The Trials of a Down Season
As I write this opinion piece, my team, the Sioux, have lost another game in heartbreaking fashion, giving up four straight after scoring two and seemingly emerging from the cocoon of inability to cracking DU goaltender Marc Cheverie.
This team has had so many ups and downs it’s like a really bad rollercoaster ride at a top tier amusement superplex. When they are up, fans (such as myself) are almost in a euphoric state talking about how good we’ve played and aspiring towards greater things such as postseason awards and even, God willing, a National Championship. When we’re down we’re agonizing and pulling our hair out trying to diagnose what is wrong and how to change it.
This brings out the worst in some fans. Some fans are grounded in their beliefs, realist, mature, practical whatever. However, some fans get so caught up in the history of the team and past players and coaches that it paralyses their rationality and forces them to go back and make ludicrous claims and wistful wishes. For example, if former UND and current UNO head coach Dean Blais were still coaching UND, we would have won the games this past weekend. How do we know that? Having watched plenty of games live under the coaching of Dean Blais, I’ve watched UND teams practically give up. I’ve seen them blow leads. I’ve watched them slump like we’re doing now.
It’s hard to take. It’s unimaginable that this team… MY team… OUR team… could falter like they are right now. There are no stats or records that can be put forth to change the reality that this part of our game isn’t working, that part of our game isn’t doing well, and so on.
Brad Schlossman’s blog covers the fact that I’m portraying here. We pine for Blais. We think he’s the savior and Hakstol is the mule. One commenter on his blog states that “before our very eyes, UND is turning into St. Cloud State.” Well, let me tell ya folks, unless the NCAA is going to take away 7 National Championships and all of our NCAA tourney victories, that’s patently untrue. Also, they talk about Hakstol as a recruiter being a problem. Funny how he recruited such guys as Matt Greene, Matt Smaby, had a hand in snatching Johnny Toews, Zach Parise, and all those players we covet so much. Blais didn’t recruit everyone on his teams. Hakstol got the job based upon his ability to recruit, not just coaching ability. If you want to know how important that ability is, ask Scott Sandelin. It’s arguably why he’s still in Duluth after a few down seasons. We talk about how Hakstol should at least show some emotion on the bench yet, when other coaches do so, we berate that coach for being such a fool (see Gwozdecky, George).
UND has a passionate fan base, but we are whiny. I’ve surfed my share of hockey message boards and I have yet to find a fan base that is more over the top critical of their players than UND. Fans talk about how the team “should be better than this.” Or cite historical context and our National Championships as a way of explaining such harsh, unfair, and unbelievably ridiculous criticism of kids no older than 21 years of age. Sometimes it fades, but other times, it festers and becomes an embarrassment upon those who root for the team.
The point to be made is that, whether we think we are entitled to greatness year after year or not, there will be down years. EVERY team in EVERY sport has experienced them. Examples of the Yankees had a Title drought of 18 years between 1978 and 1996. The Canadians may lead the NHL in Stanley Cup victories, but they haven’t even been to the Finals since they last won it all in 1993. The Michigan Wolverines have 9 National Championships to their name, but none since 1998. I’d cite basketball if I gave a darn about that sport. It is true we’re going on 10 years since our last title and what… 3 years since our last NC game appearance? It doesn’t make things easier to take. No one likes down years. No one.
So what can we take out of this season? Well, we can take the highs for what they’re worth. No one likes seeking out silver linings, but those silver linings could be a key to what the next few years bring out in UND’s future. Or fans can take nothing out of this year; start up attempts to run players and coaches out of town. Or fans can simply abandon the team altogether. I see a lot of good from our team. I don’t know if this is the year. It isn’t over yet and we’re not eliminated. It is going to be a huge uphill battle and it will be hard on the players, coaches and especially the fans. However, it is possible. And this fan isn’t going to give up until the fat lady sings. And even then, I’ll eagerly look forward to next year. We’ve hit a bump in the road. It’s gut check time for us fans. Are we on board? Or are we stowaways? Just remember, the power button on the electronic device of choice can be used as a safety device in the event that you don’t wish to stay on board any longer. There’s no shame in pushing the button. The Chicago Cubs probably would thank me for it if they knew who I was.
My goodness, why can't you just admit that you were beaten this season by a superior team, superior coach. At best, UND is a mediocre team that has a bunch of underachievers. You got beat, move on!
