farce poobah

He was caught up ice and about 60 feet behind the play when DU scored their first goal.

Miscellaneous opinions: 1) On Thursday night, I thought UMD looked like an 8th place team playing in front of the 1st place goalie. On average, they are about 5th. 2) If Kangas doesn't give UMD a soft early one, the night could have been very different. (Minnesota definitely carried the play, but then UMD was protecting a lead the last 56 minutes.) 3) First goal Friday night is huge, especially for UMD. They are tough with the lead, but I can't see them playing from behind all that well. 4) Nice PP for the Dogs. 5) UMD plays simple, basic hockey. Easy to anticipate their next move. 6) The Xcel ice is marked up with NHL zone lines, meaning small neutral zone and big offensive zones. Actually a lot like the DECC. If I have one worry, its that that favors UMD and disfavors a transition team like UND. 7) It was quiet at the X tonight. Considering there were 17611 in attendance. 8) Bummed there was no UMD pep band. 9) I can't see UMD getting more than 2. And I can't see UND getting less than 3. Pick: 4-1 UND. 10) Wisconsin wins the afternoon semi. 11) Wally Shaver on the postgame "Everybody cheer for UND!" ... I dang near drove off the road. 12) Tomorrow is a perfect breakout game for Watkins, Zajac, Martens. Their physical high-tempo style makes them a tough matchup for UMD.

OK its late and I can't sleep. Trivia to amaze your friends... 137 shootouts in the NHL this season. 7 of them were won off the stick of a former Sioux. Toews 2, Parise 2, Oshie 2, and Blake 1. Ovechkin? zero. LOL

I like Dagies' 10. Here's 10 from my side of the aisle. I'll leave out the obvious like championships, OT goals on either side ... in favor of other memories, some quite obscure: 1) The very first WCHA FINAL FOUR (yes, just four then) - 1988 - at the old Civic Center. We lost to Wisconsin (think it was 1-0 or 2-1 which in those days was like NO goals at all) but it was still fun to be in the big arena. (Again, this was the days before the new Ralph.) 2) 1997 at the old Civic Center. We had seats at center ice, dozen rows up, and were basically 2 green in the midst of a sea of maroon. It was awesome. If there was ever a game that we needed last change, it was that game, because MN had some horses. Still not sure how that Sioux team won, other than being a bunch of overachievers. 3) Target Center 2000, Wisconsin vs Minnesota in the evening semifinal. Quiet during the period break, Zamboni is doing the ice. Meanwhile, the PA gives the Michigan score, and when they lose, it clinches a #1 seed for the Sioux and a first round bye. I'm going berserk in the midst of a period break. People stared, and not in a good way. It was awesome. 4) Target Center 2000, final game. 20 seconds in, Bayda lays out a Badger defenseman with a hard clean check and sets the tone for the night. Not even Heatley and Reino could beat the Sioux that night. 5) 2001 Friday afternoon semifinal; first Sioux game at the new Xcel. A CC shot is deflected and comes harmlessly floating toward Goehring, who jumps up and heads the puck into the corner. The building was abuzz for 5 minutes, and I've never seen a header like that ever since. 6) 2001 championship game. Massive, absolutely massive Sioux fan turnout. Must have been at least 7000 fans in green. Maybe 9000. It really was the home of the Sioux that night. Later, with the Sioux down 3, clock winding out. I'm thinking, well this was not fun. My daughter, age 8 at the time, says "we're only down 3 with 5 minutes left, I think probly we will win. We have Panzer." Out of the mouths of babes. Well you all know what happened next; one of those phenomenal Panzer-led rallies for the history books. (And yes, she is STILL convinced Goehring was interfered with on the winning goal.) 7) 2005 Friday night semifinal Tyler Hirsch goes nuts after getting shutout 3-0 by CC. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sj4WCbLLlIE...feature=related 8) 2005 third place game. Here's a big difference between Sioux hockey and Gopher hockey. Gophers going through the motions, Sioux get off to a bad start but got life on a Spirko shorthander and found a way to win, even with Bina in the hospital. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsVzWFE3UmI I am not emotional, but I was really proud of how the team reacted. Prelude to UND winning a "Beanpot" (BC/BU in the NCAA East Regional) the next weekend. 9) 2006 semifinals. In the afternoon, UND beats Wisconsin on 2 goals by Kaip, to keep Wisconsin winless all-time in the first 6 years at the Xcel. (They have since won 2 games.) In the evening, St Cloud with the big rally to top Minnesota, who had looked unbeatable up to that point. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcEhXxjJ2pI (Prelude to Holy Cross.) 10) 2007 Friday afternoon semifinal. Chris VandeVelde scores just his 2nd and 3rd goals of the season, including the eventual GWG. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OxZE1H9Vbk...=PL&index=7 So, on Saturday night, we get there early with a "VandeVelde for Hobey!" sign during warmups. Which got a nice reaction from the team.

