Rostermania

Not a great title. But an exciting day! Now we know what's what and who's who and where's where and who's on first.

Goalie
#30 Christian Gaffy (fr)
#31 Aaron Crandall (fr-rs)
#35 Kenny Reiter (jr)

Defence
#2 Brady Lamb (jr)
#4 Dylan Olsen (so)
#5 Trent Palm (sr-rs)
#6 Scott Kishel (jr)
#8 Drew Olson (so)
#21 Luke McManus (fr)
#24 Mike Montgomery (sr-C)
#25 Justin Faulk (fr)
#26 Chad Huttel (sr)
#28 Wade Bergman (so)

Forward
#7 Kyle Schmidt (sr)
#10 Dan DeLisle (so)
#11 Travis Oleksuk (jr)
#12 Jack Connolly (jr-A)
#14 Keegan Flaherty (so)
#15 Jake Hendrickson (so)
#17 Mike Seidel (so)
#18 Joe Basaraba (fr)
#19 Max Tardy (fr)
#20 Cody Danberg (sr)
#22 Mike Connolly (jr-A)
#23 J.T. Brown (fr)
#27 David Grun (jr)
#37 Justin Fontaine (sr)

Comments:
1. Stafne is not on the roster. I'll discuss this later.
2. Trent Palm IS on the roster. Welcome back, Trent!
3. Travis Oleksuk has worn 3 numbers in 3 years. #13, #21 and now #11.
4. Kyle Schmidt is #7. Why switch now?
5. Before Faulk, Ryan Geris was the last Bulldog to wear #25.
6. Max Tardy takes over #19 from fellow Duluth native Rob Bordson. Let's hope he can develop as well as (or more quickly than, even!) Bordo, too!
7. JT Brown might have to exorcise some demons from #23.
8. This is the first post labeled seventh season! Wow!

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.

Bulletin

We interrupt my regularly scheduled homework/mass cramming for exams to bring you this really old news.

The WCHA end-of-season awards were announced before the Final Five. Jack Connolly was All-WCHA 1st team and Justin Fontaine was All-WCHA 2nd team. The other winnarz were not from tUMD and thus do not matter.

Additionally, tUMD's resident smarty-pantses were honored as members of the All-WCHA Academic Team. Players must have at least one year of residency at their school, must have a GPA > 3.0 for the previous two semesters, or have an overall GPA > 3.0. (Recall that the Scholar-Athletes were announced last month. The GPA cutoff there is 3.5.)

First-Timers
Drew Akins (Communication)
Jack Connolly (Undecided according to his tUMD bio, although I don't think that's true, someone* help me out here Communications)
David Grun (Business)
Brady Hjelle (Accounting)

Repeat Offenders
Rob Bordson (Accounting)
Justin Fontaine (Accounting)
Chad Huttel (Exercise Science)
Kenny Reiter (Finance)
Chase Ryan (Accounting)
Kyle Schmidt (Statistics and Actuarial Science)

Congratulations, everyone!

*ahem, someone, you know who you are Thank youuuu

Bye Bye Bordson

http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/163587/

Congratulations, Rob! You had an amazing season! You are a great STUDENT-athlete and your hard work on and off the ice made this possible. What a great example you have set for your teammates and for the young Bulldog fans who look up to you. Continue to make us proud!

Great Hockey Minds

I will literally do anything to avoid doing more homework. Except, evidently, dismantling the Christmas tree. Sigh.

Thanks to a heads-up from Donald at the UAA Fan Blog, I learned the WCHA announced the 2009-2010 Scholar-Athletes. There are two separate kinds of academic recognition in the WCHA and I can't remember the name of the other kind, so someone help me out.

A Scholar-Athlete must first of all had at least one year at their current institution (meaning no transfers or freshmen) and must have maintained a 3.5 GPA either overall or for the previous 2 semesters or 3 quarters (there are still schools on quarters? DA is always asking me what I am taking "this quarter" and I'm always like "Dad, you were in college 30 years ago, no one has quarters anymore." Of course, the school I attend has trimesters, which are the wave of the future.)

tUMD's Scholar-Athletes are:
Rob Bordson (Accounting)
Brady Hjelle (Accounting)
Kenny Reiter (Finance)
Kyle Schmidt (Statistics and Actuarial Science)

Bordo, Kenny, and Kyle are all "repeat offenders." A standing ovation to these 4 guys, as those aren't blow-off majors either. I know this because the homework I am avoiding involves BOTH accounting AND finance. It does not, however, involve statistics, praise Parise.

Also, as a teaching point, an actuary uses math and statistics to assess financial and insurance risk. Hello to my auntie and my cousin, who are both actuaries.

Under Pressure

tUMD 4, Blue Earth County Penal League All-Stars 3 (OT)

Well, it's later than late and I've had a long day, but of course I was dumb and decided it would be good to allow my wild and spastic rantings to be broadcast over the airwaves (AND Interwebs!!) and thus should probably have something going on here before I go to bed.

