Border Battle Weekend

[Six Hole]

Alex Kangas will be on WCCO radio with Mike Max tonight.... Looks like he will be on during the 8:00 hour. I will post audio when the interview is over.

Lucia was on am1500 tonight I believe. Matt Thomas said they would be posting audio soon.

Lucia interview posted:

http://www.am1500.com/shows/mattthomas

Wow, Lucia says "you know what" more often than PA says "from a blankety blank standpoint." Never realized.

blankety blank standpoint?

Sorry, "'fill-in-the-blank' standpoint" would have been a wiser choice of words.

"Defensive line standpoint." "Coaching standpoint." "Great football mind standpoint." You get the idea. Listen for it. It'll irritate the daylights out of you. I actually like PA, but man does it bother me.

[trixR4kids]

Are we gonna get Cepis playing for us anytime soon? Hopefully the guy is good and can maybe fill a void.

[Iceburg]

Are we gonna get Cepis playing for us anytime soon? Hopefully the guy is good and can maybe fill a void.

I believe it's shortly after Christmas

[g_manpucker]

I believe he should be able to play as soon as the fall semester ends at the U. That is the answer that I got when I asked someone here in Mankato about when Mike Dorr will be able to play for MSU and so I would assume the same for Cepis and the Gophers. Correct me if I am wrong.

[Blindside]

Cepis is eligible for the Dodge Holiday Classic. His first game (potentially) would be against Bowling Green.

[ScoobyDoo]

I really hope he's ok... I don't want to deal with the moaning and whining if he's out for the year...

I went back and reread this post and I thought it sounded like I didn't want him healthy for my own selfish reasons. QUite the contrary. I want him healthy so the gophers can have a better season. This team will miss leadership like his.

Do other teams go through these huge season enders every single year? Seems like every year the Gophers lose a key cog to injury for the entire season. Stoa, Matson, now possibly Barribal. This team really cannot afford to lose Barriball unless somebody can step up and after Matson went down no one did last year.

Are we gonna get Cepis playing for us anytime soon? Hopefully the guy is good and can maybe fill a void.

I was hoping he was going to add to what was already there, not replace a player that really can't be replaced. {sigh}

[Blindside]

Guess I'll have to pray that Barriball's injury is not as serious as feared. I agree with Scooby - seems the Gophers have been snakebitten with season-ending injuries recently: Stoa, Matson, potentially Barriball, and it's leaked down to the recruits: Budish, Hoeffel.

IF Barriball is out for the season, any chance he could/would petition for a medical redshirt?

[Cardinal]

Guess I'll have to pray that Barriball's injury is not as serious as feared. I agree with Scooby - seems the Gophers have been snakebitten with season-ending injuries recently: Stoa, Matson, potentially Barriball, and it's leaked down to the recruits: Budish, Hoeffel.

IF Barriball is out for the season, any chance he could/would petition for a medical redshirt?

Ben Street played four games for UW last year and got one after he tore up his knee ... Barriball has played five, so I'm guessing he could get one. I think I remember Lucia saying it's based on the percentage of games the team players, but not sure if there's more to it than that.

[Iceburg]

It seems to me I remember the cut off being 20% of scheduled games.

[Frontroguy]

We swept & scored a bunch of goals this weekend... from the Badger website it appears they swept UNH and scored a bunch of goals themselves. UNH any good? Better than UAA? Any one have a 'scouting report' on the Badgers?

Also - I'm going to be in SE Wisconsin all week on business & working my way back from Chicago Friday night - not sure when I will be in Madison - how hard is it to scalp tickets last minute at the Kohl?

I have ticks for Saturday, so no need for scalpies. PM me and we can meet.

Beyond that, at the Kohl, I think you will pay a little premium for wearing the Maroon and Gold. Normally they can be had at State Street brats, too.

[Golden FE Ranger]

It seems to me I remember the cut off being 20% of scheduled games.

Yea, I think you are right. To get the medical hardship waiver I am pretty sure it is two contests or 20% of contests, whichever is greater.

[Jupiter]

Here is what I just heard from the 'U' on the status of Jay Barriball.

The official word is that he did suffer a knee injury in practice yesterday and will miss this weekend’s games. He’s undergoing tests later today to determine his status for the rest of the year.

[HatingTheSiouxGuy]

thanks Jup....hopefully its not as serious as we thought, but will sure hurt this weekend vs. the Bucky D.

[psych]

It seems to me I remember the cut off being 20% of scheduled games.

