Wireless

tUMD 5, Tech 3
tUMD 4, Tech 2

Four people asked me when I was going to post. FOUR. Amazing. Anyway, I'm sorry. I did want to post this weekend but the Interwebs at my hotel (The Suites at Waterfront Plaza) had the worst wireless internet connection ever. All I had for internets was my BlackBerry and I can't really post on here.

Okay, folks, let's see if Grandma can remember the weekend.

Friday I went to the Coaches'? Coach's? Which one is it? Show at BWW. I don't like it there as much as I did at the Sports Garden because it is really hard to hear the show. That's fine because there was plenty to discuss with my gals. I wanted to win a Bulldog football jersey but this old guy decided to steal it. At first it seemed like a joke but then it became clear that this klepto wasn't going to let it go. So my friend Kris had to use her feminine wiles to get the jersey back to the table where it belonged. Bruce made me answer a trivia question. You know, it was not that long ago that Bruce was, oh, a bit recalcitrant to allow me on the radio. Now he's practically begging me for it! He asked me who scored the GWG in the 2009 Final Five championship game. The answer is MacGregor Sharp. I got it right although at the time I was guessing because I was very nervous. Sandy and Justin may were like totally right there watching! So I won a jersey thanks to Schmidt's mom and my own amazing brain!

The game on Friday started very poorly. tUMD was down 2-0 until just before the end of the 2nd period when Justin Fontaine hooked us up with a goal! Hooray! In the third period, tUMD got a penalty. Fontaine was on the PK and he was taking the puck into the attacking zone and got tangled up with a Tech defender. He shoved the puck toward the net and Tech's goalie, Robinson, came out to play it. The puck went through his five-hole and into the net. Glorious! MCON and Brett Olson went to the penalty box together and MCON stood there and yelled at him for like 5 minutes before play resume. Then My Jacky got a goal, finally getting himself off the naughty list, Joe Basaraba got his first goal as a Bulldog, Justin Faulk let fly a shot that rang off the pipe, shot up into the air and flew practically all the way to the blue line, and then Dan Delisle got this crazy bouncy goal. The only black mark on that period was the final goal, which came right as tUMD students were chanting "This game's over." Oopy. Oh, also, at some point JT Brown did a cannonball right into Tech's goalie.

Saturday it snowed a lot. I took some pictures. They will be uploaded sometime in 2015. Unless we all die in 2012.

MCON started the scoring off right away in the second game, although Tech answered back quickly. A Tech player got a contact to the head major penalty and was ejected from the game, and tUMD scored early in the 2nd period during that major. Tech scored again, on a play where Kenny tried to dive on the puck and missed and it went under him and into the net. These things occur. A scrum caused tUMD to get a 5 on 3 as Tech's entire team decided to go after Mike Seidel. He is so badass though and they failed. Justin Faulk got a goal and Eric Kattelus went totally apepoopy and cross-checked Mike, then hit him in the head, then skated toward the bench and had to be dragged away by the referees. It was not his best choice. Then tUMD had another 5 on 3 and Justin Faulk scored another goal. It was the exact same play! Lovely. No one else scored and my little Benny the Elf was kicked out of the game with about a minute left.

MEg and Shirtless guy were part of the on-ice entertainment during intermission. They tried valiantly but could not overcome Champ's "assistance" to the other team. Walt, the Zamboni Dude, recklessly drove the zam around the ice for his final resurfacing. It was totally awesome. Also, total fail on tUMD's part for not putting Walt in the middle of their stick salute.

Sorry this post came so late, but another one is coming soon! It's already half-written. And allegedly a Gauntlet.

Numbers
Wins until we reach last season's total: 10! (SWEEP!)
Points until we reach last season's total: 20! (SWEEPITY SWEEP!)

My Guys
Jack Connolly: 18!!! (Offensive player of the week!)
JT Brown: 13!!!
Brady Lamb: 4
Mike Seidel: 3!!!!
Drew Olson: 0

Freshmen
JT Brown: 13!!!
Justin Faulk: 10!!!! (2 PPGS!!!)
Joe Basaraba: 1!!! (First goal as a Bulldog!!!)
others: zeros

Connollys
Mikey: 18!!!
Jacky: 18!!!

Olsen/Olson
Dylan: 10!!!!
Drew: 0

Dan/Drew
Olson: 8
DeLisle: 2

On Notice
David Grun
Jake Hendrickson
Brady Lamb
Max Tardy

Goals Only
Wade Bergman
Keegan Flaherty
Mike Montgomery
Dylan Olsen
Kyle Schmidt (Kyle, you are needed this weekend!)
Mike Seidel

Summer Camp

While most students are on vacation, some of our favourite Bulldogs are hard at work at NHL Prospect Camps.

**edit** Kevin Pates has posted some more folks on Rink and Run

Anaheim
Rob Bordson
MacGregor Sharp

Carolina
Justin Faulk

Chicago
Jack Connolly
Dan DeLisle
Dylan Olsen

Columbus
Drew Olson

Edmonton
Mike Connolly

Minnesota
Justin Fontaine

Montreal
Scott Kishel

Pittsburgh
Brady Lamb

St. Louis
Max Tardy

San Jose
Alex Stalock
(note: I am just assuming this)

Tampa Bay
Adam Krause

Vancouver
Evan Oberg

Washington
Caleb Herbert

Make us proud, boys!

Duck Tales

Everybody sing! "Duck Tales, A-WOO-HOO!"

This afternoon, Jimmy Bellamy from the Duluth News Tribune hosted a live chat with Rob Bordson, our favorite rags-to-riches (relatively speaking, I mean he did go to Marshall) Bulldog-turned-Duck. Since it wasn't my chat, I'm not going to provide a transcript, but I will give some of the highlights (with my own commentary, of course.)

"Dawn": Which former teammate are you most looking forward to playing against?

Rob: I am looking forward to playing against Jason Garrison and Evan Oberg. I played at UMD with those guys [yes, we know] and I got to know them pretty well when we played together.

Jimmy: Who on the Ducks did you get to know the most in your short time with Anaheim this year?

Rob: I got to know Dan Sexton pretty well. [Dan Sexton is my enemy because he prevents MacGregor Sharp from playing in the NHL.] We were both staying at the hotel together as we were both rookies. He is also from Minnesota and played high school at Apple Valley. He was a very nice guy and I learned a lot from him about how everything works and what it's like to play in the NHL. [Still my enemy.]

