>A loss! A palpable loss!
>Good thing no one reads this site, or I might be concerned that I hadn’t posted since last weekend. So this is sort of half-assed.
I understand that we are all hurting here. A tie and a loss to a team whose nickname has not yet been figured out (what is a Catamount?) should have us all hugging and having a group sing of Kum-By-Yah or We Shall Overcome or Pieces of Me. It should not have us yelling at the team we loved so much just a few days ago. We’re out there for our guys, sink or swim, win or lose, etc. Booing your own team makes you no better than a Yankee fan.
Anyway, the team here on the bench was playing shorthanded as well, after the Alleged Webmaster (who has not mastered us a site) was given a weekend-long major and a game DQ for unsportsmanlike conduct. I’ll lie and say this was why the post was late.
This post was actually late because I am just heartbroken that we could have lost this weekend. I am just heartbroken at the poor officiating that caused Jay and Neil to be thrown out of the game for checking from behind (and Neil’s player turned at the last second!) while the guys they checked skated away, and then Ryan and Steve are checked from behind and are down on the ice while the Catamounts received only one penalty, a 2 min boarding penalty, for the two incidents! I am just heartbroken that our special teams could not come up with a goal on a 5 on 3 (I think Maine fans can feel my pain a bit here). I am heartbroken that someone was rude to me on the Sioux Sports forum. I am heartbroken that Ryan Potulny is the scoring leader. I am heartbroken that Derek Jeter won a Gold Glove.
Who else thought we were in it to win it when McKnight had a short-hander at 19:47 in the 2nd? Come on, come on! Let’s see those hands! Where was Marco Peluso to say “Oh no you did NOT just go Bemidji State on us!”
So uh… yeah. We were unprepared. We were five starters short in the Friday game. We were full of ourselves.
WCHA Action:
Friday
Alaska Anchorage 1, Michigan Tech 5
Denver 3, Wisconsin 6
Minnesota State 2, Minnesota 9
North Dakota 3, Boston College 5
St. Cloud State 7, Princeton 2
Saturday
North Dakota 3, Northeastern 3
St. Cloud State 10, Yale 0
Vermont 2, Minnesota-Duluth 2
Denver 5, Wisconsin 3
Minnesota State 2, Minnesota 3
Alaska Anchorage 5, Michigan Tech 4
Polls:
USA Today
2. Minnesota-Duluth (3 first place votes)
4. Minnesota (2 first place votes? For a win over Minnesota State? Come on!)
5. Wisconsin (1 first place vote. Whatever.)
6. North Dakota
8. Colorado
10. Denver
USCHO
3. UMD (3 first place votes)
4. Minnesota
5. Wisconsin
6. North Dakota
7. Colorado College
10. Denver
SCSU received a vote. Just one.
INCH
2. UMD
3. Wisconsin
4. Colorado College
6. North Dakota
7. Minnesota
10. Denver
>The Votes are in….The Dogs are out!
>The Bulldogs dropped from the number one ranking, to third in the USCHO.com poll, and second in the USA Today Poll, but still received three first place votes in both polls. The disspointment at the DECC was audible when fans began chanting “overrated” at their own team following a loss and a tie against unranked Vermont. Boston College, coming off a win against North Dakota, took over the number one ranking in both polls.
Several key WCHA matchups will take place this weekend.
The biggest matchup will take place at Mariucci Arena, where the Gophers (5-2-0) take on their biggest rival, the Wisconsin Badgers (5-1-0). Last weekend the Gophers swept Mankato State at home by virtue of a 9-2 win Friday night, and a 3-2 overtime triumph on Saturday. Kellen Briggs was voted WCHA Defensive Player of the Week, for his 65 save weekend.
Undefeated Colorado College (4-0-0) travels to Ralph Englestad Arena for their first conference series this weekend against North Dakota (4-2-2). Colorado College took last weekend off, while North Dakota spent a disappointing weekend on the east coast. Following a 5-3 loss to Boston College in which the Sioux trailed 4-0 before mounting a late rally, they led Northeastern 3-1 going into the third period, before allowing the Huskies to come back and force a 3-3 tie.
