Saturday, October 24, 2009

Disappointment, Humility and Honesty

It's early in the season. It's early in the season. It's early in the season. Hmmmm ... I thought that would help. But it doesn't. I couldn't be more bummed out. Of course, I asked for it. Was/is anyone out there more upbeat and optimistic than me? If you were ... I feel bad for you because you must surely feel lower than me tonight.

I'm certainly not the only UAA fan that has supported the guys since almost the beginning. So I don't want to come across here as some uniquely disappointed fan. I do however think that I've publicly expressed that confidence in a unique way. I called out other Seawolves fans earlier in the week for not being positive. I've insulted and degraded the geography of this weekends opponent nearly without mercy. I fully deserve and expect the wrath and gloating of every UND fan that I pissed off this past week.

I dogged the quality of their program and one could even reasonably say that I was unreasonable in doing so. Truth is ... I was and am sick and fucking tired about hearing how fucking great they are. Success breeds success and those fuckers have had more than their share of it. And their incessant overwhelming crowing is disgusting. So I stuck my neck out and expressed my hopes in terms that were at perhaps unrealistic. Damn me for loving my guys. Damn every local player that chooses other programs over their hometown program. You suck. You slapped Anchorage in the face with your choice. I couldn't like you any less than I do.

Being a Seawolves fan is by no means a cake walk. The team plays in a conference with some of the best teams in college hockey. This first weekend of play is merely the first of a 4 weekends that will be nothing but difficult and challenging. Let's face it, the school we're supporting isn't exactly in a position to attract the talent that more than a few of the other conference foes can. It's always been THE challenge. But for one season out of the past 20 or so, I've been there. Talafous' last season I stayed home. So yeah... wah wah wah waaah waaaaaah. What about tonight?

I don't know what to say. The 1st period was a nightmare. I thought the refereeing was atrocious. I went into the intermission wondering what the hell my team bad to do to get a break. The third UND goal came on a clear offsides play that the linesman missed. The guys had to kill a 5 on 3 that was total bullshit. Jared Tuton didn't "hold" anybody. He stepped around a guy. He didn't hold him. I was proud that the team responded to the crowds exhortations at the end of the 5 on 3 and put some decent pressure on the opponent. I was happy that the sparse crowd of 3112 made so much noise at that point.

The 2nd period began decently, the Seawolves couldn't overcome the good puck pressure that UND applied during two early penalty kills. It looked a bit like that had given up? They didn't believe they could come back? Then came the ugliest bullshit call of the night. Josh Lunden in no fucking way tripped anyone. But he got called for it. During the delay a pissed off Kevin Clark took 2nd penalty for hooking. I can relate emotionally to that. The guy was trying to get something started. He was playing his heart out and frankly the hooking call on him could or should have perhaps gotten a diving call on the UND player as well. I'll admit I didn't see the hooking call on Bruijsten at 11:11. The ensuing UND power play made it 4-0.

I don't want to pretend anything here. The Seawolves weren't finding a way to apply any sort of offensive pressure. They got all of 4 shots in the 2nd period. The refs graciously called a couple of typical WCHA "even-it-up" calls but by that point the guys were nothing other than disheartened. And then I noticed something that really pissed me off. It's been bothering me more than anything else all night.

Coach Shyiak benched Kevin Clark. I didn't notice it until Kevin served Craig Parkinson's CFB penalty for hitting somebody too hard. I suppose the benching was a response to his "dumb" penalty. I said it to Jared Tuton's brother inbetween periods and I'll say here it her now. He was playing with emotion. He was trying to make something happen. And god bless him for it. But it was at that point that it occurred to me ... Coach Shyiak just didn't care about trying to win the game. With around 25 minutes left in the game he'd given up. Why else would you bench the emotional leader of the team? I can't imagine there was a single player on the bench that blamed Kevin for taking the penalty he took. I doubt any one of his teammates was thinking to themselves "Damnit, Kevin ... why did you do that?"

