Gophers Hockey – Page 40 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Expect Vikings to Start Cassel at QB

Posted on October 7, 2013October 7, 2013 by David Shama

Expect Matt Cassel to start at quarterback for the 1-3 Vikings on Sunday when they play the Panthers at Mall of America Field. That’s the opinion of former Vikings defensive lineman Bob Lurtsema who remains close to the team and is a knowledgeable observer.

It’s not known if Christian Ponder’s rib injury will allow him to play, assuming coach Leslie Frazier wants him to return as the starting quarterback. Ponder missed the team’s most recent game after being the starter and losing quarterback in the first three games. Cassel was impressive as the starter in the win over the Steelers in London a week ago Sunday.

In that game Cassel completed 16 of 25 passes for two touchdowns with no interceptions. Those numbers surpassed any stats by Ponder in a single game this season but Lurtsema said starting Cassel is about more than going with the “hot hand” Sunday against the Panthers.

A large and vocal anti-Ponder group of fans targeted the third-year quarterback with resounding boos when the Vikings played at home on September 22, a surprising 31-27 loss to the Browns. Lurtsema believes even if Ponder is healthy enough to play on Sunday, Frazier will bench him because the coach wants a supportive crowd and risks losing “home field advantage” if Cassel isn’t his quarterback.

“That comes into play, although he’s not going to say it,” Lurtsema said last Friday.

Lurtsema has been supportive of Ponder in the past but acknowledges Cassel, a nine year NFL veteran, was effective against the Steelers in his first start ever for the Vikings. “I am in Ponder’s corner but it seemed Cassel didn’t make as many steps after the read (prior to passing),” Lurtsema said. “Ponder takes three or four where Cassel will throw immediately. You’ve got to anticipate receivers.”

Adding more intrigue to the quarterback drama on the team is the expected announcement the Vikings are adding Josh Freeman to the roster. He threw a career high 27 touchdown passes last season but was cut by the Bucs last week. If Freeman joins the Vikings it’s an acknowledgement the team doesn’t believe third team quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson, who has never played in an NFL game, is ready to help.

Before the season Lurtsema predicted the Vikings’ record will be 11-5. He remains impressed with the club’s talent and said the “worst” record will be 9-7 (despite the 1-3 start). The “best” will be 11-5.

Lurtsema, who correctly predicted the team’s 2012 record of 10-6, holds the defense most accountable for the team’s three losses that came by a total of 15 points. Lurtsema is critical of Josh Robinson who he said has been rated the “worst corner in the NFL.” Teams have consistently targeted passes in Robinson’s direction. “They (the Vikings) gotta do something,” Lurtsema said. “It’s just glaring (the problem).”

The defense has struggled, including in fourth quarters, and at times seems missing in action. Lurtsema insists the key to resurgence is the front four, led by tackle Kevin Williams and end Jared Allen. “The defensive line sets the tempo,” he said. “They gotta get aggressive but have to be disciplined (stay in assignments).”

Worth Noting

Lurtsema is sure the Vikings will beat the 1-3 Panthers next Sunday, 22-6 losers to the Cardinals yesterday. “Absolutely. Slam dunk.”

Personal seat license fees in the new Vikings stadium will be applied to 75 percent of the seats and range in cost from $500 to $10,000, according to a story in the October 4 Star Tribune. The average cost will be $2,500.

Lurtsema is critical of the fees. “I don’t think it’s fair. I think a lot of guys (buyers) are going to be really upset. I would be upset if I had eight to 10 tickets. That’s a lot of buckaroos.”

Lurtsema said a friend paid about $250,000 in personal seat license fees for his Giants tickets when the team moved into its new stadium.

While the Vikings only have four touchdown passes in four games, Minnesota’s NFC North Division rivals have been much more productive. The Bears’ Jay Cutler (10 TD passes), the Packers’ Aaron Rodgers (nine) and the Lions’ Matthew Stafford (eight) have totals among the best in the NFL.

Former Vikings defensive tackle Alan Page played his tuba in a salute to runners along the route of yesterday’s Twin Cities Marathon.

Ex-Vikings assistant coach and former Gophers quarterback Tony Dungy turned 58 yesterday.

Gophers’ defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys said on WCCO Radio’s Sports Huddle yesterday injuries would keep “four or five” of his defensive backs on the sidelines if Minnesota had a game this Saturday. The Gophers have a bye in the schedule and don’t play until October 19 in Evanston against pass-happy Northwestern.

