streakygopher

Response #1: You must know Taffe personally, huh? If not, can't imagine why you call him an a$$hole...or is just that he was a fantastic player? Response #2: That "cancer" as you describe him was the NCAA tournament MVP last year...what UND wouldn't give to have a "cancer" like that this year.

I'm not sure it's about "need." If a great player is out there and wants to play for your program, or is at least willing to consider it, you'd be a fool not to go after him...and not all of the Breck kids are stuck up...just rich.

You guys are slippin.' Okay, I guess I'll say it first...No Thomas Vanek! Let the assault begin....

I hope you're right, but why do feel Minnesota is leading over BC?

Well, okay, you're entitled to your opinion. BUT, if you POHLED any ardent college hockey fan in 2002, I willing to bet most, if not all, had heard of Jeff Taffe and Johnny Pohl. Johnny Pohl LED THE NATION IN SCORING THAT YEAR! What more does a guy have to do to get noticed?! Heck, the real sleeper on that list was Paul Martin. Anybody who knew hockey could see his talent, but he wasn't an end-to-end, flashy player. I'm truly astonished that you're stickin' with your story.

Chad is okay on T-Wolves BB, but his liberal whining on the Fan is too much to bear...not to mention the voice inflections he uses when he speaks...geez, did someone teach him that or is that how he really talks?

Breck as in the school of recruiting.

When interviewed, he says no way to going straight to the NHL. Has his choices narrowed down to Boston College and U of M.

I've been around long enough to see many of the great players come and go. Your experience with Zach reminds me of Neal Broten. He was a star when he came to Minnesota, and everybody knew it. We also knew that he was good enough to play in the NHL...at almost anytime. I was glad he stuck around for the two years he did. He helped the team on to win a national title against (gasp) North Dakota (sorry, but it was perhaps the tournament's all time best GWG), but then was part of a team that failed the following year against a much weaker Wisconsin team (the Gophers beat that team something like 7 out of 8 times leading up to the title game!) Just be thankful that Zach chose to go to school at all. I would have loved to see guys like Langenbrunner and Housley play for Minnesota, but they went straight to the pros. Like Broten, you guys will follow Parise wherever he goes in his career. Hopefully, like Broten, that may include an olympic gold medal and a stanley cup. That he was once a Sioux, will make those experiences even better for his fans.

You really didn't expect that to go unnoticed, now did you? Nobodies? Taffe, Pohl, Leopold, Ballard, Martin, Demarchi, Koalska, Riddle, Potulny...maybe you just have higher standards for collegiate-level talent, but I think all of these guys can play....and so does the NHL braintrust. The only way a team can win that tournament with just average to good talent ("a bunch of nobodies") is if their goalie stands on his head (see Denver).

Not sure why people here don't see Ballard as a physical player. He has a VERY SOLID frame and uses it when he wants to. He may not be a grinder, but that's not his style of play. Someone also compared him to Roche and Crowley. To me that's an awkward comparison because Ballard is better offensively than Roche and he is much stronger than Crowley...he's also probably a little faster than both? I think he needs to work on decision making in the defensive zone, but there is nobody better in college hockey on the power play. Also, he's no slouch in moving the puck up the ice...and that first pass is critical. As for Vanek leaving to play with Buffalo this season, I would venture to guess that depends on their plans for him next year. I don't see much point in signing him if they go in as an #8 seed, since their playoff lives will be short lived anyway. If they want him on the roster starting next fall, then yes, why not sign him now.

Getting all giddy about seeing another team lose a day after your squad is out is just immaturity. When I read the paper this morning I was stunned to see that the Sioux lost yesterday. It didn't even occur to me to take some ineffable delight in it. Now, admittedly, I found comfort in knowing that if we got by UMD our road to the final game meant we needed to beat a weaker Denver squad, not the Sioux who we beat only a week ago (doing so again would make for a formidable task). It's too bad that fans can't have the same respect for one anothers' programs that the players and coaches do. It's just a game, folks. See you next year.

To win this tournament, a team needs luck and goaltending. UND didn't have much luck, because they couldn't score...but then, Denver HAD the goaltending. To call them chokers because they lost a single game to a solid team is ridiculous. Give Denver credit for finding a way to play the game they needed to win. UMD did the same thing...they held Minnesota to less than 25 shots. Briggs played well enough, but the young D gave up too many good chances. If you would have told me that UND and Minnesota would COMBINE for 1 goal in their last games, I would have thought you were crazy.

