>http://www.daily.umn.edu/~online/daily/11031995/sports/puck03/>
>> [Image]
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>> SPORTS
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>> Scoring boom proves U senior's no 'goon'
>>
>> Jeff Sherry - Staff Reporter
>> Jeff Sherry - Staff Reporter
>> [Image]
>> The three consecutive state hockey titles Mike Crowley won
>> at Bloomington Jefferson High School provided the Gophers sophomore
>> with plenty of fond memories.
>>
>> But when Crowley reminisces about his 1992 state title run, some of
>> those memories are missing. And Gophers forward Jesse Bertogliat,
>> who played for Cloquet High School at the time, provided the reason
>> why.
>>
>> "We were playing Cloquet," Crowley said. "I came around from behind
>> the net, and Jesse just nailed me. I don't remember anything that
>> happened after that."
>>
>> Crowley called the collision the hardest hit of his career. He said
>> the second-hardest hit of his career came during practice last year
>> -- also from Bertogliat.
>>
>> This is not a coincidence. Bertogliat, a senior winger for the
>> Gophers, is a very physical hockey player. He developed that
>> reputation in high school and incorporated it into his play at
>> Minnesota. Hitting is what he does, and he prides himself on doing
>> it well.
>>
>> "My style is aggressive," Bertogliat said. "I like to go into the
>> corners and muck it up. I just think that's the way the game should
>> be played. I don't think guys should just be able to skate around
>> out there. I think if you're not hitting somebody, you're not
>> playing hockey."
>>
>> But Gophers fans this year have seen more than just physical play
>> out of Bertogliat. Only three weeks into the season, he already has
>> two goals and two assists. This is a big change. In his first three
>> seasons at the University, he totaled only five goals.
>>
>> Bertogliat said he has made scoring a higher priority.
>>
>> "Last year it was a bonus if I scored," Bertogliat said. "So far
>> this year my attitude is starting to change. If I come out of a game
>> now and I haven't gotten a point, then I don't feel I've played that
>> well. I like getting into that attitude. And I hope to continue with
>> that."
>>
>> Getting consistent scoring from players like Bertogliat will be key
>> for the Minnesota this season. Defense and goaltending will keep the
>> Gophers in most games. When they can get balanced scoring like they
>> did against Alaska-Anchorage, the Gophers will be tough to beat.
>>
>> Minnesota assistant coach Tom Ward said the players seem to rally
>> around Bertogliat.
>>
>> "When Jesse scores, the team really gets a lift," Ward said. "The
>> guys really like him. It makes a big difference for this team if we
>> can get scoring from all four lines."
>>
>> Bertogliat's increased offensive production could also affect the
>> way others view him. His physical style has been interpreted by some
>> as cheap.
>>
>> But what most people don't realize is that Bertogliat, 22, has never
>> been in a real fight on the ice. He has been involved in some
>> mini-wrestling matches, but never in a
>> "let's-drop-the-gloves-and-go" type of fight.
>>
>> "I'm not a fighter," Bertogliat said. "I never have been. The only
>> time I'm hitting someone is usually when I'm getting a good shoulder
>> into him. And very rarely are people willing to drop the gloves with
>> you just because they got hit hard."
>>
>> Bertogliat said he likes to use the low center of gravity from his
>> muscular, 5-foot-8, 198-pound frame for legal, tactical hits. He
>> thinks he plays a clean brand of hockey.
>>
>> "I don't look at myself as a goon," Bertogliat said. "I don't think
>> I'm all that good of a hitter if I'm trying to goon somebody. I
>> think I've got the knack of hitting somebody when they're not
>> expecting it. And that's why I'm successful."
>>
>> But even if people do give him that label, Bertogliat said he
>> doesn't mind.
>>
>> "If I'm labeled as a goon, I'd almost take that as a compliment,"
>> Bertogliat said. "At least I'm being recognized. Half of the time
>> when they call you a goon that means you're playing the game the way
>> it's supposed to be played and you're getting on their nerves.
>>
>> "If I'm hitting somebody on the ice and I'm not getting a penalty, I
>> can't be too much of a goon."
>>
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>> [Image]
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>> =A9The Minnesota Daily
>
Pam Sweeney
Go Gophers!
Nastier, Bigger, Faster in '95-'96!
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