Hall selected as Brewers' MVP (from jsonline.com)
Bill Hall, who took over as the everyday shortstop in mid-May when starter J.J. Hardy was lost with an ankle injury, today was named the Milwaukee Brewers' most valuable player for the 2006 season.
Hall, 26, was named first on 10 of the 11 ballots cast by members of the Milwaukee chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America. He led the club with 35 home runs and 85 RBI, batting .270 in 148 games with 39 doubles, also a club high, and four triples.
Hall also was named the recipient of the club's "Good Guy" Award, given to a player for his cooperation and interaction with the media. Hall edged reliever Matt Wise by one point, on a point system in which three points were given for first-place votes, two points for second-place votes and one for a third-place vote. Thirteen different players received votes for the award.
In an award presented by the club, Hall also was named the recipient of the Michael Harrison Award for Community Service.
Closer Francisco Cordero edged left-hander Chris Capuano for the team's most valuable pitcher. Cordero, acquired from Texas on July 28 in the Carlos Lee trade, went 3-1 with a 1.69 ERA and 16 saves in 28 appearances. Capuano, who made the National League all-star team, had one more first-place vote than Cordero but Cordero had four second-place votes and three thirds, giving him 23 points to 19 for Capuano, who finished with an 11-12 record after going 1-8 in the second half.
Hall and Capuano left today for Japan to play in with a group of touring major leaguers against stars from the Japanese Leagues.
First baseman Prince Fielder earned the Brewers' top newcomer award with a strong rookie campaign. Fielder batted .271 with 28 home runs - a club rookie record - and 81 RBI in a team-high 157 games. Fielder led all NL rookies in homers and ranked among the leaders in RBI, extra-base hits (64), runs (82), total bases (275), doubles (35) and multi-hit games (41).
Veteran infielder Jeff Cirillo picked up the unsung hero award, capitalizing on his team-high .319 batting average. Cirillo made starts at all four infield positions, showing his versatility when injuries struck the team.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Monday, October 30, 2006
Nerdy Aside
The student paper I was on in college won what is called the Pacemaker Award this past weekend. The award is known as the Pulitzer of College Journalism. Twenty college papers nationwide were honored with Pacemakers this year.
The award is given out by the Associated College Press.
We last won the award in 1998, which is also when we were inducted into the ACP Hall of Fame.
Nerdy, but cool. We're a small liberal arts Jesuit University - about 4,000 undergrads. The newspaper staff was always less than 20, so we did a lot with a little and I'm proud.
The award is given out by the Associated College Press.
We last won the award in 1998, which is also when we were inducted into the ACP Hall of Fame.
Nerdy, but cool. We're a small liberal arts Jesuit University - about 4,000 undergrads. The newspaper staff was always less than 20, so we did a lot with a little and I'm proud.
Packers suck less than expected
Ok, so I know going into this season we all had low expectations, but I have to say that the Packers are exceeding mine..
We've sustained a lot of injuries on the offensive side of the ball. Our receiver core - well it's not so much a core but some guys we pulled up from the practice squad.
Besides, watching highlights last night, I realized that we are FAR FAR from being the worst team in the league.
While this is heartening, I realized that if this keeps up, we could be a sub .500 team that has to draft 12th.
But seriously, look at this list of teams with worse records than ours:
Washington
Detroit
Tampa Bay
San Francisco
Arizona
Buffalo
Miami
Cleveland
Pittsburgh (!!!!)
Tennessee
Houston
Oakland
I know that's not the who's who of the NFL by any means, but, lest you forget, we're one win away from equalling last year's mark.
Look for the positive people!
We've sustained a lot of injuries on the offensive side of the ball. Our receiver core - well it's not so much a core but some guys we pulled up from the practice squad.
Besides, watching highlights last night, I realized that we are FAR FAR from being the worst team in the league.
While this is heartening, I realized that if this keeps up, we could be a sub .500 team that has to draft 12th.
But seriously, look at this list of teams with worse records than ours:
Washington
Detroit
Tampa Bay
San Francisco
Arizona
Buffalo
Miami
Cleveland
Pittsburgh (!!!!)
Tennessee
Houston
Oakland
I know that's not the who's who of the NFL by any means, but, lest you forget, we're one win away from equalling last year's mark.
Look for the positive people!
Saturday, October 28, 2006
What I did on my halloween vacation...
We went here and went on the Haunted Forest tour. Hopefully we'll get to go back soon and go through the Corn Maze!!
Hockey National Championship rematch (or big BIG embarassment)
Last night Boston College came to town for a rematch of last year's Frozen Four championship game.
And in the first period scored a goal shorthanded 5-3. That' s right. We had five guys on the ice. They had three guys on the ice. They scored.
