Sioux vs Team USA

[Goon]

I don't think UND looked too bad against the nations best U20 team considering that three of their best players were out.

PP still looked disorganized at times aside from a U20 defensive breakdown on the Trupp PP goal (both Trupp and Malone were essentially 2 on 0 in front of the goalie).

It was great to see Trupper have a great game, his backhand goal with 50sec left with a snipe to the glove side.

Fienhage had a good game, laying some big hits. Aside from his misplay on the 3rd USA goal, I think he played well. It'll be a tough decision for Hakstol once Genoway comes back.

I think both Eidsness and Dell played well and made some good saves. The goal that BE let in was just a great tip right in front that he had no chance on.

I thought Trupper, Hexy and Malone played awesome. Can we say top line right now? (without Kirsto). I thought all of the goals were tough and I don't fault our tenders. Is it my imagination or is Dell one of the bigger goalies to wear a Sioux jersey in a long time? I also like his positioning a lot.

[burd]

It's hard to get around superior speed in this game, and the other side had it. I thought the Sioux did pretty well , though, considering. Powerplay was dismal, as has been noted, and there were some pretty strange second passes in transition. But still, nothing for them to hang their heads about.

[phriq]

I was at the game last night. From where I was sitting, the U20 team just looked hungrier, more energized and more of a team. Which supprised me since they haven't been together for all that long. UND's PP looked extremely disorganized and frantic. UND's best play didn't come till there was about 5 minutes left on the clock. Had this game mattered for anything, I would have been fuming leaving the Ralph. Since it was exebition, I am glad that we have time to focus on the mishaps.

Kristo in my opinion did seem like a star for the U20 team. He looked REALLY good. Always fast and at the puck. He is going to be such a huge asset to the Sioux the rest of this year and in later years. I just hope he doesn't leave for bigger and better TOO early. Eidsness I thought looked pretty good. Dell looked alright, but the goals he let in seemed pretty soft. We really need to work on our defense and not let odd man rushes or break aways. There were quite a few times where our D would try to bump the U20 player off the puck, miss the check or be to slow and have the U20 player blow around our guy.

It was good to see some of the freshman who normally don't suit up, play. I do believe the Sioux are over-rated this year. Not trying to dog on our team we love, just being honest. We are a very young team. next year, and even in two years, they really will be a force you will not want to reckon with.

On a side note, does anyone else think that Kristo slightly debated shooting on the empty net?

[Goon]

It was good to see some of the freshman who normally don't suit up, play. I do believe the Sioux are over-rated this year. Not trying to dog on our team we love, just being honest. We are a very young team. next year, and even in two years, they really will be a force you will not want to reckon with.

I think the loss of Genoway has cost us 2-3 losses during the first half. If Chay travels to DU I think we win one of those games and if Chay was in Duluth I think we win the 2nd game. IMHO, taking Genoway out of the line up is like loosing a Garrett Roe or a ________ insert star player from random team. I thought there were a few things that UND looked reallygood doing last night. Think about this Per the chat last night Schlossman said: They are playing against a team that has first and second round draft picks on the third and fourth lines.

I also thought Marto was flying last night and is going to break out during the second half of the season.

[Big A HG]

I was at the game last night. From where I was sitting, the U20 team just looked hungrier, more energized and more of a team. Which supprised me since they haven't been together for all that long. UND's PP looked extremely disorganized and frantic. UND's best play didn't come till there was about 5 minutes left on the clock. Had this game mattered for anything, I would have been fuming leaving the Ralph. Since it was exebition, I am glad that we have time to focus on the mishaps.

I disagree. The Sioux played an All-Star team comprised of the VERY best college hockey players for their age, and those players that decided to play in Canada in their elite leagues. Good teams will make a team look bad at times, but I thought the effort was there, and it was a close game throughout. USA was by far the better team, but UND didn't give up and pushed USA a lot at times, had some great shifts, but ultimately fell short. It was all this, plus we didn't have two of our best offensive players, along with another guy who is nitty, gritty, and a team leader. We played pretty decent in my opinion.

Kristo in my opinion did seem like a star for the U20 team. He looked REALLY good. Always fast and at the puck. He is going to be such a huge asset to the Sioux the rest of this year and in later years. I just hope he doesn't leave for bigger and better TOO early. Eidsness I thought looked pretty good. Dell looked alright, but the goals he let in seemed pretty soft. We really need to work on our defense and not let odd man rushes or break aways. There were quite a few times where our D would try to bump the U20 player off the puck, miss the check or be to slow and have the U20 player blow around our guy.

