Surprising UMD keeps on surprising, reaching Final Five
Undoubtedly, some college hockey observers were surprised when Minnesota-Duluth beat St. Cloud State in a first-round playoff series. But everybody had to be surprised when UMD not only won the series, but finished it off with a rousing 7-3 victory in SundayÂ’s third and deciding game.
The best thing about playing the third game of a three-game playoff series is that it gets a team ready for what is to come in the WCHA Final Five – three games in three days. The suggestion was facetious, and it got the proper response from Scott Sandelin, who is in his third season as coach at Minnesota-Duluth, which just defeated St. Cloud State in three games to advance to the Final Five.
While UMD hadn’t advanced to the Final Five for five years, before Sandelin came on board, no team has ever come from the “play-in†game to win the Final Five. With a 10-team league, the first round pairings determine the five finalists, and teams 4 and 5 play each other on Thursday, with that winner coming right back to face the No. 1 seeded team on Friday. If the 4-5 winner happens to upset the top seed, it then gets to challenge the other semifinal winner – usually the No. 2-3 seeds – for another game on Sunday, the third straight day.
No team has ever come from the 4-5 game to win the Broadmoor Cup as Final Five champion, which also carries an automatic NCAA tournament berth. In fact, the only teams to ever have come from the play-in game to win a semifinal are Michigan Tech in 1996 and Northern Michigan in 1993. Tech’s Huskies beat St. Cloud 4-3 in overtime, then also knocked off league-champ Colorado College 4-3 in the semis – only to fall 7-2 in the final against Minnesota. Northern Michigan beat Tech 4-3 in 1993, then whipped league champ UMD 6-2 in the semifinals, before falling 5-3 to Minnesota in the final.
None of that, of course, matters to Sandelin and the Bulldogs, who have played resolutely through an even-keel 9-3-1 stretch run that includes the dramatic triumph over the Huskies Sunday. Except that if conditioning helps prepare for the grueling task of playing three games in three days, a task even NHL teams arenÂ’t asked to perform, then theyÂ’re prepared.
The only flip-side is that the Bulldogs (20-14-5) will find waiting for them North Dakota (26-10-5) – the team where Sandelin was assistant coach before coming to Duluth. Sandelin said the Sioux no longer are something special for his team to face, although he and Sioux coach Dean Blais remain the closest of friends.
“Scott and I are the best of friends,†Blais affirmed. “But when the puck drops, weÂ’re the worst of enemies.Ââ€
But North Dakota also got conditioned for the three-day run, because it took the Fighting Sioux three games to squeeze past Denver, losing 4-1, then winning 3-2 in overtime to square the series and finishing it with another 3-2 victory in overtime. The Sioux inched ahead of Duluth to take fourth place by one point when UMD was surprised by Michigan Tech for a season-ending split.
Still, the Bulldogs, who showed the largest improvement in the WCHA by leaping from ninth to fifth, with an improvement of 17 points in the regular season, brought a quick reward despite being one of the leagueÂ’s youngest teams, with five first-year players in the lineup (forwards Tim Stapleton and T.J. Caig, defensemen Steve Czech and Ryan Geris, and goaltender Isaac Reichmuth) and eight sophomores, with only five seniors and three juniors.
But the improvement doesnÂ’t seem quick to Sandelin. “I hope getting to the Final Five means a lot,†Sandelin said. “We feel this program should be there every year.Ââ€
The games against St. Cloud were a lot like the regular season for UMD, meaning the ‘Dogs battled hard every shift, got some key goals chipped in by various players, scrambled to play tough defense, and got good goaltending from both Reichmuth and senior Rob Anderson, who will start Thursday night’s game.
In the first game, Brett Hammond scored his first of two goals only 27 seconds after the opening faceoff, and after Jon Cullen tied it with an amazing, falling-down shot that snuck under Reichmuth from the slot, the Bulldogs broke it open with goals 21 seconds apart by Marco Peluso and defenseman Beau Geisler in the second period, and a goal by Junior Lessard at 6:07 of the middle period for a 4-1 lead.
