I Love It When I'm Right (Which, FYI, is constantly)

I was really excited to post right away about the awesomeness of Saturday night (!), but then Air Bud was on, and I had to watch it. And record it on my DVR and watch it over and over again.

Okay, maybe not.

Business first: A big thanks to the 2 great folks who linked to me. When (if???) I get the new site up and running, I will have actual links, but for now, I'm just going to have to post them here.

Drop The Puck! is the latest news and analysis from way up there in Anchorage, Alaska. Except he calls snowmobiles, "snowmachines." HAH!

Full DECC sometimes talks about the Bulldogs, but he also discusses high school hockey and random other stuff. Plus, he recently got engaged! Mazel Tov!

Now back to your regularly scheduled hockey talk.
Bad news first: Friday night.

Friday night started out okay. I even got to listen to the game (w00t!), and I made some notes, but they seem to have disappeared amongst the rest of my mixed-up files. Okay, Gergy goes down with the old checking from behind b.s., not very happy about that (but I still love you!!!! I promise!!!!), oh crap, 5 minute major to kill off. But THEN, the BADGERS take a penalty and effectively kill off their power play. Maybe they scored on the 4X4, but that's okay. WE DIDN'T GIVE UP A POWER PLAY GOAL!!!!!!!! YES!!!!!!! GO PENALTY KILL!!!!!!!! And then Sharpy scored less than 3 minutes later! Later on, after Robbie Earl-Louganis scored (the eventual game winner), Nick Kemp scored! Yeah! Timely goals! Nothing can keep us down! Woo! We left the 2nd period feeling like the game was within reach. And then the third period. The craziness, the weirdness, the scoring of two goals by Ben Street, Jim Jensen and Jack Skille dropping the gloves and not getting fighting majors, a bunch of crap. I thought, "Oh brother, was my prediction wrong? How can we salvage this weekend? Woe is me!"

Why would I ever doubt myself?

And now, the good news: Saturday night. Saturday night I was unable to listen until the postgame show, which UMDDogz turned at the party we were at. It didn't sound like we had won, so I went back to paying attention to the chocolate fountain (or something), and then all of a sudden, he says, "They won!" What? Won? A game? Against Wisconsin? WOO HOO! Of course the 'Dogs would come through for me, and get up for Wisconsin. WOOO HOOO!!!! THREE POWER PLAY GOALS!!!! Nick Kemp is on fire!!! Isaac Reichmuth even got a point! I am so excited!!! Why couldn't I have listened to the game??!!?!?! Curse you, Horrible Job!

Now, riddle me this? What do you get when you combine getting off work at 5 on Friday, and having Saturday off?

A bye weekend. I can actually listen to both games, and there are no games to listen to! And after that... well, 1 win does not a win streak make.

Bah. Time for laundry. And more Air Bud!

Been Down So Long, It Looks Like Up To Me

So, it's Bucky time again. My favorite time of year! Why? Because even when we're sucking harder than a black hole, we can gut it out against the Badgers. For example, last year, we were in a tailspin, and we still took 3 points from them on 4 & 5 March. Two years ago, we went to their house and secured ourselves as the #2 spot in the WCHA. Three years ago, we split, and four years ago... well, let's not go back that far. So I feel good about this weekend. I feel FANTASTIC about this weekend, actually, because I'll actually be able to listen to the game. Therefore, there had better not be any of this 7-1 crap this weekend. BRETT HULL is going to be there, 'Dogs. Don't look like jackasses in front of someone whose jersey the school is going to retire.

I don't wish any ill will toward Brian Elliott, I hope he recovers well and returns to form. However, I feel no shame in telling the 'Dogs to exploit the gift the Badgers are giving us (the gift being Shane Connelly) to the fullest extent. Kick 'em while they're down? Heck yeah! But we're down? So what? This is our chance, we can claw our way out of the basement on the backs of the Badgers. We can humiliate them! One of the top teams in the country being taken down by a team on the verge of a total breakdown? They would lose their collective jock. Shane Connelly can not stop shots the way a Bobby G. or a Tormey can (although we've let some pretty weak goaltenders get away with wins this season, so I guess I shouldn't talk), plus NO ONE has confidence in him (his team's actions when finding out Elliott was hurt spoke loud and clear, plus he's 0-4 for a team that only had 2 prior losses), so we could do this, people. I mean, these are the BADGERS we're talking about. The DIRTY, DIRTY Badgers! From Robbie Earl and his mentor to the Bush League play of Ryan "Boarding" MacMurchy, they are dirty. And did I mention they were dirty?

