burd

I think it's very fitting that our boys will play Q for this title. Q is a most worthy adversary, and it's kind of nice to see a smaller program prove to so many doubters that they belong in the final game. Most Nodaks appreciate that storyline, I think, and they have earned it. Too bad they have to play us, cause that's where the carriage turns into a pumpkin for them.

I agree on all this. One part of the great back checking is how the elite scorers (CBS line) are leading the way on that. Great ethic that creates a culture of responsibility. And they still deliver on the scorecard, often with steals and turnaround rushes. That has been a treat to watch this season, and nobody has done it better than Schmaltz. His development from last year has been huge, IMO, which will probably mean we will not be watching him in green and white next year. Our D men might not be bonecrushers, but they are so mobile and have such good stick skills that they don't need to be knocking people around as much.

Where can a guy see highlights from last night.

I love my fellow Sioux fans, but it was flat out embarrassing how so many gave up and basically turned on the team when things got dicey. Where's that North Dakota resilience?

I hope they all go back and read their posts and how they gave up on this team when things weren't going well.

I understand frustration, but it shocks me how quickly fans turn on the team.

I hope they do. These fans have sure deserted them.

Do the Hawks play tonight or tomorrow?

gf, If you drank that stuff in 2000, the bottle must have had a little rubber tip on it.

Most of us don't babble and walk in circles after two, gf.

It doesn't seem odd to me. If practices are open, I would think any coach would find it interesting to attend another team's practice, including our own coaches. I know if I were a coach and was in town, I would probably take in a couple of practices.

Even though a team has to beat all comers to win this tourney, there are sometimes matchups you'd rather avoid. But with this team, I'm really don't think it matters who they play. Not that they are bound to win any game, but they really do not have a vulnerable part of their game this year. Goaltending? Not more vulnerable than any other team team, IMO. And I like that they are winless against DU in their last 3. Odds.

With Berry doing so well this year, gfhockey moved down to Omaha to start a "Fire Blais" movement, so they better get someone ready quick. And gf finally has something to go on, with UNO's complete collapse when the games counted.

I don't know how many Sioux fans even care anymore, but I'm glad to see the strides that UW is making with their program. Wisconsin fans have their hopes and expectations back, and that should be good for our rivalry. I know we are in different conferences now, but we still play each other, and the B1G/NCHC rivalry should build.

Only constituents can vote on that.

New York and Kansas City are about as different as cities can be, and LA is also unlike nearly all other urban areas in this country. There is something for everyone in NYC, I think, if you have help from someone familiar with the City. There's even a medieval cloister in Manhattan. Just stay away from the pure tourist traps like Times Square.

I don't know much about the goalie delay of game topic, but I agree on the others. No. 3 makes complete sense.

It certainly doesn't have to be. You could refuse to recruit and sign blue chippers who nobody ever expects will stay for four years. Leave guys like Parise, Toews, Oshie and Schmaltz off the board. Perhaps a better question is why is it that signing 16 and 17 year-old kids is tolerated, and why is signing kids who everyone believes will stay for only two years tolerated? It's very admirable when the best players stay for four years, but it's pretty myopic to portray the schools and their fans as victims when they don't.

I may be showing my hockey ignorance here, but he showed hints of the early versions of Poganski and Pattyn. The kind of guy our coaches have a history of developing so well, though Poganski's level may be beyond his reach.

Gornall got lost in the shuffle a little. I liked what I saw from him when he did play, but I can't say I saw a lot. Any thoughts about where he fits in for next year?

Agreed. Their fan base was like a mob calling for Eaves' firing, but they were acknowledging signs of improvement even before the announcement. Granato and his staff should recruit with the best of them, and they always have that campus draw.

That's nothing. I had a dream that Kate Upton scored the GWG in OT of the National Title game, and she didn't even dress. Biggest, happiest dog pile of Sioux players you ever saw in your life. Coaches too. And the trainer. Hey, you never know.

I'd like to express my gratitude to this team, including the coaches, for giving such pleasure as fans this year. It is a special bunch, and whether they win No. 8 or not, they have delivered on the ice all year long and have shown the kind of character we fans hope to see from UND athletes. It's a long season. These guys deal with school, the uncertainties that come with being young and, in my case at least, stupid about many things in life. Regardless of their level of skill, they each have their own expectations that are either not met or must take a back seat at times. They have never embarrassed us or made us feel anything but pride about the team and the school. So hats off to you.

Why Ladue and not Stecher?

I did not think you were ragging on him. In fact, I said he would probably have to play a little tighter in Tampa, and I did not mean that as criticism either--just that the games were likely to be more defense oriented, though Parise knows if that will be true. I don't think Michigan's goals were soft.