Minnesota vs. UAA - Vengeance (10/28 - 10/29)

[uaafanblog]

Re: Minnesota vs. UAA - Vengeance (10/28 - 10/29)

Within 10 years I predict UAA makes the NCAA.

So this year then ...

[Alaska Hockey]

Re: Minnesota vs. UAA - Vengeance (10/28 - 10/29)

God, I can't wait until this rivalry goes by the wayside. This thread is a dud. More political talk than hockey talk. Yeah!

Now you bring in Religion. What next, how many sandbags you filled in a day?

[JDUBBS1280]

Now you bring in Religion. What next, how many sandbags you filled in a day?

Who's sandbagging? I just wish we could talk some hockey without all of the pointless bickering about who's former governor sucked more, etc...

[Tundra]

Re: Minnesota vs. UAA - Vengeance (10/28 - 10/29)

Rodents are ranked #1 (by me) and ranked #1 offense/PP.

Team Offense
Rk Team AVG/GM
1 Minnesota 5.83

UAA dropped way down with team offense/pp after 2 goal/0 pp weekend vs UNO. hoping for better effort and results.
Angry rodents with firepower *****http://behrrake.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/fighing-gopher.jpg?w=243&h=166******

vs lethargic seawolves *****http://i22.***********.com/albums/b308/AnimalSpirit/Wolves%20%20All%20%20Kinds%20Of%20Wolf%20Stuff/00018SleepingWolfPackWatcher.gif******

[goldy_331]

Re: Minnesota vs. UAA - Vengeance (10/28 - 10/29)

What next, how many sandbags you filled in a day?

He's not a UND fan....

[Stauber1]

Re: Minnesota vs. UAA - Vengeance (10/28 - 10/29)

If MN fails to play 60 minutes in either game, they'll lose.
I've watched a few of Anchorage's games, and it's their typical steady, methodical approach to doing the small things that gives them success. They have solid goaltending, and enough talent to do damage offensively.

My guess is that winning at home is how UAA intends to make themselves relevant this season, and they will be ready to go both nights. If MN turns in another mental performance as this past Sunday, the Seawolves are going to win.

This is the kind of series MN needs to have success in if they want to finish the season with a better record than the past few years. My hope is last year's early exit on home ice is more than enough motivation for them this week in practice, and of course when the puck drops in Alaska.

[Slap Shot]

Re: Minnesota vs. UAA - Vengeance (10/28 - 10/29)

I look forward to this series because I think it might tell a lot about both squads. I think UM needs to show progression on defense and a consistent team effort, and for UAA that they have a legit NCAA shot. Don't take that the wrong way - UAA clearly and fairly handed the Gophers their tail last year, but I'd like to see them put together a full season and make the tournament. Love the Gophers early season results, but UAA at home could expose them. I very much hope for a Gophers sweep but I can't honestly predict it and I fully expect UAA to make them earn every point. Even more so I may have the teams in reverse in the latter part of that sentence.

[The Rube]

Re: Minnesota vs. UAA - Vengeance (10/28 - 10/29)

Sweep.

3 points at worst.

[uaafanblog]

Re: Minnesota vs. UAA - Vengeance (10/28 - 10/29)

Seawolf Players To Watch:
Forwards:
#10 Mickey Spencer
#21 Matt Bailey
#40 Daniel Naslund
#9 Mark Pustin
#19 Sam Mellor

Defense:
#11 Curtis Leinweber - listed as questionable but reportedly practicing on the wing
#3 Wes McLeod
#5 Austin Coldwell

Seawolf Minnesotans:
#39 Eric Scheid - Blaine linemate of Bjugstad
#4 Derek Docken - A shutdown freshman stalwart who's played every game from Northfield

#17 Jordan Kwas is out of the lineup with a sprained shoulder

[Slap Shot]

Re: Minnesota vs. UAA - Vengeance (10/28 - 10/29)

Donald, what are your honest expectations for both teams this weekend and beyond?

[uaafanblog]

Re: Minnesota vs. UAA - Vengeance (10/28 - 10/29)

Donald, what are your honest expectations for both teams this weekend and beyond?

