WCHA fans might be interested to read former UAA player Justin Bourne's take on his "favourite" road rinks from his 4 year career as a Seawolves player. Bourno goes with "The John" @ #1, the Kohl Center in Madison @ #2 and the NHL Jr. Rink in Grand Forks to round out his top 3. Of note, he says the surface at the Sullivan Arena is...
"the best ice surface I’ve ever stepped foot on. It’s like playing in fast forward it’s so hard and fast."
I figured Justin would love to hear from the UND faithful on this post. They generally chime in like a herd of furtive baboons on methamphetamine anytime a "list" pops up on the Internet that has anything to do with their program.
For the Mariucci he makes tradition and Yankees references; the Kohl gets the usual props for it's band and student section, and the Ralph for being "purty". For any of you Bourne "Noobs", the guy has gone from playing hockey to writing about it and looks to be the future Grantland Rice of the hockey world. If you didn't see the link above click here to go read Justin's observations.
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Looking back on the weekend I find a couple of positives. The first one is that in neither UAA game did another week long controversy raise it's ugly head. After two weeks in a row of that BS, I can say that I was definitely ready for a break. Let someone else have all that. Thank you Aaron Marvin for taking the latest spotlight with this ill-advised concussion-inducing run at Chay Genoway. The other positive is that since somebody screwed the pooch on Saturday's TV situation that I got to listen to Kurt Haider.
The Gophers looked good on Saturday beating some shitty overrated team from from the hinterlands of their own state (4-1) and then completely pissed down their maroon legs the next night (6-2). They weren't the only Minnesota team with a big yellow stain down their maroon breezers this weekend though. Duluth let Michigan Tech win on Friday night (3-2) before emphatically getting a split on Saturday (8-1). Colorado College went up to Mankato and dispatched our next opponent twice (1-0, 3-2).
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Winter took it's time getting to Anchorage. And today when I got up there were NO DEGREES. Wasn't it like 50 just a couple of weeks ago? All you Hummer drivers across the world need to burn more gasoline dammit. Start throwing loads and loads more CO2 into the atmosphere please. If Anchorage is to become more Seattle-like in my lifetime then I'd like it to happen sooner rather than later. Quit slacking rich people. Consume mass quantities of everything exponentially more than you are already.
Buy more bottled water that gets shipped in to Anchorage from Houston, Texas. You're not eating enough bananas either. If I see more hybrid vehicles up here I swear I'll scream. There's this really big field of coal just across the water from Anchorage. Someone get over there, dig it up and start burning it. Now please. Don't listen to all those tree huggers that want us to limit carbon emissions. I could give a shit if North Dakota turns into a desert or if New York City gets 200 inches of rain a year; I want Anchorage to get Seattles weather.
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There's only three more WCHA series before the mid-season break. Mankato this weekend here, then down to Colorado Springs before finishing up the 1st half here with SCSU. Remember back in September I told everyone that the first four series were going to be very very challenging? I figured the team would get a couple of more points out of those games than just the 4 they've earned. The next three series aren't exactly going to be easy. Allow me to be the first to say it ... if the Seawolves don't come away from the next six games with more than an additional 6 points then they're in a big hole to start the 2nd half. The closer to 12 points they can earn out of those games the better. And yes, that's an incredibly obvious thing to type.
The fall signing period for hockey is winding up and it shouldn't be too long before we start to hear some new recruits for UAA as well as which existing recruits have actually inked their name as a promise to come here. Shortly after the SCSU series, I'll have a comprehensive recruit update. I'll be focusing primarily on players coming in 2010-2011 but will supply something about everyone currently listed. I'll also write up some sort of mid-season report cards for the team.
That's all I've got for today. I don't know if I'll have more than one Mankato-related preview this week. That team and that place really bore me so finding some inspiration isn't an easy thing. So with lack of inspiration as an excuse I present for your viewing pleasure ...
14 comments:
Dear BSU Troll,
Homey don't play that way here. These comments sections are for actual adult conversation and commentary. Not for you trolling sweater popping bullshit. So if you've got something to say then string a couple of sentences together (if you're capable) which make some sort of substantive point and then try again.
Otherwise, take a hike.
Yes it is very cold Donald. Below zero tonight. As somebody who works otuside for a living I say global warming can't happen soon enough.
Understand gci has not broadcast 2 away games this year.
