Yet ANOTHER Nickname Post (RW77)

by Redwing77

Ok, here's another Nickname post, but I must chime in.  As Goon already stated, we're down to two nicknames:  Roughriders and Fighting Hawks.  NoDaks are now out of the equation so...

Eulogy for the NoDak nickname:

It surprises me how NoDak got as far as it did in this process seeing how little support it got in the voting process.  However, I don't think many of the detractors realize what NoDak would have gotten UND.

First, it would have been a unique nickname.  In fact, it was the only unique nickname in the final three and the only acceptable unique nickname in the final five.

Second, it would have given the no nickname crowd something to sink their teeth into.  No, the "Let's just be UND or North Dakota" crowd will forever be on the losing end, but this is the best nickname to keep that attitude alive.  So, the detractors for the UND crowd will inevitable justify its loss by saying "it's just childish and petty."  However, it gives everyone what they want.  The North Dakota no nickname faithful have a nickname they can forget about, hence giving them the ability to just say "North Dakota," and still give the institution a marketable nickname (as hypocritical as that seems) and give the "we want a new nickname" crowd what they want.

Third, it's PC neutral.  I know, we shouldn't pander to the PC crowd, but that's how society is these days.

What's Left:

Roughriders - Ok, not a bad nickname.  In fact, it's not bad at all.  There are, among the ranks of amateur and professional sports...from high school to pros 11 teams known as the Rough riders.  Including three high schools (Grand Forks Red River, Cedar Rapids High School in Cedar Rapids, IA and Roosevelt High School in Seattle, WA) found in a simple Google search (meaning, it would not surprise me at all if there were many more).

But this is the BEST option for those activists who are dying for a cause now that the Fighting Sioux nickname is dead.  Activists need something to complain about and having a benign nickname would simply not do.  Of the three options, NoDaks is the only one that is truly PC friendly.  Roughriders, though a good nickname and worthy, is an allusion to Teddy Roosevelt.  I could get on my soap box and wax cynical about this whole thing, but let's just stay on topic.  The activists want this nickname so they can raise a stink and cause more controversy.  Don't feed the trolls.

Fighting Hawks --

Nevermind the Redhawks or anything.  The Fighting Hawks gives many of the people desperate for a return to the Fighting Sioux at least half of what they want... They get the "Fighting" part of the name back.  It also is a cheap and easy way to keep the current colors... though you could just as easily do it with NoDaks as well.

What is a "Fighting Hawk?"  I thought hawks were birds of prey who feasted on opportunistic prey..such as fish that swim too close to the surface or an unlucky field mouse.

If we wanted to be a "Fighting" Hawk why not have us be the "Warhawks?" instead?

In the end...

Oh well.  In the end, we'll probably be the Fighting Hawks, yet another bird mascot fluttering around the arena.  But then again... it could be worse.  We could be the Sundogs.

The NFL Needs to Suspend Lamarcus Joyner

I am still fuming about this hit three hours after the game. There's no excusing Lamarcus Joyner's dirty, unnecessary hit on Minnesota Viking quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. You have a quarterback that is sliding and a defensive player that decides that he's going to light up a vulnerable player anyways.

I think this hit deserves a suspension, and I surprised that Joyner wasn't kicked out of the game. This is dirty no matter how you sliced it. Joyner hit Bridgewater in the facemask with his elbow. If you watched the game today, you would have seen that Teddy was knocked out on the hit. Joyner was given an unnecessary roughness penalty, but it's not enough in my opinion.

Obviosuly, the Vikings head coach is unhapy with the dirty hit.

"I would say that if we were out on the street, we would probably would have had a fight," Zimmer said.

It's Down to Fighting Hawks and Rough Riders

And then there were two nickname choices left. Yay! Right? I suppose we will just keep voting eh?

There are a few things that we know, Sundogs and Nodaks nickname options are out. There's a good chance that someone will file a lawsuit and try to prolong the agony.

Here we go again, the UND nickname vote is going to a redundant third and final vote. Meh!... And let's drag it out even longer. Again, we have to wait till the 12th of November to vote again. I think we should start voting tomorrow or Tuesday. This nickname fiasco has become a major league gong show.

Brandi Jewett, Grand Forks Herald --- A third round of voting will take place between Fighting Hawks and Roughriders to select UND’s athletic nickname after none of the three proposed nicknames failed to garner a majority of voter support.

