Showing posts with label St. Paul Pioneer Press. Show all posts
Showing posts with label St. Paul Pioneer Press. Show all posts

Sunday, March 12, 2017

Game Story: Minnesota ties in finale, loses Lindgren to injury (St. Paul Pioneer Press)

3/11/2017 Game Story

Michigan State 1
Minnesota 1
FINAL (OT)

*Michigan State won the shootout 2-1 to take the extra point for Big Ten conference purposes

MINNEAPOLIS-
Minnesota was able to salvage a point Saturday on Senior Night thanks to a senior. Unfortunately for the Gophers, their game against Michigan State likely was played at the expense of a freshman defenseman.

Senior Jake Bischoff finished a tic-tac-toe play among himself, Rem Pitlick and Justin Kloos as Minnesota and the Spartans ended Saturday’s regular-season finale tied at 1.

Michigan State won a shootout to earn an extra point for Big Ten conference purposes. Officially, the game ends as a tie.

Bischoff’s goal came after his defensive partner, freshman Ryan Lindgren, had to be helped off the ice without putting any weight on his leg late in the second period.

“It’s not looking good to be honest. We’ll know more this week,” Minnesota coach Don Lucia said after the game about Lindgren, who has a goal and six assists in 31 games.

Lindgren collided with Taro Hirose and went feet first in the boards with 1:29 remaining. He tried to get up off the ice and went back down, pounding the ice and visibly in pain. Minnesota spent the rest of the game playing with five defensemen.

Click here to read the rest!

Friday, March 10, 2017

Feature: Six seniors put Gopher hockey in a good place (St. Paul Pioneer Press)

One of the best compliments coach Don Lucia could give his six Gophers seniors came going into last weekend’s series against a Michigan team struggling without five players who departed early.

“I guarantee I’m a lot smarter because they’re back,” he said, calling them the team’s difference makers. “They’re guys you can’t replace.”

Minnesota’s 2016-17 senior class — forwards Taylor Cammarata, Justin Kloos, Vinni Lettieri, Connor Reilly and Mitch Rogge, along with defenseman Jake Bischoff — will be honored before Saturday’s regular-season finale against Michigan State. Their final series at Mariucci Arena carries a variety of emotions mixed with an opportunity to make history.

“Experiencing it, you realize (the four years) go by quicker than ever,” Bischoff said. “I’m going to try to live in the weekend and come away with a couple of wins.”

The first class to spend their entire playing tenure in the Big Ten has meant much to Lucia and the Gophers program due to their success and loyalty.

Leading Wisconsin by three points with two games remaining, Minnesota (22-10-2, 13-5-0) needs any combination of four points won by the Gophers or lost by the Badgers to win its fourth consecutive Big Ten regular-season title and sixth in a row overall dating back to 2012.

To do so would be an unprecedented feat in college hockey. Boston University won five straight Hockey East titles between 1993 and 1998.

Click here to read the rest!

Saturday, February 25, 2017

Game Story: No rally this time as "U" falls to Wisconsin (St. Paul Pioneer Press)

2/24/2017 Game Story

Wisconsin 3
Minnesota 2
FINAL

MINNEAPOLIS- Minnesota began Friday’s game believing the bounces would be going the way of the home team with an opening-shift lead that came from a shot from behind the Wisconsin goal line. The Gophers ended the night getting many more over the remaining 59 minutes that went any other way but inside the net.

Playing from behind and trying to get yet another come-from-behind win, Minnesota’s latest attempt was one comeback too many.

Despite a third-period rush and 38 total shots on net, the Gophers, who came from two goals or more down in three of the past four games, came up short in a 3-2 loss at Mariucci Arena.

“We lost to a good team tonight. It was a hard-fought game,” said Minnesota coach Don Lucia. “Now our goal is to try and win tomorrow.”

Freshman goaltender Jack Berry made 36 saves for Wisconsin, which bookended a pair of Vinni Lettieri goals Friday with three in the second period on six shots.

Click here to read the rest!

Monday, February 20, 2017

Game Story: Kloos, Pitlick lead way in win over Penn State (St. Paul Pioneer Press)

2/17/2017 Game Story

Minnesota 6
Penn State 3
FINAL

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Once denied, Justin Kloos and Minnesota could not be stopped a second time on the road against Penn State.

Initially believing he had given the Gophers a 4-2 lead Friday night by tipping a shot through the legs of Penn State goaltender Peyton Jones, Kloos’ first attempt at his 15th goal of the season was overturned. After a review, it was ruled Minnesota’s captain played the puck with a high stick.

Four minutes later, Kris Myllari tied the score at 3 for Penn State. No matter. Kloos put the Gophers ahead for good with six minutes remaining in regulation on the power play, one-timing the puck into the back of the net.

Minnesota scored twice more in the next 4:34 to win 6-3 over the Nittany Lions. The Gophers continue to lead the Big Ten.

