Sioux Rally To Win Region

I usually make a note to let everyone know to cheer for the UND Sioux during the NCAA hockey tournament, which started last week.

The Sioux easily beat Princeton in their opening match but then faced Wisconsin, on their home ice none-the-less, for a spot in the frozen four. After the first 2 periods I was ready to have a blog entry that would have focused on how the NCAA tried to tilt the game into Wisconsin's favor...first, by letting them into the tournament with an at large bid which many have argued could/should have went to Mankato or a more deserving school and then second, conveniently putting Wisconsin in the midwest region which is being played in Wisconsin. And then as the game began, the officiating seemed to again favor the Badgers getting a charity tripping call which set up Wisconsin's first goal (just as the power play was ending). The Badger's second goal was just a bad break for the Sioux and after 2 periods the score was 2-0 Badgers. The Sioux had almost a full 2 minute power play to start out the third period and after they failed to score I was close to writing them off...and then, almost as if on cue, the bar that I was watching the game at had 1 guy, who all of sudden decided he was going to be obnoxious and start cheering for Wisconsin...really loud. Well the Sioux then quickly scored 2 goals and that was the last we saw and heard from that guy. On to overtime where Andrew Kozek made a great play to score the game winner in which the Sioux clearly outplayed the Badgers in the third period and overtime session. T.J. Oshie is freakin' good...at times it looked as if the puck was glued to his stick as he weaved in and around Badger players. Ryan Duncan had a great tournament...scoring a hat trick against Princeton and then the tying goal against the Badgers. J.P. Lamoureux was solid in net all weekend...and it will be interesting to see if Kozek starts on the Oshie-Duncan line - where he was played to start the third period on - you could clearly see the energy and speed he contributed and likely a big reason Wisconsin ended up losing...

Sioux move on to the Frozen Four for the fourth straight year and play Boston College. I saw the end of that B.C.-Miami game and B.C. just got lucky...Miami was outplaying B.C. for most of the third period and overtime but anything can happen in overtime and Boston College escapes with a victory.