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UNO '14 -'15 season thread. Will the sleeper awaken?

Re: UNO '14 -'15 season thread. Will the sleeper awaken?

While I am happy to see the local news media paying some extra attention to UNO because of their good start, it is shocking just how ignorant the local sports guys really are about UNO hockey.

Case in point, during tonight's newscast on KETV here in Omaha, Thor Tripp, while extolling goalie Ryan Massa's third period performance in tonight's tie with UAH (and mispronouncing Massa's name every time he said it), informed us that UNO is off to the best start in program history.

Uh, no, at least, not yet.

UNO is currently 11-4-3.

The '08-'09 team started 12-4-3. I'd argue that the '10-'11 team that got off to a 10-2 start (before losing 3 straight) and were ranked at #4 in the poll for 4 straight weeks, UNO's highest ever ranking in the USCHO poll, got off to a better start than this year's team has, too.

UNO drops from 2 to 4 in Pairwise and the team ought to thank it's lucky stars they didn't find a way to lose this one as that really would have hurt. A disgraceful performance, until the 3rd period.

Played tonight in front of 3,923, the 5th smallest home crowd in program history (not including exhibition games) and is the 2nd smallest for a home regular (non-post) season game.

The attendance for our series against UNH on 12-30 (7:07 start) and 12-31 (4:07 start) is sure going to be interesting. Probably more in attendance on New Year's Eve than the night before, looking at ticket sales on Ticketmaster.

Yeah, I'd say the fans are unhappy with this program. (Note: not the players or the coaching staff). Attendance off to THE worst start in school history, all while the team is off to one of it's best starts ever. A new arena being built and, amazingly, the school has somehow managed to turn this positive into a negative and did it in such a way that significant portion of the fanbase is P.O.'ed and it is clearly showing up at the box office.

Winning cures all, though, and if we continue to play the way that we have, so far, the fans will be there after the first of the year.
 
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Re: UNO '14 -'15 season thread. Will the sleeper awaken?

Come on. We still have 9 months to talk about the Bo Pelini audio tape before the first Husker game of 2015!!

Correct, the local media is a joke. Was talking about that with a fellow fan last night...if UNO makes the NCAAs, the only talk that will be going on at the World-Herald will be the preview of the Spring Game - Mike Reilly's first chance to show the fans nothing at all!

But I've never been impressed with pre-January crowds. The local population is consumed with Husker football, even when they suck. The only time we draw is with a big name opponent, and we really haven't had one at home yet. That may explain the worst attendance start in program history. But you're right, winning will solve everything. Always does for some reason.

This weekend's games were brutal. Talk about unprepared. I wasn't happy with Blais's choice with putting in a goaltender that's never played before. Not that any of the goals were on the goalie. But after you get outplayed on Saturday, you want to send a message to the team that you want them to take UAH seriously. By putting in a goalie that's never played, the players have to be thinking: "coach doesn't think UAH is any good." And their play showed. Just a thought.
 
Re: UNO '14 -'15 season thread. Will the sleeper awaken?

gomavs#1 said:
But I've never been impressed with pre-January crowds. The local population is consumed with Husker football, even when they suck. The only time we draw is with a big name opponent, and we really haven't had one at home yet. That may explain the worst attendance start in program history. But you're right, winning will solve everything. Always does for some reason.

This weekend's games were brutal. Talk about unprepared. I wasn't happy with Blais's choice with putting in a goaltender that's never played before. Not that any of the goals were on the goalie. But after you get outplayed on Saturday, you want to send a message to the team that you want them to take UAH seriously. By putting in a goalie that's never played, the players have to be thinking: "coach doesn't think UAH is any good." And their play showed. Just a thought.
Click to expand...

Can't argue about the lack of quality of home opponents, with apologies to the Purple Cows, who are very good, but, are just not a "name brand".

I had a pretty good idea that Thompson and Crossthwaite were both gonna see time in goal this past weekend after listening to Coach's Blais' radio show last week. He as much as said so.

I've got mixed feelings. On the one hand, you want to win these games, obviously, but, on the other you want to find some playing time for back-ups, sometime, somewhere. But, you're right. Given how Saturday night's game went you'd have thought Coach Blais would have been done playing with fire and had Massa back in there on Sunday. And, we sure don't want to blow a season in which we have what is now looking like a NCAA tourney team. 75% of all the teams ranked 12 or higher in Pairwise on January 1 have historically gone on to make the NCAA's. IMHO, we just blew two spots (going from 2nd to 4th) just so Cossthwaite could see the first ice time of his D-1 playing career. In fact, if I had been UAH's coach, I'd have made sure my team knew that before they took the ice to play us and I'd have played it as a diss. Given how they played. he might have.

