The Sicatoka

I bounced this notion out there in the past. The whole Kingsley/Strong/Huddleston campaign tells me all the more that it would be a whole lot of fun. "We're more focused, more precise. We're always one step ahead. With a certain style, an eye for detail. And we're obsessed by power." Everyone else likes to cast us as the bad guy; why not embrace the villainy? Get Jaguar to sponsor University of North Dakota Athletics and we wear their logo on the playing surface, in front of the television cameras. The NCAA can have their Buick sponsorship.

Disrespect my captain, my team? Motivation.

For those of you not watching for the details, when did this year's lines start to work? Pattyn, Rocco, Johnson. MacMillan, Caggiula, Parks. Rodwell, Gaarder, O'Donnell. Getter, Setter, Shooter. Now, admittedly you have to be a little of each, and play open ice is a different story; but, in the zone Rocco, Cags, and Gaarder are setup men; Johnson, Parks, and O'D are guys you want shooting, and in-zone General, Mac, and Rodwell are monsters on the boards who come away with the puck. Getter, Setter, Shooter. Early season next year I suspect you'll won't see a freshman line but will see them mixed on other lines until they learn the systems and their defensive responsibilities.

DaveK: The word that you're forgetting is "targeting." Rupp could've destroyed Oshie without leading toward, i.e. targeting, the head: open-ice hip check or drop that shoulder into the chest. And yes, speed was involved, but Rupp lined him up and still went high. <-- Targeting. Rupp should've been "offered the opportunity to discuss it further" with Reeves.

So now what? NARF!!!

Simmer's not an All-American? Nary a whisper of Zane either? Just more disrespect to you guys. (And I know you guys are reading this.) Put it in the collective team craw. Let it grind away at you all summer. Then, ... come next season ... Make them pay ... All. Next. Season.

I fixed your typos in there.

Sanderson has played five games over two seasons. Historically, guys with those numbers (except for goalies) don't have junior seasons. That would open up a slot for one more forward. <Speculate here>

There's loaded. Then there's loaded and angry. I don't like to mess with the latter.

We lose a back-up goalie, a third line wing, a fifth line wing, and a very, very good defenseman.

This loss hurts, but less than missing the tournament would have hurt after that late-season run.

To all those thinking this is utter disappointment: What if Ohio State had won that fateful OT game?

I guess I need to see that to believe it.

We lose a back-up goalie, a third line wing, a fifth line wing, and a very, very good defenseman. If that's the extent of it, we've gained the ultimate team motivation.

That banner didn't use the banned word. It didn't say WHO took the moniker. <cough> NCAA <cough> So the issue is ... Someone needs to clue that sorority onto THEFIRE.ORG website. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education loves to take on cases like this.

And there's a team award also: The national team leader in "Missed Nets with the Opponent Goalie off the Ice in a Season" is presented the No Moniker Award.

I think you meant to say the NCHC had more tournament qualifiers.

The national leader in "Shots on Glass in a Season" is presented the Kozek Award. The national leader in "Shots off the Pipe in a Season" is presented the Notermann Award.

Well played.

In Volley's theory, the Sun Belt doesn't invite "the Big Sky"; however, they invite Montana, Montana State, North Dakota, Portland State, Sac State, (other?), each individually, but yet en masse. That would meet the Section 20 requirements.

As much as you may try to shoot the messenger, the notion SiouxVolley has put forth is completely within the NCAA rules per the DI manual Section 20. Does it have many, seemingly implausible, moving parts? Some would say so. Of course, Rutgers in the Big Ten and TAMU in the SEC was implausible not that long ago too. Do I expect to see it? Not really. Is it possible under the current governance? Yes.

I'm picking Miami for greatest year-to-year turnaround in win total (conference and overall) for next year.

You're assuming that it's a current student athlete. Someone with no eligibility left -- no issue. Not sure if coaches could sell them.

Was listening to Hockey This Morning on Sirius XM earlier today. They had Dave "just admit your bald, lose the terrible combo-over, and shave it off!" Starman on and talking about the Philly Frozen Four. Starman had some nice things to say about UND but he's picking the Gophers over UND. The "smooch" you just heard was the Starman Kiss of Death.

Don't forget to put the cover sheets on those. That change came out in a memo. I'll get you a copy of the memo saying TPS reports all need cover sheets.