“We never really felt like the game was in too much jeopardy. Obviously we got the power play pretty quickly after (Myllari’s goal) and then felt like we had the momentum from there,” said Kloos.

Click here to read the rest!

Friday, February 10, 2017

Story: Gophers hockey on a roll with PK (St. Paul Pioneer Press)

University of Minnesota sophomore forwards Jack Ramsey and Darian Romanko share a line that goes by several nicknames.

“Blue,” for both the jersey color worn in practice and collar style of play. And “trench line,” a name preferred by Ramsey, carried over from his time in junior hockey; it represents digging in and shutting down the top offensive line.

On special teams the 6-foot-1, 204-pound Romanko and the 6-3, 196-pound Ramsey have plenty of help — from scoring forward Justin Kloos to shot-blocking defenseman Jake Bischoff and stingy goalie Eric Schierhorn, among others — to dig in on a penalty kill that has played a major role in the Gophers’ No. 5 national ranking.

“It’s that consistency factor. We work on it a lot in practice,” said Ramsey. “I think a huge thing is we usually have six forwards killing. We have our pairs, so you know who your partner is all the time.”

After sweeping Penn State last weekend, the Gophers (17-7-2, 8-2-0 Big Ten) are a nation-best 10-2-0 since they last faced this weekend’s opponent, Ohio State (13-7-6, 4-5-1). That was at Mariucci Arena on Dec. 2-3 when the teams split a pair of games.

Click here to read the rest!

Saturday, February 4, 2017

Feature: Goaltender Emma May singing right tune (St. Paul Pioneer Press)

One of my goals with feature stories is to give off a sense of the subject's personality. In the case of Gopher hockey third string goalie Emma May that was pretty easy if the below lede is any indication.

The Gophers, for what it's worth, defeated Minnesota State 5-0 last night. Minnesota improves to 5-0-1 in its last six games after a rare losing streak.

--
Before games, Emma May likes to sing.

Not just sing, actually. The Gophers’ sophomore goaltender has a whole pregame routine designed to pump up her teammates and get herself into game mode. There are dance moves and a Disney movie-inspired handshake between May and her roommates — and singing to the point of being shushed.

Belting out whatever is in her head seems to help, and right now it’s Whitney Houston. May likes the high notes.

“I think to be a goalie, you definitely have to be a little weird,” said sophomore Sophie Skarzynski, one of May’s roommates and best friends. “Something that is special you don’t find in a lot of other players is Emma brings a consistent positive effort. It’s a real effort and energy to practice every single day, which is admirable.”

That effort comes through in the lack of doubt in her convictions. May, an Eagan native, grew up in a hockey family with her brother Eli, currently a defenseman at Augsburg. Emma started on the blue line, too until her second year of U12 hockey.

“I decided, ‘Yep, alright not good at defense. I’m going to play goalie,’” she said. “Playing goalie just kind of ended up being what I wanted to do with my life, and how I wanted to spend my time on the ice.”


Click here to read the rest!

Sunday, January 29, 2017

Game Story: Schierhorn stops 3 breakaways in opening minute of win (St. Paul Pioneer Press)

1/29/2017 Game Story

Minnesota 4
Bemidji State 0
FINAL

ST. PAUL- On the opening shift of Saturday’s North Star College Cup consolation game, Minnesota goaltender Eric Schierhorn gave a preview of things to come.

Schierhorn stopped Bemidji State forward Gerry Fitzgerald on a breakaway. Then he did so again. Then one more for good measure that also drew a Bemidji State penalty.

Three times in the opening minute of Minnesota’s 4-0 victory, the sophomore was forced to shut down chances by the Beavers before his team found its legs at both ends of the ice. Schierhorn stopped all 25 shots he faced for his fourth shutout of the season. The Gophers added three goals in the third period to break through and win at the tournament for the first time since 2014.

“I don’t know if breakaways are really what you want on the first shot on the game,” Schierhorn said. “Both games (this weekend), I had those shots to help get me into a rhythm and the shots kept coming.”

Click here to read the rest!

Game Story: Minnesota Duluth tips St. Cloud State in OT to win title (St. Paul Pioneer Press)

1/29/2017 Game Story

Minnesota Duluth 2
St. Cloud State 1
FINAL/OT

ST. PAUL- One rebound put back and one celebration later, Minnesota Duluth can head back home as the top college hockey team in Minnesota, despite having needed more than 60 minutes to settle the North Star College Cup championship game.

With the Bulldogs and St. Cloud State playing in front of an announced crowd of 11,098 at the Xcel Energy Center, UMD senior Kyle Osterberg scored six minutes into overtime for a 2-1 victory Saturday.

“It’s always a great feeling,”said Osterberg about winning the annual in-state tournament. “This is my last year playing. Just to win it feels good. Me and the other seniors have been working hard and put a lot of blood, sweat and tears in the program. So to bring something back, even a small cup like this, is pretty special.”

Click here to read the rest!

