Perspective: Have Some Please

It appears that some of us fans are frustrated with our team's performance this season.  Well, as head Internet cheerleader for the Seawolves it's incumbent on me to say a few things.  Let's take a look at reality shall we?

UAA/MTU: Friday Night Photos and Recap

During the game last night I was proud of myself for making sure that I wrote down thoughts and observations as they occurred to me.  I've tried making such notes in the past and rarely used much of it in my final posts.  But last night I put gold onto the page.  Pure genius.  Unfortunately for you guys ... the browser window on the graciously loaned Windoze netbook I've been using wasn't actually on the interwebs ... and so all that hockey blogging gold went for naught.  It was frustrating so I went to bed and put this off til this morning.

How Many Dead Gophers Does It Take To ...

The Seawolves were the first WCHA playoff opponent to win a game at Mariucci Arena.  That wasn't last year.  On March 10th, 2007 the Seawolves broke that Gopher unbeaten streak. Last year they became the first team to win 2 games at the Mariucci Arena during the WCHA playoffs.  Then the next night they became the first team to win 3 games at the Mariucci Arena.  The Seawolves are 6-8-2 against the Gophs since.

One Tourney Down, Uno To Go

Today I'd like to eschew my propensity for verbosity in favor of being concise. The Seawolves played some pretty damn good hockey this weekend.  They pretty much dominated Clarkson; we all saw it.  The Golden Knights have a couple of nice players but overall the Seawolves imposed themselves on them all night.  Karpowich earned that tie for the team.  

2011 Seawolves Report Card: Part One

As in years past it's time for me to weigh in with some grades and comments about the season.  Actually, it's past time as I usually get to this earlier.  Fortunately, the delay was caused by the team's trip to the Final Five.  I'm not one to stick to some pre-formatted standardized grading methodology and every year I've done this, I've done it a bit differently; same thing here.  The first caveat is that I'm arriving at these grades subjectively and relatively.  What matters here is how I think the team performed in the noted areas based on my expectations as to their potential.

UAA and CC: More Alike Than Different?

In the last 3 WCHA seasons UAA and CC have had quite the battle.  They have played each other 9 times.  CC has won 5 games.  UAA has won 4 games.  2 of UAA's wins have come in OT with CC getting 1 OT win.  7 of the 9 games have been essentially one goal games.  UAA has won 4 of those 7 games.  The remaining two games were 5-0 and 6-1 wins by CC.  I can't imagine another UAA series over three years that had much tighter results.  Can't help but think that this weekends games will live up to that history.  

Off-Week Thoughts and HAARP!!11!! Too

No news is usually good news for your favorite Seawolves blogger.  This early season off week has given me an opportunity to not focus continually on all things Seawolf.  I pretty much have only even looked at the blog 3 times a day instead of ELEVENTY-MILLION as usual.  That isn't to say I haven't still had Seawolves hockey on my mind.  I have.  So here's what I've been thinking.

Monday Brice Goal Rush Review

Through participating or reviewing the chat log from the weekend or reading my recaps I'd imagine everybody is aware that I think the Seawolves weekend was marred by ineffective backchecking and not enough shot blocking.  Here's the thing that occurs to me that I didn't mention; balancing the attack with defending is not a simple thing.  

Seawolves 2010-2011 Schedule Released

The UAA Seawolves finalized and announced their 2010-2011 season schedule today.  This years WCHA rotation includes 4 games versus the University of Denver and Minnesota State with 5 games versus Colorado College and 3 versus UND.  The Seawolves play newcomers Nebraska-Omaha and Bemidji State twice each.  The games against UNO are in Anchorage and the games against Bemidji are in whatever podunk little Minnesota berg that Bemidji is located.

All other "usual WCHA suspects" are played twice.  In an ongoing attempt to line the pockets of other WCHA schools UAA and UAF have invited North Dakota and Colorado College to their respective tournaments.  This means that UND and CC will gain the two coveted "Alaska Exemptions" which will allow them to host additional home games and potentially increase their program revenue by hundreds of thousands of dollars.  This leads me to expect that in future seasons we'll continue to see at least two WCHA teams and two CCHA teams every other season.

2009-2010 End of Season Report Cards

As with previous editions of this post, it's necessary to state here that "grades" are awarded on an entirely subjective basis without regard to other program's players etc.  This is nothing more than my personal analysis based on the player's history and my expectations from said player.  So in alphabetical order from defense to forward to goaltender and finishing with the coaching staff:

Nils Backstrom: A+

Nils was everything he needed to be this season for the Seawolves.  He provided solid defensive coverage and was a positive asset to the transition game.  Nils has great hands and is a top-notch skater.  Wherever he gets a chance to play professionally he'll become a solid contributer.

Lee Baldwin: B-

In his 1st season Lee has shown great potential to become a solidly contribuing scorer from the blueline over time.  He has a heavy shot.  He's good positionally.  He plays the body well.  Lee's grade goes up in my book for many of the talents he shows.  However, he lacks confidence and can make puck handling errors when he is pressured.  This is an attribute that should go away with time.  Lee has the tools, he just needs to believe in himself.

Drew Darwitz: B

Drew proved this season that he can grow into a regular defensive job and do well.  He has both the offensive and defensive skills to make that happen.  Early in the season Drew made some typical freshman mistakes and to his great credit, he learned from them and didn't repeat those errors.  Going forward Drew could become a dynamic player if given the chance and if he finds the confidence.  He sees the ice well and makes good puck decisions.

Brad Gorham: B+

Brad's addition at the midway point this season was a boon for the Seawolves.  He is the best stand-up defenseman that I've seen in green and gold in some time.  He's a poke check wizard as well as being solid along the boards and in front of his net.  Late in the season we began to see some offensive upside in Brad's game and that will be important in coming seasons.  His size and strength along with his good skating will be necessary for future UAA success.

Trevor Hunt: A

Trevor is close to an A+ but unfortunately didn't really ever get to show his offensive upside while at UAA.  Or at least it was only sparingly seen.  Trevor has great feet and hands that give him moves in the offensive zone one usually only sees from forwards.  In a nutshell, he is Shane Lovdahl with excellent wheels and a bit of a mean streak.

Kane Lafranchise: A+

Kane took off nicely in the 2nd half of the season.  His numbers aren't a fair indicator of his contributions to the Seawolves offense.  He is capable at any time of bringing the puck and creating offensive chances.  His open ice defensive play and ability to deliver hits is on par with Mat Robinson.  His wheels and heads up play will be a key for any UAA success in 2010-2011.  He is a stud.

Jared Tuton: B+

This was the hardest grade to write down here.  Jared was an excellent captain for the Seawolves this season.  He's always been the model of a coach's player.  By all indications he's been a model character for the team since he got here.  A great kid by all accounts.  But his play on the ice this season was missing something in my book.  Maybe it's because I think he would have been more valuable as a forward.  His role on defense and as captain was to provide stability in the UAA zone.  He did perform that.  But honestly, Jared is not a "talented" defenseman.  Please don't get me wrong.  He is a hard working hockey player that deserves tons of respect for his efforts.  But I cannot overlook the fact that he got beat around the outside more times than should happen when playing on the #1 defensive pairing.  I think he should have been playing forward and I can't get past that.

Luka Vidmar: B

Luka has great tools and isn't quite living up to his potential.  He can skate with anyone.  He can puck-handle well.  He makes good first passes to help in transition and has shown he can carry the puck deep and be effective.  I give him a B instead of a higher grade because I think he can be more intense in his efforts.  That's a difficult judgement to make from up in the stands.  But I don't see the same focus and intensity from Luka as I do from other players.

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Mitch Bruijsten: C+

Mitch came to UAA with the expectation he's score some goals.  His production this year though was disappointing at best.  Mitch was unfortunately oversold in a Hockey's Future scouting report as having NHL potential.  Ultimately, that could turn out to be true but such an accomplishment is nothing less than a project at this point.  Mitch needs to work on his skating, quickness and anticipation if he wants to reach his professional hockey goals.  He's had the benefit of the doubt from UAA's staff and played a high number of games.  Next season that experience needs to begin translating to production for him to contribute to UAA's success.

