tnt

Demarchi, Westrum, Schack, Helgeson, Lucia, Cepis ...

So if Ambroz did slash Blood after the final whistle as it is purported, you will be willing to call him the instigator?

O.k. I'll buy that, but do you think for one second that the Minnesota fanbase wouldn't be crying goon if one of their players got injured in the same circumstance?

We'll see how it plays out. I will bet you it will be because of the gophers that it doesn't take place, unless they expect it to be in their barn every year. I'll say it again why are you scheduling long-term agreements with one team when you want to keep your fanbase happy and play regional rivals like St. Cloud, Duluth, Mankato, North Dakota, etc. Lucia has frequently left the name North Dakota out of his conversation when talking about the need to come up with scheduling agreements. Proof will be in the pudding I guess, but if it doesn't happen, you need not look any further than the coach the everybody was wanting fired a year ago.

Let's be clear that the majority of the reason that Lucia hates North Dakota is because of the way his Notre Dame teams were blown away by the likes of Mark Taylor and Doug Smail. When you are prevented from winning a National Championship as a player, there are hard feelings, and then to have your season as a coach end to them a few times, it is even harder to swallow. Hence the reason the Sioux won't play the gophers under the Lucia regime.

Four checks from behind this weekend and one called. Don't like those odds. Also, ODonnell was injured based on the gopher player tackling him when he was off balance. Hennessey and Olson saying refs needed to keep Ambroz and Blood from the handshake, but I would think that the coaches could have used a little foresight there as well. I don't think these teams will play very often in Non-conference simply because I think Lucia will work towards that end. I think most of the fans love the rivalry, but Lucia does not and he will come up with excuses not to continue it. The fact that they have an agreement for the next four years with Notre Dame, where he is an alumni, will be one of the excuses. Why pigeonhole yourself to one team when you haven't before especially when you are going to need to find games for all your previous rivals.

It may be the reason that Blais was so adamant in rebuffing the story in the Herald about his words at the Sioux booster that he would only be in Omaha four years tops. The administration for recruiting purposes probably told him that he can't pin down something like that.

http://survey.xcelenergycenter.com/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=76LI9p3

As usual, the day that most of the recruits will be here is the coldest day of the year. Perfect timing.

Anybody else get sent the survey for your input on the Final Five? Are they doing it to see interest from the old WCHA, or to get a read on interest from NCHC teams in having a tourney there? Regardless, if you have the chance, take the survey so there is a better chance the NCHC will have a tourney there. Would be great for UND going forward.

Hakstol did say that there are not the players out there now to replace a Matteau. I guess my expectation is that the Sioux won't be able to get an elite recruit for next year but maybe more role players or diamonds in the rough that you never know how they are going to progress. Maybe over-recruiting is the answer. Kind of said that if the NCAA would allow, he is certain that he could get CHL guys down here if they were able to recruit guys like the CHL does. Would the NCAA not address the issue if there were issues in football or basketball? The fact that they did nothing to the Ohio State players last year says that they are willing to do anything to protect the cash cows.

It hurts to lose players like we have, but lets not forget that the Sioux have gained a few players who have given verbals to other teams like Schmaltz, St. Clair and Gregoire. Didn't see many people hating on Gregoire. The difference obviously would be if the players are using college as leverage, and really only they know if that is the case or not.

If a woman you were going to marry said some of the same things that this kid did, intimating that it is only because they couldn't find something better, would you still get married? In the team concept of sports, you better have someone at the leadership position that isn't going to be a wedge or someone who is constantly complaining. It is kind of like a marriage, you better be able to go through the rough spots, or you are doomed from the start. What would his attitude have been if Bradley played instead of him? Would he have been as good as Bradley was at supporting Goska? Don't know if his offer was pulled because of the North Carolina guy or because of the tweets, or because of a combination therein, but I don't want someone here that isn't sure he wants to be here, because a bad attitude sometimes can become contagious.

Would be great to have Brad Berry as an assistant at UND, but no room right now.

... and I thought the UND Alumni Associations 300 million pledge drive announcement that they reached a certain level was getting people's expectations up!!

So if Matteau isn't coming in next year, then for forwards it is just Koules and Caggiula, and I'm sure an extra year of hockey before college would help Caggiula for making an impact. I would think the Sioux would need at least a few more forwards especially with the depatures of Cichy and Bruneteau last year and the possibility of Kristo, Knight, and possibly Nelson leaving after this year. We had some walk-ons to help deal with a few of the losses, but we still seem to be shorthanded this year. Need to start restocking the cupboard.

I would say that it is now even more critical that they get the indoor practice facility done. Have to show that the football program is going to do everything first class like the hockey program, even if it will always be the #2 sport at UND.

If you choose not to vote for him, I would do so instead on the lack of leadership after the Sioux nickname had the little extension with the legislation. It was believed that because of his standing with the tribe at Standing Rock he would take some leadership in getting them to allow their people to vote on the issue. Instead, he just left it for the board and did nothing with the last chance at getting them to vote.

The Sioux definitely will need Kristo, Nelson, and hopefully Knight to have a better showing than they did in Minneapolis, and hopefully the freshmen have come along enough to give us a little more offense as well. Friday night is obviously going to be huge in keeping the Sioux momentum going forward.

That said, the Sioux really need to beat the gophers twice to split the season series to even up that comparison. Definitely need to get at least one because still have Denver and Duluth on the road where sweeping wouldn't be the norm when everyone is fighting for positioning.

Just curious where you moved from, and if you followed hockey there?

Yes, a chance to get someone else in, but usually you have to get commitments from elite talent when they are 16 or 17, much like we did with him. At least they can recruit for a couple years down the road if this follows through with the path it looks like.

He hasn't exactly been standing out in the USHL after playing a year in college. Don't know if part of that is after effect from an injury or not.

Yes, but you can also make assumptions of who the one and dones will be, but it doesn't always work out like that. Heard some people think that Forbort would be a one and done, and some thought Kristo might be. Others thought Toews might be done after one and Oshie after two. If you can get an extra year out of some of those players, it doesn't guarantee you a championship, but it sure is fun to watch those players.

There are injuries that just require rest to heal and activity in itself can cause it to flare up. Even the casual athlete has incidence where the doctor will tell him to just stay inactive for a period. Plenty of reasons for an athlete to be inactive for a long time, and this is just an odd new one that not many people have heard of before.