Category Archives: sports

7 February 2016

Verizon Wireless Center

By icefogger

Mankato, Minnesota

Verizon Center
Verizon Wireless Center, photo credit: wcha.com

With 3/5th of the Twin Cities population feeling under the weather, I figured that Friday night would be a good time to visit Mankato for some hockey. The Minnesota State Mavericks were hosting the Bowling Green Falcons. A meeting of the top two teams in the WCHA.

Verizon Center rink
The Verizon Center ice sheet

The Verizon Center was built in 1995 and seats 5280. It’s a nice rink for college hockey, and the locals are really into their Mavericks.

MSU Mavs during warmups
The MSU Mavericks during warmups

The first period was pretty evenly played, with MSU taking a 1-0 lead into intermission on a goal by Michael Huntebrinker. SOG favored MSU 9-8.
The second period was all Minnesota State, as they extended their lead to 3-0.
In the third period, the Falcon’s John Schilling scored short handed & unassisted on a very pretty shot on a break-away. Not to be outdone, Bryce Gervais scored short-handed seven minutes later on an equally pretty shot. Gervais added another shorty just over a minute later to round out the scoring. Teddy Blueger assisted on both Gervais goals, as Gervais broke the school record for career SHG with 9.

A 5-1 Maverick win. Cole Huggins was rock solid in net for MSU and had 18 saves. Chris Nell had 16 for BGSU. The three stars of the game: Blueger with two assists; Max Coatta (MSU) a freshman from Minnetonka, MN with a goal and an assist; and Gervais with his three point night. Attendance was 3724.

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3 February 2016

LaBahn Arena

By icefogger

Madison, Wisconsin

LaBahn Arena
LaBahn Arena

The original plan was to take in a women’s game at LaBahn Arena Saturday afternoon, but the game was sold out, and we were forced to run with a makeshift brewery tour instead.

On Sunday, the Badger Women were once again hosting the SCSU Huskies, so we were able to take in another hockey game. The first time either of us had been to a women’s game.

Inside LaBan Arena
Inside LaBahn Arena

LaBahn seats 2273, and the Badgers have 9 sell outs this year at the rink. The game was all Wisconsin, with the Badgers dominating the entire game. Emily Clark scored twice, and Ann-Renee Desbiens had her 14th shutout of the year, as Wisconsin won easily 3-0. It was Destines’ 31st career shutout.

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1 February 2016

Kohl Center

By icefogger

Madison, Wisconsin

Kohl Center - exterior
Kohl Center – exterior

The Alaska Nanooks were flying down to Madison to play the Wisconsin Badgers, so The Curator & I ventured northeast to take in a weekend of hockey.

The Kohl Center, one of the top rinks in college hockey, opened in 1998. The Kohl is also one of the largest arenas in D-1, seating over 15,300 for hockey. Badger fans are some of the most active in the college ranks, and the atmosphere at any Badger sporting event is high octane. The UW Band rarely stops to take a breath.

UA Nanooks @ UW Badgers
UA Nanooks vs UW Badgers

Friday was the night for the Nanooks to get an upset. During period one, Alaska could have easily scored 3 goals, but instead they trailed Wisconsin 1-0 on a goal by Corbin McGuire. Missed opportunities would haunt Alaska, and Wisconsin would pounce the ones that came their way.

Badgers vs Nanooks

In the second period, Tyler Morley struck first with a short-handed goal, but Ryan Wagner responded immediately with a PPG to keep the Badger lead at one. Wisconsin would score two more in the period and Alaska one for a 4-2 Badger lead. Tyler Morley would score his second on the night, but that was all the Nooks could muster and Wisconsin held on for a 4-3 win.

Saturday night from the 2nd deck
Saturday night from the second deck

On Saturday we were joined by another member of the Frozen Foursome. The first two periods showcased some really even-played hockey between the two teams, and the score was 1-1 after two. In the third period, the Badgers had Alaska on their heels, and the damage came quickly. The Badgers would score four in the first 11:43, with the Nanooks managing to get one past Matt Jurusik in the period. A 5-2 Badger win.

Saturday attendance: 9604

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28 January 2016

Wells Fargo Arena

By icefogger

Des Moines, Iowa

Wells Fargo Arena

We took in an AHL game on Tuesday in Des Moines at the Wells Fargo Arena. The Iowa Wild was hosting the Chicago Wolves.

Wild vs Wolves
Wild take on Wolves at WFA

With the Iowa Wild being an affiliate of the Minnesota Wild, I did enjoy watching some of the NHL club’s prospects, including: Mike Reilly, Christian Folin, and Jordan Schroeder. Folin would go on to score a goal, while Reilly & Schroeder would tally assists.

