OETKB

JK: I know you're right. In fact, I remember a 0-9 drubbing by Wisconsin back in the early 80's that was answered by an amazing Sioux victory in their run to an NCAA title. However, I don't remember a big game where UND gave up 5 in a row after leading by three. Does anyone? Blais, in his postgame show, said the team can't get negative, but rather needs to build on the performance of the first period tonight. Well, lets hope they can do so. However, that generally happens only if you get a decent 3rd period effort the night before. Yuck!

Sorry, folks, but UND does NOT look like a Frozen Four team - flu bug or not. Notable absences offensively tonight were Bochenski, Massen & Schneider. CC scores FIVE unanswered goals before I had to shut off the feed in frustration. CC definitely looks like the better team tonight. Without D. Hale, this team appears weak.

PCM: If it is not an express violation of NCAA rules, please keep posting the summaries of coaches' shows. For those of us who are not insane or jealous, it is nice to read them.

I think Blais believes that "Lammy" will contend for starting goalie when he comes in here for '04-05. Until then, we've got Sedevie coming in next season. Sedevie has really picked up his game lately, after a slow start to the season. He's now atop the list of USHL goalies in terms of games played and won. Granted, an .896 average isn't great, but in the last month or so he's been around .925, so perhaps he is going to live up to the expectations Blais had for him before his knee injury two seasons ago.

Beaverson: Now THAT's a hockey name! Go check the fur traps and bring the ol' skates along.

On a related note, I see that Porter has upped his +/- rating from (6) a while ago to +1 now. I wonder if he get moved to a new line or if the same line is just playing better?

Great news. Sedevie had a tough start to the season. First, he was traded to a new team. Then, his saves % wasn't very high at the start. Glad to see he is regaining the form that caused Blais to recruit him in the first place.

D. Hale, Schneider, Greene, Jones, Marvin, Fuher, Dahlen & Smaby = 8. If David decides he is ready to play in the NHL, we're left with 7. That would be a "pretty good" 7. With Hale, we'll have the best defense in the nation, IMO.

Two things in the article were very encouraging. One was the quote where Zach says "I love college." The other was the part where he is adamant about staying at least one more year, saying he'd rather play in college than in the minors. He's got a good head on his shoulders. Not to look past this season, because the Sioux are doing great, but I think next season is going to be something really special. It sounds like the schedule will include some top notch NC games. Plus we get the rodents at the Ralph. Assuming D. Hale returns, there will be even tighter defense next season. Offensively, they'll probably blow a lot of teams away. Players like Lundbohm, Massen, Bochenski & Schneider will just get better. I'm plotting my 2003-4 Frozen Four scheme already. Wait a minute, didn't I do that in '98-99? Oh, well, the Anaheim trip was fun.

This is awesome news. The city will be jumpin' in 2005. What a great atmosphere for the Team USA boys!

One player I'm surprised at is James Massen. As a freshman, he had a pretty slow start. This season, especially since the WCHA schedule started, he's been a major offensive threat. He and Lundbohm are working well together. Anybody else think Prpich was a great find? If he can add another 15 lbs. to his frame, he'll be an excellent college player.

Good. I've emailed lots of people at UND as well, trying to get someone to come up with a fix for this recurring blunder. When people plan their time around listening in on games, it is a huge snafu for UND to blow it like they have been.

I hope Blais sits Canady for at least the whole weekend vs Canisius. Obviously, he can't play Friday, but I think we need to send a message to him or anyone else with the idea that a stick can be used like that. Not accepable. No offense to the Canady family...but he made a really bad choice.

Agreed about the ref's so far at the Ralph. Parise is getting absolutely mugged out there and the penalties are different for him vs. anyone else. As a Grandforkian who also grew up watching a few games in the ol' tin shed, then the Winter Sports shed, and now the Ralph, I'd have to say the students have always bagged on the rest of the crowd as being lazy and uninterested. However, there are plenty of die-hard fans in the season-ticket areas who also make noise. Face facts, when your tenure at college is over, you, too will be faced with the reality of buying a ticket in the "old folks section" and being one of the "crazy people" if you allow yourself to jump up and cheer like a madman. All I can say is...who cares! I've been doing it for years. Go Sioux! #23 will be remembered.

