Irish

If this team learns to bring it every night, they'll be a serious contender for the National Championship. Tonight is where we start the process - we need to be ready, because Blais will have Omaha ready.

This is a Sioux Hockey forum, not some Tea Party chat room.

Let's face it - the patented Hak slow start is becoming less and less acceptable. Sometimes when breaking in many new players or trying something new, slow starts happen. But every year regardless of talent? Each year has many similarities - Defensive lapses regardless of how much talent we have, untimely goaltending, and a lack of offense characterized by making a succession of average goalies look like all americans. Add in lack of focus every other game and here we go again. With the talent we have coming back there is no way we should be playing like this. It's time we have a team who performs up to ability night in and night out all season. Hak needs to get it done this season. Blais's Omaha team shows a lot more with a lot less.

If you want the fans and students to show up, it would help if the team showed up.

Lennon's offensiver coordinator - the guy from Sioux Falls State = he schooled Mussman big time last year

Is it too much to ask that Hak's teams play up to potential the first half of the year? This mediocre play every season is getting old. Same old - we make every goalie look like an all-american and our defense makes critical errors. With our talent and experience, we should expect better. This is an every year thing and has happened too often to be a coincidence.

I know we have young talent and we're in transition, but a couple of things bother me about Mussman - First is the number of games he's coached where we just didn't show up. No excuse. Second is the lack of adjustments made both with in a game and between games. This is a pivotal time in Sioux Football. We need to get it together next year or have the lackluster home atmosphere of the last two games. It's important.

Nice win by the Sioux - they showed good energy throughout the game. I'm still waiting for goals to come in bunches. With our talent, it should happen.

Even though the Sioux won, I have a feeling that this game is the "Pottersville" of our football future - what might be if we don't get things rolling in this program. A so-so team playing in front of a small, uninspired crowd with a non-exhistant student section. The Big Sky will help give us opponents that are actually of interest, but we need some excitement about this program. I'm not trying to put down today's win, just thinking that next year needs to be better. Think it can't happen here - look at the once proud men's basketball program.

Different game between the 2nd and 3rd periods - the Sioux seemed to be tired the 3rd. I can't believe that at times we had such a hard time getting the puck out of our zone given the defensive talent we have. We could have had several more goals.

Agreed that this thread might be premature and we need to give the youngsters a chance to step up. However, I think that we need to do more than just wait for the young kids to get things going in the right direction. There are some signs that we are not on the right track as a group. I don't think that most people are happy with where we are at in the transition so far. The quarterback dilema presents an interesting argument. Are the coaches at the mercy of a quarterback who just doesn't quite have the skill set to perform consistantly at this level, or is it their fault for putting us in a position where he's all we have to go with. I think the latter is more correct. Finally, I think that some of our schemes have seen their day. The 3 4 worked well against the old Bison option, but without the studs of yesteryear it appears to be a defense that is willing to give up a 10 - 15 yard pass at will all day long without a significant rush. On offense it seems everyone from NAIA Sioux Falls State on up has seen the bubble screen from us so often that it is just a joke. Muss needs to do much more that to just ride out this year and wait for the Freshmen to start playing. I expected a much more successful transition that we have so far.

After several chances, Dell has shown that he is totally incapable of winning the starting job. Too bad, what with Eidsness regression this year.

??

Great weekend test - the talent is in place, now we need to develop the mental toughness and attitude that champions have - the "we'll kick your ass in your place or ours" mentality. This is a good series to start to develop it. We need to continue to forecheck the crap out of our opponents. As for scoring, I hope we play a little more like Blais's NO team did last weekend. With our talent I would like to see less dump, chase, and cycle. Included in our great defensive talents are players who can move the puck. Let's take advantage of this and get more odd man rushes and better break outs. When teams figure out and stop our break outs it can be very disruptive as Yale showed last year. I thinks the odds are good that we kick some Maine butt this weekend.

