Live in Five
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Live in Five
Episode 116: Chilly Willy
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A new episode with Jordan Schmaltz & Gage Ausmus.
This week the fellas get into:
- The Real March Madness is here
- The fellas breakdown each regional
- People's Insider Term of the Week
&& much more !!
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Alrighty, folks, welcome back to another episode of Live and Five Baby, the Captain Gage, Ozzo Osmus, J Swish, back in the saddle, episode 116 on the bone, off the screws, 93-1 reporting live from the chin of Scottsdale, Arizona. Ozzo holding it down in the Midwest, the greater Twin Cities area. Ozzo wanted to pop on this week, and I wanted strictly talk about the college hockey March Madness, the real March Madness, brother. We're always brought to you by Butter Golf and Mini Movers. But it is tournament time, my friend. Felt like it took a little bit longer to get here this year, just with that new format. Especially a lot of the conferences have adopted. I'm going to home sites for the conference tournaments. But we're here, Ozzo, and I want to start it off with the UND draw. I want to start it off. I want to have your thoughts, obviously, on the entire regional of Sioux Falls and all of that matter. But let's get into it, bro. I think uh, at least from the outsiders perspective, and a guy that doesn't watch a ton of puck in the college ranks, um, I like our draw, brother. I I really do as a Sioux fan.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, no, I it it's a little scary, isn't it, Jordo? Because just looking at each one of these regionals, it it I don't want to bite ourselves in the in the foot here or whatever, but it looks like we have the easiest one, right?
SPEAKER_00It does on paper, it does, and that's no disrespect to Quinnipiek, who I always call a mid-major school. That I didn't even know they were D1 until you guys played them in the national championship 10 years ago. Um, I'm always gonna rag on Quinnipiac. They're a bunch of rejects, like 25-year-olds from they recruit out of the BCHL.
SPEAKER_02But always good though, seven straight NCAA tournaments. I I agree. Like, I'm not scared of them, which I don't want to, I'm gonna knock on wood, but I'm not scared of anyone in this region.
SPEAKER_00No, I'm not. And now you're looking at that first game with with UND, right? You know, we're we're looking as you know, a solid one seed. Um, we got Merrimack coming in to well, Sioux Falls at the Denny Sanford Center, I believe that is. Don't know a ton about this team. Um, I know Jimmy Mullen um was a coach there. Um, Deep V Mullen, I believe, took a job there. He was in Fargo and now he's an assistant coach in Merrimack. Yeah, so I think he's still there. Um, you know, this team surprised a lot of teams out of the hockey east tournament. Didn't they win hockey east tournament and that's why they're here?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, they're the eight seed going into the college hockey or the hockey east tournament, and they went on to win it. Okay, it was the first time ever.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so that's one of those games where you know, UND 11 days off, Ozza. We've talked about it in the past, where you know, you just don't want to get stung or, like you said, shoot yourself in the foot right out of the gates, right? You're probably gonna have to shake off some nerves. A lot of these guys are first-year players. We have 15 new faces on this team um at the start of the year. A lot of freshmen, a lot of underclassmen, guys that haven't played the tournament. So you're gonna have those nerves going in. It's just about finding that simple, basic, basically road game to start and then let the skill take over. Um, how are you feeling though, in terms of preparation? Obviously, Dane Jackson's gonna have them ready to go, but 11 days off, man, that's that always worries me a little bit.
SPEAKER_02It it's definitely it definitely worries you. I mean, Merrimack just comes off a heater, right? And yeah, I mean, they're riding a high, they they just played last weekend. It's definitely scary, Jordal. But this team, uh, for some reason, like years in the years past, some of these teams I've watched at North Dakota, I'd be like, oh boy, this is not good. But for some reason, I don't know why. It's just I guess it's just everything that's happened over this past season for them. I I have confidence that they're gonna show up ready to play this game.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, no, I you know they're 27, 9, and 1 on the year. Merrimack actually not bad as well, 21, 15, and two, which is not a bad number for an eight seed that just is riding that high, but they are riding that high in. And you know, when they play North Dakota, and especially in the Midwest, you're gonna get their best game. Um, but I see no problem for North Dakota. For me, Ozzo, I think that's a game that's you know, maybe fairly close for the first two periods or the first half of the game, and then the latter half of the game is is when UND can can really you know drive home the skill and and um you know kind of create separation, if you will. You never know how these games are gonna go because it's one fucking game, but that's the way I see it, at least in my head. Um, I don't think there's a problem there for the Sue Boys in that first game.
SPEAKER_02There shouldn't be, but yeah, you you never know. It's it's one game shots. I mean, Merrimack just beat Providence, who won hockey east this year the regular season. Um they just beat them what March 14th, is what it's saying. So yeah, I mean, you just gotta weather their storm. You know they're gonna be coming out hot. You you're gonna want a couple saves from the goaltender, um Spooner, and hopefully the the skill does take over. Like you need a goal from Will Zellers, yeah. You you hopefully get a goal from Ben Strindon. Um, maybe Reshne has a couple apples, you know, that's what you need to happen. And they always ask me, Jordo, they always ask me, you know, how how did you guys win that national championship? Like, what would you say to people like how to win a national championship? And my answer is always the same. It's you know, it's it's always pretty beneficial to have a CBS line, yeah. You know, that's what I would say. If you really want to win one, go out there and find yourself a CBS line.