Kevin Clark: A+

What more can I say about Kevin's efforts this year.  Should I add a couple of "plusses" to his grade?  He was everything we fans could have wanted from a UAA Seawolves player this year.  He was hard to play against.  He produced highlight reel goals.  He did it all and enjoyed himself while doing it.  It was nothing less than a pleasure to watch him these past four years.

Chris Crowell: C+

I would and perhaps should have given Chris a B- instead of a C+.  I chose the latter only because it gives more room for growth.  Chris is clearly a guy that is going to become an emotional leader over time for the Seawolves.  His intensity and effort as a freshman were examples some upperclassmen could look to.  Chris took a few more penalties here and there than were otherwise necessary.  Going forward I expect he'll learn to "play within himself".

Tyler Currier: B-

I have big hopes for Tyler Currier.  I don't think he'll likely ever become a 20 goal scorer at UAA but he may bring enough energy, enthusiasm and gritty play to contribute to UAA's success given the opportunity.  In his limited action this season he showed the ability to spark the team.  That sort of attribute is very important.  I hope Tyler is patient with his development.  If so, then he could in time prove to be a valuable scorer perhaps in the mold of Sean Wiles.  

Alex Gellert: B

Alex shows all the potential needed to continue to be a 1st line center for the Seawolves.  He takes faceoffs well, skates well and is competitive in all areas of the ice.  He has a good release when shooting as well.  My advice to Alex would be to grip the stick a little less tightly.  Don't press and instead react.  If he can find some creativity with time he'll be a top producer over the next three years.  I was soooo close to B+ here.

Tommy Grant: B

Tommy never quite found the scoring touch he had last season.  It's distinctly possible that he missed Paul Crowder's uncanny ability to find him at just the right moment.  Tommy will need to rediscover that touch next season to help fill the void of the departed Kevin Clark.  Tommy has the speed and good release to become a 20 goal scorer.  He just needs to find his spot I think.  Find your spot Tommy and make your senior year memorable.  If you do, then you'll go AHL.  If not, then I'm afraid you'll have to work your way up through the E.

Nick Haddad: A

Nick's penalty killing and two-way play make him an invaluable asset to the UAA program.  Nick's speed and often punishing play going forward is valuable as well but his contributions there pale in comparison to his defensive efforts.  He is always willing to give up his body to block a shot.  He anticipates well on the PK and scrambles as necessary to make up any given ground.  If he never skated except on the PK he'd contribute to UAA's success.  Nick found ways to get the puck into the net in juniors.  If he can rediscover that touch next season then he could become invaluable all around.

Curtis Leinweber: A

Curtis' numbers put him in the B to B+ range realistically, but I'm upgrading him to an A because this season he played defense, wing and center at various times.  Curtis is a dynamic puck handler who can scoot.  He shows grit and determination.  He finished the season playing a quite a few games at the center position.  If he manages that well, he could prove to be a force there.  I really really like him on the blueline when he's played there.  Let's all hope Shyiak's experiment with him at center pans out.  If not, put the guy back on the blueline permanently and I'll bet he blooms.

Josh Lunden: A+

Shoulder injuries somewhat plagued Josh while wearing the green and gold.  Nevertheless, he left school as the #2 active goal scorer on the squad just behind Kevin Clark.  Once his shoulder problems are taken care of I'd expect to see Josh banging bodies in the AHL as a classic power winger type.  With some develpment there he could get a shot in the bigs at some point over the next couple of years.

Daniel Naslund: C-

If Daniel spends the entire offseason improving his frankly brutal skating then he can become a contributer at some point in his UAA career.  If every rink in the WCHA were NHL-sized then Daniel would be better suited to produce.  But there's lots of big rinks in the WCHA and Daniel plays for a team with one of them.  His skating absolutely must improve for him to contribute to UAA's success in the future.  If that happens, his excellent upper body strength and his ability to keep and control the puck when pressured will translate to scoring.  He does have great hands, get some decent wheels and he'll be a force.

Craig Parkinson: A-

Craig filled a role this season on the energy line and mentoring younger players it seemed.  He has an ability to find the net but wasn't matched with linemates for that purpose.  His number this season were a reflection of same.  This is a kid that can score.  He's got a good shot, excellent wheels and the necessary other skills to be a double-digit scorer in this league.  Let's hope that next season he gets more opportunities to show that.  He is more than a role-player in my mind.

Jade Portwood: B

Jade is a very comparable player to Nick Haddad.  He has excellent size and has become an invaluable penalty killing asset and regular.  He's shown both of the last two years that he is a responsible two-way player.  Over the next two seasons, it would be nice to see him get more opportunities offensively.  If that doesn't happen he'll still be a huge asset on the PK.  But it'd be nice for him I think to get more chances to put the puck in the net.

Ken Selby: A+

Good on Ken for being "that guy" on the Seawolves team throughout his career under Dave Shyiak.  Ken has great wheels, can puck handle and I know he's got a decent shot.  None of those attributes were utilized at UAA because he has been labeled as not having "hockey sense".  Ken's commitment to his teammates and unceasing efforts in practice earn him loads of respect from this blogger.

Mickey Spencer: B

If there is a freshman I cross my fingers to have a breakout super-soph type of performance next season it would be Mickey.  He's gritty and quick.  He handles the puck well and is unafraid to go into the dirty areas.  He shows excellent potential.  No doubt as he progresses that his numbers will climb and as an upperclassmen will be a valuable offensive asset.  Don't be surprised to see some of that potential come to fruition next season.  I'm not saying it will, but don't be surprised.

Sean Wiles: B+

It was hard not to give Sean an A grade here.  I didn't because even though he always appears to be energetic and useful, sometimes his just wasn't a factor in games.  I don't know what it was but sometimes he just disappeared this season.  I've always thought Sean was a player who drew on emotion to make things happen.  Maybe sometimes this season he couldn't find that.  The junior season can be difficult for some players.  School is hard sometimes as a junior.  I don't know.  I do hope to see Sean with renewed enthusiasm next season.  He is a great story to me because at one point I wasn't sure he could handle playing D1 hockey.  And since then, at times, he's showed an uncanny ability to elevate his game to a level where he simply owns the ice.  The Seawolves will need him to own the ice more often next season if they are to have success.  Maybe the B+ gives him room to improve.

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Bryce Christianson: C+

Bryce has the solid skills necessary to become a D1 starter.  He handles the puck well, is athletic in his crease, has a good glove hand, challenges shooters and otherwise looks good between the pipes.  Both his numbers and Jonny O's numbers are reflective of the team's efforts in front of them and not an deficiencies on their part.  If Bryce and Dave Shyiak can work out their differences during the off-season then he could put up good numbers with a better defensive effort in front of him.  I fear that won't happen though and that we've seen the last of Bryce in green and gold.  That would be a huge shame in so many ways.

Jon Olthuis: C

I wanted to give Jonny O the same grade as Bryce.  But one thing stood out in my head all season.  I know the UAA staff have been encouraging Jonny to challenge shooters and come out of his crease for more than just this season.  But time after time after time, Jonny stayed deep in the crease.  I assume it was a confidence thing.  Stepping out must have felt like he was exposing himself.  Had he done it more often though, there would have likely been fewer pucks behind him.  He didn't seem to learn that even though it was preached to him.  So I dropped him to a C.  Like Jared Tuton, I'm not happy with handing out this grade to a young man who by all accounts is a great person.

Dusan Sidor: A+

I give this grade because there is some chance that next year we'll see Dusan in a backup role.  Which means he'll finally get to play some real minutes.  Since he's now spent two years as basically the "practice goalie", he deserves some accolade for that effort.

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Coaching Staff: C-

Last year I gave the coaching staff a B.  The very significant drop this season is due to several factors.  First, they overstated their expectations.  I know exactly how that happens.  I do it here all the time.  But I'm just a fan writing a blog.  Second, the defensive play this season was full of some of the most brutal breakdowns I've seen in a long long time.  When the team lost a game, it didn't lose by a goal.  It was more likely 4 or 5 or 6.  One could easily say such breakdowns are the responsibility of the players on the ice at the time.  And I don't think I'd argue much about that.  

