A lot of Sioux fans that I know are a little upset that the Sioux are not even ranked this week, especially when teams that haven’t played yet are in the top 20. Again, it’s important to remember that rankings DO NOT matter, especially this early in the season. But since people are upset, I talked to the WCHA writer, who ranked the Sioux 19th in her polling, to get some insight into how the polling works and how they decide to rank the teams.

First she said that a 2-4-0 record is not going to help the Sioux get ranked. If anything, 2-4-0 is damaging to the Sioux. I mean, a loss against UMass and handing Wisconsin their first win is not exactly something to be proud of. Secondly, the Ivy League teams like Harvard and Princeton have a rule that prohibits them from starting the season this early. It’s not fair to penalize those teams in the polls that haven’t had a chance to prove themselves yet.

As for my take on everything, I don’t think fans should care right now if the team is ranked or not. Does it suck given the position they are in? Of course. We’re facing an uphill battle. I’m not going to lie. And that is depressing, to say the least. I think about how the Sioux can probably lose or tie 10 more games this season and their hopes of making the NCAA tourney go bye-bye real quick. But I also think of the positives surrounding this team. Schloss reported that Duncan put the loss on his shoulders; something that you look for from a captain and to me shows a lot of leadership. Eidsness, while at times is giving up a goal he should save, is also making saves he shouldn’t. That is significant to me. He will make progress as the season goes on. Anyone that thought he or Walski would just come in and make an impact right away either doesn’t know hockey or is delusional.

And the Sioux play CC this weekend. A team that is playing well enough to win, but not exactly looking like a powerhouse team ready to repeat as WCHA champions. Denver only lost last Friday night against them because they missed 7623478641 open nets. Like I said in my earlier blog, CC is beatable, but they will make you pay for your mistakes. Let’s hope the Sioux keep their mistakes to a minimum in Colorado Springs this weekend.