jk

Out of many outstanding posts over the years, maybe your best.

Thompson justified the minutes the coaches gave him last year by really improving. I think he's on his way to becoming a heck of a defenseman. While I love the savvy and compete of LaDue and Stecher, Thompson has them beat athletically, with skating they can't match. He was also younger than everyone on the roster last year but Poganski and Nick Schmaltz. Because of his age, I think he should stay to mature physically and as a player. His ceiling is way up there, though.

If Berry wasn't currently a UND assistant, he would have been my top choice. I guess I won't hold it against him that he's already here, and knows the current players and recruits. I've heard over the years from multiple sources (ooh I sound important) that he is as good a guy as there is. It seems to me that recruiting has picked up since his return as well, but it never really suffered, so it'd be hard to tell.

As usual, injuries may play a role in getting everyone ice time.

I need to qualify this because it is internet scouting, but I get the impression the USHL defensemen are coming in ready to play next year.

I was always a big fan, but this particular detail I have never heard. Wow! They weren't all tap-in's either. He has a very particular skill that's exceedingly rare, getting the puck in the net.

I'm not in the camp that says we should be looking, but if UND needed to find a new coach, I'd look more to the model of the school's last three hires, none of whom had previous college head coaching experience. Amazing to think those last three coaches take us back 36 years! What a model of stability.

New: Boeser Gersich Wilkie Janatuinen Gardner Wolanin Shaw Chartrand Bast Tomek Out early: Schmaltz LaDue McIntyre

"OK guys, first, I want you to allow at least 50 shots against."

<Emphasis added.> The bolded part is a great description of this year's UND team.

That felt like part of the problem in 2011, but not a bit in the last two years. They were on their toes both games, and they made a habit of the most simple straightforward hockey play: Get the puck and bodies to the net. It just didn't result in the deflection, rebound type goal enough, but they tried it a bunch.

I don't like to quote long posts, but I'll make an exception for this one. **Thank you** for putting into words what so many of us feel. We should trot this out whenever it's needed. The amazing thing about the run of success is that times have indeed changed, and those slow to adapt have been punished. When even MN, Wisconsin, Michigan, BU and Maine have suffered significant down periods, you know something has happened to player development and recruiting. Only two schools have not dipped in this period, UND and BC, and while BC has certainly been king for a while, even they missed the NCAAs once. In addition, BU's resurgence has put a dent in BC's recruiting pipeline, so we'll see if they keep the magic run going. My point is that as much as UND's coaches get accused of being wedded to their systems, they've actually changed a ton. Much like ten years ago, this team was driven by a great defensive corps. Utterly unlike ten years ago, this group of defensemen skate, move the puck, and don't destroy guys. Both teams were built for their era and succeeded. News flash: the other NCAA hockey teams are led by motivated guys near the top of their field who hate to lose, and are filled with exceptional athletes who want to win more than anything. To consistently beat those other teams requires innovation and a willingness to change. Witness UND's offense, with defensemen involved not only in rushes and from the point, but actively joining a cycle to keep possession. That just didn't happen ten years ago. What's most amazing is they've managed to maintain UND's trademark grit and aggressive forecheck as they've transitioned to a less physical team taking fewer penalties. Looking forward to upcoming years.

A memorable group. It's perhaps fitting that the last goal scored by UND in each of the last two seasons was put in by Gaarder, a real gamer.

I agree that goaltending has been the problem in a few of the elimination games. Parise had a bad one, Lammy, and now Zane. I thought Zane last year was very good, and Dell was also rock solid against Michigan (and in fact great that whole postseason).

I agree wholeheartedly. This was a really great team, and for me, this elimination game will sit alongside the title game against Denver and last year against MN as games where they deserved a better fate. They carried the play, they got pucks and bodies to the net. They really did everything they could have hoped for going in except outscore the other guys. And about half the guys posting on this thread are ****ing dirtbags.

This team has shown up. A few things haven't gone their way, but they tilted the ice back as the period went on. The Sioux PP looked great, but no goal. Then BU's last PP, no zone time, harmless shot goes in. I am keeping the faith. Also, the team won't quit.

As a fan, I hope they all decide it's in their own best interests to stay and develop for another year. It would be a shame to have this exceptional group of sophomores together for only two years.

It did some good for Hak, who pulled Adams out of the state of Michigan. I'm guessing it also does good for Anastos, Pearson, and a number of other coaches in that region.

I'm not saying anyone should leave, but I fully expect to be without J. Schmaltz, Zane, probably LaDue and maybe Stecher next year. There's just a lot of buzz out there.

I don't have much of a problem with anything Red said.

I didn't love their chances this weekend, because usually when you need to flip the switch back to on, it's just not that easy. I understand Yale from two years ago, but there are plenty of examples the other way too. Very glad they were one of the teams able to do it. If the rumors of widespread sickness are true, this is truly a weekend for the ages.

There's really no point in cross-posting GPL content over here. Focus on the Sioux.

Considering who won and who lost today, it should be all happiness, but I have this nagging sadness for Tech, who really deserved better. All that time lost in the wilderness, then it ends like that. As for the Sioux, they did what they did all year, find a way to win. It wasn't pretty though, and if you swap goalies it may go the other way. They played really hard though. Stay outta the box tomorrow.

The comparable part of it is the coaches actually do know what they're doing. Guarantee you can go back and find plenty of posts, probably from some of the same names, questioning why O'Donnell was in the lineup, or on a particular line. Hak could not do my job without years of experience, and I can't do his. He probably wouldn't question my professional decisions, knowing how foolish that would seem.

Ferris had a real nice squad last year and played their guts out in the regional final until they got Gaarder'ed. They probably deserved better that game.