Since it is Friday night I am here again, and can send my thoughts on
the game - first!

First...Notermann!  He is still there?  How many years has he been
there?  :-)

Right away in the first three minutes, Barry Tallackson  decided to let
everyone know that he is back.  A great shot from the point, and a
rebound that the NoDak goalie did not have. The Gopher coming into the
slot just missed it.  The Gophs took first blood, scoring (Hirsch) on
their first powerplay of the game.  And then Parise decided to give
them their tickets' worth and scored on NoDak's first powerplay.  Not
quite halfway thru we are 1-1.  The rest of the period was good up and
down fast hockey - not many penalties.  They were too busy trying to
keep track of each other to do anything to each other.  The Gophers
finished out the period on a powerplay, that I must say did not have
much of a punch.  For some reason, they just did not feel it important
to put the puck on net.  I get very frustrated when teams just circle
the net looking for that perfect fit.  That is not the way most goals
come.  We finish the first still 1-1.

Just a note here:  Those of us watching in the Twin Cities on Channel
45 (a Fox feed) had to listen to Mazocco and Woog  talk about only
Vanek (U of M) and Parise (NoDak).  From the way the two were talking,
you would think these two were the only two players out there!  I will
admit that they are very extraordinary freshman, and deserve to be
congratulated on what they have accomplished so far...but come on
guys....they are not the only two players on the ice.  Someone had to
pass that puck to Parise for him to score.  IMHO

The second period started out with the Gophs not being able to score on
the powerplay, but within the first three minutes, Harrington scored at
even strength.  2-1 Minnesota.  Good play in both ends - not a lot of
neutral zone stuff. Just like last period, they are too busy chasing
each other around to do anything to each other.   NoDak tied at 6:33
from a goal from Prpich (yes, I did spell it right).  2 -2 now.  The
Sioux seemed to pick it up a notch the last half of the period and to
me, there was too much play in the Gopher end.  With 38 seconds left in
the 2nd, NoDak scored on a break-away, where after the first shot, the
puck seemed to hang in the air forever over Weber's shoulder.  He just
did not know where it was.  3-2 NoDak after 2.

The way the Gophers started out the third, you would have thought they
they had been listening to a waltz in the locker room, while the Sioux
had been listening to VanHalen.  The Gophs were back on their heels
again.  The Sioux came out in a defensive mode.  Little scare after six
minutes...Ballard got a stick in his gut and he looked like he was
hurting.  But he was soon out again.  (If I hear Woog and Mazocco talk
about Parise anymore...I am going to throw up.  They are talking like
he is the Messiah.  OKAY, he is a nice kid...but so are the rest of the
Sioux!)  The Gophers seemed to pick it up a bit after the halfway mark,
but I have only one thing to say...SHOOT, SHOOT, SHOOT!  You can't
score if you dont' shoot.  And when they did, it seemed to be just one
second too late, or the puck was slow and did not stay with the stick.
The Sioux were still putting good shots on net, and Weber was playing
as well as I have seen him all season.  The Sioux clinched it with a
goal with 51 second left.  Prpich scored the goal.  Just another mental
lapse.  4 - 2 No Dak.  The Sioux were pressing so much in the end that
Weber could not come off the ice.

I have a feeling that tomorrow's game will be just as intense.  I know
a lot of people are disappointed with where the Gophers are in the
standings right now.  But for me, I still see them trying to work hard
most of the time, and that is what matters.  But hats off to the Sioux
for hitting hard and skating fast for almost an entire 60 minutes.

Kathy M.
Go Gophers!