The Redskins Nickname Must Go

Last Friday (the 15th), in a judicial decision that hinged on a legal technicality, the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., upheld the right of the local pro football team to keep its unconscionable nickname, "The Redskins". Coincidentally, the day before (Thursday May 14th) the North Dakota Board of Higher Education voted unanimously to do away with the University of North Dakota's "Fighting Sioux" nickname by October 1, 2009 deeming it both "hostile and abusive". Anybody see a problem with this? Because I do.

Obviously this is a little bit of an apples to oranges comparison being that the Redskins are in the NFL and that much of the resistance to UND's Fighting Sioux nickname came from the NCAA and specific tribes.

Now, as a University of North Dakota student I am obviously very biased in my views on the Sioux nickname. And I will admit that i was a bit crushed when I heard the nickname was going to be eliminated completely. However, I am going to put my feelings for that aside here. My complaint with the Redskins nickname is a completely separate entity in my mind.

In clinging to the most racially offensive moniker held by a major U.S. professional sports team ever the franchise continues to offend some Native Americans and boggle my mind. How can more people not be offended? Imagine trying to explain “Redskins” to a foreign visitor or someone from the future? Especially when people get so worked up over nicknames like "Fighting Illini", "Fighting Sioux", "the Warriors", and "the Savages". This is a nickname that affects and should anger not just one or two tribes in a small state. This is a nickname that puts down ALL Native Americans in the US. Every time I say or hear "Redskins" I am baffled as to why there isn't more widespread outrage.

You can spare me the speech on how the name is actually a tribute to Native Americans, or how other allegedly similar groups (think Vikings) achieve mascot status. You can skip the talk about the importance of the team name to its fans or the tradition that would be compromised were it to be changed. Why? Because I've lived it! Granted I'm not a Native American but I go to a university with a very rich athletic tradition that is losing a nickname that it has served honorably.

Like I said, I fully comprehend the differences in the situation. The Redskins are a professional football team and a privately owned organization. They also do not fall under the jurisdiction of the NCAA. Despite these differences the nickname is unbelievably racist and offensive to an entire race of people. What if an NFL team "honored" our country's African-American population by being named the Brownskins? I've thought it for a long time and given the ironic timing of these court rulings I've got to put this out there: The Redskins nickname flat out needs to go.

Great West Conference to Expand Beyond Football!

The Great West Conference, formerly known as The Great West Football Conference is expanding into an all-sport conference. The announcement came today. Joining together to make the conference are the University of North Dakota, the University of South Dakota, Utah Valley State, Texas-Pan American, Houston Baptist, and New Jersey Institute of Technology.

The Great West Football Conference includes the University of North Dakota, the University of South Dakota, Cal Poly, UC Davis and Southern Utah. Football-only members Cal Poly and UC Davis will remain in the Great West for the balance of their athletic teams, while Southern Utah will continue to compete in the Summit League.

North Dakota and South Dakota, new football members that will begin play in the fall, as well as Houston Baptist are currently in their second year of transition up to the Division I level. All three schools will become NCAA Division I counters for scheduling purposes in 2009-10. Texas-Pan American has been a member of NCAA Division I for many years, while Utah Valley University and NJIT become active Division I members in 2009-10.

I'm all for independents finding a home, especially since I go to the University of North Dakota. Finding a conference home is the next step in the D-1 transition and this will surely benefit all schools involved, and that's what counts. It will be really interesting to see where this goes but to me it seems as though The Great West will be used mainly as a stepping stone for independents (like they have been in the past for football). There is also a couple speculated/expected acceptees in the futures. Expected to join soon are Seattle University and Chicago State.

This is a really exciting time for a lot of athletes, students, coaches, and fans. I myself am a little excited. I think the Great West really has something to offer to the D-1 transitionee's (notice how I no longer said independents!)

HIT THE BOOKS!

I apologize on behalf of TSF for the down week we've had. This is finals week at both NDSU and UND so we're both really super busy. Keep on comin' back and I promise we'll have more for you as we finish up our tests. I've got to go though because Microeconomics is calling my name...

Bracketology gone College Hockey! (WCHA Conference Tourney)

I'm going to leave the college basketball pleasure to Stefan, however in keeping with the bracketology this week I'm going to give you my bracket for the NCAA D1 WCHA Conf. Tourney. I will be in attendance to all games help up in Grand Forks this weekend with UND taking on Mich Tech So I'm a little excited to say the least.

First Round
I see Colorado College having no problem with the Seawolves
I think the Gophers are going to find a way to keep their miserable season alive with a upset win in 3 games
St. Cloud beats the Badgers in 3
Denver wins in 3 against a feisty Duluth team
UND beat Tech in possibly 3 games depending on how the injury situation works out

Play-In
Huskies end the Gophers "dream season"

SEMIS
CC Stays red hot against the Huskies.
UND has DUs number as of late and I don't see that changing.

Championship
UND upsets CC on the back of J.P. Lamoureaux and TJ Oshie.