RWD: [That's me! Holy smokes!] Hey Rob! Congratulations on a great year with the Bulldogs and your pro contract! [I'm nice.] There's a lot of talk [on USCHO, where losers matriculate en masse] about college vs. major juniors as the right route to the NHL. Do you think that the Ducks' organization respects the college game or are they biased toward MJs? [I asked a question! I didn't chicken out! Like I always do at the Coaches' Show. Except when I won a sweatshirt and screamed.]

Rob: That's a good statement. [Which one?] I think both college and major juniors is [sic] great hockey. A lot of good players come from both leagues. The Ducks definitely respect the college players because they have a history of signing college free agents. Guys like Dustin Penner [Maine], Andy MacDonald [Colgate] [Wait, what???] and Chris Kunitz [Ferris State]. I think a lot of teams are starting to look at the college players as much as major junior players.

RWD: Don't forget MacGregor Sharp... :) [!!!]

Rob: I will actually probably be on the same team as MacGregor. I am very excited. [Me too.]

Jimmy: Have you had a chance to check out the almost-completed Amsoil Arena yet?

"Jamie": Are you disappointed you won't get to play in the new arena?

Rob: I have not seen the new rink since our team took a tour during the year. I am a little disappointed I won't get to play in it, but it was one of the things I had to give up to sign pro. [Also given up: a 2011 NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Champions ring.]

Bruce C.: [A CLEVER DISGUISE!!! Why not B. Ciskie?? Oops, gave it away.] How cool would it be to get to play on Sharpie's line, since you didn't do that much -- if at all -- at UMD? Oh, and did you get to meet the Ducks radio guy? Is he nearly as cool as I am (probably not)? [Good lord. And we were worried I would be the one to make an ass of myself.]

Rob: I would definitely like to play with Sharpie. He is a great player and since we didn't get to play together at UMD I think it would be a lot of fun. And no, I didn't get a chance to meet the radio guys yet. Haha.

Jimmy: No one tops you, Bruce. Ciskie is Spanish for "cool." [THAT'S NOT TRUE, JIMMY! YOU LIAR!!!] Did it take you a second to get over the fact that you were sharing a locker room in practice with Teemu Selanne and the now-retired Scott Niedermayer?

Rob: Yeah, I was in shock for a few days before I actually realized who I was skating with. It was pretty unbelievable to skate with those guys after watching them for years. It is unreal how much skill they have and how well they know the game.

RWD: [I'm monopolizing this chat.] Who are you working out with this summer? [RESTRAINING ORDER ALERT!] You're in Duluth now, right?

Rob: Yes, I am in Duluth for the summer. I am working out with the UMD strength coach Justin May. It is a good place to workout because there are a few current Bulldogs there and some other guys around the area that play Division 1 elsewhere around the country or juniors. It's a good workout. [Men Made By May! Isn't that sexist? Your wife should totally have Chicks Created by Christyn.]

Jimmy: When does training camp begin? Do you have to report earlier than vets?

Rob: I actually have to report next Monday for rookie camp. That will be for a week. And the main training camp begins in September. I am not sure if the veterans will be there right away.

Jimmy: You came from the WCHA, which is arguably [though I don't know why people even bother to argue, it's true] the best conference in college hockey. How much of a speed difference is there in the pro game from what you saw this year?

Rob: It is a bit of a difference. The players are faster and stronger and the puck moves very fast. Everyone is a good passer so the puck zips around pretty good. I felt I could keep up pretty good when I practiced with the team.

[Celebrity guest alert! I mean, other than me. And "Bruce C."]
Sean Avery: What is your take on enforcers? Do you think you could have the mindset to be one in the NHL or have ever taken on that role at any level?

Rob: I think every team needs enforcers. You have to have skilled players and role players to make up a good team. I don't think I will play the role as an enforcer because Anaheim sees me as a skilled forward, but I will definitely learn to play tougher at the pro level.

Bruce C: How ready are you for a gig in the AHL, Rob? Do you think you'll fit in there right away?

Rob: It will definitely be an adjustment. But I think I will learn how to play at the pro level. It might take a few months, but I hope to pick it up fast.

"Tom": Hey, Rob. It's no secret that the Ducks have a lot of great veteran players on their roster. Is there anyone in particular that you're really excited to play alongside?

Rob: Anaheim has a great group of veterans. They have guys that have won the Stanley Cup and medals at the Olympic Games. I think if I made the team I would enjoy every day. It was pretty awesome skating with Teemu Selanne during practice.

RWD: [Yes!!!] Rob, you helped win me 2nd place in my WCHA fantasy hockey league, so thank you. What are some of your personal highlights from last season or your college career?

Rob: Haha. Well, I had a rough couple years to start out my college career, but last year was full of memories. I had a couple 4 point games that were pretty awesome. I think the sweep down in Minnesota [UMTC] was awesome. It is always nice to beat the Gophers and we beat them twice in their barn. As a team that was one of our better weekends. [It was also one of my better weekends for being a total hag to opposing fans.] It was also fun beating CC in the playoffs to get to the Final 5.

Bruce Ciskie: [Whoa, wait! Was that Bruce C. another person??] How about your boy Alex Stalock maybe getting a shot in San Jose this year? [Well if that NNIITTYYMMAAKKII person doesn't get it] Even if he doesn't, how cool is it going to be to face him in the AHL or NHL? [Uh, well, if he doesn't get a shot, then he won't be in the NHL, Bruce.]

Rob: Yeah, Al has a great chance at playing in San Jose. I think the GM of San Jose said it was pretty much wide open. I think Al has a great shot as he played well all year and tied an AHL record for wins as a goalie. It would definitely be fun to play him again.

Bruce C: [See!!! What is going on here???] Where do you shoot on him?

Rob: That's a tough call. He is good all over. He is quick down low so maybe up high.

Jimmy Bellamy: Do you know much about the incoming freshmen at UMD? How do you think the 'Dogs will fare this season?

Rob Bordson: I think UMD will have a good year. [WE DO NOT WANT A "GOOD" YEAR. WE WANT A FANTASTICAL YEAR!] I think they have some good recruits coming in. I know Faulk will be good as he was just drafted in the 2nd round. [Er, yes, that is correct, second round draft picks are always... oh right.]

Fffff. I prepared a question LAST WEEK, I was going to ask if he had experienced any rookie hazing, but I FORGOT. Ugh. Swear words.

Old Blood and Guts

This worked last year, so here we go.

Men, this stuff that some sources sling around about the Bulldogs wanting out of this season, not wanting to fight, is a crock of bull****. Bulldogs love to fight, traditionally. All real Bulldogs love the sting and clash of battle.