I have fond, fond memories of Wisconsin the last few years.
Two years ago, on the final weekend of the season, I drove from Champaign, IL up to Madison for the weekend, sat in the Madison student section, and screamed "Hobey F-ing Baker" every time Lucien, Jr. touched the puck. We of course tied (would have won, but a goal was waved off) and then won, and there were a lot of red fans unhappy with me. Oh, and then I ran my car into the ground on the way back, I ended up on the side of the road in I-39 with a dead transmission. That was fun!
Last year, I drove from here to Madison for the Saturday night game, and even though we lost, I did make a girl look stupid when we pulled our goalie during a delayed penalty. It's so easy to make Bucky fans look stupid, they don't know anything about hockey. Okay, maybe some of them do, but I have never met them. If you are a knowledgable Wisconsin hockey fan, please come see me, I'll shake your hand. Then I'll give you a short quiz.*

I'm losing steam here, so I would like to say, let's get a win this weekend! Even a split would be fine! Let's Go Dogs!!!!

*I'm using the definition of "short quiz" my plasma and fusion professor used. It turned out to be a long midterm. We were unprepared. So even this footnote is putting you in a better spot than we were. I hated that class.

FAQ

This is probably the most hits I've had EVER in one day, what are you people doing here? Morbid curiosity, I suppose. Now I have to respond to the Frequently Asked Questions I can sense in your mind.

Do you actually think you're funny? Because this is so lame.

Well, I do get a good chuckle out of some of the things I write, so yes, I think I'm funny. There isn't a whole lot to laugh about this season, unfortunately. The better question would be, "Do you think other people think you're funny?" Probably not, no, so don't worry.


Why are there so many gaps between posts?

I'm lazy, for one. Lack of inspiration doesn't help. I don't always get to listen to the games because I'm working, so it's hard to write "recaps" when you don't know how the game went. (It is very easy to write a recap when you lose 7-1, because you know the only think that could have happened is hardcore sucking, but losing 3-2 could be a good game, a game we let slip away, or a game we almost came back in.) Plus, when I'm writing a site essentially for my own amusement, I don't have a deadline.


What is the point of this site?

When I started it, I had grandiose visions of it becoming the next Batgirl!, but I'm just not that clever, nor am I that dedicated. Ultimately, it's just another way for a hockey dork like me to enjoy the game.


Why is the design of the site so lame?

That's something that actually can't be blamed on me. I don't know advanced web design, but I do know someone who can design a site. I asked this person to design me a site that actually looked decent, and he agreed. The site looks the same as the day I launched it. Thus, he is the Alleged Webmaster. He can be blamed for the lame Blogger template of this site.


I could write a better site than this.

Well, that isn't a question, homeslice. But maybe you could. You might write something that has more to do with actual hockey (or actual reality). You might write something with many grammatical mistakes and spelling errors. However, if you wanted to write something funny, about the Bulldogs, or about WCHA hockey in general, you could certainly use this site as a home for your little column. All you have to do is ask politely. I would love to have you elevate the level of this site. Make sure that you spell- and grammar-check first.


Why do you like Mike Curry so much, even though his offensive output this year has been totally pathetic?

I have no explanation for that, but I also have no apologies.

If I leave mean comments on this blog, will it hurt your feelings?

No, in fact, mean comments actually inflate my ego. I mean, not only do people who love me (i.e. my grandparents) read this, but now people who hate me do, too! Hatred is the highest form of flattery. *Kisses!*

So, please, enjoy the site if you can, and never come back if you can't. Salut!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Where Have You Gone, Mike Curry?

Un(?)fortunately, I didn't get to listen to the game AGAIN nor will I be listening to it to(morrow?) night. However, I do feel like I need to have a little chat with one of our players.

