UNO 2015-16 Season Thread: Frozen Four, New Barn, What Next?

[Red Cows]

Re: UNO 2015-16 Season Thread: Frozen Four, New Barn, What Next?

I would agree with that, especially in areas that aren't hockey-focused. Places up north have more hockey-centered mindsets I would guess. Husker football will always cut into UNO attendance during the first half, simply unavoidable. Even when they are terrible that will be the case. If Bill Callahan couldn't chase away the fan base, I don't think anyone will.

I sort of wrote off Nebraska football after they refused to fire Pelini after the tape surfaced of him saying "eff the fans". Yeah, they did fire him, ultimately. Too little, too late in my book.

I do wish Riley and company well but Nebraska football is a long way from being "anything" again. And, it will NEVER again be what is was in the '90's. No other program will ever do anything like that, either. It is a totally unrealistic expectation.

That said, I have never gone to or watched a Husker football at the expense of a UNO hockey game. And, I think anybody doing so now is delusionally wasting their time.

Which would you rather watch and support?

A team that has a legitimate shot at the National Title or one that may not even have a winning record?

The choice now is way more obvious that it was way back along about 2002 or so.

Hence, my earlier description of the state of football at UNL.

"Nobody, doing nothing, going nowhere".

 

[Red Cows]

Re: UNO 2015-16 Season Thread: Frozen Four, New Barn, What Next?

Well, looky who may very well be in goal for Team USA at the World Junior A Challenge this December:

http://www.ushl.com/news_article/show/578907?referrer_id=1197335

 

[gomavs#1]

Re: UNO 2015-16 Season Thread: Frozen Four, New Barn, What Next?

Wonder why he didn't make the trip...preparing for World Juniors? Thompson in goal all weekend. Hang on to your seats.

NCHC broadcast was terrible. Saw the 3rd period and OT, double OT. Announcers at Miami were thoroughly confused about the rules for OT. Thought it was 4-4 and then 3-3. Turned out to be 5-5 for the first OT as it supposed to be. Thompson couldn't tuck the puck away and gave up the rebound for the OT loss.

Hopefully the boys rebound tomorrow and can get some points.

 

[Red Cows]

Re: UNO 2015-16 Season Thread: Frozen Four, New Barn, What Next?

Wonder why he didn't make the trip...preparing for World Juniors? Thompson in goal all weekend. Hang on to your seats.

Hopefully the boys rebound tomorrow and can get some points.

As far as your first sentence is concerned, I assume you mean Evan Weninger? Kris Oldham is a member of the Omaha Lancers. And, he is not playing in "World Juniors". World Juniors is an IIHF event and is played 12-26 through 1-5--in Finland.

Oldham is playing in the World Junior A Challenge from December 13-19th in Whitby, Ontario.

As far as your 2nd, I assume you know we got a point tonight? It was a tie for NCAA purposes. This is only an a "loss" as far as the NCHC is concerned and not even a real "loss" at that.

 

[Red Cows]

Re: UNO 2015-16 Season Thread: Frozen Four, New Barn, What Next?

Interesting game tonight, one that UNO played with a hand tied behind it's back.

Starting goalie Evan Weninger did not make the trip for some reason.

Defenseman Joel Messner was a late scratch and did not play. I know for a fact he made the trip, though.

No word about why as far as either are concerned.

Tony Boone of the Omaha World Herald was even tweeting during the game wondering about the whereabouts of both of them.

I submit that if Weninger had been in goal for this game the outcome would have been different. Thompson is average, at best.

What a shame. At least we salvaged a tie in a pretty entertaining game.

I have yet to see a player that can skate with Austin Ortega. He creates havoc for the opposing team every time he steps out on the ice. I mean, to the point that you can't help but notice him even if you tried not to. A spectacular and special player.

 

[Biddco]

Re: UNO 2015-16 Season Thread: Frozen Four, New Barn, What Next?

That's crazy that no one reported that Weninger didn't even make the trip. Boy that's suspicious. Hate to say it but my mind instantly wonders what he did to get suspended...

 

[Red Cows]

Re: UNO 2015-16 Season Thread: Frozen Four, New Barn, What Next?

