UND 5 UAA 5

I know it’s early and I don’t see a need to start the Fire Hakstol threat over on Sioux Sports as of yet but last night’s game was tough one to stomach. The Sioux raced to a 5-1 lead only to cough the lead up and then had to win the game in a shoot out. While some might blame the Sioux's listless play on the time change and travel but the Sullivan Arena has turned into a house of horrors for the UND hockey team in the last 9 games the Sioux are an unimpressive 4-4-1. The fact remains that the Fighting Sioux had UAA’s rookie goalie Chris Kamal on the ropes but the Fighting Sioux hockey team let him off of the hook by letting the Seawolves score and get back into the game. Seriously, the Sioux had the young goalie rattled but they took the foot off of the gas. The Sioux will need a better effort tonight if they are going to beat the University of Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks.

If I had to explain last night’s game in one sentence it would be, “It was a horrible effort all the way around and magnified by bad defense and goaltending.” In my opinion the goals that did the Sioux in were the third and fourth goals. Those two goals were a comedy of errors that leaves even the most die hard fans scratching their heads. I would have to ask, where was the team effort after they got a 5-1 lead? At 10:57 of the second period the Sioux gave up the first of four unanswered goals. 

On the third UAA goal Brad Eidsness goes into the corner to play the puck is beat to the puck by UAA forward Jade Portwood, the big forward pass the puck to Sean Wiles who has an empty UND net to shoot the puck into.  The fourth UAA goal was a horrible effort all the way around, the puck is turned over in the offensive zone and Tommy Grant makes the Sioux hockey team look like a bunch of uninspired pylons.

Three Stars of the Game

1.  Corban Knight UND, 2 goals
2. Jason Gregoire UND, 2 assists
3. Tommy Grant  UAA,
 

 Box Score
--------------------------------1st Period (20:00)--------------------------------
AKA-1 Mark Pustin (2-Holding) NDK 1x1 2:07
NDK 1 - 0 6x5 PP Brad Malone (1) (Brett Hextall) 3:06
NDK: 22,26,21,4,19,G31 AKA: 15,27,36,8,G35
AKA 1 - 1 6x6 Curtis Leinweber (1) (Tommy Grant, Jordan Kwas) 12:25
AKA (+): 11,16,23,14,17,G35 NDK (-): 29,8,5,2,7,G31
AKA-2 Luka Vidmar (2-High-Sticking) NDK 1x2 15:09
AKA-3 Quinn Sproule (2-Charging) NDK 2x3 19:05
NDK 2 - 1 6x5 PP Jake Marto (1) (Chay Genoway) 19:38
NDK: 25,5,7,10,17,G31 AKA: 15,8,14,36,G35
--------------------------------2nd Period (20:00)--------------------------------
NDK 3 - 1 6x6 Corban Knight (1) (Jason Gregoire, Derrick LaPoint) 0:47
NDK (+): 10,17,5,2,26,G31 AKA (-): 27,16,8,20,11,G35
NDK-1 Brad Malone (2-Boarding) AKA 0x1 1:38
NDK 4 - 1 6x6 Carter Rowney (1) (Jason Gregoire) 3:41
NDK (+): 27,17,22,3,2,G31 AKA (-): 27,40,36,23,9,G35
NDK 5 - 1 6x6 Corban Knight (2) (Danny Kristo) 7:32
NDK (+): 10,7,4,24,27,G31 AKA (-): 27,20,16,13,3,G35
AKA 2 - 5 6x6 Matt Bailey (1) (Brett Cameron, Mitch Bruijsten) 10:57
AKA (+): 21,7,12,3,13,G35 NDK (-): 9,27,21,4,24,G31
NDK-2 Evan Trupp (2-Interference) AKA 0x2 14:24
NDK-3 Chay Genoway (2-Interference) AKA 0x3 15:00
AKA-4 Craig Parkinson (2-Boarding) NDK 2x4 16:41
AKA 3 - 5 5x6 SH Sean Wiles (1) (Jade Portwood) 18:07
AKA (+): 27,36,23,11,G35 NDK (-): 24,10,5,7,17,G31
AKA 4 - 5 6x6 Tommy Grant (1) (unassisted) 19:00
AKA (+): 16,20,14,8,15,G35 NDK (-): 10,5,25,17,9,G31
--------------------------------3rd Period (20:00) --------------------------------
AKA 5 - 5 6x6 GT Brett Cameron (1) (Mitch Bruijsten, Matt Bailey) 1:34
AKA (+): 7,12,21,13,3,G35 NDK (-): 4,29,24,7,8,G31
NDK-4 Andrew MacWilliam (2-Elbowing) AKA 0x4 4:06
Overtime (5:00)
--------------------------------End of Game--------------------------------

UND Foundation Seems to Have Lost a Lot of Money Subsequent to the Dropping of the Sioux Nickname

With the UND administration's insistence on abandoning the Sioux nickname for it's identity the talk has been that donors have cut back.

I've heard of some serious hitters saying that they weren't giving the school any money in the future. Of course that's anecdotal. I mean surely those that were against the name would have stepped up to the plate once they got their way.

I've been waiting for UND Foundation to release their report for some months now. After all their fiscal year ends June 30th. Well today, in the GF Herald I saw the first indication that things aren't pretty.

In 2007, before the recent economic downturn, UND was talking about bringing its endowment up to $500 million. A

As of the end of fiscal year 2010, the endowment was $106 million, Johnson said.

According to the last Foundation report for fiscal year 2009, on page 17, they had $144 million in net assets. So if they're down to $106 million there are some issues. There is a chance that they consider something less that that as their endowment. I don't see any line item on their books as an endowment though.

It will be very interesting when they do release their financials. Back in the spring of 2009 the Board of Higher Education made the move to eventually retire the name. If they say a drop in 2009-2010 I would predict an even larger drop in the current fiscal year, now that the name is apparently killed off by the current administration.

I have a hard time believing that the UND Foundation should have lost money in their investments in the last fiscal year. My 401K did pretty well over that period.

The same article says that there's a big announcement for a new fund raising campaign tonight. I wasn't invited. But if I had to bet I'd say that the only thing that UND President Robert Kelley could raise funds for at this point is moving expenses.

Cross Posted from Say Anything Blog

Genoway and Eidsness make USCHO's Hobey Baker Watch.

Elliot Olshansky from USCHO has included Fighting Sioux defenseman Chay Genoway and Fighting Sioux goalie Brad Eidsness in his 2010-11 Hobey Baker Watch: Preview, Part II.

DEFENSEMEN

Chay Genoway, Sr., North Dakota – Genoway was named to the All-WCHA third team despite playing a grand total of nine games due to a concussion sustained at the hands of St. Cloud’s Aaron Marvin, but was granted a medical redshirt to complete his college career at North Dakota. In those nine games, he had four goals and six assists, and was generating his share of Hobey talk. Given a full, healthy season on a North Dakota team that always seems to get hot at the right time of year, he should be able to contend for the award again.

GOALTENDERS

Brad Eidsness, Jr., North Dakota – Eidsness was an All-WCHA second team pick last season after finishing eighth nationally in goals-against average and 23rd in save percentage. The return of Chay Genoway to the UND blueline corps should be helpful, and while it’s always tricky to pick goalies, Eidsness is one worth looking at.

Friday Morning Pontifications....

The UAA Seawolves will have a new goaltender(s) to start the 2010-2011 season, the previous goaltenders/sieves Jon Olthuis (Senior) and Bryce Christian (signed professional contract) have left the team making way for three inexperienced goalies to battle for the starting position.

The Seawolves don't have a projected No. 1 goalie, or even a proven college backstop, among the three men who play the position.

Gunderson is a 6-foot-1, 190-pound freshman from the Alberta Junior Hockey League. Chris Kamal is a 5-9, 186-pound freshman from the North American Hockey League. And the college game resume of returning junior Dusan Sidor, a 6-foot, 170-pounder, consists of a two-period relief stint last season.

The UAF Nanooks made their first trip to the NCAA tourney last season and are now poised to make another run to the NCAA tourney. Sounds like the Nanooks spent the off season preparing for the up coming season.

FAIRBANKS — “All summer, we had that taste in our mouths,” junior right wing Ron Meyers said after the recent Blue-Gold Game at the Patty Center. “We worked our butts off so we can get back there and get that taste ... and get more of a taste, staying there for more rounds and seeing how far we get there.”

More rounds in the NCAA Tournament starts with the regional final. If a team is fortunate there, it means a trip to the Frozen Four, where it will play in a national semifinal and if its fortune continues, it will play for the national championship.

The 22 veterans have stressed to the five newcomers — freshmen Colton Beck (left wing), Cody Kunyk (center), Erik Slemp (right wing) and Michael Quinn (defenseman) and sophomore center Adam Henderson, a transfer from Central Collegiate Hockey Association rival Michigan State — that they want that taste to stay throughout the regular season and remain with the Nanooks for, hopefully, another trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Read more: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - Nanooks hockey seeks repeat postseason trip

The Alaska Nanooks Hockey Blog has an interesting blog post on the UND Fighting Sioux hockey team. It's always interesting to see how others scout the Sioux. Britton is a more user friendly than Delusions of Grandeur. [Click to read]

Dominating is the goal for SCSU [SCSU Times]

Lee, a third-round draft pick of the Phoenix Coyotes, went into his freshman season with a lot of accolades and awards. He was the United States Hockey League Goalie of the Year and USA Hockey Junior Hockey Goalie of the Year in 2009. In preseasons polls of the media and the coaches, he also was the WCHA Preseason Rookie of the Year.

