Minnesota has two strong goaltenders, both of whom are ready for WCHA play, which resumes this weekend against Minnesota State. The question everyone’s asking is: “Who’s the game-in, game-out starter going to be?”
The answer is Adam Wilcox.
After posting his first collegiate shutout against Canisius last Sunday Wilcox appears poised to guard the pipes on a regular basis. The coaches aren’t saying so publicly yet. Is there still a question in their minds about whether Wilcox is the guy? I don’t think so. Still, it’s early. I suppose there’s a chance that his game could go off the rails but from what we’ve seen so far, that chance is remote.
Put it this way: the starting goalie job is Wilcox’s to lose.
Head Coach Don Lucia has pegged Wilcox for the starter in Friday night’s home game against the Mavericks. As for Saturday’s rematch in Mankato, he told me, “We’ll decide on Saturday morning who will play that night." Which, again, means it’s Wilcox’s gig to lose.
(By the way, if you’re wondering why you have yet to see Wilcox interviewed on FOX Sports North or anywhere else it’s because, as a freshman, team policy prohibits interviews during the first calendar month of the season. Watch for him very soon on upcoming broadcasts.)
Still number two: Minnesota held on to its No. 2 ranking on both major national polls this week. Boston College still leads the pack in both.
What’s up with Fridays? After blowing Michigan State out of the building in the season opener October 12, Friday games have not seen the Gophers ready to play. They looked awful in the first game at Michigan Tech before rebounding for a sizzling Saturday tilt and struggled against a cranked up U.S. Under-18 team the following Friday.
Why? It’s a mystery to the players. Junior defenseman-turned-left wing Nate Schmidt told me this week: “We talk about it, we look at video, but I don’t know. We just have to be ready to go right from the start of these series and we haven’t always been.”
One fact is undeniable: It’s a hard league to win for a team that regularly finds itself playing catch-up on Saturday because it struggled on Friday. Look for that to even out very soon, perhaps even this weekend.
Mac’s game notes: A few things I’ll be talking about on this weekend's FOX Sports North telecasts of the Gophers-Minnesota State series:
-- The Gophers are one of the least-penalized teams in the nation. With an average of only six minutes in the box per game, they have the fewest penalties in the WCHA. (Minnesota-Duluth has the most, by the way: 106 penalties in six games.) Lucia is quick to point out, however, that one reason could be that the Gophers have played no major rivals yet, which always amps up the energy and the penalty minutes.
-- The Mavericks are no strangers to both fast and slow starts. They ripped off a four-game unbeaten jag (2-0-2) to start the season, their best in years, only to be bushwhacked early in both games at St. Cloud State last weekend. After trailing 3-0 after one on Friday and being down 5-0 before scoring their first goal Saturday the Mavericks have now been outscored 11-4 in the first two periods.
-- Lots of shots, but does it matter? The Gophers pour a lot of shots on opposing goaltenders and the last time they fired 50 shots on goal was against Minnesota State. That happened on December 4, 2010—and they lost the game, 2-1.
-- Power play struggles. Will that critical game- and payoff-winner start to get on track this weekend? Minnesota has scored only three power play goals through its first six games, a paltry fifteen percent. Special teams will kill or cure as the season advances.
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