You are here today for three reasons. First, because you are here to defend your teammates and your loved fans. Second, you are here for your own self respect, because you would not want to be anywhere else. Third, you are here because you are real men and all real men like to fight. When you, here, every one of you, were kids, you all admired the champion hockey player, the fastest skater, the toughest checker, the big league goal-scorers, and the All-American hockey players. Bulldogs fans love a winner. Bulldogs fans will not tolerate a loser. Bulldogs fans despise cowards. Bulldogs fans play to win all of the time. I wouldn't give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed. That's why Bulldogs fans will not lose this year nor will ever lose in the future; for the very idea of losing is hateful to a Bulldogs fan.

You are not all going to die. Only two percent of you right here today would die in a major battle. Death must not be feared. Death, in time, comes to all men. Yes, every man is scared in his first hockey game. If he says he's not, he's a liar. Some men are cowards but they skate the same as the brave men or they get the hell slammed out of them watching men play who are just as scared as they are. The real hero is the man who plays hockey even though he is scared. Some men get over their fright in a minute under fire. For some, it takes an hour. For some, it takes days. But a real man will never let his fear of ending the season overpower his honor, his sense of duty to his fanbase, and his innate manhood. Hockey is the most magnificent competition in which a human being can indulge. It brings out all that is best and it removes all that is base. Bulldog players pride themselves on being He-Men and they ARE He-Men.

Remember that the enemy is just as frightened as you are, and probably more so. They are not supermen. All through your hockey careers, you men have bitched about what you call "chicken **** practice." That, like everything else for this team, has a definite purpose. That purpose is alertness. Alertness must be bred into every player. I don't give a **** for a man who's not always on his toes.

You men are veterans or you wouldn't be here. You are ready for what's to come. A man must be alert at all times if he expects to score goals. If you're not alert, sometime, a Fighting Sioux son-of-an-*******-***** is going to sneak up behind you and beat you to death with a sock full of ****! There are four hundred neatly marked graves somewhere in Colorado Springs, all because one goalie went to sleep on the job. But they are Tiger graves, because we caught the ******* asleep before they did.

The Bulldogs are a team. They live, sleep, eat, and fight as a team. This individual heroic stuff is pure horse ****. The bilious ******** who write that kind of stuff for the Grand Forks Herald don't know any more about real fighting under fire than they know about *******! We have the finest food, the finest equipment, the best spirit, and the best men in the WCHA. Why, by God, I actually pity those poor sons-of-bitches we're going up against. By God, I do. My 'Dogs don't surrender, and I don't want to hear of any player on my team sitting on the bench unless he has been hit. Even if you are hit, you can still fight back. That's not just bull **** either. The kind of player that I want on my team is just like MacGregor Sharp, who, with a hockey stick against his chest, jerked off his helmet, swept the stick aside with one hand, and busted the hell out of the UND player with his helmet. Then he went out and killed another UND player before they knew what the hell was coming off. There was a real man!

All of the real heroes are not storybook pure goal scorers, either. Every single man on this team plays a vital role. Don't ever let up. Don't ever think that your job is unimportant. Every man has a job to do and he must do it. Every man is a vital link in the great chain. What if every grinder suddenly decided that he didn't like the bang of bodies into the boards, turned yellow, and jumped headlong into the bench? The cowardly ******* could say, 'Hell, they won't miss me, just one man in twenty.' But, what if every man thought that way? Where in the hell would we be now? What would our team, our fans, our arena, even the world, be like? No, ******* it, Bulldogs don't think like that. Every man does his job. Every man serves the whole. Every line, every shift, is important in the vast scheme of this war. The powerplay is needed to supply the guns and machinery of war to keep us rolling. The equipment manager is needed to bring up sticks and skates because where we are going there isn't a hell of a lot to steal. Every last man on this team has a job to do, even the one who fills our water bottles to keep us from getting the 'G.I. *****'.

Each man must not think only of himself, but also of his buddy playing beside him. We don't want yellow cowards on this team. They should be killed off like rats. If not, they will go home after this game and breed more cowards. The brave men will breed more brave men. Kill off the ********* cowards and we will have a recruiting pipeline of brave men. One of the bravest men that I ever saw was Drew Akins in the midst of a furious fire fight in Mankato. I stopped and asked what the hell he was doing there at a time like that. He answered, 'Kicking their ***, Sir.' I asked, 'Isn't it a bad time to take a penalty right now?' He answered, 'Yes Sir, but the ********* goalie must be stood up for.' I asked, 'Don't those player cross-checking you from behind bother you?' And he answered, 'No, Sir, but you sure as hell do!'

Now, there was a real man. A real player. There was a man who devoted all he had to his duty, no matter how seemingly insignificant his duty might appear at the time, no matter how great the odds. And you should have seen those penalty killers on Sunday at tDECC. Those guys were magnificent. All day and all night they blocked those son-of-a-******** shots, never stopping, never faltering from their course, with pucks bouncing off them all the time. We got through on good old Bulldog guts.

Many of those players played for over thirty minutes a game. These men weren't goal-scoring men, but they were players with a job to do. They did it, and in one hell of a way they did it. They were part of a team. Without team effort, without them, the game would have been lost. All of the links in the chain pulled together and the chain became unbreakable.

Don't forget, you men don't know that I'm here. No mention of that fact is to be made in any letters. The world is not supposed to know what the hell happened to me. I'm not supposed to be commanding this team. I'm not even supposed to be here in St. Paul. Let the first bastards to find out be the ********* Sioux fans. Someday I want to see them raise up on their ****-soaked hind legs and howl, 'Jesus Christ, it's the ********* Bulldogs again and that daughter-of-a-*******-***** RWD.' We want to get the hell over there." The quicker we clean up this ********* mess, the quicker we can take a little jaunt to the ******* regionals and clean up there, too. Before the ********* Sioux get all of the credit.

Sure, we want to go to the NCAAs. We want this weekend over with. The quickest way to get it over with is to go get the ******** who stand in our way. The quicker they are whipped, the easier we'll get into the tournament. The easiest way in is through UND and Denver. And when we get to UND, I am personally going to shoot that paper hanging son-of-a-***** Hakstol. Just like I'd shoot a snake!

When a team is playing in a defensive shell, if they just stay there all day, the Sioux will get to them eventually. The hell with that idea. The hell with taking it. My men don't play the trap. I don't want them to. The trap only slows up an offensive. Keep moving. And don't give the enemy time to play one, either. We'll win this game, but we'll win it only by fighting and by showing the Sioux that we've got more guts than they have; or ever will have. We're not going to just beat the sons-of-*******, we're going to rip out their living ********* guts and use them to grease the treads of our bus tires. We're going to murder those lousy Sioux **** ******* by the bushel-*******-basket.

