jk

I don't know Matt, but I have to wonder how thrilled he is that he came back this year. It's funny that perhaps the wrong guy turned professional last year, as Parise would love the open ice at this level, and Greene would thrive in the AHL's physical game. Hopefully Matt can overcome these early difficulties through a combination of his own adjustment and a partial easing of the officiating, and once again be the dominant defender he was last year. Also, PCM, thanks for the great work. I really appreciate it.

Since there has been some discontent about UND's lousy 4-2-2 start after six road games and two at home, I thought I would start a thread for criticizing the coaches. This way we can keep it out of all the other threads and have a central repository for it. I'll start. Among Hakstol's problems: 1. Sometimes when he talks on the radio, Hakstol sounds like he might be from Canada. 2. He keeps cross-checking guys in front of the net when the team's already shorthanded. 3. I had ten cub scouts ready to come over to my house to watch the lunar eclipse last week, but it was cloudy. I think it's Hak's fault. Criticize not just Hakstol but also Berry and Eades. If you haven't gotten it out of your system yet, criticize Blais for some good-old-days fun. Sorry I can't bring myself to start this section. Even on an anonymous internet board, those guys are just too menacing for me to go there. Also feel free to add advice. Then we can make sure they see the thread and perhaps they will incorporate some of our suggestions. An example would be: On the PP, bring the goalie up and plant him in the slot in the offensive zone. With all his gear on, he would make a perfect screen.

Last weekend was obviously horrible and showed that the list of problems to address is long. But after the 6-0 slide extended to 10-0 on Friday night, they seemed to finally turn it around. They pressured, controlled play and actually scored. Most of all, they seemed to get the penalty issue under control. Then they extended that solid play into tonight, really controlling play and the scoreboard through two periods. Then they ran into the penalty problem in the third again, ended up short-handed, ran out of gas at the end of the weekend, and let the home underdog get some third-period momentum. To their credit, the Sioux came back out for the OT and really carried the play. This weekend was a step forward for the team. They hit rock-bottom last weekend, and recovering from that is not an immediate thing. They took a step forward, and I think they will continue to get better now.

I wish you folks would just give it a rest. Building a team is a process, and things don't always go exactly as you expect. I personally believe that they will pull through this trying time and be very good later in the year. They are playing without quite a few regular players now, at the end of a weekend when they played a great team last night while NE was off. Nice fair-weather fans.

Nice night in the BCHL for a couple future Sioux. Kozek was 3-1-4 for Surrey, and Watkins was 2-1-3 for Vernon; both teams won. Salmon Arm also won, but Duncan was scoreless (a rarity so far this year).

From last night's Albany game in the AHL: SCORING SUMMARY Period 1 Albany - David Hale (Zach Parise) 4:32

I thought (read) Vanelli skated away without a scratch. Guess not.

I guess it's not a laughing matter, but your succinct summation of UND's new breakout scheme has me chuckling.

Some of this is included in Sprig's and dagies's posts above, but here is a summary of how some of the kids did this weekend: Surrey went 3-0, outscoring the opposition 16-8. Kozek went: 1-1-2 1-0-1 0-4-4 Salmon Arm was 1-1, with a scoring margin of 11-8. Duncan was: 0-2-2 2-1-3 Vernon was 1-1-1, with total scoring of 8-7. Watkins went: 1-1-2 1-0-1 1-0-1 Brad Miller finally got on the board for an apparently bad Green Bay team, scoring a goal this weekend. Perhaps he is starting to adjust to the league.

Not excuse-making, just trying to figure out what's going on. I honestly don't think the Sioux know how to play the game with the new officiating system. Woog keeps noting (correctly) guys not picking up their man on defense, and I think it is because they are just tentative on defense, trying not to pick up the penalty. I'm sure they were notified after Friday night to stay out of the box, and I think they are just bewildered right now. Greene sounded that way on the radio before the game. Say what you want about needing to suck it up and play by the rules, but you are asking the guys to change the way they have been taught to play for fifteen years. This is an adjustment period, and I'm pretty sure they won't stink all year. They just need to get through it. I started to see a bit of Radke's offensive talent and I'm excited to see him play more. Porter was the only Sioux forward who seemed to play well every shift tonight. Spirko had his moments. Murray was mostly MIA, and Stafford was completely absent. Tough weekend coming next week, with the way they are playing now.

After 5-0, the Sioux finally started moving their feet at least a little. Give thanks to Parise for saving two points from this weekend of standing around. It should be interesting to see how the team responds to this. I'm sure we'll be able to read about UND's thuggish Canadians, but if you're going to facewash as Vanelli did, you had better be prepared for the next step (which he obviously wasn't, as he got pounded).

No doubt this is as bad as UND has looked since 01-02. Look at it this way. UND was better than anyone in October and November the last two years, and look what it got them. Pretty tough to watch right now though. Looks like Hak gets to earn his pay now by righting this ship.

I had the exact same thought during the game, not just for 02, but the next two years as well. Just some nasty offensive players very well coached to run the PP.

