this morning at Egg & I, and then we had
our team practice around lunchtime.
The practice was business as usual, and we fine-tuned some things for tomorrow's
game versus Boston College. At the end of practice, we did our ritual "Hair-Down
Showdown", which is done the last practice before the weekend begins. Coach
Frost was the surprise winner today as he somehow slipped the puck by Noora.
After practice, Noora, Amanda and Coach Frost addressed the media one last time
before the weekend.
We are now getting ready to head to the NCAA Frozen Four Banquet, which will be
held at TCF Bank Stadium. It will be a good chance for all the players, coaches
and staff to mingle with one another and really take in the whole Frozen Four
experience. I've heard the meal is the same as what we had at the Senior
Banquet back in February, so we all are pretty excited about dinner tonight!
The banquet will wrap up our final prep day for the Frozen Four, and then it is
business tomorrow morning! Everyone is pumped and excited to defend our
national title this weekend!
Friday, March 22, in Austin, Texas the Gophers will begin their quest to make
it to their second Final Four in school history in a second round matchup against
No. 6 seed UCLA in the South Regional. Here is a preview of what the Bruins
have accomplished so far this season.
NCAA Tournament Preview: UCLA
Head Coach: Ben Howland
Overall Record: 25-9
Pac-12 Conference Record: 13-5
Top 5
Leading Scorers: Shabazz Muhammad-17.8 ppg; Jordan Adams-15.3 ppg; Travis Wear-11.2 ppg;
Kyle Anderson-9.8 ppg; Larry Drew II-7.6 ppg.
Top 5 Leading Rebounders: Kyle Anderson-8.6 rpg;
Shabazz Muhammad-5.3 rpg; Travis Wear-5.2 rpg; David Wear-5.0 rpg; Joshua
Smith-4.2 rpg.
Austin Hollins and the Gophers are making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2010.
Notable losses: Georgetown, Cal Poly, San
Diego State, Oregon, Washington State
Outlook
The
Gophers second round matchup against UCLA is a tough one to predict. UCLA won
the regular season Pac-12 title this season, but also went through some rough
stretches as well.
The
Bruins are led by freshman guard/forward combo Shabazz Muhammad, who leads the
team in scoring and is likely to be a top 10 pick in the NBA draft this season
should he choose to exit early.
UCLA
can get up and down the court, averaging 74.7 points per game, which is 28th
in the nation. The team also is averaging 16.1 assists per game, which is 11th
in the country. However, the Bruins also give up a lot of points as well. In
the Bruins' 34 games, they have given up at least 60 points or more 26 times.
Just
before the NCAA tournament, UCLA suffered a big hit. The Bruins will be without
freshman guard Jordan Adams after he broke his foot in their Pac-12 Conference
tournament semifinal victory over Arizona on Friday. Adams is the team's second
scorer and led the Pac-12 in steals with 73 this season. Sophomore Norman
Powell will take his place in the starting lineup.
What
could work in the Gophers favor is UCLA's depth. With the loss of Adams, the
Bruins will likely stick to a seven-man rotation. If the Gophers can make this
game into a track meet, there is a good chance they could move on.
Yesterday, the Gophers had one final practice before taking on UCLA. Other than that, the team had all day to relax before playing the very last game of the NCAA Second Round.
The band and spirit squads (including national champion mascot Goldy, of course) have done a phenomenal job this weekend. They were at the 'Sota Social at the Tavern before the game, along with a lot of family and fans who had an opportunity to chat and have snacks before taking a shuttle to the arena.
Our game ended up starting even later than planned when the Florida-Northwestern State game ran longer than expected. After getting to Austin on Wednesday afternoon, late Friday was a long time to wait to play. It was great to finally tip off at 9:22 p.m.
It was also great to see the Gophers take an early lead. Things got a little tense (for me, anyway) when UCLA chipped away at that lead at the beginning of the second half. And then it was hard not to start cheering on the sidelines when the Gophers pulled away again. After the 83-63 score went final, Tubby Smith and Dre Hollins did some on-court interviews. Smiley Dre got a lot of cheers going back to the locker room.
After media obligations, we finally got back to the hotel around 12:30. The spirit squads and band again were very supportive, forming a tunnel for the team to go through as they went inside for the postgame meal.
The team had press conferences this afternoon, and will be finishing up their closed practice soon. A false fire alarm during Miami's practice earlier today pushed back the schedule for the rest of the practices. I used practice time to explore the surrounding part of campus. At Texas Memorial Stadium, a gate was ajar, so I walked through without asking, just to snap a couple pictures.
Wearing my Minnesota shirt for the walk appears to have paid off. A nice man at the stadium told me he only let me in because he liked Tubby. On my way back to the Frank Erwin Center, someone said, "Go, Gophs!" to me out of a car window.
It's fitting that I mentioned the bat bridge earlier today,
because we ended up having a close encounter with a bat tonight. A few
different times during the Gophers' open practice, everyone stopped for a
moment while a bat flew around in the court area at the Frank Erwin Center. (See the video above for some bat footage.) The
bat even went at Julian Welch. I don't think Dre Hollins was a big fan--he kept running away. I guess
Barnyard animals follow the Gophers around even when they're not playing in
Williams Arena.
