Stanzel’s Sports Takeout — BREAKING NEWS: 10.14.24
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5-0 Vikes and 4-1 Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium Sunday with first-place in NFC North on the line. Every North team has four or more wins, just like we all expected. The first division since realignment in 2002 with each team having four wins in the first six weeks of the season.
Loons are back Saturday against St. Louis at Allianz after a break for International play. A fine time for that (there’s another week break in the playoffs too). The Loons could finish anywhere from fifth to eighth. Fifth, sixth or seventh guarantees a three-game series. A win assures them of at least seventh, due to Vancouver’s loss last night.
Wolves lose to KAT and the Knicks in pre-season action at MSG. You’re going to love Donte DiVincenzo. What chemistry he’s got with Rudy already. Sure looked like Donte isn’t happy to have left New York, based on him jawing at Thibs from the free throw line and then going after assistant coach Rick Brunson after the game.
Liberty Evens Final 1-1 as Lynx Comeback Falls Short
Another comeback, this one coming up just short.
The Lynx rallied from 17 down in Game 2 to get within two points with the ball in the fourth quarter, but a couple of back-to-back turnovers and a long Lynx scoreless drought helped give the Liberty a 80-68 win. The series shifts to Game 3 at Target Center on Wednesday.
Napheesa Collier and Courtney Williams combined for 12 of the Lynx’ 20 turnovers. Williams is high risk and sometimes high reward, but her tendency to try to make the big play herself when she has one of the league’s best players alongside her is her undoing. Collier also picked up three fouls in about four minutes in the third quarter. She’s got to stay on the floor.
The Lynx still trailed by two with 3:40 left, but didn’t score again.
The Lynx also had no answer inside for Breanna Stewart (21 points) and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton (20). Stewart had a WNBA Final record seven steals.
Wild Unbeaten in Regulation if We’re Looking at the Bright Side…
The Wild is yet to trail but has managed just one win through three games, thanks to a shootout and overtime loss on back-to-back nights. Saturday, they lost three separate leads before falling 5-4 in a shootout at home to Seattle. Now, they were the victim of a couple awful calls, including a missed penalty that led to Joel Eriksson Ek’s broken nose, and a phantom Jonas Brodin trip when it was actually him who was tripped.
Last night, playing without Eriksson Ek and Jared Spurgeon (lower body injury) to start a seven-game road trip (they don’t play at The X again until November), the Wild again built a one-goal lead before ultimately falling 2-1 in overtime on a power play goal.
The Wild has a problem and it is the fact they’re trying to have three goalies on the roster. Still in salary cap hell and with an oft-injured lineup, the Wild has had to reassign goalie-of-the-future Jesper Wallstedt to Iowa twice. The kid needs to be getting practice reps if not playing.
The Wild’s at St. Louis on Tuesday.
Gophers Edge Bruins at Rose Bowl
The Gophers swept through southern california. Both the school - Southern California, and their city brethren UCLA after Minnesota bested the Bruins 21-17 on Saturday at The Rose Bowl. Darius Taylors’ second TD of the game, a four-yard pass from Max Brosmer, gave the Gophers the win with 27 seconds left.
The slow-starting Gophers trailed 10-0 at halftime but grinded their way through the final 30 minutes. They led after three but still trailed late before Bosmer orchestrated the game-winning drive.
How great of a story is Koi Perich? The true freshman from Esko (#oneofus) had two more inteceptions, after getting the game-clinching pick against USC last week. The Gophers have played seven games, and Perich’s four INT’s are the most of any freshman in school history.
The Gophers have this week off before facing Maryland at home on Oct. 26.
GWH Update
The Gopher women went to Ohio State and managed one point out of four, losing 4-3 on Friday and then tying 1-1 Saturday. The Buckeyes did get the extra conference point in the shootout. Interesting decision for pollsters (polls don’t matter), as No. 4 Ohio State more or less swept No. 2 Minnesota, but last month also got swept by No. 3 UMD.
Things don’t get easier for the Gophers, who host No. 1 Wisconsin for two this weekend. The Badgers are 6-0-0 and just swept UMD.
The Gopher men routed Air Force 7-1 in their season-opener in Las Vegas but fell 2-1 in OT to No. 15 Omaha on Saturday. An intriguing early season matchup between Minnesota and UMD awaits in Duluth this weekend.
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