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Michigan Tech, best season in 30 years, part two!

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JohnsonsJerseys said:
For those that were at the games this past weekend, I saw they posted a jersey raffle number on the video screen during the Sat game (didn't see anything Friday). Can anyone tell me what was given away? I just like to keep tabs of what is out in the public's hands. I know they squirrel a few away even when they say they don't have anything on hand so I'm just curious what they pulled out of the archives. The last time there were "not any jerseys available", two captains jerseys got raffled. Other times they have just raffled something blank off the rack at University Images.

Ryan J

PS This is pretty cool that we are all concerned about what region we are getting slotted into for the tourney. #GoodProblemToHave
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It was the gold third number 25. Went to one the misfit board members.
 
Re: Michigan Tech, best season in 30 years, part two!

Tech is still at #5 in the USCHO poll.

Mel Pearson Show summary for 2-9:
Great crowds/atmosphere, players extremely happy Saturday night
Key is GA, only giving up 1 goal a game, a lot easier to win, defense has to be solid this time of year, Jamie played well, D was good too
BSU plays a simple game, get in foot races after flipping puck so it puts pressure on the Dmen
Overall our D was good, Sweeney defense outstanding ignoring his goals, Jamie looked sharp too other than 1st BSU goal
Cliff Watson fun to watch, consistent Dman, blocks shots, good stick, good PK, one of our Dmen leaders

On Friday:
1-0, Sweeney SHG, great shot, BSU has only won 1 game when they don't score first, huge goal, unassisted even though Steman bumped the puck out to Sweeney
1-1, Ward, Jamie might want that back, caught him in awkward spot/shoulder
They've got a good team, maybe no superstar, but a lineup that plays together and the right way
Didn't like 1st 5 min of 2nd, came out like we were satisfied, took a TO even though a TV TO was coming, couldn't wait, BSU pushed back hard in 2nd both nights
2-1 Steman, off neutral zone faceoff, BSU dman had started toward Tech net thinking BSU would get puck, but we got it, Steman in all alone, shot it in stride instead of stopping, had worked on that in practice
3rd period one of our best periods, didn't give up much only 3 shots
3-1, Kero ENG, good hustle down the ice
0-4 on PP, a couple decent, but not very good a few times, they're aggressive below top of circles, didn't move puck

On Saturday:
1-0 Sweeney PPG, we needed that, good PP, good simple wrist shot, traffic in front of net
Heinonen struggled a bit on the weekend, the pace is tough for a guy that hasn't played for awhile, overall he did fine, have to get back into the swing of a game, he added something to our team and will be better for UAA
1-1 BSU PP, on Tech's 3rd too many men penalty of weekend, Jamie couldn't find the puck
Too many men - we have a player coming off, yelling, next guy on bench is getting ready, 1st time Tech guy decides late he's not getting off ice, if you're coming you need to get on the bench and watch the puck to see where it's at
2-1 Kero GWG, Petan held in and found a seam to Auk, good shot by him to throw it to the side, Kero's having a great year, things happen when you work hard/play honest
Tight hard fought games/fast paced, have to learn how to win games like this, get confidence
0-3 PP, much better sat, just couldn't beat them. 6 penalties against, just can't take that many. PK is coming around, getting better.
MVP is Sweeney, Good to see Scott MacInnes on the ice, John's wife, Jeri (in AZ) sent a nice text before the weekend wishing the team well, shared that with the team.
WC Queen is Gould's girlfriend, team was excited to see who would have opportunity to kiss the queen.

On UAA:
They're not a bad team, they were in final five last year
They're much better at home, .500 vs struggles on road
We've played well in WCHA road play, haven't been there for awhile
The atmosphere is different, will create our own energy, have to be ready to play, it's a bigger building, and olymipc sheet, have to be dialed in mentally
We played poor in Anchorage last year, then spent week in AK and played better in Fairbanks

Injuries:
Eick and Gillies, neither will make the trip. Eick has an upper body injury. Asked him about Mankato, said absolutely, should be ready in week but bye week.
Gillies - upper body as well, coming along slower than thought.
Johnstone retrurned, wanted to get him involved and work on conditioning, he'll make trip to AK.
We have minor things, giving a guy a day off to let it heal, like most teams this time of year.
Some of injuries occurred during this home stretch, so have whole roster to choose from. Made it easier.

