Positive Numbers: Whitecaps (Re-Entry!).
I was able to catch both Whitecaps Isobel Cup Playoff games over the weekend, and I've got to tell ya, even though TRIA Rink holds only 1,200, the stands for both games were so packed I had to stand not at the rails but behind the people who were standing by the rails. I don't mind standing, but the sight lines up there, even though they would give me a wide-open view of both ends of the ice if there were no other people there, were obviously terrible in the face of, well, bodies in front of me. I resorted to stopping and looking underneath the armpit of a cameraman for Sunday's final.
Honestly, though, I didn't mind. The support this team had throughout the season -- they apparently sold out every single game they played in St. Paul -- had to have been a decisive home-ice advantage in the National Women's Hockey League (and, as an aside, had to have made a relatively enormous amount of lucre for the league; I would venture to guess that this team is now the most lucrative in the NWHL). That's what you get when you field a professional-league hockey team in The State Of Hockey.
And the 'Caps responded with their first Isobel Cup ever. Friday night they thoroughly demolished defending Cup champs the Metropolitan Riveters, 5-1. I didn't think there was much to worry in the Semifinal Game. What I was worried about were the Buffalo Beauts, who finished just a Point behind the Whitecapse for the regular season title. That means that both teams were just about even, and the final played the same way. There were tallies by both clubs about 2 1/2 Minutes apart in the First Period, and that was it for scoring.
And then, just 49 Seconds into sudden-death Overtime, this happened:
Isobel Playoff Most Valuable Player Lee Stecklein (who is One Of Us!!!) shot her wrister five-hole. Seeing it from my vantage point, I thought it had gone above the shoulder of Nicole Hensley. Regardless, a Minnesota team showed true grit and pulled a title-winning victory out of a tense championship game ... the perfect birthday gift for me!
One thing I should address: I harped last season about the inappropriate success of the Vegas Golden Knights, who, last year, its expansion year, went all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals. I still don't believe an expansion team should be able to even come close to competing for a championship. So why am I not pooh-poohing Minnesota for winning the Cup in its first year playing pro in the NWHL? There's a very simple explanation for that: I am a hypocrite.
So congratulations, Whitecaps. For winning a championship, you all are now exempt from the WMNSS until you end a season short of winning one.
#0: Gopher women's hockey (Last Week: -5). It can be safely said that the state of local women's hockey in the area is much nicer than that of men's hockey. Or, in other words, don't send a man out to do a woman's job. In the Quarterfinals of the NCAA Women's Hockey Tournament, the U. dismantled poor Princeton Saturday afternoon at Ridder Arena, 5-2. Reaching the Frozen Four is a good thing, but it is expected. In fact, the inevitable Final Round against Wisconsin, in a season where the Gophers and Badgers basically stood above the rest of Women's College Hockey Nation, remains on track ... even though Wisconsin draws defending national champ Clarkson while Minnesota gets to face a Cornell team that sprung the upset of Northeastern. The Frozen Four is being held this year in Hamden, Conn., with the Semifinals listed above being played Friday. The title game is set for Sunday at 1:30. Go Gophers! Please don't let me down!
#-1: Gopher men's basketball (Last Week: -1). The victory in the Big Ten Tourney over Penn St. probably was enough to get them into the Big Dance. The subsequent win over a Purdue who may not have been motivated to try probably boosted them into a 10-seed. And the following rout at the hands of Michigan in the conference tourney semifinals gives even more solid credence these guys ain't winning the championship this year.
Nonetheless, these guys got a good draw in the East Region. They face the 7-Seed Louisville, a team that is coming in cold down the stretch. Moreover, the game, which kicks off the "real" tournament as the traditional Thursday at 11:15 tip-off match-up, will be held in Des Moines, so there will be a ton of Gopher fans and probably not too many Cardinals ones. Finally, the storyline is too juicy to ignore: Richard Pitino, head coach of the Gophers, facing the school which fired his legendary father, Rick Pitino. Some people on Twitter are speculating that Rick Pitino will parachute into Iowa and try and curse the Cards from his seat. But Pitino is coaching in Europe now and his team actually has a game that evening, which translates to the early afternoon here.