I know I've harped on this, but it's plays like this that make me wonder how people can still talk about our supposedly stellar defense.
The offense is non-existant this year and the defense was supposedly more than stacked enough to cover.
Friday night proved otherwise.
I don' t know if I can write much without sounding really mean and bitter, so here's the newspaper recap.
And in the first period scored a goal shorthanded 5-3. That' s right. We had five guys on the ice. They had three guys on the ice. They scored.
I know I've harped on this, but it's plays like this that make me wonder how people can still talk about our supposedly stellar defense.
The offense is non-existant this year and the defense was supposedly more than stacked enough to cover.
Friday night proved otherwise.
I don' t know if I can write much without sounding really mean and bitter, so here's the newspaper recap.
Men's College Basketball
As if I'm not having a hard enough time keeping up with college and pro football and college hockey, now we're adding basketball to the mix.
If that weren't enough, both of our teams are in the pre-season Top 25, with Wisconsin coming in at #9 (Wisconsin's highest pre-season rank EVER) and Marquette at #17.
No pressure boys!
I'm officially not sure how I'm going to cheer, but I'll be a schizophrenic fan on December 9, when Wisconsin comes to Milwaukee to meet Marquette.
As of today I'm a partial plan season ticket holder for Marquette. For what I could afford I'll be sitting three feet from the rafters, but I'm so excited to be going to that game!
If that weren't enough, both of our teams are in the pre-season Top 25, with Wisconsin coming in at #9 (Wisconsin's highest pre-season rank EVER) and Marquette at #17.
No pressure boys!
I'm officially not sure how I'm going to cheer, but I'll be a schizophrenic fan on December 9, when Wisconsin comes to Milwaukee to meet Marquette.
As of today I'm a partial plan season ticket holder for Marquette. For what I could afford I'll be sitting three feet from the rafters, but I'm so excited to be going to that game!
Happy Halloweiners!
I stole the headline and pic from today's paper, but they're too good not to share!
In a brilliant marketing move, the Milwaukee Brewers are sending the Racing Sausages out into the world for trick or treating tomorrow and on Halloween. They'll be passing out Brewers treats and vouchers for free tickets.
Incidentally, the costumes are (from left to right) a butcher (the polish has a sick sense of humor) a ghost, a cowboy and Zorro.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Miscellaneous links
Robert Ferguson, officially out for the year
The Wisconsin women's hockey team tied a game last weekend, ending their win streak at 19.
In college basketball news, Dominic James of Marquette, and Alando Tucker and Kammron Taylor of Wisconsin were named to the Wooden pre-season All-American list.
The Big East coaches poll has Marquette finishing fourth in the conference with Dominic James named to the All Big East team.
The men's hockey team meets BC this weekend for a rematch of the national championship game. Kyle Klubertanz should be back from injury.
The Wisconsin women's hockey team tied a game last weekend, ending their win streak at 19.
In college basketball news, Dominic James of Marquette, and Alando Tucker and Kammron Taylor of Wisconsin were named to the Wooden pre-season All-American list.
The Big East coaches poll has Marquette finishing fourth in the conference with Dominic James named to the All Big East team.
The men's hockey team meets BC this weekend for a rematch of the national championship game. Kyle Klubertanz should be back from injury.
The computer problems continue...
In the meantime, here's a bunch of football links I stole from Badger Sports Blog...
An SI On Campus profile of one of our cheerleaders
Some nice ESPN.com praise (that doesn't happen often and here we're twice in one month) that says that Ohio State is lucky we're not on their schedule
An SI.com story on P.J. Hill
And a Fox Sports story that says we're the sleeper pick of 2007
And a profile on Joe Thomas from one of UW's student papers
Plus, some "original" and "unstolen" football links
A Journal Sentinel story that tries to figure out "just how good" this football team is
A column from the Detroit Free Press that says we're "worthy of attention" (and for some reason this is a story in Detroit)
Another column from a website called Michigan live that calls Wisconsin the surprise of the season in the Big Ten
An SI On Campus profile of one of our cheerleaders
Some nice ESPN.com praise (that doesn't happen often and here we're twice in one month) that says that Ohio State is lucky we're not on their schedule
An SI.com story on P.J. Hill
And a Fox Sports story that says we're the sleeper pick of 2007
And a profile on Joe Thomas from one of UW's student papers
Plus, some "original" and "unstolen" football links
A Journal Sentinel story that tries to figure out "just how good" this football team is
A column from the Detroit Free Press that says we're "worthy of attention" (and for some reason this is a story in Detroit)
Another column from a website called Michigan live that calls Wisconsin the surprise of the season in the Big Ten
Monday, October 23, 2006
CBS is high
These are the newest version's of their bowl predictions, in which the national championship is played between Ohio State and WEST VIRGINIA???!!!!????