SPEAKER_00100%, yeah, because it's one thing to get to the frozen four, and then it's one thing to have the game breakers that you guys had. And you know, obviously that goal that Nikki scored late in the game against Denver, that's where your big time players and big time moments shine through, which I do think North Dakota has some of those guys. I mean, Will Zellers has proven that to the point of the world juniors, he had a really good world juniors, he came in as a guy on the fourth line, and you know, ultimately was one of their game breakers. So I do think um that game's not going to be an issue. Now, if you're going to the next game in that same regional, which is gonna be played at 5 p.m. local standard, you got Providence in Quinnipiac, you got the battle of an ECAC team that's always pesky, always good. They're well coached by Rand Pecknell, and as well as you know, Providence, who you know always plays a tight-checking game. They're greasy. When I think about Providence hockey, I just think about that year that they won it, um, the year prior in Boston. Also, your sophomore year, my junior year, when they somehow stunned the world, and they had guys like Nola Charlie.
SPEAKER_02And we they had a good team, but we kind of took them, we kind of took them to the woodshed in uh when they came to Grand Forks.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, we did. I think we we swept them or we tied.
SPEAKER_02We we won and tied.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, we won and tied. So, but they were they were just like a scrappy team, you know. I I I think they're always the friars are always built like that. They're a little bit older, usually, too. Uh, a lot of a lot of times they're kind of rejects, if you will, of the BCs or the B Us of the world, right? You're not necessarily getting the higher end guys from the Boston area, but you get good players similar to UMass or some of those schools. So that game, also I got QPAC winning that game. I I don't know a ton about uh both those teams, I'll be honest. But I just for me, it screams Nodak, QPAC, and the Sioux Boys just kicking the shit out of them coming out of that regional. I don't know why. That's just that's how I haven't I envision it.
SPEAKER_02That's certainly what we're hoping for. Um, and and that's the way it probably should pan out. But yeah, I mean, you got you got I think what is it, Nate Lehman and Ren Pecknold coaching Providence and Quinnipiac. Sorry, Merrimack, I don't know your head coach's name, but those two coaches they know what they're doing. Now, Quinnipiac has this kid, Ethan Witt. What's his name again? He's he's what he's leading the league in in points. Um, but he's a freshman. But those players, like, I feel like when you have one of those players on your team, Jordo, you typically always win these, you have an upper hand in these big games. Um, and I think like when you look at Quinnipiack and Providence, they're probably two of the same team, but one of them has the leading score in the country. And sorry, you know, Ethan Wittenbach.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, Wittenbach. Yeah, I'm looking right now. He's a Calgary draft pick. Freshman. Right shot. Yeah, he's a fifth rounder, so he he kind of slid, but he's he's got 58 points. Um, you know, he's even got better numbers than he had when he was playing at Sioux Falls just a year prior. Uh, 24 goals in 38 games. I mean, that's no slouch himself. He looks like he's from the the New York area, Rosalind, New York, uh, played for the Long Island Gulls, so it seems like he's a he's a Long Island kid. Um, yeah, those, I mean, those those are certainly those are even especially in that conference when you know it's those goals are tough to come by, you know.
SPEAKER_02Oh, yeah, it's it's I don't think it's very easy to score goals against Cornell. They've usually got eight six foot five guys skating around as forwards.
SPEAKER_00Yep. Yeah, and this this Christopher Pelosi, no relation to Nancy. Uh, he was a third-round pick. Um, you know, he's got 38 points. He's had a solid campaign. I remember his name, yes. That's where he was playing in Sioux Falls. He was he was a solid player there. Uh, but you know, he's got 17 tucks, 33 points. So they they got some good players. Um, you know, they're they're always good, Quinn at Piac. They they recruit well. Um, they get those, I don't know, not later draft picks, but just guys that kind of just find a niche and and yeah, I don't know what it is about them, Jordo.
SPEAKER_02I mean, they made the tournament seven years in a row now, it's pretty impressive.
SPEAKER_00Um, and like high seeds usually, too, you know.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and they've they're all they're never a four-seed in the tournament, they're always uh either a one, two, or three seed. I don't know how they keep doing it. I've I have heard from guys who have played there, Thomas Shutt. I'll I'll shout out Thomas Shutt. Um, he the way he talks about it, it does sound pretty cool. It's a it's almost like a little North Dakota in a sense, where it's kind of a smaller school, um, and you kind of build that camaraderie going to the same bars and and doing that type of stuff. So it does sound like and and they've got a lot of school pride, and and hockey is the main sport there. Like everyone who goes to Quinnipiac, they know the hockey team's good, so it's a little bit like that. It sounds like a special place to play, but like you said, they never really get first rounders and they're like studs coming in, they're just always solid, yeah. Um, and when you're playing a one-game shot, that's that's scary. But I'm looking at their point to the their leading point getters, and they're it's three freshmen, so I don't really love that if I'm Quinnipiac either, though. I I mean everything's lining up for the Sioux to be in in Vegas, and I hate to say it and I don't want to jinx them, but that's what it is, yeah.
