Last game reviews...ponder the season

[01grad]

Our last game of the season really exemplified what went wrong the entire second half of the schedule. We couldn't put the puck in the net when we had the chance (ex. 2, 5-3 in last two games nothing to show power plays didn't happen) our defense couldn't keep the puck in to give us second chances (although David Hale threw bodies all over the ice, which was nice to see) and the entire country saw our goaltending woes (although some of the goals were unstoppable and Brandt should have stayed in the game, screw the changing goalies to motivate the team idea, Brandt didn't even have a chance on the majority of his goals, Siembida let in that soft goal when we just started to make a comeback, Blais slapped the glass in disgust). If we could have done these things right we would have had a chance. Oh yeah, the pipes weren't friendly again. I can't believe the idiot gopher fans were giving the Mercyhurst girls such a tough time. I give them credit for standing by their team and sticking it out. I hope the gophers get pounded by Ferris and we can throw the win in their face tomorrow. It will be tough to recover from such an easy game. If Ferris can start out quick, they could hold on to win. I can't wait for next year. It won't come siouxn enough! It was great to see all of the Sioux fans there tonight. Don't give up, Blais will work these kinks out for next year, he knows what he is doing up there. I don't want to see an East team win the entire thing, so I think I will now pull for Colorado. They deserve it the most now.

It still was an exciting season to follow.

WAY TO GO GUYS, GOOD LUCK GRADUATES, THE REST WE HAD BETTER SEE BACK NEXT YEAR!

SIOUX FAN FOREVER!!!

[kiork]

I just wanted to be the first person to post on Siouxsports.com from Japan.

Obligitory hockey content:

From reading about the game, I think it sounds like this game was representative of the season. I look forward to another year already. How many days away?

[bertibm]

I still think your Fowards played good tonight, the D sucked

[denbo1]

GET OVER IT, IT'S NOT THE GOALIES FAULT.

IF YOU CAN'T SCORE MORE THAN TWO GOALS.

YOU CAN TURN THE PUCK OVER IN YOUR OWN ZONE.

JUST STARTING TO MAKE A MOVE AND YOU GIVE UP THE PUCK TWICE RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE GOALIE.

GIVE IT UP, BLAME SOMEONE OTHER THAN THE GOALIE.

I THINK EVERYONE HAS OUR NUMBER. MTU, UMD, MSU.

WE'RE LUCKY ALASKA DIDN'T GET THE TAPES, OR WE WOULD HAVE LOST TO THEM.

[NorthDakotaHockey]

A tough, tough loss to swallow. A handful of observations . . . .

1. The Sioux either got bad luck, or got no luck at all.

2. We need a goaltender to step up next year. Could be Brandt. We have a couple of recruits in tow?

3. Graduation losses are minimal. I do not see anyone else leaving early, especially after the downturn in production the last half of the season.

4. Gopher fans, although fanatical and loyal, are not nearly as fanatical or loyal as are Sioux fans. No question. No doubt.

5. Some Gopher fans set a bad example for the rest of them. Some are simply unsophisticated, do not understand the game, have little to no creativity, and have an Iraqi's command of the English language.

6. Example? Here is just one of many. My kids and I sat near the ice in Section 5. One Gopher fan, who I shall call "Biggie Fry" because he was popping out of one of those UGLY Gopher jerseys, kept it up with the four letters, nothing particularly egregious, but enough to annoy me enough to give him the "Watch the Language" chant. That put his snout back in his bag of mini-donuts. Anyway, what is the purpose, or need, to still be riding a Mercyhurst goalie mercilessly, with incivil and sometimes profane chants, when your team is riding an 8-0 lead? It's not like it was an epic WCHA struggle where one might be justified in riding a goalie a shade, albeit with clever and clean retorts.

7. This same clown was shot down early by a nearby Sioux fan who told him to "Buy a bigger jersey!" Funny. He shut up until several of his other dehorn buddies showed up, at which point he became emboldened enough to get on Parise for going to the "wrong" school.

