farce poobah

OK, OK, I'll ixnay on the Ach Zay playing oalie gay. I mean... he'll probably play forward .... well that is if there's room on the roster ... still ... what with everyone else playing so well ... wouldn't be surprised if Zach spent Friday doing the shot chart with Siembida. I hope you're satisfied, PCM.

I can see why LA traded him, wouldn't want all that energy on your team. NOT. No big surprise he's doing well, I just hope he can stay healthy. Thanks for posting.

Its just a ploy. Parise will be in goal.

I am concerned about Saturday, to be honest. This year has a different feel than prior years ... we have a very cohesive dish-it-back team, and the Gophers have a lot of wannabe guys trying to make a name for themself. The ingredients are there, I can see a lot of offsetting minors and stuff ... but nothing with a slug of DQs. I hope our most skilled big guys stay clean (Massen, Schneider, 2xHale to name a few). Oh, and BTW its Canady that whups DeMarchi.

Great story, and regardless of whether this senior class gets any MORE titles or more rings, they will be remembered a long time for their leadership, and for getting the winning tradition back in the locker room. ================================ Just a quick thought ... in all of UND hockey history, just 14 players have earned 2 championship rings ... a very, VERY select group. Much rarer than being named all-America. It's even a smaller group than UND's Hobey Baker nominees. Just 14 players: 10 from 1980 and 1982 - Craig Ludwig, Darren Jensen, Carey Eades, Dusty Carroll, Glen White, Phil Sykes, Dean Dachyshyn, Troy Magnuson, Frank Burggraf, Pierre Lamoureax. 4 from 97 and 00 - Jason Ulmer, Brad Defauw, Tim OConnell, and Peter Armbrust. Pretty rare company. ==================== In fact, as I recall those teams that won titles, they all had terrific, selfless, role-model seniors, and they had energy and enthusiasm from the younger guys. Maybe. Just maybe ...

OK, everyone who predicted the 14-game homestand would end with zero losses raise their hand. The final damages? 11-0-3. ================================= Jim, I would be happy if the Sioux can split on the road at CC, DU, MN. But I can indeed picture worse than split. (Side note: Especially if the goaltending continues the way it has.... and it would appear Siembida played his way onto the bench until at least February, barring something bizarre, I think Brandt and Ranfranz will get the shots not just next weekend but also I think Blais will use the UAA series to try to raise their confidence - fingers crossed - going into CC). So, let's do the back of the envelope math: Assume now, for the sake of argument, Sioux win the last 4 home games. And let's say they sweep at UAA. For road games against top teams, let's assume zero points: at DU - gets back into the lineup the preseason league MVP and the anchor of their defense ... getting swept is not out of the question. at CC - tough on the big ice ... at MN - while they have been decimated, they will be fired up ... Which leaves two other road series ... let's call them splits for now: WI - tough ... but we should do no worse than split Mankato - ... also getting better and fighting for home ice ... Final WCHA record would then be 16-9-3, 35 points, mostly likely 3rd or 4th. To win the WCHA title? That will probably require 43-45 points ... and at least a split at CC, at DU, and at MN, the other title contenders.

If a tie is like kissing your sister, what are two ties like? Hmmm.... won't think aboutthat TOO much. But I am already hot and bothered thinking about the series in Colorado Springs. Which I'm glad comes after an extra week rest.

Speed Kills. And works both ways. So who was aweful and who was awesome?

Had to listen on the radio for this one From the stats of it, David Hale had another monster game. Let's see, logged 40-45 minutes, per Sioux radio, on the ice for exactly zero goals against AGAIN, and was +1. Oh, and the CC PP was 0-fer on the night. And the "checking line", #10-16-19 - none of THEM were on the ice for any of the goals allowed. Can somebody who was there help me out: Describe Notermann's highlight-reel goal? How did Brandt play? Did Palmiscno really play D? or was that just another head game the coaches were laying on CC? (how did he do?) Was it a good / loud crowd?

Late in the Bemidji - UND game, a Bemidji player (#3 Methven) threw the puck from center ice at the Sioux net, where it got past Siembida. But the goal was waved off, (immediately and decisively, I might add) by the AR, because #17 (Murray) was offside. After watching the replay again, it seems clear that the puck entered the zone while Murray was in the zone. But he appears to touch up (both skates on the blue line) well before the puck gets to the goal crease. What's the rule? I know a delayed offside is whistled down immediately if the puck gets to the crease. But what about a situation where the player touches up before the puck gets to the goalie?

PCM, thanks for the Pics. Good stuff.

I wish one of the poll options had been "add a PT or FT goalie coach". Also, is Blais getting a rep as a tough coach to play goalie for? Certainly for the other roster spots, the rep is positive....

