Fighting Sioux vs. Minnesota Game Thread

[SiouxAddict]

Couple take aways from the X last night:

1. Gopher fans remain the most arrogant of all WCHA fans. The entitlement attitude is so sickening. The state of hockey? Please, one need only travel straight north about 7 or 8 hours and you'll see a state or province rather of hockey.

2. The officiating in this league is terrible and favors MN. We did not lose because of officiating, we lost because MN played a very frustrating defensive styled game last night and took us off ours. Lucia deserves props, he clearly studied how you beat the Sioux and executed his plan perfectly. It was just like Wisconsin, Tech, Anchorage and Maine did to us this year. He is an outstanding hockey coach.

3. Gopher fans are whiners. You'd think we were watching girls hockey or basketball given the way that they whine over every bit of contact. If you didn't want to get hit, you should've joined the band.

4. Gopher fans honestly do not see talent if it is not in maroon and gold. I actually heard someone say Toews "really isn't that good." Not that good? He is in the top five nationally in points per game, he lead Canada to a World Junior gold medal last year ( his second). Oh, and how old is he? He is still 18!!!!!

5. Gopher fans do not understand the difference between winning and kicking someone's a$$. 3-2 in OT on a miracle goal ( great hard work by Wheeler to get the shot off) in not an a$$ kicking. Wasn't it RE who said the harder he worked the luckier he got? Wheeler finally played like a first round pick this weekend. First time in his career imo.

6. The X is mariucci 2. The X is a great venue, but it is in the backyard of the rodent fans. You can see why the Gophs have had the success there. the stupid M-I-N-N-E... chant was as loud at the X as it ever is in Mpls. It sickens me.

Um, let's have some "reality checks" here!

1. "The State of Hockey" is a marketing slogan for the MN Wild. There is, arguably, some validity, since so many D1 players come from MN (look at the Sioux roster, which has EIGHT players from MN, and every Sioux team has someone from MN on the caliber of Oshie, Parise, etc. Look at the rosters of most WCHA teams, and you'll find alot of quality kids from MN. Canada, of course, sends alot more. But we're American, and we like to think we can stand on our own, don't we?

2. Ask the Gopher fans about officiating last night. Both Sioux goals on the PP, a regulation goal called of for the Gophs. Officiating played little factor in the outcome last night. Or most nights - every team has fans who whine about officiating whenever they lose.

3. The fans may have complained about the physical nature of last night's game, but nary a word from the Gopher PLAYERS.

4. I heard nothing of the sort from ANY Gopher fans at the X last night. If anything, they envied us taking the likes of Oshie and Finley away from them, and before them the Parise boys, etc. And I heard ALOT of praise about the Sioux team, and how surprised they were that they won the game.

5. Where'd that come from? I didn't hear anyone say anything about "kicking someone's a$$" Even a casual observer of last night's game HAD to appreciate a closely fought contest, played as closely as the score reflected.

6. I'll give you this one! Twice as loud as Mariucci? Prolly because the 19,600 some odd fans as about twice the size of Maricucci's 10k seating. Certainly gives a "home ice" feeling for the Gophs, but it has to be someplace that size to house the interest in WCHA FF. Could be in Denver or Milwaukee, but in the area there aren't many arenas big enough.

[wjt]

Only a Sioux fan is dumb enough to whine about the refs favoring Minnesota and then follow it up by asserting that Gopher fans are whiners. God you're dumb.

you really are dumb....how sad to complain gopher fans when all you guys guys do it bitch ten times as bad(if not worse) than any gopher fan. whoever said toews is not talented doesnt know hockey obviously.....he is a GOOD player and he is definitley respected. as far as officiating goes, give me a break!! i dont think anyone should have called that game an a$$ kicking but to say that shot was a "miracle" is WAY off IMO. that shot took a hell of a lot of concentration and talent to get that much on it while laying out on the ice. a little lucky??? maybe, but miracle......i dont think so. about being in the gophers backyard.....boo hoo!!

p.s. saying that the rouser sickens you is pure bush league

[dakotadan]

Don't tell me these games don't count. It goes on the record so it does count. Don't be like the Gopher fans and try to down play a major loss. That's foolish.