Hockey is a bloody, killing business. You've got to spill their blood, or they will spill yours. Rip them up the belly. Shoot them in the guts. When pucks are flying all around you and you wipe the sweat off your face and realize that instead of sweat it's the blood and guts of what once was your teammate beside you, you'll know what to do! I don't want to get any messages saying, 'I am holding my position.' We are not holding a ********* thing. Let the Sioux do that. We are advancing constantly and we are not interested in holding onto anything, except the enemy's *****. We are going to twist his ***** and kick the living **** out of him all of the time. Our basic plan of operation is to advance and to keep on advancing regardless of whether we have to go over, under, or through the enemy. We are going to go through them like crap through a goose; like **** through a tin horn!

From time to time there will be some complaints that we are pushing our players too hard. I don't give a good ******* about such complaints. I believe in the old and sound rule that an ounce of sweat will save a gallon of blood. The harder WE push, the more Sioux we will kill. The more Sioux we kill, the fewer of our men will be killed. Pushing means fewer casualties. I want you all to remember that.

There is one great thing that you men will all be able to say after this tournament is over and you are in the regionals once again. You may be thankful that forty years from now when you are sitting by the fireplace with your grandson on your knee and he asks you what you did in college hockey, you WON'T have to cough, shift him to the other knee and say, 'Well, your Granddaddy shoveled **** in Bemidji.' No, Sir, you can look him straight in the eye and say, 'Son, your Granddaddy played with the Bulldogs and a Son-of-a-*********-***** named Scott Sandelin!'

General George S. Patton

On The Move

MacGregor Sharp is now with the AHL's San Antonio Rampage. Joining him is MeanEgirl's secret boyfriend, Stu Bickel. Guess that's not such a secret anymore.

Thank you to MacGregor's 2nd biggest fan, Vizoroo, for the tip.

Where Angels Fear To Tread

Oh, my friends, I am lame, I know. This bye week has gotten me lazy lazy lazy. I tuned into National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation two nights in a row! And both nights, it was totally tuned to my favorite part, when Clark is in the attic wearing a fur capelet, a turban, and gloves while watching home movies! Serendipitous! I was so lazy I was contemplating NOT going to Duluth this weekend because it would take too much energy. Also I was contemplating not going to Duluth because OMGMACGREGORSHARP!!! is going to be here with the Ducks. Dear Chuck Fletcher, could you trade James Sheppard to Anaheim in exchange for MacGregor Sharp? I would be happy. So would Goon.

However, just like Fantine in Les Misérables, I dreamed a dream last night about the Final Five. tUMD beat the pants off the Gophers in the play-in game and the arena was empty. And also the bleachers were made of, like, plywood. Then we played UND and were tied 2-2 when the dream ended. So I'm back in action.

Speaking of MacGregor Sharp, here is an article from the Red Deer Advocate about the man himself. Thank you to the person who sent me the article, you are awesome!! ;^) To translate, "centre" is Canadian for "center."

On our coaches' role in his development:

“I played in pretty much every situation and really worked on my defensive game,” he said. “I talked to our coaches about playing pro hockey at some point and they stressed the fact that you have to be responsible defensively to get to that level. Faceoffs, penalty killing and defensive zone play . . . I worked hard at them and they’re all a big part of my game.”

On his decision between major juniors and college:

“Originally, I was just going to work on my game for a year (at the junior A level) and then probably go to Medicine Hat,” said Sharp, who was selected by the Tigers in the 2000 Western Hockey League bantam draft. “But I got a scholarship pretty early in my first season and ended up sticking with that. I followed through with it and it worked out pretty well.[..]

“I didn’t really have any plans as to where I would end up, the big thing was to continue working at my game while getting an extra couple of years to develop. I don’t think I weighed enough or was a big enough guy when I was younger to play really well in the Western League. Those couple of years of developing in college were really good for me.”

Paging Paul Kelly... please pick up the white courtesy phone.

Anyway, tUMD plays UND this weekend. I do not know if you folks are aware of this, since most of you don't have time to scour the dregs of the Interwebs, but I am sad and pathetic and have time to do so, and thus I know that UND is referred to as the "Fighting Halos." From what I understand, the moniker refers to UND fans' inability to accept their team deserves the penalties they take. They are simply above reproach. I will make sure to watch closely this weekend. Because, of course, I am going.

Team Cougar has picked up Rob Bordson. I hope this does not cause undue stress. Making him My Guy was detrimental.

Dylan Olsen has been invited to Team Canada's tryout camp for the World Junior Championships. tUMD recruit Justin Faulk has been invited to Team USA's. This is nontopical, but congratulations to both!

This is the biggest test that tUMD will have had in this young season. These next two weeks are more daunting than walking down a hallway full of Naval aviators at a Tailhook symposium. I mean, UND and DU are no Bemidji State, but they are certainly still formidable opponents.

Whoever has the better goaltender will win this series. Ditto for the next. tUMD needs to be responsible in their own end. No one comes to RWD for analysis (except for very misguided souls) so I won't bore you in a feeble attempt. Put the puck behind Eidsness and keep it in front of Kenny and Brady.

It's been far, far, FAR too long. I am so beyond jacked for some BULLDOG HOCKEY!!! See you at tDECC!!!

SharpCast

Anaheim Ducks podcast with MacGregor Sharp!!

Nerdy podcast man takes a shot at college hockey in the middle there.

MACGREGOR SHARP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anaheim Ducks Recall MacGregor Sharp

AIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is AWESOME news. Congratulations MacGregor! Way to represent the Bulldogs. Let's hope you get more than just a cup of coffee!!

(Just in case you are scoring at home, there are 3 former My Guys who are playing/have played in the NHL: Nisky, Garrison, and Sharp. If that's not an endorsement for enduring my creepiness, what is?)

Golden

It's my birthday, bitches!! And I'll swear if I want to!!! I'm 27 on October 27th!!!! Wow!!!

I've never been one of those people who passive-aggressively keeps their birthday a secret until 11:59:59 PM and then rages at everyone for forgetting. I have enough things to rage about, thank you. The more people know, the happier the day is! I am already having a great birthday. I got a fabulous email from one of my best friends from college, and a box waiting on the front step when I got home that came from my mom and sounds as though it is broken, and a birthday card from my grandparents addressed to the wrong name, as usual!