So, for those of you who are here because of the whole radio thing, hello, how are you? I am pleased to meet you. Please be advised that the best of RWD is not found in the game recaps. Don't judge too harshly. Also, for those of you who are here wondering whether TJ Oshie has a girlfriend (and there are so many of you! Why?), I can not help you, I am truly sorry.

I... don't know. Really. Mankato plays a style of hockey that makes it very difficult for tUMD to play their style of hockey. So it was not really the best of times. It wasn't the worst of times, either, but... well, there's a lot to discuss.

The first period wasn't that fabulous. Mankato set the tone as usual. They seem confused about some of the rules of the game. Gentlemen: making contact to the head a "point of emphasis" does not mean the league wants you to do more of it. THEY WANT YOU TO STOP, YOU IDIOTS! Lots of things happened but by comparison the first period was boring. I have forgotten it mostly. BECAUSE THE GAME WAS ALMOST THREE HOURS. Zach Harrison took a checking from behind penalty in the final minute of the game and was ejected from the game. Because I am unkind, I stood up and waved. He hit my Jacky. That makes me hate him more. I did not see the hit as it was along the boards (duh) on the same side of the ice as I was. tUMD went into the locker room knowing they had 4 1/2 minutes of power play free-for-all smorgasbord bonanza.

The second period was much better! I do not understand how tUMD can be so fantastic in the 2nd period after being so terrible in the 2nd period during the first half. Brady Lamb scored 31 seconds into the period and we were back to even. I am stupid and did not start him in my fantasy league. That was the only goal on the power play. Then Rob Bordson scored to make it 2-1. Again, I am stupid because I did not start him in my fantasy league.

About 5 minutes after Bordo's goal, Kael Mouillierat (Mall Rat) viciously elbowed Scott Kishel in the head. Do not be fooled by Bruce Ciskie's commentary. This was not a clean or legal hit. It happened right in front of me. And I am a Great Hockey Mind. Scott was lying on the ice motionless for quite some time. It was scary. No, the referee did not signal a penalty right away. But really, if the league will allow this "intent to blow" b.s. they can certainly allow "intent to call." This was the first exceptionally long delay of the game as it took awhile to figure out what they were going to do, and then they explained it to Sandy, and then to Jutting, and anyone who has watched a Mankato hockey game knows that Jutting does not know when to STFU. He complained for so long that Kishel had time to recover and was back on the ice after missing only a few shifts. Mall Rat received a game disqualification for that hit, which means he will be suspended for a game. Justin Fontaine scored on the ensuing power play free-for-all smorgasbord bonanza, but again, they were only able to get one goal out of it.

A minute and a half after Fonzarelli's goal, some things occurred. I was sitting in probably the worst place in the entire rink for seeing these things, so I can't describe it. I saw some shoving and things, and then the refs came over, and suddenly someone shoved David Grun from behind and then we had ourselves a hoedown. SOMEHOW, and I really can't imagine how, and I have a very vivid imagination so that is saying something, tUMD ended up short two players. Also, somehow, and this is even more unfathomable, Drew Akins was involved in these things and was escorted to the penalty box (all the while motioning for the Maverick player to bring it on), and then was allowed to leave and did not receive a penalty. I am unsure why. That was fine. That was the only thing that was fine. Deciding to give Mankato this unwarranted and undeserved 5 on 3 took an annoyingly long time. For some reason Jutting decided he wanted to whine about that, too. There's no such thing as a 5 on 2, Jutting. Just shut up. I told him so. Mankato scored once on the power play while on the 2-player advantage.

The 3rd period began oddly as Jack Connolly ended up riding a Maverick. He did not stay on for 8 seconds and thus did not receive a golden belt buckle. The rest of the period was pretty disjointed. tUMD did not carry the play for any length of time. There were some bad line changes. (Ok, all game there were bad line changes.) And they let Mankato tie it up with 18 seconds to go. It was... preventable. We'll just say that. But OF COURSE the game would go to overtime. It wasn't long enough!

Overtime seemed like an extension of the 3rd period with its choppy play, and then MCON was all alone with the puck and put it just under the crossbar RIGHT in front of the tUMD fans and we FREAKED out. I was confused and at first thought it was Jacky, but WHO FREAKING CARES, THEY WON IN OVERTIME, OMFGBBQ!!!!!!!!!

God it's even later than later than late. Enough of this. Big day tomorrow. Skol Vikings!

Numbers
Wins until we reach last season's total: -2! (Eee!!)
Points until we reach last season's total: 2! (Look out Wisconsin, we're coming to collect!!!)

My Guys
Jack Connolly: 35!
Brady Lamb: 14!
Mike Seidel: 8

Freshmen
Dylan Olsen: 10
Mike Seidel: 8
Wade Bergman: 2
Keegan Flaherty: 2
Dan Delisle: 1
Jake Hendrickson: 1
Drew Olson: 1

Connollys
Jacky: 35!
Mikey: 26!!!!

