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What an awful, awful way to end 2010.

The opening game at AMSoil Arena had no redeeming qualities. There were no positives to the game. I do not have a single good thing to say about the game. It was an embarrassment to the program and an affront to the fans. The entire team is On Notice. Do NOT make me send you to the Humane Society of the WCHA. If you don't get adopted, you might get euthanized.

Then this afternoon we found out that Dylan Olsen has left for the AHL. Unofficially he has left because of academics.

I can't judge him. It would be hypocritical because I was in a similar situation when I left the University of Illinois in 2005, the spring before I started RWD. I was on a scholarship and trying to juggle academics with my ROTC requirements and my job at the Nuclear Radiation Lab. (Yes, really.) Well, I wasn't really trying. And so my grades sucked and I was going to be on academic probation, and I walked away. And not to anything as glamorous or lucrative as a professional hockey contract.

So, he's gone. And I hope he goes on to success and recruits look at him and say tUMD is a place to go and develop into an NHL player.

The Bulldogs need to take the last 24 hours and get very angry and very motivated and take it out on Clarkson. Take this arbitrary demarcation of the season and say "No mas!"

Make it a happy new year for your fans, boys. You owe us and you owe yourselves.

Where's MY Frozen Custard?

5-2 Wisconsin.

Sometimes, good things happen to bad commies. (Well, that's redundant.)

I'm good to go, though. We're better than I thought. And that's cool. I guess tonight's game got away from us a little. Bruce was apoplectic on the air over some non-calls, but I can't comment as I didn't see. And it can't be all about the officiating. I did NOT appreciate the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty from Alex Stalock, especially after I received the official explanation. THAT was not an officiating screw-up. THAT is going to get you thrown in The Humane Society of the WCHA! Alex is the first resident of the year! That is not good! Why so many exclamation points!?

Things were looking good for us when we struck first. And things were still looking good when we tied it up 2-2. And then they just looked... well, if I were to place the rest of the game on a The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly post, it would be in bold on the Uggo list.

It did sound like we were doing some good things. Lots of blocked shots. The 4th line sounded better than it has all year. I didn't hear too many scrambles around the Bulldog net.

Why dwell on the negative? We didn't get swept. We put up a darn good fight on the road, in a tough building. That place is INTIMIDATING, the way I imagine the Kremlin is. On the plus side, I've never had so many people pissed off at me since I wrote a controversial Letter to the Editor to the Daily Illini! I am rivalling Donald The Puck! And all with a little satire! The Animal Farm post is evidently the Dumbest Blog Post Ever. I find that hard to believe. I've certainly written worse things about Wisconsin previously, but I am always proud to reach a new low.

Numbers
Points Until We Surpass Last Year's Total: 25 (no change)
Wins Until We Surpass Last Year's Total: 11 (first conference win will come on my birthday: you heard it here first!)

My "Guys" Competition:
Matt Niskanen: 7
Michael Gergen: 2 (Yes! I'm not a curse!)
Matt McKnight: 1 (Also not cursed by me!)
Mike Curry: 0 (I should seriously consider giving Mike 1/8 point for every game he does not have a charging or an elbowing penalty, and 1/4 point for every game he does not take a penalty at all. But I do think the physicality he brings to the game is something we've been lacking. He just needs to take it down a notch at times. He did have a pretty good night tonight, it sounds like!)

That Gergen-McKnight-Carroll line is going to be un-be-freaking-lievable. I can't even wait.

Freshmen Competition:
Fulton: 2
Akins: 1
Stalock: 1
et al.: 0

Not a lot of freshmen action tonight... but many of them were not playing. Maybe next weekend?

So, on the plus side, two more of my "guys" got on the board. VERY SWEET. It's only a matter of time before Curry gets on there... when's the next time we play Michigan Tech?

Potential Awesomeness upcoming for the Denver series. Watch for it here! (On the site in general. Not in this very spot.)

Exclamation Point Count: 12! 13.

Re: Mocking Me In A "Laughing With Me" Way

I feel obligated to post now that I have "outed" myself at The Penalty Box, even though I really don't have the energy. I mean, the only thing that got me in the mood to post last time was my secret love for Mike Curry, because it certainly wasn't the play of a certain team I may have referred to as "The WCHA's finest hockey team."

So, let's resurrect a long-dead tradition over here at RWD: The Humane Society of the WCHA. I feel like it might be full after this weekend.

