On Tue, 4 Feb 1997, Paul J Thalacker wrote:
 
> ...Yet is it funny that although the Gophers get the top hockey recruits
> from the best hockey state in the country, they always
> underachieve and fall short of expectations.  How many WCHA championships
> have the Gophers won in the last 15 years?  I don't have the records on hand,
> but I'm pretty sure UND, UMD, CC, and UW have each won just as many WCHA
> championships.  Maybe someone on hockey-l can post these records.
> I look at the recruits the Gophers get every year compared to other
> schools and its amazing anyone else can compete.  But, thanks to Doug Woog,
> many former MN high school phenoms turn into busts in the Gopher program.
> Those selected few h.s. players who escape the grasp of the Gophers end
> up going to other schools and become superstars (see Derek Plante,
> Chris Maruicci a few years back at UMD, or presently Matt Cullen and
> Mark Parrish at SCSU who are only sophs).
> I do not intend this to be offensive to any Gopher fan, but only to show
> that strong Gopher dislike is not an isolated case.
>
> Paul Thalacker
>
> HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey;  send information to
> [log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.
>
Paul' comments here highlighting the relationship between the
underachieving Gophers and Coach Woog is a bullseye.  Woog is a Minnesota
nice guy, but I really think he tries to be too much like one of the guys.
I don't think he is able to motivate and instill the discipline
into his team that is required to win the big one.
 
In short, Minnesota gets by on sheer undirected talent.
 
As for their recruiting policy, its a lawsuit waiting to happen.
 
Zac "ren" Halter
NMU: not my university
 
HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey;  send information to
[log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.