It's not like I've never been called a homer before so let me know what you honestly think of my picks. I know I'm a UND student so I'm biased but I really see UND continuing their unbeaten ways. It's been 16 games since we lost ya know....

Hockey and a Reunion on tap for the Weekend

This weekend TSF will be experiencing a reunion on the campus of the Universiy of North Dakota in Grand Forks, ND. Here we will be celebrating a belated 1 year anniversary/birthday of the blog that you know and love.

Also, this weekend I will be spending considerable time at the Ralph Engelstadt Arena watching both the North Dakota State Hockey Tournament and my University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux hockey team riding the nation's longest unbeaten streak against the Bemidji State Beavers. The Sioux are ranked #2 in the nation (NCAA D1) and look to remain the hottest team in the land and extend their unbeaten streak from 11 games to 13 with a sweep this weekend. It's going to be a fun-filled hockey weekend.

here are some UND Fighting Sioux Hockey videos for you to feast your eyes on.

Evan Trupp Beats the Golden Chokers in OT (SC #1 Top Play)

Kyle Radke Kicked Some Ass Last Weekend

Littlest Big Hitter I've ever Seen...TJ Oshi

Searching for Answers: Sick of the Nickname Controversy

Earlier Grittysquirrels did a post on this. He is obviously for the nickname as he attends the University of North Dakota. Me? Well I was against it for numerous reasons, but recently I read a letter to the editor in the Bismarck Tribune about the issue; it shed some new light for me and now I am neutral on the whole issue of Native American Mascots.

I am getting really sick of this dispute between all of the schools and the NCAA. We're going to be hearing about this for a long, long time, even after UND has to change their name, that's if they do to say the least.

Here's the link to the letter written to the Trib:

UND name issue is not an issue

The letter is written by Mr. Mato Iyotaka, a member of the Standing Rock Tribe in south central North Dakota.

He brings up some valid points and some interesting remarks:
"I am also proud to say that I am a Native American, but to hear so many people making this Fighting Sioux nickname an issue makes me wonder what's really going on. Is this issue really as life-altering as some of them make it, or something else? Maybe it's a political crutch, or a reason to drop out of school because their grades aren't up to par, or maybe they've been victimized by racism sometime in their life - what better way to get some revenge? Or maybe it's as simple as they don't even know why."

The comments right there says it all. Maybe the tribes just wanted some attention? Do they really offend these people? Well, I don't know, I am not a Native American so I couldn't tell you. But maybe it's just an excuse to get away from the problems that lie on the reservations. Maybe it's nothing at all, and they just feel like they want to be a part of something, so they want something in return from these universities in order to keep the name.

"A recent meeting on the topic at the UND campus attracted 40 natives, four of whom where Sioux, so how many of us are really offended by it? Six of eight districts on our reservation voted for UND to keep the name, but our chairman choose to ignore this fact, so what does this say about his opinion of people?"

Maybe someone should tell the NCAA about this? Looks like a we have some hypocrites here, people saying UND is greedy, when in fact they don't let the people speak for themselves.

All in all, the nickname issue is being overblown and I am sick and tired of it. Why can't everyone just move along with their lives. We have murderers, rapists, illegal immigrants, a war going on, and an energy crisis going in our country, but that doesn't have as many peoples attention as this nickname issue does. But this discussion is long over due and I think it's time we focus our attention on a new set of problems.

Searching for Answers: Tribal Nicknames and Logos

Being that I am a student at the University of North Dakota (UND), I am very well acquainted with the 'Fighting Sioux' nickname/logo lawsuit. It's kind of a big ordeal here on campus, and other campuses nation-wide too. I just wanted to chime in with my 2cents and see what the readers think about it as well.

So most of you probably already know that UND has sued the NCAA to keep the nickname & logo. The lawsuit is just sort of beginning to heat up, although not expected to fully start until December 10th. Just 2 days ago confidential documents in regards to the NCAA's 2006 policy on American Indian nicknames and imagery were decided to remain sealed.

This recent happening, though the info given by the media is vague, gives me hope. See, I am in favor of tribal logos and nicknames if used respectfully. I feel like UND has definitely used the nickname respectfully in its tenure. UND has a beautiful logo designed by a respected American Indian artist and we use the nickname with consummate respect – expecting and getting respect for the Sioux culture from our fans. I also would like to point out that we do not do tomahawk chops, we do not have white guys painted up like Indians, and our fans do not do Indian chants.

The NCAA continues to object to our "mascot and logo". They apparently are unaware that we do not have a mascot, and the logo was designed by an American Indian. At major sporting events a short film displaying the rich culture and tradition of the Sioux Indians and UND's reasoning behind the nickname is played - in which fans respectfully stand and cheer for.

Some may also attack the "Sioux" aspect of the nickname as it translates to "Snake". Many view Sioux to be a derogatory name that was originally used by white settlers. Well, when UND decided to switch over from the flickertails to the Fighting Sioux in the 1930s why wasn't it a problem? UND obviously wouldn't make the change then if there was any disagreement or animosity towards it. The nickname hasn't changed, so why is it all-of-a-sudden a problem now?

