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Defense/Goal Tending.

We are giving our opponents WAY too many odd men rush and not giving our goal tenders a chance. WIth that said, we have to decent tenders without a lot of experience. I realize Spratt is young, but he was HIGHLY touted coming in and we haven't seen that fire (minus the 11/5 UNO game).

This isn't a lack of coaching, it's a lack of execution. We're nearly half way through the season, and it's time to put up or shut up.

I'm not sure these guys are a "team" yet. It seem that there are times when they could distribute the puck instead of dying with it. Execution is a matter for concern. By most accounts the "D" were more cohesive and played with more of an edge but the inconsistency of the team does not help anyone. Offensive production has also been pretty average against Miami.

Spratt had some good moments but he and Horrell had better get focused, with save %ages at .809 and .870 respectively they are by no means in the top echelon of goalies in the CCHA.

Turnovers are killing us. Specifically blue line turnovers, even when we have the power play. I noticed this at the Windsor game and the other two games I have attended the blueliners just look a step slower sometimes.

Pretty much the odd men rush. You can not pass the puck over in the neutral and expect to be successful.

Not the season we thought so far on the ice, either. I hope they get it going quickly....2 with the egg suckers coming up this weekend.

GO HOCKEY

The good news, to me, is that these problems are all fixable. Yes, this season has been disappointing so far, but even in the one game I saw last weekend, it is clear that this team is stuffed with talent that simply has not been fully realized yet. Once the blueliners get in their groove and our goalie situation pans out the way it should, we are going to be very, very good.

It has almost become cliche, but we need only look to last year's Nanook team for inspiration. After a slow start last year (albeit largely due to injuries), UAF was able to make a run beginning in late January that ended with them in the top four in the CCHA playoffs.

It can be done, and with the coaching staff that we have (remeber, we did have a bit of turnover this year) and the type of individual players we have, I have all the confidence in the world that we will right the ship and make a run in the second half of the season.

These two games againt Michigan State are going to be huge for BG. Last two league games before the long December break....they need to get some momentum built up in the CCHA. Last couple years this series has finished with a split. With MSU struggling with injuries and people leaving school though, now is the time to get some points against them. Looking forward to seeing some good young talent this weekend with Abdelkader and crew coming in going against BG's one-man wrecking crew of Alex Foster. Please somebody step up and help this guy out. Matsumoto and Falk can't do it every game. Pretty disappointing to have the nation's 2nd leading scorer with a record of 3-9-1.

I agree with the above, we have all the physical pieces to be get it done. Yet for some reason, that flow and connection that come from a team is not present.
As for our goal tenders. i dont know if you have seen them in practice or not, but they look real good and are sharp and crisp. In the games they seem to get unfocused. I am thinking that game presure is the cause and that they need to relax, esp at home.
I think our recovery will take the rest of the season. While I will go to as many games as I can, I am not expecting a 180 turn aroound this season. These guys are developing this year, and progressing well, but not fast enough for that, and we should not expect something so rapid.

We are definitely a "work in progress" that will only get better as the season progresses. Growing pains are tough to live through...in any sport!

GO FALCONS!!
SWEEEEEEEEEP THE EGG SUCKERS!!!!

From what I saw on Friday night, goaltending was not the problem. I could've scored on the wide open shots Miami was receiving. I was not impressed.