A look further at the Strength of Schedule

Here is an interesting conversation that I found on Twitter between Ryan Durling of the Somethings Bruin hockey blog and USCHO Hockey ECAC Blogger Brian Sullivan, the discussion is worth taking a look at, there is some legitimate points brought up by Durling.

@SullivanHockey it's tough to credit a team that's played 3/4 the schedule of UNH/BC and almost half as many games as NoDak, Minny, etc.
@SullivanHockey I'd love to, honest. Sadly, they don't dance with Hockey East too much and it's tough to get that far away to see them
@SullivanHockey i'm not an ECAC hater nor a HE homer, lol. Just find it tough to compare the schedules.
@Ryan_Durling And RPI is probably the LEAST impressive of that bunch right now. Really... Yale. Check 'em out, they're crazy fun to watch.
@Ryan_Durling Seriously though, you really ought to watch Yale, Union, Dartmouth & RPI before passing stereotypical judgment on #ECACHockey.
@SullivanHockey I don't deny that they're good teams. RPI looked solid earlier this year and I'm sure they've improved, BUT...
@Ryan_Durling The poll isn't necessarily about who'd beat whom, but who is doing the best they can...which Yale certainly is.
@Ryan_Durling Everyone has his own ballot philosophy, but there's no doubt that Yale's season is the most successful in D-I to date.

First off, I am glad that someone else is saying these things. This is also one of the reason I am so glad that there isn't a BCS of college hockey, this is not a beauty contest folks where your team loads up on cupcakes and over inflate their stats racking up wins against unimpressive opponents. I am not personally impressed if your team schedules a Sacred Heart and then beats them 8-1. I am more impressed with a game between two teams that play in a tough contested match with the outcome is in doubt till the end of the game.

The being said, the NCAA Division I Hockey tournament is a tourney that is based on merit you have to be one of the final 16 to make the tourney and your team has to win 4 games to get to the top.

Yeah first let’s compare Strength of Schedule, eight of the ten teams with the toughest Strength of Schedule are in the WCHA and the other two teams are from the Hockey East and the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. Let’s take a look at the ECAC strength in scheduling or should we say a lack of strength.

The Top Ten Strength of Schedule

North Dakota 1
Bemidji State 2
Denver 3
Michigan Tech 4
Alaska-Anchorage 5
Minnesota-Duluth 6
Boston College 7
Notre Dame 8
Wisconsin 9
St. Cloud State 10

EZAC Strength of Schedule

Rensselaer 21
Brown 22
Yale 29
Dartmouth 33
Union 34
Harvard 35
St. Lawrence 40
Princeton 43
Quinnipiac 44
Cornell 45
Clarkson 46
Colgate 49

In conclusion; I am not saying that the ECAC or the Atlantic Hockey Associations aren’t good hockey leagues, they are the mid majors conferences of college hockey and “a few” of their teams can beat any team from the big three on any given night, but let’s be honest with ourselves, they are not in the same class as the Hockey East, WCHA or CCHA... Let the debate begin.

My first crack at the "what-if"

WCHA Final
Team GP Pts
1. UND 28 48
2. Denver 28 42
3. UMD 28 39
4. UNO 28 34
5. UW 28 32
6. C.C. 28 29
7. UMN 28 28
8. Mankato 28 21
8. SCSU 28 21
10. AA 28 18
10. BSU 28 18
12. MTech 28 6

Here is my first crack at the WCHA standings "what-if" calculator. You can pick your standings by going to this link... [Click to play "What-If"] Also, include your picks if you would like.

Rankings

Here is the rankings comparisons [click to view]

Pairwise rankings [click to view]

NCAA Division I - College Hockey RPI [Click to view]

Wheel of Justice rules; Jody Shelley suspended 2 games for hit on Adam McQuaid

I have read that Jody Shelly while one tough hombre is not a dirty player… When I read that he apologized on the ice, I thought that was a class act. Honestly, with Colin Campbell being as erratic as he is, there really is no way of knowing what to expect when the NHL disciplinary makes his rulings…I think a two game suspension is about right.

NHL.Com ---- Philadelphia Flyers forward Jody Shelley has been suspended for two games and fined by the NHL for his hit on Boston Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid on Saturday.

Shelley was given a five-minute major for checking from behind and a game misconduct 5:08 into the second period after shoving McQuaid while both players were racing for the puck. McQuaid, who just missed hitting the boards head-first, remained on the ice for several minutes before finally being helped off by teammates.

Shelley will forfeit $11,827.96 in salary, which will go to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.

"I mean, I kind of got my hands up, braced myself a little bit, so it ended up not being as bad as I guess it could have been," McQuaid told reporters after the game.

Shelley apologized to McQuaid at the time of the incident and in the hallway outside the dressing rooms. The 24-year-old defenseman did return to the ice in the third period.

"You know, he was saying to me, I could hear him on the ice saying that he didn't mean to, so I guess, I'm not sure if maybe I don't know if he hit a rut or what happened, but he was saying he didn’t mean to," McQuaid said. "When I was coming off the ice, (Shelley) was waiting for me there. He said he was sorry and he didn’t mean to, so I just kind of got to take what he says."

Poll Monday!!! - Sioux 3rd in USCHO and 5th in USA Today...

USCHO.com Division I Men's Poll
[December 13, 2010]
1 Yale (45) 11-1-0 990 1
2 New Hampshire ( 1) 10-2-4 945 3
3 North Dakota 13-5-2 854 5
4 Minnesota-Duluth ( 2) 12-3-3 853 2
5 Boston College ( 2) 11-5-0 849 4
6 Miami 10-5-3 687 6
7 Denver 12-5-3 660 9
8 Nebraska-Omaha 11-4-1 631 10
9 Maine 8-4-4 589 8
10 Boston University 8-4-5 541 7
11 Michigan 10-5-4 505 12
12 Notre Dame 11-6-2 449 11
12 Union 10-3-3 449 13
14 Rensselaer 9-4-3 367 15
15 Wisconsin 10-7-3 272 16
16 Alaska 9-6-3 255 14
17 Merrimack 7-4-4 197 17
18 Ferris State 9-7-3 121 18
19 Minnesota 9-7-2 92 NR
20 Colorado College 10-7-1 49 NR
Others Receiving Votes: Clarkson 41, Dartmouth 36, Princeton 23, Robert Morris 22, Western Michigan 16, Northern Michigan 3, Providence 2, Minnesota State 1, Niagara 1
____________________________________________

USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Men's College Hockey Poll
[December 13, 2010]
1 Yale University 510 (34) 1 11-1-0
2 University of New Hampshire 458 3 10-2-4
3 University of Minnesota Duluth 418 2 12-3-3
4 Boston College 410 4 11-5-0
5 University of North Dakota 403 5 13-5-2
6 Miami University 306 8 10-5-3
7 University of Denver 273 10 12-5-3
8 University of Nebraska Omaha 261 9 11-4-1
9 University of Maine 218 6 8-4-4
10 Union College 178 13 10-3-3
11 University of Michigan 176 12 10-5-4
12 Boston University 148 7 8-4-5
13 University of Notre Dame 141 11 11-6-2
14 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 107 15 9-4-3
15 University of Wisconsin 31 NR 10-7-3
Others receiving votes: University of Alaska 22, Merrimack College 6, University of Minnesota 6, Ferris State University 3, Robert Morris University 3, Colorado College 1, Dartmouth College 1.

INCH Power Rankings

As always for a good laugh I include the INCH power rankings… Since the Yale Bulldogs don't play till January 2nd the Bulldogs will be at the top of the rankings until after the first of the New Year... Then when Yale resumes play they have a cupcake schedule the rest of the way and they really don’t play anyone except Holy Cross outside of their conference.
1. Yale
2. New Hampshire
3. North Dakota
4. Minnesota Duluth
5. Boston College
6. Maine
7. Nebraska-Omaha
8. Union
9. Michigan
10. Miami
11. Denver
13. Boston University
14. Wisconsin
15. Notre Dame
16. Alaska
17. Merrimack
18. Robert Morris
19. Ferris State
20. Clarkson
Dropped out: Dartmouth
Bubble-licious: Colorado College, Minnesota, Niagara, Princeton

Ducks forward Bobby Ryan scores using Mikko Koivu’s stick.

This is one of the most bizarre things I have ever witnessed in hockey. Mikko Koivu takes Bobby Ryan's stick away from him so Ryan returns the favor. I have never seen a player pick up the opponents stick and score with it... Also, the stick has the wrong curve for Ryan as well but he still ends up scoring.

Jody Shelley hit/push on Adam McQuaid

This is the latest hit that will be reviewed by the NHL on Monday morning by Colin Campbell. Flyers tough guy Jody Shelley pushed Adam McQuaid into the end boards and it was an unnecessary and unfortunate hit. I don’t know if Shelly will get a suspension from the NHL because he is not known for being dirty players and apologized for the hit almost immediately.

Sioux rope Mavericks 4-2 end first half with a sweep.

The UND Fighting Sioux are famous for their second half surges under head coach Dave Hakstol and finally end the first half of the season alone in first place in the WCHA. It will be interesting to see if they can put the rest of the league in the rear view mirror during the second half of the season. I think there is a lot of potential to even get better because I don’t think UND has played it’s best hockey so far to date, they are still making crucial mistakes that elite teams shouldn’t make.

