World Junior Player Profile - Taylor Chorney

Taylor Chorney is playing on the United States National Junior Team for the second time. He was also a member of the 2006 team. This year, he was selected as the captain for Team USA. In WJC play, he has one assist. Chorney is no stranger to USA Hockey. He was a member of the US gold-medal winning team at the 2005 IIHF World Under-18 Championship. In 2004, he was the captain of Team USA for the Under-18 Select Team at the Junior World Cup. Chorney played on the title team at the 2003 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament.

Chorney has 12 points for the Fighting Sioux which is second highest by a UND defenseman. He has two power play goals.

(Photo of Taylor Chorney taken from usahockey.com)

World Junior Player Profile - Jonathan Toews

Jonathan Toews, a member of the 2006 gold-medal winning Canadian National Junior Team, is back for another go round with Team Canada. This year, Toews is one of the assistant captains. He is one of three players from the NCAA on Canada’s team. Toews has two goals in this year’s WJC, one of which was a penalty shot against Team USA. He was selected as Canada’s game star in the Canada/US matchup.

For the Fighting Sioux Toews has 13 points with one game winning goal. He has a .614 winning percent at faceoffs which is second on the team behind Brad Miller, who has taken and won just one faceoff.


(Photo of Jonathan Toews taken from hockeycanada.ca)

By the Numbers: Dartmouth Holiday Tournament

Fighting Sioux
Record 7-10-1 (5-8-1 WCHA)

Points Leaders
1. Ryan Duncan 19
2. T.J Oshie 15
3t. Brian Lee 14
3t. Brad Miller 14
5. Jonathon Toews 13

PIM
1t. Zach Jones 38 (15 penalties)
1t.Kyle Radke 38 (19 penalties)
3. Joe Finley 34 (13 penalties)

Faceoffs W - L - .pct
1. Brad Miller 1 0 1.000
2. Jonathan Toews 162 102 .614
3. Erik Fabian 3 2 .600


+/-
1. Jonathon Toews +4
2. Joe Finley +3
3t. Brad Miller +2
3t. Ryan Martens +2
3t. Zach Jones +2

Goaltenders GAA - SV% - GP
1. Aaron Walski 1.63 .917 1
2.Phil Lamoureux 2.92 .886 12
3. Anthony Grieco 3.49 .884 8

More Sioux Stats are available here.


Dartmouth
Record 5-4-2 (4-4-2 ECAC)

Points Leaders
1. David Jones 16
2t. T.J. Galiardi 10
2t. Tanner Glass 10
4. Nick Johnson 9
5. Ben Lovejoy 7

PIM
1. Mike Hartwick 41 (15 penalties)
2. Tanner Glass 26 (13 penalties)
3. Kevin Swallow 21 (5 penalties)

Faceoffs win-loss pct.
Not Available

+/-
Not Available

Goaltenders GAA SV% GP
1. Mike Devine 2.68 .915 11

Dartmouth Stats leave a lot to be desired but you can find them here.


Boston University Terriers
Record 6-3-5 (4-3-4 Hockey East)

Points Leaders
1. Kenny Roche 13
2. Pete MacArthur 12
3t. Chris Higgins 11
3t. Sean Sullivan 11
5t. Matt Gilroy 6
5t. Jason Lawrence 6
5t. Eric Thomassian 6

PIM
1. Eric Gryba 30 (15 penalties)
2. Brian Strait 29 (9 penalties)
3. Eric Thomassian 16 (4 penalties)

Faceoffs
Not Available

+/-
1t. Matt Gilroy + 6
1t. Chris Higgins + 6
3t. Kenny Roche + 3
3t. Jason Lawrence + 3
3t. Eric Thomassian + 3

Goaltenders GAA SV% Games Played
1. Karson Gillespie 1.00 .958 1
2. John Curry 1.87 .928 13

More BU stats are available here


St. Lawrence Saints
Record 8-8-1 (5-2-0 ECACHL)

Points Leaders
1. Mike McKenzie 16
2. Kyle Rank 13
3t. Charlie Giffin 12
3t. Drew Bagnall 12
5. Kevin DeVergilio 9

PIM
1. Drew Bagnall 34 (17 penalties)
2. Brock McBride 20 (10 penalties)
3t. Zach Miskovic 18 (9 penalties)
3t. Max Taylor 18 (9 penalties)
3t. Andrzej Sandrzyk 18 (9 penalties)

Faceoffs
Not Available

+/-
1. Jared Ross +7
2t. Drew Bagnall +4
2t. Mark Wallmann +4

Goaltenders GAA SV% Games Played
1. Alex Petizian 2.32 .921 7
2. Kain Tisi 2.59 .913 6
3. Justin Pesony 3.17 .896 5

More St. Lawrence stats are available here

World Junior Player Profile - Brian Lee

Brian Lee is playing on the United States National Junior Team for the third time. He was also a member of the 2005 and 2006 teams. He is the first UND player to be named to three U.S. Junior Teams.

