The Western Vikings are the hottest thing on the ice since the Canadian women's curling team won gold in Vancouver and those ladies are hot.
http://olympicgirls.net/girls/curling-girls/
The Vikings scored 29 goals in two games to humiliate the Central Washington Wildcats on January 14 and 15 at the Bellingham Sportsplex.
How dominating were the Vikings? In the first game, a 15-1 win for Western, they had 60 shots on goal compared to just 16 shots Viking goalie Cam Bulger faced. Seven different Vikings scored a goal including 5 goals and four assists from J.T. Burris. Line-mate Kyle Palmblad added four goals and five assists.
In the second game, the Vikings won 14-4 with captain Jeff Bulger and Palmblad scoring three goals each.
The Vikings will finish the month of January with road games against San Jose, Stanford and Eastern Washington. The next home games at Sportsplex will be the weekend of Feb 4 with games Friday, Saturday against Eastern Washington and Sunday against Stanford.
If you love ice, hockey fights and high scoring games, join the rowdy crowd surrounding the ice rink and cheer on the Vikings! It is the best sports atmosphere Bellingham has to offer.
http://www.westernfrontonline.net/sports/12971-wwu-hockey-trounces-central-in-round-two
http://www.wwu.edu/hockey/index.shtml
Monday, January 17, 2011
Seahawks come back to Earth with crushing loss to Bears
Jan. 16, 2011
NFC Divisional Playoffs: Seattle Seahawks vs. Chicago Bears
The Seahawks improbable playoff run fell faster then a soaring bird shot out of the sky.
The Chicago Bears scored the first four touchdowns of the game while their defense forced Seattle to punt on their first eight possessions and put the Seahawks down early for a 35-24 win at Soldier Field in snowy Chicago on Sunday. So much for a dramatic run to the Super Bowl for the first losing team to reach the playoffs.
While Seattle was coming off a two-game winning streak and playing their best football of the year, Chicago was fresh off a first round bye and came prepared to bury Seattle in a hole they could not dig out of. The game was not as close as the final score would indicate.
The Seattle of old came back and looked outmatched on both sides of the ball for the first three quarters before Matt Hasselbeck threw three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter for a more respectable final score.
The Bears appeared to put the game out of reach after Jay Cutler's second touchdown pass extended the lead to 35-10 with less than five minutes remaining. The Seahawks did not give up and nearly completed an incredible comeback if only a couple of onside kick bounces would have gone their way.
The Bears early game plan focused on finding tight end Greg Olson over the middle of the field. Cutler threw a strike to Olson deep down the field and he beat Seattle safety Lawyer Milloy for a 58 yard touchdown for the first score.
Then disaster struck Seattle with two critical injuries. Seattle lost tight end John Carlson to a concussion after hitting his head on the cold hard field where he laid motionless until being carted off the field. In the third quarter, Seattle lost cornerback Marcus Trufant to a head injury and he needed to be carted off as well.
Both injuries proved costly to Seattle. Without Carlson, they were left with only one tight end which affected their run blocking scheme and Trufant is Seattle's best defensive back who was not on the field for the Bears clinching touchdown pass to Kellen Davis.
Seattle struggled to get any rhythm going offensively against one of the league's best defenses. The star of last week's game Marshawn Lynch managed only two rushing yards. The Bears, on the other hand, had three players who rushed for at least 40 yards and Cutler ran for two touchdowns.
A glimmer of hope for Seattle came with the game's only turnover. The Bears were lined up in the wildcat formation with running back Matt Forte taking the snap. Forte initially was going to run the ball, but did not find a lane so he dropped back and threw a wobbly pass over the middle of the field that was easily intercepted by linebacker Aaron Curry, who jumped the route. The turnover led to Seattle's first touchdown, a two-yard pass to Mike Williams.
Williams got lucky on his second touchdown catch when Hasselbeck's pass went through the hands of Bears cornerback Charles Tillman and right into his for the score with just 2:16 left in the game.
Brandon Stokley's touchdown with 1:24 left, rounded out the scoring after Seattle could not recover the onside sick and the Bears ran out the clock.