Before practice, the media had access to the team. The
locker room was open to media for half an hour. Coach Tubby Smith and the two
captains, Austin Hollins and Rodney Williams, fielded questions in the press
conference area during part of that time. As most of the media cleared out of
the locker room, we started watching the Michigan-South Dakota State game
before heading out to the court for practice.
A few tidbits from the locker room:
Rodney Williams, on the city of Austin:
"It's a pretty nice city, from what we've seen. I'm most happy about getting
out of the cold weather, just being somewhere warm."
Williams, on being back in the Tournament as a senior:
"It's definitely nice. To come in my freshman year and get to the Tournament
and then not go for a couple years, that was tough. To go out with an NCAA
Tournament, I think that's the best way to go out."
Andre Hollins, on his first NCAA Tournament experience:
"It's very exciting. As a kid, you grow up watching college basketball with a
sense of excitement. You're on the couch watching these games back to back with
the players playing their hearts out. You just hope that one day that's you.
Now that I have the opportunity to be here, it's crazy. It's exciting."
The Gophers will have one last practice tomorrow before
playing in the very last game of the 2013 Second Round (formerly known as the
First Round) at about 9:00 p.m. For information about the viewing party in
Roseville, the 'Sota Social in Austin and home viewing options, scroll down to
the bottom of this article.
March 21 - 3:00 p.m.
Thursday has a day of practice and meetings so far. Some of
the staff attended morning meetings to go over tournament procedures so that
everything would run smoothly later in the day and on game day. The coaches'
meeting starts pretty soon, as well.
Pictured above: Frank Erwin Center
At noon, the Gophers practiced at St. Edward's University in
Austin. Several of us watched basketball on our phones on the way there. (Check out the NCAA March Madness Live app if you have a smart phone or tablet--but be prepared to charge your device soon if you do. The app is free and allows you to track scores and watch games live.) At
practice, we could see passers-by stopping at the windows to take a peek at the
Division I team using the Division II Hilltoppers' gym.
Our bus driver gave us a nice tour of the University of
Texas campus and other parts of Austin before bringing us back to the hotel.
The Longhorns have some incredible facilities, and their campus is spread out
like the University of Minnesota. Places we saw included the state capitol
building, the Longhorns' football and baseball stadiums, the Lyndon Baines
Johnson Library and a bridge under which a lot of bats live (kind of creepy). There would be pictures of some of this if we had gotten off the bus--maybe I will add some tomorrow if I have a chance to walk around in the morning.
It has been kind of fun just walking or driving around
Austin and seeing some of the quirky things in this city. It seems like there
are food trucks just about everywhere. There are a handful of them right
outside our hotel, and there are some streets with a whole bunch them lined up
in a row. On one street not far from our hotel, people have converted most of
the houses into bars/restaurants.
The Gophers will be going back to the Frank Erwin Center for
media availability and open practice tonight. Practice is open to the public
and runs from 6:40 to 7:20.
March 20 - 7:30 p.m.
March Madness has officially begun for the Golden Gopher basketball
team. The team, band, cheerleaders, staff and others involved with the program
flew to Austin, Texas, this afternoon to get ready for Minnesota's game against
UCLA on Friday night.
We left Williams Arena and well-below-average "spring"
temperatures late in the morning and arrived in balmy Texas this afternoon. The
Minnesota Rouser played in the airport as we were boarding. When we got off the
plane at the airport, it was nice not to need a winter coat. A local news crew was at the hotel when we arrived to greet our buses and interview Tubby Smith.
The Gophers had lunch at the hotel, and went to practice
later in the evening, where they had a chance to meet Texas Longhorns football
coach Mack Brown and listen to a little talk from him. The Gophers will have
their first look at the Frank Erwin Center court tomorrow during open practice.
Anyone in Austin who wishes may come to watch on Thursday. Minnesota's open
practice runs from 6:40 to 7:20 p.m.
"Had a chance to visit with my friend Tubby Smith. Great coach and class act! Enjoyed catching up. twitter.com/UT_MackBrown/s..."
Info for Friday The No. 11 Gophers will play No. 6 UCLA in the second game of the Friday
night session. The first game will start at 6:27 p.m. CT, and the Gophers will
start 30 minutes after the conclusion of that game between Florida and Northwestern
State. Find both teams' game notes and all the other information you need on
our preview page.
For Gopher Fans in Minnesota There will be a viewing party at Joe Senser's in Roseville. If you would
like, come early for the Gopher men's hockey game at 7 p.m. and stay for the basketball
game at 9 p.m. There will be food and beverage specials and chances to win
prizes.
If you're watching on TV at home, try these channels:
Comcast 51, DirecTV 246, Dish 204. Or look for your provider with the TruTV channel
finder. Games are also available online at ncaa.com.
