NCAA Coaches not amused with new rules proposals.

The division one hockey coaches are not amused with the new rules proposals and college hockey fans are not amused as well. My advice to the NCAA Rules Committee, please keep your dirty hands off our game and leave it alone. The only rule that makes sense was the one the NCAA Rules Committee didn't recommending the use of half shields and Paul Kelly of College Hockey INC is on record as being for this. College Hockey News has a good story that is worth reading as well. [Many Coaches Left Irate Over One in Particular]

WCHA coaches voted 12-0 against it. Atlantic Hockey coaches voted 12-0 against it. And Central Collegiate Hockey Association coaches voted 11-0 against it.

“I think it’s just a crime,” Bemidji State coach Tom Serratore said. “I’ve been in college hockey for 18 years and I’ve never seen anything like this in my life. It was almost unanimous for the entire coaching body. How can the committee overturn the entire coaching body? I think it’s sad, the lack of respect that the committee had for the coaching body.

“We didn’t spend any time even talking about it because it was so radical. We just voted 12-0 and moved on.”

Both Serratore and UND coach Dave Hakstol raised several concerns.

One is the safety issue. Since players are not allowed to change after an icing call, a player could be stuck on the ice for two or three minutes straight on a penalty kill.

Another concern is that the icing rule hasn’t been tried on an experimental basis to determine if it works. No North American hockey league uses it.

“It’s quite a shock,” Hakstol said. “I haven’t said much, but I’m going to speak my mind on this. I’m upset about us not having a say in it as a Division I coaching body. On a national basis, we were very strongly against it, if not unanimously against it. [Grand Forks Herald]

Sabres Prospects on Corey Fienhage

Here is what the Sabres Prospect had to say on Cory Fienhage's status at UND. Not really anything new but reinforces that Fienhage will probably not be back next season. I always wondered why Corey doesn't do what Quinn Fylling take a year off from college and go play a year of hockey USHL and then come back to UND after this class of Senior Defensemen graduate. There is probably also a good chance that UND would probably lose Ben Blood as well.

when the University of North Dakota began stockpiling defensive recruits like Derek Forbort and Dillon Simpson, we began to think long and hard about the impact it would all have on Sabres 2008 third-rounder, Corey Fienhage. When Fienhage was sat late in the year in favor of forward-turned-defenseman Matt Davidson, those thoughts intensified.

When we reported that Fienhage was placed on the protected list by the WHL's Kamloops Blazers, the writing was seemingly being scribbled on the proverbial wall.

But when Fighting Sioux junior Chay Genoway announced that he would be returning to the team in 2010-11, the message on the wall stated that Fienhage was outsy.

Nothing is official, but whispers around Grand Forks are suggesting that Fienhage is as good as gone (along with Isles prospect David Toews). Fienhage needs to play, and since he didn't get in the lineup last season until Genoway suffered a concussion, it isn't too difficult to connect the dots.

My question is where does Fienhage go? If he opts for the WHL, his window to earn a deal is cut down to one season. Another option sees him seek a scholarship elsewhere, thus sending him to the USHL for a season of Jr. A to retain his NCAA eligibility, and in turn allow the Sabres to keep his rights for a longer term.

Fienhage is rugged and tough, and I would be eager to watch his game translate to the WHL. However, Fienhage is just 20 and needs consistent reps after playing a scant 39 games over two seasons with the Sioux. Couple that with the fact that the Sabres blueline prospect cupboard is already crowded, and I fully expect the Sabres to advise him to somehow stay in school.

UND can still get a number one seed.

Jayson Moy of USCHO says there is still a chance that UND can be a number one seed in the NCAA tourney. Personally, I would rather see the Sioux knock out UMD out of the Final Five with the possibility of ending their season, than to have the Fighting Sioux play one be done for the weekend. I think the Sioux are going to want to get some pay back for losing to the Bulldogs in last year’s Final Five. Looking at the various scenarios it looks like the chances of this happening are slim and none as well.

