jk

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.

Was it a 4:00 p.m. start? Can't believe I missed it.

There's a world of difference between the two teams as well. First, there were four legitimate NHL forwards on that team, plus a Hobey winner. Second, and more important, the overall defensive group this year is much, much better. That list of recruits you posted included three true freshmen on defense, plus another who accelerated. MacWilliam (this year) is miles ahead of any of them (that year) in defensive play. Their inexperience was the difference at the end, sadly.

I know you said "very," but it's still a gross understatement. It's an absolute whiff. We trot out terms like "joke" too often, because it should be reserved for situations like this. This isn't: he turned just before he got hit. There's not even anything to debate, except what hallucinogens the ref was on.

Sioux defensemen have full physicality rights against all the US forwards except Kristo, who gets a free pass. They can give what they reserve from Kristo to Schroeder.

I'm planning on it anyway. The hockey gods owe us a couple and I think they're coming back that weekend.

I agree with a lot of this but I'm planning on UND sweeping Denver.

??