Last winter, he won a gold medal with Team USA at the World Junior Championships and started the last six postseason for the Huskies. He also had a 6-7-2 record and a 3.04 goals-against average in WCHA games.

"It was about as good a learning year as anybody could ask for with all of the ups and downs," said Lee, a sophomore who led Roseau to the 2007 Class 2A state high school title. "I went through about everything that somebody could go through in a season. It was good to get that experience under my belt for my freshman year.

"We're looking to build off that year," said Lee, who started in the WCHA championship game and won an NCAA first-round playoff game. "The more times you play for championships, the better your odds are. That's our goal, to keep putting ourselves in those situations."

Dominating? Yeah! Uh, oh, OK! I have been on record as saying that I think that Mike Lee is over rated and that Dan Dunn is the better of the two goalies for the SCSU Huskies. Last season Mike Lee folded in the big games in college and on the World stage. Lee was pulled in the WJC against Canada in the championship game, pulled in the Final Five against UND and was 0-3 UND last season (4-0 L, 8-1 L, 5-3 L), in fact Mike Lee only finished one game against the Sioux last season a 4-0 loss in November. On the flip side of that goalie combo Dunn was 2-0 against UND.

UND Fighting Sioux hockey Season on... First off the Seawolves.

The UND Fighting Sioux travel to Anchorage Alaska to play in the Kendall Hockey Classic in Anchorage, Alaska. Game time is at 11:07 pm Grand Forks, ND time. You can watch the game on FSSN Channel 27 or listen to the game on 96.1 or via the internet on FightingSioux.com. The Fighting Sioux radio broadcast between UND and UAA is free but requires that you register at FightingSioux.com.

Here are some of the key returning players for the Fighting Sioux

Forwards

Danny Kristo Soph, 15g-21a-36pts
Matt Frattin Sr, 11g-8a-19pts
Jason Gregoire Jr, 20g-17a-37pts
Brett Hextall Jr, 14g-12a-26pts
Evan Trupp Sr, 8g-26a-34pts

Defense

Derrick LaPoint Sr 2g-20a-22pts
Jake Marto Sr, 5g-13a-18pts
Ben Blood Jr, 5g-9a-14pts
Chay Genoway SR, 4g-6a-10pts

Goalie

Brad Eidsness Jr, 24-10-4, 2.11 GAA, SV% .914

Here are some of the key returning players for the UAA Seawolves.

Forward

Tommy Grant Sr, 9g-17a-26pts
Sean Wiles Sr, 9g-8a-17pts
Craig Parkinson Sr, 6g-5a-11pts
Jade Portwood Jr,3g-2a-5pts

Defensemen

Nick Haddad Sr, 5g-5a-10gpts
Luka Vidmar Sr, 2-g10a-12pts
Brad Gorham Jr, 0g-5a-10pts
Chris Crowell So, 0g-0a-0pts

Goalie

Dusan Sidor So, 0-0-0 6.00 GAA SV% .846
Rob Gunderson Fr.
Chris Kamal Fr.

Comparing the two teams

UND averages 6'0.07" and 187.96 lbs.
UAA averages 6'0.71" and 187.13 lbs.

UND record against UAA the last 12 games 7-4-1

UND has a 4-4 in it's last 8 games in Anchorage.

Read what the College Hockey News has to say about the Kendall Hockey Classic in Anchorage, Alaska.

All the more reason for the defense to stay strong.

"On the flip side, we need to manufacture more shots that lead to an increase in goal production," said Shyiak. "We want to be a team that is tough to play against and keep teams scoring chances to a minimum."

North Dakota, coming off a 5-2 exhibition victory over Manitoba, has epitomized consistency during the past decade-plus, reaching the NCAA tournament in 13 of the last 14 years, including each of the last eight. Last year, the Sioux fell to Yale in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Still, six of the Sioux's seven 20-point scorers from a season ago return this year, so it's no wonder that talk of the Frozen Four is already swirling around Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks. In addition, Chay Genoway returns to the Fighting Sioux defensive corps after a concussion kept him out of last season.

Genoway played regular shifts in North Dakota's win over Manitoba last week.

Familiar faces returning to WCHA

Kevin Pates from the Duluth News Tribune has a nice article about the two new teams that will begin play in the WCHA this season. I have a feeling that the WCHA is going to get to know Tom Serratore and Dean Blais’ teams pretty quick as both coaches like to play an up tempo race horse hockey type of game.

Duluth News Tribune ---- The newest members of the league — Serratore with Bemidji State and Blais with Nebraska-Omaha — begin 2010-11 play in the next two weeks. On Tuesday, they were warmly welcomed by fellow WCHA head coaches during a media conference call. They needed no introduction.

Serratore, 46, is entering his ninth year as Bemidji State’s head coach with a mark of 140-120-29. He was a St. Cloud State assistant for five years in the WCHA from 1993-99.

Blais, 59, is entering his second year at Omaha and spent 10 seasons in the WCHA as North Dakota’s head coach with a 262-115-33 record. He had another nine years as a North Dakota assistant and played for Minnesota from 1969-73.

“It’s an exciting time in Bemidji, something we’ve dreamt of for years,” said Serratore, who grew up in Coleraine and was a Bemidji State hockey captain. “The longtime goal of this program has been to be a member of the WCHA, and it’s nice to see it come to fruition.

“All of northern Minnesota and the Iron Range has been looking forward to this, and we hope to compete day-in-and-day-out with the teams in our league.”

Bemidji State knocked on the WCHA’s door with the demise of College Hockey America. Nebraska-Omaha was then courted by WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod to make the league an even dozen members, the largest size since its inception in 1951.

Bemidji State, which grew to national small-college stature under Bob Peters, has been in three NCAA Division I tournaments the past six years. The Beavers were 23-10-4 last season, won the College Hockey America regular-season title and lost to Michigan 5-1 in the NCAA Midwest Regional’s first round. The four-team College Hockey America then dissolved.

Bemidji State opens its first WCHA season in impressive fashion with the christening of the $44 million, 4,500-seat Bemidji Regional Event Center on Oct. 15 against North Dakota.

Inside Fighting Sioux hockey

The inaugural season of Inside Fighting Sioux hockey. It will be a weekly show that will go on for 23 weeks. I guess you could say that it will be the inaugural and well probably last season of Inside Fighting Sioux hockey. Next year UND will drop the Fighting Sioux logo and who knows what will happen.

The NHL season is here...

s/t to Brad "Sioux Rube" Schack for the video, I took it from his Face Book page. I am pumped, today is the opening day of the NHL season and I will be able to watch the Wild game at 11:00 on Versus. I already bought my subscription to NHL Center Ice, this season it's 170.00 plus dollars. Yikes! I predict that finally the Boston Bruins will win the Stanley Cup.

UPDATE - Season opener...

Minnesota Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom with a new goalie mask.

Martin Havlat with a new number he is now 24.

The newest member of the Minnesota Wild former SCSU Husky Matt Cullen wearing number 7.

First goal for the 2010 - 2011 NHL season - MIN Guillaume Latendresse (1) Wrist Shot - Assists: M. Koivu (1) & K. Brodziak (1).

19:50 Carolina Brandon Sutter (Jussi Jokinen, Jamie Mcbain) PP... Former Wisconsin Badger Jamie Mcbain with the assist.

Derek Boogaard, noted fighter, will be looked at to do more than brawl with Rangers: John Tortorella

This is an interesting article that some Wild fans might be interested, if anything it’s an entertaining read. Also, I didn't realize it had been that long since Boogeyman had scored a goal. Let’s be real and who are we kidding? Derek Boogaard's only hockey skill is to fight and his specialty is beating the crap out of goons and if people expect him to do anything else it's silly. Also, Boogaard is very effective scowling and waving his finger at the opposition on the player’s bench. Now; don’t get me wrong I enjoy watching him beat the crap out of out players but he isn’t worth the money the Rangers are going to pay him.

When John Tortorella talks about Derek Boogaard, he does so with a tiptoeing delicacy that stands in stark contrast to the subject.

"We all know what his biggest strength is," the coach says on more than one occasion when asked about the 6-7 mountain of a man who signed a four-year, $6.5 million contract with the Rangers this summer. "It's still in our game. Guys feel more comfortable when a guy like that is around."

Boogaard has not scored a regular-season goal since Jan. 7, 2006, and he would love to end his 222-game drought. It's just that scoring isn't what earns him seven figures. [Read more]

When I read this quote, it's very hard to me not to snicker or to break into uncotrolled laughter. "Yeah Right." You're kidding right? If Boogey scores more than 3 goals I would be surprised.

"I'm not sure how he was treated in Minnesota - if he was just told to go out and fight - that's not what we're looking for here," said the coach. "He'll have his opportunities to do that, but we also want to try to help him become a better player and help us by adding some minutes to our lineup."

Boogaard welcomed that challenge. He struggled through the conditioning tests at the beginning of training camp, but made it through, and he hopes that will allow him to get in the box score for something other than fighting penalties. That's what he did in the preseason, scoring on Friday against Ottawa. But he is still waiting for the real thing. [Read more]

WCHA Website/Blogger Preseason Poll - Sioux the run away winner.

