The Daily Gopher - 2015 North Star College CupYour online home for Minnesota Golden Gophers football, basketball and hockey.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49211/daily-gopher-fave.png2015-01-24T19:53:21-06:00http://www.thedailygopher.com/rss/stream/76412742015-01-24T19:53:21-06:002015-01-24T19:53:21-06:00Broken.
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<figcaption>Elsa/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The season of great expectations has deteriorated into a quagmire and is on the verge of disaster.</p> <div class="likebox-float-right"><iframe allowtransparency="true" style="border:none; overflow:hidden;" scrolling="no" src="//www.facebook.com/plugins/likebox.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fthedailygopher&width=560&height=210&colorscheme=light&show_faces=true&show_border=false&stream=false&header=false" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>
<p>I'm not terribly fond of writing recap pieces, and I'm not in a terribly good mood after watching the Golden Gophers through two very unimpressive games at the North Star College Cup, so I'm not going to recap. Something is clearly wrong, so that's what I want to talk about.</p>
<p>I've identified the symptoms of this hockey team's illness. They will not go to the hard places on the ice, like the front of the other team's net.. They don't win 1-on-1 battles and races. They won't carry the puck into the center of the offensive zone. They haven't played a full sixty minute hockey game since they destroyed Notre Dame early in the year. They're careless with the puck.</p>
<p>Heart. Grit. Determination. Moxy. Swagger. Killer instinct. It.</p>
<p>There are two possibilities: either this team just doesn't have "it," or when the going got tough, they quit.</p>
<p>I guess it's fair to say that the jury is still out on this, but it's one of those two options.</p>
<p>Remember the first four weeks of the season, where this team cruised through the first eight games, basically on autopilot? Sure they played well, but in hindsight, they didn't look like a team that could show up and win games just because they were there. Then, the last two months happened, and they've proven to themselves that they can't just show up and win. This team's <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/march-madness">NCAA tournament</a> hopes are hanging on by a thread, and yet this lesson appears to not have taken hold.</p>
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<p>I find it hard to write a piece like this (during the third period against Duluth, their best period of the weekend by far), about young amateur athletes, but frankly I'm at a loss as to what else I can say.</p>
<p>Maybe it comes down to coaching. Has Don Lucia "lost" this team over the course of the last two months? I can't say. I have no personal interaction with the team to use to create an opinion either way. I highly doubt that Lucia and staff draw up a forecheck system with the intention of having the forwards cycle in the corner, make no attempt to move the puck into the slot, and then eventually screw-up a pass along the half wall and accidentally throw the puck to center ice. That can't be a scheme issue.</p>
<p>Now if you want to talk about the coaching staff's inability to get their players to buy-in on the tough parts of the scheme and execute the tough parts of the scheme, namely getting the puck to the slot, I can't deny that the coaching is not effective in this regard.</p>
<p>There's another factor at work here, I suppose, but it's related to the lack of mental toughness we've seen. The Gophers are absolutely snake-bitten. Take for instance, the dominating third period they just played against UMD. In that period, the Bulldogs were only allowed five attempted shots on goal. The first shot that actually made it all the way to <span>Adam Wilcox</span> came nearly 18 minutes into the period, and it happened to be the game-winning goal. In the whole third period, Wilcox only made one save.</p>
<p>In that same period, the Gophers attempted 23 shots, landed 11 of those on goal, including some high-quality scoring chances that came from in the slot. The Gophers lost the game.</p>
<p>Had Minnesota played the entire game the way they played that third period, it's virtually inconceivable that they would lose. But they didn't. Can you say the third period was unlucky? I guess. But we wouldn't be talking about an unlucky third period if the first two had been played with any sort of earnestness. Make your own luck in the first and second, and you won't have to worry about it in the third.</p>
