SiouxVolley

Would think it would use nat gas, which is so much cleaner and a ND product now too. Is that the reason the stacks aren’t so tall?

Maybe create a GF Community HS -which is a school- hockey team and co-op with Sacred Heart and Riverside Christian HS.

Seem to be missing the points on all of these. Davies is similar to Sheyenne as far as demographics go. West Fargo has so much growth that a 3rd HS is even being talked about. Sheyenne and Davies will be the preeminent hockey schools in Fargo-West Fargo just because more those parents can afford hockey and all the costs. A two class system would allow marginal hockey players to enroll in private schools and compete. Shanley-Oak Grove-Park Christian can co-op. St Mary’s-Shiloh and Ryan-Our Redeemers-Nedrose-South Prairie can do the same. Cando might not have numbers, but co-oping with a similar size school can do wonders for numbers. Bottineau co-ops with Rugby, and that is comparable to a Langdon co-op with DL.

West Fargo Sheyenne will emerge as a power just based on the earnings of their parents. Don’t underestimate that. Shanley, St Mary’s, and Ryan can increase enrollment by taking over for what were formerly Jr Gold programs. Some kids just want to play but are not skilled enough for higher level HS programs. Private schools generally need a selling points for kids to enroll. Cando can work with Langdon, which would increase numbers. I started an AA vs A NDHS hockey conversation here, and some posters here immediately poo-pooed it and now the local radio station is talking it up as serious. Don’t even live in ND, but think small town ND should have hockey. Co-oping with big schools means a lot of kids in smaller schools will drop the sport. GF or Fargo vs MayPort CGHillsboro CV-Hatton-Northwood-Finley-Sharon just won’t fly.

Denver is not as critical for the Summit as they don't have baseball but do have Men's soccer. Losing IPFW, Omaha, and ORU would be worse. But suspect Denver will be vying for the WCC instead of staying in the Summit helping their hockey buddies. They previously were offered a Big West spot if they paid that conference a travel allowance. They turned it down.

Have a relative that just started the AAU circuit (think that’s it). Pryor knows her and she probably is not DI caliber yet and has attended weekend matches of many teams. Pryor does not act as if he is leaving,

So further confirmation that Gonzaga is going to the MWC, but nothing official yet: https://www.coloradoan.com/story/sports/csu/mens-basketball/2018/03/11/opinion-adding-gonzaga-would-big-bold-move-mw/414763002/ Whats makes this story so pertinent to the Summit is that Denver offered to pay the MWC up to $2 million annually to get membership. Denver would probably go to the WCC and once Gonzaga is gone if offered. It would be a natural travel partner with BYU. Seattle won’t have access to Key Arena for the next couple of years, so they will only have their tiny gym (<1000) on campus.

Gonzaga backed out of next seasons Diamond Head Classic presumably because UNLV was also there. Two teams from the same conference would not be smart. Sounds like the Zags are needed for the MWC with the announcement after the Zags are done in the tournament. The WCC will need to add a team or two (depending on if BYU leaves too, as the Zags are by far the most Seattle should gets its bags packed for the WCC, which would make a death sentence for the WAC if they don’t add teams soon.

How is the Summit League going to schedule UND? MBB and WBB seemed to get some off days in the Summit, at least when they had nine teams. Sunday and Monday were often scheduled in the Summit. Women were basically on the road in the Summit, but not at a mirror image schedule like the Big Sky. Because we have hockey, Friday and Saturdsy nights are off limits if we have a home hockey series. That means Friday afternoon games, which are horrible for crowds. The Big Sky schedule did Thursday night and Sat afternoon home games, which was perfect for us. Don’t see that happening in the Summit, even if they loose the ninth team, IPFW, which would cause weird scheduling anyway. Maybe Sat afternoon, rather than Friday, followed by a Sunday game, since our travel partner is merely an hour bus ride away. But a lot of schools would object to that, as they want a day rest between games.

Not HS but ACHA Div 1: Minot State was ranked #1 go into the 16 team nationals and made the semifinal where they just lost to Illinois by a 4-2 score. One of the teams Illinois also beat at at nationals was #12 U of Jamestown. http://www.minotstateu.edu/pio/news/2018/03/johnson-lifts-beavers-to-semifinals.shtml Williston State and Bottineau managed to fare at .500 in ACHA D1 even through they are JCs. ND has some pretty impressive showings from small colleges. NDSU is missing though.