Olsen/Olson
Drew: 1
Dylan: 10

Drews
Olson: 10
Akins: 30

On Notice
Cody Danberg
Dan Delisle
Keegan Flaherty
Jordan Fulton
Chad Huttel
Drew Olson

Goals Only
Scott Kishel
Mike Montgomery
Travis Oleksuk
Mike Seidel

Imagine

tUMD 5, Puddytats 2

I had a little bit of a stressful night tonight. You see, I have a Friday night class this trimester. This is the first Friday class I've had since fall '07 and I can tell you right now, it is the worst freaking feeling. Actually things have changed since then because I did not have unlimited texting and data on my phone at the time. I still had to use the numeric keypad. So, thanks for the updates, folks.

Evan Oberg has been called up to the bigs. Doesn't mean I like the Canucks.

So I missed the game. Didn't even listen to it. Froze in the classroom as though I was at the rink. Whoopee. I sort of imagined how the game would go. Let's go to the score sheet!

FIRST PERIOD
10:12 UMD 0 - CC 1
Stephen Schultz (David Civitarese, Nate Prosser)

I looked at the stat sheet on College Hockey Stats, and it lists no tUMD players on the ice at the time of the goal. This is a good explanation for what happened. They were probably getting porketta dogs at the concession stand. Who wouldn't?

17:44 UMD 1 - CC 1
Kyle Schmidt (Rob Bordson, Travis Oleksuk)

Hello, Kyle Schmidt is the most clutch guy we have on our team. I need to look at our record when he has a goal. Pretty sure Oleksuk probably rubbed some CC guy off the puck, chipped it to Bordo, and then Bordo got it to Schmitty at our blue line and he took off like a he'd just been hit with 1.21 jigowatts of electricity, leaving a pair of fire trails in his wake, and Sandy stood in between them and yelled "IT WORKS! I'VE FINALLY FOUND A LINE COMBINATION THAT WORKS!!!!" Because really, I love the idea of those 3 together.

SECOND PERIOD
4:31 UMD 2 - CC 1 (PP)
Drew Akins (Rob Bordson, Scott Kishel)

The secondary unit strikes again! I like it!
An Akins goal? Well, that's gotta be a Kishel blast from the point, rebound to Bordo for another save, and then Akins jams the puck in while using one hand to punch two CC defenders and their goalie. The Akins Diet? It's tiger meat.

6:04 UMD 3 - CC 1
Mike Connolly (Jack Connolly)

CC players were too busy heeding one of the #1 rules in hockey: Keep Your Head Up, to notice our Lilliputian brothers-from-another-motherland skating unheeded to the net. Then they danced a jig and found a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.

11:03 UMD 4 - CC 1 (PP)
Justin Fontaine (Jack Connolly, Mike Connolly)

FIRST OF ALL I hear this goal should belong to my Jacky. This upsets me as a fantasy hockey manager. The guy who has Fontaine is in the lead or in 2nd place or something. However, his strategery is flawed, and I do feel that Team Cougar is still gonna make the playoffs.

Anyway. I think what happened here is CC was like "Look, we're on the penalty kill, and the BI-MON-SCI-FI-CON line is out, why even try?", waved a white flag, and fled like the French. Mon Dieu!

THIRD PERIOD
0:44 UMD 4 - CC 2
Bill Sweatt (Mike Testwuide)

44 seconds into the period? The team was probably lined up, waiting for a whistle, so they didn't walk in front of the play.

2:25 UMD 5 - CC 2 (PP)
Justin Fontaine (Mike Connolly, Brady Lamb)

Um, duh. Obviously this happened.


I am certain this is accurate! Back in action tomorrow night!

Numbers
Wins until we reach last season's total: 1! (I'm going to invite Kirby Puckett's kid to turn this from 1 to 0, TOMORROW!)
Points until we reach last season's total: 8! (We had a lot of ties.)

My Guys
Jack Connolly: 30! (Has now beaten his point total for all of last season. WOW!)
Brady Lamb: 11!
Mike Seidel: 8 (Not in the lineup??? What???)

Freshmen
Dylan Olsen: 9
Mike Seidel: 8
Wade Bergman: 2
Keegan Flaherty: 2
Dan Delisle: 1
Jake Hendrickson: 1
Drew Olson: 1

Connollys
Jacky: 30!
Mikey: 23! (AWESOME GAME!!!!!)

Olsen/Olson
Drew: 1
Dylan: 9

Drews
Olson: 10
Akins: 24 (Had a little bit too much fun despite his "new" "safety" equipment)

On Notice
Dan Delisle
Keegan Flaherty
Dylan Olsen
Drew Olson

Goals Only
Jordan Fulton
Chad Huttel
Scott Kishel
Dylan Olsen
Mike Seidel

Over the River and Through the Woods

tUMD 6, Broken Down Chevy 3

Do I really have to do this? I mean, does anyone care?

Saturday home games usually involve the same ritual. I wake up somewhere uncomfortable after getting a terrible night's sleep. Some college football is watched. Signs are made. Biddco and I have to listen to the same songs: Party in the USA, You Belong To Me, I'm On A Boat, I'm In A Box (which is a parody of On A Boat involving Balloon Boy), and Single Ladies. Some of those are interchangeable but if I haven't heard Party in the USA about six times by the time we head out for dinner, then I'm not fully ready for game time.

