Rooth, Guest lead UMD women to stunning sweep of Gophers
To call the Minnesota-Duluth women’s hockey invasion of Minnesota the “series heard ’round the WCHA” would be understating it. The games had obvious impact throughout the nation, and, in fact, the world.
Minnesota went into the series ranked No. 1 among women’s college hockey teams, having displaced Minnesota-Duluth. After they play another series in Duluth in February, the Gophers and Bulldogs could meet again in the WCHA playoff final, and – who knows? – maybe even another time in the Frozen Four.
That would be just fine with both teams, but it was UMD that skated off the bright, shiny ice surface of the new Ridder Arena on MinnesotaÂ’s campus with two victories on the chilly weekend when November turned into December. Both games lived up to their billing, as UMD pulled off a two remarkable comebacks to trip previously unbeaten Minnesota, winning 4-3 in the last minute Saturday, and 6-5 in a wild affair Sunday.
The first game drew 3,056 going against MinnesotaÂ’s menÂ’s basketball game across the street, and the second game drew 2,416 even though the menÂ’s rescheduled hockey game against Michigan started in direct conflict next door.
“It was very heated, and these are the games you want to play in,†said Minnesota freshman Natalie Darwitz, who had two goals in the first game and three assists in the second. “I wish we could have games like this every weekend.Ââ€
A couple weeks ago, Eastern powers Harvard and Brown came West to face Minnesota and UMD, the top two Western Collegiate Hockey Association womenÂ’s hockey teams. It was fantastic hockey, as Minnesota slipped past Brown 5-3 while Harvard stung UMD 2-1 with a power-play goal in the final 28 seconds. Swapping partners the next night, UMD and Brown battled to a 1-1 tie in a rematch of last springÂ’s NCAA championship game, while Minnesota nipped Harvard 4-3.
Those same four teams would make a splendid Frozen Four field in Duluth in March, but nobody Out West would be surprised if Minnesota and UMD wound up confronting each other with the national title on the line, either.
The sweep vaulted UMD to a 7-0-1 WCHA record, 11-1-2 overall, and dropped Minnesota to 7-2-1, 13-2-1.
In the first game, UMD rose from a 3-1 deficit with three goals in the last 11 minutes. Maria Rooth scored her second goal of the game with 2:47 left for a 3-3 tie, then Rooth completed a hat trick by scoring with 24 seconds left to stun the big crowd and give UMD a reward for outshooting Minnesota 39-25.
Both teams displayed their amazing offensive power, as U.S. Olympian Natalie Darwitz, a freshman, staked Minnesota to a 1-0 lead and made it 2-1 with 42 seconds left in the second period. Senior Winny Brodt made it 3-1 at 6:38 of the third, before Finnish Olympian Hanne Sikio converted a feed from USA veteran Jenny Potter pull the Bulldogs within range. Then Rooth, a standout on SwedenÂ’s Olympic team, came through with her two huge late goals and stole the show from the rinkful of high-profile stars with her hat trick. The UMD captainÂ’s play also became a pivotal point in the Sunday afternoon rematch.
The second game was a shootout from the start, with Kelly Stephens putting Minnesota up in the opening minutes, and Sikio tying it for Duluth, which fired 12 of the gameÂ’s first 15 shots. Tricia Guest put UMD ahead 2-1 on a power play midway through the first period.
At 16:39 of the first period, Rooth sped up the left side, 1-on-3. The third Gopher defender was Stephens, an aggressive sophomore winger. As Rooth stickhandled to her left, Stephens, overtaking but still behind her on the right, checked her. Rooth flew off her feet, striking helmet first into the boards, and then slamming in with the rest of her body. Stephens was given a minor penalty, and Rooth, who required several minutes before she could be helped from the ice, was taken to University Hospital to be treated for a concussion and a torn shoulder.
The UMD contingent was angry that it wasnÂ’t a major penalty; the Gopher side thought it was an unintentional result of incidental contact. The game took on a harder edge after that, and Guest scored on the power play for a 3-1 UMD lead, but Ronda Curtin retaliated with a Minnesota power-play goal and it was 3-2 at the first intermission.
The Bulldogs seemed a bit stunned when they started the second period without Rooth, their career scoring leader, and the Gophers were quick to gain the lead when Winny Brodt converted a Darwitz feed across the crease at 3:13 for MinnesotaÂ’s third power-play tally of the game, and Kristy Oonicx slammed in CurtinÂ’s 2-on-1 pass at 5:04.