I participated in the Inaugural WCHA Website/Blogger Preseason Poll and here is how the vote played out. I am pretty sure I know who gave Duluth the first place vote. :)

1. North Dakota (12) 177
2. St. Cloud (2) 158
3. Duluth (1) 154
4. Denver 125
5. Minnesota 117
6. Wisconsin 113
7. Nebraska-Omaha 81
8. Colorado College 77
9. Bemidji State 73
10. Minnesota State 39
11. Michigan Tech 30
12. Alaska-Anchorage 26

WCHA Player of the Year:

Jack Connolly-Duluth (6)
Garrett Roe-St. Cloud (5)
Jacob Cepis-Minnesota (1)
Chay Genoway-North Dakota (1)
Jason Gregoire North Dakota (1)
Matt Read-Bemidji (1)

WCHA Rookie of the Year:

Jaden Schwartz-Colorado College (6)
Beau Bennett-Denver (2)
Derek Forbort-North Dakota (2)
Nick Bjugstad-Minnesota (1)
Erik Haula-Minnesota (1)
Matt White-Nebraska Omaha (1)
Mark Zengerle-Wisconsin (1)
Sam Rendle-Bemidji (1)

Voters:

Goon-Goons World (North Dakota)
RWD-Runnin' With The Dogs (Duluth)
Brandon-Sioux Yeah Yeah! (North Dakota)
Chuck Schwartz-Sixty Minutes (Wisconsin)
Exile on Dayton Street-Sixty Minutes (Wisconsin)
Gandalf The Red-Sixty Minutes (Wisconsin)
Hammy-Gopher Hockey Blog (Minnesota)
Dirty-Dirty's Diatribe (North Dakota)
Jeremy-Husky Hockey Blog (St. Cloud)
USAFA Bulldog-The DECC is Stacked (Duluth)
Jon-Mav Puck (Nebraska-Omaha)
Fade to black and gold-Michigan Tech Hockey Blog (Michigan Tech)
Exiled One-College Hockey Recruit Exchange & DaHuskies.com (St. Cloud)
Donald - Delusions of Grandeur (Anchorage)
Millsy-The Beaver Pond (Bemidji)

Here is my ballot

1.) UND
2.) SCSU
3.) UMD
4.) DU
5.) UW
6.) UMN
7.) UNO
8.) BSU
9.) CC
10.) MSU
11.) UAA
12.) MTU

Poy Chay Genoway-UND
ROY Jaden Schwartz-Colorado College

TSN TOP 50 PLAYERS: 2010 EDITION

Two former UND Fighting Sioux hockey players made the TOP 20 of the TSN top 50 players.

3. F - Jonathan Toews (1,398)
16. F - Zach Parise (1,047)

A couple of things (Sioux Hockey)

As the summer winds down and the days gets shorter and the weather gets colder, on can only notice that college hockey is back on the “radar”. This weekend the Fighting Sioux travel to the last frontier to play in the Kendall Hockey Classic in Anchorage, Alaska. There is good news for Sioux hockey fans that have Midco as their cable carrier.

Fighting Sioux --- This weekend's games will be broadcast live on the Fighting Sioux Sports Network on cable systems in North Dakota and Minnesota. FSSN is picking up the GCI production of both games.

A video webcast of Friday's game against UAA can be purchased at www.GoSeawolves.com, where FREE live stats are also available. There will not be a video webcast for Saturday's UND-UAF game, but FREE live stats will be available. Live audio of both games can be heard at FightingSioux.com.

All UND home games are broadcast live on the Fighting Sioux Sports Network, Midco Sports Network and Fox College Sports Central. Sunday's game will also be carried live on DirecTV 617.

Since the UND Fighting Sioux hockey team plays the big slow, lumbering team from UAA I thought I would direct your attention to something Delusions of Grandeur had to say about UND. Let's hope Aaron Dell shuts out UAA again this season. Also, Sioux7 is making the trip this week so hopefully we will get a full report from Alaska when he gets back.

North Dakota

It is finally the last year that this team is allowed to continue using it's offensive nickname in the NCAA. Thank christ for that. UND returns eleven skaters as upperclassmen this season. That 11 may very well equal SCSU's 15 in terms of overall talent.

But their 8 sophomore skaters could likely drive this team. There is definitely a lot of scoring potential in their sophomore class. UND will be tough across all four lines. And all four lines will be potential scoring lines.

Sure, they could be the WCHA team to get to the Frozen Four and kill kittens. But I think that just like every other year when UND puts Minnesota in their rear mirror they'll lose the motivation that keeps them so ultra competitive in the WCHA. So they'll finish 2nd in the league. They'll finish 3rd or 4th at the Final Five. Then lose to lower seeded B.C. in the first round.

Don't think for a second that I don't see this talent-laden roster. There's a bunch of real goal scorers on it; Cichy, Knight, Rowney, Gregoire, Kristo. But the mantle of "dealing with personalties" has shifted a bit from it's ever-presence at Minnesota to UND. Those fucking guys all know they're studs.

Okay? So yah ... you manage that. They also better hope Eidsness is good to go all year. Because they're going to ride that boy like they rode Lammy.

This is what Dean Blais had to say on media day. Looks like UNO might get a new hockey arena on campus.

12:32 p.m.: UNO's Dean Blais spoke Tuesday afternoon on the WCHA coaches teleconference. Here's some of the highlights of what the legendary coach -- who led North Dakota to NCAA titles in 1997 and 2000 -- had to say:

>>“We're glad to be in WCHA. It's a great bunch of guys, as far as coaches … and even the referees -- we kind of enjoyed (seeing them) last week when we played British Columbia. We had a good crowd here, we had 5,700 fans, and won 6-1. We had five different players scoring, and it was a really exciting game.”

>>“A new building, like Duluth and Bemidji, is hopefully going to be announced here. We've got three more years at the Qwest Center, then we want to break ground in the spring, and it will take about two years to build. They're thinking 7,500 to around 8,000 (seats). Details should be out hopefully within a month or two.”

INCH gives Sioux the kiss of death

In case you haven't seen it, INCH has The Great 58 up and they have University of North Dakota ranked number one. I would say that B.C. should be number one because they are the reigning NCAA champ and they returned most of their good players.

1. North Dakota - A crucial four-week stretch of October and November for the Sioux has home series with Denver and UMD sandwiched between trips to Maine and Wisconsin.
2. Boston College
3. Miami
4. Michigan
5. Minnesota Duluth
6. St. Cloud State
7. Yale
8. Maine
9. New Hampshire
10. Alaska
11. Denver
12. Union
13. Rensselaer
14. Boston University
15. Cornell
16. Notre Dame
17. Michigan State
18. Minnesota
19. Wisconsin
20. RIT

Michael Cammalleri Slash on Nino Niederreiter

In looking at this video I don't think a one game suspension is a stiff enough punishment for this egregious act. The slash by former Michigan Wolverine hack Mike Cammalleri on Nino Niederreiter is a bush league move and there is no room in hockey for this type of crap. Cammalleri should be out at least 2-4 games in my opinion.

Poll Monday

USCHO.com Division I Men's Poll
[October 4, 2010]
1 Boston College (45) 29-10-3 993 3
2 North Dakota ( 3) 25-13-5 935 4
3 Miami ( 2) 29- 8-7 892 1
4 St. Cloud State 24-14-5 749 7
5 Michigan 26-18-1 741 11
6 Yale 21-10-3 719 8
7 Maine 19-17-3 639 18
8 Minnesota-Duluth 22-17-1 618 14
9 Denver 27-10-4 534 2
10 New Hampshire 18-14-7 510 12
11 Cornell 21- 9-4 509 6
12 Alaska 18-12-9 435 17
13 Wisconsin 28-11-4 295 5
14 Boston University 18-17-3 280 NR
15 Minnesota 18-19-2 271 NR
16 Michigan State 19-13-6 191 19
17 Notre Dame 13-17-8 156 NR
18 RIT 28-12-1 152 20
19 Union 21-12-6 136 16
20 Colorado College 19-17-3 127 NR
Others Receiving Votes: Vermont 105, Bemidji State 101, Northern Michigan 96, Ferris State 83, Nebraska-Omaha 49, Northeastern 39, Rensselaer 32, Mercyhurst 31, Quinnipiac 18, Merrimack 15, Ohio State 13, Colgate 9, St. Lawrence 5, Air Force 4, Mass.-Lowell 2, Robert Morris 1

Sioux 5 - Bisons 2

First; I thought the game was kind of a yawner and the Sioux played very sloppy at times, however, that is probably to be expected since they haven’t had many practices under their belt, I was told that the Fighting Sioux hockey team had like one practice before this game. I also thought Manitoba was a bit cheap and took a lot of runs that UND’s skilled players. I am not sure I would put them in the hack category but they did seem to play with a bit of a edge. It’s one thing to play hard but I don’t think it’s necessary to try and start a brawl during an exhibition game, we would like to save the brawling for conference opponents like the Pioneers and the Gophers.

Second; I thought that Manitoba Bison defenseman Chris Benias and Zachery Tully were a couple of punks. Tully’s hit on Pointer in the corner during the third period was unacceptable and should have been a penalty, I don’t know if it was of the “Major Penalty” variety but it was definitely a hit to the head and could have been five and a game misconduct. Here is the video from the NCAA ice hockey rules committee and at 12:00 they show the definition of major penalty for hits to the head.

Just a few observations from last night's game...

Corban Knight – I thought Knight played well last night and looked good playing at the center. I also thought Knight played a strong physical game. I think Corban Knight is ready to break out this season and fill the net with pucks the up side on this kid is very good.