Yea, I think you are right. To get the medical hardship waiver I am pretty sure it is two contests or 20% of contests, whichever is greater.

30% of scheduled games. I copied that from kdilks on uscho who got it straight from the rulebook. Barriball would qualify for a medical hardship if he is unable to play the rest of the season. The question is, would he come back, having (I assume) already graduated?

[Hammy]

I did put a question mark after my “season ending” remark on my Twitter. Mainly because the source that told me about it put it in those terms.

Needless to say, given how it was stated to me, I’d be surprised if he isn’t out for a while… even if it isn’t the entire season.

[psych]

I did put a question mark after my “season ending” remark on my Twitter. Mainly because the source that told me about it put it in those terms.

Needless to say, given how it was stated to me, I’d be surprised if he isn’t out for a while… even if it isn’t the entire season.

Yeah the source I heard it from said "possibly" season ending. I guess we'll know more soon. If it is the injury I was told and as severe, I'd be surprised if he came back. Can we be more snakebitten?

[Hammy]

BTW, the guy he collided with was Lofty. I would imagine he feels pretty bad about it even though it is obviously an accident.

[gopherz]

Sounds like season ending injury....

[gophers79]

God dang it! Let's hope the Gophers can still find some scoring without Barriball the rest of the year. If not, it could be a long drive back from Madison this weekend for me...

[minnhkyruls]

God dang it! Let's hope the Gophers can still find some scoring without Barriball the rest of the year. If not, it could be a long drive back from Madison this weekend for me...

At least you can drive back to MN, I work at UW, and some of the Badger player take the ROTC class as an elective. I will have a long week if they don't win.

[GOPHER NATION]

I did put a question mark after my “season ending” remark on my Twitter. Mainly because the source that told me about it put it in those terms.

Needless to say, given how it was stated to me, I’d be surprised if he isn’t out for a while… even if it isn’t the entire season.

Man, this could not have come at a worse time Could be a long weekend for a few of us heading out to the Kohl hole but I still think we will split this weekend.

Hope for the best for Jay

[g_manpucker]

Well I hate to say but it's gut check time for the boys already this season. With Jay out (apparently for the season) the remainder of the squad is going to do whatever they can to pick up the slack, then hopefully Cepis can enter the fold healthy during the Holiday classic. Down with Becky!! Go Gophers!!

[trixR4kids]

The nice thing about last weekend was we got goals from unusual suspects. White and Wehrs to name a few. Hopefully we can keep that up throughout the season. If every line plays well and we don't consistently have entire lines being invisible I think we'll be fine.

It will be interesting to see what Lucia does with the lines as they will have to change once again.

[Breakaway]

Hopefully the hockey team will respond to the loss of Barriball like the football team responded to the loss of Decker.

[dryfly]

We swept & scored a bunch of goals this weekend... from the Badger website it appears they swept UNH and scored a bunch of goals themselves. UNH any good? Better than UAA? Any one have a 'scouting report' on the Badgers?

Also - I'm going to be in SE Wisconsin all week on business & working my way back from Chicago Friday night - not sure when I will be in Madison - how hard is it to scalp tickets last minute at the Kohl?

I have ticks for Saturday, so no need for scalpies. PM me and we can meet.

Beyond that, at the Kohl, I think you will pay a little premium for wearing the Maroon and Gold. Normally they can be had at State Street brats, too.

My schedule changed - I'll be lucky if I'm in Madison by the time the game ends. I was supposed to meet somebody earlier in the day - now they aren't even landing at Midway until 4PM. Uggggh!

[dxmnkd316]

Hopefully the hockey team will respond to the loss of Barriball like the football team responded to the loss of Decker.

Play shorthanded the whole game?

[Breakaway]

Hopefully the hockey team will respond to the loss of Barriball like the football team responded to the loss of Decker.

Play shorthanded the whole game?

WIN while shorthanded was what I was going for. Find five capable goal-scorers instead of using one go-to guy a lot (not saying that happens as much with the hockey team as with the football team). Make creative plays and jump to an early lead over a decent opponent. That kind of thing.

[dryfly]

The question is, would he come back, having (I assume) already graduated?

Who knows - if he doesn't get a decent pro contract [doubt he would now w/ the injury & only having had an average college career so far]... and if he loves the game... why not come back? I mean who is in a hurry to spend the rest of your life in a cubicle - one more year of college hockey sure beats the heck out of that.

[bringbackjiffypop]

Hopefully the hockey team will respond to the loss of Barriball like the football team responded to the loss of Decker.

With university records in penalties and penalty minutes?