North Dakota gets the last number one seed. After losing on Thursday night in the WCHA Quarterfinal Game.

CCHA Semifinal #2: Northern Michigan defeats Ferris State
CCHA Semifinal #1: Michigan defeats Miami
CCHA Championship game: Northern Michigan defeats Michigan
CCHA Consolation game: Ferris State defeats Miami
ECAC Semifinal #2: Union defeats St. Lawrence
ECAC Semifinal #1: Brown defeats Cornell
ECAC Championship game: Union defeats Brown
ECAC Consolation game: St. Lawrence defeats Cornell
Hockey East Semifinal #2: Boston University defeats Maine
Hockey East Semifinal #1: Vermont defeats Boston College
Hockey East Championship game: Vermont defeats Boston University
WCHA Play-in #1: Minnesota-Duluth defeats North Dakota
WCHA Semifinal #2: Wisconsin defeats St. Cloud State
WCHA Semifinal #1: Minnesota-Duluth defeats Denver
WCHA Championship game: Wisconsin defeats Minnesota-Duluth
WCHA Consolation game: Denver defeats St. Cloud State
Atlantic Hockey Semifinal #2: Air Force defeats Sacred Heart
Atlantic Hockey Semifinal #1: RIT defeats Canisius
Atlantic Hockey Championship game: Air Force defeats RIT
[USCHO.COM]

Eidsness, Kristo nab weekly WCHA awards

Nice to see Kristo and Eidsness get some recognition this week. The Sioux are starting to rack up weekly honors after elevating their play the last 6 games.

GRAND FORKS, N.D.-University of North -Dakota sophomore goalie Brad Eidsness has been named WCHA Defensive Player of the Week for the second straight week, while freshman forward Danny Kristo has been named the WCHA Co-Rookie of the week, announced today by the league office.

Eidsness, a native of Chestermere, Alberta, backstopped the Fighting Sioux to their first sweep at Colorado College since 1998-99 by stopping 53 of 57 shots in the series for a .930 save percentage. Eidsness made 26 saves in Friday's 3-2 overtime win, then followed with 27 saves in Saturday's 3-2 victory.

During UND's current five-game winning streak, Eidsness has posted a 1.59 goals against average and a .942 save percentage. In 32 games this season, Eidsness is 17-8-4 with a 2.21 goals against average and a .910 save percentage. He leads all WCHA goalies in minutes played and ranks second in wins and goals against average.

Kristo, a native of Eden Prairie, Minn., scored a key goal in each game at CC, including his first career game-winning goal in Saturday's victory that clinched home ice in the first round of the playoffs for the Fighting Sioux. On Friday, Kristo scored his team-leading eighth power-play goal of the season, which also leads all NCAA Division I freshmen.

In 32 games this season, Kristo leads all WCHA rookies in points (27), points per game (0.84), goals (12), power-play goals (eight) and power-play points (18).

Cross posted at the Sin Bin.

Frattin's goal

In case you haven't seen it here is Frattin's game winning goal. According to coach Hakstol, Matt Frattin had a few injury issues and it wasn't clear if he would play or not this weekend, sounded like he was a game time decision.

It's Thursday and WCHA League office still silent.

In case you haven't seen this article. Over on USCHO there is an interesting article by USCHO writer Todd D. Milewski. I do find it interesting that it's Thursday and we have yet to hear a ruling about this hit in question from the WCHA league office on a hit that happened this past weekend.

What I do know, however, is that he’s getting quite a reputation around the WCHA, and it’s not something to be proud of.

I heard one longtime WCHA observer use the term goon in reference to Marvin after last Saturday night’s game, in which the Huskies junior forward delivered an open-ice check to Wisconsin’s Blake Geoffrion that left the Badgers captain with a concussion. Geoffrion didn’t return to the game that night (he later informed everyone via Twitter that he was doing “just fine”), and the Wisconsin State Journal reports that the Badgers’ leading goalscorer won’t play this weekend at Michigan Tech.

