tnt

If you don't think that most of this is Lucia's decision, you are being delusional. I don't think the administration is saying it is an unhealthy rivalry. Where there is smoke there is fire, and the smoke is coming from Lucia. So for years Minnesota didn't play out east, now Lucia is being forced to play out east? I said over a year ago before they even started to schedule Notre Dame and such that Lucia would not want to play and was told by gopher fans that he most certainly did, and then I said the proof would be in the pudding.

How is it misplaced rage when Lucia himself is the one saying they shouldn't play every year. It came from his own mouth that playing once every four years in each teams home rink is fine.

... and it's not a rivalry worth playing every year according to Lucia. Just wonder how UND fans would react if Hakstol was spouting the same rhetoric that Lucia is. No coach should be bigger than the rivalry.

How insulting is Don Lucia to his own fans by acting like he really wanted to schedule the Sioux but just couldn't because of the nickname. His players really enjoy playing out east. Really? How often did you schedule out east in the last 7 or 8 years? Honesty goes a long way, and I think Lucia has proven that he can't be upfront and just say what is in his mind-- he doesn't like UND, so he isn't scheduling them. And if Minnesota fans think that UND is going to agree to play in the Mariucci classic every year just to get to play them, they have another thing coming.

The funny part is that it was Alt that was taking a run at Frattin. OOPS! Guess we know why Wehrs went flying like he did.

I actually agree that UND probably has more incidents that could be considered cheap. I believe that is because they recruit more players that are physical. Tom Serratore is a perfect example, he is a hard working player that every once in a while gets out of control. Is he a cheap player? No! Does he have hits and circumstances that could be considered cheap? Yes! It isn't because he is in essence a cheap player, it is because he is always physical, therefore he is more apt to have a high hit or late hit, etc. I would classify Cal Clutterbuck in the same way. A lot of other teams think he is cheap. Do you?

Please tell Andrew MacWilliam that reputation doesn't matter to officials!

Really, you would give the nod to Big Ben? Have the fight on tape, and he didn't do anything, except when Hakstol motioned to take off their masks, Hankinson balked.

Demarchi might be one of the sole reasons that there was attention drawn to checking from behind. He might have had more than anybody in college hockey. If it happens a few times o.k., if it happens consistently, it's called dirty.

I will add that if you go into a series with the premise that UND is the dirtiest team, then what do you think you are going to get out of it. I would challenge you to go up and down UND's lineup and tell me who you think is dirty. If the refs are going on reputation from the past, then they are being impartial -- plain and simple. So which one do you want to go with, no conspiracy against the Sioux, or refs think they are the dirtiest team in the league?

O.K., on one hand you say that the refs don't have any conspiracy against UND then you say they go around talking about UND players as psycho's. I guess I would like to know what player they said that about, because I think just about every player in the league is just a normal college student who plays hockey. Sure there are a few oddballs, but that goes the same for every team. You can't tell me that Demarchi and Hirsch wouldn't fall into the little off category.

Talking about the nickname. And like I said, the rivalry is very tame compared to what it used to be. Mark my words, you will find another team to vilify without UND in the picture, and my bet is that it will be Michigan.

Didn't stop Wisconsin, so quit using that sorry excuse.

The funny thing is that what he thinks is unhealthy is tame compared to what the rivalry used to be. Remember when Mike Greeder pummeled Mike Burgraff to a pulp to the point where he could barely see out of his eyes? Remember when the trainers were involved in a brawl. Remember Woog flying in Dave Preuss to a series the second night for a little "muscle"? I don't ever recall any coaches from that era saying the rivalry was unhealthy, and at that point it probably was. I have a feeling if Lucia stayed long enough he would say that the Michigan rivalry is unhealthy when things don't always go his way. If UND would have been the team that slashed Haula, you would never hear the end of it from Lucia and the fans. It's too bad that the rivalry won't continue for a while because of one persons opinion on the rivalry.

I guess I am confused why Saint Lucia would recruit two thugs like Bickel and Helgeson, because goodness knows there is no room in the game for that!

Except last year, North Dakota was a quite a bit better than Minnesota those other years, so you would expect a bigger disparity in penalties. My biggest problem isn't so much about the minor penalties as there are bad calls here and there each way, it is the huge inconsistency in the majors being called since the five minute major went into effect. Definitely would like to see those stats against all competition.

I think a lot of teams that get them early on in the game don't bear down and think they have all the time in the world, and therefore aren't as focused. I am sure getting one late in the third when you are behind, kind of forces you to bear down a little more. Having said that, I would hope that would be a point of emphasis from the coaches to bear down whenever there is a five minute powerplay, because if you have a horrible 5-minute powerplay, the other team gains so much momentum and confidence that the result of the poor execution could cost you more than just no goals.

Guess the key word is conciously. If you are friends with many of the people around a program, you may think you can be completely impartial, but somehow friendships might play into it a bit. Once I see UND be the beneficiary of 4 missed checking from behinds in one weekend while Minnesota gets called on the only one they commit, then I'll be more apt to think it's just coincidence.

Looks like Adam Tambellini likes being on a team with a little more firepower, as he was 1st star today in a 10-2 Surrey win with 3 goals and 2 assists.

Just interesting how many times these inept refs get things wrong. Minnesota pushes the BC goalie into the net, they review it, call it a good goal. The Sioux push the goalie into the net, review it, and call it no goal. Brad Sheppard has no business officiating games. When you consistently get the longest games when Sheppard and Anderson are involved, you would think that someone would put them on notice. The amount of time to review a goal last night was ridiculous. First they talk to the coaches for a while, then they go and confer for a while longer before they decide to review it, which takes a while, then after they decide, each confers with a different coach, then they get done with that, then Sheppard has to talk to the other coach. If we see any Sheppard officiating next weekend, look out! Can't wait to be in a league without Gregg Sheppards cronies.

Tambellini with two goals tonight for his new club, and Jack Rowe had a couple as well.

Agree, I would guess that O'Donnell has more goals than Frattin did at this stage of his career, especially when he missed the second half of last season, which is valuable time for any freshman in the learning curve. Having that playoff run under his belt last year would have been huge for him. It would be interesting to look back and see what people said about Frattin and Malone early in their career.

Seems to me like Canada made many more of those mistakes than the U.S., and guys that have been playing at the professional level at that. The NHL guys aren't immune from making those kinds of mistakes, otherwise Canada wouldn't have had it handed to them.

Bottom line is that Don Cherry can see that Canada isn't head and shoulders above the U.S. anymore and the results of all the Under 18 etc. teams bears that out. They will always be a player, but as the game has branched out in the U.S. you are having great players from unconventional states now, and I don't think it is going to get better for Canada. If you look at all the players in most Olympic sports, they all train at U.S. colleges, but I don't think the U.S. is looking to ban them from competition. If Canada wasn't losing its grip, he wouldn't be so frustrated.

So if Tyler Palmiscno was named the head coach of the next World Juniors, you don't think there would be some questions asked? I have no problem with Housley, but still wonder what the process is for the hire. Like I said, it has worked out fine, but if High School coaches are in play, I nominate Bill Chase, after all, he coached Grant Potulny back in the day.