This weekend I was sitting in my living room trying to cram as much information about backflush costing (NOT EVEN ON THE EXAM! NOT EVEN MENTIONED! WHAT A WASTE!) as possible into my brain. I got an A in the class. Guess it was worth it. Unlike when I missed celebrating the Final Five win. Bleah.

So I had to sit at home, B2 feed on the big screen, chat room with my family, chat room for the Duluth News Tribune, USCHO game thread, tPB thread, Twitter... Yeah, there's a lot going on.

Wade Bergman got his first goal that counted! (We all know he actually scored his first goal against the Gophers, but that's fine.) And then My Jacky scored, getting Team Cougar on the board for the night (well in that game, as Malcolm Gwilliam had already done so in the MTU-UMTC game), and then Tyler Ruegsegger scored and then Oleksuk and then FINALLY we could all breathe.

In the 2nd period we all went to a dark place of which we will not speak.

Some time in the first 9 minutes of the 3rd period I said something about how I had not heard Kyle Schmidt's name much and that I was ready for him to score a goal. ONCE AGAIN you can give me the 3rd assist on his goal because I TOTALLY CALLED IT. I am sure I have outlined this gift of mine but for those of you who don't know, when I make a call, IT HAPPENS. For example, once when I was away at school, I called my ex-boyfriend and he happened to be at a Twins game. Torii Hunter was up and I said "Tell Torii Hunter to hit a home run," AND HE TOTALLY DID IN THAT AT BAT. If that doesn't convince you, I was at a Twins-Yankees playoff game and as they were doing the starting lineups they announced Henry Blanco (this was the year Baby Jeebus was injured in, like, the second game of the year) and I cheered like crazy and everyone looked at me like I was nuts and then HE HIT A HOMERUN THAT LANDED LIKE THREE ROWS IN FRONT OF ME and then everyone in the section thought I was a genius.

Then My Jacky scored AGAIN and then Rob Bordson FINALLY got himself Off Notice-Goals Only and then Gwoz pulled Chevy (because did it even matter) and I yelled GIVE THE PUCK TO JACKY!!!! as a hat trick nets a LOT of points in fantasy hockey and I am always mindful of that. Alas. No empty net goals were obtained.

I realize this is a terrible recap but I had to at least get something in the books. AND NOW THE AGONIZING BREAK IS UPON US.

Numbers
Wins until we reach last season's total: 2! (Just as I asked!)
Points until we reach last season's total: 10! (Goin' down down down down down!)

My Guys
Jack Connolly: 26! (Wish it had been 27, but I'll take it!)
Brady Lamb: 8
Mike Seidel: 8!

Freshmen
Dylan Olsen: 9
Mike Seidel: 7
Wade Bergman: 2!
Keegan Flaherty: 2
Dan Delisle: 1
Jake Hendrickson: 1
Drew Olson: 1

Connollys
Jacky: 26!
Mikey: 19!

Olsen/Olson
Drew: 1
Dylan: 9

Drews
Olson: 10
Akins: 15

On Notice
Cody Danberg
Dan Delisle
Keegan Flaherty
Chad Huttel
Scott Kishel
Brady Lamb
Drew Olson

Goals Only
Jordan Fulton
Dylan Olsen
Mike Seidel

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!!!

A Day Late and a Dollar Short/Eight is Enough

tUMD 2, Fortunate Nerds 3/tUMD 8, Unfortunate Nerds 1

Oh, I totally failed you all this weekend, I'm sorry. Except I did tweet the Saturday game! Awesome! I tried to avoid typos. It was kind of fun, but it also sort of took away from my maximum enjoyment.

So, Friday. Went to the Coach's Show lunch at tSports Garden. Failed to listen to most of what Sandelin was saying as I was arguing with Ciskie's father-in-law. We have differing views on the team. I will leave it at that. Then they had a drawing and called my ticket number and I yelled "THAT'S ME!" and came on down like it was The Price is Right. And I had to run by Sandy to get it at the front table, where Bob Nielsen was sitting. And it was also live on the radio. Fortunately, there were like 10 people at the brunch and most were geriatric, and who listens to the radio anyway? This sort of ruined my plans to talk to Nielsen about the one-sided article in the Duluth News Tribune about the student section, because 1. the geriatrics were monopolizing him and 2. I had sort of wrecked my credibility by looking like a moron. At least I didn't yell "F*** YEAH!" or something. That would really ruin my case.

The game pretty much depressed me. Especially when the Huskies scored in the middle of the 2nd goal lap. And also the sign that I made offended an idiot. It said "EVERY TIME A COWBELL RINGS" and on the back "GOD KILLS A HUSKY," with KILL in red letters and paint splattered on the sign like blood. That's not really that bad. I didn't draw a dead dog or anything. I should have.