<p>Now, am I exaggerating how bad those first two periods were simply to make my point? Maybe a little. Someone call me out if I'm way off-base here. I don't think I'll have any takers.</p>
<p>The leaders on this team, the senior class that was so celebrated for returning, needs to find a way to get this team to play an entire game, even when things aren't going well. It needed to fixed yesterday, when Minnesota had a chance to get a huge win that could have positioned them for a return to the NCAA tournament. It needed to be fixed today, when Minnesota had a chance to pick up a big win that could have positioned them for a return to the NCAA championship. Now there's virtually no room for error.</p>
<p>The opportunities to fix it are rapidly disappearing. If it doesn't get fixed immediately, we'll soon be talking about the great lost season of 2014-2015.</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/Dark516Knight" class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false">Follow @Dark516Knight</a>
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https://www.thedailygopher.com/2015/1/24/7885473/minnesota-golden-gophers-hockey-broken-gopher-don-lucia-north-star-college-cupDarkKnight52015-01-23T21:35:00-06:002015-01-23T21:35:00-06:00MSU-M Bests Minnesota 4-2
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<figcaption>Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The#1 Minnesota State University, Mankato Mavericks came out of the gate strong. They controlled the play against the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers for the first ten minutes of the game. And leaped out to an 8-1 shots on goal advantage. They even victimized Gopher freshman Steve Johnson into an early tripping penalty and hit a post behind Gopher goaltender <span>Adam Wilcox</span>. The Mankato crowd brought a small but vocal group of fans.</p>
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<p>To their credit, the Golden Gophers weathered the early storm, largely due to Wilcox's efforts early on.</p>
<p>Maverick Captain Chase Grant took a tripping penalty at 9:36 of the first period. The ensuing Gopher power play was UGLY. They couldn't complete passes, misplayed pucks in the offensive zone, and allowed Mankato short-handed rushes (which the Gophers backchecked admirably, I guess).</p>
<p>At one point after the powerplay expired, <span>Seth Ambroz</span> attempted to dump a puck deep into Mankato territory, and flipped it nonchalantly into the stands. This was an ugly first period all around.</p>
<p>The most disappointing aspect of the period was the Gophers inability to sustain any presence in the offensive zone or get pucks close to the net.</p>
<p>Improbably, based on how the period was progressing the Gophers got on the board first. With just over two minutes remaining in the period, Seth Ambroz picked up a rebound from Steve Johnson's shot and tucked it under the crossbar. Leon Bristedt was credited with the second assist.</p>
<p>Shortly afterward, Mankato's Bryce Gervais took a nifty pass from Matt Leitner in the corner and tapped it past Wilcox. It was Mankato's 13th and final shot of the period. The first ended 1-1.</p>
<p>If you're interested in Corsi, it wasn't a pretty period for Minnesota. Attempted shots favored the Mavericks by a margin of 20-12, which is 62.5 for you mathematicians out there. It showed on the shot chart, where the majority of Mankato's shots were right from the top of the crease while the Gophers managed only TWO shot ATTEMPTS from beneath the faceoff dots.</p>
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<p>Just wow. <a href="http://t.co/gQzWhb2bfq">pic.twitter.com/gQzWhb2bfq</a></p>
— TDG's DK5 (@Dark516Knight) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dark516Knight/status/558806878440812545">January 24, 2015</a>
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<p>Gervais picked up his second goal of the at 2:26 on a rifle shot over Wilcox's blocker. Leiter picked up his second assist of the game, with a second assist going to Casey Nelson. The Mavericks now led 2-1, and it felt like it could be much more.</p>
<p>Just as I was pondering how Mankato was pounding the puck down the Gophers' throats, Mankato picked up a delayed penalty. In the ensuing 6-on-5, <span>Michael Brodzinski</span> scored on a screened shot from the point that trickled between <span>Stephon Williams</span>' legs to tie the game. Assists went to Ryan Reilly (making just his tenth appearance of the year) and <span>Brady Skjei</span>.</p>
<p>The ensuing powerplay didn't lead to anymore scoring but did allow the Gophers to close the shots-on-goal gap.</p>
