Seriously, I have to agree with Coach Lucia, because he is right, the league officials are not protecting the players in the WCHA. A lot of us have been saying this for years and all we heard is the refs are doing a good job. I am going to say bravo sierra, and see I told you so. Yeah, you can’t tell me this after all of the incidents I have witnessed this season and last season that the refs are doing a good job. They can’t even call he games per the NCAA mandate. I think it is indicative of the leadership of the WCHA and the buck stops with the two guys at the top. The status quo is no longer good enough, heck the status quo doesn't even meet the standards for a house league in Canada.
Why is it that every other league in the country can get it right? Thanks to the FCS, NHL network and CBS College Sports I watch NCAA division one hockey game from the other leagues (ECAC, Hockey East, AHA, CCHA) and rarely do you see happen what goes on in the WCHA. I can’t think of the last time I have seen an incident like this in the ECAC. Do you think Paul Stewart would let this crap go on if he was the head of officials in the WCHA? Todd Anderson would be out job after the UND and DU series. The two officials I think should be removed from officating are Todd Anderson and Don Adam both of these guys should have been fired by the WCHA years ago. Don Adam should have been fired after the Final Five game between DU and UND when he watched Sioux player get carried off the ice on a stretcher and only call a two minute penalty.
One of majors — and the game misconduct — was on sophomore defenseman Channing Boe of MSU for checking from behind on the Gophers’ Jay Barriball in the eighth minute of the third period.
Seconds later the Gophers’ enforcer, Brian Schack, was jumping on Boe’s back and wrestling him to the ice. A scrum ensued, Boe’s helmet came off, and Schack kept slugging Boe, who was on all fours, pretty much defenseless on the ice, until the officials finally got Schack off.
Somehow during the scrum, one of Boe’s ankles was broken. He is out for the rest of the season.
“That’s not the way we like to play,” Lucia said, “but in some of our kids’ defense, Brian Schack included — and I’ve said it, at some point, we got to protect our own players, too. Brian did that and that’s to his credit.
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Doug Spencer, the WCHA’s associate commissioner for public relations, said the league usually spends Mondays reviewing any controversial incidents that happen over the weekend and typically announces added punishment, if any, on Tuesdays.
Asked whether Boe’s season-ending injury makes it more likely Schack will receive an additonal penalty, Spencer implied no. “From what I heard,” Spencer said, “there was a big pileup. Somebody’s knee [or ankle in Boe’s case] can get bent in those.”
I expect Schack to get an added penalty from this incident. He started a fight, tried to beat a player who couldn’t defend himself and who wasn’t wearing a helmet.
I know there is code in hockey: Defend your teammates. But the Schack-Boe fight wasn’t a fair fight. Boe had no chance.
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What do you think the WCHA will do in this situation? Several hockey blog sites are going crazy, comparing Schack to Todd Bertuzzi, who in 2004 assaulted Steve Moore in an NHL game, calling Schack every name possible.
Well, that sheds a different light on Lucia's original comment about defending your own players. When he said that at first, it sounded like he reinforced that kind of behavior in his players for the sake of defending each other from the other team. There was no word about the officials. This certainly sheds a different light on things, and whether he said that now to redirect his original comment or that was what he meant from the start... either way, he's certainly right.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this, Goon. An additional ref on the ice doesn't make up for the lack of clear sight some of the refs have had for years in our league. I could think of a couple of names to add to your list... just thinking of last Saturday's game at the NHC. There was great inconsistency in officiating between the first and the third period...
"Several hockey blog sites are going crazy, comparing Schack to Todd Bertuzzi, who in 2004 assaulted Steve Moore in an NHL game, calling Schack every name possible."
ReplyDeleteNow WHO would light up their blog about Schack and call him names and stuff?!?! :) I'm thinking this blogger took offense to some of the things I said and that I wished for Schack's testicle to fall off for him to skate over. HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHA!
Even if Lucia doesn't feel the league is doing enough, it doesn't justify the attack on Channing.
Also, Lucia sure was bitching and going off about the 2 CFB the Goofs got on Saturday night. Um...oxy moron? One night bitching cuz they're not "protecting players" and then the next bitching cuz your players get booted for illegal hits?!? Sounds like tDon wants to have his cake and eat it too.
Also, what about the hack his own son has become?!?
