Weekend Reflection

For about the 3rd weekend in row the WCHA has lingering controversy following the completion of its games. A couple of weekends ago it was UND/UofM fans calling the other team goons, hacks and cheaters following the series where UND absolutely ate UofM's lunch. Then we had the DU/UND gala. UND fans didn't like Gwoz's little dance across the ice so much that they held an email rally when someone saw Gwoz with a headset after he'd been booted. Again there was much finger pointing and goon calling.

Then this past weekend the controversy belongs with Mankato and UofM. There is much labeling the opposition as goons (particularly from the Mankato side of things) after road cone Brian Schack mugged Carol Channing resulting in a broken leg for her. The big deal this week however is that Donnie told the press that if the league isn't going to call penalties then he's going to recruit players that can be enoforcers. That's got fans of the two biggest perpetrators of thuggery all atwitter. UND fans usual obsession with all thing Gopher continues. MSU fans are aghast that tDon would essentially say that he needs thugs to deal with Mankato. Well ... of course goonery is going to be at the top of Donnie's list when playing the two dirtiest teams in the league. Why it surprises the dolt followers of those two programs is a mystery to me.

The league standings are so close it is ridiculous. Even with only 5 current league wins UAA still has a mathematical chance to finish in 5th. The Seawolves are sitting with 16 points in 9th. 8th place SCSU has 19 points. Just above them in 7th MSU-M has 20 points. After that the next three teams up the ladder are tied with 21 points. So UAA is 5 points out of 4th place. The major variables that affect those numbers is that 4th place Minnesota has played 2 fewer games than everyone else and Mankato has played 2 more than everyone else.

So a sweep for UAA this weekend would go a long way toward making for an exciting stretch run for home ice. Granted ... for it to happen the Seawolves would probably need some help from other teams. But with everybody on the schedule currently ahead of UAA in the standings much of what plays out will be in the Seawolves own hands. There are 16 points left available for UAA to snag. 10 of those 16 points would give UAA a sniff at home ice. There isn't a team in the league that would want to come to Anchorage for a playoff series. Anyhow, it's time to start cheering for certain teams to win. For this weekend ... cheer for MTU versus Colorado College; hope that Wisconsin sweeps Minnesota; and lastly pray that DU get's it's shit together versus UMD. And of course get your ass to the Sully to watch UAA take out the skating Yo-Yos.

Don't forget to grab your Duncan Yo-Yos and head out to the Coaches Luncheon this week on Friday at 11:30 in the Lucy Cuddy Center. If you don't get the Yo-Yo reference don't worry, SCSU Coach Bob Motzko will. Also note that many UAA fans are using this weekend to bring a friend or two to the game in an effort to fill some seats. Three cheers for them. If you can snag someone ... do so. The attendance figures could use any help they can get.

Sunday Potpourri: The Fix Is In

The seemingly never-ending left-wing conspiracy is at it again folks. You better wake up and smell the coffee. Earlier in the week the Messiah Obama ordained by proclamation that Pittsburgh would win the Super Bowl. In his acceptance speech, Steeler own Rooney thanked Obama. Man oh man, the circle of liberal-mania continues! Look around ... it's not the only example.

Why else do you think UAA beat DU yesterday? Liberal conspiracy. DU is a school full of the fine children of hard working upper-class conservative republican businessmen who pay upwards of $40,000.00 a year for the priviledge. UAA is an open enrollment state school where thousands of students who otherwise wouldn't get a chance at higher education get their chance.

The march to socialism continues. Did you know that Pittsburgh once had the largest Union membership of any city in the U.S.? Arizona? Home of beloved conservative patriot John McCain. Union membership there is non-existent. Are we to be surprised that the NFL Referees Union saw a toe touch when one didn't actually touch? That these union members didn't see Kurt Warner's arm clearly moving forward on the next to the last play of the game? Of course they'd call it that way ... the liberal leftwing union socialist agenda demands it. And of course NBC didn't object. We all know what way that media outlet leans don't we? These people won't be happy until they've run this fine country into the dirt. That is exactly what they want to do you know? They want to ruin everything for everyone.

