ScottM

While the "disappearing threads" are kind of suprising, I appreciate your work in maintain a site where Sioux fans can discuss issues related to our team and the sport. Thanks much.

The past couple of seasons a number of us thought that the team played better in front of Kollar than Goerhing much of the time. I'm thinking that "new blood" in the net might motivate the team to play a bit harder to keep the pressure off the young guy. I have nothing but respect for Andy and his contributions to the program, but he is just not getting it done right now. If Brandt or somebody else can step up, let them and hope the rest of team follows suit.

Even though I think the team gave a better effort than Friday, which isn't saying much, I think the real bright spot was Brandt's play. He has talent for sure, but I hope he starts from now on to give him the needed confidence and experience to really take it to the next level. Didn't win, but maybe there's a small, but welcome, glimmer of hope for the next half of the season.

I have to disagree Dagies. IMHO the true mark of any team is how they finish a game or season. The Sioux should have won and kept pressing the lead in the third, not sit on their heels and wait for the clock to burn, like the gophers used to in those third period blowups we did to them. They got lazy, complacent and it showed in the final result. Now that this half of the season is nearly at an end, thankfully, these guys have to figure out where they want to finish and how they're going to get there. Then they have to execute. If some of them don't want to exert themselves and move to the next level, I recall the bus station is/was on Gateway. No amount of great coaching is going to make up for a losing attitude. I think that's the most disappointing element of this team so far in that they give up, stand around and play like a scrub team most games. I'd probably feel differently if the losses were near misses or their was some inkling of improvements on the horizon. Maybe two-a-day practices aren't a bad idea to weed out the deadwood before it's too late for this season.

Um, Dean, remind the troops that hockey has three 20 minute periods of regulation play and should be played for that entire sixty minute frame. OT is not a luxury, like in the NHL. Unreal ...

As much as I want Parise to wear a Sioux sweater next season, I can also understand a 17 year old having second thoughts about everything. Given the team's recent outings, I'd bet most players have the same thoughts. That said, I think Zach has enough smarts to realize that we are in a temporary drought and that losing two years of eligibility isn't worth leaving the program. Besides, I doubt Minnesota would take him after the visit. Given Minnesota fans' speculation before and after Zach's verbal, I would suspect their is still a dim hope that he will bail and head for the U. Most lucid Minnesota fans I know, off the boards, have moved on and are looking forward to Guyer and Vanek ... I'm not. Beyond that, I'd prefer the present crew get their act together, one way or another, and put some more wins up. Sheesh ... it's not preseason ...

I noted after the HoF loss that Andy seemed to lose sight of the puck at critical times, even with that slo-mo shot from the other end of the rink. Not sure if the lighting is a factor, but if the sightlines from the suites/student standing is any indication, I'd bet the design firm had little clue about how to set up lighting for a hockey rink. That said, I think the team's overall lack of motivation and p!ss-poor attitude has more to do with its current funk than lights, eye problems or too much/too little noise.

Well, I can't speak for the goalies' treatment of the new kid, but I have no qualms about Blais trying something to get this team on track before March. I would suspect one of the goalies will be cut/asked to leave and perhaps a forward or two before too long. Blais often gets criticized by other fans for not keeping deadwood around for 3-4 years, but I'd rather he cull the slackers than having them drag everybody else down to their level. If this is the start, let's get it over with.

Oh boy ... if Blais wants to send a message, this is one way to do it. I speculated in emails to a few people that he would probably review/trim the roster over break, but it seems like he's started earlier. Blais has never been one to put up with non-performers and prima donnas. I remember when he benched Landon Wilson after taking over for Gino. Blais has had an eye for picking diamonds out of the rough, but this is pretty extreme. But I'll give the kid some slack and see what he can do. If this doesn't get the team's attention, and hopefully inspire them to play up to their potential, maybe some of them should inquire about transferring to DIII schools.

Penalty or no, Kollar pulling himself demonstrates volumes about his commitment to this team. If he's not up to the task, he should step aside. Granted, hockey is a team sport, but if the goal tender cannot/will not play to his potential all of the "blue chippers" under the sun won't put too many wins in the bucket.