The Huskies closed it to 4-2, but Hammond scored shorthanded at 3:08 of the third for a 5-2 lead, and Reichmuth withstood later goals, including CullenÂ’s second of the game, to win 5-4.
It was more of the same in the second game, as St. Cloud played much more forcefully, outshooting UMD 40-28, but unable to put the game away, thanks to Rob Anderson’s brilliant goaltending. Anderson, who had escaped from the role of back-up to win four straight second games of series he had played, held the Bulldogs in the game. Caig, in fact, rapped in Nick Anderson’s rebound at the crease to stake UMD to a 1-0 lead, which Peter Szabo offset at 17:24. Stapleton – UMD’s top scorer – scored with a dazzling shorthanded end-to-end rush before the first period ended to make it 2-1.
Matt Hendricks tied it in the second period, then the teams dueled through the scoreless third period and 11 minutes into overtime. At that point, Ryan Malone fielded a bad-bounce flip off the right plexiglass and broke deep on the right, beyond two defenders, then passed perfectly to the goal-mouth, where Mike Doyle lifted a quick shot in at 11:00 for a 3-2 decision.
Sandelin pondered coming right back with Anderson for Sunday’s finale, because he had clearly been sharper than Reichmuth. But he decided to stick with the rotation and go back to his prize rookie. “I decided about 2 a.m.,†said Sandelin.
Reichmuth responded with a sizzling performance, although UMD rippled with strong performances throughout the lineup, outshooting the Huskies 36-25. MaloneÂ’s power-play goal had given St. Cloud a 1-0 start, but Evan Schwabe scored on a Drew Otten rebound for a 1-1 standoff after one period. Then came a series of huge plays, executed by the Bulldogs.
Otten, a hard-working senior who had scored only three goals on the fourth line this season, was penalized early in the period. The Bulldogs killed the penalty, and when Otten came out of the penalty box, he caught a pass from Nick Anderson and scored a huge goal to make it 2-1 at 4:57 – just seven seconds after his penalty ended. Nick Anderson, with his back to the goal, deflected Tim Stapleton’s shot into the lower right on a power play a minute later, and Geisler scored another goal, this time rushing to the net with a pass from Hammond, and UMD had surged to a 4-1 lead.
Malone, who had blown kisses to the derisive UMD fans after scoring to start the game, scored again with a spectacular shorthanded rush at 3:57 of the third, closing it to 4-2, but the Bulldogs were not to be deterred. Hammond, the two-goal star of the first playoff game, scored two more – a power-play tally at 4:40 and a shorthanded goal two minutes later – and it was 6-2. Hendricks converted a neat drop pass from Cullen to bring St. Cloud within 6-3, but Stapleton scored a 100-foot empty-netter with 1:42 to go to secure it.
“The goal by Drew was big, coming out of the penalty box, and the shorthanded goal by Hammond was really big,†said Sandelin. “We got our fourth line to chip in a couple (by Otten and Schwabe), and the more we scored, the better I felt.Ââ€
The victory meant the top five seeds advance to the Final Five, where Colorado College remains the favorite, while awaiting the survivor of the UMD-UND clash, and defending NCAA champ Minnesota faces Minnesota State-Mankato in the other semifinal.
But UMD is clearly the Cinderella team in the Final Five. TheyÂ’re just happy to be there, but they havenÂ’t flinched at the task facing them.
“There are no bad teams in the Final Five,†Sandelin said. “The only problem we have is deciding on a goalie. Both have played so well, and Rob has gotten better with every game. So thatÂ’s a great problem to have.Ââ€
Final Five intensity obscures focus on NCAA invitations
It seems very likely that the WCHA will send four teams, minimum, to the NCAAÂ’s expanded 16-team tournament this season, and the four are virtually certain to be Colorado College, Minnesota, Minnesota State-Mankato, and North Dakota. Those teams just happen to be ready and set to go in the WCHA Final Five playoffs at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul this week.
