Gophers vs Bulldogs

[solbes]

New DECC arena info below. They are adding a new arena onto the DECC and also keeping the old one. Money was approved in a bill in 2008. The bill also included improvements for SCSU and Bemidji I believe. The DECC is my favorite place to watch hockey (I'm biased), but a lot of it has to do with the atmosphere and location and not so much the building. The Ralph is far and away the best venue I've seen.

Cut and pasted from arena.decc dot org:

"Construction Start Date: April 2009

Opening Date: December 31, 2010

Seating: 6,600 for men’s and women’s hockey; more than 8,500 for concerts

Job Creation: 300 full-time, union jobs at the peak of construction

Arena Design Team: Kansas City, Missouri-based HOK Sport, the world’s leading sports architecture firm, is teaming up with Duluth’s SJA Architects to design the new arena. The construction manager is Minneapolis-based Mortenson Construction. Among the projects on which HOK and Mortenson have collaborated in Minnesota are the Xcel Energy Center, the University of Minnesota’s new TCF Bank Stadium and the Twins’ new Target Field.

Economic Impact: All the new activities at the DECC will bring millions of dollars each year into our economy for shopping, lodging, dining and other purchases. The new arena will also dramatically increase the more than $750,000 in sales tax the DECC currently collects each year.

Project Cost: Just under $80 million for the entire project, which includes the new arena, skywalk, addition and a 475-car expansion to the DECC’s parking ramp. Construction of the ramp began October 1, 2008.

Funding Sources: The state of Minnesota is funding nearly 50% of the $80 million cost; the voter-approved 3/4 of 1% increase in the city food and beverage tax will fund 27%; UMD will fund 12% and the DECC will fund 11%."

[PierBridge]

Nice!

[Quackaddict9]

one word- TERRIBLE!!!

Fairchild looked bad, not only him but the team too! Stoa/Barribal/Schroeds looked like they did not want to play. Just my opinion.

GO SIOUX!

[DEADhead]

where's the emotion? if you don't show up to play, you don't deserve to win, or get in to the NCAA tourney.

[zepman]

Bulldogs made the Gophers play the kind of game they wanted. It used to be the other way around.

[Team Otter]

Congrats to the 'Dogs. The Gophers should have saved themselves the trip over to the Excel. Embarassing.

Now I'm pulling for the Sioux!

[northernsportman]

same here otter

[cbrooks]

Congratulation to the bulldogs. Minnesota still stands a chance of playing in the regions. One HSOforum had the gopher having 25% chance of making the regions.

[solbes]

Boo, pulling for the Sioux?!? Oh well, going to be tough for anyone to beat ND in this tourney. UMD played physical on the boards in the first, fell asleep in the second, and played pretty well in the last 2 minutes again.

With a hot goalie, anyone can win. Stalock was a little lucky in a few instances, but only let in that sharp deflection. Would be nice for the Dogs to win tonight, but their main goal should be to at least split their next two games to get into the NCAA's.

I agree that the Gopher team did not look themselves last night. Stinks that Kangas had the flu; that's not how you want it to go in the playoffs. Still an outside chance they make the tourney.

[IFallsRon]

I've heard the media say for weeks that the next loss could be the last for the UMD coach yet the Minnesota coach seldom gets ripped even though he can choose from the best talent.

[only ice]

Here We Go Bulldogs!! Here We Go!!!

[Splake]

"Stalock was a little lucky in a few instances", I think he had a horseshoe in each back pocket.

[redlake]

I think Stalock was the difference. Luck or not, he made the saves.

[PierBridge]

I guess I don't understand some of the adjectives used to describe the Gophers last night.

We all knew it was going to be an eveningly matched game. UMD I think is just a bit better than us this year and they have proved that on the ice especially of late. You knew it was a first goal wins type of game and when we fell down 2 goals and Duluth went into there 5 man trap it was going to take some luck and effort to get the game tied. It was frustrating no doubt.

I know it seemed like we didn't have the best effort for a while there but lets give the credit to the Dogs. And you certainly can't fault the Gophers for there play in the 3rd period.

Lets face it like we thought going into the year we're just not that good. I hope we don't back into the NCAA's and a more deserving team goes.