I see a skill and talent improvement overall offensively (been building to it for a couple of years now) from the team but it lacks experience. On paper I expected next season to have the higher potential but in the games I've seen (all but the just got swept UNO series) there seems to be more offensively than I'd thought there would be. A couple of juniors have taken big strides since last season (Naslund, Bruijsten) and Mickey Spencer now knows his primary role is scoring. Last year's freshman have all progressed well and are asserting themselves more this season.

Shyiak has a good game plan that uses a little of everything in the toolbox. It's always a goal to make the other team go 200ft and everyone is expected to back check (and everyone does). Passing is crisp and accurate and that hasn't always been the case in the past. The power play looked great at home during the Kendall but needs to produce.

One of the intangible keys to success at the end of last season was that the team genuinely got to the point where they were playing for each other. The idea so far has been to build on all those things and every indication is that is proceeding. These guys understand it's a team game and they play that way. It sounds like a very close knit group of players with solid leadership on the ice and in the locker room. The captains are all workhorses.

As for this weekend, I'd expect the team to be fully motivated to play their best. Going forward through the rest of the season I want to see them maintain enough points to stay in the middle of the pack and be in a position to win games in order to host a 1st round playoff series (a 20 win season). No reason not to have the Final Five as something to shoot for and perhaps beyond.

EDIT: Amongst other things here's what I said on the blog ...

This weekend is about some payback if you're a Gopher veteran. And with the Seawolves coming off a couple of bad results combined with not having played at home since the opening weekend then you have to expect lots of high energy play this weekend.

If these two games are anything like the SCSU game at the Kendall then hockey fans at the Sullivan will get their money's worth this weekend. Will it be that sort of up and down racehorse hockey? I"m sure we'll see a good rush or two or three ...

In looking at some early reporting I see Don Lucia is using his well worn "...they play a 1-1-3" analysis of the Seawolves. And oh yeah ... the Seawolves are "gritty".

Hopefully he thinks that is all UAA is. You and I know differently. This year's edition is more dynamic offensively. Scoring has been pretty balanced thus far. The offensive execution has been at a higher level as well. We've seen the improvement of the passing game and how that's influenced the transition game and improved the look of the power play.

If this year's Gopher squad comes up here thinking UAA is just going to sit back and play some purely defensive game they'll be making the same mistake as last year in the playoffs. How many times did you see a Gopher forward back check during that series? Yeah ... me too. Few. The Seawolves won those games because the Gophers ignored what had happened on Friday night; they still thought all they had to do was go forward. Two-way play? Basically none from them. The Seawolves defensively matched the Gopher's offensive execution (blocked dozens of shots and got solid goaltending) and the Gopher's near complete absence of back checking provided all the offensive opportunities UAA needed.

That all said ... the Gopher's are better too this year. Especially offensively. They're only averaging 5.83 goals per game so far. But even if you throw out the 15 goals against Sacred Heart they'd still be averaging 5 goals per game. And then there's the whole payback thing.

Expect to see Chris Kamal in the net on Friday. His 37 save outing on Saturday and his past success against the Gophers makes that a clear choice in my book. Curtis Leinweber is questionable for this weekend and Jordan Kwas' sprained shoulder will keep him in street clothes. Expect whoever else is in the lineup to play their asses off. A series like this could be a chance for a young player to get noticed or an established one to stake a claim. The first chance is Friday night. Win that one first.

[Slap Shot]

Re: Minnesota vs. UAA - Vengeance (10/28 - 10/29)

Works for me, although something tells me tDon is not truly overlooking UAA and I have expect that game film will demonstrate that any ideas of a trap-intensive game plan will not be proven realistic. Here's to a good series.

[uaafanblog]

Re: Minnesota vs. UAA - Vengeance (10/28 - 10/29)

Works for me, although something tells me tDon is not truly overlooking UAA and I have expect that game film will demonstrate that any ideas of a trap-intensive game plan will not be proven realistic. Here's to a good series.

Yeah ... I don't think he's overlooking them and probably not underestimating them either. Not to tip off UAA's vulnerability here or anything but they have problems when teams trap them as I suspect happened extensively last weekend in Omaha (didn't see the games though).

[vizoroo]

Re: Minnesota vs. UAA - Vengeance (10/28 - 10/29)

Cheering for UAA to get at least 3 points.

[JDUBBS1280]

Cheering for UAA to get at least 3 points.

Yawn.