UND isn't the only University that's had this issue (obviously). To name a few others: Florida State University (Seminole), Bradley University (Braves), Utah University (Utes), and Illinois University (Fighting Illini) have been under relatively recent fire. The only problem is that a medium-sized University like UND can't simply pay their way out of a problem like this. In my opinion the NCAA is going after UND so harshly so that they can appear to be "sitting on the fence" on the issue. They want to show their commitment to the issue. They're using their zeal in going after UND to mask their leniency with bigger-market teams that make the NCAA more money like the Florida Seminoles, etc. Well, I feel like this is unfair and if they're going to go after UND then they need to go after the big schools this intensely also.

The nickname fiasco also affects UND more harshly than other schools in my opinion. First off the Ralph Engelstad Arena would need much work if we would lose the nickname lawsuit (not to mention the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center as well). The $104+ million dollar facility features over 2,200 Logos (many of which are engravings and marble works). This would be no simple/cheap task to fix. Also not being allowed to host playoffs would affect UND more than other schools. Granted, we are moving D1 and it will be less of a factor, however it still applies to Men's and Women's Hockey (UND's major attraction) and could become a factor again in other sports in 2012.

This is a little off the subject but it also makes no sense to me that a school like the University of Minnesota will publicly refuse to play UND in football or basketball next year because of it's "nickname and logo issue". However, the Gophers will continue to play other teams with Indian names. In November, the men’s basketball team will take on the Central Michigan Chippewas and the Florida State Seminoles. (FSU’s mascot is a white guy in full war paint who brandishes a spear on horseback.) In December, the Gophers women’s basketball team will meet the Utah Utes. These schools, unlike UND, have received the blessing of the NCAA to keep their Indian team names. U of M however, will still play UND in hockey because it's D1 and they make a lot of money off the rivalry.

Basically, I could go endlessly on the issue and a plethora of information can be found online. I personally feel like the issue needs to come to a decisive and permanent end. The issue is divisive in campus and within the university and should be put to rest. I feel like the NCAA and other members need to just get over it. Where does it stop? What about the Fighting Irish? What about a team like the Bison? Will their nickname be under fire from PETA in 10 years?

I feel like UND deserves to be allowed to keep the nickname and logo, in that they use it in the utmost respect (probably more respectfully than schools who have been allowed to keep their nickname *COUGH* FSU). Obviously I'm biased because I'm a student here, but I want to know what your feelings are on the issue.

GO SIOUX

My World In Sports: Football is Awesome

Right now my sports life is almost completely dominated by football right now. What else do you expect me to talk about? I've been taking a lot of notes this week so I'm goin' bullet format tonight.

College Football

• Michigan's sucks and their only hope is winning the Big10.
• Hawaii's schedule might not be easy enough!
• Matt Flynn might be able to manage his way to the national championship game
• Virginia Tech shows that Offense wins games and... victories lead to championships?
• If Appalatian State goes undefeated (they will) they could crack the top 25.
• Oregon -along with the Pac10 in general- is overrated
• Jake Locker is a stud on the field and will bring Washington back to the promise land (plus he's 6'3" and runs a 4.5 40 yrd. dash - that's nearly Reggie Bush-esque)
• I hope USC vs. Nebraska is a close game
• Notre Dame vs. Michigan will be a highly contested suck-fest
  

My Weekend
I'm pretty pumped about my weekend. First I'm getting up and going to watch the Central Washington Wildcats take on my UND Fighting Sioux at home. As soon as the game is over, me and some friends are driving down to Fargo to meet Ming and go watch the NDSU vs. Sam Houston State game. I'm pretty pumped to see Rhett Bomar play in the Fargodome (never thought I'd be saying that). I think UND will dominate C. Washington but NDSU vs. Sam Houston State should be a good game I think!....I also can't wait until UND is D1 next season.

NFL

• There is going to be a lot of defense in the NFC North this season (and lack of offense)
• Mason Crosby is going to be a great kicker in the NFL (he's got leg)
• I'm praying for Kevin Everett and his family - that injury was/is one of the nastiest I've seen
• Jamarcus Russel is a greedy bastard. Atleast we can stop talking about it!
• I was truly disappointed by Saints vs. Colts
• Veteran star RBs struggled while some young rookies showed up (Lynch, Peterson)
• The Patriots will win this year's Superbowl
• Randy Moss is going to have the second best season of his career this year
• Too many key and striking important injuries to individually name (other than Everett)
  

Take Your Pick: NDSU Athletics vs. UND Athletics

The Sports Flow has decided to add some local flavor to the blog. Here in North Dakota, the best rivalry in all of sports is NDSU (North Dakota State University) Bison vs. UND (University of North Dakota) Fighting Sioux.

Both schools hate each other with a passion! You could say it's like Duke-UNC (bball), Michigan-Ohio St. (football), or the Yankees-Red Sox... in a North Dakota sense.

But some of it has died down since NDSU's recent move to Division 1. And for the 2008-2009 season UND will begin their transition to Division 1 athletics.

