Gophers Hockey – Page 7 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Vikes Put the Hit on Toothless Panthers for First Win

Posted on October 1, 2023October 1, 2023 by David Shama

“Harry the Hitman” and his defensive pals were too much for the inept Panthers’ offense today as the Vikings ended a seven-game losing streak dating back to the 2023 playoffs.

Harrison Smith, the Vikings’ 34-year-old veteran safety, had the first three sacks game ever in his NFL career — a 21-13 Minnesota win. The Vikings, now 1-3, had lost their first three regular season games and three preseason games last summer.

Smith’s third quarter sack of Carolina QB Bryce Young knocked the football loose and outside linebacker D.J. Wonnum did a scoop and score, running 51 yards for a touchdown that put the Vikings ahead to stay at 14-13. After the game, talking on KFAN Radio, Wonnum said, “I am not getting caught, man.”

As for Smith, he received high praise on the radio from head coach Kevin O’Connell. He referred to his 12-year veteran as having an “unbelievable performance” and characterizing Smith as one of his “favorite players” ever.

Smith, who sacked Young on the last Carolina play of the game, was part of a defense that often confused Young, a rookie who mostly ran an offense looking like it was using training-wheels. Among those joining Smith and Wonnum in disrupting Carolina was outside linebacker Marcus Davenport, the offseason free agent acquisition who had played sparingly in the first three games. But he was a force today disrupting both running and passing by the Panthers, who are now 0-4.

Carolina didn’t produce an offensive touchdown against the Vikings. The Panthers intercepted a QB Kirk Cousins pass near the goal line in the first quarter and ran it back 99 yards for one touchdown. They added two field goals in the second quarter, including one set up on another Cousins’ interception, but couldn’t get in the end zone against a Viking defense that made sure Minnesota got its first win.

Cousins threw two touchdown passes to WR Justin Jefferson (who else?). Jefferson had a four-yard reception in the second quarter and 30-yard score in the third quarter.

The defense had to come through on a day that the Vikings had possession of the ball 21:31 versus the Panthers 38:29. The problem was Carolina didn’t have much of a clue as to what to do with the football.

Worth Noting

Next Sunday’s game with the Chiefs at U.S. Bank Stadium will showcase a spirited split crowd with the popularity of the 2023 Super Bowl champions and the six-hour drive proximity of Kansas City to Minneapolis bringing fans up from Missouri.

Lindy’s Sports College Basketball magazine, on newsstands now, predicts Ben Johnson’s Golden Gophers will finish last in the Big Ten standings for a third consecutive season. “Clearly better than last year but still facing a steep climb,” Lindy’s writes.

Minnesota has been competing in basketball since 1896 and last season’s second straight last place finish was a program record. Johnson, of course, is hopeful of avoiding the cellar and expressed his pleasure recently about both returnees and quality additions to his roster and having a healthier team than in the past. “Lot to be positive about, lot to be excited about,” Johnson said. “Just really looking forward to continue to build on the process here in October.”

Gopher forward Dawson Garcia, the 6-11, 230-pound junior from Savage, is on Lindy’s All-Conference third team.

Word from someone in the Timberwolves travel party is about 200 people including players and staff leave from Minneapolis today for Abu Dhabi. The Wolves will play preseason games there October 5 and 7 against the Mavericks with NBA TV offering coverage.

Gray Duck Spirits is producing its first ever beer, Duck Duck Beer, along with a new seltzer Fan Pack, as part of a partnership with Dinkytown Athletes—the official University of Minnesota collective that assists with Name, Image and Likeness opportunities for Gopher student-athletes. The products, decorated in maroon and gold, are being sold in state liquor stores and bars/restaurants, with 20 percent of sales going to Dinkytown Athletes.

The Louisiana team the Gophers defeated 35-24 last Saturday is probably a better team than the Northwestern Wildcats who stunned Minnesota September 23 by overcoming a 21-point deficit to win 37-34 overtime.