I'm grasping for something biting to say here, but I'm honestly speechless. For one, I don't see WV staying undefeated. Secondly, they're just not the 2nd best team in the country. No Big East team is.
For the record, they think we're getting the Capital One Bowl (again) vs. Tennnessee - which could actually be an interesting matchup (mostly because I want in on the UT trash talking) and could mean some serious embarassment for us.
Incidentally, they have Penn State vs. LSU in the Outback Bowl. Basically, these teams could fall anywhere in this schematic. An LSU/Wisconsin game could be fun (though I'd be bitter if this finally came about and I'm not in Louisiana) .
I'm grasping for something biting to say here, but I'm honestly speechless. For one, I don't see WV staying undefeated. Secondly, they're just not the 2nd best team in the country. No Big East team is.
For the record, they think we're getting the Capital One Bowl (again) vs. Tennnessee - which could actually be an interesting matchup (mostly because I want in on the UT trash talking) and could mean some serious embarassment for us.
Incidentally, they have Penn State vs. LSU in the Outback Bowl. Basically, these teams could fall anywhere in this schematic. An LSU/Wisconsin game could be fun (though I'd be bitter if this finally came about and I'm not in Louisiana) .
Holy F*ing Shit, Packers win (or other similar Onion title here)
The stars aligned. Mercury is in retrograde. And Joey Harrington was the opposing QB, so Green Bay won it's second game of the season!
Being ranked last in the league in pass defense was no match for Joey Harrington's mediocrity as the Pack intercepted him three times.
Starting three rookies on the offensive line, minus Robert Ferguson (now reportedly for the entire season) and having a recently injured Ahman Green back in the lineup should have been more than enough to sink this already drowning ship. Add the 90 degree weather and absolutely no one expected the Packers to even ever be in this game.
Yet Green managed a 70 yard TD run late in the game.
I mean, I'm a Packer fan and I'm still not sure what the hell happened. It helps that the Dolphins receivers couldn't have caught a pass with their hands covered in superglue.
But come on, Harrington had over 400 yards. Our O-Line (even the vets) got shredded and Favre was hurried and sacked, usually a sure combination for misguided passes and easy interceptions. But that didn't happen.
The defense stepped up, eliminating the run game altogether (as evidenced by Harrington attempting a franchise record 62 passes - completing only 33 -) Miami ran a total of 83 plays and managed only two TDs.
Also, the last time a Packer team won in South Florida, Lombardi was coaching.
But myabe it doesn't take something as hugely cosmic to make things happen. Maybe this is what happens when you add to your roster and name mini-Mexico as your 3rd QB
Being ranked last in the league in pass defense was no match for Joey Harrington's mediocrity as the Pack intercepted him three times.
Starting three rookies on the offensive line, minus Robert Ferguson (now reportedly for the entire season) and having a recently injured Ahman Green back in the lineup should have been more than enough to sink this already drowning ship. Add the 90 degree weather and absolutely no one expected the Packers to even ever be in this game.
Yet Green managed a 70 yard TD run late in the game.
I mean, I'm a Packer fan and I'm still not sure what the hell happened. It helps that the Dolphins receivers couldn't have caught a pass with their hands covered in superglue.
But come on, Harrington had over 400 yards. Our O-Line (even the vets) got shredded and Favre was hurried and sacked, usually a sure combination for misguided passes and easy interceptions. But that didn't happen.
The defense stepped up, eliminating the run game altogether (as evidenced by Harrington attempting a franchise record 62 passes - completing only 33 -) Miami ran a total of 83 plays and managed only two TDs.
Also, the last time a Packer team won in South Florida, Lombardi was coaching.
But myabe it doesn't take something as hugely cosmic to make things happen. Maybe this is what happens when you add to your roster and name mini-Mexico as your 3rd QB
Football team moves up
We're now 17 in the AP poll.
Of note this week, Wisconsin starts this week with seven teams that are ranked in national polls: Women’s hockey, men’s cross country, men’s hockey, women’s cross country, volleyball, women’s swimming and football.
Rankings here.
Of note this week, Wisconsin starts this week with seven teams that are ranked in national polls: Women’s hockey, men’s cross country, men’s hockey, women’s cross country, volleyball, women’s swimming and football.
Rankings here.
Major PC malfunction
Over here at Cute Sports central, the computer situation has been iffy at best. Finally, it was deemed time to wipe the whole thing and start over. While you'd think that would solve everything, this thing's a Compaq. So there's still some issues, but we're getting there (we think) and hopefully I'll be able to find some time to post.