Good things from Friday include goals from JACKY!!!!! and Mikey Seidel, with a Brady Lamb assist on the Jacky goal, which means that all of My Guys had points. I didn't think tUMD played particularly poorly, as they had about a million chances that just didn't pan out. Some days you have the puck luck, some days you don't. Some days you eat the bear, some days the bear eats you. Other good things include seeing my bestie and Biddco after a long period of not seeing them.

Then Saturday.

Saturday we made a bunch of signs including a NORTH WISCONSIN sign with a map of Wisconsin and the UP; a Revenge of the Nerds-themed sign, and one that just said NO. The NO sign was probably the most hilarious. It was so universally applicable.

Then we went to the MTU alumni dinner at tGarden, but I missed out on 1. talking to Jamie Russell and 2. seeing the hottie who is in charge of the MTU alumni stuff. Tragedy. I saw Jamie for like 10 seconds as he was leaving. Then I saw Ross walking like a robot as he was walking to the bathroom to throw up. Before the game. Way to go.

Since Tech won on Friday, Biddco lost the bet he had with MeanEgirl. This meant he had to wear her Kinrade jersey. Then she listed off about 800 things we could not do, including 1. cover the jersey 2. throw it on the floor OR ground 3. throw it in the lake 4. take it off 5. put pins or tape on it or 6. allow anyone else to wear it. Biddy and I got creative and realized he could still ride the pony with it (in front of the Tech parents, which was a bad idea) and also he could hike up his pants and tuck it in like a nerd (ALSO in front of the Tech parents, which was ALSO a bad idea). I laughed so hard I could barely walk. He looked amazing.

He looked ESPECIALLY amazing running EIGHT laps, as tUMD scored EIGHT goals. What? And Justin Fontaine had 4 of them! tUMD fans are lame and only 4 people threw hats on the ice. THAT IS PATHETIC, PEOPLE. PATHETIC. I am going to have to start wearing hats to games simply to make sure I'm ready in case of emergency. Really, there were some stupid hats being worn. Get with the program, people! It's been 5 years since the last one! Did you forget how it worked? I wish I had a YouTube video of Fonz's 3rd goal. Oh my. BIG weekend for Brady Lamb and MCON as well, and former My Guy Rob Bordson. Biddy and I discovered the secret to Rob Bordson's newfound amazingness, although I will not share.

SO incredibly proud of how the guys responded after Friday's loss. Now come down to the Cities and sweep the Gophers.

Numbers
Wins until we reach last season's total: 6! (Let's knock that down some more this weekend!)
Points until we reach last season's total: 18! (Keep rackin' them up!)

My Guys
Jack Connolly: 18! (Another awesome weekend!!!!)
Brady Lamb: 8! (Elevating his game to a new level!!!)
Mike Seidel: 4! (Superb!!!)

Freshmen
Dylan Olsen: 6!
Mike Seidel: 4!
Keegan Flaherty: 2!
Wade Bergman: 1
Dan Delisle: 1
Jake Hendrickson: 1
Drew Olson: 1

Connollys
Jacky: 18!
Mikey: 13! (Catching up!)

Olsen/Olson
Drew: 1
Dylan: 6!

Drews
Olson: 8
Akins: 15

On Notice
Dan Delisle
Jordan Fulton
David Grun
Jake Hendrickson
Chad Huttel
Drew Olson

Goals Only
Drew Akins
Rob Bordson
Cody Danberg
Dylan Olsen

Last Night

tUMD 4, Essentially Canada 3

Yesterday was pretty much insane.

MEg and I headed up to Duluth at about noon after packing the PBHjT shirts that hadn't gone up to Duluth with Biddco last weekend. The ride up was nice, though the fall colors haven't peaked yet. Next weekend, maybe?

I FINALLY got my season tickets, though the only reason I did was because I went to the UMD ticket office to pick them up. I'm a season ticket holder, finally! W00t w00t!

In the final hours of our planning, we went over the cheer a few more times, packed up the shirts into fifteen grocery bags, made a sign for the shirts, and then loaded everything into Linnea's vehicle and headed down to the dreaded Little Angie's.

Biddco put on the banana suit in the DECC parking lot and the five of us hauled the bags inside, where I was to confront my worst fears. I had been in a state of inner panic for the last few hours wondering if the shirts were going to be confiscated. But then the first thing that happened as we walked in was the cop at the door bought a shirt, and we were in.

Once we got set up and students started trickling in, my amazing and fabulous friends went to work to pimp out the shirts any way they could. I have to take a moment to thank them: Zach, Lindsey, Linnea, Richie, Reign, Donna (not me), Adam, and of course MeanEgirl and Biddco. The PBHjT shirts were VERY popular, especially since we had an actual banana.

tUMD decided to raise the Final Five banner yesterday before the game, which was dumb because 1. people don't usually arrive too early on Fridays and 2. we did it against a non-conference opponent and they weren't even on the ice. They should have waited until next weekend and done it in front of Mankato State to rub their faces in it. I thought that was the point of a banner raising. Oh yeah, and also to applaud our team. The BEST part about it was the return of Matt Greer! They should have done it at intermission so more people would be there to applaud him!

