jk

Dave, To me the single biggest reason the Sioux defense has been so solid this year is Mac and Gleason being able to step in and be effective after a very short transition period. Neither are perfect, but they are far ahead of most freshmen defensemen. I also think the composure in the defensive zone - making smart D-to-D passes rather than wildly sending it up or around the wall - has been the best I've seen in years. I think this is the best team defense I've seen out of a Sioux team since the killers went to the NCAA title game.

I think his point is that Olsen has better offensive skills, but that would only get him up to "defensive Dman" in the NHL, and Mac needs better puck skills to reach the NHL, even as a defensive Dman. That's a fair point, and I'm still pretty darn pleased with Mac's play as a freshman defenseman.

I shouldn't still need to be cured of it, but having 7th rounder MacWilliam playing first-pair defense for UND while 1st rounder Olsen sat in the stands a couple weeks ago was another reminder of the danger of prospect hype. I won't be counting on Forbort, Simpson or Ebert to be studs until they get here and actually play like them. p.s. AZ, that Greene pic is one heck of a sports photo. The angle of his right arm makes me think of Bednarik, although his was after the hit while this is in it.

It's a pairwise trap. Sweep and you tread water, get swept and you tumble down to the bubble.

LGS, let's enjoy it tonight and hope this can jump start them.

I wouldn't be surprised to see it wait til next year. Get the points now.

Skeeter Moore, and that was because of a slew-foot on Kidd.

Oddly I don't feel as bad after Saturday as I did after Friday. At least the better team won Saturday. The Sioux just got beat by a good team; it's going to happen sometimes. I find games like Friday where the Sioux are clearly the better team and lose extremely frustrating, much like Friday at Cornell and Friday at MN with the tie. What now? They need to find something that will generate a few sweeps against good teams. It's hard to see, but it could happen. To be honest, SCSU, UMD and CC are looking ahead and starting to think sweep themselves. I believe the guys know what it means to play for UND a lot more than we do, so I'll hope they can pull it together.

Thanks to the Cornell posters for posting this week and post-game; I wish more people did. Good luck the rest of the way.

I don't think 1-0 is going to hold up tonight. Got a feeling there will be goals in the third.

Sandelin finally gets a decent team again and now he gets the most out of his guys. UMD was lost in the woods for years between Junior and last year, and last year's team got every bounce possible in March to get as far as they did. Separately, I agree with AZ about Eidsness. He could be better but he's not an evil entity sent to punish UND hockey.

Among the many things Hak does well is put together a great schedule. Mix of powers and up-and-comers, home and road. Traveling to other powers is great for the sport, for Sioux fans scattered across the country, for team-building and for spreading the UND name.

There are no half years. This is his junior year. Absent an injury, if you play at all in a season you have used up a year of eligibility.

In Saskatoon that's probably a penalty shot. I was a bit embarrassed for our version of the sport after watching the WJC. Although the junior teams are more talented, the main difference is the constant use of the stick here. I'm guessing some guys could look pretty creative if they were allowed to play. Frattin looked great on the VV-Gregoire line and I hope they stick.

Disagree. I think they might stumble this weekend (because MSUM is old and has done well against good teams this year), and even so I think they'll get home ice. But we'll see.

He kept the Sioux from getting blown out last year after the loafer skate.

Two shooters. I'd have them on different lines. I like moving Rowney back with Zajac and Mario though, and in general I agree that however they slice it the forwards should be four lines deep.

Don't know but I expect to see vast fields of open seats, so you're probably OK. This was a key weekend last year, and they laid a couple stinky eggs that nearly cost them an NCAA bid. Any slip-up the rest of the way and they were out of the tourney; fortunately they hardly lost the rest of the way. Near perfection the rest of the way seems like a tall order this year, so they simply must do well now, in these key nonconference games. It will be hard to generate energy in a big empty building, but they've got to get past that and win a few games.

Can't imagine he'd be anything other than a junior.

This is a positive for later, but twice during the game a USA player made a dynamic move, swooping in and grabbing a puck that looked like it was closer to 50/50, and I thought: "who is that!?" and it was Kristo both times. Of the newer guys, I think Fienhage continues to look better all the time. In fact, each of the six regular defensemen made good plays last night that I noticed. Trupp was obviously good; there's a little more space in an exhibition, and he looks good in space. Cichy is getting closer. On the downside the PP rarely got set up; they're dying for a QB.

cherry picker

We're surprised the BC guy is lighting up the Sioux?

Nice act of self-levitation by the net.

Feels like an exhibition. Either the Sioux are better or USA is worse than the last time they played, because then Team USA looked like the better team, and tonight it's pretty even. Maybe the US will get some chemistry and get going as the game goes on.

That's the most interest Schroeder's shown in hockey all year.