Passat grows into, and fulfills, large car role for VW
Having gotten over the surprise at how much Volkswagen had altered the appearance of the 2006 Jetta, it was easier to accept the 2006 Passat. Picture the new Jetta being pulled, stretched and elongated by almost nine inches, and, if you squint just a little, you can visualize the Passat.
While the Jetta remains VWÂ’s bread-and-butter midsize sedan, the Passat is its full-size sedan. While the Jetta has good front, rear and trunk space, the Passat has significantly more front, rear and trunk space. Personally, I like the look of the new Jetta, although I thought the outgoing 2005 model was almost precision-cut perfect in understated but Germanic styling. So IÂ’m surprised to read some magazine critics saying the Passat looks so much better than the Jetta, because they are quite similar.
Both cars have the new pronounced nose, with the large “U†shape to the grille, made more prominent by liberal use of chrome in the outline, which traces the bumper as its bottom segment. Critics have said the Jetta rear and taillight layout is Toyota-like, and there is a great similarity with the rear image of the Corolla, but the Passat has very similar taillights.
The difference is that the sweeping, smooth lines of the silhouette seem to be better proportioned on the bigger Passat, which has grown by three inches, than on the chopped-off Jetta.
I attended the introduction of the new Jetta, and the separate intro for its hot-rod GTI version. That one was my favorite, coming with AudiÂ’s fantastic direct-injection 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, brought to life by an engine management system that parlays a low-pressure turbocharger to attain maximum torque almost as soon as you start up, and carries it all the way into the midst of the horsepower peak region.
That 2.0 turbo got my full attention when I first attained 34.5 miles per gallon in an Audi A4 FrontTrak, and again when I unintentionally screeched the tires of an Audi A3 all the way across an intersection.
But I missed the Passat introduction in September because, ironically, I was over in Germany, viewing the same new PassatÂ’s worldwide unveiling, among other things, at the Frankfurt Auto Show.
Finally, this past week, I got my paws on a Passat test-fleet car. The car can be obtained in various versions, with the top two being powered by a 3.5-liter V6 with 280 horsepower, and the same model with 4Motion all-wheel drive. The model I tested came equipped with the base Passat engine, which is – trumpets please – my favorite 2.0-liter, dual-overhead-camshaft, four-valve-per-cylinder four, with variable valve timing and that low-pressure turbocharger.
While I havenÂ’t yet driven the much-acclaimed 3.6 V6, the test-car with its 2.0 four had 200 horsepower at a plateaud peak range from 5,100-6,000 RPMs, and 207 foot-pounds of torque that peaks at a mere 1,800 RPMs and holds that output all the way to 5,000 RPMs. The direct-injection trick means that a computer controls the precise dosage of air-fuel mixture, including its pressure and temperature, and feeds it independently into each of the four cylinder to attain optimum burning, and, therefore, efficiency.
If you donÂ’t get any more technical the putting fuel in the tank, all you need to know is that the power comes on quickly and the six-speed Tiptronic transmission, which runs just fine as an automatic, or can be hand shifted to your own liking, transforms that power to smooth acceleration. Sure enough, EPA estimates are 22miles-per-gallon city, 31 highway, and I got 27 in combined city-highway driving.
Seats are comfortable and supportive, and the PassatÂ’s handling is exemplary, for a large sedan or a runabout. A greatly stiffened chassis and well-tuned shock absorbers leave a little bit of body-leaning in the most severe cornering, but confidence-inspiring flatness in general attitude.
The satin-finished trim on the console is bright – surprisingly bright for the usually dour Passat – with heat/air controls on the center stack, below a navigation/information screen that accommodates the audio controls.
The Passat sticker price starts at $23,900, which is a distinct bargain for what comes standard. The list is long, and it includes the wonderful engine, electro-mechanical power steering, the strut-front/multilink rear suspension, electronic stabilization program, anti-slip regulation, electronic differential lock, and antilock brake system on the four-wheel disc brakes, Michelin all-season tires that stuck well on some brief icy spots, front/side/side-curtain airbags, side-protection door beams, tire-pressure monitoring system, split folding rear seats, reading lights front and rear, remote gas filler door, central locking, keyless entry, 16-inch alloy wheels, in-dash CD player with MP3 format, and an antitheft alarm with immobilizer.
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You could go a long way, in front-wheel-drive winter security, with that package. The test car, however, listed for $31,565, but its appointments were opulent. The beige leather seats were part of a package that includes power sunroof, a multiple CD changer, satellite XM radio, leather steering wheel and shift knob covers, and five-stage heated driver and passenger front seats. The six-speed tiptronic shift, with premium sound-system upgrade with surround sound, and rear side airbags are other options.