The Sioux also need to get more of their players scoring and can't just rely on the Pony Express to get the job done. Hopefully the Fighting Sioux can get Jason Gregoire and Brett Hextall back for the second half run and get them clicking on the power play again, both players have missed the last four games.

If UND can solidify their goaltending and cut down on the turnovers in the neutral and defensive zones I think they could make a run to the Frozen Four and finally get that elusive 8th national title. This team has played the best during the first half of the season during Dave Hakstol's reign.

Got away with two this weekend

I think UND played well in stretches but it wasn’t their best hockey of the season this weekend. Sweep at home and split on the road, frankly they got the sweep and that’s good, doesn’t hurt to get the breaks going your way. Personally, I don’t think MSU-M is an elite team and the Mavericks will finish somewhere in the middle to lower rung of the WCHA standings. Currently the Mavericks are tied for eighth place with 10 points. The Mavericks are a tough team that has decent speed and above average defensive corps. Kurt Davis is one of the better defenseman in the WCHA and is always a threat to score; fortunately, the Sioux were able to hold him to one point on the weekend.

Goon's three stars of the game
1.) Matt Frattin (1g-0a-1pts)
2.) Evan Trupp (1g-0a-1pts)
3.) Brad Malone (1g-0-1pts)

[Box Score for the game]

Here are some stats for the first half of the season

The Sioux are 13-5-2 to start the season, that is the best start in seven seasons under Fighting Sioux head coach Dave Hakstol. The Sioux are in first place in the WCHA with 22 points.

The Sioux have record of 7-1-0 for conference games on the road. The Sioux have a record of 8-3-1 on the road to start the season. The Sioux have a record of 5-2-1 at home. The Sioux have a non-conference record of 2-2-2 and have three more nonconference games this season.

UND Fighting Sioux have a record of 6-0-1 against unranked teams and a record of 7-5-1 against ranked teams and a record of 6-3-1 against ranked teams in the WCHA.

The Sioux have a 5-0-1 record on Olympic ice, 7-5-2 on NHL ice.

10-0-1 when scoring 4+ goals this season and the Sioux have scored 5 or more goals six times.

Sioux have a killed 87.3 % of the penalties that they have taken; tops in the WCHA.
Four of the top five scorers for the Sioux are seniors.

Aaron Dell is still leading the WCHA in GAA with a 1.94 average.

Matt Frattin is first in the Nation with 17 goals and second in the WCHA with 12 goals. Jason Zucker from DU is leading the WCHA with 13 goals.

Chay Genoway is first in the WCHA for scoring by defenseman 3g-11a-14pts

The Fighting Sioux offense is second in the WCHA scoring 3.43 goals per game.

Sioux Defense is top in the WCHA giving up 2.21 goals per game. [Click for stats]

Redwing77's Fan Behavior Rant and PR Fiasco

Ok, not related to Sioux hockey. Not even related to the NHL Interests of Goon (Boston), the region (Minnesota), or me (Detroit). This relates to the game I'm just watching right now on NHL Network: The NY Rangers vs. the Washington Capitols.

The game was out of hand. The Rangers were winning 6-0. Semin shoots the puck and hits Ovechkin in the knee. He goes down. THE CROWD CHEERS.

Ok, you know what? I boo every time Ovechkin and Crosby touch the puck. I boo ESPN and NHL Network every time they say their names. But cheering when one gets injured? I don't think that's classy... at least in that context. I cheer Pittsburgh without Crosby and Washington without Ovechkin because it forces the commentators are forced to NOT cream their shorts every time those two step on the ice. In other words, they're forced to recognize that these teams and the NHL are more than these two players (great or otherwise).

I'm sick as all get out of "Sid the Kid" or "Alexander the Great" or their newest incarnation: "The Great Eight." It's like calling LeBron "King James." King James is a version of the Bible. King James wasn't a basketball player.

It's never appropriate to cheer an injury. Injuries suck. There were some DU trolls on USCHO.com Fan Forum back when Paukovich hit Bina that gloated about it. Those people drove us UND fans nuts. I guess the scale of this one really set me off. The WHOLE ARENA cheered!!!!

On the flip side, like I hinted at above, I'm finding myself somewhat sympathetic. I can't be the only one who is simply sick to his stomach over the fact that the NHL seems to be Crosby and Ovechkin and nothing else. It's no wonder why they do little to promote the league and their televised games unless either the Capitols or the Penguins are one of the two teams playing. It seems often enough that the other teams in the NHL are afterthoughts. After Ovechkin got injured, the analysts went on and on about how the Great Eight got injured and this and that and seemed to be crying over how the Rangers fans could possibly fail to see how awesome Ovechkin is and become rabid fans of his. The commentators simply can't get it into their heads that no matter how good Ovechkin and Crosby are, they're still going to love their teams more. They'll nod and say "Yeah, they're pretty good," but they won't get all heavy breathing over them. It's almost as if you aren't their fans, you're obviously a clueless fan.

There's now a DVD being put out about Ovechkin! The height of egotism! But, hey, let Bettman pave the road towards the NHL's demise. No, not many in the front office would acknowledge such a thought because the NHL has been on a slight upward trend lately. They'd probably cite Crosby and Ovechkin as two of the reasons. But people don't see the long term big picture here. Bettman is carbon copying his mentor, David Stern (or maybe its his predecessor). The NHL and Crosby/Ovechkin absolutely REEKS of the NBA and Michael Jordan. Now... look at the trend. What happened to the NBA when Jordan retired?

The NBA went down the toilet. Why? Because their only recognizable player was gone. Now, look at what is happening with Crosby and Ovechkin. It's a few years away, sure, but what are you seeing the NHL doing to promote the league outside of Crosby and Ovechkin hype? Very little, if anything. So, when Crosby and Ovechkin depart the NHL, do you think the NHL will continue to trend upward? Will the popularity even out? Nope. I predict that the NHL will decline back into the irrelevance produced by the lockout. And the NHL is STILL recovering from that.

The NHL needs to do more to promote THE LEAGUE and all of its players rather than a select few. It's a tough proposition, for sure, but gimmick games and the Dynamic Duo isn't going to do it. ESPN is at the level of caring that they don't even bother to have the anchor people even study the basics of hockey. Hockey isn't relevant to ESPN and that's a direct statement towards the state of the game. Bettman isn't doing it. He thinks of us as no better than the NBA. Perhaps we can not hope to be more popular than the NBA overall and we definitely will not overtake Football, but we should try like hell to promote at every level. We should be trying to make some players from EVERY team visible to at least their regional fan base. We should have commentators that spend as much time ranting and raving praises towards players ON the ice as they do Crosby and Ovechkin. We should be pushing that EVERY team in the NHL is important, not just Pittsburgh or Washington. Oh, and by the way, it's not because a Red Wing is also mentioned as an "and by the way"

Sioux and Mavericks deuce

The lines have been posted for today's game. Sophomore Joe Gleason is in and Brent Davidson is out of the line up. The WCHA GAA leader Aaron Dell will be in net again this afternoon for the Fighting Sioux. The Purple cows from Mankato will be going with Austin Lee in net.

UND’s lines

19 Evan Trupp–22 Brad Malone–21 Matt Frattin
25 Jake Marto–10 Corban Knight–7 Danny Kristo
11 Derek Rodwell–9 Mario Lamoureux–27 Carter Rowney
8 Mike Cichy–29 Brock Nelson–20 Joe Gleason

24 Ben Blood–5 Chay Genoway
2 Andrew MacWilliam–4 Derek Forbort
3 Derrick LaPoint–18 Dillon Simpson

32 Aaron Dell
31 Brad Eidsness

[link to the stats]

MSU-Mankato’s lines

23 Michael Dorr–9 Mike Louwerse–25 Eriah Hayes
29 Eli Zuck–12 Rylan Galiardi–11 Corey Leivermann
15 J.P. Burkemper–19 Zach Lehrke–14 Justin Jokinen
24 Adam Mueller–26 Joe Schiller–7 John McInnis

16 Tyler Elbrecht–5 Ben Youds
28 Channing Boe–22 Kurt Davis
3 Cameron Cooper–17 Evan Mosey

1 Austin Lee
30 Phil Cook
35 Evan Karambelas

[link to MSUM stats]

Bruins trade Sturm to L.A. for 'nothing'...

The Boston Bruins needed to clear some cap space and they did so by trading one of their best defensive forwards Marco Sturm for future considerations to the L.A. Kings.

BOSTON, MA – Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli announced today that Boston has traded forward Marco Sturm to the Los Angeles Kings for future considerations. The trade is contingent upon Sturm passing a physical conducted by Los Angeles’ medical staff.

2010-11 marked Sturm’s 14th NHL season and sixth with the Bruins. The Dingolfing, Germany native is a veteran of 855 NHL games with 234 goals, 232 assists and 466 points and is the NHL’s all-time leader in those categories for German-born players.

In his Bruins career, the 32-year-old skated in 302 games with 106 goals and 87 assists for 193 points. He began this season on injured reserve after suffering a knee injury in Game One of the Bruins/Flyers Eastern Conference Semifinal series on Saturday, May 1, 2010.

The 21st overall pick in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft, Sturm was acquired by the Bruins from San Jose with Wayne Primeau and Brad Stuart for Joe Thornton on November 30, 2005.

I have seen where some think that the Boston Bruins will probably get some thing like a fifth round draft choice for the German. In my opinion the Bruins basically get nothing in return for him for a guy that scored 187 points in 300+ games. I would think the Bruins could have gotten something for a guy that scores 20 goals a season on a consistent basis.

