Doc Nodak

The plus/minus stats are interesting--but, a bit misleading. Spiewak and Notermann had to play their butts off to finish at around "0". They spent much of their ice time checking the opponents' offensive stars. Yes, I'm still alive.

Ditto, what jk said! Siouxper Fan, about Parise..you are certainly right about him being an "A" player going against lesser competition. Don't be so sure he will struggle next year. He might. Some great players have struggled during their freshmen years at UND. But, I'm old enough to remember Kevin Maxwell (81 points as a freshman at UND in 78-79) and Neil Broten (dominant at UM right out of Roseau HS). I don't know how good Parise will be, but some smarter people think that he may be a GREAT player. A realistic view would be that the Fighting Sioux will be championship contenders in 03-04. Me, I'm still hoping for THIS year.

Old news, but a great article on Zach Parise.. http://www.caldercup.com/Slam020102/col_francis-sun.html Wednesday, January 2, 2002 Simply the best By ERIC FRANCIS -- Calgary Sun In a tournament that has boasted participants such as Petr Nedved, Scott Gomez, Mike Modano and Dany Heatley, Zach Parise is simply the best. While only time will tell if his development can continue to rival that of such aforementioned greats, it's clear no player has ever dominated the Mac's midget tournament like the 17-year-old Minnesotan. Shattering the record books with 29 points in seven games and his second-straight tourney MVP honours, Parise concluded his three-year stint at the prestigious tourney by raising the championship trophy with his Shattuck-St. Mary's Sabres for the third consecutive year. "I'd say he's definitely the best to ever play here, yes," said longtime scout and tourney organizer Carl Archibald. "He's got great anticipation and he's not one dimensional like Nedved or Gomez. He sees the ice better and utilizes everyone on the ice much better than they did. He's incredible at both ends of the rink." Despite the best efforts of a Yorkton squad focused heavily on shutting down the most prolific scorer in Mac's history, Parise set up two goals in a 6-1 win at the 'Dome. Drawing a tripping penalty on a breakaway and robbed several times in close, it marked just the second time in 21 Mac's games he was held scoreless. "We tried to shut down Zach and took our chances with the other two," said Yorkton coach Ryan Hoffman, referring to Parise's linemates Brady Murray (son of L.A. Kings coach Andy) and Tyler Hirsch, who scored one and three goals respectively. "Just shutting down Zach isn't enough. He's probably the best player we've faced all year and the best midget player I've ever coached against." Recording 12 points his first year here as a 15-year-old under-ager, Parise stole the show last year with an 18-point effort -- including four goals and a helper in the final -- to win his first MVP honours. This year's 29 points gives him 59 career points at the Mac's, a record not likely to be broken considering most top players only play one or two years of midget hockey before moving on to junior or college. And he did it all against the stiffest world-class competition ever assembled at the 25-team tourney. Next season, Parise will attend North Dakota on scholarship, with hopes of being drafted in 2003 and continuing his career in the NHL. While no team had ever won consecutive championships prior to Shattuck's threepeat, no player had won back-to-back MVPs or scoring titles, either. When told many considered him to be the best player in the tournament's 24-year history, the classy, well-spoken son of former NHLer J.P. Parise was honoured. "That's shocking -- from what I've read, there have been some great players here," said Parise, a modest type who led his club to a perfect 7-0 record this week, recording seven points in the quarter-final and five in the semi. "That's not surprising at all to hear," said Hirsch, the game MVP. "It's a gift to play with someone like him. He's also our hardest worker. As great as he is, he's always trying to get better." Having gained considerable attention long before he led his Faribault, Minn., prep school to the national midget championship title last year, Parise says he'll have to see how his 5-ft. 10-in., 170-lb. frame fills out before knowing if his NHL aspirations are realistic. Others, like Shattuck coach Tom Ward, don't need to wait that long. "I would never jinx him by saying he's a sure thing but he's a special player," said Ward, whose club is 31-3-4 and ranked tops in the U.S. "He's our hardest worker, our most dedicated team player, leader, good student, good boy, he's a warrior and he plays from goal line to goal line." He is, quite simply, the best the Mac's tournament has ever seen. And in a tourney that has produced close to 200 NHLers, that's saying a lot.