For Gopher Fans in Austin
The NCAA Tournament edition of the 'Sota Social runs from 5-7 p.m. at the
Tavern (922 West 12th Street, Austin, Texas, 78703). The event will feature
snacks, a cash bar, prizes and entertainment. Starting at 6:30, fans can take a
shuttle from the social to the arena for the game.
By Brian Deutsch on March 20, 2013 4:02 PM
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Members of the Minnesota men's hockey team met with the
media ahead of this weekend's WCHA Final Five at the Xcel Energy Center in St.
Paul, Minn. Based on earning a share of the MacNaughton Cup and the tournament's
No. 2-seed, the Gophers receive a bye and will first play in Friday night's
semifinal against either North Dakota or Colorado College.
The players are looking forward to participating in the
program's last WCHA Final Five before leaving to join the new Big Ten Hockey
Conference next season. "It is one of the more fun tournaments of the year. We
know that our fan base will be behind us and whoever we play will have a lot of
fans there as well," forward Erik Haula said.
The Gophers opponent on Friday night will be determined by
Thursday night's quarterfinal between North Dakota and Colorado College. Regardless
of the opponent, head coach Don Lucia believes a quick start will be key, "I
think the first period is very important. I think the team who played the day
before has an advantage early in the game. Hopefully, we have an advantage as
the game goes on because we are rested."
Minnesota is very familiar with both North Dakota and
Colorado College. Erik Haula thinks the semifinal game will come down to intangibles.
"Whoever we play, I do not think it will be about systems. It will be who works
harder, and who wants it more."
Minnesota will need to win two games this weekend in order
to hoist the Broadmoor Trophy for the fist time since 2007. "Our goal, like
every team here, is to be playing on Saturday night," Lucia said. "I think our
guys are real excited to head down (to the Xcel Energy Center) this weekend."
Players and coaches were cautious not to put too much
emphasis on the results this weekend, with an eye towards the NCAA tournament.
Coach Lucia mentioned he might use the games in St. Paul to tweak lines in
order to find the best combinations for national postseason. Minnesota hopes to
use the WCHA Final Five as a springboard the NCAA tournament. "Whoever wins the
(WCHA Final Five) will have great confidence going towards the NCAAs and that
is what you are looking for at this time," forward Kyle Rau said.
It will certainly be an exciting weekend for the fans. The
Gophers play in the semifinals Friday night a 7:00 p.m. at the Xcel Energy
Center in St. Paul, Minn. The game can be seen on FOX Sports North, and it can
be heard on 1500 ESPN.
-Story By Minnesota Communications Intern Josh Brennock
By Brian Deutsch on March 18, 2013 6:16 PM
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Former Gopher Jeff Taffe factored into four of Hershey's five goals on Sunday in a 5-2 win over Adirondack, scoring twice including the eventual game winner and setting up two more goals. The forward now ranks third in the AHL with 58 points (18 goals, 40 assists) in 59 games this season.
The Hershey Bears, the AHL affiliate of the Washington Capitals, feature four former Gophers on this year's roster with Ryan Potulny, Ryan Stoa and Mike Carman joining Taffe on the roster (Potulny also scored in Hershey's win on Sunday). Combined, the Minnesota contingency brings two First Team All-America honors and a a total of four All-WCHA accolades to the Bears' roster.
By Brian Deutsch on March 18, 2013 12:20 PM
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The Don Lucia Radio Show continues tonight at the Beacon Public House on campus. If you haven't checked out the new restaurant yet, catch tonight's show live starting at 6 p.m. as Coach Lucia and Wally Shaver discuss all things surrounding Gopher hockey. Tonight's show also airs live on 1500 ESPN.
Tonight, Lucia and Shaver will discuss Minnesota's final WCHA playoff campaign, which started off last weekend with a two-game sweep over Bemidji State at Mariucci Arena and continues this Friday at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul as part of the WCHA Final Five.
Fans can also participate in the show via social media by tweeting their questions using the hash tag #PrideonIce. We'll ask the best questions live on the air.
The Beacon Public House offers great deals each week for the Don Lucia Radio Show including half price entrees and a happy hour special. The Beacon Public House is located in the new Commons Hotel on campus (615 Washington Avenue SE).
By Brian Deutsch on March 16, 2013 9:59 PM
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Minnesota came from behind to beat Bemidji State, 4-3.
Gophers Sweep
The Gophers won game two of the WCHA playoff series against
Bemidji State by a score of 4-3 to win the series. It was very entertaining
game. Bemidji State played much better tonight than last night, generated twice
the number of shots in regulation. The Gophers came back from a 3-1 deficit to earn victory. Ben Marshall scored the winning goal with 52
seconds left in regulation on a great individual effort. He navigated past the Bemidji State
defense and beat Bemidji State goaltender Andrew Walsh. Minnesota advances to
the WCHA Final Five next Friday in St. Paul.