Mike “Ocho” Cichy – I thought Mike Cichy looked pretty good last night and it would be a plus to have him playing at a higher level to start the season. Last year coach Hakstol said that Cichy came into came out of shape and this season Mike appears to be leaner and in better shape. From the sidelines it would appear that his hard work might have paid off.

Derek Forbort – I think that Forbort is going to fit right into the Sioux line up and didn’t look out of place at one bit. I was impressed with Forbort’s poise in the defensive zone.

Chay Genoway – I think Chay looked a little rusty from only playing nine games last season but I believe he will get back up to speed after a few games and practices.

Brock Nelson – I think Nelson showed us a glimpse of the future and will only get better as the season unwinds. I also expect that he will gain some much needed muscle during the season as he gets into the weight room.

Matt Frattin – Wow! What can you say but Fratts was a beast last night, he looks bigger, stronger, faster, meaner and ready to make an impact on the WCHA. His shot from the point last night on the power play was a laser and it appeared as if it was shot out of a howitzer.

Dillon Simpson – Although he didn’t play that much, I thought that Simpson looked a bit like a deer in the head lights last night. I would say that he will probably be the extra to start the season for the Sioux on defense.



Goon's three stars of the game

(1) Corban Knight
(2) Jason Gregoire
(3) Matt Frattin

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Box Score --------- 1st Period (20:00)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MTB-1 Tyler Dittmer (2-Slashing) NDK 0x1 1:19
NDK-1 Brad Malone (2-Tripping) MTB 1x1 2:16
MTB 1 - 0 6x5 PP Dane Crowley (Ian Duval, Blair Macaulay) 3:38
MTB: 5,18,26,11,4,G34 NDK: 4,21,24,19,G31
MTB-2 Blair Macaulay (2-Hooking) NDK 0x2 6:48
NDK 1 - 1 6x6 Corban Knight (Brett Hextall, Jason Gregoire) 14:20
NDK (+): 10,26,4,17,24,G31
NDK 2 - 1 6x6 LL Jason Gregoire (Derek Forbort) 17:25
NDK (+): 17,4,10,26,24,G31 MTB (-): 11,26,15,19,4,G34

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2nd Period (20:00)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NDK 3 - 1 6x6 GW Brett Hextall (Jason Gregoire) 1:11
NDK (+): 26,17,24,4,10,G31 MTB (-): 3,23,4,21,9,G34
MTB-3 Troy Crowley (2-Interference) NDK 0x3 1:44
NDK-2 Mario Lamoureux (2-Interference) MTB 1x2 4:57
MTB-4 Troy Crowley (2-Slashing) NDK 1x4 13:11
MTB-5 Travis Mealy (2-Slashing) NDK 2x5 13:58
NDK 4 - 1 6x4 PP Matt Frattin (Corban Knight, Derek Forbort) 14:16
NDK: 21,10,22,4,19,G32 MTB: 19,2,5,G34
NDK 5 - 1 6x5 PP Brad Malone (Matt Frattin, Brock Nelson) 15:11
NDK: 22,21,29,19,4,G32 MTB: 3,10,4,17,G34

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3rd Period (20:00)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NDK-3 Evan Trupp (2-High-Sticking) MTB 1x3 0:05
MTB-6 Chad Erb (2-Roughing) 4:05
MTB-7 Tyler Dittmer (2-Roughing) 4:05
MTB-8 Chris Benias (2-Roughing) 4:05
MTB-9 Zachery Tully (2-Tripping) NDK 2x6 4:05
MTB-10 Zachery Tully (2-Roughing) NDK 2x7 4:05
NDK-4 Derek Forbort (2-Roughing) 4:05
NDK-5 Ben Blood (2-Roughing) 4:05
NDK-6 Corban Knight (2-Roughing) 4:05
MTB 2 - 5 6x6 Mike Hellyer (Blair Macaulay, Dane Crowley) 9:18
MTB (+): 11,26,5,15,18,G34 NDK (-): 22,19,24,26,4,G32
MTB-11 Dane Crowley (2-Holding) NDK 2x8 9:54
MTB-12 Dane Crowley (2-Roughing) 12:13
MTB-13 Dane Crowley (2-Roughing) 12:13
NDK-7 Mario Lamoureux (2-Roughing) 12:13
NDK-8 Mario Lamoureux (2-Roughing) 12:13
NDK-9 Chay Genoway (2-High-Sticking) MTB 1x4 14:21

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
End of Game

UND 5, the OTHER Bisons 2

Holy Crap! We had to come from behind against the Bisons! Fire Hakstol! Bench Eidsness! Call a Priest to put our season 6 feet into the ground!

No, seriously, it was just an exhibition game, so I won't pontificate on our season based off of this game. However...

Jason Gregoire and Corbin Knight had great games offensively. Derek Forbort was head and shoulders the best freshman on the ice.

I didn't get as much out of this game than perhaps Goon did (however, I THINK I saw Goon on the FSSN feed for a fleet second...), but those three stood out the most to me.

Brock Nelson will eventually be pretty good, but he wasn't the best on the ice.

Also, Chay Genoway did ok, but he did have his rough moments.

I also thought the officials did a passable job tonight...except when it came to protecting the players safety. Derek LaPoint was checked into the boards from behind, no call. I thought for a second that Don Adam was officiating but I remembered that he wasn't. How'd I know? Because if he had, he'd've done two things in the aftermath of the play:

1. He would have called LaPoint for a 10 minute misconduct for telling him that he wasn't doing his job. (By the way, I found out Don Adam guest starred on South Park. You can see him right here.)
2. He would have found a way to give Manitoba the powerplay. He'd've probably added a 2 minute minor to LaPoint for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Manitoba actually played very well all things considered. Steve Christie played alright. He didn't do a great job on Malone's goal. Erb and Dudar did a decent job as well.

They Sioux looked like they hadn't played together at all in the first period (which, except for one practice and a handful of captain's practices, was true) but played better and better as the game wore on. I also thought the first period was also where they missed Kristo the most. Manitoba scored simply by throwing the puck on net. It deflected off of Blood's skate and voila. Danny Kristo isn't afraid to shoot the puck, which, up until that point, was basically what the Sioux seemed to need. No one shot the puck. They tried to be too cute and flashy.

Of course, I've always been a strong proponent of "when in doubt, shoot the puck" as well as the adages "No goals have ever been scored on a pass" and "The more you pass on the power play the more your opponent gets away with too many men on the ice." To further beat the dead horse, a garbage goal is just as good as a highlight reel goal and are much easier to come by.

Anyways, we've got a little work to do before we play Anchorage.

Annnnnnnnnd We're off!

The season is 25 hours and change away when we start the season with the OTHER Bison skating to (hopefully) defeat in the Ralph.

Thus begins the last season as the Fighting Sioux and the following as whatever lame toothless name the idiots on the SBoHE and the UND Administration pigeonhole us into.

But I digress, HOCKEY!

Manitoba boasts a ton of "talent" with again being the team to actually bring a bunch of 25 year old Canadians back to Grand Forks. So, once again, this is the one time a season where Minnesota fans can point at Grand Forks and say that there is a hockey team playing there full of 25 year old Canadians and be right.

Manitoba is a classy program even if the CIAU (or whatever they now call it) is truly a third tier hockey league. To be honest, I'd love to see a USHL team, a DIII team, and a MJ team play a CIAU team and see who would win. I think a USHL team could give them a run for their money and both the DIII and MJ teams have a very good chance at winning.

Anyways, Manitoba brings back 2 former 7th rounders and 2 former 6th round draft picks. A few of their players have actually played pro hockey, in either the AHL or overseas. Their starting goaltender will undoubtedly be Steve Christie, though their backup was, at one time, the Brandon Wheat Kings' rookie of the year before his performance slowly faded into fail.

Once again, Manitoba brings to Grand Forks a washed out ex-NCAA player. The first time it was some former NMU defenseman whose name I don't care too much to remember or even look up. This time it is former Bemidji State University defenseman Joey Moggach.

Just once, I'd like to bring in that team in Alberta that Graeme Harrington transferred to or perhaps U Alberta or U British Columbia to see what they can do. But who cares really. And then there's real news.

We start things off with a little backwards movement: UND Forward and reigning WCHA Rookie of the Year Danny Kristo did something stupid and got caught. Unlike Finley, Kristo wasn't able to do something unique in getting caught doing something stupid, but it was stupid nonetheless. So, he starts the season when UND heads to Alaska.

I'll take flak for this but.... I think Kristo should sit a regular season game in addition to the exhibition. I know that there is some power to sitting him tomorrow because the Sioux start the regular season on the road facing hapless UAA and less hapless UAF and being on the ice when the Sioux skate out with the Broadmoor would be special, but... No.

I think Kristo sitting against UAA would send the message double time without Hakstol hurting the team any more than is absolutely necessary. I think we could bench half our forwards and still win against UAA though.

Speaking of UAA....

They lose Kane LaFranchise for a semester because he actually found something to do other than go to classes last Spring or Summer! Maybe it was the endless sunlight or temps over the freezing point of water that distracted him? I dunno. In any case, UAA goes into the season without much in the way of scoring, nothing in the way of proven goaltending (even MTU has that!) and now, almost nothing in the way of defense.

Looks like my prediction of picking UAA dead last (while Goon and the rest of the media world went with MTU and even MSUM finishing behind UAA!) may become reality. Don't worry, folks, I'll be sure to taunt Goon mercilessly on his blog over this should a Redwing77 Prediction actually come true. Why? Because, to my knowledge, this would be the first time one of my predictions even remotely came true!