The Sky is the limit for the Sioux in 2011...

I have dusted off an old tweet by Jayson Hajdu that he posted last January 12th. So I updated his numbers.

@UNDSID Jayson Hajdu --- UND is 49-36-9 before Christmas under Hakstol and 84-33-14 after. In 07-08, the Sioux won an amazing 20 games after the break.

So as of today the Sioux are now 61-41-11 before Christmas under Head Coach Dave Hakstol. With an impressive record in the first half of the season and the Sioux being a traditionally strong team in the second half the sky is the limit for this squad.

Sioux and Mavericks postponed till tomorrow

Well it's now official according to the MSU-M SID.

Mankato, Minn. --- Officials have announced that due to severe weather conditions in south central Minnesota, the Minnesota State vs. University of North Dakota men's hockey game, originally to be played Saturday beginning at 7:07 p.m., will now be played Sunday at 4:00 p.m.

The decision was made jointly after discussions were held with the Western Collegiate Hockey Association office and athletic administrators from both schools.

Linus Omark shootout goal

Check out this goal by Linus Omark the rookie from Sweden was playing in his first NHL game and he scored this highlight goal beauty to help the Edmonton Oilers win the shootout against the Tampa Bay Lighting.

Saturday Morning pontifications...

Edit: With his 16 goal of the season Fighting Sioux forward Matt Frattin is the leading goal scorer in the NCAA and second in the WCHA as well. Jason Zucker of Denver University has the leads the WCHA with 14 goals. As I mentioned last night, Frattin has 44 goals, 39 assist for 83 points for his career. Baring injury or some unforeseen issue; it's not a stretch that Matt Frattin will probably reach 100 points for his career if he stays on his current pace, as of right now he only need 17 points to break the 100 point mark.

Chay Genoway is regaining his scoring touch as leads all defenseman in the WCHA with (3g-10a-13pts).

Sophomore defenseman Aaron Dell is leading the WCHA with a 1.93.

Ryan Cardinal from Gopher Puck Live talks about college hockey on KFAN yesterday. [Click to listen]

Tonight's hockey game between the Minnesota Gophers and the Bulldogs has been postponed till tomorrow at 4:00 PM.

Due to the severe weather in the Twin Cities area, the men's hockey game scheduled for 7 p.m. tonight has been postpned. The game has been rescheduled for 4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 12. Saturday tickets are good for Sunday.

Sounds like the Phoenix Coyotes might not become the Winnipeg Jets after all. Apparently they actually found someone stupid enough to buy the Coyotes and keep them in the Desert.

Coyotes suitor may get $100M Glendale deal covers most of team's price [Winnipeg Free Press]

THN.com Blog: Potential new owner doesn't make Phoenix a hockey market [Hockey News]

Former Michigan Wolverine defenseman Steven Kampfer will be making his second NHL start with the Boston Bruins. [Bruins Hockey Blog]

Tonight there is a silent auction taking place before and during the game. It's located on the 1st level of the Verizon Center in a banquet room. Make sure to check it out! There will be lots of hockey gear (including Sioux stuff.....like a Team USA Parise jersey!). The auction is being held by a family of a young hockey player that died from Leukemia several years ago. The money raised goes towards scholarships for kids to play hockey and juvenile cancer research. It's a great cause people, so I want to see all of you there and bidding on stuff! In addition to hockey items there will be lots of other stuff, like Twins tickets. Come check it out, it's a great place to pick up some nice Christmas presents! Help me get the word out on Sioux Sports and with other Sioux fans about the auction.

Former UND defenseman Matt Green is a shot blocking machine for the LA Kings.
Mentality Key In Getting The Greene Light To Block Shots [NHL.COM]

There has been some discussion about the Frattin hit on Andrew Sackrison. While as I mentioned earlier the video sucked it didn't appear to be a dirty hit. Here is what the Mankato beat writer Puckato had to say on the hit...

Notes: The Mavericks lost Andrew Sackrison for the game when he was hit by Frattin in the first period. Frattin was called for interference on the play. Sackrison received 10 stitches on his chin. No word on his return for Saturday. ... WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod attended the game.

Just for the record not every big hit or hit that results in a penalty where someone is hurt, shaken up is going to lead to a suspension or should it. I am afraid that the refs are going to call five minute penalties and a game misconduct every time someone is laid out on the ice with a vicious check.

Here is the Strength of Schedule rankings for games to date. Eight of the top ten teams are from the WCHA.

North Dakota 1 245.3
Bemidji State 2 230.9
Denver 3 205.0
Michigan Tech 4 197.7
Alaska-Anchorage 5 183.9
Minnesota-Duluth 6 182.9
Boston College 7 174.3
Notre Dame 8 173.9
Wisconsin 9 172.6
St. Cloud State 10 162.1
Yale 31 112.5

Sioux Hockey is the Biggest Joke on Earth!! (by LGM)- UPDATED!!

Nice title, huh? I totally did that to make fans mad so they would click on my post for sure:) I have some important information to get out to the Sioux fans attending tonight's game. Tonight there is a silent auction taking place before and during the game. It's located on the 1st level of the Verizon Center in a banquet room. Make sure to check it out! There will be lots of hockey gear (including Sioux stuff.....like a Team USA Parise jersey!). The auction is being held by a family of a young hockey player that died from Leukemia several years ago. The money raised goes towards scholarships for kids to play hockey and juvenile cancer research. It's a great cause people, so I want to see all of you there and bidding on stuff! In addition to hockey items there will be lots of other stuff, like Twins tickets. Come check it out, it's a great place to pick up some nice Christmas presents! Help me get the word out on Sioux Sports and with other Sioux fans about the auction.

Speaking of the auction, I'm thining of stealing my friend's game worn Marvin jersey for Sioux fans to bid on....since I know many of them would want it and wear it with PRIDE!! :) It's the one in the picture on this post...fancy, huh?

Ok, now that I hopefully got your attention about the auction I'll move onto a game summary.

So, the Mavs lost 4-3. It was a way closer game. Really, the Mavs played with or at times better than the Sioux for all but 7 minutes of the game. Of course in the 7 minutes the Sioux took advantage of the Mavs.

I was completely shocked when the Mavs scored first and then almost fell over when they had a 2-0 lead. Of course that meant "Ole Bitch!" text messages to Goon. Gotta rub it in, since I knew it wouldn't last.

For the most part the game was pretty clean. There were a few cheap shots from the usual Sioux suspects (MacWilliam & Blood) and some scrum going on. Oddly the Mav mixing it up with them was Ben Youds. That's very unlike him so obviously the Sioux were getting under Youds' skin...so that could make tonight's game interesting.

The only play I had a real issue with was when Frattin did a dirty hit on Andy Sackrison. The refs called it interference, which it so was not. However, we all know the refs never get the calls right. I haven't heard an update on Sackrison but I have a feeling he'll be out of tonight's game. This makes LGM a very unhappy gal, since she's a big Sackrison fan. Dirty little Frattin. I should go find him and kick his butt!

Of course Lammy was up to his typical jawjacking and cheap hits after the whistle. If our student section really knew details of hockey they would chant "Brad Miller Time Sucks!" and have signs just to annoy that kid. However, that would require knowing about hockey and not beer!!

Let's see...what else to summarize? Perhaps I should have written this last night when it was all fresh in my mind! Um, well the reffing....well, wasn't BAD. That's saying a lot. Of course they missed some stuff and called some BS calls each way but overall didn't do a horrid job. That's good because it made for a good hockey game that wasn't stop and go and overly dirty.

So, we'll see what tonight brings. I'm not really expecting the Mavs to win but if they play like last night, it's possible. To win though they need to do two things different, not let Genoway skate circles around them and not let big ass Sioux players camp out in front of Cook. I hate when they let players camp out in front of the goalie. Ugh! For some reason the Mav D always let the other teams do that. It's GOT to stop. That's exactly why the Sioux got a couple of goals. It's damn hard to see with some big dude in front of you!

Ok, that's all I have for today.....GO MAVS!

Oh and for the Sioux fans (ahem, GOON!) that think the Frattin hit was clean on Sackrison, Sackrison got 10 stitches in his chin from the hit to the head. Really clean there buddy! Don't be surprised if he gets a suspension for it, as McLeod is at the games this weekend and watching things. Ya know, if you can't get it right the first time let the bigger dumbass come in and hand out punishment later!

Sioux 4 Purple Cows 3

Thanks to B2tvNetwork I was able to see the game, for this I am very thankful. Thanks to B2tvNetwork, the broadcast wasn't very good, you really couldn't see the puck or the numbers on the players very well. From what I could deduced from the broadcast it also looked like the ice wasn't very good tonight as well, the puck appeared to be bouncing and the players from both teams looked like they were tripping over the blue lines.

It would be an understatement if I said that the Fighting Sioux came out sluggish to start the first period of tonight's game. The Sioux got behind early as the Mavericks forward Eriah Hayes score just 48 seconds into the first period. Things weren’t looking much better as the Mavericks senior defenseman Kurt Davis followed up the Hayes goal his 5th goal of the year at the 6:47 mark of the first period.

