MafiaMan

I've come to my senses as well, fanatic. Senser's on Friday, Saturday, or both?

Dangit anyways. Free agent contracts. Great, another chance to see a big UND talent leave school early (insert Travis Roche here) to go tear it up for the Lowell Lock Monsters, Houston Aeros, or Manitoba Moose.

IF Jordan comes back for his senior year? Is there a reason why he wouldn't that I don't know about?

Bingo. Schweitzer. One of my favorite signs from the 1997 WCHA Final Five: Schweitzer Schutz the Door!

If you're looking at a career, you could have several choices. In terms of best individual season, you'd be hard-pressed to find one better than someone who didn't make this list. Let me give you some hints: 23 games played, 17-3 record, .908 save percentage, 4 shutouts, GAA of 2.31. Anyone? Bueller? Anyone?

So, Sioux Hockey Fanatic, are you mulling it over? I'm giving myself until Wednesday at noon to decide. I do have an SUV with the capability of seating 5 comfortably + baggage.

Heck with Senser's, let's get some Twin Cities Siouxsports.com fans together and buy some tickets for the games this weekend and get up to Grand Forks!

I miss the good old days where Gopher fans loudly proclaimed "at least we're all Minnesota kids" no matter what. Win a couple of national titles with some North Dakota kids and an Austrian and now every Gopher fan you meet always hated Woog's policy anyways.

I ask because I collect jerseys (both authentic and replica) and prefer authentic lettering when buying an authentic jersey. Back in 2004, I purchased a Team USA hockey jersey and was guaranteed an "authentic" personalization by the vendor (a large screenprinting company in Mpls/St Paul). When I got the jersey back, the shoulder and back numbers were authentic-looking, but the letters (white letters) were tackle-twilled directly onto the jersey. Most any fan of jerseys could tell you the only team that puts letters directly onto a jersey without a nameplate is the Detroit Red Wings. I spent an extra $75 on half-a** personalization that was billed as "authentic". I want to avoid that with a Nike white Sioux jersey.

The same Gopher fans claiming that the X is a neutral-ice site would also be the first ones grumbling if Milwaukee and the Kohl Center hosted the WCHA Final Five every year as being home-ice advantage for the University of Wisconsin. Completely off subject, but did anyone else catch that the CCHA changed its "Super Six" tournament format this year? Instead, the top four teams in the conference all receive first-round tournament byes. The next eight seeds play each other in a best of three series at the top-ranked team's site (#5 vs #12, #6 vs #11, #7 vs #10, and #8 vs #9) and the winners move on to play seeds #1, #2, #3, and #4.

A conversation I had with a Gopher fan in my section at the 2001 WCHA Final Five before the St Cloud/Sioux title game: "Go Huskies! Minnesota pride!" "You're cheering for St Cloud because of the number of Minnesotans on the roster?" "Yep." (As I hand him a program) "Here, count the number of Minnesota kids playing for the Sioux and compare that with the number from St Cloud." (as he hands the program back to me) "So what."

I stand corrected, Buckysucks, the 1997 regional was in Grand Rapids. I'm glad to know some Gopher fans agree that hosting of regionals is just wrong. Frozen Fours, well, those happen and 2002 worked like a charm for Minnesota. However, I get tired of ridiculous comments, particularly from Gopher fans, about the X being a neutral site. Even Donny Lucia mentioned before the NCAA title game that he expected a "50/50" crowd Maine/Minnesota at the title game. I'm not sure what Don was smoking that weekend, but it wasn't Malboro Lights. Had Minnesota been anything other than a #1 seed in 2003, they would also be on that infamous list of 1997 Michigan and 2002 Michigan. Assuming (and it's a big assumption) that Minnesota goes to Grand Forks and the Sioux end up knocking them off, UND will be on that list instead. It's taking advantage of hosting a regional and I agree, the system isn't right. Whatever happened to higher-ranked teams hosting a best-of-three series in their own buildings. That seemed fair, in my opinion. The small schools and those never able to host a regional are clearly at a disadvantage. This is exactly the reason why the new REA came to be. Fair or not, it is what the NCAA has made it to be.