The Bulldogs seemed to have tied the game when Potter scored at 6:23, but the goal was disallowed and Guest was sent off for tripping, instead. It all worked out, however, as Guest came out of the penalty box and scored as the trailer with Nora Tallus at 9:24 for a 4-4 deadlock. “I had never scored a point against the Gophers,†said Guest, a junior who went from 19 career goals to 22 with the hat trick and now has eight for the season.
The goal of the game might have been scored by Erika Holst, who stickhandled out of right-corner congestion along the end boards, swerved out front to beat two more defenders and slide the puck through Brenda ReinenÂ’s skates late in the second period to put Duluth up 5-4.
Again, though, Minnesota responded, as Winny Brodt knocked in another Darwitz set-up at 10:04 for a 5-5 tie. That left it to the final five minutes, and UMDÂ’s Joanne Eustace deflected a Juliette Vasichek slap shot in at 15:02.
Goaltender Patricia Sautter and the Bulldogs had to kill a final penalty that lasted through the final 1:05, and UMD celebrated the sweep.
“It says it all for our team that we have the depth to have players step up,†said Guest, after the Bulldogs outshot Minnesota 37-26 for the game and 76-51 for the weekend. “Losing Maria hurt, because whether sheÂ’s speaking or not, sheÂ’s a tremendous leader.Ââ€
UMD coach Shannon Miller said: “Some people are jealous that Minnesota has a new rink just for the womenÂ’s hockey team. IÂ’m happy for them. ItÂ’s great for womenÂ’s hockey, and we donÂ’t have our own arena for either the menÂ’s or womenÂ’s teams. These games were between two great hockey teams – possibly the toughest two in the country.Ââ€
Miller was upset about losing Rooth. “ThatÂ’s the fourth player weÂ’ve had to send to the hospital because of hits from behind this season,†said Miller. “There are two ways you can respond when that happens. You can send their players to the hospital, or you can rise above it and just play the game, which is what weÂ’ve done, so far.Ââ€
Minnesota coach Laura Halldorson said: “I attribute them getting to loose pucks to the fact theyÂ’re bigger and stronger. I donÂ’t think we had breakdowns, but they have good offensive players. It was another exciting game, and while IÂ’m disappointed we didnÂ’t pull it out, I was happy with our effort and we look forward to seeing them again in February.Ââ€
And, maybe, in March as well.
Icy roads, wide tires and rear-drive can make great cars scary
Apparently Nissan hasnÂ’t heard that there are some economic struggles going on in the world. In the world according to Nissan, following up on the last yearÂ’s enormously successful Altima revision means a flourish of fantastic new products for 2003.
The new 350Z sports car has gained universal acclaim, and a flashy and futuristic new sport-utility vehicle called the Murano is just being introduced. Meanwhile, Nissan also is bolstering its upscale Infiniti nameplate with some stunning new products, most notably the G35 sedan and G35 coupe, plus the M45, a slick sedan with the big V8 from the flagship Q45.
My only concern for Nissan – and other automakers as well – is that they have made a technical move to veer away from front-wheel drive to the front-engine/rear-drive of the good-ol’ days, which might sound impressive in those California design studios, but means they apparently have decided to forget about those of us who may live and drive in the Great White North. The Murano is all-wheel drive, and the aforementioned Altima is front-wheel drive, but Nissan has gone to front-engine/rear-drive for the 350Z, the Murano, and for the G35 sedan and coupe.
It seems as though many companies have decided to go to rear-wheel drive. ItÂ’s something that Cadillac did with its new CTS, and which legendary makes from Mercedes and BMW always have carried on with. Chrysler is supposedly going that way with a new sedan, as are several other prominent companies.
There are several reasons for the change. For one, a lot of enthusiasts claim that to be the absolute best-handling a car can be, it must have the engine up front and the drive wheels at the rear. ThereÂ’s more balance, they tell us in California; thereÂ’s less work for the front wheels to do if they are steering and braking but relieved of supplying power to the road, they tell us from some heretofore undisclosed subculture, where wheels complain about their workload.