Lo siento!
Lo siento!
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Nice natinonal attention
This is a really nice article from ESPN.com last week showcasing Wisconsin's athletics. The article was written about last weekend, when it was homecoming and the hockey team opened at home.
It's a really good article and a good homage to Wisconsin athletics. If you want to get an idea of what it's like in Madison, take the 5 minutes to read this.
There was also a sidebar with a link to this article, coverage of the hockey games themselves. Nice to see college hockey, at UW specifically, get some press.
Some highlights (I admitably got carried away with the highlights):
Kickoff between the host Badgers and border rival Minnesota is still nearly three hours away. On the line are bragging rights in the most-played series in Division I-A (116 games and counting) and a not-so-little wooden trophy known as Paul Bunyan's Axe.
But it's more than that: This picturesque campus, the centerpiece of Wisconsin's capital city, will host six sporting events over three days.
It's Homecoming in Madison. And it might be the perfect college sports weekend.
...
Take a 10-minute walk down Dayton Street and you'll arrive at the Kohl Center, a $76 million state-of-the-art building that is the home of the Wisconsin basketball and hockey teams.
As the hockey team prepared to play North Dakota, the nearly 15,000 who would be in attendance for the home opener were just as anxious for what would happen before the puck was dropped as they were for the latest renewal of one of the WCHA's best rivalries.
Wisconsin, the No. 2-ranked team in the country, celebrated its 2006 national championship one final time when it unveiled the latest championship banner.
...
At the opposite end of the shiny glass and steel superstructure spectrum is the Wisconsin Field House, home of the Badgers' volleyball and wrestling teams.
Opened in 1930 and adjacent to the south end of Camp Randall, the cream-colored brick building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
...
"Playing in the Field House is one of the greatest parts of Badger volleyball," head coach Pete Waite said. "The size of our crowds and the history of the building are known nationwide. The Field House and the fans are two of the major reasons that top recruits say they want to play for Wisconsin."
...
Wisconsin is averaging 4,341 fans per match at the Field House, which ranks second nationally behind Hawaii.
It should be noted that there are hundreds of Division I men's basketball teams that don't average 4,300 fans.
...
It's barely 7:30 Saturday morning, but most of the Wisconsin men's basketball players are already dressed and ready 15 minutes early for a team meeting that will mark the official start of practice for the 2006-07 season.
One of the first players out of the dressing area is the Badgers' all-everything forward, Alando Tucker. The senior from Lockport, Ill., is a leading candidate for Big Ten Player of the Year and should show up on several All-America teams.
...
In his five years in Madison, Ryan's teams have won at least 19 games a season, including a school-record 25 wins in back-to-back seasons (2003-04 and 2004-05). But the Badgers are coming off of what some have described as a disappointing 19-win season -- which included the first winless postseason in Ryan's tenure.
When 19 wins and an NCAA Tournament appearance are viewed as negatives, the expectations surrounding this program have clearly changed. ...
Most preseason publications predict the Badgers to finish at or near the top of the Big Ten and also have them well into the upper half of the national top 25.
That helps to explain why Wisconsin's sellout streak will hit 71 games this season.
...
The highlight of homecoming weekend centered around football, and the centerpiece of the Badgers' football program is venerable Camp Randall Stadium.
Built in 1917, and originally a training ground for Civil War soldiers, it's the fourth oldest college-owned stadium. It recently received a nearly $110 million renovation, giving it a perfect blend of history and modern amenities...
Since 2004, Wisconsin is a Big Ten best 15-1 at home, with the only loss coming last season versus Iowa in Alvarez's final home game. ..
The easy win improved Wisconsin to 6-1 (3-1 Big Ten) and made the Badgers bowl-eligible on the earliest date in school history.
It's a really good article and a good homage to Wisconsin athletics. If you want to get an idea of what it's like in Madison, take the 5 minutes to read this.
There was also a sidebar with a link to this article, coverage of the hockey games themselves. Nice to see college hockey, at UW specifically, get some press.
Some highlights (I admitably got carried away with the highlights):
Kickoff between the host Badgers and border rival Minnesota is still nearly three hours away. On the line are bragging rights in the most-played series in Division I-A (116 games and counting) and a not-so-little wooden trophy known as Paul Bunyan's Axe.
But it's more than that: This picturesque campus, the centerpiece of Wisconsin's capital city, will host six sporting events over three days.
It's Homecoming in Madison. And it might be the perfect college sports weekend.
...
Take a 10-minute walk down Dayton Street and you'll arrive at the Kohl Center, a $76 million state-of-the-art building that is the home of the Wisconsin basketball and hockey teams.