SPEAKER_00And that Quinna Piac too, it's literally right around the corner from Yale, and as well as Trinity College. So you have like all these schools right in New Haven, Connecticut, and it's kind of like a just a battle, like there's a sneaky rivalry between Quinna Piac and Yale. Um there's you know, some bad blood there and um good rivalry, and they have a great barn too. So so secret why they're good, but I I agree with you, Azo. I I got the suit coming out of that one, and then if you're looking just to the just I guess we're gonna go back east and look at the bracket that would match up, eventually gonna meet the UND boys, hopefully at Team Mobile Arena in a couple weeks, is is we got Michigan State and Yukon. Now, again, don't know a ton about Yukon. I know the coach Nightingale, Adam Nightingale, there with the Michigan State Spartans. They've had a great year. I believe they won the Big Ten, correct? The regular season. Um they're the third overall seed, coming in at 25-8-2. Uh playing Yukon. Yukon now, Yukon showed a decent chinazo over at the TD Bank Garden a couple weeks ago or a week ago. Um, I believe they won one game at the TD Bank Guard at the Hockey East tournament. So um, you know, they played decent ball all year, they're coming in at 20 and 12. Um now Michigan State, they got some higher end guys on that squad, no?
SPEAKER_02Oh, Michigan State's loaded. They got uh that kid who transferred Charlie Stromel. He he he transferred from Wisconsin, he wasn't really playing much there, Jordo. And now he's at Michigan State with Nightingale. And I think I want to check his points, but I think he's got like I want to say over a point per game. He's just unbelievable. And then they got that Porter Mortone kid from Team Canada and the World Juniors, yep. Um, really good player as well. They're they're loaded, like Nightingale's been able to take a lot of those NTDP kids and get them out of Michigan and come to Michigan State, which you know, when I was growing up, Jordo, and when we were playing Michigan State, like when we went to Michigan State, we were like, All right, here's two wins. Yep, you know, and now I wouldn't want to go there and play them. You know, they're they they've been really good for the past I don't know how many years, three, four, five years.
SPEAKER_00100%. Ever since you know the Big Ten was kind of formulated, and they've got acclimated into a winning hockey again since you know the Ron Mason days. Honestly, I remember in 2006 when Justin Applicator scored that game-winning goal at the frozen four. It was in St. Louis. UND was there as well. But you mentioned this kid, Chucky Strobel is his name, I believe. You just said it right, or Strubble, what's his name? Stramel. Stramel, okay, Stramel, Strudel, Stramel, Turducken, Turkey.
SPEAKER_02First round pick by the wild, by the way.
SPEAKER_00Right. And just what an interesting career he's had. I mean, the trajectory he's had, a first-round pick, Gaza puts up 12 points his first year at Wisco, then eight, and then goes to Michigan State, has a respectable year, 27 points in 37 games, and now has 19 goals and 25 assists for this Sparty team. What a weird, what a weird just trajectory of a career. And and who knows if he even signs with the wild because he's played four years now, he could elect to ultimately go to free agency. That's crazy to me.
SPEAKER_02It it's it's crazy, and it's also crazy looking. If you I've never really watched this kid play, I'll be honest. I've watched uh little some of Michigan State's games this year, but I've never watched him play before that. It's a little interesting. How did this kid go first round?
SPEAKER_00I think it was just based on potential and potential.
SPEAKER_02He's a potential of three, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Potential's a scary word, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it's like I'm looking at his stats here. He gets U18 year, he's got seven points. And then I mean not great, 22 points, I guess. He had 22 points, is what I'm seeing. I was seeing something else.
SPEAKER_00Well, I mean, you know, you see he was 6'3, 200 odd pounds, right? So he was a late first round pick. So I don't know if he could actually technically go to free agency because I think it has to be for for four years, right? So he got drafted after his freshman year. Is that correct?
SPEAKER_02Yep, yeah. He was a or after NTDP before he went to Wisconsin.
SPEAKER_00He was a drafted in 2023, so that was after his freshman year. So he had 12 points that year, and the year before, he had played world juniors, so he played as an underager for the world junior team. Wow, and then played the following year world juniors, and then didn't make it when he was a 20-year-old. So, what just an interesting career that kid's had.
SPEAKER_02Um, yeah, that's what an unbelievable season. He's got 44 points, 35 games, 19 tucks.
SPEAKER_00I mean, good for him was for sticking with it too. And then you mentioned this part this Porter Matone or Martone. I mean, you know, six overall pick, he's having a hell of a season. He's got 47 points, uh, 24 tucks. So, yeah, I I I think I got Sparty rolling through that one against UConn. And then on the other side, Dartmouth, who's back in the mix. Dartmouth's one of those teams that, you know, typically, prototypically, not an elite program by any means. Um, I think they're on the little bit of a come up over there in Hanover, New Hampshire, but they've put together a solid season in the ECAC 23-7 and 4. Uh, but I just think Wisco is gonna roll over them.
SPEAKER_02Um, you'd think, right? Like, you know, they got a good Dartmouth. I I know they had a good season. Congrats, Dartmouth. You had a great season. I'm happy for you guys, but you're really gonna beat Mike Hastings and in Wisco, the Badgers coming in. I I don't see it. I think we'll see Michigan State playing Wisco to go to the frozen four.
