Your Love for Sioux Hockey

[Blackheart]

Farce Poobah, we will be needing to hear some of those 'Farce' stories soon...whaddyasay?

[Remotehero]

I've always been a fan but my love started for Sioux hockey when the Sioux got a player named Oshie. I'd never seen a player for the Sioux who could play both ends of the ice like Oshie did. Really hit me hard when the Sioux were playing BC in a frozen four and the Sioux are down 1 goal , and shorthanded when Oshie, who refuses to lose , steals the puck from behind BC's net and scores to tie it. Sioux lost that game and I still have a lump in my throat from it.

[TheEagle]

I grew up in North Dakota. I could probably end it there. I was 10 years old when the Miracle On Ice happened, and that solidified my love for hockey. I remember the 1982 championship team, but the first team that I followed religiously was the 1987 Hrkac Circus team.

[Old Barn Guy at Home]

I remember seeing the Sioux hockey team playing on delayed tape (or possibly it was film) on one of the Fargo tv stations back in the late 50's or very early 60's. They had a couple of players that had memorable names ("Blacky" White & "Whitey" White).

The first time I was actually at a Sioux hockey game came when I was in high school and our team played a preliminary game (it was ok with the NCAA then) before the Sioux played Michigan Tech, with Tony Esposito with the Huskies. That game was in THE old winter sports building, and I will always remember the smell of the cigar smoke, the popcorn and hot dogs cooking in the lobby. The atmosphere was never better!

[Jeremy_und2004]

95-96 season. My first hockey game ever was a Sioux hockey game. Toby Kvalevog was my favorite then the Hoogsteens second. My friends and I would create the entire UND roster and play as them on NHL 96. I also got my first hockey jersey at a Sioux game in 96, and 30 Sioux jerseys later I guess you can say that year was the start of my bad (or good) habit.

Go Sioux!!!

[franchise]

I've always been a fan but my love started for Sioux hockey when the Sioux got a player named Oshie. I'd never seen a player for the Sioux who could play both ends of the ice like Oshie did. Really hit me hard when the Sioux were playing BC in a frozen four and the Sioux are down 1 goal , and shorthanded when Oshie, who refuses to lose , steals the puck from behind BC's net and scores to tie it. Sioux lost that game and I still have a lump in my throat from it.

My story is very close to this one.

I knew that I would soon be a huge Sioux fan as I followed TJ at Warroad and couldn't wait to see him wear green. It was awhile before he got there and a couple buddies invited me to a game vs the Bulldogs. I was pretty excited with that because I grew up in the sticks north of Orr, MN and we only got one channel, which played UMD home games. We got to the arena and I couldn't believe how much nicer to was than all of the tiny HS rinks that Id watched games in. We sat a few rows behind the UMD bench and I couldn't believe how fast and hard hitting the Sioux played. Pretty soon, I was driving over by myself from Bemidji to watch games whenever I could and as said above, Oshie just solidified my love for the green n white

[Upper Deck]

I was lucky enough to really start watching during the Hrkac's Circus. Grew up in Grafton and parents would take turns carpooling us kids to the old Ralph on Saturday nights in the station wagons or the Econoline vans. Got to watch the likes of Eades, Hak, Joyce, Greg Johnson. Good times.

Moved to Minneapolis during the '90's which even further fueled Gopher hatred and Sioux fandom.

Now, I live in Bemidji. We still get to the Ralph for 3 or 4 games a year, road trip to watch the Sioux at UMD or SCSU, and of course watch the Sioux here in Bemidji and on Midco SN.

[Siouxman]

My very first game in the fall of 1975* when Bjork Rubeman was coach. I had just been discharged from the USAF and transferred to UND. Over the next three years at UND I did not miss a single game (of course I didn't miss a single game of basketball or football either) and I was hooked on hockey. I was there for the UND-WI pre-game fight, gophers on the ice, a dead badger hanging from the rafter, The Farce, and a certain electrical engineering grad student named Dave who wore a trench coat and harassed opposing players in the penalty box. I have had season tickets since the new Ralph opened, rarely miss a home game, have been to every other WCHA opponents barn except UAA, attended all of the WCHA Final Fives at Xcel, attended the Frozen Faceoff at the Target Center, been to regionals in St. Paul, Grand Forks, Grand Rapids, UMTC, and attended the last four Frozen Fours in which UND played. And when I retired I received a UND hockey stick autographed by the UND team and coaching staff (the year of the infirmed 2011-2012) that was arranged for by my boss through Gino. I also got a hockey stick autographed by fellow employees (guess which one is in the closet and which one is mounted on the wall).

