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Thoughts on a big early weekend of nonconference games and upcoming top-4 matchups · The PodKaz: USCHO Women's Hockey

• 0:03
  Speaker 1: Usc CHO dot com. Hi everyone, welcome back to the
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: podcast us c h O dot COM's weekly look at
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: women's college hockey on Todd Velowski here with Nicole Hasey
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: and Nicole. This was a big weekend we're coming off
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: of for non conference series between highly ranked teams, and
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  Speaker 1: I just going through the list of the games and
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  Speaker 1: looking at the box scores and everything, there was a
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  Speaker 1: lot of I guess, no decisions when you look at it,
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  Speaker 1: got a lot of splits, but there were uh I
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  Speaker 1: think there was one game one series that went to
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  Speaker 1: UH or went to one team, and that was Ohio
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  Speaker 1: State beating Saint Lawrence twice. But that was a lot
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  Speaker 1: closer than maybe a lot of people might have thought
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  Speaker 1: it was going to What what did you see out
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  Speaker 1: of maybe if it was out of that series or
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  Speaker 1: out of the other series that really captured your attention
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: over the weekend.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, that one was interesting, right because the first game
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  Speaker 2: they needed overtime, but then Ohio States scored seven seconds
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  Speaker 2: and like Genna Bouglio when he won the face off
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  Speaker 2: and went down and scored, So it feels like one
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  Speaker 2: of those like Ohio State needed a little bit of
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  Speaker 2: a kick to remember who they are and what they're
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  Speaker 2: capable of. But I thought for that one, particularly like
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  Speaker 2: Dean Lawrence did a really good job of constantly answering
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  Speaker 2: them and never sort of getting down, Like throughout the
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  Speaker 2: whole game, they never thought they were out of it,
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  Speaker 2: which is such an important mentality to have, And so
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  Speaker 2: I think Lawrence, for me, maybe I wouldn't stay surprised,
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  Speaker 2: but I was really impressed with how they handled themselves
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  Speaker 2: this weekend. And I think, you know, that just shows
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  Speaker 2: that like kind of regardless of who's on a roster,
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  Speaker 2: what things look like on paper, like, there's still a
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  Speaker 2: lot of room to grow. Like it's only October, and
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  Speaker 2: so I don't think the Ohio State that we see
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  Speaker 2: in February in March will be this Ohio State. But
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  Speaker 2: it's been an interesting start for them, right, and I
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  Speaker 2: think there's there's just a lot of room for them
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  Speaker 2: to continue to learn. And I think maybe it just
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  Speaker 2: maybe a change to like, yes, they have some transfers,
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  Speaker 2: as they always do, but they had some very high
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  Speaker 2: level fifth years in the past couple of years, right,
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  Speaker 2: and so like now this is a slightly less experienced team,
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  Speaker 2: and so I think we're seeing some of those growing pains,
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  Speaker 2: And I'd say the same thing a little bit about
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  Speaker 2: the Gophers, right, Like, on paper, I think Minnesota is
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  Speaker 2: a very good team this year, but they struggled at
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  Speaker 2: times this weekend against bu they came away with the
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  Speaker 2: splits like meet or with the sweep, so maybe that's
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  Speaker 2: not totally fair, but there were times, particularly on Friday
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  Speaker 2: that watching I mean midway through that game, shots were
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  Speaker 2: seven to one, which is not something you would expect
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  Speaker 2: from the Gophers. So yeah, I think despite like if
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  Speaker 2: you dig deeper than the outcomes, there was a lot
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  Speaker 2: to sort of see and learn about teams this weekend.
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  Speaker 1: Before I want to get to that Minnesota be you
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  Speaker 1: series here in a minute, but before we get away
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  Speaker 1: from Ohio, say, Saint Lawrence, I think if you're the Saints,
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  Speaker 1: you're coming away from that thinking we're right right from
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  Speaker 1: where we need to be. But we really could have
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  Speaker 1: had one or both of these because leed go into
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  Speaker 1: the third period and the Friday game and came back
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  Speaker 1: from a three to one deficit in the second period
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  Speaker 1: on Saturday to tie at three to three going to
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  Speaker 1: the third, and so that I wonder if if they're
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  Speaker 1: feeling like man you know, what's it going to take
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  Speaker 1: us for us to get over the hump in a
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  Speaker 1: game like that. But but to have that happen here
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  Speaker 1: in October early October, uh, probably sets them up a
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  Speaker 1: lot better for you know, down the stretch here, you know,
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  Speaker 1: in the in the last few months of the season
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  Speaker 1: when we're talking about bigger games that they'll be playing
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  Speaker 1: then for sure.
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  Speaker 2: And we saw them be really great after winter break
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  Speaker 2: last year, right, like they got particularly good in the
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  Speaker 2: second half, and so I think to be starting, as
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  Speaker 2: you said, like this in October, that's just like a
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  Speaker 2: huge learning experience, and like the feeling of those losses
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  Speaker 2: and the idea that like you let it slip through
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  Speaker 2: your fingers, that's the sort of stuff that's what gets
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  Speaker 2: you through the hard days in practice, right or the
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  Speaker 2: really rough days when you don't even want to get
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  Speaker 2: yourself to the rink. So I think it's we're seeing
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  Speaker 2: a lot of growth from that squad, and I think
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  Speaker 2: that's those sort of intangibles are the things that take
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  Speaker 2: you from you know, fourth, fifth, sixth place or what
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  Speaker 2: the middle of your conference to one of the top teams.
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  Speaker 2: And so I think as they continue to develop that
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  Speaker 2: but yeah, they do have to feel like they let
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  Speaker 2: one of those slip through their fingers.
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  Speaker 3: And you know, again sort.
