Stack

Hey all. Now that the roster has been posted I started thinking of line combinations but then I realized I didn't know which new forwards were centers. I know this: Goalies: Walski (Sr) Eidsness (Fr) Harrington (Fr) Defensemen Possible pairings: Finley (Sr)/Genoway (Jr) Jones (Sr)/Marto (So) Lapoint (So)/Blood (Fr) Fienhage (Fr) to fill in Forward possible pairings (with my guesses at centers) VandeVelde (Jr) centering Duncan (Sr) and Kozek (Sr) Toews (Fr) centering Watkins (Sr) and Trupp (So) Gregoire (Fr) centering Frattin (So) and Malone (So) Martens (Sr) centering Hextall (Fr) and Zajac (Jr) Miller, Lamoureux, and Davidson filling in At first glance my concerns are team speed. Defensemen with some speed are Genoway and Marto. Forwards with some speed are Duncan, Frattin, Trupp. I don't know about Toews, Gregoire, Lamoureux, Hextall or even how Kozek and Watkins show for speed. Of course a concern is in goal but who knows maybe one of our freshman goalies will be another Bachman from CC like last year. We're going to need Marto and LaPoint to play like veterans and to get immeditate production from the incoming freshmen forwards. The early schedule looks tough with BU and U Mass then at Mankato, Wisconsin at home then at CC. If our goaltending can stand up I think we're headed for home ice in the WCHA playoffs and another berth in the NCAAs. Then you never know. Thoughts?

I'm just glad they are moving Kyle back to defense. He is a smooth skater and plays with an edge. He'll make the opposing forwards pay to get into the zone. I wish he would have been given more of a role in that sense in college.

I am surprised. At the end of the season I thought Joe played his position but with a lack of enthusiasm. I thought he was planning to be another Brian Lee and "further his development" in the AHL before hitting the NHL. Now that Joe is coming back I'm happy. Still Joe needs to improve his game for college and for the future, the pros. In my opinion Joe needs to do these things: 1. No longer only rely upon his reach but to move his feet to get better position 2. Become more physical. Joe is huge and is going to get called for penalties when smaller players will not. Joe needs to use his size more in the Matt Greene mold. Make that opposing player regret setting up in front of your goalie etc. He needs to make people pay to get into our zone. 3. This past year Joe improved on his break out passes but there were times that he didn't want anything to do with the puck and would leave it to Genoway to bring it out of the zone. To further his career he needs to learn this part of the game better and start moving the puck. He doesn't need to skate it out of the zone but make a decision and pass it to the right player. I'm glad Joe is back as long as he plays with more enthusiasm and uses his assets which are his size. his reach and his experience. Just expand on those attributes and Joe will be in the pros shortly. Heck we may be looking at another Frozen Four now with Joe, Jones, LaPoint, Marto, Genoway, and the newbies on defense. In general all of the defensemen need to get more physical to help our freshman goalie.

Mentioned once before but I'd like them to replace the black nets behind the goals with white nets. I've been to a number of rinks where the nets are white and it is so much easier to pick up the puck through the net rather than through the black netting. Sell Budweiser or something besides Miller at the average stand. Sell wine on the concourse. Just about every place I've been including the Fargodome sells wine along with beer in the concourse. I'm guessing this is because the liqour license is usually the same for wine/beer. I just know some people that can't drink or like beer so wine is a good option. Stop making the average fan that goes to one of the end bars feel like they are inferior. Gees they watch you like a hawk like you're going to sneak into the other "restricted" area. I mean come on. I promise I'll just go back to my seat once you give me a drink. I like coordianted cheers but please don't let us turn into the stepford fans from Wisconsin. They don't know much about hockey but man when their band starts playing do they know how to cheer. Let's do some coordianted cheers that all fans not just students can learn and do. Make it ok for me to stand and cheer the last few mintues of a game when I'm tryign to fire my team up. Rather than having people yell at me to "SIT DOWN", let them stand up too and encourage the boys. OH and did I already say I'd like WHITE nets!

Sorry! Stack didn't advance! That was me, Budwmn, putting in my pick...but my husband was obviously signed in on this computer and I didn't notice until I submitted.

So...is this over? If not, I'll take Oshie for Thursday's win against BC. :-)

This was the worst podcast all season. The CCHA sportswriter kept on with the " Why would I vote for Lamoureux for the Hobey. Heck the coaches in the WCHA didn't even think he was the best goalie in their conference." Then to hear them all tout Gerbe as the second coming and by far the most exciting player in college hockey. Gees have they seen Oshie play? I hope our players listen to the first 30 minutes of this podcast and get a little something stuck in their craw. (whatever the hell craw is). Based upon this podcast BC wins easy probably 5-1. You know they do have superior speed and have 4 lines that can score. And of course you know that Muse has played every game and is unbelievable for a freshman. This really made me mad last night to the point that I ended up dreaming about the game (I never do that), My dream was that Finley crushed one of their little guys early on a check. He got a penalty of course since the NCAA refs don't allow a bigger guy checking a little guy. But we ended up hitting the entire game. We had to kill off about 6 penalties but we ended up winning 4-2. Bob Norton had a fit and complained that the refs cost BC the game. Come on Sioux. Make my dream come true on Thursday. I'm sure I'll dream again after we beat BC. I'm not sure I'll be able to post here though since I'll be in Denver cheering on the Sioux. But If we win 4-2 I'll find some place to post my next dream. More to come!