ReplyDelete2 things stand out this year:
ReplyDelete1) A very young team. 10 freshmen on the roster. Young guys are going to make mistakes that will cost you games.
2) Injuries. Chay is out, Hextall is out. Too many key players are on the shelf.
@msbdu: superior team, perhaps. Superior coach, no. When Gwoz grows up and starts acting like an adult instead of a spoiled 2 year old, then maybe we can compare coaches.
Excellent, excellent piece and you are spot on with everything you said. Hear, hear to Brad Schlossman and yourself for taking on these people. Good luck dealing with the insanity.
ReplyDeleteWhat you and a lot of other Sioux or other general hockey fans in particular do not realize is that the WCHA is a 28-game grind that HAS NO BREAKS. Not even Tech at home is a gimme, just ask Duluth. We all know how lofty the expectations are for UND every season, but msbdu has a very valid point: maybe the Sioux simply got beat by a better team here. There's a good chance Denver will win the McNaughton Cup and who knows after that. It's not like they got swept at home by Robert Morris here...like the Redhacks did a month ago. Even a mediocre season in the WCHA is a solid season in any other conference. All you can do is try and learn from it for the next series.
ReplyDeleteFirst off the aricle was written By Redwing77, and he was telling Sioux fans to take a breath. It's not about your team. This is about perspective.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure nobody will want to see us in the playoffs no matter where we wind up.
ReplyDeleteYou'd swear that we hadn't been an elite team every year of the Hakstol era. A last second goal last year prevented him from taking his teams to the Frozen Four every year of his tenure.
It is not even so much a down year, but a lot of other teams are having really good years. St. Cloud is pretty good this year and Duluth too, and they aren't always this good.
ReplyDeleteRJ, if I am not mistaken your coach gave the one finger salute, now there is a real class move, hey!
ReplyDeleteOne more thing, I wish you guys would stop doing your ending rendition of the National Anthem. I was sitting in the stands in November at Magness when a couple of Marines in uniform told them how inappropriate it was and how they didn't appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteOne more thing, I wish you guys would stop doing your ending rendition of the National Anthem. I was sitting in the stands in November at Magness when a couple of Marines in uniform told them how inappropriate it was and how they didn't appreciate it.
ReplyDeletemsbdu- we sioux fans don't care what you think of our rendition of the national anthem. it seems to me du fans have the biggest problem with it considering they won't stop whining about it. And you know what? DU is not far superior to UND, or any other team in the league and it's laughable that you think that. Now I know DU fans have this cocky attitude and Du's a good team but not far "superior". Get off that high horse. And this blog post was not referring to the DU games this weekend... it's referring to the body of work by the Sioux this season.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't the flag wave above the Home of the Sioux?
ReplyDeleteSara, you are dead wrong about DU. They were way hyped up before the season and they are living up to that billing, as they have been ranked in the top 4 of the polls and the top 3 of the WCHA standings all season - exactly where they sit right now. I think its pretty safe to say that UND and CC are going to battle it out for the 5th spot and home ice, with the winner hosting the other in the first round.
ReplyDeleteWCHAdominates, your team has been known for their second half swoons, hence the name swoonskies. Nothing has been decided yet.
ReplyDeleteYour team has to play a very tough UAA team this week, while we finally get to play a team coming out of the break with Hexy back. It isn't a given your team will finish in the top 3 or 4.
Sara right on, I think it's funny how we are always being lectured by DU fans, about the national anthem, and the home of the Sioux.
ReplyDeleteWhen I hear someone complain about that I tell them I am a veteran and then I ask them if they ever wore the the uniform? That ussually shuts them off.
I actually think Wisconsin is the better team this season, I watched that games last weekend and I was impressed with bucky.
I think the Badgers have more balance and a more experienced defense.
The law of averages are going to catch up with DU. They may win the NCAA title and then again they might not. Who knows. I remember a Sioux team that owned the Denver Pioneers only to have them beat us in the west regional, anything can happen in a one and done playoff.
Ok, first off, I vowed I'd never respond to any of the posts I made. But who am I kidding?
ReplyDeleteI'm the author of this post (as the author line states clearly). And Goon and Sara are right on. It has nothing to do with DU. It just happens to be written after we lost an extremely important series. I feel it has more importance to UND than DU (in other words, DU could have gotten swept and it wouldn't have made as much impact to DU as getting swept by DU has impacted UND).
