As part of my pre-game speculation, let's take a look back at what happened the last time these two teams met.
Last season, Michigan Tech played MSU-Mankato only once, down in Mankato during February. Excitement was high following a tie/win weekend against Colorado College at home the previous weekend, and a minimum of three points were expected in the quest for home ice, if not four.
The result? Tech bussed back to Houghton with one measly point to show for their efforts, after a tie/loss weekend result. Once again, the Huskies faced the problem of playing down to opponents they should have beaten, even on the road. The team faced similar situations against Duluth, getting swept at tDECC after a disappointing GLI performance when they should have been looking to rebound, and all the way up in Alaska two weekends later, when they split with Anchorage, a team they pounded 9-0 and 5-3 at the MacInnes back in October. This pattern of playing down to lesser opponents and also frequently losing games in overtime naturally got very tiresome for us fans to witness.
What does all of this mean? Well, for one thing, it leads us to my selection for...
Cliche Arena Rock Anthem of the Weekend - "We're Not Gonna Take It" by Twisted Sister
That's right Huskies - we the fans, are no longer going to sit there and take agonizingly close losses to teams we ought to beat, and neither should you. Even the geezers will be angrily *click*click*click*-ing their dentures in displeasure if this happens at any point throughout the season.
Bottom line - That means no more playing down to weaker opponents, no more sub-par hockey against girly teams like eNeMa U, and no taking periods off. We expect you to come out, work your asses off, and play the best, most entertaining 60 minutes of hockey you can provide us with. If overtime is required, we expect you to play your hearts out for that 5 minute overtime period and skate to win it, not just well enough to avoid a loss. You do that, and we the fans will be happy.
It's Friday in Houghton. The puck drops in exactly 2 hours, 10 minutes. The quest for Jim's trophy begins this evening. Let's play to win it.
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