Baseballprospectus.com lists the 2013 Twins payroll at approximately $82 million. While the Twins finished with the third worst record in the American League at 66-96, two of their AL rivals — the Rays and Athletics — made the playoffs with payrolls about $20 million less than Minnesota’s.

The Gophers outshot Lethbridge 46-12 in an exhibition 5-1 win on Saturday. Minnesota will face more difficult opposition this weekend in the Icebreaker Tournament at Mariucci Arena. The field includes nationally ranked New Hampshire along with Clarkson and Mercyhurst.

Media reports have the Gophers and North Dakota verbally agreeing to resume their storied men’s hockey rivalry in a nonconference series starting in 2016-17.

Comments Welcome

Two ‘Hot Seats’ at U-Bruins Game Tonight

Posted on March 22, 2013March 22, 2013 by David Shama

“One and done” is a cliché that has characterized the NCAA Tournament for decades. The single elimination tournament sends losing teams home to wonder what might have been. That will include the loser of tonight’s South Region game in Austin, Texas between the Gophers and UCLA.

But there’s speculation that “one and done” also applies to Minnesota coach Tubby Smith and Bruins coach Ben Howland. Will the loser in tonight’s game be out of a job?

At storied UCLA, expectations are about competing in Final Fours and winning national titles. Howland hasn’t had the Bruins in the finals since 2008. UCLA is also criticized for not being exciting, and attendance at home games is an issue.

Among the candidates rumored as a potential successor to Howland is VCU coach Shaka Smart whose name is frequently linked to the Minnesota job. Howland may need a Final Four appearance this spring to continue working at UCLA.

Smith may need an Elite Eight finish to hang on at Minnesota. The sixth-year Gophers’ coach has many critics after never winning an NCAA Tournament game at Minnesota and compiling an overall Big Ten regular season record of 46-62 (best conference finish is sixth place).

The coach set high expectations for this year’s team, telling Sports Headliners before the season he had three potential first round NBA draft choices (Andre Hollins, Trevor Mbakwe, Rodney Williams). In January, Minnesota was a top 10 ranked team with a 15-1 record. Since then the Gophers, 20-12 overall this season, have won only five games.

Sources close to the University of Minnesota and Gophers basketball have told Sports Headliners they believe a change in coaches is likely. But as expected, athletic director Norwood Teague and University president Eric Kaler are not saying much so far.

Teague said on WCCO Radio Wednesday morning that all the athletic department coaches are evaluated at the end of their seasons. Kaler told Sports Headliners the same in late February. But if asked, I wonder if Teague would say exactly the same about Don Lucia — the Gophers hockey coach whose team tied for the WCHA title and is a prominent contender for a national championship.

A source said the cost of the reported $2.5 million buyout for Smith won’t deter a change in coaches if that is what administrators want. The department could receive a loan from the University to finance the buyout. Also, television dollars paid to Big Ten teams are increasing, including a jump this year, according to the source.

Another factor regarding a decision is the financial impact of retaining Smith. After multiple disappointing seasons including the free fall of 2013, basketball revenues will decline next fall and winter — and maybe dramatically. Potential areas of impact include season tickets, single game tickets, parking, concessions, arena advertising, corporate sponsorships, merchandising and donations.

And then there is the image of the University. Administrators talk about high profile sports such as basketball being the “front porch” to their colleges. What do Minnesota school officials want the eye test to say about their heavily criticized basketball program?

Worth Noting

The Gophers-Bruins game, with a 9 p.m. tipoff CDT tonight, caused a radio scheduling problem on 1500 ESPN which broadcasts Gophers basketball and hockey. Minnesota’s WCHA Final Five game will be on 1500 ESPN while the basketball game will air on FM 107.1.

Despite the Gophers’ slump, NBAdraft.net projects Rodney Williams and Trevor Mbakwe as second round picks in June. The website has Williams at No. 40 going to the 76ers with Mbakwe chosen by the Bucks at No. 45. In the 2014 draft Gophers point guard Andre Hollins is projected as the 21^st pick by the Warriors while shooting guard Austin Hollins is the No. 37 choice of the Cavs.

The Gophers’ hockey team is 23-1-1 this season when sophomore forward Kyle Rau scores a point. He has seven game winning goals this season — best in the nation.

