Pictures from 4-1 victory over Pioneers

Kannon rubs elbows with a Pioneer player while heading towards the defensive zone. Sunny patrols the blue line.

Payton gets set for a center ice draw.

The Gold Line waits for the puck to drop.

Payton's out front while Joe and Garrett battle for the puck along the boards.

Jake makes the save! The rebound was put into the net by the Pioneers' #5 seconds later.

Jake eyes the puck as it goes into the corner.

The Maroon Line helps out on defense as Jake guards the net.

The Gophers talk strategy during the 2nd Intermission.

The Gophers led by 2 with less than a half minute remaining.

Garrett stuffed home the coup de grâce to put it further out of reach.

Wolverines, Watch Out!

The Gophers want another shot at you...


And next week they’ll get it. And this time, the Wolverines may be meeting up with the Gophers on Hastings Civic Arena ice one time too many for their liking.

The guys in gold are hitting on all cylinders as the season draws closer to tournament time. Passing is sharper than ever and their defense has just come off a game in which they stifled several of the conference’s scoring leaders, and one of the best teams in the league, and left no doubt of the victor.

In a scene as familiar to Gophers opponents as a Megan Parker prank on Drake and Josh, the Gophers once again scored first and early and applied intense defensive pressure for three full periods in their Sunday evening matchup against the high scoring Pioneers.

Brett scored from the left face-off circle with under 7 gone in the 1st period, and less than 6 minutes into the game, Kannon scored the eventual GWG.

But the keys to this game were defensive pressure and possession of the puck. Most of the contest was spent in the Pioneers’ defensive end of the ice, as the maroon and gold delivered timely, crisp passes and built upon the team defensive effort that has stifled more than one opponent this season. These efforts were apparent on paper through a 34-9 shots-on-goal advantage and team face-off winning percentage of nearly 60%.

Any first-time viewer of Blues Clues could compile those statistics and make an educated analysis of the likely outcome…

The Gophers’ Gold Line brought the heat Sunday, putting 25 of the team’s 34 shots on the Pioneers’ net minder who remarkably allowed only 3 goals while being peppered by 33 Gopher shots for a .909 save percentage on the game. The Gold line finished with a +2 rating, and the Maroon with a +1, as each shift on the ice was marked with a distinct sense of urgency.

The first period ended with the Gophers having more goals scored than the Pioneers had shots-on-goal and found them up 2-0 on a formidable foe with several dangerous offensive weapons. Those dangerous offensive weapons of the Pioneers did put a puck in the net on 7 shots in the 2nd period, but their scoring chances on the game were limited to single digits, as their only goal came off an alert rebound stuff by their #5, Nick who criss-crossed behind #10 Dylan on the way to the net, and was right where he needed to be when the save left a bouncing puck dancing in front of him on the ice 2 feet from the goal line.

Joe earned two penalties in a 7 minute time span during Sunday’s game, but those PIM were masterfully killed off by a determined Gophers PK unit. To their credit, even skating 4 on 5, they didn’t even look outnumbered!

And really, for how much hustle and team play the Gophers were exhibiting, and with how much pressure they were applying on defense, the Pioneers may just as well have put every skater on their roster out on the ice.

Every Gopher player showed superior effort and concentration and should take great pride from this game!!

Brett would score again shortly after the 3rd period began, to boost the lead to 3-1, and Garrett put back the rebound off Joe’s 2nd shot of the period into the back of an unguarded net with under 20 seconds to go, to seal the victory at 4-1 and set up a final chance at redemption for the Gophers as they prepare to meet the Wolverines again for the last time in regular season play.

From spending time around these Gophers players this weekend, I can tell you there’s no other team they’d rather face next Saturday than the team in blue and gold.

One can’t help but notice that the Wolverines are standing between the Gophers and sole possession of 1st place. And the Maroon & Gold locomotive has no plans on stopping, and I thought I saw a Gopher player smiling devilishly at the helm of the mighty Gopher Express with the rest of the Gophers shoveling coal as fast as their little clawed paws can shovel, and that doesn’t bode well for the small animals standing in harm’s way…

Look out, Wolverines…

The Gopher train is coming full speed.

