redwing77

Maybe you took me the wrong way. Maybe I took it the wrong way. I'm not offended by it at all, but I guess I was just looking at things from the whole team perspective. I really think it is going to take more than our top scorers to beat UW. The same goes vice versa. There's no need to get in a huff.

The precise plan is that he is playing football (I think he's TRF's QB) right now. Then, when the hockey season starts up in a few weeks, he'll play for TRF. When the HS hockey season ends, he'll suit up with Des Moines until TRF's graduation date, where he'll return to TRF to graduate with his friends. If there are any other games left, he'll return to Des Moines. That's what I've heard anyhow.

I guess I really don't understand why make a big deal about each teams' top scorers. Yeah, they are the ones to watch, but with the exception of the freshmen, it's nothing we didn't already know. When we step onto the ice tommorrow night it will be like everyone has no goals or assists and I hope everyone plays like their roster spot is in jeopardy. We need to play like we played last Friday night and we need to play with discipline. People WILL get tired of me saying it but discipline discipline discipline!

I was just thinking that. I didn't think anyone was older than PCM.

Does this mean I can't rip on Wheeler?

Guess I was wrong. Gee, does that make it the first time?

This was a joke playing at the "He chose UND so he went up 3 rounds in talent" junk. I've read nothing to suggest that Kessel won't go #1. And thanks dagies et. al. If Forney is defensively lacking as the scouts suggest I don't care how good he is offensively. I'd like him to work on his defensive play VERY VERY hard. If that means working on it in the USHL a year, so be it. If Hak decides to bring him in early, then I'd expect Hak to coach him hard on defensive responsibility and to sit him if he should ever forget about it. Yeah, I'm going to drive Gopher fans nuts when I say this but: Rochester American's head coach noticed early in the season that Vanek was a defensive liability and prone to cherry pick while the rest of his team were playing defense in their own zone. That head coach sat Vanek's butt down for a game or two (or at the very least Vanek didn't get much ice time) and ran him hard in practice. The result? Vanek isn't a 2 way forward, but he's better at it now than he was and it still didn't hurt the results of his season in the AHL (I believe he lead all rookies in either goals). I don't know how Lucia coaches and whether he could have done the same thing for Vanek, but I know historically Blais and Hakstol have never been afraid of sitting a liability. I hope Forney's draft status and hype (what hype there is) don't get in the way of that tendency.

Thanks as usual, PCM. I remember several instances in which several key players got in trouble or nearly got into trouble for going out after the game. On the flip side, I remember running into several players at Applebees (Mike Commodore, yeah that dates me) on Columbia or Ground Round (Brandon Bochenski and Chris Leinweber) and watching how laid back they were and they weren't really doing anything other than getting a bite to eat.

I thought Statsny was drafted in this year's draft because last year's draft was cancelled. If you want a true overaged draft pick, look down the road at CC to Brian Salcido.

Everyone starts out at 0 or even at the beginning of the season. Every time you are on the ice when a goal is scored for your team you earn +1. Every time you are on the ice for the opponent's goal, you earn a -1. It is cumulative so, if you are on the ice every time your team scores a goal in a 5-0 blow out, you will be +5 at the end of the day. However, if you are on the shut out team and are on the ice when they score their goals you will end the day with a -5. I think that's right.

pro17- I understand the point you are trying to make, but I just don't agree with it. There are plenty of talented teams out there and many of them suffer through a horrible defeat like Saturday. HOWEVER, we didn't lose to UAF or SCSU! We lost to a bonafide top 10 team. IIRC, we've had serious problems trying to crack Mannino even last year even after games where Mannino has looked like a sieve. I don't think that this team is spoiled. I think that this team is YOUNG. Every freshman on the team came from a different system that handled losses a different way. They handled wins a different way. They handled EVERYTHING a different way. Suddenly, they are thrown together on the same sheet of ice wearing the same jersey and given an ENTIRELY different way things are done. You don't think that this is going to take some adjustments? This team is YOUNG and they looked YOUNG on Saturday. There is no doubt in my mind there will be more games where we will look young too. But things WILL get better with time and experience. Are they spoiled or are they just not used to having to be at the arena the day after a game early in the morning for sprints or whatever? Think about it. They are learning and learning as a team, young and older alike. The fact that everyone from Marvin down to Toews (oldest to youngest) had to participate in this sends the message that it doesn't matter how well you play. A win is a TEAM win and a loss is a TEAM loss. Either case, the TEAM will face the consequences good or bad together. Kermit: Oops. Misread the post. Oh, I agree Lee's got a bigger offensive upside than Chorney and Lee hasn't exactly been a liability defensively either. I'm saying that Chorney has looked incredibly solid so far and he edges Lee out defensively so far.

Goon- Thanks for your compliment. BTW, it's Geoff, not Jeff. (I know you don't care, but still). As for the rest of your post, I.. well, I am going to disagree with you on the part of the DU program bit. I can't think a program is as classless throughout its history just because of the deplorable behavior of one of its players. Puck Swami is indeed a level headed person and came on here (which in itself is no small matter. I mean, who would come onto this board and claim to be a DU fan after what happened? Pretty brave) and gave us a different perspective on a much reviled DU player. As you noticed by his post, he never claimed to justify Geoff's actions. Nor did he claim that Geoff should be forgiven by Sioux fans. He merely expressed what he has seen happening from his side of the issue. Whether or not Geoff felt remorse is something that we, as fans, feel we haven't seen. His actions on the ice last weekend (at least on Saturday) and his quotes in the paper do not tell me that it isn't much to divine what Geoff thinks of the Sioux and its players and how callous he acts in a delicate situation. Did Geoff do what Puck Swami claims? I don't know. He certainly didn't do much publically outside of the sticker. Did Gwoz and the DU program do anything? Yes, Gwoz has been quoted several times as showing concern for Robbie. I think here on SS.com, things have been getting far out of hand with this whole situation to the point where we are starting to make accusations and veiled threats towards people who really weren't connected with this at all.

