>        I have an observation of the gohper Hockey team. I have seen them play
>numerous times and I think other might see the same things also.
>        The Gophers are not a physical team.... It was obvious by the UND
>series and the UNM series.... I also thinkg that the Cougers checked them
>right out of Lakeview arena. I also think that the gophers need to have
>some toughness as the style Chris Mcalpine brought to the Squad last year.
>I also think that the Gophers need to stop letting people run the Gopher
>Cage. No body that get near the net gets hit... I also think the Hit/
>boarding that took place on the gopher/UNM game on saturday I forget his
>name/number laid on the player what I feel was a dirty cheep shot,
>to top it off the guy that did the hit sat in the box and laughed about
>Feblekorn (sp) was on the Ice but didn't really do anything about it.
 
The gophers are a young, fast team and they were outhit by UNM.  However,
the shots on goal numbers show that, while UNM was delivering the hard hits
(some of them not-so-clean) that didn't stop the Gophers from getting a
number of good chances and keeping UNM out of their end for most of the
night.  UMN outhit the G's, but they outplayed UNM.  The Gopher's biggest
problem is they are not getting the puck past the goalie.  The BIGGEST
problem is the power-play.  You simply are not going to win at 0-17.  Why
the Gopher's can't score I can't figure--they get some great chances.  They
certainly seem to see hot goaltenders, but that isn't the whole story
either...  Someone smarter than me is going to have to figure that one out.
(Although Bell and McHugh are back this weekend, thankfully).
 
>Also the Goalie situation is pathetic. Callanan and the Paul Stewart
>handed the Terriers the Classic. I heard that the Gophers had a good
>prospect waiting in the wings. Bring him out He couldn't play worse than the
>two players on the Gophers. I also notice that hte Terrrier Goalie was
>from Minnesota. excuse for a team that is made up entirely MN players how
>come other teams are getting are great players. The goalie obviously is a
>lot better the the Gopher Tandem... He doesn't flop all over the ice like
>Callinan.
 
Callinan has problems, including usually allowing an early goal.  But he
also has one of the best save percentages in the league.  A lot of the
really back-breaking goals--the BC goal in particular--have come on
defensive lapses, not on bad plays by Callinan.  There have also been times
when he has been brilliant.  And times when he's let in shots from the blue
line.  Again, go figure.  But so far I have been impressed, he has
definitely improved from last season.
 
>        I think that Doug woog has had enough time to prove himself
>and he hasn't brought us a title yet... How long will the fans stand
>around and be happy with getting to the final four and losing?????
 
Now hold the damn phone...in the nine season Doug Woog has coached the
Gophers they have finished **NO WORSE THAN 2ND** in the WCHA and made the
playoffs **EVERY YEAR**.  How many teams can match that record over the
past ten years.  Can any?  (I honestly don't know)  And all this with only
in-state players (course, it's not a bad hockey state).
 
>I think that Herbie is the last coach to lead the Gophs to the finals.
 
Wrong.  Overtime loss to Harvard about 5 years ago in the final game.
 
>Another perfect example of the failure of woog is the Woog that is
>playing for the Gophers right now he stinks. He wouldn't be playing if
>his dad wasn't a coach....
 
Dan Woog is a fine player.  Not a standout, but certainly a good player in
a league of good players.
 
Andrew Golla
 
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