In analyzing the loss on Friday and the failure to win on Saturday I come to one single over-riding conclusion. When the opponent gets 12 power plays and you get 4 power plays there is little chance for success. I don't think there's much more to be said. St. Cloud went 3 for 12 on the weekend for 25%. The Seawolves went 2 for 4 for 50%. I guess it's lucky for the Huskies that they weren't whistled for more penalties. I guess that's how it goes some weekends. No doubt I'm a huge homer; of course I'm biased. Look at the title on the blog. "UAA Fan" ... it's disappointing when you watch two otherwise competitive hockey games and one team is called for 3 times more penalties. 12 -4? Were the Seawolves that undisciplined? Nah. Were the Huskies a bunch of angels? Nope. Did Derek Shepherd do a good job? Not in the least. Did Garrett Roe sell his dives? Yep. Should a Seawolf ocassionally fall to the ice in a heap when an opponent hits them from behind? Probably so.
Regardless of all that distastefulness; the Seawolves had their chances to win on Saturday night and fell just inches short. Some great saves from Jonny O helped keep the lead. He wasn't perfect on the night but sure came up big plenty of times. I sure don't want to blame or criticize any finishing efforts but just one more would have been nice eh?
I heard Merit Waldrop mention during his interview with the St. Cloud TV that the streak of never having won wasn't on the players minds. Fine, I guess. I know it's on my mind. Most of the players on this years Seawolf team were little kids the last time UAA won a game in that town. I wasn't. I was a Seawolf fan. As a player you've certainly got to have your own motivation for winning a hockey game. But would there really be something wrong with using the long-suffering fanbase's desire to see an ugly stat erased as motivation. You know ... a big "hey...let's get this one for all those long time fans eh guys?". I dunno.
It's sickening that the guys couldn't quite pull it off. I know they busted their asses Saturday night. They played a good game. I wouldn't give it a 10 out of 10 in terms of living up to their potential but I would score it that way for their effort. They played with spark and emotion; they clearly wanted to win the game. But their effort and desire doesn't mitigate the crappy taste in my mouth. Maybe it's selfish of me to say those things. I've got no doubt that plenty of the players feel crappy about the result. But 20 years of support met very often with frustration gets old sometimes. Yeah, it's just a game ... but we fans put our hearts into games. We live and die with our team's successes and failures. On the whole I'm one of the most optimistic people you'll find with regard to the Seawolves. So you'll just have to forgive me my current disappointment (or don't).
I'm glad it's an off week.
Regardless of all that distastefulness; the Seawolves had their chances to win on Saturday night and fell just inches short. Some great saves from Jonny O helped keep the lead. He wasn't perfect on the night but sure came up big plenty of times. I sure don't want to blame or criticize any finishing efforts but just one more would have been nice eh?
I heard Merit Waldrop mention during his interview with the St. Cloud TV that the streak of never having won wasn't on the players minds. Fine, I guess. I know it's on my mind. Most of the players on this years Seawolf team were little kids the last time UAA won a game in that town. I wasn't. I was a Seawolf fan. As a player you've certainly got to have your own motivation for winning a hockey game. But would there really be something wrong with using the long-suffering fanbase's desire to see an ugly stat erased as motivation. You know ... a big "hey...let's get this one for all those long time fans eh guys?". I dunno.
It's sickening that the guys couldn't quite pull it off. I know they busted their asses Saturday night. They played a good game. I wouldn't give it a 10 out of 10 in terms of living up to their potential but I would score it that way for their effort. They played with spark and emotion; they clearly wanted to win the game. But their effort and desire doesn't mitigate the crappy taste in my mouth. Maybe it's selfish of me to say those things. I've got no doubt that plenty of the players feel crappy about the result. But 20 years of support met very often with frustration gets old sometimes. Yeah, it's just a game ... but we fans put our hearts into games. We live and die with our team's successes and failures. On the whole I'm one of the most optimistic people you'll find with regard to the Seawolves. So you'll just have to forgive me my current disappointment (or don't).
I'm glad it's an off week.
