Irish
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Posts posted by Irish
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Unacceptable - We're the Fighting Sioux, not some crap ass team like Bemidji State. To show up like this when our non-confernce games are crucial to getting into the dance is pathetic. How many times have we seem a Hakstol team mail it in? Do you think Blaiser would put up with our effort so far this year?
I've said this before - we need some blue chip studs on this team. We just don't seem to have the talent this year. Hak better hit the recruiting trail hard - the product he's putting out this year is below expectations. We got it handed to us by one of the worst teams in the country.
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Great win for the Sioux tonight - they looked good - many scoring opportunities, some solid hits, Eidsness - great game. But seriously- we need some players who can put the puck in the net. We had many opportinities due to hard work but ended up shooting into the goalie's pads again. We need some scorers who can put the puck in the corners. This is where we miss the blue chippers like Toews or Oshie. We should have had 4 or 5 goals but couldn't close the deal. Again, however, great work to put us in scoring position. We have to work on our shooting. Hopefully this effort will carry over to tomorrow. I think this is a must sweep weekend.
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I've voiced my opinion about this year's team. But this is particularly vile.
BTW, I lived through the Bjorkman years, and there was some pretty good talent on a couple of those teams, too. After awhile I think the players just quit believing in poor ole Rube and it clearly showed (or didn't show, more accurately) on the ice.I think there is talent on this team; I just think they are being plugged into a pattern that the rest of college hockey has figured out and can easily defend. Time for Hakstol to look into a run-and-gun offense. Call Jerry York and ask for his handbook or something.
I'm not quite sure how to take this comment - I just feel that this team is playing soft. I too was around in the Bjorkman days and for the Barn days before that. A trademark of the Sioux has always been hardnosed hockey - I just don't see it from this bunch particularly the defense. I'm not saying we don't have any hitters, but I feel that the game has been taken to us far too often so far this season.
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Here's my 2 cents worth on our current state of affairs:
It's interesting to see the debate on talent - do we have the talent and just aren't playing at all or is this a mediocre bunch? A debate I never thought I would see about the Sioux. I think it is some of both. In my opinion, our sophomore and junior classes are below UND standards and behind what other top teams got. In addition - no one is getting better - no breakout years or even steady improvement. Trupp has one goal for Christ's sake - don't even mention Lapoint's lack of progress. We need some studs here and in a hurry. I agree that we didn't win a title with Oshie ant Toews, but we should have won at least one. If we don't recruit the hell out of the next couple of years get used to this type of record. Are we getting beat to top talent or misjudging our recruits? What happened to the Shattuck pipeline? We are carrying a lot of dead weight this year (I know some have much potential - but we still have to put the puck in the net) The recruiting now is all on Hak. Get some studs please!
Playing style - It was only 4 1/2 years ago when we beat both BC and BU out east to win the regional - Parise described our defensemen making players squeal when the came in front of the net. See any of that this year? This is the softest team I have ever seen the Sioux field since the Bjorkman days.
The dump and chase/ cycle, cycle, cycle just ain't working either. It seems that absolutely no one likes this or the results it produces. I have even had fans from other teams wonder why we never carry the puck into the zone. Yet Hak seem to stubbornly hang on to it. It's like football coaches who get a blind spot for an offense thats time is past yet can't move on. Even the best coaches have a hard time changing some times. I wonder if the coaches ever discuss the offense and trying something else? This style is brutal to watch (cycle until you lose it). During a power play this weekend we had a great centering pass - nobody home. However, we had 3 players in the same spot along the boards. Get in front of the net!
The uneven play and lack of intensity - This is a Hakstol team trademark. Every time we think we have our crap together, we lay an egg. It's hard when our good play comes in 1 game spurts.
Overall - what we are seeing isn't Fighting Sioux hockey as I have known it. Playing style adds to the irritation.
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Agreed. Defensively they go through these spells where they look like they have no business being on the ice (out of position, stop skating, etc). That said, Cornell's second or first (can't remember which) was all Eidsness, he got fooled on that backhand.
Anyway, great to see them breakout with 7 against supposedly one of the best defensive teams in the NCAA. Here's to them following up tomorrow and into the games to come...GO SIOUX!!!