SPEAKER_00Yep, yeah, I think you're right there, just with Hastings, the prep work there. Wisco's had a solid season, a little bit up and down, if you will, but you know, nonetheless, they had had finished at 21, 12, and two. So that I see as as Michigan State, Tish State as I call me Wisco. And I got I got Michigan State winning that one also in a Big Ten showdown over there in Worcester. I don't know what you have, who's coming out of that regional for you.
SPEAKER_02I got Michigan State as well. I think they're gonna pull it off. Um, I like their coach, they've been at the top all year, and I I do think they have the second, maybe even the first easiest regional. This might even be easier than Nodac's, but I do like Nodak's pull.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I would say this regional, especially with Dartmouth there, a little weak. I would say UConn a little weak as well, but it just sets up for a Big Ten showdown Saturday night in Worcester at the DCU arena. So yeah, I uh I got Michigan State as well. And then you slide up to Loveland, Colorado, and we got our boy David Carl facing off against Cornell. Now, Cornell, those guys are built like football players. I mean, that's one of those teams where, you know, I don't know if I'd really want to play game one. They're gonna hit hard, they're always big, they play a greasy style, they're gonna sit back, they're gonna wait for power play opportunities, they're gonna go to the net hard, they're gonna forecheck you hard. Like, I would much rather be playing Dartmouth than Cornell Azzo.
SPEAKER_02Oh, 100%. I always I always love looking at Cornell's. I don't know what it is. Is it been the same coach the whole time? I don't know what it is, but they always their roster is always hilarious to look at because there's so many big guys listening to 616461 6265 6265 6364 6262. That's their forward group.
SPEAKER_00It's insane, and it's it's like clockwork every year, you know. You you think about every year. I always think about like the prototypical Cornell hockey player was like Johnny McCarron, who which is Mike McCarron's older brother, and he's 6'4, 230, and he's just a freight train on skates.
SPEAKER_02Exactly, and that's a that's their whole team. So yeah, that that's not a fun game for David Carl and his and his Denver Piles, but I do have them playing in that regional championship.
SPEAKER_00Yep, I I I got them greasing their way through that one. Um, on the other side of things, now Minnesota State, I would say is arguably the best coach team in this tournament. Uh, just in from an entire staff arguably, yes. From an entire staff, X's and O's, little nuances of the game, preparation work. Troy G. Ward, the associate head coach there, is gonna have them absolutely dialed in, Ozzo. Uh, you pair that with Luke Strand, as well as Keith Paulson, aka Uncle Pauley, and as well as I believe, what's his name? McKraken from Green Bay. So you got those guys all with whisco ties, all basically. I mean, I've played for three or three out of four of those guys, and they're all beauties, it's a hell of a staff. This is gonna be a tall task for Western, and they faced off against I believe Western and Mankato played, was it last year? Um, that was a really tight match in the first game of a regional. I don't know if that was in Fargo or somewhere, but um, they've played in the last two years, I know that. And for Western Michigan, I know they're a wagon and they got a great coach there, Patty Furta, but Minnesota State is one of those four seeds I do not want to see.
SPEAKER_02That's the one four seed I don't want to play. I also, yeah, it's the it's them and Merrimack who are hot right now. Um, yeah, I I would not want to play Mankato. I actually have Minnesota State, the Mavericks coming out of this one, Chordo. Wow. Um, I just I was just thinking, you know, like yes, Western is good, they they probably have the better team, but are these guys that hungry to go back to back? I I don't know. Yeah, and they're running into a tough team in in Mancato, as and as you said, great coaching. Um, I there's usually always one upset, and that was my one I picked.
