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Sioux at MTU


jk

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The Sioux travel to Houghton for a pair. If UND had swept UAA last week, I could accept less than four points out of this weekend. However, having given a point up to UAA, I think they need to go get that point back with a road sweep. Winning on the road is difficult, but to be #1 and win the WCHA, this is the kind of weekend the Sioux need to sweep.

On the Fargo recap (thanks, btw), the fourth line is listed as Lundbohm, Massen and Prpich. This surprises me only in that I was expecting to see McMahon, Prpich and Fylling reunited to check Conner's line. So now who checks that line? I would guess McMahon, Canady and Fylling.

If those are the "lower" lines ... well, talk about just rolling four lines.

One other thing: the Sioux owe MTU for Saturday night at the REA last year, probably the team's worst effort of the season, and the start the late-season slide.

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If those are the "lower" lines ... well, talk about just rolling four lines.

On Saturday, the fourth line on paper was McMahon, Fylling and Canady. The third line was Palmiscno, Hale and Marvin. The fourth line scored both UND goals. :huh:

Blais made some comments after Saturday's game about possible line combinations for the MTU series. But I wasn't exactly sure what he meant. I don't know if Parise, Murray and Stafford will be back together on the Gold Standard Line or if he'll bring back the Money Line with Parise, Bochenski and Murray.

I would certainly like to see Lundbohm and Massen return to their form of last season when they were playing so well together. The Sioux would be -- dare I say it? -- goose bumpy good. :glare::lol:

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I agree jk. Always tough in Houghton but if the team can sweep I think it will say something.

However, I wonder if there is much emphasis on trying to formulate a "checking" line when you are on the road.

With Blais comments on a "4th" line, your other lines are a combo of the below. It is looking pretty impressive the way some of these guys are playing:

Bochenski Genoway Porter

Stafford Parise Murray

Fylling McMahon Canady or Hale

Lundbohm Massen and Prpich

In reserve: Fabian Marvin Palmo

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I would certainly like to see Lundbohm and Mason return to their form of last season when they were playing so well together.

PCM, you must still be having nightmares about Mason's officiating :lol: I hope we never see that clown again. :glare:

DL and JM are both very capable scorers - if they find their touch that could be the foundation of another great line.

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I think for the Sioux to be a complete team, we need to have 4 lines rolling! I don't want to be negative, but I don't want to see a repeat of last year, when a team concentrated on Parises line, and shut them down! We need a good mix of the younger players along with a strong mix of the veteran players!

I think down the stretch that will be key! I still say this league is easier to win in with veteran players overall.

with the mix of all the talent and veterans, this team should go a long way!

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Al Pearson is taking a bus over to Houghton and we leave tomorrow night at midnight. If you are stuck at home listening to Tim H. do play by play, be sure to listen for Al's Pals whooping it up in the stands.

P.S. He's also taking a bus to Duluth for the Feb. 27-28 series. If anyone is interested in going, send me a PM and I'll give you contact info.

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As long as you don't let Tech get on you early, you should be OK. When the Dogs lost at Houghton, the Huskies had 4 1st period goals. The Dogs came back to within a goal twice, but Tech has some fairly good scorers. Not much depth at all, but they can be very dangerous. Nonetheless, I predict a Sioux sweep. Now if only the Dogs can get one against CC. That's a bit taller order.

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I have had a chance to watch Tech play several times this year and here is the quick scouting report. Tech is a team that will not go to sleep. Someone had mentioned them getting down early and coming back. They have made a habbit of that all year. There two smallest guys are their best scorers in Conner and Murphy. Shut these guys guys down and you litterally shut down the offense. Beware, many teams have tried to shadow them and they still seem to find a way to get free and on the puck. Is Tech's rink Olympic? If so this task will be that much harder. Look what Jan Brady's offense did to the Sioux defense on the the large sheet and there fastest player skates as if he is dragging a plow at best (ok, just taking a shot at JBSU). Also, with the season woes of the Sioux powerplay they will definitly need to keep an eye on Conner on the powerplay. He is probably the most potent player in the WCHA when shorthanded.

Defensively Tech is horrible. Goaltending has got to be the worst in the league. The name of the game will be shot, shoot and shoot again. They don't even need to be good shots, just directed on net. Tech's goalies will give up a hundred of not a thousand rebounds a night. Also, they have "Too Tall" Tom Schimanski playing defense for them. The guy is about 8 feet tall. The only thing he has going for him is the length of his stick which allows him to do some damage pokechecking, other than that he is terrible and spends most of the time in front of his net just getting in the way. The Sioux will be focused on his size at first, but will soon realize he is a weak (maybe missing) link.

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Mr. Fifth Line -- you got some things right, but some things wrong, regarding MTU. Overall, you did about as well as you'd expect somebody on the fifth line to do!

Tech's two top point men are indeed Conner and Murphy, but taken together they aren't Tech's two smallest players. Murphy's about 6-foot even. Conner is 5'7" or 5'8" -- Tech's smallest forward is Jon Pittis at about 5'5". Although Pittis looks like a bantam who's skated on to the wrong rink, he plays much bigger than his size.

