What's new
By:
USCHO Fan Forum

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

  • The USCHO Fan Forum has migrated to a new plaform, xenForo. Most of the function of the forum should work in familiar ways. Please note that you can switch between light and dark modes by clicking on the gear icon in the upper right of the main menu bar. We are hoping that this new platform will prove to be faster and more reliable. Please feel free to explore its features.

WCHA Thread III

Status
Not open for further replies.
Re: WCHA Thread III

osualum86 said:
Pgb, this is where you come in with your unofficial three stars and honorable mentions for this one! :)
Click to expand...
Does Pgb do these for road games too? A slightly trickier proposition I would think.

Edit: Overall a good night of NC action by WCHA teams. SCSU Huskies being the exception tonight.

...and a fine effort from the Engineers also, apparently.
 
Last edited:
Re: WCHA Thread III

I thought maybe I could coax it out of Pgb, but I am not actually sure if he does his three stars/honorable mentions for the road games or not. In any case, Ohio State did its part to carry the WCHA flag and completed the sweep of Syracuse earlier today by a final score of 4-3. Laura McIntosh led the Buckeyes with two goals. Hokey Langan and Ally Tarr scored the other goals. We have a big series next weekend against UMD at the OSU Ice Rink. What would be your keys to us beating UMD, Brook?
 
Re: WCHA Thread III

The BEAVERS and bulldogs finish up today...


...then Holiday action resumes with:

North Dakota @ Bemidji State

Minnesota-Duluth @ Ohio State

St. Cloud State @ Wisconsin

while Minnesota travels to Harvard

Important conference points at stake for all in conference play.

A safe and Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Recaps from recent action:

http://www.wcha.com/women/index.php
 
Last edited:
Re: WCHA Thread III

The Beavers grabbed their 5th conference regular season W today. Before the 2011-2012 season began I said I didn't believe BSU would duplicate their 2010-2011 season success within the conference. A long ways to go...but I have to admit it's looking as though I could have been very wrong with my pre-season speculation. The likes of Erickson and Lundquist giving the Beavers exactly what they needed upon the departure of Erin Cody.
 
Re: WCHA Thread III

brookyone said:
Does Pgb do these for road games too? A slightly trickier proposition I would think.
Click to expand...
With rare exceptions, no road games. Indeed it would trickier.:)

As a rule, I limit myself to games I see in person. While I'd love to go on the road to support the team more often, the truth is that my road trips are becoming increasingly rare.

One could do a 3 Stars List based solely on the boxscore or scoresheet, but to me that's kind of bassackwards. My method is to form a tentative list from watching the game, then look for statistical support for my choices. Sometimes the numbers serve as a tiebreaker. Sometimes a player's numbers jump off the page, and cause me to consider a new choice. But even then I try to make sure the choice is based, at least partially, on something I actually observed.

On a couple of occasions in the past, I've posted remarks indicating that while I wasn't at a game, it's "obvious" that a certain player should get a star. If someone scores a hat trick in a 3-2 win or a goalie turns in a 30 save shutout, it's pretty tough to do an honest list without recognizing such performances. Offhand, I don't recall such a post escalating into a full list. But if I ever did that, it would be the exception that proves the rule.
 
Last edited:
Re: WCHA Thread III

Pgb, thanks for the input. We thought about getting up at the crack of dawn and trying to make the Saturday game against Syracuse, but that's a long drive. Wish there were some closer road games this season. Maybe if we play Niagara on the road next year, we can make it up there. Big series this weekend vs UMD!
 
Re: WCHA Thread III

brookyone said:
The Beavers grabbed their 5th conference regular season W today. Before the 2011-2012 season began I said I didn't believe BSU would duplicate their 2010-2011 season success within the conference. A long ways to go...but I have to admit it's looking as though I could have been very wrong with my pre-season speculation. The likes of Erickson and Lundquist giving the Beavers exactly what they needed upon the departure of Erin Cody.
Click to expand...

Very impressive that the Beavers have beaten both UMD and Minnesota in the past month. The team is definitely exceeding expectations so far this season. Now if they can just keep it up their next two series...;)
 
Re: WCHA Thread III

Just realized the Beavers will not enjoy the comforts of their home ice in the series opener with UND. They've been very good at Sanford thus far. Hope they can maintain the home ice mojo as hosts in Crookston. Nice for the hockey fans in Crookston...and the Wheelhouse sisters.
 
Re: WCHA Thread III

I am anxiously awaiting Pgb-ohio's unofficial three stars of the game. After giving up a power play goal in the first period to go down 1-0 at the first intermission, Ohio State stormed back with four unanswered goals to beat the Bulldogs earlier tonight by a final score of 4-1. Natalie Spooner scored all four goals and was in beastmode. The way she scores just continues to amaze me. On one of the goals, she split two defenders and top-shelfed it. Once again, I forgot to wear a hat. I told someone I needed to tie a string around my finger or something! Pgb, I don't know about honorable mentions, but if I were giving out three stars, here's how that would go ...