Kristo will sit for Sunday's game

According to RWD’s favorite beat writer Brad Schlossman, Sophmore forward Danny Kristo will be sitting out for the exhibition game against Manitoba because he was cited for underage drinking. I hope once the season begins that the Fighting Sioux hockey players focus on the task at hand. Unacceptable!

Sophomore forward Danny Kristo will be benched for Sunday’s exhibition against Manitoba after being cited for drinking underage.

UND announced the suspension for violating team rules today. Kristo will be eligible to return to the team for the first regular-season game against Alaska-Anchorage next weekend.

Blais on the BTHC

I have to agree with Dean Blais on this one, what does Barry Alvarez really know about hockey? I think the Big Ten should concentrate on things that they do well;  like Basketball and Football championships. These athletic directors are messing with college hockey that is already successful and there is a delicate balance that they could upset if they get greedy.

Q: What's your take on the Big Ten possibly starting a hockey league?

A: I don't know what's going to happen for sure. I hear Penn State is starting a program and building an arena. It's hard, hard to get into a conference. They are talking about it. There's got to be a lot of thought that goes into it if the Big Ten schools are going to get together at the expense of hurting college hockey. If you have 55 (58) schools playing hockey and five fold because of that, you better know what you're doing.

(Five programs would fold? Blais said it could happen in the CCHA if it loses three teams to the Big Ten. He had some strong words for the Big Ten schools in the WCHA. “Barry Alvarez, the Wisconsin athletic director, has been pushing this. He's a football guy. Does he know anything about hockey? This could really hurt the sport. Minnesota and Wisconsin have to think about the backlash in future schedules. What's keeping everyone from blackballing them and making them look east?”)

Chorney headed to Oklahoma City

Former Fighting Sioux defenseman Taylor Chorney is head to the AHL to start the season. Chorney played in 42 games last season and was a horrific -21 and became a whipping boy for the Oiler’s faithful.

Edmonton Oilers Press Release --- Edmonton Oilers General Manager Steve Tambellini announced today the club has assigned the following four players to Oklahoma City of the American Hockey League:

Taylor Chorney (D)
Colin McDonald (LW)
Jeff Petry (D)
Alex Plante (D)

Is that Bettman or Booman?

When will the NHL come to the realization that Gary “Buttman” Bettman is ruining the image of the NHL? When ever Bettman is asked a question by fans or the press he sounds like a condescending American politician or high priced trial lawyer. What really bothers me and other is his smugness and arrogance as well.

To a chorus of boos, of course.
Why does Bettman insist on putting himself through the humiliation of hearing the catcalls? He heard them on the biggest stage when he presented the Chicago Blackhawks with the Stanley Cup in June. Tuesday he heard them at the 1,200-seat venue, which was full of children.

We understand why Bettman needed to be in the building on both occasions. Obviously, he needs to be in the house when the league’s champions are crowned.

In the Dundas instance, he wanted to show he believes in the grassroots of hockey. We get that. Not to be overly cynical about it, it was also an opportunity for TV time.

Yet in hindsight, does it really help the image of the NHL — and the future of the NHL — when the guy running the league is being booed in front of several hundred children? Why bring on the hatred by taking centre stage at centre ice?

Surely, Bettman couldn’t have imagined the crowd was going to seranade him. Remember, Dundas is only a long slapshot away from the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, the place where the NHL commissioner so steadfastly refused to consider as a landing spot for the bankrupt Phoenix Coyotes franchise last year.

Dundas is, in fact, now part of the amalgamated city of Hamilton. (We can imagine Bettman was jumping for joy when a community connected to Hamilton won the rights to the game over every other Canadian possibility).[Read the whole article here]

Great Expectations - UND first in Media and Herald Polls...

94X WCHA MEDIA POLL
1. North Dakota (28 first-place votes) 347 points
2. Minnesota Duluth 300
3. St. Cloud State (1) 295
4. Denver 242
5. Wisconsin 218
6. Minnesota 203
7. Colorado College 182
8. Bemidji State 156
9. Nebraska-Omaha 125
10. Minnesota State 97
11. Alaska-Anchorage 51
12. Michigan Tech 46

Grand Forks Herald Coaches Poll
1. UND (10) 120
2. St. Cloud State (2) 105
3. Minnesota-Duluth 100
4. Denver 88
5. Minnesota 82
6. Colorado College 67
7. Wisconsin 64
8. Nebraska-Omaha 55
9. Bemidji State 46
10. MSU-Mankato 41
11. Alaska-Anchorage 19
12. Michigan Tech 15

Goon's Preseason poll
1. UND
2. SCSU
3. UMD
4. DU
5. UW
6. UMN
7. UNO
8. BSU
9. CC
10. MSU
11. UAA
12. MTU

Josh Birkholz, gets a chance to rejuvenate his career in Everett

This is a text book definition of a "prima donna." This is the problem with today's hockey players, some of them think they are entitled to play on the first line and when they don't play as well as they think they should they just change teams instead of working harder in practice.

HeraldNet.COM --- But Birkholz wasn't given his chance to shine. Instead he found himself buried on the depth chart, seeing just a handful of shifts per game while playing on the fourth line. In 36 games he managed just five goals and one assist.

Everett had added Birkholz to its 50-player protected list a year earlier, and as he rode the pine Birkholz's thoughts turned toward Everett. His mind was all but made up to leave Minnesota for Everett when he was slapped with a suspension by Minnesota for violating team rules. That erased any final lingering doubts about his decision.

“Growing up in Minnesota it's always a goal for the young hockey players to play for the University of Minnesota,” Birkholz said. “It's tough leaving that and tough leaving home. But it's part of the sacrifice you have to make to reach your goals.”

Now in Everett, Birkholz sees opportunity. He sees the chance to show the Panthers the full range of his abilities, something he says he was never able to do at Minnesota. And he sees a chance to move into the professional ranks as quickly as possible.

This was a perfect opportunity for a life lesson for the young Josh Birkholz, instead of facing the music, he just quit and went somewhere to escape his punishment.

Oilers assign Pitlick

This happened over the weekend when I was out but it's news worthy because it's technically another one and done player in the WCHA that left College Hockey to sign early and was sent down to a WHL team that owned his rights after he failed to make the Edmonton Oilers. I know there were rumblings that Pitlick was leaving school anyways, because college really wasn't for him or something like that.

NHL.COM --- Edmonton Oilers General Manager Steve Tambellini announced today the club has assigned centre Tyler Pitlick to the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League.

Pitlick, 18, played in 38 games for Minnesota State in the WCHA collecting 19 points (11G, 8A). The Minneapolis, MN native was drafted by the Oilers in the 2nd round, 31st overall, in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

Wild looking at Jose Theodore

I have a feeling it could be a long season for the Minnesota Wild if Niklas Backstrom were to get hurt or have another sub par season like last year. I am also not a big fan of Jose Theodore, I think he is past is prime in my humble opinion.

COLUMBUS, OHIO - If the Wild is interested in bringing in free agent Jose Theodore to replace injured Josh Harding, the longtime NHL goaltender would be interested in coming, his agent said Monday night.

Don Meehan, whose firm also represents Harding, said he spoke with Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher on Sunday about Theodore.

"When Chuck called to tell me Harding would be out for the season, Chuck said to me, 'Look, I've got to make a move.' And I said, 'Keep me in the loop. Jose Theodore is available,'" Meehan said. "He said, 'That's certainly an interesting possibility.'

"I told Chuck to keep me in mind. I think they'll probably get their staff together and assess where they go from here, but I'd say, 'It's a consideration for them, yes, and Jose would be intrigued by Minnesota.'"

Poll Monday

USA Today-USA Hockey Division I Men

1 Boston College
2 North Dakota
3 Miami of Ohio
4 Michigan
5 Yale
6 St. Cloud State
7 Maine
8 New Hampshire
9 Minnesota Duluth
10 Cornell
11 Denver
12 Alaska Fairbanks
13 Wisconsin
14 Boston University
15 Minnesota

Others Receiving Votes: Notre Dame, Rochester Institute of Technology, Bemidji State, Ferris State, Union, Vermont, Michigan State, Northern Michigan, Rensselaer Polytechnic, Colorado College, Northeastern, Nebraska-Omaha, Merrimack.

Wow! Yale must be a world beater sitting they're sitting at number 5 in the country. Personally, I would put SCSU ahead of them in the pre-season poll. Time will tell and this is why we play the game. Again two ECAC teams in the top ten.

WCHA Preview Final Part

Alright. It's the part that one or two of you have been anxiously waiting for: The top 3 preseason previews of the WCHA teams and their predicted finishes. Ok, enough of self-inflating my ego. The final three teams will be the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs, the Huskies of St. Cloud, and the Sioux of Grand Forks, ND.

(the) University of Minnesota at Duluth Bulldogs
2009-2010 Overall Record: 22-17-1 WCHA Record: 16-11-1 (6-5-0 NC Record)

Key Losses: Brady Hjelle, Rob Bordson, Drew Akins
Key Returners: Jack and Mike Connelly, Justin Fontaine, Kenny Reiter, Brady Lamb, Travis Oleksuk, Mike Montgomery, and Dylan Olsen
Key Recruits: Justin Faulk, Joe Basaraba...

It's kindof telling when you are looking through the key losses and you find that, except for Bordson and Hjelle, the rest either were quiet or flat out played so little you had to double check the stat sheet to see who they even were.