The second was on Eidsness - however I'm stunned sometimes at our defensive lapses. Unless we toughen up it will be a long season - These aren't minor mistakes - they are major screw ups.
It's great to see some offense tonight. Let's take two from the Big Red.
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It's great to see us unload on someone. Welcome to the WCHA Cornell. My only concern is the horrible defensive give aways we handed out. Our defense must improve. I've never seen so many defensemen fall down. We need to keep this intensity for the next 3 games to start the second half. That's the million dollar question for the Sioux this year - can they do this consistantly?
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Some of my fondest memories of UND hockey were watching Rory McMahon forecheck anybody he could find. Prpich had that ability too. I think it helped set the tone for the rest of the team during those games.
"Ah, Rory McMahon" he says in his best Homer Simpson voice.
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UND is becoming a graveyard where offensively talented players come to die in the cycle system. Just look at the offensive numbers decline over hak's tenure and I don't want to hear about the clutching and grabbing crap that toews, parise and oshie had to put up with. Bochenski did as well and he still put up numbers. If the stud on the team is being clutched and grabbed that will lead to another player being open and benefitting and we have no players that are putting the puck in the net
It used to be that when you played UND, we forechecked the crap out of you all weekend- you knew you were in a hockey game. Now what do we do - cycle you to death?
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I agree with the high end talent statement: Ryan Duncan, David Toews, Jason Gregoire, Hextall, Chris VandeVelde, Derrick LaPoint, Chay Genoway, Joe Finley, Evan Trupp, Matt Frattin these guys are all great players. Watkins and Kozek were both at the top scoring column in the BCHL. I don't get it.
I agree that on paper we should have an offensive powerhouse. I think the freshmen Gregoire and Hextall are playing well (although I wonder why 2 freshmen should be tied for the team lead for goals scored). The rest - Duncan - 4 goals (playing well), Toews - 0 goals, VV - 3 goals, Frattin - 2 goals, Trupp - 0 goals, Watkins - 1 goal, Kozek - 2 goals - Lapoint has had his struggles on defense and hasn't really panned out like we had hoped. Hardly anyone is playing at the level they should - some are almost non factors. Why no one is scoring is beyond me - my theory is cycle, cycle, cycle. Whatever it is, we are not developing talent like we should.
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I think I would agree with you there as well... UND has won championship with less talent than is on this team.
I don't know why people don't think this team isn't talented. By the way C.C. is having trouble scoring goals as well...
Through 12 games -
Frattin 2 goals, Martins - 2, Kozak - 2, Watkins - 1, Zajac - 1, Trupp - 0, Davidson - 1, Malone - 1. In fact, no one has more than 4 goals. They may have talent based on expectations comming in, but there ain't nobody getting better here. I get the fact that everyone has good stats when recruited, but we have a lack of firepower. Who is living up to expectations among upper classmen so far? Anyone having a breakout season? It seem to me that either our talent is way down, or we have an extreme group of underachievers. With Blais, you could count on player development.
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Hak may have recruited players under the Blais regime, but I wonder who told Hak where to go, who to look at, and I especially wonder who had final say on signing players. Hmmmmmm, I'll take who is Dean Blais for $500 Alex.
Not only that, but many came here because they wanted to play for Blais. We're out of Blue Chippers and it shows. We had better have a crapload of talent coming in next year or we are in for a long dry spell. This year's sophs and juniors are not the foundation for any kind of championship. We need to pick up the recruiting.
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I miss the old Sioux teams that could put the puck in the net and forechecked the crap out of other teams. Now all we do is cycle, cycle, cycle, cycle......until we lose possession of the puck and lose the zone. And all the endless passing on the powerplays has to stop. There are more problems than this, but I really don't want to get into it tonight, it's too annoying.
You said it all - now I wish the coaches would get the picture.
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One of the problems as I see it is that we have two sub-par recruiting classes (sophs & juniors). We need to go out and get some studs so we can beat the likes of Alaska Anchorage and Minnesota Duluth. Come on coaches - pick up the pace. Also, it seems like we don't hit anyone anymore. What I've seen this year is a long way from Sioux hockey.
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Anyone else as frustrated as I am as to how we managed the 3rd period. I'm tired of waiting for Hak and Company to get their crap together.
