As Minnesota heads east to take on Boston College in the opening round of the NCAA tournament the Gophers are in a position as underdog, something that has been said more this year than any year with Don Lucia as head coach. Yet, the Gophers have rallied around that concept and it has become a role that they somewhat enjoy.
Last night while appearing on KSTP AM 1500 Blake Wheeler said that it's been a fun ride surprising people and winning tough games the last couple of weeks and said that it will be similar playing BC in Massachusetts.
Don Lucia was down the dial today on PA and Dubay and talked about the challenge the Gophers face when playing BC. While admitting that this year's team may not have a star skater Lucia did say that goaltender Alex Kangas is the the Gophers' star and that's where to start.
Lucia Interview Here
BC's best player is also one of the nation's best. Michigan native Nathan Gerbe is a small player, but his impact on the Eagles is anything but. He leads the nation in scoring with 57 points. As good as the Gophers have been defensively lately while facing top of the line forwards, none were quite as quick and shifty as the Hobey Baker Finalist.
Pioneer Press Article on Minnesota vs. Boston College
Boston College has nine players on its roster from the state of Massachusetts, five from New York, three from Canada and two from Minnesota. Wayzata's Joe Adams is a senior on the roster but has only appeared in four games. Sophomore defenseman Carl Sneep from Brainerd is one of the top defenseman for the Eagles. Sneep has three goals and 11 assists in 40 games this year.
Most young hockey players in Minnesota dream of some day playing for the Gophers and have a handful of other options if that difficult dream doesn't work out while others are willing to try to walk on. Around Boston, it's similar for aspiring hockey players with Boston College, but with Boston University having such a strong tradition as well, it's not always the case. One of the Eagles seniors walked on for BC eventually earning a scholarship and hoping to win the National Championship that has eluded his team in recent years.
Boston Globe Article on Pat Gannon
Minnesota Game Preview
Star Tribune Article on Tom Pohl's recovery
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