Just wondering if anyone has heard whether Eric Fabian has dropped off the list for next season. I read he was here during the Summer, volunteering with Blais at some community events, yet there has been no mention of him lately. Perhaps he will enroll without a scholarship & attempt to walk-on?

There was some concern about goaltending from the start, but it was the meltdown in SCSU that really got people talking about goaltending as the major weakness on the team. Honestly, I never felt like there was anything wrong with our goalies that time & confidence wouldn't fix. The maddening thing is that other teams' tenders are playing so well against UND. Even though the Sioux have won 5 straight, the games have been close because of opponent goalies. Here's hoping Brandt has found his concentration & confidence! And that this takes some pressure off Siembida, so he plays well, too.

Hey "Farce Poobah": Is that THE Farce, from the 80's, with yellow hats that light up when a goal is scored?

Dagies: I wouldn't be too worried. Blais, in his game comments, used the words "puck luck" to describe what has happened to the Sioux in the last few games. If Deano thinks it is nothing to worry about, why should we? UND is creating lots of scoring chances. That is good. They may not be finishing all of them right now, but the goals will come. The important thing is that they continue to dominate teams in terms of puck posession & shots on goal. And, of course, W's!. 10-1-0. What, me worry? Shots tonight: 29-22? "Quietly" lobsided, is how I would describe this game.

Thanks PCM. As you know, those of us who are outside of the radio area can only get the coaches' show stuff here. Thanks also for taking the arena reporter gig at USCHO. It's very cool to be able to log on there and get a recap of the games. Lord knows the Herald doesn't do much online. This year there are more stories than last, but the coverage is still sparse.

What keeps happening at UND so that games are not on the web? People plan their time around being able to listen, as advertised to alumni who contribute $, then they find the feed is only turned on about half of the time. Unacceptable.

As always, thank you! Those of us who cannot listen appreciate getting whatever inside scoop we can. Too bad about Palmiscno's concussion. He is a skilled puckhandler and has the top faceoff % on the team. Next season, I expect him to crack the lineup for most every game.

Ziegelmann, a Grand Forks kid, has not yet commited to a college and has a very solid 7-1 record with an average of .933 going for Lincoln in the USHL this season. Perhaps Blais can land this kid? Sedevie has come on strong in the last few games. That's encouraging, especially because neither he nor Lamoureux had good starts in the first 8 games or so. Sedevie is currently 4-3 in 10 games played so far and has only an .892 average. At Lincoln, Lamoureux is having similar luck with a 4-3 record and an .895 average. In the WCHA, these guys would struggle. Of course, Lamoureux is still very young and would not play until '04-05 anyway. Right now, I'd have to say the goaltending UND has lined-up is no better than the goaltending we've already got. Not that UND needs to panic just because of 1 weak performance in a road game, but I hope Blais can land a real blue-chipper for next season in goal. If Brandt or Siembida can improve, great. If not, they'll have to be replaced for next season.

For those who want to know a little more about Princeton's team this year: NJ Times: The article paints them as having good depth, but they have 10 freshmen and only 2 returning 10+ point-scorers. I'd have to think UND is slightly favored to win. You'd never know it by the comments in this article, though: NJ Times #2 My favorite quote is from their 6' 5" 220 lb. senior captain, Parros. " I am dying to get them in here in a small rink. I think it is going to be great to bang them around a bit."

Didn't watch the games, but listened over the net to both. Blais said he planned on playing Siembida on Saturday, but decided to start Brandt to see how he would react to a less-than-stellar performance the night before. As for clearing the zone, they didn't seem to have many segments when Niagara kept the puck in UND's end for very long. However, when they did, as with the power play, they scored.

For 5 straight games, UND gets at least 5 goals and allows no more than 18 shots against. Excellent. Parise is amazing, picking up his second hat trick already! Lundbohm nearly got one, too. Looking forward to laying the smack down on Princeton & Yale. That should be a fun weekend for Sioux fans.