University of North Dakota 2018-19 Season

[SiouxFan100]

Will we be better next year?

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

Just now, SiouxFan100 said:

Will we be better next year?

I'd bet good money we are.

[stoneySIOUX]

6 minutes ago, InHeavenThereIsNoBeer said:

You think Colton stays? I think he should and it would be fantastic but thought he was a decent bet to leave after his jr year?

I think he does.

[stoneySIOUX]

5 minutes ago, SiouxFan100 said:

Will we be better next year?

I mean, I think we will. Our freshmen have been good, some really good, and our Sophs are leading the way in most aspects. Scheel is a legit stud... the best freshman goalie I've seen come in. Add that to pretty heralded and top-end scoring forward group, I think we take a step forward. 

[burd]

9 minutes ago, SiouxFan100 said:

Will we be better next year?

 

8 minutes ago, InHeavenThereIsNoBeer said:

I'd bet good money we are.

A lot will disagree, but this team was not far off.  They beat the top ranked teams it the country.  Problem is they tend to play down and lose to teams they need to beat.  I think there is a player leadership void.   

And I have nothing to back that up.

[stoneySIOUX]

1 minute ago, burd said:

 

A lot will disagree, but this team was not far off.  They beat the top ranked teams it the country.  Problem is they tend to play down and lose to teams they need to beat.  I think there is a player leadership void.   

I think there's a void of beating goaltenders haha. We've been plagued with zero puck luck and a tremendous amount of logo ripping shots and missed nets. Bringing in four good scorers should help this team. Should lol.

[SiouxFan100]

12 minutes ago, stoneySIOUX said:

I mean, I think we will. Our freshmen have been good, some really good, and our Sophs are leading the way in most aspects. Scheel is a legit stud... the best freshman goalie I've seen come in. Add that to pretty heralded and top-end scoring forward group, I think we take a step forward. 

I sure hope we have hit bottom and there is hope for improvement in the years to come 

[stoneySIOUX]

11 minutes ago, SiouxFan100 said:

I sure hope we have hit bottom and there is hope for improvement in the years to come 

If this is bottom, I'm happy with it haha. Looking at our pipeline, I think it's easy to assume that improvement is likely. But, we shall see.

From what I see, 20-21, assuming progression and keeping a few key guys (Kierstad, JBD, Tychonick, Gooch, Scheel), could be a lot of fun for our program.

[Godsmack]

Story of our season....all Swedish, no Finnish. 

[tnt]

On 2/6/2019 at 11:25 AM, SJHovey said:

I've often thought that what this Board really needs is a thread addressing that precisely.  A prediction thread where posters can come in, before a player starts his college career, and declare, "this guy is going to be a great college hockey player."  Not just limited to our team, but all around college hockey.

What you'd see is this.  You'd see some hits, because yeah you can pretty much figure out that a player like Hughes (if he makes it to college) is going to be great.  You're going to see some misses.  And you're going to realize that many guys who are great college players were never even mentioned in our thread.

I actually started a thread like that a while back but I guess most people don’t want to say who they think are huge gets or misses when it is on record.

[tnt]

1 hour ago, burd said:

 

A lot will disagree, but this team was not far off.  They beat the top ranked teams it the country.  Problem is they tend to play down and lose to teams they need to beat.  I think there is a player leadership void.   

And I have nothing to back that up.

That, and a few teams above them stand to lose a lot in seniors and underclassmen leaving early.

[Irish]

2 hours ago, stoneySIOUX said:

I think there's a void of beating goaltenders haha. We've been plagued with zero puck luck and a tremendous amount of logo ripping shots and missed nets. Bringing in four good scorers should help this team. Should lol.

Puck luck?  Do you honestly think our group of logo shooters are cursed by bad puck luck?   If that's the case, the hockey Gods must have been squatting on us for the past 2 years.  Could it possibly be our lack of talent? 

[farce poobah]

The way our season is going is even mirrored in CBSSN's commercial for the NCHC Frozen Faceoff.  

We lose 2-1 in the commercial's video clips.  

[Irish]

6 minutes ago, farce poobah said:

The way our season is going is even mirrored in CBSSN's commercial for the NCHC Frozen Faceoff.  

We lose 2-1 in the commercial's video clips.  

It's what we do.

 

[Wilbur]

1 hour ago, farce poobah said:

The way our season is going is even mirrored in CBSSN's commercial for the NCHC Frozen Faceoff.  

