More NCHC Hate

Michigan Tech logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What an awesome idea, insult a whole fan base travels well before they show up and spend money in your hometown.

I actually expected to read more poorly written  editorials like this during the final year of the WCHA as we know it today, but we haven’t so far. Why write this now?

First off, if you’re going to attack someone you should have saved your ire for the Wisconsin Badgers athletics department. Wasn’t Barry Alvarez one of the big cheer leaders of the B1G? Without the Big Ten Hockey Conference none of this would probably ever happened.

Brandon Veale; DMG Sports Editor --- You can probably bet on this being the last time UND slums around here, thanks to they and the rest of the band of mutineers that formed the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. You may remember the NCHC as the league formed to avoid undesirable (and more importantly, untelevised) trips to places like Houghton, Mankato and Anchorage and replace them with occasionally televised places like Oxford, Ohio and Kalamazoo.

They're very excited about this, as the NCHC is already sending out regular releases on each future member's progress, even though league play doesn't begin until next season. It's a job Winston from the book would be proud of.

I'm sure everyone the television industry is beating the door down to go to Grand Forks in January to show the Fighting _____ play Western Michigan, though I wouldn't mind seeing how they're going with uninstalling all the _____ logos paid for, and demanded by, Ralph Engelstad's hard-earned casino money.

First, I don’t have anything against Michigan Tech and appreciate their school and their hockey program so this isn't directed at their team. I have met many great Michigan Tech fans and have enjoyed interacting with their fans during the Final Fives.

Last year, during the Final Five I had a 0:300 am breakfast at Mickey’s Diner in Saint Paul with a Gopher fan, two Tech fans and two other UND hockey fans that I know and the general theme was we’re were going miss days like this when our favorite teams all go different directions in 2013-14.

That being said, this sports column was hardly needed.

Like I have said a few times, the fans are hardly to blame when it comes to College Hockey re-alignment; we had no choice in this matter. These types of conference decisions are made by people in athletic departments that are supposed to be a lot smarter than the rest of us. I don't remember them asking any of us for our feed back when they made these decisions either.

I have always told people if you’re unhappy with the formation of the NCHC send the people that made this happen an email or letter. That’s where your anger should be focused.

Lastly, I also don’t think that it’s necessary to take shots at a dead benefactor. What’s the point? I don’t know any college hockey program that would have turned down a 100,000,000.00 donation/gift to build a hockey arena. Ralph Englestad Arena has been a God send to UND, and helps recruit some the best hockey players in college hockeys. I am just shocked there wasn't a Nazi reference in there. I mean seriously, Ralph Englestad has been dead since November 26, 2002 but yet the hateful comments never cease, ten years later.

Related articles

• Former Gophers Andy Brink's thought's on college hockey and the WCHA (thehockeywriters.com)
• WCHA Issues One-Game Suspension to Wisconsin's Little (ndgoon.blogspot.com)

Fighting Sioux Finish off the Bemidji State Beavers 4-3

Grand Forks, ND – In hockey they say that it’s hard to end another team’s season, especially if you are playing an up-tempo team the like BSU Beavers.  The Beavers put up a good fight and didn’t give up until the final horn.

The University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux has come full circle since November 20, 2011 when the Fighting Sioux had just lost a lack-luster game to the Bemidji State Beavers 1-0 in Bemidji.  That was the first loss for the Fighting Sioux to the Beavers in over 41 years.

After the loss to the Beavers the Fighting Sioux had a lack-luster record of 4-7-1 and they sat in 11^th place of the WCHA standings.

Since that game the Fighting Sioux have gone an eye-popping 17-5-2.

With the win tonight, the Fighting Sioux improve to 18-5-2 after an exciting 4-3 win against the Beavers tonight.

For this season’s Fighting Sioux hockey team, nothing has come easy.  This game was no different as the Fighting Sioux survived a late third period surge that saw the Beavers  score two goals in 19 seconds, and they were able to hold on to eliminate the Bemidji State Beavers 4-3.

With the win tonight, the Fighting Sioux will advance to the Final Five for a league leading 10^th time and will play their first game on Thursday (game time to be determined).  Fighting Sioux head coach Dave Hakstol is excited to be moving on to the Final Five.

“We’re excited!”

