Wednesday, January 19, 2011

It Ain't Exactly The SI Cover Jinx, But ...

The combined record of college hockey teams this season after being named the College Hockey News "Team of the Week" is 6-7-3 for the games immediately following the announcement. 

Here's this year's history of the award ... BU tied UMass a couple of days after being named; then UNO split a pair with Michigan; then Maine escaped with a 3-2OT win versus Vermont; then Western Michigan split a series with Ferris; then Providence beat Army; then UMD split with DU; then Dartmouth lost to Vermont; then Bemidji got swept by Wisconsin; then Minnesota State swept AIC; and finally Ohio State lost to Western and tied them the next night.

To say it another way; CHN "Team of the Week" winners not playing the 56th KRACH ranked AIC have won a grand total of 4 games immediately after being named.

So now with UAA named as CHN's "Team of the Week" today there is some additional adversity that the Seawolves must face.  Would it have been been that much of a struggle to come up with some other team upon which to bestow this "honor"?  Is there another equally deserving team? Sure there is ... Merrimack would have been clearly a better choice.  They're a resurgent Hockey East team and much closer to CHN HQ.  They swept Alabama Huntsville in Nashville on the weekend and then turned around and beat BU 3-2 on Tuesday with just a couple of days rest.

UAA likely got the selection because everybody here out west moans and whines constantly about the "eastern-centric" national hockey press.  So CHN picks UAA in order that they won't have to hear the moaning and whining.  And now our boys have to overcome this demi-curse?  Just so Adam Wodon won't have to open emails from UND bitchers?

Naturally Dan Myers wouldn't write paint the Seawolves in the best possible light.  Instead of using the .923 saver percentage over the last 8 games that has been floating around the internet for 2 weeks he goes with Gundy's official .902 while leading off that paragraph with negative shit like "...UAA with it's first consistent goaltending in years".  Not necessary to paint that picture that way.  Anyone with a mild interest in writing such an article would take a positive tact.  Leaving the job to a Mankato fan means a less than positive/optimistic tone.

Next when referencing UAA's leading scorer Myers goes out of his way to announce that to find Tommy Grant on the league table "you might scroll for a bit ..." For fucks sake, Wodon might have just as well hired Doyle Woody to write this hit piece.  Sigh ... another straight-up put-down from an article that is intended to highlight the teams accomplishments.

Anyway ... here's some quotes from Shyiak ...
On Gunderson ...
"We started with a rotation early in the year, but when we went with Rob on a back-to-back nights, he took that opportunity and has performed quite well.  He's become more aggressive getting out of the paint, he's a lot more confident making reads on the rush and anticipating plays. I think it's just been time and experience. He's making a good transition to the college game and has learned what it takes to have success at this level."
On the team and what's ahead ...
"Our puck movement throughout the year on the power play has been pretty good," said Seawolves head coach Dave Shyiak. "Unfortunately, early in the season, we weren't finishing our chances off. Now, the guys are certainly being rewarded for their efforts by finding ways to finish these chances off."
"It starts with our seniors and upperclassmen ... our leaders. A lot of your success is based on your upperclassmen and veterans who have been through the trials and tribulations of the game. They have led our young guys the right way."
"Guys are working hard, just playing the system and paying attention to detail."
"We're trying not to get too far ahead of ourselves. We need to take things one game at a time, get some points and let everything else fall where it may. If we get points, that other stuff will take care of itself."
It's frustrating to me for the team to grab a bit of press because of their performance, yet see that press essentially treat them negatively.  In this case, I blame Adam Wodon.  He picked UAA the "Team of the Week" when at least one better choice was available.  Then he asked Dan Myers to write the piece.  Oh well, time to listen to INCH's Podcast and listen to them talk for an hour about some shitty AHA and ECAC teams.

30 comments:

Jeff said...

told you guys that uaa would be the CHN tean if the week :)

Anonymous said...

Kudos to the College Hockey News!

I don't know anything about Adam Wodon or Dan Myers, but I have to say.. there's a DUFUS over at the USCHO website by the name of "Tyler Buckentine" that is absolutely pathetic.

The idiot writes up a piece prior to this past weekend insisting CC will sweep the rusty, overly-rested UAA team.

Then when Buckentine writes his weekly follow-up article recapping the same weekend, does he mention UAA's sweep? Does he talk about how long it's been since UAA has had a home sweep? HellllLLL no.

The loser rambles on about some who-gives-a-crap game at UNO and an even more boring piece about the MN series. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZzzzz

It wouldn't be so bad if he didn't refer to himself as a "USCHO Reporter", but he does.

Buckentine needs a good buck in the ass.

Donald Dunlop said...

I hadn't read any of that Buckentine guy since I realized exactly what a "ANY-Minnesota" team "state-of-hockey" nutters he is; and yeah ... leaving UAA out of his weekend recap was almost without a doubt a deliberate act.

Those sorts of attitudes and tendencies would be fine on some unaffiliated blog but when manifest on some commercial site like USCHO it just encourages me to utilize their website as infrequently as possible.

Anonymous said...

Big Time Donald Fan; I would have to say that Tyler Buckentine is a major douche bag, also, I highly doubt that Adam Wodon is getting a ton of emails from UND fans...

UAAAlumni09 said...

