skateshattrick

The Ducks sweep of a clearly superior Red Wings team emphasizes the importance of goaltending in hockey. The Sioux should be very good next year, but they clearly need better and more consistent goaltending to make it to the Frozen 4. It is rare for a team to win with mediocre goaltending, although Hauser comes to mind. That tells how talented the Gophers were in 2002-03 when they won it all despite Hauser.

Slapshot is right that Minnesota got the right man for the job in Lucia and that it makes little difference where the kids are from or if they are older. The goal is to win, and to make the kids better people and better hockey players. I disagree that Minnesota could not win with the best Minnesota talent. There were many years where the Gophers appeared to be the most talented team but fell off at the end or lost in the NCAA tournament. I attribute that more to Woog. Although Woog knows the game, I don't believe that he was the best coach. I have heard from parents of kids who played for Woog who wished they had gone elsewhere because of the mind games that he played. If you cannot get the kids to play for you, you will not be successful. Lucia could win with Minnesota talent, but why should he have to feel that type of pressure? He should be able to recruit what he thinks is best for his team and what gives him the best chance of winning. He is an excellent coach, and proved that by turning around a CC program that was the doormat of the WCHA for many years before he took over. He also has excellent assistant coaches, and that is also important. The Sioux losing Sandelin was a big loss because he is an excellent recruiter and the kids like him and want to play for him. Having said that, I hope that the rest of the league underrates UND next year. Minnesota will be the favorite, but UND will challenge them next year. Dean Blais is an excellent coach and extremely competitive. He will not hesitate to address weaknesses and has a good group coming in next year.

Nice post JWG. Although there is a mutual dislike (hatred?) by many Sioux fans of the Gophers and vice versa, most Sioux fans would concede that the Sioux-Gopher rivalry is one of the best in college hockey and we look forward to playing the Gophers. The games are intense, nerve-wracking and fun. There is also a great deal of respect for the Gophers program because they have a long and great tradition, and they are generally one of the better skating and passing teams in the country, much like Dean Blais coached teams, without the clutch-and-hold style. One of the reasons that Ralph had REA built was so that the Sioux could continue to compete with the big boys like Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, BC, BU, Maine and Michigan State. Finally, as much as I hate seeing the Potulny's and Dan Irmen go to Minnesota, and even local kids like Ryan Kraft of Moorhead, I always wish the local players success when they are not playing the Sioux. I have watched Danny Irmen since he was a squirt, and you will not be disappointed in him.

Relax streakygopher. Not every UND fan feels that way. Minnesota has won 5 legitimate titles, just like North Dakota has won 7 legitimate titles and Michigan 9. The post probably is in response to posts of Yellowdog and others that UND's titles are tainted because we had Canadians and older players and other unmentionables that did not fall into the category of Minnesotans directly out of high school. Apparently, that is a requirement in some persons' minds, although I'm betting that Nebraska won't give back its football titles by recruiting primarily from out-of-state and Duke and UCLA won't give up basketball titles. Minnesota really would not compete well at D1 basketball and football if it had to rely exclusively on homegrown talent. It is just ironic that for so many years, some Gopher fans threw back in Sioux fans' face that UND did not win legitimately because it recruited Canadians, and now, Minnesota is finding out that great hockey is played elsewhere as well as Minnesota and are winning with out-of-state talent. That is not intended as a dis to Minnesota, which is a great hockey state, perhaps the best in the US (although Massachussetts and Michigan may beg to differ), only to emphasize: Who cares where the players come from as long as the NCAA says they are eligible? I love it when the Sioux have Canadians on their roster, as well as Minnesota kids, North Dakota kids and a blend of kids from Illinois, Colorado and elsewhere. Congratulations to the Gopher hockey team. They accomplished a lot, and there are no asterisks by their titles just because they have great players from out-of-state complimenting great players from Minnesota. As far as UND or Minnesota having a greater program, that is debatable. They are clearly both among the elite programs in college hockey and have been for years.

Yellowdog, there was nothing "tongue in cheek" about your flame on USCHO offering excuses why the Sioux won national championships. You meant it, you admitted it, but finally sheepishly backed off after literally hundreds of posters, including fellow Gopher fans, told you what a fool you were and to shut up. How convenient and disingenuous to now state it was a "joke." Your true colors already came through today when you started it again in this forum. One thing you are is predictable. I predicted on this message board that if the Gophers won, you would appear on this board to gloat and flame. That is all that you have ever done on this board, on POI and on USCHO. Then you cry about how everyone is being "mean" to you. Please go away. We appreciate serious comments and insights from Gophers fans, but no one on this board believes that you provide any insightful comment or are here for any reason other than to express your opinions about the so-called Gophers superiority and the "tainted" UND championships. The administrator banned Siouxrock, and I certainly find his posts a lot less offensive than your posts.