Gophers Fight Back
Minnesota trailed by two goals on two separate occasions
tonight, forcing the Gophers to play from behind all night. Nick Bjugstad scored
another power play goal for Minnesota 15:33 into the second period to cut
Bemidji State's first two-goal lead to one. The Beavers wasted no time
restoring the two-goal margin. Jeff Jubinville scored just 16 seconds after
Bjugstad's tally. Minnesota continued to push back. Nate Schmidt's shot hit
Nate Condon in front of the net and squeaked through the pads of Walsh and over
the line right before the second intermission. The Gophers tied the game in the
third period courtesy of A.J. Michaelson, and Ben Marshall did the honors of finishing
off the Beavers and completing the comeback with 52 seconds left in regulation.
The Walsh Story
For much of the weekend, Bemidji State goaltender Andrew
Walsh was the story. He made 49 saves last night. Tonight, he held the off the
Gophers for nearly two periods. The Gophers did not solve Walsh until 15:33
into the second period. A goal by Nate Condon late in the second period that
squeaked through Walsh seemed to break his momentum. The Gophers scored two
more goals in the third period to win the game. In total Walsh made 86 saves this
weekend. He was clearly the brightest Beaver of the series. In the end, the
Gophers simply had too much firepower.
Final Five is Next
Minnesota moves on to next week's WCHA Final Five at the
Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. The Gophers will play Friday night in the semifinals
against an opponent to be determined. The Gophers will be making their
second-straight appearance in the WCHA Final Five after missing the event the
previous two seasons. Minnesota will need to win two games next week in order
to capture their first Broadmoor Trophy since 2007.
Story by Minnesota Communications Student Intern Josh
Brennock
By Brian Deutsch on March 15, 2013 10:20 PM
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Thoughts from Minnesota's 2-1 overtime win against Bemidji
State
Minnesota Takes Game
One
Minnesota captured game one of the WCHA playoff series
tonight at Mariucci Arena by a score of 2-1 in overtime. Kyle Rau scored the
winning goal. Minnesota recorded 51 shots on goal, dominating the shot counter
in every period of the game. Bemidji State's goalie Andrew Walsh was
spectacular, turning aside 49 Gopher shots and giving time for the Beavers to
find the equalizer with just 38 seconds left in the third period. Minnesota
goalie Adam Wilcox made plenty of great saves, including two breakaways in
regulation and a big kick save in overtime.
Overtime Winner From
Rau
Kyle Rau scored the game-winning goal 13:18 into the first
period of overtime. The goal came by way of a Nick Bjugstad face off win. Off
the draw, the puck came to Christian Isackson who quickly got the puck back to
the point for Nate Schmidt. Schmidt's shot was blocked, but it came right to
Rau. Kyle made no mistake in putting the puck past Andrew Walsh to win the game
for the Gophers. It was the Gophers first postseason game to go to overtime since 2008. That
year, the Gophers played four overtime games in the WCHA playoffs alone. The
goal was Rau's seventh game-winning goal of the season.
Minnesota Gets in
Front
Minnesota broke the scoreless tie 6:56 into the second
period. Ben Marshall skated into a seam right in the slot in front of Andrew
Walsh. He was set up by a neat feed from Kyle Rau. Rau was below the goal line
and found Marshall after chasing down a puck he dumped in and found enough space to get
the puck out to the slot. Both Ben Marshall and Kyle Rau had successful
weekends at Bemidji last week. In two games, Ben Marshall picked up a goal and
an assist. Kyle Rau had three assists up in Bemidji. The goal
would hold up until 38 seconds left in the third period when Brance Orban tied
the score on the Beavers 11th shot of the game.
Gophers Control First
Period, Lack Scoring Touch
The Gophers dominated most the first period on the shot
counter. After 20 minutes, Minnesota led in shots 14-3. Captain Zach Budish was
the most active Gopher around the net. He registered a team-high three shots,
matching Bemidji State as a team, in the period. Nate Schmidt displayed his skill
by creating good opportunities from the point and using his wheels to go
coast-to-coast with the puck. Despite the territorial edge, the Gophers were
unable to solve Bemidji goaltender Andrew Walsh. The Gophers dominance would
continue throughout the whole game.
Rematch Tomorrow
Minnesota will attempt to sweep the series and advance to
the WCHA Final Five tomorrow night. Sweeps have not come easy for the Gophers
at Mariucci Arena this season. Minnesota's only home sweep this season came
against Alaska Anchorage in early January. The Gophers now have won three consecutive
playoff games at Mariucci, including last year's sweep of Alaska Anchorage.
By Brian Deutsch on March 14, 2013 10:38 AM
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Hear what members of the Minnesota men's hockey program had to say at Wednesday's media availability. The Gophers open the 2013 WCHA Playoffs this weekend with a best-of-three series at Mariucci Arena. Tickets for the series are still available at MyGophersports.com.
By Brian Deutsch on March 13, 2013 3:47 PM
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Don't miss this week's edition of Wally's Word as Wally Shaver recaps Minnesota's sweep over Bemidji State last weekend and looks forward to a rematch with the Beavers this weekend in the WCHA playoffs.
