Dude!?!¿!?!¿! What the fuck?!¿!?!¿!?
If you're as disappointed and frustrated as me at the result of this afternoon's "hockey" game then click play on the video above. It helped me. I say "hockey" game primarily because it was really a weird penalty fest of hitherto unknown proportions. It was a nightmare of a game. I heard Kurt mention that the result would make for a long plane ride home. If I was Shyiak, they'd all be going home on a bus ... in silence.
I don't want to put it completely on the team for taking 10 penalties (only 10? Seemed like 40 to me). The referees in this one definitely had an odd interpretation or five. But good teams are supposed to overcome that sort of thing. The Seawolves did themselves NO FAVORS tonight. If you edited the video for UAA's best parts of the game ... you'd get about 6 total minutes. Sigh. It wasn't that guys weren't trying for most of the game. But you can't play shorthanded for 24 minutes out of 60 and expect to win a hockey game ... especially when 5 (or so) mins of that was 5 on 3. One or two mistakes get amplified hugely by these marches to the box.
I fully expected RMU to be a tougher test than RPI. The Seawolves by no means played their best hockey game versus RPI. Today, they never really gave themselves a chance to play their best. The first excuse I suppose is that Luka Vidmar was out injured leaving the squad with only 5 regular defensemen. If you make the referees an excuse then the grand total of all excuses for this awful loss is 2.
No disrespect to Bobby Mo here. They definitely played hard. They cashed in at important moments. And their goalie "Oyster Guard" (I kid ... because I love Ostergard) was pretty solid between the pipes. Bobby Mo is my new favorite 2nd favorite Division 1 team eVaH. They came up here a couple of years ago and stuck it to BU. Now they come up here and stick it to UAA? What's not a good story about that? Nothing. It's all "peaches and cream", "coming up roses", "their shit doesn't stink" for them.
If you looked at the score sheet you'd think that UAA played ok in the 2nd period. It's when they scored all three of their goals right? The 2nd period was an absolute nightmare though. I can't recall ever seeing a bigger clusterfuck of a period in my life. Maybe once ... I saw the Chicago Blackhawks come back to tie a game after being down 7-1 versus the Colorado Rockies. That was a nightmare of a 3rd period. In the 2nd ... there were 6 penalties called on UAA and 1 called against RMU.
I'd been hoping this season to see a fast start to the season. But from what I've seen so far, we Seawolves fans will be better off hoping for steady improvement and a progression to playing their best hockey at the end of the year. Neither of the wins we've seen had particularly stellar play and both losses could be best characterized as brutal. I'm generally unable to supress my high hopes (character flaw?) and usually translate them to high expectations. But perhaps it's good that my expectations get a dose of reality.
Not a single UAA player's name shows up in this recap. I didn't do so by any design or forethought. But it is reflective of the fact that this loss is on the WHOLE team. Yes, more than a couple of players deserve to be mentioned for their hard efforts throughout the game. But I'm not gonna mention anyone. They lost as a team.
I hope a couple of cheeseburgers for dinner will soften the bitter sharpness my disappointment. I hope the players can find the resolve and/or character to be competitive against a UND team that is playing uncharacteristically strong in this early season.
Here is the boxscore. And if you want to read a recap that is 1000% better than this then click here for the story from UAA's Assistant Sports Information Director Dallas Baldwin. She's got all the relevant information there, which I've completely left out here.
I don't want to put it completely on the team for taking 10 penalties (only 10? Seemed like 40 to me). The referees in this one definitely had an odd interpretation or five. But good teams are supposed to overcome that sort of thing. The Seawolves did themselves NO FAVORS tonight. If you edited the video for UAA's best parts of the game ... you'd get about 6 total minutes. Sigh. It wasn't that guys weren't trying for most of the game. But you can't play shorthanded for 24 minutes out of 60 and expect to win a hockey game ... especially when 5 (or so) mins of that was 5 on 3. One or two mistakes get amplified hugely by these marches to the box.
I fully expected RMU to be a tougher test than RPI. The Seawolves by no means played their best hockey game versus RPI. Today, they never really gave themselves a chance to play their best. The first excuse I suppose is that Luka Vidmar was out injured leaving the squad with only 5 regular defensemen. If you make the referees an excuse then the grand total of all excuses for this awful loss is 2.
No disrespect to Bobby Mo here. They definitely played hard. They cashed in at important moments. And their goalie "Oyster Guard" (I kid ... because I love Ostergard) was pretty solid between the pipes. Bobby Mo is my new favorite 2nd favorite Division 1 team eVaH. They came up here a couple of years ago and stuck it to BU. Now they come up here and stick it to UAA? What's not a good story about that? Nothing. It's all "peaches and cream", "coming up roses", "their shit doesn't stink" for them.