A second reason for the change is that modern traction-control devices are amazing in their ability to control power, enhance braking, and anticipate a potential skid and counteract it to prevent you from losing control. The devices are so impressive that it is easy to be consumed into believing that it can conquer any problem. On most days of each year, itÂ’s no problem. But every once in a while, you can wind up facing the kind of problem youÂ’d pay large amounts of money to avoid.
The best reason for front-wheel drive is that if you live in an area where it might snow occasionally in winter, FWD simply relieves the carÂ’s attempts to have the rear wheels try to overtake the fronts. That tendency happens in rear-drive, whether you have an electronic gizmo to fight it or not. With front-wheel drive, the rear end simply follows the front, and unless you compound a couple of vital mistakes on ice, such as slamming on the brakes and turning the steering wheel to full lock, itÂ’s actually difficult to spin out a front-wheel drive car.
There are a lot of venerable old-timer drivers out there who swear by rear-drive, and they are right when they say we used to all have to get by that way, so they insist upon it. With the right tires, and being selective about when not to drive, you can get through the winter months trauma-free. Trouble is, the new cars also have new, high-technology tires, with harder compounds for longer wear and larger blocks of rubber compound, which do wonderful things to stick to the road when itÂ’s dry. Or even wet.
But on ice, the larger blocks of rubber, combined with the harder long-wear compounds that donÂ’t keep their flexibility in the cold, can get their little grooves filled with snow-pack and become smoother and slithery. Without grooves or slits that properly spit out the snow it accumulates, a tire can become a lot like a drag-racing slick. In case you havenÂ’t noticed, they donÂ’t ever run drag-races if it rains, simply because those big slicks would turn the dragsters into unguided missiles. In the good-olÂ’ days, all those front-engine/rear-drive cars had skinny tires, compared to the current era. Skinny tires cut through the snow better than wide ones, and less-sophisticated skinny tires that hold some flexibility in the cold are far safer than performance-oriented contemporary tires that stay hard and lose their grip in the cold.
From my driving of thousands of cars with the drive wheels at both ends, I have developed the theory that even the most sophisticated and impressive traction-control gadgets need to have SOME traction to function. When there is none, itÂ’s best to have the drive wheels at the front, where they have the majority of weight on their side to steer, put power to the road, optimize braking capability, and lead the rest of the car in a straight line.
Having experimented with many high-performance cars on race tracks and elsewhere, I will declare that the alleged handling superiority of rear-drive is a bunch of hooey. Even on dry pavement. True, you can have great fun with a powerful front-engine/rear-drive car, by using the throttle to crack the rear tires loose and it all makes you feel like you’re flying through corners, but in the tightest turns, you have to get off the throttle and/or on the brakes or else you’ll spin out. With front-wheel drive – the best FWD cars at least – you simply stay on the power and steer through those same corners. It takes a different technique, and it doesn’t even feel as fast, but your autocross lap times wind up better.
Anyhow, itÂ’s understandable that the 350Z sports car would be rear drive, and I wrote how impressive that car is when I recently test-drove one. The Infiniti G35 and the G35 Coupe are built on the same chassis as the 350Z, extended a bit to add some extra room. I got both of those cars a few weeks after I had the 350Z.
The G35 sedan was OK, too, although it didnÂ’t really snow the week I drove it. I was amused when, on the extremely slight upward slope of my driveway, the G35 sedan engaged its traction control several times, chattering whenever I hit even a patch of loose snow.
Then I got the G35 Coupe. It is more stunning than the 350Z, and has more room. It was a shiny black, and it was very impressive, with a 6-speed manual transmission and all that power. The big 245 low-profile Michelin Pilot tires, mounted on those beautiful 18-inch alloy wheels, did a great job of sticking to dry pavement. I stayed after a Friday night college hockey game when UMD’s men lost 3-2 to St. Cloud State, not realizing that while I was getting a few interviews, about an inch of what they call “lake effect snow†was falling outside.
No problem, I thought. Then I tried to pull out of the parking lot, and the G35 Coupe preferred to spin its rear drive wheels until I let up and barely crawled out onto the street. I pulled onto the freeway, heading for the North Shore very carefully, and the G35 Coupe went sideways anyway, with tires chattering and lights blinking to notify me the traction-control was engaging. I feathered it, but even easing along the road, the car wanted to go sideways every time I touched the gas. As fantastic as those Michelin Pilot tires are in dry-road handling precision, they simply had no interest in sticking to the slippery, snow-covered pavement.