Now the NFL has a classic rivalry match-up for the NFC Championship in the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers. Surprisingly, these two NFC North division rivals the only other time they met in the playoffs was in 1941 with the Bears winning. Had Seattle won the game, they would have hosted the Packers at Qwest Field for a spot in the Super Bowl on the line. Playing at home in the championship game would have increased their chances of winning, but Seattle instead lost their eighth straight road playoff game.
The Seahawks quest for playoff glory was shot down on Sunday, but they did accomplish something no losing team had ever done before, win in the playoffs. While many NFL purists did not want to see them there, they defied the odds and played outside their expected potential. But as all too well Seattle sports fans are familiar with, they got beat and looked bad in the process.
Now as the season comes to an end it is time for the same old Northwest battle cry, "There is always next year."
*stats and information found on ESPN and Fox Sports
NFC Divisional Playoffs: Seattle Seahawks vs. Chicago Bears
The Seahawks improbable playoff run fell faster then a soaring bird shot out of the sky.
The Chicago Bears scored the first four touchdowns of the game while their defense forced Seattle to punt on their first eight possessions and put the Seahawks down early for a 35-24 win at Soldier Field in snowy Chicago on Sunday. So much for a dramatic run to the Super Bowl for the first losing team to reach the playoffs.
While Seattle was coming off a two-game winning streak and playing their best football of the year, Chicago was fresh off a first round bye and came prepared to bury Seattle in a hole they could not dig out of. The game was not as close as the final score would indicate.
The Seattle of old came back and looked outmatched on both sides of the ball for the first three quarters before Matt Hasselbeck threw three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter for a more respectable final score.
The Bears appeared to put the game out of reach after Jay Cutler's second touchdown pass extended the lead to 35-10 with less than five minutes remaining. The Seahawks did not give up and nearly completed an incredible comeback if only a couple of onside kick bounces would have gone their way.
The Bears early game plan focused on finding tight end Greg Olson over the middle of the field. Cutler threw a strike to Olson deep down the field and he beat Seattle safety Lawyer Milloy for a 58 yard touchdown for the first score.
Then disaster struck Seattle with two critical injuries. Seattle lost tight end John Carlson to a concussion after hitting his head on the cold hard field where he laid motionless until being carted off the field. In the third quarter, Seattle lost cornerback Marcus Trufant to a head injury and he needed to be carted off as well.
Both injuries proved costly to Seattle. Without Carlson, they were left with only one tight end which affected their run blocking scheme and Trufant is Seattle's best defensive back who was not on the field for the Bears clinching touchdown pass to Kellen Davis.
Seattle struggled to get any rhythm going offensively against one of the league's best defenses. The star of last week's game Marshawn Lynch managed only two rushing yards. The Bears, on the other hand, had three players who rushed for at least 40 yards and Cutler ran for two touchdowns.
A glimmer of hope for Seattle came with the game's only turnover. The Bears were lined up in the wildcat formation with running back Matt Forte taking the snap. Forte initially was going to run the ball, but did not find a lane so he dropped back and threw a wobbly pass over the middle of the field that was easily intercepted by linebacker Aaron Curry, who jumped the route. The turnover led to Seattle's first touchdown, a two-yard pass to Mike Williams.
Williams got lucky on his second touchdown catch when Hasselbeck's pass went through the hands of Bears cornerback Charles Tillman and right into his for the score with just 2:16 left in the game.
Brandon Stokley's touchdown with 1:24 left, rounded out the scoring after Seattle could not recover the onside sick and the Bears ran out the clock.
Now the NFL has a classic rivalry match-up for the NFC Championship in the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers. Surprisingly, these two NFC North division rivals the only other time they met in the playoffs was in 1941 with the Bears winning. Had Seattle won the game, they would have hosted the Packers at Qwest Field for a spot in the Super Bowl on the line. Playing at home in the championship game would have increased their chances of winning, but Seattle instead lost their eighth straight road playoff game.
The Seahawks quest for playoff glory was shot down on Sunday, but they did accomplish something no losing team had ever done before, win in the playoffs. While many NFL purists did not want to see them there, they defied the odds and played outside their expected potential. But as all too well Seattle sports fans are familiar with, they got beat and looked bad in the process.
Now as the season comes to an end it is time for the same old Northwest battle cry, "There is always next year."