*It was October 24, 1975, an 8-1 loss to St. Louis University

[SiouxScore]

Always been a fan but probably really knew when I went to my first Sioux game with a friend who had a cousin playing on the team when I was about 9 or 10 at The Old Ralph, believe the Sioux were playing CC on that night.

[YaneA]

FYI, for all of us reminiscing about our first or favorite Sioux hockey game, you can find historical results here, going back to the '40s and up to 2005-2006, starting on page 137. There may be a later media guide covering it all but for most of us codgers, this'll do:

http://www.undsports.com/fls/13500/pdf/Men's%20hockey/06-07_Media_Guide/64764%20mh%20media%2083+.pdf?&SPSID=89407&SPID=6405&DB_OEM_ID=13500

[siouxweet]

Sioux Hockey first got my attention as a seventh grader during the 1987 frozen four as that was the first time I had ever seen or heard of UND hockey living out west. I watched games on TV periodically over the years and then in the fall of 1992 I came up for a Sioux-Bison football game and my friends took me to my first game at the old ralph that night. I don't remember who they played it was like Northern Michigan or Northeastern or something like that, but from that point on it has become an obsession as my wife says.

[hoser]

Grew up in Minot playing hockey in the 80's and 90's, never had any real interest in the sport other than playing it myself or on the SEGA. I do recall watching the Rangers historic run to the cup in 1994, which coupled with my aunt moving to New York and sending me Rangers gear, solidified my NYR obsession. (Shamefully) Fell out of love with the sport by the time I was a high schooler, had other things on my mind (or was mindless, can't decide). One of my classmates left Minot to join NDTP and eventually ended up playing for the Sioux. In his junior season at UND I realized I had better watch him, and I could easily do so with TV coverage becoming statewide (not exactly sure when Midco started statewide coverage). This was shortly after the birth of my first son, who I wanted to share the joys of hockey with (Let me tell you, it's been so fun with both of my boys!). I quickly fell back in love with the greatest team sport, and grew immense pride in what my state had to offer in that regard. In 2005, 3 friends and I drove 22 hours (poorly navigated, to hell with Indiana!) to Columbus to watch the Sioux beat the goofs (Fabian goal or goals?), then lose to Denver in the Championship. As heartbreaking as that was, we did get to watch our hometown buddy tie the record for the most games played as an NCAA hockey player (165, I think. Later broken by Ironman Chris Porter). Since that time, I have watched every home game I could and have spent many an evening searching AM radio to find away games. It's hard on the westside of the state sometimes, stupid 9 man football and the bouncy ball sport! Friends and family avoid me if they know I've missed a game, I get cranky. I've spent hours paging through media guides, familiarizing myself with UND's great tradition and history. I attended 2006-2011 Final Fives (My friends and I wear the obnoxiously cheap neon green caps with "Go Sioux" crudely written in permanent marker). Missed 2012, but attended in 2013 and took my boys (who dumped probably $50 worth of quarters in the Superchexx game at our hotel). I did not make the Frozen Faceoff this year, as I was in Grand Forks for a squirt tourney. Two of my crew were there in the expensive neon hats we spent hours designing. The first hockey game I took my youngest son to was the Holy Cross/goofs game, followed by the big win over Mich by the Sioux! I was fortunate enough that my childrens' mother was friends with a suite owner who invited us. I like to think that my love of Sioux hockey has spread to many friends and family now because of me. I bother people at work who know nothing about hockey with random rants. I get angry with people sporting Sioux gear who stare blankly when I say "Big game tonight!" And I live and die with every play of the puck. March Madness? pfff!!! Try October - April Insanity!

Anyway, that's my summary for now. Thanks for asking!

[siouxkid12]

