Do fans have unrealistic expectations?

I was reading Brad Schlossman’s blog the other day when I found a couple of posts from fans that I found to be; well interesting... Having been to numerous media days and press scrums, I was wondering what do the fans think that that media should members should ask the head coach? I mean seriously? There is a level of decorum and what is expected of the members of the media as well. Just because a question is asked, doesn't mean the coach would have to answer the question either.

Lastly, I live in this town too, and I am not seeing a big grown swell of dissatisfied UND hockey fans that want the head coach run out of town. Sure fans are upset with UND’s early exit from the NCAA tourney, but the UND's not going to win the NCAA tourney every season. It's just not possible. Or realistic. That’s life.

I am not sure what Brad or Tom Miller could ask Hakstol on the subject that would satisfy some of the fans that are unhappy with head coach Dave Hakstol. Whatever Dave does, he’s going to have his distractors. It’s also very easy to sit behind a computer screen and snipe at people, however, it much more different to stand or sit, in front of that person and face them and question their actions. That’s a fact of life.

UND Hockey: End of season party lands five players in trouble with police

It would appear that history has repeated itself, once again for the UND hockey team. This past fall, before the season began; the UND hockey team had the team party that lead to numerous players getting cited for Possession Consumption of Alcohol by a Person under 21.

All four captains and numerous other players of the UND Hockey team, were suspended for at least one game, over the course of the opening weekend of the season. In addition, senior forward Danny Kristo sat out both games of the nonconference tourney that first weekend.

This week charges by Grand Forks County prosecutors were filed against four freshmen players cited for underage drinking, a Class B misdemeanor: Jordan Schmaltz, 18; Bryn Chyzyk, 19; Zane Gothberg, 20 and Drake Caggiula, 18. [Bismarck Tribune]

 

So, fast forward to March 31, 2013, after the 2012-13 season is over… Once again, we have UND hockey players cited for underage drinking. It would appear that two of these players didn’t learn their lesson, because they were cited earlier this season, for the same thing. 

Brad Elliot Schlossman, Grand Forks Herald – UND men’s hockey coach Dave Hakstol is taking scholarship money away from players after they received citations following the season.

Three freshman players — Zane Gothberg, 20, Colten St. Clair, 20, and Bryn Chyzyk, 20 — received citations for underage drinking, while sophomore Stephane Pattyn, 22, received a noise citation.

Gothberg’s minor occurred March 31 after the team returned home from the West Regional in Grand Rapids, Mich. The other players received their citations over the weekend.

“This is going to cost some people significant scholarship dollars and trigger other internal actions,” Hakstol said.

According to court records, Gothberg has already pled guilty to Possession/Consumption of Alcohol by a Person under 21. Gothberg will be required to pay a 325.00 fine.

UND Hockey: Knight and Kristo are All-Americans

Congratulations to our own Danny Kristo (1st team) and Corban Knight (2nd), who have both been named 2012-13 CCM All-Americans. @undmhockey
— Jayson Hajdu (@UNDSID) April 12, 2013

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – University of North Dakota senior linemates Danny Kristo and Corban Knight have been named 2012-13 CCM Division I All-Americans by the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA). The announcement was made today at the NCAA Frozen Four in Pittsburgh.

Kristo was named to the All-America West First Team, while Knight garnered All-American West Second Team honors.

A native of Eden Prairie, Minn., Kristo was named a Hobey Baker Memorial Award Top 10 finalist and the College Hockey News Player of the Year in 2012-13 after leading the WCHA in goals (26) and ranking second nationally in points (52). Both totals were career highs, as was his team-leading +17 plus/minus rating. He also matched his career high in assists (26), becoming UND’s first player since Jeff Panzer (1997-2001) to record 20-plus assists in each of his four seasons.

Kristo was also named to the All-Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) First Team and the NCAA West Region All-Tournament Team, earned his second straight UND Virg Foss 3-Star Award, was a two-time WCHA Player of the Week, and was a national player of the month honorable mention in February.

Knight, a native of High River, Alberta, was also named a Hobey Baker Award Top 10 finalist after achieving career highs in points (49), goals (16) and assists (33). His 33 assists, which rank third nationally, made him UND’s first player to put together back-to-back 30-assist seasons since current Minnesota Wild star Zach Parise (2002-04).

Knight also earned All-WCHA Second Team honors and was named to the NCAA West Region All-Tournament Team. He led the nation with a career-high 623 assists, 120 more than any other player and second-most in UND single-season history. A two-time WCHA Offensive Player of the Week and the national player of the month in December, Knight put together a 19-game point streak that was UND’s longest in 25 years.

Kristo and Knight are the 70^th and 71^st All-Americans in UND men’s hockey history and the ninth and 10^th under current head coach Dave Hakstol. It also marks the 19^th different year in which UND has had multiple All-Americans in the same season.

(Video) DU downs UND 5-4

I don't think anyone is very happy with tonight's results, but it's also not time to panic either. UND has lost 4 games in the last 18 so, I don't think it's time to pull the pin yet. After the game, UND head coach Dave Hakstol didn't seem all that pleased with his team's effort. Basically he said they played a sloppy game.

" I thought we were a very sloppy hockey team tonight. It cost us an opportunity at points," said Hakstol. "You have to be able to sustain that push. You can't just come out with a one or two shift burst. We didn't sustain a whole lot through the entire night."

If there is a positive note with tonight's loss, UND remained 6th in the Pairwise rankings.