SPEAKER_00I like that. I know I was going back and forth, and I ultimately picked Western. Um, I think it's gonna be an overtime game. I I certainly hope Mankato wins. Like that's my heart, but my chin and my gut was telling me Western's just gonna just gonna get it done at tournament time with um you know their experience. And I just think you know it's it's tough to bet against them. But I do really hope selfishly that Man Cato does prove me wrong and and gets a win there because I love all those guys there at you know also so we will monitor that um so in that next game do you do you have denver uh clipping mancado i do i do yeah i got i got denver just they just find a way to be there man like i didn't they're in colorado in the in the altitude they just they find a way man and i even tweeted out i i have them losing jump ahead i have them losing in the semifinal but they're gonna be playing on april 11th in the nan each ship aren't they i i i mean i they just it just seems like they do every year i got them there i mean that's just kind of that's baseball and that's david carried baseball i to tell you the truth i didn't think they were gonna win the conference tournament i didn't i didn't really like the games i even watched them throughout the year they didn't excite me um they didn't really have they just maybe some pieces in the past that i thought even their style looked a little bit different at times throughout the year especially in the early months of december and a little bit in january to be honest i didn't really like their brand of hockey and then i started watching a little bit more tape on them just because i was trying to study their game and they started coming on a little bit and i watched a little bit of film of that game the n channel and they look pretty good they're they're playing they're playing they're playing in straight lines they're playing in straight lines they're getting timely scoring they have the timely saves uh and david carrell is a tough man to bet against and especially at this time of year yeah i just i just hope we see them in the national championship against und and you know what how that's gonna go so uh i got i got du as well in that one i want to set it to mvp arena uh we got michigan and bentley i don't think we need to say anything about that that tj hughes kid is he's the real deal huh this kid he's good i mean even you know the other Michael that that haze kid is good our boy jaden perron who left nodak he's pretty damn good too yeah I mean Perron had that nifty tuck the other week off the face off where he came downhill and and just put on an absolute turcot stick handling clinic and then you got like a guy like Will Horkoff who's got 24 bingos um you know they got four players over a point per game this is a this is a solid solid squad here fella um and they got a nice draw to start let's be honest they got they got Bentley as they should as the number one overall seed but they're gonna they're gonna kick the shit out of them and then is that one Jordo six six seven nothing yeah I think Bentley maybe gets one six one yeah to a period for Michigan and Bentley cheeks one in maybe late in the game. This Duluth Penn State matchup though now for views and just college hockey you want Penn State to go as far as possible you want them playing in Nevada let's be honest you want them in you want them in sin city you want the potential first overall pick there but I got our boy Beach Scotty Sandalin getting it done I got them beating Penn State fella I don't know about you yeah I uh I think I think I have them as well I just I watched them play North Dakota and and I know how good North Dakota is Jordo and I always thought Duluth was a one one line team but they're really good they're unbelievable they have some really good defensemen they have a really good goaltender they they have possibly the best player in the country at the time right now Max Plant if you've watched him play he's and his brother Sam Plant's not far behind him and then they got that shogabay kid I mean yeah I it's it's tough to bet against Penn State because I know all these things go with whenever you got a guy like Gavin McKenna on your squad you know like somehow you just find a way to make it to the next round and you gotta get a couple more power plays probably yeah like you you'll you'll get the draw because like you said you want Penn State to go on if you're probably the NCAA because you got the first round the first overall pick on the squad um and also I'll go on a little tangent about that it's hilarious seeing these people from all these small schools watching the selection show and they're just mad they're talking about Gavin McKenna it's like do you do you think we're not gonna talk about the first overall pick playing college hockey that that's what the whole show is going to be about and that's what it should be about. He's the best player in the world in his draft class right now I mean it's it's a no brainer but yeah we need to we need to monetize this brand as is no one we need more people watching college hockey in the grand in the grand scheme of things nobody's watching college hockey they should be but no one is and this is one way to get people to watch it is we have the fucking first overall pick that came from Canada and was playing in major juniors to come down to the states and play in the college circuit 100% that's what that's what it is I mean you could yes we want people to watch college hockey no they do not I don't care if all you fans think people watch college hockey they don't I mean that's why it's on espn two the national championship game and they've got a volleyball or wrestling tournament on ESPN one.
SPEAKER_02I mean it's just people don't watch college hockey I don't know why but we want them to get them watch it the way to get them to watch it is watching Gavin McKenna because he's unbelievable but Duluth is coming out of that game Journal I I just don't see him losing to Penn State.
SPEAKER_00Yeah I I'm I'm with you um I just think they're I watched Penn State earlier in the year I I have not watched them really since and I I I watched him literally the first weekend of the year at ASU. You know they they have talent they you know that JJ Wee Bush aka we wrench who's a Wisconsin product is is a great player. He's got a little bit of Brad Marshawn to him where he's a little bit of a rat. You know even the coach's kid uh is a solid defenseman back there. He's a big big tall tree you know tall drink of water he's a draft back there then obviously McKenna and they got some other pieces in there too but I just think you know unless Penn State gets four or five power plays I I just think Duluth is going to clip them. I got Duluth coming out of that regional to be honest I got them beat Michigan. Yeah I thought about going that route too it was tough for me not to pick them because for some reason these Big 10 teams man I just don't trust them when it comes March and April I know I I did have Michigan coming out though I've watched them play that's gonna be a tough game for Duluth I mean that is a tough team to beat I don't want to see Michigan if we were to see them in the championship game I'd be scared shitless of both Michael Hage Perron and Hughes but I could easily see Duluth beating them easily I would not be shocked Michigan was just a never never a team that scared me to be