Mike, you're my buddy, although we've never actually met. I feel this connection to you that I only feel to very special players. It was so hot when you got 2 goals in 30 seconds. The earth stood still. UMDDogz even picked up his phone and called me, and if you only knew how rare that was, then maybe you would understand. The world is a better place when you score in it. But there's a disturbing pattern here.

vs. MSU-M: 0g 0a 0sog
vs. SCSU: 0g 0a 1sog
vs. Michigan Tech: 0g 0a 0sog (DNP Friday)
vs. USA U18: DNP
vs. Cornell: 0g 0a 0sog
vs. Maine: 0g 0a 3sog

I could continue, but I won't. I think, since we know the reason you sat for a little while, that maybe it's not clear, but if you do not shoot, you will not score. I know that you do not have to score goals, you can be a playmaker, set them up, but all those zeroes are starting to look like the score sheet from the time in grade school when I asked my dad to chaperone a field trip to a bowling alley and I bowled a 7.
Let's remember the good times, like when you came over to my house and had sodas and cuddled on the couch. I really enjoyed that, probably as much as you enjoyed whatever you did in Alaska. I want to see you turn your game around. My buddy TheBizzle over at The Penalty Box agrees. Anyone else, I might have given up on, but not you. You know I could never have the heart to put you in the Humane Society of the WCHA (although I haven't even had the energy to put anyone in there), but any relationship requires some give and take. I can't listen to the game tomorrow night, and I know that always makes the team feel neglected, but I've gotta make a buck. Imagine how I would feel if I came home from a hard day in the dog-eat-dog world of retail and saw you scored another game-winning goal. Or a goal. Or had an assist. Or a good game.

Where have you gone, Mike Curry? The Bulldog Nation turns its lonely eyes to you. Woo woo woo.

Chutes and Ladders

This slide is really hard on me. I don't really like losing, but I can deal with it. However, it wears on me.

Though you might not believe it, I'm not that upset, because this last game had some fun things.

1. A power play goal, which we haven't had since... well, I seem to have forgotten.
2. A GOAL FROM JEFF MCFARLAND, HOLY CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I almost died. I'm always thinking "What if McFarland got a goal?" and then he did and it was so glorious.
3. We were losing 5-0 at one point and still came back to a point where I actually thought we could win it.
4. Exciting fighting action at the end, with Nick Kemp getting a game DQ. If they can get FIRED UP and PISSED OFF about losing, well, that's more than they've done in the past.

oh my, they just took the goal away from McFarland. That is so depressing. At least he got an assist, but holy crap.

Um, Dan Kronick. Ugh.

Please win, please please please, win next weekend. Then maybe I will have more energy to write a better post. I was all pumped to write a long one, and then they announced they were changing the McFarland goal and it just deflated me.

Rik Jordan will be there!!! Awesome!!!

Okay, that's all for now. I don't want to get negative about this team, although CERTAIN PEOPLE need to STAY OUT OF THE DAMN PENALTY BOX when they are CAPTAIN OF THE TEAM.

Regular posting to Runnin' With The Dogs will resume when the staff recovers from the mental and physical strain of working retail during the holiday season and then getting really sick immediately after things returned to normal.

A back massage would speed things up a bit, FYI.

Thanks,

The Management

The Point

I was composing this post while I was driving home from work (which is slowly sucking my soul out through my pores) and so I have to tell this story first. I do appreciate the irony of the title, though. I was driving along and I needed to switch lanes, so I put on my blinker, checked the car that was behind me, and got over. Little did I know, the car behind me wanted to go even faster than they were already going, and so it "appeared" that I cut this person off, intead of what actually happened, which was this person decided to zoom up and close the gap before I could get over. So they decided to flash their high beams at me, and I waved back (but due to crippling arthritis, only one finger actually made it up), so they did it a few more times. Good lord. What is wrong with people?

Anyway, I have so many points to make.

I understand not every freshmen comes in ready for the game, and not every player is destined to be a star. However, I do expect that those freshmen will learn and grow and mature, escalating their level of play, and as juniors and seniors they should be major contributors.

We have four goalies and one is drastically underused. Guess which one?

This weekend is a must-win. It is also a must-have-the-feed-tonight.

Dad should be out of the country every weekend since they just killed last weekend.

I was PMed by someone with the screen name of one of the Bulldog players. I don't know if this actually means it was him or someone pretending to be him. I erased it without reading it, because on a message board, you can't trust if people who are they say they are, but I was a little curious. It was someone I have heavily criticized (not Steve Czech), so I'm curious about what they had to say, if it really was him, but oh well.