24 comments:
I was at the game last night. It's interesting to watch a game when you have no "real" vested interest in it. I was rather partial. Granted, I was hoping SCSU would win (since I was with a SCSU fan) but it's not the same as watching "my team" play. Thus, I would say I was not biased towards one team or the other. That being said, you're Seawolves are VERY lucky they weren't in the box more. Sheppard was doing a crap job on the penalties and your guys were getting away with a lot. The 2 minute slashing should have easily been a 5 (I can't think of the player right now who did it...sorry). Anyways, the SCSU player checked him and then when he was skating away your guy hacked right into the back/side of the SCSU player's knee. Totally uncalled for. That's just dirty and he did it because he was angry. Crap like that is stupid because it can end a season or a career. I'm just pointing out this one penalty because it shows somewhat of how your players were last night. Dirty. Very dirty. Had they been playing the Mavs like that I would have come unglued.
Granted, Sheppard was letting them get away with it so I guess they probably figured "why not?"
Overall it was one of the sloppiest hockey games I've seen and one of the worse ref jobs I've seen...so that says ALOT.
So really, Donald...be happy you got a point last night. Had the game been called the way it should have it's doubtful that the Seawolves would have even gotten within 2 goals of SCSU.
On Roe though, I'll agree with your comment. That guy is a drama queen. We were talking about that last night. We noted that he needs to lay off or the refs are going to start to ignore him all together so then nothing will get called. Drama and all, he's still a fun player to watch. Reminds me a little of my boy Kalinski. Knowing how much you love Kalinski, I'm guessing you're going to love Roe too:)
Regarding Roe, the envy has started. It usually comes by the opposing teams's fans starting to rip other players for "drama" and other sorts of faceetious acts they think are occuring because he knows how to play and is a pain in the A$$ for other teams because of his constant motor.
The real fact is that he is a plymaker and "pest" to other teams because he's constantly going full bore. When he scored that goal last night by ripping it past 2 Seawolves, he said something to #24. Probably along the lines of" how do ya like me now". Plying with grit...the ultimate basis for opposing fans to rip the player. Keep it up Roe....
Hey Donald, I agree with you, the reffing was crappy last night, however, if anything it HELPED your team. I may be being a homer, but Ryan Lasch had his ass kicked by two cross-checks within 5 feet of Shephard that he chose to ignore. As you've pointed out about your opinions, you're a UAA fan, so you're entitled, but since I was there, I thought I'd add my two cents. The Seawolves clearly should have won. The Huskies didn't play as well as they could have. However, had the game had better officiating, the Seawolves would have lost by more because they would have been in the box much, much more. Just my opinion of course.
On Roe, I do agree that jealousy plays a part in any and all bitching about opposing players (as Anon points out) and I also agree that Roe can be a bit dramatic (as you point out). He's getting better and I didn't see too many instances last night where I thought he was playing the refs. He's a rookie and deserves a break. He'll learn that he can't pull that in the WCHA and continue to draw penalties. However, what can't be lost in this is that he's an outstanding player who sparks our offense every time he's on the ice. As far as yelling at the Seawolves, his "jersey pop", etc., he deserved it because he was pushed around all night by a Seawolves team who outweighed him by about 50 pounds. AND, he wasn't getting any calls last night, despite the blatent penalties that were happening. As LGM said, not entirely the Seawolves fault since they clearly saw they could get away with it. It was a good game, though slashy and sloppy more often then not. It could have gone either way, however, with the crappy officiating, I AM surprised the Huskies were able to eek out a tie.
LGM's impartial, come on, now that is funny. Hum, surprising a Shepp-tard game that wasn't reffed very well. Now there is a real shocker.
It appears that the WCHA officials have gotten away from the situational based officating.
You know what? I'm glad we got a point this weekend. At this time last year, the Seawolves started off wcha play with a record of 1-3-0. So, points wise we are at the same point we were last year. Anybody can argue what woulda, shoulda, and coulda been, but in the end it doesn't matter and we still got a point in a barn that we havn't won a game in. I'm not worried at all about this team. Let's do our best to get at least 1 point in Minnesota to keep the streak of getting at least 1 point in a weekend alive.