By Brian Deutsch on March 13, 2013 10:57 AM
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Former Gophers Phil Kessel and Blake Wheeler accounted for four of the seven goals scored in last night's 5-2 win for the Winnipeg Jets over the Toronto Maple Leafs. The pair of forwards notched two goals apiece starting with this unique, stick-breaking shot by Kessel that tied the game at 1-1 just 38 seconds into the second period.
Winnipeg's second leading scorer this year added his 10th goal of the year later went on to make it 5-1 Jets at 12:53 of the third period.
By Matt Slieter on March 12, 2013 3:28 PM
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By Jeff Fett GopherSports.com
The Gopher men's basketball team is feeling the urgency to get a few more wins to hopefully solidify their NCAA tournament fate as they enter the B1G Basketball Tournament later this weekend in Chicago (Gophers play Illinois Thursday at 11 a.m.).
The year has moved quickly with the team experiencing a wide range of emotions this season. Starting guard Austin Hollins says the team just needs to win.
Trevor Mbakwe and the ninth-seeded Gophers will take on eighth-seeded Illinois Thursday in the opening round of the B1G Tournament.
"The season has flown by so fast so its come down to this and you know we got to win out, that's our goal right now," Hollins said. "(When we) get to the Big Ten Tournament, we need to win the Big Ten Tournament to go to the NCAA Tournament, so you know we got our goals set still. We're still trying to achieve those (goals) so it's just a matter of taking care of business."
The Gophers have built their case to be in the NCAA Tourney. With quality wins over Stanford, Memphis, Richmond, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana, the Gophers have put themselves in the discussion for an at large berth.
Minnesota also has a myriad of other factors in their favor. Their strength of schedule is second in the nation and their opponents' strength of schedule is tops in the nation.
The Gophers RPI is also among the top 20 in the nation. The RPI (Rating Percentage Index) is important, because it measures a team's strength of schedule and the records of the teams in which they play as well.
The Gophers also are 13-9 against opponents with an RPI in the top 100 in the nation.
With the tournament season upon them, head coach Tubby Smith says Minnesota needs to remain focused.
"We know we've got a chance to get to the post-season and play in the NCAAs, but we've got a lot of work to do and I think our guys have to stay hungry and focused and take it one day at a time and one game at a time, then everything else will take care of itself if we do that," Smith said.
"We've shown we can play with anyone... We expected to be better in the Big 10, but we've beaten Michigan State, Wisconsin and others. We've beaten some good teams and with Indiana, we've competed with some good teams in the top 20 and top 100. We have the toughest schedule in college basketball, so we know what we're capable of."
By Brian Deutsch on March 11, 2013 6:03 PM
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Minnesota head coach Don Lucia on Boston University head coach Jack Parker (On Monday, Parker announced that the 2012-13 season will be his last at the reigns of the program after 40 years as head coach of the Terriers):
"When you think of BU hockey, you think of Jack Parker. Forty years with one school will never happen again," Lucia said. "Jack is someone who I have respected and looked up to since I started coaching, and he's had a phenomenal career with the program."
By Brian Deutsch on March 11, 2013 4:16 PM
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The Don Lucia Radio Show continues tonight at the Beacon Public House on campus. If you haven't checked out the new restaurant yet, catch tonight's show live starting at 6 p.m. as Coach Lucia and Wally Shaver discuss all things surrounding Gopher hockey. Tonight's show also airs live on 1500 ESPN.
Tonight, Lucia and Shaver discuss the thrilling end to this year's WCHA points race -- the tightest race in league history -- that saw Minnesota and St. Cloud State share the MacNaughton Cup as WCHA regular-season champions. Also on the docket for tonight's show is a preview of Minnesota's upcoming WCHA First Round series against Bemidji State this weekend at Mariucci Arena.
Fans can also participate in the show via social media by tweeting their questions using the hash tag #PrideonIce. We'll ask the best questions live on the air.
The Beacon Public House offers great deals each week for the Don Lucia Radio Show including half price entrees and a happy hour special. The Beacon Public House is located in the new Commons Hotel on campus (615 Washington Avenue SE).
By Brian Deutsch on March 11, 2013 12:57 PM
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Jeff Frazee
In case you missed it, former Gopher goaltender Jeff Frazee made his NHL debut with the New Jersey Devils over the weekend -- relieving John Hedberg for the third period of a 6-3 loss to Carolina. Frazee, who was called up from Albany on Wednesday, made three saves on three shots in the game.
A second round pick by the Devils (38th overall) in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, Frazee is the 14th former Gopher to play in the NHL this season. The Edina, Minn., native is the eighth Gopher netminder to play in the NHL and the first since Adam Hauser in 2005-06.
Noteworthy:
*Paul Martin and Phil Kessel combined for five points in Saturday's match up between Pittsburgh and Toronto. Martin had a goal and an assist in a 5-4 shootout win for the Penguins while Kessel notched a goal and two assists. Martin's goal -- his fifth of the year -- tied a career-high for the defenseman, who has 17 points in 24 games this season.
*Nick Leddy had an assist in Chicago's 6-5 loss to Edmonton on Sunday.