And even though the NCAA tournament is on the near horizon, the Final Five will be fiercely fought, and command the attention of all five entries, even though the games themselves could go a long way to determining NCAA pairings.
In national rankings, CC is No. 1, Minnesota No. 5, Mankato No. 9 and North Dakota No. 11. There could be more than four WCHA teams making it, because Denver is ranked No. 15 in one poll and 16 in another, and Minnesota-Duluth is the team that flip-flops with Denver, 16th in one poll and 15 in the other. St. Cloud State, also, has received votes. The final selection process must wait until all the college conferences complete their playoffs, and if the right teams lose, teams like UMD and Denver could rise.
The closeness of the WCHA this season, as the nationÂ’s elite college hockey conference, was underscored by the first round of playoffs. Colorado College swept Alaska-Anchorage in two straight, as did Minnesota over Michigan Tech and Minnesota State-Mankato over Wisconsin. The middle series figured to be the toughest, and they were, with North Dakota squeezing past Denver with a pair of 3-2 overtime victories following an opening 4-1 loss, while Minnesota-Duluth beat St. Cloud State 7-3 in the deciding game, after winning 5-4 and losing 3-2 in overtime.
So the pairing for the Final Five are set, with UMD surprising some by reaching the Xcel party, but the Bulldogs (20-14-5) are set to face North Dakota (26-10-5) in ThursdayÂ’s opening game, which will determine the fourth seed for FridayÂ’s semifinals.
On Friday, the UND-UMD winner will face Colorado College (28-5-5) in the first semifinal, while Minnesota (22-8-9) and Minnesota State-Mankato (20-8-10) meet in the 7 p.m. second semifinal.
North Dakota coach Dean Blais said he is happy to be facing his former assistant, Scott Sandelin, the UMD coach. UMD, because of the fragile nature of its rating, is pretty aware that the only way it can reach the NCAA is to sweep three straight games. That would mean beating perennial power North Dakota, then No. 1 CC, and then either Minnesota or Mankato, the teams that tied for second in league play.
Blais said he feels good about the Final Five, but that might be just by comparison to how he felt Sunday, when he was so sick that he said he went out to the players bench with “a bucket,†but retired to the dressing room because of the flu as soon as the National Anthem was played and turned things over to his assistants. He did return to the bench in the third period, and stayed there for the overtime. “I was going nuts watching the first two periods on TV,†said Blais.
The key to the weekend success for the Fighting Sioux came Saturday night. The Sioux had lost 4-1 to Denver in the first game, when the Pioneers scored three early goals. Blais made a goaltending change, bringing in Jake Brandt for a strong relief performance, and came back with Brandt the second and third nights as well. But North Dakota trailed Denver 2-1 late in the game when Blais pulled a bold move.
“We had scored only one goal Friday, and only one more in 56 minutes Saturday,†said Blais. “So when we got a power-play opportunity with over three minutes to go, I pulled the goalie. Brandon Bochenski rifled one in off a defensemanÂ’s shinpad to tie the game. Then Bochenski scored again on a deflection in overtime.Ââ€
Without the comeback Saturday, there would have been no Sunday; no wonder Blais wasnÂ’t feeling too well. “ItÂ’s a surprise that Denver ended up seventh, but thatÂ’s how tough our league is,†he said. “WeÂ’re going to have a tough time beating Duluth, then weÂ’ve got to play CC.Ââ€
The other semifinal pits two of the strongest teams in the country, as well as the league. Minnesota State-Mankato has lost only one game in its last 23, and needed all of its wiles to get past Wisconsin. “We scored with eight minutes to go to win 2-1,†said Mankato coach Troy Jutting. “Then we were down 4-2 and I made a goaltending change. Wisconsin was up, and we pulled our goalie and scored to tie it, then we won in the second overtime…We seem to play best when our backs are against the wall.