Tonight in the WCHA Final Five the Gophers play Colorado College coached by Scott Owens who is a former assistant under Minnesota coach Don Lucia. Two other head coaches in the tournament, Bob Motzko from St. Cloud State and Mike Hastings from Minnesota State, are former Lucia assistants.

Minnesota, 26-7-5 overall, has won five consecutive games and is among the favorites to play in the Frozen Four next month. The Gophers haven’t lost consecutive games all season. The 2003 national championship team was the last Gophers team to accomplish that.

All-session ticket packages go on sale Monday for the 2014 first ever Big Ten Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament to be held March 20-22 at Xcel Energy Center. Ticket sources include Ticketmaster and Xcel.

The Wild, who have won four consecutive games and are in first place in the Northwest Division, have a chance for payback on Monday night in Dallas against the Stars. Minnesota hasn’t won there since 2003 – 16 consecutive losses.

Gophers’ spring football practice starts on Tuesday with 15 total sessions scheduled and all are open to the public. Practices begin at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday of next week, and at 10 a.m. on March 30.

Day time highs are expected to be in the upper 30’s next week with a high of 48 predicted for April 1, according to Myforecast.com. The Twins open their regular season with games against the Tigers on April 1, 3 and 4. Despite what you may have heard, the Twins won’t be heading indoors to the Metrodome.

“We are 100 percent focused on playing at Target Field,” Twins president Dave St. Peter wrote in an email to Sports Headliners.

The Twins are adept at preparing for cold weather games and a heating system allows the ground temperatures to be controlled. With commitments to season ticket holders, suite purchasers and stadium advertisers, moving a game is highly unusual in major league baseball. Several years ago snowed forced the Indians to move their early April home series with the Angels to Milwaukee’s retractable roof stadium.

The Twins announced this morning they have sent outfielder Joe Benson and pitcher Pedro Hernandez to Triple-A Rochester. Pitcher Luis Perdomo has been reassigned to the minor league camp. The Twins now have 38 players in camp including 20 pitchers.

The St. Thomas men’s basketball team needs to win two more games to play for the Division III national championship in Atlanta on April 7. The Tommies play Williams College (Massachusetts) today at 11 a.m. (CDT) in Salem, Virginia. The winner plays the winner of the St. Mary’s (Maryland) and Mary Hardin-Baylor (Texas) game on Saturday at 5 p.m.

Tommies’ coach John Tauer said UST, 29-1, will face a Williams team, 26-4, that uses a patient offense. “You can play (defense) 33 seconds and one guy slips up and they’re going to hit you with a back-cut,” Tauer said.

But the Tommies have defined themselves as a special team this season, earning a No. 1 national ranking. “They really believe in themselves,” Tauer said. “I think they feel they can beat anybody in the country if they play well. If they play poorly they can get beat.”

There are seven Tommies on the team that were part of the 2011 national championship team. Tauer, who was an assistant coach on that team, now is within three games of winning his first national championship.

He’s more excited than nervous. “I am not a real nervous guy to begin with,” said Tauer, a psychology professor.

Tauer said new school president Julie Sullivan won’t be in Salem this weekend but told the coach she hopes her schedule will allow a trip to Atlanta.

Comments Welcome

Borton & U Need to Build on 2013

Posted on March 8, 2013March 8, 2013 by David Shama

Coach Pam Borton, finishing up her 11^th season at Minnesota, saw more than a 58-47 opening round Big Ten Tournament loss to Ohio State last night. The defeat almost for certain left Minnesota, with an overall 18-13 record, out of the women’s NCAA Tournament field to be announced later this month.

The Gophers haven’t been to the tournament since 2009. Borton’s Big Ten regular season records the last four seasons are 6-12, 4-12, 6-10 and 7-9 in 2013. Those results are in contrast to her early years at Minnesota when the Gophers had winning conference records, made two Sweet 16 appearances and one Final Four.

Along with a fall off in wins has also come a decline in home attendance. A program that once drew over 9,000 fans in Williams Arena for some games regularly announces crowds now of 2,500 to 5,000 and averaged 3,405 this season.

That means lost revenue for the athletic department, and among women’s sports Gophers basketball rates high among potential revenue generators. And there’s plenty of potential to make Gophers basketball — the state’s only Division I women’s program — much more significant financially.

