Wilbur

No points will come out of this weekend, thats for sure..... What would be nice around the league would be all splits in the top end series. CC never sweeps DU, so lets be realistic about the fact that a split is the most we can hope for. At the same time I'd like to see Duluth and Minnesota split as that would prevent Duluth from jumping ahead of the Sioux, and at the same time Minnesota can tack on another loss to their total which hopefully ensures they would have to win their way in the NCAA tournament. Other series: ~We need a SCSU-UNO split ~We don't care about Anchorage vs. Tech (don't let Anchorage get on too much of a roll Tech) ~BSU-Mankato.....hmm....the battle for 10th in the league....GO BEAVERS!

I know we have about a month left in the season, but this is where I see the WCHA finishing at the end of February/early March. Of course I have green glasses on most of the time, so of course the Sioux will win the league.... WCHA Final Team GP Pts UND 28 42 Denver 28 41 UMD 28 38 Nebraska-Omaha 28 32 UW 28 31 UMN 28 30 CC 28 29 AA 28 24 SCSU 28 22 Mankato 28 22 Bemidji State 28 20 MTech 28 5 First Round Series: Tech@UND BSU @ Denver Mankato@ UMD SCSU @ Nebraska Omaha AA @ UW CC @ Minnesota

It is unbelievable to see the sioux have the success that they do in the black uniforms. I mean you talk about an unreal streak. It is a completely different hockey team on the ice when they put on the black uniforms. Everything just seems to go right..... Nice to have a week off. Two weeks to get fresh, then get home and sweep Anchorage.

Question: The camera showed the student section during the second half and nobody was sitting in that end (well, very few). Has student attendance usually been this poor during the season, or would this be just because they are playing a team that hasn't won in forever? I hope its -30 on Saturday when Houston Baptist is here.....hehehehehe

Look at where his stick was on the breakaway goal, and anyone can see that he's still fighting the puck hardcore. I agree with the Eidsness leaving after this year argument. If he doesn't see the net a couple more times before the end of the year, has a degree come May, and doesn't believe he can work his way back into the starters role his senior season he may as well try and play professionally somewhere. If Eidsness does leave I think the Sioux need to bring in another goalie and give Gothberg another year in the USHL. I think Gothberg will be great when he comes to UND, but he isn't even the starter for the Fargo Force, and could use a year of being "the guy" in junior hockey.

Agreed. You can't take Cichy out of the lineup, or Davidson for that matter, and how do you keep Lamoureax out of a critical series? I think the logical thing to do is put Marto back there. Some would worry about him transitioning back to D when they are playing on an olympic sheet of ice, but he is a good enough skater to where it shouldn't matter. That and the sioux have the luxury of practicing on the olympic rink all week. I think Eidsness might have seen a start this weekend if not for his performance against UNO. Not really sure the next time they can get him in a game is. Maybe at home against Anchorage? (They did get five on him though...)

Well his kids must be, because it was Ryan that was found with Grant's ID urinating on a car..... EDIT* Might have been near a car....can't remember.

Its funny that Davidson was in the lineup on Saturday for a victory where the Sioux played much better in their own end and under control. Agree with your lineup. Although I'd like to see Rodwell with Knight and Gregoire....that line could matchup physically with a lot of teams.

*2. Goaltenders (Choose 3):: Eidsness, Brad | Lamoureux, Jean-Philippe | Parise, Jordan *3. Defensemen (Choose 6):: Bina, Robbie | Chorney, Taylor | Fuher, Nick | Genoway, Chay | Greene, Matt | Jones, Matt *4. Forwards (Choose 9):: Bochenski, Brandon | Duncan, Ryan | Oshie, T.J. | Parise, Zach | Porter, Chris | Prpich, Mike | Stafford, Drew | Toews, Jonathan | VandeVelde, Chris

Outside of the Maine series the road has been a kind place for the sioux. After being at home for a month this is a good test for a team that faced a bit of adversity the past two home series. For whatever reason the sioux seem to pull off some big wins at CC, like last year's game with the Frattin OT winner, and the year before when CC was ranked #1 in the nation and the sioux came in and knocked them off. This CC team is hurting without Schwarz, and the Sioux should be able to roll four lines all weekend.

