Thanks to Walt for typing in the box!  I'll just add a few odds'n'ends.
1) Special teams #s
2) All-defensemen power play??!!??
3) Moser gets first action on defense
4) Woog comments on recruits
5) Hey, I get to gripe about the refs, too!
6) Comments on column about limiting athletic scholarships to foreign students
7) Article about Dan Woog from St. Paul paper (Kinda Long)
 
* The Gophers have killed 56 of 59 penalties (10 for 10 in this series and 12
for 12 last weekend at North Dakota) for 94.9%.  Tech was converting on 30.5% of
power plays coming into this weekend.  I THINK that was second only to the
Gophers 31.0% in the WCHA.  The Gophers went 3-16 on the power play and fell to
28.1% while Tech fell to 26.1%.  Tech also had been killing penalties well
coming into the series (87.7% =>86.5%)
 
* The Gophers ended Sunday's game with five defensemen on the ice for a
five-on-three power play.  Mike Crowley was in the penalty box, but all 5 other
defenders were on the ice.  (Trebil, Zwakman, Brink, Moser, and Jason Godbout).
 
* That reminds me...  Jay Moser, a transfer from St. Cloud, saw his first action
this weekend.  He looked a little shaky Saturday, but Sunday he showed some good
moves (and better judgment about when to try them!)  Charlie Wasley didn't play
this weekend.  Don't know if he's in the doghouse or hurt or what...
 
* Woog was finally able to talk about his four signees on the radio Saturday
morning.  He gave brief descriptions of the four recruits.  (Billy Kohn,
Roseville;  Mike Anderson, Bloomington Jefferson;  Wyatt Smith, Warroad; and
Erik Rasmussen, St. Louis Park).  I think he used the word "nasty" in describing
every one of them.  (Although is Smith's case, it was in describing his head
coach at Warroad, former Sioux Cary Eades).  He said he's even more excited
about this recruiting class than he was about the current freshmen.  (Yowza!)
He says they all have size AND speed.
 
* Let me get in my $.02 on the reffing.  I just want to point out that a lot of
people are blaming Buzzy for all the non-calls in that series.  I thought some
of the more atrocious work was done by my personal favorite (NOT), "Brutal" Bob
Ames.  (You KNEW this was coming, didn't you? At least those of you who know
that I originated that nick-name.)  I have always thought Brutal Bob edges out
Buzzy for the worst ref in the WCHA (the Medo Martinello Memorial trophy)
because he's incredibly inconsistent.  Maulings go uncalled and "love-taps" draw
penalties.  I find it quite amazing that the league would pair these two
together.  (Maybe they take turns being so horrible as to make the other look
good...)  Good thing Shep (WCHA Supervisor of Officials Greg Shepherd) didn't
send this pair into town BEFORE the election for that city council seat!  :-)
;-)
 
* I second Erik's comments on Tom Powers' column in about limiting scholarships
to foreign students.  Don't think that Powers represents the Gopher hockey fan
perspective.  I think it's GREAT that the Gophers are all Minnesotans, and I
hope that, if you take a minute and think about it, the rest of you can
understand why (Think of YOUR pride at seeing somebody from your favorite
college team, or even the star player from your heated rivals, excel in the
Olympics or NHL -- that's how we feel about seeing our home-town boys play in
the WCHA.), and I DO think it might be a good policy for teams to try and give
an extra shot to local talent to encourage the growth of the local hockey
programs,  BUT I'm certainly not for requiring that other schools do that.
Besides, it wouldn't be any fun to brag about if *everybody* had all US players!
:-) ;-) :-)
 
* Saturday's St. Paul paper had a nice article by Gregg Wong entitled "Roasted
Dan Woog shows he can cut it".  Here are a few excerpts:
 
While waiting their turn to practice the power play one day this week, a few
Gophers were hanging around the bench area and razzing Dan Woog.
 
"Yeah, we gave him the business," co-captain Scott Bell said Friday before the
Gophers' final tuneup for today's 1:05 p.m. game against Michigan Tech at
Mariucci Arena.
 
"We told Danny, 'No wonder you're on the power play:  You eat at the coach's
house, you give him Christmas presents, you tell him you love him."
 
Woog, as usual, took the kidding in stride, and with a laugh that whowed he
enjoyed the banter as much as his tormentors.
 
"It's all in good nature," he said. "The guys like to kid around."
 
Being the coach's son could cause resentment instead of kidding around.
Fortunately for coach/father Doug Woog and player/son Dan, their dual
relationship has been smooth.  Dan's teammates will tell you that.
 
"Danny's on the team because he deserves to be, not because he's the coach's
con.  He's earned everything he's gotten,"  Bell said.
 
"Sometimes I don't think he gets enough credit because he's Coach's kid.  But
Danny handles it all very well.  I don't think many guys would."
{snip}
There are those who will say Dan Woog would not be a Gopher if his dad wasn't
coach.  And Doug Woog might agree, to a point.
 
"Danny wanted no special treatment from the start.  But maybe I was a little
more patient with him because he is my son,"  Doug Woog said.  "He needed to
mature physically, and playing two oyears of juniors (with the St. Paul Vulcans)
and one redshirt year probably helped him there.  He might not have gotten that
opportunity in another program.
 
"But no question, he's earned his spot on the team."
 
Dan isn't the quickest of skaters, nor does he provide a physical presence on
othe ice at 5 feet 10 and 178 pounds.
 
What he gives the Gophers as the third-line center is consistent effort,
unselfishness and an innate hockey sense that few college sohpomores possess.
{snip}
"The biggest thing was to gain the respect of my teammates,"  Dan said.  "That's
what was important and what counts."
 
He gained that respect, leading last season's Gophers freshmen with 19 points,
including five goals.
 
"The guys accepted him for his ability to play rather than the fact he was my
son," Doug Woog said.  "And if he wasn't well-liked or respected, then it might
have been a real problem, too."
 
Dan's play has been even better than a year ago.  He has three goals and is tied
for fifth on the team in scoring with seven points.
 
"He's been able to show people that he can contribute, that he can make the
plays, and the players realize that," Doug Woog said.  "So being the coach's son
no longer is an issue."
 
At least not until Thanksgiving, that is, when his teammates probably will razz
him for having dinner at the coach's house.
{end of article}
 
Let me get in one opinion of my own here.  Doug says that if Dan wasn't
well-liked and respected, it might be a problem.  I think the fact that Doug is
fairly well respected by his players is pretty important in making this
situation work.
 
Oh, and I'll add Doug Woog's two stock answers when asked about Danny Woog being
a walk-on:
 
"He didn't get a scholarship because he didn't know the right people."
or
"He's got a full scholarship from me and my wife."
 
Pam Sweeney                             Go Gophers!!!
[log in to unmask]       1993 & 1994 WCHA Playoff Champions
                                   1994 NC$$ PHinal PHour
Go White Bear Lake Bears!!!              Ski-U-Mah!!!
 
Minnesota hats off to thee!  To your colors true we shall ever be.
Firm and strong united are we.  Rah! Rah! Rah! for Ski-U-Mah.
Rah!  Rah!  Rah!  Rah!  Rah! for the U of M.