Bulldogs 09-10 Season

[ARM]

Re: Bulldogs 09-10 Season

While I will agree with anyone that this isn't the same Bemidji team that's come to Duluth over the 10 years.... they now have an offense.. it's time to recruit some more defense that can skate. They seemed to be the slowest defensive skating team that's come to the DECC this year.

I think their blueline is getting more mobile, at least compared to what it was when Sertich took over. The D he has brought in the last couple of years are Vichorek and the Wheelhouse sisters. IMO, they can all skate. Beyond that, a coach has to wait for scholarships to free up -- can't remake a team overnight.

 

[dhmn]

Re: Bulldogs 09-10 Season

I think their blueline is getting more mobile, at least compared to what it was when Sertich took over. The D he has brought in the last couple of years are Vichorek and the Wheelhouse sisters. IMO, they can all skate. Beyond that, a coach has to wait for scholarships to free up -- can't remake a team overnight.

It could be that they just played lazy yesterday.. I'll know for sure after today's game with them.

 

[JosephPSchmoe]

Re: Bulldogs 09-10 Season

I don't like to dump on individual players, but can someone remind me why Tara Gray is playing? I know the roster isn't deep this year, but geez...two penalties that led to Beavers goals and I don't know if she ever hit a Bulldog with a pass the entire game. I can see bad decisions and sloppy play from a freshman, but she's a junior. She (and the rest of the team) need to step it up if they're going to win in a season without the top players. They all knew that coming into the season, so there's no excuse for it in December.

But it was a team effort and the Dogs were lucky to come away with a tie. This is a frustrating season, which should've been expected with so many top players gone, but you never know which Bulldogs team is going to show up on any given day. Friddy is clearly still hurting...maybe should've taken the weekend off. The freshmen looked flat and listless. The top players--Blais, Tuominen, Rasmussen--couldn't find the net. With almost 50 shots on net, I'd like to see a little more offensive productivity. It was good to see Dodge finally find the net again.

What all that means is I can't wait until next year. I'll always be a Bulldogs fan and wouldn't miss a game, but they don't make it easy sometimes.

 

[dhmn]

Re: Bulldogs 09-10 Season

I mentioned Gray's two interference penalties costing UMD the game in the score updates thread. She took the two lazy penalties in a row and couldn't keep her feet a couple other times, falling with nobody around her.

Yesterday's performance wasn't as bad as you make it out to be. I've probably been TOO critical of them at times myself this year but not so much from this past weekend.

They passed into traffic way too often, but they DID put 48 shots on an Olympic goaltender Tomcikova. She has put on that kind of performance at times an UMD happened to be the opponent. It's not like most of UMD's shots were from the blue line either. She gave up 6 goals on 88 shots on the weekend and 3 of those were when Bemidji had run out of gas on Saturday and she had no help at all. Imagine if Emily Brookshaw had the forward lines in front of her during HER four seasons there.

(The puck IS in the picture below, and did get saved to save the tie game late in regulation-- one frame earlier http://www.viewthroughmylens.net/Galleries/UMDWomensHockey/VsBemidji2/UMDWomenGame2VsBemidji_15.jpg.)

Bemidji skated 3 lines the most of the game instead of skating their first line every other shift and that kept them fresher the entire game rather than dead the third period like Saturday, when they were on the ice for nearly half the game and gave up 3 goals.

I've talked to people who know shoulder separation problems..and the way it sounds, Friddy might as well play or take the rest of the season off and get it fixed, as they say it won't heal completely without surgery. Many games this year they team wouldn't have nearly the jump they have without her on the ice.

 

[dhmn]

Re: Bulldogs 09-10 Season

It's hard to believe there's only 12 games left in the regular season.. 3 road series and 3 home series.. with still Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Ohio State to come to the DECC, and road trips to Mankato, NoDak, and Bemidji.

Wisconsin will have an advantage over UMD when the Dogs season restarts, with them restarting the week before with North Dakota, UMD will have almost 5 weeks off between the Bemidji game and Wisconsin game. Hopefully they can get back into hockey mode in practice the week before the Badgers come.

 

[AncientOne]

Re: Bulldogs 09-10 Season

(The puck IS in the picture below, and did get saved to save the tie game late in regulation-- one frame earlier http://www.viewthroughmylens.net/Galleries/UMDWomensHockey/VsBemidji2/UMDWomenGame2VsBemidji_15.jpg.)

Bemidji skated 3 lines the most of the game instead of skating their first line every other shift and that kept them fresher the entire game rather than dead the third period like Saturday, when they were on the ice for nearly half the game and gave up 3 goals.

dh--Great photos! Great save! Also agree about Bemidji. Steve Sertich is doing a great job.

Hope to see you at some of the HS games. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

 

[dhmn]

Re: Bulldogs 09-10 Season

dh--Great photos! Great save! Also agree about Bemidji. Steve Sertich is doing a great job.

Hope to see you at some of the HS games. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I'll be at Heritage Thursday for Cloquet/East boys and for the Duluth/PHM girls game Saturday.