That being said Go Bulldogs! "my 2nd fave"

[Splake]

It aint braggin if you do it. Go Dogs. (that still hurts a little)

[PierBridge]

I think Stalock was the difference. Luck or not, he made the saves.

Luck was the only Gopher goal. UMD has allowed 3 goals in the last 3 games all on the road... thats not luck my friends!

Go Dogs!

[fishyguy]

I've heard the media say for weeks that the next loss could be the last for the UMD coach yet the Minnesota coach seldom gets ripped even though he can choose from the best talent.

I guess when you have been to the Final Five semis the previous 10 years, have a few Final Five titles, regular season trophies, and a couple of national titles you build up a little of the forgivness factor. Lucia should take some heat for the season but it would be a little premature to say he is failing. On the other hand, Sandelin has not built up anything that buys him time. At this point, he should be asked to have better teams to keep his job.

[solbes]

Lucia is a good coach. I don't think there's any controversy there. I don't consider him to be failing either, but college hockey has evolved from when he started. He's always been an excellent recruiter, but guys leave really early now for the NHL. Okposo, Johnson, Kessel, Vanek. All awesome talent and they all left after freshmen or sophomore year. Tough to get to the frozen four without these guys developing further. Expectations are high though when you get this much national attention and given the rich Gopher history.

I don't understand why Sandelin is under heat though. He's not a media savy guy, but look at some of his accomplishments: Frozen Four in '03-'04 where he was just a whisker away from the title game. Numerous appearances in F5, developed Hobey winner, possible repeat NCAA appearance this year. Recruiting at UMD is a much tougher effort. But Fontaine, Stalock, Raymond, Garrison, and Niskanen were all his. He's got the same issues as Lucia, e.g. Niskanen and Raymond, who also left as sophomores. If those guys were seniors today they could have just wrapped up a WCHA title.

[fishingMN4eyes]

"Stalock was a little lucky in a few instances", I think he had a horseshoe in each back pocket.

Is this your quote or did a Gopher coach or player say this? Stalock was solid last night and I can only think of one instance where he got lucky. It was in the third period when I forget who it was hit Hoeffel down the middle and the rebound came of to the one side and Hoeffel couldn't quite get there and Stalock got his pad and skates to the pipe just in time. Then there was that one timer late in the game on the PP from Fairchild that the defender got his hand on. That's just great defense, but if the defender doesn't get there in time, that's a goal, I think. Stalock was my biggest fear going into this weekend and he showed why last night. Now I have to go back down there to wtch ugly [PoorWordUsage] sue fans dance around all night. Not to mention there will be a few sconni idiots as well. I'm not sterotyping und and uw fans. It's just that the bad fans stand out and make the rest of them look bad....plus I am stil angry about last night and I need to take it out on someone .

[PierBridge]

Good stuff as always Solbes!

[Bear55]

Nice game by the dogs and Stalock they deserved the win.

The fact is the gophers just aren't that great this year. I still think it might be helpful if they don't make the NCAA's this year, sitting on the couch watching might light a fire under their butts. All too often I think we try and slide by on skill and we don't see that great of an effort from shift to shift. Except maybe Bostrom but he alwasy gives it his all and that could have been his last game as a gopher.

[fishingMN4eyes]

It may light a fire under those who stay for next year. Other guys might just bail and go try it pro. I wouldn't blame them I guess. I understand your point about not making the tournament though. I am still sitting on my West Regional tickets and I don't want to give them up and I don't want Gopher hockey season to be over yet so I have my fingers crossed at the moment. Wisconsin and UMD need to lose today and Wisconsin needs to beat UMD in the Third Place game. A UMD win or a tie combined with an RIT win in the Atlantic Hockey Tournament gets both UMD and Minnesota in.

[crothmeier]

GO ANYONE PLAYING THE GOPHERS!!!!!!!

[IFallsRon]

Mike Guentzel was the recruiter and Lucia sacked him.

[PierBridge]

Actually the Gopher program recruits itself.

I think Lucia has done one of his better coaching jobs this year considering what he had to work with.

I will say the heat will be on T-Don the next 2 years and if things go south then we can talk rationally about him being replaced.

So stay tuned Ifallsron you may get your wish.