Gophers Hockey is on Fire!!!

The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers Mens Hockey Team continues to bring joy to my life. The Gophers swept Colorado College this weekend in grand fashion. Freshman center Mike Carman scored two goals and sophomore goaltender Jeff Frazee made 31 saves on Saturday February 17th to lead the second-ranked Gophers hockey team to a 3-2 win and a two-game sweep of Colorado College. The Golden Gophers win moved Minnesota's lead in the WCHA standings to seven points over second-place St. Cloud State.

With the playoffs nearing ever closer, it feels good to know that Gophers have all the bases covered. We can shoot, we can defend and the goal tending has been solid. The maroon and gold now look ahead to next weekend's series against fourth-ranked St. Cloud State. The Gophers need to win at least one of the games to keep the momentum going and to silence the St Cloud uprising. Friday's game is in St. Cloud, while Saturday's face off is at Mariucci Arena. Both contests begin at 7:07 p.m., and will be televised on FSN North – I will be sitting front and center on my comfy sofa for both games! Go Gophers!

Golden Gophers Football Schedule

The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers football team has announced it’s playing schedule for 2007. The schedule looks fun with a couple of big border games I definitely won’t miss including the only October home game vs. North Dakota State and the final game of the season against Wisconsin. Both should be good games as North Dakota is hungry to win after the Gophers stole their chance at victory last year and the Battle for the Axe vs. Wisconsin is always my favorite Gopher football game of the year! Go Gophers, we need that axe!

Be sure to order your Gopher Football Tickets early for the big games. Last year, I waited to get tickets to the North Dakota game until the last minute and I had to pay a lot of money to get good seats!

Gopher Football Schedule:

Sat, Sept 01 vs. Bowling Green @ Metrodome
Sat, Sep 08 vs. Miami (Ohio) @ Metrodome
Sat, Sep 15 vs. Florida Atlantic at Boca Raton, Fla.
Sat, Sep 22 vs. Purdue @Metrodome
Sat, Sep 29 vs. Ohio State @ Metrodome

Sat, Oct 06 vs. Indiana at Bloomington, Ind.
Sat, Oct 13 vs. Northwestern at Evanston, Ill.
Sat, Oct 20 vs. North Dakota State @ Metrodome
Sat, Oct 27 vs. Michigan at Ann Arbor, Mich.

Sat, Nov 03 vs. Illinois @ Metrodome
Sat, Nov 10 vs. Iowa at Iowa City, Iowa
Sat, Nov 17 vs. Wisconsin @ Metrodome


See you at the games! Go Golden Gophers!

Womens Basketball Season Almost Over

The Minnesota Golden Gophers women’s basketball team won at home on Sunday and snapped their four game losing streak. The Gophers beat Indiana at Williams Arena 79-69. Sunday was also Senior Recognition Day and the lady Gophers honored their sole senior, Kelly Roysland.

Hundreds of Roysland supporters from her hometown of Fosston, Minn. made the trip to Williams Arena to see Roysland play. The majority of the 8,612 Gophers fans stayed until after the game to hear Roysland’s senior speech in which she thanked her family, coaches and teammates. Roysland had a great day on the court and her three-pointer 38 seconds into the game made her the 17th player in Minnesota history to score 1,000 career points. She finished the day with 13 points in her first game back from a broken collarbone injury suffered in a game against Iowa on Jan. 25. Sophomore guard Emily Fox led all scorers with 23 points, also dishing out four assists and collecting three steals.

The Gopher Womens basketball team has only one home game left vs. Michigan on Thursday February 22nd at Williams Arena. Don't miss the lady Gophers put on a great show! Need tickets? Check out this site: Gophers Basketball Tickets. I will see you there!

Coach's Son

Well, it was no secret that Coach Tim Brewster had a college bound son - actually he has a few, but the oldest, Clint is graduating high school this spring. Brewster's son, I am going to call him little Brew, has decided to sign a letter of intent for his daddy's new team, the Minnesota Golden Gophers. I am sure little Brew had quite a battle going on in his head - whether he should spread his wings and go away to college or play for his dad which would make him an instant media star and he would be familiar with the coaching practices...Little Brew chose the latter - Welcome to Minnesota Clint! Welcome! Clint Brewster is a stellar quarterback and should fit in perfectly with the new Minnesota Gophers coaching staff. This 6'1" 190 pound quarterback will be able to propel the new offensive plan which includes more passing and full field usage.