On first glance, I didn’t see that Marvin’s shoulder went against Geoffrion’s head in the check, so I didn’t think it was anything out of the ordinary. I’m guessing the on-ice officials were of the same viewpoint, even though their eyes were significantly closer to the play than mine, because no penalty was called.

St. Cloud State coach Bob Motzko said after the game that players on his bench told him it was a good hit, but even then, he was worried because of the crackdown on hits to the head.

If this was an isolated incident, I don’t think it would be as heated a topic this week. But Marvin is the same player who leveled North Dakota captain Chay Genoway on Nov. 13, drawing a one-game suspension from the WCHA.

As of nearly five days after the latest incident, there has been no public follow-up from the league, so many were left to believe no action is being taken. A WCHA official, however, said that the league’s supplemental discipline procedure was launched a day after the game, and the reason that no announcement has been made is that it must fully run its course before public comment is issued. [Read the whole article]

Geoffrion still not back.

Looks like Blake Geoffrion is still has lingering effects of the concussion he suffered during last Saturday night's game against the SCSU Huskies. Update: According to Andy Baggot the beat writter for the Wisconsin Badgers, Blake Geffrion will not play against Michigan Tech this weekend. Also, as of Wednesday there still has been no suspension handed down for the hit on Geoffrion.

Senior center and tri-captain Blake Geoffrion sat out a second day of practice Tuesday, raising the possibility that he won't be able to play for the UW men's hockey team in its WCHA series at Michigan Tech Friday and Saturday.

Geoffrion suffered a concussion when checked by St. Cloud State center Aaron Marvin during the second period of a WCHA encounter at the Kohl Center last Saturday. It was the second time this season Geoffrion has suffered such an injury.

"He wasn't good enough to skate today,'' UW coach Mike Eaves said of Geoffrion Tuesday. "He still had a headache today.''

Eaves outlined a series of steps that Geoffrion must make before he's cleared to play. Among them, he must be able to exercise without triggering a headache [read the rest of the article here]

You make the call. Suspend or not.

Like I said on the other post: I just watched the video when I got home from work at least 15 times and I just can't see an elbow in there, that is not saying it didn't possibly happen. The video quality for FSSN isn't very good to begin with; this is an ongoing issue. I have been hoping that FSSN decided to go to HD soon.

Since the video of the hit in question is not very good and it's grainy, even on my 40 inch television, I wouldn’t be able to make a definitive determination if there was in fact a questionable hit. I would also hope that the video quality is better than this if and when the WCHA league office decides to review game film and determine if they want hand down a suspension on the play or not.

To me from my perspective it looks like Connolly turns into the wall at the last moment and it appears to be a shoulder to shoulder check that looks like the check in question vaults him into the boards violently, possibly hitting his head on the boards? From the video I reviewed, it does not appear to be an elbow to the head of Mike Connolly from Corbin Knight. There was no call on the play from the refs on the play.

I don't know maybe this is a boarding or charging call? Based on that video which is not conclusive, I predict there will be no suspension from the WCHA. If there is another angle that has better video evidence, I would like to see it to make a determination. My personnel ruling is in complete not enough evidence.

I am in no way condoning hits to the head or endorsing hits to the head, if a Sioux player commits an act that is punishable or worthy of a suspension they should face the consequences. If the league decides that they want to suspend Knight, so be it, I would except the ruling. What would the league suspend him for one game? I am not sure that this hit rises to the level of the Genoway and Marvin incident. Marvin got a one game suspension. Do you think the WCHA will suspend Corbin Knight for this hit? What do you think?

Winger Mike Connolly is recovering from a concussion received in the final minutes of Saturday's game at North Dakota. Connolly took an elbow to the head from North Dakota's Corban Knight. The play was made along the side glass in UMD's defensive zone and Connolly hit the glass with the left side of his face, and has a bruise and black eye to show for it. He will be allowed to practice and play when his concussive symptoms are gone, he said. There was no penalty on the play. [Rink and Run]

Here are a few other links to blogs discussing the issue [Ciskie Blog], [Runin with the Dogs], [Rink and Run], [Sioux Yeah, Yeah]

Who said this statement?

