sagard

To be fair Adam did take away a Gopher goal due his inability to see the puck sitting by itself on the goal line. I think he actually lost sight of it because the goalpost was between him and the puck. You had to know he was going to go into makeup mode after that. Nice weekend for the Sioux!

Live or very close to live video over today's internet is a very difficult thing to pull off. Heck even simply voice over IP can be challenging as well. The bandwidth problem is not likely at the sight that hosts the Dataflix Webcasting servers, but if any link (potentially the ISP to ISP links) between the user and the Webcasting server is congested, problems will surface. The biggest problem I see with the service is that they made no download to disk option available. I realize that could lead to some file sharing problems, but it would still have created happier paying customers and likely more of them. I would have gladly payed $8.95 for some Sioux games had downloading been available, and I'm a Gopher fan.

Anyone know of a cities bar that would carry the game? I would absulutely LOVE to see Murray score the clincher against the Canadians. Their position on NCAA players disgusts me.

Heck even the Gophers win National Titles more frequently than the US beats the Canadians in international tourneys. So I'd take a US victory over Canada, than a NC.

From my perspective the only thing that could derail the Sioux is if they lose their edge at just the wrong time like CC last year. Although, I think it is less likely due to superior coaching and depth than CC had last year. I truly think they will open up a 6-8 point gap on the WCHA field. The very interesting part will be NCAA placements. From a Gopher fans perspective, the last place I want the Gophers is in Grand Rapids. Do you Sioux fans feel that way, or does the big ice of Colorado Springs look more forboding? Either way, I'm guessing we will get the Quarter Final matchup we missed out on last year.

Winning the pool would be huge. Go USA!

UND is playing a tougher opponent, but UW will have a tougher time getting points. MSU really took it to UW at Madison on their Saturday night game, Bruckler bailed them out. It won't happen this weekend at Mankato. MSU will get at least 3 points. UND may struggle one of the nights, but I will be surprised if they don't cruise one of the nights. SCSU has been doing it with mirrors and great goaltending in my opinion. Reminds me of their hot starting teams with Leitza, not their teams with Meyer.

Anyways we will have this "Whos is bigger" arguement forever. Here is a blast from the past you all might find funny. The arguements are still the same. http://members.tripod.com/~gophers_suck/

Many (maybe most) Gophers fans consider the Gophers far superior to the Sioux now, despite the Gophers being recently swept, despite the Sioux being at the top of the polls, despite the titles, etc... More titles than the Sioux wouldn't really change that much. Even if the Gophers won the next three NCAA titles and took an eight to seven title lead, there would be Sioux fans that would say "Sure they are great now, but over the long haul I still like the Sioux." They would have a valid point, as do current Gopher fans who point to pre-NCAA titles from before the Sioux even started playing. What I'd like to see is a decade of multiple WCHA teams in the Frozen Four. Of course I'd like to see the Gophers catch Michigans nine titles as well.

Unless of course it is all time head-to-head, or for the National Championship right? Like it or not the two programs are so similar now it is scary. They both have hard a__ed coaches who both know what it takes and will what it takes to put their team in contention for the title year after year. They are recruiting the same type of players and often the same player. The one thing that you can take to the bank is that no Frozen Four will go without at least one of these teams for quite a while.

I will be completely shocked if UND doesn't return with at least 3 points from Madison. UW is not anywhere near the same ballpark in depth or speed as UND.

Bucky has obviously been getting the job done. They will have a tough time during the WJC missing their coach and three players from what is not a deep team. Their last six WCHA series are @CC @UM @AA, home with UND, SCSU, and UMD. They will struggle down the stretch. I'd guess the will lose twice at the X and exit in their first round NCAA game if they make it.

Sioux fans won't riot because it will be 10 below and still be 4 feet of snow in GF on April 12th, 2018. Everyone has idiot fans, the Gophs had far and away the most this summer, but most of them have dropped due to the slow start. Be careful, a couple more wins and siouxrock will return!

Isn't that basically Brandts first rough period of the year? From an outsiders view, Blais should play him again tomorrow. However, there just seems to be something about Brandt coach Blais doesn't like.

Unless it really is a vast Gopher conspiracy, I'd guess the X just flat out guarenteed a lot more money than the Bradley Center could offer due to it's being about as central location as one can find for the WCHA. The game three years ago between UND/SCSU would have been in front of 5000 had the game been in Madison.

You've been saying this all year! I see your tempted to declare them out of tourney play. If your ready for that before the new year, I'll be there for the bet.