“It’s such a great weekend to go there and be a part of it” Hakstol said. “Our guys have worked; it’s a nice reward for a lot of the work our guys have put in this weekend and even the way this game tonight went, it’s kind of indicative of our year.”

“We really can’t do things in an easy way.  We find a way to get it down and I think that’s the best compliment I can pay our guys. They find a way to win.  It’s a nice reward to head to Saint Paul.”
Tonight, three Fighting Sioux seniors played their final game of their hockey career at Ralph Engelstad Arena.  For Mario Lamoureux (Grand Forks, North Dakota), Brad Eidsness (Chestermere, Alberta), and Ben Blood (Plymouth, Minnesota), it’s the end of a four year hockey career.

Fighting Sioux Captain, Mario Lamoreux, reflected on his last game at Ralph Engelstad.

“It’s sad…kind of took a last little look before I skated off the ice and tried to soak it all in,” Lamoureux said.

“It’s been a great four years  and a lot of good memories can’t be more appreciative of the fans and all the people that support this program.  It’s absolutely first class in every way and it makes me extremely proud to be able to be part of this program and represent everything about it and it’s a good way to go out.”

Hakstol had this to say on his senior class’ last game at Ralph Engelstad. Arena.

“I wish it would have been a little less exciting than it was”, Hakstol said.

“A great night.  Brad Eidsness answered the bell again.  He has done it, he did it last Saturday, on senior’s night…he answered the call again tonight.  He was great for his teammates.  Mario and Ben were a huge part of this win tonight, and not just what you saw on the ice.

“This day of preparation starts really after last night’s game and obviously it gets into full swing when you get to the rink in the morning.  I thought our leaders did a good job of having our team ready to play tonight.”

“The last three minutes was a little bit sloppy and a little bit ugly for about a 20 second span.  You know what, we locked it down after that and we didn’t give up anything and did a great job with a one goal lead.”

With the win tonight, the Fighting Sioux improve to 22-12-3.

With the loss tonight, the Bemidji State Beavers fall to 17-18-3.  The loss also eliminates the Bemidji State Beavers from NCAA post season play.  Beaver Coach Tom Serratore had this to say about his team’s season.

“I thought it was a great season.  Everyone gauges their season differently, but I mean, this is a tough league, we know it’s a tough league.  We had 17 wins.  We were over five hundred in the regular season. We had more points than we had last year.  Those are the things we have look at right there.  Again, we made progress and we were hard to play against.  Again, I thought it was a great season.  Obviously we didn’t want it to end this way.  We wanted to advance to the WCHA Final Five, but it didn’t happen. But, that didn’t take anything away from the season we had.”

Box Score

Related articles

• Sioux slip by Beavers 4-1 (ndgoon.blogspot.com)
• Sioux slip past Beavers 4-1 (insidehockey.com)
• Eidsness, Sioux Shut Out the Mavericks (insidehockey.com)
• UND vs. BSU: Series Notes (insidehockey.com)
• UND vs. BSU Series Notes (ndgoon.blogspot.com)
• Dell back stops Sioux to a 4-2 victory over Mavericks (ndgoon.blogspot.com)
• Lucky Bounces Save Sioux in Tie (insidehockey.com)
• Dell backstops Sioux to a 4-2 win over Mavericks (insidehockey.com)
• Sunday evening rumblings (ndgoon.blogspot.com)
• WCHA Power Rankings: March 8, 2012 (insidehockey.com)

Video from Save The Fighting Sioux.com

If you have seen it, it's worth a look. This video is from the Committee for Understanding & Respect – Fighting Sioux Fund. Save the Fighting Sioux

Contrary to what many people say, or think, this issue is not over!

The special session of the North Dakota legislature has not spoken.

While some people think that North Dakota “Fighting Sioux” fans should just “move on,” there are a significant number of Fighting Sioux fans who have no intention of just “moving on.”

Ralph Engelstad did not “move on” when his alma mater and the city of Grand Forks was under water and on fire. Instead, he made the largest financial contribution to any university in the United States by an individual donor by financing 100% of the construction of what is now one of the finest sports facilities in the world.

So if you are a Fighting Sioux fan who is not ready or willing to “move on,” then we suggest you let it be known on this website, who you are and why you support the name, “Fighting Sioux” and the logo forever.