Golden Nuggets

With fall sports in the thick of conference races and on the verge of postseason runs and with winter sport seasons getting underway, it is a very busy time for Golden Gopher student-athletes. In its latest installment of Golden Nuggets, the GopherHole staff provides a well-rounded look at recruiting, personnel moves, updates on former Gophers hockey players and where they are playing, etc.

Men’s Basketball

• Coach Monson and the staff continue to focus most of their remaining 2006 recruiting efforts on junior college players. Two guys that the staff is keeping an eye on include Takais Brown, a 6-8 240lb bruiser from Southeastern Illinois that averaged 14 points, eight rebounds, 1.6 blocks and was the region’s freshman of the year in 2004-05. The Gophers are also recruiting Jerome Hable, a 6-10 215lb prospect from San Bernardino Valley College in California.
• The Gophers will be holding a team scrimmage at 7pm on Friday, Oct. 28 at Williams Arena. Dunk and shooting contests and plenty of giveaways plus the entire team will be on hand to sign autographs. Doors open at 6.

Men’s Hockey

• Expectations are sky high for the 05-06 Gophers. They’re coming off their third Frozen four appearance in the past four years, return their top seven scorers, return 5 of their top 6 defenseman and welcome one of the most anticipated recruiting classes in Gopher history. Ryan Potulny (41 pts.), Tyler Hirsch (44 pts.), Danny Irmen (43 pts.), Gino Guyer (32 pts.), Kris Chucko (21 pts.), and Mike Howe (15 pts.) plus freshman Blake Wheeler, Ryan Stoa, and Phil Kessel form what should one of the top offenses in the country. The defense will be led by senior Chris Harrington, junior Mike Vannelli, freshman R.J. Anderson, and a trio of talented sophomores in Nate Hagemo, Derek Peltier, and Alex Goligoski. Kellen Briggs will return in the net and split time with freshman Jeff Frazee.
• This will be the 85th season of Gopher Hockey and the program is one victory shy of 1,500 all time wins (1,499-847-139). Most figured the Gophers would get that win in the seasons opening weekend against Alaska Fairbanks but the preseason #1 had a very disappointing debut. Losing 4-3 in OT on Friday, the Gophers came back Saturday and struggled to a 3-3 tie. Ryan Potulny and Blake Wheeler each had two goals and super frosh Phil Kessel had one assist, but no one had a strong weekend. The Gophers dropped to #8 in the polls but have very little time to sit around and worry about last weekend because the WCHA season kicks off this week when Minnesota State Mankato comes to town. The Mavericks we’re swept by Bemidji State last weekend.
• Breaking News From GopherSports.com — October 20, 2005 – University of Minnesota men’s hockey player Tyler Hirsch (Bloomington, Minn.) has decided to apply for a medical hardship waiver for personal reasons for the 2005-06 season. By applying for the waiver, Hirsch hopes to preserve his final season of eligibility. A fourth-year senior this year, Hirsch looks to return for the 2006-07 season. “œThis was not an easy decision, but one that I feel was the best decision for both myself and the team,” Hirsch said. “œI will use this year to concentrate on other aspects of my life, but I plan on returning to the team next season.” The forward from Bloomington, Minn., led the team in scoring in 2004-05 with 11 goals and 33 assists for 44 points.
• Former Minnesota head coach Herb Brooks will be inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame on Dec. 8.
• There are currently 7 Gopher Alumni playing in the NHL this season:
  

  Paul Martin	New Jersey	0 goals	4 assists	4 points
  Thomas Vanek	Buffalo	0 goals	4 assists	4 points
  Keith Ballard	Phoenix	1 goals	0 assists	1 point
  Jordan Leopold	Calgary	0 goals	0 assists	0 points
  Jeff Taffe	NY Rangers	0 goals	0 assists	0 points
  Erik Rassmussen	New Jersey	0 goals	0 assists	0 points
  Ben Clymer	Washington	0 goals	0 assists	0 points

• Former Gopher Jeff Taffe was traded to the New York Rangers on Tuesday. Taffe, 24, was scoreless in two games with the Coyotes in 2004-05. He had 11 goals and 11 assists in 81 games over parts of three seasons with Phoenix.
• Gopher forward Danny Irmen will miss 4-6 weeks with a hand injury.
• Gophers playing in the American Hockey League include Johnny Pohl (Toronto), Matt DeMarchi and Barry Tallackson (Albany), Troy Riddl (Peoria), Grant Potulny (Binghamton), Matt Koalskaand Wyatt Smith (Bridgeport), Adam Hauser (Manchester), Jake Taylor (Hartford), Travis Richards (Grand Rapids), and Erik Westrum (Houston).
• The Gophers picked up two more commitments in the past month when Lino Lakes forward Ryan Flynn and Wayzata defenseman Kevin Wehrs said they will play for the U. Flynn is a likely 1st round draft pick and choose the Gophers over Boston College and Wisconsin. As a sophomore, Flynn was a key player on Centennial’s state championship team that also featured Gopher freshman R. J. Anderson and Mr. Hockey Tom Gorowsky, a freshman at Wisconsin. Flynn played his junior season for the U-17 National Team in Ann Arbor and currently plays for the U18 team with future Gopher’s Erik Johnson and Michael Carmen. Thief River Falls forward Michael Forney remains the top 06 target for the Gophers. Wehrs wasn’t as highly recruited as some of the other Gopher recruits but Coach Lucia has certainly had plenty of chances to see him play as Wehrs was a high school teammate of Tony Lucia. He is playing for Cedar Rapids of the USHL this season and may play a second year in the USHL, depending on how severe the defections to the NHL are. Right now he is considered an 07 recruit along with Jay Barriball. Other potential 07 recruits include blue chippers Sam Gagner, Cade Fairchild, Taylor Matson, and Mike Hoeffel.