“We know the energy level will be unbelievable at the Xcel Center. Minnesota won the national championship, and they’re playing in their own back yard. It’s basically a road game for us. We’ve been the underdog all year, and we’re the underdog Friday night. But there’s nothing wrong with that role. I don’t think there’s any doubt that we weren’t getting a lot of respect, and we’ve used that during the season.
“But thereÂ’s nothing we can do with the computer (for the NCAA pairings), so weÂ’re going up to play the best we can. Colorado College has never won the Broadmoor Trophy, but neither have we.Ââ€
Minnesota came through its two game sweep of Michigan Tech in good shape, and Gopher coach Don Lucia said he was moved by Mike Sertich’s decision to retire as Tech coach right after the weekend. “He certainly had a major impact on my life,†said Lucia.
“WeÂ’ve come a long way, and weÂ’re excited to get back to Xcel Energy Center,†Lucia added. “We know weÂ’ll have a tight game against Mankato. We played them four times, and we were 1-1-2, and we ended up tied with them for second place. We know that any team that can go through the second half with one loss, and that to the league champion when they clinched the championship, is strong. If thereÂ’s one program, and one coach, who have tremendous respect for Mankato, itÂ’s Minnesota.Ââ€
Colorado College coach Scott Owens said he intends to enjoy this Final Five more than others, while awaiting the winner of the North Dakota-UMD game.
“We’ve been in position to play that fourth and fifth place game, with an NCAA berth on the bubble,†said Owens. “I know what it’s like to get so pumped up Thursday night because you know that you could end your season right there. Then you have to come right back.
“This year, we donÂ’t have the stress from that pressure, so we can sit back and watch Thursday nightÂ’s game. But weÂ’re 1-0-3 against both UND and UMD, and weÂ’ve only been on the smaller sheet one time in 60 days. We havenÂ’t put ourselves in good position in years past, but the Broadmoor Hotel has been a big part of the CC program.Ââ€
And the Tigers have put themselves into the perfect position to claim their first Broadmoor Trophy.
Pilot, improved CR-V bolster Honda’s expanding SUV list
The long-standing battle for supremacy in sedan-building has seen Honda and Toyota climb to the top echelon, but Toyota long has held supremacy if you add trucks into the mix, with the Land Cruiser, 4Runner, Lexus GX and RX models, RAV4, and Highlander filling every SUV niche, and the Tacoma and Tundra taking on the best pickup trucks.
Honda, however, is rallying to catch up in the SUV market. The CR-V has been a big hit in the compact segment, and the Acura MDX has made similar inroads in the upscale midsize SUV category. For 2003, Honda added the Element, a quirky, active-crowd CR-V spinoff that has also been a big hit, and its SUVs have proven as reliable and efficient as its cars.
Almost unnoticed amid the outpouring of new vehicles, Honda quietly introduced the Pilot to the mix.
Having already reported at length on the Element, I recently had the opportunity to road-test both the Pilot and the 2003 CR-V, which offer some similarities as a cross-reference to where Honda stands in the SUV business.
HONDA CR-V
When it came out, the CR-V was a bit light on power but filled with outstanding creature-features. My favorite is the floor platform at the rear, behind the second row seats. ItÂ’s handy to be able to lift the platform and have a hidden storage area underneath, but itÂ’s flat brilliant to put folding legs under that platform, and have it be instantly transformable to a picnic table. The hit of tailgating parties everywhere.
More than that, the drivetrain of the CR-V was brilliantly devised, too. Four-wheel drive is the mainstay of the SUV business, but 4WD does take away from fuel economy and is not necessary for most normal driving chores. So Honda equipped the CR-V with a power distribution system that features front-wheel drive all the time, but the ability to redistribute power to the rear axle whenever the tendency to spin signals that all-wheel-drive might be an asset.
