tnt

Why do things like this always happen when Minnesota is involved?

Was that included in the figure they gave earlier on the way to the goal, or does it cut further into the pledges they need to meet the endowment?

I'm guessing that Blais will have them ready to play, and if they aren't on Friday, you can bet that Blais will impart the importance of staying ahead of the Sioux on Saturday in a way that will be unmistakeable. Also, I'm sure the players with parents that played at UND will want to put on a show.

With the weather we have been having lately, I think the tide is turning and the midwest is undergoing a change that will turn it into a tropical environment. Either that, or Al Gore is full of it!

Realistic maybe, but some experts would have had us splitting with Wisconsin in Madison, sweeping Bemidji, and splitting with CC at best. Most times people expect a sweep in Anchorage, yet our record there is barely .500 over the last 30+ games. It will be interesting to see how those series actually play out. Suffice it to say, if the Sioux can bring it like they did offensively against CC, they should hold their own against anybody.

I think there are a lot of people that could be a "maybe", Who knows what goes on with the management of NHL teams, especially considering Nelson is a 1st round draft pick. Finley was the only 1st rounder that stayed all four years. It would be nice if Kristo and Knight would come back, but if you are an NHL team, do you run the risk of a Gregoire-type of situation where free agency is a possibility? Nobody thought Hextall was even a "maybe" but he made up his mind to leave pretty quick. All we can do is speculate, because each guy has their own reasons for moving on, including those that aren't moving on to the next level.

The phrase "having once been a fan" to me suggests you have an axe to grind. Perhaps you know somebody who has an axe to grind because they didn't get enough playing time or something when either of those guys was here. Also, just because you say it is fact, does not make it so. If you indeed have an axe to grind, then your perspective could be quite skewed.

Did the coaches bring him to the hockey game last weekend? If so, did they have other recruits in last weekend to witness the good atmosphere?

Wonder why he played 4 games with Des Moines in the USHL with a goal and an assist and went back to his old team? Looks like he is a '94 birthdate, so would assume not a candidate to help with depth the second half this year. Looks like he has some nice skills.

Yeah, you get those guys that grew up dreaming about playing for the Sioux, and they would go through a wall if they were told to do so. Scott Dub was a perfect example. Many times you would rather have guys like that rather than those who feel entitled to playing time. We've seen in the past few years how that attitude hasn't worked wonders for the rival to the south. It is worth noting that Minnesota's resurgence has taken place with walk-on type players like Serratorre and Parenteau who have strong work ethics, which in turn makes the talented guys stay on their toes if they want to see the line-up.

What needs to happen to get Aarin Smith on campus and playing for the Sioux next year?

Not for after Christmas. He doesn't turn 16 until January.

So will he come back sooner than he should to be able to play in the World Junior tournament at Christmas? My optimism just waned a bit. The next 8 games are critical, and the Sioux will need everybody to step up in order to keep their heads above water until they can get healthy, if that is even possible with such a short bench.

It would be nice when we get to the NCHC, if the Sioux could schedule playing in Duluth in October or November, instead of January and February, which has been the case lately. Be nice to be able to make a trip up the North Shore when winter hasn't already taken hold. If Brian Faison is listening, please work at getting some sort of rotation, so trips like that don't always have to be made when the weather conditions can make it a hit or miss type of thing.

He must have signed his LOI, as he verballed a long time ago.

That must have been the one he was talking about on the coaches show the other week.

So you're saying we have a blueprint to forge his signature! I read ya!

We are equally embarrassed at the poster Golden Chkr that rants all the time on the Strib web site. Not much class there.

The point of the conversation is the irony, that it is because of the depth in the past that we lost these players. I was talking about our depth being hurt from having too much depth in the last few years. Can throw Fienhage into that equation as well.

I did say because of youth and injuries. Proof is in the pudding at this point in time regarding the 3rd and 4th lines--not a lot of production at this juncture. I think all of those players and O'Donnell will turn out to be very good players and some are producing now, but you need the 3rd and 4th line to chip in every once in a while too.

I hope that the coaches are looking at bringing in more forwards for next year besides the depth guys they added late this year. Certainly Pattyn, DiPuma, Senbeil, and Gaarder could develop into a Davidson or Martens-type player, but we are a little top heavy on grinders right now, at least the ones that don't seem to have a high-end offensive upside. Would like to be able to cover the scenarios we encountered last summer. How good would Cichy or David Toews be looking in a Sioux uniform right now. When 75% of games are won or lost on the powerplay, you better be able to put out two good units out there every time, and because of injuries and youth, not so sure we can say that yet.

Don't know if we offered or not, but I don't know if the coaches would have taken him right out of high school anyway. Ironically, with all the defections this summer, if they had recruited him, he might have had to come in anyways. Also don't know if the Sioux offered Rick Zombo's kid who also committed to Omaha.

One of the leading scorers in the country, and people are jumping all over him. He didn't score in a game against a rival this time, but he did last year. I think if you are expecting something like you saw from Frattin and Gregoire last year, you aren't going to see it -- and that probably goes for the rest of the league as well. Remember, the opposition has basically one line to shut down this year, so the fact that he can still be a top scorer while being the primary target of the opposition every night says something to me.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, just from listening to players comments after games, I don't know if they are just happy to be around .500 after last year. When you hear guys using words like content, and we weren't even expected to compete with them, it makes you wonder where they are getting that mindset. Then to hear Mussman say he doesn't care how or by how much, he just wants to come away with a win against Sioux Falls and guarantee a winning season, one wonders if they get that mindset from the staff. I know what he is saying, but I guess I like Ashley Hardee, the women's volleyball coaches way of approaching things by being up front and saying we should sweep this match. I just think that aspirations of those two coaches might be a little different.

I think Kristo needs to shoot a lot. It doesn't appear that a lot of other guys are prepared to pull the trigger but to just keep passing. I have always wondered why when things aren't going your way, you don't throw more shots on net and have people ready for the rebound. The reason that Brandon Bochenski scored so much is that he score from every conceivable angle.