Here is a question for the great hockey minds. Who made this statement.

"We talk about it — I tell (the players) every week that we can't take foolish, selfish penalties," said unnamed WCHA coach, 12-9-3 overall in his first season as head coach. "North Dakota, they're notorious for roughing it up.

If you see a fight in our league, chances are they're involved. It's a source of pride for them. They try to get nasty and get in your face. That's the way they like to play, aggressive. We've got to be ready for that."

Thanks a million

I would like the thank the people that read our blog, we just surpassed 1,000,000 hits. My wife wanted to know if I was responsible for 900,000 of them. Goon’s World started in December 31st of 2005. This article covering former Gopher Phil Kessel's draft combine was the most ever viewed blog post.

Letter to the commissioner

This is an email a friend of mine sent to the league commissioner of the WCAH after the brutal, questionable ruling where Mario Lamoureaux was suspened for one game for almost getting in a fight with Aaron Marvin.

Mr. Bruce McLeod.....what a disappointment! Giving Mario Lamoureaux a one-game suspension and not Aaron Marvin is simply sad and an injustice. Marvin's actions on the ice were not one bit different than those of Lamoureaux's. How do you justify a different penalty for the same action? How disappointing your judgment has become in the past few years. Simply disappointing! Your hatred for certain teams and love for other certain teams has become blatantly obvious...I believe it's time you sharpen up your resume and seek new employment.

As a fan of college hockey for 39 years and a former collegiate player, I can honestly say what you are doing is ruining the game. I go to games to watch good, hard-nosed hockey. What I have been watching these past couple of years is officiating. As you will probably agree, officiating should not get noticed in a good game. I have not been to a game in the WCHA in several years where I don't noticed how bad the officiating is. You own this result!

Here is the response that Bruce McLeod sent him. Now this guy never identifies his team that he follows and this is the reply that McLeod gives him. Mind you, this is an impressive response.

Dear Sir - Sorry you feel that way - Hope you will continue to support Sioux Hockey !!

McLeod's incoherent statement

UND Hockey beat writer Brad Elliott Schlossman, has a new article up on the Herald's web site and this is what stuck out with me. The November incident has nothing to do with last weekend's games. More bumbling buffoonery from Bruce McLeod, maybe it would be better if he didn't say anything. The comments for this article is going to be fun to watch as well.

Marvin, a Warroad, Minn., native, was suspended one game in November for that hit — the same punishment leveled at Lamoureux on Thursday.

McLeod said he didn’t want to compare the suspensions.

“I don’t want to comment on that,” he said. “That’s an apples and oranges deal. You have to take the initial suspension to Marvin into context. A lot has changed in hockey since then.”

North Dakota Fighting Sioux Defenseman Corey Fienhage Talks to Die by the Blade

Sophomore defenseman Fighting Sioux defenseman Corey Fienhage was interviewed by Sabres Hockey Blog. I think you will find his answers interesting.

Corey Fienhage was a 3rd round draft pick (#81 overall) of the Buffalo Sabres in the 2008 entry draft. Fienhage is a defenseman for the North Dakota Fighting Sioux on the WCHA. He played in only nine games as a freshman but this season, his sophomore campaign, he has played in 21 games and has become a regular on the Sioux blueline.

Fienhage fits the profile of a fan favorite in Buffalo. He is a big body defenseman (6'3" - 215 lbs.) that isn't afraid to play a physical style. I had an opportunity to catch up with him this week and talk about his season and his future in the Sabres organization.

Diebytheblade: Let's begin by talking about this season at North Dakota. It has been kind of an up and down season for the team. Why do you think the team as been so inconsistent?

Corey Fienhage: We are playing really well now. We lost our captain early on in the season and it was tough to get going without him. At first goals were tough to come by but now we are scoring goals and it's all about the effort now.

Diebytheblade: Tell me about playing in the WCHA. It seems there is never an easy weekend in that conference. Does it ever get overwhelming knowing that every weekend you are playing against a top 10 team?