The two schools will renew their rivalry as both will take each other on for the 2008 baseball season. Which could be the first step to the schools playing each other in all sports soon.

But we're not here to just simply talk about the old rivalry. We want to take a deeper look into both school's athletic departments. We'll take an inside look at two different opinions and we'll let you decide for yourself.

Who do you take? NDSU Athletics or UND Athletics?
Let the debating begin...

Ming01's take:
I may be biased towards NDSU. But I have to take NDSU athletics over UND. UND has some great programs, such as men's hockey, women's basketball, and football is decent. But NDSU has quite a few quality programs and really have adapted to Division 1 well.

Let's start off with NDSU Football. NDSU's football program alone speaks for itself. Personally, if you take the top 2 programs for each. UND Hockey vs NDSU Football. Football has the advantage.

First off, it generates more revenue yearly. NDSU football has it's advantages playing some well known teams in D-1AA and last season just started playing some D-1A teams (Minnesota and Ball St.). They had Minnesota on the ropes in their house (the Metrodome) and dominated the Gophers in every aspect of the game (except FG kicking). The Bison made it look like they were the Big Ten team playing an inferior D-1AA team. And come next year, I expect the same, with the Bison coming out on top.

They've had great success over the last few seasons topping some damn good teams and finished the D-1AA rankings ranked 5th.

Lastly, if you take away NDSU's football program, then you have no athletic department. You can't say the same for hockey.


NDSU's Mens Basketball program has come a long way in the last 4/5 years or so. And I mean a long ways. They own the state of Wisconsin. In 2005-2006 they upset 14th ranked Wisconsin 62-55 and this past season upset 8th ranked Marquette 64-60 at Marquette's home tournament. The one they were suppose to dominate. Holding Dominic James to 3 of 11 FG shooting and 8 points.

In the 2005-2006 season the Bison finished with a 16-12 record and this past season finished at 20-8. Next season they will enter the Mid-Continent Conference and won't be eligible for the NCAA Tournament until the 2008-2009 season; where they will have a legitimate chance of making the big dance with Ben Woodside, Mike Nelson, Luke Moorman, Brett Winklemann, and their whole bench returning. But next year they have a shot at making the NIT again. I thought they really should have this year, but at the end they had some disappointing losses.

The Bison Men's Basketball team has been impressive in their transition to Division 1 Basketball. They are now entering a conference and should continue to improve. From here on out, I expect this team to compete in the Mid-Con and fight for a NCAA Tournament bid year in and year out.

In my opinion, overall, UND can't top that. There's no comparison, really. NDSU takes it. Joe and I felt like we needed to do a post on NDSU/UND. Plus, we wanted to do something that could generate some great discussion. And lately, I've been in some intense arguments between the two schools with some of my peers.

NDSU is on the rise and have found their place in D-1 athletics. Other than Hockey, UND still needs to adapt when they get to the D-1 level. Just because NDSU has, doesn't mean they will. No one said it's easy. It's a tough transition, and the Bison have payed their dues. There's only one perfect phrase to describe Bison athletics right now, that is... 'Bring on the competition.'

grittysquirrels take:

So first and foremost I just want to put out there that Stefan is planning on going to NDSU next year and I am attending UND...readers beware this rivalry may take The Sports Flow by storm and this post may be incredibly biased....With that said here is my take...focusing on both school's main programs.

• UND Hockey: is like nothing that NDSU has. Ralph Engelstad Arena in the nicest, most luxurious hockey facility(ies) in NCAA Hockey....maybe in all of Hockey (NHL included). They play at the D1A level...there is nothing higher. In my opinion there is just nothing that NDSU has that can compare, and if you've been to a game you know what I'm talking about. They play on the big stage (played on ESPN2 just a week ago) and are nearly a staple in postseason play and the upper tier of national rankings.
• NDSU Football: Sure ok, it's D1AA and grosses more revenue than the hockey team but if you are going to play that card then look...UND is having a bit of an exploratory year in D1AA next year and will be fullblown in '08. So with the whole revenue thing look, in 4-5 years UND will be where NDSU is right now and you can go ahead and add that revenue to what the hockey team does for the university too, so let's just go ahead and about make that a nonfactor.
• UND Football: is a relatively top-flight D2 program. They're consistently highly ranked and had a pretty decent recruiting class this last year. Last season they beat the NIU (Northern Iowa University) Panthers 35-31 in Iowa when the Panthers were the #3 ranked D1-AA team. So really, although the transition won't be easy I don't think it will be terribly hard. So, they've proved they can beat the higher competition and just because they are D2 doesn't mean they can be overlooked. NDSU, yes has a better football program, but UND doesn't lag as far behind as people think. Give them a 3-4 maybe 5 years and we'll have some great rivalry games going on each fall.
• NDSU Men's Bball: Is where NDSU gets their main advantage. Sure, they lost Tim Miles, but that might not hurt them too much. I've heard great things about some of the assistants he had over there. With basically all your key players back I think NDSU will have a real shot at making the NIT too....they were about 1 big win away this year.
• UND Women's Bball: is probably way too overlooked. They are another top-flight D2 program that should make a nice transition to D1 in coming years. They lost in the Elite 8 this year and are preseasonally ranked #5 for next season. It is worth noting that a lot of people don't even realize that they were 34-1 in the '05-'06.