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<p>The Mavericks stole the lead back when Dylan Margonari hit CJ Franklin (<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.arcticicehockey.com/">Winnipeg Jets</a>) on a long stretch pass which led to a breakaway and goal. The Mavs lead once again, this time 3-2.</p>
<p>They stretched that lead to 4-2 on a powerplay with about five minutes left in the second Jon Justzi scored on yet another odd-man rush where the Gophers defenders didn't play the puck, or <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/british-open">the open</a> man. <span>Mike Reilly</span> sort attempted to body Jutzi away from the rebound, but whiffed. As the puck came off the back wall, Jutzi popped it in from the side of the net. That score would hold through the end of the period.</p>
<p>Minnesota out-attempted the Mavericks in the second, and managed to get four shots from the edge of the crease.</p>
<p>Needing a strong third period, the Gophers did not come out of the locker room well. Through 11 minutes of play in the third, the Gophers did not have a shot on goal. In a desperate situation, they were not playing like a desperate team. The Gophers got their first shot on goal of the period at 14:55.</p>
<p>The officiating at this point began to decline. The Gophers were robbed of two powerplays by a ridiculous embellishment call and a holding the stick call that were assess coincidentally at the same time as two obvious holding penalties called against Mankato. I disagree with embellishment being a penalty philosophically, and I don't think I've ever seen a holding the stick penalty called on a player who had an opponent draped on his back.</p>
<p>That doesn't take away from the Mavericks' accomplishment tonight. Minnesota was thoroughly outclassed, and they really didn't start playing until about five minutes left in the third period. They showed very little grit or determination through most of the game. They lost races to pucks. They didn't pass well. They impose their forecheck.</p>
<p>They had an opportunity to turn their season around, and they didn't show up for most of the game.</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/Dark516Knight" class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false">Follow @Dark516Knight</a>
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https://www.thedailygopher.com/2015/1/23/7880323/2015-north-star-college-cup-msu-m-bests-minnesota-4-2DarkKnight52015-01-23T18:26:25-06:002015-01-23T18:26:25-06:00Bemidji Upsets #7 UMD 4-0 in NSCC Semi-Final
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<figcaption>Elsa/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Nobody saw a 4-0 Beaver victory coming, but it happened anyway.</p> <div class="likebox-float-right"><iframe allowtransparency="true" style="border:none; overflow:hidden;" scrolling="no" src="//www.facebook.com/plugins/likebox.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fthedailygopher&width=560&height=210&colorscheme=light&show_faces=true&show_border=false&stream=false&header=false" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>
<p>This game got out to a bit of a sloppy start, especially for the Bulldogs of Minnesota Duluth. Both teams had a difficult time controlling the puck early and connecting on seemingly simple passes, but the Bemidji State beavers had the better of the play from the start. They were able to put bottle the Bulldogs up in their own zone and had four shots on goal before Duluth managed their first more than five minutes into the game. The Beavers did a nice job of controlling the neutral zone early.</p>
<p>The Beavers finally broke through on their second powerplay of the game. Senior Captain Matt Prapavessis sniped a snap shot through a pair of forwards and beat Kassimer Kasisuo over his right shoulder.</p>
<p>Immediately after, Markus Gerbrandt leveled UMD's Kyle Osterberg in the offensive zone and was assessed a five minute major penalty for charging. It was a monstrous hit, but I'm not sure it warranted a major penalty. Osterberg immediately left the bench area after the hit, but returned for the second period.</p>
<p>The ensuing powerplay allowed the Bulldogs to take the lead in shot on goal, surpassing Bemidji's eight. They didn't capitalize on the opportunity, however, and Bemidji took their 1-0 lead into the first intermission and a 10-9 shots advantage.</p>
<p>Duluth played a pretty slow period, at least compared to what we saw out of them in their series against Minnesota a couple of months ago. Bemidji owned the majority of the zone time (except for the five-minute powerplay) so I was surprised to see that Duluth attempted more shots in the first period.</p>