Go Gophers!

Two Score Two as Balanced Gophers Attack Sinks Sioux

Pregame chatter in the Gophers' locker room Sunday circled around the key injuries to Garrett and Zach, who earlier in the week had suffered a concussion and broken toe, respectively. So it almost seemed more like a gesture of toughness, than anything when Zach walked through the door into the locker room... Except for the fact that he was fully dressed and ready to play. The boost the Gophers must have felt from seeing their Assistant Captain (and scorer of 5 goals in the last 2 games, including each game's GWG) stroll in with his familiar beaming smile, and seemingly oblivious to any pain whatsoever, must have been tremendous.

The first period jumped off with the Gophers' typical fast start, as Kannon fired one into the net from the slot after only 3 and a half minutes of play to give his squad the early 1-0 lead. The lead was short-lived however, as the Sioux answered just a minute and a half later as their #4 put in a rebound off a shot from #10 to knot it at 1.

The tie was broken 3 minutes later, as Payton skated the puck towards the Sioux goal and put a shot on net that bounced right out to Blake who easily netted the puck to put the maroon and gold up again, 2-1.

But the first period would end in a tie as the guys in green scored with under 3 to go, on a goal by their #10, this time assisted by #4. That same combination would get together for another marker late in the 3rd, and accounted for 10 of the Sioux's 25 shots on goal for the game, for 3 of their 4 goals and all 4 of their assists.

The second period was more of a defensive battle, with the Gophers leading in shots by only 5-4. The only scoring of the frame came on the first shift of the period. The Gophers' second line took the ice for the opening draw which was won by Sunny and picked up by Joe who fired a shot from inside the right face-off circle that went off a pad, got collected by Sunny and promptly got put right back at the goal and into the back of the net. This pattern of winning face-offs was repeated all game, as Gophers' centers Kannon and Sunny dominated the draws. Kannon won an outstanding 11/18 overall, and was 7/7 in the 3rd period. Sunny took an amazing 17/19 face-offs for the game, led all skaters with 8 shots on goal, and scored twice.

The third period began with the Gophers up 3-2, and in one of their most intense contests of the season. Jake and Joe got together again in the opening of the third much the same way as they did in the 2nd, and with that the Gophers held a 2 goal lead until Blake took the puck in unassisted and put home the eventual game winner with just over 8:00 to play to give them a 5-2 lead that seemed to put the game out of reach.

But the Sioux weren't about to give up without a fight, and with 3:00 to go, the Sioux's #4 once again put in a pass from #10 to close within 5-3. And then it got really interesting, when on their very next shift on the ice, the same line scored, with #22 taking the feed from #10 this time and the game was all of a sudden 5-4 and the Sioux were revitalized and surging.

But time was running down under 2 minutes, and they pulled their goalie for the man advantage.
The strategy nearly allowed them to earn the equalizer, as they logged 6 shots on goal in the final minute and a half. Jake was up to the task between the pipes however, even making several diving saves and having to lunge out of the crease to cover a few loose pucks. But Jake stonewalled the Sioux's efforts at stealing a tie, and the Gophers were able to clear the puck from their zone and Joe went with it, carrying it all the way down the ice ahead of the Sioux defender and deposited it neatly into the net with :20.4 remaining to seal the 6-4 victory for the Gophers' 9th triumph of the season.

In another solid effort on defense, Jonathon played well, and during the 3rd period as the Gophers were on the attack and our #5 was patrolling the blue line, the puck was stolen and a Sioux winger started streaking down the center of the ice towards the Gophers' zone and Jonathon found himself all alone, the last line of defense. I'm not sure if Jonathon yet knows who General George Custer was, or about the Battle of Little Big Horn, but either way, he faced a daunting challenge at that moment. He held his composure, skated backwards down the center of the ice, not allowing his opponent to take the middle away and get a good scoring chance. It worked. He was able to poke the puck away and stifle the 1-1 rush without allowing a shot or a pass! Jonathon and his line mates, both offensive and defensive, each ended with a +2 rating on the game. Both Gopher offensive lines manufactured 13 shots on goal and scored 3 times, demonstrating the balance in their attack.