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I thought this last year, too, but UND matches up poorly with UAA. They are big up front and can skate, but they aren't very creative or fancy offensively. They play a simple game, win the race or wrestling match for the puck and try to get it to the net. With Greene, Jones, Smaby and Schneider, I like our chances against that type of team. Less with Marto, Genoway and LaPoint (and Miller).
With the bruisers a few years ago, the Sioux were perhaps short on blueline skill. Now they're short on muscle, especially with Finley out. Next year, Blood, Fienhage and McWilliam should get regular shifts, and the balance should be better. Then it will be up to Genoway, Marto, LaPoint and Gleason to be effective offensively.
Wow - talk about declining expectations - doesn't anyone else think it's strange and a little sad that we are talking about not matching up with "Alaska Anchorage" when they come to play at our house. We sound like the fans of a 4-6 team.
The question isn't weather Hak is a good coach - he is. The question is rather is he a great coach - the jury's still out.
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The win last night nonwithstanding, there are some issues with Hak's teams that are frustrating. I'm not saying he should be fired, but ask yourself this - how long are you willing to wait to hang a banner. Boston College, Minnesota, and Denver have won 2 and Wisconsin 1 since we last won one. I for one am getting restless.
Areas that need addressing: (most of these are the same as other posters - there seems to be some common themes here)
- Intensity - how we can look so flat and unprepared for frozen 4 games is beyond me - We flounder for more games under Hakstol than we have since Gino took over. We need to make playing in the Ralph a thing to be feared - we don't putout a good product at home.
- Our annual crappy starts - Much has been said - Why does it take us longer to get our crap together than almost everyone else in the hockey playing world?
- Our offensive scheme - I hate this constant cycling too. someone else said here is the place where scorers come to die. Good God. Look at our stats and compare them to how our recruits did before they got here. Frattin scored for the first time in 14 games and Malone for the first time in 33 games - good crap - those are some dry spells. In the past we have had some high end studs (with whom we should have won a couple of titles) carry us. Now we don't. Very few scorers come to UND and play over their projections. We have some people who just never score - we can't afford to have that this year.
- At times our power plays are not just unproductive, they look pathetic. This is coaching.
- Does anyone else here wish we would start hitting people again. Getting bullied in a game isn't Sioux hockey.
Here we sit again after another weekend trying to find positives out of a split. It's time for us to play Sioux Hockey every game. 4 - 6 just won't cut it at UND.
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Please. Why don't we start the fire hakstol thread now?
In fact, why don't we just shut this message board down and start rooting for the Gophers...or NDSU football...or perhaps BSU hockey, yeah!
I think you all need to cool down a little bit. It will come eventually.
Hakstol is a great coach and he will turn it around eventually.
But for now, I think we'll put the "blame" on a poor team effort and not by the coach.
Just in case, though, I have no problem putting BDB and Irish on ignore.
Not trying to get into a contest with you - I respect your hockey knowledge-
There are some points about tonignt's game I think you will agree with
1. We have an anemic power play - way below what I would expect looking at our roster
2. We got manhandled by a bottom feeding team at home
3. other teams are starting to take physical liberties with us
4. What we saw tonight was a far cry from what I consider Fighting Sioux Hockey
I'm not saying fire Hak - I am saying that some of this season is his and his staff's responsibility.
Many of us are frustrated with our underachieving starts. Hopefully we can rebound tomorrow.
The Sioux have a lot of work to do to become a good hockey team..
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To answer a question from earlier, I did see Toews out on the ice after he was checked from behind... so he seems to be fine. I
personally thought that it was good to see Genoway out on the ice tonight. This team misses Finley more than any of us are willing to admit. Hopefully he isn't like Kaip with post concussion syndrom....
We need to play more than two minutes to win a game, but you already know that. Eidsness will start tomorrow (duh) and hopefully the team will come out as desperate as they should be. Pathetic effort tonight by 98% of the team.
I had to laugh when they voted for Player of the Game on the big screen... cuz there wasn't really one. I didn't notice Jones much in the third period, and although it's good to not notice a defenseman, can someone confirm that he was out there (just to calm my nerves)... thanks.
And what do you people think that Blais would have done that would have made this game any better? Not a thing... you can yell all you want... if the motivation isn't in the boys, it isn't not in the boys...
