cujo2

After Okposo's hat trick against CC, I thought this same thing. He looks like a man among boys out there. Not trying to be too big of a Gopher homer but damn is Okposo good. Also, a side note to him as well. Kind of a neat little story. His dad grew up in Nigeria and his dad's parents shipped him to the US for college in January. His dad ended up in Duluth, MN in the middle of January from Nigeria.

1/2 Parise + 1/2 Oshie = 1 Okposo---I'll take it. I think the one reason Okposo (or any college player) would spent a year in the minors is due to the increase in number of games played. Compare a college season to an AHL or NHL schedule and it is almost double. Just with that alone conditioning and fatigue would be a major factor. Going from playing 2 games a week to 3 or 4 a week coupled with longer cross-country travel does take a toll on a guy. Personally, I would like to see the college players stay all 4 years. Obviously that will never happen with the upper echelon players but by using all 4 years of eligibility & receiving a college degree does prepare them better for life in the NHL

Okposo is an absolute stud on the ice. He is basically a middle-linebacker playing wing. I have got the pleasure of watching him play this year and he does everything well. Good news for sioux fans is I don't see him with the Gophers next year. I think the Islanders send him to the AHL for a year and then to the big club

AZsioux, I understand that but it seems there is a high percentage of Gopher talk on this board. I just would like to know what makes people think Gopher fans are so annoying??

WOW!!!! You need to write a book. Man I bet you have some stories to tell.

So exactly what makes Gopher fans so annoying??

Did you attend UND? From the sounds of it you are from the east coast and then lived in the Carolina's so if you didn't attend UND how in the world did you end up following sioux athletics?

No offense but I don't see UND sweeping CC @ CC. I don't think Toews,Lee,and Chorney will be back from the Junior tourney yet?? AA,Mankato,and UMD should be a sweep at home (let's face it last weeknd vs Tech was a mirage). Garner a split with SCSU & DU on the road--anyone would take that. As far as the Minnesota series goes I see it like this, old-school hard-fought bitter rivalry where the win-loss records are to be thrown out the window. Minnesota could very easily sweep in convincing fashion but so could UND. So that adds up to about a .500 record in WCHA play which generally gets you home-ice. I think either way UND is playing in St. Paul in march regardless of their finish in the league.

I think UND would be unstoppable if they had Smaby, Stafford, and Zajac. Seems to me the problems are: 1) Offense--having a hard time scoring. Stafford and Zajac would certainly would afford UND 2 legitimate scoring lines. 2.) Defense--From the sounds of things the defense is plainly putrid but I would think that Smaby would certainly add another dimension to shore up the defense. So if you add these guys back into the mix, yeah UND would be a force. But what if the Gophers had Kessel, Potulny, and Irmen??? or Wisconsin had Pavelski & Earl? Unforuatley the upper echelon teams will continue to attract the big name kids but will also lose them to the NHL sooner. Which I think makes the duties of the coaches even more difficult

From a Gopher fan's perspective that would be nice. Now this is off the subject but, I was told by some folks that after Woog left Minnesota Blais wanted the job. Then the UofM administration said we want Lucia. Then Blais stated he was happy at UND. Is this just speculation or is there any truth to it??

It's amazing what a nice clean hard-hitting check can do for the momentum of the crowd and/or game.

I gotta believe UND will sweep tech this series. Tech started a little hot but has cooled immensly. They really don't offer much offensive skill. Defensively, they are sound. Their game is to clog up the front of the net. They seem to be content with letting teams pass and pass and pass, especially around the perimeter and not give up quality shots. I thin TECH is leading the league with least amount of shots given up. Need to go hard to net and/or place somebody in "bloody-nose alley"--like Fabian or hell Finley when on the PP. Also, on break-outs bring both d-men deep into seperate corners then pass DtoD then to a forward to skate the puck out of the zone. Tech has an agressive fore-check and this is an easy way to neutralize their aggresive fore-check.

Beat me to it. I have a hard time believing Blais will ever coach a woman's team. I am thinking maybe Minnesota-Duluth.

WTF is a "reverse-skippy"?