Our Bulldogs (5-1-2) take the long flight up to Alaska to take on the Seawolves (3-2-1). Alaska Anchorage split with Michigan Tech in Houghton, MI, losing 5-1 Friday night, and winning 5-4 Saturday. We all know what the Bulldogs did…
Michigan Tech (1-5-0) takes on their biggest rival Northern Michigan (4-1-1) in a home-and-home series this weekend. Northern Michigan beat and tied Notre Dame last weekend.
Minnesota State (0-5-1) takes on Bemidji State (1-1-0) at the Taylor Center in Mankato, MN this weekend. Bemidji State lost to Ferris State 7-2 last weekend, and also dropped an exhibition game against Manitoba 5-3.
WCHA Standings
Team GP PTS
Minnesota-Duluth 4 8
Denver 4 6
Minnesota 4 6
Wisconsin 4 6
North Dakota 4 5
Alaska-Anchorage 2 2
Michigan Tech 6 2
Minnesota State 6 2
Colorado College 0 0
Saint Cloud 2 0
>Happy Birthday to Me!
>My birthday has come and gone without a post (too busy sleeping, carving pumpkins, and watching the Red Soxxxxx win the World Series), but I’m still awake.
Guess what UMDDogz has promised me for my birthday? BULLDOG HOCKEY!
Right now it looks like RWD will be covering the Wisconsin series at the Kohl Center, and the Denver series at the DECC. We’ll see what happens. Possible interviews to follow. I’ve already written Kerry Rodd (c/o KDAL) to see if I can become a “fan in the stands.” I’m sure we’ll have to attend the 4th period show, too.
This weekend (against Vermont, zzzzzzzzzzzz) UMDDogz will be covering Friday’s game, and I might be, too, but Saturday’s game we’re both working, so you’re S.O.L.
Important news:
WCHA Player of the Week: MARCO PELUSO!
Marco beat out jerk-off Ryan Potulny (#1 on the Hater Report) and poor unfortunate soul Colby Genoway (I don’t know why he’d even be nominated, considering the Saturday game.)
WCHA Action:
Though already covered by UMDDogz, I have a few comments of my own. I can’t believe no one from the Sioux could step up and say “Not in our house!” I mean, that little weasel Potulny got three friggin points! Of course, according to Wally, every goal was a “beauty” and they only called penalties on the Gophers, but no one listens to him anyway. Also, I’m sad that the UAA unbeaten streak has ended, although they are unbeaten in the WCHA (due to no conference games.) Three WCHA teams (UND, UAA, and Tech) were blanked last weekend. That’s tough!
Penalty Leaders:
Jay Rosehill: 10 penalties for 28 minutes
Mike Curry: 8 penalties for 19 minutes
Steve Czech: 8 penalties for 16 minutes
Neil Petruic: 7 penalties for 14 minutes
Steve leaps onto the list after taking a zillion penalties, back to back to back to back to back (ok, maybe not like that), and Marco Peluso evidently abandoned the Penalty Leaders for the Point Leaders. But that’s okay. You should see Mike Vanelli: 3 penalties for 17 minutes! He got a 10 min misconduct on Saturday.
The Hater Report:
1. Ryan Potulny
Games: 5
Goals: 7
Assists: 2
Points: 9
Penalties: 2
Penalty Minutes: 4
Ok, so you had 3 points in one game… but no hat trick? Marco Peluso got a hat trick, and I bet you think you’re better than him. Just like you think you’re better than Grant. And Gretzky.
2. Robbie Earl
Games: 4
Goals: 2
Assists: 5
Points: 7
Penalties: 3
Penalty Minutes: 6
After Friday’s game, I said “Robbie is a cheap player, so he must he hitting far enough behind the play that the refs aren’t noticing. Oh yeah, but they were playing at the Kohl Center tonight, so that probably means he committed about 43498076498 real penalties, but only 2 were so blatant that the zebras would have been actually in trouble for not calling them.” Ditto. Only one point on Saturday? What a hack!
Polls
USA Today
1. University of Minnesota-Duluth (26 first place votes!)
3. University of North Dakota (Only 2 first place votes!)
5. University of Wisconsin (I can’t believe it, but they got 1 first place vote!)
6. University of Minnesota
8. Colorado College
11. University of Denver
USCHO
1. Minnesota-Duluth (31 first place votes!)
4. North Dakota (3 first place votes)
5. Wisconsin (1 vote, bleah)
6. Minnesota
8. Colorado College
10/11. Denver (tied with Miami)
UAA received votes. Yeah!
