Scott BrownIf Minnesota-Duluth slipped away with a win Friday night, the next night the Bulldogs simply reached out and grabbed one. On Saturday, UMD took the lead early, then fended off a Minnesota comeback attempt for a 4-2 win. Isaac Reichmuth stopped 39 shots, and Friday’s heroes, Brett Hammond and T.J. Caig, scored the first two … Read more
Friday night, the Minnesota Golden Gophers and their fans got to celebrate the pinnacle of college hockey achievement. Before the Gophers’ home opener, the 2003 NCAA title banner was hung from the Mariucci Arena rafters to commemorate Minnesota’s second straight national championship. Meanwhile, all Minnesota-Duluth got was the win. T.J. Caig carried the big stick … Read more
A long wait is over. Minnesota, behind the clutch play of freshman phenom Thomas Vanek, blew open a tie game in the third period, defeating New Hampshire 5-1 to defend its NCAA title at HSBC Arena. The Gophers are the first repeat champion since Boston University in 1972. Vanek, the Frozen Four’s Most Outstanding Player, … Read more
It ended suddenly. After 60 minutes of hockey produced a 2-2 tie, Minnesota’s Thomas Vanek scored his 30th goal of the year to give the Gophers a 3-2 win over Michigan Thursday evening, sending Minnesota to the NCAA title game for a second straight year. Vanek’s goal, at 8:55 of the extra period, came from … Read more
For Michigan, the NCAA tournament has historically been a showcase.
Ferris State earned its Friday win with both spit and polish.
Two years ago, Mercyhurst — at the time the first-ever MAAC team invited to the NCAA tournament — nearly pulled off a monumental upset against Michigan in the Wolverines’ home state. Before Friday’s game, amidst the talk of a mismatch against defending national champion Minnesota, there was a quiet refrain of possibility. Could lightning strike … Read more
The NCAA tournament picks were announced Sunday, but the action was in St. Paul, Minn., on Saturday. The fact that NCAA hockey boasts an objective selection system for its national tournament doesn’t prevent controversy — it just changes the nature of the complaints. Basketball teams can complain about the selection committee weighing the factors unpredictably, … Read more
Minnesota-Duluth didn’t look like a team with nothing to play for Saturday. The Bulldogs (22-15-5) leaped out to an early three-goal lead, then weathered a Minnesota State (20-10-10) rally before pulling away again for a 6-4 win in the consolation game at the WCHA Final Five. Afterward, talk centered on likely NCAA fates. Current projections … Read more
Call it the Grant Potulny Show. Minnesota’s captain — who this weekend made his return to the Xcel Center ice six months after breaking his leg in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game — scored two goals in the first six minutes Saturday to lead the Gophers to the WCHA championship, 4-2 over Colorado … Read more
Minnesota: the team WCHA fans love to hate.
No. 1 CC storms toward the NCAAs.
It got a scare, but the nation’s number-one team prevailed. Rookie Brett Sterling sent Colorado College into the WCHA championship at 7:18 of overtime, roofing a wrister home after he and Tyler Liebel dug a failed clearing attempt out of the corner behind the Minnesota-Duluth net. The 4-3 final score was CC’s first lead of … Read more
In a game of bounces, just enough of them went the way of Minnesota-Duluth Thursday night. The workaday Bulldogs brought their lunchpails, the offense took advantage of its opportunities and Isaac Reichmuth (31 saves) provided the steady goaltending Duluth required to upend North Dakota 2-1 in the play-in game at the WCHA Final Five. UMD’s … Read more
Minnesota’s march through March continues. The defending national champion Gophers won their 18th straight home WCHA playoff game Saturday, reaching the Final Five with a 5-2 win over Michigan Tech at Mariucci Arena. The Gophers have not lost a home game in the opening round since the Final Five format was adopted for the 1992-93 … Read more
In a game with little tangible benefit to either team, Minnesota and St. Cloud State skated to a 1-1 draw on Senior Night at Mariucci Arena Saturday. SCSU netminder Jason Montgomery made 40 saves to preserve the tie. “He’s an athletic goalie,” smiled St. Cloud coach Craig Dahl, “but he makes me nervous sometimes.” Minnesota … Read more
One night after erasing a big lead in a tie against Denver, Minnesota apparently wasn’t satisfied. Saturday, the Gophers went one better, again watching the Pioneers accumulate a three-goal lead before scoring six straight times in an 8-5 win at Mariucci Arena. With Denver up 4-1 midway through the second period, Minnesota stunned the Pioneers … Read more
This one was the Border Blowout. Minnesota scored four straight goals in the first nine minutes of the game en route to an 8-1 rout of visiting Wisconsin Saturday night. As opposed to Friday’s freshman-led effort, Saturday’s game featured scoring across the Gopher board. Matt Koalska netted two of the first three Minnesota goals, and … Read more
It wasn’t exactly trench warfare, but neither did it resemble the Alamo. The “Border Battle” — the resumption at Mariucci Arena of the Minnesota-Wisconsin rivalry — was a suspense-free affair Friday night. The Gophers put forward a steady, determined effort, totaling 50 shots on goal and getting their scoring from novel sources to pound out … Read more
Maybe the WCHA should consider adding a fourth period in regulation. It might be the only way for Minnesota and Minnesota State to reach a definitive conclusion. Saturday afternoon, the Gophers and Mavericks played to a 4-4 draw after both teams rallied from third-period deficits. Down 4-3 and with netminder Jason Jensen off the ice, … Read more