“The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at
the broken places. But those it will not break it kills. It kills the very good
and the very gentle and the very brave impartially.”
Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms
I’m Minnesotan by birth but a Golden Gopher by choice. I’m a proud graduate and supporter of the University of Minnesota.
Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms
I’m Minnesotan by birth but a Golden Gopher by choice. I’m a proud graduate and supporter of the University of Minnesota.
I’m steeped in the lore and I help to uphold the
traditions. I stand while singing the
rouser, I use the term “Ski-U-Mah” as punctuation and I abhor all things
Wisconsin Badger related 24/7/365.
Being a Gopher hockey fan has given me a separate set of characteristics.
I’m a proud alumnus of the “NE” section.
Being a Gopher hockey fan has given me a separate set of characteristics.
I’m a proud alumnus of the “NE” section.
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| The cheerleaders used these signs to get each of 4 sections of the arena to shout one portion of MinNEsota. The NE section shouted it loudest and proudly lasted longest yelling, "NE! NE! NE!" long after the other sections quit. |
I have a new appreciation for The Battle Hymn of the Republic.
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| The pep band plays The Battle Hymn of The Republic only when the team gathers at center ice after the second game of a series sweep by the Gophers at Mariucci Arena. |
And Bulldogs from Duluth, especially
during hockey season, are more a nuisance than an actual satellite campus of
the one I graduated from and now work on.
Herb Brooks, the legendary Gopher hockey coach, to the best
of my research and knowledge, never skated against the University of Minnesota
Duluth (UMD) Bulldogs during his playing career from 1956 through 1959. The
Bulldogs played an independent Division I schedule until the 1965-66 season.
UMD joined the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA), the conference that
the UofM Gophers were charter members of.
The two schools would then face off on a regular basis as conference
rivals.
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| Blair Arch, Princeton University |
On the East Coast the Ivy League schools are known for their excellent
academics, beautiful campuses, and unique rules governing their athletic teams.
Scholarships are not offered for either academics nor athletics. Financial aid
is based on need only. Student-athletes truly are students first and athletes
second.
While these schools are steeped in tradition there is one they have abolished. In the late 1960’s the Ivy League schools began admitting female students. Until then qualified, highly intelligent women, yearning for an Ivy-like experience, who would, in this day and age, be admitted to the Ivies only had the choice of applying to, “The Seven Sisters” (Barnard, Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke, Radcliffe, Smith, Vassar, and Wellesley).
Sisters schools were an interesting concept.
Kind of a consolation prize.
Lesser, but good enough for women.
While these schools are steeped in tradition there is one they have abolished. In the late 1960’s the Ivy League schools began admitting female students. Until then qualified, highly intelligent women, yearning for an Ivy-like experience, who would, in this day and age, be admitted to the Ivies only had the choice of applying to, “The Seven Sisters” (Barnard, Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke, Radcliffe, Smith, Vassar, and Wellesley).
Sisters schools were an interesting concept.
Kind of a consolation prize.
Lesser, but good enough for women.
Herb Brooks became the Gopher head coach before the 1972-73 hockey season. Primarily relying on the previous coach’s (Ken Yackel) recruits Herbie’s Gophers struggled the first year finishing with a 15-16-2 won/lost/tie record.
They improved to 22-11-6 in his second season.
In Herb’s third season the Gophers notched a 31-10-1 record.
They won the WCHA Tournament Championship, and the UofM’s first hockey NCAA National Championship.
They won the WCHA Tournament Championship, and the UofM’s first hockey NCAA National Championship.
Five of their wins that year came at the Duluth Bulldogs’ expense.
Herb allegedly preached to his team,
“HERE AT MINNESOTA WE DON’T LOSE TO THE SISTER SCHOOL!”
And they rarely did.
Herb allegedly preached to his team,
“HERE AT MINNESOTA WE DON’T LOSE TO THE SISTER SCHOOL!”