8. My point? Some Gopher fans make a bad name for all Gopher fans. These types ought to have their legs taped to a chair and be made to eat spaghetti until their jerseys burst. I am sure that many Gopher fans who know and understand the game, both on the ice and in the stands, would agree.

9. Who to cheer for tonight? The Bulldogs, of course. While the WCHA is, by far, the best league in the country, in spite of last night's returns, and while I will almost always cheer for a WCHA team in the NCAA's, the stench of Gopher arrogance is simply too much to bear. It would be great to send the Mariucci crowd packing tonight.

10. Last, but not least. Wasn't it refreshing to see no ads on the boards, or on the Zambonis? Why is it, do you think, or if you know, why the NCAA does not take the opportunity to sell some ad space?

[01grad]

I don't have a clue who denbo1 was responding to. Nobody blamed the loss soley on the goaltender, that was just one of the many attributing factors to our defeat. It just wasn't in the cards for us this year. I don't like this phase of time where the gophers are more dominating than us. In the next two years I think we will be the dominators. Hopefully this is true because if the gophers are the better team much longer, it will hurt our recruiting. Thank God for the new arena and Coach Blais who will pull us through this stint. As long as we can get a few bigger bodies on the ice, Parise's old line from SSM back together (which would enable us to form at least three strong lines) and a goaltender who plays with confidence and skill to keep us in the games, we should be great the next few years. Brandt should be the guy if he works hard in the offseason and is prepared mentally for another year. What he has shown in the past few games is very promising for Sioux fans. Down with the gophers, let's go CC. I can't wait to watch college hockey all day on FSN. I also can't wait until Dave St. Peter, former UND grad who works for the Twins front office to launch this Victory sports network. He promised they would bring college hockey games to the screen during the winter especially the SIOUX! Don't be worried or upset Sioux fans, our future looks bright. We don't want to drop ourselves down to the gophers level and start blaspheming other teams in our conference and ripping their fans. This looks very bad and we don't want to have that image. We are proud of our team and I would like nothing more at this point and time for the gophers to be knocked out of this tournament but I will not stand up and rip their fans if they lose and get scored against. This isn't classy, especially since we have already lost. I was watching the championship tape from 2000 and it was great to see gopher fans cheering for us. This is the way it should be, others of you may feel differently. It all depends on the situation and level in the tournament. Right now the gophers need a loss to bring them back to reality because they have already had their glory and it is time for another WCHA team. I just needed to vent a little, sorry.

As the great Tupac said, "Keep your head up"

[Hammy]

NorthDakotaHockey,

Every team has their fair share of questionable fans. The Gophers aren't immune to it and neither are the Sioux.

Glad to see Gopher fans can rely on your support today.

P.S. - Some of you guys need a support group for all the complaining (whining?) you do about the Gophers and their fans. Get over it!

[WPoS]

4. Gopher fans, although fanatical and loyal, are not nearly as fanatical or loyal as are Sioux fans. No question. No doubt.

7.  This same clown was shot down early by a nearby Sioux fan who told him to "Buy a bigger jersey!"  Funny.  He shut up until several of his other dehorn buddies showed up, at which point he became emboldened enough to get on Parise for going to the "wrong" school.

8. My point? Some Gopher fans make a bad name for all Gopher fans. These types ought to have their legs taped to a chair and be made to eat spaghetti until their jerseys burst. I am sure that many Gopher fans who know and understand the game, both on the ice and in the stands, would agree.

I know who you are talking about as "Biggee Fry", odd to point out he stood and clapped for your squad's goals. I thought you UND fans had thicker skins on ya, if he can get under yours, well, it must be pretty thin.

If you guys can't take some heat from Gopher fans over Parise, you need to wake up and smell the roses, of course we would say he went to the wrong school, he should have been a Gopher! Needless to say, we would have liked to have him on our team, we will razz him, his dad was a NorthStar for crimmeny's sake, he is a traitor to the state in many people's eyes. Get over it and off your high horse, sour grapes are never a good thing.