The blue-numbered gauges with bright red-orange needles are impressive, and quite Audi-like. The black, padded steering wheel has remote controls at thumbÂ’s reach, and all controls have a solid, German, ergonomic placement.
From the outside, the rear is stylishly tapered inward as it rises, with a neat spoiler lip on the upper edge, all of which covers a spacious trunk. The rear doors end with a nicely tapered chrome outline coming off the roofline. There’s that stylish silhouette, andthen we’re back up front, where the glassed-in headlight enclosure has a little scalloped underline where the main headlight shines. Then you have that large, “U†ahaped grille with the angled sides, and the large, very large, “VW†in the middle.
It looks good, if quite Jetta-like from a distance. If bystanders mistake the two, so much the better for Jetta-buyers. But for those who spend the extra money to get the Passat, the extra room and the well-proportioned lines are worth the difference. Especially with that potent but surprisingly economical 2.0-liter engine.
Volkswagen may have taken a misstep and was soundly criticized when it brought out the still-large and more costly Phaeton. The new Passat doesn’t get VW off the hook. In fact, it’s luxurious enough to prove the critics right about the Phaeton. Who needs it?
Schaublin near invincible in UMD sweep of Harvard
Minnesota-Duluth was prepared for a pair of traditional highlight games against Harvard last weekend, but instead the Bulldogs steamrolled the Crimson for a pair of 6-1 triumphs. The sweep lifted UMD to the nationÂ’s No. 2 rank behind St. Lawrence, plus a sweep of the WCHA player of the week honors, with Noemie Marin offensive player of the week, Rachel Drazen defensive player of the week, and Michaela Lanzl freshman of the week.
What about Riitta Schaublin?
Riitta Schaublin is UMDÂ’s goaltender, a self-made standout often overlooked next to her free-wheeling teammates, despite dominant performances in goal. She doesnÂ’t seem to mind, but she would like to figure out how to get some of the shutouts she deserves.
Schaublin, who admits to being 5-foot-11 but looks much larger in her goaltending gear,leads the WCHA womenÂ’s goaltending statistics with a superb 1.28 goals-against mark, and with an equally-impressive .948 save percentage for the 12-2 Bulldogs, who lead the WCHA at 10-2 with losses only during splits at Wisconsin and at Minnesota.
And yet, her statistics should be still better – which sounds outrageous, considering the junior from Basel, Switzerland, and the Bulldogs have only yielded four goals in their last seven games. Since losing 4-1 at Minnesota a month ago, Schaublin shut out the Gophers 6-0 – the first time they ever been blanked at Ridder Arena – then won 6-1, 3-0 at North Dakota, 3-0, 5-1 back home against Bemidji State, then 6-1, 6-1 against Harvard.
Those seven games show four games with one goal against and three shutouts amid a seven-game goal differential of 35-4, but Schaublin only has credit for two shutouts so far all season. Not that it has had any effect on her focus, which is crystallizing UMD’s championship hopes.
That includes the fact that she will not be leaving the University of Minnesota-Duluth womenÂ’s hockey team to play in the upcoming Winter Olympics in Italy. ThatÂ’s good news for UMD, bad news for UMDÂ’s WCHA opponents, and not exactly good news for Switzrland.
Schaublin proves the benefit of UMD having such diverse international players in a sort of backhanded way. While the Bulldogs have developed star players for the U.S., Canada, Sweden, Finland, and Russia, in recent national and Olympic competition, they also got standout goaltending from Patricia Sautter, who will return to her native Switzerland for the Olympics. Schaublin also came from Switzerland, and has proven, by her development last season and this one, that she would be a valid member of the Swiss team.
“I gave Riitta her choice,†said UMD coach Shannon Miller. “I told her I was behind her 100 percent if she wanted to join SwitzerlandÂ’s team for the Olympics, itÂ’s just that I had to know, last summer, what she intended to do, because I would recruit another goaltender if she was going to go. She decided to stay with us, rather than be backup to Patricia at the Olympics.Ââ€
Minnesota-Duluth staked its claim to women’s hockey excellence by recruiting an international roster of players from the start of its program. That was a key reason why UMD won the first-ever WCHA season title, then strung together NCAA tournament championships the next three years – the first three women’s NCAA hockey tournaments ever held.
The international flavor makes sense, based on coach Shannon MillerÂ’s long-standing status of coaching CanadaÂ’s National and Olympic teams, and it continues to pay dividends this season. The Bulldogs, currently ranked No. 3 in the nation, have Schaublin from Switzerland, defenseman Suvi Vacker and winger Mari Pehkonen from Finland, winger Michaela Lanzl from Germany, French-Canadians Noemi Marin, Karine Demeule, Melissa Roy and defenseman Myriam Trepanier, Canadians Sara OÂ’Toole, Juliane Jubinville, Krista McArthur and Jill Sales, and U.S. skaters Jessica Koizumi from California and defenseman Ashly Waggoner from Alaska, plus Minnesotans Allison Lehrke, Samantha Hough, Larissa Luther, Tawni Mattila, defensemen Rachael Drazen and Kirsti Hakala, and backup goaltenders Danielle Ciarletta and Annie Meyer, plus support players Erin Holznagel and Becky Salyards. Hakala is from nearby Cloquet, while freshman center Mattila and Salyards are from Duluth.