Grew up in Minot playing hockey in the 80's and 90's, never had any real interest in the sport other than playing it myself or on the SEGA. I do recall watching the Rangers historic run to the cup in 1994, which coupled with my aunt moving to New York and sending me Rangers gear, solidified my NYR obsession. (Shamefully) Fell out of love with the sport by the time I was a high schooler, had other things on my mind (or was mindless, can't decide). One of my classmates left Minot to join NDTP and eventually ended up playing for the Sioux. In his junior season at UND I realized I had better watch him, and I could easily do so with TV coverage becoming statewide (not exactly sure when Midco started statewide coverage). This was shortly after the birth of my first son, who I wanted to share the joys of hockey with (Let me tell you, it's been so fun with both of my boys!). I quickly fell back in love with the greatest team sport, and grew immense pride in what my state had to offer in that regard. In 2005, 3 friends and I drove 22 hours (poorly navigated, to hell with Indiana!) to Columbus to watch the Sioux beat the goofs (Fabian goal or goals?), then lose to Denver in the Championship. As heartbreaking as that was, we did get to watch our hometown buddy tie the record for the most games played as an NCAA hockey player (165, I think. Later broken by Ironman Chris Porter). Since that time, I have watched every home game I could and have spent many an evening searching AM radio to find away games. It's hard on the westside of the state sometimes, stupid 9 man football and the bouncy ball sport! Friends and family avoid me if they know I've missed a game, I get cranky. I've spent hours paging through media guides, familiarizing myself with UND's great tradition and history. I attended 2006-2011 Final Fives (My friends and I wear the obnoxiously cheap neon green caps with "Go Sioux" crudely written in permanent marker). Missed 2012, but attended in 2013 and took my boys (who dumped probably $50 worth of quarters in the Superchexx game at our hotel). I did not make the Frozen Faceoff this year, as I was in Grand Forks for a squirt tourney. Two of my crew were there in the expensive neon hats we spent hours designing. The first hockey game I took my youngest son to was the Holy Cross/goofs game, followed by the big win over Mich by the Sioux! I was fortunate enough that my childrens' mother was friends with a suite owner who invited us. I like to think that my love of Sioux hockey has spread to many friends and family now because of me. I bother people at work who know nothing about hockey with random rants. I get angry with people sporting Sioux gear who stare blankly when I say "Big game tonight!" And I live and die with every play of the puck. March Madness? pfff!!! Try October - April Insanity!

Anyway, that's my summary for now. Thanks for asking!

not to start an argument but midco started covering Sioux hockey by themselves at the start of the 12/13 hockey season. Before that it was WDAZ/Forum Communications.

[yelo09]

My love began in 2001, the year the new Ralph opened. The company I worked for got season tickets so I decided I would check it out. Never really understood hockey prior to that and I was a UND grad by marriage so I felt I should show some allegiance to the school.

I could not have been more pleased with my decision. With each game I attended I grew more and more into the sport, tradition and lore of SIOUX Hockey…I had found my home, my calling, my drive … I found that I am a SIOUX fan and that is something that can never be taken away.

I have no other real allegiance to any other sport team, I follow some, and pay attention to others but not like UND Hockey. We don’t quite make to every home game, but close. Was at the MI loss in the final four in St. Paul…was at Regionals a few years back at the X, made the trip to Omaha last year for the outdoor game, this year I’m still working on making it to Philly lots of things have come up lately but there is still a chance I will go, should know after this weekend.

My only regret is never being to a game in the old Ralph…and waiting too long in life to become a fan of such a great team and sport

[hoser]

not to start an argument but midco started covering Sioux hockey by themselves at the start of the 12/13 hockey season. Before that it was WDAZ/Forum Communications.

I stand corrected, midco started picking up the WDAZ feed at some point. Good call!

[Old Time Hockey]

Okay then ....

The story starts with growing up in a household of NDSU alumni and fans. Now, I'm not one with the outright hate of everything Bison, but like a lot of teenagers, I wanted to be a bit "contrarian". So I became a Sioux fan.

When I got old enough to think about what I wanted to do, I decided UND was the better fit than NDSU (own the farm rather than work on it...), and anything out of state was beyond the family budget in the difficult economy of 1977.

On my first campus visit, I stayed with a classmate, who got us tickets to hockey. I had heard a lot about it. As luck would have it, it was the night of the Sioux-Badgets pregame brawl ... not that I could really fathom why it was all happening (what led up to THAT), but i could sure see what was going on and it was madness. It was mayhem. (It was a lot like "Slap Shot" the movie, only real and right in front of 3000 rabid students.)

Upon arrival on campus, I happened to get in with a great bunch of guys, some of whom knew hockey and a few like me that wondered why they were mowing the ice between periods.

So starting as a Sioux fan, I've grown to be a fan of the game itself. I learned to skate at UND ... even though it was a good thing I took it pass-fail because I'm not sure what grade Rick Wilson or Gino would have given me (maybe a D+). I was fortunate to use a lot of icebags, have a skilled medical person drain my knee a couple times, and learn to play the game (a little) on the English Coulee, the outdoor rinks in University Park (the little kids went home after 10 pm), and the occasional late-night indoor ice somewhere in town.

