Wednesday Links and Pontifications

Check out what Andy Baggot had to say about the head coach of the Fighting Sioux. Baggot is the beat writer for the Wisconsin Badgers hockey team and he picked Coach Hakstol as his coach of the year candidate.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Dave Hakstol of North Dakota. The very young Fighting Sioux lost their best all-around player after seven games (senior defenseman Chay Genoway), missed their leading scorer for a prolonged stretch midway through the season (senior center Chris VandeVelde) and looked dead in the water after losing five of six heading into Valentine's Day. They've won seven straight since then and are gearing up for another deep run into the playoffs. There's a lot of good coaching woven into those details.

Some profound words from the Minnesota Golden Gophers head hockey coach. Seriously, if any hockey teams gets four or five goals on the board its very hard for any team that is trailing to come back and beat the Opposition. UND has the top ranked defense in the WCHA as well.

Lucia said the most important thing to win is a tight defense and not giving up more than two goals. "If North Dakota gets four or five on the board," Lucia said, "it will be awfully difficult for us to win. We want to go up there and play a great road game.

"Our feeling is that if it is 0-0 after the first period, we are happy. As long as we can keep that game tight into the third, or maybe even into overtime. Based on history I wouldn't be surprised if the games are going into overtime this weekend. Good starts are going to be extremely important and then all 18 guys and the goaltender have to play well and I think they will be prepared to do that." [Goal Gophers]

This is what Todd D. Milewski had to say about the Fighting Sioux in his weekly blog post on USCHO.COM, its really not how you start its about how your team finishes at the end of the season.

* I mentioned a while back that I didn’t think North Dakota was a top-10 team at that point. Times sure change, don’t they? Look at the Sioux now: Winning five in a row against the likes of St. Cloud State, Minnesota-Duluth and Colorado College alters the landscape. [USCHO.COM]

Since the refs in the WCHA don’t wear their numbers on the back of their uniforms anymore, that is a discussion for another day, here is the official roster from the WCHA league office.

This weekend: Here is my prediction on who will be the on ice officials for the series between Minnesota and UND series is Derek Shepherd and Marco Hunt with Papa Shepherd sitting in the press box looking on. You can’t spell nepotism without Shepherd and McLeod.

Supervisor of Officials: Greg Shepherd.

Referees: 3-Derek Shepherd; 4-Todd Anderson; 5-Justin Brown; 7-Don Adam; 8-Tom Sterns; 9-C.J. Beaurline; 10-Peter Friesema; 11-Tim Walsh; 12-Butch Mousseaux (R-L); 14-Brian Thul; 15-Marco Hunt; 17-Craig Welker; 18-Max Battimo; 20-Brad Albers; 22-Bill Mason; 23-Matt Ulwelling (R-L); 24-Jon Campion; 25-Mike McCreary; 27-Jonathan Morrison; 29-Scott Bokal; 31-Brett Klosowski; 33-Brad Shepherd.

Linesmen: at UAA: 36-Kent Asplund; 73-Scott Sivulich; 74-Steve Glines; 75-Travis Jackson. at CC & DU: 52-Scott Staudte; 57-Bob Keltie; 67-Greg Rockenback; 80-Butch Mousseaux; 82-Stephen Stankevich; 86-Gary Pedigo; 88-Tim Swiader. at MTU: 35-Dan Juopper; 85-Sean Jacques; 98-Damon Beirling. at UM, UMD, MSU, SCSU: 38-Joe Harris; 44-Chris Olson; 45-Jerome Krieger; 50-Tony Lancette, Jr.; 53-Rick Nelson; 55-Jeff Schultz; 61-Luke Huggett; 62-Jarod Moen; 68-Chris Perrrault; 80-Tony Czech; 90-Matt Anderson; 91-Sterling Egan; 96-Eric Whisler. at UND: 37-Tom Lund; 71-Brian Novlesky; 76-Brandon Schmitt; 77-Mike Eslinger; 78-Nathan Freeman; 79-Matt Ulwelling; 83-Justin Hills; 84-Phil Stodgell; 92-Andy Carton. at UW: 34-Ed Moberg; 38-Dan Carey; 42-Dan Dineen; 51-Mike Gulenchyn; 65-Matt Gerlach; 87-Brad Roethlisberger. (R-L) Referee & Linesman.

Here is the Bracket Analysis, Breakdown, Comparison from Adam Wodon of College Hockey News. I have to think we have a date with Boston College in the future.

4-5. Boston College, North Dakota
These two have been so intertwined in the NCAAs over the last 10 years, it's only fitting they currently sit 4-5 — which would set up a regional final matchup if things stayed the same. It doesn't look like North Dakota can flip any comparisons with teams above it that would allow it to move up. But it's possible, if it plays and defeats Wisconsin next week, that it could grab that one, which could then be enough to surpass Boston College despite losing the individual comparison with BC. So that will be an interesting drama — whether BC has to go West, or North Dakota has to go East. But it looks like the stars are aligned for these guys again, just not at the Frozen Four like usual.

The latest verious of USCHO Bracketology has the Fighting Sioux going to the Northeast Regional.

Northeast Regional:

Ferris State vs. Boston College
Michigan State vs. North Dakota