[Pod style game 6-Stearns County]

Don’t care what record says. SCSU is not a good team and UND got out-worked all day.

[UND vs. DU]

28 lost two battles that cost them two goals this weekend.  I wish my dad was the coach.  Should not be on the ice with a minute left in OT.  

Also not surprised to see our penalty kill improve this weekend with 9 out of the lineup. 

[And then there were three....]

I agree that the rules should not have been changed to allow three choices in the run-off and believe it could have an effect on the final outcome of the vote.  I have not been shy about my feelings against Nodaks so there is undoubtedly some bias in this statement but... If you want to 'stick it to the man' and uphold the "integrity" of the previously laid-out rules of the "process" there's a simple solution:

Vote for your favorite between 1) Roughriders or 2) Fighting Hawks (ignoring the Nodaks option completely).  There we go!  Problem solved.  I'll show myself the door... that's enough internet trolling for one night.  

[Nickname Vote: Exit Poll]

DISCLAIMER:   Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and I will not get into any arguments over people who do not agree with my mine (sorry, internet tough guys).  Here are my final thoughts...  

I don't like Nodaks.  The more I hear it, the more I think Sundogs (still terrible) is a better name - blasphemous right?  No matter how hard I try to convince myself otherwise, it just does not sound good.  I think the argument that it was a part of UND history is silly.  IMHO, there is a reason the university moved on from it in the first place.  I never saw a huge movement to bring back Flickertails (and it's because neither are very good names).  Furthermore, Nodaks does not yield any logo possibilities beyond the interlocking ND that we already have.  Please spare me the 'it has endless logo possibilities' argument.  That's  just another way of saying it really does not have one.  I know some genuinely like the name and it seems to have grown on a large number of individuals within the last few weeks - possibly from the no nickname crowd, local media, and hockey team.  To completely deny that those groups have not had a significant impact would be a little naive.

All that being said, if Nodaks somehow does end up being the nickname, I will continue to support UND athletics but I will be disappointed in our potential to market a national brand and fear the already botched process will be further mocked on a national level (I am sure we all saw the ESPN football analysts' thoughts on that choice).  For these reasons and probably some that do not come to mind right this minute, I would like to see one of two options:

1. Roughriders - I would prefer to avoid Teddy Roosevelt logos just because they usually look cartoon-ish.  The silhouette of a horse or an individual on a horse would make a good logo.  I wrote a longer explanation of why this is my top choice in another forum and will spare you all the redundancy on an already admittedly long post.

2. Fighting Hawks - It's boring but it's at least SOMETHING.  It is generic but good logos can save mediocre names.  At least we are guaranteed a logo with this choice.  I do not know many who flat out hate this option beyond the fact that it's a default for schools who change their name.

[Make Your Case For The Vote]

 

I'm usually a fly on the wall here but thought I'd come out of the shadows to put in my thoughts.  DISCLAIMER I do not have a vote in this process and absolutely wish they could keep the Fighting Sioux moniker. Unfortunately, it's not going to happen and the process will go through as advertised and the nickname will be one of the five on the list. Here are my preferences if I had a say in the vote:

1. Roughriders. Yes, a high school in town has this name. So what? This is about a national brand, pride, and marketing. The nickname is unique to the NCAA, has the best logo potential out of the candidates in my opinion, and represents the state of ND. ND is known as the Roughrider State and our highest annual award is the Roughrider Award. This is my favorite for all these reasons and would 100% be my vote if I had one.

2. Fighting Hawks. I'd like it better if it lost the Fighting part. Hawks is safe, unimaginative, and the go-to name for any school required to change their name (thanks, NCAA). That being said, a great logo could make up for a boring name. People rally behind great logos and that's a huge reason why I think people are so passionate about losing the Fighting Sioux nickname. Fighting Hawks is still a distant 2nd due to lack of creativity.

3. North Stars. This one could be 2b. I like the name. I like the logo possibilities. I like that it would be unique to the NCAA. I don't care that MN had a professional hockey team with the same name. I do care that MN is known as the North Star State, though. It just seems a little off that we would borrow another state's title. That's my only problem with it. That being said, I'd be okay with any of my top 3.

4. Nodaks. Just no. I don't buy the "it's a derogatory name for people from ND" argument. Nevertheless, it's just not a good name. In fact, it's really bad. The phonetics of it alone seems to epitomize the 'hick' stereotype. It's also the worst possibility in terms of a logo. What the heck does a Nodak look like? How do you represent that with a good logo? This is just an awful option.

