Taz Boy

I see she's wearing her wedding dress!

Hey U2Bad1: who's the avatar babe? Taz likey.

Tense game. Schultz annoys me. What's with the NASCAR accent when he gets excited? Sioux now at the 14yrd line. Put 7 in boys. You'll need it! taz

Yup. Thanks, PCM. I look forward to this every week. taz

I really like this thread. jk's tremendously detailed recap makes me a little embarrassed to have once considered myself a knowledgeable hockey fan. Very interesting! Any mention of another Sioux slide late in the season is simply wishful speculation. Would it have been better for the program had they lost one or both last weekend? Absolutely not. As I recall from Saturday, Dean and his boys left the ice pleased, and Lucia's lads were less enthusiastic. Apparently they did not understand the new rule that early season victories automatically disqualify you from late season greatness. Let's suppose a championship-caliber UM team showed up and UND got swept with 1-goal games, perhaps in overtime. Well, then, the Goofer press would have praised the effort of North Dakota, declaring them a definite force to be reckoned with down the road. The series would have "set the stage" for another heated battle, or "showdown" if you will, at the Mariucci later this season. What a "clash between two hockey powerhouses in the WCHA. Both storied programs with the potential to bring home the hardware in April." Blah blah blah. Where have we seen this talk before? One of the main themes in the Bison-friendly press after the NDSJC loss to North Dakota in football was how great it will be when these two teams meet again in the post season. In fact, the Bison now had an edge for such a game-- a greater incentive to win. You'd have thought the Bison master plan was playing out exactly by design. Sadly, it did not. The truth is, no one can say with any certainty who of the top teams is going deep this year. Way too many variables for that. What you can say is that it is a good thing to win hockey games and collect points, no matter what time of year it is. Last weekend was a good thing for the Fighting Sioux. A very good thing. And, I enjoyed myself completely. taz digs it, baybay

Yellowdog has inspired me. I'll try a few... "SCSU: Major in Drinking, Minor in Thinking." "SCSU: Educating Tomorrow's AA Members." "Hey Huskies: Where's the protest/riot this week?" "Hey Huskies: There's concrete here too. We just covered it up." or "Hey Huskies: We hid our concrete well, didn't we?" or some other variation on the National Concrete Center theme. Then there's the rip on the Bison... "Sorry you had to drive through Fargo." Sorry if these are lame. Gotta go... taz

Blank screen as well. It appears nothing is being sent out...??

That's her first mistake. She should rather ask them what they think about the name. Liberals always struggle with that. taz

Did I miss something here? I just cannot take this post seriously. Some yayhoo on the internet wants to make a buck on tickets and you wish ill-will towards the Fighting Sioux hockey team as punishment? This is what we have to complain about these days? You must have gotten a hold of some of that bad weed the Canadian government keeps pushing on its elderly. Seriously. I stop by to get some inside info on the greatest team in the history of college hockey, and I run into this crap. Ralph built the arena for EVERYONE, not just self-annointed hockey purists who cringe at the thought of their favorite sport actually becoming popular with the masses. A$$holes are found on every bandwagon, in every city, all over the planet. You cannot avoid them, you can only just ignore them. Perhaps you think of me as one? Fine. But, you will never see me wishing any sort of bad luck on the Kelly Green just to spite someone I've never met. Truly amazing. taz

NCAA Finals against BU, April 1997 David Hoogsteen doing his classic "window puppet" on the glass after one of the five second period goals. Just two days prior, watching two obnoxious Michigan fans walk the isle from their seats on the glass, through hundreds of taunting Sioux fans, eating crow all the way up to the exit after a stunning BU upset. In my mind, still the best college hockey game I've ever seen. Opening Night HOF Game, Friday, Oct 5th, 2001. The sustained standing ovation for Ralph before his center ice speech. So loud was the noise that I believe Betty (or was it the grandson?) was covering her ears. After all that controversy BS, you had 11,000+ Sioux fans showing true appreciation for an incredibly generous individual. Oh yeah, and beating the Bison the very next day. I'd take a NC loss to the Gophs paired with a Bison spanking anytime. taz digs da Fighting Sioux

Absolutely wonderful. How about the quiet Michigan State fans during the 1st period at the Joe in '87.

No, it's the damn Huskie goal and subsequent 5-3 that causes the marginal video quality. heh, heh. taz digs broadband

What a great article for Sioux fans to read! I still remember the State fans after the first period sitting in shock at what was happening on the ice. Too much fun. Classic quote by a Minnesota fan when asked by a State fan just before the game if North Dakota was even a threat. The response was something like "Your guys don't have a chance." taz digs da Sioux

Actually, the judge was speaking to Jamelske's lawyer at that time. taz wants to be a "retired handyman"

I was there as well! Was playing in the marching band (forgive me), and we were cranking out "In Heaven There Is No Beer" when The Great One looked up at us and said something like "You make beautiful music". Definitely a generous comment. I read in a book that Reagan was always a big fan of marching band music, and loved hearing tunes like "Hail To the Chief". A very memorable experience that unfortunately didn't help Andrews much. By the way, did you catch Sabo's comment regarding the Goofs and GWB: Said U.S. Rep. Martin Sabo, D-Minn., "It simply proves that Minnesota is the state of hockey." AAAAAAAUUUUUUUGGGGH!! heh, heh taz

I blame this whole mess on Krys Kolanos. His overtime goal kept the Fighting Sioux from taking the rightful honors as first B-to-B champs since BU. Yeah, it's Krys' fault. Can't believe he chose BC over UND. Now he's a Coyote. Probably a Democrat too. Blah. taz

