tnt

Don't know if you are saying stuff like that probably wouldn't happen like big-time programs, or the NCAA wouldn't care. Either way, I don't agree. If you listen to some of the casual fans that call up the coaches show and ask about recruits that aren't signed, and it makes you wonder how many other things they do that goes unnoticed. I also have no doubt that the NCAA would act in any circumstance, especially if it were called to their attention by some rivals' fans. So it is best for fans to be fans and leave selling UND to the coaches. Because when all is said and done, do we really believe that a sign or something is going to trigger a recruit to attend UND with an inner voice saying "they like me, they really really like me"?

Wow, Zucker, Shore and Bennett, that is quite a hit. You would think that Bennett would want to stay another year after an injury-plagued season, but who knows what his thinking is behind the decision.

In fact I think the Force writer was torn between the two because of how much Wilcox did for a less than stellar team. Also agree that Minnesota as it stands now should improve on defense with the addition of Skjei and Reilly, two big-time recruits. Hopefully, we can one-up them with Jones and Schmaltz, but in the end all of them will have to prove it on the ice, which is the same for the goalies, because we know the big names are often hit and miss at the goaltending position.

I can hear the football recruiting pitch now, "If you want to go to Alabama, that's fine, but how are you going to get to the NFL without a healthy environment?"

Don't doubt that could happen, but Lucia would need to learn to see beyond his maroon and gold glasses and realize how to assess Minnesota realistically. With North Dakota in a new conference, no doubt Michigan will take over as the bad guys in his eyes and if you're in their position do you want somebody judging suspensions and such with that slant? Then again, he couldn't possibly be as inept as the current WCHA leadership.

Yeah, Gaudreau was kind of a lucky pickup for BC what with Northeastern losing their coach. 21 goals pretty good for someone you never anticipated having in your lineup. Hopefully the Sioux can ride lucking into Saunders into similar success. I always wondered after the Sioux lost both Bruneteau and Cichy if they gave Gaudreau a call after he opened up his recruitment again. Could use a few more of the smaller players who aren't as likely to leave as early. I think Dave Gust for the Force should get a good look in that regard.

http://www.gazette.com/sports/air-136414-attendance-force.html The WCHA with 8 of the top 10 rinks in attendance this year. UND first in attendance in a year which started out looking like an off year. Thanks again Ralph.

Beau Bennett indeed, but perhaps bigger was David Makowski with Denver hurting for defensemen down the stretch.

Since Scott Arniel got fired in Columbus and Todd Richards took over, is Brad Berry on firm ground as an assistant there, or once Richards either becomes full-time coach or they pull in somebody new is he most likely to be looking for a new job?

Define success! If they could make it to the National tourney this year with all of the circumstances, I see no reason they can't expand on that next year. By the way, Duluth has lost Jack Connolly, J.T. Brown, Travis Oleksuk, Brady Lamb and Denver Jason Zucker, Drew Shore and John Lee, among others.

People want to win National Championships, but the question is what do you propose when we are not, firing Hakstol? I think that if you keep putting yourself in the position, you will sooner or later break through, much like Jerry York did with BC. If BC didn't remain patient with York, they would not be on the run they are on. Remember, if BC wins it this year, they will have followed up winning the Worcester regional into winning the NC for their last four titles. Having those regionals in your backyard all the time gives you that many more opportunities at getting to the Frozen Four, and they have taken full advantage when they get there. Michigan has had the same advantage many times with close regionals, but they haven't taken advantage for quite some time. Do we propose that Michigan fire Berenson? I guess most of us want to have UND win the NC as much as anyone, but constant complaining doesn't do any good, and if you propose firing a coach that has done a good job but just hasn't gotten over the hump, you never know, you might be missing out on a Jerry York type run as well, or possibly get a coach who will revert the program back by taking away the traditions that have kept players supporting this program long after they have left.

I don't know if the outcome of the game is quite that bad if Minnesota slips one in early. In the NCAA tourney, that first goal can be a big boost of confidence, especially for a young underdog team. BC just seems like they have not had goalie breakdowns at the wrong time, and certainly Milner kept them in the game in the first period when Minnesota had a 10 to 3 advantage on scoring chances. Hopefully Milner picks the wrong time to have a bad game on Saturday.