The new CR-V has improved tremendously by the upgrade of the 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine to 160 horsepower, with 162 foot-pounds of torque. ThatÂ’s not a lot of power, but the CR-V isnÂ’t a hefty vehicle, and the power is not only adequate, it eliminates the accusation that the original was a little under-powered. The engine has HondaÂ’s VTEC variable-valve-timing system that adjusts valve timing to the requirements of the moment, with dual overhead camshafts operating 4 valves per cylinder. It will tow only 1,500 pounds, which isnÂ’t bad for a light SUV, weighing 3,201 pounds.
The 4-speed automatic has grade logic control to adjust to your style of driving for shiftpoints. MacPherson strut front suspension and double-wishbone rear makes the CR-V handle well, and front and rear stabilizer bars make it handle even better. Disc brakes on all four wheels take care of stopping efficiently, with antilock brakes, side-impact door beams, and designed-in front and rear crumple zones all enhancing safety.
Air conditioning with an air filtration system, an audio system with cassette and 6-CD changer, driver’s seat height adjustments, a power moonroof, rear privacy glass – all are other standard features of the EX top-of-the-line model I tested. Another of the neat CR-V features is a fold-up center “console,†which is just a tray that can hold papers, maps or other such light stuff. When not needed, you can fold it, and it goes from being firmly in place to firmly locking down vertically, against the passenger bucket seat. That allows you to walk between the seats to tend to kids in the rear.
The ability to alter the interior to various configurations also helps the utility of the vehicle, and while itÂ’s not necessarily designed to go off-roading, it does have a steeply angled underside that provides extra front clearance. ThatÂ’s one benefit of the redesign and fine-tuning of the style, which now looks much better then the original boxy look.
It also handles well in any weather, and a trip from Chicago to Duluth was no problem, turning treacherous sounding lake-effect snowstorms into no problem. The CR-V also delivered 25 miles per gallon on the road. The EX costs $23,000, and came with no options – everything, including the secure feeling in all weather – was standard. The base model starts at under $20,000, and still offers the same drivetrain.
The CR-V is so good, that it reinforces why the new Element works so well, because despite being taller and boxier, the Element is a unique body fastened to the CR-VÂ’s proven platform and powerplant.
HONDA PILOT
HondaÂ’s creativity is always interesting to observe. The Acura MDX has challenged ToyotaÂ’s Lexus RX300 for supremacy in the midsize SUV class, and while Toyota generally makes its SUVs available in both Lexus and Toyota form, Honda picked up on that and remade the MDX into a Honda, giving us the Pilot.
In a way, it could be considered a slightly less-stylish MDX, but it also could be looked upon as an enlarged CR-V. It certainly resembles the CR-V in styling more than it does the more angular MDX, even if it performs up to potent MDX standards.
The test Pilot – that has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? – also was an EX, meaning top-of-the-line, and came with 240 horsepower out of the single overhead-cam V6, measuring 3.5 liters. It also has 242 foot-pounds of torque, giving the Pilot tremendous power, and it has the similar all-wheel-drive-on-demand feature of the CR-V and MDX. I got 19.5 miles per gallon in mostly city and some highway driving, which is less than I expected, but probably a tribute to how much fun it was to step on the gas and get that variable-valve-timing to respond with pizzazz.
The drivetrain is also livelier because the automatic is a 5-speed, rather than 4. And the handling is very good, thanks to MacPherson strut fronts, multilink rear, and front and rear stabilizer bars. Stopping is enhanced by an antilock system that also has electronic brake distribution to maximize the potential of the 4-wheel discs. Stability is further aided by 18-inch alloy wheels with all-season tires.
While the exterior design might be nicknamed “MDX Squared,†the Pilot will appeal to more than just math students. It is loaded with neat features, including a satellite navigation system, and an audio system with AM-FM-cassette-CD augmented by a rear DVD player and separate headphones for rear-seat occupants. The 7-speaker audio has a subwoofer, and remote controls for the system are on the steering wheel.
The second row of fold-down seats also leads to a third row, which might be best described as bench jumpseats. The third row disappears into the rear floor for a flat platform, a trick Honda initiated with its Odyssey van, and carries through on the Pilot. The climate-control system is synchronized front and rear, with the micron air filter.
