Michigan Tech 2014-2015

[The Rube]

Re: Michigan Tech 2014-2015

We're not making the dance. Book it.

The F4? You'll come close, but I could see not making it. Baby steps.

 

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

Re: Michigan Tech 2014-2015

The F4? You'll come close, but I could see not making it. Baby steps.

We just got shutout by a bottom 10 team. We've got four games against our archrivals, plus BG and @Mankato. Get shutout by a bottom 10 team? We're done.

 

[Gurtholfin]

Re: Michigan Tech 2014-2015

Geez.

Not to be the voice of reason, but you completely dominated that game. Just didn't finish. Three pipe hits.

It's hockey. It happens.


In addition, that effort by the Badgers is not indicative of their play so far this season. Was much, MUCH better than I've seen to this point.

 

[<3_Blizzard]

Re: Michigan Tech 2014-2015

Well that kind of sucks especially for pairwise , but I don't see why everybody is gloom and doom. They have played really well the past 4 games. I think the Michigan game was more Phillips had an off day, I bet he wanted one if not both of those back. Tonight you just have to tip your hat to Rumpel (Who was a Hobey finalist last year in case you forgot).

I look at this more as "It's Hockey" you're going to win some you shouldn't (See Bemidji series, they kicked our butts), and your going to lose some you should win (UofM & Bucky). But by the end of the year it will all average out.

Put me in the not concerned crowd.

The one thing that really bothered me was Auk consistently just shooting it in from the point with no traffic in front to screen/rebound, etc. Others were guilty of this as well, but it seemed to me he did it every time he touched the puck in the O Zone. Hopefully it's something they work on this week as it seemed like we have several wasted possessions because of this.

 

[stuckinwi]

Geez.

Not to be the voice of reason, but you completely dominated that game. Just didn't finish. Three pipe hits.

It's hockey. It happens.


In addition, that effort by the Badgers is not indicative of their play so far this season. Was much, MUCH better than I've seen to this point.

This. Rumpel was fantastic tonight. 25 shots in a period is a LOT. And the goal Wisconsin did score was a bad decision by Jamie to attempt a poke check that missed instead of just cutting the angle.

Rumpel was the difference and stole the game. Jamie Ram style work there

 

[Twitch Boy]

Re: Michigan Tech 2014-2015

Tech loses out. Mel Pearson flies to Ann Arbor and records a movie entitled "Fark Yeah, We Got Gerald Ford and Tom Brady Biatches" which is just 150 minutes of him making out with Jim Harbaugh standing on the block M at the Big House while the Alumni Band plays "Let's Go Blue" on loop.

 

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: Michigan Tech 2014-2015

While going 2-2 over the last 4 games has certainly sucked, let's not forget how well they sued in those 2 losses. That game was frustrating to watch last night but Rumpel is a good goaltender and the Huskies hot iron 3 times, not to mention all the other quality scoring chances. We can't give up the faith over losing games where we dominated play and lost. It happens over the course of the season. It's too bad it had to happen in NC against a team having as bad of a season as Wisconsin. hopefully they improve and that loss won't look so bad, for PWR later. The result sucked but they happen, the saddest part is what that one loss did for the RPI.

 

[RaceBoarder]

Re: Michigan Tech 2014-2015

And Tech falls into a dumpster fire at just the right time

 

[Critical Thinker]

Re: Michigan Tech 2014-2015

We're not making the dance. Book it.

One game isn't going to break your season, but you've certainly dug yourselves into a hole. Your biggest strength until Christmas was soundly taking care of weaker teams (e.g.- B1G) that gave you your 10 game win streak, which all of a sudden is questionable after the GLI and Wisco trip. You don't have to sweep Mankato and BG to get in, but you can't take any more bad losses.

 

[Biddco]

Re: Michigan Tech 2014-2015

We just got shutout by a bottom 10 team. We've got four games against our archrivals, plus BG and @Mankato. Get shutout by a bottom 10 team? We're done.

Man how the roles have changed! A few years ago a loss to Tech would sink your tournament chances...now it's the opposite! Made even sweeter by a loss from a consistently good Wisconsin Team is the one that killing the PWR.

 

[Stauber1]

Re: Michigan Tech 2014-2015

Man, the past 30+ years must have really taken a toll on the MTU fan base.

