Fans from all over to see the great NCHC games in St. Paul. It has come to our attention that a musing on the back of a receipt found in the dumpster behind INCH worldwide HQ:
The many Hawk fans of NoDak:
Some wear a natty champ leather jacket
Don't like the call?
Flip the bird to all!
"We aren't #1 in the bracket?!?!"
The NCHC Party is Back in Saint Paul
Just missing St. Patrick's Day, the party is back in St. Paul for the NCHC. It has been a long two years and that makes having it back just sweeter. Oh, and having your team make it to the Frozen Faceoff helps too.
If any team knows how to turn it up in March, Scott Sandelin and the Bulldogs of UMD fit that mold.
After a rousing weekend sweep at St. Cloud State int he first round, the Bulldogs are back to the Frozen Faceoff to keep the roll going into the NCAA Tournament starting next week.
Shout out.
As one of the fewer and fewer conference tournaments at a neutral site, the NCHC gets to show off their top product again at the Xcel Energy Center and on CBSSN. Fans of the NCHC teams are truly treated to a first rate, and reliable, tournament site and first rate, top ten PWR teams competing.
We hear about the tipping point when a major change is afoot. A looming event has been building for a while, but not clear when it will arrive… until it does, in the drop of a hat.
Are we at a possible tipping point with UMD Hockey and their NCAA aspirations? The easy answer is no. Many may look at their quality wins through the season and see all the positives they bring. Spitting the season series with Denver, sweeping Minnesota, and going 2-0-1 against Western Michigan are all feathers in the Bulldog cap. At the same time there is also the 15-13-4 record that came about from their fair share of losses and ties.
The PairWise (PWR) looks at it all, in a mathematical way, and have put UMD currently at #8. Is there a tipping point looming if UMD doesn’t earn their first series sweep of the NCHC schedule? The inconsistent play by the Bulldogs, often involving missing players due to illness and injury, has come to a head here at the end of the season.
Playing with the PWR for UMD’s last four games, keeping on the same track of not sweeping opponents could leave UMD right at the double digit mark of the PWR, not the safest of spots going into the NCHC playoffs to get passage into the NCAA Tournament.
Speculation, yes, but possibilities of a tipping point are real. To end speculation quickly, a sweep this weekend by the Bulldogs over the Redhawks would be the best medicine. UMD can then tackle the next hurdle, home ice in the playoffs.
