Wilbur

Cancer takes another victim far too young to leave us this early. Prayers to the family and RIP Mandi.

Absolutely. For years I have cheered for UMD at the final five, and had great conversations with Duluth backers at the final five. I was a big fan of Isaac Reichmuth and Junor Lessard when they went on their run back in like 2004. Three years ago when they won three games and won the final five (one of them over the Sioux) I cheered for them for two of the three games, and applauded their final five championship that year. (And watched every minute of their playoff run at Mariucci). The past two years have been awful. And the Duluth fans have been the ringleaders of it. I can't cheer for them anymore when their is such a hatred towards my team. Just can't happen.

Hmmm, hadn't heard about this happening....You would hope an usher would have taken this individual out of the building, but then again I've learned that the ushers at the X really don't care about removing fans for doing stupid stuff unless its a fan wearing kelly green.

Tell him what he's won Roddy!!!!!

First thing he says when he gets to his seat, "I'm handicapped, I need help". Then we got a whiff of him.....my God......

The part that was absolutely unacceptable was the fact that the usher had to have smelled the fact this guy was intoxicated, but basically carrying this guy down the steps to get to his seat is what pissed us off. Had my friend's wife been puked on, we would have been sitting in the manager's office at the X expecting some type of explanation. (And an apology).

Story I have to share about Sioux bashing: Before the championship game I see an usher helping a guy carry another guy down the stairs of the XCEL energy center (we were sitting down by the penalty box). Every person in our group is thinking "ohh my, this handicapped individual is having a tough time getting to his seat", so we are all offering a helping hand, and wouldn't you know it he's sitting in the row directly behind us next to the jerk Duluth fans. After the usher leaves we figure out that this jackbag isn't handicapped, he's drunk as a skunk.....and the usher at the X helped this drunk idiot to his seat (we're talking carrying the guy).... He nearly puked like five times on my friend's wife (he spit on the floor like a thousand times......code for...I'm going to puke), and made sure in his drunken stooper to say "Sioux Sucks" as many times as he could. The ushers hate us too...

I still can't believe that happened in the first game at the new rink. You think about the minimal possibility of that happening in a game at any level, and of course it happens the first game in the brand new rink. Maybe just a bad piece of glass or Connolly hit it in the perfect spot. During a game, has the Ralph ever had a piece of plexi-glass break?

I like the Sioux bashing. Those haters can hate all they want. They are the same fans that left with their tails between their legs after the Final Five the last two years. We don't even play NDSU in hockey, and yet we have NDSU fans in the hockey forum trying to stir things up. They've got nothing else going on in their lives worthwhile....they may as well come in here and try and piss people off to give themselves something to do.

I walked into the XCEL energy center a couple of years ago in front of "Drunk Hockey Guy". For whatever reason in his drunken stooper he decided he was going to lay into our group, and started to rip on the number seven, etc. The Sioux weren't even playing that night, but he went out of his way to make his point. Very glad that SCSU ended Duluth's season that night. After he stumbled away one of the females in our group (a gopher fan...I know...I know) had probably the best line I've heard about him. "His cologne smells like OBSESSION". Ahh yes, very well played.

We had awful fans behind us at the Final Five from Duluth. At one point during the weekend my dad actually turned around and told tell them to quit yelling profanity in our ears the entire game (he didn't do it very nicely either). They were actually yelling at Dave Berger, who was sitting down by the penalty box a few rows in front of us during the CC game. They would yell at Sioux fans every time they stood up for an exciting moment or a rush.......wow....its a hockey game....don't get excited.... I know UND has "those fans" too. And when we end up sitting by "those fans" we do our best to try and mellow them out a little bit. The Duluth fans made it be known that they were rooting for CC like no other..... Lets go Irish!

Will be at the championship game. Hopefully the Sioux join me!

Sleeper team is Notre Dame. They are okay just packing it in defensively, getting outshot, and trying to jump on any chance that comes their way (yes, thats called opportunistic). Their key is Johnson. If he plays well the Irish have as good of a chance as anybody. He struggles, Notre Dame gets beat by Duluth 5-1. I'm not sure what to think of Michigan. Struggle with a testy UNO squad, and pretty much handled CC but couldn't score. They've been a streaky team all year having unbeaten streaks of 4, 5, and even 8 games before losing to Western at the CCHA conference tournament. Control Hagelin's line, limit Michigan's d from joining the rushes with solid backchecking, and I think the Sioux have a great chance to beat Michigan.