However, the pattern of breakdowns is indicative to me of an ill-prepared defensive effort.   Preparation is the responsibility of the coaching staff. Additionally, it's time to realize that WCHA refereeing is what it is and it ain't gonna change in any significant way. The grade wasn't lower because there are some quality recruits in the pipeline and that should be reflected here (otherwise it would definitely be a D+).

Everyone loves the Gretzky quote, "You can't score if you don't put the puck on the net" (or whatever it is) but how about this one?  You can't lose games if the other team doesn't score.  55 teams gave up fewer goals over the course of the 2009-2010 season than UAA.  Fifty-Five out of Fifty-Eight.  3.93 goals against isn't going to win you many games.  

Hell, UA_ scored just three more goals in 2009-2010 than UAA did.  That's right.  Only 3 more ... UAA - 2.42/game (87) ... UA_ 2.82/game (90).  But they are on the bubble of the NCAA tournament.  Why?  Because they gave up 51 fewer goals than UAA did.  Fifty-One.

Defense builds championships in every sport.

Kane Lafranchise Exonerated And Screwed

Speaking of dichotomous schizophrenic shenanigans ... did you know today is the 40th anniversary of the debut of Sesame Street.  Yesterday was the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.  Somewhere in between the historical relevance of those two events we've now got the WCHA's latest stumble-bumming cluster-fuck call-reversing shambles of a post game decision to discuss.  At times, the way of the world is nothing if not incomprehensible to me.

First Kane Lafranchise is called for clipping and a game disqualification as a result of a perfectly legal, perfectly clean and well executed hip-check.  Then after the game Brett "Bert" Klosowski and Justin "Ernie" Brown (I kid those refs because I love them ... really I do) review their decision and decide to submit an official boxscore that reflects a 10 minute misconduct instead of the game disqualification.

Now today we learn that the WCHA has stepped in and reviewed the situation.  The result?  The original on-ice (misinterpreted uselessly horrid) call made by Bert and Ernie is changed to kneeing and the game disqualification is restored.

Yet in it's comments to UAA, the WCHA is apparently admitting that no infraction of the rules actually occurred.  That's right.  They're saying that Kane Lafranchise checked Patrick Wiercioch with a most excellent hip-check without committing any infraction in the rule book.  The league is allegedly punishing Bert and Ernie by giving them nothing to do this weekend.   So they say anyway ... the reality is there are 22 referees certified by the league and a maximum of 10 are going to be working on any given weekend.

Brett "Bert" Klosowski and Justin "Ernie" Brown were just as likely to be off this weekend.  But saying they're sitting allows the league to save face and pretend they're actually meting out punishment for Bert and Ernie's obvious incompetence.  The only person not doing what he would otherwise be doing this Friday night is the one person who did absolutely nothing wrong; Kane Lafranchise.

Naturally the WCHA is blaming the NCAA using Section 10 of the rulebook which states that they "may not decrease any penalties"made "by the one ice officials" to correct the error.  They have to blame somebody since they don't have the guts to come to a just decision and instead create a mish-mashed political decision worthy of the stinking miserable shit that occurs everyday in the halls of the U.S. Congress.  The WCHA should be ashamed.  If "vote the bastards out" were applicable then it'd be the title of this post.

They were able to affect remedies last year following a Wisconsin/Mankato incident.  But suddenly this year the NCAA disallows it?  OK ... yeah sure.  Whatever you say Bruce "Elmo" McLeod.  I realize you're really just moderating a dispute and coming up with a political solution to try to satisfy as many parties as possible ...

Sunny Day

Sweepin' the clouds away

On my way to where the air is sweet

Can you tell me how to get 

How to get to Sesame Street

... and all that eh? But we all know puppet politics isn't justice Bruce.  Shame on you for this injustice to Kane Lafranchise and I suppose congratulations for at least pointing out that he committed no infraction (if you have the balls to say it in print).

On top of this insult comes the faux-injury word from George Gwozdecky that Patrick Wiercioch will not be able to play this weekend.  Oh wait ... that's right, Denver has a bye week.  Didn't I predict that Gwoz would say that because it's a bye week?  If Denver were playing UND this coming weekend I guarantee that Wiercioch would be in the lineup; if you think or say otherwise then you watch too much Sesame Street.

When the Berlin Wall goes back up and the Soviet Union eventually returns to power, George should be a front runner for Propaganda and Information Minister.  Gwozdecky is a Russian name after all... originally Gvozdetsky.  Here in freedom-loving North America we generally just call this sort of thing lying.  If I were feeling gracious I'd just characterize it as sandbagging for UND's sake, but once again I'm Donald "Oscar The Grouch" Dunlop versus being Donald "Big Bird" Dunlop.

These things don't happen in a vacuum.  Without a doubt there were at least several phone conversations to work out the details of this clearly political decision.  With that in mind, I am left but to question the effectiveness of UAA's administration in procuring justice for Kane.  I can't bring myself to think that they did anything other than fight as hard as they could for him but the obvious fact that they weren't completely successful is greatly disheartening. It sure seems like UAA got PWND. 

Below are screen shots of the original "official" boxscore and the now modified "official" boxscore. 

At some point today it's possible that the WCHA will come out with some press release which may or may not contradict something I've addressed here.  If so, feel free to point it out below and discuss in the comments section.  I doubt I'll be participating.  My cynicism has reached epic proportions.

 

Seawolves Get A Hard 6-1 Lesson

If you play badly against a good team. You'll be made to learn a hard lesson. If you just think of tonight's game in terms of learning opportunities ... then you'd be forced to conclude it was a hugely successful night for the Seawolves. Much learning to be had at the venerable Sully tonight.

Things didn't go well (obligatory understatement). Missed passes were abundant; both due to poor passing and poor catching. Defensive responsibilities were blown left and right. If Michigan had scored every time the coverage in UAA's zone broke down; then we could have seen one of the ugliest losses ever. Bryce pulled their asses out a couple of times. And a couple of times the ugly helmets just blew their chance. There were a couple of good defensive plays made by Seawof defenders. But they generally only had to happen because of a mistake/turnover.

Nothing happened with any consistency for the Seawolves. Nothing. They were never able to generate any sort of sustained offensive pressure outside of the occassional single shift. They were hemmed into their own zone by Michigan's offensive pressure all too often. I wouldn't have expected Red Berenson to allow his team to play like shit for two nights in a row. And they didn't.

I'm going to limit myself here to one specific criticism that I think was a big factor in tonight's outcome. The Seawolves all too often assumed that their first touch was going to be sufficient. The Wolverines didn't ... they knew it would take 2nd and 3rd chances to gain the puck. The Seawolves didn't. So as a result, Michigan generated lots and lots of turnovers. The Seawolves simply lost a LOT of little battles for the puck.

Michigan did also play a positionally strong defensive game. I thought UAA was more effective when a defenseman carried the puck up in transition. When an ugly helmet did turn the puck over in the UAA zone, the Seawolves often found themselves giving it right back up to a perfectly positioned different ugly helmet. Saying they took away time and space is the tried and true hockey phrase coaches use. But I'd go a step further ... they owned the passing lanes.

When that happens ... you'd like to see your team respond by carrying the puck versus trying to make sweet breakout passes. Michigan had our breaking forwards pegged and more often than not disrupted the pass. If UAA completed a first transition pass through the neutral zone, then Michigan disrupted the 2nd.

When the NJ Devils were charging to their first Stanley Cup ... they played exactly the sort of game we saw from Michigan tonight. The Devils often put up a big number on their playoff opponent by owning the passing lanes and scoring off of neutral zone turnovers. Smart, good skating defenseman can attack that sort of play. Lest we forget that two good puck carrying defensemen are out injured. Backstrom's and Hunt's return will improve the transition game. It's also useful that the next two opponents aren't nearly as talented as Michigan.

