skateshattrick

I will take speed over size any day. The Sioux had a big team in 1995 with Kirton, Hyrniuk, etc. and they could not keep up with the smaller, faster teams like Minnesota and CC. The Sioux then brought in Blake, David Hoogsten, Jay Panzer and others to go with Curtis Murphy and they won a national championship. They continued it with Jeff Panzer. Denver, Wisconsin and Duluth had bigger teams in the 90's and did not do anything because all they did was dump-and-chase and clutch-and-hold. The Sioux lost in 1998 to BC in part because of clutch and hold play that was not called, but that was a function more of the ECHA refs than skill. If you look at CC this year, they are faster and a better passing team. As a result, they have been very difficult to beat. Peter Sejna and Noah Clarke are not big, but they are very skilled and very fast. The Sioux appear to be going back to bigger teams, especially on defense. Time will tell if it works, but I would take Paul Martin and Ballard over Matt Greene any day. They are mobile, can carry the puck, generate more offense, and don't take as many stupid penalties. It is nice to have some bigger skill players like Goren and David Hale, but I'll take a smaller more skilled player over a big guy with lesser skills any day. In other words, don't sacrifice skill for size. If you can get both, great.

Thanks Walleye. That explains why the Sioux are not recruiting Zieglemann. The Sioux have made their decision regarding Lamoreaux, and it is hard to argue. They are both very good, but Lamoreaux was the No. 1goalie in Lincoln last year. I would still like to see Lamoreaux come in early with Sedevie so we have 2 strong goalies, and particularly as insurance in case Sedevie does not recover. We would also have the benefit of a goalie coach as Pierre works as the goalie coach of every team that his kids play for including the Dakota Selects and GF Central.

I also live in Fargo and Moorhead State has ALWAYS used MSU because that is "Moorhead State University", not because it is referring to itself as Minnesota State.

That is encouraging news regarding Sedevie. Jeff Bredahl also assures me that he is very good. On the other hand, it would not hurt to bring in Lamoreaux, not with the idea to redshirt him, but to play him right away. There is no reason to keep all of the current goalies, 2 of which are under scholarship. If Siembeda or Brandt are not part of the long term future, get rid of them now and bring in Lamoreaux or Ziegelmann or anyone else to compete with Sedevie. If Dean Blais has enough confidence in one or both, which does not appear to be the situation, then I agree that Lamoreaux is better off in the USHL. On another note: I know Schmidtdoggydog well, and he is about as easygoing as a person gets. If Mankato fans were riding him, those guys have problems. It also explains the absolutely ridiculous posts on the USCHO board. These guys rival the worst BC fans.

Agreed. My point is that some of the sophomores have not produced, so it is not realistic to expect that they will be substantially better when they are are juniors and seniors. Frankly, I hope that our incoming class is good because there are a number of players who have been disappointing, including some upperclassmen. I doubt that the coaching staff will be content to just say "wait until next year" if these players do not show something in the next few weeks. I also wonder if the Sioux will start recruiting western Canada more heavily after seeing the success of Grant Stevenson, Shane Joseph, TJ Caig and some of Denver's young players.

ScottM--With all due respect, the fact that the Sioux are a young team is an excuse and excuses are for losers. The fact of the matter is that the so-called great sophomore class has not produced as expected. Look at the statistics and you will see that Connelly, Genoway and Canady do not score. McMahon and Fylling have flashes, but are not consistent and do not score much. The Freshman class consists of Greene, Marvin, Parise and Prpich. Prpich looks good and Parise is great, but other schools have freshman contributing in scoring including Vanek, Hirsch, Guyer, Harrington, Sterling, Sertich, Mark Stuart and a bunch of young players from Denver and UMD. Sophomores include Grant Stevenson of Mankato and Ballard. The bottom line is that you are expected to produce in this league by the time that you are a sophomore. There are many who produce as freshman. Most of the players have spent a year or 2 in the USHL before coming to college, so age or experience are not major issues. Except for Parise and Bochenski, and Massen when he gets hot, this team has virtually no scoring from the freshmen and sophomores. A Gopher fan told me at Christmas that this team is vulnerable because it does not have balance and if you can shut down the Parise line, they will have trouble scoring. He also said that teams would start to do that by putting the checking lines on the big line. It has turned out to be prophetic. Although Notermann, Spiewak and Lundbohm have played well, there are not enough scorers. Unless some of the other players step up and start scoring, this team is not going anywhere. The problem is magnified by the loss of David Hale. The scary part is what would this team be like if Parise had decided to go to Minnesota?