What the Twins need to accomplish in the postseason, if nothing else, is end their 18-game losing streak in the playoffs. That’s the longest in North American professional sports history for the four major sports of baseball, basketball, football and hockey.

Sonny Gray will be a top vote getter for the AL Cy Young Award despite winning only eight games this season because of such poor run support from his Twins teammates. He finished third in the 2015 voting while with the Athletics.

Brooks Robinson, the Orioles’ immortal, died last week at age 86 and he is considered by many authorities to be the best fielding third baseman of all-time. The best fielding Twin at the position? John Castino or Gary Gaetti.

This is an exciting week for St. Anthony Village High School activities director and baseball coach Troy Urdahl because his book goes live on Amazon on Monday. Chasing Influence: Transformational Coaching to Build Champions for Life makes readers think about being better leaders.

Urdahl, who has been coaching baseball for 23 years, has been working for two years on the book that has earned praise from others including Terry Ryan, former Twins general manager. “I’ve taken all of the coaching and leadership lessons I’ve learned over my years as an athlete, coach, and athletic director and condensed them into a narrative where a fictional character is built around some of Tink Larson’s life story (Waseca baseball legend),” Urdahl wrote via email.

Larson, a friend and mentor of Urdahl, coached for 35 years at Waseca High School and is an icon known for his coaching of amateur baseball teams and leadership in the state even to this day.

A hockey insider said Massachusetts prep superstar forward Cole Eiserman (class of 2024) flipped his commitment from the Gophers to Boston University because of family and a desire to stay in his home state.

Ken Mauer Jr., the St. Paul native and former veteran NBA referee, is using a fundraising platform to help with costs involved in litigation against the league. “With two lawsuits now, one for discrimination in denying my religious exemption, as well as a second suit for refusing to release my pension…legal fees have been crazy,” Mauer said via email.https://www.givesendgo.com/kennymauer

1 comment

No Sleeping on Danielle Hunter’s Sacks

Posted on September 26, 2023September 26, 2023 by David Shama

Enjoy a Tuesday notes column.

After three games Viking outside linebacker Danielle Hunter ranks second in the NFL with five sacks. Long known as one of the league’s best rushers, Hunter missed all of the 2020 season and was limited to seven games in 2021 because of injuries.

“I’ve learned a lot about taking care of the body over the years,” Hunter told Sports Headliners. When Hunter was younger, he “used to stay up all night playing video games.”

What’s his approach to staying healthy now? “I feel like the biggest thing is just rest,” he said. “Sleep, nutrition. That’s the most important thing. Over the years, being younger, you think you don’t need sleep but as time goes on, sleep and nutrition is probably the most important thing.”

Hunter, 28 years old and now in his ninth NFL season with the Vikings, avoids unhealthy foods and takes magnesium before going to sleep because the mineral helps him relax. He targets about eight hours of sleep and doesn’t nap. “I try to stay up as much as I can and reward myself with a good deep sleep.”

Hunter’s fast start in accumulating sacks is not new. In the first seven games in 2021 he had six sacks.

Danielle Hunter image courtesy of Minnesota Vikings.

Hunter has averaged double figures in sacks four times during his career including last season at 11.5. He had 29 sacks and 36 tackles for loss in 2018-2019, ranking second and third in the NFL over that span.

It wouldn’t be surprising if Dalton Risner makes his first start for the Vikings Sunday in Charlotte against the Panthers. Risner, who signed as a free agent with the Vikings last week, played four seasons at left guard with the Broncos. He could line up there Sunday, with Ezra Cleveland moving to right guard where he has previous experience and replacing Ed Ingram.

Another possibility is Risner could play right guard, with Cleveland remaining on the left side. Risner has practiced at right guard with the Vikings.

His offensive line versatility includes playing center and tackle at Kansas State. “I can still snap the football,” Risner told Sports Headliners. “Primarily I think I am a left guard, right guard, right tackle, center emergency. I played three years at right tackle (in college). In the NFL, nobody talks to me as a right tackle, man. …I don’t know if you should trust me at left tackle.”

