A trip down memory lane before bed...

A video before bed. I never get tired of watching this replay. This was one of my favorite Fighting Sioux hockey teams. Former Fighting Sioux forward Chris Porter puts the puck through Jeff Frazee's massive five hole to send UND to 2007 NCAA Frozen Four at St. Louis, Missouri. This game was sweet revenge for the Gophers beating UND the week before in the Final Five on a fluke goal by former Gopher forward Blake Wheeler.

EDIT: UND Hockey incoming freshman - the vitals

Here is a look at UND Hockey's incoming freshmen... I am sure that the class of 2016 will make it's impact on UND before it's all said and done.

Forward: 9 Drake Caggiula - Twitter - Stats - Highlights
Defenseman: 24 Jordan Schmaltz - Twitter - Stats - Highlights
Forward: 26 Coltyn Sanderson - Twitter - Stats
Forward: 29 Bryn Chyzyk - Twitter - Stats - Highlights
Goalie: 31 Zane Gothberg - Twitter - Stats - Highlights - Zane goes to camp.
Transfer Student - Goalie:  33 Clarke Saunders - Twitter - Stats

The UND Hockey Prospectus was released today - some fans have wondered where the members of the UND Hockey team are from - they're from all over the place. 

 

UW and UND to continue series after both teams leave the WCHA

There is some really good news to pass along. According to the beat writer for the Wisconsin Badgers Andy Baggot – UND and Wisconsin will continue their historic and heated rivalry after both teams leave the WCHA for the B1G and the NCHA after next season.

2014-15 -- UW has tentative agreements to host North Dakota.

2015-16 -- UW has tentative agreements to play a series at North Dakota.

2016-17 -- UW has tentative agreements to host a series North Dakota.

2017-18 -- UW has a tentative agreement to play a series at North Dakota.

This is good news for Badger and Fighting Sioux hockey fans, the Wisconsin and UND series is one of the most heated rivalries in all of college hockey. Both programs also have a lot of respect for each other.

During his career at UND, head coach Dave Hakstol has a 12-14-2 record against the Wisconsin Badgers. Wisconsin is one of two WCHA teams that Dave Hakstol does not have a winning record against, the other team is Denver 12-15-1. During his tenure at UND Hakstol has also compiled a 3-1 record against Wisconsin in the WCHA and NCAA playoffs.

Hockey Day 2013 picture

s/t to @pucknut9 who texted me this picture today, thanks Shacker... This picture was too good to not share with you. While it's meant to be humours it's still true of the Minnesota Gophers and the UND Fighting Sioux hockey teams, penalty boxes filled to the max.

(Video) Vote Yes on Measure 4

Here is the video that came out yesterday for the Vote yes on Ballot Measure 4. Someone posted this new video on Sioux Sports this morning,  I apologize if you have seen it already.

This story has taken so many twists and turns that sometimes I have to look twice to see who is doing the talking. You probably watched the video above - the Spirit Lake Tribe's Committee for Understanding and Respect is not happy with the UND Alumni Association for running ads in favor of retiring the Fighting Sioux nickname.

Chuck Haga, Grand Forks Herald --- In a lengthy statement released by the Spirit Lake Sioux Tribe’s Committee for Understanding and Respect and the Save the Sioux Ballot Measures Committee, nickname supporters objected to the claim that “our name and likeness” could hurt UND, its student athletes and the athletics program.

“We resent this fabricated distortion and lie as an attempt to disguise the truth by creating a fear in the public,” which according to the statement has shown “overwhelming support” for use of the Sioux name at UND.

“The Sioux name and symbol instilled pride, honor and respect in (UND) athletes and filled them with the Fighting Sioux spirit,” according to the statement.
“We now find 80 years of tradition and culture under a senseless attack by those who have previously embraced these traditions and culture. This is an attack at the heart and soul of UND from within.”

Other diehard nickname supporters, including some UND alumni, have sharply criticized Tim O’Keefe, executive vice president of the alumni groups, for “abandoning” a nickname he once heartily supported and a logo he wore as a UND Fighting Sioux hockey player.

I love the Fighting Sioux nickname and I think it’s the best logo in all of college sports or professional sports – nothing that they replace the Fighting Sioux nickname with will ever be good enough in my opinion. I have never wavered from that opinion, but like other Alumni that have actually attended class at the University of North Dakota, I know that UND can’t go on forever with the Fighting Sioux nickname and I don’t want to see the University hurt by the sanctions.

 

Related articles

• You can wear your Sioux jersey to the polls

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• You can wear your Sioux jersey to the polls

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• UND alumni groups plan campaign for nickname retirement

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• NDSU won't play UND until nickname situation is resolved

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• Election law may bar Sioux gear at Cass polls

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Edit - State of shock - Eades out at UND

I would be willing to bet that most of us that are fans of Fighting Sioux hockey probably are in a state of shock right now. Personally, I don't know what to make of this, Carey Eades is the epitome of Fighting Sioux hockey.