You saw what the liberal media did to Rod Blagoavich didn't you? He called it like it was saying, "The fix is in." ... and it is. That poor guy. And he's a democrat! What was he doing that was so different than any politician is doing? It's the left-wing media folks. They want to destroy our way of life.

Yes, the fix was in at DU. UAA players clearly had more energy and desire in the last 10 minutes of that game. The DU players looked like confused Hummel figurines. Hummel? You guessed it ... a union company. The tendrils of the vast commie-socialist machine have no bounds. Without vigilance against it we are doomed.

Next thing you know everyone in this country will have decent health care? WTF? Poor people don't need health care. They can just continue to use Emergency Rooms and just never pay the bill when it shows up. Is there something wrong with that system? Of course there isn't. But don't tell the socialists that. They're determined to bring that system down to it's knees. They want every institution that you and I cherish to bow to them. This destruction of our way of life can't continue. You know there's no more Bush Doctrine don't you? That's the thing that liberal tart Charlie CBS used to trip our dear Sarah. Now the socialists won't allow the U.S. to use preemptive unilateral force anywhere in the world we deem necessary? They hate freedom. That's the only answer.

So is the UAA team part of the vast socialist conspiracy. They must be ... look at the roster. Most of their players are from socialist Canada. They've got five players from Alaska which is the most subsidized state in the U.S. ... they even have a new kid from Commiefornia on the roster. All playing at a state funded school.

Saturday Night: UAA 3 - DU 2 (OT)

We never win in overtime.

I wrote that at the beginning of overtime. Thanks to a clear never say die effort the Seawolves made me look stupid for typing it (even though they had no idea). Good on all of the guys for hanging in there and finding a way to tie the game. And good on you for not giving up when DU was matching you chance for chance in OT and you'd hit a bleeping post. You could have given up right then and just played not to lose. But nobody did, the quality chances all weekend for the Seawolves were nicked just wide all too often; so its good to see that persistent attempts really do pay off. Pats on the back to Curtis Leinweber for finishing it but everybody on the bench at the end of that game deserves praise as well.

The Seawolves tried to hand the game to the Pios in the third period with a series of undisciplined penalties that gave the Pios almost 6 minutes of power play time in the last 7 minutes of the game. But a Paul Crowder led shorthanded rush with a perfect cross ice pass to a streaking Mat Robinson at the far post tied the game. The Seawolves were shorthanded going into the OT and DU had their share of chances. Bryce Christianson came up big when he was needed.

That's 6 points in the last 6 games. It isn't great, but it isn't bad either. For the future, there is work to be done, for the day, hurrah. There are more wins in the boys I'm sure. I know nobody is happy with the loss on Friday but a well-earned win on Saturday at least makes the plane ride home better.

Friday Night: DU 6 - UAA 2

Mistake-fest: I really have a desire to boil things down when I'm writing. You know ... the perfect summation. Quit making so many mistakes. Where'd the case of communicable fumble-itis come from? I'd imagine if I replayed that game and counted mistakes with the puck that UAA would have about 3 times as many as DU. I guess that's why DU's scored 3 times the number of goals.

Being shorthanded = "mistake"; turning the puck over = "mistake"; not catching an easy pass = "mistake"; not going down to block a shot = "mistake"; falling down for no apparent reason = "mistake"; trying to force the puck through 2 defenders = "mistake" ... and so on.

Credit goes to DU for essentially beating UAA at its own game. It was the DU forwards that were able to maintain possession deep in UAA's zone and that was the difference in the game. They cycled, pressured and worked the puck for long shifts and dominated exactly the way I'd like to see the team I cheer for dominate. Why couldn't UAA do that? Because DU didn't make many mistakes with the puck in their own end; they moved it out effectively. The Seawolves spread their mistakes all over the ice including in their own end; including not moving the puck out effectively.

We are left to but hope they can somehow regroup and pull off a big upset tomorrow night.