Corey Fienhage: The mentality is that we are going to win every game. It is a tough conference but that is what is exciting about it.

Diebytheblade:Do you think playing a difficult regular season schedule helps the team in the long run and when you play out of conference games?

Corey Fienhage: The East Coast teams are pretty good as well. Playing in the WCHA is a lot of fun but there are good teams in the east as well.

Diebytheblade:You chose to take the NCAA route by attending North Dakota. Was NCAA hockey always your first choice or did you consider playing Canadian major junior hockey?

Corey Fienhage: That was always what I wanted to do. I first started playing hockey in Alabama because I lived in Tennessee. Since I moved to Minnesota and started playing high school hockey, I wanted to play NCAA and I wanted to play in the WCHA. [Die By the Blade]

Little room for error.

Bruce Ciskie the radio voice of the UMD Bulldogs kind of lays out a scenario that shows how little room for error the Fighting Sioux hockey team has the rest of the way forward. The UND Fighting Sioux need a sweep this weekend and three out of four points next weekend to gain home ice. It doesn't look like UND is going to catch the Bulldogs unless they go on a late season swoon.

Heading into this weekend's two-game series at North Dakota, the Bulldogs have an eight-point lead over the sixth-place Fighting Sioux. Each team has six league games left, for a total of 12 available points.

That means UMD's "magic number" for home-ice advantage in the WCHA playoffs is six points. Any combination of six points accumulated by UMD or lost by North Dakota will give the Bulldogs a coveted home-ice position.

This could happen this weekend. UMD getting a win and a tie in Grand Forks would give them a ten-point lead on the Sioux with four games to go. It would be impossible for North Dakota to catch UMD, as they could only pick up eight points over the rest of the season.

If the Bulldogs just get a split, they would only need one win or two ties in their last four games to clinch home ice.

It's not time to buy your playoff tickets yet, UMD fans, but we're getting real close [Ciske Blog]

Poll Monday Sioux remain 11th

USCHO/CBS COLLEGE SPORTS POLL
Team (First Place) Record Pts PR
[02-15-2010]
1. Miami (45) 22-4-6 995 1
2. Denver (5) 20-6-4 954 2
3. Wisconsin 18-7-4 899 3
4. St. Cloud State 19-9-4 797 4
5. Yale 16-6-3 778 6
6. Minnesota Duluth 18-11-1 674 7
7. Colorado College 17-10-3 648 9
8. Boston College 17-9-2 644 10
9. Bemidji State 19-7-2 643 5
10. Cornell 14-7-3 577 8
11. North Dakota 14-11-5 496 11
12. Michigan State 17-10-5 475 13
13. New Hampshire 14-10-4 429 15
14. Ferris State 18-10-4 347 14
15. Maine 14-11-3 265 12
16. Union 16-8-6 230 16
17. Vermont 13-10-5 156 17
18. Massachusetts 16-13-0 105 18
19. Boston University 13-12-3 98 NR
20. Alaska 12-9-9 68 NR

Others Receiving Votes: Mass.-Lowell 57, Nebraska-Omaha 46, Northern Michigan 36, Northeastern 28, Michigan 22, RIT 21, Rensselaer 7, Sacred Heart 4, St. Lawrence 1.

USA TODAY/USA HOCKEY MAGAZINE POLL
Team (First Place) Record Pts PR
[02-15-2010]
1. Miami (32) 22-4-6 508 1
2. Denver (2) 20-6-4 478 2
3. Wisconsin 18-7-4 441 3
4. St. Cloud State 19-9-4 379 4
5. Yale 16-6-3 369 7
6. Minnesota Duluth 18-11-1 297 8
7. Bemidji State 19-7-2 281 5
8. Colorado College 17-10-3 273 9
9. Boston College 17-9-2 262 10
10. Cornell 14-7-3 231 6
11. North Dakota 14-11-5 162 11
12. Michigan State 17-10-5 140 14
13. New Hampshire 14-10-4 123 15
14. Ferris State 18-10-4 56 13
15. Maine 14-11-3 29 12

Others Receiving Votes: Union 14, Vermont 13, Massachusetts 10, Nebraska-Omaha 8, Boston University 3, RIT 3.