That's crazy that no one reported that Weninger didn't even make the trip. Boy that's suspicious. Hate to say it but my mind instantly wonders what he did to get suspended...

Stranger, still, is that even at this hour the Omaha World Herald does not have a final score, even, on their web site or any sort of synopsis, as I write this. Highly unusual.

 

[Biddco]

Re: UNO 2015-16 Season Thread: Frozen Four, New Barn, What Next?

Stranger, still, is that even at this hour the Omaha World Herald does not have a final score, even, on their web site or any sort of synopsis, as I write this. Highly unusual.

Very. with UMD, they don't let much information out of the program anymore.

 

[Red Cows]

Re: UNO 2015-16 Season Thread: Frozen Four, New Barn, What Next?

Very. with UMD, they don't let much information out of the program anymore.

These would seem to be two different situations. I saw pictures of UNO warm-ups today in Miami on Twitter that had Messner in them.

Me and Mrs. Red Cows met Messner's parents when we were in Mankato to start the season. Get this, they saw us and asked us if we were parents, too, when they came over and introduced themselves. Super nice people. His dad says he attends every UNO game home and away and has since his son joined the program. The Messners live in the Winnipeg area!

I hope that Weninger wasn't some sort of discipline thing although I suppose the alternative, some sort of injury, presumably in practice, would be worse.

 

[Red Cows]

Re: UNO 2015-16 Season Thread: Frozen Four, New Barn, What Next?

The World Herald now has a synopsis:

http://www.omaha.com/uno/mavericks-...cle_195b5e68-900c-11e5-bed0-7b9bafe3c501.html

The article says Weninger made the trip, but did not dress, and will start tomorrow night. On the Miami television broadcast on FCS, the announcers unilaterally said that Weninger did not make the trip (and did not say why). Since I know from previously corresponding with Tony Boone of the OWH in the past that the paper has been given erroneous info on several occasions in as much as UNO Hockey is concerned from the Sports Information Director (read: Dave Ahlers), I am somewhat dubious about this press report's accuracy. Note that the link above is a "staff report".

And, not a word about the whereabouts of Messner, who has started, I believe, every game UNO has played before tonight.

 

[gomavs#1]

Re: UNO 2015-16 Season Thread: Frozen Four, New Barn, What Next?

The article says Weninger made the trip, but did not dress, and will start tomorrow night.

This is even more of a head scratcher. One thing I don't understand with Blais is when a goaltender gets hot (Weninger was in net with the UMD sweep), why go back to Thompson? Unless he was being punished for something. Weninger is the CLEAR #1 goalie...just wish we could stick with him night in and night out.

 

[gomavs#1]

Re: UNO 2015-16 Season Thread: Frozen Four, New Barn, What Next?

I have yet to see a player that can skate with Austin Ortega. He creates havoc for the opposing team every time he steps out on the ice. I mean, to the point that you can't help but notice him even if you tried not to. A spectacular and special player.

He and Guentzel are game changers. Love seeing both of them on the same line. Fun to watch for sure.

 

[Red Cows]

Re: UNO 2015-16 Season Thread: Frozen Four, New Barn, What Next?

No Messner, again, tonight.

Weninger IS in goal.

 

[gomavs#1]

Re: UNO 2015-16 Season Thread: Frozen Four, New Barn, What Next?

Nice road victory for the Mavs. Weninger looked good as usual which of course begs the question of why he was not in net last night. Weird 5-minute major in the second - a rare call from a linesman. Ohio State at home next weekend.

 

[Red Cows]

Re: UNO 2015-16 Season Thread: Frozen Four, New Barn, What Next?

Great OT win tonight.

Now that that is out of the way....................

How long can we continue this level of success when being outshot like this, night after night after night?

We've been outshot 385 to 325 so far this season. We have been outshot in 8 of our 9 wins, now.

Wait, it gets stranger. We have more shorthanded goals than power play goals this season.

Scarier, still, is that UNO does not have single win or point against a team currently ranked higher than 24th in Pairwise, and, the one team that we played that is higher than 24th in Pairwise, Western Michigan (21st) swept us.

UNO now 7-0-1 when scoring first this season.

So far, we are a logic defying headscratcher.