Also playing with distinction Sunday were Anders, Woody and Brett who didn't make it into the scorebook with goals or assists this week, but whose hustle, determination and teamwork were decisive in achieving the outcome. Payton skated hard again this week, earning an assist on the first of Blake's 2 goals, and putting 4 shots on goal. Kannon scored the first marker of the game, had 5 shots on goal and played the center iceman's position nearly flawlessly as he repeatedly led the backcheck effort on defense, and never let a play by an opposing skater go unchallenged. Joe assisted Sunny on both the Gophers' 3rd and 4th goals of the game, and had the empty net deal-sealer at the end.

So the top 3 teams in the conference each added a W to their record this week leaving the standings the same as they were when the weekend began, with the Gophers leading the conference points list, and the Wolverines up a point on the Pioneers and Gophers in the overall standings.

It won't get any easier next week, when the Gophers take on the Pioneers who share their overall record, but have one more conference loss than their rodent rivals, at 6-3-2 compared with the Gophers' mark of 7-2-2.

The Pioneers defeated Farmington White on Sunday 3-2 with their own #25, Jake, leading the way with 2 goals and an assist.

Thanks to Doug Thooft for game photographs!!

Key Injuries Leave Gophers Shorthanded

Our Gophers haven’t allowed a power play goal this season, having killed off all penalty minutes assessed to them. To kill off a penalty, a team’s 4-skater PK unit has to play as five, using speed and tenacity in clogging passing lanes, maintaining an effective and consistent back check, blocking shots, and refusing to allow the offensive skaters between the circles with the puck and into the higher percentage scoring zones. And of course the goaltender has to have his head on a swivel to be able to adjust positions in an instant to turn away shots from undefended skaters who find their way into scoring positions.

This Sunday, the Gophers will find out if their conditioning training has paid off, since it appears they will be playing somewhat short handed, being potentially down two skaters for their game against the Sioux. Garrett suffered a head injury at school and will definitely be unable to go for at least a week. Zach injured his foot, is doubtful for the contest, and could be a game time decision. In addition to the injuries that will limit the number of players available, only 7 Gophers skaters were able to attend the Wednesday skating session, raising concerns that the Gophers’ brass may need to solicit the help of an additional player to fill the lines. And having to add a player from a rival team to a tight-knit Gophers squad makes this Gopher fan as nervous as the Chief Marketing Strategist for an Alec Baldwin Childcare Center.

The Gophers eagerly welcomed back a healthy Jake Dale to the lineup, which will allow Sunny to head back to a more familiar position on the ice. Losing two of their top players could prove challenging to overcome however, as other players will need to step up their play to compensate, in addition to having more shifts on the ice.

The Gophers are coming off a stretch of games in which they’ve hit stride in both the offensive and defensive ends of the ice. They’ve scored 5 or more goals in 5 of their last 7 games and have outscored their opponents 33-20, going 5-2-0, but only losing one conference game in the process. And although the Wolverines carry the best overall record (9-3-1) into this weekend’s games, our Gophers share the conference point lead with the Pioneers at 14, and hold the tiebreaker advantage against them. The Sioux are 5 points off the pace with 4 games to go and are coming off a 3-3 draw with the tenacious Badgers who have yet to defeat a conference opponent, but who play tough in each and every game, regardless. The Sioux have been on a bit of a downslide of late, going 0-3-2 in their last 5 games, and scoring only a single goal in 4 of those . It could even be argued that the Gophers initiated the Sioux’s downturn in week 4, as the 2-1 Gophers defeated the 3-0 Sioux by a count of 3-2. They’ve won only twice since then, going 2-5-3 since making it through the month of November without a loss or tie.

The Wolverines play the Badgers this Sunday, and although the Badgers certainly have the capability of defeating the boys in blue, recent history suggests that the Wolverines will most likely earn at least one point this weekend, and probably two. If they do defeat the Badgers, the Gophers will need to come away with a win against the Sioux to maintain 1st place in the conference standings.

Captains Lead the Way

Some say leaders are born and not made.


