fightingsioux4life

Next week we are at MSU-Mankato, which means their goaltender will be a stud for that weekend only! Seriously though, next weekend is a must-win situation, with conference points and the confidence of our players on the line. GO SIOUX, LET'S REBOUND!!!

Penalty on Sioux. Game Over.

GOAL!!! 3-1 Maine leads. Still need a miracle here.

Maine playing a strictly defensive posture with a 3 goal cushion, ala Wisconsin. Tough to get good scoring opportunities now.

C'mon, they can't be as bad as Mazacco and Woog.

The silver lining in this weekend is that it is October, not March. If Maine is peaking this early, that does not bode well for them. If we can improve over the next couple of months, we'll be all right. Next week we are at MSU-Mankato, a conference series and a must-win situation after this weekend.

If you shoot at the goalie's chest, chances are you won't get a rebound. If you miss a wide open net and hit the post, you definitely won't score. But when Maine gets chances in the slot or right in front of the net, they bury them. That is the mark of a veteran team. We can't blame good goaltending every time we lose or don't get results. All good teams have good to great goaltending (except maybe Minnesota ), we just have to deal with it. Otherwise, we better start lowering expectations for this year.

Only Secretary-General Brand and the NCAA Politburo (I suggest we start calling them that from now on) would think that UND playing it's games in the Fargodome would be considered "hosting". It is still a road game, just not on the opponent's home field; which it should not be if they are the lower seed. If their stated goal was to eliminate Native American imagery from "their" tournaments, then this would do just that. Of course, their real goals are much loftier. I think the issue of the temporary and permanent injunctions will give us an idea of what chances we have with the overall lawsuit. If a judge grants the injunction, I think it would indicate that our case has a good chance of prevailing. If the judge doesn't grant the injunction, I think we better start brainstorming a new name right now. I tend to think we will get the injunction because of all the inconsistencies in the NCAA's policy and justification of that policy. If it wasn't so unfair to our players and coaches, I would suggest we decline any football playoff bids awarded under these restrictions (just to stick it to the NCAA Politburo). But my instincts say we won't have to make that kind of choice.

Some of you will think I am crazy for suggesting this (a lot of people think I'm crazy, anyway! ), but I think I might have a solution for our football team for the playoffs in case we can't get a court-ordered injunction against the NCAA before the playoffs start on November 18th. If our team earns a high enough regional ranking for home playoff games (not a lock, by any means), I propose that we rent out the Fargodome (a neutral site) for our "home" playoff games, assuming the NCAA doesn't come up with an excuse to forbid it. I heard Tom Buning talk about a "neutral-site solution" on television (KVLY) shortly after the NCAA mandate was announced in 2005. There are many advantages to this: 1) It would be a neutral site (Fargodome) in a neutral city (Fargo). We would not be "hosting". 2) No "hostile and abusive" imagery for the NCAA to get mad about (unless you count the Bison logos! ). 3) A short one-hour drive for the team. And fans like myself. 4) Plenty of Sioux alums in Fargo to fill the place up. 5) Plenty of seating for the opposing team (more proof that it's a "neutral site") 6) The Fargodome would finally host a playoff game (sorry Bison fans, couldn't resist! ). 7) Related to #6, the Dome would make some money out of the deal, encouraging them to go along with this. 8) The NCAA would also make some money off of the deal. I call this an advantage because if there is one thing the NCAA likes more than political correctness, it's the Almighty Dollar. Crazy? I suppose. But in situations like this, you have to think outside the box. By using the NCAA's own arrogance and greed against them, we can get a better deal for our team and give us a shot at getting to Florence before we move up and go on playoff probation (starting in 2008). Hopefully, North Dakota's legal team will be able to get the injunction and all of this will become a moot point. Flame away!

Thanks!

I've always felt that Bismarck is a nice town; it just needs more of a college atmosphere to it (a bigger Bismarck State College would help). Grafton is also a nice place; much smaller than what I am used to, but nice nonetheless.

The BCS honchos will do and say anything to maintain the current "system", if you can even call it that. Repeat the same crap over and over and people will start believing it. Sounds familiar to those of us fighting to keep the Sioux name, doesn't it? All of their arguments are bunk. The Bowl "System" would make more money than a playoff (bunk), the regular season would be diminished (bunk), the student-athlete would miss too much classroom time (bunk), the season would be too long (bunk), the "little guy" in D-IA college football would be hurt by a playoff system (bunk)....... Bunk, bunk, bunk, bunk, bunk!!! Some BCS-ites have even went as far as to trash the NCAA Basketball Tournament for diminishing the regular season and being too long and watered-down and as proof that the BCS is somehow better. I can't really blame them for doing this, because their "system" is totally indefensible, so they have to trash the system another sport uses (with great success, I might add). But if you try to use March Madness as an example as to why football should have a playoff system, they respond with "that's apples and oranges, you can't use that comparison" blah, blah, blah. It's okay if the BCS-ites do it, but if you are a playoff supporter, it's wrong. This is one major reason UND (or NDSU for that matter) should NEVER go D-IA in football. Ever. We'll never qualify for a bowl game that anyone cares about and if there is a playoff in the future, we'll probably never qualify for that, either. At least in D-IAA, we'll be able to make our mark as national title contenders (as soon as we get our scholarships up, that is). The complicated political entanglements in D-IA football are what keep a playoff from happening, not "money". At least our football program doesn't have to deal with this garbage. End rant.

We have had trouble getting this program off the ground. Maybe this coaching staff will be able to do it. They are off to a good start. GO SIOUX!!!

The Wild actually spent some money during the offseason to supplement their home-grown talent. Too early to get Stanley Cup Finals tickets at the X, but they are moving in that direction.

Fair enough on player of the game. I also think there was too much passing tonight (and even Friday) and not enough shooting. Being a puck hog is bad. Being too unselfish is almost worse sometimes.

Hmm, maybe the guy who scored the lone goal in the game (Jake Dowell)? That is who FSN picked. Without that goal, the game likely ends in a 0-0 tie (yawn) and we get out of there with 3 points on the weekend instead of just 2. It's pretty easy for a player like Elliot to "get the job done" when most of his saves were shots from the point or the face-off circles. Goalies at this level will stop those shots 99% of the time. The difference in the game was the turnover by Finley and the Badger player who was there to put it in. But I am sure that Brad Schlossman won't agree with that assessment. Oh well, time to move on to Maine at the Ralph next weekend. Another tough series, with Pairwise Ranking implications.

I was actually talking to redwing77; but that's okay. It's good we can have fun on siouxsports.com after a tough road loss. After all, it's only October!

I think he was talking about the Grand Forks Heraldo.

Come on PCM! Don't tell me you are drinking the "hot goaltender" Kool-Aid too?

That is what started the "hot goaltender" excuse for every single loss. I'll buy the "hot goaltender" theory sometimes, but not every single time you lose. The Grand Forks media promoted that idea so many times it almost made me throw up.

A split on the road is pretty good in this league. But still..... One defensive lapse will cost you in games like this. Joe Finley will bounce back, as will this team next week vs. Maine at the Ralph. You can almost bet that Brad Schlossman will pick Elliot as the key player in the game; the opposing goaltender is almost always the key player in the game in his articles when we lose no matter what the stats say. Time to focus on the Black Bears.

We are getting played like a fiddle right now. Almost time to pull Lammy.

Penalty coming up on Sioux.

I think the first goal wins this game. If it goes to overtime, I think it ends in a tie. 3 out of 4 at the Kohl Center wouldn't be too bad.

End of second period. 0-0 tie. I think there will be a fight before this game is over.