INCH
1.Minnesota-Duluth
3. Wisconsin
4. North Dakota
6. Colorado College
8. Minnesota
11. Denver
UAA is still on the bubble. Yeah Underwolves!
I have to be at work in 8 hours, so I’d better go. Here’s to another unbeaten weekend!
>Mavs resist, but are soon swept away!
>Recapping this weekends WCHA action, we begin with our Bulldogs. The Dogs completed their sweep of the Minnesota State Maverics, but were outshot in doing so. The Maverics went with only three lines, but those lines were flying, and peppered UMD goaltender Josh Johnson with 44 shots. Johnson was solid in goal, improving his record to 3-0-0, and leading the Bulldogs to a 4-1 win. The Dogs remain in first place in the WCHA, with a perfect conference record of 4-0-0.
The North Dakota Sioux remain in second place in the WCHA, despite a devastating 6-0 home loss to the Golden Gophers. Minnesota scored 20 seconds into the game, and never looked back, outshooting the Sioux 28-14 over the first two periods.
Denver and Wisconsin opened their conference seasons with sweeps, and claim third place. Denver blitzed Saint Cloud 6-1 on Saturday night, outscoring the Huskies 11-3 on the weekend. The pair of home wins nudges the Pioneers overall mark above the .500 mark; their record is now 3-2-0.
The BADgers shut down Michigan Tech with a pair of first period goals, on their way to outshooting the Huskies 46-13, and defeating Tech 3-0 for the sweep.
Alaska-Anchorage dropped round two of the “Battle of Alaska” series 6-0, and earned themselves a split with rival Alaska-Fairbanks. The Seawolves open their conference season next weekend at Houghton, MI, with two games against Michigan Tech, and follow it up by hosting the Bulldogs the next weekend.
Colorado College blasted Quinnipiac 7-2 in Colorado Springs to remain perfect at 4-0-0. Their record is deceiving, as they have yet to play any real competition. The Tigers begin the WCHA season at Ralph Englestad Arena next weekend, putting their now pristine record on the line.
A Quick look at the standings:
Team GP PTS
Minnesota Duluth 4 8
North Dakota 4 5
Wisconsin 2 4
Denver 2 4
Minnesota 2 2
Minnesota State 2 1
Alaska Anchorage 0 0
Colorado College 0 0
Saint Cloud State 2 0
Michigan Tech 4 0
>The Land of the Free and The Home of the Bulldogs
>Well folks, it was the season home opener for the ‘Dogs tonight, and the whole team here at Runnin’ With The Dogs was warming the bench. Yours truly, along with UMDDogz, the fluffy white BullKitty (known in some other spheres as Kittylove), and the Alleged Webmaster, who is supposed to eventually make this site look like something of which I can be proud. Three generations of ‘Dogs fans (four if you count the BullKitty) were basking in the glow of their computer screeens, in a chat room discussing hockey, the *#$&! internet feed (two generations still have dial-up internet, I wasn’t even sure that existed anymore!), and… colonoscopies. Don’t ask.
I wasn’t even going to post tonight, since I didn’t expect collegehockeystats.com to be so up on things that I could get my official tallies. Things were a little confusing tonight. Many goals were scored in a small amount of time. Assists were changed. Penalties were served by people who still remain anonymous to me. Kerry Rodd referred to our goalie as Tim Reichmuth. So you can see why my head was spinning, and I decided to go watch Roseanne instead of creating a meaningful, thought-provoking essay on the game of hockey.
I’ll be listening tomorrow night too, which is an unprecedented occurrence.
Anyway, the ‘Dogs came out and just killed tonight. MSU took an early 1-0 lead, but never regained it, although after the ‘Dogs went up 2-1, MSU came back to tie it. The final was 8-3, which is, you know, almost respectable for a team like MSU. Except for the fact that Marco Peluso scored as many goals as their whole team could muster. Well, they did try to get a 4th goal on the board, with a kick-in. I guess someone needs to tell the defensemen (Dubel, looking in your direction) that you have to use your stick. Kerry Rodd mentioned that “Pele would be happy.”