honest like when BC was in their heyday you know with the late Johnny Goodreau gotta rest his soul hazy they were they were terrifying those guys scared me I don't know what it was about Michigan that never really scared me I don't and they're always pretty good too you know I was just like ah it's Michigan you know they'll lose one game in Cincinnati and they'll go home they'll be fine like Michigan you know and they have a lot of national championships too they're a hell of a program I mean a top three program of all time it's just they never really scare me Minnesota always gave me the ooh okay you know because we didn't have much success against them at least in my time but Michigan never really Michigan Wisco those teams boys just you know we're we're gonna take care of you'll be all right so yeah I felt that way against Wisco too for some reason whenever we'd play him I'm just like yeah we're gonna beat these guys yeah I remember in uh in Cincinnati we're the four seed we were getting dressed in the referee locker room my sophomore year and we had just snuck into the tournament a week before because we won a third place game against Western Michigan and we found out that we were whisco had won in the big 10 whisco got us in Wisco got us in and I just remember going into that game I was like these guys are a one seed we're gonna fucking whack them like we and we did the score the score was tight I think it was four one or two two empty netters but we fucking dummed them oh yeah it was it will that was one of the most shocking games I've ever seen actually because Wisco is supposed to be this unbelievable team we just sneak into the tournament and it wasn't even close I mean it was dummy these guys suck what do they have Jake McCabe and then uh what was the forward Zang it wasn't Zangerly was they had Zangerly yep Zangerly and then and then the late Nick Cordillis yeah wait curdy's curdy's not not alive anymore no Jesus I didn't know that motor motorcycle accident maybe a year ago two wow yeah yep yeah I mean they rest in peace curdy I guess but yeah yeah they had him they had uh Zang's they had uh McCabe was nasty they Tyler Tyler Barnes was pretty good who was the big uh who was the big forward merch merch merch is good they had frank we took it to him we took it to him gior and and and you know it's funny is the next game we played fair state yes who took it to us absolutely that was the hardest game I've still ever played in any level of hockey I think I it was double OT I I think I played 40 close to 40 minutes over 40 I think and uh it would every shift was just miserable just hemmed in the entire time couldn't wingers couldn't get the puck out yes that's when that's what jax always tells a story in double OT when I come down or is in it was in single OT when I come down to the forward end we get hemmed in so it's a long shift I'm out there for like a minute at this point maybe a minute probably a minute and a half to be honest and Rocco gets the puck finally we we get a breakout Rocco gets the puck skates it up gets a in between our own blue line and red line turnover right back down our throat we go back get hemmed in for another 15 30 seconds now okay now we get possession on the wall give it to O'Donnell O'Donnell has a little bit of a break skates it tries to make some slip play turnover right at our blue line right back down our throat rocky gets another he gets it again blows a tire right at our blue line again right down our throat we're hemmed in for like it was like a legitimate three minute shift maybe even a little bit longer at least that's what it felt like but it was for sure three and I get back to the bench and I'm huffing and puffing I need the fucking oxygen tank because I'm just bang I had my boy Simmer just sitting in front of the net and I his job was in front of the net mine was the corner so I'm just you know all over the place I get back on the bench and I immediately go down like to the halfway point where the grocery stick who the guys aren't playing on the forward end in between the D and the forward and I just ream them out I just like if you fucking assholes don't get the puck out I'm gonna come down there and kick the shit out of you and Jackson just like looks at me like oh shit and then he always tells a story but it was just like I was seeing red bro I I remember that I was so pissed off at those dipshits they just chip it out let me get off yeah yeah there so many turnovers so many giveaways the forwards just weren't getting it out and it was funny because like you if you get hemmed in by you know let's just say uh this Michigan team or Penn State you're probably getting scored on but we're playing Fair State so they're just whipping pucks from corners and shit like and just retrieving them and whipping it again and retrieving it I think they had like 50 shots at the end of the game because they're just ripping the puck at the net from any angle. Yeah um that was a hilarious game one of the funniest games we got out of there just somehow some way it wasn't pretty too like we we we show up to Cincinnati at the US Bank Arena at the time the fucking busy hits a curb we're stuck the bus is broke we got an Uber to the hotel like we're in this shitty locker room that's like a makeshift referee locker when we win the first game they're like you guys want to you know take out one of the teams that just lost room like we can go to the one seed Wisconsin we're like nope we'll keep it in here we got these carabiners to hang our jock straps up so that was it was just everything a four seed had written all over it but yeah that was that was a fucking hell of a dub we we snuck out of it but Ozzo I got so you got Michigan you got Denver you got Mich State and the Sioux who do you got winning that game between Michigan and Denver you got Michigan I got Michigan okay yeah I got du there and then I got the Sioux obviously over Michigan State um what's your final score in that game Michigan Nodak Michigan Nodak um yeah I was gonna go 4-2 yeah I got four two but they're playing Denver empty netter up three two empty netter um maybe even five two i maybe there's some time to change that because sometimes in these games there's sometimes there's two empty netters um but yeah yeah I I I I just think and I I'm not even being that biased when I'm when I'm picking my winners here this year Jordo like I actually do think North Dakota has a good path to that national championship game and it's very realistic for them to win that game. No I'm 100% with you I I like their mojo um and I'm gonna be tuned in especially um as we get going here I mean I think they're playing what tomorrow night already uh playing tomorrow night where are you gonna watch on Saturday if they win that game? I'm gonna watch it back here in AZ because I'm sliding to Vegas uh tomorrow morning just in and out we're doing the it's hilarious celebrities of the game just a bunch of Z listers but we're doing the pregame siren at the game it's pretty sick unreal one by three yeah so that'll be great that'll be pretty cool usually it's like fucking little John or Steve Aoki and now they got a bunch of Z listers people are gonna be like huh who the fuck is they get the Bronx cheers you know so it'll be pretty sick though. Good on uh shout out to the Vegas Knights man for yeah their uh PR team and their social media team for putting the boys on that was cool