I was gonna say that, too, AZSIOUX. "We shouldn't have to...," "it doesn't seem fair," blah blah blah. The Denver 2001 issue was the most ridiculous seeding I have personally seen. Again, 2001 conference and conference tournament champs, including beating the Gophers at Xcel, and the seedings were like this: Minnesota vs Colorado College/Michigan State winner Denver vs Michigan/St Cloud State winner Any way you slice that regional pairing will tell you that a French Olympic ice skating judge must have made that bracket up. You can practically throw out the rankings when you're talking regionals in a host facility, whether it be Yost, Mariucci, or REA.

Here we go again... Maybe if the Gophers get upset in Grand Forks by the Sioux or anyone else, the NCAA will step in and eliminate schools hosting regionals. After all, It's bad enough that Minnesota was sent to Kalamazoo back in 1997 (hardly U of Michigan country, but their fans cried about how ridiculous that seeding was anyways after they were eliminated by Michigan). 1998...UND overall #1 seed sent to Yost Arena...and loses to Michigan. 2001...Denver #1 overall seed sent to Yost also...and loses to Michigan. Those are two instances of host schools who defeated higher-ranked teams en route to the Frozen Four because of the distinct advantage of playing in their own building. Denver wins the WCHA regular season outright and wins the Final Five and the reward is a meeting with Michigan in its own barn? C'mon, NCAA, you can do better. Funny, but I didn't hear any Gophers crying about the seeding in those years. Denver losing to Michigan was huge because it meant Michigan playing Minnesota in the Frozen Four at the X and not Denver. Think Minnesota wanted to see Denver again that season after getting outplayed and outworked in the WCHA Final Five a few weeks before that? Not a chance. While not playing teams ranked higher than them to create a situation like UND and Denver found themselves in above, Minnesota was able to use Mariucci to its advantage in 2003 and 2005. In fact, I'm not sure they would have beaten Maine or Cornell anyplace outside of Mariucci last year. Had the Gophers made the NCAA tournament in 2000, they could have again taken advantage of home ice. What goes around comes around, and if the Sioux take advantage of the situation by hosting the regional, my response will be "it's about damn time."

I'll pay for the pizza and see you at 7:37 pm.

How true. If I had boobs...I'd never leave the house. Or maybe I would for my night job...dancing at the Platinum Fox?

That joke's older than my grandma's buckskin bra.

I have taken Amtrak several times out west to visit my parents in ND. My four year old and I typically board at 10:30 pm and arrive in Williston the next morning around 11:00 am. I believe the two of us travelled last time for about $75 and $50, respectively, one-way. Glad someone could help you out, NorthDakotaHockey.

Bloomington, I presume? I'm tinkin' aboud it.

If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, there'd be plenty of treats for all the kids. Just win, baby.

I give Roseau credit for staying with AA. At the same time, I respect Warroad's decision to stay in A. Again, like I mentioned earlier, the loophole is rather silly. Imagine a "small school" winning the state title in AA, then deciding because of their small enrollment, that they'd drop back down to A the next season. That's kind of like the Yankees winning the World Series, then deciding that since a couple of players retired, they should be playing AAA the next season. That's not a shot at A hockey, it's just an analogy, but you get my point.

Kwality Minnersoda edukashen rears its uglee hed again. The term "big boys" would have no apostrophe in this case, class. While I too wonder why Roseau competes at Class AA while Warroad sticks with A, one can make the proximity-to-opponents argument pretty easily. I didn't hear Gopher fans saying that Red Wing should move to AA back in the days of Johnny Pohl.

Let the chips fall where they may. The ONLY game UND should be worrying about tonite is the one against Michigan Tech. Tomorrow, the only game to worry about is against Michigan Tech. Beat Tech, beat the first-round WCHA opponent, beat Minnesota in the Final Five semi-finals, and advance to the championship game, then win the Final Five championship. No more worries about PRI.

Kind of like the South St Paul girls program? Anyone ever heard of winning your state's highest class state hockey tournament, then dropping DOWN the next year because you meet enrollment requirements and you're losing a couple of seniors? Nice!

The RCMP has turned the case over to Bruce McLeod for review.