Questions for Mel:

In recent weeks, why have we've gotten too many men penalties?
Combination of things, sloppy with line changes. Assistant coach will name what D will go on. Leave it up to players to watch for their guy to make change. Had a few times where we weren't watching the puck, have to be careful when puck is by the bench.
If a player is skating off, then the puck comes they might play it even though guy had already jumped on. Hard for guy getting ready to come on the ice if they see the puck coming towards the bench. Better communication needed.

It seems like the Kero/Petan line didn't get many/long shifts. Alex didn't get a lot of ice 1st night, 3 penalties, Kero is out on PK. Did match lines a little more than in the past this weekend. Wanted Kero/Petan against Fitzgerald line.
Other times they just roll, and will have to this weekend because we don't have last change.

How is Anchorage trip different than Fairbanks?
Extra flight in AK does make a difference. Couple more hours to get there. Once in AK, it's all the same. Sunlight is the same etc.

With Jim Noltan leaving selection committee, will there be a replacement?
Not sure how much can be said, he was the chair. He'll stay on til March 1 and then appoint a new chair. Up to ECAC to find a replacement. Ourselves as a committee have had conf. calls about the tournament.

How is recruiting?
Real active, number of players in lately with all the home games. Young men on campus with families. Have to coordinate with thier junior schedules.
Muckalt not here, was recruiting seeing young players. Real active in recruiting process. We don't play next weekend so we'll get out and see a number of players.
Will sign some more kids in April during signing period. Going extremely well adding speed, grit and skill. Size too.

Dirk - Does possible redshirts change recruiting down the road?
Yes, not as anxious to bring guys in. Have been aware of that and keeping an eye on that.
A lot of times in recruiting, tell guys offer is Fall of 15 or 16. A new thing these days in recruiting. With guys signing pro, have to be prepared.

During a game, do assistants have specific tasks?
They do, one runs defense, Billy if both here. Joe keeps track of what lines they are playing, who they match up against us etc. Charts scoring chances. Joe is into stats.

What is the travel plans for Alaska?
Will head to Minneapolis, hard to get flight, out of Houghton. Wed morning fly out of Minneapolis through Seattle, in Anchorage 2:30 Wed, light skate. Practice Thur then play.
Leave right after the game win Sat, get dressed and get to airport 11:35PM, Minneapolis 8AM Sunday bus home. Tough trip. We don't play following weekend. Will take a few days off.

How has Dane Birk looked and being drafted was Pitt okay with him missing a year of games?
He's looked good. Skates well, great reach. He'll slide into Sweeney's spot next year. We're young in D.
Pittsburg is good, they've stayed in touch. Their assistant GM played for Mel at MI. They touch base once in awhile to see how he's doing, they know Dane is a future player. They're all about development.

It seems like both games started slow, momentum/pace built up through the game. How to get it to start faster?
Lot of whistles early. We're trying to start fast, but other team has something to do with that. BSU plays a style, have to be patient and disciplined.

Have pro teams recruited Tanner?
Have had conversation with teams about Tanner. Last year, called NHL to get him in a development camp, thought he was going under the radar. Yeah there will be teams, he's getting noticed. Much deserved.
Definitely think he can play in AHL. What type of player at next level? It's to be determined. Tanner is versatile.

With Dmen leading programs, has recruiting been focused on D next year?
We're set up pretty well. We have a number of young guys on the line. Birks is here too. Davis have to make some decisions on him, weather he wants to come back. He's worked so hard in practice.
Blacklock, both Andersons, D. Kero, Davis, Vallis, etc, these guys all work so hard in practice and push our players. Then they're ready to play when inserted into lineup.
Click to expand...
 
Re: Michigan Tech, best season in 30 years, part two!

