Irish Hockey: Straight Inta Compton

[Jeff_Jackson_for_Pres.]

Re: Irish Hockey: Straight Inta Compton

Well said, IHF, as usual.

I also feel a bit better after the presser. I like the acknowledgement that ND wanted to slow the implosion of college hockey. I like the acknowledgement that some fans (me) were worried about never seeing away games and the reassurance that they would likely fly east about 5 times a season, meaning they would stay in the Midwest or go west 5 times a season. I like the reassurance that recruiting shouldn't really change.

However, Jack Swarbrick's statements did cryptically imply that Coach Jackson may not have thought of HE as the first choice, but that he was flexible enough to see that it could work well. Now if someone will educate the citizens of the east coast that it is pronounced "No-ter" Dame...not "No-trah" Dame...

Just a heads up also to season ticket holders to look in your in-boxes and your mailboxes for the invites to the open house. We get to see the CFIA Wednesday, October 19 from 6:00-8:00. {big grin. heart palpitations. wide eyes.}

So the season officially kicks off this Friday in Duluth. Against the team that ended our season last April. Against the team that will be raising a banner while we're there. Both games are at 8:00 our time and can be seen on the b2 network for a fee. I'll be piping mine thru the big screen.

UMD returns 5 of their top 10 scorers from that NC team. The ones to watch for are Jack Connolly, Travis Oleksuk, Mike Seidel, Joe Basaraba and J.T. Brown, who will be back after serving a one game suspension that covered their exhibition game. The Bulldogs beat Lakehead in that game. They went 37.5% on the PP and 100% on the PK. They used 2 goalies, but I bet senior Kenny Reiter will be in net this weekend. Both goalies made 4 saves each, but Reiter let in the one goal Lakehead managed.

ND returns 7 of the top 10 scorers, including T.J. Tynan, Anders Lee, Billy Maday, Riley Sheahan, Nick Larson, Bryan Rust and Mike Voran. In the shutout victory over Western Ontario, Mike Johnson and Steven Summerhays stopped all 21 shots. ND went 25% on the PP and were 100% on the PK. I assume Mike Johnson will be in net both nights. After all, he's a junior now.

Michael Jordan once said, "Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships."

[JACC HOCKEY]

Re: Irish Hockey: Straight Inta Compton

Meh...I'm still not sold on this. Anyone else get the feeling that this HE alliance is temporary?

[ND Hockey]

Re: Irish Hockey: Straight Inta Compton

Meh...I'm still not sold on this. Anyone else get the feeling that this HE alliance is temporary?

I've read this from a few other posters, but what could possibly be Notre Dame's next move? If they were waiting for other things to happen, why make this move with two years advance notice?

[Craig P.]

Re: Irish Hockey: Straight Inta Compton

Meh...I'm still not sold on this. Anyone else get the feeling that this HE alliance is temporary?

I don't think it's the most stable of situations, but I'd tend to put the shelf life more in the ten to twenty year range than something shorter.

[JDUBBS1280]

Re: Irish Hockey: Straight Inta Compton

It has been confirmed that Gopher hockey coach Don Lucia's son Mario Lucia, currently playing with the Penticton Vees in the BCHL and a 2nd round draft pick of the Minnesota Wild this past draft, has committed to Notre Dame tonight. Congrats, you got a good one.

[Savage]

Re: Irish Hockey: Straight Inta Compton

Always nice to close on a legacy. Even better when that legacy has the talent to be a 2nd round pick.

That's certainly one strike against the "playing in Hockey East will hurt our traditional western recruiting base" argument, though admittedly there are so many extenuating circumstances here with the family-ties-but-not-too-close-family-ties angle that it's only the first piece of an evolving narrative.

[JDUBBS1280]

Always nice to close on a legacy. Even better when that legacy has the talent to be a 2nd round pick.

That's certainly one strike against the "playing in Hockey East will hurt our traditional western recruiting base" argument, though admittedly there are so many extenuating circumstances here with the family-ties-but-not-too-close-family-ties angle that it's only the first piece of an evolving narrative.

