Irish hockey '10-11-Everyone bets on a sure thing, but it takes guts not to fold.

[Third Family Member]

Re: Irish hockey '10-11-Everyone bets on a sure thing, but it takes guts not to fold.

Okay, so today you should be able to access the ballots to vote for the all-JACC team. All of my picks made all the decade teams. This is one election I won't have to hold my nose and pull the lever for: Jordan Pearce, David Brown and Morgan Cey get my nod for G, John Schmidt, Bill Nyrop, Jack Brownschidle, Benoit Cotnoir, Brett Lebda and Ian Cole for D and Brian Walsh, Eddie Bumbacco, Greg Meredith, Dave Poulin, Kirt Bjork, Mike McNeill, Jamie Ling, Erik Condra and Mark Van Guilder for forwards.

Edit: I misread Morgan Cey. He only got special mention. I'll have to rethink my 3rd G...

For those of you trying to vote, the mechanism to get you into the voting booth is a moving target on the und.com front page, scrolling through a number of links, like Ask the Irish a Question, Join the Coach Kelly Challenge, and about 10 others. Wait for it to scroll around to the voting block and then click on it. Sheesh.

[Irish83]

Re: Irish hockey '10-11-Everyone bets on a sure thing, but it takes guts not to fold.

Hello everyone, Great year so far!! Any predictions on this weekend? Should be interesting due to there last meeting.

[Jeff_Jackson_for_Pres.]

Re: Irish hockey '10-11-Everyone bets on a sure thing, but it takes guts not to fold.

Predictions I don't know about, but previews I can do.

Both Miami and ND have played several ranked opponents thus far. Miami is 5-4-0 against teams that were ranked at game time. ND is 6-5-2 against teams that have been in the top 20 when they met.

Miami has 9 players in double digits, totaling 207 of all their points. However, their top 3 guys account for more than half of those points. ND has 13 guys in double digits while totaling 237 points. You have to get to ND's #5 guy to hit half those points scored.

Miami has dressed only 2 freshmen, neither of whom has dressed for every game and neither of whom is a defenseman (a position that notoriously takes at least half a season to "learn"). ND has dressed 10 freshmen (not counting goalies), all but one of whom have dressed in virtually every game and 4 of whom are defensemen.

Miami's Connor Knapp (5-5-3 with a save % of .908 and a GA of 2.05) and Cody Reichard (9-4-0 with a save % of .899 and a GA of 2.32) have shared time in net. Mike Johnson has taken the brunt of the shots and is 13-7-3 with a save % of .906 and a GA of 2.54.

Miami is 22.8% on the PP behind 28 man-up goals. They are 87.8% on the PK. They've scored and given up 5 shorties. ND is 15.9% on the PP, scoring 22 PPG's. They're 86.4% on the PK. They still lead the country with 12 shorties, but have now given up 1.

Miami is 10-6-3 when scoring first. ND is 13-1-1 when lighting the lamp first.

Sir Winston Churchill, not one to pull punches, once said, "It is no use in saying, 'We are doing our best.' You have got to succeed in doing what is necessary."

[ND Hockey]

Re: Irish hockey '10-11-Everyone bets on a sure thing, but it takes guts not to fold.

For those of you trying to vote, the mechanism to get you into the voting booth is a moving target on the und.com front page, scrolling through a number of links, like Ask the Irish a Question, Join the Coach Kelly Challenge, and about 10 others. Wait for it to scroll around to the voting block and then click on it. Sheesh.

Linky goodness:
http://www.und.com/sports/m-hockey/s...nter-team.html

[Irish83]

Re: Irish hockey '10-11-Everyone bets on a sure thing, but it takes guts not to fold.

Any update on#22. Is he ready to go?

[Jeff_Jackson_for_Pres.]

Re: Irish hockey '10-11-Everyone bets on a sure thing, but it takes guts not to fold.

Any update on#22. Is he ready to go?

All info pointed to him coming back this weekend.

[Ralph Baer]

Re: Irish hockey '10-11-Everyone bets on a sure thing, but it takes guts not to fold.

I don't know if this info came out here already, but RPI's schedule for next season, as shown on the Season Ticket application http://www.rpiathletics.com/document...orm.pdf?id=978, shows RPI visiting Notre Dame on 10/21/11.

[Jeff_Jackson_for_Pres.]

Re: Irish hockey '10-11-Everyone bets on a sure thing, but it takes guts not to fold.

Midnight observations from the game:

1. I want the Irish team from the 1st period to play the entire game on Saturday.
2. If Mike Johnson lets in another crap goal within the first minute or the last minute of a period, I will scream. Loudly.
3. Stick on puck = puck out of your zone. Every time.
4. The freshmen rock.
5. I am happy with the result tonight given that we were down 2 with under 8 minutes to go. Black Sabbath was right: Never Say Die.

[SwedishJustice22]

Re: Irish hockey '10-11-Everyone bets on a sure thing, but it takes guts not to fold.