The final runoff between these two names will be held for eligible voters beginning Nov. 12 at noon Central Time and concluding at 11:59 p.m. Central Time on Nov. 16.

The university announced Sunday that Fighting Hawks received 45.69 percent of voter support and Roughriders received 27.95 percent. With no option securing the majority, another vote will take place between the two frontrunners.

Nodaks received the least support with 26.36 percent of votes and is now out of the running.

In my opinion, the assinine thing is the fact that we're even having a third vote. I am sorry, but 45.69 - 27.95 is a statistically significant difference.

After all that time and energy spent trying to find a unique nickname, UND will most likely be the 29th version of a hawk in college sports.

— Brad E. Schlossman (@SchlossmanGF) November 8, 2015

North Dakota had multiple chances to pick a 100% unique nickname (SunDogs, NoDaks). Now they're going to be just another school with a bird.

— Jack Hittinger (@jackhitts) November 8, 2015

Caggiula has Filthy Mitts

Senior forward Drake Caggiula was suspended for Friday’s game and had to watch from the stands.

Like his teammates, Caggiula didn’t like what he saw on Friday night. No one on the UND hockey team did. Caggiula returned to the lineup on Saturday night after a one-game hiatus and added a much-needed spark.

“Watching yesterday was real tough,” Caggiula said. “It’s been a tough week, not being able to take a regular shift in practice, and having to watch yesterday which, (last night) wasn’t our best game.”

Caggiula continued, “I was the only one with fresh legs today. So, I knew I had to create a spark. I tried to do whatever I could, to do that. It took us… I think it was 35 shots before we could crack one again. We keep pushing and pushing.”

UW vs. UND Game 2

Game two tonight, UND will look to get the split tonight against the Badgers. Last night's game didn't sit well with the team's leaders.

“They outworked us, it comes down to that,” Troy Stecher said. “We talk about it every day – playing with pride – playing with heart. In the first two periods, I don’t think we had that. It was really disappointing. Obviously, coming home after being on the road for so many games and letting our fans down like that. And having a poor performance.”

“We didn’t get the start that we wanted,” junior defenseman Paul LaDue said. “The first two periods I thought we were sluggish out there. We didn’t make plays when we should have and there’s no excuse for that. We underestimated them, and they came out flying and deserved to win that game.”

UND will need a better effort tonight night if they want to avoid being swept.

HW: Arizona not an Attracitve Option for Young Players

According to JackVanThomme of the Hockey Wilderness, Arizona State isn't an attractive locale for young hockey players. Really? Apparently, JackVanThomme has never been to Tempe, where they can play golf year round and never have to worry about a snow storm, unless you're visiting  Flagstaff, AZ.

I can also imagine, NCAA Division I teams will probably line up to play a series against them. I know I have had many of conversations with UND fans that want to make the trip to Tempe to see a hockey team.

Certainly, ASU is a team which has, and will continue to struggle. It's not an attractive locale for young hockey players who are typically recruited by NCAA programs. It's too warm for outdoor ice, which would complement a nascent hockey culture by giving fans another way to engage with the sport. There are also few teams in the area, leaving no interstate rivalries, and the idea of a border battle has a very different meaning in Arizona. It's not any aspiring college athlete's dream program, but the students and fans of ASU have done a wonderful job embracing their team.

Currently, while there's only two NHL players (former and current) from the state of Arizona, to suggest that it's not an attractive local is short-sighted. Apparently, someone forgot to tell the five players from Arizona currently on the ASU roster.

2 Drew Newmeyer Jr D 5-11 185 94 Scottsdale, AZ / Indiana Ice (USHL)
4 Edward McGovern So D 5-10 216 93 Scottsdale, AZ / Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)
23 Jordan Young Sr D 5-11 175 92 Cave Creek, AZ / Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)
68 Anthony Croston Fr F 6-0 190 94 Phoenix, AZ / Rio Grande Killer Bees (NAHL)
94 Cody Gylling Fr F 5-11 185 94 Chandler, AZ / Amarillo Bulls (NAHL)

Currently, there're only two NHL players (former and current) from the state of Arizona, to suggest that it's not an attractive local is short-sighted. Youth hockey programs are springing up in all kinds of non-traditional markets. California is a perfect example of this. Apparently, someone forgot to tell the five players from Arizona currently on the ASU roster.