Alexander Mattison said some of the best advice he received from Dalvin Cook, the man he replaced as the Vikings’ starting running back, is “be the kid that fell in love with the game.”

That means playing relaxed and loose. Challenging? Yes, because Mattison can be his harshest critic and he said “no one can beat myself up, criticize me more than myself.”

Mattison had his best rushing total of 2023 in last Sunday’s loss to the Chargers. He gained 93 yards on 20 carries.

Former Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen, now with 0-3 Carolina, said “next week (against 0-3 Minnesota Sunday) kind of feels like a playoff game.”

It’s that kind of dramatic situation for both teams, with ESPN.com’s Bill Barnwell writing earlier this month that since 2002 99 NFL teams have started their seasons 0-3 but only one (the 2018 Texans) has made the playoffs. And only one 0-4 team has ever earned its way into the postseason, the 1992 Chargers. Take note, though, that the NFL started playing a 17-game regular season schedule in 2021 which now provides an extra game to recover from a difficult start.

Thielen, 33, is still a playmaker and last Sunday had 11 receptions for 145 yards, the fourth most for a single game in his 10-season NFL career.

Former Vikings quarterback and NFL Hall of Famer Brett Favre was a big hit in Winona earlier this month. A consummate storyteller, he was the celebrity speaker for the Morrie Miller Athletic Foundation Banquet. The dinner, along with a golf tournament, raised a record $410,000 for Winona area athletics. Many attendees said he was the best guest ever and the past celebrity list includes Joe Montana, Mike Ditka, Bart Starr and Bud Grant.

If Darius Taylor, injured late in last Saturday’s loss to Northwestern, can’t play in this Saturday’s Gopher Homecoming Game against Louisiana it will be interesting to see if redshirt freshman Zach Evans receives some reps. Evans, with an impressive reputation coming out of high school in Texas, hasn’t carried the ball in the first four games. He had a brief head turning debut in one game last season, with six carries for 29 yards and one touchdown against Northwestern.

Bryce Williams, now in his sixth and final season with the Gophers, seems the likely starter if Taylor can’t play. He knows his assignments and is probably the best receiver among the running backs. Sean Tyler, the Western Michigan transfer fumbled three times against Eastern Michigan, and since then had three carries against North Carolina and none in the Northwestern game.

Taylor is the Big Ten Freshman of the Week after accounting for 198 yards rushing and 18 receiving yards last Saturday. It’s the third consecutive week he has won the honor, something that is a first in Gopher history.

Disgruntled Gophers fans after consecutive losses to North Carolina and Northwestern can do something positive by assisting Dinkytown Athletes. The official collective of Gophers sports accepts money designated to a specific program and money exclusively for football can reward current players for their Name, Image and Likeness. More money directed to football helps retain these players and assist future Gophers. Ideally, word gets out in the future that Minnesota is a strong NIL school, and that can do nothing but help attract quality talent and make the Gophers successful on the field.

If only two percent of football season ticket attendees, approximately 480, gave an average of $500 this fall it will increase revenues by $240,000. If 1,000 fans who follow the football Gophers only on TV gave an average of $250, that would jump revenues by $250,000. Sums like that, added to what is already in place and coming, would considerably boost football NIL money. https://dinkytownathletes.com/

The Gopher men’s hockey team is predicted to win the Big Ten regular season championship, per a poll of league coaches announced yesterday. Six Gophers are preseason All-Big Ten selections. Jimmy Snuggerud and Luke Mittelstadt are first teamers; Bryce Brodzinski, Mike Koster and Justen Close second teamers, and Ryan Chesley is an honorable mention choice.

No telecast of the Wild’s preseason opening game (start time 7 p.m.) in Dallas tonight against the Stars but KFAN has radio play-by-play. 100.3 FM.