What this means is that Minnesota Duluth returns a team with dynamic scoring and experience. Though there is dynamic scoring present, they're not all that flashy. This means they are a solid team up and down the ice and are assuredly cohesive. Though this doesn't necessarily guarantee good results, it rarely results in a trip to the cellar.

tUMD will not run away with the league or anything like that. They did really well last year but their record would show a different story. However, this season should be a fine one for the Bulldogs. Only one player, Bordson, bolted early for the pros. Brady Hjelle, the biggest head scratcher since Isaac Reichmuth in net, left for the juniors. I say head scratcher because he was scary good in juniors and showed tendencies that this would continue in the WCHA. Hjelle didn't exactly have a poor year in Duluth, but he didn't exactly take the town by storm either. In fact, he had a "freshman goaltender" type year. But instead of focusing on the problems and pushing surprise #1 goaltender Kenny Reiter, Hjelle bolted for the USHL. It's too bad. I guess it is for the better.

tUMD is similar to SCSU but for different reasons. tUMD could finish lower than where I predict them rather easily. I definitely cannot see them finishing higher than where I predict them though. I'm a big fan of Sandelin and excited to see Duluth finally get a new facility. Things should be interesting on Lake Superior this season.

Predicted Finish: 3rd

St. Cloud State University Huskies
2009-2010 Overall Record: 24-14-5 WCHA Record: 15-9-4 (9-5-1 NC Record)

Key Losses: Ryan Lasch, Garrett Raboin
Key Returners: Garret Roe, Mike Lee, Dan Dunn, Tony Mosey, Drew LeBlanc, Jared Festler, David Eddy*, Olivier Lauridsen, Chris Hepp
Key Recruits: Kevin Gravel, Mitch MacMillan

The Huskies are a scary team. They return probably the best tandem of goaltenders outside of Oxford, OH (Miami's duo is better). They return the reigning 2009-10 Robbie Earl Memorial Trophy (Best diving over the course of a season) winner Garrett Roe. They only lose their leading scorer and their leading scoring defenseman but return everyone else.

They gain a bunch of recruits that I've not heard of and one that has had a rocky junior career (Ravndalen... big hype, got cut to the NAHL for a season before returning to the USHL this past season). This isn't much of note because I doubt the freshmen will have key roles on this veteran team.

This team SHOULD be very very good. They have a lot of talent and scoring up front. They've got grit in Hepp and Marvin (despite his rather bad season last year). They even ended up winning an NCAA playoff game! Things are on the up and up in St. Cloud.... but then again, things have been looking up since Saigo retired.

The only question mark lies in depth defensively. However, depth will not be tested unless the proven players struggle or get injured. This means that, on paper, the Huskies will be tight on North Dakota's heels most (if not all) of the season. The reason why I bring this up is that Coach Motzko very much emulates Minnesota defensively in terms of game play style. However, they've been able to keep to their game plan and have successfully started including physical grit into their playbooks and the results were pretty obvious. They've also added former UND player Steve Johnson as an assistant.

I don't think SCSU's bottom dwelling days will be returning to them any time soon.

Predicted Finish: 2nd...barely

University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux (for now)
2009-2010 Overall Record: 25-13-5 WCHA Overall Record: 15-10-3 (10-3-2 NC Record)

Key Losses: Chris Vandevelde, Darcy Zajac, Corey Fienhage, David Toews
Key Returners: Chay Genoway, Jason Gregoire, Ben Blood, Danny Kristo, Andrew MacWilliam, Brett Hextall, Evan Trupp, Brad Malone, Derrick LaPoint
Key Recruits: Derek Forbort, Dillon Simpson, Brock Nelson

This team may be "my" team, but even the most ardent detractors of UND will have to admit that who the Sioux lost and who they return simply make UND hands down the best team in the WCHA on paper going into the season. UND fans take it one step further: they, of course, expect UND to show it on the ice.

The biggest news for UND was the return of Chay Genoway. Last year's Senior Captain was hit from behind by SCSU's Aaron Marvin and had his hockey career placed in jeopardy because of it at one point. Luckily, though the concussion was indeed severe, it wasn't as bad as originally thought. So Genoway only lost the entire season instead of the rest of whatever hockey career he has waiting for him after he graduates. Nevertheless, he medically redshirted and now he returns. He was Captain last year and I doubt things will change this year either.

They're extremely solid on defense and now they got two more recruits in 2010 1st Rounder Derek Forbort and 2011 Draft Eligible Dillon Simpson. This provides UND with depth...and controversy...sorta. Who plays and who doesn't? None of the defensemen that are returning have played particularly poorly over the season and yet we have 8 dedicated defensemen (and 1 converted one in Davidson...who has since, I'm told, reverted back to forward) and can dress only 6. When you are talking about high profile players like Simpson and Forbort, it's hard to say they'd sit. Yet to have them play means benching players who don't deserve it (despite no fan support) like LaPoint or players who won't be benched (including fan favorites) like Blood, MacWilliam, and especially Genoway.

They also return a solid goaltender in Bradley Eidsness. Now, I say solid and seemingly the rest of the Sioux faithful argue against it. I just see it like this: If you are relying upon your goaltender to carry the team or steal games for you, then your team is doomed to fail. Eidsness won't steal any games. He won't carry the team. But he shouldn't have to.

As with all teams, there are what ifs... What if Eidsness gets injured? What if we stop playing solidly across all four lines? What if we continue to have penalty problems?

That being said, I believe we're in line to do very well this year. It's not out of the question to think of winning it all. However, we're a ways away from that. Let's just hope the ride there is one filled with fun, excitement, and not a whole lot of players being thrown under the bus.

Predicted Finish: 1st

WCHA Preview Part III

We are going to delve now into the top half of the league. As I get closer to #1, the tougher it goes to determine who will finish where. For example, I'm pretty certain of UAA finishing dead last. However, I'm not certain where any of the top 6 will finish. As usual, the top 5 will be very tightly packed in terms of talent. It would not surprise me at all if my top 6 looks completely different than reality even by week 3 of the season.

University of Minnesota Golden Gophers
2009-2010 Overall Record: 18-19-2 WCHA Record: 12-14-2 (6-5-0 NC Record)

Key Losses: Jordan Schroeder, Nick Leddy, Jay Barriball, Mike Carman, Ryan Flynn, Tony Lucia
Key Returnees: Jacob Cepis, Alex Kangas, Aaron Ness, Cade Fairchild
Key Rookies: Nick Bjugstad, Erik Haula, Max Gardiner(?)

Let's face it, 4 or 5 years ago, if you said Minnesota will end up barely in the top half of the league and have 2 or 3 straight poor seasons where they miss the NCAA playoffs and one where they didn't even make the Final Five, I'd've called you just another blind homer. Well, it's a reality. The Gophers enter into this season facing arguably the most important season in Coach Lucia's career. This season could be it for Lucia in Minnesota if he doesn't produce. And it is a shame, because his biggest fault is his blind loyalty to John Hill. Hill's incompetence is going to cost Lucia his job this year because I don't see the Gophers any higher than #5 with their current defense.

The Gophers, in my view, have been a finesse/puck possession styled team. They're not overly physical. They rely upon forechecking, outlet passing, a dynamic transition game in the neutral zone, and special teams. I argue that they are still a very good passing team. They're still pretty good at finishing if given the opportunity. However, their Team Defense and their Special Teams (especially their PK unit) is a train wreck. They are easily taken off of their game and that often results in goaltender Alex Kangas being left hung out to dry.

Alex Kangas' stats aren't good or great, and they're not accurate as to how well or poorly he's actually played in his time with the U. Kangas is probably the most consistent player the Gophers have. He's actually pretty good. I consider him to be better than just about every goaltender the Gophers have had since Weber left. In fact, though he's a work in progress, Kent Patterson has the potential to pick up the mantle left by Kangas (Kangas is a senior this year) with little drop. However, no one will notice given how, again, atrocious Minnesota is in their own zone.

They added Cepis mid season and he gave them a boost, thanks to an incredible knack for Cepis to manipulate the shoddy officiating the WCHA offers through the use of acting. Like Roe and Earl before that, Cepis has enough talent to be able to succeed without diving, but he chooses again and again to flop to the ice. Too bad. On a positive note, he finished runner up last season in the Louganis Freestyle Diving (Frozen Water Division) Award to SCSU's Garrett Roe. This year, I'm sure he'll use his first full year's eligibility in Minneapolis to pressure Roe to bring the Trophy to Dinkytown.

I don't see there being a lot of room in the upper echelon for the Gophers in their current configuration. Losing Schroeder was expected, but losing Leddy was a big hit. All Eyes will be on DU and UW's goaltending situations (DU's got a new goaltender and UW's goaltender is almost Carey Price-like in terms of Achilles' Heel). If DU falters and UW is exposed (which I predict they will be), Minnesota could finish as high as tied for 4th! Most likely though, they'll finish 6th.

(?) - I heard Max Gardiner is coming in for the departed Nick Leddy, but Heisenberg still lists him as coming in 2011.