I think either MN is going to finish a lot higher than predicted or UND is going to finish lower, because the Sioux didn't look like a dominant team tonight. Considering the experience advantage on defense (forwards are actually about even experience-wise), UND should have had the territorial advantage and limited MN's chances more than they did. Getting badly outshot is not something I am used to, and I don't think I like it. In the Sioux's defense, being on the downside of five 5-on-3's in the game (one early in the first, one in the third and about three straddling the first intermission) will mess up the shots allowed statistic. MN is going to be their usual nasty self this year, as they are definitely reloading rather than rebuilding. Given the magic that Lucia regularly works over the course of a season, count on them being tough to beat at the end of the year. Heck, they're tough to beat now. It's strange after the last few years to say that UND won because they out-goaltended the opponent, but that is definitely the case tonight. I don't know how Hakstol will pick his goalies, but I think Parise has played his way into a regular role. I think I'm going to really like Kaip. He's just a few games into his career, but I think he's going to out-McMahon McMahon and out-Prpich Prpich. I thought UND's defense did a much better job than last year of getting the puck past the first defender on the point shot. Obviously Smaby's shot turned into a goal, but there are just a lot of things that can happen if that shot gets into the slot area, and most of them are bad for the defending team. I didn't see much from Chucko, but he is very young, like Stafford was last year. It's funny that he ripped up the BCHL, while Gordon did little in the USHL last year and seemed to be very present tonight. I guess that's why they pay the coaches the big bucks, because I know I am not alone in the Twin Cities in wondering whether Gordon was even going to earn ice time this year. Irmen is a chippy, cocky, hard-nosed SOB. Man I wish he were wearing green. I think a big part of why the Sioux seem out of synch is the new officiating system. I do realize that it is the same for all teams (like complaining about the ice), but games right now are played in one of four conditions: 1. On the PP, never UND's strength. 2. On the PK, usually solid for UND, but tough against a Lucia team. 3. On the 3-on-5, seemingly only for UND. 4. Even strength, but not playing your usual physical defensive game because you're worried about picking up your next penalty. It is number four above that I think UND is really struggling with. I wonder how UMD is handling it, because they seem to be similar to UND in their tight-checking approach to forcing turnovers. A couple troubling things: Maine lost to SLU, so we're still not sure how good Maine is, casting a little doubt on the fantastic first weekend. UMD lit up Mankato, making last week's struggles seem even more glaring, and making UMD seem more formidable. Of course, all these impressions are after just a few games, and things will surely be different later this year. UND has had their share of losing games when they outshot their opponent 40-25, hitting pipes and missing nets, so it's nice to see one go the other way. You just can't count on winning those kind of games all the time. OK, complete the sweep tomorrow and all will be well.

oetkb, I disagree on who carried the play. Sioux had good PP chances, shots from the point getting through, generally solid. You just can't expect flow when they are PK so much. I have not cared for the complaining throughout cyberspace about the officiating this year, but now I have to join in (to my future regret I'm sure). This has gotten ridiculous. Last year's Final Five game between these two was as good a college game as you will see. They are capable of that still, but not in a game like this. Blais would have completely blown a gasket by now.

jloos, Thanks so much for this report. Actual comments on play are probably what I like to read most here, so stuff like this and Farce's report on the Mankato series are much appreciated. (I don't mean to leave others out; thanks to all for their input.) [Other poster types: those that like to hear themselves talk so they post opinions and projections (me), those that like to stir the pot, friendly visitors (and trolls) from other teams, and of course the occasional stalker and puck-bunny ("LuvUZach").] --------------------------------- "From what I saw the only problem with him is, he only turns it on about 10% of the time. He was easily the most skilled forward in the tourny." --- You mean we might have our own Vanek? It's great to hear about Willert. I met him a few years ago at a Sioux game, and he was a big kid even then. I had heard that his family was pretty big on the high school experience, and if that meant a post-HS year in the USHL to catch-up, then so-be-it. As a parent I can't argue with the approach, although I certainly understand the desire to fast-track. You could argue that by playing in Summer festivals and the Elite League he is getting quite a lot of high quality ice time against top players. Thanks again.

Not sure on scores or results, but I have a few things I'll be looking for: * Last year, Ballard and maybe Harrington were hurt for this series, so the Sioux forwards had a free shot at an inexperienced defensive unit for MN. They took full advantage and scored plenty of goals, with territorial and puck possession advantages as well. Sioux forwards get another crack at inexperienced MN defensemen again this weekend. Will they be up to the task of giving this group of MN kids a rude introduction to WCHA play? The Sioux play in Mankato suggests some doubt that they will punish MN as they did last year. A couple things may help UND, though: First, they're finally at home. Second, they're on the "little ice," and I still think they just don't play their game on the big ice. Third, it is MN, after all. * UND is clearly having trouble adjusting to the new officiating, as I believe they have been shorthanded more than their opponent in every game so far (haven't checked, but it sure seems that way). Penalty-killing has been great so far, but Lucia is a PP master, and MN will probably score some PP goals. * I think looking for 5-1 type scores this weekend will be like looking for them last weekend. MN will be looking to make a statement this weekend, and I don't think they'll just roll over. (I will be happy to be proven wrong here.) * Who the heck does Hakstol start in goal? He has expressed a desire to get down to two goalies, and I can't see any of the three playing their way out of the rotation. Good problem to have, I guess. Off-topic: Congrats to Rylan Kaip on his first career point Saturday.

