Vanek could have a few, but I imagine most would first think of the UNH game.
I always think of the Ferris State goal with Vanek...probably because I was in the building. UNH was obviously more important, but that Ferris rush was jaw dropping to see in real time.
It took me a game or two to realize that one should not go to the main gate on the South side of Williams Arena, but instead stand outside in the cold on the North side because that was faster entrance to the Balcony Level GA seating. After a few games I came to know the other people who would arrive 5:30 ish for a 7 pm game and shiver until the outer doors were open. That was the bond; you could have someone look out for you and save you a seat. The best I did was score second row seats, Center Red Line, Balcony. I don't think there are any seats better than Balcony Center Red Line at any arena.
We were usually among the first in line so we could sit in the second row of the balcony (1971-75). Liked it better than the front row because of the railing. Like you I would like someone to show me seats with a better view at any arena.
I suppose the losses are what show me, even to this day, how much this program means to me - love to see them win but hate to see them lose.
I wish I could recall an exact moment I became a fan but perhaps more appropriately, certain moments stick out to me & remind me of why I love being a fan. Whether it was Blake Wheeler’s diving goal, seeing Grant’s goal go in to win #4, watching Thomas Vanek look like a cheat code, my first game at Mariucci or getting heckled by a bunch of drunk whioux fans after a gopher win @und when I was 11; each one are special in their own way.
Will always be a fan of this team, no matter how many “runner up” banners we get.
It started for me as a freshman at Henry Sibley...um...uh...*shuffles papers*..."Two Rivers." Back then, they were a hard-scrabble force to be reckoned with. I remember that team with Doug Spoden et al. I think it was Hibbing that they upset in the first round before losing at the hands of the cake eaters.
Unfortunately, our class came along and began a descent from which the old Warrior never recovered. It was a time when teams like Sibley and South Saint Paul and even northern powerhouses like Roseau and Warroad started giving way to the growing mega suburbs, such as Burnsville and Bloomington.
When I went to the University of Minnesota, I lived next to the hockey house, as it was called, in Dinkytown where from time to time beers would exchange hands. That was the year the boys from Roseau were tearing it up. I started going to games at the old rink, and, though I had always been more of a baseball and football fan, Gopher Hockey just set the hook. It provided a nice winter diversion, and there was nothing more thrilling than being a part of that overflowing crowd sitting on that perch overlooking the ice and watching my neighbors beat up their opponents. When the place erupted, it was visceral, and if you like sports, there was nothing better.
Those were some good times, and I look back on them as one of many chapters in the halcyon days of my youth.
Vanek could have a few, but I imagine most would first think of the UNH game.
I always think of the Ferris State goal with Vanek...probably because I was in the building. UNH was obviously more important, but that Ferris rush was jaw dropping to see in real time.
while not as flashy the ot goal in the ‘03 semi was pretty important:
It took me a game or two to realize that one should not go to the main gate on the South side of Williams Arena, but instead stand outside in the cold on the North side because that was faster entrance to the Balcony Level GA seating. After a few games I came to know the other people who would arrive 5:30 ish for a 7 pm game and shiver until the outer doors were open. That was the bond; you could have someone look out for you and save you a seat. The best I did was score second row seats, Center Red Line, Balcony. I don't think there are any seats better than Balcony Center Red Line at any arena.
We were usually among the first in line so we could sit in the second row of the balcony (1971-75). Liked it better than the front row because of the railing. Like you I would like someone to show me seats with a better view at any arena.
Was that you swinging rubber chickens? Seven year old me loved that! So does 56 year old me....
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
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It took me a game or two to realize that one should not go to the main gate on the South side of Williams Arena, but instead stand outside in the cold on the North side because that was faster entrance to the Balcony Level GA seating. After a few games I came to know the other people who would arrive 5:30 ish for a 7 pm game and shiver until the outer doors were open. That was the bond; you could have someone look out for you and save you a seat. The best I did was score second row seats, Center Red Line, Balcony. I don't think there are any seats better than Balcony Center Red Line at any arena.
We were usually among the first in line so we could sit in the second row of the balcony (1971-75). Liked it better than the front row because of the railing. Like you I would like someone to show me seats with a better view at any arena.
Was that you swinging rubber chickens? Seven year old me loved that! So does 56 year old me....
No, we sat on the blue line of the zone the Gophers shot at twice. The guy with the rubber chicken was a ways to our left.
