Sioux to the ‘Zoo - UND @ WMU

[brianvf]

Huge huge series for both teams. 
Both fighting for both the Penrose and to retain/solidify their #1 seeds in the NPI. 
Will probably the best team that UND has faced all season, and it comes on the last weekend of the regular season. 
Should be a doozy!

[siouxfaninseattle]

It would be nice to win Friday and take the pressure off.

[cberkas]

Western Michigan need help from Arizona State to finish 2nd

[brianvf]

2 minutes ago, cberkas said:

Western Michigan need help from Arizona State to finish 2nd

I’m hoping ASU pulls off an upset on Friday to eliminate DU right off the bat. 

[cberkas]

2 minutes ago, brianvf said:

I’m hoping ASU pulls off an upset on Friday to eliminate DU right off the bat. 

I'm torn by do I want Omaha to pass ASU or do I want ASU to take points from Denver and Omaha finish last. it a dilemma, just like the meme trying to pick which button to push.  

[brianvf]

1 minute ago, cberkas said:

I'm torn by do I want Omaha to pass ASU or do I want ASU to take points from Denver and Omaha finish last. it a dilemma, just like the meme trying to pick which button to push.  

Yes for sure. And if UND wins the league, would we rather face UNO or ASU in the first round? ASU has the better top line, for sure. 

[dden3]

If this team plays anywhere close to their abilities, they just have to play the next team up.  No team out there has any outsized advantage against us. It's the other way around. 

[RedFrog]

While the playoffs don't officially begin for another week this is, in all reality, a playoff series.  This weekend will go a long way to showing if this team is a legitimate title contender or if they are just a good team that has a chance to make a run.

Question for the group:  Is this WMU team as good as last year's WMU team? 

Don't they have a couple key D-men out with significant injuries?

[jk]

It feels a little like when the vikes played Detroit at the end of the Darnold year.  Winner won the division and got the first overall seed in the conference, along with the bye.  Loser went on the road as the five seed.  

With two points, UND can lock up favorable conditions for the next few weeks.  Hoping the hard charging version makes the trip.

[brianvf]

57 minutes ago, RedFrog said:

Question for the group:  Is this WMU team as good as last year's WMU team? 

From what I've watched, they are not as good as last year.  But they are still very good and could certainly go on a run.
They've improved as the season has progressed.  Five of their eight losses happened in the first two months of the season.

Last year they just dominated teams.  Bump would get on the ice and just take over.
Their two JR transfers Wisdom and Whitelaw have been great for them this year helping take over some scoring.

[burd]

Anything less than a sweep is unacceptable. 

[ubish]

17 hours ago, RedFrog said:

While the playoffs don't officially begin for another week this is, in all reality, a playoff series.  This weekend will go a long way to showing if this team is a legitimate title contender or if they are just a good team that has a chance to make a run.

Question for the group:  Is this WMU team as good as last year's WMU team? 

Don't they have a couple key D-men out with significant injuries?

Definitely not as good as last season, but close.  We are really missing our top 2 D Vaisanen and Crusberg-Roseen.  Our young guys have stepped up but it's tough to replace two top guys like that.  

[ND_Texan]

After watching Western against CC this past weekend, they definitely can be had. If not for Western's goalie they would have been eliminated for the Penrose. They are tenacious forecheckers but not impressed at all with their D corps. They don't deserve a top seed in the regionals. I see a split and 3 points this weekend at worst. Raise the cup in the Zoo!

[ND_Texan]

12 hours ago, burd said:

Anything less than a sweep is unacceptable. 

[terbele]

Any suggestions on parking at Lawson, and pregame dining?

 

[cowboys5xsbs]

Get one win and lets get ready for the playoffs 

[Big Green]

44 minutes ago, ND_Texan said:

After watching Western against CC this past weekend, they definitely can be had. If not for Western's goalie they would have been eliminated for the Penrose. They are tenacious forecheckers but not impressed at all with their D corps. They don't deserve a top seed in the regionals. I see a split and 3 points this weekend at worst. Raise the cup in the Zoo!

Did you watch our team this weekend.  If so I'm not sure we deserve a top seed.  I'll gladly take a split and head home with the cup and home ice though out the NCHC playoffs.

 

[atxsioux]

21 minutes ago, Big Green said:

Did you watch our team this weekend.  If so I'm not sure we deserve a top seed.  I'll gladly take a split and head home with the cup and home ice though out the NCHC playoffs.

 

This team has 1 regulation loss in the calendar year of 2026. If they don't deserve a "1" seed then no team in the country does.

 

Yes defensive play was a bit loose but that's more of an abnormal thing for this team overall this year. They also put up 10 goals on the weekend to snap out of the "mini" little offensive funk they seemed to be in.

[skateshattrick]

33 minutes ago, atxsioux said:

This team has 1 regulation loss in the calendar year of 2026. If they don't deserve a "1" seed then no team in the country does.

 

Yes defensive play was a bit loose but that's more of an abnormal thing for this team overall this year. They also put up 10 goals on the weekend to snap out of the "mini" little offensive funk they seemed to be in.

^ This. Keep in mind that St. Cloud split with DU both at home and in Denver (2-2) and split with WMU at home (1-1). UND was 3-0-1 against SCSU. Also, WMU recently lost at home to Omaha on January 31 and lost to Miami in OT on February 6. WMU is good, but can be beaten. The key will be goaltending. It may be a race to 3 goals.

[Big Green]

39 minutes ago, atxsioux said:

This team has 1 regulation loss in the calendar year of 2026. If they don't deserve a "1" seed then no team in the country does.

 

Yes defensive play was a bit loose but that's more of an abnormal thing for this team overall this year. They also put up 10 goals on the weekend to snap out of the "mini" little offensive funk they seemed to be in.

I was responding to the fact you think Western doesn't deserve a #1 seed because you watched how they played this last weekend.  We didn't play the greatest over the weekend.  Western also only has 1 regulation loss since the calendar turned.  They are a very good team and very deserving on a #1 seed based on the has they have played this year.

I expect to seen them a couple more times this year.  Hoping for one in GF and the other in LV.

 

 

[Wilbur]

ASU playing for their lives in Denver is a good thing.  At the same time we should expect no help from them and have the mindset of 3 points or bust.  

Got to expect to win on Friday night at Lawson.  Good late season test at a difficult arena to play in.  Lets get our d zone tightened up.  Playoff mentality from here on out.  

[brianvf]

16 minutes ago, Wilbur said:

Got to expect to win on Friday night at Lawson.  Good late season test at a difficult arena to play in.  Lets get our d zone tightened up.  Playoff mentality from here on out.  

Liver gets a hatty and totally ticks off the WMU student section due to his number.    

[fightingsioux4life]

54 minutes ago, skateshattrick said:

^ This. Keep in mind that St. Cloud split with DU both at home and in Denver (2-2) and split with WMU at home (1-1). UND was 3-0-1 against SCSU. Also, WMU recently lost at home to Omaha on January 31 and lost to Miami in OT on February 6. WMU is good, but can be beaten. The key will be goaltending. It may be a race to 3 goals.

This is a tough league. Big boy hockey. Not like the B1G with two good teams and five mediocre teams.

[Blackheart]

52 minutes ago, brianvf said:

Liver gets a hatty and totally ticks off the WMU student section due to his number.    

What was the deal with his number again?

[brianvf]

1 minute ago, Blackheart said:

What was the deal with his number again?

For whatever reason, the WMU student section heckles whatever opposing player is wearing #4.