Mac and Hepp (Suspension coming?)

If you watch the video you will see that the Huskies player Chris Hepp clearly came off of the SCSU player’s bench to engage Andrew MacWilliam. It will be interesting to see if Greg Shepherd has the stones to suspend Hepp. If this was the NHL Chris Hepp would be getting a lengthy ten game suspension for leaving the bench to engage in an altercation.

70.10 Fines and Suspensions – The first player or goalkeeper to leave the
players’ or penalty bench during an altercation or for the purpose of
starting an altercation from either or both teams shall be suspended
automatically without pay for the next ten (10) regular League and/or
Play-off games of his team.

The NCAA rule book isn't very specific in this regard but it appears that Hepp should have been given a game disqualificaton (page 79)for leaving the players bench.

f. A player may not leave the players’ bench or penalty bench at any time during an altercation. Substitutions made before the altercation shall be permitted provided the players substituting do not enter the altercation. For purposes of this rule, an altercation is considered to be concluded when the referee enters the referee’s crease or, in the absence of penalties, signals a faceoff location.
PENALTY—Disqualification.

Sioux 3 - SCSU 4

This is going to be very brief, I am heading down to Fargo and over to Sterns County tomorrow. I am going to game at the Concrete Center tomorrow night. Same story as the last 6 games, UND raced up and down the ice and put a ton of rubber on SCSU.

This is the story of the Fighting Sioux season, can't finish, they out play another opponent and our shaky goaltender lets in a couple of very weak, questionable, brutal goals. UND has no room for error not they can probably only lose one or two more goals max. The Huskies took advantage of their opportunities and you did not. Time to play for with some Fighting Sioux pride. Time to play for the logo on the front of the jersey and not the name on the back...


On Notice

*Brad Eidsness you need to let in one less goal a game. You're play has been suspect and brutal (that's putting it nicely) all season long, time to take a look in the mirror and look at that logo on your jersey. The team needs you to make saves at key times in games and you can't seem to do it.

*Evan Trupp You have been invisible in the second half of the season. Time to pick it up you're a talented player, please start burring the puck.

*Matt Frattin time to score and finish.

*David Toews Mia, no goals in 20 games. You've had one point in 20 games, maybe it's time for the coach to put
you on the bench. You're not producing or even making plays.

Lastly there is one positive I don't have to listen to the brutal SCSU hockey broadcast tomorrow. I am telling you that comparing student run television broadcasts UAA and BSU blow you out of the water.

A couple of things about the upcoming series.

I thought that you might want to see what the other side has to say about this weekend's series. Funny how the SCSU hockey beat writer basically said the same thing that I did on how the Huskies had not played the most impressing schedule in their last 12 games. I am not saying that the Huskies are not a good hockey team, I am just saying their wins weren’t that impressive.

Amid all the 'will-UND-get-revenge-on-Aaron-Marvin' hoopla this week (that's the subject of Friday's preview story), perhaps a little of the lustre of an otherwise classic matchup is lost. Fourth-ranked St. Cloud State playing host to No. 11 North Dakota could be one of the best series of the season, regardless of whether the Huskies and Sioux mix it up with anything other than shots and goals, saves and skating.

SCSU needs the series to stay in the MacNaughton Cup race, to keep the pressure on other teams for a top-three finish and strong position in the WCHA playoff picture, and better firm up a high seed for the NCAA Tournament. North Dakota, two years removed from a fourth straight Frozen Four appearance and less than 12 months since the Sioux last hoisted the Cup, are staring a road playoff series in the face for the first time since 2002 unless they perhaps sweep this weekend.

“I haven’t watched a whole lot on St. Cloud, to be honest with you,” UND coach Dave Hakstol said. “I know their personnel well enough. They’ve got a couple of high-end guys up front but they’ve got a bunch of good, offensively skilled players and, obviously, they’re finding good chemistry and finding ways to win a lot of games, especially over the last two months.”