I never posted that!

[Sioux87]

you really are dumb....how sad to complain gopher fans when all you guys guys do it bitch ten times as bad(if not worse) than any gopher fan. whoever said toews is not talented doesnt know hockey obviously.....he is a GOOD player and he is definitley respected. as far as officiating goes, give me a break!! i dont think anyone should have called that game an a$$ kicking but to say that shot was a "miracle" is WAY off IMO. that shot took a hell of a lot of concentration and talent to get that much on it while laying out on the ice. a little lucky??? maybe, but miracle......i dont think so. about being in the gophers backyard.....boo hoo!!

p.s. saying that the rouser sickens you is pure bush league

Get off our board! You whiney little brat!

[UNDhockey22]

buckysieve- Normally I don't respond to you because most of your posts are basically picking apart other posts only for statements that you find derisive so that you can find ways to be derisive right back (I think the dictionary calls that "petty"). Anyways, Gopher fans don't like physical games, which is because the Gophers generally don't. In any case, it only stands to reason that a big hit by a non-Gopher player on a Gopher player would result in boos and "That should be called." The only thing that was wrong in the post you quoted was the implication that all Gopher fans are whiners. They aren't. A lot are. Just like there are a lot of arrogant ones who can't see quality in other hockey programs unless they are forced to (like when the Gophers are thoroughly trounced). The Sioux lost last night on a fluke goal scored by a player who finally showed the talent that Gretzky saw in him. It only took the better part of 2 seasons at the U to show up. Good for him.

nicknack- I think you got that mixed up. Irman's jersey pop was called "classlessness" on the part of him. I'm much more inclined to dismiss Wheeler's jersey pop because of the circumstances and the location in which he did it. You don't go to someone else's place and act in a manner that isn't sportsmanlike. It would be like going over to your boss' house for dinner and bragging about how much better you can cook than the boss can. It just isn't something you do. Wheeler's jersey pop, though I don't like it, was done in front of a buch of Gopher fans near the boards as he went to the boards to acknowledge those fans. It wasn't at center ice or in the middle of the ice. And it wasn't a very big jersey pop. I don't like it but I won't make it a big deal. Irman's jersey pop was classless. PERIOD.

The goal was scored last night because Brian Lee did not give 100% effort on the play. Give anything less than 100% against a player like Blake Wheeler and things like this are bound to happen. It is no different than the goal scored the 1980 Olympics against the Soviets. A routine dump in, everyone feels the play is over, and the next thing you know, the pucks in the net.

[yzerman19]

I am U of MN alum, Carlson both undergrad and grad school, and I have always hated the rouser.

I don't like the name calling. Make a statement, don't call me dumb. It is infantile. Also, this is the Sioux board, I am not posting on any Gopher sites.

I did hear the comments, and I was bashing what I heard. The shot was a miracle. I gave Wheeler props for the effort, but to just take a whack at the puck and have it pick the far corner, one in fifty, maybe one in a hundred.

[The Sicatoka]

The team that played Saturday night was not the team that played Friday afternoon.

Too many penalties.

There were a couple of sightings of Porter's line, but not enough.

And Kaip's line was MIA.

Full, full, effort for 60, mental and physical, from everyone, and nothing else, from here out, will do.

[SiouxAddict]

I don't really see what's the big deal about a jersey pop....? Is it really that bad?

I don't get it...

Exactly. He's a MN kid, playing for MN, IN MN.

This is just petty, looking for something to criticize after a loss. We're better than that!

[sioux7>5]

Only a Sioux fan is dumb enough to whine about the refs favoring Minnesota and then follow it up by asserting that Gopher fans are whiners. God you're dumb.

Why don't you go back in to your brothers basement and sponge of him so more and Shut-up.

[sioux7>5]

you really are dumb....how sad to complain gopher fans when all you guys guys do it bitch ten times as bad(if not worse) than any gopher fan. whoever said toews is not talented doesnt know hockey obviously.....he is a GOOD player and he is definitley respected. as far as officiating goes, give me a break!! i dont think anyone should have called that game an a$$ kicking but to say that shot was a "miracle" is WAY off IMO. that shot took a hell of a lot of concentration and talent to get that much on it while laying out on the ice. a little lucky??? maybe, but miracle......i dont think so. about being in the gophers backyard.....boo hoo!!

p.s. saying that the rouser sickens you is pure bush league

Goof fans are the worst in the WCHA by far. But even wheeler said that he was just trying to whack the puck. So Yes it is a miracle. A nice effort but as lucky as they come.

