Wilbur

I agree, Tech is a much improved club, that has knocked off some good teams this year. Their goaltending is tremendous...glad that kid is a senior. Got to get at least a point out of Denver......UND has been good on the road. I think they win on Friday and lose on Saturday ala Duluth.

Yup....mentioned the the point in my post.

Overall it wasn't one of the better weekends defensively the Sioux have played. Like many have mentioned, sloppy with the puck in their own end, turnovers, etc. Its funny because if you told anyone they'd only give up three goals the entire weekend you'd take it and run with it. Eidsness was lucky.....enough said about that. But like I said before, he is quietly having a pretty good year, and giving the team a chance when he's in the net.

Not that UND really needs to worry about what other teams do the rest of the way, but it really helps that Tech plays SCSU (team battling for possible home ice), and CC the last two weekends of the year. If UND can split with Denver and SCSU could split with Tech that would all but seal it. Unless UND messed the bed at home against the cows....

The Denver series is huge......Tech is really the only trailer team left for home ice, and it would do UND a lot of good if Tech ended up splitting with SCSU next weekend. Hats off to Tech though....much improved....

True. Getting to the NCAA's would be huge for this team. Depending on the regional a frozen four could be possible. Duluth had tremendous regional matchups last year on their way to the championship. Maybe UND could catch a break and get into a good regional instead of ending up in the BC region of death.

Probably the deserved outcome in this one. Tech hit all three posts and had a number of opportunities that Eidsness came up big on. I'd like to see the quality chances stat for both teams. I'd almost bet it was 50/50.

Talk about your goalie bailing you out at the end for both teams.....How you let a guy alone behind you with under a minute......I dunno....

Eidsness in the net again tonight as Dell isn't suited up. Obviously, no surprises for the Sioux tonight as far as the lineup goes. Would like to see the fourth line a bit more tonight, but last night there just weren't a whole lot of opportunities, especially in the third period to get them in.

I believe the right call was made in this situation. Although he doesn't use the distinct kicking motion he knew what he was doing, and his reaction on the bench after the no goal kind of proves he knew what he was doing. Either way it would be a controversial call. I feel bad for UNO, they've been on the wrong end of some reviews over the years.

Agreed about it being a pretty clean game. I was worried with the last puck drop with 1.8 seconds left in the neutral zone. But the players just skated away from each other and went to their goalies. I thought with UND being the goons and thugs that they are they'd clearly be fighting players from Tech or having the coaches yelling back and forth at each other...ala Pride on Ice.

Big win. I don't think they played their best game either. Wilbur's three Stars: 1. Rowney 2. Johnstone 3. Eidsness

Talk about a tremendous sequence.....wow....

Chip it out....get it deep....cover everything.... I don't know if the Sioux are flat right now or Tech is that much better of a squad, but Tech is putting on the pressure. Eidsness has had to be sharp in the net.

Powerplay for Tech with about 7 minutes left.

The top line for UND probably had one of their best periods of the year there, but couldn't find the back of the net to save their lives other than the powerplay. Hopefully that continues to the third. Get the next one, and keep it running down hill.

Give Eids the start on Friday and Dell on Saturday. I think either way both goalies need to see time in the net this weekend. Eidsness has quietly had a pretty good year when he's gotten a chance to play. Saturday night in Duluth he was almost the difference that brought them back to tie the game. If the team sneaks into the NCAA tournament and Dell gets on a role, I wouldn't want to play North Dakota.

I think the Sioux will come out absolutely flying on Friday night. They need to set the tone with a physical first twenty minutes and go from there the entire weekend. I'll predict: UND 5 Tech 1 UND 3 Tech 2

I have never seen so many UND defensemen get walked like they did when he was on the ice. If the guy finished maybe even half of his chance he would have won the Hobey Baker. I think it was Aaron Schneekloth at the old Ralph who got walked by him like three shifts in a row and sat the rest of the period because Blais was absolutely livid.

I'll tell ya one thing....like JT brown or hate him, by gosh can he fly up the ice. Its amazing how he can go from first to fifth gear in such a hurry even with the puck on his stick (Nick Mattson learned this in the first period on Saturday night). College football teams commonly list 40 times for players, it'd be cool to see NCAA hockey have some kind of stat for a goal line to goal line skate, or a lap around the ice time. I'd be willing to bet Brown is one of the top five fastest skaters in the nation. Faster than Steve Cygan though? Hmm...

Yeah, that was right in front of us. Rowney took a whack at the puck that Reiter had covered, so Reiter got up and punched Rowney in the face with his blocker right in front of the official..... Neither play drew a penalty....surprise surprise.....

Just got home from Duluth, and my first visit to AMSOIL. Fun weekend. Stayed at the Comfort Suites right on the water, and had a good old fashioned time....minus the Edina girls hockey team staying at the hotel.....I never want a 12 year old daughter....yikes... I for one hope that Don Adam doesn't end up officiating in the new conference. He didn't cost UND the game, they did that by themselves the first two periods, but just such inconsistent officiating both ways just took away from a pretty good game. Probably his worst call came when the UND player (can't remember who....maybe Knight) was the last man with the puck in the zone, lost his stick, and was diving to knock the puck away from the Duluth player, and he called it tripping on the Duluth player....Just a disaster. I know the Bina hit has been beaten to death over the years, but if Ben Blood's penalty was a game, then the Paukovich hit from years ago in St. Paul would be a lifetime ban nowadays. I just cringe every time Adam calls a checking from behind that is a bit controversial, because he missed such a blatant one right in front of his fricken face. As for the game, the Sioux were fun to watch that last period. Carter Rowney just took over. Extremely impressed with his development into a go to guy for the Sioux. That play at the end was right in front of us, and if not for some poor ice conditions (puck bounced everywhere all night), could have been a tie game. Could not believe the amount of empty seats in the lower bowl.....That or people were dressed like yellow seats....

With the superb color analyst abilities of Dave Starman. I for one can't wait. Lets see how many times he says sandpaper.....not kidding....he'll use the term a lot....

I agree with the notion of allowing a kid to play college hockey after signing with a CHL team. Then again, college hockey doesn't make the NC$$ the money that basketball and football does.....they'll be fine with the status quo.... A kid from my hometown just signed a deal with a WHL team and he's only a Sophomore in high school. 16 years old and he's lost his amateur status....It could end up going really well for the kid, but at the same time what happens to him if he plays half a season, fizzles out, or gets hurt? What does the CHL do in cases of severe injuries? I know they'll pay for a kids college for years completed in their league, but if you play two games and have a career ending injury, what do they do?

Glad you said this before I got the chance to Goon. Aaron Dell has not had the best of seasons after his All-American campaign of last year (I know...Thanks for stating the obvious Wilbur). Had he put up similar numbers to last year he'd for sure be an early departure with a contract in hand probably by the end of the season. Now it wouldn't surprise me in the least bit if he was around for another year. His save percentage is down below 90, and his GAA is up by over a goal per game. Its not the same team as last year, but I don't exactly think its fair to say he's been hung out to dry by his defensive core all season long either. He is probably the key component to UND making the NCAAs. Tough to say it rides on one position, but for this team to make a serious run the goaltending needs to be excellent the rest of the way. I like Eidsness, but I don't think he's got the ability that Dell does. Big start on Friday night up in Duluth for Mr. Dell. He needs to be huge in what will be a very hostile environment at AMSOIL.