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Minnesota-Duluth and the University of Minnesota have always been each other’s biggest rivals when it comes to, among other things, Women’s Hockey games. Both the Bulldogs and the Gophers lost a lot of talent and strength from their 2016 teams, between graduation and the Olympics that requires any Women’s Hockey player chosen to spend the entire year with the side preparing for the Five Ring Circus. For both universities, the total number of players lost was 8.
Losing star performers is never easy, of course, but it does give Minnesota University and Minnesota-Duluth the opportunity to bring some fresh blood into their teams, and its essential never to underplay the impact of an underdog. They kicked off their 2017-2018 rivalry over the weekend of 21 and 22 October 2017, and each side had plenty of new faces. There were 12 new names on the Bulldogs’ roster, and 6 on the Gophers’. The closely-matched teams should produce some explosive Hockey this season, and fans couldn’t be more excited.
The 2016 Bulldog-Gopher games were thrilling. Minnesota-Duluth seemed to be on top with a series sweep in the regular season, and a WCHA postseason overtime win in Minneapolis. But the Gophers managed to pull off a victory with their NCAA quarterfinal win at Amsoil Arena. It was memorable for both sides, and they are both eager for the rematch. Jessica Healey, UMD senior defenseman and assistant captain, said the team still had a “salty taste” in their mouth.
With Minnesota-Duluth ranked 8th and the University of Minnesota ranked 7th overall, the closely-watched games always bring a lot of attention and anything can happen in a game. Live sports betting is always worthwhile in these games, as last-minute action can change what looks like a sure outcome. In their 6 meetings a year ago, 2 required overtime.
While the line-ups have changed, the general feeling and spirit of both these Minnesota rivals have not. Sydney Brodt, UMD captain has been quoted as saying “The players are different, but it doesn’t change the emotion”. Both were very strong last year, but with Women’s Hockey becoming stronger and more diverse across the board in the USA, especially in college, they are also both aware of the pressure that is on them for the 2017-2018 season.
The Gophers went into the past weekend’s games after splitting with Merrimack on their home turf, losing and tying to Ohio State and struggling to win against Bemidji State. For their part, the UMD players were able to open with a home sweep against Penn State, but went on to lose 4 straight road games to Boston College and Ohio State.
The returning Golden rodents did manage to win both games over the 20th and 21st October weekend, which has only made the Bulldogs want to beat them even more badly. If puck possession was tracked, as it is in men’s Ice Hockey games, the minutes and the result could have been quite different. This has already generated a lot of discussion and debate, which just shows again how closely contested games are between these sides and how heavily involved their fans get. Stay tuned for more excitement over the season!
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URL: http://www.whockey.com/mews/2017/Rivalry.html