MafiaMan

I couldn't agree more with your first statement. I have heard lots of younger fans gripe about how the WCHA should just kick Michigan Tech out of the conference. I always tell them to read their WCHA history books and reconsider. However, Northern Michigan might have screwed its own pooch this time. 1977-78 - NMU joins CCHA. 1984-1985 - NMU leaves CCHA for WCHA. 1997-1998 - NMU decides to head back to the CCHA. I'm sure if the WCHA wanted the Wildcats back in the conference bad enough, there would have been feelers put out there before Bemidji State and Nebraska Omaha joined. From a travel standpoint, NMU is a long ways away from most WCHA schools.

Thanks for the news flash!

And so the comparison to 1997 is complete. Hopefully this year's Sioux team that paralleled Michigan's 1997 team will parallell Michigan's 1998 team next season. LOL!

UMD fan section cheered like mad when Michigan won on Thursday. Despite that, I cheered like the Bulldogs were wearing green tonight. Congratulations Bulldogs! Can someone tell me what DrunkHockeyGuy did/said now and what these t-shirts said?

There is ZERO chance of Dean Blais going to Michigan Tech. Zero.

Hopefully Aaron Ness can improve on his Aaron Rodgers championship belt move at the next level! That being said, I tuned in for almost every NCAA hockey tournament game this year. Watching players bolt school early for the NHL is becoming disheartening. I'd hate to see college hockey turn into the joke that college basketball has become.

I was just going to say the same thing, star2city. In 1997, BU beats Michigan by 1 goal only to quickly be forgotten about as they lose title 6-4 to Sioux. I'm cheering for the Bulldogs tonight, but the reality is this: If the Bulldogs win 4-1 or 5-1 against a Michigan team that has trouble scoring 2 goals a game, Sioux players and fans are going to wonder for a long time what could have been. If Michigan wins tonight, everyone says 'cinderella story' and goes home thinking 'well, I guess it was destiny just like 1997 Sioux.'

Yea, no matter who wins, it is always something to see the champion throw equipment around. Even when the Gophers won in 2002 and I saw it in person, I politely applauded the accomplishment. Funny that Red Berenson himself compared this to the 1997 Michigan team and said yesterday "the best team doesn't always win." That was my first thought when the clock struck 0:00 last night.

MafiaMan Jr. watched yesterday's game at mom's house. Text this am said he cried for an hour after the Michigan ENG. Family still willing to go to Saturday's games, however, to see the crowning of a new champion. If you're a Sioux fan heading out of town early, don't eat your ticket(s) or sell it (them) to a scalper. Text me at 612-386-8207 and we'll talk. Not looking to pay $100-$150 per ticket either since I paid $180 for one for yesterday's two games. Reasonable offers, please.

I stood behind that guy at a concession stand while I waited in line for a brat...when he turned around, he almost bumped into me. I told him "thanks...now that I've seen that jersey, I've lost my appetite."

P.S.'s to Columbus bus trip... Hopped on Sioux bus with temp in Minneapolis/St Paul hovering around 35 degrees. I'm wearing shorts, sandals (no socks), and a long-sleeve t-shirt. Most fans coming from Grand Forks appear to have packed winter survival gear and some even chuckle at me. I'm witnessing many winter coats, boots, and hats. Sometime on Saturday afternoon as we're all basking in the 75 degree sun outside of our hotel, someone asks me how I knew to pack only shorts and t-shirts as opposed to winter clothes. "The internet...I checked the Columbus forecast before we left" was my reply. Many fans had hob-knobbed to Wal-Mart and purchased some lighter clothes during the weekend. Thanks to a mob-rule vote, Sioux bus decides to stop on Thursday am for breakfast en route to Columbus. I warn folks that the big city is prone to traffic accidents and that it may not be wise to risk losing time on the way to the arena. No problem, most say. We will arrive ten minutes before Denver/Colorado College puck-drop. After a 3 lane freeway closure somewhere outside of Columbus and an extra hour or so of travel time because of a major accident, we arrive at the arena...I believe the first game was well into the 3rd period. I recall getting there with 6 or so minutes left in the game. Hopefully the people who insisted on Cracker Barrel that morning felt the food was worth it!

Frozen Four in Columbus....I'm picked up by Al's Sioux bus in Oakdale, MN, after making arrangements for it to stop there. Eight minutes later, we stop just across the MN/WI border for breakfast at Perkin's in Hudson WI. Had I known that in advance, I would have just travelled a few more minutes east and parked there for the weekend. Anywhoo...we roll into Columbus and our bus takes a venture into what you could say might not be the best part of town. I joke out loud that it would only be too perfect if our hotel was located near a strip club. Just before making a right turn into the hotel parking lot, we see look on our left and see a tin shed with a large sign attached to it reading "THE PLATINUM FOX." I grinned to myself and said out loud "jackpot." Not only is it in the vicinity of our hotel, it's directly across the street from it! Thursday night, some male "fans" and I head over to said establishment after the Sioux semi-final victory over Minnesota. The locals wondered why so many people in the place were wearing green hockey jerseys. They assumed the only event going on in Columbus over the weekend was Buckeye spring football practice. Not so fast, my friend. After haggling with the bouncer and informing him that a hundred Sioux fans were staying at a hotel across the street for the weekend, I convinced him to waive the cover charge for anyone who walked into the club wearing the color green. At some point in the evening, some adventuresome FEMALE Sioux fans wandered over to see what the boys were up to. UND fans took over the place and a good time was had by all. To this day, I still run into people from the Columbus Sioux bus. We don't need to say 'hi' or 'Go Sioux' to each other. We simply chuckle and say the words 'The Platinum Fox.' Oh, the memories...had only Denver not ruined Saturday night, that trip would have been epic.

I know nuss-ink!

My pleasure. Send me your phone number or e-mail address and I will send pics of the group by the Hoggsbreath sign. I have had some people mention a Hoggsbreath brunch again this weekend, provided the Sioux win on Thursday. Can someone convince Al's bus to make the trip from Inver Grove Heights to Little Canada? I would bet the farm Tom would set us up with an all-you-can-eat brunch if I had a ton of people show up on Saturday!

I tried the ESPN3.com feed via computer last night...SUCKED! C'mon, kids, we're packin' up for Joe Sensor's!

I wonder if UMD kept the dye jobs from the Final Five? HIGH SCHOOL!

Four FREE tickets to today's 2pm game available to the first person who sends me a text at 612 386 8207 and can pick them up in Hudson WI!

You're just upset because your team is only going to be around for one game this weekend!

That's a little self-serving, isn't it?

Last year's marquee read "Welcome North Dakota Fighting Sioux Hockey Fans." I was only disappointed because it was visible only as you drive SOUTH on Rice Street, not north.

So that's 13 not including my gang. OK, I'll put out the word that we're looking at 15-20. Anyone else? What do you want on the Hoggsbreath marquee? I'm calling Tom tomorrow and they will have the display up on Saturday morning for us.

OK, I've decided to keep this at 11 am Saturday morning. Can I please get a guess-timate on attendance. A little thin in the numbers last year...hoping for some more faces this year. As stated earlier, there will be some door prizes this year. Please post if you are attending and the number in your party. I would like to have a list to the Hoggsbreath by Friday morning so they can prepare for our group. Obviously, Saturday mornings aren't usually very busy...

The Hoggsbreath is kid-friendly during the daytime and from about 11am to 2pm, it's not all that busy. Kids are welcome!

It's straight north on 35E and then 1 exit west on 36. It's about 7 minutes from downtown. I've been known to pick up some fans along the way as I live in the south metro...