Most of us know that coaches leave programs and move on, but I don't if any of us could predict this happening, at least not now, not in the middle of the off-season.

Edit: According to Brad Schlossman

Eades, who was part of the 1980 and 1982 national championship teams as a player and the 1987 title team as an assistant coach, said he was caught off guard by the decision. Eades was told about it prior to the American Hockey Coaches Association convention in Florida, which took place during the last week in April.

Related articles

• Developing - Carey Eades out at UND
• UND Hockey coach Dave Hakstol weighs in on the nickname ...
• Kristo coming back for senior season at UND
• Hakstol inks contract extension

The Gloves are off UND vs. DU. – College Hockey’s version of the Hatfield’s and McCoy’s

One of the best rivalries in college hockey, DU and UND. I would call it college hockey's version of the Hatfield's and McCoy's, two teams that don't like each other very very much. The first video is the reason that Sioux fans refer to George Gwozdecky as the Dasher Troll and this is what a dasher dance looks like.

The second video is from the game where former UND forward/defenseman Kyle Radke unofficially got into two fights in one college hockey game. It was a game where Todd Anderson and former WCHA official Jon Campion lost control of the game.

I think it would only be fitting if Todd Anderson was the official of this weekend's series.

Incidently, WCHA official Todd Anderson was the referee that was on the ice and called both games that George Gwozdecky was kicked out of and did his dasher dance. [Dasher dance game part II, Prpich cup checks Geoff Paukovich]



Good news Fighting Sioux hockey fans that have DirecTV. Friday's game will be on at 9:00 PM Central Time on channel 603. Saturday night's game will be on channel 683 on Roots on DirecTV, at 8:00 PM on Saturday Night.

Roots Sports is the network that used to be Fox Sports Net Rockey Mountain, this is also the same network that employs Alana Rizzo who doesn't is not a big fan of Sioux fans and doesn't like them very much.

Related articles

• Lucky Bounces Save Sioux in Tie (insidehockey.com)
• Tech and Sioux skate to a 1-1 Tie. (ndgoon.blogspot.com)
• Former NHLPA boss resigns from College Hockey Inc. (mysanantonio.com)
• The gloves are off part II - UND and UW week (ndgoon.blogspot.com)

UND Hockey coach Dave Hakstol weighs in on the nickname ...

Fighting Sioux head hockey coach Dave Hakstol spoke out today at the Wednesday press conference about the continued use of the Fighting Sioux nickname.

I believe that coach Hakstol has unfairly taken a lot of heat by some, that want to blame him for the Sioux nickname debacle. Today the Fighting Sioux hockey coach weighed in on the issue.

UND hockey's Hakstol: Sioux nickname law creates ‘insurmountable challenges’ Grand Forks Herald.

Let’s not jump off the ledge just yet.

Image via WikipediaThis past week, I have been reading the various fan message boards to include fan comments. I’ve also been listening to the numerous podcasts around the college hockey world and the hockey pundits aren’t giving the Sioux much of a chance this weekend or for the rest of the season.  They are too young. There is no talent through the forward lines. The Fighting Sioux forwards are standing around watching Kristo make plays.

On one podcast, a self professed expert and fan of an unnamed team basically said the Sioux have shown him nothing this season and just aren’t very good, his blanket statement included the Fighting Sioux’s defensive unit.

When a hockey team loses 270+ points from their line up due to graduation and early defections it’s going to be noticeable on the ice in the early going of a hockey season.

I guess this self congratulatory and self professed expert missed the part where the Fighting Sioux have clamped it down on defense and have only given up nine goals in the last five games that is an average of 1.8 goals per game during that stretch; unfortunately the Sioux have gone 2-3-0.

In net for the Fighting Sioux, junior goalie Aaron Dell who had a rough start to the season has been in the zone as of late and has muscled the starting goaltender job away from senior goalie Brad Eidsness.

Most knowledgeable hockey fans know that hockey starts with a strong defensive team scheme.  Smart defense in your own end, generates offensive opportunities going the other way.

I guess this same expert, some how missed the part where the Fighting Sioux’s defense and goaltending held the mighty Golden Gophers to “five” goals for a weekend series and their All-American team “barely” got out with the sweep against the hapless Fighting Sioux at Mariucci Arena. But I digress.

More specifically, if you believe the hype and prattle the Fighting Sioux have little chance of doing anything this season and you can stick a fork in them because they are done.  I am not a math expert but if my count is right there are 21 regular season games left, if the Fighting Sioux can make their annual run at about a .600-.700 clip the Fighting Sioux should be right in the mix of things.

It’s easy to coach from the stands especially after a few beers

There has been a lot of Monday morning quarterbacking of the Fighting Sioux coaching staff, some of this criticism is very petty and almost hurtful; some of the criticism is deserved and well thought out.  

If you believe some of our anonymous fans that hide behind a screen name on the Internet, it would sound like the Fighting Sioux coaching staff is made up of a bunch of bumbling hacks that can’t coach a hockey team and are basically just lucky with the success they’ve had to date.