[dxmnkd316]

Hopefully the hockey team will respond to the loss of Barriball like the football team responded to the loss of Decker.

With university records in penalties and penalty minutes?

That's what I was trying to get at with the shorthanded comment haha.

[bringbackjiffypop]

Hopefully the hockey team will respond to the loss of Barriball like the football team responded to the loss of Decker.

With university records in penalties and penalty minutes?

That's what I was trying to get at with the shorthanded comment haha.

true. but they could also come in a bunch at the end of the game like they did against UND a couple years ago.

[ScoobyDoo]

Time for the sophmore class to start shining. In 2002 it was the seniors who led the team to the promised land but it wasn't without the sophmores.

[stickboy56]

The nice thing about last weekend was we got goals from unusual suspects. White and Wehrs to name a few. Hopefully we can keep that up throughout the season. If every line plays well and we don't consistently have entire lines being invisible I think we'll be fine.

It will be interesting to see what Lucia does with the lines as they will have to change once again.

Will we see more of this???

[dagies]

Hopefully the hockey team will respond to the loss of Barriball like the football team responded to the loss of Decker.

With university records in penalties and penalty minutes?

That's just funny.

[kmd]

Will we see more of this???

I thought he already graduated (and played for Sacred Heart)?

[bringbackjiffypop]

I think our boys may need some Bluto this weekend.

Link is pretty profane.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q47bpOCTcaY

[bienek]

It wouldn't be on home ice, but I hope the boys can pull out something like this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x48ZkZiVbmE

This was one of my favorite memories against the STINKIN BADGERS

[Breakaway]

It wouldn't be on home ice, but I hope the boys can pull out something like this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x48ZkZiVbmE

This was one of my favorite memories against the STINKIN BADGERS

Or this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHN1GTpTdoE

And that WAS at the Kohl Hole

[psych]

It wouldn't be on home ice, but I hope the boys can pull out something like this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x48ZkZiVbmE

This was one of my favorite memories against the STINKIN BADGERS

Or this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHN1GTpTdoE

And that WAS at the Kohl Hole

My favorite part of that video is after Stoa scores, there is a loud roar from the apparently very large Gopher contingent there. If we get a quick start like that, I like our chances.

[Dances With Gophers]

Take THAT you stinkin' BADGERS!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBFk3Ygg0fc&feature=related

[Iceburg]

Take THAT you stinkin' BADGERS!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBFk3Ygg0fc&feature=related

[Turk 77]

Seek and destroy ...Better dead than red.....Good luck Gophers

[ScoobyDoo]

A Wisconsin fan on USCHO posted the lines already.

The UW lineup:
F Andy Bohmbach-Blake Geoffrion-Craig Smith
F John Mitchell-Ben Street-Derek Lee
F Jordy Murray-Derek Stepan-Michael Davies
F Aaron Bendickson-Sean Dolan-Ben Grotting
D Ryan McDonagh-Jake Gardiner
D Brendan Smith-John Ramage
D Cody Goloubef-Justin Schultz
G Brett Bennett

The Minnesota lineup:
F Mike Hoeffel-Jordan Schroeder-Nico Sacchetti
F Tony Lucia-Mike Carman-Taylor Matson
F Jake Hansen-Zach Budish-Patrick White
F Josh Birkholz-Nick Larson-Ryan Flynn
D Cade Fairchild-Dave Fischer
D Sam Lofquist-Aaron Ness
D Kevin Wehrs-Seth Helgeson
G Alex Kangas

Sachetti is getting his shot. Let's hope he has a huge weekend and breaks out. I also hope line 3 has a great weekend an finds a way to chip in some goals.

[sunbone]

A Wisconsin fan on USCHO posted the lines already.

The UW lineup:
F Andy Bohmbach-Blake Geoffrion-Craig Smith
F John Mitchell-Ben Street-Derek Lee
F Jordy Murray-Derek Stepan-Michael Davies
F Aaron Bendickson-Sean Dolan-Ben Grotting
D Ryan McDonagh-Jake Gardiner
D Brendan Smith-John Ramage
D Cody Goloubef-Justin Schultz
G Brett Bennett

The Minnesota lineup:
F Mike Hoeffel-Jordan Schroeder-Nico Sacchetti
F Tony Lucia-Mike Carman-Taylor Matson
F Jake Hansen-Zach Budish-Patrick White
F Josh Birkholz-Nick Larson-Ryan Flynn
D Cade Fairchild-Dave Fischer
D Sam Lofquist-Aaron Ness
D Kevin Wehrs-Seth Helgeson
G Alex Kangas

Sachetti is getting his shot. Let's hope he has a huge weekend and breaks out. I also hope line 3 has a great weekend an finds a way to chip in some goals.