As for your point #4, that is always debatable, how many times have you flown to UAA to watch your team up there? Every team has fiercly loyal fans, I am one of the Gophers'. To say a whole team's are is bunk. It is always a cross section of the population in loyalty level.

As for #8, well again EVERY team has fans that someone else doesn't like, I am sure there are some Gopher fans that would love to see you "have their legs taped to a chair and be made to eat spaghetti until their jerseys burst." Get most of the people you "hate" out of a jersey and sober and you would think they are the nicest person on the planet. Just because they may be loud and/or a "homer" doesn't mean they don't understand the game, they are there to see their team win. Case in point: I have YET to have a UND fan come up to me after a Gopher win and say "great game, good win", does that make ALL UND fans have a bad name, in my book it can. Maybe forecheck has, but she is about the only one.

ahh, what am I argueing w/ you for, we'll never agree...

WPoS

[Riverman]

From some of the stories I have heard from the FF5 this year.I would say WPoS and Hammy you are a little off base. But hey Your tournament do anything you want right?

Was that you Hammy I seen cheering for Ferris at the end of the game on MSC/FoxN? (Nice earring by the way)

Looks like I can get the boat and sort my tackle out.Warroad here I come!Walleye beware!

Sioux fans remember, Blaiser said this was still a rebuilding year. Next year is the championship year. Two titles who can argue with him?

Go CC!!!

[NorthDakotaHockey]

how many times have you flown to UAA to watch your team up there? Every team has fiercly loyal fans, I am one of the Gophers'.

Never flown there, but drove there twice.

I am, admittedly, perhaps too hard on Biggie Fry. I just need to cool down from another frustrating loss. I was really looking forward to the biggest Sioux-Gopher clash since March 24, 1979. You remember. Jimmy Carter was president. It was the l ast Gopher title, ever, won with solely Minnesota kids. Glad to see that the Gophers are finally recruiting "outside" talent. It was sadly needed for the Gophers to step up into North Dakota's class. Potulny. Vanek.

Maybe someday soon the Gophers will again be able to draw the best in-state talent to their squad as well. Parise is not an apparition. He will become the rule, rather than the exception.

There are many fine Gopher fans. You are obviously one of them. Good luck tonight, although I will be cheering for the Bulldogs. I trust that you will cheer for Ferris over Mankato at the Frozen Four?

[flatspin7]

While I don't blame goaltending for the loss yesterday on goaltending, I think Brant played fine, maybe one goal he could have played a little better (the breakaway) but thats arguable. Blais put in Siembida who looked shaky and let up a weak goal just as the Sioux looked to be mounting a comeback. So while I dont point a finger at goaltending I can point a 1/2 a finger at the decision to take out a goalie that is play well and put in one that has been real shaky of late. More on this later....

The other 1/2 of the finger goes to the goalpost. Are they bigger than the other teams? Do they move toward the puck, or is there some odd magnetic force in the opposing goal post that attracts the puck? (Please note the sarcasm, I am not serious) We come out flying in the 3rd period and proceed to hit the post not once but twice in the first minute. Its the same old story, the Sioux probably played well enough to win that game but couldn't close the deal. I swear UND makes other goalies look gooooooood. Mike Brown looked like an inpenetrable wall.

Going back the the G word. Right now UND has 4 goalies. One of which will never ever play (Sofie) I doubt he get's any money or anything so thats inconsequential. With the other 3 on the roster and atleast 2 maybe 3 coming in the next 2 years, Blais has some hard choices to make. Has Siembida turned out to be what we thought he was going to be. He has had moments of brilliance but overall he has been mediocre. Brandt has been solid, and Ranfranz has gone either way. Logic would say that with the new crop of talent coming in next year one (or two) of those players will not be back next year. My feeling is that Bida may find him self on the chopping block. I dont think anyone will argue the fact that over time Brandt has proven him self more reliable than Bida, and with so many new goalies looking to come play at UND is there really a place for him? In short... I don't blame goaltending for the seasons woes, (I blame the goalpost for that) but something still has to be done. Just my 2 cents... discuss amoung yourselves. Don't rip on me to bad

