For about the 3rd weekend in row the WCHA has lingering controversy following the completion of its games. A couple of weekends ago it was UND/UofM fans calling the other team goons, hacks and cheaters following the series where UND absolutely ate UofM's lunch. Then we had the DU/UND gala. UND fans didn't like Gwoz's little dance across the ice so much that they held an email rally when someone saw Gwoz with a headset after he'd been booted. Again there was much finger pointing and goon calling.Then this past weekend the controversy belongs with Mankato and UofM. There is much labeling the opposition as goons (particularly from the Mankato side of things) after road cone Brian Schack mugged Carol Channing resulting in a broken leg for her. The big deal this week however is that Donnie told the press that if the league isn't going to call penalties then he's going to recruit players that can be enoforcers. That's got fans of the two biggest perpetrators of thuggery all atwitter. UND fans usual obsession with all thing Gopher continues. MSU fans are aghast that tDon would essentially say that he needs thugs to deal with Mankato. Well ... of course goonery is going to be at the top of Donnie's list when playing the two dirtiest teams in the league. Why it surprises the dolt followers of those two programs is a mystery to me.
The league standings are so close it is ridiculous. Even with only 5 current league wins UAA still has a mathematical chance to finish in 5th. The Seawolves are sitting with 16 points in 9th. 8th place SCSU has 19 points. Just above them in 7th MSU-M has 20 points. After that the next three teams up the ladder are tied with 21 points. So UAA is 5 points out of 4th place. The major variables that affect those numbers is that 4th place Minnesota has played 2 fewer games than everyone else and Mankato has played 2 more than everyone else.
So a sweep for UAA this weekend would go a long way toward making for an exciting stretch run for home ice. Granted ... for it to happen the Seawolves would probably need some help from other teams. But with everybody on the schedule currently ahead of UAA in the standings much of what plays out will be in the Seawolves own hands. There are 16 points left available for UAA to snag. 10 of those 16 points would give UAA a sniff at home ice. There isn't a team in the league that would want to come to Anchorage for a playoff series. Anyhow, it's time to start cheering for certain teams to win. For this weekend ... cheer for MTU versus Colorado College; hope that Wisconsin sweeps Minnesota; and lastly pray that DU get's it's shit together versus UMD. And of course get your ass to the Sully to watch UAA take out the skating Yo-Yos.
Don't forget to grab your Duncan Yo-Yos and head out to the Coaches Luncheon this week on Friday at 11:30 in the Lucy Cuddy Center. If you don't get the Yo-Yo reference don't worry, SCSU Coach Bob Motzko will. Also note that many UAA fans are using this weekend to bring a friend or two to the game in an effort to fill some seats. Three cheers for them. If you can snag someone ... do so. The attendance figures could use any help they can get.
17 comments:
I've mentioned this before, but since we are talking about filling the SULLY, let your friends know about the Green & Gold Fridays!!!
Wear green & gold and get up to 4 FREE tickets for kids 12 & under with an adult admission.
http://www.goseawolves.com//pdf1/149138.pdf?KEY=&DB_OEM_ID=13400&DB_LANG=&IN_SUBSCRIBER_CONTENT=
I know that some boosters are small business owners. Print out the flyer and put it in your store window, or in your break room, or on a bulletin board around town. What a cheap night out for families!!
Tell your friends and lets fill the Sullivan Arena!
Anonymous said...
The Rumor is Rappuzzi has Bowling Green and a couple of other choices happining.. Wamsganz and Rall supposedly got offers from UAA but have decided there going straight to the New York Rangers.
