The DU Pioneers entered the first weekend of the college hockey season with a virtual lock on the #1 preseason spot in all polls. A much ballyhooed offense was one of the key reasons for the overwhelming predictions. The Pios scored 5 goals on Friday night and 4 goals on Saturday night. Unfortunately for them, Vermont wasn't looking at preseason rankings and scored 1 more goal on the weekend than the Pios. Their effort was good enough for a 6-4 win over the Pios on Saturday after losing 5-4 on Friday. It's early ... but perhaps it's a good sign that we see DU fail to live up to expectations so early. DU travels to Columbus for an odd Thursday/Saturday series versus Ohio State.
North Dakota swept Hockey East's perennial basement dwelling Merrimack this weekend at the Ralph. Friday night saw UND put together a strong 2nd and 3rd period to pull away to a 5-2 win. On Saturday, the Warriors from the east kept it closer losing 3-2. And yes ... it's still 14 degrees warmer in Anchorage today than it is in Grand Forks. They're counting on youth this season in Grand Forks to keep them at the top of the league. This past weekend they got two of their 8 goals from rookies.
St. Cloud St. travelled all the way to some shit hole college in Florida (Miami) to play hockey and promptly got their hats handed to them. The overrated St. Cloud St. offense failed on 10 power play attempts in the two games. Friday night they lost 3-2 and Saturday night they lost 2-0. How some shit school in Florida beats (twice) the mighty Huskies from Minnesota escapes this hockey analyst. Maybe Garrett Roe and Ryan Lasch got some sand in their panties from spending too much time on the beautiful Florida beaches?
The Minnesota State University-Mankato Purple Landcows swept the pride of the CCHA Bowling Green somethings this weekend in their cell-phone carrier rink. Friday they beat the somethings 3-2 and Saturday by 4-1. One rookie goaltender allowed 2 goals on 18 shots. The other rookie goalie gave up one goal on 22 shots. I can't wait to see if Troy Jutting pulls a Dean Blais on these two kids. I'm betting he'll fuck up their minds before mid-season. MSUM put up 76 shots on BG netminder Nick Eno for the weekend.
Colorado College split the weekend with Northeastern at the World Arena in The Springs. The Black Bears (err ... Tigers) won 4-2 on Friday night and lost 4-3 on Saturday night.
Minnesota Duluth started their season off nicely by winning on Friday night versus CCHA powerhouse Lake Superior. Then on Saturday they crapped the bed with a 3-1 loss to CCHA powerhouse Northern Michigan. For a team from almost-Wisconsin, they sure didn't hold up the reputation of all-mighty Minnesota hockey domination.
Michigan Tech was part of the same Superior Showcase tournament and had opposite results to UMD. Tech took it to their arch-rival NMU winning 5-3 on Friday but lost 3-1 to Lake Superior on Saturday. This either means that Tech is better than everyone thinks or UMD is worse than everybody thinks. Or both eh?
The Gophers and Bucky didn't play. Next weekend Wisconsin hosts CC and the Gophers go to Mariucci West to face the UNDies. Minnesota Duluth and Mankato play a pair in almost-Wisconsin. St. Cloud St. faces mighty Union of the ECAC at the NHC. Union swept Maine this past weekend throwing the fans of Campbell Blair's former employer into a major tizzy calling for Timmah Whitehead's ... um head.
How did UAA's next opponents do in action this past weekend? Cigarette University Robert Morris played two exhibitions versus Queens and won 8-4 then 4-3. RPI (what's a Rensselaer) lost 5-2 to Massachusetts on Friday and beat UNH 3-1 on Saturday. The Seawolves face the Rensselaer's this Friday afternoon at 4:05 and RMU Saturday afternoon at 3:05.
In combined action the WCHA went 9-5 in interconference play. Not impressive.
North Dakota swept Hockey East's perennial basement dwelling Merrimack this weekend at the Ralph. Friday night saw UND put together a strong 2nd and 3rd period to pull away to a 5-2 win. On Saturday, the Warriors from the east kept it closer losing 3-2. And yes ... it's still 14 degrees warmer in Anchorage today than it is in Grand Forks. They're counting on youth this season in Grand Forks to keep them at the top of the league. This past weekend they got two of their 8 goals from rookies.
St. Cloud St. travelled all the way to some shit hole college in Florida (Miami) to play hockey and promptly got their hats handed to them. The overrated St. Cloud St. offense failed on 10 power play attempts in the two games. Friday night they lost 3-2 and Saturday night they lost 2-0. How some shit school in Florida beats (twice) the mighty Huskies from Minnesota escapes this hockey analyst. Maybe Garrett Roe and Ryan Lasch got some sand in their panties from spending too much time on the beautiful Florida beaches?