Game is 25 min away, I'm watching the Gopher-Bucky pregame and listening to the Sioux-Tech game. Lots of hockey tonight! Better go.

Rock Yale Like a Hurricane

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Bulldog Road Trip

I understand that three posts in one day might be a little overwhelming to you people, but I feel this format is superior to one big long post, since the topics are so different. Now you can read them one at a time and really savor the moment.

The primary purpose of this road trip was to make a coaching visit to the DECC, but it quickly turned into a scenic tour through the hometowns of many Bulldogs. We also stopped off at the US Hockey Hall of Fame, scoping out the future corner of the Runninwiththedogs Tribute. Corner? you say, You don't belong in a corner! Well, I appreciate the sentiment, but once the initial exhibition is over with, a corner is good enough for me. I'm not conceited or anything. Anyway, from the hallowed streets of Mountain Iron, MN to the tough back-alleys of Bovey Minnesota, we visited no less than 16 hometowns of 21 once and current Bulldogs.

Hermantown, MN, home of Nick Kemp and Jon Francisco
Mountain Iron, MN, home of Matt Niskanen
Vadnais Heights, MN, home of Matt Greer
Plymouth, MN, home of Jeff McFarland
Bovey, MN, home of Marco Peluso
Pengilly, MN, home of Josh Miskovich
Proctor, MN, home of Nick Anderson
Maple Grove, MN, home of Ryan Swanson
Coleraine, MN, home of Beau Geisler
Duluth, MN, home of Matt Mathias, Mark Gunderson, Ryan Coole and Adam Coole
Minnetonka, MN, home of Drew Otten (and current RWD world headquarters!)
Twig, MN, home of Steve Rodberg
Grand Rapids, MN, home of Michael Miskovich and Craig Pierce
Hibbing, MN, home of Chad Kolar
Ramsey, MN, home of Jerrid Reinholz
Elk River, MN, home of Richie Anderson

*we were pretty close to Esko, MN, which is home for Josh Johnson, but we didn't actually go by it since we didn't travel that stretch of 53.

Still waiting on the pilgrimage to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.

A Few Minutes With...

On the recent road trip, the crack reporting team here at RWD managed to get in a few interviews.

First off, in the Radisson hotel, we encountered one dapperly dressed Dave Hakstol, checking out of the hotel or something. No words passed between us, but I could tell he knew I was there. While I was thinking "Wow, it's Dave Hakstol," he was thinking "Wow, it's RunninwiththeDogs."

Then I saw Ratislav Spirko, and while I know it's considered consorting with the enemy and I feel cheap and dirty about it, I think he is just so cute I want to fold him up in my pocket and take him home with me. He was pretty excited, too, I could tell by the way he turned his back to me and pretended not to notice at all.

At the game, I had a sit-down with Todd Anderson, Zebra Extraordinaire. It was a sit-down in the sense that I was sitting, although he was standing on the ice. Here is the interview.

Anderson calls yet another penalty on the 'Dogs.

RWD: Hey Anderson, just how badly do you want the Sioux to win??

Anderson: ...

Excuse me, the phone is ringing. It's FSN, calling to offer me a reporting job.

The Humane Society of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cheers!

A Teaching Moment

Well, you can't win them all. After last weekend, maybe I got a little excited, maybe a little ahead of myself. However, I knew that something like this could happen.
And yet, I am darn proud of the 'Dogs tonight. 2 Power Play goals? Coming back to within 1 with a chance to tie, when they were down 2-0 2:14 into the game? Killing off 7 of 8 penalties? This was a team that started out totally disorganized and then found themselves midway through the game. Only a few weeks ago, this team was starting out disorganized and then deteriorating as they got behind. They have matured, they're pulling it together, and playing hard. I am pleased with the effort tonight (although the defensive effort could have been better...)
I tend to believe the 'Dogs are one of the best conditioned teams around, and they will be able to skate with, or even outskate the Fighting Sioux tomorrow night. And I'll be there to see it!

LET'S GO 'DOGS!!!