In addition to Clint signing, there were 21 other student-athletes that signed national letters of intent to attend the University of Minnesota and play football for the Golden Gophers. The list includes players from eight different states. The group includes one quarterback (Clint), two running backs, three wide receivers, one tight end, four offensive linemen, three defensive linemen, one linebacker, five defensive backs and two others. There are eight signees from Minnesota. I expect that number to grow even more in 2008 with Brewster's Minnesota First mentality.

Gopher Gal looks forward to seeing what Clint Brewster and the other freshmen will bring to the table in 2007! Go Gopher Football!

Gopher Hockey Team Back On The Tracks

The train wreck is over or at least cleaned up. The University of Minnesota men's hockey team won its ninth one goal game of the season this weekend when they edged out Alaska Anchorage 2-1 at Sullivan Arena for the two-game WCHA series sweep on the road. The Golden Gophers got goals from freshmen Erik Johnson and Tony Lucia! I love to see those freshmen making big plays! The Gophers goal tending looks to be back on as well. Sophomore Jeff Frazee did a stellar job at keeping Alaska out of the game (25 saves) even if he did let in a shorthanded goal (boo boo – hiss hiss). Lucia got to be the hero late in the second period on Saturday when he scored the game winning goal.

The Alaska Anchorage sweep was the eighth sweep of the year! Yeah Gophers!

The Golden Gophers take a week off before continuing their five-game road trip with a WCHA series at Colorado College on February 16 & 17. Both games will be televised on FSN North! YES! I love watching the Gophers on TV! If it wouldn’t have been for the Super Bowl this weekend, I would have been in a total “Sports Program On Tv” (SPOT) withdrawal . . . and yes, I just made that anagram up (-: Go Gophers!

Gopher vs Sioux Train Wreck

It has taken me a few days to calm down over last weekends sweep by the North Dakota Fighting Sioux. Both Friday and Saturday night games were a total and complete train wreck. The Gophers have not been swept by the Sioux at home in 26 years . . . why now? I cried out, why? I knew I would have to address it in my blog since I so boisterously bragged about the Gopher Hockey team in the last few posts.

Let's break it down - the Sioux played really really aggressive and the Gophers couldn't stand up to:
a) the North Dakota speed
b) the North Dakota checking or
c) the Sioux shooting

the answer is d) all of the above! The goal tending by the Gophers was some of the worst I have seen this year. I think Lucia was dumb founded by the lack of goal tending enthusiasm and talent - he tried to switch it up by giving both Briggs and Frazee some ice time, but nothing seemed to help. The Gophers were out shot, out defended and out played.

The Golden Gophers head back on the road next weekend for a two-game series at Alaska Anchorage on Friday-Saturday, Feb. 2-3. Both games begin at 10:07 p.m., Central time and will not be televised - can you believe it? NOT TELEVISED...I hope my local news stations don't let me down! I need to see some good plays on sports wrap to replace the images of the Sioux trampling the Gophs that keep circling in my head.

Gophers Football Coaching Staff

I am so excited about the new Golden Gopher Football coaching staff. I know Brewster is quite a talker, but I really believe him when he says he has hired a top notch DYNAMIC staff. Here are a few of the key new hires:

Mike Dunbar (Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator)
Everett Withers (Defensive Coordinator)
Daniel Berezowitz (Recruiting Coordinator)
John Butler (Linebackers/Special Teams)
George McDonald (Wide Receivers)
Phil Meyer (Offensive Line)
Randy Taylor (Director of Football Operations)

Brewster said in an interview, “I couldn’t be more excited that we have been able to put together top coaches and recruiters throughout the country on this staff. I say that with confidence because I know these guys personally and they are proven in their profession. This staff will work harder than any in the nation. This a special day for the Gopher Nation and all its fans.”

Gopher Gal likes Mike Dunbar the best - he is known for putting big points on the board and for a strong pass offense. It will be nice to see some up and down the field plays. There is nothing sweeter than seeing a spiraling pigskin land solidly in a Gopher Wide Receivers hands. I am looking forward to the season and looking forward to being a part of the "Brew Crew." Let's go Gophers! This could be a year where I get to wear my Maroon and Gold more than once (-:

Gophers Womens Basketball

OK, I never thought I would write a post about the Golden Gopher Womens Basketball team, but I actually watched the game last night and I was totally glued to my TV screen. The Gophers took on the Iowa Hawkeyes and the end of the game was a definite nail biter. I missed the first half because let's face it - I didn't actually plan on watching the game - I stumbled on it. The Gophers star Kelly Roysland suffered a shoulder injury that could be detrimental to the teams future this year, but for the Iowa game it just added a little excitement.