With the start you've had and the start we've had, are you that anxious?

I just heard from a "source" that the new ISS draft order is going to be: 1. Jonathan Toews 2. Michael Forney 3. Phil Kessel 4. Some dork from Major Juniors Players on the rise: Eric Gryba. The '88 defenseman has UND on his short list. If he commits, he will move up to 4th overall Ok seriously, all that draft position crap is horsepoopoo. But if it happens, I'll take it.

What pro17 seems to claim is that certain players don't seem to play hard because of what the Sioux have talent wise. That's insane. I'd understand that claim if we were 2-5-1. But we're not. We're immensely talented and TJ Oshie is a big piece of the cog. Toews may have slightly better hands than TJ but TJ brings an aspect to the game that no other player except perhaps Zajac and Porter (Yes Porter) can truly match. TJ's offensive skills are similar to Zajacs while TJ's motor and drive is a lot like Porter's. Why do you think that the most effective line on the Sioux is the second most talented? Porter and Oshie are always hustling moving around and driving to the net. Toews has size and speed but mostly hands and scoring ability. It's a deadly line. Once Spirko is back and healthy, I don't know which line will be better. It will honestly be scary to be the opposing goaltender regardless of which of these lines he faces. And, pro, as far as defensive liability is concerned, Chorney has been the better defensive defenseman thus far. Lee is very good, don't get me wrong, but Chorney has been outstanding.

Sure, but so far, most of our talent has come in being fairly solid on both aspects of the game.

Darcy seems to be a Kaip-esque player. Gritty, can score. Chay Genoway seems to me more of a Lee Marvin or Scott Foyt type player. He seems ok but he's most adept at being able to play both forward and defense. I think the two we need to hit hardest is Cheverie and Gryba. I am not convinced Zajac will leave early but I wouldn't put it past Stafford and certainly not Smaby to leave. Who would you speculate might leave the team due to playing time? The only guys who are going to get limited playing time this year are: Miller, Martens, Alexander, Foyt, Marvin, and Walski (whom I pick to get no playing time just due to the two guys ahead of him). Who would transfer? Miller? The way I see things, Hakstol is going to have a luxury this year in being able to move 4 lines all the time simply due to the immense talent on the team at forward.

THat last part bothers me... "Defensively lacking..." and so on.

SOmeone yells "SIOUX YEAH YEAH!!!!" And the crowd replies "YEAH SIOUX SIOUX!" The only thing I've never understood is when to start the chant. I've started it twice before and once I was told that it was the wrong time.

Bah. What do I know about dates. I probably heard him wrong. In any case, he was an interesting man to speak to. --------- As for the WIlliam and Mary nickname issue: Is anyone willing to bet that it won't be rejected?

The dude who played cowbell last saturday broke his stick while playing. I think it was before the third period... need I say more?

I'm very happy we got Forney. He's going to be a good one. But let's ask this question: Would the Sioux be interested in bringing in anyone at all next year other than Marto, Vandie, and Forney? If not, how does this affect Chay Genoway, Darcy Zajac, and all of the other names floating around?

Not really media, but today I talked to a retired member of the ND State Highway Patrol at the Fargo YMCA. I noticed on his duffle bag the emblem of the Sioux indian that is the same as that Highway Patrol patch and I asked him about it. He said he's gotten many compliments on it and how it was done to honor the Sioux Indians. That patch was adopted by the state of North Dakota, according to him in 1935. Interesting, no? The Indian on the patch was actually a NA police officer that served with the state of North Dakota in the late 1800s and early 1900s. He told me (He saw my "Thank you Ralph" tshirt that I got that has the REA emblem on it) that in his 28 years of service to the state of ND, he's never heard naught but praise for the Fighting Sioux nickname and the emblem he wears on his shoulder and duffle bag. I told him that the highway patrol is lucky he isn't affiliated with the NCAA. He laughed cynically, like a cop laughing at a guy trying to make a credible excuse as to why he ran a stoplight while being followed by a cop. He was a nice guy. He said that it is a shame that things will probably end up with the nickname probably being changed.

Do you get the opinion that he's just living it up while he can? He's not getting much ice time and when that's the case, he's not going to score a whole lot. I just get the feeling that he's making his name known as much as possible before the inevitable demotion happens.

Maybe it could be: 1. What has been going on with the students vs. administration, students vs. General public, etc. affects it? 2. Maybe with our young team we don't want to drown in the hype and platitudes the opposing teams and players thrust on us to save us from being like many Gopher fans (I mean, on USCHO 4four4 claimed that the only reason why the Gophers don't have more NCs than the Sioux is because of some "bad bounces." Good grief! Well, at least by that logic we can take solace in the fact that, if it weren't for a few bad bounces, we'd have 10 NCs right now and have won 2 back to back titles in the past 5 years (2000 & 2001, 2004&2005)). Maybe a combo of both.