The third period would end tied at 3, but the Wolves’ Pat Cannone would score his third goal of the night 41 seconds into the 3 on 3 overtime period. It was the first time I have seen the 3 on 3 OT, but it ended so quick that it was hard to really make an opinion. There’s a lot of open ice out there during the 3 on 3.

WFA: Wild vs Wolves

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25 January 2016

Baxter Arena

By icefogger

Omaha, Nebraska

Baxter Arena
Heading into Baxter Arena

The Curator and I made the trek across Iowa to see some weekend hockey in Omaha. This is the inaugural season for the University of Nebraska-Omaha’s Baxter Arena. The UNO Mavericks were hosting the Miami of Ohio Redhawks, for a two game series in an NCHC matchup.

Baxter Greeter
The Baxter Arena Greeter

The $81.6 million Baxter Arena is a very nice hockey facility. With great sight lines throughout the arena; there really isn’t a bad seat in the house. I have no doubt that the rink will really rock during big games with the Mavericks’ devoted and rabid fan base. A wider concourse would have been nice, since it can be a challenge getting around the corners during the intermissions, but other than that, the Baxter is a beautiful new rink.

UNO & Miami during warmups
UNO & Miami during warmups

The Friday night game started out slow, with UNO seeming to be a tad flat. Still, the game was even-played with the first period being scoreless, and an 8-7 SOG advantage for Miami. The second period Miami really dominated play, with UNO still playing sluggish. Miami had a 15-6 advantage in SOG for period two, and took the lead on a Kiefer Sherwood goal. The Mavericks came out much stronger in the third, and Austin Ortega tied the game up on a shot assisted by Luc Snuggerud & Jake Guentzel. Ortega, the junior forward from Escondido, California, already holds the school record for game winners and the NCAA single season record for GWG’s, and is quickly closing in on the NCAA career record for game winning goals.
Tonight, however, Matthew Caito of Miami would net the GWG with just over two minutes to play. The Redhawks would also add an ENG for a 3-1 win.

Jay Williams made 27 saves for Miami and freshman Alex Blankenburg, in his first home start, made 31 saves for UNO. There were 6793 in attendance.

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22 January 2016

1979 Border Battle

By icefogger

A Flashback Friday Edition:

1979 goal against Wisconsin

Minnesota vs Wisconsin: Williams Arena, 1979

Photo courtesy of Golden Gopher Hockey

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16 January 2016

Berry Events Center

By icefogger

Marquette, Michigan

Home of the Wildcats
Center ice

Alaska was playing Northern Michigan this weekend, so I made the short drive from Houghton to Marquette. Built in 1999, the Berry Event Center (BEC) is one of the few Olympic sized rinks in the WCHA. The Carlson Center in Fairbanks is another, so there would be no advantage there. The single bowl rink seats 3802 for hockey.

Nanooks during warmups
The Nanooks during pregame warmups

Alaska came out flying tonight, after winning in OT on Friday. In spite of that, NMU’s Denver Pierce opened the scoring. Fairbanks native, Alec Hajdukovich, scored a power play goal to tie it off of a deflection. Tyler Morley of the Nanooks then scored off of a Hajdukovich assist to take the 2-1 lead into intermission.

The Nanooks’ deep seeded and unnatural desire to spend time in the penalty box then took over. They had five penalties in the second period (six if you count the boarding penalty at the end of the first – which I do). Alaska did a great job on the penalty kill, but they were still lucky to give up only one goal to Dominik Shine, and went into the second intermission tied at 2.

Alaska came back out flying in the third, and really dominated play. Justin Woods sniped a shot from the point for a PPG early in the period, but that was the last opportunity the Nanooks’ capitalized on. Ryan Trenz would tie the game up for NMU, and Barrett Kaib put the Wildcats in front. Brock Maschmeyer added an empty net goal for NMU.

A missed opportunity for Alaska to get a road sweep in Marquette.

Jesse Jenks had 31 saves for Alaska, and Mathias Dahlstrom had 35 for Northern Michigan. Attendance was 2120.

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31 December 2015

The Joe

By icefogger

Great Lakes Invitational
Detroit, Michigan

Joe Louis Arena
Joe Louis Arena

The venerable Joe Louis Arena has only one year left, before it’s replacement is ready to drop the puck. Completed in 1979, Joe Louis Arena, the home of the Detroit Red Wings, is the third oldest venue in the NHL, behind Madison Square Garden and Rexall Place. JLA, along with MSG are the only two NHL arenas without a corporate sponsor name.

Tunnel to The Joe
The tunnel from the parking garage to The Joe

I had never seen a hockey game at Joe Louis; my chance to see the Frozen Four there in 2010 was scuttled by the NCAA when they held the tournament at the football stadium – Ford Field.
Since I’m basically in the area right now anyway, I figured the Great Lakes Invitational was a great way to see some hockey at The Joe.