We have struggled mightily in a lot of games since Coach Blais got here against opponents that we "should" beat. Both our all-time losses to UAH have come under Coach Blais, for example, as well as this tie, now. In fact, since the start of the '10-'11 season, UAH's cumulative record since, thru this past Sunday, has been 14-124-8. 2 of those wins and 1 of those ties have been against us! How about a loss and a tie to a 6-22-8 BSU team in '12-'13? Or maybe a loss and a tie last season to a 7-24-6 CC squad, to name a few?

Thompson didn't really have all that great of stats in juniors and I think after this season, when Massa is gone, I suspect Crossthwaite probably wins the job next season as he has better credentials than Thompson does.
 
Re: UNO '14 -'15 season thread. Will the sleeper awaken?

Crowds for tonight's and tomorrow afternoon's games don't look like they are going to be all that great. 5,000-6,000ish?

The absolutely brutal weather certainly won't help (5 degrees and a -12 windchill as I write this at mid-afternoon with fresh snowfall on the ground).

These are important games from a Pairwise perspective. Anything short of win and a tie in these two games is a fail for us.

And, I get to scratch New Hampshire off my pretty small "never seen" list. I didn't see them when they played here on New Year's Eve in 1997 nor did I see them when they were here for the Stampede in '05, either.

Nebraskans are used to hating on Wildcats. Just the Kansas State purple kind of Wildcats. Not blue ones with far more hockey legacy than we have that has been playing since the '25-'26 season.
 
Re: UNO '14 -'15 season thread. Will the sleeper awaken?

Disaster averted tonight.

UNO wins in OT, 2-1 in a game that would have been a bad, bad loss. A game in which the Mavs only allowed a single power play by the opponent during the entirety of the game. Ryan Massa could not go because of the flu and Kirk Thompson performed passably in his stead in goal. Thompson scares me to death in goal since he was decidedly only a tad-better-than-average goalie in juniors and I frankly don't know why we even offered a player with his somewhat pedestrian resume'.

Austin Ortega with the game winner in OT, his 7th GWG on the season, which breaks the all time program record for a single season and UNO is not even half way through their schedule, as yet.

Former Omaha Lancer Matias Cleland played in the game for UNH and took a penalty in the 1st period.

Played in front of the 6th smallest crowd in school history for a regular season game (not including exhibition games). A teaming throng of 4,094. There will be more people at tomorrow afternoon's game, but not a lot more. It's a shame that more people weren't in the building to see what is really one of college hockey's legacy programs. Sadly, New Hampshire isn't a "name brand" around here and you couple a "non marquee' opponent" with the fact that this game was played the night before New Year's Eve, and, the hostility and animosity that currently exists towards the UNO Athletic Department by our fanbase, despite how well the team is playing, and this is the end result, attendance-wise. I have spoken to a shocking number of fans over the past few months that don't care how well this team is playing. They aren't setting foot in that building, they are so angry. There are only 2 other season tickets holders near my seats that renewed this season. NOBODY else near us did.

Hopefully, Massa can go tomorrow afternoon.

UNO equaled the best start in school history tonight and are now 12-4-3. What a tragedy it is that the Athletic Department (or, should I say, ostriches?) have managed to alienate so many people that relatively few people were actually there to see it happen.
 
Re: UNO '14 -'15 season thread. Will the sleeper awaken?

My wife and I were part of the exodus of UNO fans from yesterday's game at the end of the 2nd period.

I ran into a fellow long time season ticket holder (and long time customer) while leaving (he and his family were, too) and he told me he couldn't remember a more half-a** effort during the Dean Blais era here and neither could I, after he mentioned this to me.

I took a look today and, lo and behold, yesterday's game did equal the 2 worst regular season home defeats we've incurred since Coach Blais rode into town.

The big difference here being that both those games were against ranked opponents that both made the NCAA tourney. One of them was against the then #1 team in the country.

UNH isn't a very good team, isn't making the NCAA's (unless they play-in), and even with their win yesterday over us are still only 42nd in Pairwise. 11 freshman or not, when you are at home, in the top 5 in Pairwise come the holidays, you don't lose to a team that is as far as they are down the totem pole as UNH is this season. Worse, this one was because the effort was not there. Coach Blais really threw the team under the bus in today's paper over this, as well. At least he saw the same thing everybody else did:

http://www.omaha.com/uno/mavs-can-t...cle_307d56ac-914b-11e4-8336-bb2837bd3591.html