The size of the goaltender is irrelevant. Of the recent great Sioux goaltenders, 3 of the 4 are small: Goehring, Casey and Schweitzer. Only Belfour could be considered a bigger goaltender. The problem is that the Sioux have not had very good luck recruiting goaltenders. Kollar was not heavily recruited [Lake Superior State also offered him some money], but he did not tie up another full ride. Brandt looked good out of high school, but did not develop in the USHL. The only knock on the Sioux in recruiting Brandt is that they may have done so too early. However, hindsight is 20/20, and that is how recruiting is done these days---often 2 years ahead of time when you expect the recruit to come in. Siembeda was very highly recruited, and arguably was the most sought-after goalie in the country. For whatever reason, he has not done well. Again, he was only 18, so he may have been overhyped. The verdict is still out on Sedevie, who is coming in next year. He did not have a great year last year, but this year, his statistics were good until he was injured. Lamoreaux is coming in for the 2004 season and although small, he appears to be very good. The only question that I have is why not bring in Ziegelmann who is having an outstanding year in Lincoln OR bring in Lamoreaux next year if Ziegelmann is not going to be recruited? What about Jordan Parise? He is 2nd in save percentage in the USHL? The Sioux clearly need to upgrade this position, whether small or large.

Palmiscino?? With Bochenski and Parise? Please! Although the numbers that Bochenski and Parise have put up lately are light for them, those are career numbers for Palmiscino. I know he's a local boy, but they should have kept Pat O'Leary instead.

There is an article about Hale in today's GF Herald online at www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/sports. He remains questionable.

Hale was there, so your point is what?Greene is no big loss, but Jones is. As a result, Leinweber was forced to play. Recall also that this was a home series where you should win, CC was missing 2 big players [stuart is an impact defenseman] and we were extremely fortunate to get a tie on Saturday night with 2 late goals. Recall also that the tying goal on Friday was a turnover by Leinweber where he fed the CC player at the point [that was the 2nd time that he did that on that shift]. Thus, all you are doing is making my case. Rather than debating me on this topic, how about you ask Blais what impact the loss of Hale has had on the team? Also ask Hennessy who has quite a bit of hockey knowledge. If you are correct, then hats off.

PCM--I agree that scoring has also been an issue, but the loss of Hale also has a lot to do with the lack of scoring. The Sioux have been conceding the blue line, which affects the transition game, and has led to penalties caused by Leinweber, Greene, etc. allowing the forwards to skate around untouched. You may recall the CC game in which they led 3-0 and the 1st CC goal was created because Leinweber was chasing the CC player around like a ballerina. This type of defense has led to more penalties which means the better players are spending too much time killing penalites which also affects the offense. This may not be the only reason for the swoon, but when you are playing good teams like CC and Denver, the impact is huge. The impact would be less if the Sioux had depth at defense.

First, to the poster who says that the absence of David Hale is not the cause of the current swoon, I respectfully disagree. The Sioux defense is not deep, and taking Hale out of the lineup forces the coaches to play Leinweber and Marvin regularly, which is scary. The Sioux have 2 excellent defensemen [Hale and Jones], two good defensemen who are now forced to log too many minutes and play specialty teams [schneider and Fuher], 1 that is very talented but has the same affliction as Commodore did his freshman year and that DiMarchi still has [bonehead Greene] and 2 that should seldom see the ice at crunch time, if at all. Additionally, Hales\'s physical presence is missed as is his ability to not concede the blue line. Second, there seems to be widespread skepticism about the Sioux. If they split with Mankato [which they should], the Sioux will still take 2nd or 3rd. Recall that they have 2 games in hand with Mankato and Mankato has to go out to CC. If they can hold serve with Mankato this weekend, Mankato will only be 3 points ahead. The Sioux can take 3 of 4 from Duluth and Wisconsin and still finish ahead of Mankato. Minnesota is the wildcard and may finish 2nd. However, they still have Denver at home, Duluth on the road and St. Cloud for a home and away. The Sioux will get home ice, and probably finish in the top 3 of the WCHA. Put it in the bank!

