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Closing in on Epic Title Drought


Benny Baker

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Source: http://undhockey.areavoices.com/?p=100472

 

4. By no means did this cost UND the game against BU, but the NCAA made a blunder assigning Marco Hunt to officiate that game. Hunt was ousted from the NCHC a year earlier and it is believed that UND was in favor of that move. He shouldn’t have been in position to ref that game considering past history.

 

 

My comment: 

 

There was no mistake by the NCAA assigning Marco Hunt (and CJ Beaurline for that matter) to the game. The NCAA did that with conscious, willful intent. 

 

 

 

Every time we're on the NCAA's national stage (not a regional, the ESPN/NCAA national stage) after August 5, 2005, and the NCAA has to listen to "that word" from the UND crowd, it's a stick in their eye from us and we'll get the "Marco Hunt" treatment for it.

 

Don't believe me?

 

Look at history. 

 

Hak made the April 2005 title game.

 

Not a semis win since including "helpers" to ensure that (like the phantom calls of elbow to head on Finley or the "what'd he do?" call on Pattyn courtesy Marco Hunt/CJ Beaurline). 

 

 

Yes, the greatest conspiracy is that there really is no conspiracy; but, there are just too many coincidences or strange (assign Marco Hunt?) choices to not make a guy wonder. 

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BU is doing ok with a new coach, but UND couldnt possibly?

 

BU's new coach took a 21-16-2 team and turned them into a 10-21-4 team his first year.  He then lost in the national championship game his second year.  He's had one horrific year and one year that has been good, but based on the requirements here, not great.

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I, for one, am very pleased with this year's performance.  We did not have the top-end horses, and when Mac went down, I knew that the hockey Gods were not in our corner this year.  I am disappointed, but not really...

 

I was severely disappointed Parise's last year, All three years with Osh, and the Frattin year...those 5 are the only 5 teams that I truly believed had the horses and the true talent depth to win it all.  One of those teams had Blais at the helm...

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BU's new coach took a 21-16-2 team and turned them into a 10-21-4 team his first year.  He then lost in the national championship game his second year.  He's had one horrific year and one year that has been good, but based on the requirements here, not great.

Exactly, everyone here thinks that once Hak is fired we will win a title the following year. People forget that the new coach has a different style and we could suffer for a year or two while the new staff implements a new style of play. How long will fans wait during that period? Fan's don't stick around if you lose, I don't care who you are. 

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Baylor and TCU are making inroads. It's not as easy for them as it used to be.

We still ave the nicest facilities in the country and with the UND hockey status, I don't see a new coach not using those to his advantage.

 

True.  Every once and a while another team will come up and be really good for a couple years like the two you list plus SMU and A&M at various times.  But UT has been far-and-away the most successful and storied program in that state and they always should be.  I think they are much like the Gophers in this regard.  I think a much better comparison as far as colleges that do well in recruiting but have to venture out of there state and into rival territory for their talent would be Oklahoma. 

 

Of course a new coach would use this to their advantage but its not like Hakstol is some terrible coach.  I don't think anyone here could tell me with a straight face that they wouldn't take what Hak has done in his tenure here over what Lucia has accomplished in the same time frame.  I also don't think people would trade in what we have accomplished under Hak for one championship with Eades and all the misery that has followed that. 

 

People just need to be more realistic with their expectations.  Jack Parker won 3 championships in 40 years of coaching and he is widely considered a college hockey coaching great.  Berenson has 2 in over 30 years at Michigan and he is another name near the top of a lot of lists.

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Your points are good especially about Brown. What caught my attention was the line that the school pretty much recruits itself.

You don't think the same is true for UND hockey? Btw I give Hak his due for making UND hockey what it is today, but I just can't see the next guy not using all of the tradition to his advantage. I just don't see the doom and gloom others fear if Hak is gone.

I don't think anyone is saying the program would suddenly go into a 30 year tailspin or something if Hakstol were fired.  I assume we could find another coach, and a good one, and I assume that with the advantages our program has, that coach would have some good success.

