D3 18-19 season

[Scott_TG]

And isn't that why the higher seed is supposed to get the early game? However, if that was the team without energy out there today...they were skating pretty fast.

Maybe cut the third place game and give them an extra day

Did she make this case during her press conference last year? Only seems like a point of emphasis now that her team lost, attacking the tournament setup instead of admitting your team lost fair and square.

[KTDC]

Re: D3 18-19 season

Did she make this case during her press conference last year? Only seems like a point of emphasis now that her team lost, attacking the tournament setup instead of admitting your team lost fair and square.

Understand your point, but I don't think that is Darwitz's MO. When she was a coach of Lakeville HS girls hockey in Minnesota, she very publicly made the point during the tournament that the state tourney should be held at Ridder Arena instead of Xcel Arena. I've been grateful to her ever since because if that tournament was held at Ridder Arena its would be a phenomenal tournament.

I would judge the comment on it's merits but I doubt it was sour grapes despite appearances!

[obserbear]

Re: D3 18-19 season

Congratulations to Plattsburgh! Great players and Coach Houle (and Coach Blanchard) just keep the dynasty well tuned and humming along. This team looks even scarier for next season.

Best wishes to all for a great summer, and with all my heart, I hope I see you at the rink next season.

[Scott_TG]

Understand your point, but I don't think that is Darwitz's MO. When she was a coach of Lakeville HS girls hockey in Minnesota, she very publicly made the point during the tournament that the state tourney should be held at Ridder Arena instead of Xcel Arena. I've been grateful to her ever since because if that tournament was held at Ridder Arena its would be a phenomenal tournament.

I would judge the comment on it's merits but I doubt it was sour grapes despite appearances!

I normally try to give people the benefit of the doubt and I have a lot of respect for how fast she turned that program around but about half that press conference was her and her players saying "we didn't lose because we didn't have a day off but we lost because we didn't have a day off" giving the attitude that they would have mopped the floor with Plattsburgh had they only got a decent night's sleep.

Plattsburgh is a smart, tough, skilled team with great leadership and they came from the furthest difference, changing time zones the weekend after daylight savings ended, had a hostile crowd both games but played their best hockey this weekend and only gave up 1 goal.

Darwitz and the Pipers can have all the sleep they want now.Win something by the same rules everyone else follows.

[shelfit]

Looking at the boxscores from the 4 games this weekend:

Plattsburgh 8GF, 1GA, 0/9 PP, 10/10 PK
Hamline 3GF, 4GA, 1/8 PP, 6/6 PK
Adrian 2GF, 4GA, 0/7 PP, 9/9 PK
St. Thomas 0GF, 4GA, 0/6 PP, 4/5 PK

Plattsburgh won for a reason. They were the best team. The other 3 teams combined only scored 5 goals and all 3 averaged less than 2 goals per game. It's hard to win the national championship with that limited amount of offensive success.

[gojackets]

Re: D3 18-19 season

This team looks even scarier for next season.

I know Plattsburgh is never bad...even though you think they could give us a year off once in a while :P, but do they really? Looking at their roster Songin, Moriarty, Millen are all seniors (thoes were the 3 names I heard most often this weekend) along with Katonka and of course Abbot is a senior as well. Biggest question is probably their freshmen goalie who only played in 4 games, never a full game, and faced 27 shots this season.

I would put money on Hamline being back in the Final Four next year, would put money on Adrian too if they weren't going to be unfairly forced to play an angry Elmira team in the quarters again.

[gojackets]

Re: D3 18-19 season

Never said that...the PWR did not work this time..and may never in D3

The PWR got the at large bids correct and seed the tournament. Remember Plattsburgh was 3rd at the end of the season. I watched them play, on computer, several times over the past few weeks...and this weekend they had an extra oomph in their step, and looked better, to me, at least then they had the other times I watched them play. Imagine if Endicott had held on for 8 more minutes!

