The Sicatoka

Denver? My sheet shows them losing Paradise and David Neale at forward. That's 28 goals, and that's 20% of their goals this season. My sheet shows DU losing Cook, Adams, Vines, and Armstrong, four senior defensemen who played 38, 37, 35, and 18 games respectively so far. Those four only kicked in two goals so that's not an issue. They return MacKensie, Caldwell, Grahame, and Halme (36, 37, 18, 9 games respectively). Sounds like probably three freshman defensemen each night to me. Playing the system DU plays, smart, know-the-system defensemen are a must. Teams that catch DU before Christmas will probably have some success.

What's on the Arena web site fogs things up worse.

We'll go generic. Rivals: A/B, C/D, E/F, G/H, I/J A's schedule first year: x2: at C, at E, G, I x4: D, F, H, J, and B A's second year: x2: C, E, at G, at I x4: D, F, H, J, and B A's third year: x2: at D, at F, H, J x4: C, E, G, I, and B A's fourth year: x2: D, F, at H, at J x4: C, E, G, I, and B The Herald says: x2: at UM, at DU, UMD, MTU x4: UW, CC, UAA, Mankato, and SCSU except that doesnt' work unless UMD and MTU really aren't "rivals" like the link says. Maybe UMD and Mankato are rivals. Maybe someone screwed up and swapped MTU and Mankato in print. Also note the Herald lists 39 games. OK, take out the Oct 22 Manitoba exhibition and that's 38. Figure one exhibition game (Brandon probably, considering Manitoba will have already been played once) in the holiday tournament. That's 37 games. The Punch Imlach Tournament is probably, probably, like the Icebreaker and doesn't count as games (don't quote me). That's 35. The limit is 34, unless you play in Alaska against UAA or UAF, then you can do 36 games, thus UND's limit next year is 36. I guess that's the schedule. Actually, they have room one more game, or even two if they don't play Bemidji in the holiday tournament final.

YaneA: If all you know comes from the Herald, you are hurtin'. That still isn't right compared to what the link said, but I'll blame the Herald. Under the new system you play half a "rivals pair" four games and the other half for two. Supposedly UAA and Mankato are rivals but you show four against both. Supposedly MTU and UMD are rivals but you show two against both. Did the Herald make a mistake or did the rivals pairs switch? If MTU was rivals with either UAA or Mankato the schedule you list would work. Actually, wouldn't Mankato and UMD and UAA and MTU as rivals make some sense? Who knows. Ask Don "the architect of the schedule" Lucia.

There's a mistake in there somewhere. The schedule lists only 13 conference weekends (26 games). It should be 14 weekends (28 games). It shows seven home but only six road series. Also, based on the link that describes the new scheduling format, it appears that schedule is missing a trip to SCSU (you play your 'rival' four times). However, UMD and MTU were supposed to be "rivals" as were UAA and Mankato. Rivals means we'd play one of them for four and one of them for two. The schedule shows both UMD and MTU for two and both UAA and Mankato for four. That also doesn't jive unless there's been a switch.

Three? Uh, Chris Leinweber. And Brendan Connelly played two years at Air Force plus last year at UND. Technically he's a senior also. The good news is that Ryan Hale is only a junior next year by eligibility (due to the medical redshirt). dagies: Another epiphany in the works?

The new WCHA scheduling technique explained, sort of: http://sports.yahoo.com/m....ng.html YaneA: What you said doesn't follow. MTU and UMD are 'rival' partners. If UND only plays two games against one of them they play four against the other.

This is Rule 6.1.a from the 2001 NCAA rule book: "A minor penalty shall be assessed against any player displaying unsportsmanlike conduct including, but not limited to, taunting an official or opponent in order to incite the opponent into incurring a penalty; spitting; spraying the goalkeeper; shooting the puck after the whistle; or kicking, throwing or knocking an opponent

You expect someone to read a dissertation, or dare I say an epiphany, like that in its entirety?

Grayeagle: It's been fixed. Happy now? When they were down on the ice at the dots in the UM end, as he got up Ballard grabbed the back of DL's jersey and pulled it up over his helmet. It cost DL a couple extra seconds getting up and back into the chase. Being those few seconds behind Ballard prevented DL from backchecking and allowed Ballard to roam free with a loose puck in the slot.

Chri ....., er, I mean dagies, You missed Brendan Connelly at forward.

Obstruction interference? Yes, it's a penalty. The "face wash" and shove (or head grab, of hold down, or hand on the back of the guy on the ice's helmet) after the whistle are all penalties. Visitor substitutions after the referee's arm is up are a delay of game penalty that isn't called. Let me think. There'll be more.