Interesting (if true.) I wouldn't have pegged Sacchetti to be the guy to move up. Hopefully he can capitalize on the opportunity. And we are going to have to have a couple of these sophomores to start producing some goals. Sacchetti, Hansen, Larson...these guys aren't freshman anymore and need to start playing like it.

[ScoobyDoo]

A Wisconsin fan on USCHO posted the lines already.

The UW lineup:
F Andy Bohmbach-Blake Geoffrion-Craig Smith
F John Mitchell-Ben Street-Derek Lee
F Jordy Murray-Derek Stepan-Michael Davies
F Aaron Bendickson-Sean Dolan-Ben Grotting
D Ryan McDonagh-Jake Gardiner
D Brendan Smith-John Ramage
D Cody Goloubef-Justin Schultz
G Brett Bennett

The Minnesota lineup:
F Mike Hoeffel-Jordan Schroeder-Nico Sacchetti
F Tony Lucia-Mike Carman-Taylor Matson
F Jake Hansen-Zach Budish-Patrick White
F Josh Birkholz-Nick Larson-Ryan Flynn
D Cade Fairchild-Dave Fischer
D Sam Lofquist-Aaron Ness
D Kevin Wehrs-Seth Helgeson
G Alex Kangas

Sachetti is getting his shot. Let's hope he has a huge weekend and breaks out. I also hope line 3 has a great weekend an finds a way to chip in some goals.

Interesting (if true.) I wouldn't have pegged Sacchetti to be the guy to move up. Hopefully he can capitalize on the opportunity. And we are going to have to have a couple of these sophomores to start producing some goals. Sacchetti, Hansen, Larson...these guys aren't freshman anymore and need to start playing like it.

It was reported earlier this week that Sachetti was the guy moved up during practice. So, if practice is an indication of what occurs on Friday then I think these lines are probably accurate.

[Blindside]

A golden opportunity for Sacchetti to really breakout and become a major contributor to this team. It would be great if he took advantage; I'd hate to see that spot next to Hoeffel and Schroeder become a revolving door.

[Duey]

I'm thinking Kangas gets both games here again unless he falters on Friday night......

Way to go out on a limb there Scoob......My 6 yr old daughter made the same prediction when she was getting ready for school this morning. JK


I hate to come in w/ the neg. vibe but if I'm betting my own money and since it's in Madison I have go w/ a Bucky sweep. I'd be on the side of everyone on here if it were home and predict a 2-3 pt weekend but in Cheese-ville I don't share your guy's optimism.

I will be the first one to come back here Saturday night and be HAPPY to gladly admit I was wrong!!

(go ahead and blast away about how now I'm really a Bucky fan)

[gopher wes]

A golden opportunity for Sacchetti to really breakout and become a major contributor to this team. It would be great if he took advantage; I'd hate to see that spot next to Hoeffel and Schroeder become a revolving door.

I think your prediction may be correct but hopefully someone can fill the void there sooner rather than later. I was thinking maybe a guy like Matson may get called upon. He hasn't shown much of a scoring threat so far, more of an energy type guy, but he seems like he would benefit from a scoring standpoint if he was on that line. Let's hope Nico fits with those guys at least for the time being.

[Breakaway]

IIRC, Sacchetti got moved up last year to a pretty high line for a few games (maybe not first, but second possibly) and he did all right. Let's hope he does even better tonight and tomorrow night!!

[ScoobyDoo]

A golden opportunity for Sacchetti to really breakout and become a major contributor to this team. It would be great if he took advantage; I'd hate to see that spot next to Hoeffel and Schroeder become a revolving door.

I think your prediction may be correct but hopefully someone can fill the void there sooner rather than later. I was thinking maybe a guy like Matson may get called upon. He hasn't shown much of a scoring threat so far, more of an energy type guy, but he seems like he would benefit from a scoring standpoint if he was on that line. Let's hope Nico fits with those guys at least for the time being.

It appears that after Tony's breakthrough performance line #2 is going to stay intact for a while thus Matson and Lucia did not get called on to replace Barriball. It'd be fun if line 1 and 2 as they are now are fighting with each other all year for scoring dominance.

Cepis is waiting in the wings.

Sachetti, Hansen, and White. 2 of those 3 needs to start finding twine consistently. Lucia eluded as much in the paper today.