Predicted Finish: 6th

University of Wisconsin Badgers

2009-2010 Overall Record: 28-11-4 WCHA Record: 17-8-3 (11-3-1 NC Record)

Key Losses: Blake Geoffrion, Michael Davies, Ryan McDonaugh, Derek Stepan, Brendan Smith, Cody Goloubef

Key Returners: Jake Gardiner, Craig Smith, John Ramage, Jordy Murray, Scott Gudmanson
Key Recruits: Jason Clark, Frank Simonelli, Chase Drake, Mark Zengerle

Truth be told, this team succeeded far beyond what I thought was possible last season and this season they'll be woefully exposed. Why? Gone is their defensive team that was just as good if not better than the defensive crews I watched dominate for the Sioux in the days of Matt Greene and the NC winning Sioux in 2000. They were simply stifling. Now they're pros. And the Badger faithful should worry. No, they'll not be cellar dwellers. Mike Eaves is too good a head coach to allow them to fall that far. However, they will be forced to revert back to the Badgers of the early 2000s: boring, trap/lock based, insomnia-curing hockey. Why? Because Scott Amundson is NOT Bernd Bruckler or Brian Elliott. In fact, he's, at best, mediocre. And when you don't have that team D ahead of you, all you're left is: exposed.

The Badgers went a long way last season, but they will not see the same success this year. They'll surprise a few and they may return to the NCAAs, but they won't win it all.

Predicted Finish: 5th

Denver University Pioneers
2009-2010 Overall Record: 27-10-4 WCHA Record: 19-5-4 (8-5-0 NC Record)

Key Losses: Marc Cheverie, Joe Colborne, Rhett Rakshani, Tyler Ruegsegger, Patrick Wiercioch
Key Returners: Adam Murray, Matt Donovan, Anthony Maiani, William Wrenn, Drew Shore, Kyle Ostrow
Key Recruits: Sam Brittain, Beau Bennett, Nick Shore, Jason Zucker

Interesting this: Denver loses as much talent, including arguably the best goaltender in the NCAA last season and I have them finishing ahead of the returning DI Hockey runner ups. Why? Because defensively, Denver is still more sound than Wisconsin. Adam Murray and Sam Brittain have more potential than Gudmanson and Bennett. And Gwozdecky, as deplorable he is to Sioux fans, always seems to get the most out of his players.

Sam Brittain has turned heads both in juniors and at the Combine. He's a big guy at 6'3" 190: something you usually use to describe defensemen. Beau Bennett seems to have an innate ability to score. I don't think DU is going to have much trouble in scoring and in Team D. The major question marks this season lies in consistency and goaltending. Murray looked shakey in spot duty last year, but this year is always different. Not every goaltender can tear the league apart like Cheverie did over his 2 years and 1 game he played in Colorado.

DU is going to beatable this year, but it won't be a cakewalk.

Predicted Finish: 4th

Hand gesture bad, leg check ok

I saw this over on Puck Daddy and former Boston Bruin Nick Boynton got a one game suspension for a hand jester towards Blair Jones who just finished kicking his ass. Seriously! What I am more concerned about is the questionable hit that Nick Boynton laid on former Michigan Tech Husky Chris Durno. I believe the NHL has it's priorities messed up again. Maybe I am missing the boat.

TSN --- The NHL has handed Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Nick Boynton a one-game suspension for gesturing a throat slash towards Blair Jones of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Boynton made the gesture after the two players fought during a preseason game on Wednesday.

Center duties await Wheeler

Oh goody, the ever soft Blake Wheeler at center for the Boston Bruins, that is almost as silly as putting Blake Wheeler on the top line like they did during the playoffs against the Flyers. Yeah, that didn't work so well either.

MONTREAL -- Blake Wheeler has spent most of his first two NHL seasons on the left wing. Tonight, Wheeler will get some shifts at center, a position he played in college at the University of Minnesota.

"He's a guy who's played center his whole career until he came to us, and we put him on the wing," coach Claude Julien said. "Right now, with [Marc Savard] not with us right away, I wouldn't mind seeing the different options. We want Tyler [Seguin] to have that opportunity. But here's another guy in Wheels who's played center before. We're going to look at different options. Joe Colborne is another guy who's having a good camp. So we're going to really look at those options. Hopefully they'll help us make some decisions."

Julien noted Wheeler's size and hands as two characteristics in his favor as a center.

Introducing College Hockey Tonight... On KBUN Sports Radio

I just got this announcement from a blue bird in Bemijdi and The Hockey Show is now College Hockey tonight. The show is hosted by Scott Williams and Moose Richards and they have some impressive guests on their show. I talked to Moose and they hopefully will have the show on I-Tunes as well.

College Hockey Tonight, formerly The Hockey Show, features KBUN co-hosts Scott Williams and Moose Richards, and airs Friday’s at 5 p.m. with a replay Saturday’s at 9 a.m. The program focuses on Bemidji State hockey and the WCHA.
The 2010-’11 season of College Hockey Tonight will debut on October 15th and feature the grand opening of the Bemidji Regional Event Center and BSU’s first ever WCHA series vs. North Dakota.

The Sky is the limit with Genoway

Here is some good news from Brad's blog about a few of the returning UND Fighting Sioux hockey players. Also, there has been an on going discussion in another blog post about Chay Genoway being left off snubbed by a few of the "media blogs" WCHA first or second teams ballots.

This blurb by Brad Schlossman should also put some of that discussion to bed. I mean seriously folks, Chay Genoway is a probable Hobey Baker Memorial Award candidate and there is a very good chance that he will be a first or second team All-American, also Genoway's offensive skills are matched by few in college hockey. Genoway would have been all of these things last season if he hadn't been the recipient of the one the most blush leagues hits I have seen since the Paukovich hit on Bina.

The players are saying that Matt Frattin has won the Iron Man competition this year. Frattin was one of the only guys who didn’t spend the summer here in Grand Forks. He went home to Edmonton, got in a routine, lifted weights with a trainer, and has returned in great shape. In fact, apparently trainer Mark Poolman has nicknamed him the X-Factor because of his fitness.

Some good news about Chay Genoway: It sure doesn’t look like he’s lost a step. He was flying around on the rink today.

Here is what beat writer for the Bemidji Pioneer Eric Stromgren had to say about Chay Genoway.

I expect Chay Genoway to be the preseason player of the year and he’s quite deserving. I picked Read for a few reasons. He’s an exceptional player who has helped make BSU a great hockey team in his time so far. Read could have signed an NHL contract in the offseason. But he chose to return to Bemidji State to complete his degree and remained committed to his team. He also appreciates the Bemidji community and I’ve seen his dedication to the fans here through a few uncertain years for the program. His commitment to the program, game, academics and community are what Beavers and WCHA hockey is all about. Those are reasons enough for me to vote him Preseason Player of the Year.

Cady: Too early to tell how PSU program might affect CCHA

Here is an interesting idea thrown out there by Miami University senior associate athletics director Steve Cady. I kind of like this idea myself, It would be a scheduling nightmare, but it would be doable.

Daytondailynews.com -- Which begs the obvious question: After that, which conference will Penn State join?

“It’s certainly going to create speculation,” Cady said. “The good thing is that there is going to be three years to figure it out.”

He doesn’t like to speculate, even a little bit, but when asked about the possibility of Penn State joining fellow Big Ten Conference teams Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association — the Big Ten doesn’t have a hockey conference, yet — he was only a little hopeful.

“Yes, it would be tremendous for the CCHA,” Cady said of the conference in which Miami competes. “I don’t know if that’s going to happen.

“If you look at the history of the Big Ten once they get six teams (in any NCAA sport), they try to bring those six teams under their Big Ten umbrella,” he explained.

There are a couple other possibilities.

The Western Collegiate Hockey Association, another major hockey conference which has two Big Ten schools, Minnesota and Wisconsin, could merge with the CCHA into a mega-conference and bring all the Big Ten schools together.

One thing that I have seen mentioned on the internet is that you could combine the teams into a "SUPER" conference and then you could have four six team divisions.

Penn State Hockey And NCAA Expansion

Check out this blog post from the Rink. With the arrival of one single college hockey team in Penn State University, college hockey fans are possibly going to have two new conferences? Huh, I guess I have read almost every article out there leading up to and after the Penn State University announcement and that's a new one. Seriously, I haven't seen this one on any of the big time hockey blogs, USCHO, INCH or College Hockey News and those guys are dialed into the college hockey world.

The aforementioned drama is that nearly every other program and college hockey fan is against the Big Ten forming their own conference. Many are upset about the loss of traditional rivals, many are upset that the CCHA and WCHA are already desperately chasing Penn State after denying the University of Alabama-Huntsville entry into their club, and most think that a Big Ten Hockey Conference is nothing more than the rich getting richer and leaving behind some smaller schools with programs reliant on existing conferences and rivalries.

I believe that Penn State's arrival is going to remake the CCHA and WCHA and create two new conferences alongside the Big Ten which won't be ideal for some of those programs and fanbases, but it's best for hockey in the NCAA moving forward. Change is inevitable in college sports. Last season saw the demise of College Hockey America as Robert Morris and Niagara were absorbed into Atlantic Hockey and Bemidji State joined the WCHA. In college football, Nebraska and Colorado left what was considered a power conference in the Big 12 to join the Big 10 and Pac 10, respectively. Utah and Boise State are also on the move in search of a better situation and a bigger payday.

There has been a lot of stuff thrown out there over the summer and don’t you think if USC or UCLA or insert ___________ University were going to have hockey they would already? As we saw with the PSU announcement it takes a lot of money to start a Division I hockey team. On the flip side of this, how many college hockey teams have folded in the 1990’s and 2000’s? I can think of a few; Wayne State, UIC, Fairfield, Iona and the University of Findlay

No Genoway?

Western College Hockey blogger Chris Dilks posted his ballot for The WCHA Media Poll and there is no Chay Genoway on his ballet. I look forward to seeing how the other ballets shake out.