It is not clear why the Sioux have not recruited Nate Ziegelmann. It may be because they have a glut of goalies, or it may be because they have Lamoreaux coming in the next year. He has been in contact with Duluth and CC, and he will have to choose fairly soon. Schmidtdoggydog can shed more light on this subject because of some inside information, but it is my understanding that he REALLY would like to play for the Sioux but the Sioux coaching staff has not contacted him even once. It is awful hard to second guess Dean Blais and his coaches after the success they have had, but it would be nice to see local talent if they are top notch. I can tell you that the same situation occurred with both Dan Irmen and Grant Potulny in that neither were recruited. Grant may have been somewhat of a question, but Danny Irmen is not. I have seen Danny play since he has been a squirt, and he is the real deal. He will be a stud with the Gophers.

Sprig--As I stated before, you can vote for whoever you want to, but don't complain that Sioux players don't get respect. Sioux fans have no one to blame but themselves if they do not vote for the one legitimate candidate and vote for someone like Spiewak that will be perceived as not a legitimate candidate by anyone who is not affiliated with UND. It is baffling that UND fans as a whole have repeatedly come to the defense of Parise when fans of other teams try to minimize his accomplishments and talents, and now certain fans that have a chance to push him to the top of the fan vote refuse to do so when given the opportunity. Please do not cry now or in future years when the rest of the country does not take Sioux fans seriously.

This has to be one of the silliest threads I have ever seen. If who a person votes for is meaningless because "no Sioux player is going to win it anyway" and a person can vote for whoever they want, then what it is the purpose of the fan vote or this thread? I agree that you can vote for whoever you want, but an objective person cannot vote for Spiewak over Parise under any criteria other than that you like him better or because its popular to favor the underdog. I like Spiewak as well and he is one of my favorite players. However, to compare him to Parise in ability or value to the team is laughable and lacks credibility. Voting for Spiewak over Parise is similar to voting for Brad Defauw over Jeff Panzer, Adam Calder over Jason Blake, Justin Duberman over Greg Johnson or Mark Pivetz over Curtis Murphy. If you don't agree and want an objective view, post on any board of any other WCHA team and see if Spiewak gets mentioned among the top 10 players in the league, and do the same with Parise. Or, ask Hennessy or Bredahl, people who seem them every week. Parise is a legitimate Hobey Baker candidate, and may be the only Sioux who will make the final list [bochenski is a possibility]. He may not have a great chance because of Sejna and because he's a freshman, but he's in the conversation at least. It appears to be politically correct to find fault in Parise's game or to minimize his achievements, but this is the best freshman I have ever seen in a Sioux uniform in over 30 years of watching Sioux hockey. Enjoy him while you can!

There a number of posts about the goaltenders, and a lot of posts now directed at Dean Blais for his lack of patience with the goaltenders. Although there may be some validity to this argument, perhaps it is because Blais lacks confidence in the goalies and that his lack of confidence is justified. Consider: 1. UND signed Brandt before he went to the USHL after a good career at Roseau. However, he struggled in the USHL and was even traded by Steve Johnson because he was the 3rd goaltender at Lincoln. Moorhead coaches used to tell the kids to shoot a lot because he was good for one soft goal a game. His problems with consistency have continued at UND. [Remember St. Cloud?] 2. Siembeda was the most heavily recruited goalie in the country last year. However, he was only 18 and had only played 1/2 year in the USHL. Thus, he may have been a bit overrated. He still has ability, but has a tendency to go down too quickly, has a huge 5-hole and leaves rebounds. I suspect that his problems are confidence, but we all know that Dean will play the goaltenders if they are consistent [e.g., Karl Goehring, Aaron Schweitzer]. Thus, you cannot pin the lack of confidence all on Dean Blais. 3. UND is one of the top programs in the country. Ask yourselves if Minnesota, BC, Michigan, Maine and CC would play goaltenders who lack consistency. The answer is obvious. The head coach cannot afford to be too patient at this level. 4. It is not acceptable that most of the other teams in the league, particularly schools with less recruiting advantages, have better goaltenders. Personally, I would like to see Coach Blais bring in a high profile goaltender. Next year's team has a chance to be special, but will only go as far as the goaltending. I simply do not have confidence in any of the current goaltenders to think they can do what Belfour, Goehring, Casey or Schweitzer did. Dean may not be patient with his goalies, and I hope he continues to strive for the best and not settle for mediocrity or below. Nobody shed a tear when Yurecko or Possin left because they didn't produce. Why the double standard with goaltenders?