Nobodys seen the UAA Coaches around the Loaded 16AAA Allstar team but several are on their Radar as the team is Nationally Ranked and has as many as 5 or 6 for sure D 1 players..One player on that team (COOPER) is almost a lock to play on the National Team and several USHL teams are drooling over him as well..The rumor is the Duwe and Christianson kid have been offered spots on Kenai for next year and the Avalanche have been seen at the Local Highschool games and have several on the Radar potentially.. The Avalanche are the most aggressive team in the State in regards to trying to retain Alaskans with several of the High School Studs such as Bailey,Wright,Luiten,Shierhorn,Strahle and the Older Cooper as top prospects...UAA I believe is mostly looking for 19 and 20 yr olds right away to come in and make an immediate impact on the team and Have two Super Recruits on Defense in the Baldwin and McCloud Kids out of the BCHL..My guess is they are looking for at least 2 scorers that could step in and score 7 Goals or more as Rookies but they are extremly tough to find. All the Coaches were extremely active in the Summer as Camble and Damon were regulars at the Subway Sports Center Centre during the SEHL which is a whos who of the top local prospects. Other top players playing out side are Thompson and Stenjehem at Belle Tire 18AAA who will play Junior A next year and probably Coles,Wichorek,Treptow,Trupp,Van Allen and Vrem have outside shots at making a junior A team next year but are prospects. Two players in the USHL Summerhays and Thompson are Goalies with Rumors flying that Thompson may be going to Colorado College.Summerhays is at least one maybe 2 years away from Major College Hockey but needs to prove himself at the Tier 1 Level. Lauers the big defenseman from Dimond could end up at the Airforce Acadamey as they have been in contact with him. Thats a stab at the local Scene and I was kidding earlier about
For the person who was wanting information about how to contact the Booster's, here is their email:
blueliners@uaa.alaska.edu
So is it "SCSU versus the volcano" week?
The boys effort on saturday sure emphasized what fans have been saying. They can beat any team any time in any barn. They played to win. The coaches finally made the changes over the last 4 games that made the difference. It really showed on saturday. Confidence. Confidence in your teammates and your coaches. Keep it up boys.
hey does anyone know if redoubt will have an affect on this weekends games or skate with the team? (if the damn thing blows)
actually donald uaa currently has 6 league wins.
hey does anyone know if redoubt will have an affect on this weekends games or skate with the team? (if the damn thing blows)
Per Allenspach's SCTimes blog:
Needless to say, that would throw a wrench into the Huskies' trip to play the Seawolves this weekend. SCSU is still scheduled to leave Wednesday, but UAA officials have warned SCSU of the possibility that travel to Anchorage could be interrupted, the Huskies could make it to Anchorage only to have the games postponed by an eruption, or they could play the games only to have an eruption prevent them from being able to return to St. Cloud on Sunday.
http://playoffstatus.com/wchahockey/wchastandings.html
This is a pretty cool site with WCHA standings probabilities... Mathematically, we still have a chance to finish anywhere 1-10, but about 98% chance we'll finish somewhere 6-9.
And here's the "what if" numbers:
http://playoffstatus.com/wchahockey/alaska-anchoragewhatif.html
If we go 8-0 the rest of the year (league games), the worst we could finish is 6th (less than 1% chance) with an 82% chance of being 3rd or 4th.
Obviously, that will be tough, but home ice chances:
8-0, ~89%
7-1, ~75%
6-2, ~14%
5-3, less than 1%
So, it looks like we need to win at least 6 games! Sweep SCSU and UMD, and at least 2 wins from UMN/UND.
well see. but if we play the way we did sat. with grant, lunden then we got a shot at 6th. how do you guys think selby played last weekend?
Congratulations to Curtis Leinweber for WCHA Rookie of the week.
To: The Fans, if the coach keeps sitting players out, we can guarantee we will end up 9th.
Fan
I liked seeing Shiak pissed off behind the Bench last Saturday night. He was in a surly mood and got his team going.In the past his body language has been hands tucked in his pockets and a projection of lesser confidence.I think he needs to continue to Display more competetiveness behind the bench and keep every body nice and pissed off as it was nice to see some fire throughout the Team.
Anon @ 1:57. Sitting players on occasion is something that virtually every coach employs at some point during the season.
Jutting sat FIVE of his better players in the Mankato Saturday game, and they whooped UAA's butts.
Shyiak hasn't done this much at all, unlike his predecessors. Cut him some slack. What he did was very much needed, and we all saw the results.
He proved his point in one game but sitting out players more than one game will cause problems in the dressing room.
fan
If and when he does that, then you can gripe about it. But that has not been Shyiak's style.
Just wait to the weekend, he will continue to sit players and swith lines up in the second half, he has done this for three years running.
Fan
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