The Sicatoka

The NCAA would tell you: Operations of championships and furthering our core values. I would tell you: It ain't cheap keeping "fat, wheezy do-nothing NC$$ administrators" on the payroll. The NCAA has the best racket since government bureaucrats, the Mafia, professional "consultants," and ISO 9000 certification agencies. They all (a) arbitrarily make the rules, (b) enforce said rules as they see fit, and © dole out punishments at their whim. It must be nice to be the legislative, and executive (enforcement), and judicial body of your world all at the same time. Where do I sign up to be judge, jury, and executioner?

I believe being a letterwinner is determined by playing in a certain number of games during the season (usually set by precedent or the coaches). Being a letterwinner gets you a cool jacket and dates with cheerleaders .... no, hold it, that was in high school. Being a letterwinner gets your name on that long list of letterwinners. About scholarships: The list of who is getting what scholarship amount is posted in the same location on the Internet where you would keep all of your credit card and bank account information.

I'm pretty sure only 12 is retired. The only other possible number I could come up with would be "99" for Gretzky. Don't get me started on my opinion of that.

Other retired numbers? I can't come up with any. Currently in use: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 30, 31, 35. 18, 19, 23, 27, 35 just left. 2 was worn by Hakstol less than 10 years ago. Parise told someone he's wearing 11 and O'Leary wore it recently. 12 is Terry Casey (retired). 14 was worn by Hasbargen. 28 was Paul Murphy. 29 was worn by Mike Possin. I've never seen a Sioux player in 32, 33, or anything above 35 but those aren't traditional hockey numbers. Is there another retired number?

George Pelawa would have been a freshman during the 1986-87 season.

Random thoughts: To me the best UND lines were the ones that had all three factors: Playmaker Board grinder Scorer. Think about Ulmer, Goren, Bayda: Jason Ulmer was the playmaker. Ryan Bayda owned the boards. Lee Goren scored. Bayda got a lot of goals that year but they were mainly from three feet and were rebounds of Goren shots. How about Panzer, Lundbohm, Bayda: Panzer set it up. Bayda ran the boards. Whitey Lundbohm scored. Why not go back to The Circus: Hrkac set it all up. Bob Joyce scored, but was strong enough to run the boards also. Steve Johnson was great on the boards, however, later in his career became a playmaker. The third guy on that line (Johnson, Parks, Bobyck) only had to not make mistakes. Break this down and what do you need? True playmaking centers, true goal scorers (with a preference to the stand in front and take the abuse variety), and a guy to dig the puck out and get it to the creative guy. Now, think about each player and what they do. Rate each guy (on a 1 low, 5 hi scale) in those three areas: creativity, board ability, scoring ability. You need some of each on each line. And then throw in the other factor: chemistry (good luck at that). It's hard going on second-hand knowledge of Genoway and Parise and not knowing how Fylling's game changed at Sioux Falls. I'm pondering it now. It ain't easy.

Number 12: Terry Casey. He played three seasons (63-64, 64-65, 65-66) and is tied with Marc Chorney and Curtis Murphy (for 46th) in all time UND scoring with 88 games, 57 goals, 61 assists, for 118 points. He was an All-American in the 1965-66 season with a 26/28/54 line in 30 games. He died in a car crash and no one has worn number 12 for the Fighting Sioux hockey team since.

Fighting Sioux from Fargo: Pat O'Leary, 2001 runner-up team, Fargo North Gary Kaiser, 1987 National Champion team, Fargo North Brian Williams, 1982-1986, Fargo North

Here's one for you all. Apparently Fargo Shanley is dropping out of their hockey co-op with West Fargo. They plan to have hockey all by themselves from now on. WF will be hurt because I figured them to go to state in 2003. Yes, hockey in WF has come that far. I'm not so sure without the Shanley kids now though. Shanley is serious too. They have hired former Fighting Sioux Rick and Frank Burggraf to coach the team.

Don't be too harsh on the league. They had the current 10 teams plus the past members to pick just 50 guys from. Of course there are some missed. I could ask each of you to create your Sioux 20 man all-time roster and I could find fault and missed players on each. It's just the way it is.

Predictions? Bayda will not be the only person to leave the league (I said league) early this summer. That's enough for now.

Upon further review: "Newly opened in January 2000, The MayPort Community Center is an excellent indoor ice arena and activities center. Already, it has a busy schedule full of youth hockey, family and open skating, and adult hockey." http://www.mayvilleportland.com/templat....reation

To give you an idea of what I know: "They have ice in Mayville !?!?! "

EDC: Schneider (GFRR), Fuher (GFC) WDA: Massen (BHS), Fylling (Minot), Sedevie (BHS) This fall there will be more guys from the NDHSAA's Western Dakota Assocation than Eastern Dakota Conference. I don't think that's happened before.

PHE: I'd have said "southwest to Mayville" because I'm more partial to the Patriots than the Burros, but Thompson, Reynolds, and Buxton would have been in the way.

Come on. The best tune in REA last year was in pre-game warm-up: Alien Ant Farm's remake of "Smooth Criminal."

Diggler: There's a state out east where you can't sell alcohol where there is "live dancing." Those "juice bars" ain't so bad.

If you haven't been to GF since 1987 you remember that the only thing south of 17th Avenue South is Columbia Mall and there is only development for the first three blocks west of Columbia Road once you are south of DeMers. Trust me, it's not like that any more. The city has grown "a little" to the south and west. It's just about solid development now from Columbia at DeMers out to 32nd Avenue South and I-29 and they are starting to develop south of 32nd Avenue South. Going south from my old college apartment was nothing but spud and beet fields until you got to Hillsboro. Now, it's a mile to the end of all of the developments.

Patience was to let that freshman class mature. If you didn't see a different group of freshmen on the ice from October 5 to March 9 you weren't paying attention. Freshmen need to learn and adjust to the speed and size of the WCHA. It takes time and .... patience. Parise will need the same patience next fall as will Greene and Marvin. Quinn Fylling will get less patience because of his past experience. Genoway will be somewhere in between because of a year of practice at that level, but without the game competition. The moral of the story is: last year half the team on the ice were freshmen. This year there will be four or five at most per night. Going from 10 to 5 or less is a big deal. Ten calls for great patience. That time for patience is rapidly coming to a close because the majority of the team is no longer inexperienced. Soon arrives the time to perform, skate or sit if you will. That time will be here in October.

The signing period is April 10 to August 1, 2002. This time period must be the summer before your senior year of HS (or beyond) to sign. Porter could have signed last summer or in the early period in November last fall when Parise did. Murray became eligible to sign today. Porter will be in Lincoln for 2002-03. Murray will be at SSM as far as I know.

What's with Michigan not showing up in National Semifinal games against teams wearing white jerseys with maroon and gold trim? Last year versus BC in Albany and now this year in St. Paul.

They were born on 05/24/85. That makes them 16. The small one is 5'11" and 175 pounds. Give 'em a break. They're still growing.