A frigid and snowy week in the river valley has the Gophers short one scheduled outdoor ice practice, as they gear up for arguably their biggest game of the season so far against the Denver Pioneers this Sunday at Hastings Civic Arena. Heavy snowfall on Monday forced a cancellation of the outdoor session, and the below freezing temperatures that followed in the coming days forced a cancellation of classes on Thursday and a 2 hour delay on Friday.
But the competitive fires burn hot for both teams, as they've each emerged as contenders for the conference's top spot.
And now, as the midway point of the season has come and gone, the Gophers find themselves leading the conference points list by the slimmest of margins, and the battle for the championship is far from over.
The Gophers are coming off a convincing victory over the Sioux; a game in which their defensive speed and tenacity proved too much for their opponents.
The Pioneers' last game was far different...
They were headed for a hard-fought 3-3 draw with the visiting Hudson White team until FW Alex J. of the Pioneers broke through the defense and beat the Hudson goaltender with 2.4 seconds left in the final period to give his team the win with an exceptional individual effort.
It can also be noted that in the December 14th 2-2 tie game between the Gophers and the Pioneers, Alex scored both of the goals for his squad.
The talented #26 and his mates who lead the conference in scoring, will be up against the conference's stingiest defense on Sunday. A defensive team who, other than the non-conference loss against Cottage Grove two weeks ago, has not allowed more than 3 goals in a game since the first game of the season and a conference low 20 goals overall. Since that first game, the Gophers' back check has been steadily improving, as well as their offensive cohesiveness. And Jake's outstanding goaltending has helped keep his team in every game.
Each team sports a 5-2-2 overall record, with the Gophers having the better conference record at 4-1-2 versus 3-2-2 for the Pioneers.
If the Gophers can keep the high powered offense of Alex, Jake, Dylan and the rest of the Pioneers from getting open chances at shooting the puck, they'll likely have success on the defensive end of the ice. And if they keep up the solid team play in transition and timely passing in the offensive zone, they'll do well in this contest.
The game is at high noon on Sunday, and a win puts the Gophers temporarily in sole possession of first place, as the Wolverines/Sioux game follows their own. The Wolverines maintain the top spot with a victory.
Could this be the week the Gophers take over 1st place in the conference and never look back as the march towards the tournament continues??
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