THE FINAL TAKE
Look, I think that both of these programs collectively are very good and both on the rise. It is almost too close to call and that is why it makes such a good "Take Your Pick", however both out of pride and honesty opinions I'm taking UND.

NDSU's advantage in football is not as large as most think, and whatever advantage they have over UND in Men's Bball the UND Women's team negates, which makes hockey the catalyst here. I think the UND's Hockey program wins this for them (in my mind anyways). It's close and everyone is entitled to their opinion but the bottomline is that NDSU has nothing that compares to UND Hockey....period. You can draw parallels of the program to that of what basketball is to Kentucky or Duke. Top players (i.e. Duncan, Oshie, Chorney, Toews, the list could go on), top facilities (the Ralph is amazing), unbeatable environment (if you haven't been you're missing out), and competition at the highest level of play are just something that NDSU can't offer right now.

It's a tough take and everyone is entitled to their own opinion...so what is your take? Who do you want and why?

Oshie back for '08

The Bismarck Tribune provided me with easily the best news of my day yesterday. TJ Oshie will be returning to the University of North Dakota for his Junior season next year instead of signing a 3-year contract with the St. Louis Blues.

"It was hard turning down the money, but that's not the most important thing."
-TJ Oshie-

He didn't quite have as good of a sophomore year as his freshman year, having 17 goals and 35 assists for 52 pts. and a 3rd team all-WCHA selection. I couldn't be happier hearing this. Now I'm hoping that Duncan (having not been drafted) will come back too. I'm also optimistic that Toews will stay but I believe he will leave to the Chicago Blackhawks. I'm afraid he had just too good of a year. Regardless if Toews comes back, at least it'll be fun to watch Oshie play next year.

Now that Oshie is back I think, in my opinion, that it is safe to say that the Sioux can definately make it to the Frozen Four for a 4th straight year...even if Toews doesn't come back.

Who Will Win the Hobey?

The 2007 Hobey Baker Award will be announced on April 6th, the day before the National Championship Game. Maybe the winner will be playing the next day, maybe not. This year's Hobey Hat Trick finalists are an unheralded scrapper, a goalie with a legitimate shot to win, and the second leading scorer in the country.

The Candidate: Ryan Duncan, Sophomore Forward, North Dakota

The Stats: 31 goals, 26 assists, 17 power-play goals.

What to Like: Playing alongside two bigger names in T.J. Oshie and Johnathan Toews, it's Duncan, who hasn't been drafted, who has stood out. Duncan leads the WCHA in scoring, and was named the conference's player of the year. His 17 power play goals lead the country.

What Not to Like: Duncan's size certainly brings up some question marks, and you have to wonder how much he benefits from the attention that gets placed on his linemates. And, as we saw last year with Denver defenseman Matt Carle winning the Hobey, it usually goes to the best player and not just the best stats.

The Candidate: David Brown, Senior goaltender, Notre Dame

The Stats: 1.58 GAA, .931 Save Pct.

What to Like: Brown was a major factor in the Irish rising to the #1 ranking in the country this year, and them getting a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Without Brown in net, Notre Dame probably would have been upset by Alabama-Huntsville in the first round of the NCAA tournament. His 1.58 GAA and .931 Save Percentage are both top 5 in the country.

What Not to Like: Sure Brown has a 1.58 GAA, but Coach Jeff Jackson's style dictates that the goalie doesn't face many shots. In fact, Brown rarely faced over 20 shots a game. In a chance to really separate himself from the other elite goalies, John Curry of BU and Bobby Goepfert of St. Cloud State, Brown's Irish lost to CCHA rivals Michigan St. in the regional final.

The Candidate: Eric Ehn, Junior forward, Air Force

The Stats: 24 goals, 40 assists

What to Like: Ehn, the first Hobey Hat Trick finalist from either of college hockey's "mid major" conferences, College Hockey America and Atlantic Hockey, (Ehn's Falcons play in Atlantic Hockey) is second in the nation in scoring at 1.60 points per game. His Falcons nearly upset the #1 overall seed Minnesota in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

What Not to Like: Playing in Atlantic Hockey, Ehn doesn't face as stiff of competition as he would if he played in a stronger conference (think playing Canisius and Army vs. playing Minnesota and Wisconsin). Also, as outlined with Ryan Duncan, the best stats don't always win the Hobey.

The Winner: The only player that stood out in the NCAA tournament, and the only player still playing, Ryan Duncan will be the 2007 Hobey Baker Award winner, just the second ever from North Dakota.