Tech totally dominated that game. They dominated MI in the GLI. Having some trouble with the final play in front of the goal, but this is a good team and if they continue to play like they did Saturday in Madison they are going to win a lot more than they lose. If the opposing goalie has to pitch a 47-save SO for Tech to lose then Tech should be in pretty good shape.

I can understand some of the concerns about their play in relation to being one of the last handful of teams standing come April. Their PP needs to get better and was the real missed opportunity to put UW away on Saturday, and could have put MI away in the GLI as well. Their shot selection needs to get better, too. But if they continue what they have shown so far it is going to put them in the hunt for a WCHA banner and into the Nat'l Tournament come the end of March.

 

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: Michigan Tech 2014-2015

Man, the past 30+ years must have really taken a toll on the MTU fan base.

Tech totally dominated that game. They dominated MI in the GLI. Having some trouble with the final play in front of the goal, but this is a good team and if they continue to play like they did Saturday in Madison they are going to win a lot more than they lose. If the opposing goalie has to pitch a 47-save SO for Tech to lose than Tech should be in pretty good shape.

I can understand some of the concerns about their play in relation to being one of the last handful of teams standing come April. Their PP needs to get better and was the real missed opportunity to put UW away on Saturday, and could have put MI away in the GLI as well. Their shot selection needs to get better, too. But if they continue what they have shown so far it is going to put them in the hunt for a WCHA banner and into the Nat'l Tournament come the end of March.

thanks for the kind words, I'm right there with you.

 

[Pure Mel]

Re: Michigan Tech 2014-2015

Don't look now, but I think MTU is the first and only D1 hockey program to hit 15 wins this season!

 

[The Rube]

Re: Michigan Tech 2014-2015

Man, the past 30+ years must have really taken a toll on the MTU fan base.

Tech totally dominated that game. They dominated MI in the GLI. Having some trouble with the final play in front of the goal, but this is a good team and if they continue to play like they did Saturday in Madison they are going to win a lot more than they lose. If the opposing goalie has to pitch a 47-save SO for Tech to lose then Tech should be in pretty good shape.

I can understand some of the concerns about their play in relation to being one of the last handful of teams standing come April. Their PP needs to get better and was the real missed opportunity to put UW away on Saturday, and could have put MI away in the GLI as well. Their shot selection needs to get better, too. But if they continue what they have shown so far it is going to put them in the hunt for a WCHA banner and into the Nat'l Tournament come the end of March.

30 years of reversal does not come quick, usually. Just gonna throw that out there.

 

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: Michigan Tech 2014-2015

Apparently the pollsters for USCHO paid attention to how MTU played, not just the results...They're ranked 8th this week, down 3 spots after going 2-2 since the last poll.

 

[stuckinwi]

Re: Michigan Tech 2014-2015

Apparently the pollsters for USCHO paid attention to how MTU played, not just the results...They're ranked 8th this week, down 3 spots after going 2-2 since the last poll.

The PWR still scares me. Went from being in a comfy spot to a bubbly one. We need Wisconsin to pick it up in the second half so that one doesn't hurt so bad.

 

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: Michigan Tech 2014-2015

The PWR still scares me. Went from being in a comfy spot to a bubbly one. We need Wisconsin to pick it up in the second half so that one doesn't hurt so bad.

We could also really help ourselves with some wins over BGSU and MSUM. Getting a quality win bonus from those games could prove pivotal. I'm still not quite sure with the way they calculate RPI as to who we'd rather see do well within the conference. Under the old system of .25/.50/.25 we'd want everyone we play 4 times to win more than the teams we play twice but I'm not sure under the new calc.

 

[gfmorris]

Re: Michigan Tech 2014-2015

We could also really help ourselves with some wins over BGSU and MSUM. Getting a quality win bonus from those games could prove pivotal. I'm still not quite sure with the way they calculate RPI as to who we'd rather see do well within the conference. Under the old system of .25/.50/.25 we'd want everyone we play 4 times to win more than the teams we play twice but I'm not sure under the new calc.

Yep, but Bill Robertson probably wouldn't love that. The best thing for the league from here out would be for the top three to win out except when they meet, and then they'd split.