It took me a game or two to realize that one should not go to the main gate on the South side of Williams Arena, but instead stand outside in the cold on the North side because that was faster entrance to the Balcony Level GA seating. After a few games I came to know the other people who would arrive 5:30 ish for a 7 pm game and shiver until the outer doors were open. That was the bond; you could have someone look out for you and save you a seat. The best I did was score second row seats, Center Red Line, Balcony. I don't think there are any seats better than Balcony Center Red Line at any arena.
We were usually among the first in line so we could sit in the second row of the balcony (1971-75). Liked it better than the front row because of the railing. Like you I would like someone to show me seats with a better view at any arena.
Steve Stillwell would sit cross-legged on the floor of the first row so he could look between the rails. Years later I would see him on TV as an off-ice official at Gopher games.
I am sure someone around here has the gif of the goal from that game...hell I bet Jup does!
(your clue is "The goal predates GPL by 1 year" Iceburg)
I may have the video on a backup CD somewhere... Who knows. All I have of of that game is a tiny gif of Ballard about 10 seconds before he scored that goal against UND.
Do not like how this board is run? Get your own board! ♃
It took me a game or two to realize that one should not go to the main gate on the South side of Williams Arena, but instead stand outside in the cold on the North side because that was faster entrance to the Balcony Level GA seating. After a few games I came to know the other people who would arrive 5:30 ish for a 7 pm game and shiver until the outer doors were open. That was the bond; you could have someone look out for you and save you a seat. The best I did was score second row seats, Center Red Line, Balcony. I don't think there are any seats better than Balcony Center Red Line at any arena.
We were usually among the first in line so we could sit in the second row of the balcony (1971-75). Liked it better than the front row because of the railing. Like you I would like someone to show me seats with a better view at any arena.
Was that you swinging rubber chickens? Seven year old me loved that! So does 56 year old me....
As I remember, the rubber chicken swinger was closer to the offensive (West) Blue Line. There were a number of characters among the student GA section, some with very clever minds. They could be heard very easily during lulls because there was no background music blaring.
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
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I remember going to games mid 70’s early 80’s paying 4.00 to 5.00 a ticket for standing room tickets going out during intermission with pass out receipts going to Station 19 for a few drinks returning for the 3rd period for another Gopher victory ?
I am sure someone around here has the gif of the goal from that game...hell I bet Jup does!
(your clue is "The goal predates GPL by 1 year" Iceburg)
I may have the video on a backup CD somewhere... Who knows. All I have of of that game is a tiny gif of Ballard about 10 seconds before he scored that goal against UND.
That is the part that makes the goal epic! (especially since they were buddies)
For those that don't remember let me set the scene:
The year was 2002. The Gophers played the Sue...A LOT! We opened their arena with a loss that included Leopold scoring from, I think Fargo (I was kind of seeing a NoDak girl at the time...fun night for ME!) and also won up there on a goal with under a minute (I want to say 10 seconds...Waibel caused them to throw their drinks on the ice) left. UNDuh had some awful goaltending by Andy Kollar so they brought in Josh Sievebida at the break. He had about a month's worth of good games but alas fell down to Earth and they finished in the bottom half of the league. (we took 3 of 4 in conference, won the non-con game so they were not happy with us) We get to face them in the first round of the WCHA tourny at Mariucci. We were rolling going into that. We were 7-1 in the last 8 including a sweep of SCCC. We annihilate them in game 1 7-2. Game 2 is much better and heads to OT. Ballard I believe checks Lundbohm into the boards, then while they are on the ice he pulls his jersey over his head, joins the rush the other way and scores the goal to end the game and Sue's season. Blew the roof off the place.
The second half of that season was nuts. We went from splitting every weekend to being unstoppable. By the time we played SCCC in the Final Five semis everyone knew what was going to happen. The Denver game sucked but that loss worked out so much better for us
From my own personal experience, the loudest I heard Mariucci was at the 2022 Big Ten Championship game. I was sitting on the opposite end of the expanded student section. And when Nelson scored that breakaway goal, the place exploded.
Some recency bias but just a few off the top of my head from this past year. In no particular order is Knies OT vs Michigan, Knies OT vs North Dakota, Nevers to send it to OT vs North Dakota, and of course THAT Pitlick goal vs Michigan.
Also, sorry to bring down the mood, but are we really about to roll into the season with only 12 forwards? Or can we expect a late add or two? If the roster is what it is are we going to push a more offensively gifted defenseman forward if one of our forwards is injured? That also leaves zero wiggle room if we have a player or two who isn’t producing. Just seems really risky.
