NCAA: Sioux Still Fighting

The North Dakota Fighting Sioux are headed to the Frozen Four for the fourth consecutive season after defeating Princeton and Wisconsin along the way. On the strength of their veteran talent including promising NHL prospects T.J. Oshie, Joe Finley, and Taylor Chorney, the Sioux will be hoping that the fourth time is a charm.

T.J. Oshie (StL), C, North Dakota

A dynamic game breaker that is NHL ready, Oshie is a Hobey Baker finalist and was chosen All-WCHA First Team .. what separates T.J. Oshie is his ability to execute at full speed .. can explode out of his tight turns .. an electrifying dangler that can lift you out of your seat with awe-inspiring moves .. always utilizing stick and body fakes to keep defenders on their toes, Oshie can also simply bull over them with his deceptively powerful frame .. dangerous goal scorer with a booming wristshot .. a creative passer that displays his outstanding anticipation by passing the puck to where his teammates are going to be instead of where they are .. universal player that backchecks as hard as anyone and is always on the puck making plays .. an outstanding penalty killer that is a threat to transition an opponent's turnover to an offensive opportunity heading the other way .. owns a strong stick in traffic and he relentlessly battles for every inch on the ice .. can energize his team with a bone crunching open-ice hit .. ready for the NHL and the type of player you wish others would emulate.

Joe Finley (Wsh), D, North Dakota

Colossal 6-foot-7, 245-pound defenseman with a nasty streak and remarkable mobility for a player of his size .. graceful skater for a big man that fluidly pivots and swallows up a lot of ice with his enormous strides .. athletic defender that is now fully grown into his body with impressive overall body control and hand-eye coordination .. hands are surprisingly soft and moves well in all-directions with the puck .. owns a heavy shot but he forces it into legs .. decision-making with the puck has come a long way, as he has eliminated the careless turnovers that haunted him in the past .. uses his massive reach as an effective defensive tool .. can be an absolute monster when his mean streak comes out and is capable of landing some thunderous open-ice bodychecks .. his mobility allows him to angle his man to the wall properly when defending against the rush, although at times, he does give too wide of a gap, which allows the opposition to make a play with the puck that he could have prevented .. has developed very well over the last three seasons and is now ready for his next test in the pro-game.

Taylor Chorney (Edm), D, North Dakota

Skillful puckmoving defenseman that was chosen All-WCHA First Team .. a horse on the backend for the Fighting Sioux, Chorney was a key performer in all situations .. blessed with great feet for a defender and phenomenal lateral mobility .. highly skilled offensive defenseman that can launch offensive attacks through the passing game from his own end or while working the point .. dangerous creeping into or leading the offensive attack, as he anticipates the opening seams in the oppositions' defenses and exploits them with his quick hands and fast top gear .. very skilled with quick hands and a heavy wristshot .. rangy defender that utilizes his superior mobility to establish inside body position and then effectively angle his man to the wall .. lacks height but he has strong core strength and displays his toughness while holding his own in the trenches .. there is nothing more for him to prove in the NCAA and is ready for Edmonton to sign.

Chris VandeVelde (Edm), C, North Dakota

Enjoyed a breakout sophomore season by more than tripling his freshman point totals while displaying his blossoming power game on the puck .. despite being a bit clunky in tight areas with his galloping start-up strides, VandeVelde is an overall decent skater for a larger player thanks to his strong legs .. much stronger on the puck this season than he was last year, as his power game begins to emerge .. not a flashy offensive player but is very effective at generating offense below the hash marks his with his commanding power moves to the net .. has a deceptive release on his wristshot but is also a solid playmaker that has enough patience with the puck to allow open lanes to develop .. added quickness would aide his defensive game, as while he is willing to come deep into his own end, he can be beaten one-on-one off the wall by speedier opposition .. vastly improved prospect that should be the key to the Sioux's offensive attack next year.

Andrew Kozek (Atl), LW, North Dakota

Energetic sparkplug that enjoyed a breakout junior season by more than tripling his goal totals from last year .. when the Sioux needed a spark while down 2-0 against Wisconsin, Kozek was put on the first line and paid immediate dividends by scoring the game winner .. finally figured out how to utilize his NHL-caliber shot as a true weapon .. carrying the puck up ice with no apprehension now and no longer just dumps the puck in deep once he gains the redline .. this has allowed his offensive attack to flourish, as he now gains the offensive zone in possession where his bone-rattling shot immediately becomes an offensive threat .. fearless winger that will get his nose dirty to score and bang bodies while acting as a torpedo on the forecheck .. nimble and quick skater that is beginning to find the quiet ice and create space for himself in the offensive zone .. hyper competitive and plays with vigor every shift .. displays the fortitude to play in the pro-game right now but coming back next year where he is set to inherit more of an offensive role would be best for his development.