Yet there are countless schools, academies and training facilities around the world designed to train young men and women to be just that. So perhaps the qualities that leaders share, and the habits and tendencies by which their leadership qualities manifest themselves, CAN be engrained into an individual through coordinated mental and physical repetition.

Regardless of where it comes from, the underlying quality that leaders invariably exhibit is a "Follow me! We can do it together!" mentality.

The Gophers' voices were heard and their leaders chosen from the ranks of their peers to proliferate this ideology amongst their comrades, and to lead them in the locker rooms and on the ice, and to be the calm and inspirational voices of confidence in the face of all challenges.

And so Kannon donned the Captain's "C" on Sunday with Sunny and Zach each snapping the Assistant Captains' "A" to their jerseys and they set out to lead their team to victory against a formidable foe.

And they led.

And as history tends to repeat itself, they began their leadership in less than ideal circumstances.

Starting goaltender Jake Dale, who had suffered from illness for the better part of a week was unable to go at game time, and Sunday's starting left winger, Brett, had suffered similarly earlier in the week but had an extra day or two to recover and bravely made the start.

Sunny practiced well as goalie during this week's practice during Jake's absence, and stepped up to fill the skates of arguably this conference's most effective net minder thus far. His first (and most likely only) start of the season between the pipes came against the visiting 14-1-4 Hudson White Raiders.

All of these factors during this sequence of events might have seemed, to the casual observer, to be a harbinger of an impending defeat, and as the sun set and darkness fell upon Hastings for this 6pm game, a positive result still hung in the balance.

But leaders lead.

And confidence and success are just as contagious as the illnesses that have swept through the river valley this winter season. Whether inspired by their newly elected captains, the courage of Sunny to stand in goal, or Brett to lace up his skates, or from each individual player's drive to succeed and help carry his team to victory, the Gophers skated as hard as they have all season. Missing a point machine and defensive stopper like Sunny out on either the offensive or defensive line also meant others would have to step up as well.

And step up they did.

Offensive pressure through teamwork and slick passing culminated in 4 first period goals for the Gophers. Brett showed no visible signs of weakness or fatigue, logging two shots on goal in the first period and scoring from up front. Joe scored on a pretty shot from the slot, and Kannon managed 3 shots on goal and an assist in the first period from his defensive position.

Zach followed a 2 goal performance last week with a hat trick Sunday, putting 4 shots on goal in the first period, with two of them finding their way onto the scoreboard. His third goal of the game, which also ended up being the Game Winning Goal, was an astounding effort, and the shot actually originated behind the goal line and looked, from its angle of entry into the net, as if it may have deflected off the back of the goalie or his skate.

And after giving up a goal to the Raiders, the Gophers led 4-1 as the clock ticked down towards the first intermission. But the Raiders won a draw in their offensive zone and Raiders' #7 wristed one through traffic into the net as the buzzer sounded to pull to within 2 and give his team a boost heading into the 2nd period.

The aggressiveness and physicality of the game heated up as soon as the middle frame began. Blake and Garrett found their way to the penalty box in the period for minor penalties as battles for the pucks intensified, both along the boards and in front of the nets.

During the 2nd period, all of the Gophers players hustled hard and the defensemen were busy and tested as the Raiders played well as a team and pushed the puck down the ice with skill. Payton and Kannon worked together as a defensive tandem and their unending hustle and teamwork were decisive in this game. Garrett and Joe complemented each other perfectly on the blue line Sunday also and their efforts likely had Raiders wingers muttering questionable terms of endearment for their maroon and gold opponents.


To highlight one of the many plays that exemplified the type of effort the Gophers brought to the ice on Sunday, I'll use a play team Captain Kannon was involved in during the 2nd period...

The Gophers were hotly contesting a Raiders offensive possession, and as the puck was finally cleared down the ice, a lone Raiders defenseman skated towards his defensive zone to collect the puck since it was on goal and icing would not be called. Before he could get his stick on the puck, Kannon (remember he was playing defense near his own net when the puck was cleared) suddenly passed the defender at full speed and nearly put the puck past the shocked Raider and into the net. The Raiders player did manage to pull Kannon off the puck and down onto the ice before the shot made it on goal. However, watching your teammate put that much effort into chasing down a loose puck on the opposite end of the ice should be enough to get even Brad Childress to jump out of his recliner, shout, and pump his fist with excitement!

