Thanksgiving Weekend Sports Action Including UMD Hockey History and More

I hope you all had a happy and safe Thanksgiving with family and friends!

I have been told by many friends and family members that I am “A day late, and a dollar short.”

This was supposed to be written last week, but, just getting to it now. Sorry.

I am so thankful for my wife, my daughters, my family, my in-laws, my friends, my co-workers, my relatives, my fans, my job(s), my health, my neighbors, my church, my education, my below average athletic ability, my dogs, coaches, athletes, doctors, nurses, firefighters, teachers, ambulance drivers, dentists, (I guess) , high definition TV sets, radios, cell phones, parents cabin, Lake Superior, UMD, UWS, CSS, Winona State, Augsburg College, SHS, St. Agnes High School, just to name a few. And in no special order. I’m thankful for everybody and everything! That always covers it all.

Over the last month or two, some of you may have known that our family has been dealing with the health of my father. It’s a battle he has had for several years, but took a different turn the past three or four months or so. He was told about a month ago that he had about 48 hours to live. He ate pretty well on Thanksgiving and we helped him put up his Christmas lights that day and I told him that I think Santa has him on the “good-list” this year!!! He has had a great life, we have been fortunate to be a part of it. He is in hospice now and we have no idea how much longer we have to enjoy him here on earth, but the message he wanted to relay to everyone is that be sure to tell people you love and care for, how much you love and care for them and appreciate them. He is hearing from a lifetime of friends and family now, and I’m sure that is what keeps him going even today. In other words, be sure to share the love and appreciate the people you have in your life, and the people you have had in your life. We are truly blessed as a family. My wife and mother-in law have also been challenged by cancer. I have had several people in my life battle cancer in the last half-dozen years, some have won that battle, some have not, some are tied, and I often wish I had just one more day with the ones that we lost.

Just make sure you tell someone special in your life today that you care for them and appreciate them.

Now to the sports page:

And the basketball season is here, the Lake Superior Conference jamboree was held Monday night at Denfeld High School. 8 teams were taking part.

And some schools, already playing regular season games. Northwestern topped South Shore in boy’s high school basketball 68-19 on Monday night. The win marked the home and season opener for the Northwestern Tigers. Dylan Jardine of Northwestern led all of the scorers with 18 points. All 9 of the Tigers scored at least a basket. Northwestern led 43-8 at half.

And in the NBA, the Milwaukee Bucks topped Chicago by a point, 93-92 at the United Center.

And in hockey, both UWS teams are nationally ranked again this week the men are 12^th in Division Three in the USCHO poll. The UWS women are 6^th. The women are off this weekend, and won’t play. The men will be on the road at River Falls.

And in high school girl’s hockey Monday night, International Falls topped Lake of the Woods 13-0.

And in junior hockey at the Proctor Arena, Dryden topped the Duluth Clydesdales 5-2.

And the UMD men’s hockey team split with the St. Cloud State Huskies over the weekend, in what was the final WCHA regular season meeting ever between the two schools. They are not scheduled to meet again this year in the regular season and when they play next year it will be in the new NCHC conference.

The Bulldogs won the Friday game 2-1 and the teams met 24 hours later, with the Huskies posting the 5-1 win in the final WCHA regular season game between the schools. The Saturday game I’m sure is one the Bulldogs would like to forget, but the big picture on the weekend, is that UMD split with the #12 team in the country. Teams that win on Friday always want the sweep on Saturday, but it didn’t happen thanks in part to a more focused St. Cloud State team.

UMD Senior captain, Cody Danberg agreed, saying a win Saturday would have been nice. “It’s not the outcome we wanted. We expected them to come out fired-up and work a lot harder and they did. We weren’t able to match that unfortunately it was a tough loss, but a well earned split anyways.”

The Bulldogs are off to Houghton, Michigan this weekend to face Michigan Tech in their final WCHA regular season visit to that city.

Again, the games go on. Some win and some lose, just like in life. But enjoy each one as they come. Keep smile’n Northland, I will!