Second ND Game Thread

[Trotsky]

Nice sidebar article on Cody Haiskanen's homecoming weekened. I will say it's nice to be able to read newspaper articles about our games with quotes from coaches/players on both sides. I give the Grand Forks Herald credit for that. As far as I know, for example, there were no newspaper stories about our games last week at Arizona State. The Cornell Sun stories never have quotes from the opposing coaches and are often just written from watching the games on livestream. Here in New Haven, where I live, the New Haven paper doesn't both covering most of the Yale or Quinnipiac home games in person any more, either.

One of the interesting things about living in a very small place (population-wise) is the local investment in what's going on.

Largely cause there isn't anything else going on.

Seems to me that NoDak hockey is the closest the state has to a professional sports team and everybody cares.

[Trotsky]

How are you able to read the articles in the Grand Forks paper?  Mine are redacted like a CIA document.

"Burn after reading."

[scoop85]

To access the articles in the GFH, I just needed to answer the requisite survey questions about which underwear brand I may consider buying in the next three months (no, seriously).

While we're on the subject of the media, I want to comment on the awesome production by the Midco crew. The camerawork, multiple replay angles, PBP and color work were NHL level quality. I think the PBP guy was the best I've heard on a college hockey telecast, and he's surely destined for bigger things. I was especially impressed that he reacted with genuine excitement when either team scored.  The color guy (who's a former UND goalie) was insightful and balanced; his only glaring error was thinking Psenicka scored his goal from the blue line rather than on the tip-in, but he corrected himself during the highlight review at the end of the period. Both announcers were even-handed in their analysis, so much so that a poster on the UND forum (before it crashed) said something to the effect, "does anyone else think they give too much praise to the other team?"

[scoop85]

Nice sidebar article on Cody Haiskanen's homecoming weekened. I will say it's nice to be able to read newspaper articles about our games with quotes from coaches/players on both sides. I give the Grand Forks Herald credit for that. As far as I know, for example, there were no newspaper stories about our games last week at Arizona State. The Cornell Sun stories never have quotes from the opposing coaches and are often just written from watching the games on livestream. Here in New Haven, where I live, the New Haven paper doesn't both covering most of the Yale or Quinnipiac home games in person any more, either.

One of the interesting things about living in a very small place (population-wise) is the local investment in what's going on.

Largely cause there isn't anything else going on.

Seems to me that NoDak hockey is the closest the state has to a professional sports team and everybody cares.

North Dakota State football has won 9 of the last 11 FCS championships and has produced two first round QB draft choices in the last few years.

[Trotsky]

To access the articles in the GFH, I just needed to answer the requisite survey questions about which underwear brand I may consider buying in the next three months (no, seriously).

While we're not he subject of the media, I want to comment on the awesome production by the Midco crew. The camerawork, multiple replay angles, PBP and color work were NHL level quality. I think the PBP guy was the best I've heard on a college hockey telecast, and he's surely destined for bigger things. I was especially impressed that he reacted with genuine excitement when either team scored.  The color guy (who's a former UND goalie) was insightful and balanced; his only glaring error was thinking Psenicka scored his goal from the blue line rather than on the tip-in, but he corrected himself during the highlight review at the end of the period. Both announcers were even-handed in their analysis, so much so that a poster on the UND forum (before it crashed) said something to the effect, "does anyone else think they give too much praise to the other team?"

Agreed, they were excellent.  The only bad thing about the experience was the dumb-and-dumber rink noise, but that's not Midco.

[scoop85]

A few observations from the weekend:

— eight periods is a small sample size, but Shane more than held his own against two good offensive teams, and was especially good last night. Loved his glove hand, and even the color guy seemed surprised that UND kept testing it late in the game. Sidebar: Before last night, when he gave up 4 goals in a 5-4 OT win over Penn State, Galajda had a 1.74 GAA and a .930 save percentage this year at Notre Dame.

—- while there were a few scary moments with us being unable to clear our zone (especially last night when UND pulled the goalie), I thought our defensive structure was terrific, and we did a phenomenal job blocking shots.

—- Given how depleted we were up front, it was great to see guys like Ertel, O'Leary and Kovich step into the breech. O'Leary blew by Sanderson on last night's breakaway; too bad he couldn't finish it. Ertel really seems to have stepped-up his game, and we're beginning to see why he was a 3rd round NHL draft choice.  

— Andreev I thought was excellent this weekend, and I imagine a number of NHL teams will be targeting him as a free agent.

—- Among the incoming freshman I had no idea what Psenicka would bring to the table, as he didn't have much of a track record in the USHL. But he has been a terrific offensive force, especially as a net-front presence scoring on tip-ins and screening the goaltender. I think he's our best guy in that role since Joe Devin a decade ago.

—- Hopefully we'll be looking back on Friday's comeback as the springboard to a great 2nd half of the season. After the Clarkson debacle and the awful weekend as ASU, another loss Friday could have sent the season into a downward spiral. Now the team has to build on this weekend and not slip-up against weak Yale and Brown teams next week. I would expect that since Brown took us to OT in Ithaca the coaches will be reminding the players of that to avoid a letdown.