To me, it seems they are in on Bump and he is the preferred option. If he goes elsewhere, they bring in Hendrickson plus possibly a depth forward. Cannot see a scenario in which there are only 12 forwards.
It took me a game or two to realize that one should not go to the main gate on the South side of Williams Arena, but instead stand outside in the cold on the North side because that was faster entrance to the Balcony Level GA seating. After a few games I came to know the other people who would arrive 5:30 ish for a 7 pm game and shiver until the outer doors were open. That was the bond; you could have someone look out for you and save you a seat. The best I did was score second row seats, Center Red Line, Balcony. I don't think there are any seats better than Balcony Center Red Line at any arena.
We were usually among the first in line so we could sit in the second row of the balcony (1971-75). Liked it better than the front row because of the railing. Like you I would like someone to show me seats with a better view at any arena.
Was that you swinging rubber chickens? Seven year old me loved that! So does 56 year old me....
As I remember, the rubber chicken swinger was closer to the offensive (West) Blue Line. There were a number of characters among the student GA section, some with very clever minds. They could be heard very easily during lulls because there was no background music blaring.
That's the blue line we sat on. The rubber chicken guy was a ways to our left.
A story about rubber chicken guy. A softball team I was on got into a tournament at S.R.O. probably in the mid to late 1970’s. We got there early on Sunday morning and were taking some batting practice and rubber chicken guy approaches us with an umpire shirt on and asks if he can take a few swings. On about his third swing he hits the longest ball that anyone ever hit off me in 20 some years of pitching. He then umped our first game that day. Really good guy. He has been the attendant in the west penalty box at Mariucci for years. Not sure if he still is or not. After 1980 he used to wear a sweat shirt that said something like “U of M 4, USSR 3”. A few years ago I googled the Minnesota Softball Hall of Fame and stumbled across an article on him being inducted.
A story about rubber chicken guy. A softball team I was on got into a tournament at S.R.O. probably in the mid to late 1970’s. We got there early on Sunday morning and were taking some batting practice and rubber chicken guy approaches us with an umpire shirt on and asks if he can take a few swings. On about his third swing he hits the longest ball that anyone ever hit off me in 20 some years of pitching. He then umped our first game that day. Really good guy. He has been the attendant in the west penalty box at Mariucci for years. Not sure if he still is or not. After 1980 he used to wear a sweat shirt that said something like “U of M 4, USSR 3”. A few years ago I googled the Minnesota Softball Hall of Fame and stumbled across an article on him being inducted.
That's a great story! I'm wondering how it came up that he was the rubber chicken guy?
Speaking of Fish, I’m really excited to see him get a much bigger role this season. I really liked when we got to see him play the past couple seasons. I think he’ll bring a fun and different element to an already really solid D corps.
Speaking of Fish, I’m really excited to see him get a much bigger role this season. I really liked when we got to see him play the past couple seasons. I think he’ll bring a fun and different element to an already really solid D corps.
Fish is the dark horse on this team that I think fans of college hockey and even some Gopher fans don’t know enough about. Excited for what he has to offer.
A story about rubber chicken guy. A softball team I was on got into a tournament at S.R.O. probably in the mid to late 1970’s. We got there early on Sunday morning and were taking some batting practice and rubber chicken guy approaches us with an umpire shirt on and asks if he can take a few swings. On about his third swing he hits the longest ball that anyone ever hit off me in 20 some years of pitching. He then umped our first game that day. Really good guy. He has been the attendant in the west penalty box at Mariucci for years. Not sure if he still is or not. After 1980 he used to wear a sweat shirt that said something like “U of M 4, USSR 3”. A few years ago I googled the Minnesota Softball Hall of Fame and stumbled across an article on him being inducted.
I believe Mike Brophy used to be in the penalty box at Mariucci. Is that the same guy? He and his brother Tom used to sit between the Red and Blue lines, but somehow I've forgotten that he was a swinger. Age will do that to you. Gary Ustruck was another Red Line guy who later was an off-ice official for many, many years at Williams and Mariucci. I hadn't seen him on TV for a while and found out that he died in 2018.
Second time I’ve heard McDavid’s name tossed around when talking about Oliver Moore. He’s seriously that fast. He’s gonna bring people out of their seats this year.
That's a great story! I'm wondering how it came up that he was the rubber chicken guy?