3rd Star - The defensive tandem of Brittany Carlson and Kelly Wild. These two just seemed to be all over the ice tonight. Our little mighty-mite defensemen really came to play and were a big reason we were able to hold UMD to one power play goal.

2nd Star - Gonna spread the wealth and give this one to our prolific goal scorer, Natalie Spooner! Normally I would give her the 1st star after a night like this, but there's someone else who I want to recognize tonight.

1st Star - My first star is going to our sophomore backstop, Lisa Steffes! UMD scored on a power play goal in the first period that I don't believe Lisa saw. After that, she stood on her head and stopped everything. I thought she was exceptional tonight.

Ok, Pgb, your turn! :)
 
Re: WCHA Thread III

Final From Friday, November 25th
Ohio State 4
UMD 1

With apologies to Wayne's World: Natalie, We're Not Worthy!

3 Stars of the Game: Decidedly Unofficial and Just For Fun ​

Honorable Mention: Lisa Steffes, Ohio State
Lisa had a fine game, turning aside all but one of UMD's 27 shots. It can certainly be argued that she gave OSU the opportunity to win. And it could be I'm being stingy in withholding a star. But in general I thought a strong team effort kept many of UMD's shots to the outside -- meaning Steffes needed to be solid, but not necessarily spectacular. I'll limit myself to one honorable mention tonight as a way emphasizing that Steffes was a standout.

#3 Star: Vanessa Thibault, UMD
We'll recognize the lone Bulldog goal of the night with a star. Crisp passing around the perimeter from Haley Irwin and Pernilla Winberg set up the scoring opportunity. Another Bulldog teammate set a fine screen. But it was Thibault who launched the patient, well placed shot from the top of the left circle.

#2 Star: Minttu Tuominen, Ohio State
Minttu centered the third line, and started the game against UMD's top line. Shutting down Irwin and company is a tall order. But led by Tuominen, the Buckeyes were largely successful. Just as importantly, Minttu started the scoring play on the 1st Buckeye goal. The Bulldogs, applying heavy pressure, launched a pair of bang-bang shots on goal. Steffes made the initial stops, but left a fairly fat rebound on the second shot. Had UMD converted on the play, they would haved grabbed a 2-0 lead. Maybe the whole game turns out differently. Instead, Touminen swooped into the slot, gathered the puck and sprung Natalie Spooner. After Spooner converted, the crowd exploded. Taking the play as a whole, it was the turning point of the game. And again, without Minttu's defensive hustle, who knows?

In addition to her energetic back-checking and the the big assist, Touminen was a solid 7 of 12 in the face-off circle. Against this caliber of competition, that's a stong result.

#1 Star: Natalie Spooner, Ohio State
Natalie put on an individual scoring clinic Friday night, repeatedly winning one-on-one confrontations with UMD Goalie Jennifer Harss with precison shooting. She scored coming out the penalty box, at even strength, and on the power play. As has been noted elsewhere on the Board, Spooner opened the Buckeye scoring in sensational fashion, splitting a pair of Bulldog defenders on the way to the net. In a span of 7:33 in the second period, she completed a pure hat trick. On the final Buckeye tally, Natalie steered an Ally Tarr pass through the five hole to complete the "Grand Slam." Spooner's performance was a tour de force. This one had the Wow Factor. Though anything but an unsung hero, Spoon's gotta get the #1 Star.

Up Next: OSU/UMD Rematch, 4:07 PM at the Ice Rink. A certain Football telecast notwithstanding, we face-off at the usual Saturday time.
 
Re: WCHA Thread III

Sioux are on a roll (9-1-1 last 11 games) and have five goals in each of there last five games..wheres the coverage?
 
Re: WCHA Thread III

northhockey said:
Sioux are on a roll (9-1-1 last 11 games) and have five goals in each of there last five games..wheres the coverage?
Click to expand...
Thanks for volunteering; we look forward to your reports!:p

All needling aside, ALL of the teams deserve more coverage, and most especially the Sioux. Every fan of the Women's WCHA would like to hear more, know more. When I began following the Women's Board, I intended to be mostly a reader. Then, I had a similar thought to yours, and realized that if you want anything done right... I'm guessing that this is a pretty common experience for those who post here regularly.

The players deserve much, much more attention than they currently receive. They're highly skilled, hardworking and just one step below the Olympic level. The hope is that as the sport continues to grow, so will the coverage.

Some might say we want a revolution; a real solution. Well, you know, we're doing what we can.;) In meantime, keep reading; and if so inclined, posting.
 
Re: WCHA Thread III

northhockey said:
Sioux are on a roll (9-1-1 last 11 games) and have five goals in each of there last five games..wheres the coverage?
Click to expand...
One nice thing about the Sioux is that they are covered quite well on the team's site. If you're a fan of the team and want to make others more aware of their exploits, I'd recommend posting a link to their press conference each week in this thread, or a UND thread if one exists, to remind readers to tune in.

Beyond that, I agree with pgb-ohio. If you've watched the team play, tell us about them, because most who read and post here have likely not seen them beyond a couple of games, if that.
 