LGM:
I can (but chose not to) cite times and describe 3 CFB's on the weekend that shep didn't call on SCSU. I can (but chose not to) cite 4 clear hooking penalties that he should have called. Referees miss penalties. But when the guy misses 3 times as many on one team as another then its a relevant issue to mention.
So really, Amy ... I appreciate you telling me how I should feel but had the game been called the way it should have then the results would probably have been different.
Lastly dear ... this is a gem:
"I was hoping SCSU would win (since I was with a SCSU fan) but it's not the same as watching "my team" play. Thus, I would say I was not biased towards one team or the other."
Bless you.
Anon:
"Envy"?? LOL. Your proximity to twinkie-town has you using the same tired refrain as Gopher fans. There isn't a player on UAA's team that I'd trade for Roe. There's no envy. See ... if I said,"Boy I wish that guy played for my team" then I'd be envious. But I didn't. Because I don't.
WinTwins:
Yeah ok. Thanks. Getting called for 12 penalties versus just 4 for the other team really helped UAA. And thanks for confiming that Minnesota sports fans in general rely on the "jealous/envy" tact whenever someone criticizes a player on one of their teams. It's use is becoming a laughfest for me.
Goon:
I'm not a fan of the "even-it-up" philosophy however it certainly is preferable to a biased jobbing. The Seawolves might have committed more penalties than SCSU but they certainly didn't committ THREE TIMES as many. They just got CALLED for three times as many.
Jeff:
I have higher hopes than 1 point every weekend. I understand the philosophy of looking on the bright side. I know it's a long season. None of that quells my disappointment right now.
How does this grab you. The Goofers are 0-4 in league play...
I like the sounds of that.
Don,
That was kind of what I was talking about. The refs have basically been told by the NCAA they can't call the games like they have in the past with their situational reffing.
I would hate to play the Goofers next game with them being 0-4 and in jeopardy of going 0-6 in the WCHA. The team that plays them next is going to spend all game in the box...
Goon- well, that's us next up against the Goofs....so between the situation as you noted and Jutting arguing with the refs non-stop I'm pretty sure it'll be lots of power plays for the Goofs:(
Donald, Donald, Donald...ah, nothing to even say. *sigh*
Amy want to lay odds on there being like a 15-5 gap in penalties again. The league is affraid of UofMN not making the Final Five and the refs are going to try and give the Gophers a fair chance of winning. The 5 minute major for the Gophers at the end of the Denver game was a perfect example of this...
;p
I kind of say this tounge in cheek but It could happen, we can see after the Mav's play the Gophers this weekend. I wounder if Jutts will get into it with the officals again...
Donald, well I'm certainly happy I could make you laugh when you're so sad about your team's performance. At least I've accomplished something, since I clearly couldn't convince you that Shephard may have actually been screwing my team too. The numbers can't lie, huh? If we had 12 penalties called on us then obviously your team got SCREWED. It couldn't possibly be that they played poorly, right?? Nothing else I can say...
Sorry, I obviously meant, if YOU'RE team had 12 penalties called on them, they got screwed... blah, blah, blah. My bad!
Goon:
That CFB was bogus no doubt (it was a check ... it wasn't even a 2 minute penalty. If Kaufmann hadn't crumpled it wouldn't have been called. Did ya notice he got up smiling?
Kaufmann "pwnd" Campion on that one.
Not the first bogus CFB called against a Gopher opponent late in a game this season. Won't be the last either.
The WCHA is supposed to be the "premier" league in Division 1 but they way they schedule and handle referees is an embarrassment not to mention the bad job that many of them consistently deliver.
Big Shep schedules referees. He doesn't use any sort of formula or random assignment. His personal subjectivity in choosing who refs what game in what venue is a problem for this league and until they institute some sort of equality or objectivity in scheduling then its going to continue to be an embarrassment. The fact that Todd Anderson is even employed in this league is itself an embarrassment.
It's good to see I'm not the only one who's frustrated about the place UAA is in right now. If UAA is going to go anywhere, these are the teams we have to beat, night in night out. Young team or not, this team is better than this.