And they rarely did.
From the 1974-75 season through Herb’s last season (1978-79) behind the UofM bench the Gophers went 20-3-2 against the Bulldogs.
Herbie Brooks was a calculating, intimidating presence who
schemed and planned his actions. Referring to Duluth as the “sister school” was,
in my opinion, meant to deride UMD.
To break them.
And to inspire the Gophers. Surely Minnesota had to be far superior to their lesser “sister school” up north.
Would Harvard ever lose to Radcliffe?
I don’t think so.
Although Minnesota and UMD both wear maroon and gold the similarities pretty much end there. Gophers don’t like the Bulldogs and the Bulldogs hate the Gophers. It’s a convenient arrangement somehow. It’s the way it’s meant to be.
A mutual hatred society if such a thing is possible.
To break them.
And to inspire the Gophers. Surely Minnesota had to be far superior to their lesser “sister school” up north.
Would Harvard ever lose to Radcliffe?
I don’t think so.
Although Minnesota and UMD both wear maroon and gold the similarities pretty much end there. Gophers don’t like the Bulldogs and the Bulldogs hate the Gophers. It’s a convenient arrangement somehow. It’s the way it’s meant to be.
A mutual hatred society if such a thing is possible.
Being a fan of Gopher hockey, I enjoyed helping my old
friend, equipment manager, Harry Broadfoot, whenever he hosted WCHA and NCAA
hockey tournaments. These events were typically staged off campus at either the
Target Center in Minneapolis or at the St. Paul Civic Center.
Oftentimes the guy running equipment, laundry, and other supplies in a white cargo van between the arena and the campus equipment rooms was me.
I mention Harry as the host, but actually the hosts were the WHOLE University of Minnesota system, including the University of Minnesota Duluth, the rival, the Bulldogs, the sister school.
Oftentimes the guy running equipment, laundry, and other supplies in a white cargo van between the arena and the campus equipment rooms was me.
I mention Harry as the host, but actually the hosts were the WHOLE University of Minnesota system, including the University of Minnesota Duluth, the rival, the Bulldogs, the sister school.
I first grudgingly met rival Minnesota Duluth Bulldog equipment manager Rick
Menz in the locker room area of the St. Paul Civic Center during the 1989 WCHA
Final Four tournament.
Working with him over that March weekend I surprisingly found Rick to be a pretty decent guy.
After winning the regular season championship that year my Gophers finished fourth out of the four teams at the tournament that weekend, but I took consolation in the fact that I’d somehow befriended a Bulldog.
Four weeks later we reconvened at the Civic Center when Harry and Rick were tabbed again to co-host another hockey tournament. This time it was the NCAA Frozen Four. The National Championship. And my Gophers were in the mix! As were Maine, Michigan State, and Harvard. Truth be told, I was also kind of excited to be able to renew acquaintances with my new friend from Duluth as well.
Minnesota convincingly beat the Maine Black Bears 7-4 to advance to the National Championship game. The Harvard Crimson needed overtime to edge the Michigan State 4-3 for the right to play the Gophers, for all the marbles, just a few miles from the Minnesota campus. The stage was set for a storybook finish.
The game turned out to be what now is referred to as an instant classic. A close, well fought, game that was tied at 3-3 at the end of regulation. At the 7:24 mark of sudden death overtime Gopher Randy Skarda rang what should have been the game winning shot off of the goal post behind the Harvard goalie and the game played on.
At the 5:51 mark, shortly after the echo from Skarda’s shot stopped reverberating throughout the raucous arena tragedy struck for the Gopher faithful when Harvard’s Ed Krayer scooped up a rebound and slid it past Gopher goalie Robb Stauber for the win and the National Title. The arena fell silent and just then it dawned on many of us Gopher hockey fans that this was the cruelest April Fool’s joke to ever be played on us. The storybook ending was not to be. It didn’t play out at all the way we had planned, not on April 1st, 1989 anyway.