I agree on Kristo. I hope we have him for at least next year. He's a big piece to the puzzle and is really starting to figure out the collegiate game. The goalies played real well with the only softy (IMO) being the wrister that beat Dell high on his blocker side with the shallow angle. Eidsness' first goal would have beat pretty much anyone, and Dell's other goal was a redirect right in front of him that could have gone anywhere...it just happened to find a hole.

It was good to see some of the freshman who normally don't suit up, play. I do believe the Sioux are over-rated this year. Not trying to dog on our team we love, just being honest. We are a very young team. next year, and even in two years, they really will be a force you will not want to reckon with.

I agree again...been saying this for awhile, but UND has only swept Merrimack and Michigan Tech. A very good team will get a sweep of at least one team that should have probably been a split. I think this team has played great in each fascet of the game at certain points, they just haven't put together a string of games where everything clicks. If the team makes the tournament, I wouldn't want to play them just for that reason. I hate worrying about next year, but things are looking good if it doesn't work out this year. Let's finish this season out before worrying though.

On a side note, does anyone else think that Kristo slightly debated shooting on the empty net?

Not a chance...

[The Sicatoka]

Team USA was together for less than a week.

The Sioux have been together since October.

Now ask: Which side had the crisper passing and better special teams?

That's what concerns me.

[brianvf]

Team USA was together for less than a week.

The Sioux have been together since October.

Now ask: Which side had the crisper passing and better special teams?

That's what concerns me.

Team USA would have had crisper passing and better special teams than any college program.

It's not like Blais was running any crazy systems that the players had to get used to...I don't think you can do that with how short this tourney is. The fact of the matter is that team USA just had better overall talent.

IMO I thought that UND put in a good effort considering that:

1. They were playing against the best U20 players in the nation.

2. They were without three top players.

3. They had all new lines for both the PP and PK.

4. They were playing people that don't normally see ice time.

Hopefully they can get some more PP/PK practice time in the next two weeks and then come out strong for the Notre Dame tourney against Niagara.

[Oxbow6]

Team USA was together for less than a week.

The Sioux have been together since October.

Now ask: Which side had the crisper passing and better special teams?

That's what concerns me.

I was thinking the same thing after watching the game.

Our PP play, minus the Trupp PP goal, was awful. And our passing not much better.

Was suprised at how good Team USA looked for only a couple of practices.

[82SiouxGuy]

I was thinking the same thing after watching the game.

Our PP play, minus the Trupp PP goal, was awful. And our passing not much better.

Was suprised at how good Team USA looked for only a couple of practices.

Don't forget that Team USA had a camp last summer where they spent a lot of time together. And many of them have played together on other teams over the years. So it isn't like this is the first time they have played together.

[Oxbow6]

Don't forget that Team USA had a camp last summer where they spent a lot of time together. And many of them have played together on other teams over the years. So it isn't like this is the first time they have played together.

I get that, but they haven't spent EVERY day together since late Sept.

[82SiouxGuy]

I get that, but they haven't spent EVERY day together since late Sept.

No they haven't. But they are among the most talented hockey players of their age in the entire country. Talent and skill can make a huge difference.

[nodak hockey fanatic]

I get that, but they haven't spent EVERY day together since late Sept.

its also a bunch of first and second round draft picks... practicing together since sept doesn't give you oshie hand eye coordination. i think the crisp passing, tape to tape, is a direct result of skill level. i think it is one of the things that separates higher levels of hockey from others, that and speed. i wouldn't be too dissapointed with the sioux's showing on saturday, especially since we were pretty shorthanded with out genoway, zajac and kristo.

[The Sicatoka]

The positive from that game is that the team learned they're pretty good even without Chay, Darcy, and Danny.

TRUPP!, Malone, and Hex were pretty good.

However, Gregoire and VandeVelde will soon be appearing on a milk carton near you.

Lammy at center seemed to work; Toews seemed more comfortable at wing. Cichy needs to decide it's time to be there full-time.

I don't think USA liked seeing Bruno, Rowney and Davidson: Them fellas gotz some girth!

Dear Ben Blood:

Please talk to Smaby, Greene, Commy, et al, about how if you're big and play defense for UND you're guilty by appearance. Change your play accordingly.

[gfhockey]

Neighbor drives cab for a part time gig. He drove all the boys fro the canad to the airport. It seemed like all the guys he talked to saidthat the past week was the most intenese week ever with rpactices and blais requring some dryland. The practices were all hard hitting and if u miss a pass, u run laps, if u miss a good shot, u run laps...