Twins president Dave St. Peter talking about upcoming playoff games at Target Field: “We expect to sell out postseason games.”

St. Peter enjoys attending games at tradition-laden college football venues and on November 18 (after the World Series) plans to be in Knoxville to watch Tennessee against Georgia.

Not often in their history have the Twins made an offseason minor league free agent signing that turned out better than their late 2022 acquisition of Willi Castro. His versatility playing in the outfield and infield, timely hitting and base running (leads the team with 32 stolen bases) has been a factor in the Twins winning the AL Central Division.

Comments Welcome

Vikings’ Must-Win, Gophers’ Uniforms Headline Worthy

Posted on September 19, 2023 by David Shama

Enjoy a Tuesday notes column.

Coach P.J. Fleck is a creative thinker, and that includes how he approaches the uniforms his players wear. His commitment to putting the Gophers in various color combinations has been so extensive since becoming head football coach in 2017 that the athletic department communications office publishes a “Gopher Uniform Tracker” in its weekly news release for the media.

Frequently the Gophers wear combinations of maroon and gold, but black on black has been worn at Minnesota and by other Power Five teams who find the look appealing among players, coaches and younger fans. At the last home game, the Gophers unveiled their new all-black dark mode uniforms for an evening match up with Eastern Michigan. The look prompted both favorable and critical comments sent to Fleck and Sports Headliners.

Fleck said yesterday respect for the school’s maroon and gold colors remains in place and always will. “…We’re adding a little flavor to it (the uniforms). That’s…because it’s all about the players. Everything we do is about the players that are on that field. The student athletes love it. Our student body loves it. The young people love it, and I get it.”

Uniform colors vary most weeks because the players like that and they have a constant voice in what they wear. “…And I don’t think there was one email from our players that said I didn’t like those (the dark-mode uniforms),” Fleck said. “And that’s with no disrespect to our fans. We have the best fans, and we have the best supporters. I had a lot of emails about it, and I feel it. I appreciate that. But I also got just as many, if not more, by how much people liked them.”

This week Dinkytown Athletes, the official Name, Image and Likeness Collective of Golden Gopher Athletics, is introducing a retro merchandise collection featuring “M” Club Hall of Fame Gopher athletes. The first merchandise offering features Gopher football greats Marion Barber, Jr. (‘77-’80), Rickey Foggie (‘84-’87) and Pete Najarian (‘82-’85). Retro jerseys and shirts are available for a limited amount of time with a portion of the proceeds donated to DA.

“This is a great way to celebrate the achievements of past Gopher athletes while supporting the current ones,” Najarian said in a DA news release. “We need to embrace our alumni and get them involved. Let’s remember the past and support our future at the same time!”

Led by co-founders Derek Burns and Robert Gag, DA started about a year ago and directly supports current student athletes with NIL deals. In the highly competitive world of college sports, NIL is a continuing priority for DA and the Gophers.

Watch for merchandise offers in the coming months featuring Gopher basketball and hockey greats. More on the new initiative at https://athletesthread.com/collections/gopher-legend

The Vikings need to duck almost certain disaster by not losing to the Chargers on Sunday and starting the season 0-3. ESPN.com’s Bill Barnwell wrote yesterday that since 2002 99 NFL teams have started their seasons 0-3 but only one (the 2018 Texans) has made it to the playoffs. The Chargers are also 0-2 and have lost those games by a total of five points.

A cheery stat is that 0-2 NFL teams do go on to make the playoffs, with that happening seven of the last 10 seasons. Last season eight of the 14 teams making the playoffs started either 1-1 or 0-2. That includes the Bengals who started 0-2 and won the AFC North.

The Vikings must show they can do better at stopping the run, while also rushing more effectively. The Vikings were gouged by the Eagles’ run game last Thursday night and rank 29^th among 32 NFL teams giving up 332 yards rushing this season.