The only part of PBHjT that was unsuccessful was doing the actual Peanut Butter Hjelle Time cheer. I'm not really sure why people were so averse to it. I mean, these are the same people who sang "The Wheels On Your House" against Denver. Since when did they get so picky about what cheers they would and would not do?

Justin Fontaine got things going in the first period about 9 minutes in, set up by My Sweet Jacky and Drew Akins. Drew on the power play spells good things for Team Cougar in WCHA fantasy hockey. On the next power play, Fonzie got another totally sick goal on an incredibly sweet setup from My Jacky and also Dylan Olsen, who is the first freshman to get a point! tUMD was rolling until some ill-timed penalties led to LSSU's first goal. LSSU scored with an extra attacker while already on the power play, which at first seemed very unfortunate, but actually just set up My Jacky to get a shorthanded goal! That was very exciting! And of course it was set up by Arthur Fonzarelli and a fresh from the penalty box Scott Kishel.

And thus ended the first period.

Obviously the reason they did the banner raising pre-game was because it was ALSO parents' weekend, and they brought out all the parents on the all-purpose red carpet. Some of us started a "Thank you parents" chant but it didn't last nearly long enough. Don't forget, folks, that our beloved Bulldogs are here thanks to the time, money, love, support, and superior genetics of their parents.

The second period was exciting only because former My Guy Rob Bordson got a goal!!! Fantastic for him. The last time Bordo had a goal was on my birthday in 2007. Getting out from under the burden of being My Guy probably helped him, as I know it's a lot of pressure.

The third period felt pretty flat, and the fans kind of slacked. I blame this on all the normal agitators who went to the Curling Club and didn't return until 5 minutes into the period. I know it's "cool" to try to see how much hockey you can miss in the CC, but the students need their leaders in the section! Lake Superior State brought the deficit within one, which made the game needlessly tense, but Hjelle was up to the task and protected the lead. Dan Delisle laid out a monster hit on a Laker player that registered a 5 on the Richter Scale.

All that is left is to take care of a demoralized Northern Michigan and we will continue our dominance in the Showcase Showdown!

On a side note, a group of us waited for Brady after the game to congratulate him (I know! So unlike me! Normally I would be as far away from the team as possible!!) and to put a face to the banana, which he thought was really funny. He is an incredibly nice guy and we had a nice conversation which mostly revolved around how Michigan Tech sucks.

I will not be at the game on Sunday as it's too much of a stretch to make it up there in time, but t-shirts will STILL be available in case you were unable to pick yours up last night.

Bulldog hockey is back. HALLELUJAH!

Goal Oriented

Before we begin, as a public service announcement, please people. Never use the non-word "orientated." EVER.

A few times when I was in school my teachers would have me write down my goals for the year at the start of the semester. When I was in elementary school it was suck up things like "Get everything right on my tests." I succeeded. In junior high they were more sarcastic like "Don't be stupid" or "get a boyfriend." Again, success. In high school when I took the PSATs I wrote on my answer booklet (which I would get back after I got the results of my test a few months later) "If you don't get National Merit honors, you might as well kill yourself." And I'm alive, so, again, success!

I'm good at setting goals, as you can see. So, AS ALWAYS, I'm here to help tUMD players set some achievable goals for the season! Let's go!

Drew Akins
Take only good penalties. I know you can't resist, but please, either 1. prevent goals or 2. emasculate opponents when you take penalties. Make them useful!

Chase Ryan
Play in some games! Maybe just a couple. I would totally cheer so hard for you. Biddco would be overcome with glee.

Travis Oleksuk
Get a goal EARLY. I mean, I know you're going to score a goal this season, many goals in fact, but get one the first game and get it over with. Then destroy all opponents.

Brady Hjelle
Make PBHjT a HUGE success by getting a shutout, or at the very LEAST, a win. No more of this tying LSSU to start the season. I WANT A WIN.

Jordan Fulton
Do what MacGregor Sharp did last year. You're talented. You're going to be on a great line, I'm pretty sure. And this is what's known as a "contract year." So have on. Beersong thinks you will.

Rob Bordson
End your exceptionally long pointless streak. And try not to look so sulky all the time.

Brady Lamb
Shoot the puck so hard it goes through the back of the net. Like Mike Eaves thought Tom Gorowsky did when Stalock fell down in that UW game. But Goro had just missed.

Mighty Midgets (Jacky, MCON, Wade Bergman, Huttel)
Play (as you three veterans always do) like you're 10 feet tall and bullet proof. Jordan Baker told me it was great to be short. And he's shorter than all of you!

Dan Delisle
Check someone so hard they fall into their own bench.

The rest of you? Uhhh... just do your best. Or even better. If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything*.


*That's good advice, Marty.

Dos and Don'ts

Roster pix are up!!

It's like getting the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue is for men. Kind of. Not really.

I'm sorry, but UMD's site doesn't let me link to the pix, which is very unfortunate.

