Irish

Really? - make your points as to how this is a good, well coached hockey team with a great freshman class. It's easy to call people stupid when you don't have to back anything up.

I agree that this is pathetic hockey. Hakstol basically went to the final four the last two years with Blais's talent. Objectively rate the coaching staffs performance this year (the first year that most of the players are Hakstol's recruits) Recruiting - Name a freshman impact player - regardless of earlier speculation that our freshman class is just as good as the Gophers (they just didn't get as much press) and statements about how our recruits will play "Sioux style hockey (which usedto be hardnosed - this freshman class has not shown us anything yet Player development - most players have gone backwords this year. Game coaching - Just look at our power play and our ppk - pathetic - how we can have a power play with both Toews and Oshie and still be impotent is beyond me. Motivation - have you seen any of the games Intangibles - we have gone from being a team that you feared (especially in front of the net) to one that teams feel that they can camp out at will - In addition, we seem to take more stupid penalties than anyone I would be stunned if anyone could rate our staff at any higher than a C- for any of these catagories Week after week we hear comments about how we had a "good effort, but fell a little short". This will sell for a couple of weeks - let's face it - we are not a good hockey team. This is unacceptabe. I wouldn't be as upset if we appeared to be playing hard consistantly.

I'm not saying fire Hak, but I sure would like to have Blais back. That being said, there are some serious problems with this team - they are underperforming across the board. In addition, I'm not wild about this years recruits - who is making an impact. almost no one has improved from last year including Toews and Oshie. These are all coaching issues - you can't tell me that if a Blais team played like this heads wouldn't roll. I strongly disagree with your comments abour expectations and tradition. They should be alive and well - this is the type of season I haven't seen since Bjorkman.

Agreed This is totally unacceptable - the Gophers on a 20 game tear and us on a horrible losing streak. we should not be a second tier team ever. I'm so tired of the "great effort - just a little short", "bad breaks", "the real season is just starting", "Hak will get us going soon" comments I could puke - Let's be honest - this is one pathetic hockey season. Things need to change right now.

Agreed!

There's no doubt that Hak was basically anointed as coach. Whether he was the best man for the job remains to be seen. Most of us don't have enough information yet to make that call. What upsets me most is not that we are losing (although that burns too), but the type of play we are getting lately. We have had it taken to us physically, are making stupid mistakes, and don't show up for all 3 periods - this has been going on for way too long. In my mind, my biggest question about Hak as a coach is in player development. When you look at our talent on paper (number of drafted players, expectations of level of play when signing etc) there is no way on God's earth that we should be playing like this. This is basically the first year that we are Hak's team as opposed to Blais' recriuts - I'm worried. No one seems to be getting better or playing above expectations. Usually someone unexpected has a breakout year - not this year however. We seemed incapable of scoring 5 on 5 last night. If the play doesn't pick up soon we're in for a long haul and not only for this year. Relying on nexy year's recruits seems iffy - We are basically a team made up of the last highly praised recruiting class (this year's sophomores) and look at how they are developing. We need some fire. We have for the past month - nothing yet. I hope tonight's the night (although I am tired of saying this)

Sorry to say it, but if you can't get a better effort out of this group than we saw tonight you have to wonder what is going on with the coaching staff.

I hust got home also and listened to the radio on the way - I almost threw up listening to the crap they were spewing.

This seems to be a new modern day (post Bjorkman) low. We got our asses handed to us at home by Michigan Tech. Did we even come close to scoring a 5 on 5 goal?

I just got back from Friday's game with Michigan Tech - Just what kind of freshman class do you think will turn this team around? - In addition, if they progress like this years sophomores, we're in real trouble.

Take Toews and Oshie from this team (which might happen if they decide to move up) and what do we have to build on? The lack of development of current players who have been highly rated (Lee for example) leaves me to worry no matter who's comming in. No one seems to be getting better. In addition, there are several disturbing trends this year - One is our lack of physical play on Defense. We went from a team who had the most feared defensemen in the league to a team that gets outhit in our own arena. In addition, the undisciplined play (stupid penalties), inconsistant play (taking entire periods off), horribe penalty kill, and poor goaltending make me worry that unless we get our acts together we are in for a long period of frustration. Counting on next year's freshmen to pull us up (especially at this point of this year) makes me uneasy. Our mental approach as a team may be my biggest concern - why can't they turn it on for 3 periods?