So the teams each put a marker on the board during the 2nd, and as the final period began, the Gophers were up two, 5-3, but knew that without bringing the same passion to the ice in the 3rd as they had in the first 2, the victory was anything but secured.

The 3rd period was as physical as two moms in a department store tug-of-war over a discontinued sale item, with 2 Raiders players getting sent to the box on penalties. Fortunately for the Raiders, they were able to kill off the time and hold off the Gophers' rushes.

Also aiding the Gophers in their efforts was the outstanding play of Sunny in the net. With only 2 practices under his belt in the goal, he stopped 15 of 19 shots including 2 or 3 breakaways in which he held his ground, didn't commit to the puck too early, and completely stonewalled the Raider wingers' attempts at taking over the game.

Another factor in the Gophers' success Sunday was their ability to win face-offs. Centers Anders and Zach dominated the dots, winning 10 of 18 and 12 of 18 draws, respectively. This gave them a distinct advantage, as it meant more than 6 out of every 10 drops of the puck ended with a Gopher having it on his stick.

Hudson standout winger, #9, wristed one through the defense and past Sunny midway through the 3rd to close to within 5-4, and their determination brought them a 3rd period shot advantage of 6-5, their only period to lead that category as a team, having been outshot 13-6 in the first, and 8-7 in the second by the Gophers.

But they would get no closer, as the Gophers shut them down the rest of the way, even fighting off the last 90 seconds in which they faced the inevitable 6 on 5 skater disadvantage following the Raiders' goalie racing off the ice.


I'm reminded of a quote...

"The task of leadership is not to put greatness into people, but to elicit it, for the greatness is there already."
— John Buchan

It seems apparent that coach John Dale and his assistant coaches have a knack for putting their players in positions and situations in which they will be successful, and in doing so they are eliciting the greatness of these boys both as hockey players and as young men.

So as you raise your proverbial sticks towards the arena ceiling in tribute to the Golden Gopher all-stars of our hearts, give an extra raise to the rafters and a “hoo-rah!” to the coaching staff who tirelessly lead them!

Spotlight On: Brett, #23

#23 Brett Peine

Gopher Dad: How many years have you been in organized hockey?
Brett: This is my 6th year!

Gopher Dad: What are your favorite hockey teams?
Brett: Wild, Capitals, Penguins

Gopher Dad: Who are your favorite hockey players?
Brett: Alex Ovechkin, Derek Boogaard

Gopher Dad: What other sports are you in?
Brett: Baseball and may try Little Raiders Football this fall.

Gopher Dad: What is your favorite video game system and game?
Brett: Wii, Little Leaque World Series!

Gopher Dad: If you could pick your jersey number, what would it be?
Brett: 7 or 14

Gopher Dad: What is your favorite TV show?
Brett: Drake and Josh; Dog the Bounty Hunter

Gopher Dad: What is the last movie you saw in the theater?
Brett: Marley and Me

Gopher Dad: How many brothers and sisters do you have?
Brett: 1 sister!

Gopher Dad: What do you want to be when you grow up?
Brett: Baseball player or Hockey player


Gopher Dad: What is your favorite food or snack to eat at a hockey arena?
Brett: Nachos w/ cheese and Dr. Pepper

Zach Attack, Stellar Team Defense Bury Badgers

Badgers live in groups of 10-14 called Setts and exhibit a unique pattern of sociality; they live together in groups, but do not display cooperative behavior.

In the human world, we call this "Congress".

Gophers, on the other hand, are herbivores and live mostly solitary lives, except for on the ice in Hastings Civic Arena, where they seem to come together brilliantly.

Our own Hastings Gophers definitely did not play as individuals during Sunday's game against the Badgers. Their stifling team defense kept the Badgers from putting even a single puck on goal in the first period, and only 3 shots made it through to Jake before the 2nd intermission, with none finding its way past him. On the other end of the ice, the Badgers' goaltender faced 27 shots in the first 2 periods alone, and remarkably was able to turn away all but 3.

