The Team Formerly Known As The Sioux ( Now Identity Free )

[SiouxFan in DU Country]

Things have changed over the last 7-8 years in terms of our team identity ( and mascot ).  We need someone to step up and figure out where we go from here.  The days of the Fighting Sioux physical\smart\hard working hockey seem to be over - for now.  I think we can still play physical\smart\hard working hockey - watch the Beanpot games.  Those teams seem to play like we used to - prior to having our identity taken away.  After watching the game tonight vs. Miami, we have no identity.  We seem to have lost our physical play.  The drive that made us...well...the Fighting Sioux.  I am curious to know who steps up to make a change in the style of play - regardless of who we were.  We just need an identity.

[SIOUXELEVENS]

UMD still plays that way 

[brianvf]

I don’t think we should emulate UMD... Univ Minn Diving...style of play. 

[SIOUXELEVENS]

No diving but hard work and very tough to play against.

[franchise]

Yep, it's apparent that they are far from physical. Used to have several big hits a game. Now it's just the occasional one after the whistle, or one that sends smith to the box.

[geaux_sioux]

Sioux hockey is a style of play not a nickname. Haven’t seen any Sioux hockey this year. 2016 was full of Sioux hockey even though they were the Fighting Hawks. The reason people lived the nickname was because of how the teams played wearing that name not the other way around.

[GoalieMask]

Sioux Hockey mentality is preached, practiced, and engrained whether a bird is on the shoulder or not. 

As long as legacies like Bubbs, Dane, and Captains through the years continue to carry on that legacy, this mentality will endure.

Agree, consistency in large does this year may be lacking but it’s hard to conclude that 40 years of success is on the ropes due to a .500 league record. 

[geaux_sioux]

I do, though, miss the old days when I could look forward to our guys smashing the other team over and over until they didn’t want to play anymore. Unfortunately the game has changed and that level of physicality is no longer able to produce success. This team isn’t skilled enough or physical enough. Have to hang you hat on one or the other, or preferably both, but this years team is neither.

[90siouxfan]

I miss Cary Eades

[The Sicatoka]

Grand Forks Central hung number 27 last night. 

Redskins. Maroon and Grey. Knights. 

Central wins because they are Central.

 

North Dakota should take note win because they are North Dakota. 

It ain't the nickname; it's the effort. 

[The Sicatoka]

We've been too short on the bench to institute "skate or sit".

It needs to be. 

[UNDMOORHEAD]

On 2/24/2018 at 10:21 AM, geaux_sioux said:

I do, though, miss the old days when I could look forward to our guys smashing the other team over and over until they didn’t want to play anymore. Unfortunately the game has changed and that level of physicality is no longer able to produce success. This team isn’t skilled enough or physical enough. Have to hang you hat on one or the other, or preferably both, but this years team is neither.

If the PK is good enough you can still play that way.  In our case the PP is so bad teams aren't afraid to take penalties against us, so they can play however they want.

[geaux_sioux]

2 hours ago, UNDMOORHEAD said:

If the PK is good enough you can still play that way.  In our case the PP is so bad teams aren't afraid to take penalties against us, so they can play however they want.

In the last 15 or so years it seems our pp success is dependent on trancendant talent instead of solid aggressive tactics. It’s brutal to watch when we don’t have multiple first rounders out there. 

[UNDMOORHEAD]

1 minute ago, geaux_sioux said:

In the last 15 or so years it seems our pp success it dependent on trancendant talent instead of solid aggressive tactics. It’s brutal to watch when we don’t have multiple first rounders out there. 

I agree with you 100%. Much like the football team, a sport I admittedly know less about, they seem unwilling to do anything different. It's so frustrating not to see changes when things obviously don't work.

[burd]

I miss speed and skill on this team a hyll of a lot more than I miss more physical play.  It is precisely because it has less speed and skill that this team has to be careful about physical play that puts them in the box. 

And Sic is right about the name.   To quote Uncle Bill, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

[brianvf]

39 minutes ago, burd said:

I miss speed and skill on this team a hyll of a lot more than I miss more physical play.  

Yes. Completely agree. 

[Irish]

46 minutes ago, burd said:

I miss speed and skill on this team a hyll of a lot more than I miss more physical play.  It is precisely because it has less speed and skill that this team has to be careful about physical play that puts them in the box. 

And Sic is right about the name.   To quote Uncle Bill, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

I guess I am more stunned than anything that things went downhill so fast after our championship.  I know we lost a lot to the pros, but still.  In what should have been a golden recruiting time with the championship, the showing of the fans, and our tradition and facilities it seems like we are getting out recruited by many.  I really wish we would hear from Berry what he is going to do to right the ship (I know this is very unlikely, but I really am curious as to his willingness to make changes).  

[brianvf]

36 minutes ago, Irish said:

I guess I am more stunned than anything that things went downhill so fast after our championship.

It shouldn't be too much of a surprise, the exact same thing happened after our 2000 championship as well.  Two seasons after that, the 2002 year was the worst in recent memory and the last time we didn't make the conference playoffs or NCAAs.  I remember watching UND get crushed at home by Mankato (combined series score of 12-4!!) and thinking that the slump had begun.  They finished under .500 and had their season ended by UMN on the road in the first round in 2 games.

All of that happened just two seasons after a national title, and one season after a national title game appearance.

[Irish]

1 hour ago, brianvf said:

It shouldn't be too much of a surprise, the exact same thing happened after our 2000 championship as well.  Two seasons after that, the 2002 year was the worst in recent memory and the last time we didn't make the conference playoffs or NCAAs.  I remember watching UND get crushed at home by Mankato (combined series score of 12-4!!) and thinking that the slump had begun.  They finished under .500 and had their season ended by UMN on the road in the first round in 2 games.

All of that happened just two seasons after a national title, and one season after a national title game appearance.

I remember that season well.  If I remember correctly, the main cause was the goalie issue - Andy Kollar was projected as starter after serving admirably spelling  Karl Goering, but couldn't handle starter duties.  I think the very average Josh Sembida was brought in mid-year. I think our save percentage for the year was under .900. However, we had some good young talent on that team - Freshmen Brandom Bochinski, Matt Jones, Andy Schneider, Nick Fuher, Rory McMahon - sophomores David Lundblom, Ryan Hale, an David Hale.  The next year we brought in Zach Parise and Matt Greene.  I just don't see our young talent or next year's recruits coming close to this group.  That's what worries me more than one bad season.

[snova4]

 I'm not burning the wagon yet.  This season is a disappointment, no doubt, but it would look very different with a junior Brock Boeser and sophomore Tyson Jost, with losing Jost especially hurting because we could use him at center as well as pp. While we have some over aged kids coming, who are off the radar, I'm okay with this, and I'm extremely intrigued by Weatherby. 

[brianvf]

1 hour ago, Irish said:

The next year we brought in Zach Parise and Matt Greene.  I just don't see our young talent or next year's recruits coming close to this group.  That's what worries me more than one bad season.

Hopefully we have a couple freshmen that surprise us next year and then have a soph or two break out.
But you're right that there's certainly no blue chipper on our list...

[Irish]

7 hours ago, brianvf said:

Hopefully we have a couple freshmen that surprise us next year and then have a soph or two break out.
But you're right that there's certainly no blue chipper on our list...

I really hope you're right - but the second thing that worries  me is that we have seen little to no player development this year.  Certainly no break outs.  I really hope that next year's group adds to the team chemistry.