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  Speaker 2: Of going back full circle, like I have to think,
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  Speaker 2: be you feels like they let the Friday games slip
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  Speaker 2: through their fingers against Minnesota.
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  Speaker 3: So there was a lot of that going around this weekend.
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  Speaker 1: That's just what I was going to bring up, turning
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  Speaker 1: into that series. That was a one nothing victory for
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  Speaker 1: Minnesota on Friday. But that game was scoreless and like
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  Speaker 1: you mentioned, very low shots, low event game going into
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  Speaker 1: really the latter minutes, a five minute penalty to be
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  Speaker 1: you late in that game, and the Gopher is struck
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  Speaker 1: almost right away. Abby Murphy scored on the power play
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  Speaker 1: minute twenty left for the only goal of the game.
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  Speaker 1: And that was a series that, because of football in
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  Speaker 1: the middle was Friday Sunday, you had to stay over
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  Speaker 1: for an extra day and that was a one one
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  Speaker 1: game in the second period, and then Abby Murphy strikes
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  Speaker 1: on a penalty shot, just a gorgeous penalty shot. I mean,
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  Speaker 1: that's the you know, the audacity. Yeah, that's the word
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  Speaker 1: I was looking for, thank you. Uh, you know, to
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  Speaker 1: go with a kind of a scoop over a glove side.
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  Speaker 3: So casual, just casually lethal, yes.
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  Speaker 1: Right, yes, yeah uh And that sent Minnesota it's way
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  Speaker 1: to a five to win, that broke a one to
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  Speaker 1: one tie and and it it Yeah like.
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  Speaker 2: That was the that kind of put the pin in
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  Speaker 2: the blue balloon for be you who had been you know,
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  Speaker 2: so strong against the Gophers for several periods and had
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  Speaker 2: you know, like we're this is an unranked team playing
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  Speaker 2: in Minnesota. That just I think kind of was surprising.
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  Speaker 2: Like when we're talking who's gonna win Hockey East and
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  Speaker 2: who's going to show out, we haven't been talking to
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  Speaker 2: you except for you kind of brought it up in
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  Speaker 2: our preview episode that you you've seen some things from
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  Speaker 2: them that like maybe they're hitting their stride and so yeah,
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  Speaker 2: I just I think that when you've held it together
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  Speaker 2: as long as they did against a really strong team
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  Speaker 2: and then Abby Murphy scores that goal, it's just got
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  Speaker 2: to be like, seriously, just absolutely deflating. But yeah, going
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  Speaker 2: back to that first game too, is just that was
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  Speaker 2: such a tough penalty to take. Riley Walsh was against
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  Speaker 2: the boards, against the benches, the board, at the benches,
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  Speaker 2: fighting for a puck that was there along with Abby Murphy,
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  Speaker 2: and the two of them were pushing and shoven and
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  Speaker 2: everybody was.
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  Speaker 3: Right like it was cletely clean, but.
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  Speaker 2: It was you know, the play went on, the puck
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  Speaker 2: came out and Riley Walsh just got she was not
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  Speaker 2: happy about how that went down, and she shoved it.
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  Speaker 2: Abbie Murphy put her hand right in her face. I think,
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  Speaker 2: you know, a good reaction by Abby to make sure
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  Speaker 2: that the refs were paying attention. And so that penalty,
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  Speaker 2: regardless if it was a five minute was gonna be
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  Speaker 2: a problem giving Minnesota that chance. But then we had
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  Speaker 2: two smart, successful coaches challenges in games, one in the
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  Speaker 2: Ohio State game and one in this Minnesota game. So
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  Speaker 2: Red Frost challenged that for a major and that would
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  Speaker 2: have that covered the end of the game, in most
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  Speaker 2: of overtime and when you've been fighting tooth and nail
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  Speaker 2: that whole game. That again was just sort of like
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  Speaker 2: a dagger for bu.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, a really good game. Got to see some of
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  Speaker 1: Friday night, Penn State got out to a two nothing
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  Speaker 1: lead at Yukon, but Yukon stormed back in the third
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  Speaker 1: period with three goals. Brianna Ware, Claire Murdoch, Brooke Campbell too.
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  Speaker 3: That was a fun series. Ye, these are two closely
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  Speaker 3: matched teams, I think.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, to take a three to two win that one.
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  Speaker 1: Penn Sate had a little bit of a charge at
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  Speaker 1: the end but couldn't get the tying goal, and then
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  Speaker 1: net the Alliance came back and got a four to win.
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  Speaker 1: The second day, Testagianicky, Maddy Christian and Caitlyn Roberts scoring
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  Speaker 1: in the second to put the put Pen Sate up
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  Speaker 1: three to one after they went down one nothing. That's
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  Speaker 1: a pretty balanced kind of looking series there between teams
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  Speaker 1: that are i mean ranked ninth and twelfth, so kind
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  Speaker 1: of in that that that next pack after that really
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  Speaker 1: highly ranked team. So the teams that kind of be
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  Speaker 1: on the lookout for, especially Penn State, you know, they're
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  Speaker 1: they have to make the most of these opportunities playing
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  Speaker 1: outside their conference to to move into a I guess
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  Speaker 1: more comfortable kind of you know, uh, you know, if
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  Speaker 1: they have a chance of moving up and in the
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  Speaker 1: pair wise towards the end and not just being a
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  Speaker 1: Atlantic Hockey America autobid kind of hope team.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah. And I would say interestingly too, since we were
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  Speaker 2: just talking about sort of the growth of Saint Lawrence.