I don't truly believe that St Thomas was the best overall team in the west. Heck, your a 5 minute discussion to decide that the net was half an inch off its moorings to negate an Eau Claire goal from St Thomas being out and Plattsburgh hosting. After watching the first Hamline/St Thomas game, even though the Tommies score 3 in the 3rd to come back and win, I didn't think they'd win the MIAC...but Torpy shut out the Pipers in the championship game. St Thomas was who they were and had the record they had due to Torpy...and to say her being out of the game had no effect is silly.

If Plattsburgh wants the PWR to work more in their favor, they need their conference members to get better. When they're beating the 2nd best team in their conference 11-1...its not going to help them.

[shelfit]

If Plattsburgh wants the PWR to work more in their favor, they need their conference members to get better. When they're beating the 2nd best team in their conference 11-1...its not going to help them.

It's not so much that they have a 2nd best team in that conference as much as they have a 4th from worst team.

[Birdwatcher]

The PWR got the at large bids correct and seed the tournament. Remember Plattsburgh was 3rd at the end of the season. I watched them play, on computer, several times over the past few weeks...and this weekend they had an extra oomph in their step, and looked better, to me, at least then they had the other times I watched them play. Imagine if Endicott had held on for 8 more minutes!

I don't truly believe that St Thomas was the best overall team in the west. Heck, your a 5 minute discussion to decide that the net was half an inch off its moorings to negate an Eau Claire goal from St Thomas being out and Plattsburgh hosting. After watching the first Hamline/St Thomas game, even though the Tommies score 3 in the 3rd to come back and win, I didn't think they'd win the MIAC...but Torpy shut out the Pipers in the championship game. St Thomas was who they were and had the record they had due to Torpy...and to say her being out of the game had no effect is silly.

If Plattsburgh wants the PWR to work more in their favor, they need their conference members to get better. When they're beating the 2nd best team in their conference 11-1...its not going to help them.

In the Tourney the two hardest games for Plattsburgh were against eastern opponents. That is where I will leave it.

[gojackets]

In the Tourney the two hardest games for Plattsburgh were against eastern opponents. That is where I will leave it.

One of those teams beat Plattsburgh earlier in The year. But I digress. No one will ever be as good as Plattsburgh. The west should just fold all their teams and give up. It’s a good thing those Plattsburgh players were there to hook, slash, and check Simon on all of her breakaways....but again...no one is as good as plattsburgh so they should have just let her go.

Anyways. See ya folks next year.

[shelfit]

One of those teams beat Plattsburgh earlier in The year. But I digress. No one will ever be as good as Plattsburgh. The west should just fold all their teams and give up. It’s a good thing those Plattsburgh players were there to hook, slash, and check Simon on all of her breakaways....but again...no one is as good as plattsburgh so they should have just let her go.

Anyways. See ya folks next year.

Ok kids, the season's officially over, now stop fighting or I'll send you to your rooms without your electronics!!

[Scott_TG]

The Adrian and Hamline games were just as tough as the Williams game. The Hamline game was tight and the Pipers were threatening until Krauseneck broke through with the 3rd goal. The Adrian Bulldogs very much the same. The games were all very even with the exception of Hamline and UST.

I'm very glad the team doesn't take the west as lightly as some of their fans

[gojackets]

Ok kids, the season's officially over, now stop fighting or I'll send you to your rooms without your electronics!!

Sorry. Spring break is great and all...but I’m super bored and ready for work again!

[BrianC]

Re: D3 18-19 season

Natalie Darwitz used part of her opening comments at the Hamline postgame presser to call for the NCAA to institute a day off between the semis and final like they do in D1. She said the team didn't have energy after playing an "emotional" late game and drug tests that caused them to not get back to the team hotel after midnight.

Hopefully she went on record with the NCAA last year after they beat Wisconsin Eau Claire by one goal 21 hours after Eau Claire played a triple OT game. Regardless, the NCAA made the change, and it was the right move.

[BrianC]

Re: D3 18-19 season

Did she make this case during her press conference last year? Only seems like a point of emphasis now that her team lost, attacking the tournament setup instead of admitting your team lost fair and square.

I don't recall her making any public comments. Can't remember if it was during the post-game presser or a radio/blog interview she gave, but she never made mention of the circumstances with Wisconsin Eau Claire coming off the longest game in D3 Tournament history and having to drop the puck less than a day later.