If you looked at the score sheet you'd think that UAA played ok in the 2nd period. It's when they scored all three of their goals right? The 2nd period was an absolute nightmare though. I can't recall ever seeing a bigger clusterfuck of a period in my life. Maybe once ... I saw the Chicago Blackhawks come back to tie a game after being down 7-1 versus the Colorado Rockies. That was a nightmare of a 3rd period. In the 2nd ... there were 6 penalties called on UAA and 1 called against RMU.
I'd been hoping this season to see a fast start to the season. But from what I've seen so far, we Seawolves fans will be better off hoping for steady improvement and a progression to playing their best hockey at the end of the year. Neither of the wins we've seen had particularly stellar play and both losses could be best characterized as brutal. I'm generally unable to supress my high hopes (character flaw?) and usually translate them to high expectations. But perhaps it's good that my expectations get a dose of reality.
Not a single UAA player's name shows up in this recap. I didn't do so by any design or forethought. But it is reflective of the fact that this loss is on the WHOLE team. Yes, more than a couple of players deserve to be mentioned for their hard efforts throughout the game. But I'm not gonna mention anyone. They lost as a team.
I hope a couple of cheeseburgers for dinner will soften the bitter sharpness my disappointment. I hope the players can find the resolve and/or character to be competitive against a UND team that is playing uncharacteristically strong in this early season.
Here is the boxscore. And if you want to read a recap that is 1000% better than this then click here for the story from UAA's Assistant Sports Information Director Dallas Baldwin. She's got all the relevant information there, which I've completely left out here.
14 comments:
Wow, cupcake team Robert Morris takes out the mighty Seawolves. How embarrasing. Odds look pretty good for the Nanooks taking home the trophy!
Tonight TEAMWORK was spelled SELFISH. Unfreaking believable. You have WIDE OPEN linemates and you throw the puck to the other team instead that leads to breakaways. More than once. You take 4 penalties and you play in the last minute of the game. Awesome. I do not believe they lost as a team. I believe some players did play as a team and it is unfortunate for them that they were part of this loss. Remember TEAMWORK or be prepared for more games like this.
That 5 minute major called on Kane was soooo wrong. This team better do some gut checking, fast.
We can't play undisciplined and expect to compete against the likes of NoDak and Minnie. No way. Coach better step it up this week and get someone to listen to him (if he's even talking). Better puck control and cut back the stupid penalties. Otherwise it could be a track meet with Siouxsie looking like Usain Bolt and us looking like grandma.
Donald,
Thanks for sharing The Big Lewbowski F_cking Short Version. I actally laughed my f'n ass off for 2 min and 14 seconds. After the results of this weekend's tournament, the clip does say it all.
Time to regroup, refocus and reset energies to our next opponent. See you next wknd at the Sully.
Made me sick to watch our 5 on 3 penalty killers setting up like goalies minus, of course, the goalie pads. Some were hurt because of it. Take a selfish penalty because either your feet aren't moving or you hit someone who's in a vulernable position and you sit. Simple lesson learned. And further to that--perhaps a rule change so that penalties stack up and a team always has four skaters on the ice. Offenders can relax in the box and wait for their two or five minutes to come along like they do now when there are only three skaters on the ice and another penalty is called. The velocity of these new sticks makes it just too dangerous to play 5 on 3. Forget the often ridiculous hit from behind calls where players are not even shook up, this 5 on 3 is going to lead to someone being seriously hurt. Those boys are sitting ducks out there. -30-
Shyiak definitely needs to send a statement about penalties. Last year it was the same song and dance ALL SEASON LONG. Get it under control coach!!
Anon 9:09 is right on about Shyiak sending a satement. Undisciplined play will be out demise. How can you play offensively when you are on your heels on a 3 X 5?
The real season starts this week, non-conference games mean nothing.
Remember we are missing two top defensemen and we will not see them back for und. The goalies and defense have played as well as they could under the circumstances.
The forwards are scoring, yes, it will take a team effort to beat und, there scoring is coming from there defenseman. A little early in the year to panic. Some secondary scoring would be nice, but it is early for the freshman.
All the teams in the wcha start out slow in the first half, split this weekend with und would be nice. One period of to many penalties does not make a seaon.
Relax this is a talented group of players, let them enjoy there first big test against und.
All the best seawolves.
Fan
All teams in the WCHA are not starting out slow. The team might be facing injuries at any time during the season, which means they need to be EXTRA careful not to take penalties which could hurt an already short bench.
Let's start that this weekend.
Anyone know what happened to Vidmar, and when he'll be back? Any word on Backstrom? Heard he was hoping to play for the UND series, but I guess that's out. Are we really gonna be down 3 D men?
Last word was that Backstrom and Hunt were rehabbing their wrist surgeries and either/both had questionable return dates ... i.e... probably not against UND.
And did Jade Portwood ever come back into the game Saturday night after he apparently hurt his hand/wrist?
What about Vidmar? Whats going on with him?
I didn't see the Vidmar injury and as usual the school doesn't report specifics for privacy reasons. I thought Portwood came back but as I think about it I could be wrong.
Hopefully, the both had minor dings and will be ready to play this weekend.
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