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  Speaker 2: We saw Penn State and Saint Lawrence play in the
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  Speaker 2: NCAA's last year and that game went into overtime, and
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  Speaker 2: so I think, you know, just comparatively, we're seeing these
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  Speaker 2: teams that are, you know, sort of making the most
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  Speaker 2: out of those opportunities. And we saw that Penn State
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  Speaker 2: could play with Saint Lawrence, and now we talked about
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  Speaker 2: their group. I think we're seeing the same thing from
• 9:01
  Speaker 2: Penn State. I think one of the things Penn State
• 9:03
  Speaker 2: dealt with in the last couple of years is that
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  Speaker 2: they had they had a lot of their fourth and
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  Speaker 2: fifth year players transfer out, and so what was sort
• 9:12
  Speaker 2: of their core and sort of a higher level of
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  Speaker 2: play that could could support Testagiana Keey and play at
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  Speaker 2: her level went away, and so like particularly last year,
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  Speaker 2: I think they just struggled trying to find the right
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  Speaker 2: chemistry and the way to use all their pieces.
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  Speaker 3: And it feels like.
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  Speaker 2: Maybe that's come together a little bit more this year
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  Speaker 2: that like some of the younger players and more comfortable
• 9:31
  Speaker 2: and uh yeah, I think they're They're one of those
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  Speaker 2: teams that I think are going to be fun to
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  Speaker 2: watch as this season progresses and they get their chemistry
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  Speaker 2: works and they start building that sort that sort of
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  Speaker 2: momentum up. But yeah, I I think Yukon, you know,
• 9:46
  Speaker 2: we expect, like at this point, we expect them that
• 9:50
  Speaker 2: they're going to win Hockey East. I think that's going
• 9:51
  Speaker 2: to be a tighter race now than maybe I thought
• 9:53
  Speaker 2: at the beginning, which is not on Yukon, but it's
• 9:55
  Speaker 2: talking about Northeastern and BU and I think there's more
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  Speaker 2: teams to play. So these series is where there tooth
• 10:01
  Speaker 2: and nailing, where you have to come back from behind,
• 10:03
  Speaker 2: like all of those again, like all those little intangibles
• 10:06
  Speaker 2: are the things that are going to make the difference
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  Speaker 2: come February March.
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: Yeah, another wha ECAC series had Minnesota li going out
• 10:15
  Speaker 1: to Colgate. The luth got a three to two win
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  Speaker 1: on Friday despite Colgate leading after two Tovah Henderson and
• 10:21
  Speaker 1: clavet We're in score in the third for the Bulldogs.
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: But then the Raiders came back on Saturday and got
• 10:27
  Speaker 1: a three two win of their own. Hannah Murphy making
• 10:30
  Speaker 1: forty two saves for Colgate in that one, handing Luth
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  Speaker 1: its first loss of the season. That's a good win
• 10:40
  Speaker 1: for Colate bouncing back after you know, having a you know,
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: a chance to get a win to start that series.
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: But you know, really again, they're they're probably thinking, man,
• 10:50
  Speaker 1: you know, if not for one period, the third period,
• 10:52
  Speaker 1: we could have a sweep over the third ranked team
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  Speaker 1: and something that will look really good on the pairwise
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  Speaker 1: rankings towards the end of the season.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, particularly with the way that Unbas started their season
• 11:04
  Speaker 2: right like that when holds even more accounting that it
• 11:08
  Speaker 2: looked like it might have when we started the season
• 11:10
  Speaker 2: when U and D was not the number three team
• 11:12
  Speaker 2: in the country.
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  Speaker 3: So yeah, I.
• 11:16
  Speaker 2: Again, a really interesting close spot series, but I think
• 11:19
  Speaker 2: I was hoping to like learn more about whether about
• 11:22
  Speaker 2: either those teams comparatively or you know, seeing how they
• 11:26
  Speaker 2: play against each other and being able to extrapolate from that.
• 11:29
  Speaker 2: And what I got is those are two really good teams,
• 11:31
  Speaker 2: and we came up with the very even three two
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  Speaker 2: three two split. So in terms of like, you know,
• 11:38
  Speaker 2: feeling like I have a better handle on stuff, I don't.
• 11:40
  Speaker 2: I'm not sure that series.
• 11:41
  Speaker 3: Gave it to me.
• 11:42
  Speaker 2: But it was highly entertaining and real back and forth
• 11:45
  Speaker 2: physical just like really good hockey.
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  Speaker 1: Honestly, Yeah, a couple of the series I want to
• 11:50
  Speaker 1: touch on before we take a break here. Nos Quinnipiac
• 11:56
  Speaker 1: played and again got a split, and as we were
• 12:00
  Speaker 1: kind of mentioning before that, that was the way for
• 12:02
  Speaker 1: a lot of these. Northeastern got a four to win
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  Speaker 1: on Friday, Page Toborski with thirty three saves, and then
• 12:08
  Speaker 1: Quinnipiac came back with a three nothing win on Saturday.
• 12:12
  Speaker 1: Kaylee Doyle with the twenty eight save shutout for the Bobcasts.
• 12:16
  Speaker 1: That's her third shutout in the first four games of
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: the season. She blanked Maine twice the week before. That's
• 12:24
  Speaker 1: a I think when Northeastern gets the four goals that
• 12:28
  Speaker 1: they're feeling pretty good like in the first game, but
• 12:31
  Speaker 1: then you know they've got to back it up and
• 12:34
  Speaker 1: get some goals on the board the next day, and
• 12:36
  Speaker 1: Quinnipiac did not make that easy in the second game
• 12:39
  Speaker 1: of that series.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, and I think, you know, shout out to those goalies.