GFM <— okay with what's best for the league since UAH won't be top-half until 2015-16

 

[geezer]

Re: Michigan Tech 2014-2015

I feel a little better now that I've had a snickers. Tech is at 15-5, in good position to meet early expectations of competing for home playoffs, and still has a solid shot at the tourney. And I believe this turnaround (haven't we already exceeded last year's win total?) is long-term based on the depth of the lineup - this improvement didn't come about by recruiting one or two superstar players. It's the coaching, the system, the conditioning, the attitude that is making the difference. I'm feeling good about the future.

 

[mtu_huskies]

Re: Michigan Tech 2014-2015

Mel Pearson show summary for those that missed it.

Mel Pearson Show summary for 1-5:
Reminder Saturday is 7:37 in Houghton instead of 7
10 pack of remainder home games, $120, $50 off. Only $50 for youth reserved.
Great to be back in copper country, Mel shoveled the radio station steps when he got there
They were on the road 10 days, long trip in hotels with downtime
Remember the days when a split at WI was good, could tell that night and next morning, the team was down, but can't fault the effort
Happy the team takes the losses hard, not much traveling next month and a half

NMU ties and loss to Mankato, Northern looked good. They work hard, 2nd goalie is playing well, they have a solid record
Playing on olympic sheet will help for northern, one reason we scheduled that weekend of games at WI, it will help even though we can't practice on an olympic sheet
Is there any talk of getting an olympic sheet in our area? It has not been spoken about, Mel hasn't brought it up. Most are looking to go away from Olympic sheet, Mankato wants smaller surface for example. MN has talked about it too.
There's been no talk, you could probably put one in a type of practice facility. But we don't need one, we're fine.


On Friday's game:
We were ready to play, for the most part our team has been ready. Other than taking the penalty to put us on our heels a little bit.
1-0, Kero SHG, call was CJ for elbowing, he doesn't take many penalties, surprised he was mostly bracing himself for a hit a UW player was going to deliver
2-0, Petan PPG, Petan could tell Rumple was screened, no chance for goalie
3-0, Pietila 5x5, backhand goal, Hanna got involved offensively, nice job battling in front of the net, didn't do a lot of that on Sat, we need more "garbage" goals
15-5 shots after 1, we were prepared, get momentum with a few goals, liked all 4 of our lines, Credit to Pietila, he's being moved all around, center and left wing
4-0, Steman from L'Esperance/Eick, like the speed of Steman driving by UW guy, told Billy we need more speed like that, hard to defend, outstanding game for Steman, whole line was good, matched them up with Besse line
5-0, Hietila, PP had just expired, PP did nice, we tweaked it a bit, kept UW off balance,
6-0, Kero PPG, great job by Petan, was behind the net and sent it out front, Tanner had the same look on Saturday but it didn't go in, more room behind the net at UW, helps in this play
6-1, UW goal late in 2nd, have to manage the situation, only a few sec left in period, we had puck, didn't get it deep, all 3 F and 1 Dman change, got caught flat footed
7-1, Pietila PPG, broken stick, another different look on PP, good shot by Johnstone, bounces to Blake
8-1, Gould from Kero, Kero's speed helped with a foot race with UW guy, created a 2x1 instead of 2x2, perfect pass to Gould
Put Wintjes in, told Matt before that to be ready for next whistle, did a great job and some good saves