In fact, this loss has no comparable, really, in UNO program history. Since, at the beginning of yesterday's game, UNO was tied for the best start in school history (with the '08-'09 team) there is no loss like this one that exists from a place where UNO has enjoyed such a lofty Pairwise standing this far into a season. The '08-'09 team did end up imploding, finishing at 15-17-8 after starting 12-4-3 like this year's team has but this didn't happen at the hands of very many also-rans. UNO played 10 games against top 10 teams that season after starting 12-4-3 while also playing over half their remaining schedule that season on the road or at neutral sites. In fact, the last time UNO lost a home regular season game by a larger margin than yesterday's was late in that '08-'09 season (while Mike Kemp was still the Head Coach, I might add) long after they had already stuck a dagger in that season and twisted it

The guys better suck it up since league play starts anew next week. That was a pretty shameful effort yesterday and the team frankly deserved to see that a significant portion of the crowd had disappeared when they took the ice for the 3rd period. We couldn't stand to watch another minute of it and, apparently, we weren't alone in our thinking.
 
Re: UNO '14 -'15 season thread. Will the sleeper awaken?

When it rains, it pours.

Good news and bad news.

Bad? Ryan Massa suffered a concussion getting hit in the head with a puck this past weekend in practice, sustained a concussion, and will miss this weekend's series with DU, at a minimum:

http://www.omaha.com/uno/no-goalie-...cle_212bf81f-8dd6-562f-a75d-26ecc1021b1b.html


Good? David Pope scored this week's #1 goal in the NCHC's "Goal of the Week":

http://www.nchc.tv/nchc/video/nchc-top-5-goals-of-the-week---s2,-episode-11-1-6-15


Better? UNO Sophomore Forward Austin Ortega was named one of the 4 NCHC Players of the Week for the "week" of 12-20 to 1-4:

http://www.nchchockey.com/news_article/show/462976?referrer_id=878553


Best? UNO Sophomore Forward Austin Ortega was named the NCHC Player of the Month for December today (the 2nd UNO player to win this award this season. Ryan Massa was the other, in October):

http://www.nchchockey.com/news_article/show/463531?referrer_id=878553


Wow category? UNO Sophomore Forward Austin Ortega was named the HCA National Player of the Month for December as well today:

http://www.nchchockey.com/news_article/show/463804?referrer_id=878553

Ortega has also tied the UNO single season game winning goals in a season record in less than half a season.

Aside from Massa getting hurt (need him back--soon), it's good to be a Maverick today.
 
Re: UNO '14 -'15 season thread. Will the sleeper awaken?

Wow. What an incredible victory tonight. Was at the game (by the way, how was that not at least 7,000 in the crowd?). How do you go down 3-0 and comeback against a team like Denver? Wow! Certainly their goalie helped us a bit, but Thompson certainly didn't help our cause. Dear Lord he left the net open on the third goal, and Denver's last goal (for which he was pulled), was inexcusable. No traffic, from the blue line. Ridiculous. Massa, we need you now!!!! That's a HUGE come from behind victory though for UNO. I just wish we would play all 3 periods for one game. Guaranteed a split - nice!
 
Re: UNO '14 -'15 season thread. Will the sleeper awaken?

gomavs#1 said:
Wow. What an incredible victory tonight. Was at the game (by the way, how was that not at least 7,000 in the crowd?). How do you go down 3-0 and comeback against a team like Denver? Wow! Certainly their goalie helped us a bit, but Thompson certainly didn't help our cause. Dear Lord he left the net open on the third goal, and Denver's last goal (for which he was pulled), was inexcusable. No traffic, from the blue line. Ridiculous. Massa, we need you now!!!! That's a HUGE come from behind victory though for UNO. I just wish we would play all 3 periods for one game. Guaranteed a split - nice!
Click to expand...

Post game, there was quick discussion in our section (which are mostly season ticket holders like me and Mrs. Red Cows and we all "know" one another) and there was a lot of discussion about this potentially, or, actually being, the most significant win in school history.

Seriously.

1. UNO is now off to the best start in school history.

2. This was against a ranked team.

3. I have not researched this as yet, and intend to, but I can't remember us erasing a 3 goal deficit, ever, much less against a ranked team.

4. Name one game we have ever won that was potentially as important as this one was. The only game that rivals this (and it falls short in my book to this game) was beating Michigan in the CCHA semifinal in 2000. That game really led to nothing. It was more of an "establishing our program" thing. This was a "turning point" kind of thing tonight.

And THE turning point in the game was clearly after the timeout we took just after the midway point, down 3-0, in the 2nd period. I don't know what Coach Blais said, but, he ought to bottle it and sell it because it was a completely different game from that point on. Night and day.

Wow, just, wow.

We stole that one. If I were DU, I'd be ready to commit hari-kari (sic?) after blowing that one. That has to be one painful loss for them. Yikes.
 
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Re: UNO '14 -'15 season thread. Will the sleeper awaken?