By Brian Deutsch on March 7, 2013 9:32 PM
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Former Gopher Thomas Vanek picked up his 12th goal and 28th point of the season with this one-timer in a 3-2 shootout loss for the Buffalo Sabres to the New Jersey Devils.
By Brian Deutsch on March 7, 2013 5:22 PM
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Former Gopher Chris Harrington has been named the Asia League Ice Hockey Player of the Year after guiding the Oji Eagles to a regular-season title with 32 wins in 42 games.
Now in his third year with the team, Harrington tallied 36 points this season for the Eagles, who open the Asia League Ice Hockey Semifinals on Saturday against Anyang Halla.
The former Gophers defenseman helped Minnesota capture the 2003 NCAA title as a All-WCHA Rookie selection and added an All-WCHA Third Team honor in his senior season. In 170 career games, Harrington tallied 109 points (14 goals, 95 assists) -- ranking the blue liner among the top-ten in school history for career points and assists by a defenseman.
By Brian Deutsch on March 7, 2013 1:32 PM
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Want to watch Saturday's regular-season finale with other die-hard Gopher fans?
Come to the official viewing party of Saturday's Minnesota/Bemidji State game at Buffalo Wild Wings (Station 19) on campus to celebrate the Gophers' final Western Collegiate Hockey regular-season contest and send the team into the league playoffs in style.
Saturday's viewing party starts at 6:30 p.m. with tons of Gopher Hockey giveaways and free t-shirts for the first 100 fans to show up. The Gopher Hockey cheerleaders will also be in attendance to help fans cheer on the team as they fight for home ice and the MacNaughton Cup in the tightest league race in WCHA history.
By Brian Deutsch on March 7, 2013 9:13 AM
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Wednesday's practice at Ridder Arena began with a special ceremony as the Gopher men's hockey team was presented with a combat-flown U.S. flag from members of Defending The Blue Line.
The Gophers recently helped the organization raise more than $25,000 through an online auction of the team's commemorative jerseys from the OfficeMax Hockey City Classic game at Soldier Field -- Minnesota's first outdoor game in the modern era. The University of Minnesota and Mariucci Arena also hosted a charity game with Defending The Blue Line earlier this season.
Defending The Blue Line is a Minnesota-based non-profit organization that ensures children of military members are afforded every opportunity to participate in the game of hockey. The organization accomplishes this by providing free equipment for military kids, hockey camps, special events, and financial assistance for registration fees and other costs associated with hockey. Learn more about the organization at DefendingTheBlueLine.org.
By Justine Buerkle on March 6, 2013 9:40 PM
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Friday, March 8 - 3:00 p.m.
Minnesota suffered a tough loss to Ohio State on Thursday
night, but the Big Ten Tournament still provided a chance for the team, fans
and former players to connect. Some former Gophers traveled to Hoffman Estates
to see their old team play. Zoe Harper, Kristen Dockery and China Antoine all
met up to watch some basketball and spend the weekend together. Brittany McCoy
was also in attendance.
Antoine was one of the former Gophers in attendance.
Harper plays professional basketball in Australia and works
for a logistics company, Dockery works at a fitness club, and Antoine works in
corporate fitness. All three visited our hotel after the game on Thursday.
Before they had an opportunity to reconnect with former
Gophers, the current Gophers had a game to play. It was pretty quiet when we
returned to Sears Centre, as the arena had cleared out after the second game of
the day. It started getting louder as tipoff approached.
The Minnesota pep band, cheerleaders and Goldy all traveled
to the tournament to help encourage the Gophers. Family, friends and loyal fans
formed a loud cheering section behind the Minnesota bench. A Gopher pep band member
even won the halftime "Simon says" competition.
After the Buckeyes had won the game, we all had dinner back
at the hotel. It was nice to be able to sleep another night in Hoffman Estates
and fly back to Minneapolis in the morning. We got back safely on Friday
afternoon. Thanks to everyone who supported the team on this road trip.
Thursday, March 7 - 1:15 p.m.
Game day has arrived for the Gophers at the Big Ten
Tournament. After a delicious breakfast this morning, the Gophers had a
walk-through to go over some last preparations for Ohio State. Overall, it was
a relaxing morning at the hotel.
Loberg is ready for her final Big Ten Tournament.
Most of the travel party loaded the bus to take a first look
at the inside of the Sears Centre. We arrived before the first game, Iowa vs.
Northwestern, tipped off. The Sears Centre is a relatively new multi-purpose
facility. Its other uses include indoor football and soccer. Based on our walk
to our seats for the first game, it seemed like the concourses were nice and
wide for the fans.
We watched most of the first half of the game before heading
back out to the bus. Iowa's pep band and mascot, who were close to where we
sat, also provided some entertainment.
This will be the last Big Ten Tournament in a Gopher uniform
for Minnesota seniors Katie Loberg and Leah Cotton. Loberg has liked her stay
in Hoffman Estates so far, and is ready to get on the court.