I recall the first entry into the WCHA fondly... "Isaac Reichmuth: That 7th goal made me want to sprout wings and swoop down from the stands and throttle him." It's interesting that we would come full circle here, as we reflect on a 7-1 loss to MANKATO STATE. It's MANKATO STATE, PEOPLE. I say that for two reasons, one because you will never catch me calling it Minnesota State (that is the home of the Screaming Eagles, duh), and two because we should never, ever be swept at home by MANKATO STATE.

I hope the following people are comfortable in their cages at the HSWCHA:

ISAAC REICHMUTH: A save percentage should never be .563, EVER. And you should never let DAN KRONICK score. You could, however, get your goalie stick all up in his grill and stuff, but you didn't do that. And why not? You wouldn't have to sit in the box, Mike Curry would have to do that for you.

RYAN SWANSON: I guess I could blame Sandelin here, because I would NEVER IN H-E-DOUBLE-HOCKEY-STICKS PLAY YOU, but since he's giving you the chance (why, oh why?), you could at least ATTEMPT not to blow it.

STEVE CZECH: You should be benched if I have to drive up to Duluth and sit on you in order to accomplish it.

I would probably have more people to lock up if I'd been able to listen to either game this weekend (although I might not have been able to survive listening to the Saturday night game), but remember that job that I always complain about? Well, it hasn't gotten any better.

Mason Raymond, you rock my socks off. Continue to rock my socks off for three more years, and I will be a happy person. I love our freshman class. And Matt McKnight. And I even love Jeff McFarland right now, although he's been a resident of the HSWCHA in the past (see, I'm a forgiving person), because he dropped the gloves this weekend. I never thought someone who goes mostly unnoticed in games would have so much rage built up. You and "Kemper the Wrecker" are awesome!

Some days, you eat the cow, and some days, the cow eats you.

Rock Yale Like a Hurricane

Though most of you might not know it, I am a Scorpions fan, and by Scorpions fan, I mean "I like a few of their songs and know nothing about them." This is totally irrelevant. What's totally relevant is the TOTALLY AWESOME HOTTNESS from last night. That's right, TWO Ts in HOTT.

Wow. Where do I start? Especially since there's more Bulldog awesomeness to come in an hour and a half, and I'm being pestered about getting food.

So the game started off a little strange, running only 3 lines because Stapes, Curry, Isaac, Jensen, and Willy decided to come over and hang out at my house instead. We listened to the game together and had a nice time, we drank some sodas, I drove them home after the game, made sure they got home in time, waited at their doors til they got inside safely.

Additionally, since Shepherd got injured, Shepherd had to replace Shepherd with Shepherd. Got that?

The only "normal" thing about the game was when the pseudo-Bulldogs scored first. I don't like typing all that out so they will just be the bulldogs, in lowercase.

Then the winds of change blew through the house of Bulldogs. It was Goals Gone Wild night! Carroll, McKnight, Gergen, McKnight, Raymond, Raymond, Gergen, McGregor, Davis, OH MY. So sorry that Dad was all the way over in Ireland for this one, because MAN WAS IT EXCITING. My cat was looking at me like "Will you please stop that, I am trying to be cute." My future dog Gorgar would be howling in agony because I was shrieking loudly. Oh, it was so, so glorious.

We had THREE POWER PLAY GOALS. THREE. HOLY CRAP.

and a SHORTHANDER by Mason Raymond. I have to write that really big because it is the first time all year I've seen one attributed to a Bulldog.

I do have to feel sorry for the bulldog goalies though. They faced 28 and 19 shots, respectively. That's like each of them playing a whole hockey game!

In a bizarre twist of fate, Adam Davis was inserted into the game as a forward. One shot, one kill, at 17:38 in the third. 13(!) seconds later, one shot, one kill, except this time, it's not a goal, but rather an ejection for a check from behind. Settle down there, cowboy.

As for "my" guys, Curry was sitting next to me on the couch, Gergy got 2 goals, McKnight got 2 goals and 2 assists, and Nisky got an assist. I have elected a new guy, Mason Raymond. I know that's such a bandwagon approach, but he is just so AWESOME I can't help it. Plus he got a shorthanded goal. Welcome to the fold, Mason!

And finally, all HSWCHA residents have been released!!!! After a 9-1 game, I'm feeling pretty generous.

THANK YOU, BULLDOGS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS GAME. THERE'S NO ONE LIKE YOU!