So if Andy had the "courage" to pull himself and leave his team hanging, will he leave the team too? Geez ... what in the world is wrong with these guys?

Well, color me lost. I have no idea what is going on with this team. There seems to be profound lack of leadership and motivation across the board. Goaltending is pathetic, special teams (what are they?) and offense seem wishy-washy at best. Now, I know Blais was quoted as saying he was shooting for top-5 finish in the WCHA, but I'd like to think the team didn't use it as an excuse to take the past few series off. Unless they get 2-3 points in Madison, I think the season is going to be very long given the teams we have to play in January and February. Unreal, and completely unacceptable.

While I am pretty pleased at the current recruit crop, I concur with those looking for another d-man or two. I'm sure there are a few, perhaps in the late signing period or a walk-on. Gotta like somebody leading their team in PM though. Hopefully, Parise can show Hirsch and Murray the way to REA too. I know, I ask a lot of people.

I'm still chuckling over PETA's letters to the Green Bay Packers suggesting that the name encourages cruelty to cattle in slaughterhouses. I wonder when they'll turn their attention to Minnesota and Wisco, especially given UND students' throwing of various carcasses on the ice. Where does this madness end?

Dagies, while I would love to see Kupcake come out strongly in favor of retaining the name, his silence during the recent media drubbings leaves me no confidence in him. Whether Kupcake supports the name or not, if he had any balls, he would not allow UND to be dragged through the mud by a bunch of opportunistic "journalists" who think they have a story. In my view, Kupcake's silence and lack of defense is nothing more than tacit support for the media smears we have witnessed recently. If Kupcake cannot or will not defend UND, he should resign or gut himself in front of Twamley. No, I'm not joking.

Most SCSU fans on the boards, and those I know personally, seem to be pretty embarrassed by their school's conduct in this matter. Presonally, I'm more embarrassed that President Kupcake hasn't done squat to defend UND's reputation in the media and elsewhere. When is Kupcake going to to admit that he supports removing the name and get it over with? Why not resign thereafter?

In answer to the original question, probably not. The NC$$ probably would not want to roil the waters if it came down to name/moniker issues, and I doubt it has the power to do so. As soon they hit UND, FSU, Illinois, Utah, etc., I'd be banging about Notre Dame too. I can do that because I'm Irish, and "hurt" by the name. It causes me great pain. LOL As we are all aware SCCC has as much credibility on racial sensitivity as David Duke. So the candy-a$$ed signer has the brains of ... a gopher. The only thing SCCC can take national is the number of Super America counter employees who are SCCC alums and the per-capita beer-drinking, cross burning demographic. Really the only thing that could have us change the name/logo is the BofHE. That's not going to happen, unless the sun rises in the west. I suspect they would have stepped in even w/o Engelstad's letter floating around. If the Redskins, Chiefs, Braves, Indians and Twins can keep their names, so can UND. This issue may not go away, but it sure as #### isn't on the front burner of anybody who has any real sway over it.

Try as I might, and as a lawyer I can be pretty creative and cynical in my thinking, I just cannot imagine how these clowns think that changing the name of a school's athletic team will have one iota of impact in the lives of real people, or animals. I suppose if all team names met with their approval, these people would find soon something else to whine about. "The team colors offend left-handed lesbians with dyslexia from Mongolia ..." Unreal.

Funny they would attack the Sioux name/logo while the feds are "playing proctologist" and lawyers are suing them for systemic anti-Semitism and racism on SCSU's campus. I suppose they have their own share of faculty/staff with too much time on their hands. What really annoys me about this campaign of outsiders attacking UND and dragging it through the mud, is that Kupchella and other administrators have said and done nothing. If they won't protect the school's reputation and image, regardless of their views of the name, perhaps they should step down.

You just know Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Florida, etc., etc. are next on PETA's list. What bunch of maroons.

I thought about the logos in the floor too. However, if we were to apply the same logic, I suppose we should take it off the ice sheet too. When I was in the army our unit's crest was painted on the floor and if anybody walked on it, outside of cleaning, they had to do 100 pushups. BTW: Nice Board!