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Following their big win over the Badgers on Sunday, the Gophers returned to the outdoor rink at Kennedy the following evening. With sole possession of 2nd place and only 1 point behind conference leaders, the Wolverines, they prepare to take on Eastview Blue on Sunday.

On the right of this page is a slideshow of more pictures from the outdoor practice at Kennedy on 12/29.

Gophers vs. Badgers 12/28/2008

The Gophers played the Badgers on Sunday, marking the teams' second meeting of the season. Their first game of the season had resulted in a 7-1 victory, the Gophers' first win of the season. This contest was highly competitive, with each team showing good hustle and intensity. Although the score ended at 5-1, it was knotted at 0-0 after the 1st period and was 2-1 at the 2nd intermission. The Gophers' big win moves them into sole possession of 2nd place.





Left: Payton sends the puck along the boards with Garrett skating in to back him up.


The picture below highlights the defensive effort the Gophers showed on Sunday as all 5 skaters are in deep, smothering the Badgers' forwards. Here you can see Jacob skating the puck in behind the net, while Garrett moves to cut off the Badgers' skater; Zach cuts off his approach and veers to the right to move into position to give Jacob a passing option. Kannon is cutting towards the center and Payton is along the backside boards.














Below: Blake goes into the corner after the puck, as Jonathon prevents any passes from going to the front of the net. Brett is behind the net and
ready; and Joe races to cut off the Badgers' player from skating towards the net as Jake quickly slides to his left.



Below: Brett and Mike prevent any chance of the puck or a Badger from getting to Jake as Kannon comes in to play the puck. When the Badgers got their shots on goal, Jake saved all but one of them, showing a knack for stifling open scoring chances, as he turned away shot after shot and dissolved Badger scoring opportunities into the sounds of "Ohhh!" cheers from the crowd.















Left: Jacob splits the defenders and skates the puck into the offensive zone.







Below: Garrett and Blake the defensemen get back ahead
of the Badgers' rush, while Zach, Anders and Jonathon
race back to help. The Gophers' pursuit on defense was
aggressive Sunday and it needed to be, as they faced a
hungry, motivated Badgers team who came to play.















Below, Zach comes in behind Anders to help him bring the puck in and set up the offense.
The Gophers hustled on both ends of the ice and their offensive rushes were often great
examples of teamwork as highlighted in the 3rd period as they played well together as a
team and scored a goal that included 4 consecutive passes that forced the Badgers out of
position and resulted in a goal that hit the middle of the back of the net and put the game
away.

























Left: Anders gains control of the puck while battling with a Badgers player against the boards. Mike is ready to receive the pass as he skates through the slot.

Another shot off the face-off win

Winning face-offs can mean the difference in a game. Here, Mike demonstrates how quickly a scoring chance can materialize, as he wins the draw in the offensive zone, and it goes straight to Payton who puts a shot on goal.

Blake scores off the rebound

Kannon steals the puck and skates it into the offensive zone, with Blake trailing the play.
Kannon shoots a shot on goal and Blake is right there for the rebound. He puts it into the back of the net, over the blocker, to tie the game at 2 with the Pioneers.

Scoring chance off the draw!

Mike wins the draw in the offensive zone and it goes right to Blake who gets off a quick shot, but the save is made and the defense of the Badgers moves to clear the puck.

Action on both ends vs. Pioneers

Two good scoring opportunities setup by solid defensive teamwork and well-timed passes in transition. This game was fast-paced, and although there were numerous shots on goal for each team, solid goaltending and fast-recovering play in the defensive zone kept the scoring low, as the final buzzer sounded on a 2-2 draw.

Defense vs. Badgers

Clay of the Badgers gets control of the puck and skates it into the Gophers' zone. Kannon races back on the backcheck.

Defense vs. Badgers

Left: Joe and Kannon look cold while waiting for their turn at the drill

The Gophers watch Coach Dale for instructions during a skating drill

Outdoor Practice at Kennedy 12/22/2008

The Gophers bundled up and practiced outside at Kennedy Elementary on Monday as the temperatures dipped down below zero at times. It was cold, but the players and coaches toughed it out and held a spirited practice, concentrating on fundamental hockey skills like skating, defense and teamwork.

Backcheck!

Jonathon, Jacob and Joe setup the backcheck in transition against Eagan. Their efforts were part of a solid performance by the Gophers on both ends of the ice against the visiting team, and resulted in a 5-0 win with Jake logging his first shutout of the season.

Coming Soon!

Check back later in the weekend for pictures, video, etc!