I learned just how damn difficult the game is to play well. The combination of core strength, gross motor, and fine motor is unmatched in other team sports (the decathlon is perhaps the closest in demanding "all of the above"). But the hardest part of playing hockey is mental. Its frustrating, its infuriating, its maddeningly simple to know what needs to be done but not be able to execute it ... Hockey is a humbling game (ever seen a basketball player wipe out on accident?), and hockey requires the strongest character traits I can think of ... at least among team sports.

So I came to admire the culture of hockey, but even more so, the culture of University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux hockey. Even 37 years ago, Gino talked about the same kinds of character and culture that Blais and Hakstol have talked about ever since. I liked that UND hockey blended the best aspects of American and Canadian hockey, the best parts of urban and rural hockey. I liked how many of the players were the first one in their family to go to college, and the obligation they felt to really "get an education" in addition to following their dream of playing professionally. If you ever wanted to get out of Dawson Creek, BC - hockey was one good way out.

Even back then, the players knew the tradition, and carried with them as a matter of pride. Talking to someone like Mickey Krampotich in 1984, he knew who had worn the jersey number 8 before him, and took pride in adding to the tradition.

I came to appreciate the story of Fido Purpur, who got a chance to play with the Blackhawks when Americans were not hired by most of the Original Six in the NHL. (Thank you Frederic McLaughlin, may you rest in peace. You're why I have been a Chicago Blackhawks fan since the 1970's.) I admired and appreciated how the Founding Fathers of UND hockey started from nothing and built something rather amazing. Since a couple of my great-grandparents lived in a sod cave upon settling in the late 1800's, this aspect of UND hockey hit close to home.

i came to appreciate the men in stripes. Back in the day, the glass was low enough to have a good conversation between whistles. And it was also fairly easy to find the refs at local watering holes. They don't do it for the money, or for the glamour, or to get booed every night. These were purists who loved the game, and put that in motion. Guys with families, understanding bosses, regular jobs or business owners.

As I was starting to learn the game, I came to realize that home ice advantage wasn't just the 200x85 rink. It was the 6000 fans in the stands, seeking to impose their outcome on the game. Again, I was part of a great bunch of guys (and a few females) who were determined to make the most of each weekend's opportunity. And, yeah it was more fun than should have otherwise been legal. (Save Farce stories for another time.) I believe that UND created generations of good will by how they seated students (the good seats SHOULD go to students ... at all colleges ... but only a few actually create their home ice advantage that way). That loyalty, built over generations, is why there's a steady steam of cars each Friday heading into Grand Forks. I bet some come from even farther than the 300 mile trip I make.

Bottom line, like most people I've mellowed a bit with age. But I am still bloody passionate about my hockey team. And when they pick a new nickname, I'll go along with it, and over time maybe even come to like it. But I will always be a fan of the UND Fighting Sioux.

Nice post!

Grew up in gf, went to UND.......

First game I remember was the 1979 iwabuchi broten national championship game. I was 8 and was hooked on Sioux hockey!

[keikla]

I vaguely remember going to a few games as a kid because my parents were fans, and all three of us kids had played hockey at some point. But when I was in 8th grade, my oldest brother (who attended UND at the time) brought me to a UND game at the Old Ralph. I looked closer to nineteen than fourteen, so I easily used his friend's student ID so we could sit in the student section. We sat in the corner in the first or second row. I couldn't even tell you who UND played that game or what the score was, but I learned all the inappropriate cheers and the beer song, too. The crowd was rocking, and I just fell in love with the Sioux.

After that game, my parents started taking us to more games before finally getting season tickets. I was sitting in the first row of a regional when Travis Roche checked someone into the glass and my seat shook violently. And I was totally enamored with Brian Canady during high school (don't judge me). I ended up going to a ton of Final Fives in high school and college (I opted for warmer weather over UND), several regionals, and two Frozen Fours. I have a tendency to move and travel frequently, but I always try to make it to a series or two every year.

[burd]

I grew up in North Dakota and played hockey (poorly), so of course I was a Sioux fan from the start. But the game that got me hooked on the passion of Sioux hockey took place in the old Barn during the '71/72 season against the Gophers. Students filled the west end in that rink, and there was actually chicken wire above the boards, not glass. The cymbals player would crash his symbols in the face of opponents if they got shoved up against the wire in that end. Bill Butters played for the gophers and was hated by Sioux fans. He played a physical game and got in a lot of fights. At some point, he got in a fight with a Sioux player and ended up getting tossed from the game. The crowd was real rowdy and booing Butters even before he got tossed. Players exited the ice in the southwest corner by the student section in the old barn, and there was no barrier to keep the fans away from the players. Butters got into a fight with fans just below our seats, and it almost became a "water bottle" situation.