I’m assuming he was a student then. I used to go to basketball and hockey games with a buddy who was a student and had tickets to both. He was a bigger basketball guy and I had just started to be a big high school hockey follower. Anyway rubber chicken guy must have been one of the early arrivers as he was always on the front rail of the balcony. We sat in the balcony also but were back where you had a great view of the end of the rink the Gophers shot at twice but the arches made seeing the other end tricky. To make a short story long, that’s how I got to know what he looked like.
A story about rubber chicken guy. A softball team I was on got into a tournament at S.R.O. probably in the mid to late 1970’s. We got there early on Sunday morning and were taking some batting practice and rubber chicken guy approaches us with an umpire shirt on and asks if he can take a few swings. On about his third swing he hits the longest ball that anyone ever hit off me in 20 some years of pitching. He then umped our first game that day. Really good guy. He has been the attendant in the west penalty box at Mariucci for years. Not sure if he still is or not. After 1980 he used to wear a sweat shirt that said something like “U of M 4, USSR 3”. A few years ago I googled the Minnesota Softball Hall of Fame and stumbled across an article on him being inducted.
For those who know...is he the Shoresy of MN sports? (c) Letterkenny (tv show)
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
This was before YouTube and the ease of digital video... It was included in the 2002 season recap video which only came out on VHS tape. I am guessing that these days the only place the video lives is in the FSN/Bally video archive.
I thought I converted that 2002 video to digital 20 years ago. But I am in the middle of a move right now and I have no idea if I still have it.
Do not like how this board is run? Get your own board! ♃
I was hooked after being at Mariucci for the Nate Schmidt goal against Wisconsin in 2012. Casual fan before that, and everything changed after that game. The building was insanity.
Quite the game to be at, easily one of my favorite games I can remember being at.
I haven't been able to find the Ballard goal being talked about but here is a sweet highlight package.
I love Koalska jumping into the team bench after scoring the tying goal with 53 seconds left in regulation.
The video highlights Maine player Michael Shuttle shushing the crowd and having to watch his team lose in OT sitting in the penalty box. The ultimate in going to the box and feeling shame/sadness. He scored two goals in the game.
Surely you and Vegoe have connections at FSN that can dig it up. ?
Oh well - I still have my somewhat fading memories.
?
I'm guessing the play is on here, but my DVR doesn't work anymore. I may have an another old DVR in storage in the basement. I will have to look.
Ballard goal--OK, I am amazed I actually pulled this off as I am not very tech savvy. I found a boxed up DVR in our basement closet, and it worked.. I then had to find a TV in the house that has those kind of hookups, which is the extra TV in the bar. I recorded it on my phone, but the file was too large to post on GPL, so I then somehow figured out how to upload it to YouTube. I will not will an academy award for the production value, but you will at least get to see and hear the play.
Surely you and Vegoe have connections at FSN that can dig it up. ?
Oh well - I still have my somewhat fading memories.
?
I'm guessing the play is on here, but my DVR doesn't work anymore. I may have an another old DVR in storage in the basement. I will have to look.
Ballard goal--OK, I am amazed I actually pulled this off as I am not very tech savvy. I found a boxed up DVR in our basement closet, and it worked.. I then had to find a TV in the house that has those kind of hookups, which is the extra TV in the bar. I recorded it on my phone, but the file was too large to post on GPL, so I then somehow figured out how to upload it to YouTube. I will not will an academy award for the production value, but you will at least get to see and hear the play.
I haven't been able to find the Ballard goal being talked about but here is a sweet highlight package.
I love Koalska jumping into the team bench after scoring the tying goal with 53 seconds left in regulation.
The video highlights Maine player Michael Shuttle shushing the crowd and having to watch his team lose in OT sitting in the penalty box. The ultimate in going to the box and feeling shame/sadness. He scored two goals in the game.
Very good podcast with the Snuggeruds. Both talk about their recruiting to the Gophers and lots of other good stuff. Dave wanted Jimmy to go to Wisconsin at first because Dave was a teammate with Tony Granato.
I'm 50% factual and 50% sarcastic. When you get to know me, you will know which is which.
I love Koalska jumping into the team bench after scoring the tying goal with 53 seconds left in regulation.
Ahh yes, the famously named Polish Leap! I still remember the thrill. We were sitting above the winning goal end, high in the nose bleed seats, first row. When Koalska scored I jumped up so high and so fast my husband grabbed the back of my hoodie. I would have pitched myself right over the railing.
Note: Due to inflation dirty deeds will no longer be done dirt cheap.
