PCM

You're missing the point. Paukovich's hit on Bina should have been a major penalty. If that hit wasn't worthy of a 5-minute major, what is? What's the point of having major penalties in the game if they're not called when they happen? Paukovich should have been gone from the game, forcing the Pioneers to juggle their lines just at the Sioux did when Bina was knocked out. The Sioux should have had three minutes of major penalty power play time. Maybe it would have been the difference in the game and maybe it wouldn't. But there's simply no excuse for UND not coming out of the situation with a power play. The WCHA's after-the-fact suspension of Paukovich only proves that Adam blew the call on the ice. If you read about how horrid Adam was in officiating the UW-UAA series and how he failed to call a major penalty in one of those games (later asssessed by the WCHA -- again -- after the fact), perhaps you'd understand that Adam should have been the last person the league should want officiating a nationally televised tournament. But year after year, season after season, the WCHA continues to operate as if nothing's wrong with its officiating. Even when the NCAA ordered college hockey to clean up its act this season, the WCHA temporarily went along and then got back to business as usual, ignoring the NCAA directive. And what was one of the primary reasons that NCAA demanded changes in college hockey officiating? It was because of the way Denver played in winning its national championship. Yes, assessing a two-minute minor to Paukovich for flagrant boarding certainly tells me that the WCHA is into making serious changes in the way it officiates games. A player like Robbie Bina shouldn't have to get his neck broken before the WCHA sees the light.

No. I thought it would have been more effective if it appeared in a public forum. The WCHA would have simply ignored it otherwise.

It's even more amazing in light of the NCAA's open letter to the hockey community that was supposed to improve enforcement of the rules.

The way I feel right now, I'd support that move by Hakstol.

The opinion piece below was written last season following UND's Jan. 10, 2004, 2-2 tie against Alaska-Anchorage. It was submitted to US College Hockey Online and the Grand Forks Herald, both of which declined to publish it. If you don't recall this game, the video grab of Zach Parise might refresh your memory. ----------------------------- Why the WCHA should feel shame By Patrick C. Miller During my brief and admittedly lame career as a "college hockey player" at South Dakota State University during the mid-70s, there was only one game in which I became angry enough to drop the gloves. For whatever reason, the referee called few penalties against the other team and every picky infraction he could against our team. We lost by one goal. To this day, I still remember the frustration of that game and the anger that boiled inside me. After watching Alaska-Anchorage play North Dakota Saturday night at Ralph Engelstad Arena, it wasn

Sucks to play against a "real D."

Here's wishing you a speedy recovery, Robbie. You're in our thoughts and prayers.

I also want to say how proud I am of the Fighting Sioux. They gave it their all, never gave up and certainly didn't deserve to lose the way that they did. I was really amazed at how the entire team kept its composure after Bina was carried off the ice.

Actually, after Zach Parise got hacked and slashed bloody by UAA last season, I wrote an opinion pieice about the state of WCHA officiating. USCHO wouldn't print it. The Grand Forks Herald wouldn't print it. If I can find it, I'll post it here.

Don Adam is a disgrace. Greg Shepherd is a disgrace. The WCHA should be ashamed and embarrased by its so-called officiating.

Based on what's been posted on USCHO's Fan Forum, it sounds like Ulanski will be out for the game against UND. I haven't seen any mention of Larsen.

And all these years I thought you had a Cloverdale sausage in you pocket.

Looking at the radar, the Twin Cities are currently on the northern edge of the storm, but heavier snow is coming up from the south.

We'll burn that bridge when we come to it.

Judging from Hakstol's post-game quotes about the Fabian-Canady-Massen line, I can't see him breaking it up. I'm thinking that Bina will play forward with Fylling and Porter. Either a sixth defenseman will dress or Hak will continue rotating five as he did last night.

Since when did your predictions take precedence over mine? You have a lot to learn.

Nobody has to do that because I can read all your minds. If I feel like controlling your thoughts and words, I will.

I'm not going to touch that mess. There's no money in it. Otherwise, I'd be rich.

Sorry, but the Gophers can't lose tonight because it would ruin my bold prediction.

I think this is the thread where we're supposed to talk about why nobody makes a college hockey video game.

Now you're getting picky! I vow to abstain from Coors products for the duration of today's DU-UND game. But if the Sioux win, I'm popping open a beer and drinking a toast to those "Irishmen" in the Rocky Mountains.

Are you sure it wasn't Minnesota?

I wish I could read the key graphic, but being an old fart, the type appears a bit too small.