Hockey Quotes: WMU vs. CC 11/2/13
Head Coach Andy Murray
Thoughts overall on the game tonight..
”You score five goals, that's nice to see but the fact that Frank had to make as many saves as he had to tonight is disappointing. We need to be better and that's what we talked about our team, we are pleased with the win but we are more excited about how much better we can become and we've got a lot of room for growth and that 2nd period of the hockey game we stopped skating and we are a team that has to skate to be effective. We are disappointed that we gave up as many chances as we gave up in the hockey game that our goalie had to be as good as he was. We respect Colorado College a great deal but, we were not pleased with how we played particularly in the 2nd period. The way we played in the last 9 minutes of the hockey game is the way that we need to play when we've got a lead.”
Shots on goal in the first period
“Obviously after the start in the hockey game last night where we fell down, fell behind by two goals it was imperative to start real strong tonight and we did that. I would have liked to see us capitalize in a few more of our chances in the first period but it's all about making skating decisions and when you're standing still the mind doesn't seem to work as well. We did that in the 2nd, we stood still and didn't move our legs and you get yourself and trouble and credit, Colorado College continued to play hard throughout the hockey game, they are a good team.”
Power play performance
“Well, we are very pleased that they came up empty in their power play, the fact that we didn't score on them is not as gratifying. We need to work on things obviously they've got a lot more practice at it this weekend than we did and we need to make sure that we again, monitor our discipline and it's been a concern for us early in the season here and it's not just our young players that are taking some unnecessary penalties, it is some of our veterans as well. We need to be a lot smarter with that part of the discipline and there's a bit of a different game called in the league and it's our responsibility to adjust to the way that the game is being called.”
Less “dump and chase” game plan coming into the weekend
“It was interesting, we scored a number of goals off the rush tonight and that means you're making plays with the puck and I thought our speed through the neutral zone was good tonight and that allows you to be somewhat creative at the blue line and we played a north-south game we didn't play an east-west game where we were going lateral. When we went lateral we got in trouble so I liked our penetration and our drive to the goal tonight. “
2 wins starting off the conference, effect on team
“As far as I know there's just three points for each game so that just means we got six points, I don't believe in anything else. There is no such thing as momentum or whatever because Northern Michigan wants to come in and kick our butts next Saturday night so we need to be ready for that one. All it means is we got six points here and we're not going to go winless this year.”
Learn about CC that will prepare you for February series
“The February series, that is a long time in advance, I know we got Northern Michigan but I don't even know who we got after that. I will think about this and how we play Colorado College in February but their team will change a great deal and our team will be different. Hopefully we are better in February than we were this weekend and I fully expect that they will be better as well.”
On Justin Kovaks
“I think you answered your question, he's got 7 points this season, I would think that he is off to a good start. It is doing things the right way and that is all we ever asked of Justin, he is a quality young man and he is a pleasure to be around but he needs to play the game of hockey the right way and he is getting some success reinforcement because he is doing that. He is moving his legs, going to the goal, and he is looking for the shot. The goal he scored tonight was a sniper's goal and that is the kind of shot we have seen here for three years, we've just never seen it in games, only in practices so he is being rewarded for doing things the right way.
Junior Forward Justin Kovaks
Second period –CC 20 shots on goal opposed to one shot in the first.
“We let up a little bit, but we found a way to get it done in the 3rd. We came out in the 2nd and still popped a few in which were huge because they were getting a lot of chances.”
WMU's 5 goals
“I think our guys came prepared, after last night it was a tough game verse them and we knew they were going to come out angry and we found a way to get by them and pop some in the net early. I think we got under the goalies skin a little bit by shooting the puck from everywhere and it was good.”
Kovak's line
“Me, Shane, and Josh seem to be doing pretty well together right now and its good that we can produce for the team and we are just trying to help everyone out and hopefully we can get everyone going and everybody scoring.”
Early Success this year
“I think it is just like coach said, just doing the right things, working hard and shooting the puck. I have always liked to pass it a little more than I shoot but, I guess shooting works sometimes. But I play with great line mates and they are setting me off and it has been real fun so far.”
Sophomore Forward Josh Pitt
Differences in tonight's game from last night
“We came out stronger for sure, we had a better start and we carried it through the whole game.”
Carryover momentum from OT win
”We always try to build momentum from game to game, it was a big win for us last night and it was an even bigger one tonight. “
Pitt's goal
“I was in front on the first one but I don't know if I actually got the tip on it or not. But, on the second one Bersch made a great play to me and I just tried to get it off my stick quick.”
Three goals for the Pitt/Berschbac/Kovacs line
“Every game we always try to be the line that can score and we are trying to generate offense every game and tonight it just worked out for us.”
Physicality of new conference
“Every team tries to play hard and every team depending on their size might bring a different physicality but we are always trying to be on bodies, we are trying to make it miserable for teams to play against us and we just have a good line up.”
Six points to start off new conference
“Big couple wins and a great way to start off the new conference and we are just going to keep trying to build on it from here.”
