southpaw Posted February 8, 2004 Share Posted February 8, 2004 Wow...its horrible seeing all these Sioux fans criticizing the team. You might as well just start booing at hockey games. As someone posted in another thread, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE TEAM HAS GIVEN UP 5 GOALS IN A GAME THIS SEASON. Last time I checked, its Frebruary, and thats a pretty long time to hold that streak. You fans who sit there and say "oh, this is just like last year, the team is going downhill, our goaltending sucks, we cant win" Did anyone notice how the goalies have played, minus this series? One series does not mean the goalies are completely worthless. Anybody remember the MN series, where our goalies kept us in the games? When everyone was all "our goalies are so great, everyone thought it would be bad, but they've proven they are good." Then they happen to give up 9 goals in a weekend and everyone thinks they are the achiles heel of the team. I'm sure its always nice for the Sioux players to come on the message board and see 10+ topics about how this is just like last year and oh no, not again. Get behind your Sioux and cheer on how well they played this weekend for the most part. Don't forget everything that has happened this season and then just chalk it up to just like last year because they got swept. I'm embarassed by how quickly many of you jump off the bandwagon and start to criticze. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Posted February 8, 2004 Share Posted February 8, 2004 What fun is it to be positive all the time? I don't think we're knocking the Sioux as much as we are discussing the situation of the season. This is what fans do, they talk about scenarios on how the season is going. To anyone who pays attention to Sioux hockey this season IS looking a lot like last season. A great start and a poor finish. As for our goalies, they are the achilles heel of the team! It's the weakest position on the team. They been a pleasant surprise for most of the year. Nobody is saying they are worthless however. Whoever gave you the impression that Sioux fans think the goalies are worthless is completely mistaken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottM Posted February 8, 2004 Share Posted February 8, 2004 I'm embarassed by how quickly many of you jump off the bandwagon and start to criticze. We expect alot out our team. Most of us have seen this crew play well in the early season, only to see them fall apart when other teams step it up the past couple of seasons. We cheer our guys on, and even when we're winning we still critique them. When we lose, the analysis can easily turn negative, especially when we get outworked and outhustled. We expect alot out of our team, and they expect alot out of themselves. Anything less would keep us on the level of a SCCC or Mankato year in and year out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sufan Posted February 8, 2004 Share Posted February 8, 2004 I agree with Mory00 - some of the posts on our discussion boards are embarrassing. We have some of the finest hockey players in the nation/world on our team. It is one thing to have discussions about the game and also have high expectations for the team. It is another thing to harshly and unnecessarily criticize players and the team. There have been far too many posts like this. No single player/goalie is responsible for a team's loss. The players themselves, more than anyone, know when they make a bad play or have a bad game. We have an incredible group of young men on our team who are very talented, otherwise they wouldn't be here. They will have good games and not so good games. I suggest if you want to trash individual players and the team you got www.prideonice.com and click on the Gopher Hockey Message Board - they like to trash our players and team. Your comments might be better suited for Gopher "discussions." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jk Posted February 8, 2004 Share Posted February 8, 2004 Agree with the general concept here. I'm not happy with the weekend either, but I think people have gone overboard a little. I'm keeping the faith. Without checking, I think most of UND's national title teams have had something like 8-10 losses on the year. This means those teams had their trying times as well. Struggling early in February does not preclude peaking in late March and April. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwing77 Posted February 8, 2004 Share Posted February 8, 2004 It's really hard to watch us lose, but yesterday wasn't as hard as Friday. I PRAY that our goaltenders don't cave. Karl "blew it" in 2000 and we came out on top. And Karl's a great goalie. They have the ability. We've seen it ALL season. I almost say that from here on, it's conditioning and mental toughness that will make or break the remainder of our season and the post season ahead. I believe we have the conditioning. If we don't maintain mental toughness and focus.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mksioux Posted February 8, 2004 Share Posted February 8, 2004 This team has won 5 out of the last 10 and 1 out of the last 5. Given last year's collapse, I think it's reasonable to be very nervous about where this season is going. I try not to trash individual players (although I'm guilty from time to time), but criticizing the team as whole does not make you any less of a Sioux fan IMO. If I stopped watching or stopped caring...now THAT would make me less of a Sioux fan. We've all seen how good this team can be and when they're not playing that way it is frustrating to watch. Immediately after a loss and for the next couple days, posts are going to be negative. As the week moves on, I would imagine most of the posts will turn to positive and people will be gearing up for CC. There is a "process" to deal with a loss as a college hockey fan. It usually takes me about 3 days to get over a regular season loss. If I were a player on the team, I simply wouldn't come on this site after a tough loss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goon Posted February 9, 2004 Share Posted February 9, 2004 Lets see we have lost 5 games, I believe we lost 10 in 1997 and I can't remember how many we lost in 2000 but