WCHA First Round - Minnesota Hosts UAA (Let's call it the vengeance series)

[Driftryder]

Re: WCHA First Round - Minnesota Hosts UAA (Let's call it the vengeance series)

Preview from Gophersports

Minnesota vs. Alaska-Anchorage: The last time the Gophers played Alaska Anchorage at home, the Seawolves became the first team to ever beat Minnesota in a playoff series at the current Mariucci Arena, winning by scores of 4-3 and 2-0. That weekend also marked the last time the Gophers were swept at home. Back on Oct. 28-29, in the teams’ only regular-season meeting this year, Minnesota recorded a road sweep of its own by beating the Seawolves 5-0 and 3-1 in Anchorage, Alaska. All-time, the Gophers are 52-19-7 against Alaska Anchorage, including a ledger of 10-3 in postseason games (all at home).

About the Seawolves: After finishing eighth in the WCHA for the second consecutive year and advancing to its second-ever Final Five last season, Alaska Anchorage was unable to recover from an 0-6-0 start in the conference in 2011-12 and finished in last place with a 5-22-1 league record. Four of the Seawolves’ nine overall wins on the season have come against teams from Minnesota. Alaska Anchorage has a 2-3-1 record in road games played in the State of Hockey on the year and upset then-No. 1 Minnesota Duluth at home with a 3-2 victory on Feb. 4. Alaska Anchorage, who has 11 players in double digits in points on its roster, is led in scoring by senior Curtis Leinweber (9g-7a) and junior Mitch Bruijsten (8g-8a), who each have 16 points. Sophomore forward Matt Bailey (8g-7a) and senior defenseman Scott Warner (2g-13a) have 15 apiece while rookie Eric Scheid of Blaine, Minn. has 14 (6g-8a).

Aside from Warner, Alaska Anchorage is led defensively by freshmen Austin Coldwell (2g-10a) and Derek Docken (1g-8a) and sophomore Quinn Sproule (3g-7a). Senior Brad Gorham (1g-8a) also has nine points. Sophomores Rob Gunderson and Chris Kamal have split time in goal for the Seawolves. Gunderson is 5-10-2 in 20 games with a 3.61 goals-against average and an .869 save percentage while Kamal is 4-11-0 with a 3.32 goals-against average and an .878 save percentage.

MacNaughton Cup Champions: With a 2-1 win last Saturday against Wisconsin, the Gophers claimed sole possession of their 13th MacNaughton Cup, clinching the WCHA regular-season title with a 20-8-0 record in conference play. The Gophers won the title for the first time since 2006-07. Minnesota has now won three of the last seven MacNaughton Cups, as they also won the Cup in 2005-06 (20-5-3 WCHA record) and in 2006-07 (18-7-3 WCHA record).

Senior Night Celebration: They will play at Mariucci Arena again this weekend, but seniors Taylor Matson, Jake Hansen, Nico Sacchetti, Nick Larson, Joe Miller, Kent Patterson, and Jake Kremer played their last regular-season home games as Gophers last Saturday. The Gophers won on Senior Night for the fourth consecutive year. Minnesota beat Michigan Tech 5-2 last season and drubbed Wisconsin 6-1 the year before that.

Home Ice: Minnesota is playing the first round of the WCHA playoffs at home for the second straight year. The Gophers are 15-6-0 at home this year and 11-3-0 in WCHA games (overtime loss to Michigan Tech, last-minute loss to Colorado College and 4-1 defeat to Wisconsin). Minnesota is 26-3 in first round WCHA playoff games at Mariucci Arena. However, all three setbacks were to this weekend’s opponent Alaska Anchorage. The Gophers lost 4-3 on March 11, 2011 and 2-0 on March 12, 2011 last season as the Seawolves ended Minnesota’s season. The other loss was a 2-1 overtime loss on March 10, 2007.

[Hal9K]

You hear that B1G Ten Network??????????

Yeah that's right suck it B1G...these guys know what they're doing, and UAA fans get to benefit by watching this weekend. Why some MN hockey fans berate Scheid and Docken for going to AK? Both are sound players. UAA need more MN kids like these 2 IMO.

[uaafanblog]

Re: WCHA First Round - Minnesota Hosts UAA (Let's call it the vengeance series)

Yeah that's right suck it B1G...these guys know what they're doing, and UAA fans get to benefit by watching this weekend.

Or not. Below is an attached note in the emailed weekly release from UAA ...

NOTE: We are still waiting for permission from FS North for the rights to broadcast the games live on GCI Channel 1.

[ski]

Re: WCHA First Round - Minnesota Hosts UAA (Let's call it the vengeance series)

I think the Gophers should really seize this opportunity and really work on things to get ready for next week's opponent.