Thanks for the decency. As you know only too well, today's game was a bitter blow. I credit UMD for playing a fantastic defensive game, holding the Gophers to less than 25 shots. Reichmuth really stepped up big. It's strange to see UMD and Denver still in it with Minnesota and UND watching from the sidelines. For me, UND losing and Denver advancing is the biggest shock of the tournament...but that's the NCAA for you...the best team doesn't always win. I'll be pulling for UMD to win their first-ever NCAA championship. As for next year, I don't see the Gophers finishing much better than this year. UND, UMD, Wisconsin and Denver will all be good next year.

You all may not put much credibility into that specific article, but CLEARLY Parise hasn't gone all season unnoticed. The kid can play, and Jersey knows it. Ask yourself this: would anybody who knows hockey be shocked if Parise signs a pro contract after the NCAA tournament? I sure wouldn't. Same goes for Ballard and Vanek. All three are going to the NHL...it's just a matter of when.

Yes, I am aware that these truly are not "odds" based on probability. I think we're saying the same thing. Assigning "chance" to the outcome of a hockey tournament is pretty far fetched (or at minimum not very scientific)...wins and lossed come and go with injuries, key personnel not playing etc. etc...but then that's what gambling is all about.

Once again, these numbers are fun to play with, but they really mean nothing at all. One bad bounce of the puck could make UND's chance of winning the title ZERO PERCENT. Also, once again, nobody is giving MN much of a chance even though they are a No. 1 seed. UND definitely has the easy road to the FF (as well they should; they earned it), but once they get there it will be a hellacious battle (probably against Minnesota or UMD). There really are 4 or 5 teams that can win this tournament...so UND's percentages are just a little inflated.

Wow! I love that analogy.

That "undressing" was against Hobey candidate, Keith Ballard. If you watch the game film, it wasn't an undressing at all. Ballard simply lost his feet on his backskates. Give credit to Bochenski's move, however. Briggs made a good save attempt, but the shot was better...dang, what ever happened to the classic goaltender deck? You just never see it any more.

Oh, please. This game is over before it starts. If UND loses this game, then they don't deserve to go any further (and they won't lose). Heck, even if it's close (and it won't be) they'll have their doubters. I don't like making predictions, but this one is pretty safe. UND 8, Mercyhurst...er, Holy Cross 2.

What if Holy Cross brings their own announcer with them? That's gotta be worth a couple goals right there!

Just food for thought. After winning last year's NC, Weber said that playing behind Hauser the year before prepared him for 2003. In my view, you ride your number 1 goalie to the promised land. I think the only exception is if he is just really playing lousy. Brandt made most of the stops he was supposed to last weekend. If I recall correctly, most of the goals came from around the crease. The goal by Vanek is nothing to feel bad about. Goal scorers score big goals in big games...like Bochenski did against Briggs.

Seriously folks, who cares? Nobody had Minnesota winning it all last year. Most expert prognosticators had Cornell winning the NC. It should be no surprise that most have UND winning it...they weren't ranked Number 1 all year for nothing. Again, if I were an "expert" at ESPN asked to pick the winner, UND is the safe bet; however, I would give more credibility to WHO'S HOT. That would be UND and Minnesota. UMD will have to prove that Minnesota didn't fill them with doubts. Unfortunately, we're all in the same bracket. Only one can advance. Therefore, I too would pick UND to win it all. While I'm pulling for the Gophers, it will be a herculean undertaking for them to essentially repeat what they did last weekend. I really do not want Maine or BC to win it. With the WCHA so strong, it should be our year...even though the bracketeers are making it a cinch that only one of the TOP 3 WCHA teams can make it all the way.

Agree with Dagies. Go WCHA...UMD, UND, UMN...my odds-on-favorites to win it all. If it is UND, please...no 8>5...that would spoil it. Why even bother nettling another team's fans? I really don't see much point in it...it will all get settled on the ice, and none of us can change that. Last year, Cornell fans beat their chests all the way until they lost to UNH in the semifinals! Then they were curiously absent from the message boards. At this time of year it's luck, goaltending, and intestinal fortitude. You need them all. UND and UMN have talent with questionable goaltending. UMD has great goaltending but no tournament experience. Even Denver (who has good goaltending) could get hot. It's not about who's the best; it's who's PLAYING THE BEST. Coming into the tournament, I would say UND and Minnesota are the hottest teams in the nation right now. I would say Minnesota has the toughest road (besides Holy Cross). They will likely have to REPEAT what they accomplished last weekend to reach the championship game...a daunting task.