[sprig]

After watching the same goalies that look like world beaters vs. the Sioux give up goals to other teams, I've come to one conclusion. It's not the goalies

[Greyeagle]

What happened to UND's defensemen? I realize Hale has been out for 8 weeks, but the rest of them almost seemed indifferent to me. Several times the puck would be near one of them and it was almost like the didn't even notice it. I couldn't get there until midway through the 2nd, but I counted at least 5 breakaways and almost all due to poor positioning or both d-men going for the puck or same guy. I remember being impressed with their play in Januaury - good outlet passes, covered well in front, played the body, etc - and none of that was present yesterday.

[sprig]

What happened to UND's defensemen? I realize Hale has been out for 8 weeks, but the rest of them almost seemed indifferent to me. Several times the puck would be near one of them and it was almost like the didn't even notice it. I couldn't get there until midway through the 2nd, but I counted at least 5 breakaways and almost all due to poor positioning or both d-men going for the puck or same guy. I remember being impressed with their play in Januaury - good outlet passes, covered well in front, played the body, etc - and none of that was present yesterday.

Appeared that way on TV, although you got there exactly when the defensive swoon began. They'd played fine up to that point, team just couldn't put the puck in the net, brutal PP. The rest of the game prior to the point looked much like the third, like the Sioux were the better team. Give up PP goals while not scoring on the PP or even strength when you are creating chances ends in a loss. The last month or so all thrown together in one game.

[Hammy]

Maybe someday soon the Gophers will again be able to draw the best in-state talent to their squad as well. Parise is not an apparition. He will become the rule, rather than the exception.

Keep dreaming. Parise is a definite exception to the rule. Any Sioux fan with half a brain knows that Blais isn't going to win too many head to head recruiting battles with Lucia over top MN kids. It'll happen but not very often.

If anything, Blais seems to be the one dropping the ball on losing top in-state talent. Gopher fans are very thankful that Blais made arguably the biggest recruiting blunder of his career in letting Grant Potulny slip through his fingers. People always used to be critical of Woog for missing on a few top MN kids but there are too many MN kids that go D-1 so it is impossible to get every good one. Blais doesn't have that excuse in NoDak because the state doesn't produce nearly as many kids for D-1.

One could only imagine if the roles of the two teams would be reversed if a great leader, goalscorer and clutch playoff player like Potulny had been on the Sioux. Who knows..... but I am damn glad MN has him.

Then add top talent like Dan Irmen and Ryan Potulny to the mix next year.... we appreciate the contributions from the state of North Dakota. Thanks.

[Hammy]

Was that you Hammy I seen cheering for Ferris at the end of the game on MSC/FoxN? (Nice earring by the way)

Nah, I was only at the 2nd game. I watched most of the Sioux game on TV.

[WPoS]

Never flown there, but drove there twice.

DROVE there, ok, you ARE nuts, the flight was bad enuf! A true fan of your team!

Ah '79, must admit, I was a little shaver then, growing up in small town southern MN, hadn't really found out about Gopher Hockey yet, I was only about 10, heck prolly didn't even know what hockey was yet, not that I do now , oh wait, I DO! I cheer for the Gophers! .

Actually, I plan on cheering for the Gophers over BU in the FF!

WPoS

[Greyeagle]

sprig - that is what the UND fans behind me said and why I mentioned when I arrived. It also looked like the FSU goalie slept with his horseshoe before the game - he had some serious mojo going.

One additional observation. Since Blais has been the coach the Sioux have lived off hitting the late charging forward cutting down the heart of the slot with nice pass while the rest of gang green crashes the night and causes confusion in front. FSU did an excellent job backchecing and containing the trailer (Woog refers to them as the 'second wave' on TV) and preventing this. UND still got a lot of shots, but many seemed to be from way outside and UND ended up using more drop passes and therefor lost their speed advantage.