Re: WCHA Thread III

brookyone said:
Just realized the Beavers will not enjoy the comforts of their home ice in the series opener with UND. They've been very good at Sanford thus far. Hope they can maintain the home ice mojo as hosts in Crookston. Nice for the hockey fans in Crookston...and the Wheelhouse sisters.
Click to expand...

They couldn't maintain the home ice mojo in Crookston but they sure got it back today at the Sanford Center. Nice 3-2 win, with Tomcikova coming up big with 45 saves.
 
Re: WCHA Thread III

Final From Saturday, November 26th
UMD 6
Ohio State 2

Tough sports day in Columbus, to say the least.

At the Ice Rink, it was the Bulldog snipers who ruled the day, reversing Friday's result to earn the split. In many ways, the games were mirror images of one another. Both nights one team opened the scoring, only to see the opposing side reverse the tide with opportunistic goals. I'll structure the Saturday list to reflect that.

The game did have a little spice. A total of 18 penalties were called, including three pairs of matching minors. Nine of the penalties were called in an intense third period. Earlier in the game, the chest bump delivered by Vanessa Thibault provided us with one of the more creative Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalties you'll ever see. Pretty safe to say the Buckeye on the receiving end wasn't in a mood to celebrate. The rematch series in Duluth figures to be a doozy.


3 Stars of the Game: Decidedly Unofficial and Just For Fun ​

Honorable Mention: Jennifer Harss, UMD
Jennifer wasn't perfect, yielding two goals. But she also withstood a lot of Buckeye pressure, turning aside 38 of 40 shots. Like OSU's Steffes on Friday, she certainly played well enough to give her team the opportunity to win. Quite notably, Harss was 12 for 12 against Natalie Spooner. During one sequence, Spooner had a pair of shots from point blank range, but Harss stoned her. Given Friday's boxscore, it must have been a very satisfying achievement for Jennifer.


#3 Star: Hokey Langan, Ohio State
Just 3:26 into the game, it looked like the Buckeyes were going to pick up right where they left off on Friday. This time Hokey Langan made a great individual play, beating Harss in a one-on-one confrontation. The goal was, in fact, unassisted. On the PK forecheck, Hokey stole a Bulldog pass in the UMD zone before breaking in all alone.


#2 Star: Jessica Wong, UMD
We need to recognize one of the Bulldog defenders, and Wong was a force in all phases of the game. Jessica had a power play assist, a shorthanded assist, and an even strength goal. A mobile defender, she was instrumental in keeping the Bulldog breakout flowing. It wasn't a surprise to see that Wong was a robust +3 for the game.


#1 Star: Pernilla Winberg, UMD
In the decisive seceond period, Winberg broke open a close game with a pair of goals. Later on, the goal she assisted basically sealed the deal. Like Wong, Winberg was +3 on the night.

Interestingly enough, Pernilla did not start the game with Haley Irwin and Jenna McParland. The guess here is that this wasn't any sort of demotion, but simply a line-up adjustment. In any case, the move appeared to pay dividends. Irwin and McParland still did just fine, bagging a goal apiece. Winberg and Katie Wilson played with nice synergy, combining on the fifth UMD goal. The two players advanced the puck up the ice along the left wing boards. Wilson's intial shot was stopped, but she was able to bring the puck back into scoring position. Both players crashed the net, and in the resulting goal mouth scrum the puck wound up in the net. That tally answered the second Buckeye goal, essentially nipping a possible comeback in the bud.


Up Next: The Buckeyes Host the Niagara Purple Eagles in a Non-Conference Series. Note the Early 2:07 Start Time Next Saturday.
 
Re: WCHA Thread III

I've now seen all WCHA teams play now. My takes.

1. I feel Minny is the deepest team and will finish at the top. Very stong 1st unit and very good 2-3 lines. Deepest team. Kessel, Schoulis, Erickson, West and strong D. Great Power play

2. Wisconsin still has a strong top line but isn't as strong as last year and not as deep as last year. 2 strong lines. Still have Decker and Knight who are top players. Great power play

3.UND has what I feel is the top line in the WCHA by a very close margin over Minny's. That being said you can beat them if you stop them. Where Minny can beat you even if you stop the top unit. Solid #2 line. Great power play.

4. UMD, OSU, BSU

UMD has solid 2-3 lines but not as stong as last year. Don't move the puck around and find the open player like last year and nobody sticks out to me. D makes mistakes. Can beat anyone.

OSU has a top players in Spooner and McIntosh who stick out and decent 2-3 lines. Are fast and need to play that way. Small at D. Can beat anyone.

BSU, Top unit and solid 3 lines. Best goalie in the league and play physical. Make you make mistakes. Can beat anyone.

7. MSU is up and coming and also fast. They Play small and have trouble against big teams. Will upset some teams

8. SCSU has a ways to go.

I've seen many great games and feel the WCHA is by far the best league. Note to refs. LET THEM PLAY! It's not about you.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ARM
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top