Woody started the scoring Sunday, putting in a 45 ft wrister from near the top of the right face-off circle after just over 4 minutes of play. Blake earned the helper on the goal, and although he didn't put a puck into the mesh himself during the game, he did have several hard shots on net. The first period ended with a 1-0 Gophers lead.

Zach had 8 shots on goal, and scored twice, including the eventual game winner which came with less than 3 minutes remaining in the 2nd period on assists from Kannon and this week's team captain Payton, who won 4 of 9 faceoffs playing as center and showed great hustle and determination Sunday.

Sunny will show up only once on the scoresheet for his 2nd period unassisted goal but was all over the ice, playing a brilliant 2-way game from his defensive position and showing fantastic individual effort in both the offensive and defensive zones. Anders and Brett didn't get their names in the scorebook Sunday, but each player exemplified hustle and intensity, and their efforts were crucial in securing the victory. Anders seemed to be everywhere on defense and contributed big, especially in transition. Brett played solid at center as well and was always around the puck.

Kannon's speedy skating and aggressiveness once again was on display during Sunday's game, as he chased down Badgers skaters from behind time after time, stealing the puck and clearing the zone before a shot could even be attempted. If I made a blog entry every time he foiled an opponent's scoring chance this season by running them down from behind and poking the puck away, I'd spend little time blogging about much else!

The 3rd period began with the Gophers leading by 3, and if it weren't for solid goaltending by the Badgers' netminder, it could have been much more. And although the final frame of the game accounted for 17 shots on goal between the two teams, it was a stretch of 5 and a half minutes that buried the Badgers' hopes of a late rally, as Jonathon, Zach and Joe were the beneficiaries of great passing and cohesive teamwork, despite their goals coming unassisted. It was 6-1 until there was 3:27 left in the game.

It was a physical game, with 3 players earning a total of 6 PIM on 4 minor penalties; two of them for illegal bodychecking, one for tripping, and a crosschecking penalty that Garrett took by falling on the back of a Badgers player while holding his stick with both hands. Neither team was able to capitalize on the man advantage however, as all goals were scored in 5 on 5 play.

Jonathon played well again, earning his 2nd goal in 3 games and Joe finished off a great performance on Sunday by scoring 34 seconds after Zach's second marker of the game, to put it out of reach at 6-1.

Between the pipes, Jake only had to stop 10 of 12 shots to earn his 7th victory and lower his GAA to 2.50 on the season.


Scoring went as follows (times listed are amount of time on the clock at the time of the goal, due to varying period lengths):

1st period 10:21 - Woody from Blake, 1-0
2nd period 10:59 - Sunny unassisted, 2-0
2nd period 2:58 - Zach from Kannon and Payton, 3-0
3rd period 11:09 - Jonathon unassisted, 4-0
3rd period 9:34 - Badgers Goal, 4-1
3rd period 6:12 - Zach unassisted, 5-1
3rd period 5:38 - Joe unassisted, 6-1
3rd period 3:27 - Badgers Goal, 6-2

Shots on Goal:
Gophers - 16, 11, 8, Total - 35
Badgers - 0, 3, 9, Total - 12

Total Saves:
Jake - 10/12
Badgers G - 29/35


One of the most overused cliches in sports is that defense wins championships and offense sells tickets. If that's the case, the Gophers won't be in the stands wearing street clothes during the last game of this season.


In other conference action Sunday, the Sioux were defeated 3-1 by the surging Pioneers in a VERY fast-paced and aggressive contest, and in an odd side note to this game, the Sioux coaches curiously seemed about to forfeit their game after the 2nd period, and for a time seemed to refuse to retake the ice, possibly citing biased officiating. The bewildered Pioneers stood in their positions at center ice, and eventually the Sioux did exit the bench and they played on, but were unable to mount a comeback despite a valiant effort.

The Wolverines continued their domination of nonconference opponents by dispatching the Rosemount squad 4-2 to maintain the top position in the conference.

Next week, the Gophers look to stay hot as they square off against Hudson White in their first evening game of the season.

Go Gophers!!!