The Unbearable Lightness of Losing
tUMD 2, Twin Cities Diving Squad 3
tUMD... oh, wait, that game hasn't been played yet
So, this is what losing feels like. I'd forgotten. Isn't it funny to read how excited the Gopher fans are!? They're all saying it's their best game of the year. Well, it was the worst Bulldog game that I've seen, and the Gophers looked like a trainwreck on the power play and at other times, and they still only beat us by a goal. What a sad state of affairs in Gopher Nation.
Someone mentioned something to me that I think is worth repeating. tDogs needed to lose that game. If they had come back to win it after playing two terrible horrible no good very bad periods of play, it would only reinforce the whole ten feet tall and bulletproof nothin's gonna stop us now attitude. They've gotta, you know, try. The whole game. If they had played like they did against Denver on Saturday night the Gophers would not have sniffed the net.
The Gophers actually put the puck in the net four times and the Bulldogs three, but Mike Hoeffel's goal was waved off for a high stick (he is apparently unable to control his stick... he had a goal waved off against tUMD last year and he also hit Kenny Reiter in the face with his stick in the 3rd period, which set up Justin Faulk's power play wicked slappah.) MCON scored but it was waved off as it was a kick in. It's frustrating because the puck was on its way in anyway, but whatever. It's not like it happened with 2 seconds left and cost us the game or something. Fontaine failing to put a puck in an essentially open net with seconds left in the game DID cost us a tie and a chance for a win, though. But, again, a consistent effort was ultimately what cost us the game, not anything that the Gophers did or didn't do or the refs did or didn't do.
tUMD will be without Dylan Olsen, assuming he can get a flight out of MSP and be on his way to kicking ass and taking names at the WJC tryouts. With Bergman out with an injury and Olsen gone, tUMD will have 4 regular defencemen: Monkey, Faulk, Lamb and Olson. They will also have two irregular defencemen, some combination of Huttel, Palm and Kishel. Probably Huttel and Kishel, but who knows? This is not ideal but if tUMD can put the puck in the net like they should and if the Gophers quit diving (unlikely), then all will be right again in the world. Well, not entirely, because we still have a loss to a far inferior team. It'll probably hurt our PWR severely.
tUMD football is awesome, though! They gutted out a win against some directional something school and are going to the D2 National Championship!! The only good thing about the hockey game getting canceled was getting to see this game! I wish I'd been there in person though. So much excitement!
Ready for some Sunday hockey and a big Bulldog win!
Numbers
Wins until we reach last season's total: 7
Points until we reach last season's total: 14
My Guys
Jack Connolly: 24!!!
JT Brown: 16
Mike Seidel: 6
Brady Lamb: 4
Drew Olson: 1
Freshmen
JT Brown: 16
Justin Faulk: 14!!!
Joe Basaraba: 1
others: zeros
Connollys
Jacky: 24!!!!
Mikey: 23!!!!
Olsen/Olson
Dylan: 13
Drew: 1
Dan/Drew
Olson: 10!
DeLisle: 4
On Notice
Joe Basaraba
Dan Delisle
Keegan Flaherty
David Grun
Jake Hendrickson
Brady Lamb
Drew Olson
Goals Only
JT Brown
Justin Fontaine (UNACCEPTABLE)
Mike Montgomery
Travis Oleksuk (ALSO UNACCEPTABLE)
Dylan Olsen
tUMD... oh, wait, that game hasn't been played yet
So, this is what losing feels like. I'd forgotten. Isn't it funny to read how excited the Gopher fans are!? They're all saying it's their best game of the year. Well, it was the worst Bulldog game that I've seen, and the Gophers looked like a trainwreck on the power play and at other times, and they still only beat us by a goal. What a sad state of affairs in Gopher Nation.
Someone mentioned something to me that I think is worth repeating. tDogs needed to lose that game. If they had come back to win it after playing two terrible horrible no good very bad periods of play, it would only reinforce the whole ten feet tall and bulletproof nothin's gonna stop us now attitude. They've gotta, you know, try. The whole game. If they had played like they did against Denver on Saturday night the Gophers would not have sniffed the net.