The Bulldogs will miss Marin, the nationÂ’s leading scorer, this weekend when a rejuvenated Minnesota State-Mankato comes to the DECC for a series. Marin is not only a gifted goal-scorer, she is a star shortstop on CanadaÂ’s national softball team, which is conducting tryouts. At Olympic time, the Bulldogs will lose Lanzl, a spectacular breakaway threat who not only is UMDÂ’s most exciting player but also is GermanyÂ’s best player.
Meanwhile, if a fluctuating lineup can be bailed out by great goaltending, Schaublin is ready for the challenge. Against Harvard, she was invincible in the first game, while Marin, Vacker and Mattila staked UMD to a 3-0 lead in the first period, and MarinÂ’s second-period goal, plus a pair by Lanzl in the third, made it 6-0 with six minutes remaining. A careless penalty with three minutes to go proved costly, and HarvardÂ’s Jennifer Raimondi scored on a power-play rebound with only 1:38 to go to ruin SchaublinÂ’s shutout.
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The next night, Schaublin was again unbeatable, as Marin scored in the first period, and Drazen, Lanzl, Koizumi, Pehkonen and Marin made it 6-0 at the second intermission. But again, the shutout went away in the third period when HarvardÂ’s Laura Brady broke in to score.
That wasnÂ’t nearly as exasperating as the Bemidji State series when Schaublin gave up no goals in two games, but came away without credit for a shutout, and with only one victory. In the first game, Schaublin discovered one skate had been sharpened incorrectly during pre-game warm-ups, and trying to adjust it made it worse, she discovered during game introductions. She skated to the bench after the National Anthem, and told Miller she would have to come off at the first whistle. That occurred at 0:11, when Pehkonen was called for a penalty. Miller said she thought Schaublin would come to the bench for a little fine-tuning, but instead she went right to the dressing room to get her old skates.
So Miller put freshman Danielle Ciarletta in at 0:11, and she played for just over four minutes, without facing a shot No hots, no saves. Meanwhile, Lanzl broke loose and scored at the other end at 1:15 for a 1-0 UMD lead. By the time UMD had drawn two more penalties, Schaublin was ready to go with her backup skates on, and returned to the ice at 4:23 with UMD two skaters short. She survived, and went on to block all nine Bemidji shots in the first period, and all 19 Bemidji shots for the game. When Lanzl scored again in the second period, and Marin hit an empty net at the end, UMD had earned a 3-0 victory. Schaublin, the teamÂ’s career shutout leader, had notched another. Or had she?
Nope. The rules say that when more than one goaltender is used, whichever one is in the game when the winning goal is scored gets credit for the victory. So Ciarletta, without making a save in her four-minute stint, got the victory, and Schaublin, who stopped 19 of 19 shots, got nothing. Not the shutout, nor the victory.
“Ridiculous,†said Miller, although Schaublin shrugged it all off.
The next night, Bemidji State attacked much harder, but again UMDÂ’s offense was too much. Lanzl and OÂ’Toole scored in the first period, and Jubinville scored twice in the second for a 4-0 lead. Schaublin, of course, had allowed nothing, stopping all 16 Beaver shots. Miller decided to let Ciarletta get some experience in the third period, and she gave up a goal to Allison Johanson midway through the period while making nine saves, before Krista McArthur connected later to complete a 5-1 victory. Once again, Schaublin missed a chance for a shutout, but at least she got to win the game. Incredibly, had Bemidji rallied for four goals against Ciarletta, then she, and not Schaublin, would have gotten credit for the win.
Oh, and back when UMD shut out Minnesota 6-0 at Minnesota, Schaublin was not voted one of the gameÂ’s three stars, because even though she made 22 saves and some Ridder Arena history, UMDÂ’s first forward line swept the honors. At least that week, when the WCHA panel looked over the significant happenings in the league, Schaublin was justifiably named defensive player of the week for the league — if not the game.
Stifling Harvard twice, while stopping 53 of 55 shots, was a major achievement for Schaublin. But bigger things are coming, first with Minnesota State-Mankato coming to the DECC this weekend, and then Wisconsin coming to the DECC for a series that might decide the WCHA title, the No. 1 spot in the nation, and league goaltending honors.