 

[Grim Reaper]

Re: Bulldogs 09-10 Season

It's hard to believe there's only 12 games left in the regular season..

and i bet the Seniors can't believe it either.......ugh

 

[ARM]

Re: Bulldogs 09-10 Season

and i bet the Seniors can't believe it either.......ugh

In the context of a college career, 4 years can go by very fast.

 

[Blackbeard]

Re: Bulldogs 09-10 Season

Pros and cons to everything...she unfortunately got cut from Team Canada recently but I heard that J-Rock will be skating for UMD in January.

 

[ARM]

Re: Bulldogs 09-10 Season

Pros and cons to everything...she unfortunately got cut from Team Canada recently but I heard that J-Rock will be skating for UMD in January.

She will make a huge difference on the UMD blue line. Given they will be minus one of their normal D in February, it's a nice luxury to be able to plug an All-American into the rotation.

 

[dhmn]

Re: Bulldogs 09-10 Season

Having Larocque back will be nice for UMD, but too bad for her that she doesn't get the Olympic experience in her own country. It will be huge for UMD to have the extra 'D' for the few weeks they will, to give Rasmussen a little extra break during games as she's seen a ton of ice time.

Now, there was talk during 4 nations week that Team Finland had a lot of defensemen .. something like 12.. on their list of possibles.. do we know for certain that Posa will be going to Vancouver?

 

[ARM]

Re: Bulldogs 09-10 Season

Now, there was talk during 4 nations week that Team Finland had a lot of defensemen .. something like 12.. on their list of possibles.. do we know for certain that Posa will be going to Vancouver?

If Team Finland has not announced their roster (and I haven't heard that they have done so), then no. But I would think it is easier for UMD to plan that they won't have her. It is a lot easier to adjust if you have her more weeks than expected than the opposite scenario.

 

[dhmn]

Re: Bulldogs 09-10 Season

If Team Finland has not announced their roster (and I haven't heard that they have done so), then no. But I would think it is easier for UMD to plan that they won't have her. It is a lot easier to adjust if you have her more weeks than expected than the opposite scenario.

True.. and while I wouldn't want to take the Olympic experience from either of them.. it would be a HUGE boost to have them both leading to the playoffs. Then you also wonder if Posa/Tuominen (Raty can stay in Vancouver in this scenario ) come back early if Finland doesn't make the semifinals that are scheduled for the 22nd (still would be really hard to wish for that since you want players to succeed.)

 

[ARM]

Re: Bulldogs 09-10 Season

True.. and while I wouldn't want to take the Olympic experience from either of them.. it would be a HUGE boost to have them both leading to the playoffs. Then you also wonder if Posa/Tuominen ...

As team captain, it's a pretty safe assumption that Touminen WILL be gone.

 

[JosephPSchmoe]

Re: Bulldogs 09-10 Season

Pros and cons to everything...she unfortunately got cut from Team Canada recently but I heard that J-Rock will be skating for UMD in January.

After being cut from Team Canada, she was named to the Canadian U22 team, so she'll be in Germany in early January for the MLP Cup. I don't know how long that team's schedules goes, but I would assume she has commitments with them before coming back to UMD. Having her and Rasmussen on the same line would be sweet, though (hey, I can dream.)

 

[ARM]

Re: Bulldogs 09-10 Season

After being cut from Team Canada, she was named to the Canadian U22 team, so she'll be in Germany in early January for the MLP Cup. I don't know how long that team's schedules goes, but I would assume she has commitments with them before coming back to UMD.

I believe the MLP Cup schedule wraps up the weekend of the 9th, so she'd only miss practice time, not games.

 

[Habs]

Re: Bulldogs 09-10 Season

If Team Finland has not announced their roster (and I haven't heard that they have done so), then no. But I would think it is easier for UMD to plan that they won't have her. It is a lot easier to adjust if you have her more weeks than expected than the opposite scenario.

Roster will be announced on 13th of January. MLP Nations Cup roster is almost final. One forward + one defence will be dropped after MLP. Tuominen 100% Olympian, Posa will compete for the 7th defence spot. Long way to go still.

 

[dhmn]

Re: Bulldogs 09-10 Season

After being cut from Team Canada, she was named to the Canadian U22 team, so she'll be in Germany in early January for the MLP Cup. I don't know how long that team's schedules goes, but I would assume she has commitments with them before coming back to UMD. Having her and Rasmussen on the same line would be sweet, though (hey, I can dream.)

It would be a bit greedy to want her back as bad as some of us do for the stretch run....but also it would be nice to have her for full seasons rather than the short time left in this season.. it makes it hard as a fan of a player/team.

 

[JosephPSchmoe]

Re: Bulldogs 09-10 Season

And in fairness to the Swedes, all four (Martin, Holmlov, Winberg and Asserholt) were named to Sweden's Olympic team. I'd love to see someone other than the U.S. or Canada take a gold or silver, so good luck to them.