The Wake

After dominating the Western Collegiate Hockey Association for six seasons, the University of Minnesota’s Women’s Hockey team is adjusting to life in the middle. The Gophers put up their worst regular season record since the inception of Women’s Hockey in the WCHA, but when “worst ever” is third place is it really that bad?The Gophers opened the season with a bang. An impressive five-game winning streak in October left fans saying “Natalie who?” But after their streak-ending loss to Duluth they struggled; often failing to win back-to-back games. Most notably the weekend of Feb. 10, when Minnesota reached 20 wins against rival Wisconsin, marking the seventh consecutive year with 20 or more wins. The next day Wisconsin downed the Gophers 3-1 to clinch the No. 1 spot in the WCHA. It’s the first time a …

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The World Series of baseball, an annual October tradition that brings to mind the pinstripes of New York, the jokers from Beantown and most recently the overachieving lads from the Windy City.But why are the victors considered the World Champions? Granted there are players from around the world participating in the event, but aside from a Toronto surge in the mid-’90s, all teams were based in the good-old United States.Perhaps it’s time for the ultimate baseball showdown to prove which country is the true World Champion. Players lured to the United States by big contracts could return to their homelands to play for national pride. And the question of whether U.S. players are truly the cream of the crop could be answered.Luckily for baseball fans around the world, the chance to witness such a historic …

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For baseball fans, this is the time of year you get that “itch”—you know the season is just a few weeks away, yet you wish it began tomorrow. As for baseball in Minnesota, one of its most revered athletes can’t wait to get back to playing the sport he so cherishes.“It was the worst pain I’ve ever experienced,” Twins centerfielder Torii Hunter says of the ankle injury he suffered last season. “I had a slight crank in my ankle and my talus (a.k.a. anklebone, which bears the weight of the entire body), and I had some ligaments that were stretched … that was the worst pain ever.”The event occurred July 27 at Boston’s Fenway Park, since then, much to the delight of Hunter, he has fully healed. The Major League Baseball veteran entering his 10th …

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The fastest game on two feet is played at the U. The men’s Lacrosse team was formed in 1993 and is offered at the club level. Last year the team had an overall record of 17-3, with a 7-1 record in the Upper Midwest League. The team won its league playoffs and went to the National Tournament, (held in Blaine, Minn.) where they won one game and lost two. The Lacrosse team, however, will not be fielding the same team as last year. The Gophers will be in need of extra offense after losing Eugene Zevelev, 2005’s Upper Midwest Lacrosse League Offensive Player of the Year. But the Gophers will have the 2005 UMLL Defensive Player of the Year, Al Kestler, on the field again this season. In a recent interview with Adam Simone, …

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Masked men and women face off against each other with weapons in a university club.No need to call in the riot police. This is the University of Minnesota fencing club and the weapons are the epee, foil and sabre. Although not well known to many at the U, fencing has had a presence on campus since the 1880s; the official University Fencing Club came into existence in 1904. This year’s fencing club boasts 20 members with a range of skill levels. The club serves as a resource for members of the University who are interested in fencing and the club is always looking for new members.Adam Rusinak, third year member and vice president, says of the club, “It’s something different and we’re definitely laid back. If you just want to try it out you can …

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Shhh…I have a secret: The U’s dance team is good. Really good. Four consecutive National Titles good. Despite being a dancing dynasty, the majority of students at the U are clueless about what the dance team has accomplished. While asking students around campus what they knew about their Gopher Dance Team, I was greeted with countless blank stares, puzzled looks and mystified glances. “I didn’t even know we had a dance team,” says Brenda Saxton, a junior nursing student. “The Wake” decided it was time to unveil the best kept secret on campus. So we let Tara Peckskamp, co-captain and four-time national champion, reveal what it is like to be a member of the top, college dance team in the country. The Wake: Why is the U’s dance team so dominant? Basically, what sets …

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As technological advances allow for revolving stadium-ceilings and rubber-induced field surfaces, one campus venue has maintained its mystical sense without such changes.With its 79-year-old rafters and one-of-a-kind raised floor, Williams Arena has become an emporium of rich memories for countless fans, players, employees and visitors of all kinds.“I think it has that barn look to it,” says Chuck Mencel, Gophers basketball guard from 1951-55. “It’s a very visually appealing place and has been a popular place for Minnesota families to come to.”
Constructed in 1927, and first used in 1928, “The Barn,” as Williams Arena is commonly known was first titled, the University of Minnesota Field House. In these times, the facility was used for basketball, off-season winter football practices, tennis and indoor track.In 1950, the wide-framed building was split in two distinct playing areas, …

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This year’s Pro-Alumni baseball game was played Saturday at the Metrodome. The game, in its 15th year, has featured two Hall of Famers, a combined 26 All-Star appearances and numerous other major league players throughout its history.Year after year, Gopher alumni at the pro level have returned to the Metrodome to face off against the current Gopher squads. Rob Fornasiere, an assistant coach with the Gophers since 1992, said it all began when head coach John Anderson and he were looking for ways to reconnect with Gopher alumni.“There’s a long tradition of baseball here at the university,” Fornasiere said. “And we wanted to make sure to stay connected with the many great alum that have played ball with the Gophers.”In previous years the Gopher baseball program attempted to have a fall alumni game where anyone, …