Three of us flying out of Fargo via United at noon Wednesday meeting another Sioux fan flying in from Bismarck about an hour later at the Denver ariport. Should be at our hotel by 2:00. Beer in hand by 2:05

We'll be at the Adam's Mark too. Our 8th Frozen Four. We're flying in on Wednesday and will be at the hotel by 2:30PM. Beer in hand by 2:31. I'll be the guy in the green Sioux polo. Just call me Stack and I'll know you read the boards

Both Radke and Malone bring the physical play but they do not seem to know how to play under control. I don't want either guy playing in the Frozen Four. Last year the physical play by Porter (dumb penalty running a guy) and Finley (crushing check that was called an elbow) cost us two goals to BC. We can't afford stupid penalties. Be physical but not dumb! They will go with 4 lines early and then shorten the bench late, something that is easy to do with all of the TV timeouts. Even though I don't like it I think Radke plays. Martens has played very well with Trupp. One problem could be Trupp's physical condition and he could be a little skitish after having a broken leg. Lines: Oshie, Duncan, Kozek VandeVelde, Kaip, Watkins Martens, Trupp, Frattin Zajac, Miller, Radke

VandeVelde.

Gerbe now leads the nation in scoring. Porter is not a given after disappearing in the playoffs. Heck Gerbe had 15 shots on goal alone against New Hampshire. Of course I'm hoping for Jean Phillipe or the Osh.

Dang and I was just about to read The Great Gatsby. You blow the ending for me and now what? Next thing you'll tell me is that at the end of the movie The Rose she dies or something. That's on my list of movies to watch next

Andrew "Lumberjack" Kozek

I've said all along that Gleason comes in next year and Fienhage goes to the USHL for a year of seasoning.

Ryan "Major Duncs" Duncan

My Favorite Sioux Goalie: While in College: Bob Iwabuchi Since College: Karl Goering

Two things: 1. Besides Marto and LaPoint stepping up for Genoway we also need Frattin, Miller, Zajac, Kaip etc to step up their play and provide some scoring. 2. One thing that is nice once we get to the Final Five and NCAAs, TV timeouts. With all of the TV timeouts a team can shorten their bench and a team can get by with three lines as the game goes along and also with 4-5 defensemen. It's nice to play four lines early with 3 sets of defensemen but not totally necessary with all of the delays. Just a thought.

My picks are a little different: 1. CC 2. UND 3. Denver 4. Mankato 5. St Cloud 6 Wisconsin 7. Minnesota 8. Duluth 9. Tech 10. UAA CC over UAA in 2 UND over Tech in 2 Denver over Duluth in 2 Minnesota over Mankato in 3 ( I hate this one but Mankato sucks against Minnesota) St Cloud over Wisconsin in 3 Final Five: St Cloud over Minnesota in play in Semis: UND over Denver, CC over St Cloud Finals: I don't know! CC and UND are Number 1 seeds. Denver and St Cloud are Number 2 seeds. Minnesota sneaks in as a Number 4 seed unless Mankato can actually beat Minnesota if they do Mankato is in. Is this the year St Cloud wins a game in the NCAAs? Weird but I actually think they do unless they play another WCHA team

Thanks for managing the league Azsioux. It was fun. A lot more challenging this year when the defense meant so much. Thanks again.

It was great to get two wins in Duluth but the price was great. We lost Trupp for the year. I'm guessing Genoway sits for this weekend at least and if he has a broken wrist he sits until the regionals. That's a heavy price to pay for two wins. We all know what these two guys brought to the team and they will be missed. Now we need guys like Frattin, Marto, LaPoint, etc. to step up and play a bigger role. We need Frattin to show that goal scoring touch he has, LaPoint and Marto to play like seasoned defensemen, and guys like Zajac to show some scoring touch along with their normal defensive play. Get well Genoway and Trupp.

Andrew "Lumberjack" Kozek

Well I know the guys from INCH love them. In their most recent podcast they kept saying that Miami was the best team they have seen all year. Great in goal, sound defensively and offensively and were senior laden. If Miami passes us I just hope we are a seed where we get put in their region. The reality is we aren't going to know squat until after the first round of the playoffs. St Cloud State is the fastest moving team up the PWR and could even pass us if they can sweep both Wiscosin and us. To me they are a scary team with their firepower. Let's go to Duluth and win Saturday and then see where we sit. Win Sunday too and then come home for the next two weekends. I love this time of year. My biggest fear when we play the first round at home is getting beat and not getting to see the boys in St Paul for the Final Five. But I'm confident this year that we get to St Paul and win at least one game there.

Another thing to consider is that when Miami plays another TUC they will get the nod over us for the 4th Number 1 seed. Right now neither teams gets a point in the comparison because Miami has only played 9 TUCs. The next one they play win or lose gives them the comparison over us. So we need to continue to win to get a Number 1 seed. We need to win 3 of our last 4 regualr season games, sweep the first round of the playoffs, and win at least one game at the Final Five. If we do that and CC does that we'll both be Number 1 seeds.

Tickets are readily available after the regionals. If Denver or CC aren't there you should be able to buy tickets for less than face value on the street. Like Sioux-cia said if you go to USCHO right after the regionals you can get tickets. Just remember that all of us that got tickets in the lottery are in the upper deck so the seats aren't great but hey you will be there.