I don't think you have to worry about the Sioux folding this year. They look to me to have legitimate depth this year and have already shown the goaltending is in order. So many other posts questioning the Gophers heart, discipline, and many other intangables. There are probably a dozen players on the team that have shown they have what it takes over the last two seasons, and they will end up being a NCAA team. I'd back that up with beer bets payable at the X to anyone who wants some of that action. I'll be there with or without the Gophs. The Gophs are currently ranked 13th-16th in the Krach/RPI/PWR shown on this websight. They will need to continue improving, but I see no reason to expect them to not improve. As for the Gophers making a serious NCAA tourney run, it isn't that likely. If they get sent east and avoid the BC bracket, I could see them sneaking into Boston, but that is about the most they can achieve. Which wouldn't be bad. The primary difference is there is no great two-way defensemen on this team. Ballard is certainly very good, but his is not as big and doesn't seem to have the same tenacity as Leo or Martin without the puck. I came to terms with the AA loss fairly quickly (the Gophs won't be the only ones to lose up there) and I'll pull a Tice saying. "If you were going to offer me 7-8-1 when we were sitting at 2-7-1, I'd take it every time."

This loss hurt, but the Gophers will make the NCAAs in a similar fashion as SCSU last year. Strength of schedule. They have played themselves out of any chance at the McNaughton and are close to being shut out of a realistic chance at the Broadmoor by missing finishing top three. Assuming they make the tourney, this would likely send them out East as a #3 or #4 seed. Not a good night for me.

UND is responsible. If your team would go back to recruiting the freakin' 25 year old Canadians, no trouble would be found!

The great Sioux teams of '98-'01 managed three points a couple of times at Mariucci, but never swept.

Under most circumstances, no team that finishes outside the top three in the WCHA has a chance at the playoff tourney. I will be utterly shocked if any WCHA team ever wins three games at the X. <rant> This is my biggest problem with the WCHA. The playin game prevents any realistic upset tourney champion and the unbalanced schedule means the difference between 1st and 2nd and just as importantly 3rd or 4th may be decided by who had more games with Tech and AA. The WCHA should either balance the schedule (hard with AA), or drop two teams from playoffs (hard because of money) and play a final four. </rant>

Heres a couple points from a Gopher fans perspective: 1. If the season ended today, the Gophs would be 14th in PWR, 13th in RPI. If they were fortunate enough to have no tourney upsets they would be in the draw. That is a huge relief. 2. BU was very close to earning a top seed last year with thirteen losses. If the Gophers finish with 10-12 losses, they will have a shot at a top seed. More realistically if they finish with 13-16 losses, they will make the draw and likely be a #2 or #3 seed. This is due to the Gophers playing an very strong schedule this year. Some cupcakes sure would have been handy before the UMD series. 3. At first glance I thought the Gopher fan mentioned was just wistfully regretting the Gophers not playing their best against UND and UW. But re-reading it, it is rather cocky for a fan of a team that still is below .500. However, if the Gophers continue to reduce their turnovers, you should expect a lot more trouble from the Gophers at Mariucci and the X. Maybe even a showdown in Boston if we are all lucky! 4. The Gophers still have the same keys to the '03-'04 season as they did at the beginning of the year. Finish top three in the WCHA, win the WCHA playoffs, avoid the Michigan draw. They are just going to have to work a lot harder to get the top three WCHA finish, and without it the WCHA playoffs will not happen either. To be honest, right now I'd trade the WCHA privileges just to avoid the Michigan draw in Grand Rapids.

FWIW, I don't even know if it is true. But I heard Lou Nanne mention on the radio last week he expects Parise, Vanek and many college underclassmen to sign next summer due to it being the last time they will get a chance to sign under the old CBA. That said, if there is no hockey being expected to be played, the teams will have less motivation to pay them. I'm guessing coaches are betting on lots of departures, trying to bring in many kids on less than full scholarships, then giving out scholarship upgrades as available.

The Gophs haven't been playing well, but they sure haven't been getting any breaks either. How does a team get only two PPs vs. DU? I could go on an on and bore you, but oh well. It has to turn around eventually right?

1. The Big Ten rules would have prevented Josh from playing a game before winter classes started. 2. It is a desparation move to bring in anyone at the break. Welch/Caig/Stafford(UNH) situations are different. 3. Trash talk aimed at getting under UND fan's skin. If Lucia brings in a goalie at the break it will be for the same reasons Blais did. (DL and DB are so similar, but that is another topic.) The potential goalie will be coveted by a few other teams for next year, the Gophs best chance at grabbing him would be now. The goalie would have to really want to start college immediately. If Lucia is blaming the start to this season or if Blais were blaming start of the '01-'02 season on their goaltending, they are off mark. Unlikely, given the respective coaches.