Dinner With the Legends

For those of you who were previously unaware, Runnin' with the 'Dogs has correspondents from all over the country, nay, the world. You might be surprised, but it's true. We have top-of-the-line hockey analysts here, here, here, here, and even here. Anyway, RWD sat down with three other legendary Bulldog fans, our combined Bulldog fan-dom spanning over 150 years. Bulldog hockey hasn't even been around for 150 years, so that's pretty great. We discussed a myriad of topics, including:

-my new job as assistant coach (great start, 3 points against the Gophers! However, some were skeptical of the legitimacy of the "article")

-Kerry Rodd getting the axe (I was, shamefully, unaware, but apparently since he had "no idea where the puck was," it's a good thing to some of the crew)

-the recap of the game in the Star Tribune (no one gives the 'Dogs credit, either they get replaced with superhuman robots or the Gophers get injected with sedatives and can't skate, it's never just that the 'Dogs are better)

-Harrington's skate in the face of Reichmuth (horrifying, and one of the crew even thought it was intentional. However, that person sometimes makes claims even more outrageous than I do.)

-Friday night's game (I was the only one who saw it. I had to explain quite a bit, and do some reenacting)

-This website (most had never read it, one was complaining about the slowness of the updates, but for crying out loud, I'm coaching a team and working another grueling and irritating job!)

-Deer hunting (one-time contributer UMDDogz shot one)

This weekend, the RWD team is taking a road trip up to Duluth for the Saturday game of the North Dakota series. Next week's posting will probably be even later, but might be accompanied by pictures.

UMD Announces New Assistant Coach

From the Duluth News-Tribune

"Thanks to her amazing pep talk going into the Michigan Tech series, the University of Minnesota-Duluth has announced that Runninwiththedogs will be a new assistant coach of the Bulldogs' mens hockey team. Head coach Scott Sandelin says he is excited about the new addition to the staff. '[Runninwiththedogs] is a real motivator, she really gets the point across to the guys in a way I was not capable of last year. I really wish she had been with the team last year, because we had the talent but not the heart. This year we've got a lot of young people coming in, and we want to exorcize any of the remaining demons from last year, so we can build a strong team. Anyone who can take a team that loses its first four games and give them a strong road win in the first league series of the year really knows what they are doing.' The coach was not alone in his sentiments. Senior Captain Steve Czech, who was loudly criticized by RWD last year for some key defensive mistakes, looks forward to her guidance. 'She's really shown me what I need to work on, and she doesn't pull any punches. If I had a bad game, she tells me. If I did a good job, she grudgingly admits it. I think if we'd had someone as tough as her last year, we'd have gutted it out and made it to the NCAA tournament.' Teammate Michael Gergen was not around last year for the disappointing season, but he notes that Runninwiththedogs has changed the atmosphere since she has been on board. 'Even if we lose, she still points out the bright spots, which is great, because that means she says a lot of things good about me. But she has a great way of getting right to the crux of any problem.' The Bulldogs are going into a home stand against key rival Minnesota, and things are looking brighter than they were a few days ago. Some home points against strong teams will get this team turned around, and the staff has every confidence that with this more complete coaching staff, they will have a strong showing in the next few series. On the lighter side, former Bulldog captain Evan Schwabe was reached for comment on the new coach. 'I wish [Runninwiththedogs] had been with the team last year. Man, is she hot.' That's what we hear."

Okay, so maybe that didn't really happen. There is a slight possibility I might not have had anything to do with the ABSOLUTELY AMAZING showing the 'Dogs had this past weekend. While I was watching the Denver-North Dakota game at Joe Senser's in Bloomington (with resident Sioux guru MafiaMan and former UW correspondent The Hick), the 'Dogs were busy beating the breezers off of Michigan Tech. Scoff if you will, but if the 'Dogs had played the way they had against Vermont and Bemidji, they could have been swept in Houghton. And then things could have been reaaaaaaaally ugly for the Minnesota series, and then HIDEOUS for the UND series, and that would be a real tragedy, because I'm going to the Saturday night game.

The thing is, THEY DIDN'T PLAY THAT WAY. They played WELL. I am HAPPY.
Key reasons:
1. Tim Stapleton found the net on the power play (thanks to Matt McKnight, who also set up Mason Raymond's first goal)
2. Michael G got another goal, which always makes me happy.
3. Mike Curry, offensive STUD, got two goals in less than a minute.
4. Isaac played well. I hope he will become the go-to guy, and we will no longer start our rookies on Friday night games.
5. All important entry into the W column, and 3 conference points! I won't even nitpick about the tie, because it was a road series, and 3 points in a road series is pretty darn good!

