The Sioux women are in the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history. The bracket was revealed Sunday night and the coaches and players took deep breaths when learning they’re in as the final at-large team.
The quarterfinal matchup will be against Minnesota at 4 p.m. Saturday in Ridder Arena. The Gophers beat the Sioux 6-0 on Friday night in the WCHA Final Faceoff, but UND will get another shot.
The Sioux went 2-3 against the Gophers this season.
The irony in this: If Minnesota hadn’t beat Duluth on Saturday night, UND would be out. Now, the Sioux try to repay the favor by knocking out the Gophers.
More irony: If Robert Morris hadn’t upset Mercyhurst in the CHA final, it’s possible that UND would have been left out. Robert Morris’ first-year head coach? Paul Colontino, a former Sioux women’s assistant coach who was a groomsman in UND sports info director Jayson Hajdu’s wedding this summer.
NCAA quarterfinals
Mercyhurst at No. 1 Wisconsin
St. Lawrence at No. 4 Boston College
UND at No. 2 Minnesota
Boston University at No. 3 Cornell
CONGRATULATIONS LADIES!!!!!! Give Em Hell!!!!! Good Luck!!!!!!
Way to Go Lady SIOUX!!!!
Lets KILL the Gophers !!!
Way to go ladies! Goaltending has to be good to have a chance at Ridder.
I will go out on a limb and say that game will be a sell out.
Any chance this will be on tv?
A significant moment for this fledgling program. Now, seize the day!
Brad, can you shed some light on how the UND is going to handle the “Fighting Sioux” issue at the women’s NCAA tournaments? Are the men’s uniforms ready to be replaced? Can the UND simply eliminate the name from public senses (sight, sound and vocalization) while staying in compliance with “The Law”?
That is correct.
Brad can they ban all Fighting Sioux fans as well?
No.
More irony: Colontino and I hung out for about 10 minutes in the Enrollment Services waiting area waiting for a recruit to show up for a tour (I was a tour guide). I didn’t say much, just Hi and how are you doing…. but I got a reprimand for talking to him. Oh well.
As for how they will handle it… They’ll wear their “North Dakota” jerseys shown earlier this season on this website and go by North Dakota or UND. If the band and cheerleaders go down, they won’t have Fighting Sioux apparel on. Nothing more than that.
Congrats to the ladies. Good luck.
Now make my dream come true. The Sioux are in the finals playing for a National Championship, and 5,000 roudy -UND FANS- are in the stands with White Tomahawk’s doing the Tomahawk Chop after every gaol scored.
Take the name away from the team. But never Take the Fight out of the Sioux.
I can see a white t-shirt give away with a free tomahowk comming soon!!!!
Can’t type GOAL or TOMAHAWK very well today
Someone call Spirit Lake and see if they would like donate the White Foam Tomahawk’s (Atlanta Braves)
I’m sure the band could come up with something!!!
Then to have the Fighting Sioux Chop after every goal ….. something tells me that would be like giving the NCAA the middle finger right there!!!
I could see coming from the Student section for a long long time.
Brad, any word on TV coverage?
Doesn’t sound like there will be any. Will try to see about webcast info.
What do you think the Women’s team will have to do to gain some more support from the local community?
Yeah the attendance figures are great compared to other schools but those other big schools also have big time athletic programs (football, basketball, etc.). UND is a hockey school. Grand Forks is a hockey town. The Ralph looks like the home of hockey gods!!! Is the sky the limit?
As long as they continue winning and putting a good product out there, people will continue to come.