The Mavericks then took three straight untimely penalties and the Sioux finally cashed in on a 6 on 4 power play with a goal by senior defenseman Chay Genoway at 19:16 mark of the first period. From there the Fighting Sioux were out shot and out played in the second period by the Mavericks before the Sioux finally got their feet moving and methodically took over the game and scored three more goals in the third period. Mankato scored late in the game to make it close at 4-3 but couldn't get the game tying goal.

Fast start for the Sioux?

With the win the Fighting Sioux are temporarily in first place in the WCHA standings. Also, with the win the Sioux have one of the best start under head hockey coach Dave Hakstol.

Matt Frattin on Fire

Fighting Sioux forward Matt Frattin has been on fire since the second game of the Wisconsin series in Madison, Wisconsin on November 13th, 2010. Frattin has scored (8g-7a-15pts) in eight games. Frattin now has (44g-39a-83pts) for his career and has a chance a good chance of cracking the 100 point mark for his career if he keeps playing at this pace.

[Official Box Score]

Goon's three stars of the game

1.) Matt Frattin, UND (1g-2a-3pts)
2.) Brad Malone, UND (0g-2a-2pts)
3.) Corbin Knight, UND (0g-2a-2pts)

Lines for Sioux and Mavs

In a previous blog post by Redwing77, we discussed this weekend’s Fighting Sioux line up; as Fighting Sioux Hockey coach Dave Hakstol had mentioned during the Wednesday Fighting Sioux Coaches Show that the line up would be the same as last weekend. That's the line up that the Sioux coaches have posted for tonight's game... I suppose this is the line up we will see for this weekend's games barring any unforeseen injuries... Genoway and Nelson are in the line up and like last weekend Brett Hextall and Jason Gregiore are out of the line up again tonight. Here is the line up card as posted by Brad Schlossman.

UND’s lines

19 Evan Trupp–22 Brad Malone–21 Matt Frattin
25 Jake Marto–10 Corban Knight–7 Danny Kristo
15 Brent Davidson–9 Mario Lamoureux–27 Carter Rowney
8 Mike Cichy–29 Brock Nelson–11 Derek Rodwell

24 Ben Blood–5 Chay Genoway
2 Andrew MacWilliam–4 Derek Forbort
3 Derrick LaPoint–18 Dillon Simpson

32 Aaron Dell
31 Brad Eidsness

MSU-Mankato’s lines

23 Michael Dorr–21 Andrew Sackrison–25 Eriah Hayes
20 Chase Grant–12 Rylan Galiardi–9 Mike Louwerse
15 J.P. Burkemper–29 Eli Zuck–14 Justin Jokinen
24 Adam Mueller–26 Joe Schiller–11 Corey Leivermann

16 Tyler Elbrecht–5 Ben Youds
28 Channing Boe–22 Kurt Davis
3 Cameron Cooper–2 Josh Nelson

30 Phil Cook
1 Austin Lee
35 Evan Karambelas

Hot or Not (by LGM)

For old times sake I decided to do a Hot or Not. While many people get all jacked up about it, it's just plain old good humor and done in fun. Lighten up Sioux fans and don't take the post too seriously!! Also, please tell your fearful leader Hak to take the coat hanger out of his suit coat before putting it on. Seriously, could that guy look more stiff?!?

HOT:

Jason Gregoire- finally a nice looking boy on the Sioux roster!

Brett Hextall- ah, the reason the ladies really watch Brad Miller Time.

Brad Eidsness- not bad, but I'm sure he's weird as hell since he's a goalie.

JUST OK:

Andrew MacWilliam- there's nothing special or hideous about this kid. One of my funniest Sioux stories involves him though. Last year at the SCSU/MSU playoffs I was sitting by a NHL scout. I had put WCHA mobile on his Blackberry for him and I was showing him how to use it. Anyways, so we were looking at the scores and he said "Big Ben Blood scored for UND." I said "Yeah, he's a big kid alright. He said "And mean!" and I said "And dumb! Seriously, how many times has that kid been hit in the head?!?" I then went on to say "but, he's not as big of a goon as that MacWilliam kid...what a hack!" That's when the scout said "oh yeah, he's ours!" OOPS!

Derek Forbort- this guy has nothing special about him, other than he's trying to rock a faux Justin Bieber sideswept hairstyle!

Mario Lamoureux- the only good thing about Lammy is when he wears tight shirts on Brad Miller Time. Nice faux hawk by the way. Give it up, there's only one blonde hockey player that can rock that look, and that's Chris Clarky!

Dillon Simpson- are hockey players even allowed to style their hair as much as this kid does?

Evan Trupp- kinda looks young, like he probably still plays with matchbox cars in his free time!

Ryan Hill- this kid oddly looks a little like Channing Boe. Perhaps they're long lost cousins?

NOT:

Derrick LaPoint- I think we've found the brother to the creepy actor that plays the brother of Rachael McAdams in The Wedding Crashers.

Chay Genoway- is this Hak's long lost son?

Danny Kristo- perhaps he's a long lost Jutting relative?

Mike Cichy- ha! Pretty sure this kid is trying to be like "The Situation". Nice look on his face.

Corban Knight- why is his face lopsided?

Derek Rodwell- yikes, looks like he waxes his eyebrows. Just imagine how he would look if he didn't!

Brett Bruneteau- looks like this kid is trying to pull off some Vince Vaughn look with the hair...very unsuccessful!

Brent Davidson- good thing the pictures are taken of their fronts only, so you can see his big hunchback. Seriously, did they pick him up as an extra on the set of the "Monsters"?

Joe Gleason- you know it's a bad sign when people can tell how big your nose is from a front facing picture! Though, he does a nice howling impression of his dog on "Brad Miller Time"!

Matt Frattin- he looks like an extra from an 80's movie.

Brad Malone- don't kid yourself, this kid has changed his name. His real last name is Jutting. Just look at the face and hair...he's a Juttz for sure!

Ben Blood- HA! You can see how dumb this kid is just by looking at him. Look into his eyes...all you see is blank space!

Jake Marto- pretty sure he's part albino.

Carter Rowney- did this kid smoke a bowl before the pictures?!? I bet he wants an Easy Bake Oven for Christmas! :)

Brock Nelson- ok, now we know who Carter was smoking up with before pictures! WOW!

Aaron Dell- um, was this picture taken at the morgue? He looks like a corpse.

Tate Maris- ick. Seriously, what happened to the days when the Sioux had lots of good looking boys?

So, there ya have it folks....the famous Hot or Not. The Sioux did not fare well this year at all. They need to step up their game in the looks department!

Now...bring on the haters in the comments!! :)

Sioux and Mavericks ready to dance...

This video should get you in the mood for tonight's WCHA series between the UND Fighting Sioux and the Purples Cows Mavericks from Mankato Minnesota State University Mankato... While this series is always hard fought and contested the Sioux have been very successful as of late against the MSU-M Mavericks. The UND Fighting Sioux have won five straight games against the Purple Cows in the series and sport an impressive 14-1-1 record the last sixteen games against the Mavericks.

This is the first time the Mavericks and the Fighting Sioux have played in Mankato since 2008. That was also the last time the Sioux lost a game to the Mavericks.

There is a history between the two teams and the games are always entertaining. I don't think we are going to see two players face off and drop the mitts at the drop of the puck. [click to view UND's Kaip vs MSUM Trevor Bruess]

Tonight's game is not on TV and can be viewed by logging on to the B2TV Network.
[ Click to watch the game]. Each game will cost you 7 dollars to watch.

All the time Yale

Keeping with everything Yale here is the link to the Podcast with Ken Schotts who is one of the best in the business for the ECAC and one of our favorite ECAC USCHO writers Brian Sullivan. [Click to listen to the podcast]

Weekend Match-Ups (by Sioux 7)

There was a full stale of WCHA series last weekend and we have a full slate again this weekend. The biggest surprise last weekend, in my book, was the Beavers sweeping the UNO Mavericks in Bemidji. Another surprise was the MSU Mavericks sweeping the visiting Gophers. MSUM made the most of coming home after not playing in front of the home town crowd since Oct. 23rd. The middle of the standings is jam packed this week, with only 2 points separating 5th from 10th place. A sweep by any of those teams this weekend would help them in the race for home ice after Christmas break.

There is only one WCHA series next week, so how about a Top Twelve list this week?

12. The number of drinks I had last Friday night :)
11. Years since the league last expanded (MSUM in 99-00)
10. Number of sub-par refs in the league
9. The number of wins both UMD and UND
8. Number of losses MTU has in the WCHA season
7. Number of NCAA titles North Dakota and Denver each have
6. Is how many teams will be in St. Paul come March 17th 2011
6. The number of tie games this season in the WCHA
4. WCHA teams in the USCHO top ten poll
3. Points is all MTU has this season
2. “Number 2” is often associated with refereeing in this league
1. Where UMD is sitting in this week’s WCHA standings

WCHA standings

TEAM……………...W-L-T...Pts
1. Minnesota-Duluth....9-2-1…19
2. North Dakota………9-3-0…18
3. Denver……………...8-3-1…17
4. Nebraska-Omaha…6-3-1…13
5. Minnesota…………..5-6-1…11
6. Colorado College…..5-5-0…10
6. Minnesota State…...4-6-2…10
6. Wisconsin…………..4-6-2…10
9. Alaska-Anchorage...4-7-1…9
9. Bemidji State……….4-7-1…9
11. St. Cloud State….....3-6-1…7
12. Michigan Tech……..1-8-1…3

WCHA

#9 Denver @ Alaska Anchorage
Last weekend the Pioneers split with the Bulldogs in Duluth and the Seawolves split with Wisconsin in Anchorage.