The ‘Dogs got “about 20 goals on the power play,” according to Kerry, although he admitted “I sometimes embellish a little bit. 4 for 8 on the PP isn’t too shabby. Oh yeah, and we went 2 for 4 (or so) on their PP.
Don’t worry, I’m already on the phone with a hit man, Ryan Geris. You will be avenged. Rankin hit him on the head, and he just suffered a freaking concussion. Rankin got a 10 minute misconduct and left the game, but I just have to make sure it won’t happen again. *Cracks whip*
The game recap isn’t really my specialty. Wild claims that I can’t back up and violent threats are my department. I’ll leave you with my own “numbers crunch” and UMDDogz can fill you in on the rest.
Penalty Leaders:
Jay Rosehill: 9 penalties, 26 minutes (yut!)
Mike Curry: 7 penalties, 17 minutes
Neil Petruic: 6 penalties, 12 minutes
Marco Peluso: 5 penalties, 10 minutes
*someone needs to tell collegehockeystats that they need a new font, as the 5 and 6 are almost exactly the same*
WCHA ACTION:
Wisconsin 7, Tech 3. Tech had an early lead in this game, but couldn’t hang on. Not that I was surprised, but I wanted them to. Wisconsin must die!
North Dakota 4, Minnesota 2. If there’s one thing that divides the beat writers here at Runnin’ With The ‘Dogs, it’s who we root for in a Gophers-Sioux matchup. I tend to root for the Gophers (I know I’m not supposed to, it’s a big rivalry, blah blah) whereas my counterpart was pulling for the Sioux. It’s just like last year during the Final Five Championship game, except I no longer drive a yellow truck and we weren’t drinking Coors Lite at the Holiday Inn across from the Excel with some moron (Scotty) who put the box on his head and sang Alice in Chains’ “Man in the Box” to anyone he encountered.
Colorado College 4, Air Force 1. Sorry, Elaine, but you knew your team would go down. I think CC will have a good year.
Denver 5, SCSU 2. Hey St. Cloud, weren’t they saying your goalies had, um, improved their GAA?
UAA vs. UAF: evidently no one cared enough to see what the score is. It’s 12:30, the game started 2 and half hours ago, the USAToday page I have open keeps popping into the foreground each time it refreshes, and they can’t bother to update the Seawolves’ score? BAH! (Collegehockeystats now has the game at UAA 5, UAF 2. YEAH SEAWOLVES!)
OTHER HOCKEY ACTION:
I don’t usually report on games without at least one WCHA team involved (because they are boring and those other teams are weak), but I have some mocking to do.
MAINE lost to ST. LAWRENCE 1-0. We couldn’t even figure out what CONFERENCE St. Lawrence was in (because we didn’t care or try very hard.) Folks on the power rankings, look out below! Here comes Maine!
BOSTON COLLEGE lost to NOTRE DAME 3-2!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!! Yeah, there’d better be a new #1 at the top of the INCH list!
The Hater Report:
1. Ryan Potulny
Games: 4
Goals: 5
Assists: 1
Points: 6
Penalties: 2
Penalty Minutes: 4
Oh Ryan, I bet you were so excited when you scored that goal tonight…and then your team LOST at HOME to North Dakota. You think you’re going to win at Ralph Engelstad? Hell no you aren’t!
2. Robbie Earl
Games: 3
Goals: 2
Assists: 4
Points: 6
Penalties: 3
Penalty Minutes: 6
Robbie is a cheap player, so he must he hitting far enough behind the play that the refs aren’t noticing. Oh yeah, but they were playing at the Kohl Center tonight, so that probably means he committed about 43498076498 real penalties, but only 2 were so blatant that the zebras would have been actually in trouble for not calling them.
>You can take that poll and stick it right where….
>I forgot there were other polls.
The USCHO poll is worthless. Why is it worthless? Because UND is above UMD, and they got 15 1st place votes to our 3. B.C. is #1 on the charts for them, followed by the Sioux and the ‘Dogs. Minnesota and Wisconsin are tied for 7/8, CC is 11th, and Denver is 13th. Shows how much they know.