*stats and information found on ESPN and Fox Sports
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Hockey Night in Vancouver has playoff feeling
Jan. 8, 2011
Vancouver Canucks vs. Detroit Red Wings
The battle for best in the west came down to a shootout Saturday night in Vancouver. Riding an eight game winning streak and undefeated in regulation since early December, the Vancouver Canucks lost to the Detroit Red Wings 2-1 after Juri Hudler’s slapshot past netminder Roberto Luongo for the only goal in the shootout. Daniel Sedin’s backhand shot was denied by Red Wing goalie Jimmie Howard to end the shootout.
A match-up of the two best teams in the Western Conference did not disappoint on Hockey Night in Canada. With the win, the Red Wings are one point behind the Canucks for the best record in the NHL. In three games head to head, Detroit leads the series 2-1, with both wins decided in overtime or shootout. If these teams end up meeting in the playoffs, there will plenty of animosity between both clubs.
The game was a low-scoring, grind it out defensive battle throughout. Howard and Luongo stole the show saving 34 and 32 shots respectively. Howard made the save of the game with his glove early in the first period when it looked like Daniel Sedin would find the back of the net from point blank range.
Daniel Sedin did score the first goal of the game midway through the second period on a powerplay while Ryan Kesler and Henrik Sedin assisted on the play for the Canucks. It was Sedin’s 25th goal of the season.
Vancouver was penalized just before the end of the second period and it came back to bite them when they started the third period shorthanded. Johan Franzen scored on a breakaway one minute into the period to tie the game. As the period progressed, the pace and tension grew to a fevered pitch as both teams picked up physical play but were careful not to pick up a costly penalty. The Red Wings had the only penalty of the period, but it did not cost them. The game would need to be decided in overtime.
The chances were there for both teams in the extra frame. Canucks winger Jeff Tambellini had a breakaway opportunity shot wide right that could have given the Canucks a game winning goal with two minutes left in overtime. He also missed a chance to equalize in the shootout. With 25 seconds left in overtime it looked like Niklas Kronwall’s slapshot won the game for Detroit, but the goal was disallowed when former Canuck Todd Bertuzzi knocked Luongo down before the puck hit the net. Officials determined it wasn’t worth a penalty, but the hit didn’t give Luongo a chance to make the save.
Both teams played on back to back nights, but neither team showed fatigue in the showdown. Vancouver won the faceoff battle 40 to 34 and outhit the injury depleted Red Wings 24 to 16, but in the end the Canucks could not put the puck in the net in crunch time.
Next game between both teams will be March 23 in Detroit and can be seen on Versus. I can’t wait for the rematch.*stats compiled from ESPN and CBC
NFC Wildcard Playoff New Orleans Saints vs. Seattle Seahawks
1-7-11
“WOW! Did that just happen?!”
Those are the words uttered throughout the country after watching one of the biggest upsets in NFL postseason history. Everyone seemed to mock the Seattle Seahawks for being the first team with a losing record to make the playoffs. Nobody expected Saturday’s matchup against the reigning Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints to be competitive despite playing at Qwest Field in front of the loudest fans in football. The Seahawks reminded everyone that records do not matter once the playoffs start.
The Seahawks overcame an early turnover and 10 point deficit to stun the Saints with a dominating 41-36 win in the NFC Wildcard game Saturday afternoon. Marshawn Lynch put an explanation mark on the game with a determined 67 yard touchdown run with just 3:22 left that exhilarated the crowd while dejected the “Who Dat Nation.”
After sitting out the playoff clinching win last week, Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck saved his best game of the year for the playoffs. The 12-year veteran threw for 272 yards and four touchdowns for his fifth playoff victory. His experience, poise and guts in the pocket gave Seattle the confidence to play at the highest level at the most opportune time.
Hasselbeck was effective throwing the ball on third and short. On third and two, he threw a deep fade pass to Mike Williams right on his fingertips, who dragged two defenders into the end zone for a 38 yard touchdown in the third quarter extending Seattle’s lead to 11.
Seattle built a two touchdown lead by the third quarter, but ex-Seahawk Julius Jones scored his second touchdown of the game for the Saints in the third quarter to cut the lead in half. Jones, filling in for two injured running backs, became the first player in NFL history to score a touchdown in the playoffs against a team that cut him earlier in the year.
