This past weekend, the Fighting Sioux lost the championship game of the Ice Breaker Championship to the Boston College Eagles 6-2, and some of the Fighting Sioux faithful are panicking a bit. Some have suggested with the Maine Black Bears coming to town this weekend, that it could be another long weekend for the Fighting Sioux. But looking at the numbers, things aren’t really as bad as they seem.
Since Fighting Sioux head coach David Hakstol took over the coaching duties at the beginning of the 2004-05 season, the Fighting Sioux have a record of 11-12-4 against the Hockey East teams. I think one could classify that as a respectable record against Hockey East teams, since three of the last four NCAA titles have come out of Hockey East; Boston College 2008 and 2010 and Boston University 2009.
During that time period (2004-11), there are two teams that have the Fighting Sioux’s number, coach Hakstol’s teams have compiled a 1-4-1 record against the Boston College Eagles and a 2-4-0 record against the Maine Black Bears for a cumulative record 3-8-1. Putting that record aside, Coach Hakstol teams have a 8-4-3 record against Merrimack College, North Eastern University, University of Massachusetts and New Hampshire. For some reason those two Hockey East teams have coach Hakstol’s number. Fighting Sioux fans hope that their team’s fortunes change this weekend against the Black Bears.
Since becoming the head coach of the Fighting Sioux eight years ago, coach Hakstol has a coaching record of 188-94-27 and a 113-64-19 record against the WCHA. Coach Hakstol’s teams have been to the NCAA playoffs seven times and his teams have also qualified for the Frozen Four five times. During that same time period the Fighting Sioux have won two MacNaughton Cups and three Broadmoor Trophies.
In recent years (2004-2011) the Fighting Sioux have had “some” success against Hockey East teams albeit the Fighting Sioux have a losing record of 11-12-4 that has been compiled against some of the tougher teams of Hockey East. The first two seasons that Hakstol coached for the Fighting Sioux he had a 7-2-3 record against Hockey East teams.
Here are the stats broken down by year.
The Current season 2011-12 with the loss last Saturday night, the Fighting Sioux’s record against Hockey teams is 0-1 (Boston College 0-1-0) 11-12-4
During the 2010-11 season the Fighting Sioux went 0-2 against Hockey East teams (Maine 0-2-0) 11-11-4
During the 2009-10 season the Fighting Sioux went 2-0 against Hockey East teams (Merrimack College) 2-0) 11-9-4
During the 2008-09 season the Sioux went 0-3 against Hockey East teams (Boston University 0-1, UMass 0-1 and University of New Hampshire 0-1-0) 9-9-4
During the 2007-08 season the Fighting Sioux went 2-1-1 against Hockey East (University of New Hampshire 1-1-0, Boston College 0-1-1 and North Eastern University 1-0-0) 9-6-4
During the 2006-07 season the Fighting Sioux went 0-3-0 against Hockey East (Maine 0-2-0, Boston College 0-1-0) 7-5-3
During the 2005-06 season the Fighting Sioux went 3-1-1 against Hockey East (North Eastern University 2-0, University of New Hampshire 1-0-1, Boston College 0-1-0) 7-2-3
During the 2004-2005 season the Fighting Sioux went 4-1-2 (Maine 2-0-0, Boston College 1-1-1, Boston University, 1-0-0, North Eastern 0-0-1) 4-1-2
Here is the Fighting Sioux’s record against the individual Hockey East teams since the 2004-05 season.
Wow. Great job, Eric. That’s a lot of research. In my opinion, New Hampshire has as good a team as any of those programs, particularly last year and this year. To see ND do well against them is plenty telling for me.
FNESS
New England’s Home For Sports Commentary.
Yep, good point, the UNH Wildcats ended the Sioux season in the 2009 NCAA playoffs and they have been an explosive team.