Maybe even just send out 4 guys a few times to work on their penalty kills and stuff like that.

[gopher wes]

Re: WCHA First Round - Minnesota Hosts UAA (Let's call it the vengeance series)

I think the Gophers should really seize this opportunity and really work on things to get ready for next week's opponent.

Maybe even just send out 4 guys a few times to work on their penalty kills and stuff like that.

I can't tell if you are joking or not..?

[uaafanblog]

Re: WCHA First Round - Minnesota Hosts UAA (Let's call it the vengeance series)

I think the Gophers should really seize this opportunity and really work on things to get ready for next week's opponent.

Maybe even just send out 4 guys a few times to work on their penalty kills and stuff like that.

Yes!! Joe Miller should get double shifts.

[ski]

Re: WCHA First Round - Minnesota Hosts UAA (Let's call it the vengeance series)

I can't tell if you are joking or not..?

[Hal9K]

Re: WCHA First Round - Minnesota Hosts UAA (Let's call it the vengeance series)

Or not. Below is an attached note in the emailed weekly release from UAA ...

I get FS North on cable so not worried about GCI ch 1.

[Happy]

Re: WCHA First Round - Minnesota Hosts UAA (Let's call it the vengeance series)

Low enough to raise the titanic but that's still 3 feet above Happy.

Dead deer rapists and sugar beet farmers hate me. I do excellent work.

[Tiggsy]

Re: WCHA First Round - Minnesota Hosts UAA (Let's call it the vengeance series)

Dead deer rapists and sugar beet farmers hate me. I do excellent work.

I am impressed.

[Slap Shot]

Re: WCHA First Round - Minnesota Hosts UAA (Let's call it the vengeance series)

Why some MN hockey fans berate Scheid and Docken for going to AK?

cross cheque is a Halos fan and no one else mocked it.

[vizoroo]

Re: WCHA First Round - Minnesota Hosts UAA (Let's call it the vengeance series)

Seawolves beating the gophs 2 years in a row in the playoffs would be simply delicious.

[HarleyMC]

Re: WCHA First Round - Minnesota Hosts UAA (Let's call it the vengeance series)

Why some MN hockey fans berate Scheid and Docken for going to AK? Both are sound players. UAA need more MN kids like these 2 IMO.

The only thing consistent at UAA since joining the WCHA is staying under .500 EVERY year. To me that speak volumes, not regarding the relative accessibility of recruiting pools in surrounding Canadian leagues, but about the AD and coaching staff at UAA. This was one of the worst season's in Shyiak's seven year tenure as coach. Granted the team is young, but rebuilding how? UAA needs to get serious about its leadership or, with the occasional exception of players like Curtis Glencross, it will continue to be a stop for promising young players to lose their momentum and vision.

[uaafanblog]

Re: WCHA First Round - Minnesota Hosts UAA (Let's call it the vengeance series)

The only thing consistent at UAA since joining the WCHA is staying under .500 EVERY year. To me that speak volumes, not regarding the relative accessibility of recruiting pools in surrounding Canadian leagues, but about the AD and coaching staff at UAA. This was one of the worst season's in Shyiak's seven year tenure as coach. Granted the team is young, but rebuilding how? UAA needs to get serious about its leadership or, with the occasional exception of players like Curtis Glencross, it will continue to be a stop for promising young players to lose their momentum and vision.

Lovely analysis. And by lovely, of course I mean as intellectually lazy as analysis can get. All four UAA coaches have relatively the same winning percentages. The factors that contribute to UAA's overall record are more complex. So um ... stick to analyzing something else.

[HarleyMC]

Re: WCHA First Round - Minnesota Hosts UAA (Let's call it the vengeance series)

Lovely analysis. And by lovely, of course I mean as intellectually lazy as analysis can get. All four UAA coaches have relatively the same winning percentages. The factors that contribute to UAA's overall record are more complex. So um ... stick to analyzing something else.

Your lame attempt at sarcasm, with nothing substantive or intelligent to add, is the only thing I see as "kee kiet". Classy scholarship...and you write a blog for UAA? Christiansen was a decent UAA coach as D1 Independent with an above .500 record every season (his '92 team was outstanding).

Then UAA enters the WCHA and proceeds to do an under .500 belly flop for 19 years in row! Now tell me what the problem is, sparky?

UAA leadership needs to decide if they want to realistically compete in the WCHA or continue with their infamous "doormat" status. I would not recommend any player go to UAA for men's hockey until the AD and coaching staff at UAA get serious about resolving their perennial ineptitude.