If that is accurate that is unbelievable. As astounding as UND with 56 weeks is Michigan with just 2 (and one of those was last week).

I've been trying to put this past weekend into perpsective and this seems like a good place to discuss it. The Sioux definitely made a statement, and it appears they were heard by the pollsters, as they have ascended to the #1 ranking. Many of us don't care too much about that; I personally would like to see them continue to win and, most of all, get better every week. As for playing well in October, it certainly is nice ... but I can't get over the thought that UND kicked Denver up and down the rink last fall, only to fall just short of the Pioneers in March. Although we have seen underdogs win the title before, last year really changed my view of college hockey. Now I think, as far as pursuit of the national title is concerned, all that matters is to qualify for the tournament. Once there, anything can happen. As for caveats about this weekend's terrific performance, I can think of just a few. First, we don't know how good Maine is yet. Second, we've only seen about 5% of the season, which seems a little light to be getting too excited. The couple of outstanding things to take out of this weekend for me are: - From the sounds of it, Maine wasn't able to generate much in the way of quality chances 5x5; sounds like the defense is picking up right where it left off last year. - I heard the attacking forwards were applying pressure, line after line, in a manner we hadn't completely seen in the last few years. Reminiscent of the late-90s Sioux. - These wins will probably help a number of pairwise comparisons at the end of the year, in addition to being two top-value "bonus" wins for pairwise purposes (road wins over top 15 opponents). [i guess I lied about just wanting to qualify for the tournament. A better seed is always preferable, even if it is no guarantee.] ------------------------------------------ I also think Mankato is going to be tougher than people think. They have traditionally played the Sioux very tough (last Spring being the exception), they had injuries on defense last year that are not currently an issue, and they will be looking for a little payback for last Spring's wipeout by the Sioux.

I don't disagree with your sentiment, but Steve Woog played 16 games as a freshman for NMU's 1991 title team. So the Woog family has one ring.

Jim, You have made an outstanding point. Considering that many of us have thought UND is at its best 5x5, and the team has seemed to struggle on the PP for most of the Blais era, I am concerned about the impact of the new rules on UND. Add in your point about UND's big defensive defensemen perhaps taking a few extra penalties of their own, and it could be quite an adjustment. The fact that UND has terrific talent doesn't seem to matter on the PP, as it seemed to me that even the great 90s teams with Blake and Hoogsteen, and the later teams with Panzer and Roche, had their PP struggles. We will just have to wait and see how it works out.

From the press release: "Kozek, the Eagles current scoring leader had his choice of numerous top programs in the NCAA but chose to join former BCHL players Brady Murray and Travis Zajac at UND." What, no love for Mike Prpich? He was one of the BCHL's MVP's his last year there.

Sagard, I understand your opinion on the Grant/Ryan thing, and I don't have much of an opinion on that one. However, generally, I have always considered Lucia to be a master of the recruiting angle. Ian Peterson to get Toby? Grant to get Ryan? Motzko to get Vanek? Sertich to get Guyer? I don't mean it in a disparaging way at all, as landing Vanek basically landed the second title. I just happen to think this is one of Lucia's real skills in coaching in very competitive times. What does Kessel's dad do, anyway? Or his brother? (the Kessel comment is just a joke; I don't know of anything there.)

I haven't heard whether the Sioux are interested, but another guy to keep an eye on for the future is Brock Trotter at Lincoln in the USHL. Here's a blurb from the Lincoln paper: http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2004/1...9c059870279.txt -------------------------------- ""That week we had to practice after the Buc Bowl made a big difference for us," Johnson said. "We went into the Buc Bowl pretty wore out. We had been going at it about twice a day. And we basically used the Buc Bowl as strictly an evaluation process to look at players. Other teams approached it differently." In that evaluation process, Johnson realized a potential great weapon in Trotter, considered one of the most skilled offensive players on the team. "He's got really good rink sense," Johnson said. "He's a really smart player who just anticipates where the puck's going to be. If he can work on his quickness and strength and develop a little more of a work ethic, he's going to be a great player in this league." Trotter

As Sprig noted, Watkins scored the OT game-winner for Vernon on Saturday against Kozek's Surrey Eagles, and Kozek was held off the scoresheet. On Sunday, Surrey prevailed in OT against Penticton, and the OT game-winner was scored by ... Andrew Kozek. Vernon (5-1-0-2) is off to a fast start, and Watkins is 4-7-11 in 8 games. Surrey (6-1-0-2) also looks to be good, with Kozek at 7-6-13 in 9 games. Salmon Arm (3-6-0-0) is a different story this year, but Duncan has scored regularly, with 6-3-9 in just 6 games.