The Pioneers have a 3-3-1 record on the road this year and the Seawolves have a 3-3-2 record at home in the Sullivan Arena. The Seawolves have had problems scoring goals this season they have only netted 24 goals in 12 WCHA games, or 2.0 goals per game. The Pioneers just need to play solid defense and limit UAA’s chances and they should come out of Alaska with some points. The Seawolves have to find ways to score when they get the opportunity, if they want to stay in the middle of the pack. UAA always plays well at home and it’s a long trip for visiting teams.
SPLIT


Bemidji State @ #16 Wisconsin
Last weekend the Beavers swept the UNO Mavericks in Bemidji and the Badgers split with the Seawolves in Anchorage.

These teams are only separated by one point in the standings and both are on the wrong side of five hundred. The Beavers should have plenty of confidence heading into the weekend after their surprising wins over UNO, I just hope they aren’t over-confident. The Beavers only have one road win and that was over SCSU in overtime. The Badgers need to get some home wins, one for the points and two for their fans. After this series, UW only has 3 (MSUM, UM, CC) more WCHA home series (which are after Christmas break).
BADGERS 3-pts


Colorado College @ St. Cloud State
Last weekend the Tigers swept the MTU Huskies in Houghton and the SCSU Huskies were swept by the Sioux in Grand Forks.

Last year when these two played in Colorado Springs they split SCSU won 5-4 and then CC won 6-4. I hope this year there are many goals scored, why, because they are fun and exciting games to watch. The Huskies are getting in desperate need of points, if they want to keep in the race for home ice come March. The Tigers are right in the thick of things, in the standings, with points and they have two games in hand on the other teams around them. The Huskies need to find some ways of generating more offense, and if they can do that they should win some more games and start climbing the standings.
SPLIT


Michigan Tech @ #10 Nebraska-Omaha (Thursday/Friday)
Last weekend the Huskies were swept by the Tigers in Houghton and the Mavericks were swept by the Beavers in Bemidji.

Is their trouble in Omaha, has their luck run out, was it too good to be true? The Mavericks have lost 3 of their last 4 games. The good news is they are playing the worst team in the league; it looks like their luck may have already returned. UNO needs to put goals on the scoreboard this weekend since they only have 2 in their last 3 games. The Huskies have given up a league high 47 goals in 10 games, you do the math for goals against average. Sorry Tech fans but it looks like your beloved Huskies will remain in the basement over the Christmas break.
MAVERICKS Sweep


#2 Minnesota-Duluth @ Minnesota
Last weekend the Bulldogs split with the Pioneers in Duluth and the Gophers were sweep by the MSU-Mavericks in Mankato.

The Gophers need to get off to a good start in these games if they want to win, that means they can’t afford to spot the Bulldogs a two or three goal lead in the first period. If the Gophers can do that, they should be able to compete and maybe beat the Bulldogs. For the visiting Bulldogs, they want just the opposite, get a few quick goals get the crowd out of it, and put it on cruise control. These are last games for the Gophers before Christmas they don’t play again until New Years Eve, after these games. That said they need some points to solidify their place in the standings before Christmas. The Gophers need to play good defense and get some timely saves this weekend for them to get a home win or two.
SPLIT


#5 North Dakota @ Minnesota State
Last weekend the Sioux swept the SCSU Huskies in Grand Forks and Mavericks swept the Gophers in Mankato.

The Mavericks have an overall home record at 3-1-2 and the Sioux are good on the road, 5-3-1 overall (2 loses at Maine). However, records don’t always tell you the whole story. The Sioux got their first home sweep of the season last weekend, while missing 2/3 of their top line. UND has typically had slow starts to the season under coach Hakstol, but not this year. And if they go on a second half run, which has been the norm the past few years, they could win the WCHA’s MacNaughton Cup come March. The Sioux need to play their game this weekend, solid defense, puck control, and good passing, if they want to continue their winning ways. The Mavericks need their goalie to have another spectacular weekend, if they want to win. They also need to generate some offensive chances, since UND is leading the league in goals allowed.
SIOUX 3-pts

Thursday morning ramblings… Outdoor games and Yale

Wow! There is going to be another college hockey game aka the "Big Chill" that will be played outdoors on Saturday at 3:00 pm Eastern Standard time at the Big House in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Yawn! Boring! I can’t be the only one that is bored with this concept, hockey wasn't made to be played in a football stadium.

I mean seriously folks, I want to watch a game in a massive football stadium, when it’s cold and I can’t see the ice or the puck very well because I am watching the game with 85,000 of my closest friends up in the clouds. I think we have played these outdoor games Ad nauseam. I am actually surprised that no one has suggested the Sioux play a hockey game in Memorial Stadium with its about a bazillion below zero. I wonder if your beer freezes.



If you're interested in watching the game, this farce will be on the Big Ten Network on Saturday at 2:00 pm North Dakota time. Here is the link(s) to the story [click to read]

There is a lot of discussion on the internet about whether Yale is a good team or not and worthy of the number one ranking. Ok, first off Yale has beaten the schedule they have been given, kudos to them; however, let’s look at who the Yale Bulldogs have beaten this season – Brown (24.4990) , Dartmouth (21.9230), Princeton (17.3212), Quinnipiac (12.9341), Colorado College (30.4469), Cornell (11.5612), Colgate (9.4471), Sacred Heart (7.7867), Rensselaer (22.8393), Union (21.3074) and Vermont (28.7114). The Yale Bulldogs lost to a very bad Air Force Academy (13.3756).

So let me get this right the pollsters are impressed with Yale beating up on the weak sisters of the poor and have ranked them number one in all three polls/rankings because of this. Go back and look at the Yale Bulldogs Strength of Schedule of the teams that they have played to date. I would like to see what kind of numbers power house teams like UMD, UND, DU, BU and Boston College could rack up against that line up of cup cakes. I don't know how anyone can say it with a straight face that the aforementioned schedule is a good schedule.

Ken Schott one of the best beat writers in the ECAC; has gone so far to say that he thinks Yale is going to be in the Frozen Four. That's a pretty bold statment to make based on who Yale has played this season.

Yale came close to making the Frozen Four last season. The Bulldogs have an outstanding offense, and they are tough to start. But the one area of the Bulldogs' game that held them back was their defense, and their goaltending, in particular. Yale used four goalies last season, and none of them established themselves as the go-to guy. The lack of a No. 1 goalie hurt the Bulldogs in their Northeast Regional championship game against Boston College. Yale scored seven goals, but three of its goalies couldn't stop the Eagles from getting nine goals and advancing to the Frozen Four, where they won the title.

Yale was a solid pick to win the ECACH regular-season title in the coaches and media polls. But I couldn't help but think if goaltending would be a problem again for the Bulldogs.

Well, after watching Yale's 5-0 dismantling of Union on Sunday at Ingalls Rink, I am not afraid to predict this: The Bulldogs will play in the Frozen Four in April.

Love his work, but I am going to have to respectfully disagree with him. I think Yale will be another ECAC team that will be selected as a number one seed in the NCAA tourney that ends up being a first round one and done bust, like Clarkson was in 2007 NCAA tourney. I really think that until a team from the ECAC "actually" wins an NCAA tourney and starts beating legit big time teams from the WCHA, CCHA and or Hockey East on a regular basis they will never really be looked at as anything but the EZAC. I also think that analogy is fair as well.

I also think that people are basing what happened in last years NCAA tourney as a gauge of what could happen in this years tourney. I don't know if you can do that. It is what it is; when the Sioux played Yale last year in the playoffs, the UND Fighting Sioux had played six games in nine days when they faced the Yale Bulldogs who had lost in their conference homes series and didn't play for two weeks and were well rested. I think if UND has played two less games that game would have had a very different result, the Sioux also started to come back in the third period and just missed on a couple of opportunities to tie the game up. Who knows what happens if that games goes to overtime?

Just for the record here is the Strength of Schedule for the 2010-2011 season so far.

Strength of schedules:
Yale. 31/ 19.7909
UMD 4/ 35.4840
UNH 23/ 23.7116
BC 6/ 32.3048
UND 1/ 50.0000
DU 2/ 40.6433

Redwing77's MSUM vs. UND Pontifications

Instead of simply making this a comment on the previous blog post, I decided to react to it AND give my thoughts on the upcoming series.

The Mav Sweep Video React

This is what I saw when I watched the video:

1. Most of the Mav goals came out of Gopher defensive breakdowns. Good teams capitalize on opposition mistakes and the Mavs did that. However, our defense is much better than Minnesota's. Jutting won't have the ability to walk into the arena on Friday knowing that John "Sucks at all things Hockey" Hill will not be there. If Jutting plays us like they played Minnesota, we'll beat them hands down.

2. 2 of the goals that were scored were flat out weak. The one on Friday where Kangas(?) was hugging the post was weak as all get out and the one on Saturday where Patterson decided not to simply smother the puck but rather attempt to pick it up simply elevated the puck enough for the Mavs player to lift it over his shoulder and into the net. W-E-A-K. Hopefully Patterson at least got an assist on the goal.

3. MSUM came into the season with the media convinced that their defense and goaltending are going to be average and their offense nonexistent. I was convinced of this as well. I don't feel like they'll be competing for home ice by the end of the season. However, they're not as bad as what was forecast...at least at this time.