Red Cows I didn't see this one coming. I've thought Jono Davis has been making some really good effort plays the last month, and it was interesting that his line set the tone, and was the difference in the game tonight.

What I found interesting was how raucous the player's...and fans celebration was on the first goal. I sat in between the Red Army and the student section tonight and the it was buzzing after 2. The switch goalie switch was a good decision, and the PK was massive. Pope just worked his tail off behind the net and got a real good shot, and Zombo's effort to get the game winner, it's gotta be pretty easy to follow when your senior captain makes a play like that.

Whaddya think? I think the Pope/Davis/Peterson line and Crosswaite (sp?) get the start tomorrow? I think it's gonna be another great game!
 
Re: UNO '14 -'15 season thread. Will the sleeper awaken?

puckhead@uno said:
Red Cows I didn't see this one coming. I've thought Jono Davis has been making some really good effort plays the last month, and it was interesting that his line set the tone, and was the difference in the game tonight.

What I found interesting was how raucous the player's...and fans celebration was on the first goal. I sat in between the Red Army and the student section tonight and the it was buzzing after 2. The switch goalie switch was a good decision, and the PK was massive. Pope just worked his tail off behind the net and got a real good shot, and Zombo's effort to get the game winner, it's gotta be pretty easy to follow when your senior captain makes a play like that.

Whaddya think? I think the Pope/Davis/Peterson line and Crosswaite (sp?) get the start tomorrow? I think it's gonna be another great game!
Click to expand...

One thing I am pretty certain of is that Crossthwaite gets the start in goal tomorrow night.

Kirk Thompson really wasn't much more than a tad better than average goalie in juniors and Crossthwaite had vastly better numbers than he did. I was surprised when we offered him, frankly. IMHO, he is not an elite goaltender.

In fact, I thought our "success" or "failure" this season might hinge on Crossthwaite being good enough to take to the starting job from Massa.

Boy, was I wrong about that one.

We win tomorrow night and the one thing that will make me pretty sure of is that we will be an NCAA tourney team. If we do, we'd have to almost completely implode thereafter not to, methinks.

The scary thing is that is exactly what has happened in the 2nd half of each of the last 3 seasons, though.
 
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Re: UNO '14 -'15 season thread. Will the sleeper awaken?

Thompson in goal tonight again. Yikes. Hold on to your seats. And if he could hold on to the puck that would be great. Or be in position every once in awhile that would be great. Or don't end up five feet away from the net, leaving the backside open for easy goals. Not asking much Kurt.
 
Re: UNO '14 -'15 season thread. Will the sleeper awaken?

I stand corrected. Thompson with the shutout! Mavs with a huge sweep! Great weekend of hockey for UNO! Keep this up and they'll be a shoe-in for the NCAAs.
 
Re: UNO '14 -'15 season thread. Will the sleeper awaken?

This was the greatest weekend in program history.

Period.

I had conversations, post-game (at the game), tonight, with others that unilaterally agreed with me.

Off to the best start in school history, now, after sweeping a ranked team, and # 4 in Pairwise on January 10th. The way these two games were won even makes it more so.

If someone can refute this, I am all ears.

Sure looked like more than 7,011 in the building tonight. I've attended almost every game UNO has ever played in this building and I know what a crowd "this size" or "that size" looks like. My guess was 8,000 +.

Austin Ortega with yet another game winning goal.
 
Re: UNO '14 -'15 season thread. Will the sleeper awaken?

gomavs#1 said:
And #1 in the NCHC. Not bad.
Click to expand...

I'm going to address your questions about "fan anger at the program" in the arena thread, I promise. It's gonna be somewhat lengthy (I don't see any other way) and I don't have time at the moment.
 
Re: UNO '14 -'15 season thread. Will the sleeper awaken?

Anybody that thinks our game at North Dakota on 11-28-14 was a "tie" needs to take a look at the current NCHC standings. right now.

That shootout win that night is looming pretty large in the current standings.

Our remaining schedule could hardly be much better than it is, given the conference that we are in.

4 games with CC (home and away, obviously), 2 with Western Michigan (home), 2 with North Dakota (at home, both will played in front of huge crowds) and 2 each with SCSU (me and Mrs. Red Cows will be attending these) and UMD, both away.

My goal would be for us to finish 23-8-3 (a 9-3-0 finish). Given our track record in the 2nd half of the past 3 seasons I am being mighty ambitious by stating any such wish, however. And, I have hard time seeing us play 12 more games, in this league, without some sort of tie(s) or shootout(s) in there, somewhere.

The series with North Dakota at the end of this month could end up being the most important regular games this program has ever played. By a ton. Gotta take care of other business, first, to make that happen, though (and, so will they).
 
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