Well, msbdu, you're right. We got beat by a superior team. But to quote Denny Green "They were who we thought they were! And we let them off the hook!" No one is surprised by how good DU is this year, but DU fans expect the league to be surprised. Weren't they the preseason pick to win the WCHA this year? Unless that's a joke like the polls, that means DU is going to be really good.
Secondly, the term "superior" as you put it is subjective. Looking at numbers and the level of play this weekend, you're right. Gwozdecky has more NCs than Hakstol. But to say superior as a generalization is hard to say while both coaches are still coaching. Superiority is best viewed when comparing coaches after their body of work is completed. As you said, the team is underachieving. If they are, then how can you judge coaching? Can Gwozdecky coach his players to finish? Can he coach the team enough to eliminate all scoring opportunities their opponents get? Nope. Great coaches have down years. I don't know if Hakstol is a "great" coach, but it seems as though this team is having a mediocre showing (to use your terminology).
Another point, Charles is mostly right. SCSU and tUMD are having up years. UND is floundering and, as WCHAdominates states accurately, there are no breaks (except this weekend when UND doesn't play).
RJ might be a bit blunt, but... Hakstol was merely giving what these UND critics wanted: emotion. :D Seriously though, it was juvenile of him and no one denies that. However, Gwozdecky does juvenile things too but, unlike Hakstol, he does it repeatedly and gets away with it. Hakstol flipped the bird and got a one game suspension. Gwoz walks across the ice, which IS an suspendable offense, and gets away with it. If he hadn't gone to the press box, he'd've gotten no punishment at all.
As I said, I was pleased that a couple of Marines were able to set the record straight with a group of ND fans. If any DU fan were doing this, I would say the same thing. There is no way that you can justify this behavior. It is disrespectful and makes you and your school look bad. I was sitting near the ND section at the 2008 Frozen Four and a number of fans spoke to the ND fans after the singing of the National Anthem.
ReplyDeleteLike I said, there are no excuses for this behavior. Watch the DU players during the singing of the National Anthem. They don't move, they remain perfectly still.
I think that ND has now become a bigger rivalry for us than CC. As one of your players so eloquently put it, "They hate us, we hate them".
I enjoyed watching the games this year. I don't like things like your guys showing up when the DU bus arrives with the purpose of trying to start a fight. I think this shows a lack of discipline on the part of your coaching staff.
By the way Redwing, just for the record Gwoz got a one game suspension.
ReplyDeleteAnd Goon, I appreciate your service to our country, but this in no way supports this action. It doesn't put either the fans or the school in a good light. As I said, there are no excuses for this behavior. I applaud school spirit but this is crossing the line, and you know it. As I said, if DU was doing this I would say the same thing.
ReplyDeleteGood write-up, I think alot of Gopher fans can relate to what UND is going through this season.
ReplyDeleteCan't believe people still complain about the National Anthem thing, it happens at most other schools and it's never going to change. Is it right to do? No, but it gets the crowd pumped up at least. I think DU fans complain about it because they don't get the die hard fan base like most other schools. Nothing against DU fans or the school but each time I've gone out there you hear people say that DU hockey is pretty much a bandwagon/ 2nd tier sport, if it's doing well they get the fans but if they are having a bad or off-year people couldn't care less about it. Most other schools are the same way but the people from Denver seem to think it's much worse with the hockey team.
msbdu I'm a Sioux fan and a veteran and here's my take on the Anthem, I wore the uniform to defend your freedom of speech. While I personally don't say "Sioux" at the end of the Anthem, I completely defend people's right to do so. That's what freedom is all about. As long as it isn't hurting anyone, it's just fine.
ReplyDeleteMike, I agree with you to a point. I think it is a shame that people continue to do this. As I said, when the Marines spoke to the ND fans that didn't say very much.
ReplyDeleteAs for DU fans, as far as I am concerned, Magness arena is way to quiet. I wish that they had half the enthusiasm that you all have. It is great to see fans so fired up.
On another note, as an alum of DU I have been following hockey for almost 40 years. ND has always practiced "Goon" hockey. If they have a mediocre team, they step up the fighting. I don't come to the arena to see a fight, I come to see two great schools compete. That incident when the DU bus arrived makes your team look like a bunch of thugs. I think this is what Hextall instills in his players.
I think it's funny to be lectured about Goon hockey from someone from Denver.
ReplyDeleteHeh.
And Gwozdicky was not suspended for walking out on the ice. That was announced.
He was suspended after the revelation that he cheated and directed the team from the pressbox after he had been thrown out of the game.