Yes, Tech again has a tall defensemen. At about 6'7" he's reputedly the tallest player in college hockey. I won't quibble much with your assessment of his play, but his correct name is John Scott.

Finally, FYI, the Tech rink is NHL, not Olympic in dimensions. Here's hoping for a couple of competitive games over the weekend, and it should be fun to have the likes of Conner, ZPar, and Bochenski on the ice at the same time.

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Yes, Tech again has a tall defensemen. At about 6'7" he's reputedly the tallest player in college hockey. I won't quibble much with your assessment of his play, but his correct name is John Scott.

You'd have to live in the Red River Valley and watch the weather forecast on KVLY to get Fifth Line's joke. :glare:

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Mr. Fifth Line -- you got some things right, but some things wrong, regarding MTU. Overall, you did about as well as you'd expect somebody on the fifth line to do!

Tech's two top point men are indeed Conner and Murphy, but taken together they aren't Tech's two smallest players. Murphy's about 6-foot even. Conner is 5'7" or 5'8" -- Tech's smallest forward is Jon Pittis at about 5'5". Although Pittis looks like a bantam who's skated on to the wrong rink, he plays much bigger than his size.

Yes, Tech again has a tall defensemen. At about 6'7" he's reputedly the tallest player in college hockey. I won't quibble much with your assessment of his play, but his correct name is John Scott.

Finally, FYI, the Tech rink is NHL, not Olympic in dimensions. Here's hoping for a couple of competitive games over the weekend, and it should be fun to have the likes of Conner, ZPar, and Bochenski on the ice at the same time.

You are correct beg2. I was confusing Murphy with Pittis. The first series that I watched he was just as disruptive to the opposition offensively as Murphy. So make it three players the Sioux will have to shut down.

I will add to the report that Tech's record could easily be hovering around .500. That is what probably scares me the most about this series. Tech has had a chanceto win a lot of games that were very close and seem to be improving every game.

The series should be determined by a quote probably paraphrased by Barry "my mullet is at mid-season length" Melrose that "a good goalie is a lucky goalie and a lucky goalie is a good goalie." If Tech's goalies can find a way to have a big game (and we all no that when you are number #1 everyone tries to have a great game against you) the Sioux may have to hope to get out town with at leat two points.

A close win for the Green team should keep them on their toes for the weekend sweep. A blowout could make them too comfortable on the road for the second game.

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Tech is a team with one line (Conner, Murphy, Taggert Desmet) and pretty decent goaltending with Cam Ellsworth (haven't seen enough of Luker). They are not a pushover team though. They will fight all the way to the end of the game and, as we saw the last 2 years, don't like it when they get beat 8-0. Pittis, while tiny, is a tough little guy who will get in there and make a few plays, but doesn't play with anyone who can A)score, or B) get him the puck.

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GAA WCHA Rank

3 - Jake Brandt, UND 2.22

6 - Jordan Parise, UND 2.57

12 - Bryce Luker, MTU 4.03

14 - Cam Ellsworth, MTU 4.72

Save % WCHA Rank

6 - Jake Brandt, UND .906

11 - Bryce Luker, MTU .886

12 - Jordan Parise, UND .880

13 - Cam Ellsworth, MTU .877

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GAA WCHA Rank

3 - Jake Brandt, UND 2.22

6 - Jordan Parise, UND 2.57

12 - Bryce Luker, MTU 4.03

14 - Cam Ellsworth, MTU 4.72

Save % WCHA Rank

6 - Jake Brandt, UND .906

11 - Bryce Luker, MTU .886

12 - Jordan Parise, UND .880

13 - Cam Ellsworth, MTU .877

With Goaltending numbers like that Bochenski, Parise, Murray should be licking their lips for this weekends series... I predict some high scores...

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Considering they play for Tech...those numbers seem pretty decent.

Actually I thought their goaltending numbers where better last season, that being said they are probably facing 40+ shots a night translating to lots of goals for UND.

I wouldn't expect anything less. This could be where the top (2) lines gets a lot of points this weekend...

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I agree with MNS. Gosh I don't know what's up with MTU, but I alwasy thought very highly of Mr Elsworth. He handled us pretty well on the Saturday game. I suspect it will be Luker on Friday and Elsworth on Saturday.

I think it will be JPar Friday and Brandt on Saturday.

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I agree with MNS. Gosh I don't know what's up with MTU, but I alwasy thought very highly of Mr Elsworth. He handled us pretty well on the Saturday game. I suspect it will be Luker on Friday and Elsworth on Saturday.

I think it will be JPar Friday and Brandt on Saturday.

I think we shouldn't look into it to deeply, IF UND plays on all 8 cylinders, plays our game, tight defensively and goes for the throat and jumps on MTU in the first period it could be over fast. I would say that this is UND first easy league opponent and I believe they will have a fun day in the snow in Houghton...

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