Coming in at #3 in my Great Moments series is two games - one from the 2010 WCHA Playoffs and one from the 2010-2011 season.
Dateline: March 15th, 2010. Game 3 of the first round WCHA playoffs. The score is tied at 1-1 in the second period when this happens:
Somehow, Sioux fans then and now maintain that this is a clean hit. The Gophers were down to just four defensemen after the Wehrs injury, and Matt Frattin (the guy who delivered the vicious hit) came back later in the game to score the separation goal to give the Sioux the victory.
Flash forward 10 months to January 14th, 2011. As the second period is winding down, THIS happens:
Same player (Wehrs), same corner, same dangerous type of hit. This time, the Gophers responded. This series of events occurred only one year ago, and I would expect that players on both benches this weekend are aware of the recent history between the two schools.
THIS is the reason why the Gophers/Sioux rivalry is as intense as it is. The fans hate each other. The players hate each other. And it is awesome.
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Love this 'memory lane' stuff! Certainly the Golden Gophers - Fighting Sioux rivalry is one of the most storied in college hockey. Do you think this is the most important goal scored during this rivalry. Spoiler Alert: It's freshman Neal Broten's amazing shot that clinched the 1979 NCAA Championship in Overtime.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.hockeybias.com/hockey-news-past/2011/November/Neal-Broten-s-1979-Game-Winning-Goal-video.html