I have to wade in here because I know Jeff well and he is a friend. Its one thing to rip him because you do not think he is a good announcer. That is fair criticism. Jeff is very knowledgeable about the game but does not have the flair of Tim Hennessy. However, to rip him because he is too negative about the Sioux is off the mark. Jeff bleeds green, but Pat Sweeney constantly reminds him that they need to be "neutral", not homers like Ed Schultz or the Gophers announcers. As a result, Jeff tries to call the game objectively.

I absolutely agree that Nate Ziegelman would be better than what they have, especially since he wants to come to UND. He just turned down a 3/4 ride from Scott Sandelin and UMD, and CC is also looking at him. He is one of the better goalies in the USHL and has always been solid. Unfortunately, UND has not recruited him. I suspect that UND is not interested because of the glut of goalies and because Philipe Lamoreaux is coming in the next year. Pierre Lamoreaux (his dad) would probably not be happy if UND brought in another goalie. If not Nate Ziegelman, UND should bring in Lamoreaux a year early since he graduates this spring. Next year looks to be a potentially great year for UND. It would be a shame to see them fall short because of goaltending or lack thereof.

Is this a trick question? How about "none of the above?" As good as the Sioux are, this is the Achille's heel. By process of elimination, it has to be Brandt.

Do not overlook Denver and expect a sweep or even 3 points. Denver has had some injuries and some close losses, but they are one of the more talented teams in the league and have very good goaltending. I think it is more realistic to expect a split with Denver and Mankato, and sweeps of Tech, Duluth and Wisconsin. The other wild card is that Wisconsin always plays the Sioux tough, particularly in Madison.

I second Stack's comments. Remember that last year St. Cloud looked unbeatable the first half of the season, and Denver looked unstoppable the second half, winning the league title and the WCHA Final 5. The Gophers took 3rd in the league, did not win the Final 5, yet ended up winning with a mediocre goaltender, so do not write off the Sioux just yet. When the Sioux won it all in 2000, Wisconsin had Heatley and Reichprecht, won the league, and was the clear favorite going into the tournament. If the Sioux get a top 3 finish, which seems likely, they are in a good position to make it to the NCAA tournament, perhaps as a #2 seed. CC looks better at this point, but not that much better. Finally, if the Sioux make the NCAA tournament, isn't that a great year considering that most had them picked for 5th?

Greyeagle--Thank you for the comments. Your objectivity is refreshing. Although my 2nd favorite team is whoever is playing the Gophers, I really enjoy your posts because you try to be fair and objective. If Sid Hartman, PA and Dubay and others acted like you, we might even cheer for the Gophers once in awhile.

Dagies--Good analysis. However, I think you missed one honorable mention. You could make a case that Matt Jones is the best defenseman on the team, or at least very close to David Hale. He is big, fast, smart, physical, does not take many stupid penalties, is very steady and has some offensive ability as well. Another way to look at the team MVP is to look at who will be potential all-WCHA picks. Zach Parise is a sure 1st teamer, Brandon Bochenski is a 1st or 2nd teamer, and Hale, Jones and Schneider will all be in contention for the 1st 3 teams. It is very difficult to have more than 2 on the 1st team and 5 overall because there are many good players in the league. CC has Senja and Clarke, Minnesota has Vanek, Paul Martin and Ballard, Mankato has its top line of forwards (Joseph, Abel and Stevenson), St. Cloud has Malone, and Denver has a number of skill players.

Zach Parise, hands down. He not only has put up the numbers, but makes everyone around him a better player with his work ethic, attitude, skills, etc. He has been everything he was billed to be and more. The impact he has had on the team is comparable to what Dany Heatley did for Wisconsin.

1. Minnesota 2. CC 3. Wisconsin 4. Denver 5. St. Cloud In the old days, Wisconsin would be #1 or 2, but their program has slipped. CC has become a power the last 10 years and they play like the Sioux and Gophers--more skating, less clutch and hold. Duluth used to be there also in the 70's and 80's, but they have slipped. Hopefully, Scott Sandelin will get them back to prominence. St. Cloud is getting easy to dislike, so they slip in ahead of Duluth.