=46rom the 12/1/95 Minnesota Daily.
Gobs of Gophers provide scoring punch
Jeff Sherry - Staff Reporter
Going into the season, Gophers hockey coach Doug Woog said his
team's biggest question mark was its ability to score.
And after finishing sixth in the WCHA in scoring last year and losing
consistent scorers in Justin McHugh and Scott Bell to graduation, Woog's
concern seemed warranted.
But just over a third of the way into the season, the Gophers are scoring
with nearly the same frequency as James Bond does in a typical night out at
a singles' bar. Minnesota is currently second in the WCHA with an average of
4.75 goals per game, compared to its average of 3.78 last year.
Woog said he is not surprised by Minnesota's scoring surge this season, just
pleased.
"Our offensive production has improved, I think, for two reasons," Woog
said. "One, I think our defensemen have moved up. (Mike) Crowley has stepped
up this year, and (Dan) Trebil has been able to give us some offense. And
they're getting the puck up to the forwards who have been able to do
something with it.
"A lot of people have improved for us up front. Guys like Casey Hankinson,
Ryan Kraft, David Larson -- they're all playing better for us. And our
freshmen have been able to contribute as well. Our overall offense has been
a little more consistent. We just have more depth and physical strength up
front than we did a year ago."
A prime example of Minnesota's improved offensive depth came last weekend at
the College Hockey Showcase in Milwaukee. With the Gophers down, 1-0, in the
second period of Saturday's game against Michigan, Minnesota's fourth line
came up big.
Senior forward Jesse Bertogliat skated down the puck as it was heading out
of the Wolverines' zone and backhanded a blind pass to freshman winger Mike
Anderson. Anderson quickly shot on Michigan goalie Marty Turco, gathered the
rebound off of Turco's pad, and shot again. This one got past Turco and
deflected into the goal off a Michigan defender's skate.
"I got lucky," Anderson said of his second goal of the season. "I took two
bad shots, and one of them went in."
Whether the shots were as bad as Anderson said is questionable, but there's
no debating the level of his persistence. Anderson exemplifies the
hard-working attitude that Woog wants from his players. So if Anderson's
goal was a bit of a break Saturday, it only makes sense. After all, it's
often the players who work hardest that get the most breaks.
"Mike's not afraid to put out a good effort every practice and every game,"
Woog said. "The success for him will come if he can keep the same intensity
and then smooth things out a little bit. Right now his technique is not as
great as his desire, but he does have the desire to get there.
"As the year goes on and he keeps getting experience, we'll be looking for
him to come through in spots when games are on the line."
When watching Anderson on the ice, the level of his intensity is obvious.
When talking to him off the rink, however, he seems more laid-back. He says
he tries to be as friendly to people as he can and often is referred to as
outgoing. People who have never seen him play are sometimes surprised to
hear about his serious side.
Probably a side to me that lots of people don't know is that I take things
super-seriously," Anderson said. "Yeah, I'm an outgoing guy -- because I
think you have to be in public -- but I take things very seriously. I want
to be successful. That's the kind of person I am."
2 freshmen will miss Classic
At least two Gophers will miss the Mariucci Classic on Dec. 29-30 while
competing for the U.S. National Junior Team in Massachusetts. Gophers
freshmen Erik Rasmussen and Reggie Berg have already made the team, which
will be playing at the end of December in the World Junior Championships.
Wyatt Smith, Casey Hankinson and Jason Godbout will also go with the U.S.
team for a mini-tryout, and could also miss the Classic if they make the
roster. The junior team's final squad will be announced after two games on
Dec. 21 and 23.
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=A9The Minnesota Daily
Pam Sweeney
Go Gophers!
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