Clarification

I'd like to clarify my previous post.

Basically I gave the facts (Frattin is back with the team) then gave my thoughts. I said there might be some people that see it as a desperation move and I might agree. To this moment, I have talked with two people that say the coaching staff was sitting in a room, scratching their heads, grabbing at every last straw when a lightbulb went off and someone said HEY! Let's bring back Frattin! I'm not of that opinion. However, any Sioux fan can admit the timing is pretty coincidental. I mean, let's look at the facts:

- Genoway is still out, and the team has gone 2-5-2 in his absence
- Zajac is out for most likely 6 weeks
- Kristo is not with the team right now
- The Sioux have blown plenty of leads in their losses
- Eids is not looking very good right now

I'm keenly aware of how Hakstol did not suspend Frattin for a year. Or 6 months. Or 3 months. Whatever. There was no timetable. I get that. He dismissed him from the team and said we will evaluate it. All I am saying is that the timing of it is quite interesting. And yes, I am happy to have Matt back on the team; I believe he will provide quite the spark and give the boys some good momentum.

Anyone who follows my blog knows I'm a realist when it comes to the Sioux team. I call it like I see it. If they are playing well, I am happy and my posts reflect that. If they are sucking, I am not afraid to call them out. Maybe it comes from knowing the game of hockey very very well and seeing things out there that other fans cannot. I don't know.

Anyway, hopefully Frattin can keep his nose clean and provide something that North Dakota is searching for.

Matt Frattin is back

Matt Frattin has been reinstated by the University of North Dakota and is back on the team.

The article can be read here.

Some might call this a desperation move...I tend to agree...

Merry Christmas!

Good morning and Merry Christmas.

Since the Sioux are in quite a bit of downtime, I figured I'd better make a post, even though there's not a lot going on. I'm hoping the team is using this time to cope with injuries and look deep within itself and find the winning ways that it had early in the season.

Rumor has it that Genoway may be eligible for medical redshirt. I personally think if this is true, the team should shut him down and let him return next year. I'm not saying it's a lost season; far from it, in fact. It's just with concussions being in the limelight and how serious they are treating them, I think it's a prudent thing to do.

Other than that, I hope you all have a Merry Christmas. :-)

1-4 points from Wisconsin...oy

Rough weekend. That's the best way to describe it.

After tying the Badgers, the Sioux fell on Saturday night 4-3 in a heated contest. The Sioux held a 2-1 lead for awhile but could not keep it.

I don't have a lot to say about it right now...I'm realizing the loss of Genoway is huge, thanks to a bush league hit that should have garnered a yearlong suspension. You should not be able to run a guy and get away with it.

The Sioux need these next few weekends to reenergize and re-group. That's about all they can do right now...

Another Tie

Ties can have a different feeling. If you are winning and a team comes back to tie you, it feels kind of lousy. If you come back to tie, it feels pretty good. That's what the Sioux did last night. After watching the 1st period, I had to go to work. I was glad, because that was the worst period of hockey I have seen from them since the GLI last year.

I was catching up through scoring updates in the 2nd and 3rd period and it sounded like the Sioux were playing much better. Aside from what sounded like an uber weak goal given up by Eidsness that got him yanked for Aaron Dell, the Sioux took it to the Badgers. It sounds like the Badgers either fell asleep or fell complacent. Either way, UND jumped on the opportunity and earned a tie.

Right now, I'll take a tie against one of the hottest teams in college hockey.

Big series upcoming against the Badgers

Some say the Sioux's biggest rival is the Pioneers. Others will say the Gophers. Yet very few think the biggest rival is the Badgers...

While in this writer's opinion the Badgers are not the Sioux's top rival, they are certainly a tough foe and one to be reckoned with. The Badgers are one of 3 teams in the WCHA you do not count out (the other two being Minnesota and North Dakota). They always seem to quietly put together a decent season, and often make the NCAA's. Two years ago, as a 4 seed, they nearly knocked off the Sioux in the championship game, forcing the Sioux to beat them in overtime. Wisconsin had no business being in that tournament; yet they nearly earned a trip to Denver.

Anyway, I know some Badger fans (who are all fat, cause it's Wisconsin, and everyone there is fat) are mad that their beloved team isn't ranked higher than North Dakota. Have you ever tried to rank the top 20? It's difficult. You factor in how the weekend went for each team, who they beat or lost to, what the ranking of said team was. Was either game a blowout? Were there injuries? All these things are a factor. When it comes down to it, Wisconsin does not deserve to be as high as North Dakota.

The Sioux are looking at a tough weekend though. Genoway is still out...and VandeVelde may be a game-time decision. Wisconsin is a big team and has a pretty dynamic offense. But they are beatable. It's going to be a great weekend of hockey.

Wisconsin sucks.

Another split...not sure at this point...

The Sioux gave up a two goal lead on Saturday night for the 2nd weekend in a row, earning a split with Minnesota-Duluth.

A split on the road is always good, right? I mean, split on the road, sweep at home? That's the way it's supposed to work, I think. But what happens when the team had the lead with less than a minute left and were unable to close it out? What about then?

I'm not sure it's being noticed because the Sioux have put together a decent season in the W/L column. But in the WCHA, they are looking at a 6-5-1 record and a 6th place standing right now. Personally, I'm not too impressed. Now I know some people are going to say that the Sioux are playing much better in the 1st half than usual, .500 is better than the alternative, etc. But when they tie the lowly Gophers and lose to the hapless Seawolves, you can't help but to be a little frustrated.

Up next is a formidable opponent, the Badgers. We all know how much I hate Wisconsin, so stay tuned...