University of North Dakota president Charles Kupchella has emerged as one of the NCAA’s staunchest critics of a policy that punishes some of the association’s member institutions for using American Indian nicknames, mascots and imagery in athletic competition. Back in early August of last year, when the NCAA Executive Committee announced its plans to implement … Read more
As the battle over the “Fighting Sioux” continues, Patrick C. Miller sat down with University of North Dakota President Charles Kupchella for a chat.
The lengthy and heated battle between the University of North Dakota and the NCAA could be headed to the next level. After a decision by the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education, UND has been granted the authority to sue the NCAA over the association’s policies on “hostile and abusive” Native American nicknames and … Read more
St. Cloud State University Director of Athletics Dr. Morris Kurtz has announced the appointment of Jeff Giesen as the head women’s hockey coach. A native of Blaine, Minn., Giesen becomes the third head coach since the inception of the women’s program in 1998. He replaces Jason Lesteberg, who served as head coach at SCSU from … Read more
The outflow of players from Grand Forks, N.D., continued as Rastislav Spirko became the fourth North Dakota player to leave school after the end of the 2005-06 season. Spirko, a 5-9, 175-pound native of Slovakia, confirmed that he will play professionally in Europe next season, joining Travis Zajac, Matt Smaby and Drew Stafford as Sioux … Read more
Buffalo Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier today announced that the team has signed North Dakota junior Drew Stafford to a three-year contract. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Stafford is currently on the United States roster and playing in the World Hockey Championships in Riga, Latvia. “I’m looking forward to starting my professional career,” … Read more
The battle between the University of North Dakota and the NCAA over UND’s “Fighting Sioux” nickname and imagery continued Friday with the NCAA’s decision to deny North Dakota’s final appeal, keeping the school on the list of institutions subject to restrictions from NCAA championship events. The NCAA’s Friday release said, in part: In denying the … Read more
Enrico Blasi took his alma mater to the CCHA Regular Season Championship this year through his hard work and dedication. Zach Silberman profiles the newly named Spencer Penrose Winner from Miami.
Nebraska-Omaha has had just one head coach in its Division I history, and it looks like things will stay that way for a while after Mike Kemp signed a four-year contract extension. UNO athletic director David Herbster made the announcement Friday; Kemp’s new deal runs through 2010. “I am happy to announce that Coach Kemp … Read more
One week after playing in its second consecutive Frozen Four, North Dakota is down two players for an attempt at a repeat performance in 2006-07. Junior defenseman Matt Smaby — UND’s captain in 2005-06 — and sophomore forward Travis Zajac have decided to forego their remaining college eligibility and sign professional contracts, the school announced … Read more
For his efforts in leading Miami to the CCHA regular-season title, Enrico Blasi has been chosen winner of the 2006 Spencer Penrose Award as Division I Men’s Coach of the Year. The RedHawks went 26-9-4, capturing the school’s second regular season championship and, for the first time, being ranked No. 1 in the USCHO.com/CSTV Networks … Read more
It’s not quite a three-peat, but Denver defenseman Matt Carle finished his college hockey career a champion once again. Carle was named the 26th recipient of the Hobey Baker Memorial Award Friday evening at the Bradley Center. He won two national championships in his first two seasons with the Denver Pioneers and took home the … Read more
Chess matches happen all the time in hockey. Bench bosses Jerry York of Boston College and Dave Hakstol of North Dakota waged one during their NCAA semifinal on Thursday at the Bradley Center. In the end, BC won 6-5. Two pawns in this match were 6′-5″, 220-pound defenseman Matt Smaby of NoDak, and 6′-7″ 240-pound … Read more
It was a question for the Fighting Sioux all year: Could a team with such a young defense survive the season? Everyone in Milwaukee knew the answer to that question by the 18:08 mark of the first period in the first semifinal between Boston College and North Dakota. It was at that point that the … Read more
Jordan Parise would probably like to forget the 2006 Frozen Four. After a stellar season, Parise had one of those games straight out of a goaltender’s nightmare on the largest stage in the sport. It wasn’t Jordan Parise’s day Thursday against Boston College (photo: Melissa Wade). The numbers spell disaster pretty quickly: three goals on … Read more
Appearances Can Be Misleading North Dakota is a team of seeming paradoxes. With more freshmen than any other team in the Frozen Four, the Sioux are the only team making a return appearance to try for the national title. And while there are 13 rookies on the Sioux squad, North Dakota faces the youngest team … Read more
Last year when the Fighting Sioux returned to North Dakota after losing the NCAA championship game, assistant coach Cary Eades remarked, “We didn’t win a championship, but we won a lot of respect.” For the second straight year, the Sioux are back in the Frozen Four with their sights set firmly on winning an eighth … Read more
The big, punishing, veteran defensemen who carried North Dakota to the Frozen Four in 2005 are long gone. According to some, the group replacing them is less physical, more finesse-oriented and too inexperienced to replace what UND lost last season. So if that’s the case, why is this year’s Sioux team giving up the exact … Read more
Dave Hakstol had a tough act to follow at North Dakota, but Patrick C. Miller says the second-year head coach has succeeded.
Boston College vs. North Dakota Thursday, 2 p.m. CT, Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wis. If the participants in the first semifinal Thursday in Milwaukee seem familiar, there’s a good reason. Boston College and North Dakota face off for the fifth time in eight years at the Bradley Center, and their contest will be a rematch of … Read more