MINI BTP: 10-17-23 (Will Gophers-Tommies Become A Rivalry?)

Brandon Mileski & Pat Micheletti discussed whether Gophers/Tommies will become a rivalry on this episode of MINI BTP!

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
All right, welcome to another episodeof Mini BTP. I am Brandon MALASKI
Pat mcalletty with me as well whenwe do our MINIBTP. We just discussed
one topic. We'll get to thatshortly, but Pat, first one you
tell us about our sponsor. Allright, are you on a Beer League
hockey team? Check out our contestpage at kfan dot com for a chance
to get yourself sponsored by michelob GoldenLight. Excellent, and our topic today,

(00:25):
Pat, is will the University ofMinnesota Golden Gopher's hockey team and the
University of Saint Thomas Tommy's hockey teambecome a rivalry? Pat, obviously,
I think we're well aware of allthe Gophers' rivals over the years, North
Dakota and Wisconsin, Minnesota, Duluth, and then you started adding Mancato and
Saint claud and but Midgie State asthey became D one. Now you got

(00:46):
another team that jumped up from Divisionthree. Is they're in their third year.
From a geography standpoint, it's asclose as it can get. And
at least over the last weekend whenthey played each other, I thought it
was a good atmosphere, good crowd, Friday night at the X and competitive
hockey as well. One hundred percent, Brandon. You were at the X,
you saw the atmosphere, you sawwhat was really impressive was the Saint

(01:10):
Thomas student section. It was packed. And you know, you and I
talked about this right when they wentDivision one and I said, I thought
it is going to be a goldmine. And with their new building that's
going to seek five thousand people whichwill be coming in two years. Uh,

(01:33):
you know I I I think it'sgoing to be just a terrific rivalry.
I hope they play each other everyyear because it'll it'll be great.
And if you look at where SaintThomas has come from from year one to
where they are known and you it'samazing. They added, uh you know,

(01:55):
coach Blasi, Rico Blasi has donea terrific job along with his assistants
and in building the team the waythey want to build it, and and
they they this year. I thinkthey've added four hundred and thirty six man
games through the transfer portal. Andyou combine that with the young recruits that
they have, and they have goodrecruits coming in. I think it's a

(02:20):
really good recipe. It's their way, and I tell you what they gave
Minnesota. They could have won bothgames. I mean they literally could have
won both games. And that's howrazor thin hockey is and at the collegiate
level. So good on them,and I look forward. I look forward
to it. Yeah, Friday nightI thought was a big night for the
program for their University of Saint Thomas, from not just from a competitive standpoint

(02:45):
on the ice where they were inyear one, to the point where you
know, they are still missing somehigh end talent that the Gophers have,
right they don't have it. Theydon't have a snug root on their team,
and that's kind of was the differenceon the weekend is they didn't have
a snug rood, but they couldskate with them and they worked. They
worked hard, they were physical.Thought. I just thought their intensity,
the energy they brought. And youknow, this is a program pat that

(03:07):
was is currently playing out of SaintThomas Academy's a rink and they are offering
shuttles for students to travel and theyhaven't been doing I've had a hard time
getting students to want to take thatshuttle to watch the team in a rink
that's small you know, can onlyfit what a little over a thousand people.
And to see that Saint Thomas crowdFriday night because their students section brought
it. I mean they not onlyfrom a volume in terms of just the

(03:30):
amount of people there, but alsovolume in terms of noise. I thought
the production they put on for auniversity that doesn't have like their own jumbo
tron at their rink, to seethe production standpoint. And then on top
of that, it was a veryentertaining game and Saint Thomas, you know,
reeled off four in a row.They came back after they'd given up

(03:50):
the go ahead goal. The Gophersend up losing, you know, three
on three and overtime and that greatgoal by Snuggrid. But I just thought
that was as good of a nightas it could have been for Saint Thomas
and kind of gave them a glimpseof, hey, we can do something
in the future. Here a coupleof things, Brandon, I uh,
you alluded to to the comeback.They could have quit after the first period

(04:13):
down to nothing, they came backwith four goals. That tells me something
right there. That's the coaching,that's the culture, that's everything involved.
And they didn't go to Vision onejust to go Division one. They went
there with a purpose and they knewit was going to take time, but
the purpose didn't leave. You know. They know where they want to get

(04:36):
to and they have a plan.And when and when you have a plan
and you're starting to execute the plan, good things will happen. I tell
you, I'll go back to therink again. The rink is going to
be state of the art, beautiful, and and they and they want to
win. And guess what, thestudents want a rivalry. They want to

(04:59):
cheer it against Minnesota, Saint Cloud, Minnesota State, you know, all
the in state teams. They wantto be they they you know, they
want to strut around campus and say, yeah, well you know we're going
to beat these teams. And Itell you one thing. They were picked
higher than Minnesota State in the CCHApreseason poll this year. This is a