• 12:43
  Speaker 2: I mean, like Page Taborski had minimal minutes in that
• 12:47
  Speaker 2: Puffor's being coming started this season so in Northeastern schedule
• 12:51
  Speaker 2: has been you know, started against all ranked teams. So
• 12:54
  Speaker 2: you know, she's handled herself really well and given her
• 12:56
  Speaker 2: her team a chance and Yeah. Again, I'm not sure
• 13:00
  Speaker 2: I learned as much as I had hoped to about
• 13:02
  Speaker 2: either team there, but uh, I think, you know, a
• 13:06
  Speaker 2: great test for both of them and puts them in
• 13:08
  Speaker 2: a good position.
• 13:09
  Speaker 1: Yeah, a couple of tight games in Saint Cloud last weekend.
• 13:12
  Speaker 1: Saint Cloud saved yeah Mercyhurst two to one on Friday,
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  Speaker 1: Emma Gentry scoring with three forty eight left to break
• 13:18
  Speaker 1: the tie there, and then to nothing win for the
• 13:22
  Speaker 1: Huskies on Saturday. Amelia Kyrko twenty one saves for the
• 13:26
  Speaker 1: Shoutow in her NCAA debut, which you know, are the
• 13:29
  Speaker 1: rich getting richer in terms of goaltending with.
• 13:31
  Speaker 3: Sat right now?
• 13:33
  Speaker 1: That? Yeah, you know, it's it seems like they might
• 13:36
  Speaker 1: have something really good going on there.
• 13:40
  Speaker 3: Yeah. Absolutely.
• 13:41
  Speaker 2: I was excited that to be able to see her
• 13:43
  Speaker 2: and that she's getting some playing time as well. There's
• 13:46
  Speaker 2: a couple of very interesting rookie goalies from Europe basically
• 13:53
  Speaker 2: this year, and so I think, you know, we've got
• 13:54
  Speaker 2: Felicia Frank and we've got Mikayela Hesseva and kirkaz So
• 14:00
  Speaker 2: I'm excited to see some of those goalies get some
• 14:03
  Speaker 2: playing time. And these I've seen them be really successful
• 14:08
  Speaker 2: at you eighteens and so yeah, it was cool to
• 14:10
  Speaker 2: what it like, how impressive to come out and do that,
• 14:12
  Speaker 2: like after your team had lost the game, after you know,
• 14:15
  Speaker 2: against Derake, to pone it in your very first game
• 14:18
  Speaker 2: coming out cold.
• 14:20
  Speaker 1: Yeah. Looking back at the weekend as a whole, I
• 14:23
  Speaker 1: counted thirty three games. Well, that can't be right, thirty
• 14:26
  Speaker 1: four games, eight shutouts Friday, six shotouts Saturday. So some
• 14:32
  Speaker 1: some goalies doing some work and not to forget about
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: the defense at front of them. Two, But.
• 14:37
  Speaker 3: Yeah, they are a couple of like high block.
• 14:39
  Speaker 2: I mean when you're when you're seeing like you know,
• 14:41
  Speaker 2: be you against Minniessota holding them to to seven shots
• 14:44
  Speaker 2: through thirty minutes, that you know the defense is doing work.
• 14:48
  Speaker 2: Two In the Obviously the end score didn't necessarily come
• 14:52
  Speaker 2: to their favor, but BC's goalie was a rookie to
• 14:56
  Speaker 2: make it her first start against Wisconsin and was doing
• 14:59
  Speaker 2: a very good job for like what at least half
• 15:01
  Speaker 2: of that game, just really poised and not getting flustered
• 15:06
  Speaker 2: and not you know, getting peppered with shots and make
• 15:08
  Speaker 2: it all the same.
• 15:09
  Speaker 3: So I thought I was really impressed watching her in
• 15:12
  Speaker 3: that game as well.
• 15:13
  Speaker 1: But Wisconsin did doing what Wisconsin does, which is hit
• 15:18
  Speaker 1: the gas and keep going with pouring goals and another
• 15:21
  Speaker 1: couple of seven goal games for the Badgers in a
• 15:24
  Speaker 1: sweep at BC last weekend.
• 15:27
  Speaker 2: Yeah, that's that's a lot to ask of eddie goalie,
• 15:29
  Speaker 2: much less a rookie, And the problem, of course is
• 15:31
  Speaker 2: that it's relentless right Like their third line right now
• 15:33
  Speaker 2: is something that a lot of teams would be hoping
• 15:37
  Speaker 2: could be their starters. And so if there's just it's
• 15:40
  Speaker 2: in a near impossible task for a young goalie like that.
• 15:42
  Speaker 2: I just I'm sure that she looks at the score
• 15:45
  Speaker 2: line and isn't happy with it. But having watched that
• 15:47
  Speaker 2: game that was one of the ones that they're the
• 15:49
  Speaker 2: one that wasn't televised on esping you, I was impressed
• 15:52
  Speaker 2: with her and wanted to shout that out.
• 15:54
  Speaker 1: When we come back, we will look ahead at what
• 15:57
  Speaker 1: is to come this weekend in women's hockey and a
• 16:01
  Speaker 1: special shout out for a former NCAA player who made
• 16:06
  Speaker 1: some history in the NHL this week, So stay with
• 16:08
  Speaker 1: us on the podcast. Welcome back to the podcast on
• 16:16
  Speaker 1: Todd Nawskie. Here as always with Nicole Hasey and Nicole.
• 16:20
  Speaker 1: I know you wanted to shout out Jessica Campbell who
• 16:23
  Speaker 1: made some history in the NHL on the North American
• 16:27
  Speaker 1: opening night Tuesday. Tell us a little bit more about that.
• 16:32
  Speaker 2: Yeah, congratulations to Cornella alumna Jessica Campbell for becoming the
• 16:35
  Speaker 2: first woman to coach on an NHL bench today. So
• 16:38
  Speaker 2: she is on the Seattle crack and staff. You know,
• 16:41
  Speaker 2: when her hiring was announced, we knew it was going
• 16:43
  Speaker 2: to be you know, it was that was history making.