I think all the freshman forwards could learn a lesson from watching tonights game. They'd get to see the ineffectiveness of their backchecking. They'd notice the ugly helmets standing in front of UAA's crease that they apparently didn't notice when they were actually on the ice. Not to be overly critical, coming up to speed on the defensive side of the game (for a rookie in the WCHA) is common to most everyone. But I can't ignore the fact that it happened often this evening.

I like Chris Crowell's work tonight when the Seawolves did manage possession deep in the Michigan zone. I think I underestimated his foot speed. More than a few times he was really smart off the puck showing good anticipation. It's hard to teach a player anticipation. You either have it or you don't. I'll definitely give him credit for hockey sense. I'd credit Drew Darwitz with a much better game tonight than he had on Friday night.

Nothing I saw tonight from Mitch Bruijsten or Daniel Naslund diminished my hopes for them. Mitch showed a bit of toughness in the corners and in front of the net. Naslund continued to do good things with the puck. I think they both passed up shot attempts. They shouldn't. Kevin Clark's goal is a good example. He could have passed that puck or even waited for something to develop. He didn't though. He shot. He scored. But I think they'll both come up to speed relatively quickly.

Sean Wiles is vying for the "wheels" nickname. He really turns his feet over so much faster than when he got here. He is a threat to break in wide on any team and get to the net. Awesome to see his skating so strong. Craig Parkinson seems to be getting more shot attempts outside the 5ft mark where he says all of his goals come from. And I'm liking his ripping wristers. I like them better when they don't go high or wide. But that's not worth griping about. Not every shot can be perfect. Jade Portwood looked good as usual on the penalty kill and I suspect his play around the opponent's net is going to start paying off more often for him as the season goes on.

I think the new league mandated 3 "official media" timeouts per period is going to have a significant impact on the WCHA this season. I think overall 4th line minutes are going to go down. With a full minutes rest at the bench a lot of coaches are going to skip rolling 4 lines and throw their #1's and #2's back out. It might be early to assume that but it's something I'll be paying attention to as the season goes on.

It's early in the season. It's early in the season. It's early in the season. Those repetitive declarations are for my own benefit. I don't like watching them lose. Like any fan, I want to know "whats up" when they do. It's early in the season. There can be no other reasonable course of analysis but to remind myself of that.

Seawolves vs. Michigan: A Preview Two

It'd be pretty easy to sit down and rattle off all the vicissitudes of the Michigan Wolverine hockey program. There's a legendary coach, a constant replenishment of elite talent and a history replete with national glory. They were in the NCAA's last year for a record 19th straight time. In other words, every year since the last time UAA made the NCAA's ... Michigan has been there. None of that means that this year's edition is guaranteed a 20th straight appearance but betting against that would just be stupid.

Their loaded again with 19 returning players. They have leadership and experience; perhaps more importantly they have elite talent all throught the lineup. It's like playing Minnesota, Wisconsin, DU or UND. You know ... UAA's first 4 WCHA opponents this season? So even with all that drool about Michigan's greatness above ... they can be taken down. The Seawolves under Dave Shyiak have been generally exceptional in their early season records.

Over the past three season the Seawolves have gone 13-10-7 collectively for the first 10 games. Combine the records for the first 5 games the last two years and you get 7-1-2. The Seawolves have been beaten only once in the first 5 games over the last two years. For whatever its worth ... Northeastern was the only loss ... Maine, UMD, UConn, Mercyhurst, UAF, Wayne State were the wins. The ties were versus BU and Mankato.

The Seawolves play well in the early season because they get out of the gates a bit earlier than everyone else. They typically play most of those games at home. Early season is a time for energy and self-confidence. Players believe (as they also should for the full season) that they can play with anybody and win. The mental state is excitement and anticipation versus a completely different attitude late in February on a long trip to a craphole like Mankato; after you've been as Puck Swami on USCHO says ... through "the meat grinder" of the WCHA schedule. That's a trip that requires a player to find resolve -- it calls on his character. This weekend such resolve won't be as necessary. Enthusiasm overrides it.

I'd peg good odds on this matchup between UAA and Michigan at damn close to even. The ugly helmets have two exhibition games on their belts. They played their farm team USNDT U-18s last Saturday winning 4-2 and then beat Windsor 6-2. They face UA_ on Friday so by Saturday the Wolverine team should be coming up to speed. They'll be a dangerous and difficult opponent for UAA whether they beat the 'nooks or lose to them.

UAA will need to have a strong possession game that creates scoring chances. The big bodies up front must get into scoring positions. Puck control players will need to find them. The blueliners will need to support the offensive effort effectively. The Seawolves will have to put together a quality effort in all phases. Guys are going to have to give it up in their own zone and block shots. Defensemen are going to have to play smart. And whoever is in net will probably have to come up with a big save or two.

All of those things are doable for this Seawolf team. There is some good talent amongst the youngsters. More than a couple of veterans are poised to have their best seasons. This game against a top quality opponent will be their first chance to see what they can be collectively. It won't be the last chance either. Remember, Minnesota, DU, Wisconsin and UND aren't far down the schedule.

Oh yeah ... I like the ugly helmeted crew about as much as I like UND. The non-Michigan-living alumni are pretty much second only in obnoxious terms to the non-North Dakota- living alumni of the hostiles and abusives. I've no doubt that the folks that show up to Michigans home games are no different from the folks that show up to watch the Seawolves at the Sully. Salt of the earth, Joe-Six pack, regular folks ... ya know? It's the Michiganders that don't live there anymore and prowl the Internet in one form or another that are generally the sickening loudmouthed rubes. Exactly like UND fans.

Prediction: UAA 4 - DumbHelmets 2

50,000-Plus Airline Miles for 09/10 Seawolves

Over the course of the 2009-2010 WCHA hockey season the UAA Seawolves will travel about 40,000 miles on commercial airlines. My calculations total 37, 268 for the WCHA regular season including trips (in order) to Minneapolis, Minnesota; Madison, Wisconsin; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Denver, Colorado; Houghton, Michigan; St. Cloud, Minnesota; Mankato, Minnesota and the a non-conference trip to Fairbanks, Alaska.

An additional trip to St. Paul, Minnesota is anticipated to play in the WCHA Final Five which would expand the total to 42,306. Mileages for Seawolf NCAA playoff appearances could push the total well beyond 50,000 total miles.

The four NCAA playoff regional sites are located in Albany, New York; St. Paul, Minnesota; Fort Wayne, Indiana; Worcester, Massachusetts with the Frozen Four scheduled in Detroit, Michigan.

ADN Focuses On Seawolf Speed and Size

Today's Anchorage Daily News story focuses on the (oft mentioned here) combination of Seawolves speed and size. It's been clear for a couple of years now that Shyiak et al ... are actively seeking big players that can motor; especially on the front end. Coach Shyiak is consciously bucking the current years long WCHA paradigm by doing so. He told Doyle Woody,

"If we play physical and finish our checks, it wears teams down and they get tired and make mistakes, as a staff we demand our guys finish their checks and play physical. You're looking for talent and skating, and size is always a bonus.

"We're fortunate with being able to find guys who have good size and can still get around the ice. We're strong along the wall and that really levels the playing field against more skilled teams.''

Aspects of the game wax and wane over time. Once upon a time, every Minnesota Golden Gopher team that visited the Sullivan Arena rarely had a player under 6 feet tall (Wooger was all about big guys). When one team (especially when it's the Gophers) have success built around such an aspect then other teams naturally gravitate to that paradigm. It's never a bad idea to emulate success.

Over the last decade, many WCHA teams have more or less begun to look like the Dean Blais coached UND squads; run and gun hockey if you will. It is and has been a prized commodity in the league. Many WCHA teams now consider themselves to have excellent run and gun style (to varying extents) teams on the ice. Bucking a trend in such a situation can prove fruitful. Kane Lafranchise addressed the importance of physical play adding,

"Our style is getting more and more like that. We're getting harder and harder to play against. If we played that way all weekend (last season), by the second or third period Saturday night, teams were dumping the puck more, playing it safe and staying away from hits."

