dagies

It's a bit of a surprise that Vanek wasn't voted most valuable. Maybe his defense lacks significantly?

If he is I hope he is looking for offense in the D corp. I'm personally more concerned with that than forward talent. And I'm an expert. I believe I read that MI got the regional because they were about the only people to bid on it. If so, REA should be hosting plenty in the future. Go REA.

Kuhninca does make a good point. It can happen for a team so loaded with freshmen. On the other hand, there's no accounting for chance. We all have discussed over and over what a crap shoot it is for freshmen contributions. If Blais team gels next year and is a solid NCAA team I will not look back and think that this year was somehow a screw-up. If next years sophomores do not step up the way they ought to, then Kuhninca may have been a year ahead of the rest of us. For now, I choose to believe we'll see some exciting improvement in many of our young players.

dang Denver. They were supposed to win.

Thanks, HKNTSMN. Would you say Fournier is better suited to wing than center, then. He doesn't seem to be as strong a skater. However, he strikes me better as a center because he seems to handle the puck well, but doesn't seem as physically capable in the corners, etc.

ACtually I believe he went to the Lowell Lockmonsters which is the AHL team for Carolina Looks who's on his team: http://www.lockmonsters.com/

HKNTSMN, I have a serious question and you may be able to answer it. What qualities do you look for in a center. What makes a guy a better center than a wing. My impressions are you look for a guy who is quick, who can handle the puck and who can create room for himself or others and pass them the puck. I thought this team is light on that sort of gifted center. David Lundbohm and Rory McMahon strike me more as wingers than centers. That's just my impression. However, if Lundbohm and McMahon really are suited for being centers, and Genoway has been listed as one then we are overloaded with centers. Candidates being the ones you and Kiork both mentioned Spiewak Parise Lundbohm McMahon Fournier Genoway Spiewak has always seemed to play center. I would be surprised to see him on a wing. I believe Parise is a center through and through so he probably stays there. Fournier doesn't strike me as strong enough to play on the wing (what do I know). If this is a list of true center candidates, who are the best candidates to play on the wing and why? My guess would be Lundbohm and McMahon. I don't know anything about Genoway so it is hard for me to say either way. But if he truly was as good as his point total might indicate maybe, like Parise, you leave him at center. Thoughts??

Sprig, he went to Carolina.

I think my 2 favorite Bayda memories are: 1. Final Five playoffs his freshman year. I think the Sioux were playing WI and Bayda creamed a WI guy behind their goal in the first shift of the game. Just laid into the guy. Set the tone for the whole game. 2. OT loss to the gophers, first round of the play-offs 2002. Bayda steals a pass from Pohl? and breaks in on Hauser all alone. It was almost in slow motion. You could read the determination in Bayda's body language as he crossed center ice and you knew he would score. Bayda deeks once and 5-holes Hauser to tie the game 2-2.

Yes, Hartigan is done after this year. He only had 3 yrs eligibility. Prop 48 thing or something like that.

My pick is Ryan Hale. I was not really impressed with Ryan his freshman season and early his second year before getting hurt. However, I have been VERY impressed this year. I'm a little surprised he didn't score more, as from what I have seen he has decent offensive skills. He is VERY strong on the puck and I have said before he reminds me a lot of Bayda when he's in the corners and handling the puck in the open. Maybe he didn't play a lot on a line where he could score this year. Maybe when I redo those lines I'll have him up with Parise. A guy strong on the puck, who can control it, along with a playmaker, and then one scorer. I also think from what Blais said earlier this year about the Hale brothers they and especially Ryan have a chance to exert themselves in a leadership capacity. Ryan has been with the program for 3 years now, and could be a central figure in the leadership group.

I agree with almost all of what you are saying Digger. i think the 3 hardest to predict are SCSU, WI and Duluth. The Duluth team is losing some very important players but Scotty is bringing in better players too, so they may step into those shoes over time. SCSU is due for a downfall I think, after the way they played the last half of this year. This is not a playoff swoon, this was a swoon over the last half the year. They are losing important pieces and I think they are fighting for home ice next year. Mankato actually has a couple of pretty strong recruits next year. However, I agree with your positioning of them. I think MN is reloading. They will suffer some serious losses and I hope Taffe leaves but they have plenty of talent returning to fill those shoes.

Geez, YaneA, now I have to revise my whole post following it. Nope, ain't going to do it!!

There are some good things about this schedule but frankly I don't think I like it very much overall. Also, I thought we were supposed to play SCSU 2 series next year, or is that scheduling system NOT in effect yet?? I don't like the patsy non-conference schedule much at all. I don't like starting conference play until well into November. However, it does give us a number of games 6-7? under our belt before we start conference play. So in a way, that's a wash. We seem to have an abnormal number of home games early in the season, and spend the last half the season on the road. Too bad we don't have MN in Grand Forks. Always a good weekend in GF. And it would be nice to put to rest some of the gopher fans feeling they "own" the new REA. Too bad we don't go to Duluth because that has become a nice family get-away for me!!!

No, I'm afraid this has emotionally drained me

Bayda, one of my all-time favorites. Hard working, dangerous with the puck, determined. GOOD LUCK!

Speez, don't get me wrong. I wasn't blaming Bayda. And I wish him the best of luck. I just hate losing good players early, that's all. It is good for recruiting in a way. You can sell that to good recruits; that good players progress through your program and can move up to the pros. I just selfishly would like to have them ALL 4 YEARS! Or in Skarp's case "let them stay 4 years"! And I am sure he is going with Blais' blessing. I just don't have to like it!!! Well, when one person leaves, it opens up an opportunity for someone else to step up. The challenge to the players is, who WANTS it?

Sicatoka's going to be pissed. I'm going to have to redo those lines. #### it!!!! I really think Bayda was key for next year. This team needs his leadership. I'm sick of guys going early. Ugh.

####!

More info please. That news sucks big time.

Also, Hasbargen was a walk-on, correct? It is not like his scholarship was taken away. I can understand feeling bad for Adrian, but you are right, Goon, I don't think he would have played much if any. All he would have been doing is practicing and wearing a suit to the games.

I agree YaneA, we could debate that for a long time. For instance, I do think the Sioux warranted a penalty or 2 in the OT period. Not as much as gopher fans wanted, I feel, but I think Spiewak pulled Pohl? down as he tried to exit his zone and that caused a turnover, or at least did not allow a smooth transition by the Gophers. they could argue that eliminated a good scoring chance for them, yet it wasn't called because it wasn't an "immediate" scoring chance and that seems to be how they call it at the end of the game and in OT. I did not see what Ballard did but will assume it was grievous, but may not have been any more threatening at the time of the non-call than anything else, and so it didn't get called. I think things were pretty suspect in the OT period all around. I like to see penalties called if they are penalties. But I guess i don't want to see penalties called that are non-consequential like you would earlier in the game. How do you define that? It's hard to say. I think earlier in the game you call a penalty on a certain action because it a. is against the rules and b. you want to set a tone for what will and won't be allowable for the game. In OT you might not need to "set a tone" so you let some stuff go. Does that mean you should let go a hook when a guy has the puck? Probably not. But seems like some of that was ignored as was Ballard's deal. i think the game did get out of hand.

An EPIPHANY!!!! Thanks, I'll take that as a compliment.

I've been married for 10 years. Why I thought anyone was paying attention past the 2nd paragraph is beyond me.

It is apparent that I rambled on too long as you did not read to the last paragraph of my dissertation.