The Sicatoka

Remember this, specifically point 2? How many times last night did we see a red jersey coming in on Kangas all alone. PS - Just for Sioux-cia, same link, 1a.

I honestly believe that Bachman at CC and Kangas at Minnesota are suffering the same fate: Sophomore slump. Their teams each rode them to success last year. Now, when each shows that they're human look what happens to them and their teams. And considering that notion, Sioux fans I have one thing to say to you ... be happy 'cause ...

It would be bloodsport the likes of which seldom is seen in ND. Me? I'd "get me some popcorn" and enjoy the show. :D

Did I just read an "everybody does it" defense in this? People forget: RAs are university employees doing a (not a lot of fun always) job. I hope President Kelley steps in now and every time someone messes with a University employee. That's a big key in this situation (from UND's perspective) I'm sure. You have to have the back of those RAs (from getting punched) and you can't favor athletes. Let's go to root cause: Minor + Alcohol consumption. The rest followed.

And we know NDSU fans would be against that and would never stand for that. NDSU fans raised "Gehenna" when UND did that back in 200x (when Digger broke the kid from Dickinson's leg) and earned a Nickel. However, that's what big-time programs do against big-time rivals. It's far from unheard of in Big Ten football, UND hockey, ACC basketball ...

Multipurpose facility for NDSU, that could support hockey, and BB. Lemme think ... when've I heard that one ... Oh, yeah, ... 2005, ... 2000 ... 1991-ish (called Fargodome) ... The political repercussions of adding hockey capability to any Fargodome addition (post- UP Center) would be great theatre to observe.

I think it's so-o-o-o-o-o cu-u-u-u-u-ute when Bison fans: a) come to the board of a school they "no longer care about" to b) debate conference membership of a conference said "no longer care about" school is not even in, and c) in the process, end up ripping each other to shreds. That's good stuff.

Slightly re-arranging what I said here ... Goaltending is like money and horsepower: There is no such thing as "too much."

Yes, but I believe that also makes them not eligible for post-season play.

No, the point being SCSU is literally "Zero for the NCAA tournament". I believe that translates to seven opening round game defeats to date. (EDIT: Now that I think about it, didn't SCSU win an NCAA tourney game recently?) I knew only hockey fans would really understand the dig there. As far as UP Center: I'm running under the same rules as when junior league games were played in the Fargo Mauseleum, er, Coliseum, namely, only when there's a UND recruit on the visiting roster (and there's no Sioux game in Grand Forks to attend).

Semper Fi. Lux et Lex. You'll be missed TC.

And you have to assume that cutting a womens program is not an option due to needing those womens scholarships to balance out mens FB (Title IX).

<cue the Barry White music> " ... We're gonna take the receiver off the phone ... because baby, you and me, heh ... this night, we're gonna get it on ... "

Minnesota and UAA have each only played 24 games where the rest of the league has played 27+ meaning Minnesota and UAA have seen a lot of Bye so far this season. It really doesn't seem to have done much for either, other than maybe making Minnesota somewhat feistier than usual. I wonder about Bye's style of play affecting teams. UND played the GLI after seeing them earlier this year and we know how *that* turned out.

Correct: G. Shepherd was in St. Cloud. Why? Because UND and UM went at it and so did UND and DU. Yet there was nothing in the UND and SCSU game last night like that. So apparently (according to some at least) the Sioux were in Mankato and Denver.

1. A Schack/Boe fight? When. Boe got run in the corner after the bad hit at center on Barriball (or was it Carmen?). A pile-up happened, like six players, and out if it comes Boe, leg twisted under, down on the ice, no helmet, and Schack pounding on the back of the head of a guy face down on the ice. There was no offer, there was no square-up: there was a run, and an opportunist. 1a. Jones offered Lucia. Lucia ran. Period. That's all that need to be said about either team. 2. None of this would have happened if MSU-M would know their place and not have scored on the three (four?) fat juicy breakaways given up by the suspect (at best) UM defense. Shame on MSU-M, right? 3. The WCHA officials are calling, well, nothing. "Let 'em play!" I'd love to. When'll they start? All they do now is clutch and grab and interfere because it's not called. 3a. A broken neck didn't trigger real change. A broken neck didn't. I guess, unfortunately, we know what it's going to take. 4. The NCAA do something? Let me give you a clue: I corresponded with a member of a key NCAA committee last week* (re: Gwozdecky of the Wandering Coach Hockey Association). If you're expecting them to step in don't be holding your breath. It's a league matter I guess. 5. I haven't laughed as hard as I did this morning when the "Beyond the Pond" guys on KFAN were talking about how taking the masks off would be a good thing. Really? You want to see Gophers get their butts kicked for that trademarked facewash they're so adept at? That's what'll happen when there's no mask and you really are getting into another guy's face with a glove. * For those who don't believe me, a well-regarded former poster here was on cc:.