As fans, I think we saw excellent examples throughout the season of what Kane is talking about, specifically against hated rival UAF. Many fans in both Anchorage and Fairbanks agreed that UAA "squashed them like bugs". The 2nd game of the regular season series in Denver provided another good example. The Seawolves buzzed around the ultra-talented Pio's for the 2nd half of that game outplaying them badly.

Bucking the trend was essentially what Dean Blais was doing when he created the current run and gun paradigm. Great coaches in any number of sports have followed a similar strategy with success; think Bill Walsh of the San Francisco 49ers who dramatically changed the NFL in the 1980's by opening up his offensive attack in a time when everyone else was emulating Tom Landry's defensive schemes.

I suspect that if a current NHL coach stacked his team full of Ryan Duncans, Tyler Hirschs, Kevin Clarks, Dean Larsons, Theo Fluerys, Paul Kariyas etc ... that he'd possibly find some success skating around their bigger counterparts. Nick Haddad summed it up nicely for Doyle's article saying,

"If you're a big monster, but you can't catch guys, you're worthless out there. That's why coach says we have to be the best conditioned team in the league."

Whether or not such Shyiak's strategy will be paradigm changing is obviously still a very open question. The Seawolves have yet to have any major successes utilizing their size, but there are indications of a progression to success for the Seawolves via this 'Size/Speed' combination.

I've found the fact that the Seawolves are much bigger than their competiton so compelling that I sent an email to Adam Wodon in October of 2007 over at College Hockey News requesting that he add a height/weight averages from their Alamanc section to their weekly "Tale of the Tape" comparisons. Adam replied the same day that they had done so. He's awesome like that.

And since then, I haven't often failed to point out that comparison in just about every weekly preview I've written. When all NCAA teams finally submit their official rosters I predict that UAA will be THE BIGGEST team in Division 1.

If everybody else is building a run and gun team then the team(s) that succeed will be the one(s) that have the best run and gunners. It's a sort of "beat em or join em" question. And Coach Shyiak clearly hopes the answer "beat em" will bring the Seawolves success. After all, who really wants to "join em" if it means creating a team that looks like SCSU?

Good luck to the Seawolves this Friday night. Soften them up for the rug rats up the road eh?

The Secrets To Success

I'm thinking this will all sound a bit obvious. But since I start my player/season previews etc ... so early (ahem ... back in August) and with the lack of any substantial news (a good thing generally), there isn't much for a blogger to write about. So, I thought today I'd give you my ideas about what needs to happen this season for the Seawolves to succeed.

First, allow me to define what I mean by succeed. At minimum this coming season, success means finishing with more points than last season. The 08-09 finish put the Seawolves only 6 points out of 5th place and home ice. If they'd won three more games (depending on other results of course) then we very may well have been sitting in the Sully watching playoff games instead of looking at them on TV from Denver. Let me put it simply, it was the best 9th place finish EvAH.

But would 24 points be a rousing success? Nah. It would be minimally successful but really only if the placement that 24 points gave was higher than 9th. My point here is, that each and every point and placement in the standings higher than last season will represent a higher level of success. Each of us fans will have varying degrees by which we measure that. For me, I'd say anything more than a 30 point season translates to "quite successful".

Allow me now to breakdown some parts of the game that will have to click to reach that 30 point plateau. In order of importance:

Team Defense

Last year the Seawolves gave up an average of 26.7 shots per in WCHA games. Only one other team had a lower average. This has been a statistic which has improved steadily during Shyiak's tenure. I like to think it has become a key part of the team's identity and I expect it will be somewhat of a strength this coming season.

Time and again we've all seen players going down to block shot attempts. It is a matter of commitment. Every player must be willing to get in front of a shot. It means sound positional play. It means getting in the lanes and being responsible. If the puck in in the Seawolves half of the ice, then the mindset of every player must be on taking away opportunities from the opposition. Every backchecking forward has to stay with their man. The defensemen have to face up and direct everyone as needed. If a shot attempt doesn't get to the goal then it can't go in the net.

Last season the Seawolves PK was a substandard 75.8%. For comparison's sake, Minnesota killed off over 89% of their penalties. A well-coached, well-prepared and properly executed penalty kill should be over 80%. All five teams in 1st through 5th last season finished with better than 80 PK's. All five teams in 6th through 10th didn't. The team took 18.5 minutes of penalties per game last season. Not the worst in the league, nor the best. Something less than that would be helpful. Obvious yet?

Goaltending

I hate talking about goaltending but I believe this is the 2nd most important facet of the upcoming season. Last season neither UAA netminder exceeded .900 save percentage. It seems that at one time or another both guys were victimized by flukes and/or garbage much more often that should be the case. It's not a knock on either one. Just a statement describing some circumstances. We definitely saw too many ... ARGHHHH moments.

Down the stretch though, both Jonny O and Bryce stepped up their games and for the first time in a couple of seasons, we saw one or the other actually stand on their head. Bryce finished with a real nice 2.60 GAA which came on the strength of his play in the 2nd half. In order to help the team reach it's goals, both guys will need to have better seasons. Goalies are going to give up the occasional softie. The fewer times that happens this season the more likely the team will succeed. In whatever combination they see action, a combined save percentage of over .900 and a GAA of less than 3 is going to be necessary. Still Obvious?

Transition Game

There is nary a team in the WCHA that can't put the pedal to the metal. There is a lot of run and gun hockey every weekend. Last season we saw one of the best skating Seawolf teams to EvAH hit the ice. There is speed throughout the lineup. I'm confident that UAA can (as they say) "skate with anybody".

But transitioning the puck from defense to offense isn't just about wheels. It's about tape to tape passing. Forwards have to be quick to recognize the change of possession. They have to see the ice well enough to get into position for the pass and have quick enough boots to get them there. Defensemen have to keep their heads up and decide quickly whether to pass or skate with the puck. And the choice they make will be damned important. A pass that doesn't click rarely turns into something positive. A carry that results in a dump to the wrong side doesn't help anything.

This is one part of the game where coaching makes a big big difference. Shyiak, Blair and Simon will need to do their homework every week to try to identify the various opponents tendencies. They will likely have to tweak the systems week to week. But ultimately, it will come down to the guys on the backend making good decisions with the puck and executing those choices effectively. Just as obvious?

Scoring

69 goals in conference play was the total last season. That won't be enough this season to get to the previously discussed level of success. About 30% more pucks will have to find their way into the opponents nets this coming season. If that sounds like a shitload well ... it is and it isn't.

The Seawolves scored 2.46 goals per game last season. 85 goals would mean a smidgen more than 3 goals per game average. More than a couple of players will need to have their highest production in green and gold to make that happen. Guys that dropped their output from 07-08 to 08-09 will need to step up in 09-10. Some rookie forward(s) will have to contribute. Veteran blueliners will need to score more often. A rookie blueliner contributing would be a nice bonus.

The power play last season was a paltry 13%. That was pretty much identical to 10th place Michigan Tech who won a whole 2 WCHA games. Some combination of coaching and execution needs to happen to push that number somewhere closer to 20%. Coach Shyiak has it dead on right when he talks about first timing shots on the power play. The quicker the man on the point gets the shot off the more likely it will find a lane to the net. Look at any truly successful WCHA team and you'll find AT LEAST one guy on the blueline that can rip it first time. Obvious to me.

Health

There isn't much a team can do to keep from getting bitten by the injury bug. On average in this league it seems that at least one team suffers from some serious manpower shortages due to injury every season. Last season that was Michigan Tech. The Seawolves have had their turn at that injury bug rotation in the past. The one thing the staff and players can do is ensure that everyone is in the best physical shape possible.

Hopefully, everyone worked their asses off during the summer and are continuing that modus operandi here in the preseason. Not even the best conditioning though can prevent certain injuries from happening. Perhaps one mitigating factor is roster size. The Seawolves have 22 skaters available in the first half and 23 in the 2nd half. That should help to turn an injury to one player into an opportunity for another.