When I got to work I changed to the Gopher game and I caught the phantom checking from behind call. I alway want to jump throught the TV and strangle people who smile after being check from behind.
I am sick and tired of the refs in this league, but I don't think they are going to be able to help the goofs much this season. They are not very good right now and losing Goli and Johnson does hurt them alot. Being the Sioux fan that I am, of course I am enjoying each gopher loss...
The thing that I think is funny is Kangas is a good goalie and Donny keeps putting in long island jeff each game. Far be it from me to tell him how to coach but if tDon ever figures it out that the better goalie is sitting on the bench the Gophers will probably win a few games. I never saw what people are ranting and raving about Frazee and him being the second coming of christ er I mean debus... :)
I see the Mav's taking the Gophers at least one game this weekend coming up...
Its laughable that you would not want Roe on your team. He is just a motor....he doesn't let his small stature get in the way. If you (if you were UAA's coach, which is laughable in itself) don't want Roe on your team, then you really have nothing upstairs. Guys like him giving it all are what makes teams. Motzko loves his motor and his leadership...that's what separates our team from yours.
goon, we all enjoy watching the Gophers lose. Long Island Jeff - hehe, good one.
Anon @ 4:37:
Apparently the inability to identify yourself in some way so I don't have to call you "Anon @" and reading dysfunction you seem to suffer goes hand in hand.
I didn't say Roe wasn't a good or valuable hockey player. I said I wouldn't trade anyone on the Seawolf roster for him in answer to the ridiculous accusation of envy on my part. And I wouldn't. I love the guys on UAA's team and I'd expect the same sort of answer from any other fan of any other team in the league with regard to any Seawolf player.
If Goon said he'd trade any current UND player for the best player on UAA's team I'd be surprised. Get it?
Lastly (to all anonymous commenters), either give yourself some sort of moniker or don't bother commenting here. You don't have to register or divulge identity. Just make up some kind of thing to be called. I couldn't care less who you are. I'd just like to be able to differentiate people so I know if I'm talking to the same "anon" person.
letsgomavs:
You said "That's just dirty and he did it because he was angry. Crap like that is stupid because it can end a season or a career. I'm just pointing out this one penalty because it shows somewhat of how your players were last night. Dirty. Very dirty. Had they been playing the Mavs like that I would have come unglued."
When Mankato was here, I thought they were the dirtiest team UAA has played so far. I guess you didn't see the Mavs check to the head or the Mankato player completely taking the legs out from under Backstrom near the boards. Talk about a possible season ending injury.
So unless your team is made up of saints, (which they aint) I suggest you put a plug in it.
Hey Donald, here's an idea... have some respect for other people's opinions. Isn't that what a blog is about? I respect you because you're a big fan of your team and you want to write about it. Why don't you try to have the same? For you to come to MY blog and tell me to "stick to baseball" because you don't like what I have to say on MY blog, is disrespectful and ridiculous. Please, in the future, just stay away from my blog since you think I have nothing of value to say and we won't have this problem. Thanks for the laughs... Happy off-week.
"And thanks for confiming that Minnesota sports fans in general rely on the "jealous/envy" tact whenever someone criticizes a player on one of their teams. It's use is becoming a laughfest for me."
Is jealosy/envy tact better or worse than the UAA tact of blaming officiating?
It certainly is more tired.
wintwins:
I guess me expressing myself with simplicity bya saying "stick to baseball" isn't my opinion in your book. I considered breaking your game assessment down section by section and enlightening your readers but that was just too much of my opinon.
Anyway, no worries on staying away from your blog though. That was my first visit and as you request, I promise it will be my last. Feel free to reciprocate.
Uaa fans once again all this hype around your team and yet you cant win a game in the wcha. That whole athletic department has to go starting with your fat AD down to your old school head coach.
Who or what is letsgomavs, and exactly what is it they are trying to say?
It's interesting to watch a game when you have no "real" vested interest in it
I was rather partial
I was hoping SCSU would win
Strange person. Very, very strange.
Post a Comment