Men’s Football

• Future football opponent? This statement from North Dakota State University President Joseph Chapman on Thursday during his State of the University address.

  “œMost of our teams are now competing regularly with the University of Minnesota and soon we will announce playing the Minnesota Gophers in football for the first time since 1937.”

• 7 of the top 11 seniors from Minnesota have already made verbal commitments. Adam Weber, Andy Brinkhaus, and Justin Jensen to Minnesota, Kim Royston, Brandon Hoey, and Issac Anderson to Wisconsin, and Jordan McMichael to Boston College. Minnesota has offered OL Matt Carufel, LB Tommy Becker, and DL Sean McWhirter, and is strongly considering offering DeLaSalle RB Alexander Robinson. Robinson has rushed for 1,524 yards with 25 TD’s including a state record 464 yards three weeks ago. So far Wyoming is his only offer. Carufel is a strong Notre Dame lean and visited there last weekend, McWhirter has Minnesota and Iowa State on top and is having a strong senior season which may bring more offers, and Becker also has Minnesota and Iowa State as his leaders.
• The Gophers picked up a surprise commitment from an in-state kid this week when Robbinsdale Armstrong kicker Eric Ellestad committed after being offered last week. Ellestad was 2nd team All-State last season and is said to have a very strong leg and his length on kickoffs is believed to be on of the main reasons he was offered.
• Some names to watch for next year. One player the Gophers have been watching a lot this year and have had as a guest at most home games is Minneapolis Washburn junior WR David Gilreath. Gilreath has 36 catches for 504 yards and 13 TD’s this season and will definitely be one of the top state recruits next season. The Gophers have had pretty good luck with kids from North Dakota and the next one may be big Fargo South junior OL Austin Richards who stands at 6’5, 325. Becker WR Shane Potter and Cretin LB Broderick Binns are also strong candidates for Gopher offers next season. Several junior QB’s are having strong seasons led by Cretin’s Joe Springer, Lakeville South’s Marcus Brumm, and Henry Sibley’s Phil Haig, who Minnesota really likes for baseball. Sibley’s RB Andre Tate and Stillwater TE Colin McGarry are also frequent visitors at home games this season.

Women’s Basketball

• The Gophers received some bad news when 6’2 freshman Ashley Ellis- Milan suffered a torn ACL and will miss the season. Milan, from St. Paul, will most likely redshirt this season.
• The basketball team recently picked up a verbal commitment from 6 foot forward Korrine Campbell from Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Campbell averaged 16.4 points a game as a junior and chose the Gophers over Boston College, Vanderbilt, North Carolina, and Virginia Tech. The Gophers we’re in the final four for top 10 recruit Amanda Thompson out of Chicago but she recently committed to Oklahoma. The Star Tribune reports that the Gophers are trying to land a Canadian guard named Jaleesa Rhoden with their final scholarship.

Soccer

• The Gopher soccer team has roared back into Big Ten contention this season behind the efforts of six starting freshman and a few veterans making their mark for their final campaign at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium. Freshman forward Lindsey Schwartz leads the team with 15 points on 5 goals and 5 assists through 15 matches while classmate Clare Grimwood leads the team with 7 assists from the midfield. Senior goalkeeper Molly Schneider has made the most of her senior season and owns the last two Big Ten defensive player of the week awards. After a 2-1 loss at home against Purdue to open the Big Ten season, Minnesota scrapped out five consecutive Big Ten victories until a 1-0 OT loss to Ohio State last weekend. The Gophers currently stand at 8-5-2 overall, 5-2 -0 in the Big Ten which puts them in fourth place, a ½ game behind Friday’s opponent, Michigan State. Monday, the Gophers earned their first top 25 ranking in years, sneaking in at #24 in the Soccer America Top 25.
• Soccer commitments for 06:
  

  Sara Clancy	MF/F	Xavier (Iowa)
  Jenny Green	D	Palatine (Ill.)
  Lyndsey Mueller	D	Urbandale (Iowa)
  Dana Tripp	D	White Bear Lake (Minn.)
  Chelsey Turner	GK	Rochester Lourdes (Minn.)
  Kelly Wepking	MF/F	Tremper (Wis.)