There is a valid coaching debate about whether or not such a benching is reasonable. I want to give Coach Shyiak the benefit of the doubt here. But I can't. That's why I started a "Let Clark Play" chant at every quiet break during the 3rd period. Now four years into the Shyiak era and tonight confirmed my suspicion that Dave Shyiak lacks some passion. He didn't get on the refs in the 1st period. In my opinion, he should have; thats when the game was decided and the referees played no small measure in deciding it. And then down 3-0 and then 4-0 he benches the most talented player on his squad? Yes ... a team must overcome these "bad calls" to succeed. But, I want to see the coach of the team I support stand up for them.

After the game, Dave said he was disappointed in the upperclassmen. He said they didn't compete. Well Dave, Kevin Clark was competing. Josh Lunden was busting his ass. There was nothing I can be critical about regarding Tommy Grant's play. Craig Parkinson got screwed on a bullshit call. There's four of your most skilled upperclassmen. Was there something more that Nick Haddad could have done? No. Did Sean Wiles dog it? No. Was Jared Tuton somehow responsible? No. They all were trying. You weren't. It appears to this fan, that you were the one that gave up just over halfway into the game.

Let me say here, that UND's first three goals came off of 2nd and third chances. And absolutely yes ... the guys have to clear those chances when the goaltender gives up big rebounds. They didn't. All night long the UND players were a bit quicker onto the loose pucks. They challenged successfully for all too many loose pucks. All were situations that you'd expect to see the Seawolves come up with 50% of the time. But instead, the UND players came up with them 90% of the time. Credit to UND for that sort of puck pressure. They deserved the win. Could the Seawolves have overcome the bad calls? I don't know for sure. But I do know it wasn't going to happen when the coach didn't give them any reason to.

His apathetic attitude after the game was disturbing to me. "This is what happens when ..." he said. Well, I sure hope teaching the team a lesson early in the season is worth more than a victory. I'm ok with saying he didn't want to win last night. I honestly believe that was the case.

Congratulations to UND. They definitely put a number on the Gophers last Friday night and this Friday they exceeded that.

Lastly, I don't know if the referee wearing #29 was Tim Walsh or Scott Bokal. Whichever one of them is the guy that was continuously toweling off his sweaty shaved head during the 1:00 minute "official" timeouts needs to be sanctioned for his calls tonight. He was worse than Don Adam. He was worse than Todd Anderson. I hope his sweaty ass never comes to Anchorage again. Get a fucking headband dude or at least a helmet with some damned slots for cooling. And who the fuck ever heard of a referee that wears a half visor? WTF is that? You're sweating it up big time and you have a visor? No wonder you couldn't see your ass if it was in front of your face. And oh yeah ... Sivulich ... Glines ... move the hell away from Anchorage you blind useless twats.

Regardless of everything I've said above. UND was the better team tonight. I guess I'll go tomorrow night and see if the guys I love can make a better showing. I guess I'll go and see if the coach of the team I love will be a help or a hinderance to that effort.

Peace. My apologies to all. G'night.

47 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your analysis of shyiak's treatment of Kevin Clark
is band on. He treats his players with no respect. Kevin has tried for four years to instill some emotion and grit in this team, but Shyiak would rather roll lines and bench his most productive player.
His comment at the end of the game were inapporiate and Cobb should have a talk with him.
I can only imagaine Kevin's family and friends watching the Coaches behavior.
Sitting Kevin will only intimiate the rest of the players.
Clark, lunden and parkinson and grant, lead this team in points and goals. Did we see them together on a power play or penalty kill unit. No, let und embarass us that will make us play better. I am sure the 8 universitys that were after would love to have clark on there team.
Going to be a long year.

Fan

Anonymous said...