AND what he said. No penalty? Heck no, in fact it was good for 5 on the OTHER team in the WCHA.

What he said.

Absolutely not acceptable for coaches to go whine to the media. (Can you IMAGINE how bad the posturing would get? shudders) Schafer got off light. His own school imposed no suspension; it came from the league. (Off topic: How come the WCHA weanies out when ECAC imposes? Or why didn't Cornell's AD step in?)

The general rule for Frozen FOurs is that unless a team "close by" is playing (BC in Boston, MN in St Paul, or UND in Denver LOL) that tickets are readily available to be scalped. Sometimes GREAT seats.

Absolutely. He won the Selke in 1985-1986 as the best defensive forward in the NHL. Not to mention that he scored 99 points that year. http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdispla...?pid%5B%5D=3872

Hell no. Especially with UND's D-corps down 1 with the loss of LaPointer, UND's vulnerable to mismatches. Plus if we're behind, we can load up ... As to whether we get a better or worse opponent, I think all the teams #3 through #14 are close enough you could throw a small blanket and cover all of them.

Congratulations to NDSU! Good luck in the NCAA Tournament. Like a lot of people, I come from a split family (1/2 Bison 1/2 Sioux) but we pull together for each others schools against any outsiders. Beat UConn!

One individual disappointment tonight, is that it appears the last goal by UW gave Stalock the goaltending title over Eidsness. If collegehockeystats.net is correct, both finished at 2.39 GAA but rounding puts Stalock just ahead.

I thought pulling the goalie was crazy. The difference between playing Mankato and Duluth is not much, and the risk of losing (vs tying) could have hurt them in the PWR.

Chad Rau does it again. Ties the game for CC at 1-1 with just 93 seconds left. Those two really hate each other ...

UAA is now a TUC, which I think helps UND a little....

Mankato 1 St Cloud 0 end of 1 Moulleriat with a penalty shot goal ....

webcast is up ... uwbadgers.com

Somebody should write a song that every word is "beer".

Well .... not when they're sober.

Tie is good enough. I'll take a tie tonight, especially given that we don't look like we have much legs.

Gophers should have about 10 goals tonight. Of course it doesn't exactly bother me ... I would much rather UND plays at the West Regional with a neutral crowd than a rabid Gopher crowd, so please excuse me if I cheer for Tech. WOOOT! I'm done now.

He was holding the Badger guy up! Finley knows that WCHA refs only call holding if the guy falls down. Plus the Badger knew he had to wipe out to get a penalty called.

Come off it, you've seen The Wisconsin Diving Team before. That should have been 2 for diving on Wisconsin. (Not that it is ever called in the WCHA.)

4-2 Tech, MN gets one back

Going to Madison is perfect preparation for the hostile environments the Sioux will face in the playoffs. And the Badgers, even the Badgers in a slump, are a playoff-worthy opponent as good as any we'll face in the playoffs.