Jeep Commander rises beyond Cherokee territory
Writing about new cars for more than three decades has generated a fiar number of questions from readers, and discussing new cars on WCCO radio with Charlie Boone at 7 oÂ’clock every Saturday morning has generated hundreds of new contacts by email. One of the better questions was: Will the new Jeep Grand Cherokee have a third-row of seating?
I couldn’t be certain, because the trend seems to be to introduce a model and then introduce various spinoff versions, and with the Grand Cherokee being all-new a year ago, it might take some time for word to come down from Mercedes, to Chrysler, to Jeep, and then to get applied. My hunch wasnÂ’t bad. I was wrong about a new version on the Grand Cherokee, but I was right about JeepÂ’s intention to add a third-row seating arrangement. But instead of merely squeezing ianother row of seats into the cargo hold of a Grand Cherokee, Jeep went over the top.
The 2006 Jeep Commander is an entirely new vehicle that takes fully into account the demands of traditional Jeep buyers, but also expands into that segment that insists on seven-passenger, three-row seating. With SUVs expanded beyond a million and, optimistically maybe, headed for two million, and 50 percent of prospective buyers wanting a third-row of seats, it would be foolish to overlook that gang.
Big, bold, and perfectly suited to taking large numbers of people on their appointed rounds with startling, Hemi quickness, the Commander meets or exceeds any on-road requirements anybody could have for a large SUV, and previous testing at the vehicleÂ’s introduction indicates that off-road ventures are easily acoomplished.
Entirely new, from stem to stern, the Commander sits on the same platform and wheelbase of the new Grand Cherokee, but itÂ’s two inches longer, and considerably larger, in every dimension. Parked next to a Grand Cherokee, the Commander is taller, which helps house the seats of Jeep’s first three-row-seat vehicle. If Jeep wanted to simply build a three-row-seat SUV, I think it may have overshot its aim; the Commander will take on a lot of luxury SUVs, costing much more.
The look is striking, if not ultramodern, which also is by design. The Commander makes an attempt to recapture the image of the old Jeep Grand Wagoneer from decades past. That was a squarish, but luxurious, sport-utility vehicle that was very popular, although my personal opinion of it was that it seemed like a lot of spare parts somehow fastened together – and not always solidly.
Instead of a steeply-raked windshield, the Commander has a blocky but readily identifiable grille and front end, and from the side it has wheelwell openings outlined with bulletproof molding, which has neat little allen-screw-looking indentations that seem intent on convincing bystanders that somebody took their new vehicle to an after-market shop to be reinforced. Actually, the illusion is a counter-illusion, because the flares are replaceable.
The test vehicle is “Trail Rated,†which is Jeepspeak that means you could go crashing and careening off-road, through the underbrush, and where roads may not necessarily lead. The inherent ruggedness is countered by the Commander’s luxury appointments. The $42,225 as-tested sticker might be an indicator, although I was surprised it was that low, with a $38,205 base price, because I’ve driven a lot of over-$40,000 SUVs recently.
On snow or ice, or congested traffic, the Commander I test drove was smooth and very managable, but always potentially overpowering. ThatÂ’s because it has a Hemi. Yup, just like the commercial might say. that thing has a Hemi in it. The 5.7-liter hemispherical-head V8 churns out 330 horsepower at 5,000 RPMs and 375 foot-pounds of torque at 4,000 RPMs.
So even though the Commander weighs in at 5,169 pounds, it can accelerate with sports-sedan quickness, and carries itself extremely well. It handles with what my wife, Joan, called sports-car-like precision, considerably better than most other large SUVs weÂ’ve driven, in her view.
As impressive as the Hemi power is, the Commander also benefits from the cylinder-deactivation system that effectively cuts out half the cylinders at cruising speed, moving it up from gas-hungry to reasonable in fuel efficiency. WeÂ’re talking a vehicle that would be impressive if it got 14 miles per gallon, and improving it to the 17-18 neighborhood.
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Opening the door reveals more luxury than you might be prepared for. The test truck was jet black, which was more stunning as we encountered a couple of midweek snowstorms hit. Inside, what is called “Saddle Brown Yuma Leather†greets you from all the seats, and with three rows-worth, that’s a lot of seats, arranged in what they call stadium seating. Movie theaters do it, putting the seats on risers so everyone can easily see over the bushy-haired giant sitting a row ahead. In the Commander, occupants in the second row can see over the front row, and third-row sitters can see over the second row. The taller body means more side glass, and a more, uh, commanding view.
The roof is stepped, so itÂ’s higher to accommodate the rear seat, although the step itself is physically obscured by the well-positioned roof rack. The seating and all the appointments are nothing if not totally luxurious. The rearmost row of seats fold down independently, making a flat carpeted stowage surface. ThatÂ’s a good idea, too, because while everybodyÂ’s market research says that SUV buyers are adamant about wanting a third-row seat, it is even more dramatic in pointing out how rarely those third-row seats are used to sit in.