We lose 2-1 in the commercial's video clips.  

3-1, because they left out the EN.  They never show those. 

[stoneySIOUX]

3 hours ago, Irish said:

Puck luck?  Do you honestly think our group of logo shooters are cursed by bad puck luck?   If that's the case, the hockey Gods must have been squatting on us for the past 2 years.  Could it possibly be our lack of talent? 

Can't it be both? I flat out mentioned logo rippers and wide shots.

Yes, I absolutely think this team has had bad puck luck. The amount of shots we get and possession we have on a consistent basis should be an indication of more goals. Look at DU's first goal last weekend. That's puck luck. How many times have we gotten a bounce like that this season? Not many.

[Sioux90]

This team has had chances to put games away. They have also come out and played horribly against weak teams. Cake Eaters. 

[Irish]

4 hours ago, stoneySIOUX said:

Can't it be both? I flat out mentioned logo rippers and wide shots.

Yes, I absolutely think this team has had bad puck luck. The amount of shots we get and possession we have on a consistent basis should be an indication of more goals. Look at DU's first goal last weekend. That's puck luck. How many times have we gotten a bounce like that this season? Not many.

Sorry - didn't mean to sound so harsh - Just pointing out that if puck luck is part of it we are in the midst of an ultra-long cycle.  And the more I look at the past almost 2 years the more I think the lack of playing a full 60 enters in too.  Call it grit or whatever, but we puke up leads like no team I have ever seen and seem to take turns making bone headed or lazy plays.  And the above poster is dead on about playing down to our competition.  Berry has some serious issues to correct.

[skateshattrick]

On 2/6/2019 at 9:11 AM, Wilbur said:

I was super excited about Bowen after his Freshman year.  Then the injury bug got him last year and he just hasn't been the same player.  I thought 15-20 goals this year was possible for him.  Now it's likely he may not get to 10 total points by the end of the year.

A good question a buddy of mine asked the other day was:  If Poolman leaves, who is the captain next year?  

Your guess is better than mine.

What would lead you to believe that Bowen would get 15-20 goals? He had 3 points in 15 games with the Fargo Force in 2014-15 and 22 points in 47 games with Penticton in the BCHL in 2015-16. He has never been a scorer. The apple didn't fall far from the tree as his dad Jeff Bowen never scored at UND either. One of the main problems with this team is that they recruited a lot of forwards who were not scorers in juniors---Bowen, Yon, Keane, Senden and Smith to name a few. Senden will be a solid player because of his work ethic and leadership qualities, but to expect these players to all of the sudden be scorers in college when they didn't in juniors is unrealistic. I realize Kawaguchi, Hoff and Janatuinen did score in juniors, which has not translated in college at least for Hoff and JJ, but some of the lack of scoring punch was predictable. 

[fsioux]

Any word if Poolman and/or JJ have any chance of returning anytime in the near future?

[Wilbur]

On 2/9/2019 at 11:53 AM, skateshattrick said:

What would lead you to believe that Bowen would get 15-20 goals? He had 3 points in 15 games with the Fargo Force in 2014-15 and 22 points in 47 games with Penticton in the BCHL in 2015-16. He has never been a scorer. The apple didn't fall far from the tree as his dad Jeff Bowen never scored at UND either. One of the main problems with this team is that they recruited a lot of forwards who were not scorers in juniors---Bowen, Yon, Keane, Senden and Smith to name a few. Senden will be a solid player because of his work ethic and leadership qualities, but to expect these players to all of the sudden be scorers in college when they didn't in juniors is unrealistic. I realize Kawaguchi, Hoff and Janatuinen did score in juniors, which has not translated in college at least for Hoff and JJ, but some of the lack of scoring punch was predictable. 

Maybe a better estimate would have been 10-15. After scoring 6 as a Freshman (cough....7....BU Fargo regional) and being unhealthy much of last year I figured being three years into college hockey his game would improve.

You're right, 15-20 was likely shooting way to high up in the stars for him. 

[burd]

I still like the energy and speed Bowen brings.

[stoneySIOUX]

On 2/10/2019 at 1:32 PM, fsioux said:

Any word if Poolman and/or JJ have any chance of returning anytime in the near future?

[Oxbow6]

At this point what's JJ's role moving forward if he is ever healthy?

[runaroundsioux]

15 minutes ago, stoneySIOUX said:

Is Janatuinen still in the country?