DO: look much more grown up than last year. (Brady Hjelle)

DON'T: get rid of your awesome facial hair! (Brady Lamb)

DO: wear stylin' pinstripes. (a lot of guys)

DON'T: have a crooked tie/shirt collar. (Jordan Fulton and Brady Hjelle)

DO: wear a pink tie and a big smile! (David Grun)

DON'T: wear exactly the same thing as Rob Bordson. (Jake Hendrickson)

DO: get a haircut so that I can't graft your hair onto anyone else's head. (Mike Connolly)

DON'T: refuse to cut your hair even when the team has awesome mohawks. (Mike Montgomery)

DO: make your hair at least slightly less peroxide-brassy. (Rob Bordson)

DON'T: have frosted tips. You are not Ryan Seacrest. (Justin Fontaine)

DO: use an appropriate amount of hair gel. (Drew Olson)

DON'T: let your mom cut your bangs over the kitchen sink!!! (Jack Connolly)

DO: get a nice hunky summer tan. (Chad Huttel and Scott Kishel)

DON'T: use tanning oil to slick your hair straight back. (Dylan Olsen)

DO: smile and show your cutie dimples. (Kyle Schmidt)

DON'T: look so sad! (Dan Delisle)

DO: be a majorly hot hottie. (Mike Seidel)

Skate-by-Numbers

The new roster is finally, finally, finally up. Sort of. No new pics, to my extreme dissastisfaction. So very very curious to see what the guys look like now that their hair has grown back. Or to see if certain individuals have quit using peroxide on their hair. And also to see who had to share their suit and tie.

1 Kenny Reiter
2 Brady Lamb
3 Chase Ryan
4 Evan Oberg
5 Trent Palm (quit being #54, which is good. This isn't football!!)
6 Scott Kishel
7 Drew Akins
8 Drew Olson (okay, grouping the Drews together is good)
10 Dan DeLisle
11 Kyle Schmidt
12 Jack Connolly (Is Chris keeping the same number, too?)
13 Travis Oleksuk
14 Keegan Flaherty
19 Rob Bordson (Switching it up from #15)
21 Cody Danberg
22 Mike Connolly
23 Jordan Fulton
24 Mike Montgomery
26 Chad Huttel
27 David Grun (Excellent choice staying with #27, David! Be ready to score me a birthday goal!)
28 Wade Bergman
30 Brady Hjelle
37 Justin Fontaine

Stealth (no numbers yet)
Jake Hendrickson
Dylan Olsen
Mike Seidel (Pick #15!! Pick #15!!! It's the hottie number!)

Ultra Stealth (not on roster yet)
Aaron Crandall

Sneaky (still on the roster)
Evan Oberg

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!

You Can Leave Your Hat On

tUMD 4, Mankato State University 0

I hope I get an angry letter from MSU-M's attorneys demanding I cease and desist the use of the term "Mankato State University." That would be awesome. It would mean that someone felt that RWD was important enough to threaten with legal action. That's a big deal, guys. I'd get my attorney right on a response.

I really really really really really really appreciate Jack Connolly's efforts to NOT get a hat trick when I wasn't at the game. That would be unbelievably unfair. As it was, it was the THIRD game in a ROW that one of MY GUYS had TWO GOALS. AMAZING. Wow. In years past, maybe I've picked some Guys who were not so handy with the goal scoring, but we can't help who we love. It's very cool to have My Guys having great years. Bordson, I know you'll get going soon! Every time I see you in the stands you look so sad. In Chicago we actually started singing "All By Myself." It was poignant. BE HAPPY!!!! From what I saw of the game, however, it seemed like Jacky had enough grade-A chances to have a double hattrick. I would make up another name for it but I think people would get the wrong idea.

Gergy's goal was fairly hilarious. It was like the goal tUMD gave up to send the NC game to overtime at Lake Placid in 1984. I'm not actually old enough to have remembered actually seeing it (and I was probably snuggled in my crib asleep with my stuffed penguin, or possibly sitting with a wet diaper and tears streaming down my face as my parents stayed glued to the television and ignored my wailing. This is why I should not have children), but it must have haunted DA's dreams for years afterward (or even still) because he has described it to me in detail. The puck went behind the net and Zacharias (Kosti) went to play it, and it hit a little pieces of the boards that was sticking out and came right out front again to Gergen (some nobody from Bowling Green) who did what a good Gergy does and scored. Yay!

Al played OUTSTANDINGLY tonight, and was a total darling in his post-game interview with that girl who really really needs help with questions ("How did you stop all those shots tonight?" I wish he'd answered "WITH MY NINJA POWERS" or something), attributing the shutout to the team and their defence. Great job, Alex! You're such a good role model for little Brady and little Kenny.

Oh, and Charter? In addition to hiring reporters who are essentially clueless (except the African-American gentleman at intermission doing the "This Week In The WCHA" roundup, who made Telly look like Ben Stein... wait... Telly makes Telly look like Ben Stein), you also have the production quality of a television station in the heart of the Congo. I assume. I am EXTREMELY UPSET that there was no post-period interview of you-know-who. Jordy Fulton's interview was nice but he had crazy eyes, which I guess made it even better.