Thank You, Internet, For This Bounty We Are About To Receive

I'm a little bit stressed, because the feed wasn't going, and now it is, and I don't even know what's going on. Oh, it's 1-1.

We here at the site are certainly thankful for this opportunity to play Yale, a team with fewer wins than we do. Let's get a non-conference win! Or a non-conference s-s-s-sweep! We would be VERY THANKFUL FOR THAT.

I did listen to the games last weekend, and I can't even begin to describe the glorious feeling that comes along with an overtime win on the road in Alaska on a Friday night. But with the manic highs come the depressive lows, like DeCaro shutting us out and Reichmuth giving up 2 goals on 13 shots. How can you only make 11 saves in a game? That is just... well... he's in the Humane Society this week. Joining him is Ryan Swanson, who doesn't understand that you only screen the OPPOSING goaltender. Getting a rare week of freedom is Steve Czech, because how can you keep him kennelled up when he scored the game-tying goal on Friday? WAY TO GO, STEVE. That's right, you heard it here. GOOD JOB.

Back to the hot Bulld0g-on-Bulldog action at the DECC.

The Humane Society of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association

We here at the Runnin' With the 'Dogs world headquarters have had, since, well, forever, an unofficial feature that we shall now refer to, forever and always, as the Humane Society of the WCHA. It is a place for those Bulldogs who have done something to anger The Powers That Be Runnin' This Website. Once in the HSWCHA, these 'Dogs are still treated well, fed, walked, petted, and so on. However, a Bulldog can only stay in the HSWCHA for so long, and there are only two ways out. 1. Making a positive contribution to the team, or 2. Euthanasia. I understand that the latter option opens up a moral can of worms, but the staff here does everything it can to prevent exercize of the policy.

There are some rules about this Humane Society, or at least some largely accepted truths. First of all, there are certain players that have immunity from the HSWCHA. These players are special favorites of RWD, coach's pets, if you will: Matt Niskanen, Matt McKnight, Mike Curry, and Michael Gergen hold Get Out Of the Humane Society Free cards. Then there are players that have their own special kennels there, because they are perpetually (or nearly perpetually) in Hot Water with us. Steve Czech is on that short list. Referees are not even discussed here because there is really no point in harping, week after week, about the referees and how much they suck.

Now, let's talk about who's been left on the doorstep in a basket after this weekend:

Isaac Reichmuth: That 7th goal made me want to sprout wings and swoop down from the stands and throttle him. My travelling companion wanted to yank him after the 6th goal, but he is not a coach, and I am not a goaltending coach, and in the goal he remained, and let the puck trickle ever so slowly into the net. I mean, seriously, I could have taken the time to go to the locker room, suit up, skate onto the ice, do a little dance, and then flop into the crease and STILL stop the puck from going in. It is things like this that will give me a heart attack by the time I'm 25.

Jeff McFarland: It is my firm belief that if you are not going to contribute to the team in any sort of a positive manner, you should not be hindering the team anyway. Like if you are a center and you have three assists and that matches a CAREER HIGH then you should not be in the penalty box, virtually erasing a 5 min major power play for the 'Dogs.

Not too many people in trouble after the weekend. Now we have to start awarding the glory. Raise your glasses, ladies and gentlemen, to:

Nick Kemp, for grinding it out the whole game, and delivering some bang-on checks that were completely legal, so that Anderson could not possibly call a penalty. Shortly after I requested someone put Mike Prpich, the Spearing King, in his place, Nick levelled him directly in front of the Sioux bench. I have never been prouder of Nick, even if he didn't have any points that night.

Mason Raymond, who is going to be a thorn in North Dakota's side for the next four years.

Adam Davis, for stepping up his defensive play. I didn't expect much from him but I was pleasantly surprised this weekend. For someone who doesn't play very many games, he had a lot of poise and made some good passes. He's not the best d-man (hello, we all know it's Matty N.), but he is improving rapidly.

Justin May, for being an absolute stud of a strength and conditioning coach. I didn't see very many tired legs out there.

The Bulldog freshmen, for having the work ethic, the hustle, and the talent to play their hearts out every minute of the weekend, and for having that energy and spirit infuse the rest of the team. Thank you, thank you, from everyone who remembers the 'Dogs from last year.

And finally, Tim Stapleton, who was the only Bulldog last year who seemed to give a crap towards the end of the season, and who is leading the team by example. I know you play your heart out, too, Tim, thanks for giving the new boys someone to look up to. In my eyes, you're the captain.

Cheers!