jk

12:40 to go in the second. Sounds like UMD has had a much better period so far than in the first. Siembida with several good saves.

First period SOG: UND 17-10. Score Duluth 1-0.

Siembida with a big save on a wrap-around try by Schwabe. The league is crazy, with all the big scores last night. If the Sioux could win today, gigantic IF at this point, they would have a three-point lead over three teams for fourth. All things considered, that would be a decent place to be going into the final weekend.

Siembida in net for UND. Anderson for Duluth. Connelly, Prpich and Ryan Hale together for this shift anyway. McMahon, Notermann and Spiewak I think together. Lundbohm, Massen and Prpich now out. Not sure where Prpich's regular spot is right now. SOG 9-4 UND 8:47 to go in the first.

1-0 UMD, PP goal. Sioux on a PP that is about to expire. A radio listener definitely expects the worst at this point. Good pressure on the PP but no goal. Parise and Bochenski skating with Genoway today.

Can't rip you for that question, O. Obviously something is wrong. Persistent bad luck is not just bad luck. CC was supposed to be great last year and faltered; even though they recovered later in the year, their inability to be great was inexplicable. Denver's troubles this year have been similar. How can the Sioux consistently play well and consistently not win? I don't know. Could they please just win a game?

Running the table was a lot to ask, but catching Mankato is now no longer possible, as they own the tiebreaker and the best the Sioux can do is tie them for points. MN opened the door just a crack for UND last night, and the Sioux helped them edge the door back shut today. How is it that Parise and Bochenski cannot score?

Parise hits the post 10 seconds in. Just not meant to be, I guess. edit: not sure who hit the pipe, maybe Bochenski.

Yep, they've gotta find a way to put one in here. Two points are a must. Zach and Bochenski haven't made their way onto a scoresheet in a long time...

Duluth actually had a few shots on Brandt in the last 90 seconds, and it was scary. Last 30-40 seconds, then the PP would carry over to OT.

Now Zach robbed by the UMD goalie. Interesting Zach and Bochenski back together after starting on separate lines. Zach and Bochenski move down on a 3-on-1 break and don't get off a shot. Still, great pressure by the Sioux. Sounds now like the third period of the Saturday Mankato game. SOG 27-14, but it DOESN'T MATTER. 3-3 matters.

Fylling, McMahon and Prpich on one line. Connelly, Canady and Hale on a line. Bochenski misses on a great chance. Goalie down and out and bochenski can't get it high enough.

So now you're in a tie game in the third with a better goaltender on the other end. 15:48 to go.

Leinweber takes a tripping penalty. Dogs go on the PP. Still early in the third. and it's 3-3. This team just has problems with their heads.

Didn't realize anyone was relying on updates. Sioux PP expires without much for chances. Must be about 18 minutes left in the third.

I don't know about you guys, but I'm not exactly brimming with confidence as I wait for the third period to start. I'm sure Sandy's telling his guys, "they're over there just waiting for something bad to happen, for the bounces to not go their way." Someone in green and white has to decide to put the puck in the net. Pretty or ugly, I don't care, but the red light needs to be lit.

Here's my concern. The Sioux play great in the second with a 3-1 lead but can't add to it. Then all it takes is one little rush up the ice by UMD and it's a 3-2 game. The Sioux need to finish someone off.

I hope Blais doesn't shorten the bench this weekend. Rolling four lines keeps the team fresh late in the game and weekend. I don't mind if they don't score (good thing, too, since they haven't exactly lit it up this year), as long as they don't get scored on. I understand shortening the bench if you're trailing in the third, but otherwise I say roll the boys out there.

Actually, excluding exhibitions it is 21 home games and 14 away. To see similar ratios you'd have to go back to MN's schedules of a few years ago (2002-3, 20/16; 2001-2, 20/17; 2000-1, 23/15).

Sorry to have to ask, but I'm not the brightest guy, so... Was the message being sent to a defenseman, that if you aren't "in", then we'll find someone to take your spot? Or was it being somehow sent to Massen?