Another helpful facet related to health may just be that this team is BIG. I know I've harped on that for a couple of years now. But this season we're going to see the largest Seawolf team to EvAH take the ice. I'm reckoning they'll be the largest team in Division 1. I know they're bigger than any other WCHA team ... by quite a bit in some cases.

Summary:

Team Defense -- I'm confident it can be what it needs to be.
Goaltending -- There's every reason to expect Bryce and Jonny O to be improved

Transition Game -- There is quite a bit of experience and talent on the backend and enough speed on the frontend to improve this facet of the game.
Scoring -- It might seem like a tall order but we're talking about less than one more goal per game than last season.
Health -- The team is just so damn big and there's enough extra players that (knock on wood) it shouldn't be an issue.

I'm sure there is some other aspect/facet that I might have addressed here. What do you see as being important? Would you put these things in a different order?

In ancient Greece, a young man approached Socrates and queried him as to the secrets to success. Socrates took the young man by the hand and led him to a river. Together they walked into the water until the water was quite deep. At that point, Socrates pushed the young man under the water and held him there.

The young man struggled to no avail in order to return to the surface. At the point when the his struggle was lessening and his face was turning blue, Socrates pulled him to the surface. Wide-eyed, gasping and terrified the young man asked, "What the Fuck?"

Socrates answered his question with a question (philosophers do that). "What did you want more than anything else when you were under the water?" ... The young man answered, "Air." Then Socrates said, "Well, when you want success as much as you wanted air just now, then you'll most certainly achieve it."

I warned you it was all pretty much obvious.

The 09-10 Seawolf Freshman Class

(Top: Baldwin, Bruijsten, Crowell.
Middle: Currier, Darwitz, Gellert.
Bottom: Naslund, Spencer, Sidor
... click to enlarge)

For better or worse there will be some pressure on this years freshman class to add some offensive production, play sound defensively and contribute to overall team success. How much success this year's team ultimately acheives will likely reflect how well this group of players performs. As I try to say every year, having excessively high expectations for freshman in the WCHA is folly. But I have to honestly compare this years class favorably with our current group of Seniors when they arrived. Backstrom, Clark, Hunt, Lunden, Olthuis Tuton and Selby ... oh and some kid named Crowder who signed after his junior year with the NY Rangers. This freshman class has the potential to be more impactful than that group over time. We'll see.

Lee Baldwin - 6'4" 203lbs, Defenseman
There are lots of reasons to expect that Lee will find a regular role on the blueline fairly quickly at UAA. Four veteran returners are locks. Curtis Leinweber may be the fifth but could be slotted in a forward role. In either case, Lee looks to be the best resume'd blueliner among the rookies. All I had to hear to know this is for one BCHL hockey person to make the comparison to NHLer Rob Blake. Lee was an intimidating physical force with Victoria last season. He had a very nice progression in scoring through his Junior A career leading the league's blueliners in scoring. He turned 21 at the end of April so he brings that maturity to the equation as well.

Mitch Bruijsten - 6'4" 195lbs, Forward
Not every player that comes to UAA comes with a publicly available scouting report from a reputable source. Mitch is one exception to that trend. If you haven't read this evaluation from Hockey's Future regarding him, you should. It says stuff like, "... another big guy with great speed and a good shot" and "noted to be hard to move off the puck" and "ability to either setup plays or finish with positive results". Having followed quite a few junior players to UAA, I'm left with some high expectations for Mitch's success as a Seawolf. I mentioned somewhere in a comment string that a St. Cloud fan who follows Junior A prospects closely called Bruijsten the next great European born player in the WCHA. Mitch should see a lot of ice-time and could progress to a 2nd line role fairly quickly depending on circumstances.

Chris Crowell - 6'2" 205lbs, Forward
Chris is the embodiment of a veteran junior A player. He played 4 years for the Vernon Vipers and captained the team in his final season. He turned 21 back in February. His leadership experience and maturity lead me to believe that we'll see him in the Seawolves lineup with great regularity in his rookie season. His size and strength lead me to believe that he'll be a very effective and important role player. Expect to see him on a line designed to shutdown the opposition offense. He won't be up any big numbers offensively but could chip in a few along the way. Most importantly, I have the impression that he brings the ability to raise the level of play from his linemates.

Tyler Currier - 6'1" 198lbs, Forward
Tyler isn't unknown to me but until he hits the practice rink and sees some playing time, it's difficult to know how much he'll play. I expect he'll be one of several forwards on the roster that will be competing for spots in the lineup from weekend to weekend. Patience with his own development will be a key to his ultimate success. Few players come from the NAHL and make an impact as a freshman in the WCHA. I think that applies with Tyler as well. He had reasonably good numbers over the last two years with the Alaska Avalanche (lead the team in 08-09) and a decent shooting percentage. The hometown-boy factor could be a nice positive as he said it has always been his goal to play for UAA.

Drew Darwitz - 5'8" 165lbs, Defenseman
With loads of blueliners on the squad it may be difficult for Drew to see a maximum amount of playing time this season. As quickly as I say that, I don't think it's outside the realm of possibilities for him to step onto the ice and earn a regular spot in the lineup. His Fairbanks Ice Dog's coach had nothing but raves about him. He earned the Defensive Player of the Year award for the NAHL last season scoring 2g-37a which suggests to me that he was the team's power play quarterback. That's great experience and bodes well for his future. UAA's defensive lineup though is pretty solid and some of his playing time may be dependent on injury and/or where Curtis Leinweber lines up.

Alex Gellert - 6'1" 170lbs, Forward
I so was already anticipating Alex's arrival in 10-11 postively, so to see him come a year earlier bodes well for continuing what looks to have been some good chemisty with Mickey Spencer. Alex's 2nd year of juniors saw him tripled his offensive contributions comapred to his 1st season. He does seem to be a player on the development upswing. If so, then I'd hope to see between 5 and 10 goals from him but more importantly, his assist numbers peg him as a bit of a playmaker. So perhaps 15 assists (or more) would be possible. Either or both would be nice to see and clear signs of positive things to come. He turns 20 next week. I anticpate that he'll see some power play time somewhere during the season. How much will likely be tied to any production he creates.

Daniel Naslund - 6'3" 205lbs, Forward
There is very little to be found by me on the Internet to gauge Daniel's skills here. He's said to be able to handle the physical part of the game and has good wheels for his size. So I'm going to take an educated guess for most of my analysis here. He comes to UAA late in the summer, directly from Sweden with none of the oft coveted North American "experience". The exact same situation that led Nils Backstrom to UAA. I've never been anything but happy that Nils is part of UAA's team. I'll make you cry at the end of this season when I do a my annual Senior Tribute post about Backstrom. That's how much I like him. Bringing in a player late from Europe to the NCAA is no simple task. If UAA's coaching staff took the time and effort to make it happen then I'd bet dollars to donuts that there is a good reason. So I'm anticipating that we will see Daniel get real good ice-time in lots of situations i.e... power play, penalty kill. Don't be surprised if you see him on the #2 line.

Mickey Spencer - 6'0" 189lbs, Forward
In both of his seasons at Cowichan in the BCHL, Mickey potted more goals than he earned assists. 27g-12a and 31g-23 assists. It's not dramatically relevant but it does put him in a "goal scorer" light. I'm equally optimist for Mickey's success at UAA as I am for Alex Gellert. Either or both of them could produce more than just a few goals. If Alex knows how to get the puck to Mickey and he can do some finishing as freshman then we can all have high hopes for their careers. Mickey turned 20 back in June so he is another seasoned player with some probable development upside. He'll also likely get some chances on the power play and of course continuation will depend on production.

Dusan Sidor - 6'0" 166lbs, Goaltender
Dusan spent last season with the Seawolves but redshirted so this season will be his official freshman year. As the assumed 3rd goaltender, Dusan has the important role of taking a lot of shots in practice and growing into a time when he can step forward and challenge for playing time. Jonny O is in his last season and Bryce has proven ability. Any starts he might see this year would likely only be for an emergency. He is one of 5 european born players on this years squad.

