EXCERPTED FROM THE STAR TRIBUNE 2/8/91
 
 Of all the Gophers' tendencies in the WCHA this season, the one that might be
 most favorable is that they are the best team in the league at winning on the
 road. Even that is joined by a disclaimer, however, because they must play at
 Northern Michigan, the league's best home team.
 
 Northern has a 12-game unbeaten streak (11-0-1); the Gophers have not lost
 twice in a row all season. The Wildcats never have finished ahead of the
 Gophers since joining the WCHA seven years ago, but they can virtually assure
 that they will with a sweep this weekend.
 
 They are the WCHA's two stingiest defensive teams, and most prolific scoring
 teams, although the Wildcats have an edge in both catagories, scoring six
 goals per game and giving up 2.88, compared to the Gophers' 4.61 and 2.93.
 
 The Wildcats lead the WCHA in power-play scoring, converting 26% to
 Minnesota's 19.8%. The Gophers fell from first to second in penalty killing
 last weekend, dropping to 85% success. The new leader? Northern Michigan,
 surviving 87.5% of its shorthanded situations.
 
 If the teams split, history favors the Wildcats tonight and the Gophers
 tomorrow. While recording a 23-5-4 overall record, the Gophers have suffered
 all five losses in first games of two-game sets, going unbeaten in second
 games. In the last four seasons, the Gophers are 0-4 at Lakeview Arena in
 first games, 3-1 in second games.
 
 Both teams have league-leading goaltending. Gophers junior Jeff Stolp leads
 the WCHA with a 2.82 goals-against average, and Northern's Bill Pye is second
 at 2.84. Gophers sophomore Tom Newman is third in all games, at 2.80, but has
 not played in the required one-third of his team's games to count in the WCHA
 statistics. However, Newman is unbeaten at 8-0-2.
 
 The Gophers and Wildcats are separated by one point. They are 10 points ahead
 of a third-place race between Wisconsin and North Dakota are one point apart.
 
 This is the match-up of the year in the WCHA and NO ONE is televising it!!!
 I'll be pinned to the radio this evening rooting the Gophers on! The games are
 a sell-out at Lakeview for the first time this season (4,200). I wish I could
 be there. *:-{
 
 Carol White
 U of M
 GO Gophers!!!