brianvf

My favorite sprig memory: I had never met sprig before. I believe it was the 1st or 2nd year that the Frozen Faceoff was at the Target Center. We had seats in the first row of the second level. Before the first game, we were sitting in our seats when a gentleman walked up to our seats and said "are you brianvf from the siouxsports message board?" Ha, that was a little surprising, he said he had recognized me from a pic posted earlier from a previous gathering. Turns out his seats were the same level, just one section over. So he ended up coming over before each game that year and we talked Sioux hockey. Such a friendly, personable guy that loved to talk UND hockey.

Will anyone have a link to the game tonight? Just noticed that they're not on NCHC.tv Even the UMD/DU game would be fun to watch if anyone has a link to that.

I think that beatdown is meant for the Broncos to deal to Michigan this season.

Yes please.

Kleven isn't injured (that I know of), but he has to sit out against WMU for a one-game suspension due to his CFB major at the end of Saturday's CC game. If UND wins against WMU, he can play in the championship game.

https://www.uscho.com/2022/03/17/this-week-in-nchc-hockey-elite-goaltender-driscoll-has-north-dakota-embracing-these-games-and-embracing-playing-in-these-big-moments/

Really hope he sticks around for another year. Could see him getting some decent interest, for sure. Maybe they have an open relationship?

And Senden won the NCHC Sportsmanship Award too. Congrats to Berry, Ford, Frisch, and Senden!

https://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/und-hockey/connor-ford-says-high-stakes-games-are-the-promise-that-north-dakota-brings?fbclid=IwAR18ubosdTUOdrmVCf7Y7FkxQmrsS8wkJCMoS7xWkYplhqiSgw-Ajznyjtk

Zero? Man, I'd say that's pretty far off. Many on this forum (and elsewhere) expected this team to be decent...maybe not title contenders due to all their losses, but certainly not .500 or less. That's easy to pick the last Sioux team to overcome a big roster turnover and dealt with a ton of injuries. The 2011/12 team, no question. The season before 2010/11 was one of the best recent Sioux teams (Frattin's senior year) that was a favorite to win the title before the little goalie from Michigan stole a game from them in the regional final. That offseason, they lost Hextall, Marto, Malone, Frattin, Trupp, Davidson, Cichy, Genoway, and LaPoint. Entering the 11/12 season, UND's star recruit Grimaldi was injured and only played 4 games all season. By New Year's they were barely a .500 team. Then the injuries starting piling up and they played most games in the 2nd half without even a full roster, but still went on a run to win the Final Five (Timeout Game, anyone?). They ended up falling in the regional final.

https://www.prohockeyrumors.com/2022/03/snapshots-kubalik-giordano-sanderson.html#comments

Geez, didn't he hit like 3 pipes himself in that UMD regional game last year? Man, he took that game over.

I'd love to be able to make it again to this event. Maybe next year...it's a bit longer travel from AZ compared to when I lived in GF in my younger days.

It's like when Chay Genoway got injured and missed a ton of games (forget which season) and everyone posted nonstop in the Schloss game chats asking when he was returning. For like two seasons after that, I jokingly commented on those game chats asking Schloss for a Genoway injury update.

Was that on here? Or elsewhere? My comments are more in jest (I was a sarcasm major) and maybe wishing he'd stick around one more year (we can dream, right?). I think his commitment to this team was evident in the video showing what caused the injury against CC. You can see him diving across the crease into a pile of skates and players to try to keep the tying goal out of the net. Someone posted it on Twitter. I think that speaks to his level of commitment to this team, for sure.

I wouldn't say he's injury prone, but his lack of luck (or whatever you want to call it) is crazy this season. Three separate unrelated injuries and an illness in one 30(ish) game season. As I said earlier, I'm more just bummed that we missed out on seeing him on the ice more in his final season in a UND sweater. He's a special talent...it's rare that those players choose college hockey and even more rare that we see them for our home team.

Yeah, the NHL has a few professionals as well, I've heard. Sounds like he might want to stay away from them for at least another year and toughen up in the NCHC. The kid has massive talent and it's evident every time he hits the ice. I just wish we could have seen him on the ice more this season.

It'll be exciting in a couple years when Gaber is a strong candidate for the award.

And with Covid.

He's gone for sure. The Sens GM (?) tweeted that he would be in Ottawa the second that UND's season was over.

I know he's not coming back for another year...but geez if he's injured this frequently playing against collegiate athletes, what's going to happen when he's playing against bigger/stronger/faster players in the NHL?

Oh for sure. When you miss half the season (or more), it's easy to be excluded from awards. Just shows how great UND did in his absence that they were still successful despite him missing so many games. Now we just have to hope he's not injured again...

Yeah the Richter award.

Best player in college hockey wasn't even in the Top 10. Huge snub.

Kid can't catch a break this season. The team has done well without him this season, but it's hard to replace his skill on the ice for sure. That said, it's playoff hockey. Wrap it in gauze and get out on the ice.