The Sioux lost a lot of talent from last year - so did other teams especially the Gophers. I think the frustration on several threads boils down to the fact that the Gophers seem to have reloaded and we haven't - or haven't shown much so far. Our freshman class may develop with time, but no one seems to be able to step up and make a difference now. Other teams (Gophers again) seem to have recriuted impact players. In addition, many of the Sioux players this year seem to have stagnated or gotten worse - our entire sophomore defensive corps are not playing like last year and we seem to have the worst goaltending tandem in the league at least according to their stats. Other than Duncan, no one is scoring like up to potential including Oshie and Toews. Although most of us are loyal Sioux fans, sitting each week thinking mayby this will be the week where they get it together is getting old. We are used to being at the top or near the top every year. Add in the finest facility in college hockey and mediocrity is not acceptable. In addition, several aspects of the Sioux play are particulairly frustrating - especially being out hit, being taken to task at home, extremely poor goaltending, and stupid penalties especially from people who should know better. I'm certainly not giving up on the Sioux, but would like to see some traditional Sioux hockey out of this team. They have played some of the crappiest periods of hockey that I have seen from a Sioux team since the early 70's. I hope things turn around or the next few years may be bleak.

Let me vent and share my frustration also. it is obvious that this team has trouble in all areas - timely scoring, defense, goaltending, will to win, intensity, mental mistakes. My feeling is that the ultimate responsibility is with the coaches. When Blais was here, players knew that if they came to UND with talent they would leave as players in the NHL sense of the word. Thjat's not happening now. Does anyone think that Finley, Lee, Lameraux, Toews, Oshie, etc are playing better this year. Almost no one is developing. We are playing much worse as a team than in the past. In addition, we were out-recruited this year. I agree with other posters that it is a mystery as to why we can't get a stud goalie in here. It is painful to watch us get out-hit in our own arena. Hakstol was basically anointed as coach - It's time for him to show us what he's got. I will not be happy until we are competing with the Gophers. Blais would never allow this type of play without kicking some but. We need a wake-up call soon.

It should be on our coaching staff to bring these guys along. A major part of Blais' success was the fact that if you had talent and came to UND you would leave playing like a NHL hockey player. This was common knowledge among hockey players. If you needed to get jacked up to perform, that's what happened. That's how he got major talent to come here before our state of the art facility. Now, if things don't change it looks like players will leave here having regressed during their time here. The coaches need to pick it up. Also - how we got stuck holding the bag with the worst goaltending stats in the WCHA is beyond me.

I've said this before but I'm frustrated so I'll add my 2 cents again - Other than Duncan and maybe 1 or 2 others - is anyone playing better this year than last. There seems to be no improvement among our sophomore defensemen. They seem to have gone backwords as a group. I'm not excited about our freshmen class. Other teams with a lot less tradition and facilities seem to have ourrecruited us. If you combine their stats do we have the worst goaltending in the league? This is NOT Fighting Sioux hockey as I know it. We seem to have no home court advantage - other teams used to fear comming here - we would beat them physically and on the scoreboard. Fighting Sioux hockey is not about being 7 and 7. Wait until we play the good teams. The coaches need to shape this team up.

Punt my ass - it would be nice if we tried to win this game!

Our 3 or 4 man rush is killing us.

We need to PUT SOME PRESSURE ON THE QB Why are we content to let him stand back there and pick us apart?

If they don't start sending someone to put pressure on the QB it will be a long day.

I'll admit I have been one of the critical ones - great offensive job today - keep the momemtum going

Playing it safe on that last series - I hope it doesn't come back to bite us

go for the damn touchdown and stop trying to run the clock - didn't we learn anything from last time?

Good God - did any defensive players show up today?

We put in the 3-4 specifically to stop the option - we look like we've never seen it before.