• 16:46
  Speaker 2: But the puck actually dropped and she was on the
• 16:49
  Speaker 2: bench and it was very cool to see. So I
• 16:51
  Speaker 2: saw several Hockey Hendada slash Cornell alumna were in attendance
• 16:56
  Speaker 2: to help celebrate her, and so just you know, a
• 16:59
  Speaker 2: huge day. We need more women coaches, period. I don't
• 17:02
  Speaker 2: care who's bench they're on. It's seeing former players take
• 17:06
  Speaker 2: that step and knowing how important that is and knowing
• 17:11
  Speaker 2: that before we had the PWHL, every little girl grew
• 17:13
  Speaker 2: up wanting to be in the NHL. I know a
• 17:15
  Speaker 2: lot of them think about it as playing, but you know,
• 17:17
  Speaker 2: she just did something that tons of little girls grew
• 17:19
  Speaker 2: up hoping they could do. And so if that doesn't
• 17:23
  Speaker 2: give you goosebumps.
• 17:24
  Speaker 3: I don't know what does. So I just thought it
• 17:26
  Speaker 3: was really cool. I thought it's.
• 17:28
  Speaker 2: Amazing that she's an alumna and you know, as Cornellians
• 17:33
  Speaker 2: would say, yell Cornell, so way to go, Way to go, Jessica.
• 17:35
  Speaker 3: That was pretty cool.
• 17:36
  Speaker 1: It's really the visibility of it, right to see that,
• 17:39
  Speaker 1: you know, this is this is an opportunity, this is
• 17:41
  Speaker 1: something that can happen. We've never seen it before on
• 17:46
  Speaker 1: an HL bench, and to know that that's been that
• 17:50
  Speaker 1: bearer has been broken down. Let's you know, the ano
• 17:55
  Speaker 1: other coach is coming and it's it's it'll keep kind
• 17:58
  Speaker 1: of moving along, and it all of a sudden be
• 18:01
  Speaker 1: a big thing anymore when there are women coaches on
• 18:04
  Speaker 1: NHL benches. That's kind of I think, what you hope
• 18:08
  Speaker 1: to get to.
• 18:09
  Speaker 2: Yeah, And I think too importantly is that we've seen
• 18:12
  Speaker 2: you know, female coaches at lower level leagues, and so
• 18:16
  Speaker 2: the fact that she was you know, the first female
• 18:19
  Speaker 2: coach in the AHL as well, and so that we
• 18:21
  Speaker 2: see her continue to climb and break those barriers. And
• 18:24
  Speaker 2: it's not a thing, it's not a novelty, it's not
• 18:27
  Speaker 2: anything other than she's a darn good coach, but I
• 18:30
  Speaker 2: think it's just important that you know, we do see
• 18:32
  Speaker 2: it at some of the minor leagues, and the fact
• 18:35
  Speaker 2: that she continues to grow in that role in position
• 18:38
  Speaker 2: and keep taking steps. Yeah, like you said, visibility and
• 18:41
  Speaker 2: particularly I just loved she was in a white suit,
• 18:43
  Speaker 2: like you could not miss her blonde hair down, like
• 18:46
  Speaker 2: she looked amazing and there was just no doubt who
• 18:49
  Speaker 2: she was and what she was doing on that bench,
• 18:50
  Speaker 2: and I thought that was really cool.
• 18:52
  Speaker 1: Yeah, awesome. Let's turn our attention to this coming weekend
• 18:56
  Speaker 1: because there are a couple of really big series as
• 18:58
  Speaker 1: a wha. You know, we've there's been a series at
• 19:03
  Speaker 1: least one series already, but it really gets going this weekend.
• 19:08
  Speaker 1: And the lineup is is pretty good. At the top
• 19:10
  Speaker 1: of Minnesota at Ohio state number two at number four
• 19:14
  Speaker 1: a Friday Saturday series and number three Minnesota at number
• 19:17
  Speaker 1: one Wisconsin on a Saturday Sunday series. All right, where
• 19:22
  Speaker 1: do you want to start there? These weekends come up
• 19:26
  Speaker 1: where where these four teams kind of get paired off
• 19:29
  Speaker 1: and it's it's usually pretty good. Yeah.
• 19:32
  Speaker 2: Apologies to the folks who think we talk too much.
• 19:34
  Speaker 2: Do you w c h A uh can't help it
• 19:37
  Speaker 2: when it's the top four teams in the country. So yeah,
• 19:41
  Speaker 2: I guess we'll start with that Friday night game Minnesota
• 19:43
  Speaker 2: and Ohio State. I thought, you know, both teams had
• 19:45
  Speaker 2: a little bit maybe of a gut check. I don't
• 19:47
  Speaker 2: know if stumbles for I mean, they both ended up
• 19:49
  Speaker 2: winning their games, and so it's certainly nitpicky uh to
• 19:54
  Speaker 2: call out any of that stuff, but I do think,
• 19:56
  Speaker 2: you know, these are these are very good teams that
• 19:58
  Speaker 2: we've seen play an elite level, and so when they
• 20:01
  Speaker 2: are when they hit a speed bump, when they are
• 20:03
  Speaker 2: slowed down a little, it just it's interesting, right And
• 20:06
  Speaker 2: again that then it makes a blueprint for like what
• 20:09
  Speaker 2: their future opponents can do. Right, Like now they have
• 20:11
  Speaker 2: tape of what be you did to keep in Minnesota
• 20:14
  Speaker 2: to the perimeter and all that sort of stuff. And
• 20:16
  Speaker 2: so I think from Minnesota, so last year they really
• 20:20
  Speaker 2: really really relied on Abby Murphy to score goals. She
• 20:24
  Speaker 2: was you know, a good like half of their offense,
• 20:27
  Speaker 2: and so they kind of couldn't reliably count on anybody else.
