Big A HG

I like the idea of keeping the status quo (minus Minnesota and Wisconsin). In the end, with schools like North Dakota, it's all about championships. If we have even a slightly off year in a super-conference of teams like Denver, Miami, CC, Duluth, and Notre Dame, we may not even get in the NCAA Tournament. Yes, realigning conferences is nice for the small schools because they'd get a chance to compete for a title, which they very well may (like RIT), but the same could be said for a team like North Dakota if they manage to have to sneak into a Tournament as an underdog...I like our chances even as an underdog. If anything, add Miami and Notre Dame, but that adds problems of its own (travel related) Also, if we stay in a conference with the smaller Western schools, it maintains some quality play in the league for the little guys, giving the added benefits of the good teams playing them (in other words, more money). We would be looked at like the good guys. If we bail on them, we are no better than the Big Ten thugs.

Sounds like it...I'm quite intrigued.

Wrong. We don't have a mascot in the most common reference to the term of someone dressing up in a costume and performing stunts to encourage fan support. We DO have a mascot in the sense of the definition whereas our "thing" is a logo that represents the symbol portion of the definition...

Oneida Bingo & Casino is in Green Bay. Been there a number of times before wearing Sioux stuff. Some drunk people thought me and my buddies played for them once (we graciously accepted the picture opportunities they asked for). I've also had a long-winded conversation about our racist nickname with one of their employees working the Craps table...who ironically enough was a Washington Redskins fan.

I think the racist person in this whole thing is the person that assumed acting or dressing like a monkey is a reference to African-Americans. And I feel that way in almost any other situation where someone is accusing someone else of being racist.

Fixed it for ya.

I'd give you golf lessons anytime I'm GF without a bet. We'll leave the betting for the course.

I'd rather give the Sioux a better chance of winning by not playing than playing for a chance to win a $50 gift card. It is a VERY nice gift, though, Jim.

It will be disappointing to see it go...but a new trophy will be formed for us to win. Unless something crazy happens, at least the trophy will leave the WCHA with us having won it the most.

Sioux fans rocked the X...now it's time to bring the best fanbase in college hockey, and one of the best in all of hockey, to the Resch Center in Green Bay. Are you going? How many are you bringing? Where are you staying? What's your pre-game/post-game plans? I'll be there along with 7 others. I live an hour away, so I won't be needing a hotel. We will likely do some pre-gaming in the Lambeau parking lot across the street...post-game plans are unsure (maybe Stadium View right down the block...if not too busy). So, who's coming to Rock the Resch in true Sioux Style?

From everything I've witnessed, North Dakota is not a culinary hotspot by any means. Start here: -Authentic Mexican (Paradiso or that other place on Washtington...yuck!). Authentic Mexican food, made by Mexicans, is the bomb -A good burger place. Do not tell me that there is one in Grand Forks, because that means you've never had a GOOD burger. -Broasted Chicken. Italian Moon does have Broasted Chicken, but I think I'm probably the only person that ever had it there (and it wasn't too shabby). The only other person in GF I ever met who had broasted chicken was from Nebraska. -A good Italian/Pasta place. Sure, there are restaurants that deal with Pasta, and I know Guiseppe's (sp?) is a higher-priced authentic Italian place, but I'm talking a decent mid-level price point Italian...like a Johnny Carino's.

I filled one out the last two years (and won the whole shebang two years ago), but never filled one out before that... This defending champ is saying no to a bracket challenge that brings bad karma.

I don't think we can take this team lightly AT ALL. Their goalie seems to be a guy who could steal a game, and they have a couple guys who could burn you, especially on the power play. My Keys to the game: -Stay out of the box, on paper, they appear to have a pretty decent power play -Jump on them early. I think we will have a good showing of fans who will be loud and proud, so the crowd and players need to get in their head early that they can't win -Special teams - PK will be important, but I think we need to get a good PP clicking again. We've scored a few PP goals of late, but haven't really beat anyone soundly on the PP with crisp plays I will be there with 7 others. We will be tailgating in the Lambeau parking lot most likely for pre-game stuff.

You have a real talent John...great pics, again.

Right now we have as many as 8 recruits coming in for next year...6 forwards and 2 defensemen. Right now, we will lose seven players for sure...4 forwards and 3 defensemen. 2011 Forward Recruits (age in fall of 2011): -JT Miller (18) -Rocco Grimaldi (18) -Mark MacMillan (19) -Colten St. Clair (19) -Brendan O'Donnell (19) -Michael Parks (19) I feel that Grimaldi, St. Clair, MacMillan, and Parks will all be coming for sure. I don't know how you tell JT Miller he can't come, considering his status, and I don't know enough about O'Donnell to know whether or not another year of waiting would be too much for him. Either way, It appears as if Hakstol has planned his forward recruting for this next season based on more than just our senior forwards leaving. Hmmm.... Looking at the defensemen... 2011 Defensemen Recruits (age in fall of 2011) -Andrew Panzarella (21) -Nick Mattson (19...20 shortly after start of season) So, with three defensemen leaving due to graduation, one would say that we probably need another defenseman coming in, but not necessarily. With our current status, we seem to always have one good defenseman sitting out as a healthy scratch, so that last man out would basically jump in as a nightly starter. However, the depth we've had has been really nice to have, so the decision is entirely up to Hakstol in the end, in my eyes. I think we may see a summer signing...Nolan Zajac? If Nolan, what's been taking so long for him to jump on board...no offer on the table or does Nolan not want to go to UND? In short, I think we see one forward get held back one more year, but it's hard for me to see two getting the shaft. I think that hints at a potential off-season signee on the team, and all fingers point towards Gregoire. At defense, I think it's 50/50 on whether or not we see a late commitment to fill one more defensive spot. Time will tell there. At goaltender, if Eids leaves, I think you'll see Gothberg come in this year, if Eids stays to try and earn his starting spot back, Zane will get one more year of juniors. Whatcha think?