HAHAHA.. Not all of us Gopher fans poison the elderly, eat new-born babies. Some of actually are honest upstanding individuals that use "common-sense"

Mehhh whatever. I am not on this site to be a richard cranium. My intent is to give my input on the world of college hockey and UND.. Not gonna be a troll...not gonna be an "arrogant"gopher fan. I am going to be who I am. You guys can agree with me or disagree with me but either way it will be no sweat of my sack

Blais vs Hakstol --- now here is a debate. I think the game of college hockey has changed so much over the past 10 years. During the Blais era it was almost set in stone that the players would stay all 4 years. The rare exception was the teams playing in the national championship game. Maybe 1 or 2 players would leave early, but, for the most part the boys would be there to use the full eligibility. IMO, it is easier to put a winning product on the ice with consistent 4 year players. To me it is a sense of security for the coaches and players. Now-a-days (if that is even a word) a "blue-chip" recruit will stay maybe 1 or 2 years. The struggle coaches have is really not knowing if a kid will stay or go to the NHL. That makes things all the more challenging for the coaches & players. Also back in the day, if a kid was not ready for college hockey he would spend 1 or 2 playing juniors. That kid would come into a program a little more experienced and a little more physically mature. Anyway, back to the original topic. I think the landscape of college hockey has changed so much that a comparison between the 2 is nearly impossible. It is like comparing Woody Hayes to Jim Tressel.

I noticed an entire thread stating "Fighting Sioux Problems". I have not read the entire thread but I would like to share my thoughts on UND's struggles so far. Here is my take. 1.) Toews & Oshie--No doubt between the two they have tremendous talent but have been non-existent this year. I think last year they snuck up on the other teams. Most teams were keying in on stopping Stafford & Zajac, therefore making Oshie & Toews more available to score or set-up goals. This years most teams are honing in on stopping Toews & Oshie. Problem for the sioux is that after these 2 guys their is not much else in the way of scoring. If teams continue to "clamp" down on these guys and nobody else steps up it will be a long winter in Grand Forks. 2.) Defense--Under the Gasparini & Blais era UND was known for defenseman that could double as a defensive-end for the football team & the same d-men would hit like a freight-train. Teams did not want to be in front of the net for fear of getting the bleep knocked out of them. There was a "swagger". I don't see that with UND this year. Seems like Hakstol is going after more atheltic offensive-minded defensemen and it seems to not be working---case in point last 3 seasons of Gophe defensemen 3.) Goaltending--I think this is a glaring need for the sioux. Lamareaux is not the answer. From what I have seen he can not control his emotions on the ice--not a good sign. The goalie is the one position where emotions can not run amuck. Lammy seems to always give up a soft goal during the game. Greico, is what 17 or 18. Still untested in WCHA waters and inexperienced. Who knows maybe he will be a brick wall in 2 years. These are just a few of my thoughts. Don't know if everyone agrees or disagrees with me but I thought I would share an "Outside Perspective"

Thanks for the compliments everyone. I am going to try and stay active here. I always have been a little biased towards the Gophers but still remain objective in my view point. Also, I think I might join in the other conversations regarding the Sioux hockey team/program...

I am glad to hear you say that. Win, Lose, or Draw the fact is it is still just a game. I am always disappointed when I hear "horror" stories on how one team's fanc act after a Win or a Loss.

I would like to say good luck the rest of the season. I know things look bleak and your squad has been up & down this year. Keep the faith. As the old cliche says "it is a marathon not a sprint". Next weekend vs Tech should do wonders for the team's cofidnece. Then off to a holiday tourney before the 2nd half of the WCHA season. Really all UND needs to do is keep improving in every practice and every shift. Get home ice in the 1st round of the WCHA playoffs, then off to the Final 5 and how knows what will happen from there. Point is don't jump off the ledge yet and good luck the rest of the way

I don't know the exact figures but it seems to be a lot. I believe they did not receive any revenue from the West regional as well. I think this is such a crock of bleep

Need to send MU back to Ann Arbor for all of the "raw deals" the WCHA has had in years past. 1998--think it rings a bell for UND fans. 2002--DU losing in Yost put up 5 on their tender by the end of the 2nd and Smaby sends to MU bums into the 3rd row. Yeah Baby

Might be eating crow after tommorrow evening. Don't think this has not been a wake up call for tU

Just once can you NOT complain about the officiating. Is it possible? Honestly is it? No doubt SCSU is the better team tonight and deserves the W. If the U comes back and wins it will not be due to the officiating on the side of tU.