farce poobah

One thing that has been constant in the last 30+ years that I've been watching Sioux hockey is pride. When the guys put on the jersey, they play hard. Today will be no different. I'm optimistic because I think we match up better with CC than with DU, even without Trupp in the lineup. CC brings tremendous speed, and repeatedly blew past Gopher D last night. BUT I think both Owens and Hakstol leave some tricks in the bag. I expect/hope we roll 4 lines and 6 D, I hope we give Oshie a little extra bench time between special teams, as he's clearly not 100%. I hope we see this as a chance to polish skills and playmaking against what I see as UND's co-equal as the nation's top team.

The winning goal was pretty fluky, but Minnesota was dominating the OT before then. Your guys played gritty, a performance by the Gophers to be proud of.

Gophers nearly got one there. CC with a number of tries. Entertaining 1-1 game.

CC looks pretty good. Only Kangass can save the Gophers at this point - they look gassed.

The BC vs UNH game went into a long OT. Check back in a few minutes.

One other thing I was wondering - can anyone remember two North Dakota natives (or two Grand Forks natives) making All-WCHA in the same year? I can certainly remember years with 1 - Panzer, Panzer, Steve Johnson, etc etc. I just can't think of a year with 2.

I think Finley's "get under the skin" tactics may also have hurt him in the voting. That's been a theme since like forever in all-WCHA voting. Plus I'm still a bit stunned that UND got 3 defensemen pick. Pleased, but stunned. Overall, there's no way to argue that 6 Sioux is too few. CC only got 3, which I think is too few. The only pick I don't like is Turris, who is a great talent but the voting is for this year. I think there were many forwards in the league that were more effective, and his defensive play is not good enough to merit picking a guy who only scored 6 goals in WCHA games.

Hey CupCake Hockey Association - Watch and Learn!

SIOUX checklist: [x] Win in The Ralph [x] Win in The John [ ] Win in The Can.

There should be a standing thread with Woogisms. He's the Yogi Berra of college hockey.

I think it would be really cool to have a 10-foot get well card at the X on Thursday ... I just can't get there early enough to cajole a couple thousand signatures ...

THIS is the ultimate goal: http://img236.imageshack.us/img236/4412/siouxsalutejm0.jpg This weekend is the next step. Photo credit to Southpaw's post: http://forum.siouxsports.com/index.php?sho...857&st=160#

Like 1998 all over again. I suggest that UND set up a keggar "as near as possible to premises" so as to recruit red and white fans for the weekend. "Beer, the original miracle worker."

Watch Roebuck's demeanor on a tape of a game 15 years ago, or during the 1997 playoffs, compared to now. He's gotten that much more hyper, that much more perfectionist, and I do think that intimidation detracts when the situation itself adds as much motivation is as needed. The extra pressure just doesn't help.

This is a really impressive OT effort by both teams.

Looks like its goodbye Badgers (for the NCAAs). Clarkson lost. http://www.collegehockeystats.net/0708/boxes/mclgclk1.m16 Edit: obviously that comment is way too early. Just wishful thinking on my part.

OK everybody go buy their tickets before the Gophers or Mavericks fans do.

I don't think the Sioux look sharp at all. It's a couple big plays by our top guys that's the difference. Hopefully the guys have enough in the tank to finish this one and get to St Paul.

Playoff attendance at UND has gone from bad to good since they changed the season ticket package to include the WCHA first round. Makes me wonder whether the others do.

In basketball? I have no idea who's better. I think Kentucky sucks this year but that may just be the local media convincing themselves that Tubby will save the Gophers. I never said everyone in the WCHA should get in. My point was that I like having selections driven by Simple Math. (I remember the SIOUX getting totally hosed in 1983 by a corrupt selection committee, and yes I'm still piffed about it.) Simple Math doesn't trade an NCAA spot for a couple extra road games. Simple Math says there should be 7 WCHA teams in, great. (KRACH says 8.) Last year it was less, and it picked the #4 CCHA team - that's fine.

Nice summary of the pairwise flaws. Interesting that under KRACH (a "recursive ratings percentage index"), 8 WCHA teams would be solidly in. http://siouxsports.com/hockey/rankings/krach/

In a related story, the Yankees are interested in acquiring the rights to Joe Finley, to protect their other players.

Softies via autobid yes, because I agree with the idea of universal access. Softies just because all they play is even softer, I'd rather not.

This year, more than ever, the last 3 teams in the WCHA would be home-ice winners in any other league. Heck, the WCHA's last place team is UNBEATEN out of conference. (4-0-2). #7 in the WCHA (6-2-2 OOC, a .700 winning percentage) is good enough be #3 in a different league. I didn't cherry-pick those two, everyone in the WCHA is over .500 out of conference, and some by quite a bit. No way should there be a .500 rule. I don't want more Mediocre Cupcakes in the tournament; bring on the Gophers again instead. (Even if the Sioux chances are worse against them.) This year, the WCHA kicked everyones butt and have EARNED 7 teams. Play the best competition you can find and let Simple Math sort it out.

... and the years that UND was 8th in the league, there was griping in GF because only 1 Sioux made it. I hear you, it may be the #3 and #4 players on top teams had better years than anyone on a 9th or 10th place team. 24 total slots, 10 teams ... I thought a lot about MLT, as save % was right up there, and with Tech's D being what it is, he faced tougher chances night-in night-out than say Mannino. I thought about it as "if you swapped Mannino and Teslak, what impact on each team?" Tough calls. Mankato was WAY better with Zacharias in net, and Kangas led MN's "surge" late. I thought about Rouleau, as he scored some big goals (although only 1 GWG) for Tech. I just couldn't pick him over guys like Berge or Rhakshani, although I can see why others might. I thought about Gawyrletz - ultimately the -16 in conference games led me to not pick him. Realizing, he spends most of each game matched up with the other teams best line. (If memory serves, he played with Niskanen some last year; that was a good pairing for him.) Good luck vs. DU.