WCHA Final Five
 

We've got tix to all the games this year, though we may not go to them all. Looks to be fairly wide open. Wisconsin pushed Denver to the brink in round one. The Rodents (Minn) rode a hot streak early and came back to earth a bit, in winning the regular season title. Duluth is getting healthy and is dangerous. My beloved Sioux are in the midst of their traditional late season charge under Hakstol. St. Cloud is a mystery to me, and Tech was a surprise for the season with their success and finish in the league.

http://www.merrimackathletics.com/im...&max_width=432

http://image.cdnllnwnl.xosnetwork.co...0412173313.jpg

Anyone else have thoughts on this tourney?

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Two Letters....... D U

http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/...nverHockey.jpg

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And from my days in the Springs...DU Sucks!

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If not the Sioux...ANYONE but the Rodents!!!!! :D

And EJ...
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5060/5...d2732b85_z.jpg

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Game Day!

2PM: DU vs Michigan Tech
7PM: UND Fighting Sioux vs St. Cloud State

GO SIOUX!!!

http://forum.siouxsports.com/uploads...thumb-4520.jpg

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Go Pioneers!

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Den-1
Tech-1

8:38 left in the 1st.

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I guess I do have an opinion on this one... The Gophers are playing well, they have one of the leagues top goalies in Patterson. He needs to be sharp as the other teams usually gun for the Gophers. The Sioux always scare me, as do the Pioneers. I know the Bulldogs are ranked higher, but their goalie needs to get hot. This is one of the very few years that I haven't gotten to at least a couple of games. Usually no matter who wins it's very entertaining hockey.

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1-1 after 2 still.

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Not too surprising with Tech's defense.

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Tech scored 18 seconds into the third. Good game so far.

As for the tourney, there's always a lot of energy here. If the Sioux win tonight, all bets are off tomorrow. Sioux vs UM...records go out the window in the rivalry. It will be bloody. Always is, especially in the playoffs. I hate to admit it, but I think UM has the edge this year. Way too much youth on UND his year.

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DU scores with 4:30 left to tie it up.

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Overtime!

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It's a very fun rivalry. Either team can be down in a given year, and it's always a good game. If the Sioux win tonight, that place will be electric!

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DU scores just under 3 min into OT.

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10:44 left in the 1st. Sioux up 1-0.

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1-1 after the first period.

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2-1 Sioux after 2.

Go SIOUX!

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Final score UND-4 St Cloud-1. The Sioux scored 2 empty netters in the last 2 minutes.

Tomorrow's matchups:
2pm Duluth vs Denver
7pm Sioux vs Rodents

It will be ELECTRIC here at the X tomorrow night!!

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Can you still use the Sioux name???:D

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go pioneers!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Both of those games today should be really awesome hockey to watch!

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For another few games, at least. F'in NCAA bastiges!

I'm not feeling good about our chances tonight (didn't expect the season to go as well as it even has, already). Especially with their passing for about the first period and a half last night. But...wanna put a blind fiver on tonight's game?

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Sure. I'm not optimistic about my chances, but I never am when it's the Gophers vs UND. The individual records and season records are out the window tonight. Should be a great game.

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1-0 DU after 1.

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3-2 DU after 2. Duluth is out shooting them 33-17. Playing well, but on their heels.

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DU goes to OT again. 3-3 Duluth out shooting them 50-24.

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AWESOME game. Heading to double OT.

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DU wins with ~11:00 left in the 2 ND OT.

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1-0 Rodents after 1. Out shooting the Sioux 12-2

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You're awesome, the updates kick ass! Thanks!

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3-1 Rodents after 2. The Sioux look slow. Being outshot 23-11. Hakstol called a timeout and it seemed to lite a fire under them. I look for the 3rd to be very physical. Given that the Sioux have only one effective line, it's not looking good. :(

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7:58 left...

The Sioux have stored 5 unanswered!!!!! Now up 5-3!

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HOLY SH!T!!!!!!! Sioux score 6 unanswered and win 6-3!!!!!!!

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EJ...wanna run last years bet back again? :)

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Though I have no confidence, sure I am in....:tu

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Almost game time!

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End of 1...

Sioux-2. DU-0

Both goals were scored in the last 2:30 of the period.

DU looks a tad tired. From my count, they've only won 1 or 2 faceoffs. The Sioux have been physical and that will likely wear on DU. They seem to have picked up where they left off against Minn last night.

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Ugh.....:(

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8:43 left. 5-0 Sioux!

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PM me your address......

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Goal was recalled...final score...4-0!!!

A threepeat!!!

Great game...IMO.

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Here's my thoughts on the whole tourney, as we watched every game.

Michigan Tech could be an up and coming team, but I don't know how their roster is, as far as age goes...more upper classmen or more young kids. They obviously played well, to take DU to OT.

St. Cloud...I really couldn't get a read on them. The Sioux played rather sloppy against them, but still carried the game relatively easily, though the 2 empty netters made it seem like more of a blowout than it was.

Duluth has a hell of an offense, and simply peppered Brittain. If they come out firing like that in the NCAA tourney, they'll be a tough team to beat. Their goaltending was decent in that game, as he faced over 40 shots himself. They have a Hobey Baker finalist, and his talent showed in that game.

The U of M showed that they do have talent and some speed. The Sioux looked sluggish against them for about half the game. They were moving well and had the puck flying all over. But what that game showed is a vulnerability. That they can be come back on in a hurry. That they may not have the killer instinct or be as confident as maybe they should be (or did they just get too confident).

DU is a tough team. They may very well have been beyond exhausted heading into Saturday, but with the game the Sioux played, I don't know if it would have mattered. With Brittain, they have a strong goaltender, and it sucks for them that he missed as much time as he had this year, or they would likely be one of the top 3-4 teams in the country, IMO.

I'll do my best to not be biased talking about the Sioux. What can I say...they were simply dominant after Hakstol called the timeout in the 2nd period against Minn. If they keep playing like that, I think they've got a good shot at title #8. But, IMO, this team has already overachieved this season. They lost 6 of their top 7 scorers from last year, and their top recruit has been out most of the season. I expected a ~.500 season, not a #1 seed in the NCAA tourney, riding a 7 game win streak.

The game of the tourney was not a Sioux game. To me, it was the DU/Duluth game on Friday afternoon. That had to be about the best hockey game I've ever seen. 119 shots on goal combined. They weren't just shots, either. I thought there was a lot of good scoring chances, and both teams were giving it everything they had. I'm just glad that I can say I was there and saw such an epic game. :)

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Me too. The Gophers looked unstoppable the first 35 minutes of that game. Then they stopped skating and UND had the momentum. Congrats to UND from going from being outside looking in a month ago to a #1 seed.

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Steve, you ever get to St Croix Cigar over in Hudson? It's only about 10 min from my house. :)

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Denver vs Ferris State Friday..... Cannot find anything on Jason Zucker or if he is going to play....

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That sucks. All I know is that he was sent to the hospital with an "upper body injury". It'll be great to see his skill in a Wild sweater soon. :)

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That would certainly work too. Pass it most everyday on my way home. Give me a time and we'll figure something out.

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That's a wrap... Good season Pioneers...

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And yet another rematch... Come on Gophers!