um they're good people there and they're like legitimately fans of the show so it's it's oh that's huge they're letting us do this. Yeah it's it's I mean last year we did that podcast outside of the arena and the homeless guy came by I don't know if you remember that it was just like this dude all jacked up on Mount Have you have you been to a game at Vegas? I've heard it's sick too those games are nasty yeah yeah I actually I played there back in the day the first year of the league really yeah yeah I played would you would you have that up there as like one of your best experiences like fan experiences arena experiences playing in a hockey game because that's what I for that's what hackstall told me yeah for sure and that was year one too when they had the go-go dancers on the glass and warm-ups on the visiting side so you they literally had strippers on the glass and they had to mix that um because the league you know they'd rather have pride tape but yeah that was uh that was pretty sweet um and it was i mean going to that arena that first year I was like what the fuck is this you know like there's no hockey fans here these people are basically just coming from the clubs you know Vegas the hockey scene like the fans like they don't really know what's going on but they're here just to party uh you know the the fortress the DJs it was just a whole show man I was like what what is this this is I wanna I want to play here this is pretty sad yeah you can imagine how the uh the knights get a little advantage playing the away team there yeah and I just think like you know if we got some guys listening to the show that play for North Dakota or any other college that are in the tournament like boys get your ass like do and I know you're gonna do everything you can but get your fucking ass in gear here because to play in that arena for the frozen four is gonna be oh that's gonna be all time yeah imagine winning it there oh my god I mean hold the bird let's uh hopefully yeah hopefully a couple guys don't end up in prison or jail there but fuck that would be unbelievable yeah any college players listening to this probably not if there are do whatever you fucking can to get to the frozen four yeah like if you're William Shaves the AD at UND and and the boys win it all in Vegas like you gotta go up to the captain and just be like you know strings or even liver here's the you know here's a company card a take it to Hawkison oh yeah you're you're going out with the donors for sure they they've got a place rented out for you don't worry there there'll be chicks in there for you yeah that's my god yeah if you can't get laid there after that turn your wrench in if you're a single guy oh my god that is gonna be incredible so I can't wait to watch I will be tuned in Oswald this is kind of the time of year obviously um you know my school spirit and in in UND pride really rises to the occasion it's always there you know we we do our one trip a year in in October November for usually it's the Minnesota series um but this is the the real time of year with a play as play so can't wait it is I'm happy to I'm I'm so excited to watch him play in this tournament again it feels like I hope it's every year for now for a while yep that we're playing in this tournament but I'm so pumped to watch it man it's imagine those jitters those those boys have tonight too fuck I know yeah you're in sitting there in Sioux Falls you're just like holy it's gonna be painted green you're gonna have that rink looks thick too I don't know why they've got such a big rink in Sioux Falls but that place looks snails it's massive it's like 12 000 maybe what are they what do they have that that's not where the Stampede play is it yeah it is yep so they just box off the upstairs for the Stampede games and sell at the bowl or what yeah I would say the odd teddy bear toss or dollar beer night they could maybe sell it out but it's probably more so based for concerts that come into Sioux Falls because they do they do get a lot of big acts there um in Sioux Falls especially country yeah so yeah I think it's just a it's a multipurpose facility there and then Augustana has their own rink you remember that old you remember that old Sioux Falls Stampede rink did you play in it? Oh yeah yeah it was like it was the size of a shoebox it was tiny you could score from your own blue line that was a good shot the the ice was tiny yeah that's what I'm saying it's crazy yeah it was nuts that's kind of where I thought they were playing initially you know I didn't even know they got a new rink I was like fuck they're they're heading to the stampede yeah that's like an old auditorium that place that place was Jesus yeah that wasn't that was not perfect there but so they probably bust down to Sioux Falls because it's not that far right yeah I was wondering that they probably got it it's like four hours yeah four and a hook Sioux Falls yeah this place looks hilarious I'm looking at pictures oh my god of the old barn yeah oh god that's like that's like semi pro shit it was yeah it was um I remember I played a playoff there and it was the only time I've ever been on the ice where we got scored on three on five I don't know if that's ever happened to me we did the we did the double drop and I realized the guy was not Herbie my boy Caleb Herbert was not behind me wasn't there we did why are we doing a double drop on a five on three I don't know but it was a breakway either Christian Isaacson tucked or it was someone one of those guys yeah it was that was the only time I ever got scored on a three on five but hilarious yeah that was classic bro yeah it's gonna be a good weekend Azzo it's uh we got this we got opening day in baseball I was looking at that baseball schedule these fucking assholes like how do you even do that man you play every goddamn day i never i know your heart rate never gets above 62 beats per minute but that's like fuck that even standing on the in the outfield for that many that many days out of a month they play like 20 games a month you're standing in the outfield 20 nights out of the month just standing it's more than that yeah it was I was it's crazy they get they get one to two days off a month like that's days off of not playing that let let alone like away from the park and those guys they go to the facility on a game day at like noon and they just sit there and just chew and tug their wrench and take Adderall and drink a raid and that's baseball that is that's the definition of ball I I can't imagine I you like think of how long a hockey season gets when you're you the college hockey season is a joke but think of how long a pro season gets when you're playing 70 80 games that's insane now now try doubling that yeah it's it's fucking nuts are you you're not gonna slide to Sioux Falls are you no I I I'm gonna watch from my house to uh tomorrow night and then I'm actually flying to the Bahamas on Saturday so I can't go oh no way a little vacay yeah a little vacay a little seven day or in the Bahamas nice be a good time swing swing the sticks a couple times just more so relax eat good food yeah that's nice it'll be nice get out of the fucking cold for a bit is it still cold there or is it it was actually it was actually I saw my truck it got to 80 degrees here today it's gotta be hot down in Arizona eh oh it's an absolute oven dude it's a hundred already already yeah it's not perfect I know.
