Minnesota had their game Thursday which guaranteed a less stressful Sunday but some, maybe many, are still waiting for decisions by ownership. It would be a boost to the damaged psyches of the group but practically speaking there is reason in not making rash decisions. Could last Monday have been a pink-slip day, absolutely, but it wasn't so brace for the probability that the brain trust will remain until the end of the season.
As the non-conference portion of the 🏀 schedules winds, down questions remain. The men did little to answer them with a lopsided loss to Montana State. Two nights later the women showed the most fight they have managed yet this year against the #10 team in the country. A nine-point difference after the first quarter ultimately proved to be the difference in the game as NDSU hung with Arizona the rest of the way as nine players put the ball through the hoop, lead by Heaven Hamling with 14. It's the sort of test they will face four times the rest of the season but when they retook the court Sunday against Wyoming it became apparent that the lessons have not yet fully sunk in.
Friday night the men were back on the court against Cal. State Northridge. The offense continues to be limited but nearly half of their offense came in the paint. Until the outside shooting can get more consistent that will be what they hang their hat on. With all the size they have, going inside is a natural avenue of attack. The godfather of the team, Rocky Kreuser, signed with a representative for his name/image/likeness deals, something which will only become more common over time.
Out in the Empire State 🤼 hit the mat for a trifecta Friday/Saturday, winning each of the three in no-doubt fashion.
Which just leaves Saturday's quarterfinal win over East Tennessee. Everyone knew that the winner would get James Madison but it has been announced as the Friday night game while SDSU/Montana State will go in the early afternoon Saturday. Whether it's the Bunnies or Brent Vigen's team that will get plenty of attention in the area as well! The win by Matt Entz capped a week that began with him being named coach of the year, not too shabby!
It was a three-day weekend for Moorhead State which began in Bismarck, Thursday. When all 10 matches were complete it was 41 - 0 for UMary. The next day, in Bemidji, men's 🏀 added to a four point halftime lead to win 68 - 53. The women also scored 68 but lost the second half by nine to lose the game by a point. The offenses matched each other Saturday in Crookston with 75 points while giving up 60 & 62 respectively. Gavin Baumgartner was the high scorer in both games while the rest of the offense was divided different amongst his teammates. Peyton Boom had the best pair of games with 32 total points while Natalie Steichen had 12 in each game to match Natalie Jens' 24, 16 of which came against Bemidji to pace that game.
With the Holiday break looming Concordia got their last game action of the year. It started with a trip to Arden Hills by both teams. The women started & ended well but struggled to get as many scores as stops in the middle. For the men it was a struggle through-out. When they re-took the court Saturday at Hamline both were considerably closer but in the end still came up short.
On the ice the women hosted the #2 ranked team in the country. In the first of two Concordia fell behind by two scores but then Shanley grad Jerica Friese went to work. She got her first score just before the second intermission and tied it during a powerplay 12 minutes into the game. That sent it to overtime which gave her the time to get the hat trick in victory. The loss may have been just what UW-Eau Claire needed because they jumped out to a 2 - 0 lead again. After Brooke McMillen cut that in half they score two more to finish the split.
After riding the rollercoaster to some very enjoyable highs we hit a quick descent by the team. Against probable playoff teams from the East & West they were outplayed in all three games leading up to the late one in Portland Sunday. Portland has playoff-caliber talent but to this point in the season is in the same boat as the Howl. That makes the outcome all the more significant as Minnesota made the plays necessary to get their 12th win of the season while handing Portland their 16th loss. For the team to reach it's ceiling they will have to reduce the depth of the lows. Being able to pull off the win tonight is proof that they're taking steps in that direction. They may be baby steps, but steps nonetheless!
For the second time in as many weeks the Bolts split a set of games and this weekend were an overtime shot away from winning their first one of the season. Lincoln is a middling team but Fargo is below even that so don't dismiss the sign of progress!
In the win Friday night they fell behind 2 - 1 after Charlie Lurie got the scoring going in the second period. The deficit was short-lived as Erik Bargholtz made it 2 - 2 24 seconds later. The score remained even for a periods worth of time but over the final nine minutes Bret Link & Andre Gasseau changed that, the final score coming with an empty net. On the other end Louden Hogg walled-up for 39 saves.
In the rematch it was Lincoln that struck first and the teams traded scores the rest of the way, with three of the five going in the second period.
Fargo's next three are at home, so if you're looking for something to do New Years Eve it's worth considering.
Reminder that scores are added daily, so check back often.
But now for the highlights
The began with the release of more early season polling. Central Cass & Kindred continue to hold the top spot for Class B girls while it's Enderlin & Kindred atop the boys. It's no surprise to anyone who follows but Region 1 is going to be a championship challenge all season. On the A level West Fargo & Davies round out the top three while Sheyenne got votes on both halves & North did as well for the boys. It's early in the seasons but those standings may not change much between now & tourney time.
When the games began Moorhead & Roseau scorched the ice with a 13-goal, overtime thriller that ultimately went the way of the visitors. Much less dramatically but Tuesday also included West Fargo & Davies' girls having best-of sort of days against Jamestown & North/South. Sheyenne's boys also got into the act with a shutout win over their crosstown rival.
On the court West Fargo put on a show against Moorhead Tuesday, lead by their two future collegiates who then doubled-down on the stat lines against Devils Lake Friday. The performances are up to expectation but should not be taken for granted! They were joined in great success as Shanley & Davies each overwhelmed their opponents Friday. Out of town Casselton cruised by May/Port/C/G. On the boys side, Davies steamrolled Wahpeton Friday as well.
It was also a busy week on the mat as girls got started in North Dakota. Sheyenne took part in Grand Forks Central's event Saturday and managed two winners along with a third place finish. As for the boys, Sheyenne slammed South, Thursday, then headed to GF as well. They had little trouble with Red River and also had a wide margin of victory against the Wahp co-op & Stewartville on the second day of the event. A few local teams took part in Barnesville's event, with Davies & North finishing in the top half of the field.
Even more on the fringe but Moorhead's Nordic Ski teams also represented well at Bemidji's invite. Same goes for the lifters as Emily Stamm set a state record while Jake Erdmann & Andy Arntson had national qualifying performances.
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