Let's Talk Schedule

I thought a bit of discussion concerning the 09-10 schedule was in order. Most of us obsessed fans have seen it long before now and had some limited discussion in a couple of the off-season posts I made. Those of you that are less obsessed may be just getting around to look at it. Before I get to some of the interesting aspects of the schedule please allow me to once again decry the 28-game mandated WCHA schedule.

With the addition of two teams and pressure from the Big Ten Television folks I'm betting we'll only have to live with it for at most 2 more years. Minnesota and Wisconsin will have a number of financial reasons to want to play Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State more often than they currently do. At the same time, they aren't going to want to limit their opportunities to play traditionally less powerful teams in their 8 non-conference games (don't forget that UAA never gets 8 non-conference games). If they are to cash in on Big Ten TV money they'll want more flexibility in scheduling than being forced into the currently restrictive WCHA mandate. You guys all hate unfunded mandates right?

With the advent of 12 teams it will make a lot of sense to just play every other opponent twice and have a 22-game conference schedule. That would be perfect for the Gophers and Badgers. They could simply fill in the extra six games with 3 series each against the other Big Ten teams. There are rumblings (not big ones ...) in the CCHA for this to happen. Such a reduction would be a major benefit to UAA. They could resume the 4 game series with UAF ... perhaps attend an outside tournament ... and even play an additional series at home. There could be some resistance from other WCHA schools who'll be biting their fingernails trying to figure out how to fill their schedule. A simple solution for them would be to play each other in non-conference tilts. Now onto the real purpose of this post.

UAA opens with one exhibition game in Wasilla versus SAIT on Friday October 2nd. It's nothing more than an opportunity for the coaches to see who can do what against mostly reasonable competition. Then the next weekend (as usual) comes UAA's tournament. This season the Seawolves will face Mercyhurst on Friday and Michigan on Saturday. Mercyhurst finished 3rd in Atlantic Hockey last season. They return 8 of their top 10 scorers from a team that gave UAA a bit of a scare last season in Fairbanks. The Seawolves shouldn't overlook them. The 2nd game of the tournament will be against the ugly helmets with the pretentiously named color "maize". Obviously, they'll be good. It'll be a tough contest for UAA. The advantage the Seawolves have is they'll be at home and they've typically played good hockey early in the season.

The next weekend the boys go up the street to FBX and play RPI and Robert Morris. Both are games I expect UAA to win. RPI finished 11th in the EZAC last year. Robert Morris kinda stunk it up in the CHA. Losing either of these games won't be a good sign for things to come.

The next weekend starts the WCHA schedule. And we've got a DOOZY of a beginning. The four teams I picked to finish higher than UAA are the first four opponents; 1st is UND here in Anchorage, then Da Gophs at "the john", then DU here, then Bucky in MADtown. This will be a very telling opening 8 games over 4 weekends for UAA. VERY telling. .500 won't be a bad result but hopefully the usual early season good form will see the guys end up with better than 8 of those 16 points. Personally, I'll be more anxious about this part of the schedule than any other stretch.

Following those 8 games the Seawolves will face 4 very winnable games. Mankato visits on November 20th and 21st then UAA goes to World Arena in Colorado Springs to face the 3rd best team in Colorado. On December 4th and 5th, UAA finishes it's first half of the season hosting St. Cloud twice on December 4th and 5th. I'd really like to see the Seawolves go into their month long break with at least 15 points. Anything more than that bodes well proportional to the number of points above 15 they can get.

The guys return to the ice on January 8th and 9th against DU in Denver. The next weekend they go to Houghton to face MTU. I'm guessing they'll just stay in the lower 48th after the DU series. If so, then I'd think staying in Denver would be a good idea. An extra week at altitude working out can't be a bad thing. One temporary result of high altitude training (in the short term) is the addition of oxygen carrying red blood cells.

The 3rd and 4th weekend in January see the guys at home. 1st against CC and then against Da Gophs. Two weekends on the road follow (maybe this is when they stay in the lower 48?) with visits to the National Concrete Center in St. Cloud and then Mankato. The Seawolves have never won at the NCC. That will end this year. The Saturday game in St. Cloud has an odd start time. I don't know what that's about.

Friday February 26th sees the 1st game of the Governor's Cup against UAF here in Anchorage. The next night the Seawolves clinch another Cup in Squarebanks and continue their recent domination of the mighty mites.

The regular season ends against the same opponent as they ended with last season against. UMD. Be nice to watch them sweep the drooling dogs live versus that B2 crap we had to watch last year.

The following weekend is the WCHA playoffs. I really really want to see UAA playoff games live this year. Really. Seriously. It's likely going to take damn near 30 points to get that accomplished as the parity in the league might very well be as it was last year. UAA got 23 points last year and finished in 9th ... Minnesota got 6 more points and finished 5th.

End of Season Report Cards

This will not be some sort of even handed objective comparison. Grades given will be subjective and take into consideration the player's history as well as my expectations. In other words, like everything else around here ... it's how I see it. Doesn't mean that comments aren't welcome; in this case they're encouraged.

So ... in alphabetical order:

August Aiken: B
After joining the team in mid-season August dressed and skated in 19 games. He tallied 2 goals in those games. More importantly, August showed he will grow into a valuable offensive asset. He was never shy about shooting the puck and many of those shots proved dangerous. August has real good wheels. The only negative to mention is that intermittently he wasn't in the best place on the ice. That's to be expected in the first half of a freshman player's season. 99% of freshman aren't going to get an A from me at the midpoint of their freshman season.

Nils Backstrom: A+
Without a doubt Nils had his best year in a Seawolf sweater. He filled the role of a lockdown defenseman all season and had one of the top +/- ratings. He didn't let his defensive responsibilities limit smart offensive forays and he was rewarded with tying for the highest goal total among UAA blueliners. In his own half of the ice though, Nils was MONSTER-good. From using his speed to catch-up to a break, clearing the front of the net or winning the puck in the corner Nils was excellent.

Brian Bales: B+
Brian missed out on an A grade for only one reason. You have to score more than one goal to get an A. I think he was a bit snakebit when it came to scoring. Brian is a natural playmaker and as such always looks to pass. He hit an ungodly number of posts which was reminiscent of Merit Waldrops career here. Brian's defensive work ethic (particularly in the neutral zone) was outstanding all year long. His skills were shifted around a bit from line to line during the season. I thought he played his best hockey with Kevin Clark and Josh Lunden.

Jeff Carlson: Incomplete
Unfortunately for Jeff, UAA's defensive lineup this season was a tough nut to crack. Jeff filled in on a couple of occassions at forward but only dressed for 5 games. It's almost impossible to fairly evaluate him based on his limited appearances. I haven't seen any particular weaknesses in his game. His history as the leading blueline scorer in the NAHL tells me he should be more than capable.

Bryce Christianson: B+
Inconsistency was the defining factor in the first half for Seawolf goaltending. Sharing time equally with Jonny O, Bryce never established any great difference between him and his goaltending partner. But once the staff made the decision Bryce stepped up spectacularly. Not only was he solid. He was crazy good at times. Bryce's abilities with the puck on his stick are a clear asset and he utilized those abilities well. He'll be the number 1 going into next season. And if he plays the way we saw him play at the end of the season then the Seawolves won't have to worry about goaltending.

Kevin Clark: A
I didn't give Kevin an A+ only because I believe he wouldn't give himself one. He had an VERY strong run over the last 8 games where he played at his absolute highest intensity for every moment he was on the ice. The result was 7 goals and 3 assists during those games and a WCHA Offensive Player of the Week award after lighting up Duluth for 4 goals and 2 assists during UAA's regular season ending sweep. Kevin's usual modus operandi includes being a major pain in the ass for anyone he's on the ice against. He is a pest in the best tradition of Ken Linseman but with better offensive tools. Occassionally, Kevin takes a selfish penalty.

Paul Crowder: A+
How can I give Paul anything less than an A+? I couldn't. And it has nothing to do with him earning a shot to play for the Rangers. Paul made every player who skated on a line with him a better hockey player during all three years he played here. It's a bit of bummer that he won't be back for his senior year. But that doesn't take away any of the shine from the past 3 years. I'd have to say that by a smidgen Paul was the best all-around player on the team this season. I think the guy has eyes in the back of his head.

