Sioux/Mankato Sat

[SiouxperFan]

Massen puts UND up 2-1.  Oh, it's good to hear that name.  We need him to have a good year.

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I agree it sure is great to hear his name. Maybe this is just the start of a great thing for this kid. Kick Ice Sioux!!

[Smoggy]

I hope the team realizes that they got LUCKY this weekend. Sure we got three points and I'm happy about that, but we didn't have the effort we should've until the final period. This team better not be happy about getting three points either, because I don't think they earned them. You have to give one point to Parise. If they are happy with the way they performed, then we will struggle in a lot of games.

[siouxhockey1101]

Wow!! The Sioux pulled off a good one! Phil was OUTSTANDING in goal tonight! Props to him for comin in as a freshman who hasn't had a college start and taking two points!! They started out slow but midway thru the second you could tell they were gettin desperate...so happy that they won!! Bring on the GOPHERS!!!!

[redwing77]

I think Greene has learned from his freshman campaign, but I think it is his freshman campaign that is hurting him now.

Refs don't forget who they called the most any given year and that seems to follow those players until they graduate. I'm not saying that they'll continue getting as many calls every year, but they won't get away with nearly as much as other players who weren't called that much. For example, I watched Commodore play his final season with the Sioux. He got called not nearly as much as his first two years, but there were some calls that were clearly borderline that wouldn't get called even if his linemate had committed them (I can't remember who was on his line in 1999-2000). Greene is going to get hounded this year.

Add that into the new rules and it's not good for Matt. He's not a stupid hockey player, just an unfortunate one.

As for this weekend and this game:

MUCH less penalties than I expected. I was kind of amazed that there were only 10 or so penalties on the Sioux tonight. Usually I would have expected about 5 more than that with the new rulings.

Lammy had a great game. It shows that, even when the Sioux are running flat footed, they can still lean on their goaltender to keep them in the game.

Sioux offense - Not a good showing. We need to find more ways to finish if we are going to take even 2 points from Minny next week. That being said, so far it's been a season of unusual and freshmen goal scorers (with the exception of Stafford and Murray). Massen, McMahon, and Fylling aren't even close to the offensive core of the team, but when these players show up, play hard, and take what shots they get, eventually they will be rewarded.

Defensively, folks, we are not that bad. In fact, I think we're still living up to the hype. Special teams wise, unless you are speaking penalty kill, is still a problem. We can't leave the offense entirely on Spirko, Stafford, and Murray folks. Everyone needs to step up.

[tnt]

Hakstol seemed happy about the effort throughout, just not the penalties. I didn't watch the game, so I can't say. Maybe some of the people who say the effort wasn't there watched the game and have a different opinion than Hakstol, but there are probably others that think it is natural that if the Sioux don't win, or win easily, it is because they weren't trying hard enough. Believe it or not, other teams can beat the Sioux, even if the Sioux are trying. I think people are going to be comparing everything to the Maine series. While I expect Maine to be good, I don't think beating them the first series of the year means the Sioux should automatically be on their way to the Frozen Four. They have that potential, but they might not score at the same pace they did last year. I was, and am skeptical that this crackdown on penalties is going to help the Sioux like many are. One would think that if the Sioux fans were correct in that we were clutch and grabbed all the time, that two teams like Maine and Mankato would translate into more powerplays for us. I would much rather the Sioux play 5 on 5, as I think that is to their advantage. That said, we did outscore Mankato on the powerplay this weekend, but to expect to kill 15 of 15 powerplays all the time is unrealistic.

[Cratter]

1. Lammy is good. I have known that and always will. He may take lumps along the way. He is a freshman in the WCHA. He's from Grand Forks and knows what it means to don the Sioux Jersey. He was partially mentored by Geohring. He wore Geohrings pads in HS. If I remember right Karl went to a goalie camp somewhere during the offseason during his jr/sr year and it said it helped his concentration. Phil do the same now. I see the Sioux winning a championship during your four year with you in nets.

2. I believe the Sioux are overrated. Good yes, #1 in the country not by any means. I know the Sioux have historically struggled in Mankato. People got there hopes up against Maine. No one knows how good Maine is at this point. The Sioux were pumped to play Maine in Maine because they knew they had a possibility of getting swept while Maine was probably overconfident knowing they only lost one game last year. I'm hoping the Sioux pull a 'Denver.'