The last time I celebrated my birthday with any sort of celebration was... oh, wait, nm, I mean the SECOND TO LAST time, whoops, Grandma's gettin' old... ok, it was my 21st, the last I spent in Illinois. It wasn't a birthday... it was like, a birthCARNIVAL! The Brazilian kind! It lasted for days! I think there was Fighting Illini football (meaning Fighting Illini losing), and DEFINITELY Fighting Illini HOCKEY with pregaming at my favorite bar followed by the game (I had season tickets, which were $40 TOTAL!) and extreme harrassment of the visiting team and then more bar. And then on MY actual birthday... oh, a fluid mechanics test. It was a Monday. Things happen.

But that was the start of Birthday Hockey. Let's discuss the birthday hockey record!

2003: Illinois 4, Eastern Michigan 2
2004: tUMD 4, Mankato State 1, things happened
2005: tUMD 6, Tech 3, CURRY SCORES 2 GOALS IN 30 SECONDS!!!!!!!!!!!
2006: tUMD 2, DU 1, Garrison gets the GWG in OT!
2007: tUMD 4, DU 0, Sharp and Bordson have goals!
2008: tUMD 5, SCCC 1, Jacky and Sharp have 2 assists each, Drew Akins gets a goal!!!

Guys. We have to talk. Especially you, David Grun. Guys who wear 27 (Peluso, Curry) have gotten goals for me on my birthday. You must carry on the tradition. But a win is most important. I will not be at the game, which is causing me to hyperventilate (I AM NOT GOING TO SEE A GAME LIVE FOR LIKE THREE FRIGGIN WEEKS), so you guys have to help me. Just... play really really well. And take a commanding lead and never let up. BE RELENTLESS. Please do not make me worry about this game. I have enough stress!!! I KNOW you can do this. Look at the awesome record you've compiled over the last five years. And some of those teams were, like, TERRIBLE. And they STILL pulled out birthday wins for me.

It's Tuesday, four weeks into the season, and I'm already begging. Sigh.

America, Jr.

So, I enjoy making fun of the Canadian university hockey teams, but really, I love Canada. J'aime le Canada! Canada has given me MacGregor Sharp and Evan Schwabe, two of my favorite Guys EVER!! And also Fonzie, and Junior Lessard, and Jamie Russell. Mmmm....

Anyway, Canada also has lots of amazing stuff. Their national anthem is AWESOME. According to Mike it is also the UMD fight song.

Other things about Canada that are awesome:

Childrens programmes:


Junior hockey:


Dapper sportscasters:


Heavy metal gods:


Totally awesome donuts!!!!:


Marty McFly (yes I realize this video is mostly Doc-related but Doc is amazing and also this is freaking funny):


Ice Road Truckers:


And, finally, THE GREATEST TELEVISION SHOW EVER:

Requiem for a Season

Blogger has this feature where I can label my posts, which is a handy way of organizing them. Then all a reader has to do if they want to, say, read everything I've written about Jack Connolly, they can just click on the Jack Connolly label and get hit full blast with craziness. It's very handy.

The labels are pretty discreet, so I don't know if any of you noticed, but somewhere between Thursday and Friday we reached a point of inflection, where the Off-Season label dropped off and the very first Sixth Season label appeared in its place.

Before looking to the future, let's travel back to last season.



Yes, it really happened. No, I still can't believe it. Yes, I still get chills.

The first game of the West regional was one of the greatest days of my life. The Final Five championship would have been another of those days had I not been in the midst of my final exams. But the regional was incredible, not just because of the game's outcome, but the entire experience. I'd say the planning and execution of the signs and the togas and the cheers/chants is what ultimately inspired us to do Peanut Butter Hjelle Time!!! (It is only properly punctuated with three exclamation points.) A little organization and planning can go a long way toward increasing the atmosphere at a game, and if UMD isn't going to promote their own product, someone has to.

The last season was really a turning point for RWD. It was the first season I was able to make it to a majority of games, so it changed the way I was able to experience the games. In years past I'd only been able to listen to the games on the radio or sometimes not at all. I made 23 games last season and I am pretty certain I caught every other game, whether it was on B2 or just the radio. I know it seems like I have no life, but I work over 40 hours a week and have school for another 8-12, so I just have no social life.

Which isn't entirely true, because I met a lot of incredible people last year. UMD has amazing fans, and I'm not discounting the people I have met in seasons past, but the friends I've made over the past year have augmented the already awesome Bulldog hockey atmosphere. I don't want to name names because I don't want to leave anyone out, and like I said, I don't want to detract from the folks I've known for years. I don't know the guys on the ice, and they don't know me, and it's partially by design and partially by accident, and they're only there for four years, tops. I'll be able to come to Bulldog games in 10 years with a lot of the same people and we can laugh about how we KAWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!d at the Miami band or when one of Mitch's Misfits told Biddco he sounded like an anorexic dog.

I don't know how last season can be topped. I mean, other than the obvious NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!!!! Some of you who voted in the first of my trio of polls the other night abstained from the second and third, I noticed. (FYI, it appears Keegan Flaherty is the most highly-anticipated non-Dylan Olsen freshman, with every guy receiving at least one vote. Antti Miettinen and Chase Ryan are tied in the Biddco Dead Ringer poll.)

I do know that a lot of guys are gone, and they took a lot of offensive firepower and defensive prowess. But they left their legacy. Those guys were fighters. As freshmen they willed a 9th place team to the Final Five and as seniors they battled to a Final Five championship and an NCAA win. Do you think the remaining guys on the team didn't notice? Or participate? The seniors that left came from a class that had to mature early, and we've got another group of freshmen and sophomores who will also have to.

What the senior class has reminded me, and what I hope they have also imparted to all of you, is to never give up on this team. More than any other college hockey team, UMD has surprised and overachieved. One of the hardest things about rooting for a team that's not a perennial powerhouse is remaining hopeful despite game after game and season after season of disappointment, but we simply must keep believing the next crazy win is a week or a day away. Negativity is a plague that can decimate a fan base, and we can't afford to see that at UMD. Not after last season, not with the new season coming, and not as long as we have a team on the ice who play their best and give it all they've got and wear their jerseys with pride and respect.

There are 18 guys on this team who were a part of the team last year and had a hand in the successes (yes, all of them, whether they were scoring with 42 seconds left in the Princeton game or jostling for a spot in the lineup, everyone contributed) and I'm sure they are pretty certain they're going to have a great year. I'm ready to see who is going to be the next MacGregor Sharp, who tripled his point outcome. I'm ready to see PBHj continue the goaltending excellence UMD has enjoyed for the better part of a decade. I'm ready to see Brady Lamb or Scott Kishel take the same strides Oberg did from freshman to sophomore year (although thankfully neither will have to break a leg in the process.)

