University of Minnesota Athletics
Rinkside: Staying Sharp
12/29/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Hockey
Story by Jackson Riebel
MINNEAPOLIS - After a three-week break from game action, the No. 10 Gopher Hockey program returns to the ice this weekend, hosting Army West Point for a pair of nonconference games.
Staying Sharp
After ten-consecutive weekends of game action to start the season, both mental and physical maintenance were key points of emphasis as the team dispersed for the holiday break. After two days back in practice this week, Minnesota coach Don Lucia was confident that his team had handled the extended break correctly.
"The guys are used to it, and I think they do a good job with it. They're so well trained, it's not like you're going to get out of shape or anything like that," Lucia said Wednesday. "The big message we had was to take your equipment home. Whether it's practicing with a high school team, getting some ice, or getting on a bike, maintain your conditioning level and get in the weight room for a few days. But also, take time to decompress a little."
"It was one of those things where guys would let other guys know whether or not they were going to be skating. Try to get a couple goalies out there, do a few drills and maybe do a little scrimmaging, things like that," team captain Tyler Sheehy added. "The message was to take care of yourself. Obviously everyone knows what they need to do to recover from the first half and get their legs ready to go for the next half."
Many players, including Sheehy, used the time away to reflect on their roles within the team.
"[There was definitely] a little bit of reflection, and kind of a reality check. I think being a captain, early on I was a little nervous and there was a lot of pressure. I think that has settled down for a me a little bit, and I can just relax, play, and help the team as much as I can for the next half. A lot of it is going to rely on me and how I lead, so I'm going to do my best to do that."
Minnesota currently sits in the middle of the Big Ten Conference standings, trailing Notre Dame, Ohio State and Penn State for the conference lead. Sheehy and his teammates are looking to use this weekend's home series to jumpstart a second-half postseason push.
"Now its crunch time. It's never about how you start but about how you finish."
New Additions
Two fresh faces, belonging to sophomore Luke Notermann and freshman Clayton Phillips, could be seen around practice this week. Notermann, a forward, spent the first half of the season rehabbing from surgery and could be set to make an earlier-than-expected return to game action in the near future.
"[Noterman] just needs to get into some game action and get back up to tempo and pace," Lucia commented. "I think for the most part his soreness is gone. When you have a double surgery like he had over the course of the summer, originally, we didn't think he'd be available all year. The time table then got moved up a little bit. We know he's happy to get back out there."
Phillips, a defenseman known for his scoring prowess, joins the Gopher roster after spending parts of the last three seasons with the Muskegon Lumberjacks and Fargo Force of the USHL. Minnesota will look for Phillips to add a needed offensive boost as he familiarizes himself with the team. Lucia discussed his expectations for the Edina native on Wednesday.
"He jumped in pretty well the first couple days here. There's always going to be a transition, and we understand that. He possesses some of the things that we anticipated. He can get to a puck, he can move it, he can shoot it, he can retrieve a puck. But it's a whole different game getting to the college level, and he'll have to adjust to that."
While Notermann skated in ten games for the Maroon and Gold last season, Phillips may need some time to settle in to a new environment. Sheehy hopes he and his teammates can help with that transition.
"[We'll] just try to make him as comfortable as he can be. Obviously if you're in that situation it's going to be a little bit uncomfortable, especially for a young guy coming in halfway through the year to a group of guys who have gotten to know each other for six months. I think just making him feel comfortable, making him feel at home, that's about it."
