jk

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.

After sleeping on it and reading the post by Taz (who always does a great job of calling it as he sees it), I'm more negative than I was last night. Wasn't it Parcells who said something like "you are your record"? Regardless of having played "well" at times and running into hot goalies, the Sioux are 1-6-1 and that's how good they are. It must be very disappointing for the team.

I'm sorry but I just won't be able to rip the team up and down for this streak. It stinks, as they have played themselves out of the coveted Top 3 spot in the league, maybe out of home ice (they are two points out of sixth place) and right onto the NCAA tourney bubble. But I can't just blindly rip them because they aren't playing terrible hockey. After last night, I thought questions about the team's character were appropriate. But I (and I realize I will probably be in the minority) can't question the team's heart after tonight's game. They knew it was a must win and did everything they could to get it. It just didn't happen. In Denver the Sioux earned at least two points with their play. They only got one because Dubie stood on his head and Denver got a bounce with two seconds left in the weekend. In Mankato the Sioux also probably earned two points. Four pipes on Friday, followed by an admittedly weak effort to close out the third period. Then a couple more pipes and outshooting the Mavs badly on Saturday, with another goalie standing on his head. Bochenski puts one in about four seconds later than MacKenzie did the weekend before. Points, and NCAA positioning, are what really matter, and UND is failing badly on those important measures. But I don't think they're failing because they suck, or because they lack character. It's just not working now. I firmly believe that if you just continue to do the right thing, results will follow. Obviously I've been let down badly by this belief, but I'm a stickin' with it. The only bright side I can see right now is that the "Last 16" is no longer a pairwise component. Whew! Go Sioux.

Sioux on the PP. Gotta get one here to set the Mavs back on their heels even further. Especially since the next PP goes to the Mavs.

Interesting that the Palmo/Fylling/Connelly line has seemed to put more pressure on than Spiewak/Lundbohm/Massen. Maybe it's a reflection of who the Mavs have on the ice at the time.

Signs of life for the Sioux. Keep the puck bouncing around in front of Jensen and maybe something good will happen. As I type that, Connelly to the box for tripping. Tough to get much momentum going when you have to take two minutes off and hope to keep them off the scoreboard to boot.

When things go right, Prpich puts that one in at the end of the major, for the tie. Or Parise scores on the 3x5 shorthanded break at the end of the period for an absolutely huge goal. But things aren't going right. I preach to keep the faith, but it could be an awfully long third period if MSU scores the next goal.

Ha HA. I jinxed the Mavs PK unit by complaining and Palmo scored. And why can't the Sioux ever score more than once on a 5 minute major PP?