As the hockey team prepared to play North Dakota, the nearly 15,000 who would be in attendance for the home opener were just as anxious for what would happen before the puck was dropped as they were for the latest renewal of one of the WCHA's best rivalries.
Wisconsin, the No. 2-ranked team in the country, celebrated its 2006 national championship one final time when it unveiled the latest championship banner.
...
At the opposite end of the shiny glass and steel superstructure spectrum is the Wisconsin Field House, home of the Badgers' volleyball and wrestling teams.
Opened in 1930 and adjacent to the south end of Camp Randall, the cream-colored brick building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
...
"Playing in the Field House is one of the greatest parts of Badger volleyball," head coach Pete Waite said. "The size of our crowds and the history of the building are known nationwide. The Field House and the fans are two of the major reasons that top recruits say they want to play for Wisconsin."
...
Wisconsin is averaging 4,341 fans per match at the Field House, which ranks second nationally behind Hawaii.
It should be noted that there are hundreds of Division I men's basketball teams that don't average 4,300 fans.
...
It's barely 7:30 Saturday morning, but most of the Wisconsin men's basketball players are already dressed and ready 15 minutes early for a team meeting that will mark the official start of practice for the 2006-07 season.
One of the first players out of the dressing area is the Badgers' all-everything forward, Alando Tucker. The senior from Lockport, Ill., is a leading candidate for Big Ten Player of the Year and should show up on several All-America teams.
...
In his five years in Madison, Ryan's teams have won at least 19 games a season, including a school-record 25 wins in back-to-back seasons (2003-04 and 2004-05). But the Badgers are coming off of what some have described as a disappointing 19-win season -- which included the first winless postseason in Ryan's tenure.
When 19 wins and an NCAA Tournament appearance are viewed as negatives, the expectations surrounding this program have clearly changed. ...
Most preseason publications predict the Badgers to finish at or near the top of the Big Ten and also have them well into the upper half of the national top 25.
That helps to explain why Wisconsin's sellout streak will hit 71 games this season.
...
The highlight of homecoming weekend centered around football, and the centerpiece of the Badgers' football program is venerable Camp Randall Stadium.
Built in 1917, and originally a training ground for Civil War soldiers, it's the fourth oldest college-owned stadium. It recently received a nearly $110 million renovation, giving it a perfect blend of history and modern amenities...
Since 2004, Wisconsin is a Big Ten best 15-1 at home, with the only loss coming last season versus Iowa in Alvarez's final home game. ..
The easy win improved Wisconsin to 6-1 (3-1 Big Ten) and made the Badgers bowl-eligible on the earliest date in school history.
Lots of hockey talk
I've been sick and my computer is on the fritz, so updates are scarce. Last night the brakes went out on my car(it's not been my week), so I'm home from work trying to get someone to come tow the car, thus there's time for posting.
Saturday night's hockey game was both exciting and very, very scary. Things definitely aren't peachy with the men's hockey team. Injuries are a big issue, as sophomore scorer Jack Skille took a hit and hyperextended his elbow on Friday. This college hockey news report says he's out until mid-November.
Ross Carlson also left the game Friday. Most reports are saying a lower body injury and the same report as above says he's questionable. Message board buzz is a torn knee ligament, but I think if that were the case, it would have been announced and we'd know that his season is over.
Kyle Klubertanz also suffered an unspecified injury and is listed as questionable. Rumors say a sprained MCL.
Goalie Brian Elliot took a puck where the sun don't shine and was out of at least one practice this week. Of course official reports say it's a leg bruise, but everyone at the game Saturday night saw where he took that puck. Brian was singing soprano.
That being said, with those injuries and last year's defections and graduations, we're now missing the top EIGHT scorers from last year. The guy who was ninth is Jake Dowell, and he is the one who scored Saturday night, so at least we can say he stepped up, right?
Sunday's Capital Times :"Skille hyperextended his right elbow, his father Lee said, on a hit by UND's Finley. Carlson, who has battled knee injuries in his career, has an unspecified lower-body injury and was on crutches Saturday. Klubertanz suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee, his father Ken said.
Eaves said he won't know how long those players will be out until they get examined further this week, but any of the three returning for this weekend's home series against Minnesota-Duluth seems to be an extremely hopeful thought."
As for Saturday's game, the best thing I can say is that we came away with a win, which is basically something not one person in the Kohl Center expected, especially after Skille left the game. We weren't clean. Our passes were beyond sloppy and our puck handling was atrocious. Watching this team in comparison to the team I saw in the Frozen Four is like the difference between the Rangers and a high school team.
That being said, it's still early and we have a (clearly) young team. You cannot go into this season with expectations that are running over from last season. It's not the same team out there.