Fighting Sioux folks don't whine, snivel, groan, and cry like the Gopher babies. We know that sometimes the ducks don't show up, it doesn't rain and the drive-way gets snowed in. We can survive misfortune. But the green and white will straighten things out. Not to worry.
ReplyDeleteCan somebody elaborate on the "guys showing up when the DU bus arrives with the purpose of trying to start a fight."? What is that all about?
ReplyDeleteJ.M.: I know it makes you feel a bit better but, your comment "Fighting Sioux folks don't whine, snivel, groan, and cry like the Gopher babies." is laughable.
Like I said, if you can't beat them with talent, find another way. The Hextall goons strike again!
ReplyDeleteWhat is this big incident that everyone from DU is talking about, if it was major wouldn't be in the newspaper in Grand Forks? I have yet to hear about it. Can some tell me what happened.
ReplyDeletei think this is a nice post after what has so far been a poor season by und standards. a real fan sticks to his/her team through thick and thin.
ReplyDeleteas stated, this season isn't over yet and anything can happen down the strectch. however, if this is just to be a bad season for fighting sioux hockey, then so be it. hopefully genoway will come back next season and hextall and the other great players on this team will stay healthy. now that will make for a tough bunch.
anybody feel like msbdu is commenting on a different post? here we have a post intended to let sioux fans know that even if this season continues down it's current path, everything will be alright and the sioux will be great again someday, then msbdu leaves a comment about just admiting we lost to a superior team?
i'm not even sure which team he's talking about. i mean we've lost to st cloud, cornell, duluth, minnesota, and denver this season. four of those five teams are ranked above us so i'm guessing he's talking about one of those teams as being superior.
so, okay, we lost to some better teams this season; i admit it. but what does that have to do with this post?
anyway, down years are a bummer but our sioux don't stay down long. go sioux!!
okay, just read some more posts by msbdu and turns out he's a du fan, which his moniker sort of suggests, it has a du in it anyways.
ReplyDeletedid i see a "hextall's goons" in there? since when is hextall forging an army of goons? hextall wasn't even on the ice this weekend.
hibbert:
"mr simpson, i think you're confused"
homer:
"oh, confused will we?"
play it cool, msbdu, nobody's busting on your team with this post. props to the pioneers on a successfual weekend and season so far. no need to be ugly about it when we're just trying to console each other. besides you're only setting yourself up for some serious crow dinner if things go the other way when it counts (ie post-season). just lose the poopy-face and count to ten.
My comments were mostly regarding the way your fans continue to disrespect our National Anthem and the fact that some of your players decided to greet the arrival of the DU bus Friday night. I am pretty sure that they weren't part of the Welcome Wagon. I guarantee you that if any DU player had ever pulled a stunt like that, it would have been suspended. Gwoz doesn't put up with that behavior. He suspended the Captain and two other players for getting into a fight at a bar. I just don't want college hockey to be played like the Hanson brothers played it.
ReplyDeleteI do think it probably would have been a closer game if you had your two injured players back and yes Chevy saved the game for us Friday night. You guys were all over us the second period.
for the record, i'm a fifteen year military veteran, six in the marine corps. the "sioux" thing at the end of the national anthem has never bothered me, just as it didn't bother me at either of the two highschools i went to (moved around a bit growing up), either college i went to (actually graduated from mankato), or the host of other schools i've followed my team to, almost all of whom do something similar at the end of the national anthem.
ReplyDeletehonestly, is this a joke? perhaps du doesn't do this, but changing "brave" to your schools mascot at the end of the national anthem is very widespread among highschool and college athletics. ever watch college football on saturday? virtually every game ends it's national anthem with the student section shouting their team name. this is not new to athletics and it certainly isn't confined to und. in fact, i'd say du is the minority for not doing this.
that marine that said something can cram it. like i said, i was in the marines for six years and just like any other group of people, the marines have their dbs.
i remove my hat, face the flag, and stand still during the national anthem with my hands locked behind me because it's the right thing to do. most all sioux fans do the same, but just as in any venue for any sport i've ever been to, there's the small percentage who don't show that respect. it's not like und only recruits students who pledge to be rude during the singing of the national anthem. if msbdu noticed it was more prevelant than in other venues she's been to, then i have to assume she's just being hyper-sensitive to it because she doesn't like our team.
i usually don't shout "sioux" at the end of the national anthem, but i have at times and i think it's just fine. i'm still a loyal member of the finest military in this world's history and i still love this country. i don't consider it disrespectful and one marine doesn't decide moral code for the whole world.
okay, i know, i'm long-winded when i have a point to make, but now i'm done. bong!
msbdu: You wet our whistle with your bus/'welcome wagon' chit-chat. Can you please do us the favor of telling us what the h*ll you are referring to?