5. Sundogs. Not only no... but hell no. Yes, it's unique. Unfortunately, the reason it's unique is because it's THAT bad. A weather phenomenon that essential looks like a rainbow around the sun when we hit sub-zero temperatures. Man, how did no one else snag that? The only nice thing I have to say about this finalist is that it's still a better nickname than Golden Gophers. Sundogs or Nodaks would be extremely disappointing.

[Potential Rule Changes]

I played junior hockey and college hockey and I am for the continued use of the full mask. I saw guys on my own team miss weeks-months with fractured orbital bones and jaws that could have been prevented. The college season is too short for guys to miss extended amounts of time for those type of injuries. I honestly wish junior hockey would move to full masks too. Some players may play less reckless without the full mask but to say there won't be players who will use that opening to their advantage (to cause injury) is a little naive. I may be in the minority but that's my two cents...

[Championship]

The way Yale played in this tournament, they beat this year's UND team 7 outta 10. Yale beat the #2 overall seed and WCHA champ Gophers, our team, the #3 overall seed and Hockey East champ Lowell, and the #1 overall seed and ECAC champ Quinnipiac- they were the best team in the country when it counted.

Quite frankly, I don't think this year's UND team could've beaten the Yale, Lowell, or Quinnipiac teams I saw in the this tourney on a regular basis.

Yale played to their full potential at the end of the year - there is no doubt about that. I respect their effort more than anything and I do not mind the fact that it was a banner year for a school that has never won it. The way they played, they absolutely deserved the National Championship. The only reason I say the Sioux let a golden opportunity slip away is because I think UND's full potential was better than Yale's full potential.

It should be. North Dakota is able recruit more talented players and can give athletic scholarships. This year's team was frustrating (all year long) due to their inconsistency and what I often felt was a lack of effort/intensity. However, If this year's team played with the passion and/or work ethic that Yale played with during the tournament I cannot see how anyone can say Yale would beat UND 7/10 times...

[Championship]

I guess us losing to the best team in the country (at this time of the year anyway) does make it sting a little less now.

I disagree completely. They deserve a lot of credit for their run but Yale winning the National Championship only magnifies the idea that the Sioux let a golden opportunity slip away this year...

[Early Departures 2011]

Hextall may also be gone (told by students at UND in class with him)

Kristo wouldn't surprise me if he goes - he hates school but he's not ready for that jump yet.

Gregoire is 50/50 - for selfish reasons i hope he stays!

[Injuries?]

All you have to do is watch and you will understand the micro management comment. It has been happening since January. He is playing with little or no confidence.

I understand that the WCHA is not the USHL!!! I have been around the block a few times. If a Dman is to pass the puck to the forward then why have we watched Chay skate the puck up the ice on the second power play unit and shot the puck in the goalies glove. From what I was taught may years ago you never put the puck in deep and set up the power play. I will give Chay credit that he has scored on a few of those rushes, but most have been a stopage if play.

My point is that Derrick has the same ability to do the samething. He may not be as fast, but his ability to protect the puck with the stick allows him to get around the fore check of the other teams forwards. Give him a change to move the puck up the ice and he will surprise you all. Chay does not have the stick and never will.

You are obviously someone close to Derrick Lapoint, and have some bias. That is fine, and I have refrained from saying anything negativeabout him out of respect for him and people like you that read this board. However, you are well past the line when you make negative comments about Chay Genoway in order to build up Lapoint. I was at the game on Sunday and watched Lapoint consistently struggle getting the puck out of the zone. I believe he will eventually be a very good player in this league, but it lacks knowledge and perspective to argue that he is in the same class at this time with Chay. It is frankly laughable. Chay Genoway is arguably the most skilled player on the Sioux other than Oshie. If he had the size of Chorney (another great player), the pros would be gushing over him. Derrick Lapoint has a lot to prove before you compare him to Genoway, because frankly, he cannot do the things that Chay does even if given the green light by the coaches. Get some credibility and perspective.

[former players]

Toews with assists on all 3 Chicago goals last night. He also ended up with 4:36 more ice time than Kane(who had 0 points). You tell me who is more important to that team.

This may have been brought up earlier but an ESPN announcer - I can't remember who it was at the moment - referred to Toews as "The next Bryan Trottier." That's quite a compliment considering Trottier had 1425 points in his career and 6 Stanley Cup rings as a player (4 with the Islanders, 2 with the Penguins) and is in the Hall of Fame! I'm not saying Toews isn't deserving of the praise because he has had quite a season. It's just the start of things to come, watch out for the Blackhawks in a couple years...

[North Dakotans playing hockey after highschool]

Brandon Schmitt (Minot) has been officiating - linesman - in the NAHL. I know that's a little off-track from the topic but I thought it was worth noting.