Hockey, hockey, Goldy

It was a nice day in November, quite a bit above average in temperature and bright blue and sunny. The wind was blowing a tiny bit too much but that didn't matter today. Bicycling was not on the agenda, we had early hockey, 4:07pm against the Bulldogs of UMD.

I like to get there early enough to watch the warm ups and TOPWLH after at first humoring me has, I believe, come to appreciate them too.

This is one of the very first drills, skating and shooting.That's our all-world Finnish goaltender, Noora Räty, preparing to be routinely amazing.

Here's the second best team in the building most nights, the Gopher pep band. This photo is a little out of sequence as careful observers will notice that Minnesota outshot UMD 13-8 in the first period to lead 2-0.Here's the real star of the show, the defending national champion of the college mascot competition, Goldy Gopher.Goldy skates and even stays on the ice for team introductions. He then joins the team line for the national anthem.Here Goldy joins the between periods youth hockey skirmish. I believe that is the Faribault girls under-12s engaged in a two minute scrimmage.Final score, Minnesota 3, UMD 2.