Grey leather front bucket seats have 8-way power with lumbar support up front. Airbags front and side bolster the safety features, and the Pilot got top marks in government crash tests.
The 240 horsepower, and particularly the 242 torque reading, mean that the Pilot can tow a 3,500-pound trailer, which is a ton – literally – more than the CR-V, but curiously 800 pounds less than its costlier Acura MDX counterpart. At 4,400 pounds, the Pilot also is heavier than the CR-V by over 1,000 pounds, but its power upgrade sends it 0-60 in only about 8.5 seconds.
All of those upgrades in style and features has a price, although a modest one by todayÂ’s SUV standards. The Pilot I test-drove had a sticker of $32,980 for the EX model, on which everything is standard, while the base model starts at $27,360.
It is HondaÂ’s clever concoction of features that enhances the Pilot, including subtle little things like a net on the backs of the front seats for storing maps, etc., and grocery hooks in the rear, so you can use elastic cargo tie-downs to keep stuff from sliding around.
The Pilot is assembled at a plant in Alliston, Ontario, and has 70 percent U.S. parts, with the engine built in the U.S. and the transmission being among the 15 percent Japanese components, compared to the test CR-V, which was built in Japan, with 65 percent Japanese content.
The Pilot fits right in with the best mid-size SUVs, at less expense, and is a significant upgrade from the CR-V. It also helps Honda achieve a stepping stone, where sedan buyers can move into inexpensive SUVs at the $20,000 level, and now they can move upscale if they need more room and still be at the $30,000 range.
Neon improves its bid for real-world, entry-level consumers
Here we are, awash in a fast-approaching springtime loaded with the luxury cars, sports cars and megabuck SUVs that fill auto-show season, but the harsh reality is that a lot of people canÂ’t afford to pay over $20,000 for a means of everyday transportation.
ItÂ’s fun to look at the exotic stuff, but when it comes down to paying around $15,000 or less for a car, it requires tightening your belt on options, refinements and features, so the question becomes one of where youÂ’re willing to compromise and still be satisfied.
Chrysler Corporation’s answer to what they call “entry-level†transportation has been the Neon, ever since that youth-oriented campaign that plastered the “Say Hi to Neon†slogan all over our consciousness. Over time, and refinement, and the merger of Chrysler into Daimler-Benz, there no longer is a Plymouth Neon, because there no longer is a Plymouth. But the Neon is alive and well under the Dodge marquee.
While waiting patiently for the new, hot-rod Neon SRT-4, with a turbocharged engine and stiff suspension, I was able to spend some time with a 2003 Neon SXT. At first, I was disappointed, because in the alphabet-soup world of car names, I mistook SXT for SRT and thought I was getting the hot-rod, which comes with a turbo 2.4-liter and has gotten some rave reviews.
The SXT, meanwhile, is the SRT-4’s tamer brother, but it has some real-world virtues that shouldn’t be overlooked – not the least of which is a price tag of $14,895, which went up to $15,295 with the inclusion of a 4-speed automatic transmission. And we know the hot-rod twin will be more like $20,000.
The new Neon has impressively bold styling, with a nose that closely resembles the Ram/Viper/Stratus front façade, with its cross-hatch grille rounded off to aerodynamic stylishness. The fit and finish of the bodywork is improved, too, and the 4-door design still makes for adequate roominess in the rear seat and trunk, despite the car’s compact stature.
My biggest complaint was quickly exposed, as soon as I opened the front door and jumped into the good-looking bucket seat behind the steering wheel. In memory, my impression is accompanied by a cartoon-like sound – “BOINGGGGG!†– because there was something close to a trampoline springiness to the seat bottom cushion. Now, maybe it was a not-too-subtle hint that I should do a little roadwork without a car, but even my wife, Joan, noticed that the support from the seat was virtually nonexistent, so it isn’t a weight thing.