I also was happy to see the Notermann/Lundbohm/Spiewak combination reunited. They were the best line on the ice in the season opener against Minnesota, but they haven't had a chance to play together consistently through the season. Lundbohm's playmaking skills may be just what Notermann and Spiewak need to become more productive offensively. There's no doubt that the Sioux have found a "real" first line. Bochenski has been fantastic since Blais sat him down (rightfully) against Alaska. Skarperud has been a man on a mission. It is truly unfortunate that he lost a year of eligibility. I remember Notermann, Spiewak, and Skarperud playing their first games as freshmen against the Canadian National team. They were buzzing like crazy--possibly the best line on the ice. At the time, I never would have predicted that Tim would be the most productive offensive player of the three--but he could always shoot the puck! I still think that Notermann and Spiewak have the ability to turn it up a notch or two on the offensive end. I think we're now seeing evidence of significant improvement in this team. Goaltending has been mostly solid. All seven of the defensemen are becoming more consistent. Special teams are much better. Back checking is better. I'd still like to see more sustained intensity on the forecheck. We see it in short spurts. Let's Go Sioux!

I listened to the game on the radio. It sounded like a solid effort from everyone in the lineup. The only disappointment was the loss of Chris Fournier to a concussion. I hope it isn't serious.

I posted a message a few minutes ago in the "New Recruits" thread. I was momentarily confused (doh!) by the new interface, and I had forgotten to login. Surprisingly, the board allowed me, a "guest", to enter a username (I chose "Doc Nodak") and post without entering a password. This raises a couple of potential issues. First, any guest could assume the identity of any registered user. Second, flames and other idiocy posted by non-registered users was ultimately the downfall of Toby K's old Sioux hockey message board. I'd hate to see that repeated here. Did the admin just forget to set a preference, or was this intentional?

There may be some controversy about whether Caig actually played in WHL games. If you're interested, see this thread on USCHO.com: http://www.uscho.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5744

Since nobody else has answered, I'll share my very limited observations. I watched the Sioux practice and scrimmage a number of times in the preseason, but not since. Genoway skates well and he has some nice skills. He looked like he belonged on the ice with the rest of the team (there were a small number of other players who clearly were in over their head). He looked a bit tentative, understandably. I don't know how he has progressed the past few months. I did notice Colby in the stands during the UAA series. He was nattily dressed, looked happy, and appeared to have gained a little weight (??). I was tempted to go talk to him, but I decided not to bother him.

It's nice to see that a number of UND players/recruits are listed. It's a sign that the Sioux are continuing to get excellent players. On the other hand, I wouldn't make too much of the relative rankings, or even whether a particular player is ranked or not. The correlation between CSB rankings and college performance is very weak. Among other things, the NHL puts tremendous emphasis on size.

I don't think the Sioux are in a situation where they need a body to fill a position on defense. They could use a defenseman with offensive skills and the ability to run the powerplay. Someone like Travis Roche, Brad Williamson, Curtis Murphy, etc. One of the current freshmen may be able to do that in two years, but there is no apparent short-term answer. Speaking of which..Nice article about Andy Schneider in today's GF Herald. http://web.northscape.com/content....117.htm

Clayton, there may be a difference between Caig's situation and that of Goren or Genoway. According to UMD, Caig never played in a major junior game--not even an exhibition game. The rules are complicated, but we may be comparing apples and oranges. Personally, I think it's a shame when a young kid goes to a major junior team for a few days, decides it's not for them (or gets cut) and get severely penalized by the NCAA.

I was surprised. I think Blais was going with the "hot hand." Siembida was average on Saturday. I expect to see Brandt this weekend.

I think there were a number of bright spots tonight. The team played with intensity throughout the game. The guys were finishing their checks and they seemed to have alot of jump. The defensemen were solid as a group. Schneekloth is playing much better of late. Andy Schneider was great. Nick Fuher is improving. Chris Leinweber played one of his better games. Bayda and Skarperud really work well together. Ryan Hale did some nice things. The Spiewak/Notermann/Hale line really deserves a break from the Goalpost God one of these days. I really like the way Ryan Connelly and Brian Canady compete So close..

Obviously, it's a cliche; but at this stage the Sioux need to take it one game at a time. The focus now should really be on improvement and consistency, not on the standings. The standings aren't going to change anything exept whether or not the Sioux have a home playoff series. As much as I want to see that, I'm not sure it matters much in the long run. What DOES matter is continued improvement.

I'll make you a deal. You forgive the team for not performing up to your unrealistic expectations in the first 2/3 of this season, and I'll forgive you. The Sioux will be back. We've got a great coaching staff. We've got a roster full of great young men with good talent. They are going to get better, and some day soon they will be an elite team. None of us knows for sure if that day will be next month, next year, or in 2 years--but ranting won't make it happen sooner. As fans and supporters of the program we need to do what we can to prevent these young guys from feeling undue public pressure and losing their confidence. FIGHT ON SIOUX!