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<p>They turned it around in to start the second period, and poured pressure on Beavers goaltender Michael Bitzer.</p>
<p>Bemidji expanded its lead halfway through the second period when two of the Fitzgerald triplets scored on a two-on-one break. Gerry Fitzgerald entered the zone with the puck on the right side, made a nice pass to his brother Leo, and Leo buried it behind Kaskisuo. That score would hold through the end of the period.</p>
<p>Duluth attempted another 18 shots, but Bemidji blocked four of those. The Bulldogs missed wide on four more. Surprisingly, the Bulldog with the most shots on goal at the end of two periods was junior defenseman Andy Welinski, whose rights are owned by the Anaheim Ducks. My insider tell me that some pro scouts think he's the most talented defender in D-I hockey.</p>
<p>Two minutes into the third, BSU defender Sam WIndle scored his first goal of the season on a shot from the point off a pass from Phillip Marinaccio. Kaskisuo was screened by traffic on the play, and it was the third goal on the right side of his net.</p>
<p>Duluth had some chances in the third period; at one point they had a 5-on-3 powerplay. Bemidji killed both penalties without allowing any significant scoring chances.</p>
<p>Shortly thereafter, Kyle Bauman stole the puck from a UMD defender at the Bulldog's blue line, broke in, made a deke, and snuck a backhand under Kaskiuo's blocker. Four goals on his right side. It was the second goal of the period scored by Bemidji's fourth line of forwards.</p>
<p>A big part of Bemidji's success in this game was due to special teams. Duluth was 0-5 on the powerplay, including the five minute major and the 5-on-3 opportunity. The Bulldogs have struggled with the man-advantage all season long, converting at just an 18% clip, and this game is indicative of that trend.</p>
<p>Bemidji may not have dominated the game based on the eye test, but they converted their chances into goals, and they didn't make any big mistakes in the defensive zone. It also didn't hurt that Bitzer was perfect on all 27 shots on goal, and that the skaters blocked a bunch of shots in front of him.</p>
<p>The Beavers move on to the NSCC Championship game tomorrow evening. The Bulldogs will play in the third place game in the afternoon.</p>
<p>The bad news is this: if the Golden Gophers upset #1 Minnesota State, Mankato tonight, they'll play an unranked team in the NSCC championship, depriving them of an opportunity at any quality wins bonus they might have added to their RPI by defeating Duluth in the championship. On, if the Gophers lose tonight, they'll have a shot at a sputtering UMD team tomorrow.</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/Dark516Knight" class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false">Follow @Dark516Knight</a>
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https://www.thedailygopher.com/2015/1/23/7879683/2015-north-star-college-cup-bemidji-state-beavers-upset-minnesota-duluth-bulldogs-4-0DarkKnight52015-01-23T17:26:22-06:002015-01-23T17:26:22-06:00Minnesota's Line Chart For Minnesota State<h3 class="link-title"><a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/GopherHockey/status/558757890748452864/photo/1">Minnesota's Line Chart For Minnesota&nbsp;State</a></h3>
<div class="description"><p><p>Here are tonight's lines. A reminder that Vinni Lettieri is suspended for tonight's game for coming off the bench during a scuffle against Wisconsin.</p></p></div>
https://www.thedailygopher.com/2015/1/23/7879963/minnesotas-line-chart-for-minnesota-stateGoAUpher2015-01-23T14:45:02-06:002015-01-23T14:45:02-06:00NSCC Friday Open Thread
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<figcaption>Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<h3>Game 1 @ 4:00 PM CST: UMD vs. BSU</h3>
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<p>Bemidji State line chart: <a href="http://t.co/y8OHiVWTqF">pic.twitter.com/y8OHiVWTqF</a></p>
— TDG's DK5 (@Dark516Knight) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dark516Knight/status/558735452924952577">January 23, 2015</a>
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<p>Duluth Line chart. <a href="http://t.co/QKmnEnPb3O">pic.twitter.com/QKmnEnPb3O</a></p>
— TDG's DK5 (@Dark516Knight) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dark516Knight/status/558735528732807168">January 23, 2015</a>
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<p><b>TV:</b> FSN+</p>
<p><b><a target="_blank" href="http://www.cstv.com/gametracker/launch/gt_mhockey.html?event=1413868&school=fo&sport=mhockey&camefrom=&startschool=&">Gametracker</a></b></p>