Tough to promote a team, when no one sees them in your home state.
Also some fans of the aces are questioning the coach releasing fan favorites, but they are pros, so no big deal.
Back to the upcoming games, all the best to the seawolves.
This will be a important weekend.
Anon who said "Understand gci has not broadcast 2 away games this year. Tough to promote a team, when no one sees them in your home state".
WHAT? UAA has better FREE coverage than any other WCHA school. Name one other school that you can catch a webcast of the games for free? Many schools don't even have webcasts, just the audio.
I paid $10 to watch ONE game this past weekend at the UW Badgers site. Give GCI and UAA credit where credit is due!
Has gci explained why the games were not broadcast. That is the question, not whether they are free or not.
Just guessing about the GCI non coverage in two road games, most of the road games are almost always broadacst from the Fox Sports Network channels.(301-306?) And, whenever UAA is not on FSN, there not on GCI channel #1. Trying to put two and two together, I think the Seawolf Athletic Association? just pays to redirect the FSN broadcast to #1, evidence on Sat. night that basketball pregame show was on before they switched it to a history of Alaska special thing.
We touched on the Shyiak recruits last year, and now more in depth this year: Shyiak for the most part recruits players that have size, flashes of speed, evidence of success in the WCHA if they develop there game a year or two.
So he recurits big guys regardless of where they come from, to come to the Sully and develop their game and skills. I think he helps recruit whoever is intrested in playing D-1 hockey for UAA, we can't get the best recurits so he get's the other guys, to come here and hopefully become great college players.
So Shyiak and the gang get the "tier II" guys in hope that they become much better in 4 years.
Smart strategy actually, get the guys that can beat up on the other WCHA guys, who don't have the best game, and hope they pan out good.
What would you do?
And, then ask yourself if you really think Shyiak is that stupid and hasn't tried it before, or still is trying your strategy.
Good plan by Shyiak, now it's the recruits themselves that have to develop their; puck handling, stick handling, and most important shooting, and passing. C'mon Seawolves, an extra hour every week practicing your puck handling, stick handling, and most important shooting, and passing can reap some huge benefits, namely scoring and winning.
I think Shyiak is stubborn
We have just played und, minnesota, denver and wisonsin.
There are approximately over 70 players drafted in the nhl from the wcha.
We have just played against the top 60. The teams we start playing now minnesota state and st. cloud.
These games are must wins at home.
Let's fill the sully and support our team this weekend. Next week they are off to face number 1 colorado.
I am sure it was tough on our new freshman going to minnesota and wisconsin, but they are back home in there barn, where they have done well against denver and und.
Let's support them and bring down the roof.
We will be ready and waiting for minnesota state.
All the best.
Predictions
score friday 4 to 2
clark 1 goal, 1 assist and only 1 penalty.
lunden 2 assists.
grant 1 goal and 1 assist.
The other 2 goals will be scored by juniors.
I'd love to see the arena fuller but expecting that is a mistake. This opponent in particular never attracts any extra people. If we go over 3500 either night I'll be surprised.
As long as the Aces exist in this town then UAA will be attended only by it's core. If we had a great season and were the top of the WCHA then maybe near the end of such a season would we see a couple of sell-outs.
I used to call this a hockey town but the fact is that the hockey people don't go to UAA or the Aces. They're too busy with their own hockey or their kids.
WCHA hockey > ECHL hockey but there are few people in this town that understand the game enough to realize that. They go for cheerleading announcers, beer and fights.
The quality of players on the ice mean nothing to them.
The ECHL is better than it has been. More NHL contract players has brought up the level of play over the past few years. In this town they win and it is entertaining from the moment you punch your ticket until the game is over. The WCHA is the best college league from top to bottom in the country and the elite players are tremendous but the entertainment value at the seawolves game does not compare to the Aces games over the last couple of years. When families have to make entertainment decisions they are picking the Aces.
The aces have only improved because there are less echl teams each year. The ahl has the skill players. When uaa gets penalties we complain, when aces get penalties we scream for fights.
If you had been in minnesota, you would have seen skill and fistacuffs galore.
This weekend will be a fast paced skating team, both teams and big and fast.
Entertaining weekend coming up, 2 wins and we are closer to that magical 500 mark.
Go seawolves.
Cobb stopped by the game thread on Sat & said the mess up was on Wisconsins end, not GCI' s.
what happened with the other non telcast
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