I love to think about all the craziness from last year, but I've got to start looking ahead to this season, which is SEVEN DAYS AWAY!

Idiots Do Stupid Thing

Ok, not really the title of the article. But, the Anaheim Ducks have reassigned MacGregor Sharp to the AHL. I'm sure it's only temporary.

In other news, today is Mike Curry's birthday. Mike, I may not have made any t-shirts for you or used Photoshop to humiliate you, but you'll always be one of my guys, and I hope you had a great birthday!

Sharp News

I love it when the Friends of RWD make it easy to post.

RWD reader and fellow MacG S fan Vizoroo sent me this link this morning. The article is from April, but it's still relevant. Some Anaheim fan (I'm having trouble forgiving him/her for being an Anaheim fan, but s/he is a MacG S fan, which supercedes all) really likes MacG. And what's not to adore and worship about him, anyway? He is talented, hard-working, handsome, and so very very very clutch. Which is not the proper usage of the word, but whatevs.

Let's see the highlight reel from the article:

In many ways, the story of MacGregor Sharp is the story of Mason Raymond. The Alberta natives played together for four years, two years on the same junior hockey team and two years at Minnesota-Duluth. At both programs, the same pattern played out: Sharp and Raymond would post similar numbers in their first year together, only to have Raymond pull away as the superstar in the second year. Though identical in size and age, their styles were different: Mason, the speedster with great hands and MacGregor, the relentless grinding puckhound.

I'm so glad we had MacG for 4 years. Sorry Mase, but I'm sure you're not surprised. Nor do I think you care. (Though I'm sure MacGregor Sharp doesn't care either, but that's not the point. I care enough for both of us!)

Sharp followed up a shot on Gophers goaltender Alex Kangas, potting the rebound and knocking the flu-ridden Kangas out of the game. MacGregor opened scoring again the next night when he chased down a misplay by Sioux goalie Brad Eidsness, depositing the shorthanded puck in the net before the tender could return to his crease. Then, in the championship game, Sharp made a sweet pass on a 2-on-2 break on the power play, only to slide the return feed under Pioneers backstop Marc Cheverie. It was the first of Sharp's three goals that night, and the Bulldogs became the first Play-In winner to ever take the WCHA championship.

How did he pick from so many different choices? I can not WAIT until the UMD Hockey Facebook Fan Page comes out with the 3rd installment of its highlight series.

His performance in both the WCHA and NCAA tournaments shows he's developed poise. He has great two-way hockey sense: a grinding backcheck, but equally skilled at sniffing out rebounds and anticipating bad plays. He can create relentless first man pressure, but he's also played a lot of time as the second forechecker. He plays a solid penalty kill, but his impressive passing and his ability to dangle on the halfboards made him an indispensible center on the best power play in the WCHA. If I had to pinpoint the part of his game that caught McNab's attention, I'd say it was his play in the NHL sized rink. The Final Five was played at Xcel Energy in St. Paul, and the smaller but longer zones seemed to benefit Sharp on both sides of the puck.

He forgot to mention: he's dreamy. Anaheim better not try to make him mean and cheap. I mean, seriously, you've got enough cheap goons. Mitts off my Sharpie.

Huh. I copied like, 3/4 of the article. Oh well, there's still other a few other things on there.

Speaking of dreamy, WCH listed Mike Seidel as the 24th best prospect in the west. MacGregor Sharp is mentioned. But sorry, Chris. No one will replace MacGregor to me. Just like no one will replace Mike Curry or Evan Schwabe.

El Capitan

UMD announced today that Drew Akins will be the 2009-2010 captain, with alternate captains Mike Montgomery and Jordan Fulton.

SO excited for Drew! As you all know (because you follow religiously every word I write), back in June I got the odds, straight from Vegas, on UMD's captaincy.

Drew Akins - 1:1
Drew's pretty a shoo-in for some sort of leadership role, and I'm pretty sure it would be the C. Drew stands up for his teammates, which sometimes gets him in a little bit of trouble, but at least he doesn't have rage blackouts like Zach Jones or attack mascots like Joe Finley; he regains control easily. He's won the heart of MeanEgirl, and a whole slew of creeps at USCHO can attest that is no easy task.

Jordan Fulton - 18:1
Jordy's a senior, which certainly gives him an advantage, but I'm not sure. Rumors swirling that he might bolt for Calgary early have so far been incorrect, but they might affect the locker room's vote.

Mike Montgomery - 50:1
Monty crossed over from foward to defenceman seamlessly, showing he was willing to do what the team needed. If he continues to show the defensive prowess he had last season, he'll take on a leadership role as a senior. This year? I doubt it.

So, folks who bet on Monkey certainly cleaned up. And uh, I guess if you bet on Fonzie, sorry. Now pay up or I will break your thumbs.

Congratulations to all three. Work the guys hard during Captain's Practice, set the tone for the season and teach them what it means to be a Bulldog. You learned from some of the best we've ever seen.

And remember, guys, you don't have to wear a letter to lead. MacGregor Sharp says so.

Part Two:

UMD Hockey: The Empire Strikes Back

Aka installment #2 in the UMD Hockey Facebook page's highlight reels.

I know there's something... something I'm supposed to be talking about... because everyone is... but I can't think of it, so let's just discuss what I love about this video.

1. Meyers clearing the puck from the crease as Stalock is nowhere near it after the initial save.

2. Bone-crushing hits in the MSUM game. Sadly, impossible to tell who is dishing them out.

3. Andrew Carroll's game-tying goal against MSUM. I was clutching InebriatedMike and screaming.

4. Jacky goals!!!! Always a pretty sight.

5. M-CON PWNED DU!

6. Danberg's goal where he was at the bottom of a pile shoving at the puck, and the refs when he FINALLY signals goal!

7. Vizoroo: check out Sharpy when he banks one off the crossbar at 3:47. :)

8. Cheverie lolling his head back at his utter futility.

9. Sharpy scoring a goal and then dumping a Gopher to the ice.

10. Sam Lofquist once again acknowledging he sucks after a UMD goal.

11. The Gophers' gift to Sharpy... nice clearing pass to Sharpy, uncovered, with 4 Gophers lazily skating the other way.

BIG THUMBS DOWN:

I know this was maybe not Stalock's finest hour, but I wanted to see footage of the play where Goro missed the net!!!

The grand finale had BETTER have some togas in it.