The second row is used frequently, though, and on the Commander the stock formation is a 40/20/40 split that can fold up to separate the outer seats if youÂ’re hauling four instead of five. Or seven. If there are only two of you, and a lot of stuff to haul, you can fold both the second and third rows down flat into the floor. On a trip, you could probably find room to sleep back there, which would mean SUVs have finally figured out how to capture some of the best assets of vans.
“Instead of thinking outside the box,†said Jeep spokesman Don Renkert, “we made a better box.Ââ€
I don’t like fake wood trim, but the woodgrain inside the Commander, which I’m sure is “genuine simulated wood,” is as attractive as any I’ve seen. The instrument panel is well laid out, as are center stack controls, right on down to the console, which has the shift lever for the five-speed automatic transmission, and a little grasp-handle if you want to lock the beast into low range to creep down some steep off-road decline.
An oversized sunroof fits because of the straight-up walls, and can be augmented by fixed-window skylights over the rear, which further brightens the luxury concept.
Going through the snow is a breeze, no matter which type of four-wheel drive you choose. Jeep has enough systems to satisfy the most demanding buyer, with QuadraTrac, QuadraTrac II, Quadra-Drive II, and then thereÂ’s the two-wheel rear-drive version.
You get the Hemi, and you get the Quadra-Drive II, which has electronically controlled shifting of torque to assure that the wheel with the most traction gets the most power. It even can send 100 percent of available power to just one wheel, and when youÂ’re talking Hemi power, you obviously can still get where you intend to go with one wheel doing the work.
Side-curtain airbags shield all three rows, augmenting the normal airbag-equipped safety stuff, which starts from structural safety with solid rear frame rails designed to take off-road boulder hits, which pretty much mean anything on the road should be easy.
The rear end has a solid-axle build with five-link suspension, again designed to handle the most rugged use. All Commanders get that treatment, whether you choose the 3.7-liter V6, the 4.7-liter V8, or the 5.7-liter Hemi. If you choose the top Limited model, the base is $38,205, and it drops off to $36,280 for the Limited, $29,985 for the basic 4×4, and $27,985 for the 4×2.
Impressive as the Commander Limited 4×4 Hemi is for charging through snow, ice, traffic congestion, to say nothing of dry pavement, it seems to me that anyone who would buy such a vehicle would want the 4×4. I mentioned that to Michael Berube, one of the Jeep officials at the CommanderÂ’s launch.
“Twenty-five percent of Jeep buyers buy them in 4×2 form,†Berube insisted. “But thatÂ’s in the sunbelt. In the snow belt, especially in places like Minnesota, 4x2s are bought byÂ…almost zero percent.Ââ€
Sanity, as they say, prevails. Sometimes.
Badgers women prove elite status in tie, victory at UMD
When you were a little kid, maybe your parents stood you up against the door sill and put a tiny pencil mark to denote how tall you had grown by a certain date. If coach Mark Johnson were to do the same with his Wisconsin Badgers womenÂ’s hockey team, the biggest growth mark would be for December 9 and 10, 2005.
The dates are for when Wisconsin went to Duluth and battled No. 1 ranked Minnesota-Duluth to a 2-2 deadlock, with the Badgers holding the upper hand through the third period and the overtime, then continued it the next night to claim a 2-1 victory. It was the best, most intense hockey of the season for both teams. But it was more than that for the Badgers.
Sharon Cole is one of five seniors in the University of Wisconsin womenÂ’s hockey lineup, which means she and Badger coach Mark Johnson were rookies the same year. Cole would only measure 5-foot-3 on a growth chart, but she has grown along with her coach and he team as the Badgers have reached true status of a genuine NCAA championship contender with those two games.
WomenÂ’s WCHA hockey teams get a long midseason break, perfect for focusing on final semester exams and the holidays, but the Badgers deserve the break more than ever, because their semester exams on the ice came at the Duluth Entertainment and Conventilon Center.
Through its first six years, the Women’s WCHA has been a two-team duel between the University of Minnesota-Duluth, and the University of Minnesota. True, Wisconsin battled those teams with increasing competitiveness, finishing second last season, for example, but when it came to post-season play, it was always the “Big Two.†UMD won the first WCHA season title, and Minnesota won a coaches association national tournament that year; UMD won the first three NCAA championships, and Minnesota won the most recent two.
