Late morning edition.
Gopher Hockey is up and running (er, skating). Basketball should be starting practice in a couple weeks, so hopefully soon we'll have something to cheer for while the football program muddles through this season. Or become a Lynx fan.
Fox Sports North has a Gopher Hockey preview.
Lucia, whose team is picked to finish sixth in the WCHA preseason coaches poll, does see some talent with the new members of the team but knows the leadership inside the dressing room will be important.
"We like our freshman class," Lucia told reporters Thursday during the team’s media day. "We have some terrific young players, but in this league you need to rely on the older guys to lead the way."
They did lose their top three scorers from a year ago but there is some good, young talent on this roster. How quickly they grow into consistent performers should determine the outcome of this season. I'm sure Jeffrick will have a preview or two in the near future.
- The Gopher Blogosphere is getting more crowded. Check out the new Gold Country Blog.
- Roman also previews the Hockey team and sees a team ready to move on from last year.
- The Gophers won their first exhibition game 3-0 over the University of British Columbia (like those Canadians can hang with us in hockey).
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Jerry Kill is still staying the course. Ast Coach Bill Miller had this to say.
"We need to recruit more tough kids, more physical kids. I'm not saying our guys are soft, but we don't play with the mentality you've got to have," Miller said. "It's more of a mental thing, tackling. It's not a schematics thing, it's a matter of just getting there and making the tackle. The mental and physical toughness is something we need to keep working on."
We do need to be tougher. Previously we needed bigger, stronger, faster. Now we need smarter, tougher, better tacklers. - ESPN's Uni Watch talks college rivalries and suggested unis for the games.