This type of effort from a Blais team was unacceptable. This type of effort at home from a Hak team is commonplace.
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Just got back from the game - I'm drunk and pissed.
I hope this ends the great Walski experiment - this loss is on the coaching staff - Walski is not nor will ever be an everyday WCHA goalie - We have kept him at the cost of running off our young prospect - now he has cost us a game. Remember this loss when we are looking for a bracket in the sweet 16. Totally mismanaged by coaching staff - what does he have - naked pictures of the coaching staff?
If there is a more pathetic power play in the country I'd be surprised. 5 minute man advantage and what - two shots on goal? Can't we be better organized than this with the names we have on our roster?
We may have people that can fly, but we have no one who can close - absolutely no scorers tonight.
Getting our butts handed to us at home by Alaska Anchorage - pathetic
3-6 record - unacceptable
I'm tired to the talk about what this team could be. We are 9 games into the season. Time for reality to intrude. What a lackluster effort.
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I'm having a hard time deciding how to feel about this team so far. We look great at times, but give up goals in bunches like no Sioux team I can remember. I think we have real potential this year if our goaltending settles down and our defense solidifies. I'm generally not a fan of the Hakstol season (floundering until Christmas). My worries include: finding a real scoring punch - our Sophomore and Junior classes have some good players, but no real blue-chippers (we need to pick up the recruiting), and season long goaltending (I've said it before, we mismanaged our goalie situation and are now stuck). Overall, I'm not real satisfied with a 3-5 record so far. This team can fly, but we need to learn how to finish. Hopefully we'll sweep this weekend and get a streak going. I'm ready to hang a banner this year.
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Great win for the Sioux - We need to focus and take two this weekend - no let ups. It's good that Hak is starting to sit people who aren't performing. Time to put it all together - no need to wait until January.
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I think it gives UND a prime oppurtunity to prove they can play. It's going to be hard, but picking up 4 points from these guys will be huge in more ways than one.
We are 2-4 right now. BC started 2-12 last year. We need to lose 8 more in a row to get to that level. I'm not too worried yet.
Again - BC did not start 2-12 last year.
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Is it possible that we could expect to be at the top of the league with CC and Minnesota? Is is possible to expect we could keep pace with Minnesota, a 7th place team last year? They have had no trouble finding their roles with a much less experienced team then ours! Wow, we are really lowering our standards here at UND lately. The football team loses by 20 and we are 'happy' with the performance. The hockey team starts out 2-4 and things aren't that bad, players are finding their roles. Count me as one of the few that isn't ready to embrace mediocrity!
I agree 100%. This is Sioux Hockey, not some nickel - dime program that is happy "doing our best". A 2-4 record at this point is not what we expect. We are sub-par in all aspcets of the game - offense, defense, goaltending, and special teams. This is the 5th year in a row we've gotten a slow start. This many years in a row can't be coincidence. Other teams have the exact same amount of time to get ready for the season, find new combinations, and work in new players. We need to be careful that we don't lower our expectations and accept the mediocre. Some of this needs to be on the coaching staff. The most frustrating part of this for me is our lack of focus at times. We need to come to play this weekend or we are going to get our butts handed to us.
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Even with the problem of working in young D men is anyone happy with the Sioux progress so far this season? I thought we finally had a third period team - I feel that the goalie situation is on Hak - when our young goalie is struggling we have no where to go. We expect better.
SIOUX vs SPARTANS
in Men's Hockey
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I'm not saying we don't have some decent hockey players coming - just like we have some decent players on the team this year. I am saying that we don't have any top end blue chip talent - the kind you win championships with. No Toews, Oshie, Parise, etc. In my opinion, both our sophomore and junior classes are performing below expectations. No one has had a real break-out season. Hell, some have not improved at all. The jury is still out on our Freshmen - some nice talent, but not top end. No first round draft choices, under representated on the 18 and under and World Junior teams. Look at this team's stats and tell me who would make all conference or all american. Our Shattuck pipeline seems to have dried up and we haven't found a replacement. I'm just not happy with mediocre hockey. When we were in the race to recruit Zack Parise he was told to go to UND = that was his best shot at developing his skills for the pros - do you think he would get the same advise today?