(05:23):
team that just might you know,finishing it could certainly finish in the top
three. I'm not going to saythey're going to win it, but from
what I've seen early on, andtrust me, as you know, it's
very early. So you know,let's let's revisit this in January. But

(05:44):
but, but they have the makingsof a team that potentially could go for
a championship this year. Well,an encouraging start. They split Saint Cloud
State top ten team in the openingweekend, and they played the Gophers very
well last weekend. As you said, small sample size, they're playing off
a lot of it. They're goingoff a lot of adrenaline, a lot
of energy. So we'll see asit moves along. But you know,

(06:06):
I've seen a lot of people kindof doubt whether Saint Thomas can can be
a legit Division one hockey team.And I kind of laugh at that,
Pat, because you know, manCato was in the same boat at one
point. Saint Cloud State was inthe same boat at one point, right,
And yeah, man Cato has beenone of the best teams in hockey
over in Saint Cloud as well.They've both been top ten programs over the

(06:27):
last five years. And really SaintThomas, to a certain extent, you
could say should have an edge onthose teams. They are based in the
Twin Cities, which is the outof anywhere in the country and anywhere,
I don't want to say North America, but anywhere in the country in the
United States. That is the bestyou're gonna find the you know, the
most best hockey players in this area. And you know, are you still

(06:48):
probably gonna have the Gophers having anadvantage over Saint Thomas and that sure,
but there's no reason why Saint Thomascan't be on Mancato's leven and Saint Cloud's
level in terms of as you mentioned, that rink is going to be unbelievable.
And after Friday night seen the waythat fan base uh was was supporting
them, I'm no longer doubting.And let's face a pat in college hockey,

(07:12):
small schools all the time. Imean, Quinnipiac has won the national
championship last year. Fifteen years agothat program was zero, was nothing.
So it's also a sport where smallteams can can make a can make a
push. Yeah. And and andif I'm Saint Cloud, Minnesota State from
midge U m D. You hitit right on the head. They are

(07:33):
in a metro area where what doyou have in the metro area? You
have the Wolves, the Vikings,the Twins, the wild you know,
and and that is a recruiting toolright there, and lots of good and
lots of good young hockey players comingout, and and and and and this
and a lot of good young hockeyplayers. Now, will they get the

(07:57):
first round, first rounders and thesecond rounders? Know, I don't know,
maybe they'll steal one here or there, but but but the point is,
if not, they're going to getthat next year. And that next
year is not too far behind thetop tier. And you know, it's
it's a it's a pretty attractive place, uh to go to school, and
it's a good educational institution, andso you can't you know, you got

(08:22):
to keep that factor in it too. So yeah, I'm I'm looking forward
to it, and I'm looking forwardto the rivalry between Minnesota and Saint Thomas.
And I just hope that they're onthe schedule every year. Now,
let's let's take the Gopher side ofthis then, since I'm mostly joking Saint
Thomas here. As I mentioned earlier, let's face it, everyone views the

(08:43):
Gophers as a rival. Yep.Everyone in the state does. North Dakota
does, Wisconsin does, Heck,Michigan probably does. This stage, everyone
always looks at the Gophers a rival. So it might be kind of hard
when you're looking at the Gophers asto who's their rivals, how you rank
them, I would still think NorthDakota is number one, even though they're
not in the same conference anymore.But where do you view Saint Thomas ended

(09:05):
up being kind of in this hierarchyof the Gopher's rivals from the Gopher standpoint,
Well, I think it's still evolving. But but after this past weekend,
I think it'll just continue to grow, right, and and the energy
about beating Minnesota, I know it'llbe number one for Saint Thomas. And

(09:28):
I think you know at some pointnow they're in different leagues, which is
you know, different again. Idon't don't even get me going, because
I think all six should be inthe same conference. We would it would
be every rink in every college rinkwould be sold out every weekend because of
the in state rivals. But youknow, I have no say in that,

(09:50):
and it irritates me. But wemove on. But I think I
certainly as far as state rivalries,I think this could end up being number
one now that they have six teamsin the state. We need to bring
back the North Star Cup. Nicenice, nice even number to throw in
there. I have even I Iwant to propose the Day of Hockey in

(10:16):
Minnesota or whatever you want to HockeyDay in Minnesota where you have you don't
even have to call it a tournament, right, just have each other,
Thank claud, play Minnesota State,Minnesicoe, you know whatever. Thread Yeah,
switch it around each year and itwould sell out and you could get
one ticket for all three games andyou know, split the revenue, give

(10:39):
it away to youth hockey, whatever. And I think that would be just
a wonderful day of hockey. Ihope someone thinks of that and and takes
it. You just did you justdid think of it, wish because I
think it would be great, don'tyou? All the team? Well,
it'd be awesome. All right,Pat, thanks as always. We'll talk

(11:01):
to you next week. Have agreat day, Brandon, Thank you,
Pat mcleody. I'm Brandon Mleski.This has been another episode of many BTP.
We will talk to you next week. Right here, I'm be on
the pod. Bye.