The Bulldogs had elite, star-quality players like Maria Rooth, Jenny Potter, and Caroline Ouellette, while Minnesota had elite stars such as Natalie Darwitz and Krissy Wendell. You canÂ’t find players like that readily available around the womenÂ’s hockey world, so against such foes, Mark Johnson took chances on players he liked and built with balance and depth. Then he coached them, teaching fundamentals, as well as little situational tricks heÂ’s known since he starred for his dad, Badger Bob Johnson, at Wisconsin and then later for the 1980 U.S. Olympic team and in the NHL.
“Mark hasnÂ’t really changed too much,†said Cole. “He knows the game, and he teaches it so well. We doi a lot of individual skill things, and a lot of work. IÂ’m amazed at how much weÂ’ve developed, skill-wise. The biggest difference this year is we have a lot of depth. We can throw three lines out against any teamÂ’s first line now.Ââ€
Everything the Badgers have worked for came to focus on the series at the DECC. To open the season, Wisconsin was picked first in the country, but got thumped 5-2 by UMD in Madison. The next night, the Badgers grew a little with a goal in the closing seconds to tie UMD 3-3, and Sara BauerÂ’s power-play winner in overtime claimed a 4-3 triumph. The next pivotal series came in mid-November at MinnesotaÂ’s Ridder Arena, when the Badgers stunned the Gophers 2-0, then stamping a 6-2 victory on the rematch. Cole had a goal in the first game and two in the second, which was huge for her, being back home.
Cole played on Bloomington JeffersonÂ’s emerging girls program that won a Minnesota state championship here junior year. One of her teammates was Allison Lehrke, who is UMDÂ’s captain and one of their top centers, and Larissa Luther, who also is a senior with the Bulldogs. The Gophers have struggled to regain their previous stature, this year, however, while UMD had streaked to supplant Wisconsin as No. 1 in the country, leading the WCHA, and riding a 10-0 steak at home.
“We looked at the series as a big chance to get ahead,†said Cole, who said she went to Wisconsin with no illusions of being a standout player. She plays left wing with Sara Bauer, a 5-foot-3 junior and the team’s top scorer, while those two mighty-mites have blossomed since Johnson shifted Jinelle Zaugg, a 6-foot-1 sophomore from Eagle River, Wis., up to right wing.
“She wasnÂ’t with us at the start of the season,†said Cole. “SheÂ’s got such a great reach, it really helps when weÂ’re forechecking.Ââ€
As expected, UMD and Wisconsin played with great pace and intensity every shift. Noemie MarinÂ’s power-play goal staked UMD to a 1-0 lead midway through the first period of the first game, and it stood until late in the second period when Bauer came out of the penalty box, beat a defenseman up the left side, and cut to the goal to beat UMDÂ’s Riitta Schaublin at the right edge for a 1-1 tie. Junior defenseman Bobbi-Jo Slusar put theBadgers ahead at 1:02 of the third with a screened shot from the left point. At 13:04, Jessica Koizumi whirled and fired a screened shot from the top of the right circle that beat Wisconsin senior Meghan Horras high and into the right edge for the 2-2 standoff.
The tie was one thing, the fact that Wisconsin pinned UMD into its own zone for most of the remaining seven minutes, and during a 4-0 shooting edge in the five-minute overtime, meant plenty to WisconsinÂ’s confidence.
“It was like a playoff game,†said Johnson. “We got what we were looking for. Somebody challenges your team, and I liked the way our players competed. It was two good skating teams, with good players making good plays, and itÂ’s fun to watch that.Ââ€
UMD coach Shannon Miller said: “We had a real good first period, we both killed penalties in the second, and in the third period Wisconsin outworked us, beat us to every loose puck, and we were lucky to leave with a 2-2 tie. Riitta Schaublin was the only reason we got the tie.Ââ€
The next night, Miller broke up her first two lines, supplanting Koizumi with Lehrke between explosive wingers Marin and freshman Michaela Lanzl, while Koizumi centered freshmen Sara O’Toole and Mari Pehkonen. But the Badgers came out and did two things no other team has been able to do to UMD all season – or in any season – by forcing the Bulldogs to throw the puck away in their own end, and then pouncing on those loose pucks and doing something with them.
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While killing a penalty in the first period, Cole pounced on one of those grenade-like turnovers, and cut across in front of the goal, left to right, as she jammed a backhand shot. Schaubliin went down as she blocked the shot, sliding on her knees to the right edge of the crease. The puck, however, squirted through, and was sitting in the crease, inches from the goal line. Bauer was the first one to it, and converted the equivalent of a four-inch putt for a shorthanded goal.
Early in the second period, the Badgers proved ColeÂ’s comment about their depth, as Tia Hanson knocked in a second rebound for a power-play goal at 1:21. Her linemates, Erika Lawler and Angie Kesely, both got assists. All three are freshmen, playing on the third line.