The same rumblings surface every time the Fighting Sioux face some adversity, the weekly FightingSioux.com chat blows up with comments of how Hakstol can’t win the big game when it counts the most.

Personally, I am not ready to write the Fighting Sioux’s eulogy just yet, there is a lot of hockey left to be played. There is also a lot of pride in that Fighting Sioux locker room and I expect the leaders of that team to take the bull by the horns and play Fighting Sioux hockey.

After Sundays 1-0 loss against the BSU Beavers; you could tell that the head coach of the Fighting Sioux head coach Dave Hakstol was not pleased with his team’s effort. Hakstol talked about his team not getting to dirty areas and how some of his players let their teammates down.

One game at a time

It starts with a good shift, and then couple of good shifts, a big hit in the corner or a goal off of a turnover. I know it’s cliché but Roman wasn’t built in a day. You can’t turn the season around in one game or series. I would be willing to bet, that from this point forward you will be some urgency in the Fighting Sioux game plan.

Speaking of historical statistics

The Fighting Sioux take on the Colorado College Tigers this weekend and historically the Fighting Sioux have had a lot of success against the Tigers. According to USCHO.COM, the Fighting Sioux have an all time record 135-76-10 (.633) against the Colorado College Tigers. Also the Sioux have an impressive 80-19-6 (.790) at home against the Tigers.

The Fighting Sioux are historically a second half team since Fighting Sioux head coach Dave Hakstol took over the coaching duties in 2004-05; the Fighting Sioux have an impressive and almost mind blowing record of 111-44-16 after Jan. 1. That means that under Hakstol the Fighting Sioux have been historically very hard to beat after the first of the year.  The $64,000.00 question is how will this team fare?

Year         Before                 After

2004-05   13-7-2  (.636)   12-8-3 (.587)

2005-06   12-7-1 (.625)    17-9-0 (.654)

2006-07   7-10-1 (.417)    17-4-4 (.760)

2007-08   8-6-1 (.567)       20-5-3 (.768)

2008-09   9-8-1 (.528)      15-7-3 (.660)

2009-10   9-6-3 (.583)      16-7-2 (.680)

2010-11   13-5-2 (.700)    19-4-1 (.813)

2011-12   4-7-1 (.375)          ?

Totals 75-56-12 (.566)      116-44-16 (.705)

 

Related articles

• Series Preview: Sioux vs. Tigers (insidehockey.com)
• Beavers End Streak, Beat Sioux 1-0 (insidehockey.com)
• WCHA Power Rankings - November 21 (insidehockey.com)

Through these doors- Episode 2 Part 1

Through These Doors is an awesome series and nice look into the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux hockey program. It appears according to @UNDSID that Through These Doors will come out every Thursday. This should also put you in the mood going into the Wisconsin Badgers series.

A Look at the Numbers - Fighting Sioux Hockey

Name, Yr	GP	G	A	Pts.▼	Pt/GP	PIM	GW	PPG	SHG	+/-
Ben Blood, D, Sr	4	1	1	2	0.5	2	1	0	0	-2
Mario Lamoureux, F, Sr	4	0	1	1	0.25	0	0	0	0	-1
		1	2	3		2				-3
Danny Kristo, F, Jr	4	2	5	7	1.75	2	0	2	0	4
Corban Knight, F, Jr	4	3	3	6	1.5	6	0	0	1	3
Carter Rowney, F, Jr	4	1	2	3	0.75	0	0	1	0	-1
Andrew MacWilliam, D, Jr	4	0	0	0	0	4	0	0	0	0
Joe Gleason, D, Jr	3	0	1	1	0.33	2	0	0	0	-1
		6	11	17		14				5
Brock Nelson, F, So	4	2	2	4	1	2	1	0	0	3
Derek Forbort, D, So	4	1	1	2	0.5	0	0	1	0	-2
Dillon Simpson, D, So	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-1
Taylor Dickin, F, So	4	0	0	0	0	4	0	0	0	-2
Derek Rodwell, F, So	4	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	-1
		3	3	6		8				-3
Nick Mattson, D, Fr	4	1	1	2	0.5	2	0	1	0	0
Mark MacMillan, F, Fr	4	0	2	2	0.5	2	0	0	0	-4
Michael Parks, F, Fr	4	1	0	1	0.25	4	0	0	0	-1
Andrew Panzarella, D, Fr	3	0	1	1	0.33	0	0	0	0	1
Connor Gaarder, F, Fr	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Rocco Grimaldi, F, Fr	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-3
Brendan O'Donnell, F, Fr	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-3
Stephane Pattyn, F, Fr	4	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	-1
		2	4	6		10				-11

Two weeks into the season the Fighting Sioux hockey team is a minus -12 the Fighting Sioux freshman class is a minus -11. The junior class is carrying the water for the Fighting Sioux scoring (6g-11—17pts).