• 20:31
  Speaker 2: There were players that had spurts and things, but it
• 20:33
  Speaker 2: was not like a sustain and so on paper, they
• 20:36
  Speaker 2: should not be having that problem this year, and then
• 20:40
  Speaker 2: they you know, eked out a one oh win in
• 20:42
  Speaker 2: the final ninety seconds of a game on Friday night
• 20:44
  Speaker 2: against a nun ranked opponent. And so that to me
• 20:46
  Speaker 2: is one of those where like I put an asterisk
• 20:49
  Speaker 2: and in three months, we might only talk about that
• 20:51
  Speaker 2: series because of that ridiculous penalty shot, or we might
• 20:55
  Speaker 2: look back at that and be like, yep, that was
• 20:57
  Speaker 2: the first sign that that issue is still there, you know.
• 21:00
  Speaker 2: And so I feel like, to me, that's the thing
• 21:02
  Speaker 2: I'll be watching is just like sort of shot selection
• 21:04
  Speaker 2: and who's doing it and if they're only relying on
• 21:06
  Speaker 2: Abby and and you know, seeing how Chloe Primurano plays
• 21:10
  Speaker 2: when it is against a team like Ohio State, you know,
• 21:13
  Speaker 2: she she's had a pretty good.
• 21:14
  Speaker 3: Intro so far.
• 21:16
  Speaker 2: But they need more shot selection, they need more diverse offense,
• 21:20
  Speaker 2: and so they need more players to step up. And
• 21:25
  Speaker 2: so this is going to be a tough test for them.
• 21:27
  Speaker 2: Follow Like, based on what I saw last weekend on the.
• 21:30
  Speaker 1: Ohio State side, the Buckeys have already dropped six points
• 21:34
  Speaker 1: at home in conference play with that opening weekend sweep
• 21:38
  Speaker 1: by Minnesota Duluth. This is a team that obviously has
• 21:44
  Speaker 1: the potential to win the conference, but if you lose
• 21:47
  Speaker 1: a lot more points at home, it makes that road
• 21:49
  Speaker 1: a little bit more difficult. And so I would imagine
• 21:52
  Speaker 1: there's a even though it's what the second weekend in October,
• 21:57
  Speaker 1: you don't want to read into the at this point
• 22:01
  Speaker 1: in the season, I feel like this is a real
• 22:04
  Speaker 1: key for a house State of saying, look, we're fine.
• 22:07
  Speaker 1: You know, we're yeah State. And maybe that doesn't mean
• 22:11
  Speaker 1: six points, but I think there's still ways that they
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: can come out and make a statement that you know,
• 22:19
  Speaker 1: we're gonna be just fine when everything's told up at
• 22:23
  Speaker 1: the end.
• 22:24
  Speaker 2: Yeah, And just so people don't think that we're like, oh,
• 22:26
  Speaker 2: the sky is falling. I mean they were thirty five
• 22:28
  Speaker 2: and four the whole season last year. They lost once
• 22:31
  Speaker 2: at home, they lost twice in conference, and so yes,
• 22:35
  Speaker 2: we're talking about you know, just a few weeks into
• 22:38
  Speaker 2: the season. But like in comparison to like the domons
• 22:41
  Speaker 2: that they showed, this is where we're like, okay, just this.
• 22:45
  Speaker 2: Points are hard to come by, as particularly at the
• 22:47
  Speaker 2: top of this conference. And so when you're talking the
• 22:49
  Speaker 2: top four teams in the Conference are also the top
• 22:51
  Speaker 2: four teams in the country. As you said, just you
• 22:53
  Speaker 2: can't those points are too important. You can't be dropping
• 22:56
  Speaker 2: those and so yeah, I kind of have no idea
• 23:00
  Speaker 2: what to expect. I think in terms of sort of
• 23:05
  Speaker 2: attitude and like responding to how last weekend went, like
• 23:09
  Speaker 2: when you go to breakdown tape, when when you talk
• 23:11
  Speaker 2: about like, yes we got the winds, but here's all
• 23:14
  Speaker 2: the things we need to fix. I expect that Ohio
• 23:16
  Speaker 2: State will be more revved up by that and will
• 23:18
  Speaker 2: be more motivated. I think they play very well when
• 23:23
  Speaker 2: they have a chip on their shoulder. They're also very
• 23:25
  Speaker 2: good at sort of creating that chip, whether it exists
• 23:29
  Speaker 2: or not. Like they're very good at like telling themselves
• 23:32
  Speaker 2: that they have that and they use it very well.
• 23:35
  Speaker 2: And so that motivation there and the sort of like
• 23:38
  Speaker 2: nobody believes we can go back to back and you
• 23:40
  Speaker 2: know they like I think that that's going to be
• 23:43
  Speaker 2: a really that mental part of it is going to
• 23:45
  Speaker 2: be really important for the Buckeyes, and I can see
• 23:48
  Speaker 2: that sort of being the thing I would be a
• 23:50
  Speaker 2: little scared of the opening ten minutes of that first
• 23:53
  Speaker 2: game if I were Minnesota. I think they got to
• 23:56
  Speaker 2: weather that early storm because I feel like Ohio State's
• 23:58
  Speaker 2: going to come out firing, trying to make a statement.