How to motivate and recruit your top players, sit and berate them on tv.
No wonder crowder, beagle,lawson, mcCabe and others left early.
Clark plays with emotion, on target for 45 Pts. Each year since he has been here, his point have improved 35%, his penalty minutes have decreased each year. Expect clark to never get 1 penalty a game would stupid. 50 pts 50 peanlties, if every player on the team got 40 to 50 pts like clark.
We would be going to the final five.
Expect the coach to start his third line players and put clark, lunden and grant on the third or fourth line.
Have watched this for four years.
Shyiak is not a coach.

Fan

Anonymous said...

We need to score goals to win. Coachng didn't help last night either.

Anonymous said...

Clark 3 goals 2 assists
Team 12 goals, do the math, Clark was on the ice and contributed 42% of the goals and assists. Clark, haddad and grant have scored 7 out of the 12 goals, do the math.
Sit our top line, I saw und last nite, they were double shifting vandvelde, gregoire, and genoway.
Maybe we are saving our players for next year. Clark will be playing pro than.

Anonymous said...

I cannot believe your coach would sit Clark for 5 min. on that checking from behind.What the hell was he thinking? I don't which NHL team has his rights but I'm sure he was on the phone after the game last night with them.Until this team finds a coach who has a clue they will always be in the bottom of the league.

Mike said...

Uaa suffered from 2 d-men being out. Second and third chance goals suck. I'm no fan of the cycle offense we try and use what's it created so far? Zip ... No usually a turn over with all hour corwrds trapped behind the breakout. Does anyone else see that? Try something new coach, the Big NHL cycle on the boards game disappeared 5 years ago. It's a skating game...recruit skaters. Anyway new game tonight let's tie ups some people around the net and stay out of the box.

Anonymous said...

Even if clark wanted to leave, he is to smart, clark is a assistant captain for a reason, he is a leader on and off the ice. The coach put him on the point at the start of the season, he did what he was told, he plays second line power play, even though the he lead the team in power play pts. last year. The players have confidence in him. Kevin has played with beagle, crowder and others, he knows it is his last year here. He forgo other opportunites to play here.
Clark knows top end players on all the college teams. Kevin will be fine he will go on and turn pro next year, in the interim he will lead this team to many victories.
This was a tough first game for everyone, let's reverse the score tonite. Hopefully the coach will not overeact, if he does not much anyone can do.
All the best to the seawolves.
It is tough to lose, but never quit.
Clark will never quit on his teamates.
When he was 18 he lead his team to the mjhl championship, his left winger on that team was gregoire from und.
He knows how to win, let him lead.

Fan

Anonymous said...

That cycle sytsem doesn't work real well for the SIOUX now does it? WTF. Granted they didn't cycle as much as they normally do but they are a cycling team.Of course great teams can rely on more than 1 forechecking system and the SIOUX can do that.Frankly I had no idea what the sea pups were doing because they couldn't sustain a forecheck for more than 20 seconds.

Anonymous said...

Why do uaa parents never go watch there son's play.
One it is expensive.
Two you could spend thousands travelling to achorage or und and your son may not even play.
Depends on the mood of the coach.
What a Joke.
Great for recruiting.

Anonymous said...

This looks like the same stupidity as at the end of last year when he sat players for curfew violation ( which was the first time he'd ever checked...which is what one of the players told me at the banquet)This not only broke the moral of the players but cost UAA a chance to move up in the standing. Time for Shyiak to go.

UAAalumni09 said...

Expect to see Christiansen in goal tonight?

Anonymous said...

Doe shyiak listen to anyone or just do what he wants. yes we hire the coach, but does he ever listen to his captains and assistant.

Anonymous said...

Haskol was using the STUPID mandatory timeouts to talk to his team. What did Shyiak do? Nothing. At least Blair talked to a few guys. Fire Shyiak and let Blair take over.

And those mandatory timeouts favor the better team. UAA was red hot, killed off a two man advantage, were putting pressure on UND, had the crowd into the game, and poof. Time out. Killed all the momentum. These are killing the game. How come other leagues are not doing it?

