UND finally comes through at UAA by winning on Saturday.  Were any other
Sioux fans as dissapointed by this series as much as me?  UND's defense
allows UAA 16 shots on Friday and 17 on Saturday.  If you allow your
opposition 33 shots for two games and you don't win both games then
SOMETHING IS WRONG!!!  I hate to put the blame on the goaltending, but
how much more can you ask from your defense?  For those of you who feel
the truth is behind the numbers, UND stopped 81% of the shots on Friday
and 82% of the shots on Saturday.  This, my friends is good enough to
finish toward the bottom of the league, BUT NOT AT THE TOP.  If UND hopes
to finish in the top five, either the offense is going to have to score
AT LEAST five goals a night, or the goaltending is going to have to
drastically improve.  Ironically, Blais may be the cause of some of the
problems.  Supposidly, if the UND goalie gives up three goals 9 times out
of 10 he is going to be pulled.  I can't imagine that does a lot for a
goalies' confidence knowing that he will probably be yanked if he gives
up three goals.  Also, SO WHAT IF UND HAS NOT WON A GAME UP THERE???
That is not a valid excuse.  Am I supposed to believe that UND is jinxed
by going up there (to quasiquote 'Thinner'...."I curse you, loser")?  UND
had the best offense in the league, while UAA was toward the bottom (were
they at the bottom).  Why couldn't they win up there??  A sign of a good
team is one which wins all of the games that it is supposed to
IRREGARDLESS of the conditions.  UND did not do that on Friday.
 
 
Other games:
 
DU wins two big ones at MTU.  Sure, MTU may be at the bottom of the WCHA,
but a road sweep is a road sweep is a road sweep.  The two big problems
that DU has had so far have been: one, consistant goaltending and two,
more diversified scoring.  In regards to the first problem, after several
shakey games Mullin was replaced by Wagner.  Wagner has had several good
games and is statistically one of the top goalies in the WCHA.  Mullin
was started in net on Saturday, and the result was a 7 to 0 shutout with
around 25 saves.  So, it looks like the Pioneers may have two guys to
count on in net.  As far as the second problem goes since DU does not
have team statistics available on-line, I will let someone who is more
versed in DU hockey cover this.  One item of note from Saturday, Laaksonen
got a hat trick.
 
Wisconsin gets shutout at home?  I will let our friends in Badger
country cover this one.
 
UM wins one----the only thing scarier than a good gopher's team is a good
gopher's team with TWO good goalies.  With Day having four good games,
you have to wonder if Woog will rotate the goalies like he did last year.
 
                                                                charles
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http://www.aero.und.edu/~cbell/hockey.htm
NIN fan in CW land
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