UND SHOULD sweep MSUM but that doesn't mean much. UND has had tendencies the past few years to not take "bottom dwellers" all that seriously. UAA has gotten the better of UND several times because of this. And MSUM could benefit from that this weekend if UND isn't careful. The matter will be made easier by Gregoire and Hextall being out.

If Nelson and Genoway are also out, things will get a bit rocky. You can't sit here and say that losing your top D, top F, top gritty forward, and an up and coming freshman won't affect the team. However, if we do lose, it won't be because of injuries. Our team is too stacked for that excuse.

Assuming Nelson and Genoway are out, here's what I'd expect:

19 Evan Trupp–22 Brad Malone–21 Matt Frattin
11 Derek Rodwell*–10 Corban Knight–7 Danny Kristo
15 Brent Davidson–9 Mario Lamoureux–27 Carter Rowney
13 Brett Bruneteau*-8 Mike Cichy*-20 Joe Gleason

24 Ben Blood - 4 Derek Forbort
3 Derrick LaPoint - 25 Jake Marto
2 Andrew MacWilliam - 18 Dillon Simpson

32 Aaron Dell
31 Brad Eidsness

* - Note: Ok, I'm not really sure who would play left wing on the second line. It would either be Cichy or they'd fit someone in. I like Rodwell and I think he'd be a good fit if he can play left wing. Since Cichy played left wing this season in the past, it would be an easy fit. If Cichy did move up to the 2nd line, then 4th line center would be a question mark. I thought Cichy and Bruneteau have played center in the past (either at UND or in juniors) but I can't remember. So, it just as easily could be either of the two taking faceoffs.

I have no information about Nelson or Genoway and I'm optimistic (while being in the dark) that both will play. However, I'm not sure how strong our 4th line will be if Nelson is out. Yeah, his offensive numbers haven't been outstanding, but he's played solid.


My prediction: Too variable at this time to guess. however, like I said, we should be able to sweep them. However, MSUM's home arena has given us fits in the past and MSUM is playing very well right now.

Thoughts?

Sioux and Mavericks up next...

[s/t Puckato] Here are some highlights of the UND Fighting Sioux's next opponent the Minnesota State University Mankato Mavericks, aka the Purple Cows. I expect the Sioux forwards to get more opportunities in the slot than the Gopher forwards did and I expect the Sioux will get the Maverick goaltender Phil Cook's feet moving more than the Gophers did this past weekend. This should get you in the mood for this weekend's series.

The Sioux have had a successful winning streak against the Mavericks as of late the Sioux have won 5 straight, and have an impressive 12-1-1 record against the Mavericks the last 14 games. Do records mean anything this weekend? Nope! Not at all. It does not guarantee success for this weekend series against the Mavericks, however, the Sioux should be ready for tough opponent that plays every game like it’s a wounded animal. The Sioux better expect to be ready for a buzz saw where ever inch of the ice is contested. I also think that anything less that 3-4 points is unacceptable.

Some highlights from Saturday's UNO and BSU game

I found this video over on the BSU hockey beat writers blog. Play by play by Scott Williams and Eric Monsrud from Lakeland Public Television. I think it's only fitting that UNO who won a game against UND with no time left on the clock got scored on with no time left in the second period against the BSU Beavers. Here is some highlights from last Saturday's game between the BSU Beavers and UNO Mavericks.

Canadian WJC Selection camp roster released.

Four NCAA players made Canadian WJC selection camp Roster. So we have a Redhawk, a Bulldog, Fighting Irish and a Tiger. It will be interesting to see how many of them make the final roster.

Goalies
JP Anderson Toronto, Ont. Mississauga (OHL)
Calvin Pickard Winnipeg, Man. Seattle (WHL)
Olivier Roy Causapscal, Que. Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)
Mark Visentin Waterdown, Ont. Niagara (OHL)

Defense
Tyson Barrie Victoria, B.C. Kelowna (WHL)
Jared Cowen * Allan, Sask. Spokane (WHL)
Simon Desprès Laval, Que. Saint John (QMJHL)
Ryan Ellis ** Freelton, Ont. Windsor (OHL)
Brandon Gormley Murray River, P.E.I. Moncton (QMJHL)
Erik Gudbranson Orleans, Ont. Kingston (OHL)
Brayden McNabb Davidson, Sask. Kootenay (WHL)
Ryan Murphy Aurora, Ont. Kitchener (OHL)
Ryan Murray White City, Sask. Everett (WHL)
Dylan Olsen Calgary, Alta. Minnesota-Duluth (NCAA)
Mark Pysyk Sherwood Park, Alta. Edmonton (WHL)
Calvin de Haan * Carp, Ont. Oshawa (OHL)

Forward
Carter Ashton Saskatoon, Sask. Regina (WHL)
Michaël Bournival Shawinigan-Sud, Que. Shawinigan (QMJHL)
Casey Cizikas Mississauga, Ont. Mississauga St. Michael's (OHL)
Brett Connolly Port Hardy, B.C. Prince George (WHL)
Sean Couturier Bathurst, N.B. Drummondville (QMJHL)
Cody Eakin Winnipeg, Man. Swift Current (WHL)
Marcus Foligno Sudbury, Ont. Sudbury (OHL)
Brendan Gallagher Delta, B.C. Vancouver (WHL)
Curtis Hamilton Kelowna, B.C. Saskatoon (WHL)
Joey Hishon Stratford, Ont. Owen Sound (OHL)
Quinton Howden Oak Bank, Man. Moose Jaw (WHL)
Ryan Howse Prince George, B.C. Chilliwack (WHL)
Ryan Johansen Port Moody, B.C. Portland (WHL)
Zack Kassian LaSalle, Ont. Windsor (OHL)
Louis Leblanc Point-Claire, Que. Montreal (QMJHL)
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Burnaby, B.C. Red Deer (WHL)
Brandon Pirri Toronto, Ont. Rockford (AHL)
Brad Ross Lethbridge, Alta. Portland (WHL)
Brayden Schenn Saskatoon, Sask. Brandon (WHL)
Jaden Schwartz Colorado College (NCAA)
Riley Sheahan St. Catharines, Ont. Notre Dame (NCAA)
Reilly Smith Mimico, Ont. Miami University (NCAA)
Linden Vey Wakaw, Sask. Medcine Hat (WHL) LA ’09 (4, 96)
Garrett Wilson Elmvale, Ont. Owen Sound (OHL)

Forbort and Nelson make 2011 U.S. National Junior Team Preliminary Roster

Here is the Preliminary roster for the 2011 WJC roster. Brock Nelson, Derek Forbort and future Fighting Sioux forward Rocco Grimaldi will be on the Preliminary Roster.

Goalies
G 1 Jack Cambpell^ Port Huron, Mich. Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
G 29 Andy Iles Ithaca, N.Y. Cornell Univ. (ECACH)

Defense
D 2 Adam Clendening Niagara Falls, N.Y. Boston Univ. (HEA)
D 4 Brian Dumoulin Biddeford, Maine Boston College (HEA)
D 25 Justin Faulk South St. Paul, Minn. Univ. of Minnesota Duluth (WCHA)

D 7 Derek Forbort Duluth, Minn. Univ. of North Dakota (WCHA)

D 6 Nick Leddy Eden Prairie, Minn. Rockford IceHogs (AHL)
D 12 Jon Merrill Brighton, Mich. Univ. of Michigan (CCHA)
D 28 Jamie Oleksiak Boston, Mass. Northeastern Univ. (HEA)
D 21 John Ramage^ Chesterfield, Mo. Univ. of Wisconsin (WCHA)
D 5 Philip Samuelsson Scottsdale, Ariz. Boston College (HEA)
D 18 Patrick Wey Pittsburgh, Pa. Boston College (HEA)

Forward
F 27 Nick Bjugstad Blaine, Minn. Univ. of Minnesota (WCHA)
F 17 Ryan Bourque^ Boxford, Mass. Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)
F 13 Connor Brickley Everett, Mass. Univ. of Vermont (HEA)
F 10 Chris Brown Mound, Texas Univ. of Michigan (CCHA)
F 24 Mitch Callahan Whittier, Calif. Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
F 3 Charlie Coyle East Weymouth, Mass. Boston Univ. (HEA)
F 9 Jerry D'Amigo^ Binghamton, N.Y. Toronto Marlies (AHL)
F 26 Emerson Etem Long Beach, Calif. Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)

F 14 Rocco Grimaldi Rossmoor, Calif. U.S. NTDP U-18 (USHL)

F 19 Chris Kreider^ Boxford, Mass. Boston College (HEA)
F 11 Jeremy Morin^ Auburn, N.Y. Rockford IceHogs (AHL)

F 8 Brock Nelson Minneapolis, Minn. Univ. of North Dakota (WCHA)

F 20 Matt Nieto Long Beach, Calif. Boston Univ. (HEA)
F 23 Kyle Palmieri^ Montvale, N.J. Syracuse Crunch (AHL)
F 22 Brandon Saad Gibsonia, Pa. Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
F 15 Drew Shore Denver, Colo. Univ. of Denver (WCHA)
F 16 Jason Zucker^ Las Vegas, Nev. Univ. of Denver (WCHA)

Sioux and the Landcows are on B2 this weekend.

The UND Fighting Sioux will be on the B2 Network this weekend. [Link to the Games]

Minnesota State vs. North Dakota
Hockey
12/10/2010 7:37:00 PM CST

Minnesota State vs. North Dakota
Hockey
12/11/2010 7:07:00 PM CST

That is good news for fans that can't make the trek to Mankato.