Friday, January 27, 2017

Feature: Gophers hoping to end dry spell vs in-state foes (St. Paul Pioneer Press)

Balancing rivalries with tough games, this weekend's North Star College Cup brings both to an intersection. Minnesota is #6 in the nation and leads the Big Ten. Yet to many what matters more is doing well against other in-state schools, where the team has struggled - the Gophers have lost six straight against tonight's semifinal opponent, UMD.

I also hope you got to know who Jake Bischoff is a little more by reading the feature.

--

(This originally appeared in Friday's St. Paul Pioneer Press)

Marking an intersection between U.S. highways 2 and 169, the Iron Range city of Grand Rapids sits between Minnesota destinations. One highway leads east to Duluth. The other winds south towards St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Jake Bischoff is well aware of how much the Twin Ports and Twin Cities influence his hometown. Grand Rapids is his stomping grounds, the place where he still goes back to hunt when the opportunity allows. (During Minnesota’s off-week in November Bischoff proudly ended up with a little buck.)

The senior defenseman grew up a Gophers fan by default. His father, Grant Bischoff, played for Minnesota from 1987-91. Before continuing the family legacy, he was immersed in the history that comes with Friday’s North Star College Cup opponent, Minnesota Duluth (15-5-4).

“Obviously Grand Rapids is closer to Duluth than it is to the Twin Cities. A lot of people from up there grow up as Duluth fans just because of geographically. There’s also a lot of Gopher fans up there, too,” he said. “It was a blast growing up watching that rivalry with the teams and also the fans, getting in little fights with my buddies over the games. That was a blast.”

In that light, this weekend’s four-team tournament at Xcel Energy Center, which also features Bemidji State (16-9-3) and St. Cloud State (11-12-1), takes on a different meaning for the Big Ten-leading Gophers (14-6-2). Being a top-10 team doesn’t matter. The challenge for Minnesota, coming of consecutive last-place finishes in this event, is to find success against in-state schools.

Click here to read the rest!


North Star College Cup Never Took Off (St. Paul Pioneer Press)

(This originally appeared in Friday's St. Paul Pioneer Press.)

This weekend’s fourth annual North Star College Cup at Xcel Energy Center will be the final one contested between the five Division 1 schools in Minnesota.

After meeting this summer and fall, the schools’ five head coaches elected to discontinue the tournament after the initial four-year rotation, citing attendance issues and a reluctance to give up home games.

“I think the idea was to hopefully get the alumni involved and replicate what the old WCHA playoffs was like, but that never seemed to happen,” Gophers coach Don Lucia said Wednesday. “It just probably wasn’t worth giving up home games for so many people.”

The tournament was created after the splintering of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. The Gophers became part of the six-team Big Ten Conference, and St. Cloud State and Minnesota-Duluth became charter members of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. Minnesota State Mankato and Bemidji State remained in the WCHA.

Click to read the rest here!



Friday, January 20, 2017

Feature: Gopher Hockey preps for Badgers without Tommy Novak (St. Paul Pioneer Press)

(This article originally appeared in the St. Paul Pioneer Press)

Connor Reilly has an idea what Gophers hockey teammate Tommy Novak is going through.

Twice Reilly, a redshirt senior and alternate captain, had his season end early because of lower-body injury, just like Novak, who was hurt in Minnesota’s 4-2 victory over Michigan on Saturday and is out for the season.

He pulled Novak aside and talked with him for a little bit.

“There will be some good days. There will be some bad days,” Reilly said he told Novak. “It’s not easy. It’s a difficult process, but I told him to treat it as an opportunity to learn a lot about yourself as a person. Hopefully you grow more as a person because it is an interesting process. You can’t look too far ahead; you can’t look too far behind.”

Just as quickly, attention turned to how seventh-ranked Minnesota (13-5-2, 5-1-0-0 Big Ten), currently on a six-game winning streak, will replace the sophomore center’s playmaking abilities in the lineup beginning with this weekend’s road series against top rival Wisconsin (10-7-1, 3-1-0-0).

Click here to read the rest!

Saturday, January 14, 2017

Game Story: Gophers remain hot coming out of break, rout Michigan (St. Paul Pioneer Press)

1/13/17 Game Story For St. Paul Pioneer Press

Michigan 2
Minnesota 5
FINAL

MINNEAPOLIS- Kicking off a nine-week stretch with games every weekend to end the regular season, Minnesota began by building on opportunities given and took advantage of early chances with a three-goal first period in a 5-2 victory over Michigan on Friday night at Mariucci Arena.

Sophomore forward Tyler Sheehy scored two goals for the fourth time this season, and five players had multiple points as the Gophers (12-5-2, 4-1-0-0 Big Ten) won their fifth consecutive game and for the seventh time in their past eight games.

“It’s great. Any time you have diverse scoring out there, it’s good for the team,” said Sheehy, who has a team-leading and career-high 14 goals. “It’s awesome to see those guys put the puck in the net, and hopefully we can keep putting the puck in the net.”

Click here to read the full story!