Anonymous said...

The Christensen story could be another Lawson deal. Basicly by not playing him since Michigan your puting the blame on him for the entire team debacle against Michigan wheather you say it or not. I think there is no debate he was one of the main factors in the turn around last year in the second half and now you have a guy who has shown can steal games as non factor.The pressure now seems like your put into a game to win or else sit and I am not sure how that helps the team . Maybe something else is going on there. Unfortunately after what I have seen we are going to need everybody this year as the next 7 games are going to be as tough as it gets for our rookie laden team with 10 freshman playing.

Anonymous said...

I will be honest. I was not at the game last night, but I have seen Clark take more completely stupid penalties than I can count because he can't control his emotions! Now, taking a hooking penalty on a delayed penalty to put your team on a 3 on 5 is Stupid and you have to recognize that in hockey today if you get your stick around the mid section of another player it probably will be called. That is common sense at this point and should be known.

In regards to Shyiak, I don't know what all he said to the media but who knows what all he said to the players in the locker room. Something does need to change and maybe this is his way of saying this is going to stop. You can say "Kevin knows how to win" and whatever but that didn't help verses Michigan let alone vs. Robert Morris. This teams needs a huge wake and maybe Dave was saying it the only way he had left to say it. Don't know wasn't there, but just saying. Oh and Kevin Clark is good but let's be honest he is not Wayne Gretzky.

Anonymous said...

Krvin Clark scored the only goal against michigan, and when they played robert morris he set up the second goal and scored a shorthanded goal to tie the game at the end of the second. Kevin Clark is not wayne gretzky or crosby but he does not back down from his opponets. He focused on Genoway when he was on his shift last nite.
As far as dave talking to the media, the media does him no favors, he can discuss his issues with the players in the dressing room, dumb penalties last nite charging and hiting from behind from his teamates. All he did was hook a player.
Und and minnesota never sit there top end players like we have the last four years.
We need to out score our opponents.

Fan

Anonymous said...

The issue shoud be resolved between clark and shyiak not in the media.
The curfew issue was a circus last year.

Anonymous said...

Wow, look at all the finger pointing, blame laying, and excuses. Our team got schooled..... again. It's going to be a long season.

Anonymous said...

This thing is going sideways quickly. With 3 blowout losses already this year tonight is a must for a competitive game. Good Luck Boys.

Suze said...

Guys, put this behind you and show Anchorage what you can do! I know you have it in you, so don't give up. No hanging heads when you come off the ice. Win. Every. Shift.

Anonymous said...

The team is looking for leaders. No one has stepped forward to fill the shoes left by departure of Robinson, who always made the team better, and Crowder, who could always control the pace of the game. The season is young, and yes, the Wolves are in trouble. Let's see who steps forward. And while coach no doubt promised some of his rookies unearned ice-time, it's time to get the returning players into the game. These guys carried the team last year when the bench was quite short. Reunite Donald's famed WHiP line against ND's number one. They handled everybody last year as I recall. And while ND no doubt coasted after going up 4-0, I thought the Wolves began to skate with our southern Sioux brothers. Time to get the Robert Mo pace out of our system and play with the big boys. We'll only get more competitive. You watch. -30-

Anonymous said...

no question the freshman have huge adjustments to make.. But we can control stupid penalties and we can instill fight in the team and thats what us fans are looking for from the Coaches. Start there.Good luck we are counting on you.

Anonymous said...

You don't handle losing very well, so I think it's a bad choice for you to cheer for UAA. Blame the refs all you want, but there is only one player on that team that is good enough to play for UND. Your team was outskated, outcoached, and simply outplayed for 60 minutes.

Anonymous said...

Losers cheer for winners. Makes them feel good about themselves when they've got nothing else going on. We'll continue to cheer for our underdogs, fanatics we are. One player good enough...? Please.

Anonymous said...