Poll Monday - Hum interesting!

USCHO.com Division I Men's Poll
[December 6, 2010]
1 Yale (34) 10-1-0 973 2
2 Minnesota-Duluth (13) 12-2-2 950 1
3 New Hampshire 9-2-4 882 5
4 Boston College ( 3) 11-5-0 819 8
5 North Dakota 11-5-2 814 7
6 Miami 10-5-3 683 6
7 Boston University 7-3-5 678 2
8 Maine 7-3-4 676 9
9 Denver 11-5-2 601 10
10 Nebraska-Omaha 9-4-1 585 4
11 Notre Dame 10-5-2 499 12
12 Michigan 9-5-4 454 11
13 Union 8-3-3 412 13
14 Alaska 8-5-3 348 14
15 Rensselaer 8-4-3 260 16
16 Wisconsin 8-7-3 243 15
17 Merrimack 7-4-4 210 18
18 Ferris State 8-6-3 113 20
19 Dartmouth 6-3-1 98 NR
20 Western Michigan 7-5-4 60 19
Others Receiving Votes: Clarkson 42, Minnesota 30, Robert Morris 23, Colorado College 17, Minnesota State 9, Northern Michigan 8, Michigan State 4, Bemidji State 3, Princeton 3, Providence 2, Niagara 1

__________________________________

USA TODAY/USA Hockey Men's poll
[Dec. 6, 2010]
1. Yale (24) 10-1-0
2. Minnesota Duluth (9) 12-2-0
3. New Hampshire 9-2-4 5
4. Boston College (1) 11-5-0
5. North Dakota 11-5-2
6. Maine 7-3-4
7. Boston University 7-3-5
8. Miami (Ohio) 10-5-3
9. Nebraska-Omaha 9-4-1
10. Denver 11-5-2
11. Notre Dame 10-5-2
12. Michigan 9-5-4
13. Union 8-3-3
14. Alaska 8-5-3
15. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 8-4-3
Others receiving votes: University of Wisconsin, 17; Merrimack College, 13; Dartmouth College, 3; University of Minnesota, 2; Robert Morris University, 2; Bemidji State University, 1.


Analysis - This was the conversation or debate on Twitter yesterday that caught my eye posted by Brad Schlossman on Twitter. I do think the Boise State argument fits this scenario well, lose one game and Yale will take a serious drop in the polls. I guess they can ride the pony for now, until it comes up lame.

@Schlossmangf @puckato @bruceciskie Yale is hockey's Boise St. Yes they can beat anyone, but they have the luxury of not playing good teams every week.
@puckato replied - Right now, I'm leaning: 1. UMD, 2. Yale, 3. UNH, 4. UND, 5. Denver, then some combo of BC, BU, Maine

Ok, one of my friends posted on my face book that my head was going to explode because Yale is the number one team in the country. While I am not a self professed Yale hater, I don’t think they are the number one team in the country. I think UND, DU or UMD could run the table on the schedule they have played to date so far, Brown, Dartmouth, Princeton, Quinnipiac, Colorado College, Air Force, Cornell, Colgate, Sacred Heart, RPI and Union. Are you kidding me? The Bulldogs lost to Air Force Academy as well. What do you think teams like B.C., BU, ND, UND, DU and UMD could do against a schedule like that? What do you think?

Tim Thomas; how do you like this?

Check out this save by Tim Thomas against the Toronto Maple Leafs. This save is nothing short of amazing. Last season Tim Thomas had what I would describe as a rough season and the Boston Bruins fans want to put Thomas on the scrap heap of history... This season Tim Thomas has bounced back into top form and has pile up some eye popping numbers so far this season 13-2-2 1.46 GAA and a save percentage of .956, not bad eh...

INCH Power Rankings

As always for a good laugh I included the INCH Power Rankings. OK! This is a little much, so now we have the team that has played one of the weakest SOS in the country in the top 20 at 21.1915 and now after they finally beat a team in the top 15 we should believe that they are one of the best team in college hockey? Right... What would their record be if they played the teams in the WCHA, CCHA or Hockey East?

1. Yale
2. Minnesota Duluth
3. Maine
4. North Dakota
5. New Hampshire
6. Boston College
7. Nebraska-Omaha
8. Boston University
9. Union
10. Miami
11. Michigan
12. Denver
13. Notre Dame
14. Alaska
15. Rensselaer
16. Wisconsin
17. Merrimack
18. Ferris State
19. Dartmouth
20. Robert Morris
Dropped out: Minnesota, Western Michigan
Bubble-licious: Niagara, Northern Michigan, Princeton

They said what? You have got to be kidding me? Nah!



Picture from College Fanz

 To piggy back on what Let’s Go Mavs had to say; I find this article remotely entertaining, laughable and I have to pass it on; it's a must read by Goal Gophers. I mean honestly; you can't be serious with that? I wonder if Chris Miller wrote that with a straight face. Thanks for giving me something to laugh about today. Look at the Gopher's roster what do the not so Golden Gophers have, something like 19 NHL draft picks on their roster and none of them can score on a consistent basis? The problem is that the Gophers might have too many top of the line players and don’t have enough roll players and grinders. At lower levels most of them knew how to score goals. That being said, not every players has to be a first round draft choice on your roster, you need to have some grit and role players.

Not sure how many of the Gophers' 50 shots I'd say were "Grade A" but on probably three or four of their best chances they didn't even get the puck on net. Nick Bjugstad broke his stick on a one-timer with a yawning net in the first period, and Taylor Matson and Jake Hansen were both flummoxed in the third when they were late arrivers in the zone, got great set ups and just missed the net badly.

Jay Barriball had two breakaways, said he was happy with the shots he got, but was just stopped.

Mike Hoeffel returned after sitting out Friday with the flu and might have been a step slow. Jacob Cepis was noticeable and Bjugstad had two especially dominant shifts. He's a big kid and when he gets some experience he should have dominant stretches.

But, that's what they say about a lot of Gophers. Problem now is putting the puck in the net. Maybe there aren't a lot of natural goal-scorers on the team ... maybe that's been a problem for quite a while.[Read th whole Story here]

Being a weekend duffer golfer I know a sandbagging when I see one, actually, that’s not a sandbagging that’s a ____ storm. In fact I think I smell Barbra Streisand or err, insert your own adjective, you know what I mean? Again, I am going to call shenanigans on that article. Can you shovel it any faster and harder? I mean really; the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers get the first pick of best of the blue chip hockey players that live in the state of Minnesota… The Gophers also get to select the best players they want from the Minneapolis Metro area, that play for the USDT under 17 and under 18 teams before the other teams in the WCHA even get to take a look at them. Look at their roster again, if you don’t believe me… It's stuffed full of kids that were once super stars for their high school and or junior teams.

So what’s the problem? Don’t get me wrong Donny Lucia is a good hockey coach and is going through a bit of a rough stretch. You don't win two national titles in Division I college hockey being a stiff or a classic buffoon. Success has been Donny’s biggest nemesis; he has a great college arena that is usually full of adoring, cheering, rabid fans. The University has a killer television package and he can get all of the best players. I doubt he even has to work all that hard to get great players to commit to his program. The other league coaches are the ones that have to coach and work harder and do more with less. They have all the perceived advantages that other teams don't have. Or do they?

The problem is; Donny Lucia has recruited too many pretty boy/entitlement players that take the “me first” attitude and don’t grasp the concept of being a third line player, getting their nose dirty, blocking shots and or biding their time till they get their chance to play on the third line. Half of these kids on the Gophers roster already have one foot out the door to the NHL and are just there because they are told that’s the place to be till they get to step out on the ice as an NHL player.

Not everyone can be on the first line, first power play unit, some one has to play on the third line and or go in the corners and do the dirty little things that make teams successful, like killing penalties and being a defensive forward.

Again, look at the little things that Mario Lamoureux does for the Sioux on the ice that very rarely gets noticed by the casual fair weather hockey fans. When I was talking to a SCSU fan in the Liffey bar last season during the Final Five all he could do was belittle a role player like Mario Lamoureux. That's the same player that kills penalties, takes face offs in key time of big games and does the gritty things that help teams win games. The SCSU fan that I was talking to got mad at me because I wouldn't admit that Mario was just a worthless goon that would be lucky to play on the SCSU Huskies, that Hakstol inadvertently sent over the player's bench wall to go fight their almighty second line player Aaron Marvin... Obviously, this guy I was talking too was very intoxicated;and I might add a mountain of a man and I could tell that it just wasn't getting through to his thick skull. I excused myself from the conversation and left this mouth breather behind before he threw me over the bar for failing to see his point of view. One could say that logical reasoning and alcoholic beverages just don’t mix. I am also not getting into a fight in a bar over a hockey game, yeah that would be fun trying to explain that one to my boss and or wife, I am sure they would have been less than impressed with me.

If you think I am full of it go back and watch the video from last night’s game. That third/fourth line player did all of the little things that helped the Sioux win. Mario along with a few of the other Sioux players also took the SCSU Huskies off their game and he caused some of them to lose their mind, they were taking runs at him and he kept playing hard to the whistle. I would also rather have one less disgruntled blue chip hockey player on my roster that’s only going to play 7 – 10 minutes a game and have a rugged third or fourth line player that knows his role and does the little things that help my team be successful.

