How Was Your Weekend?

tUMD 1, Fhawks 2/tUMD 3, Fhawks 4 (OT)
tUMD 1, SCSUCKS 3/tUMD 1, SCSUCKS 2 (3on3OT)

Well, at least I had one leap-out-of-my-seat-with-joy moment for the weekend, when North Dakota scored on themselves with 22 seconds to go to tie up the game. I had previously given up on the game when the FHAWKS had gone up 3-1 with under three minutes to go in the game. Sidney Morin answered a little over a minute later, and then a scramble led to UND putting the puck in their own net, followed by a short review, and then some whining from UND’s coaching staff.

I’m struggling a bit with motivation to attend hockey games. I suppose since all three teams I follow are slumping or struggling, it’s not surprising. Friday afternoon, I missed the women’s game, since I was still at work. I sauntered in to the men’s game halfway through the first period, for no reason other than pure laziness. Saturday I started my workout late, and was just hopping into the shower when I should have been leaving for the women’s game. I ended up arriving during the first intermission. I went home between games, so I managed to be late to the men’s game as well, though only by a few minutes. I probably would have been later if I’d been going by myself. I’m radiating apathy at this point.

Really the only way to describe the men’s season right now is massively disappointing. There’s no reason for this team to score so few goals. Yes, we have a tough schedule. So? We’re not AIC. Good teams have to beat other good teams. The best seasons of tUMD hockey are the seasons they’ve won the games they should and the games they shouldn’t. They won games in 2010-11 and 2011-12 that they had no business winning. This year they’re not even winning the games they should *coughbemidjicough* and it sucks. It’s really hard to get motivated to go out in sub-zero weather and see only one lousy stinking rotten goal, considering the offensive firepower this team should have.

I don’t find the women’s season surprising, so it’s not quite as upsetting. I don’t like seeing the team struggle, but it would have taken a miracle to avoid a backslide. A new coach, a short bench, and improvement from the bottom-feeders of the league have put tDogs in a terrible position. This can’t continue, but I’ve gritted my teeth and accepted that this season won’t be perfect.

The Wild also suck right now, so that doesn’t help.

It’s going to warm up again, both literally and figuratively speaking. The men and the women have winnable games coming up. Neither team has been mathematically eliminated from postseason play. Today is the last horrifically cold day in the extended forecast. Weekends can be enjoyable again! It is possible.

See you all at AMSoil on Friday night !