Rylan Kaip (Atl), RW, North Dakota

North Dakota's senior captain is a character player that acts as a glue guy for the Sioux .. type of player that willingly does all of the little things that allows his more skillful teammates to shine in the open ice .. skating still needs work, as he takes too long to get going and he struggles to make tight turns at full flight .. lacks the finesse and puck instincts to be an offensive threat .. simply has to grit out any goals he scores .. usually the first man in on the forecheck and effectively maintains possession on the cycle .. tough and competitive winger that finishes all of his checks with a little extra oomph behind them .. willing to stick up for his teammates and would fight if the cages were off .. effective penalty killer that is strong in the faceoff circle .. has a future in the minors but will need to improve his mobility if he ever wants to touch the NHL.

Matt Frattin (Tor), RW, North Dakota

Freshman winger that adapted well to be utilized as a checking-line winger .. a wide-tracked skater that must improve his dot-to-dot quickness and first step, although his closing speed is adequate .. utilizes his impressive in-close puck control to cover the puck in traffic and come out of the trenches with possession .. displays glimpses of a budding playmaker with good vision and touch in close around the net .. his shot appears to catch goaltenders off guard but he needs to use it more .. plays with an adequate edge and willingly finishes all of his checks .. attempts to drive the net with the puck but currently lacks the strength to do so .. should see his offensive game begin to shine through next season while playing in a support role in the Sioux's top six.

Brad Malone (Col), RW, North Dakota

Burly freshman winger that emerged as a much more effective player late in the season than he was early in the year where the pace of the game seemed to completely overwhelm him .. playing a north/south game that fits his skill set more ideally than the finesse game that worked for him in the USHL .. his first-step quickness still needs to be upgraded but his stride does appear stronger now, which has stimulated his improved top speed .. uses his big frame to shield the puck well while on the cycle, however he brings nothing to the table offensively right now, as he simply brain locks when he gets the puck in a scoring area .. working much harder away from the puck using his size to bang bodies along the wall .. took some strides late in the year but will need to develop his mobility and puck skills further next season.

Matt Watkins (Dal), LW, North Dakota

Gritty and fast winger that makes his most influential impact on the defensive side of the puck .. a strong skater that is light on his feet with superb quickness .. sturdy on his feet for a player standing at just 5-foot-10 and 182 pounds, which allows him to effectively maintain possession cycling the puck down low .. at his best offensively when he is attacking the zone with speed .. an okay passer that shrewdly utilizes the boards and pointmen to move the puck in the attacking zones .. spunky forechecker that uses his speed to get on the oppositions defenseman quickly and he intercepts a few passes by being disciplined in staying in the proper lanes .. his offensive game has stagnated over the last couple of years and he will be asked to develop that side of the game next season during his senior year.

Ryan Duncan (UFA), LW, North Dakota

The 2007 Hobey Baker Award winner and the reigning WCHA player of the year, Duncan was chosen All-WCHA First team this year while displaying to scouts his tremendous speed and skill .. a fast skater that can blitz past the opposition in the attacking zones with the puck .. slippery player that can weave in and out of traffic areas with his quick hands and water bug like agility .. pint-sized at 5-foot-6 and 159 pounds, but he avoids being hit thanks to impressive escape ability and self-preservation skills .. buries his chances with a phenomenal wristshot that is very accurate and flies off his stick .. sees the ice well and is a creative playmaker that also makes those around him more productive offensive threats .. has a knack for sneaking behind defenses and creating offense in transition .. someone will take a chance on this diminutive offensive dynamo for his pure skill.

Jean-Philippe Lamoureux (UFA), G, North Dakota

Senior that was named the WCHA's Top Goaltender while also finishing as a Hobey Baker Award finalist .. despite his small 5-foot-8, 152-pound frame, Lamoreux is capable of making brilliant game-saving stops .. must have ice water flowing through his veins, as his poise in pressure situations is impeccable .. his anticipation and fast lateral movement makes him very effective at sliding across the crease in time to rob the opposition of a sure backside goal .. quick to recover and despite using unorthodox saves such as stacking the pads, Lamoreux never resorts to unneeded flopping .. glove hand is remarkably fast .. his lack of size and limited puckhandling skills are the only concerns, and some team will take a chance on this chronic overachiever.