I definitely appreciate and like those types of less heralded hockey players, because they are so valuable to their respective teams. That’s what the Gophers and to a certain extent the SCSU Huskies lack from their team. I can assure you that Dean Blais’ teams have these types of role players as well as George Gwozdecky and Tom Serratore.

Every year there are two or three Gopher players that move on because they were getting “screwed” by coach Lucia and his staff. I would say that the Gophers need more players like Jay Barriball that know what sacrifice is all about…

Add to that they have a major league bubbling buffoon coaching the defense in Jon Hill. I don’t see how any one can say that he is an up grade over their beloved and respected former assistant coach Mike Guentzel, I no idea why they keep Hill around, but I am thankful for it, because as long as he is around coaching the Gophers defense they are going to continue to fail.

In conclusion; this article isn’t really a shot at the beat writers from Goal Gophers because I think for the most part they do a good job covering their team and they give me much reading enjoyment. It’s more of a refutation of a mind set that is out there in college hockey. I mean I know the Star and Tribune can’t be overly critical of their team or they could lose access to the coaching staff and not be able to report on their team as closely as they would like.

Also, I would love to hear what Minnesota or fans from other teams that play more of finesse style game think… College hockey is changing to a game that is starting to mirror the NHL. I think the up and down the ice finesse style of hockey is a thing of the past. If you want to watch that style of hockey, Europe might be the place for you to go.

The game is faster, the players are stronger, the game is more violent and there is less room to roam out there. Even if the refs call the obstruction on the ice correctly. Gone are the days of skating up and down the ice taking shots on net untouched, every inch of the ice is contested. There is little room for self centered primadonnas that only think of themselves.

MN's "Pride on Ice" is officially the "Pathetic on Ice" (by LGM)

Oh how the mighty have fallen in Gopher land. Do you hear all of the thuds in Minnesota? Yes folks, that is the sound of fans falling off the Gopher bandwagon left and right. Let's face it, it's easy to be a Gopher fan....you can stop at the local Super America store and buy a knock off jersey and watch the games on TV and learn to spell and twist your wrist. Super tough! How man of them are REAL fans though? How many have even been to Mariucci? I would argue that the majority have not. Pathetic, just like their team.

I'm a die hard Maverick fan, as everyone knows. I'm also a very honest fan and I'll be the first to say that the Mavericks are bad this year. I would go as far to say that they pretty much suck. This weekend was no exception. The Mavs did not play great and they EASILY swept the Gophers. If I was a Gopher fan I would be burning all of my Gopher stuff today.

Not only was their play embarrassing last night, the way their players acted was even worse. Seriously, is there a bigger punk in the league than Cepis? Christ, that kid was either running his mouth non-stop, taking dives, or taking cheap shots. Sadly, this is the type of hockey that Don Lucia has been endorsing for the past few years. I'm not a violent person but by the end of the 1st period of the weekend I was ready to go down to the ice and smack that kid. I'm all for the agitator in hockey but when you throw in the diving and cheap shots to the head and knees, that's just being a punk.

Sonic the Hedgehog...oops, I mean Don Lucia....used the excuse that Maverick goalie Phil Cook is the only reason the Goofs lost. Ok, so Cook had 49 saves but I'll tell you right now that only 15 of them were quality ones. The Gophers lobbed shots right into his glove or stomach and had some of the weakest shots possible. Also, I would argue that the guy counting shots on goal was very generous with the Gophers. I'm not sure who does shots on goals in Mankato but I've always said he sucks at his job. He's always WAY off and having to change it mid-game. A perfect example of that is when the Mavs got a goal on Friday night and no credit for a shot? Hmm...not sure how that works.

Anyways, so Donny is full of excuses after the sweep and won't say the real deal...so I will. Don sucks as a coach, the team if full of a bunch of primadonnas, and they're a bunch of cheap ass goons. Plain and simple.

So, how's that for analysis? I know Goon always has all these stats and stuff on his blog but that's just not my deal. So, if you were looking for stats and not Gopher ripping...you're reading the wrong post:) Oh hell, who am I kidding? You're a bunch of Sioux fans, of course you want to Gopher ripping.

It was a glorious weekend in Mankato with a beautiful sweep. Hopefully the Mavs can take some of that momentum into this weekend but I'm not holding my breath. I'm more than a bit worried for the weekend and am expecting the Sioux to put up double digits on one of the nights. Hopefully I'm wrong and the Mavs can get some points but I won't hold my breath:(

College Hockey Scores 12/04/2010 - Sunday morning pontifications.



Photo courtesy of John Stennes, Grand Forks Herald

 AHA Hockey

RIT 2 at American Int'l 6
Bentley 1 at Robert Morris 5
Connecticut 8 at Niagara 5
Holy Cross 6 at Air Force 7
Mercyhurst 2 at Sacred Heart 3

CCHA

ECAC
Rensselaer 6 at Brown 2
Clarkson 5 at Quinnipiac 3
Bowling Green 1 at Lake Superior 1 OT
Ferris State 1 at Michigan State 0 OT
Michigan 2 at Ohio State 1
Notre Dame 2 at Miami 5
Western Michigan 4 at Northern Michigan 4 OT

Hockey East

UMass Lowell 2 at Massachusetts 5
Maine 5 at Providence 0
Northeastern 2 at Merrimack 1
Boston University 2 at Boston College 5
UMass Lowell 2 at Massachusetts 5

WCHA

Colorado College 5 at Michigan Tech 0
Denver 1 at Minnesota Duluth 2
Minnesota 1 at Minnesota State 2
St. Cloud State 2 at North Dakota 6
Nebraska-Omaha 1 at Bemidji State 3
Wisconsin 3 at Alaska Anchorage 1

NON-Conference

Alab-Huntsville 2 at Cornell 2 OT
Colgate 3 at Army 0

Links to the Sioux and Huskies Series

My favorite Pseudo USCHO reporter [USCHO]

Sioux flatten Huskies [Saint Cloud Times]

WCHA in depth: Face shields gain support [Saint Cloud Times]


Men's hockey: Black sweater sweep [Grand Forks Herald]


North Dakota 6, St. Cloud State 2 [Saint Cloud Times]

Analysis – Wow! What a character win for the UND Fighting Sioux hockey team. With the sweep last night the Fighting Sioux get their first home sweep for the 2010-2011 season, their first at home since last March 5th and 6th against the Michigan Tech Huskies. What’s more impressive is the fact the Sioux were playing minus two key first line players, Brett Hextall and Jason Gregoire, both are key top flight players that play on the power play and penalty kill. Maybe that’s why the power play looked a little disjointed this weekend.

Since being swept by the Maine Black Bears in Orono, Maine the UND Fighting Sioux Hockey team has gone a respectable 8-3-1. Albeit, playing the toughest strength of schedule in college hockey to date. The Sioux have played series/games against nationally ranked opponents; Alaska 14th, (1-0-0), Maine 9th, (0-2-0), UMD 1st, (1-1-0), DU 10th, (1-1-0), Wisconsin 15th, (2-0-0), UNO 4th,  (1-1-0), Notre Dame 12th, (1-0-1), compiling a 7-5-1 record. The Fighting Sioux have an awesome record on Friday night’s 7-1-1 (only loss was against Maine 7-3) and the Sioux wanted to get a sweep at home for the first time this season. Mission accomplished, with the win on Saturday night the Fighting Sioux evened their record to 4-4-1.

Stats - UND Fighting Sioux senior forward Matt Frattin is tied with Paul Zanette of Niagara for the national goal scoring lead with 15...  Frattin is also second behind Jason Zucker for the WCHA goal scoring title... The Denver Pioneers fans better enjoy their young player Jason Zucker because with the Wild struggling on offense and not having much of anything in the cupboard I could see Zucker getting signed by the Minnesota Wild after a couple of seasons. 

Aaron Dell is quickly becoming a very dependable starter between the pipes for the Fighting Sioux… Dell is leading the WCHA with a 1.82 goals against average. Some of that is a direct reflection of the Fighting Sioux being the top defensive team in the WCHA.   

          

Fighting Sioux are no goons

Contrary to public opinion, the Fighting Sioux not a bunch of blood thirsty knuckle dragging goons – currently the Fighting Sioux are the seventh penalized team in the WCHA only taking 12.8 minutes a game. The Sioux are also the top penalty killing team in the WCHA killing penalties at a rate of  90.7… On the other hand their power play is not so good ranked 7^th in the WCHA scoring on 16.7 % of the power play opportunities.  

Updated - WCHA Standings

1. Minnesota-Duluth 9-2-1 - 12-2-2 19 PTS
2. North Dakota 9-3-0 - 11-5-2 18 PTS
3. Denver 8-3-1 - 11-5-2 17 PTS
4. Nebraska-Omaha 6-3-1 - 9-4-1 13 PTS
5. Minnesota 12 5-6-1 11 39-39 16 8-7-1 54-52
6. Colorado College 5-5-0 - 8-7-1 10 PTS
Minnesota State 4-6-2 - 6-6-4 10 PTS
Wisconsin 4-6-2 - 8-7-3 10 PTS
9. Alaska-Anchorage 4-7-1 - 5-9-2 9 PTS
Bemidji State 4-7-1 - 5-8-1 9 PTS
11. St. Cloud State 3-6-1 - 5-9-2 7 PTS
12. Michigan Tech 1-8-1 - 3-8-2 3 PTS