shep

I haven't been on this board for a long time. One of my last topics was re: Jordan Parise who was off to Austria and I was disagreeing with those who were sure he'd end up an NHL goalie. Anyway, I agree that Hak has a great reputation and it would be a questioned decision if he was axed, but we expect National Championships here and he hasnt delivered. Thus it's time. The next guy gets the benefit of recruiting to a great program and the best college arena in the country and we can't go without a title for any more years. Let's do it.

With A bye to start and home games after, where can I bet on the Fargo guys for another title?

If Pelini gets canned at Nebraska I could see the mutual interest for them in Bohl and Bohl in them, but Id be shocked if Florida seeks him. Also as a USC fan, I highly doubt Orgeron moves to FCS level if he doesn't become the head coach there. I love the idea of an SU coach coming here. They know the recipe for success and recruiting to ND.

If anyone wants a short diversion from the game you can head to iTunes where I stumbled across a DAVE TIPPETT iMIX. Not sure if that will help ease the pain but somehow I just can't imagine Tippett listening to Norah Jones. We sure could use a guy like him this year

I hate to be so blunt, but I have a better chance of scoring on the weekend than Miller does. You can take that any way you'd like.

I am not one of those Sioux fans who typically blames everything on the refs, and I'm not now as this Bokal or Bakol whatever his name is called the WORST hockey game I've ever seen. To his credit both sides suffered. Wisco got whistled for phantom penalties and at the end of the 2nd, beginning of 3rd the Sioux got nailed with calls that wouldn't have been FOULS in a BB game. If the purpose of the WCHA to have 2 refs is to call every little touch then count me out. I'm done watching this crap. On the other hand, a young Sioux team took a 3rd period nap and while the officiating sucked (the other Ref didn't call anything which is GOOD) the Sioux lost this one with weak d, no O and a lack of critical stops by the goalie. Total team suckage that was only surpassed by a Ref that should NOT be doing Pee Wee games. How did this bum get a WCHA job???

Yes but for some posters, if you don't effusively praise every Sioux player and in doing so compare them to Bobby Orr (defense) or Gretzky (forward) you ARE throwing them under the bus.

And to suggest as one poster has that Parise may have had other offers seems incredulous. I need not be behind the scenes to suggest that IF he did have OTHER OFFERS wouldn't he have taken one of them instead of heading to Austria IF only because he presumably would know the road to the NHL has many paths but the one through Austria is seldom taken. If at all. But now I've grown tired of this topic. The end

Yes, you are correct, anything can happen. One day, while playing at King's Walk I could get a hole-in-one AND meet a Brazilian Supermodel who's got it bad for mid-forties single guys from small town ND. Nonetheless, I HIGHLY doubt, given his skill set AND the fact that other NHL GM's have witnessed his skill set, that JPar is on his way to the NHL via Austria. Or is it Australia? Same difference.

As I was typing my post above, I thought of Murray, but I do not know if he made it to the NHL or not. If so, it was as you say, a few games. I didn't think Parise was an NHL caliber goalie when he was at UND and I still don't and I suspect if NHL GM's thought he was he wouldn't be shipping himself overseas.

I suspect Jordan P went to wherever he went because he actually CAN play there and even he acknowledges his limits. Going overseas to play in order to come back to star in the NHL doesn't often happen unless your last name happens to be Forsberg. Jordan P was a good COLLEGE goalie. That hardly ensures success in the NHL and there's no way he was every considered the heir apparent to Brodeur.

Yeah, I don't know who he is, but the arrogance is a bit boring. That said, there are SO MANY regulars on here who are SO SURE that ANY Sioux recruit will come in and replace the Sioux who signs early or on those rare occasions actually graduates that I swear the Sioux could say that I, a 44 year old lawyer is coming in next year and a few of the cheerleaders would immediately post something about "Shep will pick up some of the slack left by Oshie" that it's just so hard to take this place seriously most of the time. Look I've been a fan for over 25 years, will always cheer for the team, but I've seen TOO MANY hot shots come in here who leave anonymously. As for Kozek, seriously, what team thinks he's pro ready or is he just the next Travis Roche (PLACE ANY OTHER NAME HERE) who wiles his time away in the minors after leaving school too early?