My biggest worry surrounds the defense. All the hype is that our defense is unstoppable and they're the basis of this team and if we can just put a few pucks in the net, we'll be fine. But the overtime portion of the game on Friday night was a case study in what the defense is doing wrong. (However, over at Wisconsin Hockey Blog, they totally disagree with me, FWIW)
A UND player got the puck dumped onto the boards. We had two guys pounce on him, then just as suddenly back off. He had a straight shot to skate to the side of the net and from there is was nothing to put it in the back of the net. I believe it was Kyle Klubertanz, who skated up to the boards, then started to back off. This just seemed like a bad decision as soon as you saw it happen. I was thinking "why is he... " and before the thought was finished, the game was done.
The biggest frustration out of Saturday's game was what we thought was poor decision making. Often we'd have possession of the puck in the defensive zone or at center ice and then dump it in, which is standard procedure. However, by the end of the first period, it was clear this wasn't working and yet we didn't change tactics. Every time we dumped it, we skated down and got absolutely outplayed along the boards. Within seconds we no longer had possession and it was heading back the other direction. It was disappointing to see this over and over with no other options being worked out. I know North Dakota is no puff opponent, but if we do that sort of thing against BC and Minnesota, the results will be even worse.
There was some excitement on both ends though, as UND was awarded a goal that was then taken back upon review. Then, Wisconsin's goal came off a lot of pushing, shoving, falling and general melee in front of the net and there was a tense moment when it seemed that the refs might call it back.
The power play unit was horrific, but I expect this is one more incarnation of young players trying to make themselves into a team.
Penalty kills didn't look that much better. We fanned and/or muffed quite a few clears (though fanning was a problem all weekend). We gave up our first power play goal in 44 tries, I believe.
Ultimately, it's a young team that's going to need to get it together. I was probably a bit harsh - but that's from disappointment more than anything. We've got a lot of room to learn and grow and it's clear that this team will do just that. Patience may be the name of the game this season.
Not having the injured folks back this weekend against Minnesota-Duluth shouldn't have too much on an impact. That's not to say this isn't a tough team. (there's not really any easy spot on the schedule) But they're young and most of their team has never played in the Kohl Center. The noise and intimidation should help keep them timid for at least the first game.
Finally, click here to see some absolutely spectacular pictures from last weekend's game. This guy is a photog with a media pass. His stuff is spectacular.
Saturday night's hockey game was both exciting and very, very scary. Things definitely aren't peachy with the men's hockey team. Injuries are a big issue, as sophomore scorer Jack Skille took a hit and hyperextended his elbow on Friday. This college hockey news report says he's out until mid-November.
Ross Carlson also left the game Friday. Most reports are saying a lower body injury and the same report as above says he's questionable. Message board buzz is a torn knee ligament, but I think if that were the case, it would have been announced and we'd know that his season is over.
Kyle Klubertanz also suffered an unspecified injury and is listed as questionable. Rumors say a sprained MCL.
Goalie Brian Elliot took a puck where the sun don't shine and was out of at least one practice this week. Of course official reports say it's a leg bruise, but everyone at the game Saturday night saw where he took that puck. Brian was singing soprano.
That being said, with those injuries and last year's defections and graduations, we're now missing the top EIGHT scorers from last year. The guy who was ninth is Jake Dowell, and he is the one who scored Saturday night, so at least we can say he stepped up, right?
Sunday's Capital Times :"Skille hyperextended his right elbow, his father Lee said, on a hit by UND's Finley. Carlson, who has battled knee injuries in his career, has an unspecified lower-body injury and was on crutches Saturday. Klubertanz suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee, his father Ken said.
Eaves said he won't know how long those players will be out until they get examined further this week, but any of the three returning for this weekend's home series against Minnesota-Duluth seems to be an extremely hopeful thought."
As for Saturday's game, the best thing I can say is that we came away with a win, which is basically something not one person in the Kohl Center expected, especially after Skille left the game. We weren't clean. Our passes were beyond sloppy and our puck handling was atrocious. Watching this team in comparison to the team I saw in the Frozen Four is like the difference between the Rangers and a high school team.
That being said, it's still early and we have a (clearly) young team. You cannot go into this season with expectations that are running over from last season. It's not the same team out there.
My biggest worry surrounds the defense. All the hype is that our defense is unstoppable and they're the basis of this team and if we can just put a few pucks in the net, we'll be fine. But the overtime portion of the game on Friday night was a case study in what the defense is doing wrong. (However, over at Wisconsin Hockey Blog, they totally disagree with me, FWIW)
A UND player got the puck dumped onto the boards. We had two guys pounce on him, then just as suddenly back off. He had a straight shot to skate to the side of the net and from there is was nothing to put it in the back of the net. I believe it was Kyle Klubertanz, who skated up to the boards, then started to back off. This just seemed like a bad decision as soon as you saw it happen. I was thinking "why is he... " and before the thought was finished, the game was done.