Frozen Four Preview

Hey everyone. I just wanted to thank The Sports Flow for letting me come on and give you guys a Frozen Four preview. Before I get started let me toss in a quick plug for the other site I write for, http://www.thebaseballnation.com/ If you guys are big baseball fans like me you can come on and read articles by authors for every major league team. I write articles for the Twins, so if you're a Twins fan e-mail me at stephenfetch@thebaseballnation.com with any compliments, complaints, or things you want me to write about for my next article. Or,depending on who you're a fan of, you can even write articles. Contact bobbyglover@thebaseballnation.com for more. And please join our forum to talk some baseball. Ok with that being said, let's get to the hockey.

Semifinal One: Maine Black Bears (23-14-2, 14-12-1 Hockey East)
vs. Michigan State Spartans (24-13-3, 15-10-3 CCHA)

Overview: A rematch of an NCAA tournament game last year, in which Maine defeated the Spartans 5-4 in the East Regional Final. This year, Maine defeated St. Cloud State and Massachusetts in the East Regional, while Michigan St. defeated Boston University and Notre Dame to win the Midwest Regional

Forwards: Bryan Lerg, a junior left wing who originally committed to Michigan, leads the nation with 8 game winning goals. The Spartan forwards are an experienced bunch, starting just one senior but also just one freshman. However, their big concern is their depth. After Lerg's 23 the Spartans don't have another 20 goal scorer on their team.

Maine also isn't blessed with much depth, but they have two excellent forwards. Michel Léveillé (pronounced Me-shell Lev-e-yay) is their senior captain and unquestioned leader. Léveillé was an early Hobey Baker finalist in the early going, as he finished 19-25--44. Teddy Purcell is one of the best freshmen in the country, and won Inside College Hockey's freshman of the year award. When watching Purcell play the first think you notice are his soft hands. He is a great stick-handler and when passing he can put the puck wherever he wants to. Purcell (16-27--43) is one of the key's to the game, and is poised for future greatness, as Inside College Hockey writer Jeff Howe has predicted that as long as Purcell stays in school he will win at least one Hobey.

Advantage: Maine's top two lines will make a huge difference in this matchup.

Defense: Spartan defenseman Tyler Howells is a quick skater, and he is 7th on the team in scoring with 25 points. The Spartans will likely dress 7 defensemen for this Frozen Four, with their extra one being Mike Ratchuk. All in all, the Spartans D just isn't very good.

Maine Senior Mike Lundin has 20 points in 39 games, and although he isn't the most accomplished defensman, he can get it done both in his own zone and at neutral ice. Lundin leads the Black Bears in career games played, and he is a very cerebral player, using all the angles to his advantage.

Advantage: Maine has both the top end talent and overall depth to win this matchup.

Goaltending: Michigan St. goalie Jeff Lerg started every game for the Spartans this season, and went 27-13-3. With a 2.46 GAA and a .911 save percentage, Lerg can stop enough shots to let his offense win a game, and maybe for his cousin Bryan to pop in another game winning goal. Maine netminder Ben Bishop was hurt for much of the end of the 2006-2007 season. But when the 6'7" Sophomore has been healthy he has been good, with a 2.08 GAA and a .925 sve percentage. Bishop's size means he has to use his angles a lot less than Lerg, and gives him a natural advantage-but only if he works hard enough to use it.

Advantage: Now that Bishop is back, Maine has the clear advantage in this one, although they can still be succeptable to some blow-ups in net.

Who Will Win: As you could probably tell by the preview, Maine just brings too much to the table and will defeat the Spartans to advance to the title game.

Semifinal Two: North Dakota Fighting Sioux (24-13-5, 13-10-5 WCHA)

vs. Boston College Eagles (28-11-1, 18-8-1 Hockey East)

Overview: Another rematch, this game pits two semifinalists from last year, when BC defeated North Dakota to advance to the title game. This year, BC defeated St. Lawrence and New Hampshire to win the Northeast Regional, while North Dakota defeated Michigan and archrival Minnesota to win the West Regional. Boston College is the only automatic qualifier in the Frozen Four field, as the Hockey East Tournament champions.

Forwards: This is a classic matchup of depth vs. top-end talent. North Dakota's top line of Johnathan Toews, T.J. Oshie and Ryan Duncan is the best line in the country. However, other than those three, only Chris Porter, who had the game winner against Minnesota, and Brad Miller have over 20 points.

Boston College, on the other hand, has six forwards that can really put the puck in the net. Their high scoring forward is Benn Ferriero who has 23 goals and 23 assists. It seems like a different forward steps up for them in each game. Lately it has been Ben Smith, who centers the top line. In 6 postseason games since he moved up to the top line, Smith has 3 goals and 5 assists.

Advantage: While North Dakota has the edge in talent, it's Boston College that can run more quality lines on the ice.

Defense: Yet another matchup of top-end talent vs. depth, only in reverse. Two weeks ago, Boston College's star forward Brian Boyle (18-33--51) moved back to the blue line, where he will probably play in the NHL. However, Boyle still takes faceoffs and still likes to go to the net, as he did for his goal against St. Lawrence in the NCAA Tournament. BC's other top defenseman is Sophomore Brett Motherwell, who scored a goal against North Dakota in the Frozen Four last year.
North Dakota's top 6 defensemen may be the best 6 in the country top to bottom. They don't have the type of star power like Brian Boyle, but they do have Brian Lee, who was a top 10 pick in the NHL draft and Taylor Chorney, who captained this years U.S. National Junior Team. Robbie Bina leads the defensemen in scoring, and perhaps you remember back to his 80+ foot goal against the Gophers in Minneapolis.