Ted Lindsay Sculpture
Ted Lindsay sculpture near one entrance

The NCAA screwed up back in 2010. The Joe is an old rink, to be sure, but it’s still a great home for hockey, and the history throughout the building is staggering. Everywhere one looks, is a piece of the Red Wing’s storied history.

Red Wing Banners
Red Wing Stanley Cup Banners

The Great Lakes Invitational also has some great history. The tourney started in 1965 with Michigan Tech as the host school, since then the GLI has grown into one of the premier tournaments in Division 1 hockey. Michigan was added as a co-host in 1976.

Home of the Red Wings

Due to the weather, I didn’t get to Detroit in time to see the games on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Michigan State was to take on Northern Michigan in the third place game. The Spartans scored early in the first period, and took that 1-0 lead late into the third, when NMU tied it up and sent the game into OT. Robbie Payne scored in the extra period to give Northern the win.

MTU & UM warming up
Michigan Tech & Michigan warming up

In the title game, Tech came out flying and took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission. The Wolverines woke up in the second period, scoring 3 goals, as their offense took over the game. MTU went skate to skate with Michigan in the third, with both teams having several scoring chances. Michigan iced the game with an empty net goal with less than a minute to play, to give Michigan it’s third consecutive GLI title.

A fun tourney and I really had a blast in Detroit.

Soapbox Moment:

To the NCAA:
I paid $25 for a two day pass to attend four games at the GLI. The attendance for Tuesday was just short of 16,000, and on Wednesday it was 16,571. When the B1G Championship game was at The Joe last March, attendance was dreadful, just like it is for almost every single Regional. Take a page out of the 51 year old Great Lakes Invitational, and stop gouging people on tickets. There were a ton of families taking in the GLI, because they could afford to go, you knuckleheads.

To hockey fans everywhere:
When the puck is in play, don’t get up for the tenth time in the period for ice cream. Please wait until the whistle. I realize that stadium etiquette is a dying art form, but the GLI title game takes the top spot for the worst I have experienced.

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28 December 2015

The Bank

By icefogger

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Outside TCF Bank Stadium
Walking up to TCF Bank Stadium

My Dad had season tickets to the Minnesota Vikings for years, starting in 1969 at the old Met Stadium in Bloomington. It had been years since I was at a Vikings game, and it was December 20, 1981 when I was last at an outdoor home game.

Four of us ventured out to TCF Bank Stadium, temporary home of the Vikings, for the last regular season home game Sunday night. Potentially, the last home game to be held outside for the foreseeable future.

Warm-ups at The Bank
Warm-ups at The Bank

I really enjoyed being at a Vikings game without a teflon roof over my head, in spite of it being 14 degrees at kickoff. Being on the campus of the University of Minnesota lent a more collegiate atmosphere to the event, and the Vikes made the most of it. The defense led the slaughter, as the Vikings beat the New York Giants 49-17, and it wasn’t that close.

Harrison Smith pick six vs NYG
Photo credit: : Adam Bettcher/Getty Images North America

Minnesota safety Harrison Smith had his 12th interception of his career and his forth pick six in the win. How is this guy not in the Pro Bowl?

Skol

 

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16 December 2015

The X

By icefogger

St Paul, Minnesota

Xcel Center - exterior
St Paul’s Xcel Energy Center

Hockey returned to the schedule Tuesday night. This time for an NHL game between the Minnesota Wild and the Vancouver Canucks at the Xcel Energy Center in St Paul.

Warmups at The X
Warmups at The X

Ryan Miller would be starting in goal for Vancouver. I have watched Miller play since he was a Spartan, in fact I’ve been at more games when he was in net for Michigan State, than I have seen him play as a pro.

It would be a tough night for Miller, as his teammates seemed to do a lot of standing around and watching the Wild skate.

Thomas Vanek, the former Golden Gopher, opened the scoring with a power play goal. Jason Zucker followed with an even strength goal to go up 2-0 after one period.

The second period was all Minnesota, as the Wild scored four more goals, throwing a total of 36 shots at Miller. Vancouver did get one behind Darcy Kuemper, who started his fifth consecutive game in place of the injured Devan Dubnyk. The score was 6-1 after two.

Going into the third
Players taking the ice for third period

Ryan Miller was mercifully pulled for the third period, and the Canucks managed to get one more behind Kuemper. However, at this point, both teams seemed to just be trying to wind down the clock and get out of the arena.

Final score: 6-2 Wild win. Vanek had his first 4 point night as a member of the Wild. Captain Mikko Koivu also had a 4 point night, with Zach Parise picking up 3 points. Those were the three stars of the game. Attendance was 18,804.

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