THE GAME STARTS IN FIVE AND ONE HALF HOURS, IMAGINE HOW MUCH WE WILL HAVE TO TALK ABOUT WHEN THE GAME IS FINISHIED.

Best of luck to the seawolves.

Fan

BrettB in STL said...

Donald, I finally got a few minutes to read through your blog for this weekend series.

I'd like to 1st point out, that you really need to attend some other venues. I'm talking about other college venues, as well as Pro (NHL, AHL, not ECHL). You'll notice that the Ralph Engelstad Arena has better security/technology, and ability then half the NHL. (Per the NHL's committe on building new arena's. I'll find you the link if you want to email me.)

So for you to say REA, lacks security or the ability to handle it's crowd, having never been there is foolish.

Onto UAA/UND on ice hockey. It's unfortunate, but UAA just lacks talent. They may have size, but if they can't put it to work, how are they going to win?

Donald Dunlop said...

Anon@120:
Not handle losing well? Are you fucking kidding me? You don't handle winning very well dicksnot.

There's about 3500 or so Seawolves fans that continue year in and year out to support their team regardless of the results on the ice. They do so with their money on tickets and booster clubs, they do so by volunteering their time for the boosters and at the rink behind the scenes to make the experience as good as possible for the dedicated few fans that do show up.

As for me. I bared my soul and poured out honest emotion and reactions in this post. And it is chock full of acknowledgements to UND's superiority on the ice last evening.

Supporting a winner is indeed easy. It's easy when your team has won to come down and SHIT on the fans from the other team.

Seawolves fans though feel twice the pleasure with every small success our team has. You're inured to winning. It's a long season though slappy.

We believed and expressed that proudly. In a sense, the nectar of your victory was spawned by our hopes. That makes you a fucking parasite living vicariously through OUR hopes. You're a parasite that is so ungrateful for the victory that you come and shit on the vehicle that provided it.

I've no doubt whatsoever that your tiny mind can't begin to wrap itself around those esoteric concepts. To you all that matters .. all that is "significant" is that you're team won. It gives you a chance to piss on the fans (and me in particular) who didn't spend the previous week wringing their hands and subverting their pride to your miserable program.

---begin smirk---

Had I sat back all week and written insipidly pedantic previews with the usual pregame boring hoohaw then the taste of "your" victory today wouldn't be nearly as sweet. You have more pleasure today because me and other Seawolves fans stuck our necks out.

I honestly (just as honestly as I typed the post last night), wish your team nothing but misery, despair and futility for the rest of this long season. I hope every player cheered for by your hubris-filled violent mob wakes up screaming in the middle of the night from frustration at not living up to the expectations.

You seriously lack redeeming character as a human being. Really. I mean that. No surprise that you cheer for that team. None at all. I hope there's a human being somewhere that does see some small sliver of something useful in you. It would surprise me. But I hope there is.

In words you won't have to use a thesaurus to understand ...

Fuck you and the horse you rode in on ... you vile piece of shit. The best part of you ran down your mother's leg after the milkman left the scene of your conception. Oops ... do you have to look up conception?

---end smirk---

Virtually every other comment that I can peg as coming from UND supporters will be deleted for the rest of this season on this blog. I'll make exceptions of course for posts that aren't anonymous and/or add posts that at least try to add something substantive to the discussion.

Donald Dunlop said...

Brett,
Yeah. All that superior to the NHL technology and security really seems to be working well. The rabid mob in that place doesn't intimidate female reporters or confront other fans at all. <--- sarcasm ...

There is a plethora of Gopher fans that would disagree with you. Many (not all) are verbally harassed and intimidated every time they show up. I've heard and seen plenty of the same thing from fans other other programs as well.

The management at REA acknowledged the problems this past week. They're working with the school to attempt to address it. You can pretend all you want from 1500 miles away but you have no better sense of the reality of the place than I do.

