Minnesota @ Nebraska Omaha, Feb. 24-25: Worst. Drive. EVER.

[gopheritall]

Re: Minnesota @ Nebraska Omaha, Feb. 24-25: Worst. Drive. EVER.

A few observations.

Gopher fan showed well and the ones around us, at least, were a hoot. They added a lot to the atmosphere in the area where we sit, which is mostly populated by season ticket holders like us.

This was the first time I have ever seen the opposing team's fans chasing down an opponent's athletic director for autographs in the concourse before a game. That was hilarious. We are the only school in America where everybody in D-1 hockey knows who our head coach is and also knows who our athletic director is, besides.

I noticed in the warm-ups that Minnesota is the first team we have played in some time that I thought was physically as big as we are.

There wasn't any real stretch of the game where I thought Minnesota overall looked or played any better than we did. There was about a 3 minute stretch after UNO scored short-handed that we really looked like world beaters and had the Gophers on their heels. That was only point in the game where I thought one team really looked better than the other.

The officiating was very shaky, particularly as the game went on, and I thought the game got called more like we were playing on their ice. I am surprised there hasn't been a little more discussion here about that. I've said it before and I will say it again, I never thought it was humanly possible that anything could make me wish for CCHA refs. WCHA officials are atrocious. As the game went on, the refs swallowed their whistles, particularly to the detriment of UNO.

Our defense continues to be the Achilles heel of this team. We have, by far, allowed the most goals of any team with a winning record in the conference. We only gave up 99 goals all season last year. We haven't even gotten to the end of the regular season and we have already given up 96 this year.

On to tonight's game, which looks like it will be played in front of upwards of 12,000.

Glad to hear the Gopher fans were welcomed and appreciated for their passion. It is too bad their arrogance didn't reflect on the team properly.

I thought MN was the better team in the first, UNO was in the second, and MN in the third/OT as UNO ran out of gas. Overall, it was a great game that I thought the Gophers might let slip out of their hands. UNO is a good team that plays like a Dean Blais team fast and hard. Not as dirty as when he was in UND. I like this team better.

Tonight I look for UNO to run out of gas earlier and the Gophers to win in regulation. The cup can come home next week.

[Red Cows]

Re: Minnesota @ Nebraska Omaha, Feb. 24-25: Worst. Drive. EVER.

Welcome to the WCHA. I'm not sure I agree that the swallowing of whistles was only to UNOs detriment, but I have to completely agree, the refs performed exactly as I expect any crew with Shep to do. You never know what they will and won't call, or under what circumstances, there were bad calls against both teams, as well as calls they SHOULD have made against both that were let go for no apparent reason.

I don't mind refs calling things really close, or letting a lot of stuff go, as long as they're consistent throughout the game. Last night, they couldn't seem to make up their minds which way to go with it (typical Shep) which completely ruins any sort of flow or predictability.

I honestly believe that UNO has been victimized by the officials since we came into the league at the expense of the teams that are "supposed" to be better, or, are old guard, more "established" teams. We have had so many controversial calls, and, no-calls go against us the past two seasons that it can't be an accident. Anybody watch us play CC last weekend on national television? How about the NCAA tournament last year? Forget whether that call was right or wrong for a minute. I submit to you that if we weren't playing Michigan or someone else of their "ilk" in that game that that would not have been a goal. Pitchers used to say Ted Williams would get the benefit of the doubt when there was two strikes on him and he took a close pitch. The umpires supposedly would say to themselves something like, "It must not be a strike because, if it was, Ted Williams would have swung at it". I think the Michigans, North Dakotas, & Minnesotas (and some others) of the college hockey world get the benefit of "who they are" with the officials, a lot. The no-call last night in overtime against the Gophers right before they scored to win the game was a beautiful example.

Just one fan's opinion. I bet there are people that completely agree with me and I bet there are people that completely disagree with me on this one.

[SanTropez]

Re: Minnesota @ Nebraska Omaha, Feb. 24-25: Worst. Drive. EVER.

The no-call last night in overtime against the Gophers right before they scored to win the game was a beautiful example.

.

Just because some fans in the crowd belly-ache doesn't make it a penalty, I saw no infraction worthy of a call in OT.

