Great Lakes Tourney

[Heidisioux]

Guess I was just wishing I heard his name in there.  Is he playing next week?

[ScottM]

Good win for the team tonight ... although these third period collapses have got to stop.  Grrr.  Sounds like a decent effort for about 3/4ths of the game though, but they really need to play a full sixty minutes coming up.

I've heard Lundbohm MIGHT be back for Minnesota ... not sure how effective he would be or how many shifts he would play.  I hope the Sioux have a good, hard week of practice this week, as the gophers were in top form tonight and Ballard will be back.  Be nice to get one point out of this next series.  

[dagies]

Heidisioux, I have been wondering about the 3rd period thing too.

Here is my take on it.  The Sioux teams of the past were loaded with very fast forwards.  They ran other teams ragged in the first couple periods.  This years team has some speed, but not overwhelming.  But we do have more size.  We are not wearing other teams out at this time.  And our inexperience in showing in how we play with a lead.  Once we learn how to play with a lead better we'll be ok.

Any agree with me?  Disagree?

[ScottM]

I agree to a point, Dagies.  I don't really see it as a matter of speed or size, but more a matter of inexperience and a lack of on-ice leadership.  These guys get lazy and play it safe in the third, waiting for the clock to run down.  The other team gets one goal which creates a snowball of monetum going the other way.  They still haven't played a full sixty-minute game IMHO.  

If they really grind it out and play their offensive game all three periods, I suspect the third period naps will go away, but they have dig deep and keep the pressure up throughout the ENTIRE game.  The lack of experience translates into the "killer instinct" of a field mouse ...  It needs to improve or we are not going to finish in the top-five in the conference.

[dagies]

Overanalysis:

I wonder how this weekend;s games will affect the Sioux from here on.

We let MI back in the game, and MI takes it to us in OT.  But we squeek through with the win.

Tonite we allow State to get back in the game with a horrible last 9 minutes or so.  But we come out and play aggressive and take it to State in OT and we win the game.

After the game on the radio Skarperud said this team needs to learn how to play with a 1-2 goal lead.

Anyone think they might have learned something tonite?

[sprig]

I have a question.