If you do not like what is said here go and post on GPL.com and you and all the other Goofs can practe your spelling together.

[forecheck]

5. Where'd that come from? I didn't hear anyone say anything about "kicking someone's a$$" Even a casual observer of last night's game HAD to appreciate a closely fought contest, played as closely as the score reflected.

I agree a lot with what SiouxAddict said, except #5. I had a LOT, and I mean a lot, of Gopher fans harassing me about getting our asses handed to us when I was walking down 7th to meet up with friends last night. And I like a little razzing and can take it all pretty well (just ask WPoS), but the fans I was running into were downright beligerent. Granted, the flow of St. Patty's Day booze probably had a lot to do with it all, but I just kept thinking that Gopher fans have a short memory of the series that took place in Marriuci a month ago.

But the Gopher fans behind me made many remarks about the talent of some of the Sioux players, even if they did tell me to sit down every time I stood up to cheer for my team.

[Siouxfan09]

Sorry to go off the subject.....but did anyone by chance record the game?? I would love to have a copy of it.....just let me know.

[yzerman19]

Thanks for the backing

I was trying to be reasonable in my assessments. It is clear that reason is out of the question for many Gopher fans. I gave props to Lucia and to Wheeler for the win.

I bashed the officiating, because there were clearly some bad calls. The extra penalty for Chorney after the cheap shot on Duncan really got me going.

To argue that the waived off goal supports fair officiating is ridiculous. That call is not subjective; as all goals are reviewed, and Lucia definitely was harassing Phil. Was it the most blatent GT interference ever? No, but he was definitely in the crease and made contact with Phil. The subjective calls, penalties, were heavily lop-sided towards the Goofs in that first period. It started to even out, but 8 to 5 is not right.

MN is clearly an elite program, but many Gopher fans seem to believe that it is the only elite program. When you challenge that with statistics such as the fact that three teams in the same conference have won more NCAA titles you get comments back like "you're dumb".

Many Gopher backers don't seem to know hockey. Many do, and they are usually fine to deal with. It is the others, like the ones who want a Big ten hockey conference, who frustrate me. I guess due to being the laughing stock of the big ten in football and basketball, the Gopher sports clowns have moved their support to hockey.

The logic is always so corrupt, before the wins in 2002 and 2003, MN hadn't won a title since 1979. That's 23 years by my math, I was educated at the U of M, so maybe my math isn't the best, but I think I'm right. You'd think that without winning in 23 years you would be somewhat humbled, but not so with la Gophere.

MN won two very close contests this weekend. I don't know how much they have left.

[sioux7>5]

Sorry to go off the subject.....but did anyone by chance record the game?? I would love to have a copy of it.....just let me know.

I did but did not get the OT for some reason.

[SiouxFanatic]

MN won two very close contests this weekend. I don't know how much they have left.

In my opinion I think the game wasn't really close at all. The Gophers dominated the Sioux on 5x5 play and they were skating around our defenseman like they were pylons. It could've been a win if the team kept there emotions in check and didn't commit all those penalties in the first. If we didn't score those two powerplay goals it could've easily been 3-0 gophers.

[redwing77]

The goal was scored last night because Brian Lee did not give 100% effort on the play. Give anything less than 100% against a player like Blake Wheeler and things like this are bound to happen. It is no different than the goal scored the 1980 Olympics against the Soviets. A routine dump in, everyone feels the play is over, and the next thing you know, the pucks in the net.

So THAT is why Wheeler was able to just skate in and score!

I must have watched the wrong replay. Which was the one where Wheeler shot the puck in the only spot the puck could have gone in the net (the rest was covered by Lammy) while basically flying through the air? Was it the first goal?

If Lee got beat, then I HIGHLY doubt Wheeler would have had to whack it at the net. He would have simply skated in and did some nifty move and beaten Lammy.

