Next Thursday, April 10th, 2014 is the day every NCAA hockey fan in the upper Midwest had hoped for since the addition of the NCHC and Big 10 this season, a MN vs. UND match-up. On the line is a trip to the national title game.
This is a rivalry that dates way back, but I am going to highlight some of the more exciting games in recent history, and a couple of older events between the two schools as well.
We will start back in 1979 in the national championship game. The then Fighting Sioux would match-up against the Gophers in a national title game for the first time in school history. The game, who many thought UND should have won, went into overtime and Minnesota native Neal Broten would score the game winner to earn Minnesota their third national championship.
Moving along to more recent times, one can't forget their many battles in the Final Five or even just in the regular season. We first go back to 2007 at Mariucci Arena. There is just over a minute left in the first period and the Sioux are down 3-2. Defenseman Robbie Bina clears the puck from the bottom of the circles, and 180 feet later, the puck is sitting behind Gopher goalie Jeff Frazee. I do believe that this is still the longest goal scored in NCAA history still, correct me if I am wrong.
Later in 2007 at the Final Five, Minnesota would counter this fluky Sioux goal with an overtime victory over the Sioux in the championship game. Trying to avoid an icing call, now Winnipeg Jets player, Blake Wheeler, would do a Superman like dive and chip the puck over the shoulder of JP Lamoureux to win the game. This was also the very first UND Gopher game that I ever attended. Unfortunately for me, I was young and influential so with how big of a Gopher fan my dad is, I was cheering for the dark side, however lets just not talk about that part of my life.
UND would get the last laugh in 2007. It would come in the West Regional championship game, once again in overtime. This goal was no fluke either. Sioux forward would gather up a lose puck, take it behind the net and have the wraparound of his life, putting the puck behind Frazee and sending the Sioux to the Frozen Four.
Among the many memories of scuffles, triumphs, and defeats, my personal favorite would have to be my very first Sioux Gopher game at the Ralph my freshman year at UND. It was a chilly January Friday, and our first weekend back from Winter break. Like the great UND students always do, I would wait in line for six hours that day, losing feeling in my feet, to get a seat on the glass for this epic battle. Little did I know it would be a game to remember. This game had everything. A lot of big hits, scrums, and great game speed. Oh yeah and a UND victory. What made this game memorable for me though is, then junior defenseman Andrew MacWilliam scoring his very first collegiate goal in his 102nd game played for the Sioux. Being right on the glass right next to where he shot the puck from made it just that much better.
Finally, one can't talk this rivalry without talking the comeback of the decade at the 2012 Final Five. the first 30 minutes of their semi-final match-up was all Minnesota. Late in the second down 3-0, Sioux head coach Dave Hakstol calls the infamous timeout, and the floodgates opened. It would start with a quick goal off of a face-off from Derek Forbort and UND would go into the locker room down 3-1 with one period left. UND would strike quick when Michael Parks would find the twine to pull the Sioux within one goal. While the PA guy was announcing the goal, Brock Nelson would make it a tie game. Minnesota was now playing on their heels and half of the Xcel Energy Center was left stunned. The guy who scored the fourth goal, and game winner couldn't have been more fitting though. The captain, the Grand Forks native, a guy who bleeds green, Mario Lamoureux would make it 4-3 and the comeback would be officially complete. UND would score two more, including one more from Lamoureux to send UND to their third straight WCHA championship.
I will be sharing more of my favorite memories from this historic rivalry as we get closer to the game on April 10th. Feel free to share your favorite memories with me via Twitter @siouxhockey33.