Biddco said:
It was the gold third number 25. Went to one the misfit board members.
Click to expand...
Did it look like the jersey was used? I have not seen any of the current gold jerseys that were game used in public hands yet.
Shirtless Guy said:
what do you mean not any jerseys available? They still replace a set every year even if they don't update them? For the UMD series earlier this year it was the first version of the new style white home jersey.
Click to expand...
Tech used to be pretty consistant with replacing one set every year on a rotating basis (even if little or nothing changed). So if there were three sets (white, black, gold), they would get used for three years then replaced. Since the coaching staff changed it has been a bit more hit and miss as to when stuff gets replaced. After Mel started, "everything" was sold and replaced. Yet as I mentioned, the following season (heavily worn) game used jerseys still managed to show up in jersey raffles from time to time so they didn't really sell everything. The others raffled that year were blank authentic versions of the new style Reebok jerseys. For this season, Tech recycled everything and didn't buy any new sets. I'm guessing with four jersey sets, none of them are wearing out as quickly. Even the last set of white OT Sports dazzle jerseys, some of which were used for FOUR seasons, didn't really show much wear when they were done with them.

Shirtless Guy said:
In other news, the WCHA has suspended Michigan Tech D Cliff Watson one game for an elbowing incident against Bemidji State.
Click to expand...
I'm sure you can't argue with video, but when four officials on the ice stand around during the game and have a conference about the penalty and they decide to give Watson 2 minutes and nothing more, it really irks me to see the league office make a Monday morning quarterback decision and hand out their own decision. In short the league is saying the call on the ice was wrong.

If a player gets a five and a game and then the league adds to that after the fact, I would have an easier time than this situation. If the ref thinks the play was bad enough to toss the player, I don't have a problem with the league going next level after reviewing the play. However adding a game suspension after the fact to a 2-minute minor penalty doesn't sit well with me. I don't even remember BSU *****ing about the call when it was made other than a little shoulder shrug from the captain when it was explained to him at the ref's crease.

Ryan J
 
Re: Michigan Tech, best season in 30 years, part two!

JohnsonsJerseys said:
Did it look like the jersey was used? I have not seen any of the current gold jerseys that were game used in public hands yet.
Tech used to be pretty consistant with replacing one set every year on a rotating basis (even if little or nothing changed). So if there were three sets (white, black, gold), they would get used for three years then replaced. Since the coaching staff changed it has been a bit more hit and miss as to when stuff gets replaced. After Mel started, "everything" was sold and replaced. Yet as I mentioned, the following season (heavily worn) game used jerseys still managed to show up in jersey raffles from time to time so they didn't really sell everything. The others raffled that year were blank authentic versions of the new style Reebok jerseys. For this season, Tech recycled everything and didn't buy any new sets. I'm guessing with four jersey sets, none of them are wearing out as quickly. Even the last set of white OT Sports dazzle jerseys, some of which were used for FOUR seasons, didn't really show much wear when they were done with them.

I'm sure you can't argue with video, but when four officials on the ice stand around during the game and have a conference about the penalty and they decide to give Watson 2 minutes and nothing more, it really irks me to see the league office make a Monday morning quarterback decision and hand out their own decision. In short the league is saying the call on the ice was wrong.

If a player gets a five and a game and then the league adds to that after the fact, I would have an easier time than this situation. If the ref thinks the play was bad enough to toss the player, I don't have a problem with the league going next level after reviewing the play. However adding a game suspension after the fact to a 2-minute minor penalty doesn't sit well with me. I don't even remember BSU *****ing about the call when it was made other than a little shoulder shrug from the captain when it was explained to him at the ref's crease.

Ryan J
Click to expand...

Since you're the jersey guy I will ask you, all our game jerseys that the players wear are Reebok now correct? Why don't they sell real game jerseys to the public at University Images anymore? I bought a gold and black away jersey when I was up there this weekend and the Gold is made by K1 while the away black was Reebok however it was still not the real jersey as it didn't have the tie down in the back like my OT Dazzle set all do and their sizes are normal clothing sizes like L, XL, XXL etc vs the hockey sizes of the real OT jerseys like 56, 58 etc. Why won't they sell real jerseys anymore, I would happily have paid the $159 they sold the authentic OT Dazzle sets for vs. the $109 they are selling the current ones for. Just irks me a bit.
 