UMDÂ’s third line came back to puncture HorrasÂ’s shutout late in the first period. Freshman hometown center Tawni Mattila, who might have been UMDÂ’s most effective forward in the game, rushed through the Badger defense and got off a good backhander. Horras saved it, but junior Juliane Jubinville poked in the rebound to cut it to 2-1.
Then it was truly final exam time, as the Badgers continued to defuse UMDÂ’s offense, smartly clearing their zone and putting the puck in deep, and forcing the Bulldogs to go the length of the ice to attack, but unable to sustain any sort of passing game to get there. After being outshot 37-23 the first game, UMD outshot Wisconsin 27-25 in the second, but the Badgers always had five defenders in front of Horras, who faced few dangerous threats, while Schaublin was forced to stop repeated break-ins and threats off turnovers.
“We played much better,†said UMD coach Miller. “I thought we played fantastic hockey. This series was a great test for us, and, win or lose, it was really good for us to have to raise our level of play to this level.Ââ€
Mark Johnson said: “We knew that theyÂ’d come out flying in the initial six or seven minutes, but we weathered the storms. Meaghan did a good job when we broke down, and we got a lift from our third line. TheyÂ’ve got a lot of energy, and they just want to play and have fun. These type of games, everybody gets better. They were good tests for both teams. It was a good weekend, and itÂ’s another step in the journey to March.Ââ€
Johnson also has a good feeling for his team’s depth, and a special feeling for the seniors – Cole, second linemates nikki Burish, Cyndy Kenyon and Grace Hutchins, and goaltender Horras. Scoring has underscored the team’s balance, but the first line will be the one to rely on for pressure goals.
“Sharon Cole has really become a good player, and itÂ’s nice to see that,†said Johnson. “She always had the skill, and sheÂ’s a good skater and understands the game. Sara Bauer surprised everybody and blossomed into an outstanding player last year. I put Jinelle Zaugg up there, and itÂ’s been a good chance for her, because playing with Cole and Bauer, all she really has to do is get open. That can become a really good line.Ââ€
It already has, Mark, and while the coach has been working so hard and the players have been developing so much, all the while focusing on the destination at the end of this season’s journey – and the four-year journey – the Badgers have become an elite program. Completing a 3-0-1 record in the four games at Minnesota and at UMD is like getting a big Christmas present a few weeks early.
Carle, Pioneers give each other Christmas gift sweep
Â’Twas the last series before Christmas, and all through the house, the Denver Pioneers knew there would be considerable stirring, because this was no normal house, but the DECC, where the creatures stirring would be Bulldogs, not mice.
“This is a tough building to come into,†said Carle. “We got together and talked it over, and we decided that the best Christmas gift we could give each other would be two wins this weekend.Ââ€
Carle was talking as the fans left the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center in silence, walking out into the stark, near-zero chill of Northern Minnesota winter, while inside, the Pioneers had succeeded in celebrating a little bit of Christmas a week early by completing a tough 4-2, 3-1 sweep that pushed them clearly into WCHA contention at the holiday break and halfway point of the season.
“We talked all week long about how this was going to be a tough series,†said coach George Gwozdecky. “If we are going to be in the second-half race, even if we’re going to battle for second and third, this was a very important weekend, and I asked the players to approach it like a playoff weekend. This is a tough building, especially for freshmen. It’s a smaller rink, and the fans are right on top of you. It can be an intimidating place for a guy not used to it.
“I remember how it is, because I scored my first goal here. It was on a breakaway. Ken Turko was UMDÂ’s goaltender. I beat him, low to the stick side.Ââ€
Gwozdecky traced the goal back to his days at Wisconsin, guessing it was about January of 1974. How could he, a big scorer for the Badgers in their formative days, remember the goal so well? “Listen,†he said, “I didnÂ’t score that many goals. I learned more about coaching from sitting on the bench and watching.Ââ€
Gwozdecky, of course, probably got the earliest feeling of Christmas sometime last spring, when Carle passed up what might have seemed like the perfect time to jump at an NHL offer. True, Carle was only a sophomore last season, but he was an All-America on defense, and he scored 13 goals and 31 assists for 44 points to rank third in Denver team scoring, and four seniors were departing from the team that won its second NCAA championship in a row.
It may be more than mere coincidence that Denver won NCAA titles in both of CarleÂ’s seasons. He could easily have signed with San Jose and been playing in the NHL right now. But he didnÂ’t really consider it.