The Huskies enter the series 10-1-1 in their last 12, but most of those opponents weren't of this caliber -- and SCSU is 3-6-1 all season when facing teams ranked No. 11 or better.

"We know we're going to get North Dakota's best," Huskies coach Bob Motzko said. "They're in a spot they're not used to and that's a prideful program. They're well-coached and a good hockey team. We're going to have our hands full. They play with the pedal to the floor. Their goal is to push you through the back wall. We try to play the same way. You're going to get knocked over when you play them. It's how you get up and go from there that's important."

North Dakota has the top scoring defense in the WCHA (2.21 goals against). And SCSU's goalies are both in the top five in save percentage. So don't be surprised if both games are nail-biters that live up to billing.[Pucks and Bats]

Here come the Gophers?

I found this blog article to be interesting. You have to wonder if Lucia is feeling the heat? Most fans in Gopher nation are not happy, their team almost has to run the tables and win the Final Five to make the NCAA tourney which is in their back yard. Their remaining games on the schedule are brutal as well. In my weekly pool that I am in with my friends I have picked the Gophers being swept by the Pioneers this weekend.

The Gophers play at Denver this weekend and Lucia is hoping for at least a split to give his team a chance to make a run for home ice.

"We still have that opportunity," Lucia said. "Obviously, we are going to have to get some points this weekend against Denver. If we get a couple [two] points, then all of a sudden you are only five back [of Colorado College] and you have them in your own building for two games.

"CC still has Minnesota, North Dakota and Denver, so they don't have an easy go of it as well."

Clearly, the Gophers have their sights set on overtaking North Dakota, one point ahead of them, and CC, a deceivingly seven ahead. The Tigers are tied with Wisconsin for fourth place with 25 points but are idle this weekend.

So if the Gophers can get two points or more, they can reel the Tigers in the following weekend at Mariucci if they can sweep CC.

"You still want to continue to play well and to finish as strong as you possibly can," Lucia said. "And then whether you are home or on the road, you are going to have to win that first round matchup no matter where you are. The fortunate thing for us is, we have played pretty well on the road all year long.

"I still think with eight games left, we can still do some damage. And that's our goal." [Goal Gophers]

The game that hardly anyone saw. (Update with Video)

This is why I think the WCHA needs to have a WCHA network. MAYBE, channel 23 in Grand Forks, ND will pick up this game later this week. They do show other games around the league sometimes. I was able to watch the first game of the UMD and MSU-M series that happened a few weeks ago.

I don’t care what anyone says, the WCHA is the best college hockey league in college hockey and we can’t see 35% our games on TV. I think these games like UAA and SCSU need to be on T.V. and not just on some crappy webcast. I would like to see a replay with the over head camera and the synced up with the game clock.

Instead of being able to watch a good hockey game, instead I stomached Union and Clarkson (one sided game), B.C. and UMass (one sided game) and Cornell and QU (boring). I would also pay more money to see these other of market WCHA games on TV.

In St. Cloud, Minn., the St. Cloud State Huskies trailed 3-1 and 4-2 on the way to a tie. Anchorage managed just 19 shots on goal but got a goal and two assists from Kevin Clark. Ryan Lasch had two goals for St. Cloud State. On the tying play, St. Cloud State was on a power play and pulled goalie Dan Dunn for a two-man advantage. After Hanowski scored, the goal was reviewed.

"Right away (the referee) signaled 'goal,' so you're thinking — or you're hoping — that he's right," Hanowski told the St. Cloud Times.

"We got to the bench and, you know, I know the horn went off before (the puck) hit the twine in the back of the net. So you're nervous, especially since they're taking awhile to look at it. But it ended up being good and it's a big relief." [Rink and Run]

A conspiracy theorist might ask did Motzko buy his team a break with his end of game tirade last weekend. What do you think? Just think that 0-27-4 streak was in jeopardy of becoming history when the unexpected happened.