SIN-BIN
By Eric J. Burton AKA the "Fabulous Sports Goon".
After Further Review the Officals suck...
I am back after a short vacation, and I have found a new home on the
Unvarnished Truth, for which I am thankfull. As I predicted earlier this
year that this would be another stellar season of NCAA hockey. However, the
officals (three blind mice revisited) are still trying to affect the tempo
and out comes of the hockey games. Last weekend was a perfect example of
what happens when a referee believes that the fans come to a hockey game to
see an exibition in poor officating. As the legendary CBC hockey analist and
former NHL coach Don Cherry once said the fans come to the the games to see
the players play hockey, not sit in the penalty box. Fans do not play
hundred of dollars to see an offical give a clinic in officiating a hockey
game, so let the players play hockey and put away your wistles.
Schmidt and Schmidt are the poster boys of what is wrong with the
officiating in college hockey. Randy Schmidt has to make sure he has a
clinic in face-offs every time he drops the puck. Hey Randy just drop the
blasted puck and let the players be on their merry way. I hate to think how
late we will get out this weekend with the games against Collorado College
starting at 8:35pm. The Referee with their constant delays and instruction
in saturday's game game against Western Michigan were responsible for a 3
hour game.
If you watched WMU play Sioux in hockey last weekend you would have
thought that they learned to play hockey from the Dirty Swede himself
Ranger's Ulfie Samuelson or Tampa Bay's Bryan Marchment (both are famous for
their dirty and illegal leg checks). Western Michigan tried all series long
to leg check both Panzers and David Hoogsteen,but to no avail, the main
reason for their unsucess was that Western Michigan couldn't skate period,
they sucked. Western could keep up with our lines Wether it be our smurfs,
or with our checking lines, in fact I decided that the gophers might be able
to beat Western, and should schedule a game against them right away so the
gophers can save Woog's job. Schmidt let Western take liberties with our
players all series long. Once calling David Hoogsteen and Jeff Panzer for
roughing, when in fact they were mugged in the corners by two tree trunks.
Back to the officals, the other Schmidt Mike is really a dandy. Mike
Schmidt skates up the ice letting major infractions go by on both sides of
the ice then calls a weak elbowing penalty unrelated to the play
transforming up the ice. This call was questionable and would have had no
relative affect on the games out come. However, Schmidt's 2 minute minor
leads to a power play goal for the Broncos. I appologize for not giving the
third officals credit, I could not remember the other Poindexter's name that
was calling the game with the the Schmidts (however, he is just as bad). In
Saturdays game Jason Blake was cross checked across the face right next to
the head referee Mike Schmidt but called nothing while assitant referee
Randy Schmidt standed there and watched. I believe that the officating has
to improve in the WCHA, we can not let officals have the oppurtunity to
decide the outcomes of games, although this has not happened yet I feel it
could. Maybe some vacations to officals would be appropriate again. Just ask
Buzzy how he enjoyed last years one weekend vacation.
The Gooon's "ICE CHIPS"
*As The Fighting Sioux play non-conference games each season, it has always
been a wounder to me. Why do we pick the teams we play, in non-conference?
Why can't UND schedule the Michigans and the Miamis and the MSU's of the
CCHA. Last weekend Western Michigan University came to town and they had to
be the worst team I have seen visit Englestad in a long time. Western was
pathetic, they tried using dirty tactics and cheeps shots but it was to no
avail, they just didn't belong on the same sheet of ice as the much more
talented Sioux. UND Swept the series by a goal total of 17-6. WMU couldn't
skate with the Speedy likes of the German line of Jeff Panzer, David
Hoogsteen and Jay Panzer. The only real tough team we have played during the
holidays was the Big Red Cornell, which happen to be from the much weaker
ECAC. The Big Red would probably be a middle of the Pack team if they played
in the WCHA.
*Jeff Panzer has been an early X-Mas present for the Fighting Sioux hockey
team. This kid can flat out move. The Rookie leads the team with 10 goals
after 16 games, he also has 9 helpers on the season. Playing on the line
with David Hoogsteen and His brother Jay Panzer that line accounted for 13
points this weekend during the sweep of Western Micigan. Jeff Panzer is
showing the coachs he belongs in the line up on a day to day basis with his
solid play.
*Last season Dark Star a WCCO and MSC sports personality attacked the UND
hockey program by making remarks about our education system and mocking the
UND Canadain players before the Gophers and Sioux faced off in a weekend
series (Which the Sioux handily swept the Gophers). Since Dark Star made his
stupid staments about UND last season the Sioux are 4-1-0 against Minnesota.
*It is amazing to watch the Gophers and choke through the 1997-1998 season.
The Star Tribune is on a campain to get sympathy points for the Minnesota
Hockey team. Although the arrogance is still there the Gophers are a more
subdued bunch this year going a meager 7-13. Each week there has been a clip
in the Trib explaining how Woog doesn't have the team that he once had and
that the Gophers have been affected by injuries and how Crowley and
Rassmussen leaving for the NHL has really hurt a once strong team.
*Every Week there is a childish argument on the various Web Pages on how the
Univeristy of Minnesota is such a strong program nationally and how the
Gophers have done this with using all Minnesota boys. Since Minnesota last
won the national title in 1979, UND has won 4 titles. Although the Sioux
have won more NCAA titles, I am reminded almost weekly that the Gophers are
betterbecause they have been to the playoffs more times and lost than the
Sioux have.
*In non-conference play the Sioux have out scored their opponents 28-10.
Bring on the WCHA schedule.
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