We were half crocked, of course, as were most. People wore those big air force parkas in those days, and it was so easy for fill the sleeves with beer cans or wine flasks. The place was cold, but it was very intense. I don't know how many attended those games, perhaps 2,000, but they were in the walkway up in the rafters, and with the cold, you could not just sit quietly and watch. It was an active experience. Throw in a fight between a hated gopher and Sioux fans, and it was a blood-pumping experience.

I also have a very vivid memory that is just as "Sioux" but does not involve an actual game. It must have been the spring of 1972 when they were still building the old Ralph. A friend of mine, Larry Drader, who played for the Sioux, said he wanted to show me the construction site. We went over past Mem stadium and sat on the bare concrete in the bowl above the playing surface. I remember Larry just sitting there looking down, lost in thought, as if he were in a trance. He said he could visualize everything, including the finished ice. That new rink was something new for many players who had grown up skating in cold air rinks, many of them made of wood. It was a dream for us students too, though we thought at first that it was too comfortable and quiet, just as most fans felt about the new Ralph.

Things change, but the good stuff keeps going.

[MafiaMan]

I grew up in North Dakota and played hockey (poorly), so of course I was a Sioux fan from the start. But the game that got me hooked on the passion of Sioux hockey took place in the old Barn during the '71/72 season against the Gophers. Students filled the west end in that rink, and there was actually chicken wire above the boards, not glass. The cymbals player would crash his symbols in the face of opponents if they got shoved up against the wire in that end. Bill Butters played for the gophers and was hated by Sioux fans. He played a physical game and got in a lot of fights. At some point, he got in a fight with a Sioux player and ended up getting tossed from the game. The crowd was real rowdy and booing Butters even before he got tossed. Players exited the ice in the southwest corner by the student section in the old barn, and there was no barrier to keep the fans away from the players. Butters got into a fight with fans just below our seats, and it almost became a "water bottle" situation.

We were half crocked, of course, as were most. People wore those big air force parkas in those days, and it was so easy for fill the sleeves with beer cans or wine flasks. The place was cold, but it was very intense. I don't know how many attended those games, perhaps 2,000, but they were in the walkway up in the rafters, and with the cold, you could not just sit quietly and watch. It was an active experience. Throw in a fight between a hated gopher and Sioux fans, and it was a blood-pumping experience.

I also have a very vivid memory that is just as "Sioux" but does not involve an actual game. It must have been the spring of 1972 when they were still building the old Ralph. A friend of mine, Larry Drader, who played for the Sioux, said he wanted to show me the construction site. We went over past Mem stadium and sat on the bare concrete in the bowl above the playing surface. I remember Larry just sitting there looking down, lost in thought, as if he were in a trance. He said he could visualize everything, including the finished ice. That new rink was something new for many players who had grown up skating in cold air rinks, many of them made of wood. It was a dream for us students too, though we thought at first that it was too comfortable and quiet, just as most fans felt about the new Ralph.

Things change, but the good stuff keeps going.

Now THIS is the kind of story I was hoping to read once this thread got rolling...

[airmail]

Back in the fall of '86, my family moved to Grand Forks. As a young teenager in a new school, I had trouble fitting in and pretty much hated everything that was Grand Forks, ND. That was until my dad scored a couple tickets from his co-worker and we went to a UND hockey game just before Christmas - my first ever.

I can't remember who we played, but we won. Handily. The band had a drummer and guitar player that were going crazy. The crowd was absolutely nuts. The unified chants from the student section were something I had NEVER seen or heard before in my life. I was hooked immediately. We went to a few more games that season, and I'm still pissed that I couldn't get my dad to buy me one of those authentic Hrkac jerseys that they were selling in the concourse. Sure wish I had one now!

Fast forward to '91. I was now one of the student section. Most of you know the drill:

• Party before the game
  
• Continue the party all the way to the attendance line (although in the early 90s, there wasn't much for lines - you could pretty much get in at any time)
  
• Stash your booze before walking in
  
• Get your student ID out and give to the door guy. If you didn't have a student ID, have a buddy circle around after he got in and you could use his. It was a MUCH simpler time.
  