I couldn't agree more with JJfP. I mean we did lose, but Michigan didn't play and we at least picked up a point when it looked like we wouldn't get any. I have a feeling tomorrow night is not going to be any easier but lets hope I'm wrong. For a side note though, the tickets right next to me tonight belonged to a Miami fan (the aisle seat by my season tix are a turnstile of new people this season) but he was very pleasant and actually pretty intelligent about both teams. Nice to see that every now and then.

[Jeff_Jackson_for_Pres.]

Re: Irish hockey '10-11-Everyone bets on a sure thing, but it takes guts not to fold.

... I mean we did lose, but Michigan didn't play and we at least picked up a point when it looked like we wouldn't get any...

The only rebuttal to these statements is that we didn't really "lose." In the eyes of the NCAA and for seeding purposes, we tied (BTW, we dropped to 11th). Same goes for Miami. They didn't "win." And while we picked up a point, Miami picked up 2 on us...and...Michigan (along with a few others) still has several games in hand-even after they play tonight.

Tonight is "must-win" hockey. Pitching great Bob Welch wrote a bio entitled, "5:00 Comes Early." Ain't it the truth.

[IrishHockeyFan]

Re: Irish hockey '10-11-Everyone bets on a sure thing, but it takes guts not to fold.

In sports, it seems as if there is a cliché for most any situation. Hockey is no different. Upper (or lower) body injury. The 2-goal lead is the worst lead in hockey. Europeans don't covet the Cup nearly as much as North Americans. None of these ones are true. (well, occasionally the lower body injury actually is true) One that always is? Your goalie has to be your best penalty killer.

Not to put this outcome on Mike Johnson's shoulders alone, because there were numerous mistakes made out there that I saw in October that I was sure would be a distant memory at the end of January. But very frustrating to watch, as his struggles come not only from game to game, but within games. He looks spectacular in one rush, then the next time Miami comes up the ice he looks ordinary.

IMO, he needs to adapt to the team that's in front of him much more than the skaters need to change their game. Tonight is huge for him. He followed very poor outings at North Dakota and Ohio State with two of the better games he's played in the Irish goal. It has to happen tonight if this team has thoughts of reclaiming the lead in the CCHA.

[WeAreNDHockey]

Re: Irish hockey '10-11-Everyone bets on a sure thing, but it takes guts not to fold.

Tonight is "must-win" hockey. Pitching great Bob Welch wrote a bio entitled, "5:00 Comes Early." Ain't it the truth.

Wow. A Bob Welch reference on a college hockey forum that didn't come from me!

[WeAreNDHockey]

Re: Irish hockey '10-11-Everyone bets on a sure thing, but it takes guts not to fold.

Not to put this outcome on Mike Johnson's shoulders alone, because there were numerous mistakes made out there that I saw in October that I was sure would be a distant memory at the end of January.

I'd put the lion's share on his shoulders for last night. Miami scores 3.5 goals a game and last night they got 5 over 2 periods on 23 shots. And you shouldn't have to have your shooters go 3-3 (or 4-4) during gimmick time (also known as the shoot-out) to pick up the extra point. Too many of those "mistakes" end up in the back of the net. A goalies job is to bail out his teammates when they do make mistakes. We're a high risk team, but maybe we don't have the goalies for that sort of an approach.

[Jeff_Jackson_for_Pres.]

Re: Irish hockey '10-11-Everyone bets on a sure thing, but it takes guts not to fold.

I guess I'm happy with a complete season split with Miami. They're older, more experienced and while we have the top 2 rookies in the country, they have the top 2 overall in the country. However, I wish they could've protected that slim lead and just won the game.

Kudos to Steven Summerhays for standing tall in the SO. As my posse and I were getting to our seats, I posed the question, "What do you think the odds are that Summerhays starts?" Got my answer as the team took the ice and he led the way. Even though neither ND goalie was truly "on" this weekend, Summerhays had the better save %. What this team needs is one of them to finally step up and say, "It's me dammit. I'm the #1 guy."

I still have hopes of winning the regular season, but those hopes are dimming. We are 11th in the PWR as we enter the last month--the home stretch, the do-or-die part of the season.

Edit: make that 13th now in the PWR. Grrr.

[IrishHockeyFan]

Re: Irish hockey '10-11-Everyone bets on a sure thing, but it takes guts not to fold.

Miami is a good team, probably better than where they currently reside in the polls, standings, and PWR. But going a weekend without a win against a team that would be left out of the NCAA tournament if it started today -- and has a lot of work to do if they expect to make it regardless of what Sean Lorenz thinks -- is a pretty disappointing outcome. Especially when the two ties drop us 4 or 5 spots in the PWR. To do it at home, after scoring first in both games, and leading twice in both games, makes it all the more frustrating to watch.

If this team doesn't come up with some consistent goaltending its season is going to end with a thud, probably somewhere south of where it has the potential to go.