I'm not worried about a repeat of Saturday's performance, which was not that strong, for various reasons: First, coaches played a long bench vs BSU. With the exception of the last 10 minutes, all 6 "D" saw a fair amount of ice time, as did all 12 forwards. I expect they can and will shorten the bench. Second, the coaches were doing a fair amount of experimenting with combinations, and a lot of our mistakes/problems came when these oddball combinations were on the ice. (late in the second period, Leinweber, Marvin, Connelly, Genoway, and Canady, for example) I'd bet money those 5 won't be out at the same time vs CC. Ryan Hale saw some time with Leinweber, DHale, Schneider, and Fuher. While Schneider and DHale have been a terrific pair, I look for them to be split this weekend. Look for the coaching staff to try to get 25-30 minutes each out of DHale, Schneider and Fuher. I wonder, as others have speculated, whether Siembida played himself out of the #1 spot, especially with a large mental mistake late Saturday. Yes, the guy was offsides, but Siembida appeared to be daydreaming....

I'm just a little surprised there's been no mention of using the old Engelstad Arena "even a little"... It's a pretty decent backup, as long as it doesnt rain in December.

I agree not all NSIC or local non-NCC teams are weak, however, UMC had lost all their other games. This one is embarrassing, agreed. But what concerns me most is that it happens far too often. Like the old saying "fool me once, shame on me; fool me twice, shame on you", If the players don't show up one night, that's their fault. If it happens again (or as a pattern over several seasons,) its the coaches fault. In my opinion.

I think the NCC postseason tournament winner gets an auto-qualifier. I think. Good thing we didn't forfeit any NCC games. Yet. Yeeesh.

Taz - stop it you're scaring me. Oh - and if you can't bear to watch, can I have your tickets?

Sicatoka - brilliant inductive reasoning, dude. Or as Garth Brooks would say "I got friends in I-AA places". The sticking point, I believe, will be a couple: 1) A conference ... but if Omaha goes, I bet then UND and USD go too. 2) There's the question of a decent (modern) basketball arena ... I'm just fine with the wood bleachers at Hyslop but UND would need to get more $$ for the hoops, and REA is too busy for it to work full time. [i am assuming REA / hockey profits will cover women's hockey scholarships while their fan base builds AND generate enough $$ to cover a bunch of other costs.] Can you solve this basketball thing?

So that means they are Division 1 in football... since the Sioux were 2-1 vs future D-1 programs this year, maybe we should schedule them in football too.

Just because he was a good coach doesn't change the fact that HERBIE SUCKS! Just because Dean Blais got his coaching start as an assistant under Herbie doesn't change the fact that HERBIE SUCKS! Just because Herbie is driving the train as conductor of the Underground Railroad from Faribault to Grand Forks doesn't change the fact that HERBIE SUCKS! Just because he sand bagged the CCCP'ers into thinking they really were 10 goals better than the USA in 1980 and thereby creating the complacency needed for the USA to win, doesn't change the fact that HERBIE SUCKS! Just because he moved Dave Christian to defense, which added a great puck handler and positional player to the D, enabling the other big but slow-footed D to not have skate with the swift Swedes, fast Finns and rushing Russians, doesn't change that fact that HERBIE SUCKS! Come to think of it, maybe I'm being too harsh. Naaaaahhhhhh.

And I can't f'in believe people applauded when they introduced Herbie on Friday night. What is the world coming to?

Agree with the comment about the coaches intervention, which might have just saved us all from the black eye of a bona-fide brawl.

Food for thought, as we get closer to the face off face off rip his face off: SCSU win Friday was keyed by [uND personnel moves which led to] 5 even strength goals. But 2 of those goals came against UND forwards who might play, but aren't likely to see nearly as much ice time this weekend (Genoway, Connelly, Canady) ... and the other 3 came from the line matchup that last-change (plus a full complement of D-men) can cover. 5x5, I don't think SCSU can score consistently. (Sioux have allowed just 6 even strength goals in the 7 games since that Friday...) Which leaves as concerns, PK and goaltending - joined at the hip - stay away from SH situations and the shot totals and quality of shots go way down. PK we need to prevent those killer diagonal cross-ice passes ... Barney I mean Mankato scored at least 4 PPG that way last weekend. Drop the puck already. GO SIOUX.

I think the hostile factor went down quite a bit when they moved 1500 student seats to the upper bowl, and frankly I think that's a stupid thing to do. The big arena does need noise, and that's students ... works for Duke, works for Michigan State, ... (sigh) Yes there's a lot of new season ticket holders ... and at least where I am, there's a lot of ticket-sharing / splitting / donating going on ... which fills the seats at least. But does leave a lot of newbie fans who aren't as "enthusiastic" ... The rink'll get louder. Just like new underwear, it takes a while before you get comfortable.