Wild Cats snarl and fight their way to victory

Saturday night the Sioux had another chance to sweep a series. True to form the Sioux found another way to lose again. This time the Fighting Sioux had the lead and that they took the lead deep into the third period before finding another yet another way to lose in impressive form. The third period meltdown was another classic comedy of errors as Fighting Sioux as they handed the veteran Wild Cats a 7-4victory.

Take nothing away from the Wild Cats they were a good team that played a disciplined defensive minded style of hockey. This weekend the UNH Wild Cats played a tight checking and a collapsing defensive game making it hard for the Sioux forwards to get to their net. UNH also did a good job of clogging up the shooting lanes makeing it almost impossible to get the puck to the Sioux forward in front of the net. UNH also pounced on the when the Fighting Sioux when ever they made a mistake. On Saturday night there were a lot of defensive lapses and a few of our defensemen looked like pylons. If one was only allowed to use one word to describe the Fighting Sioux’s defensive effort on Saturday night it would be unacceptable.

UNH’s goaltender Senior Kevin Regan was solid all weekend as he turned aside 40 shots and set a new UNH career record for saves with 2,608 as the Wildcats scored five goals in the third period to earn a 7-4 win over North Dakota last night.

In addition to making a lot of untimely defensive mistakes, our diving champion took another selfish untimely penalty after he leapt to the ice after being tapped by UNH forward Greg Collins. WCHA ref Don Adam not buying the dive gave Phil and Collins each a penalty killing what momentum the Fighting Sioux had left. Someone on this coaching staff needs to have a heart to heart discussion with Phil, and discuss the antics we have witnessed in the Fighting Sioux net this season. This heart to heart talk needs to be the one that results in a conversation that is very one sided; a conversation where the Coach does all of the talking and player listens while he nods his head. I mean seriously; Phil has to know that Adam is going to make that call after the display the night before.

Make no mistake about it, there is no doubt that Jean-Phillippe Lamoureux has played good this season, the numbers speak for themselves 1.88 GAA and a .932 save % but I am getting tired of watching these embellishments with each minor bump he receives from the opposition. Frankly, the jig is up the refs are watching you, and you were called on it this weekend.

Players that dive to draw penalties are a disgrace to hockey and I would hate to see our goalie become another fraud like former NHL player Claude Lemieux. This untimely penalty in my opinion was the beginning of another a classic implosion and then the Fighting Sioux folded like a retreating French Army division. This loss hurts because the Sioux were wining the game before blowing a 3-1 lead. The loss was a result of the Sioux not moving their feet, their defenseman became pylons and made some bad decisions in the defensive zone. The with cat like reflexes the disciplined veteran laden UNH Wild Cats blew the disjointed Sioux out of the building. Hence, yet another series split during the 2007-2008 campaign.