The Gophers had a 20 point lead over the Hawkeyes and blew it in the second half. Iowa came on strong, but the Gophers never gave up. It ended up going into overtime and the Gophers squeaked by with a win. I thought the little blondie Kellie Fox played a good game - even though she missed a critical free throw point! I must admit I couldn't turn the channel until the final buzzer sounded. There were only a few people in the stands, but next time the Gophers are playing at home, I am definitely going to try and get a seat - here is a list of the remaining home games for 2007:

Thursday February 1st vs. Purdue
Thursday February 8th vs. Ohio State
Sunday February 11th vs. Indiana
Thursday February 22nd vs. Michigan

Tickets are rather inexpensive and you can get good Golden Gopher Tickets to every game; so my advice is to pick a game and just go! It will be a fun night out on the town. You could bring your kids or your buddies. Want a cool place to eat? Go to Annies in Dinkytown - they have the best burgers and malts and they aren't paying me to say that!

Let's Go Gophers Women!

Gopher vs Sioux

I am so pumped for this weekends match-up between the Golden Gopher Mens Hockey Team vs. the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux!!! The Sioux have become big rivals of the Gophers in last few years and this border battle at home ice should be a doozey!

The top-ranked and WCHA-leading Golden Gophers are hoping to win this series against intrastate rival and 15th-ranked North Dakota. Games are on Friday and Saturday, January 26 and 27, at Mariucci Arena. Both games face off at 7:07 p.m., and will be televised on FSN North. I will have to watch it on TV since I don't have season tickets and I am too cheap to buy Gophers Tickets from a ticket broker. You can get tickets from this site Gopher Hockey Tickets , but they aren't cheap - then again neither is my cable bill!

Here are some interesting facts I found on gophersports.com (that is the best site for Gopher Sports info - well, besides MY blog, of course):

Minnesota has faced UND more times (263) than any other opponent.

Last season, the Maroon and Gold went 3-1-0 vs. North Dakota, sweeping the series in Grand Forks and splitting at Mariucci Arena.

Nine of the last 11 games in the series have been decided by two or fewer goals.

Minnesota has not swept North Dakota at home in the regular season since Nov. 8-9, 1997. (this factoid scares me a little because I am really hope for a big sweep!)

Let's Go Gophers!!!!! and I am sooo sick of hearing the political correctness junk about the Fighting Sioux and their name and mascot etc. Get over it and Let's Play Hockey!

Gopher Hockey / Badger Split

I love all Gopher Sports, but let's face it Gopher Hockey is my favorite. This weekends match-up between the Golden Gophers and the North Dakota Fighting Sioux should be some of the best hockey of the year! But let's look back a moment because I missed the chance to blog about the Badger game which is always one of my favorites. I love a good border battle!

The last two series the Gophers have split, much to my dismay. The match-up two weekends ago between the Gophers and the Wisconsin Badgers was a classic. I was certain the Gophers could have won both games with a little more perseverance, but those Badger fans sure get rowdy! And with over 15,000 of them it looked like a sea of angry red at the Kohl Center. It was nice to see the Gophers skate well and when Brian Schack scored the first Gopher goal Friday night, I really thought the Gophers were a shoe in to win. The Wisconsin goalie really turned it up and shut the Gophers down periods 2 and 3 and let's face it the penalties killed us. Both of the Wisconsin's goals came from Power Plays!!!! Come on Gophers, we need to learn to kill the power plays or stop getting penalties (-:

Saturday's game was much better and the Gophers came away with a BIG W!!! Goalie Jeff Frazee earned his third career shutout and the one goal by Jim O'Brien was enough to win the game. Frazee turned away 24 shots from the Badgers to push Minnesota's lead in the WCHA standings to seven points over Colorado College, Denver and St. Cloud State. The Gophers have maintained an undefeated series record this season and I am so proud of them for that! Let's Go Gophers!!!

Here are a couple of interesting facts I found on gophersports.com

• The Golden Gophers lead the all-time series against Wisconsin with a 147-78-15 record, including a 55-48-10 mark on the road.

• Wisconsin has not swept Minnesota at the Kohl Center since Nov. 12-13, 1999.

• The last nine games in the series in Madison have been decided by two goals or less.

• The Golden Gophers have not been swept since Dec. 2-3, 2005, vs. Wisconsin, and have not been swept on the road since Feb. 27-28, 2004, at Denver.

• Minnesota has not been shut out in 26 games - the longest streak in the WCHA.