"I'm pretty excited for this," Loberg said. "You kind of get
this new spark of energy whenever the Big Ten Tournament rolls around. I'm wide
awake and ready to win."
The Gophers have beaten Ohio State twice this season and
will try to make it a three-peat tonight in the 8-seed vs. 9-seed game. The
winner will face 1-seed Penn State tomorrow. Tonight's game will appear on BTN
at 6 p.m. CT.
Wednesday, March 6 - 9:30 p.m.
As the Big Ten Tournament slogan says, "March is on." One of
the most fun sports months of the year has begun. The Minnesota women's
basketball team is part of the excitement, with its first conference tournament
game against Ohio State at 6 p.m. tomorrow.
Banham and the Gophers arrived in Hoffman Estates today.
The Golden Gophers arrived in Hoffman Estates, Ill., Wednesday
evening. A travel party of players, coaches and team and department staff
(including athletics director Norwood Teague) caught a chartered flight to
Midway Airport this afternoon. After a nice short plane trip, we bused to our
hotel. We passed the Sears Centre, which is hosting the tournament, on the way.
A few other teams are staying in the same hotel, and Big Ten
school balloons and banners adorn the lobby area. Our room keys even have the
Big Ten Tournament logo on them.
After the team meal and film session, Rachel Banham had a
chance to reunite with one of her former teammates from Lakeville North High
School, Cassie Rochel. Rochel is a junior for the Wisconsin Badgers, who are
staying in the same hotel. The two met in the lobby to catch up.
"I'm glad that we're able to be with them, especially
because there are only three teams here," Banham said. "We were texting all day
wanting to meet up. I think it's fun that she's in this tournament so I can
watch her and hope she does well, and just be around her again."
Wisconsin is on the opposite side of the bracket from
Minnesota, so the high school teammates would both need to make the title game
to face each other again this season. Right now, the Gophers' focus is on
tomorrow night's game against Ohio State.
"I think we're all really pumped," Banham. "It's going to be
a big game tomorrow. We've beaten them twice. It's hard to beat a team three
times. They know what to expect, and we know how they play. I think we're all
really prepared and we're ready just to get out there tomorrow and play."
By Brian Deutsch on March 6, 2013 5:20 PM
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Minnesota closes out the regular season with a trip to
Bemidji State to take on the Beavers. Members of the team met with the media Wednesday
to discuss the key points of this weekend.
The Gophers enter the weekend with a realistic opportunity
to claim the their second-straight MacNaughton Cup. They sit just two points
behind league-leader St. Cloud State, but they are more focused on rounding
their own game into shape for the postseason.
"We want to play well. We do not control whether we get a
piece of (the MacNaughton Cup). You certainly don't want to leave points on the
table. Our focus is playing well on Friday night and see where we are at," head
coach Don Lucia said.
Forward Nate Condon added, "It is about getting our game
going and playing up to the level we can."
The WCHA standings are historically tight heading into the
final weekend. Minnesota can still finish anywhere from first to seventh in the
conference.
"It is the most dramatic in my 20 years in the WCHA," Lucia
said. "Like many people have said, this is probably the way it should be in the
final year of the conference configuration the way it is."
Bemidji State plays a style focused on keeping the puck
along the boards and chipping the puck off the glass when possible. It can be frustrating
to play against for a team predicated on speed and skill, like the Gophers.
"The most important thing for us is we have to be patient," Lucia
said.
The team had a disappointing effort last Friday night
against Denver. The team knows they will have to be better, "I think it was a
good lesson for us," Justin Holl said. " I think we were more ready to play on
Saturday, and it showed what we can do when we are engaged." It is on the
players to perform at the level they are capable of.
"We do not want to play like we did last weekend. We know we
let ourselves down," Condon said.
Friday night's game at the Sanford Center is at 7:30 p.m.
and will be carried live on Fox Sports North. Saturday's regular-season finale
is at 7:00 p.m. and can be seen on Fox Sports North Plus.
Story By University of Minnesota Communications Intern Josh
Brennock
Can you believe it?! March Madness is already upon us, and
with the Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament just days away, Minnesota women's
basketball head coach Pam Borton found a special way to get her team into the
spirit of the season. She brought two people into practice that not only know
what it takes to make it to the NCAA Final Four, but did so in a Golden Gopher
uniform - Lindsay Whalen and Janel McCarville.
The two former Minnesota standouts will be reunited as
teammates on the hardwood this summer for the Minnesota Lynx, but on Tuesday
afternoon they were back together on the court at Williams Arena. The pair
shared some words of wisdom with the Gophers prior to the start of practice,
before giving them a few lessons on the court. The day's practice came to a
close with Whalen and McCarville each sharing their most memorable experiences
from their college days at Minnesota.
Not only was it great for the Gophers to have two of the top
WNBA players in the country face-off with them in practice, but it motivated
them knowing that Whalen and McCarville were in their same shoes just a few short
years ago and changed the landscape of the Minnesota women's basketball program
forever.
@ellariche you can be a beast when you want! Good practice!!! If you need anything, let me know. Keep working at do it @ B10 tourney!!!!
