The Sicatoka

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

I seldom question a defenseman's actions on a 2 on 1. Trust me, they don't want to be there. Remember, they should be "X on 2" at worst. Do you see where I'm going with that statement .... It looked like all the defensemen were getting beat around the corner late Saturday. Can you say "gassed"?

Only one defenseman played in every game this year. It wasn't Mazurak or Schneekloth. They both missed time with injuries. It wasn't David Hale. He missed a few. Andy Schneider duked up a Manitoba Bison and missed the opener plus a game at CC. Nick Fuher didn't solidify his line-up position until the second half. Leinweber was in and out of the line-up also. Only Matt Jones played all 37 games this year. Except no one really noticed him out there. But isn't that the way it is supposed to be with a defensive minded defenseman?

Random ramblings and bits of info passed my way. Four NCC teams talk going D-I (IAA football): NDSU, SDSU, USD, UNC. Four NCC teams are not interested in full D-I: UND, SCSU, MnSU-Mankato, UNO. Notice that the teams with some D-I experience (hockey) have no interest in going D-I. Currently $1.8M of UND's $5.8M athletic budget supports just D-I hockey. That's about one third of the budget for just one program. If you are D-I you have to play other D-I teams. To get an idea of D-I travel costs look at UND hockey. Minnesota lost $7,000,000.00 in athletics this year. They project to lose $55,000,000.00 over the next five years. That's an average of $11,000,000.00 lost per year. It so bad that Lucia's team, by Athletic Department decree, can not schedule road non-conference games because they can't affort the travel. I am yet to have someone explain to me how D-I status in the National Collegiate ATHLETIC Association will improve ACADEMICS at The UNIVERSITY of North Dakota or North Dakota State UNIVERSITY. Their primary missions are still academic, yes? Losing money in athletics hurts the total budget. What gets nailed to cover the losses? And D-I (IAA football) newbie Portland State is cutting programs to make the books balance. Uh, how would doing that (because it would happen) at UND or NDSU provide 'opportunities' to North Dakota kids? This is about NDSU's ego. They are POed that UND shows up in the Boston Globe sports page all winter under 'college hockey.' This is about Dr. Chapman wanting to leave his legacy at NDSU. I'm guessing it will be a legacy of red ink.

The following is an excerpt from the March 4, 2002 Sport Illustrated article. All rights to the work and study results belong to Sport Illustrated and the author (SL Price): "Indeed, a recent SI poll suggests that although Native American activists are virtually united in opposition to the use of Indian nicknames and mascots, the Native American population sees the issue far differently. Asked if high school and college teams should stop using Indian nicknames, 81% of Native Americans respondents said no. As for pro sports, 83% of Native American respondents said teams should not stop using Indian nicknames, mascots, characters and symbols. Opinion is far more divided on reservations, yet a majority (67%) there said the usage by pro teams should not cease ... "

The contract (from what I've been told) says that KFYR has to run The Fighting Sioux Hockey Radio Network and anything else has to go on Y-93 (KYYY-FM in Bismarck). If you don't hear The Fighting Sioux Hockey Radio Network on KFYR this weekend I'd post it here and let Roger Thomas know also.

Exclusive broadcast rights to The University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux Athletics belong to Clear Channel North Dakota for the rest of this season and for the next two (and for an option of two additional years beyond that). Put another way this is year one of a three year CCND/UND deal. The deal has an option for two additional years at the end. Clear Channel North Dakota Stations of the Fighting Sioux Hockey Radio Network: KFGO 790 AM Fargo KFYR 550 AM Bismarck 96.1 FM Grand Forks I believe CCND stations in Minot and Dickinson are also carrying it. I'm pretty sure there's a station in NW Minnesota also and they are probably selling broadcast rights to other stations. But hey, if you're in ND and can't get KFYR ... you don't have a radio.

Fargo: The Mighty 790 KFGO (790 AM) Grand Forks: 96.1 FM Bismarck: KFYR 550 AM The games should be on Fox Sports as they are "Gopher Hockey" games.

First, http://www.UND.nodak.edu/news/symbol.html Next, point out that if the logo is so offensive, why'd the American Indian artist who made it sign it? Look at the right most feather in that link. If you rotate the logo so that feather is at the top you can see "B BRIEN" in quilling of that feather. That "N," that's no anomaly. That's his signing the work. It's carried over in both the Gemini jerseys and the granite in REA. Look for yourself. And pick up a copy of this week's Sports Illustrated (with the skater on the cover). Nice article pointing out how 81% of non-reservation American Indians do NOT believe that monikers like Seminoles and Sioux are a source or basis of discrimination. If they don't know, who does?

Friday I only saw nine forwards on the ice for UND: Skarp, Bayda, Money Spie, Notes, Ryan Hale Fournier, Lundbohm, Massen Saturday it was: Skarp, Bayda, Money Spie, Notes, Lundbohm McMahon, Canady, Ryan Hale Fournier, Palmiscno, Massen At defense Leinweber didn't play this weekend. Brandt was the other goaltender dressed on Saturday.

From FightingSioux.com: The coordinates are: KU Band, SBS6, Transponder 5.

40 shots against a guy with Dubielewicz's save percentage is still only 2 goals. Ouch. (Wade Dubielewicz has a 0.949 save percentage in the WCHA.)

Well if we're going to tally the NHL stuff .... Ed has a Calder and a couple of Vezina Trophies.

Jim: If the US would have won, Drury (Hobey 1998) would have matched Broten. And wouldn't Ed get any credit for losing the Hobey to a teammate? (Hrkac 1987)