5 Brock Krygier Jr D 6-0 190 93 Novi, MI /  Previous College: Michigan State (2014-15)
12 Dylan Hollman Jr F 6-1 190 94 Red Deer, AB Previous College: UMass Lowell (2014-15)
14 Jake Montgomery So F 6-2 200 94 Oakdale, MN /Previous College: Omaha (2014-15)
15 Wade Murphy (NSH) Jr F 6-0 190 93 Victoria, BC / Previous College: North Dakota (2014-15)
16 Ryan Belonger Jr F 5-10 175 92 Green Bay, WI / Previous College: Northeastern (2013-14)
21 David Norris Jr F 6-2 205 93 Calgary, AB / Previous College: American International (2014-15)
74 Connor Schmidt Jr D 5-11185 93 New Boston, MI /Previous College: Ferris State (2013-14)
91 Garrett Peterson Sr F 5-11 196 91 Manhattan, IL / Previous College: Notre Dame (2014-15)

UW vs. UND lines

Here's the lines for tonight's game. As you can see, freshman goalie Matej Tomek will dress for the first time.

Jack Eichel Goal Against the Lightning

Bufalo Sabres forward Jack Eiche is good at hockey. Check out this goal. Here's the fifth goal of his career.

Obama: Teams should drop Native American mascots

View image | gettyimages.com

Alright then, our dear leader President Obama has spoken.

Jordan Fabian, The Hill --- "Names and mascots of sports teams like the Washington Redskins perpetuate negative stereotypes of Native Americans, President Obama said Thursday.

Speaking at the White House Tribal Nations Conference, Obama said it’s important to “break stereotypes, I believe that includes our sports teams.”

“If you’re living in a society that devalues your culture or perpetuates stereotypes, you may be devaluing yourself,” Obama added. “We all need to do more to ensure that our young people feel supported and respected.”

The president praised sports apparel company Adidas for announcing a new initiative to help schools change Native American names and mascots by offering to design new logos and paying for part of the cost of new uniforms.

Patrick Kane will not face rape charges

In America you innocent until proven guilty. Chicago Blackhawks All-Star forward Patrick Kane has been cleared and will not face criminal charges for rape. Now, Kane and the Blackhawks can move forward.

Jared S. Hopkins and Stacy St. Clair, Chicago Tribune --- Blackhawk's star Patrick Kane will not face rape charges after a three-month investigation into a woman's claim that prosecutors concluded was "rife with reasonable doubt."

In a strongly worded statement Thursday morning, Buffalo-area prosecutors offered a withering assessment of the woman's allegation, saying there was no proof that she had been raped. They also suggested that Kane never behaved as if he had committed a crime — though he never spoke with authorities and has maintained an unusually low profile since the investigation began.

Without providing details, Erie County District Attorney Frank Sedita III said there were "significant material inconsistencies" between the woman's claims and those of other witnesses. He also said the physical evidence and forensic evidence "tend to contradict" her allegation that a rape took place in Kane's bed — where she apparently said it occurred.

Oilers Connor McDavid Suffers Upper-Body Injury

The Edmonton Oilers received some very bad news today. Their star rookie forward Connor McDavid will be out long term after sustaining a upper-body injury. Can we say fractured collar bone? The video is painful to watch. This is bad news for the NHL and the Oilers. So far this season, McDavid is leading rookie scorers with (5g-7a--12pts) in 13 games.

Coach McLellan says @cmcdavid97 has an upper-body injury that will keep him out long term.

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) November 4, 2015

Connor McDavid expected to have surgery to repair fractured clavicle.

— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) November 4, 2015

Is Midco On the Way out for UND Hockey?

I am going to make a prediction here, either Midco allows UND hockey to be on Fox College Sports or some other television option, or Midco will no longer be doing UND hockey broadcasts after the contract is up.
I say, enough is enough, UND hockey fans want to be able to watch their team play hockey. Especially if they don't live in the regional area. This is very good news for UND hockey fans.

Brad E. Schlossman, Grand Forks Herald --- In the past, UND has put nearly every home game on Fox College Sports and DirecTV. But for the past two seasons, Midco has allowed Fox College Sports to pick up only five games.