1st Team All-WCHA

F-Justin Fontaine, Minnesota-Duluth
F-Matt Read, Bemidji State
F-Jack Connolly, Minnesota-Duluth
D-Matt Donovan, Denver
D-Mike Montgomery, Minnesota-Duluth
G-Brad Eidsness, North Dakota

2nd Team All-WCHA

F-Garrett Roe, St. Cloud
F-Jason Gregoire, North Dakota
F-Danny Kristo, North Dakota
D-Justin Schultz, Wisconsin
D-Ben Youds, Minnesota State
G-Alex Kangas, Minnesota

All-WCHA Rookie Team

F-Jaden Scwartz, Colorado College
F-Mark Zengerle, Wisconsin
F-Erik Haula, Minnesota
D-Derek Forbort, North Dakota
D-Justin Faulk, Minnesota-Duluth
G-Rob Gunderson, Alaska-Anchorage

EDIT: Let's break it down futher; Mike Montgomery's career stats are 91 games (4g- 24a-28pts)compared to Chay Genoway 123 games (16g-64a-80pts) are you kidding me? It's not even close.

A few more links - PSU adds hockey...

After reading this it would appear that Red Berenson has his head screwed on right. I would imagine that Red is right there probably are a few teams that don’t want to leave the WCHA or CCHA.

Ann Arbor.COM-- Michigan coach Red Berenson said Friday afternoon that although Penn State's financial commitment to hockey is a "huge step in the right direction for any more future growth in college hockey" having the Nittany Lions join one conference over another doesn't make a difference to him.

Berenson expects a lot of speculation to take place over the next four years, but he doesn't think the answer is breaking up existing leagues with long-standing traditions.

"I don't think teams are anxious to leave their own conference and abandon them and start a new conference," Berenson said. "I don't think anyone wants to see a league take a hit."

Since when is Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Hershey considered hockey hotbeds? Michigan, Minnesota and Massachusetts are considered hockey hotbeds with thriving youth hockey programs. Some of the stuff I have read surrounding the Penn State University announcement recently is absolutely ridiculous.

The Daily Collegian-- The Big Ten released a statement saying a decision on the formation of a Big Ten hockey conference will not be made without significant discussion.

As far as appointing a head coach, Curley said he would begin reviewing candidates within the next year.

Commenting on the speculation, Curley said he had preliminary talks with the five Big Ten schools who currently offer Big Ten hockey and they agreed to begin discussions about a possible conference at the October Big Ten meetings.

While the decision hasn’t been made yet, Curley does anticipate the varsity teams to go by the university’s signature name, the Nittany Lions, rather than their current name, the Icers.

The next step the university will take is appointing an architect for the construction of the state-of-the-art facility. The new facility has not been named yet but Curley said he plans to sit down and talk with the Pegulas about a possible title within the next three-six months.

Curley also believes the teams will be financially self-sustaining, citing the university’s majority population from hockey hotbeds including Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Hershey.

Besides collegiate hockey, Curley said the new rink could also be used for figure skating and NHL exhibition games, as well as for concerts and other university events.

Again the move the UNO Mavericks is looking better and better all of the time for the UNO hockey program.

Omaha World-Herald --- With speculation swirling of another conference shakeup down the road, the Mavs' move to the WCHA might've happened at an ideal time. Penn State just announced that it will begin playing Division I men's hockey in 2012-13, making the formation of a long-rumored Big Ten hockey conference a strong possibility.

But even if Minnesota and Wisconsin eventually depart the WCHA, UNO still will be aligned with North Dakota, Denver, Colorado College, St. Cloud State and Minnesota-Duluth. The introduction of Big Ten hockey would seemingly have a far more negative impact on the Mavs' old conference, with the CCHA waving goodbye to high-profile programs Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and possibly even Notre Dame.

In the here and now, it's a certainty that the puck will drop on a new season in October, and UNO will get after the goal of making it to the WCHA Final Five. The league's showcase event — now featuring a six-team format — happens in March at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.

When it comes to positioning the Mavs for WCHA success, it's hard to imagine a better power structure for the program.

Ah the speculation, why not a team in Iowa City as well?

Goal Gophers -- Two other Big Ten teams have made inquiries about doing the same, But Paul Kelly, executive director of College Hockey, Inc., the education and marketing arm of NCAA hockey, isn't saying which teams.

One team supposedly in the mix is Illinois.

Makes sense if someone is looking at the top club teams. The Illini have played in the ACHA national tournament in 13 of the past 15 years and have made the semifinals seven times. Illinois won the national title in 2005.

So are the Illini a Division I prospect? Publicly, no.

Icers react to D-1 move

Here is what the head coach of the Penn State University Icers had to say on PSU going Division I in college hockey. I would imagine that Icer head coach Scott Balboni will be out of a job when PSU goes looking for a high profile head coach to run their upstart program. Of course Balboni is interested in the position, it's going to be a very good paying job, I am sure in the $200,000.00 - $300,000.00 dollar range.

The Daily Collegian --- Current Icers head coach Scott Balboni said he definitely would throw his name into the coaching search if he was asked.

Athletic Director Tim Curley said the university will initiate its search for a coach in the next 6-9 months.

“It’s a dream job,” Balboni said. “It’s going to be the premiere job in the country and that’s something that I would consider.”

As far as the current state of the men’s club teams, the Icers and Ice Lions, Curley said Friday his tentative plan is to have a club hockey team that plays on a lower level, as long as there is interest from the students.

Since this means there are only two remaining seasons for the Icers at the Division I club level, Balboni said the Icers are even more determined to leave a lasting impression on the ACHA and Division I club.

“We want to go out on top and win back-to-back national championships,” Balboni said. “That’s what we’re shooting for.”

Best forward line in the NHL?

Check out this forward line for the New Jersey Devils. I predict that is going to be one of the top lines in the NHL this season. Travis Zajac is an up and coming stars in the NHL and Zach Parise is establishing himself as one of the top American forwards in the NHL. This line combination will have Devils fans licking their chops. Last season Parise and Zajac finished 1st and 2nd overall in the Devils scoring, Kovalchuk was picked up in a trade from Atlanta on 02/04/2010 and added 27 points in 27 games (10g-17a-27pts).

MacLean opened training camp yesterday by assembling what could be one of the great lines in hockey, putting Kovalchuk on right wing with Zach Parise on the left and Travis Zajac in the middle.

"To play with those two guys, I'd play in goal," Kovalchuk said. "That's my first experience [as a right wing]. Hopefully it's a good one."

Part of Kovalchuk's success has been his ability to play the off-wing, a righty on the left, where speed affords better-angle shots.
---------------
"Thinking all summer of the different combinations you could have, we'll see what they can do," MacLean said. "There's definitely enough pucks."

"I didn't see it coming," Parise said. "I was assuming he'd be playing left wing, so it was a nice surprise.

"Hopefully, it will give us some time to develop chemistry among the three of us. I don't think anyone's reading anything into it. But it would be a fun line if we did play like that."

Parise said he teased Zajac that he "might not get 100 shots this year."

"He may have 100 assists," MacLean countered. [Read more]

Wild to be tougher this season?

In reading Michael Russo's blog it appears that the Wild have found a decent replacement for their one dimensional stone handed goon Derek Boogaard that took the big money and the bright lights of New York. Reading this makes me happy.

The players got more and more crabbier as the scrimmage went on. Staubitz, taking exception to a hard hit from roster hopeful Justin Falk, dropped the gloves with the big defenseman. Remember, Staubitz, acquired for a draft pick from San Jose on the day of the NHL Awards ceremony (I remember because I was in Vegas), has had 20 fights in 82 NHL games.

Staubitz is a tough, good skating cookie, and he's only played forward for two years after spending his entire junior and minor-league career at defense. The one great strength of the Wild this year should be those third and fourth lines with good skating, hard-working guys like Nystrom, Staubitz, Kyle Brodziak, Cal Clutterbuck, John Madden and as of now Chuck Kobasew.

After further review the Vikings and Favre suck

I know this is a hockey focused blog for the most part but I am not happy with the Vikings play to date this season. In fact I wasted another afternoon watching a listless effort by the guys in purple. I think it's going to be a reoccurring theme this season. Earlier this summer when I looked at the Viking’s schedule I told a co-worker that the Vikings are going to go 5-11 this season. I didn't think they would go out and immediately try to prove me right.

I think the problem with the Vikings is the drama queen Brett Favre, It’s no mystery that Favre is a was a good player during his day but I think that his selfishness is finally catching up with the Vikings. Favre again missed all of the two a day training camp and after the two a day practices were finally over, the Prima Donna decided that he was well enough to practice with the team. I think after watching the past two weeks, I think Favre should have spent more time in Mankato and less on the farm back in Mississippi.

During the first quarter the Vikings had a chance to kick a field goal and take the three points, Favre waved the punting team off and the Vikings went for it. The Vikings didn’t get the fourth down and the ball was turned over on downs, that was a defining moment in the game. I blame Childress for that, because he is the coach and he should have taken the easy three points without even thinking twice.

I would actually take a losing season if we could get rid of Brad Childress. I am sick and tired of athletes getting paid a lot of money to put a poor effort on the field. What do you do? The Vikings have spent millions on a championship caliber defense and offense and they can't beat crappy team like Miami.

Lastly, when you in the Red Zone you can not turn the ball over two to three times, that is unacceptable. Also, when you have you opponent inside their one yard line, you can not allow yourself to give up a 50+ yard run, that's unacceptable, defensively, you pin your ears back and try to get a safety or force a three and out punt.