Game Day… It’s here, the game that fans and players mark down on their calendar.
This is one of my favorite Rivalries; it’s the day that I can’t wait for, the weekend that I look forward to and the opposition team that I hate the most. When I see the hated “M” I see red.
It’s about bragging rights in the family. My Brother-in-law Andy Brink was once a Golden Rodent. But he was actually a Sioux fan before he became a Golden Gopher.
“My favorite memory NCAA Memory is from before I played,” Brink said. “I grew up in Bemidji and grew up a Sioux fan. I remember going to Sioux games as a kid and still have a Sioux #20 Bob Joyce jersey. UND’s 1987 NCAA Championship is my fondest memory because I followed that team really close. There were also 2 players from my hometown on their roster and George Pelawa (from Bemidji) would have been a big part of that team had he not died in a car accident in the fall of ’86.”This is also a sad time as well; I am going to miss bantering with Andy’s Brother Steve who passed away after a battle with Skin Cancer this past year. We had some great back and forth moments over the years on Facebook. I hope Steve’s watching down from Heaven as tonight, hopefully UND runs over UMN.
For practical purposes, this is still Sioux vs. Gophers, at least in my mind.
This is the last time the two teams will play during the regular season for some time. Hall of fame writer Virg Foss has this article in today’s Herald.
Former Gopher Lou Nanne would like to see the rivalry continue.
Tyler Buckentine and Joe Paisley from USCHO make their picks for this weekend’s games. Both writers are predicting a split.
Breaking down the Minnesota vs. North Dakota Rivalry
The Grand Forks Herald has five memorable UND wins… Of those five, the 2005 and 2007 regionals are two of my favorite games.