Putting firmer bolsters in the bottom would seem to be a simple step, and not cost any more than the trampolining feature. So to begin with, I found my driving position to low.
Otherwise, the interior is pleasant enough and even sporty. You can get reverse, dark numbers on white gauges that reverse themselves at night, when the lights are on. Also, standard are a 6-speaker audio system with a CD changer, tilt steering column, keyless entry, a full-length console with cupholders, a little storage bin on the instrument panel facing, power locks – with that maddening speed-sensitive auto-locking tendency, power front windows, and a power trunklid release, along with air-conditioning.
Also standard are a rear-window defroster, intermittent wipers, a 12-volt outlet, independent suspension with stabilizer bar up front, power rack-and-pinion steering, and child-locks on the rear doors. For other safety features, there are three-point harnesses even for the center rear seat, and a child-seat tether, and up front there is what they call “next generation†airbags.
I have this thing about calling any current device “next generation,†which is so trendy now, because what are they going to call the next generation of airbags?
From a performance standpoint, the 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder engine has a single overhead camshaft operating 16 valves, and the 4-speed automatic transmission also is standard. The 15-inch alloy wheels enhance cornering firmness and make the Neon SXT handle quite well.
Now, as you peruse the useful features and standard equipment, you may have noticed a couple of things missing.
The front-only power windows mean you have to crank the rear windows, which also means you have no control over opening them from the front seats. When the weather is warm, I prefer to open the windows unless air-conditioning is needed, and when I open the front window, I like to open the rear at least a couple of inches to help the airflow. I couldnÂ’t do that with the Neon because of the crank rear windows.
You can get foglights, which help the rural road visibility and also add a sporty touch. But there is no cruise control, which is a major drawback whenever you take a freeway trip anywhere.
The engine has adequate power, although the automatic transmission prevents it from feeling very quick. I would anticipate a 5-speed manual, or even a 5-speed automatic, might feel far less stodgy. But the flip side of the stodgy performance is that I was able to get 26.7 miles per gallon in town, and 28.3 on a mixed city-freeway tankful. The EPA estimates range from 25 city to 32 highway.
All in all, the Neon SXT makes for good basic transportation. The only frustration is that without even knowing about the hot-rod version just coming out, the potential is there for the existing Neon SXT to be far more satisfying, with minor alterations to the transmission and the seats. The engine might be quick, but the transmission reduces its effect; the suspension-wheels-stabilizer bar collaboration and the steering seem adequately sporty, but the super-soft seats reduce any feel of sportiness. Unless, that is, you consider a trampoline sporty.
(John Gilbert writes a weekly auto column. He can be reached by e-mail at: jgilbert@duluth.com.)
Anoka blows down Roseville offense to win AA final 4-1
SAINT PAUL — Anoka blew across the Xcel Energy ice surface like their namesake Tornadoes Saturday night, gathering force as the game progressed and overturning an early deficit to beat Roseville 3-1 and capture the schoolÂ’s first state high school hockey championship before 17,163 fans.
The heroes were many for the Tornadoes, who spotted Roseville a 1-0 first-period lead, then defused the explosive Raider offense the rest of the night, while Andrew Johnson scored the tying goal in the second period, and Craig Chapman tipped in a power-play blast by Tim Manthey midway through the third period for the eventual game-winner.
Derek JohnsonÂ’s deflected empty-net goal with 52 seconds remaining finished off the victory. Ben Hendrick assisted on the first two Anoka goals, including a remarkably clever play to set up JohnsonÂ’s tally.
Anoka (26-3-2) finished the season with an 11-0-1 stretch run, while Roseville (25-4-2) lost for the first time in 10 games, after riding an 8-0-1 run to the final game.
Both Roseville and Anoka play an aggressive, up-tempo offense but tough and unyielding defense – assets that certainly contributed to getting them to the title game. Anoka defeated Duluth East 4-3 in Thursday’s quarterfinals, then eliminated defending champ Holy Angels 2-1 in Friday’s semifinals. Roseville outlasted a tough White Bear Lake outfit 4=3 first and then harnessed Eden Prairie 4-1. Holy Angels got by Eden Prairie 2-1 in Saturday’s third-place game, the preliminary to the final.