Nevertheless, the U. has a good shot of winning its First Round game. They then would probably face Michigan St., which trounced them during the regular season. But hey, a first tournament win for Richard Pitino is probably in line with what many of us thought this club could and would do. So ... yeah, this is probably a good season for this program?
#-2: Gopher softball (Last Week: -3). A 4-1 screening week down in Tampa, including matching 3-0 Shutouts of host South Florida. The only blemish: A 4-1 defeat to Florida Gulf Coast, which, if you compare the two box scores, started an hour after the first game of the U.'s Doubleheader, vs. Wichita St., began. I ... don't get it.
Tomorrow/Wednesday the Gophers travel to Florida to face the Gators and former Gopher (and current All-American) Kendyl Lindaman. They then begin conference play with a three-game series at Maryland.
#-3: Gopher baseball (Last Week: -6). Won two-of-three over the weekend at Long Beach St., who are a traditional power but is 3-15 so far this year, ugh. But hey, at least the Gophs are above .500 for the week! They face Pepperdine in Malibu this (Tuesday) evening before starting B1G play at Penn St.
#-4: United FC (Last Week: 0). OK, so they lost an eminently winnable at the Los Angeles Galaxy Saturday night. I caught the First Half (before the guy at Buffalo Wild Wings inexplicably changed the channel), and the Galaxy tore through the middle of what I thought was a now-vaunted Loons Defensive Midfield. That resulted in a Foul in the Box by Ozzie Alonzo which resulted in a Penalty Kick Goal, and then an easy cross where the crosser was totally unmarked about a dozen feet from MNUFC Goalkeeper Vito Mannone.
And yet ... I am kind of heartened to see United mount a comeback. Jan Gregus (I think you pronounce the last name "Grey Goose," which means there is a hell of a sponsorship just waiting for him) ripped one in the 75th Minute, and then, after the Galaxy's Match-winning Goal, Angelo Rodriguez scored in the 87th. There was no quit, especially in a team that is gaining a reputation of being able to drive and score at will. So they have that going for them.
International break this weekend; they're back in action on the 30th.
#-5: Wild (Last Week: -7). This may have been the pivotal week where the team will break its streak of years getting into the playoffs. Despite a rousing 5-2 victory over the Rangers, the Mild sandwiched that with losses to The Team That Was Stolen For Us (4-1, a humiliating gut punch) and 3-2 in Overtime to the Islanders, where Ryan Suter gave up a cheap turnover after a no-call regarding to many Islanders on the ice. That has allowed The Bastard Winnipeg Jets to slip past them for the last spot in the West, plus they have one extra Game in which to play. Meanwhile, all three Games this week were at home, and their home record this season has been a main factor in the downfall of this squad.
Their five-game homestand (in which they are 1-3) finishes tonight (Tuesday night) against The Bastard Quebec Nordiques. They then have road games back-to-back versus Washington and Carolina before hosting Nashville Monday.
#-6: Timberwolves (Last Week: -4). Well, even the rosiest Wolves cultists had to have seen the Woofs go 0-3 on the road this week and believe they are toast. The club is tenth in the West, but about eight Games behind the Clippers for the last spot. There's ... shit, there's nothing left to say about these guys except that they host Golden State tonight (Tuesday night) before ceding Target Center to high school boys teams for the weekend. Meanwhile, they will play at Charlotte and Memphis.
#-Infinity: Gopher men's hockey (Last Week: -2). It's over. Took Notre Dame into OT Saturday in South Bend, but lost 2-1, and in controversial fashion -- Tyler Sheehy was sent to the box for a penalty where it looked like all he did was lift the stick of a Fighting Irish player. That was enough for ND to score on the power play, and the miracle run the U needed to win an eminently winnable B1G is over.
Once again, since Bob Motzko is in his first year (there were reports he upbraided the head ref after the defeat, BTW), I have to give him a mulligan. But it nonetheless is worrying that this Goofers team reminds me a lot of his best St. Cloud St. teams -- high-flying but defense-poor, resulting in many an early exit from the NCAA Tournament. This serves as a second straight year that Minnesota is out of it, further damaging the fanbase, so let's hope Motzko can implement his vision, and succeed with that vision, starting next year. Because crowds of 1,000-2,000 have already started to happen.
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