Siouxman

Unfortunately this year we don't have last year's defense.

This series scares me. Kalamazoo is a tough environment. Even last year's team struggled there, but won thanks to Boeser. WMU is a better team this year than last and UND is not.

We have attended the WCHA and now NCHC tournament every year since the Xcel Energy Center opened (and a few even before that) and will be at the tournament this year. We don't want to break our streak. Having said that, We have had two seat issues in all of our time attending sporting events and both have been the Target Center (once was a Timberwolves game). Our latest episode was last year and I sent the Target Center a letter pointing out the issue and identified items that the Target Center is doing poorly and that they just don't "get it." Hockey fans are not the same as NBA fans. I stressed that I will be encouraging the NCHC to move to the XCEL Energy Center when the current contract ends and I did copy the NCHC office with the letter. In the first two years I was willing to give then time to get up to speed, but last year was it. While the food has improved, it is still garbage. In the first year they had hot chocolate at just one food stand, but coffee at all of the others. When I responded to the Target Center survey after year one, I mentioned this fact and that my wife and I do not drink coffee, so please add hot chocolate to more vendor locations. Their response in year two was to not have hot chocolate or coffee at any vendors. Maybe they don't want the tournament and are willing to cancel next year so it can move to the XCEL a year early? Evidently many fans are choosing not to go this year as the Mpls. Hilton has lowered rates to $89 for senior citizens and $94 for others for that weekend. We rebooked at the lower rates. My goal one of these years is to attend every game. Last year I made 33 of the 40 games prior to the NCAA tournament. Just missed the Bemidji, CC, and Vermont series as well as one St. Cloud game.

Touchy, or is it touche?

Ahem. We will be there as well.

The risk is that Kalamazoo is a very tough place to play, WMU plays a physical style of hockey, and there is definitely a risk of further injuries in that place.

Absolutely no wiggle room left. And if Wolanin mishandles one more puck at the blue line, UND may get a too many men penalty because I may be on the ice pounding him with a stick. I have doubts about how that will go, but enough is enough.

Guys, you are all ruining the thread by acknowledging and responding to his posts. Simply ignore them. They are not worth responding to. You are simply feeding the troll.

We are just lucky that those "woodsy" people are not posting on ss.com, or are they?

I forgot to mention that we were downtown in Colorado Springs after the Saturday night game and had a guy come up to us and said that he was from Philadelphia and could not thank us and UND enough for Dave Hakstol and his turnaround of the Flyers. Yes, he was a few drinks into it at the time, but he was very sincere.

We actually stayed near Cincinnati when we went to Oxford. The downtown area of Oxford is extremely busy on Friday and Saturday nights, and parking is difficult to find. At the game we parked in the ramp right next to the arena and that was convenient. For day time, we went to Dayton to the Air Force National museum and that was a real treat. We were there for a couple of hours and didn't get close to seeing it all. It was fun standing outside the flight simulator (being flown by kids) and listening to one scream "I'm going to die!" before the machine restarted after their pseudo crash. One of the planes on display was from my old unit at RAF Lakenheath in England. One highlight was driving through a small town between Oxford and Cincinnati that had a business "Jack's Pizza and Bait." I guess the anchovies must be pretty fresh.

St. Cloud presents a whole different challenge. They are expert at the back door play. Two years ago we sat behind Hrinks against St. Cloud and they made him look bad. Cam came in to replace him and immediately made a difference. But now, it is two years later and things might be different. Cam is dinged up, it is a different St. Cloud team and a different UND team defensively. No matter who is in net, this week makes me very nervous.

I was at the game as well. After talking with others and observing Boeser closely, it appears he most likely has an undisclosed lower body injury. While at times he showed flashes of last year's player he was then at times immediately afterward checking out an ankle or knee on his way to the bench. Something is just not right. His wrist may not be 100% yet either as his shot is not as quick as last year. For those screaming for Tomek, I doubt that you will see him. He did not look good on Friday night in the period that he played. He just is not tracking the puck well at all or handling it cleanly. And from what I heard in the Springs, he is not doing well in practice either. In fact, I was told he may potentially be the fourth best goalie on the team. Draft spot means absolutely nothing most times when it comes to actual play. Draft spot indicates possible potential. CC played an entirely different game on Saturday from Friday. Defensely they absolutely collapsed and packed it in at the front of the net. It was extremely tough to get in front of the net or to get shots through to the net. Their one goal was a fluke off a UND player past Rinks. UND hit steel five times. Just an inch the other side on any of them and there would have been a goal. The effort was there Saturday night, just not the results. The freshmen are really beginning to shine and hopefully their hustle will be infectious to the whole team. Wilkie was very noticeable with his effort on Saturday night. Saturday night was disappointing from a results perspective, but not from a team effort perspective. They dominated the game and deserved better.

Yes, it is an NCHC rule that the officials can go back and review for offsides. It happened just last week against UMD. UMD lost a goal because the goal review indicated good goal. UND challenged based on offsides and the goal was disallowed because UMD was offsides. Not all conferences have this rule.

Was at the game last night and sat to the side of Tomek. He was not sharp and was not tracking the puck well at all. On one shot he was already looking behind him for the puck and it hadn't arrived. It happened to hit him in the pads. For all knocking on Boeser it was clear he is hurting and seems to have a lower body issue. He does need tt o quit complaining to the ref. UND was pretty dominant last two periods. Big props to the freshmen as they played well and with energy. Some line changes made during the game seemed to get things going.

We go to the tournament every year whether our team is there or not. Thankfully I only remember one year at the Target Center without our favorite team.

I would guess it has something to do with both of them being part of the World Juniors team.

Didn't you mean "practical?"

The band does more than play music with what is in those instrument cases.

The only resolution carried over from last year is that everyone must appear in person.

Just wear Gopher gear. No one will see your face.

Mr. and Mrs. Siouxman - have to keep our perfect attendance going.

I am beginning to wonder if we need to prepare ourselves for the day Marilyn Hagerty retires from the GF Herald. With his travel blogs for trips to Madison Square Garden and Union, Schloss might be in line to be her replacement!

Is it too early to put in my reservation for two to this years gathering?

While the team played really good this weekend, there were some things that need cleaning up. Both defensemen vacated the front of the net to go to the boards to fight for the puck. If they had lost that battle, UNO had a gimme in front of the net. There were times that defensive coverage was lacking, mostly on Saturday night, and if Cam hadn't been really on the UNO score could have been a few goals higher. But overall, yes, UND did play very well. The first period on Friday night was especially fine.