jk

Was just going to type that Connelly has made some huge saves tonight, then they scored. Sioux running around a bit now.

Most of those rushes weren't his fault. The first one was. It was a team effort for those few minutes.

It was Trupp on the pass on the last one.

Bizarre turn of events. Sioux have the better of the play and chances for most of the game, then have this strange stretch of PP time where the Badgers get chance after chance. The last few chances were with a defensive pair of Genoway and Finley. Reminiscent of the surge by Wisconsin in the third period of the second game in REA this year.

Malone took the last couple shifts in Trupp's spot on VV's line. Wonder if Trupp is feeling that hit now. BTW Malone did well in that spot.

Here are a couple items of interest: Vandevelde bookended the run to the Cup with big third-period game-winners. He had the first GWG of the season when he scored arguably the most important goal of the year. Limping along with an 0-3 record and trailing 2-0 after two periods in Mankato, VV broke a 3-3 tie with an unassisted SHG with 9 seconds left, securing UND's first win. Last night he finished the Cup run with a late third-period PP goal. Watkins' SHG last night in a late-season game in Madison, ending in a 2-1 Sioux win, rung a bell in my airy brain. It turns out that, on January 31, 1987 in Madison, Scott Dub scored a shorty in the third period to help UND beat Wisconsin 2-1. Dub and Watkins are different players, but similar in that they are heart-and-soul guys who do anything to win. (BTW, Ed Belfour made 43 saves to outduel Mike Richter in the other net; couple pretty good goalies.)

For which they were soundly ridiculed here. People are so focused on the results, rather than the play. As you noted, there were signs from the start of a very good team, but they just weren't getting the bounces, and they were adjusting to a patchwork defensive group with Finley out.

I had to leave with 9 minutes left to pick a kid up. Just back. Nice to read the last few pages.

Wisconsin's talent level is higher than most recent Sioux opponents. Big, strong, fast, skilled. You can see the ingredients there for a really good team. UND will have its hands full this weekend.

D - Wiercioch, DU: 8-18-26, +6 Still think he has a good shot at ROY. Top defenseman on one of the league's two best teams, top PP unit, top PK. Not easy to do as a freshman at that position. I hope he has an aggressive advisor who sees that he's nearly ready for the big league.

Chainsaw?

As they were being separated at the end, Greene patted Commie, like, OK thanks for going, I had to stand up for my guy.

The CC series was the start of a stretch that will run to the end of the season of playing desperate opponents who are fighting for their lives. No one in the NCAA tournament will be any more motivated than CC last week, or Wisconsin next week, or whoever is playing to extend their careers in the WCHA first-round. Then the final five looks to be a cage-match of teams trying to qualify for the NCAAs. Looking at Jim's PWR analysis, the Sioux should be pretty darn desperate themselves this weekend.

He passed Eades, but is a long way from the top of the list. Still the MVP in my eyes.

Period 1 Indiana - Mike Cichy (unassisted) 3:30 Indiana - Mike Cichy (powerplay) (Torey Krug) 7:25 Waterloo - Nick Larson (powerplay) (Lee Moffie, Craig Smith) 9:50 Indiana - Mike Cichy (unassisted) 20:00

Miller has been much more effective on defense than he ever was up front. In an interview he talked about liking it because he gets to have the puck a lot more, and that really shows. Just that little bit of extra room makes him a much more dynamic player. For me, especially with LaPoint out, and despite the fact that he's not perfect in his own zone, Miller's back on defense the rest of the way. Up front, I don't break up any of the lines unless injury forces it, and then I try to only touch the line directly affected by the injury. In other words, I'm not breaking up Zajac, Martens, Watkins because of an injury on another line. Likewise Duncan, Gregoire, Hextall, and I would have said the same about VV, Trupp, Frattin until Trupp went down. There's just too much chemistry built up now with such solid results to be messing with it.

Wiercioch (sp?) will be ROY probably.

Sioux played really well all night long. Created a lot of offense and played a sound defensive game (Made a few mistakes, but that's hockey). The only reason UND is not competing for a #1 seed right now is Finley's injury. Without Miller back there (yet), the team was just not ready to be without him. If you think about it, the three losses that have haunted this team (UMass, MSU, and MTU) were all Finley related. UMass he played with the concussion, and the other two were his first real games back and he was understandably not very good then. Since the MN series, he has been outstanding, just what you would hope from a big senior defenseman. He's not fleet, but he has good feet, and he makes such a nice pass out of the zone. This team is going to miss Duncan next year. Wow is he ever savvy. Does all the little things, and does the big things too. Finishing is a rare skill. The Zajac, Martens, Watkins line is playing outstanding hockey. With the injuries, I hope they don't mess with the chemistry those guys have going. Malone seemed to fit well with VV and Frattin with Trupp out. I think that's the lineup change, with Toews or Davidson playing with Mario and Kozek. Even so, get well soon Trupp.

First time all night the UAA PP has set up and gotten anything going. Unfortunately they made something of it.

Leinweber's a freshman and looks like he could end up being a Genoway type. Boy Olthuis is keeping them in this game. Big saves on Frattin (x2) and Zajac so far.

Really nice set up that will often result in a goal - when Kozek shoots from there on the move he hits pretty often. Hope I don't jinx him, but Blood is starting to look like a WCHA defenseman, like he's making the adjustment.

3-1 Sioux after 1. And just about had the 4th on the first rush up the ice after the 3rd goal.

I don't understand all the bitching. Sioux are playing very hard. They haven't matched up well against UAA the last couple years - they're big and can skate and they do an outstanding job clogging up the neutral zone.

One of the season's crucial periods coming up here. Gotta get points out of this weekend, and with a lead after two this is the time to start getting them. I don't think 1-0 is going to stand up though; UAA's got a bit too much jump and they're too strong standing in front of the net for the garbage. Huge play late in the period to break up the pass across on the partial 2-on-1. Think it was Watkins.

Sioux just can't establish possession in the zone. They try to skate it in like Kozek just did and it gets picked off. They try to dump it and UAA has done a good job moving it out quickly.