Midco is trying to move into the Fargo market and realizes that Cable One subscribers may be able to get games on Fox College Sports. They’d prefer those subscribers to have to cancel Cable One and move over to Midcontinent in order to see UND games.

That’s understandable from Midco’s point of view, but when UND’s hockey fan base is a national one that expects to see nearly every game, this is unworkable.

If Midco continues to control how many games are distributed nationally, it’s doubtful that UND will be able to continue the partnership, no matter how much it may want to.

Again, UND hockey fans don't want to watch a hockey game on the web, they want to watch hockey games on television without having to monkey with computers and connections. As we saw last weekend, not all is equal when it comes to NCHC.TV. Some NCHC schools aren't as good as others. I have been told that WMU's online broadcasts will be much improved this season.

Patrick Kane's Accuser No Longer Wants to Cooperate

It appears that the Patrick Kane case is wrapping up and coming to an end.

Dan Herbeck , Buffalo News -- The local woman who accused National Hockey League star Patrick Kane of rape three months ago has notified the Erie County District Attorney’s Office that she no longer wants to cooperate in the investigation, five sources with knowledge of the case told The Buffalo News on Monday.

The woman has told authorities that the high-profile investigation has caused tremendous stress for her and her family, and that she no longer wishes to participate.

The alleged victim spoke to investigators at the District Attorney’s Office at length last week, and after that, signed a document called an “affidavit declining prosecution,” which is now under consideration by District Attorney Frank A. Sedita III, one of the sources said.

“She was no longer interested in going forward,” another source told The News.

The woman first asked the DA’s staff about the status of the investigation before stating that she no longer wants to cooperate, this source said.

Voters Selling Nickname Vote

Now I have heard it all. We have eligible voters selling their votes. What next?

Anna Burleson, Grand Forks Herald -- Schurkey Swanke is "trolling for idiots," as he puts it.

Swanke lives in Grand Forks and qualifies to vote for UND's new nickname because he has donated money to the school, but he said he's so sick of hearing about it that he's selling his vote online.

"UND is not an institution of hockey, and UND is not an institution of football," he said. "I enjoy hockey, but if there were any money savings that could be devoted to education, I'd cancel the hockey program in a heartbeat. It's a diversion from the real core of what UND was supposed to do."

UND No. 1 IN USCHO Poll

November 02, 2015

	Team	(First Place Votes)	Record	Points	Last Poll
1	North Dakota	(27)	6- 0-2	975	1
2	Providence	(18)	6- 0-1	956	3
3	Boston College	( 4)	5- 1-0	896	4
4	Massachusetts-Lowell		4- 1-2	756	7
5	Quinnipiac	( 1)	6- 0-0	745	9
6	Minnesota-Duluth		3- 2-2	700	6
7	Harvard		2- 0-0	666	11
8	Nebraska-Omaha		6- 2-0	664	2
9	Denver		3- 3-0	539	5
10	St. Cloud State		6- 2-0	537	14
11	Boston University		3- 3-0	513	8
12	Yale		2- 0-0	511	13
13	Michigan		4- 1-1	414	10
14	Bowling Green		4- 2-1	362	12
15	St. Lawrence		5- 2-1	317	16
16	Merrimack		3- 1-2	226	17
17	Clarkson		5- 1-0	193	19
18	Notre Dame		3- 1-2	92	NR
19	Miami		3- 4-1	85	15
20	Robert Morris		3- 1-2	75	NR
Others receiving votes: Michigan Tech 71, Western Michigan 47, Minnesota State 42, Massachusetts 36, Minnesota 27, Penn State 27, Alaska-Anchorage 8, Mercyhurst 4, Rensselaer 4, Bentley 3, Colgate 3, Cornell 3, Ferris State 1, New Hampshire 1, Union 1.

Looking at the USCHO Poll, I am shocked that Western Michigan didn’t break into the top-20 after sweeping the number two team in the nation. Also, I don’t think that Miami is a top-20 team right now.  Finally, Clarkson should be higher base on who they have beaten. 

WHKY: North Dakota splits with top-ranked Minnesota

Grand Forks, N.D. - Thursday evening's match up against the top-ranked Minnesota Gophers did not produce the kind of results that the University of North Dakota women's hockey hoped for. North Dakota suffered a 5-1 loss to the reigning national champions. UND was never able to surmount the three-goal first period deficit.