Re: Michigan Tech, best season in 30 years, part two!

JJ. It appears to be not game worn but it's tough to tell with the picture.
 
Re: Michigan Tech, best season in 30 years, part two!

Yes, all the current jerseys are Reebok. They have been since all the OT Sports (shiny dazzle) jerseys were replaced in the summer of 2012. However, the first year the Reebok patches were ripped off the front of the new Reebok jerseys because Tech wasn't getting an endorsement from Reebok so I guess that was Tech's way of saying: "No discount on the gear, no free advertising..."

As for why they don't sell Reebok authentics, I would guess cost is the biggest reason. Not many casual fans will plunk down $150+ for a jersey. That's not to say some fans won't buy them as it appears Tim has found more than a couple dozen folks pretty quickly who will happily pay more for the real deal. Heck, I got my start in collecting game worn jerseys trying to buy an authentic MTU jersey. But for the general public, most are content with anything that comes close to the desired appearance.

There have been several authentic game weight Tech jerseys on Ebay week after week with no buyers, but they are the previous OT Sports dazzle designs. Even at $60 / $70 each they are not selling. One of them is a prototype jersey that the team never used (or anything like it) and the seller has it listed as a game used/worn jersey. (Buyer beware...)

Most "on-ice" jerseys are numerical sized just to make it easier on equipment staff, but some "on-ice" jerseys are still sized with alpha characters (Adidas is the most common). Going from one vendor to another a size 56 in brand A, should be very close to a size 56 in brand Z. Gemini seems to be a bit off in left field as I've seen quite a few of their jerseys from WCHA teams over the years (MSU, BSU, UAA, etc.) In general, the numerical size is derived from two times the width of the chest. So a 56 jersey is roughly 28" wide under the arms when laid flat. With the exception of goalie cut ("G" size) jerseys, the body length and sleeves sizing really don't change for standard sizes 52, 54, 56, etc. "G" jerseys get HUGE sleeves, and sometimes underarm inserts to allow for the larger chest protector and arm pads. They are also are usually provided as size 58 or 60 for the next minder. Good for a goalie, but a "tent" for John Q Public.

Ryan J
 
Re: Michigan Tech, best season in 30 years, part two!

JohnsonsJerseys said:
If a player gets a five and a game and then the league adds to that after the fact, I would have an easier time than this situation. If the ref thinks the play was bad enough to toss the player, I don't have a problem with the league going next level after reviewing the play. However adding a game suspension after the fact to a 2-minute minor penalty doesn't sit well with me. I don't even remember BSU *****ing about the call when it was made other than a little shoulder shrug from the captain when it was explained to him at the ref's crease.

Ryan J
Click to expand...
Not arguing, just askn:
Have you ever seen the league go the other way and lessen a penalty?
 
Re: Michigan Tech, best season in 30 years, part two!

eye4talent said:
is there video of the hit? I was at the game and it looked like a clean hit to me.
Click to expand...

It's only available in the archived game on WCHA.tv, at about the 1:55:00 mark. Fitzgerald gets a pass as he's cutting across the center ice circle, it skips over his stick and he drops his head down. That happened just as Watson was lining him up, and when Fitzgerald's head dropped it ended up in line with Watson's right arm as it extended through the hit. If you remember, Watson got a 5 minute penalty in the NMU game in Marquette for a hit where he extended the arm through after clean contact. If he keeps the arm down in either situation, there's likely no penalty. The impact that Fitzgerald made with the ice was the most noticeable part, I'd speculate that was the reason it was even an issue.
 
Re: Michigan Tech, best season in 30 years, part two!