“San Jose respected what I am doing at Denver,†Carle said. “They didnÂ’t throw a lot of numbers around to try to get me to leave. I couldnÂ’t ask for a better place to be than Denver, and to come back with the chance to play a leadership role is something special. WeÂ’ve got a lot of freshmen on this yearÂ’s team. WeÂ’ve only got two seniors, but we have a big junior class, and everybody contributes leadership.Ââ€
Four of the six defensemen Gwozdecky used at Duluth were freshmen, and while they might be comparatively unknown, mark down those names: T.J. Fast, Chris Butler, J.P. Testwuide, and Julian Marcuzzi. The fifth defenseman is Andrew Thomas, a sophomore. So as a junior, Carle is clearly the elder statesman among the guardians of the Denver blue line.
“Matt logs a lot of ice time,†said Gwozdecky. “And when he’s on the ice, he’s exceptional at all parts of the game, defensively and offensively. He can defensively stop a rush, and he can break down a rush and anticipate exactly what to do. And he’s a great student. He loves being in college, and he seems to know that these may be the best four years of his life.
“In my mind, heÂ’s the best defenseman – and maybe the best player – in the country. HeÂ’s a smooth skater, and heÂ’s strong, poised, and compose. HeÂ’s been that way since his freshman year.Ââ€
Carle may be without peer in the WCHA – or in the country – strictly as a defenseman, but the key to Carle’s game is his ability to bolster the Denver offense. The cliché phrase “jump up into the offense†doesn’t come close to describing Carle’s ability to read and properly sense when to make his transition to offense.
“In today’s day and age, you can’t expect to score a lot with just three forwards on attack,†said Carle, whose presence means Denver never has just three forwards attacking. If a forward is backchecking and defensive responsibilities are covered, Carle will blend in on the breakout and counter-attack as if he were the third forward. If all three Pioneer forwards are already sailing down the ice, Carle catches up in a couple of powerful strides and, quicker than you can say “Hobey Baker candidate,†he blends smoothly into the rush as a fourth attacker.
In FridayÂ’s game at Duluth, UMD jumped to a 1-0 lead on Matt McKnightÂ’s shorthanded goal at 4:54, to get the Bulldog crowd into it. Carle promptly tied it with a power-play bullet from the right point at 6:57. Then he fed Paul Stastny, who relayed it to Tom May for a 2-1 lead six minutes later. And at 17:36 of the first period, Carle and Stastny threw the puck around until Butler scored from inside the left point for a 3-1 Denver lead. Carle, quite casually, had three points on the three goals.
UMD rallied for a second-period goal by Jason Garrison, and went on to outshoot Denver 41-23, but Ryan HelgesonÂ’s goal late in the second period secured a 4-2 lead and the Pioneers secured the territory in front of goaltender Glenn Fisher, who contributed 39 saves for the victory.
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UMD also got the jump Saturday, when Michael Gergen scored at 4:49 for the only goal of the first period. In the second period, Butler scored a power-play goal and set up Michael Handza for another, and Stastny finished the 3-1 victory on a third-period rush.
Carle, without a point in the second game, has 8-18—26 for the season, trailing only Stastny (5-22—27) in team scoring. That figure puts him ahead of his freshman full-season tally of 5-20—25, and puts him in sight of last seasonÂ’s All-America output of 13-31–44. Humility, however, is another ingredient in what makes him so impressive.
“IÂ’ve progressed every year,†said Carle. “As a freshman, I had decent numbers, but I was a young buck on a really experienced ‘DÂ’ corps, and I had to get used to the college game. I added some offense my sophomore year.Ââ€
This season, like last year, the Pioneers struggled early. This season, it was because so many new, young players found their rhythm. That rhythm includes a 5-1 surge that lifted their WCHA record from 3-3-2 to 8-4-2, and overall from 6-6-2 to 11-7-2. The early stumbles might have averted the spotlight away from a team planning to take a run at an unprecedented third straight NCAA title. No more. They swept their pivotal home-and-home series with Colorado College, winning 4-2 and 5-1, then whipped Alaska-Anchorage 5-2. They were unseated, however, when Anchorage stung them 3-0 in the rematch, a loss that caused Gwozdecky to put extra emphasis on the series at UMD.
GwozdeckyÂ’s players appreciate his disciplined efforts, and itÂ’s undoubtedly a factor in Carle staying in college.
“We have great coaching, and I think San Jose knows IÂ’m getting good training here,†said Carle. “We want to win it all, and the last two years, however we played in the first half of the season, we were there at the end.Ââ€
A real-estate/construction management major, Carle, a junior, needs one more full year to complete his degree. Gwozdecky and Pioneers fans obviously hope Carle decides to finish his education and play his senior season as well, while opposing coaches might well be sending Christmas cards to the San Jose Sharks, urging them to sign the guy from Denver as soon as possible.
Even though Carle has not even thought ahead about it, the question remains whether San Jose will continue to be so patient after this season – when a 6-foot, 190-pound defenseman with all the moves, skill, and skating ability to swim with the Sharks should be allowed to stay in college, where he might be the biggest fish in the pond.
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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