MafiaMan

No way, but a 10-year deal is an eternity in the coaching world.

UMD isn't exactly lighting it up lately. A road version of the traditional circle of sticks in Duluth this weekend is a real possibility.

Big pre-season expectations that got blown up early on probably hasn't helped matters. A sweep of St Cloud this weekend would help turn things around, right?

Agreed. The USA and Canada are also the only countries on the continent that play hockey. Can't blow the budget flying across the Atlantic constantly to play Sweden and Finland in exhibition games. How about opposite-handed sticks for US and Canadian women's teams while we're at it?

Miami split with SCSU last fall in two tough games in St Cloud. Let's hope the Redhawks can find some mo-jo this weekend in Oxford.

Deep breath there, gfhock, er, Oxbow6. Unicorns and glitter! Unicorns and glitter. BRB...I have to change Hakstol's cat litter box.

We seem to be winning some minds over, bigskyvikes. Just look at fightingsioux4life's last post - I read it several times over and have convinced myself that he's almost being positive with some of his comments.

The coaching mentoring is something I would call a "significant" change...stacking the groups to prevent blow-outs is simply window-dressing and not a long-term solution to the competitiveness issue.

...and here's a current article on how things have improved... http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/sochi/2014/02/12/rene-fasel-women-hockey-iihf/5419441/ That being said, a semi-final game where one team records 70 shots on goal while the other winds up with 9 shows that there is still a long ways to go in terms of competitive balance in women's hockey.

http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/article/2010-08/skating-thin-ice Here is the article from August of 2010 that I was referencing, cberkas.

The Olympic chairman discussed this four years ago - women's hockey could be in trouble this time around.

Right on! I see lots of 'both sides of the coin' arguments here. "We suck so I predict a split with Miami" followed up by "yea, well Miami sucks and it's pretty sad when we celebrate a sweep over the worst team in the league" comments on Sunday morning. A sweep's a sweep and UND has absolutely got to have some more confidence on their side going into this coming weekend.

Yea, I am stunned at what happened. I am not sure I've ever seen a starting goalie chased for the back-up, who is so bad that the starter is sent back in. Talk about humiliating...

That's funny, I don't recall a time where a pre-season favorite to win the WCHA was sitting in last place in the conference in February after playing the Sioux. This wasn't Michigan Tech or Alaska-Anchorage out there this past weekend. Miami might be a hot mess out there, but hopefully they don't make a run like Michigan made in the CCHA playoffs last year.

Soooooo not true!

I agree. The Czech Republic and Slovakia are both struggling while Switzerland is gaining some confidence. I'd prefer to take my chances with the Czechs or Slovaks.

Hat totals have been PM'd to my straggler and fix-it hat folks...

USA was a shoot-out win...Canada was an OT win. TJ somebody-or-other apparently played a big role in the USA shoot-out win.

3-1 win over Norway 6-0 over Austria 2-1 (OT) over Finland

The SiouxSports logo is digitized so the size is the same on all hats regardless of what batch they were in. The monikers are not and I suppose it depends on who is running the thread machine that day. I also noticed that the monikers on hats in the second batch of hats was bigger than monikers from the first batch.

Slovenia over Austria - Kopitar and the Seahawks aren't ready to go home yet. Russia over Norway - Ovie and the Russians will be in blow-out mode. Slovakia over the Czech Republic - just a hunch I have. Latvia over Switzerland - The riddle of Hiller gets solved by The Latvians. And the Swiss can't score themselves.

Any predictions for the next round?

bigskyvikes...neonpelican...YaneA...everyone happy now?

I'm glad you have chosen to toe the party line, comrade.

What a horrible turnover by Finland...Rask bails the team out there. Finland jerseys...awful. Canada's glossy maple leafs on the shoulders..the red 'rain slicker' effect.