Hmmm... my boss just came by and said "19-0." What does that mean???? :D

The Chopping Block

Folks, it's no secret that I'm having a bit of a rough time here. I'm really not ready for a Bulldog team without MacGregor Sharp. I know, I know. I managed without him before, I should be able to manage without him. But it's going to be rough. Just as things were really getting going, he's gone. This year's My Guys are going to have to work extra hard. (They will be named shortly.) We had so much going! The many, many, many goals, the hat tricks, the time I yelled at him to get a hat trick and he did not, the time he walked by while Stacy, LeAnn and I were singing Beyonce's "Single Ladies" and dancing like fools, my Exorcist-like Star Wars post... Can we all hear Cinderella's "Don't Know What You've Got (Til It's Gone)" in the background? Hold up your lighters.

God, I am creepy.

Even though I was proud of MacG S for getting an NHL contract, I was not pleased (meaning enraged^10000) it was with the stupid Ducks. My consolation was that their AHL affiliate was located in Minnesota's Basement. Meaning Iowa, naturally. Des Moines, specifically. (For those of you who don't "PARLAY FRANSAY," Des Moines is French for... The Moines.) I could get there in a jiffy if I was needed.

NOT ANYMORE.

Ugh. Now where will Anaheim send their AHL players??? Of course, I'm sure Sharpie will be "in The Show" next year, but still, I have to be prepared. I'll try to keep you all updated on the situation as it develops.

Hits From The Blog, Part Deux

It's been awhile since I've been lazy enough to do this, so I've got some good crazy stuff saved up. There are some twisted people out there, coming to RWD. And writing it.

Somewhat Hockey-Related
mike zacharias budweiser i take it he's a big fan.
t.j. oshie beer bong people, get it right. that was jonathan toews.
greer Macgregor is this some sort of science experiment gone wrong?
euthanasia, nick kemp is that really necessary? can't we just put him out to stud?
the drunk hockey guy blog umd doesn't exist yet. you're stuck with rwd.
don lucia complaining imagine that!
bulldog with fire helmet more like fire helmet with bulldog.

Hockey Player Stalker Hits
drew akins is cute probably a meanegirl hit.
is mike sertich of duluth minnesota married wow, even sertie gets stalked!
rob bordson is so hot yes.
uaa nathan lawson girlfriend i hope she's combing the beaches, because he is washed up.
josh meyers shirtless yes yes.
bryan mcgregor girlfriend i wonder what he's up to?
stu bickel girlfriend another meanegirl hit.
tyler bozak girlfriend probably dumped him when he got his knee injury.
tony lucia girlfriend ...is jay barriball.
tj oshie apartment on you tube for what? dirtiest apartment ever?
alex goligoski girlfriend ...is ryan potulny.
tyler ruegsegger girlfriend hopefully did not get projectile-vomited on.
glenn fisher girlfriend who? oh wait, that du guy.
jordan parise gf to be fair, the gf could stand for grand forks.
rob nolan girlfriend ...is rwd.
tj oshie girlfriend should probably not view "tj oshie apartment on you tube."
matt smaby engaged someone cares?
jonathan toews shirtless with a beer bong, i hope!

What the...????
when does air bud hockey come out i don't know, but i can't wait!!!
good rat keeping i guess you clean their cage and feed them and stuff.
boosh hot dogs the game yeah, i'm sure that happened.
making of the game banana is the "game banana" some sort of trophy for gorilla footballers?
rat bleeding from ears probably resulted from bad rat keeping.
cowbell penalty two minutes for not enough!
that heartless bitch, thb tech hockey blog?
christmas dogs midget performance i'm assuming this show is in tijuana.
my legs are extremely long does not apply here.
i'm a guy, and i want grow my hair out like jason micheal carrol's, but until then, how should i manage my hair? ask hollywood clark!
your so into hockey and you don't even know it t-shirts i would never wear that grammatically incorrect shirt.
why women don't like hockey because we're too busy making sandwiches and fetching beers.
home improvement brad shirtless in locker room who wants to see the mullet kid shirtless?
outline of bronco for pumpkin carving that seems useful.
rhyme master rwd yo yo yo, peace out homeslice.
where to go in denver if you're single co14ers' house.
why do people cut off deer heads on the side of the road because they are lousy shots.
shopko temple of doom i see someone shares my point of view.
political affiliation ted Kaczynski same as donald's.
dogs that coach people i don't think they exist. i searched.
jack i don't think they are ready for this that's what she said.
real life fights between badger and dogs ask cody danberg for footage.
wow fhg that's what cardinal said.
does jack daniels have turpentine in it? does it matter?
i kissed a goon and i liked it?
what happened in the houghton temple ...stays in the houghton temple.
runnin and quantum theory you've come to the right place!

Standing On Guard For Me

Today is Canada Day! Essentially, this is functions as Canada's "birthday," when the British North America Act was enacted and unified the provinces. I learned that on Wikipedia, which as we know is infallible as a source. While this is not nearly as bada$$$$ as event that we commemorate on the United States' birthday, we here at RWD still want to recognize a holiday that's important to some folks very important to RWD.

We have had a LOT of Canadians come through the DECC and the Duluth Curling Club; 140 to be precise. I counted! But I might be off by one or two. Let me know.

Currently, UMD has 5 returning Canucks on the roster: Brady Lamb (AB), Travis Oleksuk (ON), Cody Danberg (SK), Mike Connolly (AB) and Justin Fontaine (AB). We're also adding two more Canadians this fall: Wade Bergman (AB) and Dylan Olsen (AB, although I think he was born in the U.S.). I love Canadians! They add so much to my roster. A lot of My Guys have been Canadians... I pretty much favor Canadians and Northern Minnesotans, except for Gergy and Curry. Canadians were very good for UMD last year! They scored a lot of points and won a lot of games for us (including some BIG ones in the playoffs!) Canadians scored 63 goals and had 115 assists for 178 of the 344 points the team got.

Some of UMD's most successful alumni are Canadians. In addition to the awesome guys we have on our roster, last year's superstar senior MacGregor Sharp (AB), Hobey Baker winner Lucien Lessard, Jr (QC), WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod (ON), Bulldog legend Keith "Huffer" Christiansen (ON), TV Analyst Judd Medak (BC), Bulldog daddy Bill Oleksuk (ON), former NHLers Curt Giles (MB), Pat Bouttette (ON), Norm Maciver (ON), and Glenn Resch (SK), UMD assistant coach and Hobey Baker winner Bill Watson (MB), Hall of Famer Brett Hull (BC), current NHLer Mason Raymond (AB), and most importantly, the original My Guy and all-time RWD favorite cutie pie, Evan Schwabe (SK) are ALL Canadians and important players in Bulldog history. Not that the rest of the guys aren't important.