After a Saints field goal narrowed the deficit to four points, it appeared Seattle lost its grip on the game and Brees would put together another comeback win. Instead, Lynch went into “BEAST MODE” on the biggest play of the game. After picking up the first down, Lynch would not go down. He broke free from eight missed tackles, stiff armed Saints cornerback Tracy Porter to the ground, found a lane up the sideline and willed his way into the end zone, igniting an already boisterous crowd into euphoria. At that moment, the underdog became the alpha dog.
The Saints were able to drive down the field and score another touchdown, but then failed to convert the two-point conversion. The Saints then misplayed the onside kick and the Seahawks completed an epic team performance that will be remembered in Seattle lore forever.
“We expected to win,” Seattle head coach Pete Carroll said. “It sounds crazy, but we expected to win.”
Both teams got into an offensive rhythm in the first quarter, setting the tone for an exciting slugfest. The Saints scored on their first three possessions to build a 17-7 lead. The Seahawks were not intimidated and answered through the air with two John Carlson touchdown catches. Seattle took the lead for good late in the second quarter on a Brandon Stokley 45 yard touchdown pass on third and short with just more than a minute to play in the first half.
Despite what the score would indicate, the Seahawks defense came up big when needed. The Saints did not have a problem marching down the field in the passing attack, but settled for three field goals in the red zone. Drew Brees threw for 404 yards and two touchdowns in the loss. In a key sequence late in the fourth quarter, the Seahawks sacked Brees on third down, and then denied the Saints on a fourth down, giving Seattle back possession. Seattle also forced a fumble, setting up a field goal that tied the game at 17.
It appeared the Saints took Seattle lightly after they finished with a 7-9 record, the first time a team with a losing record made the playoffs. This season, Seattle was outscored by 97 points, the largest deficit of any playoff team in NFL history. With the upset win on Saturday, the Seahawks make history again becoming first playoff team with a losing record to win a playoff game.
Throwing stats and records out the window, Seattle looked determined to win and the Saints were not ready. With aggressive play-calling and pure heart, Seattle outplayed the defending champs. It just goes to show when a team is motivated and has the support of the 12th man, anyone can win. For a season that looked lost and forgettable, Seattle seized their moment for redemption and broke the losing culture sports fans in the Great Northwest have come to expect. Not everything is what it seems, underdogs can bite too.
*Stats obtained from ESPN
Saturday, January 8, 2011
BIG GAME SATURDAY
I proclaim the second Saturday of 2011 to be BIG GAME SATURDAY. Four Northwest sports teams are in action today. The Seattle Seahawks play in NFC Wild Card Playoffs, the men's basketball Washington Huskies and Gonzaga Bulldogs each have conference games and the NHL leading Vancouver Canucks play the Detroit Red Wings on Hockey Night in Canada. I plan on staying home all day watching great sports action. Someone call me tomorrow because I might have a sports overdose!! I will recap the Seahawks and Canucks games shortly. Enjoy!
2010 Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl: Washington Huskies vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers
Dec. 30, 2010
Washington proved to the entire country they deserved to play in a bowl game. The Huskies took advantage of a rare re-match against Nebraska, controlling the football with a dominant defense and power run game to win 19-7 in the Holiday Bowl in San Diego Thursday night.
In September, Nebraska embarrassed Washington scoring 56 points and rushing for 385 yards at Husky Stadium. This time around the Huskies defense, led by Senior linebacker Mason Foster who had 12 tackles and two sacks, stuffed the Cornhuskers rushing attack and never let them get into a offensive tempo. Junior tailback Chris Polk ran for 177 yards and a touchdown for the Huskies.
Washington’s defense responded with a physical presence at the line of scrimmage while forcing freshman quarterback Taylor Martinez out of the game late in the third quarter. It was Martinez who ran wild against a much different looking Huskies front line in September.
Locker got what he wanted when he passed on the NFL for a final season in purple and gold, a chance to play in a bowl game. His numbers were not quarterback sexy, but effective as he controlled the ball picking up key first downs with his feet.
Locker ran for 83 yards and a touchdown while completing only five passes, just one better then his four completions in the earlier match-up. One key difference, he did not turn the ball over. Locker caught a pass before he even had a completion.
