Bulldogs Night and Day, or Friday and Saturday

Two Very Different Results in Split at Colorado College

Expectations.  High, low, or somewhere in between, they play a part of life, especially for the lives of sports fans.

After the Saturday dismantling of the Bulldogs, I made a comment to the effect that I did not expect the Bulldogs to win, but I thought it was very possible.  I also added in a follow up that it was a disappointing game.  Very disappointing.

Right or wrong, I did not expect them to win, but there is enough talent on the team to make it happen.  But this is the 2012-13 Bulldogs we are talking about and they have not given much hope for multiple wins in a row.

Friday’s 3-2 win at CC was a great one for this team.  They trailed into the second before tying the score.  In the third, UMD took the lead, allowed a tying goal late in the game, and then gutted their way to take the lead.  The game winner was a Caleb Herbert goal just over a minute after CC tied the score and with 1:43 left in the period.

It was a great win for the Bulldogs because they had to come back after a game tying goal and respond.  But that was also the key to the game, UMD didn’t fall behind in the third.  And that is the key it seems this season.

Disappointing was the key term thrown about after Saturday’s loss.  Disappointing because this team seems to have a problem when they are down on the scoreboard at the end of the second period.  In other words, if they are down after two, the score is going to get nothing but worse.

It has happened multiple times over the season.  Most recently at CC and prior in Florida against Ferris State.  It is alarming and tough to take for fans who are looking for the bright side in times when it looks like it can’t get any worse for the Bulldogs.  As a fan, they want to see the team fight and show signs of life.  They want to see consistent effort.

The bottom line is the one sided games that just keep going downhill through the third period have to stop.  Fans want to believe that UMD is worthy of home ice for the WCHA playoffs and they want to be able to have an expectation of Bulldog wins.