Much of this can be laid at the feet of Evan Weninger's 1.7328 GAA and .951 Save Percentage, numbers that, so far, blow away what Massa did last season.

If Kirk Thompson starts even so much as another one single game in goal, Dean Blais is officially certifiable. Thompson's numbers are way worse so far this season than they were even last season.

And, don't know how much we'll really learn from next weekend with OSU coming in, who is off to a very poor start and is now 3-7-0 after and an 0-7-0 start.

 

[Red Cows]

Re: UNO 2015-16 Season Thread: Frozen Four, New Barn, What Next?

Interview with Ohio State Head Coach and former UNO Assistant Coach Steve Rohlik on this weekend's series with UNO at Baxter Arena here in Omaha:

https://soundcloud.com/milesmcquinn...ndcloud&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=twitter

 

[gomavs#1]

Re: UNO 2015-16 Season Thread: Frozen Four, New Barn, What Next?

Hopefully our Powerplay begins to show up...anemic thus far. Definitely our biggest weakness to this point. If Thompson touches the ice this weekend I'm finding a beach ball and throwing it on the ice. Give us 2 minutes...I like us better on the penalty kill anyway.

 

[gomavs#1]

Re: UNO 2015-16 Season Thread: Frozen Four, New Barn, What Next?

Blais called it an ugly win and that we were outplayed last night. I suppose if you take into account the penalties it was sloppy. But I thought we controlled the play for most of the game. Hoping Weninger is in net again...I've seen Blais do crazier things.

 

[Red Cows]

Re: UNO 2015-16 Season Thread: Frozen Four, New Barn, What Next?

Another home sweep. Ohio State is now 0-5-1 in its last 6 games against UNO and that tie was also a shootout loss for them (which was played in front of a tidy gathering of 13,147 here in Omaha for said shootout back in February of 2010, the 3rd largest home crowd in program history).

This is the most wins (11), pre-December 1st, in program history. 8-0-0 in non-conference play. Sweeps against WCHA, AHC, HEC and Big 10 teams. One more non-con left--with independent ASU, at home, in 3 weeks. No reason we should not end up 10-0-0 in non-conference play.

Back to back nights where a sell out was NOT announced. Kudos to UNO for being honest about it and shame, shame, shame on UNO students, who are the sole reason the last two games weren't sold out. Watching the Husker game on Friday (the nobody's, doing nothings, going nowheres Huskers) in lieu of watching the #6 team in the country that's #4 in Pairwise play Ohio State makes you complete loser fans in my book if you did that instead of attend the hockey game. The Huskers, and their season, are utterly meaningless. Tonight, they got a bit cannibalized by the Lancers playing at home, literally right down the street, in front about 3,000, there, at Ralston Arena.

Further kudos to the school for recognizing this issue beforehand and making student tickets available to anyone by re-instituting rush seating for UNO games.

UNO outshot, again, in two more wins. How long can they keep this up?

UNO was outshot this weekend 81-67 yet outscored OSU 9-5. Plus, the entire weekend was largely the Austin Ortega (tied for the national lead in goals) and Jake Guentzel (3rd, nationally, in scoring) show, with a very strong supporting actor nod to Evan Weninger who is doing the unthinkable--making everyone forget about Ryan Massa. We need some more production out of other players. Nice that the power play decided to show up tonight, finally, as well. We almost doubled our entire output of power play goals for the entire season in one game! 3 tonight making for 7, now, on the season.

Speaking of Guentzel, he tied the all time program record tonight for points in a single game tonight with 5. The same Mike Guentzel that Air Force Head Coach Frank Serratore called "The greatest college hockey player I have ever seen." and then compared him to Wayne Gretzky, of all things.

On to more meaningful (and better) competition against St. Cloud State on Olympic ice. A place where UNO has won exactly twice, ever.

 

[gomavs#1]

Re: UNO 2015-16 Season Thread: Frozen Four, New Barn, What Next?

Good weekend for the Mavs for sure. A little concerned with the inability to put away Ohio State with a 5-2 lead in the final period. Just about let them force an overtime. Weninger was laid out to dry on a few of those for sure.

So far so good....but the meat of the schedule lies ahead. Let's see what these Mavs are made of.