Yellowdog, every time that you post you make my point for me. Please go back to USCHO and continue your thread that you started "The Real Reason That UND Won So Many Championships." That earned the distinction of least intelligent post of the year. Congratulations.

Yellowdog, you do sound like Sid, except he's more intelligent. You just happen to be equally biased. Please don't let the facts get in the way of your opinions. As I challenged you on USCHO, please look at the rosters. DeBus and Woog were the oldest players in the WCHA when they played for the Gophers. The Sioux have won with 18 year olds like Trevor Hammer, Jason Ulmer, Jeff Ulmer, Brad DeFauw, Peter Armbrust, Aaron Schweitzer and countless others. You incorrectly assume that because some of these kids are Canadian, they are older when in fact many are 18 or 19. Is everything in your world mythical or do you just make up the facts as you go along? The statement that there are more Minnesota players playing professionally makes no sense. More than whom? North Dakota? Michigan? Massachussetts? Ontario?

Where is the Sioux schedule for next year?

I agree with Streakygopher that the Sioux depth is of concern, as is the ability of the Sioux defensemen to carry the puck and help the transition game like Ballard and Martin. One poster insists that Schneider's stats are similar to Ballard's and makes a pretty convincing argument. I have not seen Smaby, but I understand that he can carry the puck. In my opinion, that [along with goaltending] are the 2 most glaring weaknesses of the Sioux teams the past several years. The Sioux have always had that type of player, from Ian Kidd, Russ Parent, Curtis Murphy, Brad Williamson to Travis Roche. They seem to be missing that part of the game. I also agree that the Gophers defense is very underrated, and the strength of the team. Paul Martin is very good, Ballard is great offensively, Harrington is a very impressive freshman, and DeMarchi finally stopped taking penalties and started playing hockey and looked very good after Christmas. The Sioux forwards will be fine if everyone comes back. Parise-Bochenski-Murray Stafford-Massen-McMahon Lundbohm-Prpich-Fylling. If the Sioux get good goaltending, and an offensive defensmen, they will compete with anyone. Blais said before this year that he did not think this team would compete for a national championship, but that his goals were a top 5 finish in the WCHA, an appearance at the Final 5, and an NCAA appearance. He repeatedly stated,however, that the Sioux would compete for a national championship in 2003-04. I tend to believe him after what he did from 1997-2001. Parise and Bochenski will be a year older, and Murray and Stafford should be impact freshman.

Great objective analysis by JK. MavsFan is correct that Joseph is probably too small to go pro, but Stevenson leaving would not surprise me. I'm counting on both returning. Mankato also will have Backes, but I agree with JK that the Sioux recruiting class of Murray-Smaby-Stafford looks stronger on paper. The key again will be goaltending. Anyone who predicts that the Sioux are slated for 4th or 5th is not being objective. Yellowdog has no objectivity. This is the same person who started a post on USCHO about why the Sioux have won 7 national championships, and then proceeded to spin the same garbage that Sid Hartman has for years about 25 year old Canadians, etc. When he was called on it, he babbled and backtracked, exposing the fact that he's one stage below developmentally disabled. I would love to sit down with Yellowdog for about 30 seconds some time and have him tell me everything that he knows about hockey. He should have some time left over to do other things.

I hope that they lose, but I don't think that they will. I always cheer for the WCHA unless it is the Gophers. It has nothing to do with the players or the state of Minnesota, and everything to do with certain fans. Fans like Yellowdog who offer tired excuses as to why the Sioux have won in the past, to Sid Hartman and Dubay who also have excuses ranging from 25 year old Canadians, to academics, to how it is somehow easier to recruit at a D2 school. Finally, watching Gopher fans cheer for Ferris State at the Regionals and cheer when New Hampshire defeated St. Cloud. Many of the Gopher fans who have posted on this board are civil and are not here just to talk trash, so they are helping to make me at least think about cheering for the Gophers. However, then Yellowdog comes on here, or Happy posts on USCHO and I remember why I always cheer for whoever is playing the Gophers.

