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Troubled Sports fan...


TinyTimmay

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So, I'm not even sure if I should have posted this as a topic or not, but I figured it would get some pretty good input from a variety of people. I grew up in Fargo, played soccer as a kid, never learned how to skate, so I never had much of an interest in hockey. Until that is, I got little bit older and started to really appreciate what a great game it is. So I started looking for teams to root for on all different levels. Ice Sharks in the USHL, Wild on the pro level, but who to go for in the college scene? Well, I grew up a Bison fan through and through, hated the Sioux in everything, and really didn't care about anything ya'll had up there in GF. But over the last few years, and even more recently with the SU move to D1, my hatred has...somewhat...diminished. I have plenty of friends up in GF that are huge Sioux hockey fans, and I had gone to several games at the old Ralph. So with all that I want to say this. Until NDSU gets hockey (in like 20 yrs), what would be wrong with me, being a ND boy, rooting for the Sioux, hating the Gophers, not being able to stand the likes of a loafing rodent named Vanek, watching Brian Lee at MHS, thinking he'll look great in green ? If anyone objects to this line of thinking, let me know, because I feel like I'm at a bit of a crossroads... ???

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walk toward the Kelly Green and White light my son...You are at the gates of sports heaven!! Yes, it's not quite like the old Ralph these days but when the hockey is good, the arena is packed, and the opponent is reeling - there is NO SPORT in North Dakota (on any "level") that's like Sioux Hockey!! Unlike what you'd think reading these boards, fan allegiance isn't always an either/or situation...maybe you can be the Mahatma Ghandi of I-29 ??? Now say amen, hit the highway north once in a while and DON'T FORGET YOUR WALLET! :angry:

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So, I'm not even sure if I should have posted this as a topic or not, but I figured it would get some pretty good input from a variety of people. I grew up in Fargo, played soccer as a kid, never learned how to skate, so I never had much of an interest in hockey. Until that is, I got little bit older and started to really appreciate what a great game it is. So I started looking for teams to root for on all different levels. Ice Sharks in the USHL, Wild on the pro level, but who to go for in the college scene? Well, I grew up a Bison fan through and through, hated the Sioux in everything, and really didn't care about anything ya'll had up there in GF. But over the last few years, and even more recently with the SU move to D1, my hatred has...somewhat...diminished. I have plenty of friends up in GF that are huge Sioux hockey fans, and I had gone to several games at the old Ralph. So with all that I want to say this. Until NDSU gets hockey (in like 20 yrs), what would be wrong with me, being a ND boy, rooting for the Sioux, hating the Gophers, not being able to stand the likes of a loafing rodent named Vanek, watching Brian Lee at MHS, thinking he'll look great in green ? If anyone objects to this line of thinking, let me know, because I feel like I'm at a bit of a crossroads... ???

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Now you actually have something to look forward every weekend other than bissssson bb. Really what would you rather do? Go to a Sioux hockey game vs. Minnesota or Wisconsin or watch the bissson get pumped by Mankato State.

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Hey Tinytammay, We will see who gets hockey first,Rutgers or North Dakota State. After years of waiting,I finally gave up the wish of Rutgers starting a Division 1 hockey program and started rooting for North Dakota hockey. Almost everyone on the board(I can only think of one exception) has been very welcoming to me. I am sure I have asked, and will in the future, ask Fighting Sioux real obvious questions, but they answer them for me anyway. I have been able to catch a couple games on tv here in New Jersey and hope with cstv and the new espnu starting in March that I will be able to follow the team more closely.One Sioux fan was so great that he sent me a book about North Dakota hockey. On behalf of all the North Dakota Fighting Sioux hockey fans in New Jersey---Welcome!

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Hey Tinytammay, We will see who gets hockey first,Rutgers or North Dakota State. After years of waiting,I finally gave up the wish of Rutgers starting a Division 1 hockey program and started rooting for North Dakota hockey. Almost everyone on the board(I can only think of one exception) has been very welcoming to me. I am sure I have asked, and will in the future, ask Fighting Sioux real obvious questions, but they answer them for me anyway. I have been able to catch a couple games on tv here in New Jersey and hope with cstv and the new espnu starting in March that I will be able to follow the team more closely.One Sioux fan was so great that he sent me a book about North Dakota hockey. On behalf of all the North Dakota Fighting Sioux hockey fans in New Jersey---Welcome!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm in the same boat as you man. Really wish that GVSU would get ourselves a hockey team. It would be fun, plus, it will give us Lakers on more sport to bash Ferris in. :angry: I've got no reason to hate the Sioux Hockey. I just wish you guys would play Michigan teams a little more. Any chance of you guys playing somewhere between Chicago and Detroit this year?? ???

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I am also relatively new to hockey. I went to UND from 1996 to 2000 and attended several hockey games each year, basically because it seemed like the thing to do, it was free to students back then, and just to pass the time. I was lucky enough to marry a woman who is a sports nut like me! We now have season tickets to football, attend a few basketball games, and have secured tickets to several hockey games. I really don't know much about hockey, and have more than a few dumb questions that I am too embarrassed to even ask. But one that I would really like someone to explain to me right away is the point system for the standings. Our record doesn't matter, it depends upon how many points a team accumulates? How does a team get points?

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How does a team get points?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The WCHA plays a 28-game schedule. Ten teams. Play five opponents four times each, four opponents twice each. That's 28 games.