Agreed. Its such a luxury when you know that you have great goaltending backing you up. A lot of the media in the WCHA didn't give him a lot of credit (looking at you Ciskie), but he has quietly put together an All-American type season for the Sioux. I miss Karl in the net.....gosh was he steady....

He has been tremendous the entire postseason.....hell, he's been tremendous the entire season. There were a couple of instances today where Denver could have taken the lead early in the second period and he was fantastic. He also made two great saves to keep the game 3-1 early in the third when Frattin messed around too much with the puck. Just a calm steady presence in the net. Giving a good team consistently great goaltending. A lot is said about Frattin, Genoway, Kristo, Gregoire, etc. But Dell is the team MVP in my book.

Come on Deano! Get the boys fired up to take down the big blue (lead by Red) I whined to my wife for a good hour and a half about Duluth's road to the F4. Talk about an easy trip......Yale will not impress me until they end up at the frozen four. Until then they got lucky that the NCAA and the pairwise rankings thought they were the best team in the country after playing no quality teams.

That video with the Western Michigan players put a tear in my eye. Makes you step back and realize that when push comes to shove its just a game. And the sun will come up if the Sioux win or lose. It may be a little cloudy on Monday though if they don't get to St. Paul....

The area where BC has killed UND in the past has been special teams play. That and that d@mn Gerbe..... I'll call a spade a spade, the Sioux have a tough road to the frozen four. They'll have to play extremely well to get back to St. Paul.

With what has happened the past two years in the postseason it is unacceptable for UND to look past RPI. You look at the seniors on this team, the guys who have been through the battles, etc....I just can't see the Sioux not putting 100% focus into beating RPI. Its tough to believe we are counting down the days for the careers of Trupp, Genoway, Frattin, Malone, Davidson.....Those guys come in as highly regarded Freshman, and before you know it they're gone....

That East Regional is unacceptable. And hopefully does not happen. Send any of those teams to any other regional and they wouldn't win a game (yes, including Yale). It still makes no sense to me as to why Yale is the number one team in the pairwise.

A good point. I think someone said it here a couple of posts ago, but people around the Minnesota program HATE John Hill. I guess I'll plead ignorance as to why so many people dislike the guy. He did have some success at Anchorage, but I can't believe the fall of the program gets associated with him a lot of the time. Potulny is basically the players coach in the equation. The former player that a lot of the current guys can relate to and in turn he can relate back to. I just can't believe that some sort of a change isn't coming. A lot of boosters give a lot of money to the U of M, and you'd think if they were able to axe Brewer, they'd be able to get Lucia out the door as well. Gopher fans will always beat their chests about back to back, but at the same time they've started a 3-peat that needs to be addressed.

Here's a thought. Gino Gasparini was a great coach for the Sioux that won his national championships and was the most important man in Grand Forks while recruiting and coaching great hockey teams. Years later the Sioux are down in the dumps, getting swept at home often during the season, and get some talent that doesn't mesh well and doesn't get the job done. Out goes Gino, in comes Blais with some energy, and two years later, champs. Are we seeing the same thing happening with the gopher program with Lucia that we saw with the Sioux with Gino? The guy has won his national titles, but now has he lost his edge and his desire to win? I mean every coach has a bad season, but I see the Gino and Lucia living kind of the same story. This is just a thought, and opinion. I know they are two completely different coaches. But I thought about this for a while last night....

I'm just glad I won't have to see that stupid gopher.....thank God...... And the bars won't be horribly filled with Vanek jerseys......and back to back sweaters. I was kind of looking forward to Minnesota being in the Final Five and meeting the sioux on Friday night. Either way, the Sioux play Friday night! YES!!!!!!!

Noticed that too. I'm betting that Rodwell is dinged up. Surprised though we don't see Cichy in that spot....

No way, Bison fans on a Sioux board trying to rain on a bit of a victory parade....