Another successful weekend for the Gophers. I must say that I am *personally*
impressed with the hard work and determination of this team. They have one big
goal in mind for this season, and if they keep playing this well...it may well
be realized this season.
 
Three of the freshmen scored their first Gopher goals this weekend: defenseman
Mike Crowley, and forwards Casey Hankinson and Joe Pankratz. All three goals
were highlight film material.
 
I will quote here from the Minneapolis Star Tribune article in Monday's paper
written by Dennis Bracken, Staff Writer.<quoted material begins here>
 
"But Doug Woog said the most impressive aspect has been the play of the team's
'star-caliber' players --- forwards Brian Bonin (six goals, six assists) and
Justin McHugh (four goals, four assists), and defenseman Dan Trebil (one goal,
12 assists) and Mike Crowley (one goal, seven assists). Bonin has a five-game
goal-scoring streak, Trebil has at least one point in each game, McHugh has
scored in five straight games and Crowley's passing and puck-handling skills
are a major reason the power play has produced goals in 12 of 36
opportunities.
 
But perhaps the most telling stat is this: Minnesota's penalty-killers have
nullified 34 of 37 opponenets' power plays (91.9%). Bonin, McHugh, Trebil, and
Crowley are integral parts of Minnesota's penalty-killing unit.
 
'We have a real good leadership factor on this team,' Doug Woog said.
'Something that goes unnoticed a lot is that our best offensive players are
also are best defensive players. That's something that people like Bonin,
McHugh, Trebil, and Crowley take real pride in. They're very, very honest
about how they play the game on both ends of the ice, and that has set the
stage for the rest of the team.'" <quoted material ends here>
 
This is not to say that the previous Gopher teams had less leadership, or less
motivation...but it is really obvious to the devoted fan (me!) that something
is different this year. Hey, it's WORKING!
 
The St Cloud State home crowd were their usual charming selves, yelling
"Gophers Suck" so loud that it was audible on the TV. Nice and hostile! :-)
The National Hockey Center is usually a tough place to play, but the Gophers
had it figured out this time around.
 
I wonder if coach Craig Dahl's jaw hurts after every game. I have never seen a
guy chew gum so hard! It's amazing.
 
At one point towards the end of the Saturday night game, three fish heads were
tossed onto the ice, for no apparent reason. No goal had been scored, no
penalty given out. Very Weird!
 
I will also comment on the fighting-major and DQ that was assessed to Andy
Brink. If *both* participants had received DQ's I would not have a problem
with a call, but only Brink got a DQ. He didn't initiate the contact, in which
Reimann got a head-lock on him and caused Brink's helmet to come off, and for
all the refs know, he might have been trying to pry Reimann off of him! What
Brink did, *may* have looked like a punch, but Reimann also threw some
"punching-like" moves...so why only one DQ??? AND, in Duluth two weeks ago, a
Bulldog player actually punched a Gopher player three times and only got a
2-minute roughing call. Go figure. I wish all the refs were consistent so
everyone would know what to expect!
(There, I feel better now.)
 
Well, next up is the North Dakota Fighting Sioux in Grand Forks!
 
-Carol
GO Gophers!!!
 
Carol S. White                            BITNET: c-whit@uminn1
University of Minnesota        internet:[log in to unmask]
Office of the Registrar
(612) 625-8517                                    GO Gophers!!!