Tommy Grant, Brad Gorham and Nick Haddad are now listed as cleared to play according to UAA Athletics weekly release from the always excellent Dallas Baldwin (Assistant Sports Information Director). The Seawolves head out later this week to face WCHA assigned "rival" Minnesota State University, - , - , - , - Mankato this coming weekend. This week's release has all sorts of interesting tidbits; here's a sampling:
The junior class (6 skaters) is producing 42 percent of UAA’s scoring with 28 goals and 43 assists, while the senior (6 skaters) and freshman class (7 skaters) each comprise approximately 24 percent of the scoring … the sophomores, with only three representatives, brings in the final 10 percent.
Since the start of January, the Seawolves have posted a 4-4-2 record, for a .500 winning percentage … since the beginning of the Dave Shyiak era, the Seawolves have never started the second half of the season with this much success … last season, UAA was 3-5-2 to start the second half.
Senior F Kevin Clark continues to lead the Seawolves this season in multiple categories, while advancing in the all-time UAA lists … Clark currently paces UAA in six categories — points (27), goals (16), power-play goals (5), shots (86), penalties (28) and penalty minutes (67) … the Winnipeg, Manitoba, native is tied for 5th in the league overall standings with 16 goals — the most for a Seawolf since Curtis Glencross posted 21 goals in 2003-04 … Clark’s 98 career points rank him No. 22 on the all-time scoring list and are the most since Jack Kowal (1993-96) posted 100 … with two more points, Clark will become just the 22nd Seawolf skater to join the 100-point club … Clark currently has 44 career goals, one behind senior F Josh Lunden, who leads all active UAA skaters with 45.
The Seawolves will aim for a four-peat when they host the first game of the Alaska Airlines Governor’s Cup on Feb. 26 at the Sullivan Arena, before heading to Fairbanks for the finale on Feb. 27 … in conjunction with the men’s (Feb. 24) and women’s (Feb. 27) basketball games against UAF, UAA is hoping to ‘Freeze Out Fairbanks’ with a sweep of all three events … head to the UAA Bookstore to buy a $5 ‘Beat the Nooks’ t-shirt to wear at the games.Aiming for their 100th career games played are junior F Craig Parkinson (96) and senior D Trevor Hunt (96) … as of yet, four Seawolves have suited up in 100 plus games − senior F Kevin Clark (133), senior D Jared Tuton (130), senior F Josh Lunden (118) and senior D Nils Backstrom (104) … rookie Daniel Naslund is looking to break onto the all-time freshman scoring list … the Swede needs one more helper to tie for No. 28 on the assist list, and one more goal to tie at No. 36.
All good stuff. Big thanks again to Dallas for compiling this sort of information. It is no simple task to wade through all-time statistics and compare/contrast the information into an easy to read document. Of course, it makes what I do here fairly simple. It would be simple and even expected to sift through the release and reword/rewrite the information making myself look good. And I've no doubt that that I've unconsciously done exactly that more than a few times. So Cobb should give Dallas a raise .. huh? And while he's at it, give Nate Sagan a raise too! (Yes ... I'm ingratiating myself to those providing me with my Seawolves information stream ... So what?)
Tomorrow (Tuesday), I'll announce the First Annual UAA Hockey Fan Blog Free-Pass Giveway and Extravaganza. I've internally debated the best methods to award the 8 free passes I currently possess. I'd thought of various types of trivia contests and really liked the idea of asking questions like, "Who is Donald's all-time favorite Seawolves player?" or "Since the beginning of the blog what is the funniest phrase ever posted by Donald?" etc ... etc ... But I've since changed my mind and am going in a different direction. Hopefully, my decision won't limit participation since it will require you (my dear readers) to be creative. Hey, that's better than making you slog through hundreds of past posts to find an answer.
15 comments:
Great news on the non-injury front, thanks for the update Donald!
how long has it been since we could say we are 100% healthy?
Donald please comment on this Olympic tid bit. For the first time ever mens ice hockey will not be played on the 200x100 "olympic" sheet of ice. Why call it "olympic" any longer? Canada is F*ing up hockey now? So we get to watch the NHL lite? Great news.
Mike
Mike - Good Point!
Now we can see what we truly are capable of with a full roster healthy, cmon Seawolves!
Unlike most hockey fans, I wish all hockey was played on big ice for basically two reasons.
1. Standardization; do you see NFL games played on different sized fields? Aren't all basketball courts the same size? I don't the variability that different size ice sheets create competitively.
2. Big ice = better hockey. I grew up playing a sport where you didn't have to be an athletically gifted mega-person to succeed. But instead just athletically gifted. The pinnacle of hockey is represented by the NHL, which plays on sheets small enough to favor guys well over 6ft. So nobody under 6ft has any hockey skills/talent? If you're 5'7" the only way you'll play in the NHL is if you're talent is supreme. Meanwhile, there are benders like Aaron Voros playing professionally because he's 6'3" and willing to fight.
If all hockey were played on an official International-sized sheet we'd see a more representative portion of athletes make it there. Just being genetically bigger shouldn't be the determining factor. As it is today, if you're 6'3" and can get up and down the ice in less than 20 seconds you're an NHL draft pick.
College hockey is the last refuge size egalitarianism in our sport.
The extra width on an international sheet tends to favor skating, speed and skill. An NHL sheet tends to favor size, size and size.
As to these Olympics, I'm not quite sure if the reasons have to do with $$$ or to give North American NHL players a bit of an advantage. I'll be less cynical today and just assume it has mostly to do with how much it would have cost them to put in regulation-sized sheets.
The reason this season Olympics are play on NHL ice is they didn't want to give up any seats in GM Place. More seats equal money. It has nothing to do with the Canadians screwing up hockey.
I guess we could put basketball hoops at 13 feet and make it more of a short man's game: higher arc on the ball, nobody dunks. Could the NFL benefit from a larger field, it's small confines defined from the dinky field at Yale (I think it was) where Montreal's McGill came down to help invent the game? Maybe. The Canadian game has room for an extra man and is much more wide open. (But who can argue with the success of the NFL?) The big ice often means big bore. Getting rid of the red line has opened up the NHL just fine, and even though I'd like to see a return to amateurs for Olympic competition, the hockey we'll see at Vancouver this week will be of an exciting blend of skill and toughness you just can't get on big ice. Sorry, Donald, wrong on this one! Let's hope Seawolves make it to final five where they will make a splash on what I assume is small St Paul ice.
well according to doyle woody, we are NOT 100% healthy, Craig Parkinson has a lower body injury and did not make the trip.
Crap. Craig is one of our best face off guys, and he rocks on the penalty kill. Get well Craig!
They were 100% healthy until after I announced that they were 100% healthy.
He must have been injured in practice? Dang, this team sure has back luck sometimes.
Which goalies are returning next season?
Are the Seawolves just bringing in Gunderson or are they recruiting another goalie?
It's too bad we lost Matt Gordon 2 years ago. I hope he is well.
Anon @ 801
Gordon would only have been a senior last year, he only had 2 years of eligibility when he came to UAA.
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