Huskies and Sioux Split

North Dakota and St. Cloud spit last weekend’s series and the students seemed to understand the Fan Code of Ethics put into place by Engelstad Arena earlier in the week.

The Sioux’s win on Friday night did not come without cost. The Huskies Marvin boarded Chay Genoway and it sent him to the locker room from which he did not return. Today Marvin said he was sorry for the hit and hoped Chay would be ok. A little bit to late but still better than how players from opposing teams have reacted to hits like the ones Robbie Bina and Derrick LaPoint have taken over the past few years. Hockey is a hard game played at a fast pace but players safety must come first. That is why Ryan Duncan spent all but a few minutes of Saturday night’s game against the Gophers in the locker room a couple of years ago in Minneapolis. The need to make the rules clear and enforce them from this point forward. Hopefully we will see Genoway on the ice soon.

Saturday night was an ugly game. It seemed like the Sioux played hard but just did not have the Hockey Gods with them. Nothing seemed to click and even though the score ended up 3-2 they never seemed to really have a chance to win the game. Hextall had a goal waived off and after watching the replays I think it should have been allowed. That would have changed the entire game, hopefully the next time the call will go for rather than against the Fighting Sioux.

It was an enjoyable weekend as my cousin and husband from Alaska were here and joined us at the Ralph for Friday night’s game. In addition, several of the LaPoint family made the trip from Wisconsin and on Saturday night my Mother and my cousins from Fargo came to the game. It was almost like a family reunion but better because hockey was involved!

Even after the loss, UND is ranked second in the nation this week and is headed to Denver to play the 3rd ranked Denver Pioneers. That is always as great series and especially when they are both ranked near the top in the polls. Hopefully George has been practicing his “Dasher Dance”.

A Trip to the Last Frontier

Dee and I were cruising back to Florida when the puck dropped in Anchorage. Other than the score and what little I read it sounds as though the team played well getting the shutout and picking up another win.

Saturday night sounded to be a different story. On our way back home we ran into the hockey team returning from Anchorage in the Minneapolis airport on Sunday. We visited with Derrick LaPoint for a few minutes. He said they played well on Friday but not so much on Saturday.

Alaska is always a tough place to play at least the team picked up two points and came home healthy. Maybe next year we can make the trip with them. Of the current WCHA venues, the home of the Seawolves is the only one in which we have not seen the Sioux play.

We have been by the arena when we visited my Aunt in Alaska a couple of years ago but it was August and there was no hockey. My cousin was just here visiting from the Last Frontier and wants us to come visit. Hopefully we can make that happen. They were able to attend last Friday’s game versus St. Cloud with us that was fun. She wore my new style LaPoint jersey to the game and was excited to meet Derrick.