 

I count myself in the pro-Hakstol crowd, but I will only speak for myself.  The reason I don't think we should fire Hakstol is why fire a guy who is leading the program in the direction you want to go?  Seems kind of silly.

 

People are fond of comparing Hakstol to York, or Berenson or Lucia or Mack Brown, or Bud Grant, etc...  I don't know the answer to this, but has anyone ever been fired for taking a basketball team to 7 Final Fours in 11 years?

 

The NCAA tournament, today, is a bit of a crapshoot.  I saw somewhere that with the past 3 champions all winning for the first time, that's the first time that has happened since the first 3 champions in NCAA history.  That's pretty amazing, if true, and speaks to the parity in the game.

 

I think the NCAA records book requires a coach to have coached in at least 8 games before qualifying for certain records.  I think if you look at that record book after this season you will see that only 3 active coaches have a better tournament winning percentage than Dave Hakstol (York, Sandelin and Jackson).  That means that when the season is on the line, playing a team from another conference you haven't seen before, Hakstol is about as good as it gets, and that's with the 1-7 Frozen Four record everyone is fond of pointing out.

 

I was in school for the Gino championships.  Those were cakewalks.  In the first one, we got selected for the tournament and only had to win two games.

 

In 1982 we got two games against Clarkson at home, then 2 games in the Frozen Four.  In 1987, the same.  Two games against St. Larry's at home, then 2 games at the Frozen Four.

 

Even Blais only had to win 3 games.

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again.  Dave Hakstol's job is safe, and candidly, I'm happy about that.

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But blais only had to win 3 cause only 12 teams in tourney

Last year wouldn't count in your as eyes as we never would ha e made it

Maybe, maybe not.  Hak has shown that he has the ability to get his team to do whatever is necessary to get in the tournament, whether that's winning the conference tournament or whatever.

 

I'll also just throw this out there for people to consider.

 

On this Board, we're obviously all biased.  First, in favor of UND hockey generally, and then one way or the other with respect to the coach.

 

Can anyone point to a commentator, a beat writer, a past or present player, a coach, or even a blogger who has even hinted or suggested that Hakstol's continued employment as our coach should be looked at?

 

There are a fair number I've read that say our fanbase is crazy for even talking about it, but of course most of those people think we're crazy anyway.  But has anyone seen a neutral party suggest that Hakstol has had his chance, and its time for  us to look in another direction?

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Shouldn't his contract be up at the end of the 2016-17 season?

 

He's signed till 2018

 

The eight-year veteran, who has won more games than any coach in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association since taking over in 2004, signed a new, six-year contract Thursday that will go through the 2017-18 season.

 

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Maybe, maybe not.  Hak has shown that he has the ability to get his team to do whatever is necessary to get in the tournament, whether that's winning the conference tournament or whatever.

 

I'll also just throw this out there for people to consider.

 

On this Board, we're obviously all biased.  First, in favor of UND hockey generally, and then one way or the other with respect to the coach.

 

Can anyone point to a commentator, a beat writer, a past or present player, a coach, or even a blogger who has even hinted or suggested that Hakstol's continued employment as our coach should be looked at?

 

There are a fair number I've read that say our fanbase is crazy for even talking about it, but of course most of those people think we're crazy anyway.  But has anyone seen a neutral party suggest that Hakstol has had his chance, and its time for  us to look in another direction?

Nope.

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If he is let go (I'll be upset but I'd get over it) there better not be a F&*$ing dog and pony show to hire the replacement.

If Hak is let go after his contract is up, I hope he winds up replacing Lucia at Minnesota and wins a dozen titles in a row. That way, everyone's a winner: the anti-Hak pitchforks-and-torches crowd gets to see him run out of town and the pro-Hakstol camp gets to see him get the monkey off his back.