[Tipsy McStagger]

I honestly believe that UNO has been victimized by the officials since we came into the league at the expense of the teams that are "supposed" to be better, or, are old guard, more "established" teams. We have had so many controversial calls, and, no-calls go against us the past two seasons that it can't be an accident. Anybody watch us play CC last weekend on national television? How about the NCAA tournament last year? Forget whether that call was right or wrong for a minute. I submit to you that if we weren't playing Michigan or someone else of their "ilk" in that game that that would not have been a goal. Pitchers used to say Ted Williams would get the benefit of the doubt when there was two strikes on him and he took a close pitch. The umpires supposedly would say to themselves something like, "It must not be a strike because, if it was, Ted Williams would have swung at it". I think the Michigans, North Dakotas, & Minnesotas (and some others) of the college hockey world get the benefit of "who they are" with the officials, a lot. The no-call last night in overtime against the Gophers right before they scored to win the game was a beautiful example.

Just one fan's opinion. I bet there are people that completely agree with me and I bet there are people that completely disagree with me on this one.

So you basically have no faith in the integrity of the referees?

[Slap Shot]

Re: Minnesota @ Nebraska Omaha, Feb. 24-25: Worst. Drive. EVER.

I honestly believe that UNO has been victimized by the officials since we came into the league at the expense of the teams that are "supposed" to be better, or, are old guard, more "established" teams. We have had so many controversial calls, and, no-calls go against us the past two seasons that it can't be an accident. Anybody watch us play CC last weekend on national television? How about the NCAA tournament last year? Forget whether that call was right or wrong for a minute. I submit to you that if we weren't playing Michigan or someone else of their "ilk" in that game that that would not have been a goal. Pitchers used to say Ted Williams would get the benefit of the doubt when there was two strikes on him and he took a close pitch. The umpires supposedly would say to themselves something like, "It must not be a strike because, if it was, Ted Williams would have swung at it". I think the Michigans, North Dakotas, & Minnesotas (and some others) of the college hockey world get the benefit of "who they are" with the officials, a lot. The no-call last night in overtime against the Gophers right before they scored to win the game was a beautiful example.

Just one fan's opinion. I bet there are people that completely agree with me and I bet there are people that completely disagree with me on this one.

Meet the new Jan.
Same as the old Jan.

[Red Cows]

Re: Minnesota @ Nebraska Omaha, Feb. 24-25: Worst. Drive. EVER.

So you basically have no faith in the integrity of the referees?

I don't think the referees are doing this overtly or have some sort of "pact". I just think its human nature, particularly since it is a sport where the refereeing is so subjective, anyway.

I am fairly certain that a prerequisite to being a WCHA official is that you have to be a figure skating judge, first.

[mnstate0fhockey]

I honestly believe that UNO has been victimized by the officials since we came into the league at the expense of the teams that are "supposed" to be better, or, are old guard, more "established" teams. We have had so many controversial calls, and, no-calls go against us the past two seasons that it can't be an accident. Anybody watch us play CC last weekend on national television? How about the NCAA tournament last year? Forget whether that call was right or wrong for a minute. I submit to you that if we weren't playing Michigan or someone else of their "ilk" in that game that that would not have been a goal. Pitchers used to say Ted Williams would get the benefit of the doubt when there was two strikes on him and he took a close pitch. The umpires supposedly would say to themselves something like, "It must not be a strike because, if it was, Ted Williams would have swung at it". I think the Michigans, North Dakotas, & Minnesotas (and some others) of the college hockey world get the benefit of "who they are" with the officials, a lot. The no-call last night in overtime against the Gophers right before they scored to win the game was a beautiful example.

Just one fan's opinion. I bet there are people that completely agree with me and I bet there are people that completely disagree with me on this one.

When you make a move to go between to defenders, you are not going to get a call when one of the defenders tries to play the puck and you get tripped up. I'm sorry, there were some questionable calls and no-calls (both ways) last night, but that wasn't one IMO.

[Red Cows]

Re: Minnesota @ Nebraska Omaha, Feb. 24-25: Worst. Drive. EVER.

When you make a move to go between to defenders, you are not going to get a call when one of the defenders tries to play the puck and you get tripped up. I'm sorry, there were some questionable calls and no-calls (both ways) last night, but that wasn't one IMO.

I have the game on the DVR but I have not rewatched it to that point as yet so I can't speak to it like I might since I was at the game and didn't have the luxury of replay or seeing it from a different vantage point.