Baseball

• The Gopher Baseball team recently had the state’s top prospect, Rochester Mayo OF/P Aaron Senne, in for an official visit. Senne is rated among the top 200 high school seniors in the country by Baseball America and was named as one of the top 50 high school junior baseball players in the U.S. in the 2005 Street and Smith’s Baseball Magazine. He will be heavily scouted this season by Major League teams and has the potential to be a drafted in the first 5 rounds. Senne was All-State 1st team as a junior with a .531 average, 10 HR, 34 RBI and a .655 OBP in 26 games. Not only is he an outstanding OF, he also is one of the best pitchers in the Midwest. In 9 starts, he had a 7-3 record with 6 complete games and a 1.30 E.R.A. while striking out 53 in 55 innings. Minnesota was Senne’s first official visit although he has taken unofficial visits to Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State, and Stanford. Minnesota, Nebraska, Missouri, and Stanford are his top 4 schools although the West Coast Cardinals are considered the favorite. About Stanford, Senne told the Rochester Post Bulleton, “The opportunities of baseball and academics at Stanford are mind boggling,” he said. “Right now, it would have to be a pretty head-turning offer from the (pros) to pass up college.”
• The Gophers picked up a commitment from Maple Grove catcher Kyle Knudson. Knudson is also the quarterback for the #1 ranked Maple Grove Football team.

Volleyball

• The volleyball team is currently sitting at 16-3, 6-2 in the Big Ten which has them in third place. The Gophers split last weekend, losing to #21 Purdue before defeating Illinois in a match shown on ESPN 2. The loss dropped the Gophers out of the top 10 but they will have a chance to change that because they will host #20 Ohio State on Friday at 7pm and #3 Penn State at 7pm on Saturday .
• Can Coach Hebert strike gold twice? It was four years ago when Minnesota signed a girl out of Orlando, Florida named Paula Gentil to play the new position of libro and who could have predicted the impact she would have on the program. Now Paula is a senior and the search for her replacement took coach Hebert back to Florida and Palm Harbor University High School in Tampa where he found Christine Tan. Tan is regarded as one of the best Libro’s in the country and will have the opportunity to step in immediately next season. Tan joins Toledo, Ohio OH Rachelle Hagerty in the 06 recruiting class. Hagerty is ranked as the 19th best recruit in the country and prep volleyball calls her the hardest hitter in this class.
• The Gophers are also involved in a recruiting battle for the nation’s number one recruit, 6’3 OH Megan Hodge. Hodge is originally from the Virgin Islands but goes to high school in Durham, North Carolina. She is a force on offense and defense and is a big time athlete and will be an immediate impact player on any team she joins. She received over 150 scholarship offers but has narrowed it down to 9 schools, Minnesota, Florida, USC, Penn State, Nebraska, Texas, Long Beach State, Washington, and hometown North Carolina. Florida is the team to beat.

Wrestling

• The Gophers begin the season ranked #5 in both the Amateur Wrestling News and Wrestling Mall preseason polls. Three time defending National Champion Oklahoma State is #1 in both polls. Minnesota will be a young team this year and the success will depend on how the #1 ranked recruiting class of 03 performs. The group is now sophomores and five of them will be in the opening day lineup along with one senior and three juniors. In a move that J Robinson doesn’t normally like to do, they are considering not redshirting several freshman if they can win the starting jobs at 125 and 149. The lineup is not set but our best guess is:

  125: Andrew Dominiques (Jr)
  133: Mack Reiter (So.)
  141: Charles Lloyd (Jr.)
  149: Dustin Schlatter (Fr.)
  157: C.P. Schlatter (So.)
  165: Matt Nagel (Sr.)
  174: Gabe Dretsch (So.)
  184: Roger Kish (So.)
  197: Matt Koz (So.)
  HWT: Cole Konrad (Jr.)

Men’s Golf

• Brad James and the very successful Gopher Golf team are having a very strong fall having finished 1st, 2nd, and 4th in their first three tournaments of the year. Last season the Gophers failed to qualify for the NCAA Championships for the first time in 6 years, finishing 16th at the NCAA Central Regional. The lineup is freshman Antii Ahokas, sophomore Clayton Rask, juniors Niall Turner and Bronson LaCassie, and senior Josh Persons. Minnesota started off the year by winning the inaugural Gopher Invitational at Spring Hill Golf Club over Washington. Then the Gophers finished second to Northwestern in the Big Ten/Pac Ten Challenge. Last weekend the Gophers finished fourth at the Duke Golf Classic finishing behind the Blue Devils and a Northwestern team that should compete with the Gophers for the Big Ten Title. Freshman Ahokas from Finland has finished 2nd, 3rd, and 6th in the three tournaments and junior Turner won the individual title at the Gopher Invitational.
• According to Golfweek Magazine, the Gophers are the 18th best college golf program based on the cumulative results of the Sagarin Performance Index taken over the past six seasons. Minnesota is the only Big Ten school on the list and really the only northern school in the top 25. Georgia Tech, Clemson, Georgia, Oklahoma State and Florida round out the top 5.