Vande was a -1 on the night after logging a little over 7 minutes of playing time, but did go 3-1 on draws and had one hit. All-in-all, a nice start while getting his feet wet. Go VV!

I think it's pretty spot on...can't really argue anyone else in. Chay and Aaron are definitive no's in my eyes...awesome players, just not Hobey Finalists. (Maybe Aaron next year, though) The only thing I could argue is that they put Andrew Miller or Brian O'Neill in from Yale because of their achievements as a team thus far this season...possibly ahead of a guy like Da Costa (Merrimack).

Frattin - Malone - Trupp Hextall - Knight - Gregoire Kristo - Nelson - Gleason Rowney - Lamoureux - Davidson MacWilliam - Blood Genoway - Forbort Marto - LaPoint Dell Eidsness Maris The only changes I'd really make are putting in a healthy Kristo and MacWilliam. I opted for Rowney over Rodwell because I think Carter has shown more recently than Derek has. I REALLY like Rodwell, but I think it's just one of those odd man out situations. Gleason has been a stud at forward, so it's hard to see him coming out of that position unless we need him at the blue line because of injury. I really wish I could take out Lamoureux, but we aren't as deep as other years at the center position, so he stays in. I really love the way Davidson plays...he's big, smart, and physical, so there's no way I can take him out. Brent and Rowney both have done some nice things when playing on the same line together. Marto and LaPoint have played together for what seems like an eternity, other than we HAD to switch that pairing up, so they stay together. Genoway and Forbort have played nicely together, and then Blood and MacWilliam are our two most physical presences on the same D-pairing. Dell brings something in net that I don't think the Sioux have seen in a long time. He's so calm, cool, and collected and rarely gives up a softy anymore. He's rarely out of position and doesn't go "fishing" for anything he shouldn't. I think this was something that we really needed this year, and he's brought it. When he first got thrown into the fire early on in the season, he was still getting up to speed with the college game having not seen a whole lot of action behind Eidsness, but he caught on quick and with him in net, I feel we can beat anyone. All-in-all, I think we are as good as anyone top-to-bottom. I think we're getting better at spreading out our scoring beyond just a couple players, and we'll need that. We can't have a good team shut our top guys down, leaving the bottom lines to do the scoring. Kristo is a big x-factor. If he gets rolling, and we have another dynamic scoring line as our third line, we are going to be a tough out. I just hope the low-end competition we've seen for a few weeks doesn't hurt us.

I sure hope you are right, Dave.

I think it all depends on whose team makes the Frozen Four, if either. If the Sioux make a run to St. Paul, and Miami doesn't, and Frattin scores a few points in the Regionals, this thing is far from over. Just look at the stats from last year. Geoffrion, who put up some nice numbers, wasn't even in the Top Ten in scoring, but he was the best player out of the remaining teams, so he had all the talk going his direction, and he won the thing.

Trupp

There are only 10 kinds of people in this world, those who understand binary code, and those that don't. Right Jim?

Have you heard of the Geoffrions? Blake, who finished his career last year at Wisconsin with a Hobey Baker trophy to his name, was always touted because of his long lineage of hockey background he grew up from. His father and grandfather both played in the NHL. What does this pertain to the Sioux? Everyone knows Brett Hextall's father is the legendary goaltender, Ron Hextall. Also, most of you know that Brett's great-uncle Dennis played for the Sioux himself, among many NHL teams in his lengthy career. Not many people, around these parts anyways, know that Brett's own lineage goes much farther...even farther than the Geoffrions. Beyond Brett, Ron, and Dennis, there was another...Bryan Hextall Jr. Bryan was the father of Ron Hextall, and was Dennis' brother. Bryan put up some very nice numbers in an NHL career that covered nearly a decade. Still not satisfied? There was yet another Hextall in the equation...Bryan Hextall Sr. Bryan Sr is the great-grandfather to Brett, grandfather to Ron, and father to Bryan Jr. and our own Dennis Hextall. Not only that, Bryan Sr. is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. So, if Brett plays even one minute of NHL hockey one day, he will continue a lineage of four generations of NHL players that spans just about a century, with a great-uncle that had a lengthy career himself, to boot. I thought it was an interesting bit of info...

I'd liken Chay to be more like Todd Coffey than Paul Coffee. Tons of heart, soul, and presence...and the guy can make you go WOW one inning...but the next is like "ugh, did you just do that?" I'd like less "wow" if it meant less "ugh" also. No one is saying Chay should stop being "the man" when it comes to offensive defensemen...I think it's just agreed upon that he needs to know WHEN to be that guy, because you shouldn't be that guy all the time...you end up paying for it.

Here's a bonus wallpaper. I took this pic of a jersey of mine and thought it made a pretty cool wallpaper, so here it is...just a simple photograph. FULL SIZE, Widescreen: http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/3628/bonus1u.jpg