However, the only people in the building not mad and howling at the refs about it after the game winning goal was the Minnesota bench and the refs, themselves, who left the ice to a chorus of catcalls. One of them actually stopped and backtracked a bit, even, to jaw with one of the fans in the tunnel area. It looked to me at the time like a UNO player was hooked or tripped and this play situation, which was just outside the UNO offensive zone, precipitated the game winning goal.

As I said, I have not seen it, again, as yet, and neither Coach Blais nor any of the players said even so much as a peep about it in the post game press conference, so..............I'll hold my peace for now.

[mnstate0fhockey]

I have the game on the DVR but I have not rewatched it to that point as yet so I can't speak to it like I might since I was at the game and didn't have the luxury of replay or seeing it from a different vantage point.

However, the only people in the building not mad and howling at the refs about it after the game winning goal was the Minnesota bench and the refs, themselves, who left the ice to a chorus of catcalls. One of them actually stopped and backtracked a bit, even, to jaw with one of the fans in the tunnel area. It looked to me at the time like a UNO player was hooked or tripped and this play situation, which was just outside the UNO offensive zone, precipitated the game winning goal.

As I said, I have not seen it, again, as yet, and neither Coach Blais nor any of the players said even so much as a peep about it in the post game press conference, so..............I'll hold my peace for now.

I have it on DVR, have watched it multiple times, and in no way should that have been called. That's the last I'll say about it.

[captain beefheart]

Re: Minnesota @ Nebraska Omaha, Feb. 24-25: Worst. Drive. EVER.

I am a Gopher fan and I thought that they got away with one there too. That being said, I am not nearly well versed enough in hockey to contradict what mnstate0fhockey said about all that stuff he said about those ,uh, things.

[state of hockey]

Re: Minnesota @ Nebraska Omaha, Feb. 24-25: Worst. Drive. EVER.

The one time we REALLY got away with one was when Condon hauled a guy down when we were in the PK. A high quality scoring chance followed immediately for him. One of those times I am actually glad we didn't score, that would have been brutal.

[mnstate0fhockey]

The one time we REALLY got away with one was when Condon hauled a guy down when we were in the PK. A high quality scoring chance followed immediately for him. One of those times I am actually glad we didn't score, that would have been brutal.

That I agree with.

[The Rube]

Re: Minnesota @ Nebraska Omaha, Feb. 24-25: Worst. Drive. EVER.

That I agree with.

Yes, I agree, too.

Now, let's win tonight! (with less stress, please; I can only take so much!)

[MavRick]

Re: Minnesota @ Nebraska Omaha, Feb. 24-25: Worst. Drive. EVER.

I honestly believe that UNO has been victimized by the officials since we came into the league at the expense of the teams that are "supposed" to be better, or, are old guard, more "established" teams.

I bet there are people that completely disagree with me on this one.

Oh, my God. Yes, there are people that completely disagree with you. I disclaim that sentiment on behalf of the rest of the UNO fans here. Had I not already made it clear that you do not speak for any of the rest of us, I would have been deeply embarrassed by this comment.

I was initially mad about the no-call on Broadhurst. Mostly I was mad that UNO lost a game it could have won. But I was mad. I tweeted mad, I drove mad, I talked mad to some braying Gopher fans who were displaying tArrogance. I'm sorry about that. Even at this point, however, I was mad because it was a blown call, not because the Vast Conspiracy Against Omaha was called into effect to secure the MacNaughton for Lucia.

But then I got to Old Chicago and talked to a guy who refs, said Broadhurst jumped and no ref is going to make the call when he effectively lands on a guy's stick, and I got over it. Even if it was a blown call, it's called a "break," and sometimes you get them and sometimes they get you. Many of them happen in every game.

I thought the CCHA generally treated UNO poorly. Despite being a major economic producer, we were treated as an afterthought by the league office. I don't think the refs systematically work against us in unison. I certainly don't think so here. Frankly, I think some of them don't know what "unison" means.

Tough break. The statistics would say that Goldy just overwhelms its opponents with depth on Saturday night. The Mavs are short on depth. We're plucky and all, but I don't like how this sets up.

[GopherBigGuy911]

Re: Minnesota @ Nebraska Omaha, Feb. 24-25: Worst. Drive. EVER.

Good win last night for the Gophers, I hope the can do it again tonight - but I for one would love to see the cup won on home ice next weekend :-) against the deer Fawkers