The Gophers actually put the puck in the net four times and the Bulldogs three, but Mike Hoeffel's goal was waved off for a high stick (he is apparently unable to control his stick... he had a goal waved off against tUMD last year and he also hit Kenny Reiter in the face with his stick in the 3rd period, which set up Justin Faulk's power play wicked slappah.) MCON scored but it was waved off as it was a kick in. It's frustrating because the puck was on its way in anyway, but whatever. It's not like it happened with 2 seconds left and cost us the game or something. Fontaine failing to put a puck in an essentially open net with seconds left in the game DID cost us a tie and a chance for a win, though. But, again, a consistent effort was ultimately what cost us the game, not anything that the Gophers did or didn't do or the refs did or didn't do.
tUMD will be without Dylan Olsen, assuming he can get a flight out of MSP and be on his way to kicking ass and taking names at the WJC tryouts. With Bergman out with an injury and Olsen gone, tUMD will have 4 regular defencemen: Monkey, Faulk, Lamb and Olson. They will also have two irregular defencemen, some combination of Huttel, Palm and Kishel. Probably Huttel and Kishel, but who knows? This is not ideal but if tUMD can put the puck in the net like they should and if the Gophers quit diving (unlikely), then all will be right again in the world. Well, not entirely, because we still have a loss to a far inferior team. It'll probably hurt our PWR severely.
tUMD football is awesome, though! They gutted out a win against some directional something school and are going to the D2 National Championship!! The only good thing about the hockey game getting canceled was getting to see this game! I wish I'd been there in person though. So much excitement!
Ready for some Sunday hockey and a big Bulldog win!
Numbers
Wins until we reach last season's total: 7
Points until we reach last season's total: 14
My Guys
Jack Connolly: 24!!!
JT Brown: 16
Mike Seidel: 6
Brady Lamb: 4
Drew Olson: 1
Freshmen
JT Brown: 16
Justin Faulk: 14!!!
Joe Basaraba: 1
others: zeros
Connollys
Jacky: 24!!!!
Mikey: 23!!!!
Olsen/Olson
Dylan: 13
Drew: 1
Dan/Drew
Olson: 10!
DeLisle: 4
On Notice
Joe Basaraba
Dan Delisle
Keegan Flaherty
David Grun
Jake Hendrickson
Brady Lamb
Drew Olson
Goals Only
JT Brown
Justin Fontaine (UNACCEPTABLE)
Mike Montgomery
Travis Oleksuk (ALSO UNACCEPTABLE)
Dylan Olsen
13 comments:
Mark my words RWD. Your team has just begun the implosion phase. You remember when you were 1 and 2 in the country. You can kiss that goodbye and I would even go as far to say that you won't see yourself in the top 5 anymore this season. It will happen just wait and watch. this team is nothing more then a bunch of over-achievers. Let the slide begin.
Go gophers
Astute observations, John! They would have been more powerful if you had begun your chest-beating before the games, but hey, some people don't have the guts to talk big when they might have to eat their words later.
Tech has a better PP than the Gophers do. Suck on that.
you are in your rightful spot below North Dakota in the polls and in the standings...hope you enjoyed your ride because it is now over.
That is fine. I am just glad we don't lose our nickname.
In case you've been missing Stalock, here's a pretty spectacular save.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ezcz7_flGA
5:12 PM, December 13, 2010
Anonymous Anonymous said...
That is fine. I am just glad we don't lose our nickname.
I like most Sioux fans will be sad to see the name changed, but North Dakota hockey tradition will go on and we will probably win 7 more titles before duluth wins its first. You seem to already be happy with mediocrity, maybe you should become a goofer fan.
How fortunate we are #2 in the PWR! Thanks for playing!
the only thing more worthless than the polls in dec. is the pwr...you know that!
Just because you are second in the PWR doesn't mean much at this point. I wouldnt be bragging just yet RWD. Maybe in a month or so you can start beating your chest but your premature right now.
What about your strength of schedule. UAA has a tougher SOS then the pups. I think you need to look at the whole picture.
Polls more credible than PWR. Now I've heard everything!
Did we jump all over the Sioux when they got swept by the 4th place team in Hockey (L)east? All the venom from Sioux fans is astounding since most Sioux fans were arguing that the Dogs AND Sioux should have been ahead of Yale in the polls just a week ago (we did get 2 first place votes this week).
Don't let their record fool you, UMD is the worst team in the WCHA.
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