Darkest Days

tUMD 2, Buttmidji 3/tUMD 0, Buttmidji 2

Well, this is certainly a low point. The first time ever that Bemidji has swept the season against tUMD. And if tUMD men don’t figure something out for the makeup game in February, tDogs will go 0-6 against the buck-toothed hicks. (Possibly worse, depending on match-ups in the post-season for the women.)

I don’t want to live in a world where tUMD loses to Bemidji on the regular. I just don’t.

I missed Friday’s game, which is rather pathetic because I have complained about not being able to make Friday games. I could have gone but I was tired and fighting off a cold and I’m glad I didn’t because hockey was so depressing. So very, very depressing. Between tUMD men, women, and the Wild, my teams went 0-5 on the weekend.

Saturday I did attend the game and was inside the lobby at puck drop. I know it’s hard to believe. This is partially because I was running errands before the game and finished them early.

I don’t want to say I wish I hadn’t gone, because I want to support the team no matter what. But it is incredibly frustrating to continually lose to teams against whom tUMD is evenly matched (specifically UND & BSU). It is SO hard to watch. And it makes no sense. Obviously the main difference is goaltending: UND and BSU have goaltenders who steal games for them on the regular. tUMD hasn’t had a game-stealing goaltender in years. Rooney is a freshman and perhaps will be that woman, but she isn’t yet.

Of course, tUMD made neither SAB nor Mowat work very hard for their wins. The men and women have similar scoring issues: almost every shot is routine, almost telegraphed. Excellent, positionally sound goaltenders are not going to misjudge boring old shots. tUMD started scoring on SAB last weekend because they got her moving. tDogs couldn’t solve Mowat because she didn’t have to move.

tDogs are playing tOSU this weekend, bringing Jenny Potter back to Duluth for her head coaching debut. I would like 6 points. I would like to be uplifted by two hockey games where I can cheer and get excited and celebrate goals. tDogs have a relatively favorable schedule to end the season, thanks to their horrendous front-loaded schedule that pitted tDogs against UMTC, UW, UND, and Harvard in one torrid stretch, as well as away games at Boston College the second weekend into the season. Steal a game (or two, why not?) against UMTC and pound the crap out of the other 3 opponents. Sounds good to me!