JohnsonsJerseys said:
Yes, all the current jerseys are Reebok. They have been since all the OT Sports (shiny dazzle) jerseys were replaced in the summer of 2012. However, the first year the Reebok patches were ripped off the front of the new Reebok jerseys because Tech wasn't getting an endorsement from Reebok so I guess that was Tech's way of saying: "No discount on the gear, no free advertising..."

As for why they don't sell Reebok authentics, I would guess cost is the biggest reason. Not many casual fans will plunk down $150+ for a jersey. That's not to say some fans won't buy them as it appears Tim has found more than a couple dozen folks pretty quickly who will happily pay more for the real deal. Heck, I got my start in collecting game worn jerseys trying to buy an authentic MTU jersey. But for the general public, most are content with anything that comes close to the desired appearance.

There have been several authentic game weight Tech jerseys on Ebay week after week with no buyers, but they are the previous OT Sports dazzle designs. Even at $60 / $70 each they are not selling. One of them is a prototype jersey that the team never used (or anything like it) and the seller has it listed as a game used/worn jersey. (Buyer beware...)

Most "on-ice" jerseys are numerical sized just to make it easier on equipment staff, but some "on-ice" jerseys are still sized with alpha characters (Adidas is the most common). Going from one vendor to another a size 56 in brand A, should be very close to a size 56 in brand Z. Gemini seems to be a bit off in left field as I've seen quite a few of their jerseys from WCHA teams over the years (MSU, BSU, UAA, etc.) In general, the numerical size is derived from two times the width of the chest. So a 56 jersey is roughly 28" wide under the arms when laid flat. With the exception of goalie cut ("G" size) jerseys, the body length and sleeves sizing really don't change for standard sizes 52, 54, 56, etc. "G" jerseys get HUGE sleeves, and sometimes underarm inserts to allow for the larger chest protector and arm pads. They are also are usually provided as size 58 or 60 for the next minder. Good for a goalie, but a "tent" for John Q Public.

Ryan J
Click to expand...

The reason there are so many authentic OT Dazzle jerseys is they did sell the official authentic jerseys in the University Images shop then, I have a set of all 3 of the authentic ones that I bought at University Images, none are game worn, I just wish they were doing it for the newest jerseys.
 
Re: Michigan Tech, best season in 30 years, part two!

JohnsonsJerseys said:
Most "on-ice" jerseys are numerical sized just to make it easier on equipment staff, but some "on-ice" jerseys are still sized with alpha characters (Adidas is the most common). Going from one vendor to another a size 56 in brand A, should be very close to a size 56 in brand Z. Gemini seems to be a bit off in left field as I've seen quite a few of their jerseys from WCHA teams over the years (MSU, BSU, UAA, etc.) In general, the numerical size is derived from two times the width of the chest. So a 56 jersey is roughly 28" wide under the arms when laid flat. With the exception of goalie cut ("G" size) jerseys, the body length and sleeves sizing really don't change for standard sizes 52, 54, 56, etc. "G" jerseys get HUGE sleeves, and sometimes underarm inserts to allow for the larger chest protector and arm pads. They are also are usually provided as size 58 or 60 for the next minder. Good for a goalie, but a "tent" for John Q Public.

Ryan J
Click to expand...

I was actually going to ask you about this. I am getting a jersey from Shirtless, and I wanted to make sure that the size on my OT jerseys will be the same for Reebok. It sounds like they will be pretty similar.
 
Re: Michigan Tech, best season in 30 years, part two!

bigblue_dl said:
I was actually going to ask you about this. I am getting a jersey from Shirtless, and I wanted to make sure that the size on my OT jerseys will be the same for Reebok. It sounds like they will be pretty similar.
Click to expand...

If all else fails, stop by the Hockey Lodge and try on some Wild sweaters to check your size.
 
Re: Michigan Tech, best season in 30 years, part two!