<p><b>Radio (Streaming Audio)</b>: <a target="_blank" href="http://94xrocks.com/wp-content/themes/kqds/listen.php">94X (Duluth)</a> and <a target="_blank" href="http://kkbj.com/listen.php">Mix 103.7 KBBJ</a> (Bemidji)</p>
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<h3>Game 2 @ 7:00 PM CST: Minnesota vs. MSU-M</h3>
<p><b>TV:</b> FSN+</p>
<p><b>Video Stream:</b> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.btn2go.com/game/minnesota-st-at-minnesota-on-01232015">BTN2Go</a></p>
<p><b><a target="_blank" href="http://www.gophersports.com/gametracker/launch/gt_mhockey.html?event=1346676&school=minn&sport=mhockey&camefrom=&startschool=&">Gametracker</a></b></p>
<p><b>Radio (Streaming Audio)</b>: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.gophersports.com/collegesportslive/?media=475549">Gopher Radio Network</a> and <a target="_blank" href="http://v6.player.abacast.net/1476">Radio Mankato</a></p>
<h3>3:00 PM CST: Gopher Women vs. St. Cloud State University</h3>
<p><b>TV:</b> FSN</p>
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<p><b><a target="_blank" href="http://www.sidearmstats.com/stcloudstate/whockey/">Live Stats</a></b></p>
<p><b>Radio (Streaming Audio)</b>: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.gophersports.com/collegesportslive/?media=475046">Gopher Radio Network </a></p>
https://www.thedailygopher.com/2015/1/23/7878857/2015-north-star-college-cup-open-thread-minnesota-golden-gophers-bulldogs-beavers-mavericks-huskiesDarkKnight52015-01-23T11:41:41-06:002015-01-23T11:41:41-06:00NSCC Outside Perspectives
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<p>Just in case you're looking for more coverage of the North Star College Cup, I've collected some articles and twitter info for people you should follow.</p>
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<h4>Bemidji State</h4>
<p><a href="http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/sports/beavers/3662314-mens-hockey-big-test-bsus-first-north-star-cup-beavers-face-no-7-duluth" target="_blank">MEN'S HOCKEY: Big test in BSU’s first North Star Cup as Beavers face No. 7 Duluth | Bemidji Pioneer</a></p>
<p><a href="http://thebeaverblog.areavoices.com/" target="_blank">The Beaver Sports Blog | Bemidji State sports miscellany from the Bemidji Pioneer</a></p>
<p>Person to follow: Jack Hittinger <a href="https://twitter.com/jackhitts" class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false" data-size="large">Follow @jackhitts</a></p>
<h4>Minnesota State, Mankato</h4>
<p><a href="http://www.mankatofreepress.com/sports/msu_mens_hockey/college-hockey-notebook-north-star-cup-features-state-s-nation/article_5f43f0fb-ed2d-58ea-8100-c3a2e3959b12.html" target="_blank">College Hockey Notebook: North Star Cup features state's, nation's best teams - Mankato Free Press: MSU Men's Hockey</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.mankatofreepress.com/sports/msu_mens_hockey/college-hockey-gameday-minnesota-state-at-north-star-college-cup/article_fd2811da-6ee9-5d5e-9f2a-3690ea6e67a0.html" target="_blank">College Hockey Gameday: Minnesota State at North Star College Cup - Mankato Free Press: MSU Men's Hockey</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.mankatofreepress.com/sports/msu_mens_hockey/north-star-college-cup-isn-t-just-for-minnesotans/article_9c09a6d5-1e31-5f95-9d1b-141327e3bcfe.html" target="_blank">North Star College Cup isn't just for Minnesotans - Mankato Free Press: MSU Men's Hockey</a></p>
<p>People to follow: Shane Frederick <a href="https://twitter.com/puckato" class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false" data-size="large">Follow @puckato</a>
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and Pat Christman <a href="https://twitter.com/PCphoto" class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false" data-size="large">Follow @PCphoto</a></p>
<h4>Minnesota-Duluth</h4>
<p><a href="http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/sports/hockey/3662370-north-star-cup-trip-down-memory-lane-bulldogs" target="_blank">North Star Cup is trip down memory lane for Bulldogs | Duluth News Tribune</a></p>
<p>Person to follow: Matt Wellens <a href="https://twitter.com/mattwellens" class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false" data-size="large">Follow @mattwellens</a></p>
<h4><b><a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbncollegehockey.com/">SBN College Hockey</a></b></h4>
<p><a href="http://www.sbncollegehockey.com/2015/1/23/7876353/north-star-college-cup-television-preview--mavericks-gophers-beavers-bulldogs" target="_blank">North Star College Cup Preview - SB Nation College Hockey</a></p>
<p>People to follow: Nate Wells <a href="https://twitter.com/gopherstate" class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false" data-size="large">Follow @gopherstate</a>