I have 6 season tickets in 105, and would be extremely angry if the students were moved there and we were moved out. When we "picked out" our seats, we were told that those were our seats for life. I have been a season ticketholder since 1986, give quite a bit in "donations" to get those seats, and have been supporting the Sioux hockey team since before I was a student at UND. When I was a student, I didn't care where they put us as long as we got in. Most D1 colleges charge students to get in, and considerably more than UND. If you want to compete with the big boys, you need revenue. It is in no one's best interest to tick off the season ticketholders and boosters that provide that revenue. I understand and empathize with the students, but I think the proposal to move the students to 110 is fair and workable.

A lot of what Gopher Pucks says is true, particularly with respect to depth at forward and no proven, solid goaltender. However, I have to disagree about a few comments. 1st, Greene has a penchant for stupid penalties and at times was a liability. However, he was a freshman, and a much better skater and puckhandler as a freshman than Commodore. Commodore also had a penchant for stupid penalties, particularly his freshman year. Greene has the ability to be very good, better than Commodore. 2nd, although depth at forward is clearly an issue, Lawkota is correct that most teams in the WCHA do not have the depth. Thus, to say that the Sioux will finish in the middle of the pack appears unrealistic. The Sioux should challenge the Gophers for 1st. The Gophers goaltending is also suspect, and although they are deeper at forward, the talent of the front line will not be as good.

Thanks Schmidtdoggydog, that is exactly the two I was referring to---Andy Sutton and Jay Caufield. I also meant to say that size did "not" affect David Hoogsten or Jeff Panzer. The point is, size is really not a huge factor in hockey until you get to the NHL if you have the other skills. The WCHA has a long history of small and quick players that have excelled in college. Some of those players went to Europe to play professionally where the rinks are bigger and the emphasis is more on skating and passing than on physical play. The NHL is starting to recognize that as well, which is why the leading scorers are Swedes (Forsberg and Naslund) and there is now room for little guys like Blake and Gionta.

The discussion about size for defensemen in the NHL is not relevant to a discussion about size in college. Murray Baron had a defensive partner named Russ Parent, who was very small and very good. Parent was 1st team all WCHA and an All-American and was far superior to Baron in college. However, because the pro game consists of 82 games, is more physical, is played on standard sized ice and is not called as closely, Baron was able to have a long and successful pro career while Parent never got a sniff. The same can be said about Curtis Murphy, Mike Crowley and Larry Olimb, who dominated in college and were skill-wise far superior to many larger college players who have played in the NHL (The big dude from Michigan Tech comes to mind who was horrible in college. There was also the football player from UND who played one WCHA game) Chris Leinweber did struggle, but that was because of many factors, among them that he was not very strong or physical. The same is true of many forwards, but it did affect David Hoogsteen (5'7" 140 lbs) or Jeff Panzer. If Bina has the skills, he will do just fine in college. He may not make it to the NHL, but who cares?

BisonMav, I agree with your perception. I apologize for jumping on you early, but I misinterpreted your post as another anti-hockey post with the message that Fargo is not a hockey town, it is a football town. I will say that IF Fargo had the facilities, it would not only survive, but do well. The Redhawk baseball team built its own stadium and excelled. They would not have excelled if they had played at the Fargo legion complex. Grand Forks made that mistake, and minor league baseball failed. If Grand Forks had hooked up with the old Northern League (it used to be years ago and Willie Stargell played there) and built a stadium, it would have probably worked. Fargo, unfortunately, does not have the facilities and has difficulty getting public or private money for any sports facilities right now, not just hockey.

Then what was your point? Fargo has the fans, and the implication of your message was that Fargo (where I live) is not a hockey town. If that is your point, you are wrong. I grew up in Grand Forks, and Fargo is a very good hockey town. Moorhead is even better, on par with Grand Forks. There are many more people in Fargo-Moorhead. If this town had the facilities and a winner, people would come out to support any hockey team. NDSU was never smart enough to figure that out, and it is now too late because they did not move like St. Cloud, Omaha and Mankato. Nobody thought that Omaha was a hockey town either, but the Lancers sold out and now Nebraska-Omaha is one of the leading schools in hockey attendance. Omaha also was in the black more than $1million after its 1st year, allowing it to support its other fledgling programs.