The biggest frustration out of Saturday's game was what we thought was poor decision making. Often we'd have possession of the puck in the defensive zone or at center ice and then dump it in, which is standard procedure. However, by the end of the first period, it was clear this wasn't working and yet we didn't change tactics. Every time we dumped it, we skated down and got absolutely outplayed along the boards. Within seconds we no longer had possession and it was heading back the other direction. It was disappointing to see this over and over with no other options being worked out. I know North Dakota is no puff opponent, but if we do that sort of thing against BC and Minnesota, the results will be even worse.
There was some excitement on both ends though, as UND was awarded a goal that was then taken back upon review. Then, Wisconsin's goal came off a lot of pushing, shoving, falling and general melee in front of the net and there was a tense moment when it seemed that the refs might call it back.
The power play unit was horrific, but I expect this is one more incarnation of young players trying to make themselves into a team.
Penalty kills didn't look that much better. We fanned and/or muffed quite a few clears (though fanning was a problem all weekend). We gave up our first power play goal in 44 tries, I believe.
Ultimately, it's a young team that's going to need to get it together. I was probably a bit harsh - but that's from disappointment more than anything. We've got a lot of room to learn and grow and it's clear that this team will do just that. Patience may be the name of the game this season.
Not having the injured folks back this weekend against Minnesota-Duluth shouldn't have too much on an impact. That's not to say this isn't a tough team. (there's not really any easy spot on the schedule) But they're young and most of their team has never played in the Kohl Center. The noise and intimidation should help keep them timid for at least the first game.
Finally, click here to see some absolutely spectacular pictures from last weekend's game. This guy is a photog with a media pass. His stuff is spectacular.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Pictures from Saturday's men's hockey game vs. North Dakota
The brand new championship banner.
The championship trophy. It's actually quite beat up around the edges, which we thought was funny.
A display in the Kohl Center lobby honoring last year's team. (except the mugs along the bottom are of this year's team...)
They're hard to read, but these are the championship banners for men's and women's hockey.
I think this was just a face-off.
The team surrounding keeper Brian Elliot as the final horn sounded.
The team saluting the fans post-game. The stupid lady in front of me's glove is in almost all of my shots. She didn't seem to cheer unless I stood to take a pic.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Football team does what they're supposed to, kills Minnesota
Not much to report on the game. I didn't get to watch the whole thing and it seemed to go according the script of the past few weeks. PJ Hill is spectacular. Travis Beckum's a receiver on his way up, the special teams is still struggling (especially on receiving punts/kickoffs). Same old, same old.
We've moved up in the AP Poll
1. Ohio State (63) 7-0 1,623
2. Michigan 7-0 1,528
3. USC 6-0 1,465
4. West Virginia (2) 6-0 1,459
5. Texas 6-1 1,355
6. Louisville 6-0 1,223
7. Tennessee 5-1 1,179
8. Auburn 6-1 1,176
9. Florida 6-1 1,143
10. Notre Dame 5-1 1,042
11. California 6-1 1,027
12. Clemson 6-1 885
13. Georgia Tech 5-1 772
14. LSU 5-2 751
15. Arkansas 5-1 734
16. Oregon 5-1 639
17. Nebraska 6-1 555
18. Boise State 6-0 519
19. Rutgers 6-0 400
20. Oklahoma 4-2 394
21. Wisconsin 6-1 366
22. Boston College 5-1 330
23. Texas A&M 6-1 127
24. Missouri 6-1 93
25. Wake Forest 6-1 83
And are also #21 in the BCS standings. We're 22 in the coaches poll.
We've moved up in the AP Poll
1. Ohio State (63) 7-0 1,623
2. Michigan 7-0 1,528
3. USC 6-0 1,465
4. West Virginia (2) 6-0 1,459
5. Texas 6-1 1,355
6. Louisville 6-0 1,223
7. Tennessee 5-1 1,179
8. Auburn 6-1 1,176
9. Florida 6-1 1,143
10. Notre Dame 5-1 1,042
11. California 6-1 1,027
12. Clemson 6-1 885
13. Georgia Tech 5-1 772
14. LSU 5-2 751
15. Arkansas 5-1 734
16. Oregon 5-1 639
17. Nebraska 6-1 555
18. Boise State 6-0 519
19. Rutgers 6-0 400
20. Oklahoma 4-2 394
21. Wisconsin 6-1 366
22. Boston College 5-1 330
23. Texas A&M 6-1 127
24. Missouri 6-1 93
25. Wake Forest 6-1 83
And are also #21 in the BCS standings. We're 22 in the coaches poll.