ReplyDeleteIt was reported on the radio by several players Charlies
ReplyDeleteKrangodance, very well said, I just think its funny that DU has become the beacon of morality and moral high ground in the WCHA, Hence they have become the new golden boys of the WCHA.
ReplyDeleteI guess that also comes with the WCHA home office being at Denver Univeristy and Gwoz being able to drink coffee with Bruce McLeod on a regular basis.
MSBDU please elaborate on the situation with the team bus because we haven't heard about it. Even your bloved and unbiased beat writer hasn't reported on it.
I live in Minnesota and do not have a clue what 'radio' you refer to. I fidn the subject intereting. So, pretty please, can you take one minute of your time and spell it out?! I would truly appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteSaturday nights game wasn't televised here in Denver, so I listened to the game on one of local radio stations. The broadcaster asked one of our players about what happened when the DU bus arrived at The Ralph on Friday night. He said several ND players were there to meet the bus and of course to give the players a few choice comments. The announcer confirmed that the ND players were in fact there.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny the guy who loves the classless organization ignores the gross misbehavior of his coach and instead tells made up stories about us meeting their bus.
ReplyDeleteThe funny part is that only the DU Pioneers and their players are the only ones that seem to know about it. I asked around and no one knows about this said incident. I guess it never happened.
ReplyDeleteDid you actually think any of the ND players would admit to?
ReplyDeleteMSBDU I am thinking if it was a big deal don't think the blow hard Mike Chambers would have covered it? That guy never misses a chance to take a shot at UND. I would imagine that Gwoz would have definately said something.
ReplyDeleteAll I am doing is reporting what I heard on the radio. I would hope that it isn't true.
ReplyDeleteThank you for elaborating msbdu. I appreciate it! ...It's a strange enough event that it is odd that it hasn't somehow been corroborated.
ReplyDeleteThe thing is Charlie we can't get the story corroborated. No one has spoken up, no one has given evidence or posted a statement...
ReplyDeleteI sent a few emails but no one seems to know about it. I am sure if it actually happened and if it actually is true it will come to light.
Thanks guys, I am not trying to pick a fight, I was just disappointed when I heard it. I have been following DU hockey for almost 40 years and as I said earlier I think that UND has surpassed CC as our biggest rivalry. I don't think we have heard the last of UND this year!!!
ReplyDeleteGoon, I may not have been clear enough,b ut that is my point as well.
ReplyDeleteI don't thin anyone was being out of line, just saying, Charlie like others are welcome here anytime. I love arguing. Sports are more fun to discuss than politics and religion.
ReplyDeleteRedwing77's first post was Goon's world 3000th post.
Apparently said incident is an urban legend and didn't actually happen.
ReplyDeleteI guess, without proof, I can't believe what a lone radio report is stating. The truth can get warped BIG time in a very fast manner. You can ask us, msbdu, if we think UND players would admit to such behavior if you want, but it is just as rhetorical as asking if DU players would admit it if they did the same thing when UND's bus drove up to Magness (assuming a similar report was filed). Like it or not, it is hearsay. And if hearsay isn't admissible in court, it isn't admissible to me.
ReplyDeleteBut I will admit that it would be hard to believe that UND players OR DU players (or any players) would own up to trying to pick a fight off the ice. It's one thing to piss off the opposing players, but another thing entirely to piss off one's own coach.
KRANGODANCE - Thanks for the support. Had quite the nerves about writing it. Didn't think it would have any sort of positive reaction to it.
DG from Lets Go DU said it was a joke or something of that nature and I emailed one of the guys from the DU hockey broadcast crew and he hadn't heard about it and neither had Brad. Didn't happen folks.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the update, like you said Urban legend.
ReplyDeleteHoly mackerel, 50 comments? Jeez, this one really got out of hand. You are right though Goon, my alma madder has obviously been known to flounder late in the season. However, they are a good team right now and Anchorage is in trouble next weekend. The Seawolves HAVE NEVER WON at the NHC, they are something like 0-26-4 there in the D-1 era.
ReplyDelete