• Secure seats just to the right of the penalty box. (lots of great interaction with penalized players - some players were really cool and fun. Others were definitely not.)
  
• Go to the concession area and get a large coke.
  
• Dump half of your coke in the water fountain and return to seat to mix your drink. (later on we wised up and ordered half-cokes. The concession folks happily obliged)
  
• Yell like crazy - cheer on the Sioux.
  
• Post-game party.
  

In '96, my (at that time) boss got season tickets. He was a super cool guy, and invited me to A TON of the games over the next few years. Basically, it was like having season tickets on my own. This was the time when I discovered the fun of the "away games" and the "final five". Throw in a couple of Natty's in '97 and 2000, and my conversion to fanatical UND hockey fan was complete. Some simply awesome game memories during this period - too many to list. Great years to be a UND hockey fan - the ralph was always rockin.

(I should add that I got a chance somewhere in these years to do the center ice shot. You basically shoot the puck at a board covering the net which has a slot at the bottom just big enough for a puck to fit in. Didn't matter. I missed the whole effin' net.)

'01: The "New Ralph" opens - my wallet is a few bucks lighter, and I'm in the 5th row. Now my kids like to bring friends to the game. Pretty soon, the kids and their friends will be going to the game while I sit at home. But after that, it will be the wife and I watching Sioux hockey once again. I can't wait.

So when did I get hooked? Game #1. December of '86.

It was the Hrkac Circus. I didn't have a chance.

[stoneySIOUX]

7 more days, ladies and gents.

Speaking of why I love Sioux hockey... No. 7 on DDC's countdown of Top 10 UND/Minnesota moments in the rivalry.

http://bit.ly/1lEi9A0

[UNDPUCKS]

I moved to GF in 1970 and went to a few games at the barn. I remember the cold and hot chocolate as I was 13. Moved to FL but returned to GF in 1975 and attended loads of games at the Winter Sports Building using my oldest sister's friends student IDs. That was the Rube era. There was not a lot of winning, but I was at the game where Scotty Marvin lit into the BADgers during the pre-game skate. Undergrad years turned into the Gino era and things turned around. I remember waiting in line to pack the student section. Giving the business to the opponents, "go back, go back, go back to the woods". Cooper running around the arena with a flag when we scored. He got in lots of miles. I remember Dave Colborne showing up on campus after riding a motorcycle from Alberta to attend school and play. He had the hardest shot I had ever seen but disappeared after first semester grades came out. The team just kept getting better and won those championships in 80 and 82. Those were law school days for me. Dave Christian won the gold medal at the 80 Winter Olympics. School had to end and we settled in Milwaukee but we attended games in Madison, Houghton and eventually Mankato pretty much every year. Dean era. Belfour/Hrckac team was amazing. At Madison my wife and I were guests at the Blue Line Club's beer area after the first period, Sioux down 1-0. My wife likes her beer so we were a tad late departing for our seats clear around the Dane Co. Coliseum. We pass the first entry to the ice and Sioux tie it up, we cheer and keep walking, Sioux up 2-1 before we got to our seats and they went on to defeat the BADgers. What a season! Moved south but we flew to Milwaukee for the 97 championship won by a team that was not the best per Red Berenson. I remember talking to folks at the parties after and people worrying about a flood in GF. We moved back to Milwaukee in 99 and continued to attend our U-W, Tech and MSU-Mankato series. Since I was in GF for a family wedding I took the opportunity to attend a Maine game at the New Ralph. Nice place but I think we lost. Frozen Four attendees every year since 97 except 2000 in Providence and I missed Detroit as the government did not feel that was important enough to warrant a leave from Iraq. We bitch and whine at only winning 7 national championships but this team represents this state well whether we beat those evil empire schools or they nick us. The players play the game the right way and are great ambassadors for UND. Raise a glass to this team working their butts off and beating those 1 seeds for #8. Sláinte.

[scpa0305]

My Sioux addiction started in Milwaukee....the championship sealed it for me. I had been to plenty of games before as my folks are season ticket holders but that win was a little different. Beating BC in 2000 was also fun. I probably became a die hard when we started pulling in the blue chippers....I love following Sioux players in the Show.

[Sodbuster]

The 78-79 season turned me from a fan to a fanatic.

[Hayduke]

I remember waiting in line to pack the student section. Giving the business to the opponents, "go back, go back, go back to the woods".

I try to explain that cheer to people when I describe Sioux hockey in the late 70's and early 80's. Somehow, they don't get it.

That cheer still makes me laugh.