No score. 15:20 left in the first. (KFGO on the 'net.)

Patrick C. Miller wrote the Friday Rocky Mountain News story (his name was on it), but he did not write for Rocky Mountain News on Saturday. Virg Foss wrote the Saturday Denver Post story.

Unacceptable. If I had the power, I'd suspend operations of the Michigan State mens hockey program until the day fall practice is allowed to commence per NCAA guidelines. By "suspend operations" I mean no games, no practices, no recruiting, no contact between Comley and his staff and the existing team. Think: SMU Football death penalty type sanctions. I'm The Sicatoka, I'm running for conference commissioner, and I approve this message. (Before you start ripping on me, ask yourself, how far from a potential homocide charge were those two MSU players.)

GG told the media after his departure from the game he watched the remainder of the second from just down the tunnel from the DU bench (in the press/media post-game interviews room) and the third from the press box. Folks, allow me to speculate aloud about GG remaining in full compliance with Rule 4, Section 4.b, specifically the words about ... Anderson yelled at someone down the DU tunnel late in the second. Who was it. And doesn't DU have someone on wireless communications in the press box down to the bench? I'm sure GG went nowhere near that person or the communications gear.

Folks need to read the rulebook. I'd recommend Bruce McLeod and Greg Shepherd give it a try, and then have their direct reports do the same. For example ... There's this Rule 6, Section 49 about "spearing" being a major (and either a Misconduct or DQ at ref's discretion). There's no black or white. DU #11 should have been in a suit Saturday for the spear followed by two malicious cross-checks (the DQ discretion decider) on Friday. But McLeod's press release this week? Point separation at the top. League parity (aka referee a split). Bruce McLeod = Vince McMahon.

GG was penalized under Rule 6, Section 1.d. He should have been penalized under Rule 6, Section 44.a. -- His entrance onto the ice was a refusal to start play. What's the penalty for that? UND 1, DU 0 (Final, by forfeit) And for those of you without the rulebook ... Under Rule 4, Section 10, no, the game can not be retroactively made a forfeit; however, it should have been called such by Anderson and Campion under 6:44.a. However, 4:10 says GG's actions may (should) face additional scrutiny.

Did you know ... George Gwozdecky was thrown out of the game before he came onto the ice. That action should have forfeited the game for DU. Lord knows I'm not a big fan of the NCAA, but they need to step into operations of this league if DU and GG don't face additional sanctions for this, up to and maybe including a retroactive forfeiture of that contest.

OBSERVATION 1 Denver changed strategies Saturday. They realized after the first goal that they just can't skate with North Dakota. So, they pulled out the game plan from the DU v. Maine championship game a few years back. And the officials allow those tactics to play. OBSERVATION 1A The officials (on ice and league) had better pray the NCAA doesn't look at that game. The "focus" on obstruction and holding was, shall we politely say, more than blurred. OBSERVATION 2 "Curious George, the Dancing Dasher Monkey" (attribution unknown) should have cost his team a game. The minute his shoes hit the ice, officials with (again, politely) gonads would have forfeited Denver on the spot. OBSERVATION 2A Curious George's stunt was dangerous and he should be sanctioned more harshly than "Birdman Hak" was. No helmet, on the ice, by the dasher: Remember UM at MSU-M in last year's playoffs? Ol' GG (pronounced "Gi-Gi") was out of control and the league must respond. With malace. OBSERVATION 2B The officials are weak. No official should put up with, much less acknowledge, such treatment. Anderson and Campion should have sent their linesmen down the tunnel when GG hit the ice, and then followed. And then sent the message of OBSERVATION 2 back up the tunnel from their room. No official should put up with an out of control "look at me" one-ups-manship display from a coach like that. Ever. Punish it. Harshly. So that it never happens again. OBSERVATION 3 Brad Eidsness ain't a freshman. Not any more.

OBSERVATION 1 I've seen goalies pulled. I've seen goalies pulled twice by a team in a game. I'd never seen the *same* goalie pulled twice in a game. OBSERVATION 2 How can Hextall be so well known around the league already? Is he a sparkling conversationalist that spurs vibrant dialog evoking primative response from the less linguistically capable. Or did he send league-wide pre-season calling cards (including pictures of him with opponents' moms, sisters, and girlfriends)? OBSERVATION 3 I must have picked up the wrong calendar at the mall last week. I thought it's 2009 so I bought a 2009 caledar. By the officiating I saw, it's 2004.