The Sicatoka

Well, assuming no more surprises ... Four ones: UND UMN BC Wisconsin Rest: AIC Q LSS UMass SCSU MSUM UMi UMD BU Prov BSU Omaha

24 hours later and St Larry would be a bye for someone.

They wouldn’t do that to BC.

They should’ve gone twelve team field this year. Six autos and six at large.

< and the choir sings "Amen" >

StLarry / Qpac UML / UMass Canicius / AIC NMU / LSS One autobid is stolen (NMU/LSS); up to three more might be (spoiler: I see Qpac, AIC, UMass in no matter what). In the "four stolen" scenario there is no more bubble.

The only other name that would fit: Karl Goehring.

Gopher fans or Duluth fans? Bison fans?

That loss to ORU in the Summit semis doesn't look so bad suddenly ...

Which leads to the question: What "benched" are most teams? The way I look at it at home UND has a left side bench (meaning their bench is by their LW at the opening faceoff). Anyone know the rest of the teams in the league? I wonder if that goes into bench decisions in neutral rinks at times.

You youngin's ... I remember the game where they put Archibald-Jensen-Dub out together. I'd have rather kicked Satan's dog with him watching than play against that.

I'd take JBD at 80% and in the third pair just to have him available on the PP. I'm worried that Mismash has been away too long and isn't in game speed/shape. I wonder how they'll work a lineup to bring him back in. With no Senden, we need Mismash back for roster configuration.

The UND coaches "get book" on a kid before they go after them. They know what they can and can not manage, can and can not accept. Trust Bubs.

Flip this to the Ottawa POV: They know what Wolanin looked like in college when they brought him in. And frankly, Wolanin needed the fourth year of college polish to his game but didn't get it. With that history, and you have to figure Sanderson wants another WJC, I'd hope Sanderson does a second year of college. After that, all bets are off.

Lowell winning would damage many on the bubble, and by default make the committee’s job simpler.

@Bison06 Is NDSU's offensive line as good as the teams' of the previous decade?

Back in the day I worked with a guy who said Wentz should be playing over Jensen. (Pipeline.)

I can accept that. I'm used to (as hockey fan) expecting to lose top end talent as sophomores and expect the team to plan accordingly. In fairness, one thing that hurt UND Hockey in recent years was Tyson Jost bailing after a freshman season. (It blipped the pipeline and it hurt his development.)

Why are players transferring out of the perennial best team in the nation? Jumping to pro money? Sure. But transfer? That doesn't make sense.

Unless my recollections are shot (very possible, and too lazy to look at records)... - Wentz played for an injured Jensen. - Stick played for an injured Wentz. Pipeline.

Stauss goes down, Jensen comes off the sideline (not next year, the sideline). Jensen goes down, Wentz comes off sideline. Wentz goes down, Stick comes off sideline. Stick goes down, Lance comes off sideline. If any of those guys had bolted (save for Lance) it really was "next man up"; the early departure plan was already brewed in. But where's the guy to come off the sideline for Lance? NDSU has had a marvelous QB plan/pipeline for a decade, but there's a hole after Lance (unless it's VT guy this fall and it may well be). What changed? Somebody broke from the NDSU QB plan.

Having the next man ready in "next man up" is a plan, the plan. NDSU does have 2s and 3s on the depth chart, yes? And a recruits pipeline? Reference: Jensen -> Wentz -> Stick -> Lance -> _______