Tommy Grant is USCHO's Third Star this week
http://www.uscho.com/2011/01/19/flynn-balisy-grant-named-uschos-three-stars-for-jan-19/

Anonymous said...

Maybe if enough people complained about the crap Tyler puts out the USCHO would let someone else, more worthy, write the articles.

BBEF said...

UAA beat a team with some serious jet lag… What’s the big deal?

None said...

In other news, Glencross is making quite a name for himself, as a dirty player generating hatred at a level on par with Avery and Cooke: http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=-7&id=93456

On the heels of this garbage play (the crosscheck at .25, not the initial hit): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ws2DBEOhgmk

And then of course there's this bs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtt6-hIFIqk

C'mon Curtis, you're better than this nonsense.

AdamW said...

You guys are funny.

arcticfox said...

We guyz R funny? :p

On Wolves: Wow, that first clip of Glencross is hard to watch. He's really fortunate that Stoner wasn't seriously hurt.

~

Anonymous said...

BBEF, give it up, you were sweeped fool. I suppose your team has never been here before? Did they take a Thursday red eye flight? Get someone else to make your travel arrangements for you in the future then. Suck it up, don't make crybaby excuses. Wanna win? Score moar.
Mike

None said...

"UAA beat a team with some serious jet lag… What’s the big deal?"

Is that why we flew on over to Colorado Springs and beat you back in November? Were the poor little tigers jet lagged then too?

By the way, its easier to adjust from a east-to-west flight... 'Wolves have a big disadvantage here.

UAA beat CC (3 times out of 5 this year) because UAA is a better team and has a far better goalie...

Donald Dunlop said...

Um .. I'm fairly certain BBEF was being sarcastic and referring to the moron at the Trib in Minneapolis that wrongfully invoked "jet lag" as a reason that CC might not win up here.

BBEF said...

Once again, Donald is right... I hate to say it but it's true.... CC faced a beat down kids... Was it fun? NO! Would I do it again? Any time friends...

Anonymous said...

To BBEF apology. Wasn't in the loop for the sarcasm. I <3 sarcastic remarks...but sadly missed this one. Mike

vizoroo said...

Donald, are you doing a live chat tonight ? Are DU fans, if not welcome, at least allowed? ;-}

Anonymous said...

Congrats Seawolves!!

Does anyone know if there is a place in town that's showing the games? No GCI for us anymore.

Thanks!

Gator Girl

None said...

Ahhhhh, I let my subscription to the Minn Trib lapse, so I missed that one.

None said...

At the bottom of the UAA press release today:
"2010-11 CAPTAINS: The Seawolves are led this season by senior co-captains Tommy Grant and Craig Parkinson and junior Brad Gorham and sophomore Chris Crowell."

Is anyone else confused... Has Crowell even played this year?

Anonymous said...

On wolves,

That's how it has been the whole season, all 4 guys were names co captains. Crowell has gotten into 7 games i believe.

Nice article on craig parkinson in the daily news

Donald Dunlop said...

There'll be no live chat here today. The blog has reverted to "coverage necessary to maintain press credentials" mode. Live Chats, multiple original posts during the week and anything that smells like extra effort from me has been suspended.

I've received a grand total of one donation since November and that was from a kind reader who has donated no less than 4 times. I am saddened that I've had to make this choice for that person. As to the rest of you ... not so much.

You get what you pay for. I'll be instituting a couple of revenue raising options in the near future. First, I'll be trying a variant of the donation strategy in which I'll be asking every reader at the end of every post to donate. If that doesn't generate the revenue that I consider "fair market value" then I'll look into a "Paid Subscription" format though I'm not fond of that idea.

I do not want to put advertising on this blog. And yes ... this is me getting pissy about the effort that is put into this blog to make it a decent resource for fans and what I see is a lack of support from you the readers. Everytime I "beg" for money, I typically get some donations (and more than one of the grand total of SIXTEEN people has donated more than once). When I don't go out of my way to beg. Nothing.

Which tells me that regardless of the much appreciated platitudes for our efforts here that this blog is really worth NOTHING to the vast majority of folks reading it.

Donald Dunlop said...

Lines for tonight
grant-kwas-gellert
haddad-bailey-bruijsten
pickering-naslund-cameron
portwood-parkinson-wiles
warner-gorham
leinweber-vidmar
mcleod-sproule
gunderson-kamal

Dude said...

ok, ok, I feel guilty for having all of this enjoyment from reading your blog and having given nothing in return. I will do my best to give regularly. BTW - is it tax deductible? ;)

Anonymous said...

Donald. As soon as you hear anythin about the condition of
Andrew Pickering. Let us know please????
Thank you. Akwolfclan

A l said...

We're pulling for you Andrew!

Al said...

Was it Pickering or Bailey?

Al said...

We're a little rough on our own goaltender

BBEF said...

I love you Donald... Does that count for anything?

Can I mail you a quarterly 5 spot? Disguised as a birthday card from gamma?

I find the whole PayPal thing intrusive...

FYI - the meal at the Peanut Farm should have been on me... dick move... sorry... email me your address and I'll send a check for that(or maybe cold hard cash)...

BBEF said...

Is a swear jar an option???

Anonymous said...

Pickering was the one who was injured. Positive thoughts and prayers headed your way Andrew.

Yup, we were a little hard on our goalie, what's up with that?

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