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Some of the members here seem to know about putting together more effective lines than the HC, and that's concerning to me...if one of your more productive forwards from last year (OMac) has 0 goals through 11 games, ya might wanna put him at center, coach. Geesh. Season is only roughly 1/3 or so finished & a lot can happen in the 2nd half, but tonight feels almost like a must-win game for the team: if they lose, they miss out on gaining very valuable PWR points, become even more of a bubble team & enter the next 6 games before break with zero momentum. A win would be massive for their PWR & confidence.

I agree, but he'll probably experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result.

Berry's been spending the last 9 years trying to get things together. UND is no more a functional, cohesive team now than when they played Augustana. It almost seems like they regressed last night. And zero improvement from last year's biggest weakness, which was dealing with a heavy forecheck. A bunch of individuals trying to hit home runs with breakaways instead of focusing on passing, puck possession, sound positional play, etc. DU lost a lot of talent from last year & someone said they're the second- or third-youngest team in the country. Yet their young players have zero problems playing like a team & with discipline. It's clear what the issue is.

And that superiority extends to their coaching staff, it couldn't be any more obvious than after tonight. A team is a reflection of its coach. UND has plenty of talented players, there's no reason why they can't at least be competitive with DU. But they continue to make bonehead plays, are undisciplined when it comes to penalties, cannot string together 60 minutes & the element of teamwork seems to be an alien concept for them. All this even after 6 weeks, which smacks more of a coaching/managing/motivating issue than a personnel one. 11 games into the season & UND played no better tonight than in their embarrassing loss to Augustana. Even with a full lineup then, UND looked lost. That game was an omen of what to expect this season. UND can overpower weaker teams with nice individual plays, but are like a ship without a rudder when they face talented, disciplined teams like DU; because playing like a bunch of individuals will always lose out to a well-structured team.

Schlossman usually reports any injuries as he sees them during the game, & asks Berry in the post-game press conference; or at the very latest it is mentioned in the Wednesday press conference. Which is why I find it odd that it wasn't reported until Thursday afternoon, unless it was an injury that happened in practice. (regarding Berg)

Is there a pop-up blocker you recommend? Last time I checked in with that site I got bombarded more than a blonde woman in New Delhi.

Considering the unpredictable nature of college athletics, sometimes indecisiveness has its place.

Exactly. If anything, this will show us the character of the team & how they handle adversity. Maybe they'll fold & go through the motions, maybe they'll dig deeper. Every single player needs to be playing to his full potential on each shift, no exceptions. Denver’s probably smelling blood. But the coach also gets a turn under the microscope. We'll see if Berry can field a competitive team each night under trying circumstances. Come mid-December, we'll see how he handled this particular adversity & if he was able to rally & guide his team effectively through it. The coach will receive equal praise or criticism alongside the players.

For sure it'll progress someone else's skill set, but probably at a cost. He's a difference-maker in most games he plays. Other forwards will need to go above & beyond to compensate for his absence (especially Wilke, just 1 g, 2a in 9 games so far..need more production from him pronto). If they can somehow gut out a split with DU & manage to go 6-0 against the PWR-killer teams before break ... Glass half-full for now. You would think, but they were missing Berg at Cornell also, & they looked rather disjointed on Friday & made quite a few fundamental mistakes in that series. We shall see if they've learned anything since then.

Where are you hearing this?

Berry said nothing of the sort during his presser yesterday.

You're right, just noticed that! : )

Sounds like the power brokers at ss.com are looking for a new HC. What criteria are the siouxsports search committee using to find the right candidate?

Ok, I thought I was missing something. There was a guy here last year who streamed a couple of games from his YT channel; would be swell if he returned & did the same.

How do you watch your games? In AZ there isn't a regular way of watching on tv unless CBSSN is carry it.

Nobody returning this weekend from the injured list.

Sweeping UMD was nice & all, but they're probably going to be neighbors with Miami in the NCHC this year, so wise not to get too big-headed after doing well against them. DU is a whole other beast. Carle has his team consistently clicking on all cylinders, whereas Berry gets sporadic flashes of greatness from his players, with extended lulls of uninspiring hockey. Consistency is why DU is undefeated, & the lack of it is why UND is treading water. But with DU in town, the boys will probably be dialed in for most of the weekend ... but who knows with this team. Cannot afford anything less than a spliteroooski.

I wonder if this is mostly being done for financial reasons, or if it could also be because they're finding it difficult to stay competitive with the more established programs. Or both. Perhaps this will trigger a domino effect with other fringe schools. Maybe there's a Hunter Johannes type player UND could poach from their roster. Time for other schools to start circling the AIC corpse like vultures, looking for any good remains.

Sweet, even has the beverage holders. My dad & I used to play the precursor to that back in the '70s ... our knuckles got bruised on more than one occasion.

Good point. Every little advantage helps. Depends.

Congrats to him, only thing that concerns me about him is his small frame. On one of the many pks, Livanavage was trying to push a UMD forward away from in front of the net; the UMD guy wasn't budging & he eventually scored on TJ.

No, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

You know you're getting old when you can talk about your medical issues with strangers without a second thought. Just keep it to yourself, though, if you start crapping in your Sioux underwear uncontrollably. ; ) The boys will need your + vibes this weekend.

And here I thought they wouldn't be as dominant this year considering that they had some important cogs leave last spring to a higher level of coggery. But still, they haven't had anywhere near the injuries UND has had & their schedule so far has been underwhelming. UND almost always has a bullseye on their back regardless of whom they're playing - except next weekend. Will be nice for a change. Can imagine Denver will have everyone gunning after them this year, wanting to pump up their PWR with a win over them. Best chance for a win may be Friday, because they may not yet be accustomed to a lot of pace ... if UND can bring it. At minimum, a split, & put every ounce of energy into Friday night to ensure that happens.

That's probably what the coaches think also, but Montgomery's experience & poise translate to fewer mental mistakes.