Friday, March 29, 2013

Gophers 2012-2013 Season: An Autopsy

So.

Minnesota just lost to Yale in the first round of the NCAA tournament, ending the Gophers' season.

This season-ending loss stings harder than most for Gopher fans.  This was THE year for Minnesota, who had one of the most dynamic players in the country returning in Nick Bjugstad, as well as stars Erik Haula and Nate Schmidt.  They were the #1 team in the country virtually wire-to-wire, leading the nation in total offense and powerplay, while also placing in the top five in total defense and penalty kill.  This team had it all.

But they lost 2-0 to Colorado College in the Final Five, and lost 3-2 in overtime to Yale in the NCAA tournament.  The back-to-back losses were the Gophers' first of the year.

How could this happen?  How could a team that was at the top of the college hockey world nearly all season lose their last two games of the season, when it mattered the most?  Pride On Ice Blog breaks it down below: