I probably should revise my earlier statement. After moving around to various other spots at the game yesterday there was a solid amount of Gopher fans. I do think the Beaver faithful did outnumber the 
followers slightly though and that’s never been the case before in my experiences.
No Sarah Paul in the lineup for Game 2:
https://twitter.com/GopherWHockey/status/2106444175008788990?s=20
Captains were not officially announced before the season but a picture on Instagram clarifies the following:
Kaiser C
Lindsay C
Jordan A
Kreisz A
Primerano A
Looking at the pictures posted today on the GWH Instagram page, Lauren Goldsworthy was skating at practice today. Could definitely use her this weekend with Chloe Primerano missing for Team Canada camp
Paul and Goldsworthy dressed in warmups. Plosova back from Europe. No Rachel Piggott that I noticed. Primerano missing some time with Canada’s National Team. Something kind of cool for an old guy like me to see the name Goldsworthy on a Gopher jersey
Quote: IceburgPaul and Goldsworthy dressed in warmups. Plosova back from Europe. No Rachel Piggott that I noticed. Primerano missing some time with Canada’s National Team. Something kind of cool for an old guy like me to see the name Goldsworthy on a Gopher jersey
Hamann said on the broadcast tonight that Piggott had an illness. What kept her out last week too.
The BADgers get swept and are now sitting in last place.
LAST PLACE BADGERS!!!!
One observation from these early few games - Boom seems a lot more trusting of lower lines and “d” pairings than Frosty was. We’ll see if that continues as the competition gets tougher.
I am not hockey expert, but I can watch good. I seem to see two new things:
1. Just more grit, hustle and agressiveness. A bit more physical too?
2. Having the defense more involved in the offense - having them play more forward and not holding back. Resulting in team having more presence in front of goal.
Both of these changes, IMHO, characterize the play of both Ohio State and Wisconsin.
Am I seeing correctly?
@gopher49 Agree, but i need to see them against better competition. I was impressed by the improved play of Bemidgi from last year. Big test for sure for this team this weekend against Ohio State. Think we'll learn a lot about their mettle and how they compare against the elite teams. Even Wisconsin did not look all that great compared to Ohio State when i watched both of those games. Definitely looking forward to seem a new look in the gopher team this year. Go Gophers!
Quote: gopher49I am not hockey expert, but I can watch good. I seem to see two new things:
1. Just more grit, hustle and agressiveness. A bit more physical too?
2. Having the defense more involved in the offense - having them play more forward and not holding back. Resulting in team having more presence in front of goal.
Both of these changes, IMHO, characterize the play of both Ohio State and Wisconsin.
Am I seeing correctly?
I agree as well! I think number one has been a big focus for the coaching staff, and it feels like it's shown up in the first four games, which I think has been encouraging.
I agree on #2 as well. Boom has mentioned several times (I know he said it after Friday night's game) that he likes the D being aggressive, but he's felt like they can be over-aggressive at times too. He's mentioned that it's a learning process for those D, but it will be interesting to see against Ohio State. They'll certainly make the Gophers pay if the D get over-aggressive and give up a bunch of odd-number rushes.
I think I would add that I've been impressed with how the Gophers' breakouts/neutral zone look. It looks to me like the Gophers are doing a better job making simple plays, which is allowing them to attack on the rush with speed. I felt like too often the last few seasons, the Gopher D were just throwing pucks up the ice, hoping to connect on long stretch passes that were easily intercepted.
@reidol15 100% agree...last year was simply the D throwing the puck up the ice with the intent of hitting Murphy knowing she'd have a good crack at the back of the net. I was a huge Murphy fan for all of the time she was at the U. I miss her fire and spirit she came out with every game. That style can work if you are playing mediocre teams...but Wisconsin and Ohio State both skate fast and don't let mistakes like that happen against them very often. So, in this new era of Boom...I am very interested how they plan to attack and play against these more talented teams.