Working with him over that March weekend I surprisingly found Rick to be a pretty decent guy.
After winning the regular season championship that year my Gophers finished fourth out of the four teams at the tournament that weekend, but I took consolation in the fact that I’d somehow befriended a Bulldog.
Four weeks later we reconvened at the Civic Center when Harry and Rick were tabbed again to co-host another hockey tournament. This time it was the NCAA Frozen Four. The National Championship. And my Gophers were in the mix! As were Maine, Michigan State, and Harvard. Truth be told, I was also kind of excited to be able to renew acquaintances with my new friend from Duluth as well.
Minnesota convincingly beat the Maine Black Bears 7-4 to advance to the National Championship game. The Harvard Crimson needed overtime to edge the Michigan State 4-3 for the right to play the Gophers, for all the marbles, just a few miles from the Minnesota campus. The stage was set for a storybook finish.
The game turned out to be what now is referred to as an instant classic. A close, well fought, game that was tied at 3-3 at the end of regulation. At the 7:24 mark of sudden death overtime Gopher Randy Skarda rang what should have been the game winning shot off of the goal post behind the Harvard goalie and the game played on.
At the 5:51 mark, shortly after the echo from Skarda’s shot stopped reverberating throughout the raucous arena tragedy struck for the Gopher faithful when Harvard’s Ed Krayer scooped up a rebound and slid it past Gopher goalie Robb Stauber for the win and the National Title. The arena fell silent and just then it dawned on many of us Gopher hockey fans that this was the cruelest April Fool’s joke to ever be played on us. The storybook ending was not to be. It didn’t play out at all the way we had planned, not on April 1st, 1989 anyway.
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| The thrill of victory... |
I had been standing near the Zamboni entrance, next to my new friend Rick Menz
when that game, that title chase, and those hopes ended. He reminded me that it
was a pretty good run and that being right there, watching my team, playing in
overtime, for the national title, was something I’d never forgot so I should
savor it even though at that moment I was a broken fan.
A few seconds later I followed Rick’s lead and headed back to the locker rooms,
helped unlock the doors, and prepared for two teams to soon arrive to undress,
unwind, pack their gear, and head home. Obviously, those chores would be easier
to do for one team than the other, but we all did what we had to do and moved
on.
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| ...and the agony of defeat. |
I worked a few other tournaments with Harry and Rick over
the years and came to the conclusion that my former rival from Duluth was
actually a really good guy. He even helped arrange tickets for Duluth Bulldog
hockey games for me, my kids, their teammates, and some of their dads when we
were in the Duluth area for youth hockey tournaments. More than once.
I heard through the grapevine that Rick retired from UMD in
2008 after working 29 years with Bulldog hockey. It was finally time for one of
the truly nice guys to be able to enjoy the beauty that is northern Minnesota
in retirement with his wife Susan, their two children, and 3 grandchildren.
Rick’s wife, Susan Elizabeth LeGarde-Menz, worked as an elementary school lunch lady in the Duluth area early in her career. She and Rick married in 1975. Fifteen years later an opportunity arose for Susan to work for St. Louis County so she took that job.
Rick’s wife, Susan Elizabeth LeGarde-Menz, worked as an elementary school lunch lady in the Duluth area early in her career. She and Rick married in 1975. Fifteen years later an opportunity arose for Susan to work for St. Louis County so she took that job.
In October 2015 the 60-year-old Susan was looking forward to
retiring within the next year and having more time to devote to her favorite
hobbies; photography and cookie baking.
A grandson would be born soon so she was looking forward to that big event. Spending time with loved ones, especially your children’s kids, is, I believe, an extra special reward for a life well-lived.
A grandson would be born soon so she was looking forward to that big event. Spending time with loved ones, especially your children’s kids, is, I believe, an extra special reward for a life well-lived.