On Saturday's game:
When you breakdown the game, could say we had better scoring chances Sat, just didn't convert
Have been on both sides of a game like this, throw everything at him and come away from nothing, one guy can beat you
They're a good team, they played hard, and Rumple a good goalie, proved that Saturday, some luck there too
The 1st 2 period didn't play with that intensity, they played more physical, jump, and stronger in their zone
102 shot attempts created, not sure we've had that many all year, 25 shots on net in 3rd
If we play like that we'll win a lot of hockey games, like the defensive posture all weekend, 1 goal each night (plus ENG), that'll win a lot of hockey games, there will be more nights we don't score much, but keeping the puck out of our net will help
Give up 7 goals against in last 4 games, playing some good teams
Neville got in Saturday instead of Gillies, it was less Gillies and more wanted to get Neville in after getting hurt against Ferris
He missed a lot of practice before Xmas, then the Xmas break, then injured after Ferris, he got better as game went on
Alex struggled a bit Friday, the pace was higher, and he got caught in the middle a bit, didn't seem in sync, didn't get to show his speed, should've been a good spot
0-1, UW goal, PPG, we had better scoring chances on that UW PP, Steman/Eick/Pietila all had chances but Rumple made saves, we had line change, similar to Friday goal, Roy stepped up, missed UW player, and puck goes to an area for UW player to get in on Jamie,
Jamie went for poke check, because he probably should've done that Friday on the only UW goal, but guy just shoots and scores
New 1st goal would be a big one, but liked our pushback from that point on
Not sure on penalty that gave UW the PP, we had discipline all weekend, one of our players coming off slashed UW player, 1st UW PP, bad penalty that had no effect on game
0-2 ENG, Hanna tried to hold puck in but it got by him, we had possession, could've been a bit more patient
Tough loss, we have some set plays when goalie is pulled, trying to have 3 guys down low to outnumber them, but our guys worked hard in 3rd, shots 25-6 in 3rd, some Grade A chances
Like a lot of things we did, tough loss, but at the same time, it'll happen, things even out a bit, if we keep playing hard, we'll win a lot more games than we will lose
Surprised at PWR drop? Don't look at it too much, but no. So many factors go into it, our W/L and how other teams do, common opponents plays in too. Hoping UW wins some more games, root for the non-conference teams you play.
We need to take care of our league first. That was our goal to compete for league championship.

On NMU:
Will be 2 hard fought games. We have Shawhan this year, so interesting side note.
Back in league play, in thick of it for 1st place with 16 games left. We need to take care of business. Important weekend, especially Sat. Need that home ice presences. 9 games in a row at home.
We've been good on road, Sat was 1st loss.
Play physical and make it difficult to get to the net/score goals.
Both teams have good PK, special teams will play a big role.

Thanks to our administration with the ticket discounts. Help people get the opportunity to see the team with the most Ws in college hockey.
Even at WI or GLI, running into NHL scouts, the compliments they put on our team and players. You'll see a team that plays fast and hard.
We had an alumni function at WI, not a seat to be had. Great turnout of Tech fans and alumni in Madison and Detroit too. Really helps our team when we have those fans. Need that at home too.


Send questions to Dirk, DJ@themix93.com

Emailer didn't watch Saturday, but WI likes to run a pick on point on PPs, were we a victim of that?
No, no picks on PP, they only scored on a neutral zone rush. They went 1-4 on PP, and our PKers did a good job.

NMU gets 36% of scoring form Dmen, will you adjust forwards to take away Dmen chances?
There will be more shot blocking execution in practice. Their PP has some talent on the backend that get the puck to the net.

What are some of Mel's favorite college arenas?
Yost is one of the best. Pure college environment, especially when no pumped in music back in the day.
Old Mariucci too, one end was odd with an angled ceiling above the net.
Everywhere you go, one of the favorite road trips for fans is MTU and Houghton. People love coming up, great place/stadium. MI fans said that they loved trip when talked to at GLI. UW is coming back, not next year, a few years out.


How does it help team play when a strong fan group on the road.
Our fans did a great job in Madison. At times they were louder than UW fans. Shows interest and pride in our program.

How many of 47 shots were Grade A? Seems like many were from outside.
Early in the game we didn't get to the net. But as game went on we got better, more Grade A chances as the game went on.

What are Walt Kyle's strengths?
Gets his team to play hard. Solid teams that play so hard and physical. Good recruiting for his style.


Dirk asked about Neville, is he 100%?
He is, but maybe not game shape with missing so much time. Missed 25 practices in last month. As game wore on, he got better, Great chance Saturday, great save by Rumple.

Surprised Eaves came back with Rumple?
No, he's played most of the year. Won B1G championship with him, has plenty of UW records.
Saturday was our first loss to UW since Mel's coached.

Anytime you win Friday, you want the sweep. We were 9-0 on road. Can't ask more of our team, it's tough. Credit to our players, tough loss.

Nic Petan tearing it up at World Juniors.
Nic and ALex are brothers. We were recruiting ALex, and tried Nic, but Nic decided on Major Juniors. Had to make that decision at 15 years old basically. Nic is having a great WJC.