I still and never will understand the logic that Schack the Hack did a good job by sticking up for his teammates. He did it by jumping guys from behind. He did it earlier in the Kato game from behind, he did it on Boe from behind, and if you remember he orginally grabbed Frattin from behind before rag-dolling him around during a scrum. What's the common theme..? IT ALL STARTS FROM BEHIND!!!!! If he would've waited for Boe to get out of the box and challenged him to a fight of a faceoff or something, that's o.k. He could've waited until Saturday to settle the score FACE-TO-FACE. I'm sure Boe would've manned up and took his medicine but this cowardly B.S. of attacking guys from behind is just freaking lame and disgusting! I'm so sick of hearing about UND being thugs and goons from the UM fanbase and that UND always start the fights, etc. I've seen just about every goofer game this year and THEY are the team with the chippy stuff, cheap shots, etc. and Lucia and Schack the Hack have been the biggest offenders on that team. The UM fan base as a whole is so clueless because they get all their hockey opinions from watching and listening to the biggest homers in the Cities, The Rug and Woog. That pair brainwash their fans with preposterous views and opinions about the Gopher program and the fans feed off this Goofer arrogance. The Goofer fans always wonder why every team in the league roots against them. It's because of this arrogance and Entitlement that follows the program and is on display every weekend by their fans. Beyond the Pond is a joke. Nate Miller stated last week that he applauds Schack the Hack's actions and "enough was enough." Nice logic, Nate. Nate, wouldn't you think it was sticking up for a teammate if Hack would've done it face-to-face??? Another example of the brainwash was last weekend druing FSN broadcast. They put up a graphic showing the Top 3 penalized teams in the WCHA and MN and Mankato were just behind Wisconsin for the top 3. Woog then says,"Whoa, wait a minute, i can't believe North Dakota isn't in there, we might have to check those stats again."
ReplyDeletePriceless
Archie good points as always.
ReplyDeleteI sat by my computer yesterday waiting to see what Schack the hack would get for a punishment. It looks like we have to wait till today to see if the WCHA has the balls to man up and suspend Schack the Hack for a very long time that he deserves.
Yep if Schack wanted to confront Boe he should have waited till Saturday nights and then challenge Boe to a fight. I am sure channing Boe would have manned up and fought Schack the Hack. Kind of like Buress did with Kaip. I have a lot more respect for the Mavericks players than I do those yellow bastards from Minneapolis. There is a difference between playing tough and playing dirty Schack the Hacks actions marvel Todd Bertuzzi and I don't a hoot what some media blogger from Minneapolis thinks, the fact that they condone this act is BS.
I can't imagine if a UND player had done this, My God they would have requested a execution by firing squad.
Archie what night was the graphic on? Was it on Saturday night? I have that one on tape.
ReplyDeleteGoon- The graphic was from Friday night, towards the 3rd period.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, Respect is given to the Mavs (Bruess & co.) as they have always played the game right. I was at that Mankato game last year and Bruess wanted to go with Kaip just as much as Kaip wanted to go with him. It was right in front of me and both guys discussed it before the faceoff and each guy dropped the gloves and threw their helmets off. MUTUAL! It wasn't Kaip jumping him from behind and then starting the fight.
I will say that the Radke/Vossberg incident last year was close to over the top on Radke's part BUT...both guys squared off FACE TO FACE. The over-the-top part was when Radke got advantage on top and hitting him with his head so close to the ice. Of course earlier in the contest, Radke and TestWEED both dropped gloves and helmets off a face off but refs jumped in right away.
Final point agreed. The WCHA refs should assume most of the blame.
Shucks I wish I had that on a YouTube Video. I was looking at CD recorders at Walmart the other day. I am going to have to get one.
ReplyDeleteI've seen guys jumping on each other's backs like this all year, both in Ho-ton and on television.
ReplyDeleteIn this situation, legalizing fighting would be like legalizing marijuana in the US. It wouldn't solve all the problems, but would go a long way toward fixing the main one. If an 'enforcer' can share his feelings with a guy and square up for a legitimate, two-way fight without having to worry about anything more than a 5-minute penalty, I have a feeling a lot of these weenies who think this is some kind of alligator wrestling would be put out of commission. It might force some respectability into the conference too, since you can't just pull shit like breaking a guy's back and having to wait until an NHL training camp to face retribution.
There's a whole lot of issues to deal with (cages, pansies, instigation, etc), and its apparently too hard for game officials to keep track of hooking and slashing, much less insanely dirty hits, but if the NCAA had any sense, they might consider it. I have a feeling Goon's World is about as far as that alternative is going to get though ;)
i agree with Boosh? wow! :)
ReplyDeleteGood points for sure.
I missed the Ho-ton roadie this year but won't next time.
Go Sioux!
NCAA will never allow fighting in Hockey. It's too busy "turning kids into adults by giving them degrees" while taking in a boat load of money!lol
ReplyDeleteThe only way they allow fighting in NCAA men's hockey is if they had some financial incentive to do it, like for every fight, each team involved donates to some NCAA fund.. aka pocketbooks of the officers..
Then maybe they might allow it..