As for UAA ... the team will continue as it has to do the best possible that they can. The staff will try to get the best players they can and keep them. The players who were often spurned by other programs will work their asses off to be the best student/athletes they can be. I'm proud of the personal character I've witnessed in our current players and alumni. In large numbers they stay in this community and build lives. I'd even guess it happens to a greater extent than most other college hockey programs. Anchorage is a great town. The hockey people here are awesome.

Since you're kind enough to tell me what I need to do ... allow me to reciprocate. What you (and many other expat UND alumni) need to do ... is go back to the town and school that provided you the opportunities it has. Drag your asses back to Grand Forks and help make that forlorn and emptying town a decent place to live instead of abandoning it in droves for greener pastures. Either that or adopt your new towns in Missouri, Arizona, Southern Cal, Denver and Anchorage and support college athletics there.

Like being told what you need to do? I didn't think so.

Anonymous said...

Donald,

I'm not sure if you've ever been to Grand Forks or not - but if you haven't, you have to excuse the whacks writing in from there (to some degree).

Grand Forks is a literal HELL HOLE.

In fact - the only thing going for the city is the REA and the Fighting Sioux. You take that away and you're in one of the butt-ugliest places on the planet.

I am SO glad that my parents finally moved from there in '05 and that the only time I've had to go back is for a relatives funeral.

Let the Grand Fucks toot their horns about their arena and team. As pathetic as it sounds, that's all they have.

Evanson

alaskana said...

Donald, great post. I appreciate your honest account of what you thought went wrong last night and your reaction to it.

Let's hope the puck luck rolls our way tonight. :)

Donald Dunlop said...

Evanson,
There can be little doubt that some amount of the shitting I do on any opponents region and/or city is a semi-hyperbolic expression of the tradition of fandom "taunt-milieux".

I stayed the night in GF once. Didn't really see any of the city at all. But I have been exposed to it through all my "investigative" (lol) efforts here on the blog. It helps that there's been a plethora of other folks on the college hockey internet that have in the past pointed out many of the negatives of the place. And of course, a few honest folks like you expressing their dislike helps to round out the picture.

The funny thing is all the biggest crowing UND idiots typically don't live in Grand Forks. They went to school there and then moved to Denver (for example). And instead of going to DU games or driving down to the Springs and support CC they cling to their UND roots and express their guilt at having left the "HELL HOLE" and knowing they'd never want to go back.

It makes for an interesting dichotomy of personality disorders that result in the best insult they can come up with for me is "Donald Duck".

It is ... as you say ... pathetic.

Donald Dunlop said...

Dear Anon Jamestown obsessed weirdo potential stalker:

It's not 20 but perhaps close. I collected 14 of them but missed several of the first ones. I've saved every one of them as well as the date/time stamps and am forwarding them to the Customer Service folks at:

Dakota Central Telecommunications
213 2nd Avenue NW
Jamestown, ND 58401
701-952-100

For processing of an Internet Harrassment claim in an attempt to have your Mommy's Internet service disconnected.

I'm not really sure if you actions here qualify in any sense for such action but it was simple to collect your stats and IP address. So I'll forward it to them with an articulate letter explaining my concerns.

Enjoy explaining that to mommy.

Anonymous said...

Oh I'm shittin my pants little whiner boy.I guess once they read your bashing of our great state they will surely laugh it off.Shouldn't you be gettin to the game.I hear seats are hard to come by.LMAO.15 and counting.

Donald Dunlop said...

Alaskana,

Thanks.

I hang it all "out there" during the week. So having to (sort of) eat some crow or humble pie is I think the only honest way to follow that all up.

I do believe I gave the UND team their due in the above post. I don't believe I blamed the referees though I did point out the grotesque errors.

I am not proud of "dissing" the coach. But if I didn't express myself fully and honestly about it then I don't think this blog would be anything other than "pedestrian". Some things I write here are provocative, some things are "pedestrian" and perhaps others are pretentious. But I try to remember to be self-effacing at times. Above all else ... I usually follow a perception checking rule before posting.

