siouxfan512

fair point! I wasn't even thinking about the fall. In my mind, it shouldn't count, nor should the Bison win again Central Arkansas, but I'm not the committee. I get it is all considered the same season, but it sure doesn't seem like it, or play like it. I have a feeling someone is going to get screwed with the playoffs, I just hope it isn't us. UND just needs to win, and preferably win big!

I was being facetious, just want to know what this team is going to look like heading into the fall. I don't know about everyone else, but I'm already anxious for some college hockey.

I'll make an edit to this. NDSU would likely be in with a loss because they are the Bison. If SDSU wins, and UND wins, then you could potentially have 4 valley teams in. If NDSU wins, and UND wins, that could push SDSU out altogether.

It has been a fun Spring, but this is what it comes down to. Win and we are in. Lose and we are starting offseason training. It will be tough coming off of a month break, but this team came out of the gate flying in February too. If there was ever a time or an opportunity for a statement win, it is now! Nobody has put more than 30 point on this team, and while they have only won 1 game, they have had some really close losses including SDSU by 2 and Western by 3 ... pretty close again SIU too. They allow about 150 on the ground and about 160 through the air; we need to beat those averages. While their defense doesn't seem too bad, their offense has had plenty of struggles, 166 rushing and about 100 passing. If we can get a lead early they will have trouble catching back up. Should be interesting and I hope the boys are ready to go! Like I said, needs to be a statement win here. 35-7 or 35-10 ... something to that effect. A 24-21 win will get us in, but will look much different in the eyes of the committee. Anyone know how are team is doing regarding injuries? There has certainly been some time to heal up, just hope they are staying fresh. Thoughts?!?! .... And winning a share of The Valley would be pretty cool too!

Well, like it or not, a good spring season and some of the best D1 football we have seen at UND comes down to this weekend. Can't just eek out a win. This is an opportunity to make a statement going into the playoffs. Lose, and this is Idaho State all over again. We will almost definitely be out of the field at 4-2 with a Youngstown loss. Show up to play unprepared on the road like we were at Nicholls and the season is over. I still can't believe how unmotivated the team looked in this game. Playoffs, and nobody looked like they wanted to be there. No energy, no emotion. Can't happen again. Despite being on the road, we need the team that beat SIU and SDSU. Hard nosed and resilient. I hope Schuster has been working on his deep connections to open up some more running room for Otis. I hope the coaches plan to use Otis more effectively than they did against NDSU. I hope Maag finally steps up and plays to his size to take over a game. The tools are there, but this team needs to show up prepared and use them. The way I see it: Missouri State is in UND is in with a win and out with a loss. NDSU is out with a loss, in with a win SDSU will likely be in either way, which seems ridiculous, but as has been pointed out on twitter the committee will not look at SDSU having lost to UND. They will look at the records were both UND and SDSU lost to NDSU, then they will look at SDSU losing to UND, vs UND losing to Youngstown. Seems stupid, but it is what it is. UND controls their own destiny. Don't just win .... stomp them!

What is Cruikshank waiting for? You can go to basically any program you want. Why wouldn’t you want to go to the best? Get to GF and get your UND jersey on dude! Bring home #9!!!

Doesn't this still heavily impact seedings?

Reading Izzo's tweet, per Mike Kern, they are already making the NDSU/SDSU game the title game for the auto bid. UND will not receive it ... even with 1 loss and a head to head win over SDSU. If SDSU wins, they get it because they would be considered to have a better win against a common opponent; not sure how that is more important than head to head. What a joke!

Makes St Thomas fairly competitive as well. Will be interesting to see what they can do right away, but Thome is a solid piece.

Good for him! I'll definitely be pulling for him and St Thomas to have a good first season at this level.

Well I'm pretty pumped Duluth lost yesterday. I don't need any more chirping from that obnoxious fan base. Plus it takes away the issue of a 3 win champ. I'll pull for SCSU now. Keep the NCHC streak going, and keep it out of the East.

Not sure where else to put this and it has nothing to do with college hockey from this year, but still an interesting tidbit. Some of you may have been aware that Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn's son used to be a goalie for Alabama-Huntsville. What I didn't know was that he is also Captain America in the new "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" series.

I believe so

Yes, obviously UND needs to win, but then it is either NDSU or SDSU, I don't think both can get in unless the game is cancelled and the committee screws us. I get that this bracket it based on a strange season, but a 1 loss team (against NDSU), and they have us listed as the 16th and final team in? I don't get it. Now if we drop a bad loss to Youngstown then we don't deserve to be in anyway.

I'll be interested to see if Youngstown is still playing by that time.

can we put them in a tent?

I know Luverne was in a few years ago, but can’t remember how far they went.

Thought Blake had 6 points.

Why not? This isn’t bringing in guys guys for long term. I’d there is talent and the right mentality, we have seen me holes in the roster now.

UMD going out and dropping a loss to Mass would mean nothing for the matchup against UND. Different teams matchup in different ways. There is reason we won the regular season title and the NCHC tourney, but two other NCHC teams are in the Frozen Four. Look at the UND football team ... We smoked SIU, SIU smoked the Bison, the Bison smoked us. Sports are weird. Who brings their game on which night, and who do they play. I remember UND losing a crazy game to Michigan, where the goalie stood on his head. UND was supposed to win it all that year too. If Michigan beat us, how could they possible lose? Well, they did, to Duluth, for their first NCAA banner. For me, Duluth has had enough success recently, and I don't want their insufferable fan base (Including Ciskie, RWD or DHG) to have any more for a while. The issue here is I don't want Massachusetts to do well either as they are an East team (though its not BC or BU). At the same time, I've had enough of the "Minnesota Schools" conversation. SCSU is Jan Brady and needs to know their role. Give me a Massachusetts vs Mankato final, and Go Mavs!

Made me wonder why the didn't reseed in the Fargo regional and have UMD and AIC play. You would think UND would have gotten the bye as the number 1 seed. Not saying that would have impacted the outcome at all, I just would have though being the top seed would come with some sort of benefit.

I'm ok with that, because there are some really good goalies out there, but I wouldn't put Lafontaine 1st team either.

I didn't watch enough Michigan or Mankato games to know about Power or Livingstone, but having watching Jake Sanderson play, it is an absolute joke he is not on the rookie team. Though maybe the points aren't comparable, I don't know.

Agreed, UND did a really nice job of controlling play. If something seemed like it wouldn't work, we would maintain puck control take it back into our zone and reorganize. I really felt like the only points of the game we didn't control were a portion of the second and the beginning of the 3rd.

Neither SCSU or Duluth won their conference or tournament, and I would hardly say they had mediocre seasons. If Miami would have come out of nowhere and won the NCHC tournament, would that have made them fit your criteria? They have a terrible season but they play good for 1 week, so they make the tourney, but a 2 place team like SCSU or Duluth shouldn't? I'm just having a tough time following the logic here. Just my opinion, but I wouldn't say most teams in the national tourney have had mediocre seasons. It could be argued that a team like AIC that had a good season on paper, is still far more mediocre than many second or third place teams in other conferences.