The Golden Gophers PEAK in late January.............

[PierBridge]

I thought you said you had job?..get to work...

You'll never hear me whine......even if the best team in the best conference in best WORLD lose's... I know the Gophers have lost the NCAA title when they have had clearly the best team and I know we have won the NATIONAL championship when we didn't have the best team going in, anything can and will happen....enjoy the Sun...

Don't kid yourself you know the 3rd place game is a joke.

[Raj22]

Didn't look like a joke for Wisconson and they didn't have much to play for either, except maybe pride.

[redlake]

I smile to think of the gophers practicing on defensive skills and positioning this week. Their goaltenders sweating and furiously working on stopping the puck.

Then coach Lucia gathers the forwards together and whispers for them not to humiliate the goaltenders and to start missing some shots on purpose. He shakes his finger at Kessel, Putulty, Wheeler, and Gordon as they hang their heads.

Off in the corner, however, Frazee, Briggs, and Solie slap each other on the back and try to do the splits as they gear up for another Kessel wrister they won't be able to stop.

Let's face it gopher fans. It isn't a confident group we have right now. We have the best offensive team in all of college hockey that has HID the fact that this gopher team is sub-par in the nets and weak on the blue line.

It is go-time this weekend. No more excuses about not trying in the third place game and getting beat by a hot goaltender from St. Cloud. Lets get back to reality, those of you who cheer from the maroon and gold. No more excuses. We are tired of it.

What cost you the third place game was a better team in Wisconsin. They kicked your butts up and down the ice. What cost you the game against St. Cloud was your sieve goalies let in 8 goals.

If you don't get better goaltending, it is time to pull out your golf clubs, start doing your yard work around the house, and enjoy the beautiful weather of April we have coming around the corner. Your hockey team is ripe for the picking and I have a couple dead gophers in my freezer I am going to launch on the ice when Holy Cross scores their first goal.

[PierBridge]

Quote:

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Didn't look like a joke for Wisconson and they didn't have much to play for either, except maybe pride.

---

The game meant a lot more to Wisconsin being they were trying rebound from the biggest collapse in WCHA history they really needed to prove to themselves they could play good hockey again.

When teams are playing the Gophers we know it's their Super Bowl and they want to kill us bad, were kinda like the Yankees....

Enjoy the Tourney....

Can't wait for that 3rd place game it's gonna be a barn burner!!!!!!

[Rolly22]

Do they still do the third place game in the NCAA's? Honestly, when you're on the ice against one of your biggest rivalries, you seriously don't think 'this game means more for them than us, who cares if I get the puck out of the zone' or 'I'll just let my man go, if he scores he scores, this game is meaningless'. I wouldn't care if I was playing UM or Tech and the game doesn't mean anything in the pairwise or has any ramification in the NCAA's, I want to beat them regardless.

This should be some interesting hockey, this thread even more so. Time to head home and have a beer or ten. Over and out.

Rolly

P.S.-I figure in time on this site as part of my work schedule.

[Raj22]

OK, I think I'm starting to understand that third place games are meaningless. I just wish someone would have told Wis. so they wouldn't have kicked the dump out the gophers on their own ice for no reason whatsoever.

And no, it sure wasn't a barn burner, but I know there were quit a few gopher fans who paid good money for tickets and wasted half their day that wish it was.

[Rolly22]

Raj22-That's what I'm talkin' 'bout.

[Raj22]

Hey Herman, I just watched the end of the gopher b-ball and they lost too. But I bet they don't care, it was just the NIT, they didn't even try.

[Rolly22]

That's a great analogy Sleepy. I see you have figured out how to use the smily faces.

[Master Guide]

Wassup with the armchair atheletes on here. Or maybe I should say keyboard atheletes? Did any of you actually play in any of the games mentioned? Or are all of you soooooooooooo smart you figured it out with the help of the TV and newspapers?

If you aint on the ice playin, dont be too quick to judge, I doubt there is a coach alive, that would tolerate a mediocre game just because it was meaningless.

[buzzsaw]

oh oh, John Mayasich just appeared!

[Master Guide]

LMFAO! Yea whatever buzzy..........I see a few guys makin some pretty bolt statements on here is all I am getting at.

Do you agree? Or do you think the teams blew it all on purpose? Sounds like you feel to the latter of the two to me.

Lucia, Sandelin........doubt they told the team to not win.

But then again..........you all seem to know what you are talking aboot, LOL!

[buzzsaw]

I was hoping you'd like that one. I don't think they dropped the game on purpose because it didn't matter to them, I just think they had a "natural letdown" and didn't play anywhere near the level that they can and had been playing at. I played sports growing up and hated losing and if I was losing and sensed my teammates were not giving it as much as me I took it personally and got [PoorWordUsage]ed and played mad. As far as making excuses for them... no interest... besides it all really doen't matter any longer, it's time for the games to begin. there is another thread, go post your predictions guys.

[tashit]

Nobody said they blew it on purpose or that it was ok that they didn't show up. They should've won that tournament but they didn't deserve to the way they played. Most people aren't going to remember their let down in the Final Five if/when they win the Frozen Four and I think their chances are good.

[redlake]

I have seen some upsets in my time, but this one takes the cake. (no pun intended)

Nice season for the gophies that ended too soon.

[buzzsaw]

The Gophers choked! The Holy Cross goalie played solid and Briggs let in two more sort ones which spelled doom.

[Quackaddict9]

the game tying goal, Briggs didnt know where the puck was, his players were in front of him, no fault on Briggs. Game Winner, it hit athertons skate and Briggs slid over because a pass was being attempted and HC got a break there and got the puck back and a wide open net to score, so no fault on Briggs. It was just a lucky break for HC and the game was slow and not exciting like UND/Mich game.

Well Wisc up 1-0 after 1.