Oh yeah, and the USA today poll is pretty sucky, too. Same top 3, with BC receiving 18 first place votes, UND receiving 14, the ‘Dogs receiving 2, and Michigan receiving.. what?????? THREE????????? ARE THEY ON CRACK???????
Anyway, Wisconsin is 6, Minnesota 7, CC is 11, and Denver is 13. How unoriginal.
Anyway, they certainly will shut the puck up once the ‘Dogs start kicking some major WCHA butt.
>The People I Hate Report
>There are players I hate, and I like to see them do poorly. Therefore, I’ll be keeping running tallies on their failures as players. Without Troy Riddle, the focus of most of my hockey hatred, and Zach Parise, who thinks he’s so f-ing great, I only have two players on the list right now.
1. Ryan Potulny
Games: 3
Goals: 4
Assists: 1
Points: 5
+/-: +2
Penalties: 1
Penalty Minutes: 2
The penalty minutes is a real indicator of what a big baby Ryan is. What is he afraid of?
2. Robbie Earl
Games: 2
Goals: 1
Assists: 2
Points: 3
+/-: not available
Penalties: 1
Penalty Minutes: 2
Wimp! The Maple Leafs aren’t going to be happy to see they’ve got a kid who’s afraid of the big bad defensemen.
I might have to start hating Tom Pohl, as he is brother of Johnny Pohl, who I hated when he played for Red Wing. I’m sure there’ll be more people added as the season continues.
>Start Spreadin’ the News
>Did you hear? Minnesota lost to Alaska-Anchorage! HAHAAHAHHAHAH
First, I have to introduce the other rabid Bulldog fan on the bench for Runnin With The Dogs. My brother, Stew, aka UMDDogz, has been a ‘Dogs fan for a mere year and five months more than I have, by virtue of birth order alone. However, he knows more about hockey, especially the technical aspects, than I, having played hockey himself for several years. More bench players might be added later.
Power Rankings Report
UMD sits in the #2 spot, remaining unbeaten. Boston College, with a 1-0-0 record, sits atop the rankings. It’s my opinion that they should not have been at the top when they sat on their dainty little behinds while the ‘Dogs were out there kicking some Fighting Irish ass, but for some reason, INCH likes to kiss up to Hockey East.
Other WCHA teams in the top 20:
North Dakota breathes down our neck at #3, but I think that’s totally ridiculous. They tied Mankato State! Remember, I already laughed at them once. I’ll do it again: HAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!
Wisconsin’s directly below them at #4. The top 6 spots have remained unchanged.
Speaking of the top 6, #6 is Colorado College, with good ol’ Marty Sertich leading the pack. It helps to be a Sertich when you’re playing hockey.
Minnesota drops one to the ten-spot, and if you think about it, they’re lucky to have only dropped one! They lost to the Seawolves, for crying out loud!
Denver stays put at #15, as a loss to Boston College isn’t real too shameful. A 1-2-0 record is a bit more shameful.
SCSU jumps on the board at #20. INCH is impressed with the numbers their goalies have put up this season, but I think it’s a little premature to get excited.
2 wins this weekend puts UAA on the bubble. Yeah! Go Underwolves!
In other exciting news, Evan “Seven Points” Schwabe is the WCHA player of the week! Stew predicted it, and it came true. The other players of the week are both from the Seawolves. Way to go, guys! Their goalie shut down the Gophers (except the power play) and the rookie of the week was named Most Outstanding Player of the Nye Frontier Classic Tourney (Take THAT, Ryan Potulny!) I would like to see the Seawolves do well. Not as well as UMD, but maybe 2nd in the WCHA?
Get ready for a lot of WCHA-on-WCHA action this weekend!!! Home opener!!!!!
>Midweek Update and Weekend Preview
>The Minnesota v. Alaska-Anchorage game was not complete at the time of the last update. Alaska-Anchorage deafeted Minnesota 3-2 at the Nye Frontier Classic in Anchorage, Alaska.
There are four WCHA games on the slate for this weekend. The marquee matchup has to be Minnesota (3-1-0) travelling to North Dakota (3-0-1) to take on the unbeaten Sioux. Minnesota is coming off an embarrassing loss to UAA, and a weekend in which they managed only 3 goals in two games, two of which were on the power play. North Dakota also suffered a tie (most UND fans consider that as good as a loss) to Minnesota State Firday night and a close 2-1 win Saturday. One of the biggest rivalries in college hockey won’t dissapoint fans at REA this weekend.
