MINNEAPOLIS — This weekend’s series at Wisconsin will be the last scheduled games between the Minnesota Gophers women’s hockey team and their arch rivals in fire engine red. But knowing the history of the rivalry between the Gophers and Badgers, hardly anyone thinks they won’t meet once or twice in March.
“I think people from the outside are looking at the four games with Wisconsin, five in the playoffs, six in the national tournament oftentimes,” said Gophers coach Brad Frost this week, trying to stress that in the race for the WCHA title, the points on the line this weekend are worth the same as any other conference weekend. “And I get that, but they’re just four other games in our conference schedule, which is incredibly tough. These games often have big implications in the national rankings but often in the conference standings as well, so we’ll see what happens this weekend.”
The Gophers (20-2-3) enter the weekend ranked second in the country, behind the top-ranked Badgers (21-2-1). Wisconsin leapfrogged Minnesota last week after the Gophers lost a home game to Ohio State while the Badgers were idle. But there is an urgency to get back on home ice for Badgers coach Mark Johnson and his team. Their last game in Madison was on Dec. 7, and they are coming off a road loss at Bemidji State two weeks ago. Johnson is one of the most renowned coaches in women’s college hockey, having led the Badgers to five NCAA titles, including the most recent one. But with the Gophers in town, he needs to do little motivating.
“I don’t need to tell them much as far as prepping and getting the players ready to play this weekend. There are some things we’ll do on the ice, but as far as getting them excited to play, usually the upperclassmen will send that message to the other players,” Johnson said. “One more chance to play in front of a full house, and I think when the other team has that Minnesota jersey on, I think they get a little bit more excited about it.”
Frost talked this week of the thrill his team got last weekend, beating Ohio State at an outdoor rink in Minneapolis as part of Hockey Day Minnesota. Like Johnson, the Gophers coach does not expect any kind of emotional letdown.
“There’s always a little more intensity in practice, a little more excitement. It’s one versus two, we’ve been flip-flopping all year and I think we’re both receiving votes for number one,” Frost said. “Hopefully some things will be settled here this weekend in regards to who’s the better team. We had a great weekend with them here and now we know it’s going to be a really tall task on the road in their place, but we’re looking forward to it.”
Friday’s game is a 7 p.m. start at LaBahn Arena in Madison, with a matinee rematch at 3 p.m. Saturday.
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Here we go again as No. 2 Gophers visit top-ranked Badgers - Grand Forks Herald
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