The teams dueled through a scoreless first 11 minutes, each getting a power play without being able to convert. But at 11:41, Brandon Svendsen fed the puck ahead to Andy Carroll, speeding up the right boards. With one Anoke defender back, Carroll cut toward the slot to pick him up as a screen, then snapped a hard wrist shot just past the defenseman, snaring the net before goaltender Kyle Olstad could spot it.
The Tornadoes had a couple of excellent opportunities to tie it early in the second period, when brothers Andy and Aaron LaHoud had a 2-on-0 chance after an outlet attempt took a crazy bounce off the right corner boards and caromed right out in front. But goaltender Jerad Kaufmann went down for one save and stayed there for the second. Svendsen immediately came back on a break-in at the other end, but Olstad held firm.
It took a brilliant play for Anoka to get the equalizer at 12:51 of the second period. Ben Hendrick, a 5-foot-8 senior, carried the puck up the left boards, appearing oblivious to the fact that a Roseville defenseman had him lined up for a big hit. Turns out, he anticipated perfectly, pivoting to his left to brace for the hit, and an instant before beding slammed into the left boards, Hendrick snapped a backhand pass softly across the slot. Speeding into the zone was Andrew Johnson, catching the pass all alone and streaking to the net, where he cut to his left, waited until Kaufmann dropped to the ice, then flicking his shot up and over the fallen goaltender.
That set the stage for the third period, with the teams standing absolutely even at 1-1, with the shots 11-11.
But the Tornadoes had been getting stronger and gaining momentum as the game progressed, and they seemed stronger still in the third period, putting on more and more pressure in the Roseville end. At 7:46, RosevilleÂ’s Kyle Odegaard was penalized for high-sticking. It may have been retaliatory, it may have been from being tired and frustrated. It proved pivotal when the ensuing power play resulted in AnokaÂ’s go-ahead goal, by Chapman.
Again, however, it was the diminutive Hendrick who was involved, sending a perfect pass to center-point, where Tim Manthey, who rarely left the ice all night, blasted a slapshot through traffic at 8:42. Chapman got a piece of it, deflecting it past Kaufmann for the 2-1 lead.
Anoka outshot Roseville 22-17 for the game, thanks to an 11-6 edge in the third period. Anoka had worked so hard to gain the upper hand that even after breaking the tie the Tornadoes kept the pressure on, attacking relentlessly and preventing the Raiders from getting their offense going.
Roseville coach Steve Sertich called time out with 1:24 left and pulled goalie Kaufmann for an extra skater. The Raiders battled for possession, but the puck came loose near the left boards, and Derek Johnson tried to launch the puck out of the zone. His clearing attempt may not have been on-target, but it was partially deflected by RosevilleÂ’s Neal Carlson, trying desperately to regain possession, and the deflected puck veered down the ice and landed right in the middle of the empty net with 52 seconds remaining.
The Raiders made one last spirited bid, but Anoka goaltender Olstad held firm. An unfortunate skirmish after the save resulted in RosevilleÂ’s Collin Cody delivering a cross-check to Tim Manthey, knocking off his helmet, knocking him down, and leaving Cody in the penalty box with a 5-minute major penalty.
Manthey, son of Anoka coach Todd Manthey, and arguably the best player in the three-day tournament, led the Anoka contingent that also included goaltender Kyle Olstad and forwards Ben Hendrick and Sean Fish on the all-tournament team. RosevilleÂ’s goalie, Jerad Kaufmann, and Raider teammates Neal Carlson on defense and Pat Eagles and Andy Carroll up front also made the team. The rest of the all-tourney team included forward Kevin Huck and defenseman Jack Hillen of third-place Holy Angels; forward Josh Frider of consolation champ Moorhead, and defenseman Dustin Mercado of White Bear Lake.
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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