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<p>Follow me, duh. <a href="https://twitter.com/Dark516Knight" class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false" data-size="large">Follow @Dark516Knight</a>
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https://www.thedailygopher.com/2015/1/23/7878167/2015-north-star-college-cup-outside-perspectives-minnesota-duluth-mankato-bemidjiDarkKnight52015-01-23T08:33:11-06:002015-01-23T08:33:11-06:00North Star College Cup Preview
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/SEZ7XihpmDLUYfk4wCxUYn6h32g=/172x0:928x504/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45521634/Gophers.0.0.jpg" />
<figcaption><a href='http://www.gophersports.com'>gophersports.com</a></figcaption>
</figure>
<table align="center" border="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><br></td>
<td><b>Record</b></td>
<td><b>Goals/Game</b></td>
<td><b>Opp. G/G</b></td>
<td><b>Shots/Game</b></td>
<td><b>Opp. S/G</b></td>
<td><b>KRACH</b></td>
<td><b>RPI</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>17- Minnesota</b></td>
<td>11-7-2</td>
<td align="center">3.40</td>
<td align="center">2.50</td>
<td align="center">33.5</td>
<td align="center">27.6</td>
<td align="center">193.7</td>
<td align="center">.5453</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>7- Minn. Duluth</b></td>
<td>13-8-1</td>
<td align="center">3.18</td>
<td align="center">2.36</td>
<td align="center">33.9</td>
<td align="center">26.1</td>
<td align="center">402.8</td>
<td align="center">.5570</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>1- Mankato</b></td>
<td>18-4-1</td>
<td align="center">3.74</td>
<td align="center">2.09</td>
<td align="center">34.0</td>
<td align="center">21.4</td>
<td align="center">641.2</td>
<td align="center">.6072</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>Bemidji</b></td>
<td>7-12-3</td>
<td align="center">2.82</td>
<td align="center">2.82</td>
<td align="center">29.8</td>
<td align="center">26.7</td>
<td align="center">91.7</td>
<td align="center">.4829</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>The second battle for the North Star College Cup kicks off at 4 PM today. I was out of town the weekend of the tournament last year, so I'm excited for the atmosphere.</p>
<p>Just in case you're not real familiar with teams from the Minnesota hinterlands, I've thrown together a little primer. The numbers say that the Golden Gophers are the third-best team in this tournament, which features three teams the top-third of the country, and one that's been victimized by a schedule that's over their heads. Let's get to it.</p>
<h4>Minnesota State University, Mankato Mavericks</h4>
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<p>To date, the Minnesota State University, Mankato Mavericks have played the best hockey of any team in the nation. They're number 1 in the polls, KACH, and RPI. If they played the Gophers 100 times, KRACH says MSU would win 77 times. Let that be an example of how the Gophers have disappointed this season.</p>
<p>As you can see from the table, there aren't any real weaknesses for this team. They good on offense. They're good on defense. They possess the puck well. Before you go out and blast the WCHA for being an inferior ramshackle conference, let me point out that MSU has played the 8th most difficult schedule of any team, despite having teams like Alabama-Huntsville, Alaska, and Lake Superior State all over their schedule. Some of those gaudy stats are a product of the weak teams on their schedule, but they've made a habit of crushing the weaker teams and beating the good ones.</p>
<p>A team will win a lot of games when they only allow 2 goals per game. Junior goaltender <span>Stephon Williams</span> has been playing well, but his .922 save percentage isn't good enough to have a 1.71 goals against average without the rest of the team playing excellent defense in front of him. Their 21 shots against average is probably their most impressive stat.</p>
<p>Their strength on offense come from their Junior class. Bryce Gervais leads the team with 13 goals, fellow juniors Dylan Margonari and Teddy Blueger are next with 10 and 8 goals, respectively. The Mavericks have some decent scoring depth; they have nine skaters with 5 or more goals.</p>
<p>the Mavericks enter the tournament as the favorites. As a person who grew up in Mankato watching the Mavericks play, this fact shocks me. Literally.</p>
<h4>University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs</h4>