The Minnesota State University-Mankato Purple Landcows swept the pride of the CCHA Bowling Green somethings this weekend in their cell-phone carrier rink. Friday they beat the somethings 3-2 and Saturday by 4-1. One rookie goaltender allowed 2 goals on 18 shots. The other rookie goalie gave up one goal on 22 shots. I can't wait to see if Troy Jutting pulls a Dean Blais on these two kids. I'm betting he'll fuck up their minds before mid-season. MSUM put up 76 shots on BG netminder Nick Eno for the weekend.
Colorado College split the weekend with Northeastern at the World Arena in The Springs. The Black Bears (err ... Tigers) won 4-2 on Friday night and lost 4-3 on Saturday night.
Minnesota Duluth started their season off nicely by winning on Friday night versus CCHA powerhouse Lake Superior. Then on Saturday they crapped the bed with a 3-1 loss to CCHA powerhouse Northern Michigan. For a team from almost-Wisconsin, they sure didn't hold up the reputation of all-mighty Minnesota hockey domination.
Michigan Tech was part of the same Superior Showcase tournament and had opposite results to UMD. Tech took it to their arch-rival NMU winning 5-3 on Friday but lost 3-1 to Lake Superior on Saturday. This either means that Tech is better than everyone thinks or UMD is worse than everybody thinks. Or both eh?
The Gophers and Bucky didn't play. Next weekend Wisconsin hosts CC and the Gophers go to Mariucci West to face the UNDies. Minnesota Duluth and Mankato play a pair in almost-Wisconsin. St. Cloud St. faces mighty Union of the ECAC at the NHC. Union swept Maine this past weekend throwing the fans of Campbell Blair's former employer into a major tizzy calling for Timmah Whitehead's ... um head.
How did UAA's next opponents do in action this past weekend? Cigarette University Robert Morris played two exhibitions versus Queens and won 8-4 then 4-3. RPI (what's a Rensselaer) lost 5-2 to Massachusetts on Friday and beat UNH 3-1 on Saturday. The Seawolves face the Rensselaer's this Friday afternoon at 4:05 and RMU Saturday afternoon at 3:05.
In combined action the WCHA went 9-5 in interconference play. Not impressive.
23 comments:
Absolutey love the pictures.Thanks.!!
It looks like not only the Seawolves need a litte tuning. I am hoping the veterans get a lot more ice time this week-end. There could have been a different outcome to the game Saturday if there had been some changes made in the second period. Instead coaches rolled the lines and we all saw what happened. A little shuffling at the end of the third was a little too late. You can't instill confidence in players when you don't rely on them when they are needed. There are players who have proven to be reliable over the last 2 or 3 years and yet they are not getting the deserved ice time.
Early season games at every level in hockey is the time to evaluate new players. Shyiak has done a very good job giving new players opportunities in the early part of the season.
Like you, I'm not sure the Seawolves had the "best" lineup on the ice this past weekend. But part of that is injuries to Backstrom and Hunt. When they come back do Tuton and Leinweber move to forward? Just one of them?
The lines will solidify after a few more games. I don't think Shyiak is ever trying to lose a game. But I wouldn't exactly say that I've seen him make lots of timely adaptations during games. It's early in the season.
And I think you're desire to see the top three lines play more will be helped by the 3 one minute media timeouts per period. EVERY coach is going to shorten his bench this season (to varying degrees) because of this change to the flow of the game; Shyiak included.
The coach has never shorten his bench in the last period for 4 years, he will not start now. Roll the lines and play pond hockey. I am sure the seniors and juniors get annoyed when freshman are on the ice the last 5 minutes of the game. Wonder why beagle, crowder and others leave early.
That's incorrect. Over the last 4 years the 4th line's minutes have been substantially less than the top 9 guys.
I'd like to win with all the guys contributing and getting chances to develop. I'd rather see 20 guys play than 15 getting all the minutes.
Winning is important no doubt. But I see guys at other programs that dress often and hardly see any ice time. I don't want the team I cheer for to play like that.
Every coach tries to put the best guys on the ice for any particular situation; Shyiak included. Does every coach make the perfect decision every time? No; Shyiak included.
I think the upperclassmen are the most important piece of the puzzle this season. But freshman have to develop during the season ... and to do so they have to play.
No one said to reduce the 4th line players ice time, but why have proven players sitting on the bench during power play and critical times during the game.
It's early in the season. The coach doesn't know that some rookie won't shine given the chance.
Which player(s) exactly did you think should have played on UAA's 4 power plays that didn't? I remember all the veterans on the PP at some point during UAA's 4 chances. They generated 2 shots.
