Link to game one article from Omaha.com – Mavericks Today. A view from the opposition. A full series summary tomorrow in LetsGoDU.
All posts by 5BWest
BOO Birds
One under reported story from the DU – North Dakota series in Grand Forks in early December was told by Minneapolis City Pages. North Dakota fans, upset about the November nickname change re-branding the school to the Fighting Hawks, booed when the PA announcers uttered the new bird name. The new name was decided two weeks prior to the DU series when North Dakota was playing back-to-back road series. DU got to hear the first expression of the fans displeasure. If you missed it, here it is:
LetsGoDU Wants Your Comments
Any blog is only as good as the its readers and your comments. We have been fine-tuning the new LetsGoDU website and it is now easier than ever to post your comments, either by name or anonymously. Also, if you have suggestions or recommendations regarding LetsGoDU, go to the home page menu, select ABOUT at the top of the page and there is a comment section for your input.
Go Pioneers!
Mid-Season Hockey Poll Shows Winners & Losers
Heading into this weekend versus University of Nebraska – Omaha, the Pioneers have been one of the biggest surprises in college hockey – unfortunately, for their on-ice results versus preseason expectations. LetsGoDU looked at the USCHO Preseason Hockey Poll and compared these predictions to the recent January 4th USCHO Regular Season Poll.
The biggest improvement was shown by current #2 Quinnipiac, originally predicted to finish 18th – they ‘moved up’ +16 places. Other big winners include St Cloud (+13), UMass-Lowell (+6), St. Lawrence (+6), and unranked Notre Dame that moved up to 14th (>+6). The second half of the season will show if these programs can sustain this improvement or will they fall back to earth, particularly Quinnipiac. Continue reading Mid-Season Hockey Poll Shows Winners & Losers
Surging Real Estate Prices Hit Close to DU
Photo: $82 million dollar One Observatory Place
According to the Denver Business Journal, one of the most expensive real estate transactions in Denver history just took place near DU for a jaw-dropping $82 million dollars. Located at the S.E. corner of University and E. Evans Ave., the property includes 213 apartments in 11 stories and 23,366 square feet of retail that is occupied by tenants such as Qdoba and Bank of America. The per-apartment price, excluding the retail space, was about $345,000, the highest ever paid for a 50-plus unit apartment complex in Denver. Continue reading Surging Real Estate Prices Hit Close to DU
Denver Dodges Late Oral Roberts Bombs for Win 78-75
When Wednesday night’s game started, the big question was how would DU (9-7) respond coming off a 4-game skid. Were they ready to get back to the basics that led them to a host of early season victories? And, could they offset the inevitable rebound disadvantage? For Oral Roberts (8-9), could they adjust to the loss of their Summit pre-season player of the year, Obi Emegano, who missed the game with a concussion.
DU responded on all counts with a complete team victory tonight, leading ORU nearly the entire game. Late-stage drama occurred in the final 3 minutes of the game as Oral Roberts began to exchange deadly three point shots while DU was nearly flawless at the foul line, narrowing the game to an uncomfortable 1 point margin in the waning seconds. A desperation shot at the buzzer by the Golden Eagles caromed off the rim to give the Pioneers the 3-point win. Continue reading Denver Dodges Late Oral Roberts Bombs for Win 78-75
Turncoat Mascot Sends a Chill Across the Upper Midwest
LetsGoDU covered the controversy this past fall when the Minnesota Vikings mascot, Ragnar, was dumped by the team. In a public news release, the Vikings graciously thanked Joe Juranitch who played Ragnar for his service but stated, “it was time to move on”. Behind the scenes, Mr. Juaranitch was campaigning for an astounding pay increase from $1,500 per game to $20,000 per game.
All was quiet until this past weekend. Then, in the ultimate display of betrayal to the mascot code, Ragner in a video that aired Sunday morning on Fox swapped out his Viking helmet for a cheesehead in a nod to the Vikings key rival, the dreaded Packers. Randy Moss, a commentator for Fox quickly condemned this act of betrayal to Minnesota. Continue reading Turncoat Mascot Sends a Chill Across the Upper Midwest
US Secures Bronze at World Junior Championships
In a surprise to most hockey fans, Finland defeated favored Russia (4-3) today in the gold medal round and pre-tournament betting favorite, team Canada, sat out the medal round of the World Junior Hockey Championships.
The US Juniors captured the bronze medal in a convincing 8-2 victory over Sweden following a disappointing loss after outplaying Russia Monday. The US finished the tournament 5-0-0-2 and landed its fourth medal in the last seven championships. Continue reading US Secures Bronze at World Junior Championships
Omaha Culture Captures the Imagination
Photo: Worlds Biggest Ball of Stamps, Roadside America
Are you making the 550 mile trek to Omaha, Nebraska for the hockey games between the Denver Pioneers and the University Nebraska – Omaha Mavericks this upcoming weekend? This destination offers a plethora of cultural and educational sites for visitors to the “Gateway to the West”, Omaha’s formal nickname. Others may know this city by its more informal nickname, “Rest Stop on I-80”. Continue reading Omaha Culture Captures the Imagination
Rebounding Differential Spells Trouble
Illustration – Wikihow
According to NCAA statistics, DU is rated 325th out of 346 teams with a -7 rebound differential versus their opponents. This deficit has become more pronounced over the last four games, all losses, as the rebounding differential has swollen to -12.75.
The Pioneers do not not need to win the rebound battle. However, they need to keep it close. The difference can be overcome by improved shot selection, reduced turnovers, superior free throw percentage and steals. Continue reading Rebounding Differential Spells Trouble