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If Hak is let go after his contract is up, I hope he winds up replacing Lucia at Minnesota and wins a dozen titles in a row. That way, everyone's a winner: the anti-Hak pitchforks-and-torches crowd gets to see him run out of town and the pro-Hakstol camp gets to see him get the monkey off his back.

Why MN out of all places?  I thought you would have said MTU :)

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Did you cut and paste this from the end of the year threads for the last 5 years (I've been hearing a variation of the Blah Blah Blah York - or the original Blah Blah Blah Red theme for at least that long)? A more relevant comparison would be with Gino and Blais - Geno second year and three overall, Blais in year three and two overall. Both had rebuilding to do when they started - Gino's was massive. Hak took over a loaded team that had recently moved into the best college facility in the country. This idea that we have just been on an unlucky streak and that things will "balance out" with numerous titles is nonsense. Many a fortune has been lost in Las Vegas on the "gambler's fallacy" - the idea that the roulette wheel has been on red for 7 strait times therefore black is "due". Wrong. The odds of black is always the same - about 50-50. I'll be the first to admit that I don't know why we struggle in the Frozen Four. but I think there must be something besides bad luck (probably a bunch of little things. but cumulative). Hak is a good coach who works hard and has his team work hard. I hope he figures it out soon.

Talk about cutting and pasting..

I think I've read your " gamblers fallacy" comments a few times in the past..

Check out @DStarmanHockey's Tweet: https://twitter.com/DStarmanHockey/status/587697872096907264?s=09

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If Hak is let go after his contract is up, I hope he winds up replacing Lucia at Minnesota and wins a dozen titles in a row. That way, everyone's a winner: the anti-Hak pitchforks-and-torches crowd gets to see him run out of town and the pro-Hakstol camp gets to see him get the monkey off his back.

 

 

What if he heads to Omaha and takes over after Dean leaves?  

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If Hak is let go after his contract is up, I hope he winds up replacing Lucia at Minnesota and wins a dozen titles in a row. That way, everyone's a winner: the anti-Hak pitchforks-and-torches crowd gets to see him run out of town and the pro-Hakstol camp gets to see him get the monkey off his back.

Talk about an explosion from the whiners after that...! :)

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FROZEN FOUR RECORDS OVER THE PAST TEN SEASONS

 

Boston College (6):      8-3

Boston University (2):   3-1

Wisconsin (2):              3-1

Union (2):                     2-1

Michigan State (1):       2-0

Minnesota-Duluth (1):  2-0

Providence (1):            2-0

Yale (1):                       2-0

Miami (2):                     1-2

Michigan (2):                1-2

Minnesota (2):              1-2

Notre Dame (2):           1-2

Ferris State (1):           1-1

Quinnipiac (1):             1-1

 

------------------------------------------------

 

North Dakota (6):         0-6

Maine (2):                    0-2

Bemidji State (1):         0-1

Mass-Lowell (1):          0-1

Omaha (1):                  0-1

RIT (1):                        0-1

St. Cloud State (1):      0-1

Vermont (1):                 0-1

 

As with all stats, any opinions you derive from them are those of your own.

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FROZEN FOUR RECORDS OVER THE PAST TEN SEASONS

 

Boston College (6):      8-3

Boston University (2):   3-1

Wisconsin (2):              3-1

Union (2):                     2-1

Michigan State (1):       2-0

Minnesota-Duluth (1):  2-0

Providence (1):            2-0

Yale (1):                       2-0

Miami (2):                     1-2

Michigan (2):                1-2

Minnesota (2):              1-2

Notre Dame (2):           1-2

Ferris State (1):           1-1

Quinnipiac (1):             1-1

 

------------------------------------------------

 

North Dakota (6):         0-6

Maine (2):                    0-2

Bemidji State (1):         0-1

Mass-Lowell (1):          0-1

Omaha (1):                  0-1

RIT (1):                        0-1

St. Cloud State (1):      0-1

Vermont (1):                 0-1

 

As with all stats, any opinions you derive from them are those of your own.

We're due....I'm feeling it for next year if we return our boys :)

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