In the second quarter, he took a helmet to helmet hit while scrambling. It would not keep him out of his last collegiate game. Locker did not complete his first completion until the third quarter. His 25-yard touchdown run in the third quarter put the game out of reach.
“This is why (Locker) came back,” Washington coach Steve Sarkisian said. “He has a good heart and is a humble young man.”
The victory was Locker’s first bowl game and the Huskies first bowl game since 2002. Since then, the Huskies have gone through three head coaches and endured a 12 lose season just two years ago. By winning, the Huskies accomplished two goals, claimed revenge from a poor early season performance against an elite team and completed a dramatic turn-around finishing with 7 wins, which brings the program back to a competitive level.
Locker, the standout recruit from Ferndale, finished his career at Washington with 7,639 total yards and 53 total touchdowns. With Heisman Trophy runner-up QB Andrew Luck from Stanford deciding to stay in school another year, Locker is projected to be the second quarterback taken in the NFL draft, according to ESPN. It will be interesting to follow his career on whatever team drafts him and see if he can develop into a starting quarterback.
*Additional information obtained from AP. Quote from ESPN post game interview.
Welcome to Cascadia Sports Central
If you are looking for amateur, yet passionate analysis of all the sports teams in the Cascadia region you have come to the right place. My name is Dan Balmer a journalism major and Senior at Western Washington University. I have experience as a news and sports editor for the college paper, The Western Front. I love sports and enjoy writing about sports.
The goal of this blog is simple, I will write a recap and opinion of all the major sporting events in the Pacific Northwest of all my favorite sports teams. This blog is from a fan perspective supported by stats from ESPN and the Associated Press. I will not write about roster transactions, contract negotiations and other off the field news. I want to simply focus on the games with significance during the course of each teams' respected seasons. Essentially, my blog will be all the exciting game highlights without the trans fats.
The list of Cascadia sports teams includes big games from the Seattle Seahawks, Mariners, Sounders, the Vancouver Canucks, Vancouver Whitecaps and college basketball teams the Washington Huskies and Gonzaga Bulldogs and Huskies football team. If I feel like it, I might even write about Portland sports teams if it is worth doing so.
Seattle sports teams have had a history of underachieving and frustrating their fan base. Only the Seattle Supersonics (may they rest in peace) and Seattle Storm of the WNBA have captured championships. According to Forbes.com, Seattle has been awarded the dubious title of America's sports sports city.
http://www.forbes.com/2010/05/12/seattle-atlanta-phoenix-buffalo-business-sports-miserable-sports-cities.html
If you come to a game at Qwest or Safeco field, you will notice a city that loves its sports teams. The Seahawks have one of the best fans in football with the loudest stadium in the NFL. So the passion for sports in the Northwest is there. I want to bring my passion and excitement, along with frustration and pain I have for the sports teams I root for. Enjoy and thanks for reading!
The goal of this blog is simple, I will write a recap and opinion of all the major sporting events in the Pacific Northwest of all my favorite sports teams. This blog is from a fan perspective supported by stats from ESPN and the Associated Press. I will not write about roster transactions, contract negotiations and other off the field news. I want to simply focus on the games with significance during the course of each teams' respected seasons. Essentially, my blog will be all the exciting game highlights without the trans fats.
The list of Cascadia sports teams includes big games from the Seattle Seahawks, Mariners, Sounders, the Vancouver Canucks, Vancouver Whitecaps and college basketball teams the Washington Huskies and Gonzaga Bulldogs and Huskies football team. If I feel like it, I might even write about Portland sports teams if it is worth doing so.
Seattle sports teams have had a history of underachieving and frustrating their fan base. Only the Seattle Supersonics (may they rest in peace) and Seattle Storm of the WNBA have captured championships. According to Forbes.com, Seattle has been awarded the dubious title of America's sports sports city.
http://www.forbes.com/2010/05/12/seattle-atlanta-phoenix-buffalo-business-sports-miserable-sports-cities.html
If you come to a game at Qwest or Safeco field, you will notice a city that loves its sports teams. The Seahawks have one of the best fans in football with the loudest stadium in the NFL. So the passion for sports in the Northwest is there. I want to bring my passion and excitement, along with frustration and pain I have for the sports teams I root for. Enjoy and thanks for reading!
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