Wheeler takes that shot 10 times from that angle with those circumstances and he misses them 9 times. He got lucky. And Lee wasn't a part of it.

But it is a good example of forgetting how Lee got into that position. But then again, criticizing Chorney for an ill timed drop pass is hardly worthwhile because he's the golden child while Lee is the whipping boy.

Please. Rewatch the WHOLE play. Chorney is just as culpable as Lee is but I only see ONE poster commenting on that.

It's a fluke goal even Wheeler aparently thought of as a fluke. But blame Lee if it makes you feel better. You're wrong, but sometimes, I guess, being wrong makes you feel better.

[yzerman19]

We definitely tried to be too pretty at times. The drop pass from the D is about as stupid as it gets!!!! Drop pass to the D not from the D.

Where was the Fabian Kaip connection last night?

Porter played well on the pk, but we were definitely spending too much time killing penalties.

MN shut down our high powered O. They played an unusual style for Gopher hockey last night. I used to think that POI stood for Prima donnas On Ice. Last night they looked like a grind it our working class team. That is scary.

Who needs to step it up: Brad Miller. The man has been a non-factor down the stretch run. Come on buddy!!!

Best player in the WCHA skill wise: Jon Toews.

Best defenseman in the WCHA offensive skill wise: Taylor Chorney

Best sniper: Ryan Duncan

Most fun to watch: TJ Oshie

Let's go Sioux

[Dean]

Um, let's have some "reality checks" here!

1. "The State of Hockey" is a marketing slogan for the MN Wild. There is, arguably, some validity, since so many D1 players come from MN (look at the Sioux roster, which has EIGHT players from MN, and every Sioux team has someone from MN on the caliber of Oshie, Parise, etc. Look at the rosters of most WCHA teams, and you'll find alot of quality kids from MN. Canada, of course, sends alot more. But we're American, and we like to think we can stand on our own, don't we?

2. Ask the Gopher fans about officiating last night. Both Sioux goals on the PP, a regulation goal called of for the Gophs. Officiating played little factor in the outcome last night. Or most nights - every team has fans who whine about officiating whenever they lose.

3. The fans may have complained about the physical nature of last night's game, but nary a word from the Gopher PLAYERS.

4. I heard nothing of the sort from ANY Gopher fans at the X last night. If anything, they envied us taking the likes of Oshie and Finley away from them, and before them the Parise boys, etc. And I heard ALOT of praise about the Sioux team, and how surprised they were that they won the game.

5. Where'd that come from? I didn't hear anyone say anything about "kicking someone's a$$" Even a casual observer of last night's game HAD to appreciate a closely fought contest, played as closely as the score reflected.

6. I'll give you this one! Twice as loud as Mariucci? Prolly because the 19,600 some odd fans as about twice the size of Maricucci's 10k seating. Certainly gives a "home ice" feeling for the Gophs, but it has to be someplace that size to house the interest in WCHA FF. Could be in Denver or Milwaukee, but in the area there aren't many arenas big enough.

Kudos to Sioux Addict for setting the facts straight. It gets rather sickening reading posts about a officiating conspiracy against the Sioux by the likes of yzerman19, SiouxHabit, and Goon.

[yzerman19]

I want the refs to let 'em play. Did you know that more than the Sioux are upset about the officiating seeming to be pro-Gopher. There has been a grievence filed with the WCHA regardign officiating by a number of schools. To my knowledge, UND is not one of them.

I don't blame the officials for losing last night. I just think it was poor officiating. There is holding, hooking and interference on every shift. You don't need to call it all. I like a fast loose game, and that was not what we had last night.

2 Sioux goals on the PP, yup, on 5 man advantages. MN had 8.

Goal disallowed: yup following a mandatory objective replay.

I take offense to the Duncan cheap shot and would've ordered the code red.

[farce poobah]

One of the things that makes games with Minnesota so frustrating to watch - for fans of both teams - is that these coaches and teams know each other so well.

Minnesota was reading our plays and getting guys into position to intercept passes, cut off lanes, and so on. UND's penalty kill was all over what Minnesota tries to do and stopping them from doing that.