3. Dataflix was good. I went to Dagwoods and it was like watching tv (they had it displayed on a big screen), constantly streaming and wasn't choppy. Only complaints were you couldn't really see the puck, because of the white ice. Contrast possibly needed to be adjusted. It was probably only good because the local Mankato station was broadcasting the games. I was impressed. We as Sioux fan are fortunate to be able to have the OPTION to watch basically everygame.

4. The Sioux are worse off with the new penalty enforcement. Time will tell.

Go get them boyz.

[State Of Hockey]

Goligoski is God !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

F Da Sue !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[A.B.T.G.]

Goligoski is God !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

F Da Sue !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Another Gopher IDIOT fan has reared its ugly head!!!! Go back in your hole!

By the way....just get by the Seapuppies and then talk smack.....typical!!!!!

[Marty]

Did anyone else think that Stafford was just kind of going through the motions? It didn't look like he was giving it his all. It looked like he was on auto-pilot all night.

[Blackheart]

Did anyone else think that Stafford was just kind of going through the motions?  It didn't look like he was giving it his all.  It looked like he was on auto-pilot all night.

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Yeah, I think he was kind of pissed when the Mankato player took his stick away during a scrum in front of the Mankato net...kinda funny though.....

[#1siouxfan22]

Great to hear Massen scoring! And a great performance by Phil to top that what a battle for top goalie position.

[farce poobah]

[Posted this on USCHO too ... for those who aren't visiting both sites ...]

Just got back... random thoughts about the game:

** The tie Friday was no fluke.

** Anyone who still thinks Mankato will finish in 8th or 9th is kidding themselves; they will contend for home ice. They have plenty of tempo, their depth is fine, and all those D that got thrown into the baptism of fire last year are now capable of holding their own.

** I can see why Backes is such a big-time prospect... big, agile, soft hands, and he was in position to tie the game in the final minute... just couldn't get the stick on a bouncing puck.

** Mavs will score, the d looks to be fine, and I agree with others that goal is the lone question, but again, there's strong competition inside the team for playing time.

** Congrats to Jutting and staff on putting the puzzle pieces together after a tough 03-04.

** Still, by the 3rd period, the Sioux were exploiting Mav's fatigue... I'll speculate its two causes, first being UND playing 18 guys pretty consistently both nights (although Radke didn't see a lot of ice tonight), and overall team conditioning.

** After 2 periods shots were 20-10 MSU, which seemed a little optimistic by the home team's shot counter. But the first 12 minutes of the 3rd the Sioux rained 14 SOG on Volp (14 to 6 Sioux), then zero the last 8 minutes after getting the lead.

** Spirko is no fluke either, nor is Zajac, nor is Lamoreaux. These guys are going to contribute immediately. (Radke is a great athlete who will have a tough time getting ice time this year, but will eventually be a go-to guy ...) Kaip skates well, gets into the right position, and won't score much but will be valuable immediately as a role player too.

** Like the combination of Murray with Zajac and Stafford.

** Massen from Fabian for the GWG?!! If this is a sign of things to come, it will make the Sioux da#$ near impossible to stop.

** Schneider looks much quicker, as others have noted. He stayed out of the box too (!)

** Sioux used 3 PP units, 2 of the 3 used 2 defensemen on the point... Genoway on the other group, and he did a nice job defending a couple of 2x2 Mav shorthanded rushes.

** Sioux PK perfect tonight, 0x9 for Mankato and 0x15 on the weekend. Sioux just keep sending out wave after wave of superb penalty killers... Greene-Jones, Schneider-Smaby, Prpich-McMahon, Fylling-Porter, etc etc.

** I believe this Sioux team will go down in the books as the best defensive team in school history, statistically speaking. If an opponent gets more than 2 goals against them, its been a great night. I realize its early to say that, but I really think its a once-in-a-career combination of experienced, talented, deep defense, 3 solid goaltenders who will battle for playing time all year, deep and fast talent up front, strong guys on faceoffs which will limit the damage of d-zone faceoffs, and a coaching staff that seems likely to emphasize defense even more than DBlais did.

** The remaining question about this year's Sioux is scoring, especially scoring depth. Related to that is how much will Hakstol let the dogs loose ... will we play it aggressive hard-forecheck cycle in the offensive zone which we've seen Sioux do for the last decade? or will it be a more trapping style which seeks neutral zone turnovers? for the first 40 minutes tonight it was a trapping style, but the first 12 minutes of the 3rd, the Sioux went after it hard and it was fun to watch them play with urgency (of course being behind wasn't fun).