Blais will have these boys ready.

side note... neighbor said a guy from michigan he thinks went home ealry cuz he did someting to hsi collar bone in the practices. no clue who it is but assuming its one of the players that got cut

[Goon]

Neighbor drives cab for a part time gig. He drove all the boys from the canad to the airport. It seemed like all the guys he talked to saidthat the past week was the most intenese week ever with practices and blais requring some dryland. The practices were all hard hitting and if u miss a pass, u run laps, if u miss a good shot, u run laps...

I wonder if Hakstol ever runs his practices like Blaiser, seems some of the guys could use some discipline as this.

[stickboy1956]

I wonder if Hakstol ever runs his practices like Blaiser, seems some of the guys could use some discipline as this.

I'm sure Hak/Eades can ramp up the intensity at practice/in the locker room when they need to.

It's a long season - I'm sure they pick their spots.

[yababy8]

Team USA was together for less than a week.

The Sioux have been together since October.

Now ask: Which side had the crisper passing and better special teams?

That's what concerns me.

Our PASSING has been as good as any team I have seen this year on the college level, EXCEPT FOR OUR SET UP FEEDS, They are very poor- to fast, off line, wrong timing.

This is not anything new, the Sioux has sucked in this area for two years.

If you look at this years games, in general we are tape-to-tape all over the ice but when we get to that set up centering pass it is usually pretty poor quality.

I think Hak should put some coaching focus in that area and see what it produces as far as results.

Other than that (and a lillte question at goalie) I think our team is second to none.

[Goon]

I'm sure Hak/Eades can ramp up the intensity at practice/in the locker room when they need to.

It's a long season - I'm sure they pick their spots.

I went to the Sioux Boosters the other day and what caught my ear was Hak's comment about the second half run.

Hum! I am thinking that the coaches are going to ramp it up. There is no time like the present.

[UND85]

Interesting story about our team on collegehockeynews.com . Mentions the injuries and the 2nd half run.

[siouxweet]

I went to the Sioux Boosters the other day and what caught my ear was Hak's comment about the second half run.

Hum! I am thinking that the coaches are going to ramp it up. There is no time like the present.

I don't like how everyone seems to think that a second half run is a given.

[SiouxTupa]

I don't like how everyone seems to think that a second half run is a given.

Nobody with any say in the matter (coaches, players) seems to take the 2nd half run for granted. However, what Hak has instilled in his tenure is a tendency to build team chemistry into the 2nd half to a point where the players can put together 60 min games and build a win streak.

The schedule looks very hard. Nobody's predicting 18-20 2nd half wins, just as nobody was predicting them the last 5 years. But good teams that make serious runs get better over the course of the season.

It seems they peaked a bit early over the last few years. I'm just looking for consistency and healthiness. Getting everyone together and healthy will be a major key in the playoff hunt.

[passit_offthegoalie]

I thought both teams were treating the game like what it was, an exhibition. I wouldn't read too much into the guys' performances in that game.

[sagard]

I thought both teams were treating the game like what it was, an exhibition. I wouldn't read too much into the guys' performances in that game.

I thought Team USA had a lot more passion. They needed to either make the team or establish credibility with USA coaches so it wasn't that surprising to me.

[nodak hockey fanatic]

I thought Team USA had a lot more passion. They needed to either make the team or establish credibility with USA coaches so it wasn't that surprising to me.

i agree that team usa had more to play for and more jump than us, plus they are a damn fast team, which is what the main difference in the game was... but on the flip side wasn't dissappointed in the sioux's effort.

[redwing77]

I thought both teams were treating the game like what it was, an exhibition. I wouldn't read too much into the guys' performances in that game.

That's what I took from the game as well.

Look, Team USA's game plan was different than ours. They had some reason to actually play hard in this game because they are still jockeying for a roster spot/playing time/line makeup/getting a feel for each other's tendencies/etc.

If UND had any sort of goal in this game, it would be finding the right makeup 5 on 5 and special teams to accommodate for Zajac's prolonged absence and Kristo's short term absence. There was no implication PWR wise, ranking wise, and so on.

If anything, I think exhibitions should just be a time to try new stuff out. Take risks you wouldn't normally take against a team where the outcome actually matters... got a line you'd like to try out? Go for it. Want to try Ben Blood as a forward on the Powerplay? Why the heck not! The game doesn't matter so try things out.

That's my take. Who won was unimportant.