You Want Answers, Rocky Mountain edition

Sorry this is a little late, folks. Just getting ready to head to Denver in the morning. But there's always time for your questions.


From Nation: Injuries?
Short and sweet, Nation. I like those kinds of questions. Galiardi is back in the lineup, and Joe Schiller bounced back from his injury Saturday to return. Zach Lehrke is on the trip but is one of the extras (Josh Nelson is the other). However, Chase Grant is out with a lower-body injury and did not make the trip. Jutting said that he hopes this week and next week's bye week will be sufficient time for him to heal. I'm wondering if they'll hold him out of the UMass.-Lowell series, too.


From BIGhkyfan: With the injuries the way they are and coach moving up Heath and Davis last week to fill in, what about Mosey? His bio had him as a F and converted to D in JR's. He has speed, shots well and strong in the corners? Of all our D men, he would seem more likely to be a good option. Just thinking of Schiller.
BIG, Heath was practicing as a forward for the previous two weeks, and Davis only moved up for a couple of shifts in the third period on Saturday. You're right that Mosey was a forward and probably would have been capable of playing up front like Davis did for a shift or two. Obviously, they didn't plan on those kinds of injuries and had to adjust on the fly. Davis is a senior and a leader, and they're going to give him more responsibilities, especially late in games like that. I don't recall this off-hand, but I'll bet Davis was playing up front when Mosey was on the ice.


From Teamworker: OK... Has the season even begun? Besides the team seeming flat, the MOJO around town and Verizon Center is FLAT. Could it be the terrible music they play which certainly would keep the students away. Or cause it is played way to loud and not even the players can think. Change is GOOD and the mood around the arena is FLAT. So please pass this on to the arena tech committee who simply needs a student with an iPod and they will rock that place. They have 3 weeks until we return, surely enough time to make some changes.

Teamworker, I didn't think the atmosphere was that bad at the VWC during the Colorado College series. But I'm with you on the music (I know, I know ... I usually don't like to get into too much of a discussion on the music selections). I think it tends to drown out good crowd participation rather than boost it. I'd love to hear a different variety of songs, but the VWC plays the same stuff every hockey arena plays. Mankato is no different in that department.

More from Teamworker: Continuing with my musical questions. Are there any plans, talks about getting a Jumbo Vision on the Verizon wall for replays and live action? Is there an alum out there that could donate or spearhead a group to fund such an item. You look at venues around the college ranks and all of a sudden, MSU is looking a little tired and it shows with the crowds (lack of). I said it last year. A live pep band would be HUGE...

I think the city's always looking to upgrade things at the arena, but costs are a big factor. A big video screen would be ideal for many reasons (not the least of which is my ability to see some replays for MSU home games), however, I don't see it at the top of the arena improvement list right now (hopefully I'm wrong). ... As for a pep band, MSU used to have one there but there wasn't a lot of pep. They also put the band in some of the best student-section seats, which irked many folks (see below). If I was in charge, I'd set up portable bleachers for a pep band and put them in the open area behind the south end of the rink. Then I'd send the musicians to Michigan Tech to see how good a small-school pep band can be. 

From Mavfan4life: Just a comment, not a question. No pep band. They drive me nuts, and they take away student seats, so the student would not be as loud. Maybe I can just bring my Ipod for them to play.

There's nothing like a great band. See Badgers, Wisconsin; and Gophers, Minnesota. Those are Big Ten bands in Big Ten buildings. But Michigan Tech and even Minnesota Duluth also prove what a band can provide to a hockey game. As for taking away student seats, see my suggestion above. I think you can find a place for a good band.

From Alex: 1. What have the coaches had to say about 2012 commitment Dylan Margonari? 2. Why is the schedule so imbalanced this year? 3. Do teams like mass lowell and alaska help pay for travel costs?

Alex, the coaches can't talk about recruits until they have signed national letters of intent. I'm guessing Margonari won't sign until a year from now. Actually, the early signing period for '11 started on Wednesday, so once that class has signed, I'm looking forward to talking to the coaches about them. That group includes J.P. Lafontaine, Brett Stern, Max Gaede and Zach Palmquist. ... As for the schedule, who knows? It is brutal. The WCHA schedules conference games, and the teams schedule nonconference opponents. I'm guessing this is just a fluke this year. The good news for the Mavs is that they have lots of home games in the second half of the season. ... Finally, Anchorage used to pay for opponents' travel cost -- but not MSU's. As part of their entry to the WCHA way back when, MSU offered to pay its own way to Alaska. One thing's for sure: this is a costly travel month for the Mavs, with flights to Anchorage, Denver and Massachusetts.