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The U.S. Women’s Olympic Hockey Team is Golden. Not because they are a hockey powerhouse searching for a second gold medal in the past three Winter Olympics, or because they defeated Canada for their first gold medal in the 2005 World Women’s Hockey Championship. They are Golden because five players representing the U.S. in Torino, Italy are past or present Golden Gophers, showing once again that the U is a hotbed for women’s hockey. Krissy Wendell, Natalie Darwitz, Courtney Kennedy, Kelly Stephens and Lyndsay Wall—all National Champions with the Maroon and Gold—now patriotically wear the Red, White and Blue in hopes of reaching the pinnacle of women’s hockey: a gold medal. So Close to GoldAnother U.S. gold medal was inevitable in the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City. They were the defending 1998 Olympic champions …

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The Gopher Wrestling team has been upsetting opponents throughout the season and during the process they have become ranked No. 1 in the nation. But before the Gophers could take down opponents on the mats, they had to win in the gym. The success of the Gopher wrestling team is due in part to excellent training. Thus, it seemed fitting to talk to one of the strength and conditioning coaches for the Gophers team. Also, with spring break approaching, I figured I might be able to gain a few workout pointers. When I asked Kevin Roberts, assistant coach and the strength and conditioning coordinator, about in-season workouts, he said, “It’s hard to make strength and power gains during the season … We try to maintain the gains made during spring, summer and fall.”Roberts described off-season …

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The Super Bowl turns forty this year and what better way to celebrate, than with a halftime show featuring The Rolling Stones, a band that’s been rockin’ for over forty years. In terms of on the field action, The Wake will show trends from the past and apply them to this year’s match up between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks. The HistoryTo understand what will likely happen in this year’s game, it is necessary to look at the past. Historically, the NFC has had a slight edge over the AFC, winning 21 of the 39 Super Bowls. However, teams from the AFC dominated recently and won six of the last eight Super Bowls. Also, the team that won the Super Bowl has had the NFL’s league MVP ten times. With these stats in …

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Zach Puchtel will probably not be making headlines for the University of Minnesota’s men’s basketball team anytime soon; but that doesn’t bother him.For Puchtel, simply being part of the team as a walk-on is a dream come true. A 2001 Hopkins High School graduate, Puchtel’s route to playing Division-I basketball has been a counterintuitive one. As a high school star basketball and football player, Puchtel received multiple offers to play at the Division-I level, including offers from Wisconsin and Nebraska to play football.Puchtel, also an outstanding student at Hopkins, was then approached by Harvard. The question that Puchtel had to consider after their pitch was: athletics or academics? He chose the latter and enrolled at Harvard in the fall of 2001.After quitting the football team after his freshman campaign for the …

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The days of Gopher Women’s basketball All-American Lindsey Whalen are long gone. After last season, there’s no more Baby Shaq manning the paint either, (a.k.a. Janel McCarville, Minnesota’s two-time All-American center). As these players have taken their talents to the WNBA, the 2005-06 Gophers have continued to thrive among the heavyweights in one of the nation’s toughest conferences.Minnesota began its new season with a home tournament sweep at the Barn (Minnesota’s home court—Williams Arena) that included a championship victory over 15th-ranked Stanford. From there, the team traveled to the U.S. Virgin Islands and earned two more victories while winning the Paradise Jam tournament. After its 4-0 start, the team struck disaster when a trip to the vaunted depths of “the Pit”—New Mexico’s highly feared home court—left them with a 62-44 thrashing at the paws …

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Break time is over. The days of oversleeping and overeating have come to an end. As classes resume, it’s time to shake any chilly blues or snowy doldrums that might still be leering around. Yep, it’s time to get fit, both physically and scholastically. So throw out the excuses and throw on some workout clothes.Here are a few sweat-producing, pound-dropping options for your exercise enjoyment:U of M Recreation Center: Students often lose sight of the U’s Recreation Center. It’s located just south of University Avenue, across from the Sports Pavilion and Williams Arena and adjacent to Cooke Hall. Whether it’s weights, stationary bikes, aerobics, basketball, racquetball or perhaps some squash, the university’s Rec center can accommodate several indoor fitness activities. Hours of availability typically range from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. to …

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A new chant echoes across the hardwood floors and penetrates opponents’ ears in the Barn. Its subject: a 6-foot-5-inch freshman forward from Shakopee named Jamal Abu-Shamala. He lacks the Minnesota-typical Scandinavian last name (he is half Arabic and Palestinian), but every time he leaps and launches a high-arching three-pointer that falls through the net, he ignites a growing orchestra of cheers screaming: ABU-SHAMALA. Despite limitations as a role player off the bench, Abu-Shamala’s timely shots and Sports Center-esque last name have made him a fan favorite. Here is a timeout with the man behind the silky-smooth jump shot that Gopher fans hope to see for years to come. The Wake: What would you change if you were President of the United States?Abu-Shamala: I would change the war. I am not a big fan of the …

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