Tommy Grant: A-
Tommy had a super-soph year. He spent a long time at the top of the WCHA scorers list until the late middle part of the year. He developed a good chemistry with linemate Paul Crowder and benefitted greatly from it. His team leading 15 goals speaks as much to Crowder's abilities as it does his own. Tommy has a sharp release on his shots. His shoulder injury late in the season seemed to affect his confidence upon his return. In 7 games prior to his injury he scored 7 goals. After his injury he was limited to one goal in his final four games.

Nick Haddad: B
Only production kept Nick from a higher grade. His effort was A+ all season and he was a much more effective player this season than his first year. Nick utilized his size exceptionally well this season. Filling a role on the checking line kept his numbers from being higher perhaps. He is an intimidating looking force when charging hard up the ice and next year bodes very well for him in the green and gold. Nick did have chances that we would all like to see him finish. That's the crux of the reason I gave him a B.

Trevor Hunt: A-
Trevor had his best season in a Seawolf sweater this season. Buoyed with obvious confidence from the coaching staff, Trevor hit the ice running and never looked back. He tied with Nils Backstrom for the most goals by a blueliner. His rink long rushes with the puck became more and more effective during the season. He improved DRAMATICALLY at the point on the power play. In past seasons, pucks often got past him but that didn't happen nearly as often this year. I think Trevor can improve his play in his own end so I only gave him an A- because of that.

Kane Lafranchise: A
As the season progressed Kane's presence on the ice became more and more apparent. In fact, I'd say he became a force to be reckoned with. He is exceptionally smooth in so many aspects of his game. He is fast as can be but rarely had to show it since his postional play was so solid. His passing is always sharp. His head is always up. By the end of his senior season I'd expect we'll all be relishing the fact that he lived up to his surname. There's no real knock against him keeping him from being an A+ in my book but since he's just a sophomore I wanted to leave room for growth. Kane has all skills necessary to gain some league honors over the next couple of seasons.

Curtis Leinweber: A-
From the first moment I saw him hit the ice in the preseason Wasilla game, I knew Curtis was a stud. With a couple of dings that kept him off the ice there was perhaps a little bit of inconsistency in his play. But hey ... he's a freshman. His potential upside is unlimited though. I mentioned at some point during the season that I thought he was a bit over-excited a couple of times. Managing that enthusiasm is perhaps the one thing he needs to work on. His skills with the puck and his speed will take care of the rest. Curtis has the potential to be the most productive UAA defenseman ever.

Shane Lovdahl: A
Maturity and steadiness were the two biggest factors for Shane this past season. He filled whatever role he was asked to fill and did it 100%. He had stints at wing, center and defense in all situations. Shane killed penalties, skated on the power play and always gave his best. Coach Shyiak wasn't ever a fan of Shane's skating abilities but he wouldn't disagree if I said that Shane's soft hands made up for any lack of jets.

Josh Lunden: A-
Finishing the season with the 2nd highest goal total on the team ought to rate an "A" instead of the A- I've given Josh. But he only matched his total from his sophomore season. If he'd nabbed 15 goals instead of 14 then perhaps I'd have raised his grade to a full A. Josh has to be one of the "got to" guys on the team in terms of scoring. The team's success depends on it. The junior year in school can be very tough. Schoolwork gets a bit more intense as a junior so perhaps that kept him from increasing his production on the ice.

Tyler Moir: B
Tyler opened the season with a game winning goal against UConn. Little did I know that he wouldn't match that production over the course of the season. He sure didn't look like he wasn't going to score. Tyler filled a crucial role for most of the season on the 3rd line. He was often called upon to play a defensive role and his +4 rating over the course of the year shows he learned that part of the college game well. It can be a tough road in the WCHA for a freshman but Tyler adapted quickly and should turn into a dependable goal scorer when given the opportunity.

Jon Olthuis: B
Jonny O proved what he is capable of doing between the pipes over the last few games he played. He was nothing less than stellar. Unfortunately, his play in the first half of the season was a bit inconsistent and we never really saw him stand on his head. It seemed that after Bryce was named #1 that Jon decided he had something to prove. He proved it to me. If he hadn't played so well in his last few games I would have given him a C+.

Craig Parkinson: B+
I thought Craig had an up and down year. His obvious strength was his ability to win faceoffs and he used whatever tactic he could to do so. That skill earned him the + onto the B. But his finishing was streaky. He had two long stretches without a point including no production in the last 10 games. Craig played most of the season on the top two lines and clearly has the necessary skills to continue in the top six. He matched his output from his freshman season with 7 goals; his production however must increase in the future.

Jade Portwood: B
Along with Tyler Moir, Jade was a key cog in the cycle game for the Seawolves this past year. Jade showed some potential to be the next Paul Crowder in my opinion. He has the size and strength to possess the puck and control play deep in the offensive zone. If there was any player on the team that deserved more goals I'd say it was Jade. Down the stretch he was inches away from providing game winning goals against more than one team. His shorthanded play was exceptional I thought. I leaned heavily toward a B+ but instead left room for growth. If he doesn't tally double digits in goals next year I'll be surprised.

Mat Robinson: A+
Mat was often the fuel for the Seawolf engine this season. I really don't know if there was anything that he could have done better. I guess he could have found the back of the net more often but with everything else he brought to bear that wouldn't be a fair criticism. His ability to carry the puck was a strength all year long. He keyed so many rushes and set up so much in the offensive end it was sometimes difficult to realize that his job was also to keep the other team from scoring. His team leading +11 rating though tells that story well. Mat was the clearest team leader this season. Though his captaincy was stripped for whatever happened in Denver at the end of January he continued to lead on the ice.

Ken Selby: B-
I've been a fan of Ken Selby since day one. I've often complained here about his lack of playing time. This season he dressed for 23 games which is more than his first two years combined. He was often called upon to "fill in" for injuries and that led to some inconsistency in his play. I'd love to see Ken find a permanent spot on one of the top two lines. It's been commented here that he lacks hockey sense and since the first time I read that I watched him specifically looking for such signs. I don't want to blame him specifically for looking confused or being out of position from time to time since he hasn't ever played consistently enough to make such a judgement fair but ... he did look out of place often enough to warrant the B-. Sometimes a player and a coach just don't meld. I think that is the unfortunate situation for Ken and Shyiak.

Jeremy Smith: A+++++
For a guy that honestly had marginal D1 skills Jeremy performed in the absolute best manner he could have this season. He was given an opportunity and he rose to the occassion. If there was a guy on the team that deserved to score a goal more than Jeremy I can't think of his name. He defined Seawolf Hockey for me this season. Hire him as a graduate assistant!

Jared Tuton: A
I can give no less of a grade to the one guy on the team that absolutely embodies the term "coaches player". Over his career Jared has been the one guy that Coach Shyiak could count on to fill any role that needed filled. And he has done it well in all cases. This season Jared spent most of his time on the blueline. He's probably the reason that Jeff Carlson hardly sniffed the ice.

Luka Vidmar: B+
I thought as the season progressed that Luka began more and more to come into his own. There was little if any time spent with his head other than up. His skating was strong and his passing sharp. He was responsible in his own end and showed he could be an offensive threat moving forward. He played a couple of games at forward and did well. With two more years in a Seawolf uniform he should grow into a leader.

Sean Wiles: B
Sean filled a number of roles during the season skating with different lines. He found a solid niche though on a strong checking line with Nick Haddad and Jade Portwood which I named the WHiP line. If he can learn better how to use his size and strength to be even stronger on the puck and utilize his skating in open ice then we'll likely see more and more production from him over the next couple of years.

Coaching Staff: B
I almost went with a B- here. I was mostly satisfied with the way the staff prepared the team over the course of the season. I feel a little critical of the way in which they handled the Denver curfew incident. It may perhaps be easy to second guess the situation. I have to say it was both a positive and a negative. Mostly the reason for the B is the fact that the team finished 9th. It was perhaps the best 9th place finish in WCHA history but nevertheless ... it was still 9th.