North Dakota Fighting Sioux (Part 2)

----N/A----

----N/A----

 

Home of the Fighting Sioux being removed from the Ralph today. Sad but we move on. With that said, Yeah Sioux Sioux!!!!!!

 

How do you guys think you will do against my Seawolves this weekend? We got pasted up in Fairbanks by you guys, but we responded strongly with a nice 6-3 win over Merrimack. I think we get at least 1 point.

 

I fully expect 2 convincing wins. They have a full squad (suspensions are done) minus Parks (injury) and plus it's the home opener. The place should be full and the crowd will be into it. Looking forward to getting back in my familiar seat at the place they call the Palace on the Prairie.

 

Friday will be the first time in 27 games that the Sioux will dress a full squad. Amazing.

 

I agree that UND will sweep, but I also think that if UAA can get great goaltending out of Kamal (or Gunderson, whichever one starts tonight), it could be a close game. In a game I saw Kamal play in last season (can't remember offhand which WCHA opponent it was, but I know it wasn't UND), he was terrific. Stood on his head to give UAA a real chance to win the game. The Seawolves lost but I believe it was by one goal (maybe two with one of the goals being an empty-netter).

 

Just got back from the game. Great all around effort. The thing that sticks out to me the most was when Kristo broke his stick at the point on the powerplay and the puck went to an AA player. Kristo played D with no stick and as the play got closer to Gothberg and the AA player shot Danny went down to block the shot in a 4-1 game. That impressed me the most tonight. Despite what some other folks may say the kid is a TEAM player. With that said I still don't like him there on the point on the powerplay.

Sioux dominated tonight 4-1 and the result was never in doubt.

 

Woo Seawolves!

Way to get a tie tonight! UND was lucky to even get a tie IMO.

 

You got that right. Felt like a loss but I will take the point and run. Your boys outworked the Sioux and really deserved the win.Totally different game from friday night. I will give Saunders,Grimaldi,St Clair,and Rodwell credit for working their tails off but in the WCHA you need everyone on board to be successful.

 

BU vs. UND

You guys will be playing our bitter rivals next weekend. BU is off to a good start at 3-1 and I like this inter conference matchup to see how you guys matchup against each other.

I hope BC plays UND at the Ralph in the future and I get to see your nice rink. BU has some seasoned skaters returning like Nieto, Megan, and Hohman is contributing on offense this year for them. Hope to see you guys in post season play if both teams make the NCAA tournament. It'll be like old times

 

What do the new jerseys look like ?

 

Hard to judge, since the Sioux jerseys were so awesome, but I don't like this year's jerseys very much. I hope they design them better next time.

The white ones are the only ones I kinda like.

 

BC played here last year at the Ice Breaker. I'm thinkin they will probably head out your way next but if they do come here ya gotta get out here and see the Ralph. We call it the Palace on the Prairie for good reason.

 

I call it a cathedral. Because that's what it is - a house of hockey worship.

 

And I have been fortunate enough to be a season ticket holder since it opened. I probably get to 8-10 games a year because of my coaching schedule but every game there is a thrill. I feel blessed to have that facility in my home state. It's worth the 350 mile round trip for sure.

 

It's been a few years since I've been up to the Ralph, but the place is absolutely stunning. Can't beat those marble tables either.

 

Back to back weekends at the Ralph. Heading up to Grand Forks today with the family for the big Boston U series. Yeah it's early but this will help show where the Sioux are, playing a consistent powerhouse like the Terriers. No disrespect with AA but this team is usually there at the end when all is said and done. One of the Terriers players,Ben Rosen tweeted that they just landed in North Dakota yesterday and all he could see was 4 points. Rocco Grimaldi retweeted it so the Sioux players know about it. If I were Rosen I would keep my head up.

http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/248401/group/homepage/

 

Chris Dilks is reporting that he is hearing rumors that Brendan Lemieux will break his commitment and go to the OHL.

I trust Chris's work very much so I am sure where there is smoke, there is fire.

Should be interesting over the next couple days/weeks.

 

Yep he is gone. Left his Green Bay Gamblers team today. Doesn't surprise me.

 

Now that was one of the better non conference games I have seen at the Ralph in awhile. Great atmosphere and the hits just kept on coming. I have to see that MacWilliam hit again to make a comment. From where I was sitting it looked like shoulder to shoulder but maybe not. Boys need to rest up tonight and finally come out and play a saturday night game like it's friday.

 

Gaarders hatty tonight.

 

Big 2 points tonight.

 

It was a very good game and probably one of the best non-conference tilts that I've seen UND play in awhile.

IMO, what made this game such a great game (aside from the talent level of the rosters of both teams) is that both teams looked fairly evenly matched. And both teams played to two their strengths - using speed and playing a physical game. I thought BU did an excellent job of shot-blocking, especially Privitera and I thought they had the upper hand in the first period. But UND really took command in the latter half of the game, especially the third period.

While Gaarder got the HT (and congrats is in order there), I didn't think he was UND's best player. I thought Grimaldi was terrific. And what's scary (to other UND opponents) is that he's just getting started. I also thought that Schmaltz played really well, but he did make one mistake in jumping into a play in the third period (I believe it was) that gave BU an odd-man rush going the other way and nearly cost his team.

I also thought Saunders played well, although he didn't seem to be tested as much as Maguire was, especially in the latter half of the game. Having seen Saunders when he played at UAH, he's proven that he can still keep his team in big games. He didn't look complacent and for the most part made the saves that he needed to make.

For BU, the player that really stood out to me was Matt Nieto. He didn't score, but it wasn't for a lack of trying. At various points in the game, he really made it difficult for the UND defenders to cover him. And did a very good job of driving to the net.

I didn't expect last night's game to be a blowout either way and I don't expect tonight to be either. It should be a fun game to watch.