Me too. Some posters are so busy drinking the all is well cool-aid they can NOT allow for even constructive criticism. The last four years have shown that in the BIG TOURNY lack of team speed, scoring depth and sound defense kills them. No experience at goalie, losing the guy that carried them for two years and a couple other defections makes next year a rebuilding year.

Any other scores? Grafton v WF???

These are good points and I would add that maybe it's time to take a new direction as the team moves up a division, but I don't think you will get that many out of house applicants who are truly ready for the challenge of building for 2012. That's a tough sell I think. Btw is it 2012 or more like 2014?

This is good stuff, Walsh Hall, and I'm not just saying that because I used to live in you for two years. Did that sound creepy? That sounds creepy doesn't it? I forgot about Patrick who was the best D-man to wear the Green and White. I got to know Darren Jensen and I asked him what it was like to have Patrick in front of him and his answer was, "Comforting." I would not put Ward as high as you, but I like your top 4.

I think Hrkac was inducted to the Sioux Hall of Fame last year so they showed clips of his on the ice accomplishments. During one scene the camera is on him and he's skating, stickhandling and darting from side-to-side and initially I thought it was just him during pre-game warmups, but the camera pulls back and shows that it's DURING a game and he was just leaving the opponent behind, cutting through them like a hot knife through butter. When he was going good like that, he looked like he was the ONLY one out there. No one could stop him!!!

Gotta be either Parise, Toews or Hrkac so I'll go with Hrkac. He dominated COLLEGE hockey like no one else and I assume the question implies we get the college version not the 40 something version. Some guys are serious about Spirko or Prpich?? We already have guys like that on this team.

With the recruits getting younger all the time I suspect it won't be long before we see a story as follows: "The fetus of Mike Commodore and his girlfriend (anonymous) has declared by way of ultrasound that he (It's A BOY!) will play hockey at UND starting in 2027."

...if that doesn't work, maybe he can sit on the bench. So basically, the Red Wing Doctrine is that if he's able to put on a Sioux jersey he MUST be good for SOMETHING. But you seemingly discount the possibility that others wearing the same Sioux jersey are BETTER than he is at ALL the things you suggest he CAN do especially if he has yet to prove he can do any of the above.

I'm too stupid to do this. Is that NCAA GAME box cover real???

NO KIDDING!!!! If you can't call Trevor Hammer (WHO?) a bust then there is a loyalty oath that says that a Sioux fan is forbidden from calling anyone who puts on a Sioux jersey a bust. LOL!!! That's an oath I can't take.

All true. In baseball EVERY pitch means something. A pitcher obviously controls so much of the game, but only in concert with his catcher, and I love to watch which pitch the catcher selects in any given count, how he reacts to men on base and the whole game-within-a-game that occurs in almost every inning. No it is not a brazen, barbaric, slam-you-in-the-face kind of game; it is thoughtful, interesting, slower but marvelously athletic sport. I love it, watch 7-8 games a night and really just can't get enough of it. It's not for everyone especially those who've been raised on Nintendo and MTV and have to have some form of visual mind stimulation every twenty seconds or the ADD kicks in. I love the pauses, the explosions of excitement, the man circling the bases as the OF scurries to retrieve a ball from the fence, the base coach tossing up his arms to stop the player who ignores the signal for the play at the plate... Love it.

I agree with most of this except, Finley. Not NEARLY good enough to play pro. I didn't think Matt Greene would step up in his first year, and I don't think Finley is as good a skater as Greene was. But I really disagree on the "confinement of College Hockey" issue. I sit next to a real pro hockey fan and most games he counts how many Pro penalties would have been called in the college game. It's staggering. Pro refs are more touchy than the college guys so I don't see this as a motive for Finley. Plus, I don't think Lee goes. I don't think he's got game.

Point well taken.