>Bob Croce in the Monday edition of the Albany Times Union
>noted that the RPI Engineers had the following factors going for
>them in Friday's game with Minnesota:
>
>1. The Golden Gophers won their first six games of the season
>but were just better than a .500 team the rest of the season.
>RPI, meanwhile, has been on a 3-0-1 playoff tear and is getting
>great goaltending from junior Michael Tamburro.
 
While the Gopher's didn't exactly rip it up over the last couple of weeks,
one major change has happened in post season:  balanced scoring.  Finally,
MN is getting scoring from people besides Bonin and McHugh.  It is the main
thing they have lacked during their worst parts of the season.  Also, MN is
just one of those teams (notice I said one of) that can beat anybody,
anywhere.  Their also an experienced post-season team as they play in the
NCAA's every year for the past decade.
 
The thing that scares me most about RPI is the two most fearsome words in
hockey:  hot goalie.
 
>
>2.  Madison is a long way from Troy, yet the Engineers might
>have more fans on their side.  The majority of the crowd will
>be Wisconsin fans, and Badgers hate Gophers.  The fact that,
>like the Bagers, the Engineers wear red should also endear them
>to the home crowd.
 
Won't matter a lot.  Minnesota is prepared for it and have beaten the
Badger's at home on several occasions.
 
>
>3. The Dane ice surface is large, just under Olympic-sized, which
>is to the liking of the Engineers, especially speedy center
>Kelly Askew.
 
Minnesota plays on an Olympic size rink (I think Dane is actually a touch
smaller) and always play better on a larger surface.  I guess it's to the
advantage of both teams, or neither team, depending on how you look at it.
 
>
>Does anybody (especially Gophers and Badgers) have any comments on
>these points or any other aspect of this matchup?
>
 
I guess what worries me the most is that the Gopher's just haven't been
able to put it together and sustain it since the opening.  However, they
have the second (or third, it may have changed during post season) best
defense in college hockey, are finally getting balanced scoring, have come
off of a great WCHA playoffs which showed both their character and stamina,
and, like the other 11 teams, are talented enough to win the whole thing.
It's 4 games for 8 of the teams, 3 for the other 4, and anything can
happen.
 
Should be a lot of fun to watch.
 
Andrew Golla
 
 
Andrew W. Golla       <<[log in to unmask]>>  or
                      <<[log in to unmask]>>