Another important tilt features the defending National Champion Denver Pioneers (1-2-0) facing off against Saint Cloud State (Jan Brady State) (2-1-1). The Pioneers have lost to Minnesota and Boston College in this young season, but if you have to have a 2 in the loss column after playing only three games, those are the teams you can afford to lose to, as far as PWR are concerned. The Huskies beat Ohio State, and split with Northern Michigan last weekend at the National Hockey Center.
The Wisconsin Badgers (2-0-0) play host to Michigan Tech (0-2-0). The Badgers swept Atlantic Hockey “powerhouse” Mercyhurst, suffering only a mild scare on Friday night as they trailed 2-0 after one and 2-1 after two periods. Wisconsin clobbered them Saturday 8-0. Tech was swept by our Bulldogs, but had leads in both games, and appears to be a very opportunistic team that could surprise some opponents expecting the “same old doormat” Huskies.
The UMD Bulldogs (3-0-1) take on Minnesota State (0-1-1) at the DECC, and if last weekend is any indication, this is going to be a tough series for the ‘Dogs. The Maverics play well defensively (much improved from last year), well enough to steal a point from UND at Ralph Englestad Arena Friday, and take a 1-0 lead early in the third Saturday, before the Sioux came back to win 2-1.
Other action sees unbeaten Alaska-Anchorage (1-0-1) fighting the “Battle of Alaska” against rival Alaska-Fairbanks (1-1-0), and undefeated Colorado College (2-0-0) facing intrastate foe Air Force (1-0-1) who is also unbeaten (there will be fewer unbeatens after this week).
>3-0-1
>I didn’t listen to tonight’s game, nor did I listen to last night’s game. This totally sucks. Baseball is sucking. Work is sucking. Hockey is rocking, but I can’t listen to any of the games! This must be corrected. I don’t even know what the lines are, or what the new announcers are like, or if there are any new exciting commercials!
Anyway, remember how last week I told Evan to get his goal on? FOUR GOALS! TWO ASSISTS! SO HOT!!! (That picture is just way cute. I heart him.) Two come-from-behind wins in two nights is great, but should we really ever be losing to Michigan Tech? They are Not Good. Chris Conner is good, but really, you can’t build a team around one player.
Five unanswered goals in the third period. Bring on Minnesota State. (Look out, Brad Thompson! p.s. you were better looking in high school.)
Penalty Count:
Neil Petruic: 5 penalties, 12 minutes
Mike Curry: 4 penalties, 11 minutes
Marco Peluso: 4 penalties, 8 minutes
Justin Williams: 4 penalties, 8 minutes
Neil takes the lead! Marco did not get any penalties this series (he was too busy getting assists) but Mike C. and Neil P. are racking them up. Way to go!
WCHA Recap:
Friday:
Boston College 6, Denver 2
St. Cloud 2, Northern Michigan 1
Wisconsin 3, Mercyhurst 2
Minnesota 1, Massachusetts 0
North Dakota 2, Mankato State 2*
Alaska-Anchorage 3, Canisus 3 (ot)**
Saturday:
Denver 4, Northeastern 2
Wisconsin 8, Mercyhurst 0
Northern Michigan 4, St. Cloud 2
Colorado College 4, Union 2
North Dakota 2, Mankato State 1***
Minnesota and Alaska-Anchorage were still playing at press time.
*HAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA THEY TIED MSU!!!!! THAT’S HILARIOUS!!!!!
** “Donna, how does a tournament game end in a tie?” Well, folks, Alaska-Anchorage won the shootout 2-1. Way to go, boys! Minnesota is going to slaughter you, but I’m proud that you won against a team I’ve never heard of!
***INCH has each team scoring -1 points in the second period. I didn’t know this was possible. Also, 1 + -1 = 1 according to their “math.” Check it out here.
(By the way, I watched Slap Shot 2 yesterday night. It starts one of the Baldwins, but on the bright side, the original “Hanson Brothers” are in it. It’s not as good as the original, not that you should be surprised, but there are some funny parts.)
Runnin' With the Dogs 