I always have and hopefully always will try to write first and foremost from the perspective of a fan. My experience and feedback tell me that I often do connect with other fans in that sense. Not always of course. My views are always mine. I try to own that. But the times when someone like you comments or just a simple nod from a fan at the game that once thanked me for what I wrote is enough to tell me that I hit that mark sometimes.

Thanks again.

Donald Dunlop said...

Jamestown:
Yeah. You're right of course. Shitting on North Dakota means they're happy to allow potential future serial killing teens to access the internet through their network.

The next time you're killing a neighborhood cat and beating your insufficient dork to an unsatisfying conclusion I can only hope you don't get to upload your stories of it to futureserialkillers.com or whatever the perverse site you usually read is called.

Will said...

There is a game to win tonight. Last nights game is history. Bryce hopefully will be in the net, ready to keep us in the game or just plain win one for us. We will take a split. Go Seawolves!!

Anonymous said...

To the fuck-wad that said only one player was good enough to play for UND.....oh wait, I already called you a fuck-wad. Clark sitting the 5 minute penalty was enough punishment to send a message. The rest of the game just pissed people off. Tonight they need to re-group. They need to score goals. Even on the pp they are struggling with maintaining puck possession. Score goals. More body checks. Last year during suspensions, many players were double shifted and did fine. There are ones trying hard and doing their job, but just get lumped in. Being short players is no longer an excuse. Last year they were short the whole second half of the season. They just have to press harder.

Anonymous said...

I know this might not be the correct forum to ask, but anyone know where I can find info on Alaska H.S. hockey for the upcoming year? What teams will be favored and what are the top 10 players type info? Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Congrats to the sea puppies.Better team tonite.See ya next year.

Anonymous said...

The upperclassman proved they have some of the top players in the country, knocked of und.
congrats team.
Off to minnisota to gopher land.
fan

Anonymous said...

Good job Seawolves. WOO HOO!!!! !
Good hustle and awesome goals. Great game to watch.

Brian said...

This coming from a Sioux fan, so hopefully Donald doesn't delete... :)

Great game tonight Seawolves. They outplayed UND for the entire 2nd period and the majority of the 3rd.

Looked like two completely different teams from last night.

Now I have a request. Please play like that against MN next weekend...if you do, I guarantee you'll get some points. :)

Good luck the rest of the way.

Suze said...

Thanks Brian. I am so hoping each UAA player understands that it takes that kind of effort - for a full 60 minutes - to win. And it is such as sweet payoff when they do.

alaskana said...

First of all, congrats, Seawolves! Thanks for reminding my why I am a devoted fan.

Donald: I think your truthfulness is why I love this blog so much. You don't mess around with fluff and you cut to the chase. Plus the Seawolves really need a die-hard fan like you. I can't think of anyone else who is a better advocate for their cause.

Brian: Thanks for that classy comment. I know it probably takes a lot to post here in good spirits, but you are a good man for it. It seems at least you understand the pretense under which Donald writes this great (and yes sometimes provocative) blog.

And here's to a universal hate of the Gophers. It brings to mind that classic saying: "The enemy of my enemy is my friend".

Till next year. :)

arcticfox said...

I can't wait to hear from Donald later tonight or sometime tomorrow morning.

What a game!!!

Donald, we await with great impatience your observations of Saturday evening's game!

Sherry

akhockeyfanatic said...

Wow, Seawolves, wow!!

This is why we fans keep coming back week after week, year after year. We know you can do it and you did it tonight! I would have loved to hear what those frickn Sioux supporters that were on the chatroom last night have to say now. UAA stuck it to the #2 team in the nation.....haha!

The season is early. We're off to a great WCHA start. Anyone who questions the Seawolves better look out. HERE WE COME......

Go Seawolves!

Anonymous said...

Clark or Trump, rather have clark on uaa. He will lead our team to a wcha series at home.

Post a Comment