What I observed, or more accurately "think I observed", is that both coaching staffs decided not to make the adjustments to what each team was doing. Heck, Minnesota saw what we were doing on the PK and could have changed their attack in response. They didn't. Same thing on our breakouts and neutral zone; we didn't really change what we were doing.

Interested in what other people saw. Or what they think they saw.

[siouxnami]

Go Sioux Go!

Another good showing. Now starts our 4 game win streak!

[Dean]

I like a fast loose game, and that was not what we had last night.

You can't be serious. I saw a completely different game, then.

[buckysieve]

I want the refs to let 'em play. Did you know that more than the Sioux are upset about the officiating seeming to be pro-Gopher. There has been a grievence filed with the WCHA regardign officiating by a number of schools. To my knowledge, UND is not one of them.

I don't blame the officials for losing last night. I just think it was poor officiating. There is holding, hooking and interference on every shift. You don't need to call it all. I like a fast loose game, and that was not what we had last night.

2 Sioux goals on the PP, yup, on 5 man advantages. MN had 8.

Goal disallowed: yup following a mandatory objective replay.

I take offense to the Duncan cheap shot and would've ordered the code red.

That was not a cheap shot. An interference penalty probably, but definitely not a cheap shot.

And did it ever occur to you that Minnesota had more power plays because they outplayed the Sioux five on five, therefore drawing more penalties? The shots were 31-15 the last two periods and the Gophers outscored the Sioux 3-0 five on five. They were the better team and usually the better team will draw more penalties.

[yzerman19]

Here's what I saw last night:

Minnesota's game plan seemed to be to frustrate the DOT line with their top line and let the game get decided by lines 2-4. MN clogged up the ice well and didn't give anyone time or space. When the Sioux had time and space with the man advantage, they made them pay.

MN also was doing some hail Mary type breakouts with one winger just going gang busters ala the Wheeler goal.

MN seemed to be very effective at cutting off the passing lanes and then going after the puck handler.

MN used the body very well and really set the tone of the game.

The aggressive UND forecheck was beaten by the speed of MN. I think the forwards couldn't cycle and grind and hit the corners hard due to the Gophers great ability to transition.

MN is a very good team and they played their game last night. The Sioux needed to play theirs, and they did not.

[SiouxAddict]

I want the refs to let 'em play. Did you know that more than the Sioux are upset about the officiating seeming to be pro-Gopher. There has been a grievence filed with the WCHA regardign officiating by a number of schools. To my knowledge, UND is not one of them.

I don't blame the officials for losing last night. I just think it was poor officiating. There is holding, hooking and interference on every shift. You don't need to call it all. I like a fast loose game, and that was not what we had last night.

2 Sioux goals on the PP, yup, on 5 man advantages. MN had 8.

Goal disallowed: yup following a mandatory objective replay.

I take offense to the Duncan cheap shot and would've ordered the code red.

Truth be told, for ANY high-spirited, emotional game (i.e. ANY Sioux/Gopher game, ESPECIALLY in title, or tournament, game), the officials have to walk a tightrop: "let them play," and the fights get ugly and play gets unnecessarily out-of-control; "call it all," and gameplay is slow and boring. I was at the X last night, and thought the refs were about average - they failed to call some outrageous acts, then (perhaps trying to make up for it) called some bogus penalties. But the play was aggressive by both teams, tempers were flaring, and fists were winding up for a brawl - had the refs "let it go," we might have had some game misconducts called, and had some key players miss round one at region tourney.

I absolutely HATE seeing Shepherd reffing when we play! But would you be surprised that he's also one of the most hated refs on the boards for other WCHA teams, including the Gophers? That's probably because he ALWAYS calls the close plays - that's just his way. Not anti-Sioux, just calls the penalties more aggressively than others.

I would have LOVED to have won last night (and I SURE thought we were going to, especially during the last 10 seconds of regulation play, where the boys tried DESPERATELY to put it on net, while the Gophs lapsed into thinking it was going to OT, and seemed content to try to freeze it behind their own net!), but the refs didn't beat us, the Gopher players did. Let's hope for another shot at region finals (and meanwhile, beat the hell out of Michigan in the first round! Don't lose sight of that, Sioux players!!!)

GO SIOUX!!!