• 24:02
  Speaker 1: And then we've got the Bulldogs and the Badgers Saturday
• 24:05
  Speaker 1: Sunday afternoons that I think Wisconsin is along with Clarkson
• 24:11
  Speaker 1: averaging I think eight and a half goals a game. Uh,
• 24:14
  Speaker 1: probably not gonna happen this weekend. Uh. This is a
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: a real step up in competition levels for the Badgers. Uh,
• 24:25
  Speaker 1: and I think they're welcoming that there. They've had two
• 24:28
  Speaker 1: games Linden went at home and two games at Boston College,
• 24:32
  Speaker 1: and now it's time for for them to you know,
• 24:34
  Speaker 1: get into the w c h A and and find
• 24:36
  Speaker 1: out really more of what they're made of. They obviously
• 24:39
  Speaker 1: like everything that's that's going on. Mark Johnson was saying that,
• 24:42
  Speaker 1: you know, the this I think he said the second
• 24:46
  Speaker 1: period of the Saturday game is probably their best of
• 24:48
  Speaker 1: the four games that they've played so far. And so
• 24:52
  Speaker 1: they're they're doing like what he likes to see, which
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: is that continual kind of improvement. So, uh, this weekend
• 24:59
  Speaker 1: it has to be more on the you know, puck control,
• 25:03
  Speaker 1: puck possession, what they're trying to establish there and and
• 25:08
  Speaker 1: we'll see I think if that kind of can can
• 25:12
  Speaker 1: continue against Minnesota Deluthium that obviously has some some confidence
• 25:17
  Speaker 1: in going into other teams buildings and coming out with results.
• 25:23
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I think like arguably U m D has the
• 25:26
  Speaker 2: advantage coming into this series just because they've had such
• 25:29
  Speaker 2: tougher competition, like they're more battle tested. They've also been
• 25:34
  Speaker 2: pretty good at Lebon recently, just like recent history, and
• 25:38
  Speaker 2: there are very few teams that can say that playing
• 25:40
  Speaker 2: in Madison, and so yeah, I just think in terms
• 25:43
  Speaker 2: of like being secure in who you are as a team,
• 25:45
  Speaker 2: knowing what you're capable of, you know, sort of outpacing
• 25:49
  Speaker 2: expectations all that sort of stuff, I think you m
• 25:51
  Speaker 2: D is just in the better position coming into this series.
• 25:54
  Speaker 2: And just generally Wisconsin it's not has not been great
• 25:57
  Speaker 2: at starting quickly in games. And so again I like
• 26:01
  Speaker 2: not to you know, repeat cliche, but I do think
• 26:03
  Speaker 2: the opening parts of this game could the series. Both
• 26:06
  Speaker 2: those games could be really important because I think that
• 26:09
  Speaker 2: you know, U and D knows that, and we'll be
• 26:11
  Speaker 2: looking to really put you know, put their mark on
• 26:13
  Speaker 2: the game.
• 26:13
  Speaker 3: Early.
• 26:14
  Speaker 2: Wisconsin stingy, they like up possession, they like you know,
• 26:18
  Speaker 2: moving it fast, and so if you and d can
• 26:19
  Speaker 2: get on the board early, that's just a huge thing
• 26:21
  Speaker 2: for them, and that sets Wisconsin on their heels when
• 26:25
  Speaker 2: they're sort of like I said that they're just sort
• 26:27
  Speaker 2: of historically not great at starting starting games.
• 26:31
  Speaker 1: Yeah, we'll see if that continues this week or if
• 26:34
  Speaker 1: they find kind of the recipe there for getting off
• 26:39
  Speaker 1: to a better start. A couple other series going on
• 26:42
  Speaker 1: this weekend of teams that we've talked about earlier in
• 26:47
  Speaker 1: the show from from how they did last week, but
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: Mercy Hearst and Saint Lawrence are playing up in New
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: York this Friday and Saturday. Important another important non conference
• 27:02
  Speaker 1: kind of this series there, I mean, for you know,
• 27:06
  Speaker 1: establishing your identity. I think especially Saint Lawrence coming off
• 27:09
  Speaker 1: of you know, like we talked about a series that
• 27:13
  Speaker 1: you know, maybe they felt like they should have had
• 27:15
  Speaker 1: a little bit more from. They get another chance this
• 27:18
  Speaker 1: weekend with Mercieres coming into to take care of that.
• 27:24
  Speaker 1: I'm sorry, I mean, I guess I'm intrigued in that one.
• 27:27
  Speaker 1: I guess I am too.
• 27:28
  Speaker 2: And I think you know you were talking about sort
• 27:30
  Speaker 2: of Penn State wanting to set themselves up as a
• 27:33
  Speaker 2: team in.
• 27:34
  Speaker 3: The pairways, not just as the autobid.
• 27:36
  Speaker 2: Well, Mercy wants to be a part of that conversation, right,
• 27:39
  Speaker 2: and so these would be huge wins for them to
• 27:41
  Speaker 2: not just be hanging out at the bottom of the
• 27:43
  Speaker 2: rankings making an appearance, but to really sort of solidify
• 27:46
  Speaker 2: that they're they're going to make a run not only
• 27:48
  Speaker 2: at their conference, but in being in the conversation. You know,
• 27:51
  Speaker 2: if they're not getting their autobid and being they're looking
• 27:54
  Speaker 2: to get one of the at large bids and so
• 27:57
  Speaker 2: you know, they like, as you said, they went to
• 28:00
  Speaker 2: Cloud State and held their own there, and so they're
• 28:03
  Speaker 2: really looking to prove that there's more to the hut
• 28:07
  Speaker 2: A overall and them specifically and what they can do.