Advantage: North Dakota's depth will help them frusterate Boston College's top lines.

Goaltending: Perhaps the biggest mismatch of the two semifinals, Boston College's Cory Schneider (21-11-1) has a 2.1 GAA and a .927 save percentage, and is a first round draft pick of the Vancouver Canucks. Phillipe Lamoreux on the other hand, won't be working in the NHL unless it's as a janitor. He has been playing well as of late, but he can't afford the five goal hiccup he had against Michigan in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Schneider was perhaps a little peeved that rival goalie John Curry of Boston University was named Hockey East Player of the Year, so all Schneider has done is win Regional Most Outstanding Player.

Advantage: Big, big advantage for Boston College, who has a goalie that can pitch a shutout every game.

Who Will Win: In a game better fit for Saturday night, viewers will get a high-flying, exciting game. But in the end I think the goaltending advantage means Boston College will move on to make it an all Hockey East championship game

Thanks for reading, I'll be back Tomorrow with a look at who will win the Hobey Baker award for the best player in the country. Until then, please leave any comments, questions, or general disagreements.

March Madness Rolls/Skates On

As March Madness rolls on there's been a lot of great action on both the ice and the hardwood this weekend. And as we speak arguably the greatest month in all of sports is coming to a climax. Let's regroup...

Ohio St. and UCLA punched their tickets to the Final Four Saturday. Also Michigan St. and Maine booked theirs to the Frozen Four. A few things really either surprised me or stuck out to me here:

• I was really surprised that Ohio St. was not only able to win but to really run away with it at the end. I mean, they really made this score look ugly
  
• The talented Jayhawks club being so unable to respond. I picked UCLA to win, but I figured that the Jayhawks wouldn't just die like that. Watch out now...because Bill Self is quickly becoming into that coach with lots of talent who "Can't win the Big-game". Actually thus far he can't even get there...
  
• Maine was the first team to punch a ticket to the Frozen Four in St. Louis...This came as a bit of a surprise to me and definitely not in my predictions.


• Thus far the Frozen Four tournament has seemingly had more upsets than the Bball tourney.....who'da thunk it!


• Oden really stepped it up after a horrible game in the sweet sixteen against Tenn...I'm guessing he felt he had something to prove.


• So, with Notre Dame losing to Michigan State that means that 3 of the 4 #1 seeds are out of the Frozen Four Tourney after just 2 days of play..once again my predictions never foresaw such an abundance in upsets! But you still gotta love it.
  
• The UND Fighting Sioux beat Michigan, as predicted, 8-5. Yea I thought they'd win, and as the highest-scoring team in the country I knew Michigan could light it up but I never imagined 13 goals! A lot of people are going to try to pin some "bad goaltending" on Lamoureux but I'm putting it on the Defense. If it weren't for some tough saves on Lamoureux's part you may have seen Michigan hit double-digits.
  
• Afflalo played quite a bit better for UCLA than did most of the more-talented Kansas starters (in my opinion). Afflalo is a great college player and may win a championship this year, but I think there are a lot of guys on the Kansas starting 5 who will make better pro's. Any thoughts?
  
• I will be out of town until late tuesday so Stefan will be in charge for the next few days. You can expect to hear from me on Wed.

Alright, as a Sioux fan I have to do a quick plug. The UND Fighting Sioux will face-off against the Minnesota Golden Gophers tomorrow in what looks to be the game of the tournament (in my opinion anyways). The puck drops at 5 o'clock. You should all tune in because this one is a dandy.

I feel like this game really could go either way. They both play each other really tough and have exchanged blows all year long. But I think the Sioux can win this one, not because I'm biased or will be screaming my lungs out in support or anything. But rather because I was surprised at Minnesota's near 1st round meltdown to Air Force. It had me thinking Holy Cross all over again! And because the Sioux have been really excited about getting a rematch after the tough loss just last week in the WCHA championship and they're ready to stick it to em'. Regardless of who wins this game I think either team would have a cakewalk to the championship.

So, the moral of the story is:

Give College Hockey a chance
Watch the rest of the Elite 8 games tomorrow
Enjoy March because it is amazing
annnnnnnnnd..........GO SIOUX!

NCAA Frozen Four Predictions

Here are my predictions for the NCAA Frozen Four Tournament beginning Friday.





I really think that Notre Dame is a great team, and obviously worthy of a #1 seed, however they are no match for the Golden Gophers and are possibly a bit overrated (in my eyes at least). If the Gophers can get by UND I think they can make a straight-shot to the title game. If UND and Minn. meet in the 2nd round it should be pure eye-candy. As previously stated, when these two teams have met this year it has been nearly a coin-flip and have featured finishes with a flair for high scoring, overtime, and the dramatic. Overall I think the WCHA is just far superior to the rest of college hockey and will definitely leave its mark on the tourney. I feel like you can look for upsets from Mich St. over Boston U. (first round), BC over UNH, and St. Cloud over Clarkson (2nd Round). But like I said I just don't see any teams with a better shot at winning the tournament than the Minnesota Golden Gophers, and I think they take down the Irish for the crown.