Tomorrow's itinerary

8:00-4:30: deal with the Great Unwashed Masses at work

4:30-6:45: drive to Duluth

7:07: face off!

9:30 (approx): stick salute

9:40 (approx): unprintable things with FHG and Cardinal

YAY!

The Numbers
Wins until we equal last season's total: 3! (YESSSSSSSSS!)
Points until we equal last season's total: 6! (EEEEEEEEE!!)

My Guys
MacGregor Sharp: 24
Jack Connolly: 17!
Michael Gergen: 11!
Rob Bordson: 0

Freshmen
Mike Connolly: 20
Jack Connolly: 17!
Scott Kishel: 2 (FANTASTIC hit though, way to throw around the body Scotty! Hey, that rhymed!)
Travis Oleksuk: 1
David Grun: 0
Brady Lamb: 0

On Notice:
Rob Bordson
Matt Greer
Alex Stalock

Goals Only
Drew Akins
Andrew Carroll
Jay Cascalenda (hey, all right!)
Cody Danberg
Nick Kemp
Josh Meyers
Mike Montgomery
Trent Palm
Kyle Schmidt

I Kissed A Girl And I Liked It

You know... because tying is "sister-kissing"...

tUMD 1, "Winners" 1












Woohoo! This was how our drive home started today! But MEg is a true road warrior and navigated us safely through 0 visibility (believe it or not, there were times when it got WORSE than the photo) as we laughed and counted cars in the ditch. Morons. Learn to drive.

I am so lazy, I know, but it's just been a really long and fun weekend and I also had some internet issues so this post is almost 24 hours after the game ended.

The first loud cheer of the night came in the 3rd period when Howie mentioned the football team's imminent arrival in the Twin Ports and the subsequent rally. Which, okay, very exciting and happy, I watched the game and laughed at the myriad turnovers, but it was not cool because there should have been something else to cheer about before then. Meaning A GOAL. Or MANY GOALS. Sigh.

Obi got a power play goal soon after that announcement, which was great, and I figured tDogs could hold on, but they did not, and Tech got a PP goal with under 4 minutes to go. Evidently Mike Connolly is not allowed to check more than one person at a time. I said to Bruce "Did he just check three people?" Awesome. And tragic because he got a penalty which resulted in a Tech goal. Deeeeeeepressing. Whatever. Things didn't happen. Goals were not scored by us. Sadness occurred. But, still a point, and still live Bulldog hockey, which is awesome and fun.

This was the last tUMD game of 2008 and while I totally believe the guys deserve a break to study and rest and get healthy and just chill, I am REALLY GOING TO MISS HOCKEY. Next weekend Tech plays NMU and I'll probably follow along for some good times and cheer on Tech, but it's not the same... I want my guys playing!! I'll be headed to Chicago for the tournament and then I'm not sure when my next game live game will be! Upsetting!

Don't worry. There will be plenty of content here. I think.

The Numbers
Wins until we equal last season's total: 4
Points until we equal last season's total: 8! (Well, at least we still got a point!)

My Guys
MacGregor Sharp: 19
Jack Connolly: 13
Michael Gergen: 7
Rob Bordson: 0

Freshmen
Mike Connolly: 15
Jack Connolly: 13
David Grun: 0
Scott Kishel: 0
Brady Lamb: 0
Travis Oleksuk: 0

On Notice:
Rob Bordson
Andrew Carroll
Jay Cascalenda
Matt Greer
Alex Stalock

Goals Only
Drew Akins
Mike Connolly
Cody Danberg
Michael Gergen
Mike Montgomery
Trent Palm

What Happens in Duluth...

tUMD 3, Guys Just Happy To Get A Goal 1

Yes, I know, this post is extremely late. But things happened. Secret things. And now I'm watching tUMD football and marvelling at the quality of D2 football. And I also kind of feel like death.

Jacky got a goal, which was so exciting, even though I didn't realize it was him until Howie announced it, so I didn't go as ape-[feces] as I should have.

MEg, Yager and I went out with some Duluth friends last night. We had a good time. That is all.

The Numbers
Wins until we equal last season's total: 4! (Rollin', rollin', rollin'!)
Points until we equal last season's total: 9! (YAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!)

My Guys
MacGregor Sharp: 19! (Ee! Power play goal!)
Jack Connolly: 13! (Off-notice! And scored a totally hott goal!)
Michael Gergen: 7
Rob Bordson: 0

Freshmen
Mike Connolly: 15!
Jack Connolly: 13!
David Grun: 0
Scott Kishel: 0
Brady Lamb: 0
Travis Oleksuk: 0

On Notice:
Rob Bordson
Andrew Carroll
Jay Cascalenda
Matt Greer
Alex Stalock

Goals Only
Drew Akins
Cody Danberg
Michael Gergen
Mike Montgomery
Trent Palm