I've kind of spent the last two days pondering the Sioux and what kind of team they are this year.
Normally, I would have been really happy with a sweep. Giddy, even. But this one, for some reason, I'm not jumping with joy over. A lot of people might say "but Brandon, a sweep is a sweep." I disagree. Sweeping the Gophers in their barn, that's significant. Sweeping Wisconsin, that's significant. Sweeping Michigan Tech in your own house? Not that significant. This was a sweep the Sioux should have completed. You don't sweep a team you are supposed to and then be crazy happy about it.
Think about it for a second. Right now, the Sioux are 9th in the WCHA. 9th! Granted, they are out of first place by 7 points, but still...if the season were to end today, the Sioux would finish 9th. Can anyone tell me the last time they did that? Anyone????
Now, let's talk significant sweep. Let's say the Sioux sweep Cloud this weekend. Not split, but sweep. They would have 13 points. A record over .500. A lot of confidence. And Cloud, well...they are a team you should sweep. But even so, what it would do for the team morale, the confidence of the young goaltender Brad Eidsness...
Just pondering, folks.
A chance to talk about myself
- Brandon
- Denver, CO, United States
- TriSports.com sponsored athlete, SkratchLabs Ambassador/Taste Agent, Ironman Triathlete (completed Arizona in 2013). Pilot by trade, not by choice. Huge Fighting Sioux hockey fan, and fan of (almost all) Minnesota sports teams. I love being married to T, love the Colorado scene, both Denver the entire state. You'll often find the two of us in Vegas when we're not training, or at a symphonic metal concert
4 comments:
But Brandon, a sweep is a sweep. Seriously though, a sweep on the road should never be taken for granted. I think people lost respect for Harvard after Friday night's game. They were a better team than that and they proved it Saturday night. The Sioux did not play bad Saturday. Harvard made them work their asses off to complete the sweep.
I'd simply disagree. You make it seem like UND squeaked by the weekend??
UND 14..... Harvard 4... Look up the last time UND outscored their opponents by 10 goals.
As for your comment regarding IF the schedule ended today. Well IF it were to end today what does UND get in return for their 4 games they haven't played compared to Wisc? What about the 2 games in hand they have on the teams ahead of them in the standings??
As much as you want to look at the Sioux as being in 9th place.. I look at them having points in their pocket. If they get 3 points on the weekend their tied for 5th. If they sweep they're outright in 5th.
Remember the Sioux will be lower in the league standings this year untill the last month of the year. As they play the most non-conference games early, and leave the bulk of the WCHA for the last month..
I guess I wouldn't be more so worried about their record in the WCHA, and where they sit as much as what they do with their non-conference games at the GLI, and the home and home with BSU. Those 4 games will have greater consequence then the WCHA schedule.
Brett...like I said, I've just been pondering. I don't want to take anything away from the sweep, because yes, a sweep is good, especially when the Sioux routed them in the first game. The last time they scored a 10 spot was in 2003 against Yale.
All I'm saying in a very roundabout way is I don't think it's time for Sioux fans to get crazy and think that the ship had been turned around. Finley is still out with whatever injury, Truppster is out with his injury, and the defense is still prone to making mistakes. I do think that they are showing more promise than before, but again, not time to get excited yet.
College hockey is not won in the first half of the season. Just ask Minnesota.
I agree, I look at this way, Goon, and many Sioux Fans love their Freshy goalie.(even media now too)
Scoring 14 goals last weekend. Scoring 8 goals 2 weekends ago. That's 22 goals in 4 games. You can't knock the "O" either (well maybe you can if you're calling out Dunc, Vandy, and other Upperclassmen.)
So lastly, our defense just needs to shore it up like you said.(Big Joe is out with a Concussion, they're tough to work through, so the D is the only thing that'll be working extra hard in practice)
People can and should be happy, the team is showing off its weapons, and have been somewhat consistent the past 4 games. If they put together some more this weekend, we can call it momentum..
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