On the afternoon of October 13th Susan ventured out to the Twin
Ponds park, camera in hand, to photograph the changing colors of the trees in
her favorite area of Duluth. The autumn color show is often mentioned by many
Minnesotans as one of the highlights of living in this cold and snowy region.
Susan even had a favorite tree that she enjoyed photographing as it changed
throughout the year.
It was while standing on a sidewalk, taking pictures of that tree, that Susan was struck and killed by a hit and run driver.
Justen Paul Linskie had been charged in 17 driving related cases since 2002, and convicted 7 times for driving while his license was revoked, suspended, or for simply not having a license. He’s also been convicted for drunk driving, drug possession, and receiving stolen property.
At the time of the fatal crash Linskie was supposed to be attending a court-ordered drug treatment session as mandated as part of an early release from his recent drug-related federal prison sentence.
Onlookers reported hearing Linskie say,
“You never saw me here!”
as he fled the scene on foot leaving both his fiancé’s mother’s car and Susan LeGarde Menz abandoned in Twin Ponds.
It was while standing on a sidewalk, taking pictures of that tree, that Susan was struck and killed by a hit and run driver.
Justen Paul Linskie had been charged in 17 driving related cases since 2002, and convicted 7 times for driving while his license was revoked, suspended, or for simply not having a license. He’s also been convicted for drunk driving, drug possession, and receiving stolen property.
At the time of the fatal crash Linskie was supposed to be attending a court-ordered drug treatment session as mandated as part of an early release from his recent drug-related federal prison sentence.
Onlookers reported hearing Linskie say,
“You never saw me here!”
as he fled the scene on foot leaving both his fiancé’s mother’s car and Susan LeGarde Menz abandoned in Twin Ponds.
Three University of Minnesota Duluth students pulled Susan
from the water, called for emergency responders, and attempted to revive her.
Linske fled into the nearby woods, failed to dial 911, hid from the police, and later that day, after being arrested, lied to the police by repeatedly changing his story while being questioned.
Rick Menz’s world changed that day. He described it as,
“A series of lasts and firsts. The last kiss. The last embrace. The first person at the hospital who couldn’t look me in the eye. The first act of kindness when the officer that brought me there hugged me. The first time I walked into that room and held her. The first time I had to tell her sister, Gail, that Susie was gone.”
Linskie’s case came to trial in November of 2016. It took the jury less than an hour to return a guilty verdict to the charge of criminal vehicular manslaughter.
Allowed to make a statement at the sentencing hearing Rick Menz offered,
“In a short statement to try to summarize your feelings and the feelings of your family in something this tragic is hard to do. But, you do the best you can and that's what we've been doing for the last 14 months. We're doing the best we can."
Linske fled into the nearby woods, failed to dial 911, hid from the police, and later that day, after being arrested, lied to the police by repeatedly changing his story while being questioned.
Rick Menz’s world changed that day. He described it as,
“A series of lasts and firsts. The last kiss. The last embrace. The first person at the hospital who couldn’t look me in the eye. The first act of kindness when the officer that brought me there hugged me. The first time I walked into that room and held her. The first time I had to tell her sister, Gail, that Susie was gone.”
Linskie’s case came to trial in November of 2016. It took the jury less than an hour to return a guilty verdict to the charge of criminal vehicular manslaughter.
Allowed to make a statement at the sentencing hearing Rick Menz offered,
“In a short statement to try to summarize your feelings and the feelings of your family in something this tragic is hard to do. But, you do the best you can and that's what we've been doing for the last 14 months. We're doing the best we can."
I believe the most important message revealed in this tragic tale was best uttered by my old rival, now longtime friend, a man broken and now forced to be stronger, on the day his was wife was senselessly killed,
“If there’s anything to learn from this, I hope people will realize that you can’t take anything in life for granted. You have to cherish every second.”
I try to remember this message everyday Rick. By sharing your story, I hope many more will as well.
Stay strong my friends.
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