LET'S GO DOGS!!!!

(p.s. to the UMD AD: if you DO want to make me an asst. coach, I have a crummy job I would give up in a heartbeat.)

If You Can't Say Anything Nice...

... just say you love Michael Gergen and leave it at that.

Really, what else am I going to say? Stop taking stupid penalties? Stop getting MAJOR penalties? Put the puck in the net? Don't turn the puck over? I mean, these sorts of things are what you learn in, say, mini-mites. And all of these players have been in mini-mites (or the Canadian equivalent), so they should know. It's like in kindergarten when you learn to share, and listen when the teacher is talking, and not to pinch, and then you grow up and see other adults being selfish, talking over each other, and pinching people's behinds. You think what the heck, didn't you learn anything in kindergarten? There was a whole book written on the subject. Evan Schwabe should write a book about hockey: All I Need To Know About Hockey I Learned in Kindergarten. Then he will lovingly dedicate the book to ME. Right.

I'm not going to start calling anyone out... yet. YET BEING THE OPERATIVE WORD, PEOPLE WITH NO POINTS AND MANY PENALTY MINUTES, I AM LOOKING IN YOUR DIRECTION.

I am going to the North Dakota @ UMD game on 12 November AND YOU GUYS HAD BETTER MAKE ME PROUD because I am taking time off work and driving up there and I had to get up early to buy tickets and they were not super cheap. BUT I KNOW THE HOUSE WILL BE ROCKIN' AND YOU'LL PULL IT TOGETHER AND WIN IT FOR ME AND WE WILL JOIN HANDS AND SING KUMBAYAH.

Word.

The South Side of Chicago...

...is the baddest part of town, etc. etc. etc.

The Twins are playing the White Sox and the Wild are playing the Blackhawks. The Twins and Bitch Sox are tied 1-1 and the 'Hawks are up 2-1 at, ahem, presstime. Which means, right now. Please win, Minnesota teams. Please lose, Chicago teams. That is all.

DEAR GOD I LOVE HOCKEY. PLEASE BULLDOGS WIN LOTS THIS YEAR WITH YOUR TOTALLY AWESOME FRESHMEN!

C is for Czech?

Um, yeah, so remember how Steve Czech gives a lot of turnovers in the defensive zone and that the entire d-corps sort of sucked it up last year?

WELL WHY WOULD YOU REWARD THAT WITH A CAPTAINSHIP?????????

Especially when you've got a great leader in Tim Stapleton, who is also better looking.

I guess it's not for me to say. BUT IT SHOULD BE.

Gather Ye Rosehills While Ye May

I remember talking to some of my friends at SiouxSports about the upcoming season, and how our teams will both be young at D. However, I told them, I think Jay Rosehill will be totally killer this season, now that he's had a year of experience under his belt, and learned not to be such a thug (I hoped.) But he can take that year of experience and stick it where the sun don't shine, because he's signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Just kidding, I'm totally happy for ya, buddy!

But why you gotta play me like that?

Really, ED is not something the Bulldogs have had to worry about in the past, and when I say ED, I don't mean something that can be cured by anything Rafael Palmeiro has ever endorsed. (I say it like that because if I said actual drug names, I bet I'd get spammed like mad.) However, with the new class of recruits, I think we might have more folks at risk for ED (Matt Niskanen, I'm looking in your direction...) At least this means we are recruiting good players, which is key to the success of the program. Thought that was a no-brainer? Well... Anyway, Matt is going to help fill the big gaping chasm in defense left by... um... oh yeah our defense kinda sucked a little last year. So he'll help close off the black hole of suckitude from last season. Let's not have our goals per game be the same as our opponents' goals per game! Because when I saw that stat, it did not make me happy.

By the way, when I saw who we were returning at D, I shuddered: Travis Gawryletz (whom I like very much), Ryan Swanson (who is not good), and Steve Czech (who I have threatened to maim on several occasions, usually following turnovers in our defensive zone, which are bad. Very bad. TAKE NOTE, STEVE.)

So, in a very roundabout way, I'm saying

I can't wait for hockey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and don't suck at defense this year.

In other news... I'm moving to Las Vegas.