[PCM]

Personally, I have never understood the need of some people to bash the Gophers and their fans when the Sioux tank. Let's face it. For whatever reason, North Dakota hasn't played well as a team for the past two months. During the same time, Minnesota has come together and appears to be peaking at the right time of year. I'll be cheering for the Gophers to beat Ferris State, a cheap-shotting, chippy team.

Greyeagle, I agree completely with your comments about the Sioux defensemen. bertibm, when the Sioux forwards score only two goals, I can't agree that they played well.

[Superman0099]

Well, I'm watching the MSU-Cornell game now, looks like a good one, 'kato just scored.

The team showed a lot of potential this year, but just didn't have what it takes. Ferris outplayed us, good luck to them against Minnesota, although they won't win.

Here's looking forward to next year, we've got some good recruits coming in, and I'm hoping they will bring in some talent between the pipes. We didn't lose that game because of the goaltending, but it was still shaky.

Now, it's time to go root for the WCHA teams. Let's go West!

[Hammy]

Mankato isn't playing great but at least they are staying in it. Cornell doesn't seem THAT impressive. Especially when they had the 5x3 PP. Although I am not fond of most Mavs fans, I hope they can pull this one out.

[Sue Fan?]

Case in point: I have YET to have a UND fan come up to me after a Gopher win and say "great game, good win"

WPoS

That's probably because you're not on the team.

[Siouxrock]

i am goin for ferris state

[Goon]

While I don't blame goaltending for the loss yesterday on goaltending, I think Brant played fine, maybe one goal he could have played a little better (the breakaway) but thats arguable. Blais put in Siembida who looked shaky and let up a weak goal just as the Sioux looked to be mounting a comeback.

SNIP-------------------------------------

The Right now UND has 4 goalies. One of which will never ever play (Sofie) I doubt he get's any money or anything so thats inconsequential. With the other 3 on the roster and atleast 2 maybe 3 coming in the next 2 years, Blais has some hard choices to make. Has Siembida turned out to be what we thought he was going to be. He has had moments of brilliance but overall he has been mediocre. Brandt has been solid, and Ranfranz has gone either way. Logic would say that with the new crop of talent coming in next year one (or two) of those players will not be back next year. My feeling is that Bida may find him self on the chopping block. I dont think anyone will argue the fact that over time Brandt has proven him self more reliable than Bida, and with so many new goalies looking to come play at UND is there really a place for him? In short... I don't blame goaltending for the seasons woes, (I blame the goalpost for that) but something still has to be done. Just my 2 cents... discuss amoung yourselves. Don't rip on me to bad

I think that Sofie is gone (He is never going to play) and probably Marc Ranfranz, the under dog but had a few moments of greatness followed by a lot of mediocre play. I think with Nate Ziggleman and Lane S. coming in Josh could be the odd man out, but who knowsa that is why UND pays Blaiser the big bucks. There is a lot of time before the first puck drops against the Blowdogs next october...

One silver lining is when a season ends a new season begins. Time to for the boys to get healthy lift weights and let the loss of this season sink in. I hope it doesn't sit well with some, David Hale showed a lot of character yesterday by flattening people. I hope he comes back next season. I think the loss should prove to be a motivating factor. I think Blais was right this with his early prediction this is a very young team. Maybe our expectations were too high this season.

[flatspin7]

I really don't think that Blaiser will get rid of Sofie, he really doesn't cost any scholarship money and hes a usefull shooting target in practice. He doesnt even fit into the equation of the team, I think he's not going anywhere. Ranny and Bida are probably on the ole' choppin block. If we have Lane and Nate comming in next year 2 goalies are going to have to go to make room. If Brandt isn't careful in 2 years he may find himself with out a job either with Lane, Nate, and Lammy all here. I reality I think one of the 3 newbie arent going to stay here because they will never play.

Maybe our expectations were too high this season.

This is Grand Forks. We always have high expectations for our team. We have Seven banners hanging from the rafters, I think we are always looking for #8!!!