I've now had to watch a Republican President present honors to the Gophers the past two years. Enough to turn me to voting Democrat. Funny, but long ago when Potulny first annouced he was a Gopher, I posted on some message board (perhaps here, or USCHO-- I have no record of this) some joke about how great it would be to see the lone NoDaker turn the program around, beating UND, and winning the NCAA title with all the Minnesota fans screaming his name. Ugh. Be careful what you wish for. heh, heh. Congrats again to the Goofer. Truly an impressive run. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go and sob uncontrollably for a few minutes. taz

How many times do we have to read "If it were not for the students, there would be no UND?" Change the word "students" to "faculty", "alumni", "benefactors", "staff", "administration", "people of Grand Forks", or "state of North Dakota" and the statement would be no less true. A real fan would go to the games and support their team with consideration for those around him or her. Please, Derrick, stay at home and pout. Use the time not to watch hockey on TV, but rather to reconsider your journalism major. taz

This is a terrible, pointless article; no surprise it's coming from Virg. Apparently, anytime something negative comes out of Dean's mouth, Virg is there to broadcast it to the world. taz not impressed

I tried reading this thread but I got sleepy. Yellowdog cures insomnia through an amazing effort at over-arguing the uninteresting. So much effort for so little thought. Just be happy about the Gophs and look forward to your guarenteed three-peat next year. taz

I did not see much of the first two periods, but the third really showed a let down by UNH. When the Goph's went up 3-1, UNH just plain died. Haven't seen that in a championship game in quite a while. At first, I was disappointed with Ayers behaving as he did late in the third. But, then I realized he was just trying to get some fire back in his team. They were rattled. I'm sure it was tough for UNH fans to watch their team slip like that after coming so far. Perhaps it's a testimony to just how good the Gophers were this year. Teams seemed to fold against them. Mankato and CC in the WCHA tourney games both looked a little sluggish. Mercyhurts [sic] was predictable, but Ferris was surprisingly impotent for most of their game. And then UNH. The only team that matched up well in the Goph's post season was Michigan-- but even they didn't look like the team that spanked CC all around the rink the week before. Thanks Yost. In the end, you place credit where it is due. Lucia has built up quite a franchise in his short time as coach. I was disappointed when he left CC, but certainly can't deny him the kudos for his work at U of M. Plus, I think the Maroon-n-Gold culture is changing for the better-- which is not good for Taz Boy who enjoyed so much lampooning the misery and handwringing of the Wooger era. This time has certainly past, so I guess I need to form new material. Congrats again to the team I love to hate. Let's hope the WCHA can continue the recent successes and never let 1999 (HE final) happen again! taz is forced to respect the Goofer. Blah!

This is not my worst nightmare. It's close, but not the worst. No. That will come next year, when the Gophs do a 3-peat. I think this team impresses me more than last year's champions. They certainly had the golden touch down the stretch. Vanek is a man among boys out there. It was kinda heartwarming to see his Dad in the crowd cheering. Plus, it's tough to dislike a program that has kept Michigan from winning the title two years in a row! Congrats to the Gophers. What an impressive run! taz

This season was a disappointment only in the way it ended. The sum total was about right where they should have been. Unfortunately, the last two games were showcases of uninspiring peformances for at least 3 of the 6 periods. They just couldn't put it together in the tourney, and bad play attracts bad luck. However, it wasn't long ago when the miserable heartbreaking losses belonged to the Gophers. That Maine goal with four seconds left in the NCAA tourney was laughably painful. Now, who's laughing? The Sioux slide might be harder to take because the dreaded Gophs are doing so well. However, the focus should be on improving, and they did do that. I think the Hale illness had a much bigger effect on the team than just his absence from the ice. The second half team was playing worse than the first half, and had a much more difficult schedule. I might be an oddball, but I think UND has as much talent as any other team in the WCHA-- including the Gophs. Aside from the obvious names, I really enjoyed watching Prpich come into his own. I agree with ScottM in thinking he is going to be a strong force next year. Fiesty, chippy? Perhaps. But, man, that guy works the boards and plays hard. I also thought Massen was doing well. Defensively, Schneider was great. He can only get better and will perhaps become one of the team's leaders. And, no issues with Greene. The penalty magnet will learn to play a smarter game and be even more physical as well. Commie II? I'm excited to see the big three on the front line. But, this isn't going to carry the team to the FF. As has been repeated to death, the bottom two lines need to help carry some load. Goaltending? It's Brandt next year. If you're looking for a Freshman to save the day, you may want to stop looking. I think realistic expectations for next year are no less than a top three finish in the WCHA, playing in the WCHA FF championship, and #2 seed in the NCAA Regionals winning their first round game decisively. The goal, obviously, should be winning it all. That is the goal every year, and should continue to be the goal until college hockey ceases to exist on this planet. Long live the Fighting Sioux! taz

I think the Gophs will win handedly. Everything they throw at the net goes in. I am constantly amazed at how they (well, Mr Europe and Mr NoDak) make solid goaltenders look foolish. A combination of puck-luck and skill, these guys are rolling. It is U of M's game to lose, no question. Life is good for the Goofer right now. And, it will continue to be until this virus runs it's course. I have accepted the fact they'll win this year. What I haven't been able to swallow is the possibility of them winning it all again next year. Goofer three-peat: the unthinkable. All things considered, I know many Gopher fans who are well deserving of some fun right now. We Sioux fans were only an overtime goal away from the same thing. I think it's best if the West gets it done right this time. I can't cheer for them from my heart (three decades of anti-Gopher brainwashing is tough to erase), but my head says West beats East is the better deal. Bring the hardware home, Goldy, because next season your a$$ belong to da Sioux! taz

I believe around 10K on hand. How 'bout Mariucci that weekend? taz, sadly, is a U of M graduate as well