Robby Nolan is Canadian, too. Even though he's not a Bulldog, he's still a very special person to RWD.

Happy Canada Day, everyone!!!!

What Dreams May Come

Hola amigos, I know it's been a long time since I rapped at ya, but hey, hockey's over. Well, now it's officially over as the Penguins have won the Stanley Cup, about which I did not really care. I watched the BU championship and then didn't watch any hockey until I kind of watched Game Seven.

First of all, this has nothing to do with the post forthcoming, but holy crap, I am a genius. I forgot that I had written this in February:

In three weeks, when the dust has settled, I don't want to be picking through the wreckage of a season that could have been, eating crow for writing posts like this. Please, please, please, throw your girl a bone here (triple entendre, anyone?) and give me, along with the city of Duluth and the worldwide Bulldog nation, something positive to take away from this season other than "It's equal to or slightly better than last year." I know you guys have it in you; seniors, you know what it was like to be on a team heading nowhere at an all-out run and then turn it into a playoff upset and a Final Five appearance. This year's team is going somewhere at a trot or possibly a canter, and I would like to see something fun. A couple of wins at the X. A couple of wins at Mariucci in February... and then a couple more in March. I don't know. Get creative. Okay? Thanks.

Wow, damn, do I love these guys even more. Begging works! Unless you're trying to get someone to take you back.

Let's talk about the impending season of doom. I think about Bulldog hockey probably more often than is healthy in the off-season (partially because my co-workers discovered RWD and enjoy making fun of my zealotry) and the other night I was dreaming about it. Specifically about Brady Hjelle. Don't worry, sweetie, you were clothed. Anyway, I was dreaming about a game and somehow Brady kept making these UNBELIEVABLE saves. That is really the extent of the dream that I remember, although I am fairly certain this is not a dream, but a premonition.

WHAT EXCITES ME
+Mikey Seidel bringing his unique brand of mischievous hockey to tUMD.
+RWD correspondents from all over attending games (ahem, Tracy and Dawn).
+SSPW, part III.
+This year's sophomore class.
+Another set of players who have the same last name (though different spellings), play the same position, and I hope will have similar numbers.
+PEANUT BUTTER HJELLE TIME.
+David Grun keeping #27 and getting his first collegiate goal on Oct 27th when I turn 27.
+Fonzie having a monster year.
+Playing at Tech for Winter Carnival!
+Road trippin'! Mankato, St. Cloud, Houghton, and of course Duluth.
+Rohlik didn't go to UNO.

WHAT SCARES ME
-Trying to make it through this season with 1. good grades 2. my job and 3. many games attended.
-Whether we'll have enough experience on the blue line.
-80s mall bangs (in general).
-The DU Pioneers.
-Not finishing in the top 5 in the WCHA (again) and not making the Final Five.
-Special teams.
-Drinking way too much on the Drunk Hockey Walk.
-Trying to pick who My Guys will be.
-Dan Delisle panning out as well as Mike Curry.

WHAT I WILL MISS
~Bruce on the airwaves. Although I do enjoy sitting with him and the fam at games, especially when he's in one of his moods.
~MacGregor Sharp. I practically hyperventilated the other day realizing he'd no longer be on the ice for the 'Dogs.
~The road trippin' dads. Two dads had kids graduate. But... maybe they'll still come on the road?
~Inebriated Mike. One of my favorite people with whom to attend a game. Now who am I going to clutch in panic when games get stressful?
~Being Christine's stats slut, though I know she's still going to come to games.
~The incredible senior leadership we were so fortunate to have.

Lastly, in case you rely solely on RWD for your UMD Bulldog Hockey news (which is inadvisable), here's the fresh meat for 2009-2010:

F Mike Seidel
F Dan Delisle
F Keegan Flaherty
F Jake Hendrickson
D Drew Olson
D Dylan Olsen
D Wade Bergman
G Aaron Crandall

The All-WCHA Hottie Teams

There is one thing that sets RWD apart from all other college hockey blogs. No, not its utter uselessness, as there are many other useless college hockey blogs. It is the All-WCHA Hottie Awards, which are generally done in April, but due to 1. Laziness and 2. Extreme Workaholicness, here they are in May. For those of you who were in a panic, thinking they weren't coming, fear not. I always come through for my readers... eventually.

So, here we are!

Coach: Jamie Russell****, MTU
Assistant Coach: Brett Larson, UMD
Blogger: StartTheBus of The Bus Stops Here! Still the greatest blog to ever come out of St. Cloud!

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Once in awhile, there comes along a hottie so amazing that he needs singling out. After four years of dominating the All-Hottie List and the hearts of college hockey fans, he has graduated and there will be a gaping void in his place. Not only is he an amazingly hot hottie on the outside, he's an incredibly nice person on the inside, and really, when you're hot, you don't have to be nice. (At least this is my excuse.) So, Robby Nolan, I am naming the First Team All-Hottie Goalie spot after you. I will miss you and your crazy sweatpants ritual before games, your blindingly white teeth, your penchant for wearing very strange clothing, your handsome face, and your kindness. Best of luck as you begin the next leg of your journey!

1st team:
F MacGregor Sharp**, UMD
F Malcolm Gwillam*, MTU
F Darcy Zajac*, UND
D Geoff Kinrade*, MTU
D David Carlisle*, SCSU
G Robby Nolan***, MTU

2nd team:
F Ryan Peckskamp**, SCSU
F Jack Connolly, UMD
F Chris VandeVelde**, UND
D JP Testwuide*, DU
D Brady Lamb, UMD
G Alex Stalock*, UMD

3rd Team:
F Michael Gergen*, UMD
F Jordan Baker*, MTU
F Matt Greer, UMD
D Kane LaFranchise*, UAA
D Drew Dobson*, MTU
G Mike Zacharias, MSUM

Freshman Team:
F Jack Connolly, UMD
F Jake Hansen, UMTC
F Justin Jokinen, MSUM
D Brady Lamb, UMD
D Nicholas Rioux, SCSU
G Lars Paulgaard, DU

* denotes two-time honoree
** denotes three-time honoree
*** denotes four-time honoree
**** denotes five-time honoree

Some notes:
CC players are missing because their roster pix are all down.
MSUM and MTU have their new rosters up, and so their seniors are missing and I had to get creative.

UMD's website doesn't have links to individual players, so again, creativity. Argh.
UW players are missing because they are ugly.

The freshman team was very painful to put together. Half the guys on there are just plugged in because I had to put someone. And yes, I know, Paulgaard looks insane.