After springing the slight upset of sixth-seeded Nebraska, 2-0, Friday, courtesy of a brace by B1G Forward Of The Year April Bockin (who scored about 2 1/2 minutes into the game and 2 1/2 minutes from the game's end -- how's that for symmetry?) in Westfield, Ind., on yesterday (Sunday) afternoon they did what they needed to do against a vastly superior side (who may or may not have had a compelling interest to go all-out for this match) and held Penn St. through 110 minutes, sending the B1G title game to Penalty Kicks. Both clubs potted four going into the sudden death seventh round. The Gophers' Makenzie Langdok scored; then, the Nittany Lions' Frankie Tagliaferri put the ball on the spot:
Maddie Nielsen FOR THE WIN! pic.twitter.com/fANSlUgJRc— Minnesota Soccer (@GopherSoccer) November 4, 2018
Gophers win 5-4 in PKs and win their third conference tournament title. But none, I'm guessing, more important than this year, a championship-or-bust quest that ended in pure victory.
The NCAA bracket is unveiled at 3:30 today (Monday). For all I know, the Golden Gophers could collapse in the first round. But marauding through the conference tournament when that was the only way to reach the postseason is a hell of an accomplishment in and of itself.
#0: Gopher volleyball (Last Week: Positive Numbers). Train keeps a-rollin', although their wins over Wisconsin on the road and Michigan St. at home were not sweeps (dropped a Set to the Badgers and, actually, two to the Spartans). These players remain undefeated in the Big Ten -- holy shit! And there are only six matches left, including games at home to the Indiana schools this weekend.
#-1: Gopher women's hockey (Last Week: -4). Swept a pair at Ridder of Bemidji St. by a combined score of 8-4. That's all I got. They have the next screening week off.
#-2: Vikings (Last Week: -7). One observation: Last year, when a contending year didn't seem to be in the cards, the club got it together and starting rolling through teams. It got to the point where the Vikes were overwhelming teams. I remember them playing The Bastard Cleveland Browns last year, for example. I was working the field for the game, and more than once, the white guy on the Ravens' Offensive Line was openly complaining about not knowing where to go or what to do. That's what happens with a Vikings team that surprises everyone -- including their own fans -- and dominates.
Contrast that to this year, where everyone believes they are a contender, and instead the team has been holding off teams at a much-too-uncomfortable distance. I think the shocking home loss to the Buffalo Bills will permanently jaundice any Vikes fan into pessimism (also, I know that that defeat, and the tie to Green Bay, will cost the team come playoff time). But take their victory over Detroit yesterday/Sunday, their first over the Lions at U. S. Bank Stadium (the Lions actually were undefeated here until yesterday). The game ended 24-9. It was essentially over when Matthew Stafford stupidly tossed the ball behind him on a rollout to Kerryon Johnson, who fumbled it because, like all of us on earth, he didn't fucking think Stafford would pull shit like that. (Danielle Hunter scoop-and-scored off the fumble; along with his 3.5 Sacks, he definitely will be NFC Defensive Player Of The Week.) And yet it was only a 15-point margin of victory. Any competent team could come back from that. Any team could, even if the Vikings' D put up a franchise-record ten Sacks. The Vikes are just not dominating like when they surprised everyone last year. That, plus losses to the Rams and the Saints, plus lurking team such as Carolina, and ... yeah, I don't know if this is their year.
Bye week. As good a week for a team to take one than any.
#-3: Wild (Last Week: -2). Their winning streak ended at five, and with a thud, 5-2 at Vancouver Monday. But they're in the middle of a two-game winning streak with victories at Edmonton and home to St. Louis, probably the most complete game the team has played this year yet. Once his career is over and the correctives start getting published, the trade for Devan Dubnyk will be considered one of the most pivotal in franchise history.
This week this squad is entirely on the road, versus San Jose, Los Angeles, Anaheim and St. Louis.
#-4: Timberwolves (Last Week: -5). Finished the screening week 2-2. Won two games, both at home. Then lost two games, both on the road. Yes, there was that 50-point turn-back-the-clock performance by Derrick Rose over Utah on Halloween, but for the life of me I don't remember his rape allegation, I really don't. The nadir probably was the 30-point loss at Portland yesterday/Sunday because Jimmy Butler decided he wasn't playing. He didn't play vs. the Jazz, either.
A California three-step this screening week: At the Clippers and Lakers, then at Sacramento.
#-5: Gopher men's hockey (Last Week: -6). I will always give a Head Coach in his first year on the job a mulligan. It's for reasons like this past weekend, where the Golden Goofers dropped both ends of a home-and-home to Minnesota State-Mankato, 5-1 and 2-1. One of the big things that ultimately led to the "resignation" of Don Lucia is his embarrassing record against the four other in-state schools, all of them smaller and thus more inferior to them. This is part of what Bob Motzko was brought in from St. Cloud St. to change. Next week they visit Wisconsin for two, another tall order.
#-6: Gopher football (Last Week: -3). P. J. Fleck last year had the excuse Bob Motzko has this year. But that excuse, of course, is gone, and now his team needs to fuckin' execute.
I really thought they could beat Illinois on the road. The Fighting Illini are a horrible team, led by Lovie Smith, an NFL lifer who's just in the college ranks for the money and because he probably still has some real estate in the Chicago area from his days leading the Bears. And yet, not only did the Goofers lose, they got the shit kicked out of them, 55-31. It got so bad, yesterday/Sunday Fleck decided to fire Defensive Coordinator Robb Smith and replaced him on an interim basis with Defensive Line Coach Joe Rossi. Good luck to Rossi as Purdue, a school that may have found an HC who "gets it" (Jeff Brohm) comes to town for the weekend.
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