johndahl

I was sitting right next to a cameraman on the photo stand, and his replay screen made it look pretty likely the puck didn't cross the line. Makes you wonder why Adam crouched down and pointed directly to a spot in the goal, signaling he saw a goal... John

Follow the link - http://siouxsports.com/hockey/galleries/56.htm John

You caught me - my desire to rewrite what actually happened must've given me away...

I make it up as I go along, but the shot fo the guy falling when his shot didn't go was too funny not to use.

Siouxsports photo gallery is up - link is http://siouxsports.com/hockey/galleries/55.htm John

Sometimes it takes a few losses to generate some motivation, and remind you that winning is more fun than losing. I'd rather have a team that fought through a tough stretch and is coming strong into the post season than one that coasted through the season on cruise control all year and finished with the same record. John

The early game is at 2:35, the late game is at 7:35. John

Saturday pictures are now up, too, John

Friday photos are up - http://www.siouxsports.com/hockey/galleries/53.htm

Most every arena charges to post a special message or event - catching you in the stands by chance isn't the same. At least it's not much more than a ticket. As for the bottle thing, you can throw a full bottle with a cap on it and it flies quite well. Take off the cap, and now it'll fly much slower and be mostly empty by the time it reaches the WCHA official in question. They always say "for your safety" at pro sports arenas, but it's really to keep the bottles from flying. I still remember seeing footage of Eagles fans with snow severely wounding their own cheerleader who was left knocked down on the field and pelted for minutes before she could be reached and treated, and "battery day" at a Yankees game - it should've been called Energizer assault and battery day. John

Hrkac was the one player who played at a different level than everyone else on the ice, although Goehring's contributions were also a step above for his time. I'd have to add Greg Johnson and Jason Blake to the list - they're certainly in the top ten. John

Hey Dagies, are you at Senser's in Bloomington? I'll join you tomorrow night if you reply and you're going back... John

It sounds like the Sioux have played pretty well against CC in both games, and now against Denver - the two top teams in the country. They have a decent shot at being respectable in the playoffs if they keep playing as well as they have been (I'm conveniently forgetting about Bemidji), and I'd certainly settle for seeing them win a game or two in the NCAAs in Hakstol's first year. Add Murray to the team that played tonight, and I like them a bit more. Keep working hard, and the goals will eventually come. John

Players don't get to keep their jerseys - they're school property, and they usually sell them when they're worn or at the end of the season. Some players buy their own, but that's the exception and not the rule. John

Gophers are up 5-0; not really a contest.

It's been a decade since UND had the big, slow guys who screened the goalie and the Gophers had the faster, more energetic players. The TV looks like I'm watching one of those early 90s games right now...

Yep, it's with a digital Canon SLR and a L-series (pro series) lens. Flash does no good at distances such as these unless it's a strobe built in to the facility (Xcel has such a system), but I do boost the effective film speed to 800 for hockey - if I push it higher I get more noise tha I like. The Mankato Civic Center has a lot of dark spots and isn't well-configured for media, but the staff most every place in the WCHA are helpful and accomodating. My favorite photo of the bunch is: http://siouxsports.com/galleries/51/011.jpg , which I think is one of the most interesting action shots I've captured yet. John

Someone needs a summer job...

I have a pair of 2nd row tickets between the blue lines for the Final Five tournament this weekend that aren't being used. I'd rather sell them to a Sioux fan than sell them on the street tomorrow, so if anyone's interested send me a note or reply in this thread with contact info and I'll give you a call. John

Brad was apparently just traded to Nashville, although I can't find it reported anywhere online yet. It was nice to see him play in the Twin Cities while he was here. John

Nike doesn't actually make anything - they're just a brand company. I'm reasonably certain Gemini still designs and makes the jerseys in the Twin Cities, they just get a Nike logo sewn on them now. John

Pictures of the Saturday game are up at: http://siouxsports.com/hockey/galleries/37.htm John

Dahl the antichrist? Craig, I hope - Isn't the guy who runs Siouxsports named Dahl? Come to think of it, I might be too... Dahl the moderately disagreeable

As someone who's seen everyone since the early 80s, I've got to say that Hrkac stood out in a way that later great forwards like Johnson, Blake, and Parise haven't. I didn't have to think much before voting for him as the best Sioux college player ever, or likely even the best college player ever. John

No, these were only made for a couple years in the mid 90s. They used the same jersey as the blackhawk jersey, but had the blackhawk and tomahawks removed and the name "North Dakota" written across the front in two lines. If you can find an old CCM sioux jersey there are people who can cut the name, but finding the old jersey anywhere will not be easy. John