-- Janel McCarville (@JanelMcCarville) March 5, 2013
By Brian Deutsch on March 4, 2013 2:41 PM
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The Don Lucia Radio Show continues tonight at the Beacon Public House on campus. If you haven't checked out the new restaurant yet, catch tonight's show live starting at 6 p.m. as Coach Lucia and Wally Shaver discuss all things surrounding Gopher hockey. Tonight's show also airs live on 1500 ESPN.
Tonight, Lucia and Shaver discuss this year's Western Collegiate Hockey Association points race -- one of the closest ever in the league's history. The pair will also hit on Minnesota's split last weekend with Denver and preview this weekend's series at Bemidji State -- the final WCHA regular-season series ever for the Maroon and Gold.
Fans can also participate in the show via social media by tweeting their questions using the hash tag #PrideonIce. We'll ask the best questions live on the air.
The Beacon Public House offers great deals each week for the Don Lucia Radio Show including half price entrees and a happy hour special. The Beacon Public House is located in the new Commons Hotel on campus (615 Washington Avenue SE).
By Paul Rovnak on March 4, 2013 2:40 PM
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(Video courtesy of GopherGridiron.com)
The Minnesota football team held its pro day this morning at the Gibson-Nagurski Football Complex. Representatives from 13 NFL teams were in the Twin Cities to watch the former Gophers workout.
Seniors from last year's team Michael Carter, Keanon Cooper, MarQueis Gray, Brandon Green, John Rabe, Mike Rallis, Spencer Reeves, Troy Stoudermire and Jordan Wettstein joined former Gophers and players from smaller schools in the workout.
By Brian Deutsch on March 2, 2013 10:07 PM
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The Gophers defeated the Pioneers 5-1 tonight.
Gopher's Respond
Just a night after getting shutout for the first time in
nearly two years, the Gophers responded by scoring five goals in defeating the
Denver Pioneers. The win means Minnesota has not lost a weekend series all
year. The win also ended a three-game losing streak to the Pioneers. The
offense came alive in the third period. Nick Bjugstad's power-play goal kicked
off a four-goal rush for the Gophers in the final frame. Adam Wilcox wrapped up a spectacular weekend by making 31 saves in net.
Second Period Ignites
the Crowd
Despite 15 shots in the first period, the Gophers trailed by a goal heading into the second period. Zach Budish scored the
equalizer for Minnesota 9:03 into the second period. The goal was of the
greasy variety. Zach continued to whack at the puck on the edge of the crease
while skaters from both sides and Denver goalie Sam Brittain were sprawled out
on the ice. Zach was finally able to push the puck over the line. In the
closing moments of the period, both teams had great chances to take the lead.
Kyle Rau broke in all alone, but was denied by Brittain. At the other end of
the ice, Wilcox made multiple 10-bell saves on breakaways. With all the action
on the ice, the crowd reached a decibel level normally reserved for North Dakota
games.
Power Back On Just In
Time
Minnesota came into the weekend with the best power play in
the country. However, last night the power play went dark. In five tries, the
Gophers generated very little offense and gave up top-notch opportunities with
the extra skater. Tonight, they converted only once in four opportunities, but
It came at a critical time. Erik Haula set Nick Bjugstad up on a tee to blast
home what would be the game-winning goal from the left circle 9:52 into the
period. Power play success will be critical to the Gophers this postseason.
Third Period Worth
the Wait
Minnesota generated just 10 shots in the third period, but
four of them found the back of the net. Goals from Bjugstad, Holl, Warning, and
an empty-netter from Budish made the final score look rather comfortable. Holl
scored his second goal of the season. Warning showed great effort and speed all
night. He ended the night with a +2 rating and two points. He also hit the pipe
on another scoring chance. Erik Haula also had a strong night, posting three
assists to earn the number-one star.
Helgeson's Night
Seth Helgeson played his last regular-season game for the
Maroon & Gold at Mariucci Arena tonight. There was a ceremony to honor
Helgeson, the team's only senior, before the game. He collected an assist on
Zach Budish's second goal tonight. In his four years in Minneapolis, Helgeson
was rarely found on the score sheet, but his impact is certaintly felt by his
teammates. Seth is admired for his toughness and character off the ice. Coach
Lucia said earlier this week, "When you do not notice him, he is at his best." His
point tonight was an added bonus. Helgeson has played in 144 games to this
point for the Gophers.
Written By Minnesota Communications Intern Josh Brennock
By Brian Deutsch on March 1, 2013 10:37 AM
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Former Gopher Kyle Okposo ended the month of February with a bang on Thursday night, tallying a goal and two assists in the New York Islanders' 5-4 loss to Phil Kessel and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The forward's second goal of the year erased a 4-3 deficit for New York and forced overtime although the Maple Leafs went on to pick up the win. For the season, Okposo has eight points (two goals, six assists).
Check out all three of Okposo's sweet points from last night, starting with his goal:
Okposo's first assist of the night was equally impressive on Thursday:
