After Taking a Year Off, In-Staters Resume Meetings
Back again and looking to make more memories of good games are Minnesota Duluth and Minnesota Twin Cities. Last year's lack of non-conference games makes these first weekends sweeter as UMD played Bemidji State again and now get to see UMTC up close and personal.
Personal is it? Is it too much of a stretch to think that the eyes of Saint Cloud will be on the Gophers this weekend? Probably not and maybe even some gopher voodoo dolls may be in use after the game last weekend in Saint Cloud. The Gophers benefitted from a huge non-call in OT that helped them put the game away. It is not a stretch at all to know that Huskies fans will take more pleasure in every Gopher loss this year even it is at the hands of an NCHC rival in UMD.
Results and Schedules. The NCHC has a very nice non-conference record so far this season at 22-10-2 (0.676), but the Big Ten has been the best in the NCAA with a record of 22-7-0 (0.759).
That all said, this weekend's teams have gotten to their records is different ways. Both the Gophers and Bulldogs have 3-1-0 records, but the Gophers have the 26th SOS (strength of schedule) and the Bulldogs have the 3rd ranked SOS.
Just the Stats.
Great analysis! I love how you broke down the contrasting strengths of the two teams, especially the difference in strength of schedule. The Gophers definitely have an easier route to their record, while UMD’s tougher schedule makes their performance even more impressive. I’m really looking forward to this weekend’s match-up—it’ll be a great test for both teams. Do you think the Gophers can maintain their strong performance as they face more challenging opponents?
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