[cfm567b27]

Goligoski is God !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

F Da Sue !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Looks like Skippy spoke too soon - he must have missed that last Alaska goal....Dumba$$

[Marty]

I was at the game last night and to me it didn't look like the Sioux hockey I know. It's very early in the season and I expect them to get a lot better. I was really impressed by all the freshman because they worked their butts off in the corners. I was disappointed in Stafford sluggish play. Greene took WAY to many penalties and that's not good.

Mankato's powerplay looked worse than the Sioux's and that's terrible. The Mav fans were screaming at them to shoot the puck but they just wouldn't. Mason (the ref) kept on giving them powerplays. If I were the Mavs I would've thought I had a better chance at 5-5 rather than 5-4 or 5-3.

[DAR]

I attended the game Sat. night. I was not impressed with the play of the team at all. Lammy was by far the best player for the Sioux. It sounds like the goalie was the best player on the ice for the Sioux both nights. They have got to cut down on the unnecessary penalties. Prpich (as usual) and Greene in particular. Radke did not get much ice time, and looks like he is pretty raw. He does not look very comfortable out there. There just was not the offense generated or the crisp passing and speed through the neutral zone that I am used to seeing from Sioux teams. The end result however was 3/4 points and the Sioux should consider themselves quite fortunate as they were outplayed most of the weekend. Time to sweep the rodents!

[schmidtdoggydog]

For those of you at Saturday's game, did you happen to notice how much icetime Andy Schneider logged? No question UND is deep at defense, but AS seemed to be on the ice for most of the second half of the game (at one point he was on the ice for the entire two minute penalty kill in the second period!).

He looked like the Schneider of old (2003) and that is a good sign. I don't recall seeing him skate with Jones at any point, but he did skate with each of the other four d at some point during the game. Despite all the special teams play, it appeared to me that he was being double shifted.

Other than that, the first two periods of Saturday's game seemed to be a continuation of Friday's. Sluggish and uninspired play. But, in the third, a few guys stepped up. I thought Brady Murray, for one, skated very hard in the third and showed some flashes. Lammy was very solid. Good positioning and he didn't seem rattled. He wasn't really tested, but in part I think that is because he did a good job covering rebounds and getting the whistle. It should be quite a battle to get the start in net this season.

[dagies]

Maybe he had to play so much because Greene was always in the box.

[schmidtdoggydog]

Maybe he had to play so much because Greene was always in the box.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You could be right, but he did skate with Greene on several shifts, most of them penalty kill though.

[MafiaMan]

I was at Saturday's game and my theory on Greene is the same as it has always been. With 20 seconds left before the end of the second period, he takes a stupid penalty. With 2:43 left in the game, he AGAIN takes a penalty. Nice timing!

On a funny note, I did make some fans in section 219 chuckle. Prpich had a shot from the slot that almost hit the scoreboard about 50' in the air above and to the left of Volp. On the very next shift, he again cranks up a slapshot on the fly and almost nails the scoreboard again. He shook his head and skated away and I couldn't resist my window of opportunity:

"Hey Prpich...is that stick regulation size or what?"

Seriously, it looked like the shot from Happy Gilmore where Adam Sandler shattered the plexiglass in front of the coaches as they stood in the upper deck of the arena.

On another note, was anyone else surprised at how many empty seats were left in the MWCC? I believe there were 700-800 vacancies. Kinda surprising, I thought.

[Sioux-per Villain]

The past weekend was the first proof that the Sioux may be feeling the effects of the loses of Parise and Bochenski.(Hope it's an anomalie) Only generating 4 goals on 45 shots over the weekend against a team ranked eighted in the league is deplorable. The only aspect of their game that has been stellar is penalty killing which they're getting way too much practice at. They need guys like Stafford, Zajac, and Murray to step up their game against Minnesota or we'll likely get embarassed in own building this weekend. Minnesota is small (but fast) and inexperienced on defense with the exception of Briggs who is playing well. They must keep the game physical while staying out of the box. Clean, hard hits will slow down the Gophers in a hurry. Give Mn a few 5x3's and we're in trouble. With the way games are being called based on the new rules, it's looking more and more like the teams with strong and balanced special teams will reap the most rewards this season.

Go Sioux!