[marty]

Agreed, they were excellent.  The only bad thing about the experience was the dumb-and-dumber rink noise, but that's not Midco.

What I noticed was the sound of sticks on the ice and how beautiful that was when the teams were skating back and forth.  At times the flow of these games bordered on a manufactured bliss that I seldom feel when rooting for Cornell.

I think it was the expectation that there was no expectation.  Cornell could go to ND's house and lose without shame.  The game was, for me, strangely enjoyable.

It won't likely be that way for me for the rest of the season.  My brain will be holding the stick too tightly to enjoy the hockey itself.  Glad the team made this trip on many levels.

[ugarte]

my highlight of the weekend was an offense that was willing to plant near / crash the crease to take advantage of rebounds and loose pucks. I always think the Schafer offense - because it is too consistent to not be a coaching philosophy - is too reliant on looking for *the perfect shot* and endless cycling instead of looking for GOOD shots and second chances.

[French Rage]

Just wanted to say good morning.  What a glorious morning it is.  

Completely off topic here, but I saw the news story on your haunted house.

[Dafatone]

my highlight of the weekend was an offense that was willing to plant near / crash the crease to take advantage of rebounds and loose pucks. I always think the Schafer offense - because it is too consistent to not be a coaching philosophy - is too reliant on looking for *the perfect shot* and endless cycling instead of looking for GOOD shots and second chances.

All season, I've thought this team gets pushed around more than the usual Cornell teams. We'd generate rebounds but be unable to put them away. I don't know if it was a change on our end or something on North Dakota's, but we stood firm in the crease this weekend.

Also, it was funny listening to North Dakota's announcers talking about how we're a defense-first, win 2-1 team and then put up a graphic showing we're 4th in the country in goals per game.

[underskill]

my highlight of the weekend was an offense that was willing to plant near / crash the crease to take advantage of rebounds and loose pucks. I always think the Schafer offense - because it is too consistent to not be a coaching philosophy - is too reliant on looking for *the perfect shot* and endless cycling instead of looking for GOOD shots and second chances.

All season, I've thought this team gets pushed around more than the usual Cornell teams. We'd generate rebounds but be unable to put them away. I don't know if it was a change on our end or something on North Dakota's, but we stood firm in the crease this weekend.

Also, it was funny listening to North Dakota's announcers talking about how we're a defense-first, win 2-1 team and then put up a graphic showing we're 4th in the country in goals per game.

Prolly a little skewed from the RPI score but still cool to see

[cbuckser]

my highlight of the weekend was an offense that was willing to plant near / crash the crease to take advantage of rebounds and loose pucks. I always think the Schafer offense - because it is too consistent to not be a coaching philosophy - is too reliant on looking for *the perfect shot* and endless cycling instead of looking for GOOD shots and second chances.

All season, I've thought this team gets pushed around more than the usual Cornell teams. We'd generate rebounds but be unable to put them away. I don't know if it was a change on our end or something on North Dakota's, but we stood firm in the crease this weekend.

Also, it was funny listening to North Dakota's announcers talking about how we're a defense-first, win 2-1 team and then put up a graphic showing we're 4th in the country in goals per game.

I still think the team is designed to win 2-1 games, though it hasn't played any through 15 regular-season games.

[abmarks]

my highlight of the weekend was an offense that was willing to plant near / crash the crease to take advantage of rebounds and loose pucks. I always think the Schafer offense - because it is too consistent to not be a coaching philosophy - is too reliant on looking for *the perfect shot* and endless cycling instead of looking for GOOD shots and second chances.

All season, I've thought this team gets pushed around more than the usual Cornell teams. We'd generate rebounds but be unable to put them away. I don't know if it was a change on our end or something on North Dakota's, but we stood firm in the crease this weekend.

Also, it was funny listening to North Dakota's announcers talking about how we're a defense-first, win 2-1 team and then put up a graphic showing we're 4th in the country in goals per game.

I still think the team is designed to win 2-1 games, though it hasn't played any through 15 regular-season games.

Syer speaks to that issue, I think (from chn article today)

"We just continued to stay with our process and get back to what Cornell hockey is," Syer said. "We still have 14 guys that never played college game before this year, we didn't want to give them too much."

"We were able to keep some of those shots outside," Syer said. "You know you're going to give up opportunities and chances. Our guys battled with sticks down on the ice."

"Getting pucks to the net, grabbing rebounds, bounces off the boards," Syer said. "Maybe this year we got away from classic Cornell, but certainly this weekend, it was classic Cornell. We knew we needed a net presence and needed to play hard around the paint."

[George64]

Among the incoming freshman I had no idea what Psenicka would bring to the table, as he didn't have much of a track record in the USHL. But he has been a terrific offensive force, especially as a net-front presence scoring on tip-ins and screening the goaltender. I think he's our best guy in that role since Joe Devin a decade ago.

I particularly liked his effort, shown from above in the highlights, where he reached way to his left and almost scored. Only a great save thwarted him.
.

[Ben Rocky '04]

Just wanted to say good morning.  What a glorious morning it is.  

Completely off topic here, but I saw the news story on your haunted house.

Truly did not expect that to take off like it did.  Local story, thought it would be funny to do.  Sigh