It’s been about a week and a half since the UMD Bulldog hockey team’s season ended in 4-0 loss to Boston College in the NCAA regional final and I am finally able to talk about it. Growing up in Duluth, I became a passionate UMD hockey fan. Being the only Division I sports team within a 150 mile radius, it was the only game in town. Watching a Bulldog hockey game is perhaps one of the most stressful experiences I have between October through April. I get more emotionally attached to a Bulldog hockey game than any other sports team I follow.
The team is a symbol of community pride and quality of life. I’ve been to three Bulldog hockey game this season and I always enjoyed talking to fellow Bulldog fans, who distinct themselves from everyone else not only based on what colors they are wearing, but also about how passionate they are regarding Bulldog hockey. I am proud that the Bulldogs are the only team in the state that actually followed the law in asking for public dollars to build their sports arena, passing a public referendum to raise the sales tax to pay for a large part of the arena. Why doesn’t Minnesota’s professional sports teams try that method of attack? I attended last year’s Frozen Four hockey championship and watching UMD win the national championship in person was the most exhilarating moment I’ve had at a sports event in my life.
While I’m really bummed that the Bulldogs didn’t win a second consecutive national championship, I will not actively root for or against the Minnesota Golden Gophers in their attempt to defeat Boston College. I have to objectively say that Boston College looked much like an NHL team when the Bulldogs faced them. Three lines with size and speed; big, mobile pairs of defensemen, and a goalie that hasn’t given up a goal in over two games despite multiple breakaways against him. The Golden Gophers better hope the extra week off put some rust on Boston College’s game, a team on a 17-game win streak.
However, I do know that Bulldog fans in general have a candid dislike for Golden Gopher hockey. Why? Well, UMD radio play-by-play announcer Bruce Ciskie explains:
“Fans take this rivalry (UMD vs. Minnesota) seriously. And they should. For UMD supporters, it's the only chance they get to thumb their nose at the "Main U." There is a certain annoying kind of arrogance that comes off the Gophers and their hockey fans. It's a much bigger school than UMD, and they have a greater tradition in all sports, including hockey. But yet UMD is on the same level -- Division I -- as the mighty Twin Cities campus.
It was that arrogance, that "We're bigger and better" mentality, that led to UMD referring to Minnesota as "UMTC" on the DECC scoreboard. UMTC, of course, stands for University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Gopher fans hate being called UMTC. They want to know why you don't call Wisconsin "UWM" or Michigan "UMAA," but they don't get that this whole rivalry thing is greater with Minnesota than any other program.”
As I said, I will be an objective observer of the Minnesota-BC game. However, many Bulldog fans are not going to be so objective. To prove my point, here is a picture a fellow Bulldog fan passed along to me regarding the Golden Gophers.
I don't know about how apropos this is for the men's hockey team, but I candidly say this fits the men's basketball team season quite well.
Gopher fans don't hate being called UMTC, any more than Carleton fans hate being in St. Olaf's school song. The Gopher hockey team is the main rival for many programs, UMD, NoDak, Wisconsin, St. Cloud State, and probably the other D-1 Minnesota hockey programs as well. We may lose this weekend, but we'll still be in your heads.
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