As I crossed the Lester River Bridge and eased onto the Hwy. 61 freeway heading up the North Shore, I tried to maintain a moderate 40 miles per hour, and I held on as the car went partially sideways for about 100 feet before I could gather it in. As if driving on eggs, I tiptoed along until I got to my road and turned northward. The G35 Coupe felt like it was skating instead of rolling as I crept up the first little hill. I had a couple of miles to go, most of it up a long, slow grade, and as I urged it forward, oh so gradually, I realized I would probably have to abandon the car on the side of the road and walk the last part. The question was, how close could I get to home?
I switched the traction-control off and on and off again, and it didnÂ’t seem to make much difference in my instability. The car spun more freely, but predictably, without it, and it chattered meaningfully with it. Somehow, I was able to keep going, and after what seemed all night, I reached the bottom of the final but abrupt hill to my driveway.
With the traction-control off, I was going slower and slower, so I headed for the right shoulder in first gear, resigned to the fact that I’d have to park it, give up and walk. As I got to the edge of the pavement, the rear end suddenly shot out to the right, and by luck, the right rear caught the gravel shoulder, which, even with snow cover, was gritty enough to provide some traction. I shifted up to second, and slowly – endlessly – I coaxed the G35 Coupe in that attitude to keep chugging up the hill. Three tires were on the asphalt, and only the right rear had traction on the shoulder, but with the car at about a 40-degree angle, I got it to keep inching up the hill at something far slower than walking speed.
Somehow, I made it, and the feeling of accomplishment whooshed out of me as I realized I was exhaling for the first time in who knows how long.
Now, I love to drive in foul weather. ItÂ’s always a beneficial test of driver and machine. But exciting as it was, this was the most terrifying drive I have experienced in 20 years. I never felt that I had any control because the slick and hard tires wouldnÂ’t bite, while I was constantly aware that if IÂ’d had the benefit of front-drive, it would have allowed me to keep churning onward, wheels spinning or not, in something resembling a straight line.
For those who would prefer not to have quite so much excitement in their lives, there are a few things you can do to prevent facing the same challenge. One: Make sure you buy a front-wheel-drive car; Two: Equip your car with proper winter or all-season tires, such as my favorite, Nokian Hakkapelittas; Three: If you have low-profile/high-performance tires or tires with large blocks of rubber instead of multiple little slits going horizontally across the tread, then find a tire dealer that offers after-market siping – which is a device that cuts those tiny horizontal slits in the rubber to increase flexibility and therefore traction.
Come to think of it, there is a fourth alternative: You coul park your new sporty car in the garage if thereÂ’s any chance of any snowfall, and drive an SUV or front-wheel-driver all winter.
My foul-weather experience might have been rare, because of the conditions of that particular hour and day, and it doesn’t mean the Infiniti G35 Coupe is a bad car. In fact, Motor Trend just named the G35 Coupe and sedan as its 2003 Car of the Year. As an interesting aside, however, Motor Trend did a thorough test of 27 new cars before making its choice, which came from a pool that included such powerful, high-performance, great-handling cars as the Dodge Viper, Mercedes SL500 and E500, and BMW 745. And the car that negotiated the magazine’s slalom course, in perfect conditions, with the fastest speed of all 27 was – the Mini Cooper S, front-wheel-drive and all!
We can presume Motor Trend didnÂ’t try all the cars in the cold and snow, or the Mini Cooper would have won by more.
What my experience does indicate is that some of the most modern car designers are trusting their electronic traction-enhancing devices far too much, that neither automotive nor tire companies have tested their products adequately in the cold and snow, or else they simply figure that there are so many more potential buyers in California, Arizona, Texas and Florida that they neednÂ’t worry about those of us in the Great White North, who might spend four months driving sideways.
About the Author
John Gilbert is a lifetime Minnesotan and career journalist, specializing in cars and sports during and since spending 30 years at the Minneapolis Tribune, now the Star Tribune. More recently, he has continued translating the high-tech world of autos and sharing his passionate insights as a freelance writer/photographer/broadcaster. A member of the prestigious North American Car and Truck of the Year jury since 1993. John can be heard Monday-Friday from 9-11am on 610 KDAL(www.kdal610.com) on the "John Gilbert Show," and writes a column in the Duluth Reader.
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