Sicatoka is exactly right, but BisonMav has no clue what he/she is talking about. Fargo-Moorhead has many, many more kids playing hockey than in Grand Forks. The Flyers and Raiders have 15 teams playing Squirt-Bantam, West Fargo has at least 3 teams at each level, Moorhead has at least 3 teams at each level, and the Patriots have at least 3 teams at each level. Additionally, approximately 1/3 of the Sioux hockey season ticket holders are from outside of Grand Forks, the vast majority from Fargo-Moorhead. Fargo-Moorhead is a great hockey town in terms of numbers and interest, it just gets no public support. As a result, Fargo has the worst rinks in the State. Moorhead, however, has 4 sheets of ice and is one of the best hockey towns in all of Minnesota. Junior hockey has not done well in Fargo because the facilities are poor, because Sioux hockey and youth hockey occupy many fans/parents weekends, and there are many things competing for the Saturday night dollar, including Concordia, NDSU, MSU and high school sporting events. Please go back to your Bison football board where you can say meaningless things and no one will recognize it. Grand Forks would have the same problem, and junior hockey would not fare well in Grand Forks.

Siouxrock--there used to be a regular caller on Sid Hartman called Mike the Vikings Fan. I used to cringe every time that he called, because he was from North Dakota and lowered everyone's IQ just by talking. You are not him, are you? Paint chips cannot be the only reason for some of these posts. Did your dad drop you as well?

I like the way you think Flatspin! I have often wondered why Denver, Maine, Michigan and a few others recruit not only from around their area, but go as far as the BCHL, the USHL and Europe.

I'll take speed and quickness over size any day. Ask Denver, Duluth, Tech and Wisconsin who had those big teams in the 90's. The Sioux dominated with smaller, quicker players like David Hoogsteen, Jason Blake, the Panzers, Murphy, etc. CC and Minnesota have also generally taken skill and speed over size, (Ryan Kraft, Larry Olimb, Mike Crowley) , which is why those 3 teams have been the best teams since the early 90's. The current Gophers team has a little of both, but they still emphasize speed and passing over size. The college game is different than the pro game, which is why it is more entertaining.

Who cares? Please BisonMav and others, take your football discussion to the football forum so I don't have to read it in a hockey forum. I'm sincere when I say I really, really don't care about NDSU football. The Gopher hockey team may be disliked, but we are interested in their team in a hockey forum.

Dagies, your enthusiasm and positive spin is commendable, but I have to respectfully disagree. The defensemen from the sophomore class are good, but of the 7 forwards, only 1 has made an impact. McMahon is a valuable defensive player, and he could turn out to be a Teeder Wynne that blossoms into a scorer later. If not, he's still a valuable defensive forward like Adam Calder. Massen has talent, but he disappeared the 2nd half. He is not fast, and does not play strong enough for his size. I agree, however, that he is a good player. I'm just not sure if he will get better, or end up more like Chris Gotziamann who did not really improve. Fournier and Faul are busts because they are gone. Frankly, Connelly and Canady are as well. Canady continually takes stupid penalties, and contributes nothing offensively. I don't think he's even a good defensive forward. Our 4th line this year was brutal. Connelly works hard, but 0 goals won't cut it. He reminds me of Tom Phillion, who worked extremely hard, but contributed very little. This may be harsh, but it is objective. It also echoes what I have been told by a few former players who think that a few players should go, including a local boy who will be a senior. I guess we can agree to disagree.

I don't think anyone is "against" you, but everyone is tired of what appear to be deliberate misspellings to make us think you are a kid. I don't think you are a kid, or you would not understand these posts. I have 3 kids, and my 9 year old does not spell that poorly. If he did, he would flunk the 3rd grade. If you want to be taken seriously, then act your age. Spell normally and make intelligent comments, not posts like "the Gophers suck." I think everyone is just tired of what appears to be an act. If its not an act, please use a dictionary.

DLW4GOPHERS, that is probably true that teams are now gunning for the Gophers, partly because they are the defending national champion and partly because of the arrogance of the Gopher fans. They are the team that everyone loves to hate. This is similar to the attitude of the eastern teams to Boston College, even though BU and Maine have had more success. BC fans also liked to shout "USA" and tried to diminish BU and Maine's achievements by offering excuses such as that the academic standards at those schools were not as high, they relied on 21 year old Canadians and Europeans, etc. Its a little short-sighted to think that everyone hates the Gophers just because of its success. Believe me, that is a factor, but not the only one. A few short years ago, however, when the Sioux were dominating the WCHA, it was probably the Sioux that were the team everyone liked to beat. The same holds true of Wisconsin during its run in the 1980's. If Wisconsin got back on top, they would be the team that everyone loved to beat. The fact of the matter is, the Gophers are one of the most respected programs in the country, but not any more so than UND. If you were to do an objective poll of what schools have the most tradition and the best programs, the short list would include UND, Minnesota, Michigan, BU, BC, Maine, Michigan State, Wisconsin and maybe a few others. These are the teams that have had the most success and turned out the most pros.