Would be interested in the women's attendance too. NDSU is leading and that program for both basketballs are in the dumps, according to their own fans. Surprised that SDSU isnt higher because their fans on some board have been such braggarts. Have they already scheduled for nine teams? Or do they have a schedule if IPFW drops out before July 1st?

Actually wish SD teams the best, but one needs to work up to top line teams over the years. Saw Pierre played a couple of lower western ND teams and beat them or was competitive. That was unheard of just 20 years ago. SD needs to make it a HS sanctioned sport. But SD HS association is just too stubborn.

Divide it by how many bantam and squirt players are registered. Jamestown HS now has under 700 students. Williston and Dickinson have so many transfer from other state that never played hockey so they should be ‘A’ teams until that changes. Can still have a WDA and EDC, but why should Bismarck schools have to play Beulah-Hazen or Bottineau-Rugby or Watford City for counting games. Devils Lake, Jamestown, Grafton, Wahpeton etc are just too undermanned to compete with GF and West Fargo schools. If a A division starts, maybe St Mary’s, Shanley, Ryan start their own teams and other schools like Langdon and Cando convert or co-oping from Jr Gold as they know they would be competitive.

Only a few ND cities have their Bantam teams playing top line Minnesota bantam teams. That was what I was referring to, and Grand Forks does well against that competition. SD schools would never get invited because their upside seems limited to SW Minnesota schools, which is a garbage league compared to the rest of the state. There are plenty of Minnesota teams that are not top notch. For hockey, ND should have an AA league like in football, where schools more than 800 or 1000 play. All others should be ‘A’, which would mean MayPort and Wahpeton and Watford City and maybe Crosby would join can play in that league and have a separate championship. Grafton is the only team that has broken through the upper tier line and that’s is not happening again for quite a while. Let schools choose if they want to compete at AA.

EWU and USD get CBI bids. Portland St, Northern Colorado and Fort Wayne get CIT bids.

After winning the four BSC championships that matter, would expect this year would see a fallback. Womens basketball was a major disappointment . FB had injuries. MBB had some bigs transfer. VB was the only sport that improved. Men's hockey is still TBD.

Just feel the pain for Schlossman. Going to have to work Excel Center plus Ridder Arena for a Big Time Championship and run between the two venues.

https://mcfeely.areavoices.com/2018/03/10/mountain-west-looking-to-expand-hasnt-contacted-ndsu/ This is rather funny that McFeely even writes about it. But Fargo is the center of the world so NDSU must be important. NDSU won’t get an FBS bite from anyone, not the MAC or Sun Belt, even after six FCS rings. Ga Southern and Appalachian St were bored to death at less than those. NDSU knows it needs to transform the Summit into an FBS conference, which is why UND got invited and why the Montana’s and Idaho will join.

Most of the playoff ticket money goes to the NCHC anyway, not UND or the Ralph.

A story about Iowa hockey. WIH would make zero sense there. https://www.landof10.com/iowa/iowa-hockey-new-arena-coralville Barta is begging donors now for a Kinnick football upgrade, so he can’t go and say Iowa will add hockey now. The USHL can’t add a team so close to the Cedar Rapids team, so why did Coralville build a 7k rink? For a club hockey team?

Only five days to sell tickets makes a big difference too. Most sellouts happen when there has been plenty of sell time.

All for WIH at NDSU so they can straighten out their Title IX situation. Scheels Arena will be happy to accommodate them.

Here’s an interesting article on Penn St hockey and why it makes money. http://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/how-hockey-became-one-of-penn-states-biggest-money-makers,1475777/

Forbes lists the best small cities with good economies. North Dakota was high on the list, ranking three in the top 10. #1. Williston #3. Dickinson #6. Minot https://www.forbes.com/sites/joelkotkin/2018/03/08/where-small-town-america-is-thriving/#145a512b38b8

There has been chatter that Johns Hopkins will move it M&W lax teams to the ACC. Women’s lax is cheaper than WIH, and if the B1G needs a team, the Illini could oblige. Lax has been made an Illinois HS sport and there is many more girls playing it than WIH. Illinois has not committed to add women’s ice hockey if they add men’s. The new private arena, with at least two sheets of ice, would house volleyball games, M&W gymnastics, wrestling, and men’s ice hockey and an attached new hotel and convention center, so downtown Champaign could really get a boost. http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2018-03-08/ui-hockey-feasibility-study-recommends-downtown-facility.html