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Upset minded
I'm lovin' it!! Crazy, crazy college football.
First it's Indiana (INDIANA!) over #15 Iowa
Then it's Vandebilt over #16 Georgia.
Ohio State's next?!? (yeah, right)
This mean's Wisconsin's alone in third in the Big Ten.
My new doomsday scenario has Florida losing. I'm saying at some point USC has to lose. Ohio State vs. Michigan National Championship???
Which may then send Wisconsin to the Rose Bowl.
Hey, it could happen! You heard it here first, folks!
I want to write more, but I'm out the door to Madison for the hockey game.
First it's Indiana (INDIANA!) over #15 Iowa
Then it's Vandebilt over #16 Georgia.
Ohio State's next?!? (yeah, right)
This mean's Wisconsin's alone in third in the Big Ten.
My new doomsday scenario has Florida losing. I'm saying at some point USC has to lose. Ohio State vs. Michigan National Championship???
Which may then send Wisconsin to the Rose Bowl.
Hey, it could happen! You heard it here first, folks!
I want to write more, but I'm out the door to Madison for the hockey game.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Football vs. Hockey
Now that hockey season' s started, I've jumped right in and I realize that's led to a derth of football posts.
And I've thought about this and about why that is. I'm just not into that into the football team this year. The schedule is lackluster at best. It's hard to get up for consecutive weeks of sub-par opponents.
I know schedules are made in advance and actually, considering what a young team we have, I'm quite thankful for this schedule. This year could have been really rough, instead we're ranked.
I still watch the games every week. But I'm finding it hard to get up emotion to write posts that anybody would want to read. In addition, though it's not as if there are a lot of low points to cover, either, but I'm finding a lack of big stories to cover. How often can we talk about Stocco? His arm, his patience, his pocket presence - these were surprises last year, but they're old news now.
By midway through the season, the P.J. Hill story has been written - over and over.
This isn't to say that these guys aren't good, or even that they're not worth it. But to write about them would be beating the dead horse. I'm not going to say anything you haven't read before.
All in all, it's a rather ho-hum team. They're not great. They certainly don't suck. But as material, they're quite difficult.
So instead I've focused on the hockey team, who is quite successful, has a lot of expectations and a lot of potential. I feel that writing about them passionately is a hell of a lot better than forcing myself to commit something (ANYTHING!) to screen about football, just because I should.
I promise I haven't forgotten about football. I'm just looking to write something that you haven't seen 24 times already.
But on the plus side, I realized while writing this that I'm complacent about the football team - that I expect a bowl game. I was going to write that it's hard to get excited when all signs point to the fact that we'll likely be playing on New Year's in Florida - again. And while for a moment I was all bored about that - I realize how huge that it. 20 years ago, a bowl game would have been a big damn deal. It says a lot about where we stand as a program on the national scene.
And I've thought about this and about why that is. I'm just not into that into the football team this year. The schedule is lackluster at best. It's hard to get up for consecutive weeks of sub-par opponents.
I know schedules are made in advance and actually, considering what a young team we have, I'm quite thankful for this schedule. This year could have been really rough, instead we're ranked.
I still watch the games every week. But I'm finding it hard to get up emotion to write posts that anybody would want to read. In addition, though it's not as if there are a lot of low points to cover, either, but I'm finding a lack of big stories to cover. How often can we talk about Stocco? His arm, his patience, his pocket presence - these were surprises last year, but they're old news now.
By midway through the season, the P.J. Hill story has been written - over and over.
This isn't to say that these guys aren't good, or even that they're not worth it. But to write about them would be beating the dead horse. I'm not going to say anything you haven't read before.
All in all, it's a rather ho-hum team. They're not great. They certainly don't suck. But as material, they're quite difficult.
So instead I've focused on the hockey team, who is quite successful, has a lot of expectations and a lot of potential. I feel that writing about them passionately is a hell of a lot better than forcing myself to commit something (ANYTHING!) to screen about football, just because I should.
I promise I haven't forgotten about football. I'm just looking to write something that you haven't seen 24 times already.
But on the plus side, I realized while writing this that I'm complacent about the football team - that I expect a bowl game. I was going to write that it's hard to get excited when all signs point to the fact that we'll likely be playing on New Year's in Florida - again. And while for a moment I was all bored about that - I realize how huge that it. 20 years ago, a bowl game would have been a big damn deal. It says a lot about where we stand as a program on the national scene.
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