Has this happened before? And what is your record with the solid green chocolate M&M?

Thanks for clarifying that for me. I am a coach, and I know that a lot of the time you tell kids something and it goes in one ear and out the other. You would think though that in that situation, that the kid would completely know the scenario. Its hockey season and I'm talking basketball....GO SIOUX!

I am not a basketball guy at all.....whatsoever.....you guys know what you are talking about, I don't..... But....wouldn't you discuss the fact that you don't have any timeouts in the huddle before you decided to foul that guy and send him to the line? Like, "hey, if he makes them both, we don't have a timeout, so you have to run the baseline (which the guy didn't at first) and just chuck the ball down court. I hate basketball, but will watch the sioux. That was a sad way to lose a game....and I had trouble sleeping too....

Very much agreed.....LaPoint needs to play with Marto.

Blais will get plenty of love this weekend. He is still the revered coach that took the team to two national championships. Three Scenerios: And the reaction that we'll see with each ~Mavs Sweep: BLAIS IS SUCH AN AWESOME COACH!!!! WE WANT HIM BACK! ~Split: Blais doesn't get swept on the road, he's too good of a coach! ~Sioux Sweep: Blais is doing good things in Omaha, they aren't where we at yet, but we wish them well because the sioux go their four points!

I see another split as well. A lot of press will go into this series. I think the Mavs will find a way to squeak one out of Ralph with a couple points.

I don't see many Omaha fans traveling to Grand Forks other than family members of the team. Could be wrong though with the excitement that Blais has taken to Omaha. Very interesting series. I think the sioux matchup great with the Mavs. The Sioux were a couple of great saves away from sweeping the mavs earlier this year, and I think the sioux have motivation from the last second loss to play two complete games agains the Mavs. And of course....Blais will be in the building. Here is an interesting thing to ponder. Does anybody think Blais will say something in the paper this week or doing something during the series to piss Sioux fans off? I have a funny feeling that he'll do or say something to get under people's skin, and of course, take the spotlight off of his hockey team.

My team has played against this kid and he is the real deal. Tremendous footwork, great hands, rocket shot, and this is his second year playing high school hockey. (Lead the team last year in points as an 8th grader, and he plays defense.....) He is way ahead of most players in North Dakota high school hockey. I expect him to be playing in the USHL next year. Three years in the USHL would be the best thing for his hockey career.

Horrible shift after the sioux score......awful.....that can't happen....

Yeah, I don't think that would be in great taste with the injury and everything.

I remember thinking that that was the best 0-0 period of hockey that the sioux ever played. Shots that period were 18-2 Sioux......

I actually had the same hip injury when I played goalie many years ago (actually happend when I was a pee wee). I ended up playing through a season with it, and actually didn't have to have surgery because I had 9 months of healing time after I broke my ribs playing another sport and missed half the hockey season. It will bug him the rest of his life, thats for sure. Just reading the star tribune article I know exactly what he feels like. You think it should get better, but just nags and nags and nags. Surgery is the right choice for him. Agree with the quote of him being broken at the Ralph. He was amazing the first period of that game, and then all the kings horses and men couldn't save Alex Kangas again.

Having Gregoire with Knight and Kristo on the second line gives the sioux two number one lines. No offense to Marto, who has been sensational for the sioux skating up front, but you don't replace a guy like Gregoire. I like how people are discussing the importance of the fourth line. IMHO this is the best lineup the sioux have: Trupp-Malone-Frattin Gregoire-Knight-Kristo Rodwell-Lamoureax-Davidson Hextall-Nelson-Rowney Blood-Genoway Forbort-MacWilliam LaPoint-Marto I lot of people like Cichy with the Hextall line, but I think Rowney has proved that he can contribute with those guys. Simpson is young, he'll grow and contribute as he gets older.