Really Minnesota benefits quite nicely by the regional system, as does BC. But the host situation prevented Minnesota from being in Duluth's shoes and having to play BC in a hostile environment instead of neutral ice. It definitely is time to reward higher seeds by going to campus sites for the regionals.

Really the difference in the series was very early in the year when Minnesota pulled the comeback out of the second game when the Sioux were still trying to adjust to a short lineup with numerous freshmen and walkons trying to find their roles.

Yeah, can you imagine if a Sioux player did what Mattson and Condon did? It amazes me that they think they are absolute saints, when they are just as prone to frustrations as any other player.

Actually, I worry that since it has been a while since UND has won a National Championship, that UND students will try to be cool like the "Big Schools" like Kentucky and Minnesota and pull that kind of crap. They have proven they can be dumb at Springfest, I wouldn't put it past them to mimic the kind of behavior we have seen lately after winning it all. I would hope that when we get to another National Championship game, that the UND administration would be proactive in telling students that kind of behavior will result in severe sanctions.

I guess what I am hearing from a few posters here is that Seth Jones should go the Major Junior route because if they don't think he has put on enough weight and added enough strength or that he is not ready to go, they will bag on him for leaving. Let these kids and their advisors make their own decisions because they are the ones that are inevitably going to have to live with their decision.

Seriously, you can't just wish someone well who stayed a year after the pros came calling the first time. A goaltender basically has to prove himself anyway, so he probably decided to start down the learning path now. It's not like he needs to stay and gain strength or anything. I say thank you to Dell for helping us make two fun runs the last two years.

With all the graduated players and defections from last year, we still were not a one-line team. Do you not think that the freshman could get better like Brock Nelson did? I expect Grimaldi and O'Donnell to being major contributors next year, so you would have the potential for the second line to remain good or improve a lot with all of the freshmen making a step forward. It kind of surprises me how after the Sioux got as far as they did this year, that people still get excited about one or two defections. If we don't have the injury bug again next year, that is already a step forward. Heck, all of the teams in the upper half of the WCHA are probably going to have defections of high-end talent as well, only they don't have the preseason rookie of the year coming back along with a rookie in O'Donnell who was scoring goals when he was in the lineup.

I wouldn't be too concerned about the demotion. I would be concerned if he wasn't playing well with the U17 team, and I have seen his name in the scoring column while playing for them. Let's remember, it's only a one year age difference, and there are a lot of great players on both teams. Remember, Rocco moved up to play for the U18 team and led the team in scoring, so it might be a matter of bringing up some very talented players. I am interested to know if Jack Rowe with Cedar Rapids is injured though. Haven't seen his name in the lineup for quite sometime now.

The ironic part is that by coming back and helping make the gophers relevant again, he is enabling Lucia to stick around as well. I am sure the current administration understands his impact in the turnaround, but who knows how long Lucia sticks around. He kind of seems like he would be content like Red Berenson to be there until his welcome is worn out. Speaking of Berenson, do you think he will ever wear out his welcome at Michigan, or is he the Joe Paterno of college hockey minus the scandal?

Actually, Ralph wanted it built at 15,000 and the other people talked him out of it, thinking it was too big for Grand Forks.

The Alerus Center cost $80 million, but you might want to ask that question to the people of the $105 million Ralph. The Alerus Center seats 13,500 for the secondary sport at UND, while the Ralph seats 12,000 for the big sport in town. While both should have used foresight, I would say the arena that has typically been subject to sellouts should be a little more culpable for lack of foresight, especially since Division 1 football wasn't in the immediate plans at the time and the Big Sky thus a pipe dream.

I will only say that if this person is looking for a family environment, then be an example of the kind of environment you espouse. I don't think airing dirty laundry on a forum is benefitting the family atmosphere you say is lacking.

Once again, I would call that a convenient excuse. Minnesota made no attempt to schedule UND while Wisconsin had already agreed to a deal. When Minnesota was off scheduling Notre Dame, UND was already in the process of going without the nickname. Like I said before, it is like the NDSU rivalry, if you really want to get it done, you get it done. It's not like Minnesota wouldn't be able to schedule anybody if they waited a couple months, especially when they were in no rush to schedule UND when they weren't using the nickname.