> U prepares for Showcase showdown
> Aaron Kirscht - Staff Reporter
>
> This weekend's College Hockey Showcase
> comes at a time when the Gophers men's
> hockey team could use a break from the
> rigors of WCHA play.
>
> Minnesota is 3-7 in the league, its worst
> start since the 1993-94 season. The
> Showcase represents the Gophers'first
> non-conference competition since
> Oct. 17-18 against Maine.
>
> But the Gophers' CCHA opponents, Michigan
> and Michigan State, are far from a pair
> of pushovers. The Wolverines (8-3-1) beat
> Minnesota 3-2 in a season-opening exhibition
> game at Target Center, and the Spartans
> (11-1-2) are the top-ranked team in the
> nation.
>
> So much for a vacation.
>
> "I wish we were taking it when things were
> a little stronger," Gophers coach Doug Woog
> said. "It's always better to take a break
> when you feel a little better about what's
> going on and your points are in better order.
> But you take what you get and you deal with it."
>
> Minnesota travels to Ann Arbor, Mich., on
> Friday to play the Wolverines before heading
> an hour north to East Lansing, Mich.,
> for a Sunday matchup with the Spartans.
>
> In both games, the Gophers' primary concern will
> be how to deal with what's been a nasty
> combination so far this season:
> big-time scorers and brick-wall goaltenders.
>
> Forward Bill Muckalt leads the Wolverines with
> 11 goals and nine assists, one of five Michigan
> players with double figures in points. Goalie
> Marty Turco, an All-American last season, has a
> 2.36 goals-against average.
>
> "They're a measure for us, at least," Woog said.
> "I thought they were one of the better teams
> we've played this year. We've been beaten up
> by some others, but they're right up there at
> the top."
>
> Michigan State sports an evenly-distributed
> lineup as well, with three players having more
> than 12 points. The Gophers' leading scorer,
> Reggie Berg, has 11. Spartans goalie Chad Alban
> gives up less than 1.5 goals per game.
>
> "We're having trouble enough scoring goals,"
> Woog said. "That shouldn't help too much."
>
> This is the fifth year of the Showcase, and the
> first in which the games will be hosted by
> individual schools rather than a neutral
> site. Wisconsin is the fourth team in the
> holiday tournament, playing at Michigan State
> on Friday and Michigan on Sunday.
>
> In its short history, the Showcase has been
> recognized as an informal Big Ten tournament,
> as it includes four of the five Big Ten
> schools -- CCHA member Ohio State is the
> fifth -- with Division I hockey programs.
>
> "It's my favorite part of the year," Gophers
> captain Casey Hankinson said. "We can get a
> sense of where we stand against some
> of the great teams in the country."
>
> Godbout out
>
> Senior defenseman Jason Godbout, who injured
> his left elbow in Friday's loss to Colorado College,
> will be sidelined until early February with what
> team doctor Robert LaPrade said was a torn
> ligament in the elbow.
>
> Surgery is scheduled for Dec. 2.
>
> Godbout is the second Gophers defenseman to
> go down with an injury. Sophomore Ben Clymer
> is out for the season after having surgery to
> repair a separation in his left shoulder.
>
> After the extent of Clymer's injury was revealed,
> Woog said he planned to have freshman forward
> Erik Westrum practice with the defensive unit in
> case another defenseman was injured. It's unclear,
> however, how the experiment worked or whether
> Westrum will play on defense this weekend.
>
> Quiet and thirsty
>
> The sound of blaring music has become a common
> occurrence in the basement of Mariucci Arena,
> but no more -- at least for now.
>
> The silence was deafening in the Gophers'
> locker room on Tuesday, as signs posted on the
> stereo and TV warned against turning either
> one on "until further notice."
>
> "I guess it's just one of the benefits we
> have," Hankinson said, "that maybe (the coaches)
> feel we don't need right now because of the way
> we're playing. That's their decision, and we'll
> live by it."
>
> Several players also said that Gatorade would be
> withheld as well.
>
> "There's no Gatorade?" Hankinson said. "I don't
> know about that, I like my Gatorade. But if they
> feel that's what they have to do, that's what they
> have to do. It doesn't make much of a difference."
>
> Woog said the temporary changes (which he said he
> didn't make personally) were not meant to punish
> the players, but rather make it easier for them to
> focus on the tasks at hand -- namely, turning around
> the Gophers' five-game losing streak.
>
> "It's not going to be abusive," Woog said. "I think
> the idea is that we don't need any extraneous
> thoughts. When we're here for hockey, let's be here
> for the hockey and let's get our concentration as
> keen as it can be. That's all it is."
>
>
>
>
> **** I THOUGHT THEY WERE THERE FOR SCHOOL ****
> ****           GOPHER$                    ****
>
 
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