Friday was another story when North Dakota  snapped the Gopher's 12-game winning streak that dated back to the Western Collegiate Hockey Conference's Final Face-Off tournament.

"There are so many times they've smacked us around and we've been able to respond the next day, play well and shake it off," head coach Brian Idalski said.

North Dakota was able to hold the Gopher's off for a 4-3 win in front of a crowd of 3,361 at Ralph Engelstad Arena. The team performed 55 minutes of the game without Tanja Eisenschmid who received a five-minute major and game misconduct early in the first period. UND was able to weather the storm holding the Gophers to only two shots on goal during the advantage.

Minnesota's Captain Hannah Brandt opened up the scoring shortly after North Dakota killed a penalty with 3:20 remaining in the first period.

North Dakota's Amy Menke hit back a little over a minute into the second period on a gritty play with traffic around the Gopher net. After that, UND didn't trail again.

Idalski's adjustment for game two was to put Menke and senior, forward Meghan Dufault on the same line. That change paid off.

“He told us if he’s putting us together, we have to produce multiple points,” Menke said. Before the end of the night, Menke and Dufault each tallied two goals a piece. 

Dufault's goals coming only nine seconds apart with about six minutes remaining in the second.

During the third period, Menke tacked on her second goal of the evening. North Dakota held a two-goal lead with less than four minutes remaining in the frame. When trailing, the Gophers, have almost always found a way to turn the game around in their favor.

North Dakota was able to hold the one-goal lead and as the seconds ticketed down, the Kelly green and white fanbase counted down with it.

UND will have a bye week before hosting Ohio State Nov. 14-15.  OSU is 4-4-0 and will face Bemidji State this weekend.

Note: North Dakota was without Halli Krzyzaniak due to her participation in the Four Nations Cup.

You can watch the recap video from Friday's game at UNDSports.com - including Dufault's back-to-back goals.

UND Sports game-day story
Grand Forks Herald - UND beats No. 1-ranked Minnesota 
Box score

Bad Boyz: 3 Griz Football Players Arrested for Felony Burglary Charges

Oops. I guess we're going to have to bring back the Bad Boyz segment. Three University of Montana Griz football players could be headed to the crowbar hotel after being arrest for felony burglary charges.

Dillon Katoa, missoulian.com - Five people, including three University of Montana Griz football players, were arrested on felony burglary charges following an incident that occurred early Sunday morning.

Kendrick Van Ackeren, Joseph Counts and John Schmaing, as well as Courtney Reep and Maclain Tomlinson, were all booked into the Missoula County jail early Sunday. Missoula Police Sgt. Collin Rose said an investigation into the alleged burglary incident is still ongoing. A 9-1-1 call about the incident, which took place at a residence on the 200 block of Pattee Canyon Drive, came in at 2:51 a.m. Sunday. Rose said at this point, police have no evidence of violence or injuries from the incident.

All five individuals were held on $50,000 bail. Reep and Counts have been released after posting bail.

Do you see a pattern here? This sounds like an out of control football programs.

Van Ackeren is the third Griz starting linebacker to be arrested this season. Herbert Gamboa received a six-month deferred sentence after he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct in August after instigating a fight at a house party. Gamboa was suspended for the team's first home game. Jeremiah Kose had been arrested the same week for failing to appear in court on three misdemeanor traffic violations.

NCHC Opponent Records

School record opp rec North Dakota (6-0-2) 5-26-6 (.216) Western Michigan (4-2-1) 17-8-3 (.660) Saint Cloud (6-2-0) 20-12-2 (.600) Minnesota-Duluth (3-2-2) 9-9-6 (.500) Denver (3-3-0) 11-11-2 (.500) Nebraska-Omaha (6-2-0) 11-14-3 (.446) Miami (3-4-1) 18-11-2 (.612) Colorado College (0-8-0) 19-3-5 (.796)

Over the past two seasons, a lot has been made about the NCHC’s non-conference record. There’s also been a fair amount of discussion about the fast starts of certain teams in the NCHC.

So, I decided to take a deeper look into the opponent records of each NCHC team. To date, C.C. has played the toughest schedule and has paid dearly for it. On the flip side, UND has played the weakest schedule to date and is unbeaten in eight games. UNO has played the second weakest schedule and has had decent results.