it was between 5-10. Also if I remember right we got swept in Wisconsin and still won the NCAA title. I think people are panicking. This last weekends results are a good way for Blaiser to get some people's attention. Maybe Jake needs to not dress this weekend as well as young Matt Smaby. Others need to get the focus they had when the three WJC players were gone. UND plays in the toughest conference in the NCAA we are not going to go 28-0. Not realistic to even think that. I saw the moview Miriacle over the weekend and Herbie made a comment that I think applies to this situation. "It not the name on the back of the jersey that is important, its the name on the front that counts." I am sure that UND is going to skate, skate and skate some more. Lets keep everything in perspective and I will say this here UND is still the best team in the nation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Posted February 9, 2004 Share Posted February 9, 2004 What a positive thread this is. I'm so happy we can come on here and talk about our perfect little hockey team. Everything is just swell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goon Posted February 9, 2004 Share Posted February 9, 2004 What a positive thread this is. I'm so happy we can come on here and talk about our perfect little hockey team. Everything is just swell. To take a few words from one of Mike Tice's comments, "Enjoy the Season." Things are not that bad, too many people are abandoning ship already. Remember back to 1997 last WCHA series of the year. UND goes into Denver needing only a point to take the league title outright, they get swept. The rest is history. I am not saying we are going to win the title but its not as bad as people make it out to be... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PCM Posted February 9, 2004 Share Posted February 9, 2004 I think that what some are concerned about is that the critics of this team we're right. They said the Sioux had questionable goaltending. They said the Sioux would be hurt by not having any offensive defensemen. They said the Sioux would collapse under the weight of their schedule in the second half of the season. In other words, the critics said that what happened to the Sioux last season would happen again this season for the exact same reasons. Getting swept by Wisconsin is the first time this season that it appears the critics could be right. However, please allow me to cloud the issue with some facts. In their first 12 games of 2003, the Sioux were 4-4-4 and had 12 of 24 possible points. In the first 12 games of 2004, the Sioux are 6-3-3 and have 15 of 24 possible points. In 2003, the Sioux were 2-4-2 in their last eight games of the regular season. Frankly, I don't see that happening this season. Also don't forget that UND's troubles in the second half of the season coincided with David Hale's illness that caused him to miss all but the very last game of the season. Until then, the Sioux had very effective leadership from the Hale brothers. Obviously, that isn't a factor this season. Another thing people forget is that during the first half of the 02-03 season, the Sioux lived on the edge a lot, especially against WCHA teams. At this point a year ago, UND had won seven one-goal games, six of those against WCHA opponents. This season, the Sioux have won three one-goal games, all against league opponents. UND continues to lead the nation with a scoring margin that averages 2.22 goals per game. Want more good news? UND's penalty kill is ranked third in the nation at 88.7%. Not bad for a team with "weak goaltending." Four of the top 11 scores in the WCHA play for the Sioux. Jordan Parise's goals against average is 2.08, tops in the WCHA. His save percentage is .913, which ties him for fourth in the league. Parise and Brandt are second and third in the WCHA respectively in winning percentage. The Sioux are second in WCHA scoring offense averaging 4.2 goals per game and first in scoring defense in giving up an average of 2.4 goals per game. And remember UND's horrid power play? It's the third best in the WCHA at 21%. The Sioux penalty kill is first in the WCHA at 89.1%. Remember how worried we were about special teams play early in the season? UND's combined special teams are second in the WCHA, right behind Minnesota. Yes, the weekend against Wisconsin was disappointing and certainly caused me to have flashbacks of last season's second-half collapse. But the Sioux are still in the driver's seat for the WCHA title and UND is a team all others should fear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tboneund Posted February 9, 2004 Share Posted February 9, 2004 Maybe Jake needs to not dress this weekend as well as young Matt Smaby. Others need to get the focus they had when the three WJC players were gone. What!? I remember Jake replacing a certain goalie on Saturday night and gave up a weak one. Friday the team blew a three-point lead because of some mistakes by the defense, a lack of scoring by the offense (after the first period), and the goaltender. My point is that Jake is not the only reason we lost, hockey is a team sport, and the team lost. Relax, we were swept this weekend, but life has continued to go on. Comparing this year's team to last year's is like comparing apples and oranges. This team will learn from the mistakes, regroup at home this weekend, and go out on the road, continuing to do what the Sioux do best...WIN! Good luck guys, I'll be there this weekend doing my best to scream until I have no voice left! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Barn Guy Posted February 9, 2004 Share Posted February 9, 2004 I feel a lot better reading most of the posts on this thread today, than I did on the posts during the Saturday game. I criticized some of the posters for being "quitters" after the second period, and got some flak for that. I guess if the shoe fits.........well? If you are not a quitter, don't take any offense by my comments. I took exception to the way some posters sniped at some of the players, especially the goaltenders and even the coaching staff. Geez, this team is still a pretty fair collection of talent. They just didn't perform up to the level that we have become used to seeing. Let Coach Blais have this week with them and I'd be willing to bet that they'll redeem themselves this coming weekend. I really liked reading the supporting posts above, and know that for the most part, Sioux hockey fans are the best in the world. I also know the players appreciate the support they get from the fans. We as fans need to remember that, and how fortunate we are to have a team like the Sioux as "our" team! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sprig Posted February 9, 2004 Share Posted February 9, 2004 This sounds like a POI-like group therapy session. Have to agree with PCM, message boards bring about over-reaction more than what occurs on the ice. The Sioux played well for 60 minutes on Saturday and I think Wisco is in deep doodoo if they meet the Sioux again, away from the KC. I think the team will rebound and be the better for it after the losses this weekend. It is nice to have something to play for during the last few series, rather than being able to coast home. It made the WCHA much more interesting down to the wire, and not just for the Sioux. It also puts all the top teams into a battle to avoid the play-in game in the final five, along with the problem of having to face a better bottom five team in the first weekend of the playoffs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dagies Posted February 9, 2004 Share Posted February 9, 2004 I'm working hard to look for positives as I've great concern for the rest of the season the way things have gone the last month. However, maybe there could be a silver lining. As Sprig said, we'll be in battle for position the rest of the way. IF we had put ourselves in position to "coast" down the stretch, could we have turned it up at tourney time? I wonder if that wasn't a factor in the downfall of the 2 late 90's teams that struggled in the Final Five and beyond... Maybe some good can come of this down the road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimdahl Posted February 9, 2004 Share Posted February 9, 2004 This team has won 5 out of the last 10 and 1 out of the last 5. Given last year's collapse, I think it's reasonable to be very nervous about where this season is going. As a point of reference, at this point in 2000 we had only won 4 of the last 10, having dropped some tough road games including getting swept at UW. I'm not so much for looking for positives from this weekend because it simply wasn't a positive weekend for the Sioux. We played a tough road opponent and got swept. However, the season goes on and the Sioux are still in the driver's seat in the conference and will make the NCAA tournament. It's up to the team to decide whether this is a wakeup call or a harbinger of the remainder of the season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagard Posted February 9, 2004 Share Posted February 9, 2004 Not to mention the horrible sweep at the hands of DU in '97 to allow the Gophers to share the McNaughton. I think the Final Five will give a good indication of how the Sioux will fare in the NCAA play. The '97 and '00 teams won the WCHA playoffs and the NCAA's, the incredible teams of '98 and '99 failed at both. Of course the best indication of how the Sioux (and Gophers for that matter) will be how the NCAA bracket is drawn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Posted February 9, 2004 Share Posted February 9, 2004 There is a lot of games left to play for the Sioux and yet there isn't. I am nervous because this is the time of year where they should be on the ball scoring goals and making great saves. I think a person still has to stay very optimistic about our situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stack Posted February 9, 2004 Share Posted February 9, 2004 I posted this on USCHO and thought it belonged here too: I like most Sioux fans were dismayed and sort of if disbelief that we were swept by Wisconsin. If you're like me you're hoping this isn't a repeat of last year and you're also hoping that it's a kick in the butt for this team. Most of the year they have been able to show up and beat just about everybody without a huge effort. Now I hope they realize that every team from now on will come as hard as they possible can and they need to step it up. I'm not worried about the goaltending and I'm not worried about this team. I don't think the leadership comes from the seniors but comes from Zach Parise and I think he'll get the boys rolling. The guy hates to lose. Even if we were to split this weekend it's not the end of the chance for the conference title. I'm expecting a split up in Duluth between the Gophers and Bulldogs so we can still be right there. This team will step up their play and I'd guess will go 6-2 the rest of the way to win the McNaughton trophy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jojordan23 Posted February 10, 2004 Share Posted February 10, 2004 Not to mention the horrible sweep at the hands of DU in '97 to allow the Gophers to share the McNaughton. I think the Final Five will give a good indication of how the Sioux will fare in the NCAA play. The '97 and '00 teams won the WCHA playoffs and the NCAA's, the incredible teams of '98 and '99 failed at both. Of course the best indication of how the Sioux (and Gophers for that matter) will be how the NCAA bracket is drawn. Sagaard, I think that the NCAA would be CRAZY if they didn't put UND and MN in completely opposite brackets, so that the only way they can meet is in the Finals... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Posted February 10, 2004 Share Posted February 10, 2004 If the Gophers and Sioux met in the finals that would be the greatest day of my life. There is no way the Gophers will win 3. It's just impossible. It can't happen because if it does I will never show my face in public. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoteauRinkRat Posted February 10, 2004 Share Posted February 10, 2004 There is no way the Gophers will win 3. It's just impossible. It can't happen because if it does I will never show my face in public. that might be a good thing just kidding, sounds like we might have to post the number of a depression helpline Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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