Each win counts for two points. A tie counts for one point for each team. Losses draw the goose egg.

By this math, a team that finishes 28-0 in league play would have 56 points. Unheard of, of course.

A team that finishes 18-6-4 would have 40 points. Likely enough for a McNaughton Cup.

Hope that helps. Of course, I could be wrong on any number of fronts.

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I've came across SiouxSports.com several months ago and found it a great way to get the feeling of what's going on with Fighting Sioux hockey and their fans. All of the regular posters seem to be great fans and open to hear from all (except Gopher fans, especially those ignorant ones).

Born in Jamestown and living in Michigan since 1972 I developed a love for Sioux hockey 5-6 years ago (where have I been?). Can't skate worth a darn and apparently embarass my boys (who play hockey) when I'm on the ice with them. Grinning from ear to ear and telling everyone who'd listen what a great team UND was when the Sioux took the Great Lakes Invitational several years ago. I wear my Fighting Sioux jerseys, hats, coats, etc whenever I go to the annual MSU-UM game at the Joe, the CCHA Super Six and the OHL games in Saginaw. Every time I get more than several comments from people who say what a great team UND is. Quite often I get asked if I played at UND but I have to tell them I'm a only a fan.

Hoping for the best for the Sioux season, will be watching the post, reading with interest, and maybe add a few words if I have something intelligent to say. Good job to this web site and to all of the fans!

Go Fighting Sioux!!!

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Thanks NorthDakotaHockey, that helps.  One more thing, how do they decide which five they play four times and which four they play twice?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I probably ain't smart or pretty enough to get this one right so will stand to be corrected. Because of the size of the league, apparently there is no more desire to play a 36-game schedule like they did years and years ago, back when the league had ND, Denver, CC, Minnesota, Michigan Tech, Northern Michigan, Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, and yes, Notre Dame. I think that I have this line-up right.

Anyways, now the league round robins, or rotates, the teams that only go with two game schedules. A couple of years ago, we only played at the Gophers. This year, they only play here. I think that everyone rotates. In other words, there are no designated "natural rivalries" that always get a four game season series.

With only 28 league games, there is now room in the schedule holiday tournaments, for trips out East, or to schedule in other teams itching for a taste of a WCHA lickin'.

I could be wrong, but will probably only be mistaken.

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From augenblick.org . . . . some interesting stuff . . . .

-----------------------------

History of the WCHA

The WCHA was born as the Midwest Collegiate Hockey League in 1951 by Colorado College, Denver, Michigan, Michigan State, Michigan Tech., Minnesota and North Dakota. After two seasons, the league changed its name to the Western Intercollegiate Hockey League, which more aptly described its geographical location.

The league was the dominant force in college hockey throughout the 1950s, winning all but the 1954 NCAA Championship. Michigan won six titles in that decade alone. But in 1958 the conference broke up, due to a disagreement over recruiting practices. Minnesota and all three Michigan schools accused Denver, North Dakota and Colorado College of recruiting overage Canadians. This practice did not violate the league's (or the NCAA's) rules, but was not in the spirit of the league. In the end, the four 'M' schools would withdraw from the league. As a consequence, there was no league play during the 1958-59 season.

The Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) was officially founded in 1959. All the schools agreed that the lack of a league hurt western college hockey. This time, though, it would be a more informal association, allowing schools to schedule whatever opponents they wanted. Denver and Minnesota, still bitter over the previous year's feud, did not schedule each other and would not meet on the ice for over a decade.

Michigan Tech. and Denver, who won four and three league titles respectively, dominated the next seven seasons. The conference expanded adding Minnesota-Duluth in 1966, Wisconsin in 1969 and Notre Dame in 1971. The 1960s and 1970s would see overwhelming WCHA superiority in NCAA play, with the conference winning all the NCAA titles except for 1967, 1971-72 and 1978.

The WCHA became more formal in 1973, when the league office assumed all conference scheduling. A plan was passed in 1979 to split the conference into two divisions as a cost-cutting move, but was rescinded three months later. Then, in 1981, Michigan, Michigan State, Michigan Tech. and Notre Dame all defected to the CCHA. The loss of Michigan Tech. was a double blow, as they took the MacNaughton Cup, presented to the WCHA Champion every year, along with them.

The WCHA survived as a six-team league, then expanded again in 1984 when Michigan Tech. returned (with the MacNaughton Cup), and brought Northern Michigan with them. The same year saw the start of an interlocking schedule with Hockey East, which lasted for five seasons. All inter-conference games counted in each conference's standings.

Recent developments saw the adoption of a single-site final four (later five) format for the tournament, starting with 1988 in St. Paul. St. Cloud joined as the conference's ninth member in 1990. Northern Michigan won the 1991 NCAA Tournament and North Dakota won the 1997 tournament, making it 30 times a WCHA team has been crowned the national champion. Alaska-Anchorage became the tenth conference member in 1993-94, the same season that Colorado College won the first of three consecutive league titles, the first team to do so and their first titles since the 1956-57 season. Following the end of the 1996-97 season Northern Michigan departed the WCHA, rejoining the CCHA, and Mankato State participated in the WCHA tournament for the first time the following season. In 1998 Mankato State (now MSU-Mankato) was voted in as the league's newest member and began play in the fall of 1999.

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