As a big Minnesota hockey guy, I do think it will hurt your recruiting in Minnesota long-term, but how much remains to be seen. Mario was on record saying before the NHL draft that he didn't want to play out East, but I think the potential drama that likely would come from playing for his dad at Minnesota was a greater concern.

As for Mario, I've seen him play a lot. You're getting an outstanding player. I wish him the best of luck

[Irish83]

Re: Irish Hockey: Straight Inta Compton

Opening night ---- Wasn't able to watch the game the other night, what do the lines look like? I imagine Tynan, Rust ,and Lee are still together but how did the other lines shake out?

[Jeff_Jackson_for_Pres.]

Re: Irish Hockey: Straight Inta Compton

Opening night ---- Wasn't able to watch the game the other night, what do the lines look like? I imagine Tynan, Rust ,and Lee are still together but how did the other lines shake out?

Given it was an exhibition and Riley Sheahan didn't dress, I wouldn't put much stock in the lines from Sunday. FWIW, they were:

Larson-Maday-Voran
Lee-Tynan-Rust
Costello-Gerths-Peterson
Condon-Gaul-Nugent

[SanTropez]

Re: Irish Hockey: Straight Inta Compton

Mario Lucia article

http://www.mnhockeyhub.com/news_arti...errer_id=32770

[Jeff_Jackson_for_Pres.]

Re: Irish Hockey: Straight Inta Compton

Not a bad read on ND and their future.

[JDUBBS1280]

Not a bad read on ND and their future.

Good move for Notre Dame, but Chris' analysis is a little over-the-top IMO. Will still be very tough to match the BTHC in revenue or national exposure. Not to mention, the move to Hockey East will probably help recruiting in some regards, but hurt it in others (see my post above).

[Jeff_Jackson_for_Pres.]

Re: Irish Hockey: Straight Inta Compton

Well that was thoroughly unimpressive. Not enough shots. Not enough hits. Not enough forechecking. Not enough face off wins. Not enough clearing the puck on the PK. When the 3rd period clock ticked down to 5:00, I pleaded with my t.v. not to let ND give up some horse poo goal with 3 minutes left, only to watch a mere 30 seconds later as 4 guys in blue sweaters collapsed on Mike Johnson, without laying a body on the guy in a white jersey who had the puck, without blocking a shot, all the while acting as a nice screen on Johnson as the puck went in. I can't think of one player who stood out...at least not in a good way. We were completely outworked. Which begs the question, "Did they walk to Duluth?" A win tomorrow could salvage this weekend on the road, but they better come out with their breezers ablaze or it won't be pretty.

[JDUBBS1280]

All sports. I come from the camp that really doesn't care about Football independence.

Yeah, big ten is weak at hockey. Please.

[Jeff_Jackson_for_Pres.]

Re: Irish Hockey: Straight Inta Compton

I gotta say I was worried for the first half of tonight's game. Flashbacks to 2009 crept into my brain with the lack of effort, getting clearly outhustled and Sheahan and now Costello out. Then the switch was thrown. 5 unanswered goals to take a solid split on the road. For the weekend, ND went 22.2% on the PP. That's the good. They went 78.6% on the PK. That's the bad. ND managed a shortie. That's the good. Stephen Johns drew a major. That's the bad. Was it boarding? Yes. Was it a major? No. ND saw their 8 goals this weekend come off the sticks of 7 different skaters. That's the good. ND managed 40 SOG's for the weekend while giving up 55. That's the bad. T.J Tynan was tonight's Player of the Game. That's the good. Our goalies had a combined save % of 87.3%. That's the bad.

While I'm not jazzed about ND taking half the game to set fire to their breezers, I am content with the split. Last night and the first half of tonight might have been needed to shake off the pre-season lovefest they were on the receiving end of and remember that hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard.

Here's to preparing hard for the last 2 hockey games that will ever be played at the JACC.