Before I go into this article there's just one thing I would like to say to of you still fortunate enough to still be in school. Working for a living sucks. I know a lot of you may not be surprised by this statement but I would just like state this one more time, it really sucks. I for one actually enjoy what I do, I like the people I work with and yet this still sucks. I was so use to sleeping till noon waking up for lunch maybe catching a class or two and then going to take a nap. Now it's up by 6:30 everyday, and then working for 8 plus hours, this really sucks.
Now to hockey.
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Ladies and gentlemen, the long wait is finally over and hockey season is finally upon us. Last weekend marked the first Superior Showcase, a cross conference battle between the three D-I college hockey teams in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and Minnesota Duluth who I guess is the next closest thing. Despite all the preseason hype Michigan Tech only managed to escape with two points on the weekend losing on the opening night to Northern Michigan and beating Lake Superior State on a nationally televised Sunday night game.
I know some journalist like to focus on the good things that there team does. For instance, we scored four powerplay goals on the weekend, which is almost half the total scored on the powerplay all of last season; the four freshmen currently on our roster didn't seem completely over matched and at times actually played inspired hockey; and in a whole the team seems to have stepped their offensive efforts at a whole. With that being said I would just like to point out that I am a journalist so let's get to my observations from the weekend.
What happened to the team that last year played tough disciplined defense and rarely ever gave up an easy goal. That definitely was not the team that I saw this weekend, not only did we give up as many goals as we gave up through the first two weekends last season, must of the goals seemed to be the clear result of Huskies making mistakes--this isn't even counting a goal scored on Nolan from the opposite blueline which did in fact just look like an unfortunate bounce.
Maybe I'm just being overly critical, but all in all on the weekend the team played sub-par hockey and was lucky to savage any points on the weekend. If we expect to reach all those lofty goals we've been setting we're going to have to play better. There's no doubt in my mind there is better hockey in these players than we saw over the weekend and if we don't see it, it's going to be a long here starting in two weeks when North Dakota comes in town; and I'm sure they're still not over what happened in Grand Forks last year. If they are, they won't be for long because I'm sure the Misfits will take every opportunity to remind them.
In conclusion, to any member of the Huskies hockey team that happens to read this, keep up the good work on offense, and let's start playing good disciplined defense again.
Now to hockey.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ladies and gentlemen, the long wait is finally over and hockey season is finally upon us. Last weekend marked the first Superior Showcase, a cross conference battle between the three D-I college hockey teams in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and Minnesota Duluth who I guess is the next closest thing. Despite all the preseason hype Michigan Tech only managed to escape with two points on the weekend losing on the opening night to Northern Michigan and beating Lake Superior State on a nationally televised Sunday night game.
I know some journalist like to focus on the good things that there team does. For instance, we scored four powerplay goals on the weekend, which is almost half the total scored on the powerplay all of last season; the four freshmen currently on our roster didn't seem completely over matched and at times actually played inspired hockey; and in a whole the team seems to have stepped their offensive efforts at a whole. With that being said I would just like to point out that I am a journalist so let's get to my observations from the weekend.
What happened to the team that last year played tough disciplined defense and rarely ever gave up an easy goal. That definitely was not the team that I saw this weekend, not only did we give up as many goals as we gave up through the first two weekends last season, must of the goals seemed to be the clear result of Huskies making mistakes--this isn't even counting a goal scored on Nolan from the opposite blueline which did in fact just look like an unfortunate bounce.
Maybe I'm just being overly critical, but all in all on the weekend the team played sub-par hockey and was lucky to savage any points on the weekend. If we expect to reach all those lofty goals we've been setting we're going to have to play better. There's no doubt in my mind there is better hockey in these players than we saw over the weekend and if we don't see it, it's going to be a long here starting in two weeks when North Dakota comes in town; and I'm sure they're still not over what happened in Grand Forks last year. If they are, they won't be for long because I'm sure the Misfits will take every opportunity to remind them.
In conclusion, to any member of the Huskies hockey team that happens to read this, keep up the good work on offense, and let's start playing good disciplined defense again.
8 comments:
When skaters play aggressively and pursue the puck, they can over-pursue and get caught on a transition or breakaway. I'll take that over the horrible MTU teams over the past several years who have been too afraid to forecheck, hit, or shoot the puck at the net. This is how you score goals and its the only way Tech has a prayer of winning consistently in the WCHA. Also I am not sure what team you saw last year, but in the games I watched: GLI and the Minnesota series in Houghton, they gave up plenty of easy goals and lost all those games. Watching this contest on ESPNU vs those painful games from last year, it isn't even close. This years team looks like a real college hockey team. Mistakes do happen to every team... look at how Minnesota had to come back from a 3-goal deficit to beat RPI... RPI!?!?!?! Its how you recover from those mistakes that matters, do you fold or do you rally and hopefully learn from them?
Anyway, that's my 2 cents from an alum who hasn't seen a Tech hockey team worth writing about until very recently
(P.S. shoutout to Big Dave, who is no doubt reading this)
You saw two of the three worst series from last year. GLI, Minnesota @ home, and SCSU @ home were among the worst hockey they played last season.
Sunday vs LSSU was a LOT better than Friday vs NMU. However, both games were missing the spunk that Batty brought. I expect Mr. Baker to be filling his shoes, however.
Thanks for the comment, Chris. Always appreciated when readers stop by and leave feedback.
Mean Girl,
I have seemed to forget about last season's series in Grand Forks.
Dammit, Goon! For the last time.. it's MeanEgirl! =P
And keep in mind, The Darkness wrote this entry. Not me.
Btw, since you say you forgot about last season's series in GF, let me remind you what happened. Tech won the first night. Your newspaper guy called it a "fluke" and called the the Huskies the "perennial doormats of the WCHA". Saturday night we won again. Friday night win + Saturday night win = sweep. IN THE MOFOin' REA! For the first time since that building has been in existence! (if I recall correctly) If you need anymore details, I'd be happy to provide them for you.
Goon is losing his mind in his old age. Even I remember Tech's trip to Grand Forks! I'm surprised you didn't hear my cheering all the way from Kato:) Tech stomped all over the Sioux. YEA! That's always a good thing.
Hey thanks for the kind words MEg. It's sad that the televised games from last season were the worst hockey that the Huskies played. Obviously living away from the midwest makes it difficult to actually travel TO games.
There were also great moments such as a game from GF that made it to an ESPNU replay, and the series at Minnesota on FSN, but that's where the goofs had already locked up 1st place if i remember right.
Notice I left out the Final Five game, which was also televised. (perhaps I willfully forgot it??)
Wish I could have seen the inaugural "Perennial Doormat Classic" at GF. :)
It's EARLY EARLY EARLY in the long college hockey season so just don't get *too* discouraged up there, even though we're all a little disappointed at a split with 2 teams from the bottom tier of the mostly powderpuff CCHA, I thought they looked decent and there's a lot of hockey yet to be played.
Keep up the good work Darkness and MeanE
The whole turning around and facing away from the opposing introductions seems kind of douchey. I know we do the newspapers with NMU, but that's NMU. At least when we "who cares" them, we're acknowledging they exist and mocking them instead of acting like children. We need to find something and stick with it too instead of changing constantly
Boosh... get over it. It wasn't meant to be a permanent thing. It was a one-time or very rare thing. Like the newspapers. Like togas. Once in a while, it's fun to try new things. Keeps it interesting. Quit whining. =P
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