Vimeo<\/a>.<\/p>\nWell, what does everyone think? I was at this game, and regardless of what side of the fence one falls on here, two main issues arise with the call. The first is whether it was even the correct call and the second is the image portrayed by the long delay between the goal itself and the eventual ruling. I have my opinions on each, but as it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a moot point now I shall let you all draw your own conclusions.<\/p>\n
Did I say it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s moot? Why yes I did. Despite some fans believing that Stout might be able to protest and retroactively be awarded a point for the win, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m here to tell you that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not going to happen.<\/p>\n
There is no existing NCHA bylaw that allows for a game to be formally protested, and the concept of a protest is succinctly addressed in the 2008-10 NCAA Men\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s and Women\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Ice Hockey Rules and Interpretations.<\/p>\n
Rule 6 — Section 39<\/p>\n
Section 39. Protests are not recognized or allowed.<\/i><\/p>\n
It can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t get much simpler than that, so while the merits and procedure of the call itself will no doubt continue to be discussed, the fact of the matter is that the game was a tie and will remain so. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s certainly conceivable the league could issue a statement admitting an improper call was made, but no matter what happens to that end, the outcome of the game will not be changed.<\/p>\n
For better or worse, perhaps, but it means that at this point the only thing the Blue Devils can do is prepare for this weekend\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s home series against Stevens Point.<\/p>\n
Missing the Point?<\/h4>\n Speaking of the Pointers, they are thus far an example of how playing in the deepest league in the nation can be both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, the league is as high profile as it gets in Division III, but on the other there are no easy games.<\/p>\n
Through the first month of the season, the Pointers\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 strong core group of returning players and a highly touted recruiting class have yet to pay dividends when it comes to the win column.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Obviously it wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t the start we were looking for but it is what it is. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s where we are at right now but we have to get out of it,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said head coach Wil Nichol of his tea\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s 2-5 start.<\/p>\n
The Pointers defeated Northland and Bethel in non-conference action and suffered a non-league setback at the hands of Hamline. Of more consequence is that Stevens Point has been swept in both NCHA series it has played this year, falling 4-2 and 2-1 to St. Scholastica at home three weeks ago and dropping 9-3 and 2-0 decisions at league-leading St. Norbert last weekend. The Pointers are the only team in the NCHA without a point this season.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t talk about being 0-4, we talk about 14 league games being left and there are plenty of points there to go get,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Nichol said.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153As a coaching staff we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve seen it all. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve seen a Friday night at St. Norbert\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s where we didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t do a lot right. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve seen a couple losses where we feel a bounce of the puck goes the other way and we get a win.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
The Pointers\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 roster features 19 underclassmen and though Nichol has been relatively pleased with their overall level of play, the inexperience has shone through at times — non more than last Friday at St. Norbert.<\/p>\n
Trailing by only one entering the final period, the Pointers conceded five third period power-play goals, two of them coming with the Green Knights playing with a five-on-three advantage.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153You can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t keep going to the well. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s just something we can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t do. We can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t shoot ourselves in the foot, be it with penalties or with turnovers,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he said.<\/p>\n
Stevens Point is currently averaging 28.4 penalty minutes in the game, second most in the NCHA.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t help ourselves when we take undisciplined penalties. We adjusted last weekend from Friday to Saturday, not just with the penalties but also on the penalty kill,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Nichol said.<\/p>\n
In the 2-0 loss on Saturday, the Pointers held the Green Knights scoreless on six chances with the extra man.<\/p>\n
Stevens Point could realistically be facing a 0-6 start in conference play as this week they must hit the road for a series at Stout, and Dunn County Arena has been a house of horrors for the Pointers over the past few seasons.<\/p>\n
They are 1-7-0 at Dunn over the past four seasons, and are 1-10-1 overall against the Blue Devils over that same span. Nonetheless, Nichol remains upbeat.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re not trying to focus on what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s happened other than to learn from it, rather we are trying to focus on a very good Stout team,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he said.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We have 19 freshman and sophomores who don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know about that and don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t care about that. Stout has a very good team right now and always plays well in their rink so our focus is simply to go in there and do anything and everything we can to get a win on Friday night.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
The Pointers were a popular dark horse pick in the NCHA this season, but if they want to play that role they will need to avoid falling into too deep of a hole.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m proud of our guys, whether it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the freshman or our seniors. I think the young guys are finding out what every player who is new to this league finds out, and that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s that this is the best league in Division III hockey,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Nichol said.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153This is the best of the best and they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve found that out by playing two excellent teams [St. Norbert and St. Scholastica] right out of the gate.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Truly, there is no better way to gain experience than trial by fire, and though the losses thus far have been tough to stomach, Nichol no less views them as invaluable learning experiences that he hopes will pay dividends sooner rather than later.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Life is about choices and that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s what we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve talked to our guys about,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153How we handle this right now is our choice and it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a life lesson. The world has kind of knocked us down to our knees, but we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve got to get up together. If we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re able to get up and get through this together, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s one of those things that can really unify a team and a program.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I hate to lose more than anybody, but everything happens for a reason and this is a test for us.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Tasty Travels<\/h4>\n Before delving into this week\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s culinary goodness, something was brought to my attention so I need to clarify. I originally stated establishments would be rated on a 1-5 puck scale, but when handing Luigi\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a 3.5 puck rating a week ago I was thinking four was the max. As a result, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s going to remain at 1-4. Consider a rough guide this:<\/p>\n
1: Poor \n2: Decent \n3: Very Good \n4: Absolutely Outstanding<\/p>\n
Ok, with that out of the way, this weekend brings us to Anchor Bar and Grill in Superior, Wisconsin. Located at 413 Tower Ave. on Superior\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s north end at the southern tip of the Blatnik Bridge, Anchor has long been a favorite of Superior locals and in-the-know visitors alike.<\/p>\n
The dimly lit tavern offers the expected (well, if you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re from Wisconsin): a bar and some tables. The d\u00c3\u00a9cor is almost exclusively maritime themed, and the odd collection of nets, gyroscopes and vintage ship signs fits the image of the Twin Ports perfectly.<\/p>\n
As far as the food, Anchor is known as having one of the best bar burgers around. As a result, I had to bypass the one pound \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Gallybuster\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and dial up the signature 2\/3 lb. Anchor staple: the Anchor Burger.<\/p>\n
Like the establishment itself, there was nothing fancy about this burger. A two-patty burger with cheese, lettuce and tomato, its simplicity need not be mistaken for a lack of quality. The thing is darn good and it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s tough to even figure out why. Because of that, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not even worth trying to figure out; it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s only worth eating.<\/p>\n
Anchor offers up a variety of burgers for those with different tastes, but it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a stop I recommend. The service was not the most impressive and sure it isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t coal-fired steak, but that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not what Anchor is about. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s about serving a good bar burger and in that regard it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s awfully tough to top. \nAlso economical, the 2\/3lb namesake, fries and a 34 oz. Leinenkugel\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Oktoberfest ran me all of $9. Nothing to shake a stick at! A slight ratings ding for the service, but it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s easy to understand that when locals want a bar burger there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a reason they flock to Anchor.<\/p>\n
Anchor Bar and Grill receives: 3.0 pucks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Another week brings another installment of the USCHO.com Division III men’s poll and in what is, as usual, no real shock, NCHA teams are all over the place. Five in all grace this week\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s edition, and once again St. Norbert is most newsworthy. The Green Knights two game sweep over the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":140328,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"coauthors":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
This Week in the NCHA\/MCHA: Nov. 19, 2009 - College Hockey | USCHO.com<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n