The Sicatoka

And here I thought life was wine and roses in the land of DIAA, especially the Big Sky Conference.

This site is reporting it. Remember, UND can not say anything about a recruit until they have a signed letter of intent from them.

FieldTurf?

Really?

Yo, "Sergei" Guess who's comin' to Grand Forks to do the DU at UND series next weekend. Hint: Get Smart.

Those are called "steaks." Lack of rioting is called "civilized behaviour."

The WCHA is where the NHL was about three or four years ago .... about the time the NHL realized it was time to clean up their act. More importantly, the NHL has cleaned up their act. Let's hope the WCHA can follow their lead.

Sure it's nice to lead the WCHA today. March 7 would be a better date .... I just want to see the team continue to improve, and there are opportunities for that. Ask Matt Greene or Mike Prpich (causes of 5 on 3s who sat the next night). And a powerplay percentage above the teens would be good.

They are 9-1-2 in their last 12. Decide on the credibility of the rest for yourselves from there. They'll be good. They'll have to be dealt with. But won't they all?

Woe is Dean. Too much goaltending. Oh woe is Dean. It, it, it's like having too much money! Or is that "Money."

All of Adrian Hasbargen's siblings' names start with "A". Like Amber, and most likely Andrew.

Lee's dad? I don't think so. Grandfather and a couple of uncles I believe it was. I'd guess Andrew Hasbargen knows one of the womens team goalies.

Knowing the show is being beamed right to Don Lucia's recorders , saying nothing is the best move by Berry.

I'd suspect a similar set-up even if Ralph were still with us. It puts the arena apart from the whims of a single person.

You guys apparently never look beyond the hockey forum here.

Ralph Engelstad, out of his pocket, built the $104,000,000.00 Ralph Engelstad Arena - Home of the Fighting Sioux. Thanks Ralph. First there was "The Ralph." "The Betty" is due to open in September.

The majority of UND's hockey team at that time was Canadian. (Note from this year's WJC roster and history that Team Canada picks from major junior, not American college, rosters to form a team.) Next note that in the era in question, UND Lost the 1979 National Championship game Won the 1980 National Championship (two months after Lake Placid) Won the 1982 National Championship How long did it take you to learn to talk out of that oriface?

A letter to the Fargo Forum.

Things change. The University of North Dakota is extremely fortunate because it has seen changes for the better. From Memorial Stadium to The Alerus Center - I loved the home advantage (the cold north wind) of Memorial but tell me The Al isn't a better facility in this climate and it already feels like home. From the Winter Sports Center (renamed Ralph Engelstad Arena in the 1980s) to the new Ralph Engelstad Arena - What can you say? The best facility in all of college hockey ... was out-done. You can see it physically in the new one. We're slowly realizing that "mystique" or what I've called "the gods of Sioux hockey" (the fortunate bounces, the "jet-engine" crowd roar, that extra edge at home) have slowly found their way over to it. They'll all make their way over with time. From Hyslop to The Betty - There will be fondness for the Hyslop as in each other case. But things change. Track record says they'll be fine. (Based on what I heard Coach Roebuck say on the radio last night, he'd like to play WBB games in there unless they are sure they will have attendance over that capacity. I think that'd be a good plan for both MBB and WBB.) I can't say it better than this letter in yesterday's Fargo Forum.

About half way down this page are the requirements that go into effect in fall of 2005.

"Fight on Sioux" and "Stand Up and Cheer" both. If only they had some super-cool electronics, like a lighted display ring or Daktronics video and score boards, to put the lyrics on .... Lecture notes here. There will be a quiz.

For those of you who don't read the board at USCHO.com, this is how I started my week on this subject: Me, rant? Never. We have to stay on message here. If we want the quality of WCHA hockey to improve we can not stand for this "two rule books" mentality.

GRAND FORKS: Water park issue trickles back. Council to discuss Canad Inn request. ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX: Committee smiles on plan. Canad's latest hotel, theater, water park proposal greeted with strong support.

So "two rule books" is the solution to make college hockey "better." Well, if "better" is pseudo-parity today, sure. If a make-believe close scores and standings are better, sure. If pandering to the lowest common denominator is "better," sure. But what incentive does that give "the rest" of the schools to improve? You are not going to improve college hockey, build it up, if you allow "the rest" to tear down what there is of it today. The only way college hockey will get better is to show "the rest" they have to get better.