Look for Minnesota to commit more to running the ball at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday against a Chargers’ defense not that formidable against the rush, allowing 211 yards in two games and 3.9 yards per carry. The Vikings so far this season are passing 77.9 percent of the time, the most in the NFL, per Teamrankings.com.

It’s evident the Vikings miss the explosive run production of Dalvin Cook, who was released in the offseason and is now with the Jets. Not working in their favor either is left tackle Christian Darrisaw (ankle) and center Garrett Bradbury (back) could be sidelined on Sunday. The reported signing of free agent guard Dalton Risner, a consistent player who figures to be the best of the pass blockers on the roster of guards, should help.

Former Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks, now with the Chargers, will be dealing with a hamstring injury this week that kept him out of last Sunday’s game against the Titans. The 31-year-old veteran has been outstanding against the pass during his career.

Chargers’ starting offensive tackle Trey Pipkins III is from Apple Valley and played collegiately at Sioux Falls. The 27-year-old started 14 games for the Chargers last season and has two starts in 2023.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts, who connected on 26 of 31 passes last week and 331 yards against the Vikings, is on the cover of Time Magazine for the feature 100 of the “world’s rising stars.” Peyton Manning wrote a profile about Hurts and referred to him as “a model of how to approach a job.”

Detroit can claim the most NFL players among American cities. The NFL reports that after analyzing the 2023 opening week rosters of all teams and where the players come from, Detroit was first with 19, followed by Bradenton, Florida with 17 and Houston at 16.

Gophers’ true freshman tailback Darius Taylor is a Detroit native. He was again named Big Ten Freshman of the Week after he ran for 138 yards last Saturday against North Carolina. A week ago he won the honor for the first time after a 193 yard performance versus Eastern Michigan. Taylor is the program’s first Freshman of the Week in consecutive weeks since running back Shannon Brooks in November of 2015.

Sports Headliners reader and Gophers’ basketball fan Scott Ballou emailed news about former Minnesota head coach Clem Haskins who turned 80 on August 11. Ex-Gophers Walter Bond, Randy Carter, Ariel McDonald and John Thomas travelled last month to Campbellsville, Kentucky to celebrate their coach’s 80^th birthday. “Other former players had contacted him as well,” Ballou said via email while noting he had spoken by phone last month to Haskins. “He was very proud that many of his former players were still close and had stuck together over the years. He said he and his family were doing well and his son Brent lives in Hudson and works for the Cleveland Cavaliers.”

Happy birthday to talented St. Thomas men’s basketball coach John Tauer who turned 51 yesterday. His Tommies won the 2016 Division III national title.

Friends have been looking for former Gophers’ basketball assistant coach Jimmy Williams for about 12 months and he has been found at the Brynwood Health and Rehabilitation facility in Monticello, Florida. Jay Pivec, who coached with Williams on the 1982 Big Ten champion Gophers, said Williams suffered a stroke last week but is thinking clearly while struggling with his speech. Williams was an assistant coach at Minnesota for 15 seasons including for the 1972 and 1982 Big Ten title teams.

The Twins will face starting right hander Hunter Greene on Wednesday in the closing game of their series with the Reds in Cincinnati. The Twins had to choose between Greene and Royce Lewis in the 2017 MLB Draft, taking Lewis as the No. 1 overall pick while Greene went second. They made the right choice with Lewis, an everyday player, and now among baseball’s most promising young players, while Green has a career record of 9-19 and 4.45 ERA. Bailey Ober, 7-6 with a 3.67 ERA, will oppose Greene Wednesday.

With the popularity of the Gophers volleyball team, you might wonder if the U athletic department is considering an outdoor match for Huntington Bank Stadium after the Cornhuskers drew an announced attendance of 91,648 for a match on August 30 in the Nebraska football stadium. That was a world record attendance for a women’s sports event.

It will be interesting to see if the Wednesday night best of three WNBA playoff series game at Target Center between the Lynx and Sun sells out. The Lynx website lists available tickets from $24 to $334.

1 comment