<p>You remember the Bulldogs, right? The team that started the (then) #1 Gophers' month-long skid out of at-large range for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/march-madness">NCAA tournament</a> by sweeping the home-and-home series?</p>
<p>Well, they've played pretty well against #1 teams. They split a series with (then) #1 North Dakota. Lately, however, they've entered a skid of their own and haven't won in three games (to be fair, one of the losses was to (then) #1 North Dakota.</p>
<p>If you remember back the yucky sweep weekend, you'll remember the Bulldogs thoroughly out-skating and out-possessing Minnesota for the whole weekend. They're offense is their biggest concern, but <span>Dominic Toninato</span> is a big threat to score. Austin Farley is probably their next best skater, and he plays an agitating role like Kyle Rau.</p>
<p>The Bulldogs are backstopped by Kasimir Kaskisuo, who's good but not great. He allowed five goals in two games against Minnesota, and if you recall, the Gophers played atrociously.</p>
<h4>Bemidji State University Beavers</h4>
<p>The Beavers were excluded from the tournament last year, so they'll be playing their first NSCC game at 4 PM today against UMD. They are, as the French say, "underdogs." They don't have the firepower or grit to really compete with the other three teams in this tournament, but those facts haven't stopped them from scheduling against elite competition. Today will be their seventh game against Top-10 competition. Their five losses in those games so far is a big part of their loss column.</p>
<p>I'm sorry Beaver fans, this team is bringing a cudgel to a gun fight. They're the only team averaging less than 3.4 goal per game, and they're almost a full half-goal away from that mark. That probably has a lot to do with averaging fewer than 30 shots on goal per game. They also allow more goals than any other team. In four games against NSCC opponents (Minnesota and MSU), they're 0-4. Statistically, their best matchup is against the Gophers, and the numbers say that the Beavers would still lose 2/3 of the games played. I hope they don't end up playing the Minnesota tomorrow, because they're due, and I want a rematch against UMD.</p>
<p>Some names you should know: Sophomores Nate Arentz, Charlie O'Connor, lead the Beavers in goal-scoring. Senior D-Man Matt Prappavesis leads the team in assists. Freshman Michael Bitzer and senior Adam Walsh split time in net, with Bitzer having a few more appearances so far. His save percentage can be rouneded up to .910. Walsh's is slightly behind in that category with .900.</p>
<p>The Beavers best hope against any of the three potential opponents: slot them down in the neutral zone, keep the number of shots low, and get lucky on a counterattack.</p>
<h4>Minnesota Golden Gophers</h4>
<p>The Golden Gophers have been on a skid for the better part of seven weeks. At least that's how long it feels. They've dropped to #17 in the polls and #19 in the Pairwise, which is far more important. What's really sinking them is this newfangled Quality Wins Bonus in the Ratings Percentage Index, which can pay huge dividends in the Pairwise.</p>
<p>This weekend features a guaranteed game against the #1 team in the Pairwise, meaning it's a shot at the largest available QWB. Tomorrow the Gophers could face the #7 team in the Pairwise and have another opportunity at a nice QWB bump.</p>
<p>On the rest of the schedule, only Michigan is in the top-20 of RPI. So it's critical for the Gophers to strike now. The rest of the Big Ten schedule doesn't offer any QWB.</p>
<p>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/3608425/mustreads.css">
</p>
<p>Last weekend, Minnesota dominated possession against Wisconsin (shoutout to B5Q for quality work here and for still being able to write about their team even though they'd probably rather erase this season from their memory), and pulled out a 3-point (traditional method) weekend. Let's hope that means the team has turned a corner and is ready to put in the work to win.</p>
<p>Outside of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/big-ten-basketball-tournament">Big Ten tournament</a>, this is the most important weekend remaining for the Gophers NCAA Tournament aspirations.</p>
<p>I'll be covering this weekend suspended from the roof the Xcel Energy Center. Follow me on Twitter to stay up to date on the NSCC happenings and insider (not really) info/photos.</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/Dark516Knight" class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false">Follow @Dark516Knight</a>
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https://www.thedailygopher.com/2015/1/23/7875429/2015-north-star-college-cup-preview-minnesota-golden-gophers-duluth-bulldogs-mankato-bemidji-beaversDarkKnight5