New administrators in the athletic department have basketball expertise. They should be interested in improvement on the court and at the box office. Athletic director Norwood Teague built part of his reputation as AD at VCU on the hiring of men’s basketball coach Shaka Smart who made the Rams a national brand. Senior associate athletic director Mike Ellis is a former basketball coach and founder of the Villa 7 consortium that brings outstanding women’s and men’s assistant basketball coaches together with athletic directors for networking and career development.

Teague’s most recent hire is Beth Goetz who previously worked at Butler where men’s coach Brad Stevens praised her work in the school’s athletic department. Stevens and Smart are considered two of the best young coaches in the country. As a senior associate athletic director at Minnesota, Goetz’s responsibilities include overseeing women’s basketball.

Borton’s 2013 starters all have remaining eligibility. The group includes sophomore guard Rachel Banham, an All-Big Ten player who averaged 21 points per game and has been described as “the next Lindsay Whalen.” Another returnee is junior forward Micaella Riche who averaged 7.7 rebounds per game. And Borton has 6-5 Swedish center Amanda Zuhi ready to play for the first time next fall.

Next fall those players will create expectations for better results than either they or Borton have known in recent seasons.

Worth Noting

The Gophers’ hockey team probably played its worst game of the season in a 2-0 home loss to Denver last Friday night. The team’s radio play-by-play voice, Wally Shaver, told Sports Headliners the performance was criticized by the coaching staff, and then Minnesota had an impressive win over Denver on Saturday night and now looks to be in “playoff mode.”

The Gophers, all year ranked among the best teams in college hockey, finish their WCHA regular season schedule at Bemidji State tonight and tomorrow night. The second place Gophers could win the league title this weekend, although they are two points behind St. Cloud State in the standings. Shaver said he wouldn’t be surprised if Minnesota (14-7-5 WCHA record) wins both games against the Beavers (5-14-7).

Some might consider a second place finish a disappointment for the talented Gophers but not Shaver who said Minnesota is reaching for success in the NCAA Tournament and playing for a national title.

Defenseman Jonas Brodin is the youngest player on the Wild and although he’s only played in 19 games, he’s turning heads with his skills including skating. The 19-year-old Swede and other Wild newcomers including forwards Mikael Granlund and Jason Zucker were praised in a February 21 blog by David Staples writing for the Edmonton Journal. “This is a talented, aggressive, and skilled group of players and there’s enough of them to one day transform the Wild franchise.”

The list of college possibilities for Tyus Jones is at seven, according to his dad Rob Jones. The schools are: Baylor, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State, Minnesota and Ohio State. The Apple Valley junior point guard is among the most highly recruited players in the country but his dad said no date for announcing a college choice has been determined.

Apple Valley is on everyone’s short list of favorites to win the Class 4A state title later this month. “I think any kid who plays high school basketball wants to reach the pinnacle,” Rob said. “God willing this wil be the year.”

The St. Thomas men’s basketball team is 15-0 at home this season and 40-3 since Schoenecker Arena opened three seasons ago. St. Thomas is 27-1 after defeating Aurora (Illinois) 91-62 in an opening Division III NCAA Tournament game last week. The Tommies play 21-6 Wheaton (Illinois) at home beginning at 7 p.m. tomorrow night.

Tommies coach John Tauer said Wheaton is a perennial Division III top 20 program and is a physical team that likely will start players “bigger than us at four positions.”

Junior forward Zach Riedeman was among the Tommies standouts in a game last Saturday where all 15 players got on the floor. Reidner led UST with 16 points and six assists. The former Forest Lake Area High School career scoring leader has 13 assists in his last two games.

“Zach has been playing great for us,” Tauer said. “He’s become far more than a scorer.”

Despite winning by 29 points last week, Tauer let his players know they were far from perfect. He said UST’s 16 turnovers were “horrendous for us.” While he was pleased with a field goal percentage of 56 percent, he wasn’t so happy with the Tommies making 54 percent of their free throws.

Former Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi leaves for China next week where he will talk about varsity sports at two Chinese universities. Jim Turman, University of Minnesota recreational sports director, will also be speaking at the Chinese universities.

Ted Mondale, executive director of the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, speaks next Thursday at the C.O.R.E.S. luncheon in Bloomington. He will provide an update on the new Vikings stadium. Anyone interested in more information can contact Jim Dotseth, dotsethj@comcast.net. C.O.R.E.S. is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans.

Comments Welcome