• 28:10
  Speaker 2: And then the other one, because I you know, said
• 28:12
  Speaker 2: it earlier, is be you Be You played really well,
• 28:16
  Speaker 2: just really showed out and showed that they could hang
• 28:18
  Speaker 2: in a really physical game, showed that they could play
• 28:21
  Speaker 2: really good defensive hockey, could take advantage of opportunities, and
• 28:25
  Speaker 2: so be you at thirteen. Northeastern I think is like
• 28:29
  Speaker 2: one of those I feel like we're going to know
• 28:31
  Speaker 2: a little bit more about where Hockey Eastians and what
• 28:33
  Speaker 2: that conversation looks like and if either of these teams
• 28:37
  Speaker 2: is going to push it Connecticut for for the top tier.
• 28:40
  Speaker 2: And yeah, I think despite the losses and despite feeling
• 28:44
  Speaker 2: like things much like you said with Saint Lawrence, that
• 28:47
  Speaker 2: things slipped out of their fingers, I think, but you
• 28:49
  Speaker 2: can really build off what they did last weekend and
• 28:52
  Speaker 2: make a statement by get and I mean it'll be
• 28:54
  Speaker 2: a home and home.
• 28:55
  Speaker 3: So Fridays at Northeastern and Saturday is at BU.
• 28:58
  Speaker 1: I mean you from remembering, right, I didn't get a
• 29:01
  Speaker 1: ton of love in the Hockey East Coaches poll. I
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: think there were fifth. Yeah, and so if you know,
• 29:07
  Speaker 1: they can you know, sneak some points here and there
• 29:11
  Speaker 1: that that really you know, maybe they're not going to
• 29:13
  Speaker 1: finish first, but they can they can probably surprise a
• 29:16
  Speaker 1: few people this season if if things kind of continue
• 29:21
  Speaker 1: along the way that they've you know, shown at points
• 29:25
  Speaker 1: they can be as a team. So, yeah, that was
• 29:28
  Speaker 1: the other series. I kind of made notes on that
• 29:32
  Speaker 1: of kind of looking forward to what comes out of
• 29:35
  Speaker 1: that because you know, I think, yeah, BU has to
• 29:40
  Speaker 1: beat some of the better teams to show that they're
• 29:43
  Speaker 1: able to climb the ladder.
• 29:44
  Speaker 2: There yeah, And I think just generally, you know, obviously
• 29:48
  Speaker 2: a couple of years where in Northeastern was fully in control,
• 29:51
  Speaker 2: but generally, I think Hockey East is one of the
• 29:53
  Speaker 2: more wide open conferences in terms of like who can
• 29:56
  Speaker 2: win and who who's going to make themselves, you know,
• 29:59
  Speaker 2: a player on the national stage. Like they just these
• 30:02
  Speaker 2: teams beat each other up in a way that I like,
• 30:04
  Speaker 2: I feel like, you know, you const the front runner,
• 30:07
  Speaker 2: but I don't think like U cons that a run
• 30:09
  Speaker 2: away with its conference. And that's not anything against them,
• 30:11
  Speaker 2: but that like Hockey East never seems to have like
• 30:14
  Speaker 2: there's sort of always an open door there, and and
• 30:17
  Speaker 2: so I think that there's just there's if you're talking generally,
• 30:20
  Speaker 2: if you ask me like who could surprise when a
• 30:23
  Speaker 2: conference or surprise work their way into the conversation, I
• 30:25
  Speaker 2: would always say a Hockey East team just because I
• 30:27
  Speaker 2: think there's there's a really good opportunity there in that conference.
• 30:31
  Speaker 2: And then I just also wanted to point out like
• 30:33
  Speaker 2: New Hasga lu at stone Hill and Franklin Pierce at
• 30:35
  Speaker 2: Assumption and Assumption took points from New Hampshire this weekend.
• 30:38
  Speaker 2: That's a second year program, and so Franklin Piercestone Hill ILU.
• 30:42
  Speaker 2: Those were some of the top three teams in that
• 30:45
  Speaker 2: conference last year. So we're jumping right in in new
• 30:48
  Speaker 2: high action and so those will be fun. And those
• 30:51
  Speaker 2: are great too because that in one of the other games,
• 30:53
  Speaker 2: the Saint Lawrence game. Those are Friday afternoon games. So
• 30:56
  Speaker 2: I'm excited to sit down early on Friday and just
• 30:59
  Speaker 2: you know, start it the l A U. Stonehill games
• 31:01
  Speaker 2: at two o'clock Eastern, so I will I will have
• 31:03
  Speaker 2: my screens on and to watch all day, which is nice.
• 31:06
  Speaker 1: Those are good watching for you know, when I'm sitting
• 31:09
  Speaker 1: here at my desk and doing something and have that on,
• 31:12
  Speaker 1: it's like, you know, middle of the afternoon, it's like, okay,
• 31:15
  Speaker 1: this is awesome. On during the day, it's like great, yeah, exactly.
• 31:22
  Speaker 1: All right, Well, that's gonna do it here for this
• 31:25
  Speaker 1: episode of the podcast. Thanks for joining us. If you
• 31:27
  Speaker 1: if you have comments, if you have questions, please send
• 31:31
  Speaker 1: them our way. You can find us on social media
• 31:35
  Speaker 1: at Nicole Hasey and at Todd Malski. You can email
• 31:39
  Speaker 1: me t O D D dot M I L E
• 31:42
  Speaker 1: W s K I at U S C h O
• 31:44
  Speaker 1: dot com. We'll put all that in our show notes.
• 31:47
  Speaker 1: We'll be having a mail bag episode at some point here,
• 31:53
  Speaker 1: so get in all of your questions. We will do
• 31:56
  Speaker 1: our best to answer those. So for Nicole Hasey, I'm
• 31:58
  Speaker 1: Todd Molluski. Thanks for joining us on the podcast.