One thing that does concern me and I'm totally going to look for it at this weekend's series against Ohio State...is that I saw Minnesota have some cross ice passes in their own zone that were dicey at best. Ohio State is going to make you pay if your cross ice passing is not more intentional and crisp.
https://twitter.com/GopherWHockey/status/2111240253805609110
Looking down from my High Horse
Morality Police
Not very objective
Holy crap Batman!
6-2 final
Ohio State is no match for the Gophers. The BADgers got swept by the Buckeyes so clearly the Gophers are the BEST!!!!! 😀
I saw that coming
Milani's fun to watch, eh?
I feel much better about this team at this point in time than I expected to 24 hours ago.
Quote: outofstate outofmindI feel much better about this team at this point in time than I expected to 24 hours ago.
Agreed
@iceburg Same here. Love they came back from 3 goals down and then again from 1 down...then went UP! then down again. 🙁
Anyway...great effort both nights and I think they now have Ohio State looking over their shoulders knowing this will be a long season for them and they won't be walking away with an early WCHA title in their sights. Minny will be right their hungry for one as well.
Primerano makes Team Canada. https://twitter.com/HockeyCanada/status/2112242147214623048
Holy crap! At least five current NCAA players. This is not your father’s (or in this case probably better “your mother’s”) Team Canada. Guess they finally figured out the geriatric movement wasn’t working. On the minus side, what’s the timeline looking like ?
Quote: IceburgHoly crap! At least five current NCAA players. This is not your father’s (or in this case probably better “your mother’s”) Team Canada. Guess they finally figured out the geriatric movement wasn’t working. On the minus side, what’s the timeline looking like ?
Six (Gascon, Kraemer, McDonald, Tremblay, and one-time Gopher commit Manness).
Pre-tournament games on October 28th and 30th. Tournament runs from November 6th to 16th. Minnesota does have a bye week in the interim but 8 will miss the Duluth and St. Cloud series.
Lindenwood this week. Can’t recall if they’ve played them ever. One of the more interesting ROSTERS I’ve ever seen: players from the U.S. (7 including one Minnesotan), Canada (4), Norway (4), Sweden (2), Slovakia (2) and one each from Italy, Hong Kong, Finland, Spain, France, Hungary and Russia. Among their Canadians, an early contender for greatest hockey name for this season - Tatum Starlight-Yellowfly a junior forward from Tsuu T’ina, Alberta.
Kind of bizarre scheduling. Games are at 6:00 Thursday and 3:00 Friday.
Lindenwood might be ranked #1 for the amount of time spent in buses traveling to games.
Just saw the score of the women's game. Wow.
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.
Quote: The RubeJust saw the score of the women's game. Wow.
Shots are, shall we say, lopsided
More goals for the Gophers than SOG for Lindenwood. 
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.
Kind of skeleton lineups for both squads this weekend
From the Duluth site…..
FIVE-HOLE: UMD will be missing five players this weekend -- Eve Gascon (G, Sr.), Caitlin Kraemer (F, Jr. are with Canada playing the U.S. ahead of Worlds. Paulina Salonen (F, Fr.) and Tuuli Tallinen (D, Fr.) are at Finland Camp trying to make the world team. And Ida Karlsson (D, Sr.) is with Sweden.
Without them, UMD is left with 10 forwards, five defensemen -- just 15 total skaters -- and two goalies. This will be the fewest available players for a UMD game program possibly ever in program history.
………and from the Gopher site
International Gophers
Minnesota junior defender Chloe Primerano was named to Canada's National Women's Team roster for the 2026 IIHF Women's World Championship, scheduled for Nov. 6-16 in Herning and Esbjerg, Denmark. Primerano is one of eight defenders selected to represent Canada. Forwards Tereza Plosova (Czechia) and Julia Schalin (Finland) will miss this weekend's series as they compete in the final leg of the Women's Euro Hockey Tour in Södertälje, Sweden, in preparation for the November World Championships.
Gophers lose a two goal lead to go to overtime, but score in the extra session.
https://twitter.com/gopherwhockey/status/2116339349734162600?s=61