When Ballard touched the puck after the Lundbohm jersey incident the following should have been heard: - A whistle (either the referee's or the AR's) - "Minnesota penalty on number 13, Keith Ballard, two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct at 18:30 of overtime. Ballard of Minnesota, two minutes, unsportsmanlike conduct, at 18:30." from the Mariucci PA system. You let the subjective stuff go in OT. That was objectively unsportsmanlike conduct, regulation or OT. It was a planned and completed act, not an accident. And it directly impacted a scoring opportunity and the outcome of the game. And I'd be raggin' David Hale if he pulled crap like that too.

Yes, FSN-N has rights to UM and UW games during the season, the regular season. The WCHA has the rights to the Final Five. I'm surprised the WCHA hasn't mandated a system for broadcasting those Final Five games where the most senior WCHA radio broadcaster that doesn't have "their team" in the tournament, or the radio broadcast team from the highest finishing non-Final Five WCHA team, does the play-by-play. (Let Fox run the cameras.)

I was worried about who would replace the senior receivers (Dan Graf and "Saint" Luke Schleussner), but I heard about a D-IAA transfer from Ball State (?) who supposedly is the real deal. My concerns now are: - the hot corner in the secondary, left CB (Riendeau's replacement) - with no J-Perk, who'll carry the rock (how's Jim Miller's rehab coming?) - how do you replace O'Neel and O'Neil down the middle of that defense?

Those seedings tell me that SCSU has to play Michigan in Yost Arena in Ann Arbor. (insert Nelson Muns "Ha! Ha!" here) Minnesota got some good fortune with the MSU/CC winner coming their way (and not having Michigan in their bracket); however, this is Ron Mason's last run. It may be Michigan's rink but there will be more MSU fans and a very motivated Spartan team. I expect DU to have to play Michigan in Yost (see above) and that will not be easy, even for DU.

Get it right, Diggler. It's "Redneck Inbred Trailer-trash Cracker Honkeys" or "RITCH" for short! We're RITCH! (You'll have to imagine the "sittin' on the porch with a PBR and a shotgun wearing a t-shirt and scratchin' themself" mascot for yourself.) When surveyed, 81% of Native Americans said no when asked if high schools or colleges should change their Indian related monikers. 81%. (source: Sports Illustrated, March 4, 2002)

Same story, different source: http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_np=0&...mp;u_sid=336167 And you have to check out some of the comments.

How about: http://chicagosports.com/blackha....00.html

About the point on the power play: I'd expect to see Andy Schneider get more comfortable .... and run the SECOND unit. I suspect a healthy Chris Fournier will be running the point on the first. He was put up there a couple of times this season. Who knows, you could even see a freshman running the UND power play next year. About goaltending: I'd put UM's Weber and Johnson and UND's Siembida, Brandt, and Sedevie ALL in the "Great Big Question Mark" category right now. None were awe-inspiring over more than a weekend. None showed that they are the next "long haul" goaltender. Forget forwards, results next year for both teams will be most easily linked to results from the guy standing in the light blue paint. Personally, I'm hoping that Siembida not having to fillout "change of address cards" every three months (to Waterloo from NOJHL and to UND from Waterloo) will help him focus on his game.

jk: I'm thinking that when 'dagies' sees '8' he sees something like building trusses, or maybe rafters, in the background.

dagies with the Vulcan-internet-mind-meld thing goin' on .... Can you see the future too?

Blais has talked (radio) about "five incoming" plus Colby Genoway becoming eligible. The five would be: F: Zach Parise and Quinn Fylling D: Matt Greene and Lee Marvin G: Layne Sedevie F Eric Fabian is for 2003 I believe. F Chris Porter will play 2002-2003 in the USHL (Lincoln?) or so I have heard.

Yo 'Hit...' Doesn't Minnesota have an upcoming game or two or three? Do you know something about the outcomes that you are thinking about "next year" already?

Ah yes, "goons." Why can't we have more players who give thrills through their offensive ability? Why can't we have more guys with careers like this: Yr Gm G A Pts Fr 41 10 16 26 So 33 7 14 21 Jr 44 21 15 36 Sr 41 37 24 61 Yes, why can't we have guys who steadily improve over time to the point of having a 37 goal, 61 point senior year? Instead we get goons. You see, the stats above belong to James "Jim" Archibald. Yes, THAT Jim Archibald. Archie had two 20 goal seasons. Why can't we have MORE Jim Archibalds. Archie was a fighter and tough guy but seldom an instigator. He stood in front of the other team's net and put in pucks. He took a lot of abuse doing that and returned much of it. He did a job. And he had a sixty point senior year. How many Fighting Sioux players can say they've had a sixty point year? And Commy a goon? Commy was no worse than anyone else in the league. He had a simple problem. He was 6'3" hitting 5'10" guys. Everything looked like a high hit. Also the referees took special note of him after his dismantling of a Badger (a Badger who instigated). He spent time in the box but look back and see if he was on the ice for any of Karl Goehring's or Andy Kollar's concussions. Goalies are safer with guys like Commodore on the ice. And before someone brings it up, Archie's other noteworthy stats: PIM Fr So Jr Sr: 96 91 156 197