For the game here are the individual stats for shots and plus/minus (period by period; total shots; +/-)
4 Kane Lafranchise.... 0 0 0 0 -1
6 Drew Darwitz........ 0 0 0 0 +1
7 *Lee Baldwin......... 1 0 0 1 -3
9 *Kevin Clark......... 1 2 1 4 -1
11 Curtis Leinweber.... 0 0 0 0 -1
12 Mitch Bruijsten..... 0 0 0 0 0
14 Craig Parkinson..... 0 0 0 0 -2
16*Tommy Grant......... 1 1 1 3 -2
17 Chris Crowell....... 0 0 1 1 -2
18*Nick Haddad......... 0 0 0 0 -2
19 Ken Selby........... 0 0 0 0 +1
20 Alex Gellert........ 1 1 0 2 +1
21 Josh Lunden......... 1 1 1 3 0
22*Jared Tuton......... 0 0 0 0 -3
23 Luka Vidmar......... 0 0 0 0 +1
27 Sean Wiles.......... 0 0 0 0 0
36 Jade Portwood....... 0 0 0 0 -2
40 Daniel Naslund...... 1 0 1 2 0
Beagle left because he wasn't doing well in school. Crowder is 24 getting close to 25. It was a good time for him to go. I know for a fact that those two bought in to Shyiaks system
It's a long season let's look for improvement week to week and build on that. Wouldn't read too much into any play time yet.
Yes you remember some of the veterans but to put rookies out against a proven team on the powerplay is a joke. He changed up the power play units from friday. They were 2 for 5 saturday. Down a few goals he panics and throws out anyone.
The power play unit based on last year performance shoud be lunden, grant, clark, parkinson and baldwin. This unit was not out for all for powerplays.
Michigan is one of the top teams in the country.
Don't tell me the team was not embarrased by the thrashing.
The seniors and juniors should have been given the chance to prove themselves, not switch lines and panic.
Concerns about team speed are misguided. This team can skate with anyone--they proved that last year. -30-
So D, what you are saying is that our athletic director is more concerned with $, than wins for our program? Are you saying that's okay? Look at the last 2 year's Kendall's.
And, for the new link for offical UAA stats just change the link from 0809 to: 0910.
This team indeed can skate with anyone. Let's just hope the coaches coach better than they did saturday. Don't blame a bad bounce on setting the tone of the game. You fight back. The power play needs an overhaul. Successful on friday, but against a weaker team. As one blogger said, you put out your more senior players and let them prove themselves. That includes special teams.
I like the comment from the last person, he wants a winning and competitive team now.
We have all year to bring the freshman along, we have lost the kendall two years in a row.
The game is 60 minutes, change goalies, change players not playing well. Top end players at all levels paly 15 or more minutes a game, not two shifts a period.
Other teams in tight games have there top end players also killing penalties. These players only play two games a week. When they were in junior they played 60 games a season. We do not need to pamper our seniors and juniors.
Did I miss something or did the Freshman Baldwin not look outstanding at the point of the pp on Friday. Are you all saying it should have been some senior? How do you know who works well together unless you try different things?
Holy Cow folks, we played like crap on Saturday. Everyone did. Michigan played like a team on fire. It happens get over it.
Maybe the problem Saturday was dressing Selby? He was out Friday they were good. He dressed Saturday they were bad. Coincidence? Probably
Local products Scott Wamsganz has committed to Colorado College and Jeff Earnst has committed to UAF.
Nothing wrong with local products going elsewhere to play, we just have to have a winning team, and a strong program to keep locals at home.
All the best to both of them.
I really don't care if we get our talent from Alaska or Canada. If the "locals" don't want to play for the home team, I don't want them here.
I'm sure Jeff Earnst will be rethinking his decision when he sees how poorly the Nanooks do against UAA. I can't understand a player going to the CCHA vs the WCHA.
Clark was MVP of Fairbanks tourney last year, lets hope he can do it again!
Not sure if clark can win mvp playing the point on the powerplay or not. He has his hands full playing first line, killing penalties and setting up the forwards on the power play. If anyone can do it clarkie can, all the best to the team this weekend.
It will take a team effort to win, if he wins mvp that is nice, but I bet he would rather win both games and just grab a few points.
Woah Ted,
2 mintute penalty for a cheap shot against Selby. I don't think you'd appreciate getting sucker punched on-line.
I don't think he was taking a shot at Selby so much as pointing out facetiously that a single coincidental change wasn't the reason that UAA lost.
All the same, Woah Ted.
I was not bagging on Selby, but just using an analogy. Perhaps I need a winkie emoticon.
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