Agreed that this is an every game occurance. They would rather give up 3 27 yard plays than one 80 yard play - a pathetic way to coach

Of the 4 Dakota teams that moved up do DI, who do you think is doing the worst at this point in time? We started the journey with a SOLID DII program. It kills me to see all of the Dakota schools ahead of us. Mussman needs to get his s**t together

alright - another generation of defensemen to smack the Gophers around

Exactly - "No Quarterbacks were brought in in 2009". This leaves us with Landry, Goska (who apparently is a worse passer than Landry), and a 9 man quarterback. I get that we're young, but come on - I hate to mention NDSU, but I will. They appeared much further along in their 3rd year without all of the growing pains you documented so well. . In addition, they brought in freshmen last year and this year that helped them upset Kansas. We need to do better and be competative.

Wow - this quote from Mussman says a lot about him and the state of the program. We are in the 3rd year of transition - If Landry (who had one of the worst performances in modern Sioux history) not only keeps his job, but "gives us the best chance to win" what does that say about our recruiting, judgement of talent, and offensive philosophy? Landry's skill set is well known - even when he's playing well he has problems with passing touch, accuracy, and his tendency to lock on to one receiver and telegraph his throws. I had hoped that with our expanded scholarships we would be more competative this year.

I'm glad they're trying to involve the students. Now, if they can take some of the Barney Fife out of Alerus security, they could have a renewed student section.

Sadly, I was at that game - it was one of the worst losses in modern Sioux memory. The wind seemed to go out of the sails of Sioux fans after this game and interest in home games dropped significantly. I think 3 things need to happen to improve attendance 1. Put out a better product - this seems to be happening. After the Sioux Falls debacle, the Sioux looked much more organized and focused. I think this should continue into this year. 2. Get a better schedule - This seems to be happening also, but until we have a confernce, something to play for, and some natural rivals on our schedule it will always be hard to get everyone fired up to play teams even if they are DI like Lamar and Southern Utah. No rivalries here. 3. Get the Alerus to become much more user friendly. This has been discussed on another thread. The attitude at the Alerus seems to be to try to suck all of the fun out of tailgating and the game. The University needs to have a serious talk with the Alerus about how they do business. Being picked last in the GWC is not where we wanted the program at this time. This would be a good year for a breakout season from the Football TEam.

I loved the barn - I think the hard-nosed attitude that our teams developed playing there carries over into the Sioux Hockey Program today (contrast that with the Gophs) My memories start with standing outside at -20, then getting in and it's still -20. Luckily, we all carried the accessory of choice, a wineskin filled with a strong warming fluid. The fog or mist that formed inside the barn gave it a surreal appearance. Chicken wire added to this. You had to rush to the warming rooms between periods. They resembled a very packed smoking lounge, with people re-loading their drinks. Add a very hard-nosed team and many animals ready to be thrown (gophers, badgers, whatever) and it was a hockey classic. When I see our team play in the Ralph, I think in some ways we have come light years in facilities, but in other ways, we are still a team that would feel at home playing in the barn. I hope we never lose the edge.

Well excuse me for daring to post that the Sioux didn't look particularly well prepared against Yale or that BC had a great game plan against Wisconsin (prove it). And then to have the nerve to suggest that Coaching has something do do with tournament success (pathetic). The title of this thread is "So - Is there a missing link?" - Expect some speculation on why the Sioux seem to struggle come tournament time. Our season ending losses have been very frustrating, mainly because of how we looked in those games. Loyal Sioux fans have the right to speculate on what is missing without a lecture from you. I'm sorry if the suggestion that everything is not perfect is upsetting to you.

Obviously you have to be a solid recruiter or you can never get to the top. But at the highest level where talent is fairly even, I think it is coaching. Remember, BC and us were the two hottest teams last year going into the tournament. They were 4th and we were 5th. Compare York's preparation and game plan against Wisconsin with ours against Yale. To me, that's what made them champions.

I see your point - there are many different paths to the Championship - BC has found a way to be hot during the tournament - we haven't. It seems like they always come up with a game plan that is disruptive to their opponents, always get good goaltending, and use their speed. Lately, they've been making WCHA teams look like they're skating in cement. However, I think relying on a hot streak second half only works if you have a lot of freshmen and have chemistry issues to work out or if you have some early injuries (like last year for us). As a blueprint for every year, it has shown to leave something to be desired. Bottom line is we're all guessing - I don't know what the answer is. I do know that we are due and have the talent. I'm hoping for #8. I also hope we beat the Gophs and BC along the way. We shouldn't want to duck any team.