Going back to the regional discussion we had earlier, and Tech going to the East vs. South Bend. I just ran a simulation on CHN that illustrates my point perfectly. I went through and picked all games, how I thought it could reasonably play out. No "so and so wins out" or anything like. A simulation that if you'd see it you'd say, yeah, that looks like a good guess. The end result of the PWR were this:

1. North Dakota (autobid)
2. MSU-Mankato (autobid)
3. Boston University (autobid)
4. Miami
5. Michigan Tech
6. Nebraska-Omaha
7. Minnesota-Duluth
8. Bowling Green
9. Denver
10. Providence
11. Michigan (autobid)
12. Quinnipiac (autobid)
13. Boston College
14. Merrimack
15. Minnesota
16. Robert Morris (autobid)

In this result, all of the #2 seeds are from the west, none of them distinguish themselves greatly about the other in terms of attendance potential. This would set up as Tech and Omaha going east, to the regionals with BU and Miami as the #1 seeds. There is no real reason to swap either Tech or Omaha with UMD or Bowling Green, its a toss-up, and the committee HAS to send 2 teams out east, so I doubt they'd move any of those teams around.

edit: and actually, this theoretical works out about as well as the committee could expect. We'd end up with these regions:

Fargo-
1. North Dakota
2. Bowling Green
3. Denver
4. Robert Morris

South Bend-
1. MSU-Mankato
2. Minnesota-Duluth
3. Michigan
4. Merrimack (would like to put MN here, but the intra-conference matchup in HE prevents it)

Providence-
1. Boston U
2. Nebraska-Omaha
3. Providence
4. Minnesota (would like to have Merrimack here, but they can't play BU in the first round)

Manchester-
1. Miami
2. Michigan Tech
3. Quinnipiac
4. Boston College

edit 2: for Brent, this also exhibits an example where your "Minnesota has to be in Fargo or South Bend" theory falls apart. They can't be in Fargo, because UND gets the Atlantic autobid, as a reward for being #1. They can't be in South Bend because either BC or Merrimack needs to be there because neither can play BU in the first round.
 
Last edited:
Re: Michigan Tech, best season in 30 years, part two!

bigblue_dl said:
Going back to the regional discussion we had earlier, and Tech going to the East vs. South Bend. I just ran a simulation on CHN that illustrates my point perfectly. I went through and picked all games, how I thought it could reasonably play out. No "so and so wins out" or anything like. A simulation that if you'd see it you'd say, yeah, that looks like a good guess. The end result of the PWR were this:

1. North Dakota (autobid)
2. MSU-Mankato (autobid)
3. Boston University (autobid)
4. Miami
5. Michigan Tech
6. Nebraska-Omaha
7. Minnesota-Duluth
8. Bowling Green
9. Denver
10. Providence
11. Michigan (autobid)
12. Quinnipiac (autobid)
13. Boston College
14. Merrimack
15. Minnesota
16. Robert Morris (autobid)

In this result, all of the #2 seeds are from the west, none of them distinguish themselves greatly about the other in terms of attendance potential. This would set up as Tech and Omaha going east, to the regionals with BU and Miami as the #1 seeds. There is no real reason to swap either Tech or Omaha with UMD or Bowling Green, its a toss-up, and the committee HAS to send 2 teams out east, so I doubt they'd move any of those teams around.

edit: and actually, this theoretical works out about as well as the committee could expect. We'd end up with these regions:

Fargo-
1. North Dakota
2. Bowling Green
3. Denver
4. Robert Morris

South Bend-
1. MSU-Mankato
2. Minnesota-Duluth
3. Michigan
4. Merrimack (would like to put MN here, but the intra-conference matchup in HE prevents it)

Providence-
1. Boston U
2. Nebraska-Omaha
3. Providence
4. Minnesota (would like to have Merrimack here, but they can't play BU in the first round)

Manchester-
1. Miami
2. Michigan Tech
3. Quinnipiac
4. Boston College

edit 2: for Brent, this also exhibits an example where your "Minnesota has to be in Fargo or South Bend" theory falls apart. They can't be in Fargo, because UND gets the Atlantic autobid, as a reward for being #1. They can't be in South Bend because either BC or Merrimack needs to be there because neither can play BU in the first round.
Click to expand...

This wouldn't be the worst outcome by any means. No matter where we end up it'll be tough though!
 
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