From the Herald: The preliminary schedule: Oct. 4 - Minnesota-Duluth, Hall of Fame exhibition; Oct. 11 or 12 - exhibition game, TBA; Oct. 17-18 - Boston College; Oct. 31-Nov. 1 - Yale. Nov. 7-8 - Minnesota; Nov. 14-15 - St.. Cloud State; Nov. 21-22 - at Denver; Dec. 5 - U.S. Under 18 Team; Dec. 12-13 - Minn.-Duluth; Dec. 27-28 - Holiday tournament at Engelstad, opponents to be named. Jan. 2-3 - at St. Cloud State; Jan. 9-10 - Alaska Anchorage; Jan. 16-17 - at Michigan Tech; Jan. 23-24 - at Minnesota; Jan. 30-31 - Denver; Feb. 6-7 - at Wisconsin; Feb. 13-14 - Colorado College; Feb. 20-21 - at MSU-Mankato; Feb. 27-28 - at Minn.-Duluth; March 5-6 - Michigan Tech. ------------------------------------------------- I had two complaints about this year's schedule: poor quality NC opponents and it was heavily home early, road late. Next year's schedule takes care of the NC quality, with UMD, BC and Yale all quality opponents. It is still tilted to the road in the second half of the year, which is unfortunate. I guess you just have to go out and win, regardless of who and where you play. Two road games before the new year, and twelve after. Here is the schedule formatted differently: Oct. 4 - Minnesota-Duluth, Hall of Fame exhibition Oct. 11 or 12 - exhibition game, TBA Oct. 17-18 - Boston College Oct. 31-Nov. 1 - Yale Nov. 7-8 - Minnesota Nov. 14-15 - St.. Cloud State Nov. 21-22 - at Denver Dec. 5 - U.S. Under 18 Team Dec. 12-13 - Minn.-Duluth Dec. 27-28 - Holiday tournament at Engelstad, opponents to be named Jan. 2-3 - at St. Cloud State Jan. 9-10 - Alaska Anchorage Jan. 16-17 - at Michigan Tech Jan. 23-24 - at Minnesota Jan. 30-31 - Denver Feb. 6-7 - at Wisconsin Feb. 13-14 - Colorado College Feb. 20-21 - at MSU-Mankato Feb. 27-28 - at Minn.-Duluth March 5-6 - Michigan Tech.

Pardon me, but I don't think Blais has had a team with anything even close to as physical a defense as this year's. As to offensive ability, I agree that no one now has Roche's magic. But to compare the defense listed there to the current roster for toughness is no comparison. Maybe Commie is the toughest of the bunch, but if so then the next four would be Hale, Schneider, Jones and Greene.

Regarding Ziegelmann's future, it looks like CC just got a commitment from a BCHL goalie (Zaba?), so that's probably not a potential destination for him anymore. Duluth maybe?

In a game like Saturday's, I like to think that while UND perhaps didn't outplay MSUM and flat-out deserve to win, had they won the result wouldn't have been unjust. That was the way I felt, besides horribly miserable, after the 2001 title game: BC played a fine game and were deserving champions. UND also played a fine game and would have been deserving champions had they won.

I'm not giving up on the Sioux's ability to play well and pick up points in the last four games, but I think catching MSUM with a 7-point lead, and MN (a team that is playing well) with a 3-point lead, is too much to expect. Although much could still happen to shake things up, I think the WCHA's first-round pairings are actually starting to get settled. I expect CC to host UAA. MN and MSUM should host Wisconsin and MTU. Who finishes in the 2/3 and the 8/9 spots I don't know, but I think these four teams are together. UND, Duluth, Denver and SCSU will make up two first-round pairs. Who gets whom (is that right?) and where, I don't know. The one-point road trip that just concluded was disappointing, of course, but the reason UND is not still in a realistic fight for third (again, JMO) is that shoudn't-have-happened home loss to MTU. Most of all, the Sioux need to keep playing well and start earning points. Win some games and let the seeding take care of itself.