Currently, Lee leads all Fighting Sioux defensemen with 14 points. Only forwards Ryan Duncan (19 points) and T.J. Oshie (15 points) are ahead of him. Forward Brad Miller is tied with Lee with 14 points.

(Photo of Brian Lee taken from usahockey.com)

The Sioux in Sweden

We've been neglectful of our blog lately. The holiday season requires us to prioritize our time. However, I found myself with some unexpected free time tonight, so I thought I might ramble a bit on here...


Well the Sioux have a short break for Christmas and then will be back on the ice on Dec. 29th against Dartmouth. Taylor Chorney, Brian Lee, and Jonathan Toews did not get such a break as they are playing in the World Junior Tournament in Sweden. This Sioux fan is especially looking forward to the United States v. Canada match up on December 27th...



Chorney to Lead Team U.S.A
It seems Taylor Chorney's consistent play has followed him to the World Junior Tournament where he was named captain of Team U.S.A. Chorney has 1 assist in the U.S. team's two exhibition wins. For more on Chorney and the U.S. Team you can scout usahockey.com or download the team media guide.


(Photo of Taylor Chorney taken from usahockey.com)



Oh Canada
Not to forget about the other Sioux in Sweden... Jonathan Toews was named an Assistant Captain of Team Canada. Canada won an exhibition game against Finland but lost to Sweden. Toews had a goal and an assist in Canada's exhibition win over Finland. Team Canada info can be found at hockeycanada.ca

We are embarrassed to be Sioux Fans...

...but it has nothing to do with the Sioux Hockey Team. At 13:21 of the second period, Michigan Tech scored the second of two goals in less than a minute. Coach Hakstol pulled starting goaltender, Anthony Grieco, and put Phil Lamoureux in. Lamoureux was met with boos from Sioux fans all over the arena. We heard groans and comments like "Hakstol, what are you doing?"


In all our years of watching Fighting Sioux hockey, we have never experienced anything like that. You always hear about the classless Gopher fans. But tonight Sioux fans gave them a run for their money. Nothing shows a complete lack of class more than booing one of your own. We aren't just saying that because Lamoureux is a Grand Forks boy. We aren't even from Grand Forks.


A fan's job is to be supportive of the whole team from the starters to the players who have to compete for a spot in the lineup. We are not opposed to intelligent criticism and may even engage in it from time to time. What we heard tonight was neither intelligent nor constructive. Sioux fans should be ashamed.


Lamoureux has been accused of being too emotional in goal. The fact that he was able to play tonight after being booed by his own team's fans says something about his character.



Thank you, Phil, for playing hockey for the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux.
(Photo taken from the Grand Forks Herald)

By the Numbers: Michigan Tech

Fighting Sioux
Record 7-8-1 (5-6-1 WCHA)

Points Leaders
Ryan Duncan 18
Jonathan Toews 13
Brian Lee 13
Brad Miller 12
Chris Porter 12
TJ Oshie 12

PIM
Kyle Radke 32 (16 penalties)
Zach Jones 32 (12 penalties)
Taylor Chorney 26 (9 penatlies)

Faceoffs W L Pct
Brad Miller 1 0 1.000
Jonathan Toews 162 102 .614
TJ Oshie 63 50 .558

+/-
Jonathan Toews +4
Joe Finley +4
Zach Jones +3

Goaltenders GAA SV% Games
Aaron Walski 1.68 .917 1
Phil Lamoureux 2.93 .886 10
Anthony Grieco 3.48 .884 7

Statistics found here

Huskies
Record 6-8-2 (3-7-2 WCHA)

Points Leaders
Jimmy Kerr 11
Tyler Skworchinski 9
Tyler Shelast 9
Alex Gagne 9
Geoff Kinrade 7

PIM
Phil Axtell 26 (9 penalties)
Jimmy Kerr 23 (10 penalties)
Mike Batovanja 22 (11 penalties)

Faceoffs
Not available

+/-
Geoff Kinrade +8
Jake Wilkens +7
Alex Gagne +7

Goaltenders GAA SV% Games
Michael-Lee Teslak 2.16 .899 8
Rob Nolan 2.28 .900 9

Statistics found here

No Worries

The first half of the season has been rough - and not in the fisticuffs sort of way. But this is Dave Hakstol's team so no worries. The first half has been rough for the last couple of years. Like it or not it's characteristic of a Hakstol team. Another characteristic? Frozen Four Appearances. Some of the troubles the team experienced in the first half of the season will probably contribute to the character at the end. We would much rather watch a team that is willing to work to win than one just expecting to win because they were winning the first half of the season. We think that the Sioux play much better when it comes to an every game counts situation. And that even goes back to the Dean Blais days. When it comes down to the whole do or die thing, our money is on the Sioux. Sooner or later they will find a way to win.

Hello

Lately we have been addicted to every body else's blogs so we decided to start our own. This is just a collection of thoughts primarily on Sioux hockey with some talk about other WCHA teams from time to time. We are by no means experts but we hope to provide intelligent commentary laced with humour. (We didn't spell that wrong.) Thanks for reading and GO SIOUX!