SIOUX vs TIGERS (ROUND 2)

[WPoS]

GO GOPHERS! Sorry, had to be said!

I was up at the UAA/UMn game and was watching the scores from the WCHA...I was hoping for a split from this weekend for you, but looks like CC is a virtual lock for the regular season. Second place will be a tight fight between the Sioux and the MIGHTY GOPHERS! The Mavs WILL NOT hold on to the second or even third place....

Sounded like the green boys had a touch of the flu bug? Not just making excuses?

WPoS

[jk]

Obvious bias aside, cheering for MN this weekend doesn't make sense. CC is no longer UND's competition; MN, Mankato, SCSU and Denver are the teams UND should be concerned with. Finishing first or second is really a push - you get a terrible team the first weekend either way. Finishing third is worse as you get Tech (probably) or Duluth. Finishing fourth or lower gets you a tough first-round opponent and all the Final Five play-in problems.

UND needs to push for second or third now, which means cheering against MN (hard to do, I know).

That said, I think CC-MN is a split this weekend, as CC will have trouble getting sufficiently motivated after the big showdown weekend. Plus MN is good.

[sprig]

Obvious bias aside, cheering for MN this weekend doesn't make sense. UND needs to push for second or third now, which means cheering against MN (hard to do, I know).

Agree with Minnesota losing making more sense. Cheering against Minnesota a problem? Not a chance, since I don't have to live there

Besides, I like CC better (and Wisco, but don't tell anyone).

[jk]

sprig,

I usually don't use the smilies to indicate sarcasm. I just try to make my comments outlandish enough that they are taken that way. Just so I'm clear, it's usually not a problem to cheer against MN.

[U2Bad1]

I wouldn't say CC is a virtual lock for the regular season title QUITE yet.

[elmduf]

Luckily, there's a lot of fun things to do in the Springs. As disappointed as I was with this weekends results, I know the Sioux can play better and can be a #1 seed in the big show. Just because we lost this weekend doesn't mean that we couldn't beat CC in the playoffs. I'm sure Blais will have them ready to go for the rest of the season.

I think Minnesota is going to run into a buzzsaw next weekend in the World Arena. That'll probably lock the WCHA regular season up for CC and send the Gophers to 3rd place.

[jk]

One last thought on the CC series before this thread fades away.

The big four underclassmen with questions about which jersey they would wear in 2002-03 (IMO) were Taffe, Bayda, Sejna and Dubie. I thought Dubie staying would keep Denver at the top, but I guess he did miss some time with injury. MN has felt Taffe's absence.

This weekend we got to see (hear for me) what Sejna means to CC. Does anyone doubt that Ryan Bayda would be leading the nation in scoring and be right alongside Sejna as a Hobey frontrunner had he stayed at UND? I'm not playing the "what if" game, as I know many teams could re-draw their line charts to include players currently playing at a higher level. I'm just pointing out what I think is the reason CC seems to be the better team right now. They brought back their stud. Ours moved on to bigger things. Put Bayda in a Sioux jersey and the two teams are even. Do that and take Sejna away and the Sioux are superior.

One last thought, somewhat related. UND's first PP unit goes frosh, soph, soph, soph, junior. That's so young! The second team is senior, senior, soph, soph, someone else on the point (When Fylling was on the point Saturday it made for three sophs). They're having a fine year considering their youth.

[UND95]

Parise-Bochenski-Bayda. Wow, that would have been a pretty darn fun line to watch play hockey. Oh well, I hope Ryan gets a shot at the big's sometime soon. I always enjoyed watching him play.