leifolson

The RPI's are very close, with Mankota with a slight edge (according to USCHO.com). However, as Jim pointed out, the bonuses obviously pushed SCSU over MSU-M. I didn't realize that SCSU would have many bonuses over MSU-M, which is why I found it odd that they would put SCSU over MSU-M, especially since (from what I've seen) MSU-M is definately a better team than SCSU.

Minnesota is definately plugging along pretty well right now (possibly better than anyone else at the moment). It will be an absolutely exciting game if the Gophers make it past Mercyhurst and the Sioux make it past Ferris State. I for one would love to see it for the excitement factor....at the same time, I really hope 'Sota loses so we don't have to play them.

Fair enough.... I guess it also shows us exactly how little leeway they are going to give when it comes to the numbers. It truly is going to be about the numbers and not what might actually be the better team.

That's assuming that Brandt will be at the top of his game, which, unfortunately, is assuming quite a bit. My guess is that our best chance is to get a great emotional lift from Hale's return, and some sort of fright from the knowledge that this game actually WILL be the last one of the year if we don't win it. Ferris State is a pretty good team and we are the underdogs in this one. We need to play like this game actually means something. I think that has been missing from the team for quite some time now. Here's to hoping that it all comes together and the Sioux have a great run at the Championship.

My question is this... How come Cornell gets Mankato instead of SCSU? It seems to me that they should be getting the worst of the WCHA number 4 seeds. Isn't Mankato technically higher (and, of course, better) than SCSU? It would seem to me that Cornell, as the number team in the country, would have earned the right to at least play the lesser of the WCHA number 4s since they don't get to play Mercyhurst.

I'm not sure that they even have a shot at getting something higher than that.

I'm sure it won't be as bad as that...in order to justify the move to D-I they would have already looked at the numbers a million different ways, so they wouldn't be making the move if the business people didn't think it was at least feasible from a financial standpoint to do so. Whatever one thinks of the move (or the school itself) it would be pretty naive to think that the move hadn't been studied fairly extensively, if only to figure out the financial possibility.

Most likely.

I didn't get to watch the game so I can't say anything about this particular event. I think what OETKB may have been pointing out, though, is how frequently the Sioux seem to lose by one goal and almost pull it out in the last couple of seconds only to find that the ref blows the whistle a bit early, someone gets called for a lame penalty, or, as probably happens more often then not, the bounce just doesn't quite go the Sioux's way. It's more hard luck in that the Sioux have been so close on so many of these games...it's not so hard luck when you realize that they shouldn't have been in the position to fall inches short so many times. A little more hussle here, a little more hunger there, a bit more patience at times, and the Sioux would be in quite a different situation right now.

If that's true...it'll certainly be nice to have him back. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem as if defense has been our biggest problem of late. Scoring 1-2 goals a game is not going to get us to the FF, especially with the inconsistency at goaltending we've had this year. Who knows...if Hale does return, it might spark something in the team that really gets them going in the Regionals.

They're done until the NCAA selection process on Sunday, where they will find out if they make the next round of the NCAAs or if they are done for the season. Chances are pretty good that they'll get selected, as USCHO points out, probably as a number 3 seed in the East or North East. But, I guess stranger things have happened.

Although disappointing that he didn't win Rookie of the Year, it's probably a far better honor to be on the Hobey Baker list. Good luck to Zach...although, unfortunately, a freshmen's chances of winning the Hobey are about as good as my chances of making the Sioux squad next year as a 5'7" 170lb defenseman walk-on.

I kinda wish someone had named their team the Fighting Whities decades ago. I think it's a great name. I'd cheer for the Fighting Whities. I understand what they are trying to do. Unfortunately they are about 30 years too late for anyone to actually be offended by the name.

Yes, Jim already pointed Belfour's stats out.

Actually, if the US would have won Drury would have been ahead of Broten as Drury won the Calder Trophy for outstanding rookie his first season in the NHL. Broten did not. That is, if we followed Jim's suggestion of including NHL individual awards as well as the Hobey. Leif

Yes Jim....you are Batman.

I know as a Sioux fan, I sure feel honored that we are allowed to play the Gophers every year. :biggrin:

A first period blowout is all well and good and hopefully the Sioux will continue to dominate the first period. However, a full-on collapse as the game progresses will ultimately produce more losses than wins. I agree that they probably have the ability to be one of the best of the second half, but they need to prove that they can play an entire game. They haven't done that yet. In the past the team wasn't allowed to take a big lead and then rest on their laurels, usually because it was them who were down going into the third. Now, it's just the opposite. They have big leads going into the third and it seems as if they just sit back and expect expect the other team to give up. I hope they get that fire back that they've had in recent years in the third period. That period used to be owned by the Sioux. Only when they learn to finish these games as strong as strong as they start them, will I feel truly confident. Michigan State is a great team, but you can't blow a lead like that and then squeak it out in OT. It just doesn't tend to work out in the long run. Here's to hoping for a strong 60+ minutes every Friday and Saturday night until the end of the season. Let's get some great momentum going into the playoffs, win the WHCA tournement, and wind up in Minneapolis this spring (in game gear) where we belong.

Isn't O'Connell playing on the east coast somewhere?

The main difference with the goaltending situation this season is that in the past when the starter had problems, there was a freshman who would step up and take over the starting job as well as or better than that starter. Look at Sweitzer, Karl, and Andy over the past 5 years. Now, when Andy is having problems, there hasn't been that young guy who has stepped up and taken over. Brandt and Sofie sure haven't done that and I don't really see one of them doing it this season. But, I suppose we'll see in the second half of the season if someone can step up.

GVS's kick off return to the Sioux's 30 yardline with 18 seconds left was pretty scary. Thank gawd for that holding penalty or we would have probably at least seen overtime.

I, unfortunately, don't like our chances tonight. I hope that I am completely off base, but it seems as if losing last night the way they did will only prove to soften them a bit tonight. In years past, a loss like last night's would have gotten the juices flowing in many players and the Saturday game would end up with the Sioux just destroying their opponent. However, it doesn't seem as if any of the guys have that passion this year. Where are the team leaders? The guys who walk into the locker room the day after a loss like that and start smackin' guys on the back of the head stirring them into a frenzy to go out hit somebody? Unfortunately, it seems as if they all left at the end of last season's heart-wrenching loss in the finals. I hope I'm wrong. I hope they come back and beat the living crap out of Wisconsin tonight. I hope they carry that through into next week. And the week after that. And the weeks following that, until they are, once again, facing off for the NCAA Championship. But, in order for that to happen, the Mazuraks and Schneekloths and Skarperuds and Notermanns and Spiewaks of the team have to make it happen. I haven't seen it yet this season. Here's to hoping it does. GO SIOUX!!!

Yes, congrats to the Football team. I only caught the touchdown at the end of the third quarter and then the entire fourth quarter. Talk about exciting. I wanted to beat some of the receivers silly for dropping many of those passes, but the team came through in the end. Great year.

Wait...yeah I do....You've got to be ....... kidding me...........!!!!!

I...I...I...I...have no idea what to say.