Now, It's time for my Ideal Frozen Four Outcome:

Above is how I predict the tournament to go down, but this is what I'm really rooting for. I do feel like this, although mere fantasy, isn't that incredibly far fetched. Having picked Minnesota as my Champion I feel like if UND can beat Michigan (which I truly feel they can and will) and then beat Minnesota in a tough game; then the hardest part is truly behind them. If the Fighting Sioux can beat the Gophers then I think they can roll into the championship with a full head of steam and take down the Irish in a dandy....Ok, so I know that I'm just purely fantasizing on a computer screen right now but hey, it could happen....couldn't it?

Do you think it could? What are your predictions? Do they look like mine?

Golden Gophers Win WCHA Title and a #1 seed

Much to my dismay the Minnesota Golden Gophers defeated the UND Fighting Sioux last night in Overtime. It was a really great game and Blake Wheeler's game-winning goal was a really great goal. Here is the game-winning goal from Saturday Night. I can't bear to watch...but you should!



With the victory the Golden Gophers solidified a #1 seed in the NCAA Frozen Four Tournament, and the Fighting Sioux a 3-seed in the same region. Although my picks for the tournament don't come out until Tuesday I can tell you right now that there will most likely be a rematch, and it should be a dandy. Every time these two teams have played this year it has been a spectacular game and nearly a coin-flip. Look for the same. It really is a shame that they are in the same region, because it would be so much fun to see these two teams play in the Frozen Four or even in the Championship!

The NCAA Frozen Four Tournament starts on 3/23.
Stay tuned for my picks on 3/20. and.........GO SIOUX

WCHA Men's College Hockey: The Plot Thickens

I know this may not be an incredibly popular topic, but to each his own. Here on The Sports Flow we intend to try to talk a little about everything...so here we go. Oh yea, and because my UND Fighting Sioux just came off a HUGE sweep of the #1 ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers.

The Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) is packed full of well above-average teams this season. But this is nothing unusual. If you follow college hockey much you can probably remember back just a few years ago when the Frozen Four was made up entirely of WCHA teams. This truly an amazing feat if you think about it. Imagine if the Final Four was comprised of USC, Stanford, Oregon, and Arizona (All Pac-10 teams)? This should be considered just as amazing.

This year the WCHA features a very highly contested race to the WCHA tournament.

Here are how the up-to-date standings look:

1. Minnesota- 29 pts, 13-4-3, .725 win %

2. St. Cloud State - 26 pts, 11-5-4, .650 win %

3. Denver- 24 pts, 11-7-2, .600 win %

4. Colorado College- 21 pts, 10-7-1, .583 win %

5. North Dakota- 20 pts, 9-9-2, .500 win %

6.(tie) Wisconsin- 17 pts, 8-9-1, .471 win %

6.(tie) Michigan Tech- 17 pts, 7-10-3, .425 win %

8.(tie) Alaska Anchorage- 15 pts, 7-12-1, .375 win %

8.(tie) Minnesota State- 15 pts, 6-11-3, .375 win %

10. Minnesota Duluth- 12 pts, 5-13-2, .300 win %

Now, with such a highly contested race featuring such good teams the parody in this league is incredible. For instance, Wisconsin is coming off a year when they won the National Championship last year and they can be found in the middle of the pack. You have a talent-packed North Dakota team that struggled mightily early on (1-7-0 in the month of November) who just completed a sweep of the #1 team in the land in Minneapolis (the first UND sweep of Minnesota in Minneapolis in 26 years!). This leaves a young and talented UND team poised to make a run for a repeat WCHA Championship. With Jonathan Toews (featured right), TJ Oshie, and Ryan Duncan (all super Sophs) the Sioux sport arguably the best first line in the nation. All three of these guys can score at will and you can count on seeing all 3 of these guys' names being announced at next year's NHL Draft (unfortunately).

Also don't forget, after this weekends action you have a St. Cloud State team that is only 3 pts. out of the conference lead. Stay tuned folks! Because you are in for one wild ride as we come down the stretch in WCHA conference play. And please don't be surprised to see at least 2 of these teams in the Frozen Four. Because as good as East Coast collegiate hockey is, I think that the top 6 teams in the WCHA can skate with the best from the East. Come tourney time it should be interesting.

Other WCHA Scores from this weekend:

N. Michigan 2 at. Minn- Duluth 4

North Dakota 5 at Minnesota 3

North Dakota 7 at Minnesota 3

Minn. State 3 at Wisconsin 1

Minn. State 1 at Wisconsin 4

St. Cloud State 3 at Denver 2

St. Cloud State 0 at Denver 2

Oh yea, and GO SIOUX!