SPEAKER_02Those snowbirds gotta be coming back soon, then.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's gonna cool off this weekend, but the last week has just been it's it's been just downright, just rude, you know. Like yeah, you don't need 105 and in March. Like that's just that should be illegal.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, that's tough. So that's that's way too early. Yeah, it's um I got some buddies going down there on a batcher party. I was supposed to go, but I gotta go on this trip instead.
SPEAKER_00Uh you are you you're going with the missus, or are you going with anyone else? Just you two, yeah.
SPEAKER_02I'm going with the missus and their and her parents.
SPEAKER_00Oh, nice. At least you don't gotta entertain anyone else, then really you can just chill.
SPEAKER_02Oh, yeah, just just chill, like do what we want. Yeah. Um, obviously, you know, I'm just kind of a mooch on these trips. Like, parents kind of pay for you know our room and all that shit, which is unbelievable. They're great, but yeah, it'll be awesome. I'm excited to go down there with us. Like, you're kind of comfortable with everyone, you know, you're not going with rant, like just friends and stuff, so you don't have to ask people like what to do, like what should we do today? Kind of just make your own decision.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, you don't have to, it's always the worst. And I look, I like uh we we've talked about group trips on this before, and they're fine if you do them right. But sometimes if you're going on those where you know, you're just you're you're waking up and you're getting a text at like nine in the morning, and where's breakfast? Dude, I'll let me get to noon before we reconvene, you know, especially if we're not like you know, don't have a tea time, yeah, we're not playing tennis, we're not going on a boat, or we're just hanging out, just give me till like noon, dog, you know, like for sure. Or you get that text at like eight, twelve in the morning, got you a spot at the pool. It's like, dude, I don't want to see you yet, you know. Like that makes me want to go work out right now.
SPEAKER_02Oh, it's hilarious. Yeah, I was thinking I and what I gotta ask your thoughts, Troto. Do you think the other boys at the uh on the Sioux trip do you think they're hoping to go golfing? Or do you think they're hoping to do what we're doing?
SPEAKER_00Well, obviously, the cats out of the bag, we're not gonna be golfing this year on the Sioux golf. Yeah, I mean, we might be, but which is in Chicago. Um, yeah, we're we're probably not gonna golf. Um, we're probably gonna still a golf trip, but still a golf trip at the end of the day. I mean, we've golfed more years than we haven't, you know. If there's been 10 trips, we've golfed six.
SPEAKER_02At least once, too.
SPEAKER_00You know, but you know, like guys always finish the 18, but guys, guys have played holes, you know. The best was in Nashville, and I'm not gonna name names here because that's not what we do at live and five. But the best was in Nashville three years ago when we all decided before the trip leave the wrenches at home, and guys shamelessly brought their wrenches because they had to tell their significant other, hey, we're we're we're playing, so you know it's a golf trip.
SPEAKER_02That's because that's the only way that they get to come, is if it's like why do we have to golf in order for you know all of our wives to say yes, you can go? I I don't know, so it's like they want they want you to be golfing. It's like, dude, we're not gonna I'll bring my sticks, but we're not gonna golf.
SPEAKER_00Why does why does golf validate the trip?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, like we're going to war with each other.
SPEAKER_00Either way, we're getting shit faced, you know. We're getting really drunk.
SPEAKER_02I know you don't want me coming home hung over, but I'm coming home hung over, and that's just the way it's gonna be.
SPEAKER_00Yes, yeah, it's gonna be funny, man. Um, I'm working on the the cubby's group tickets right now, and then I'm gonna uh we're gonna get the the boat dialed in.
SPEAKER_02And I mean, I mean, I think this sounds unbelievable.
SPEAKER_00And then the um yeah, the golf is uh I think it's an afterthought, but well, we don't you never know.
SPEAKER_02We might golf.
SPEAKER_00We might yeah, I mean we might hit a mini putt, or we might get one of those you know, little putting greens in the house so guys can roll some nuggets if they need to.
SPEAKER_02That's always fun to do, like when you get home from the bar.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, no, it's uh I can't wait though, fella. Just being in Chicago a couple weeks ago, obviously talking about the runner that I went on, don't need to address it again. But my god, does that city fuck?
SPEAKER_02Uh I can't wait, dude. We we haven't we've never been there as a group. Chicago is a city kind of made for our group a little bit. I mean 100%. We're gonna tear that place up.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's it's you don't need the clubs to to get the sparklers out to get real estate. You don't need to spend ten thousand dollars a night. You have unbelievable bars you can go in and acquire and acquire real estate. You could have a good dinner if you want to. You can go to a Cubs game and bop around Brigleyville. You can go on the lake and enjoy the river and the lake. Um, and it's a walkable city where you don't really have to get an Uber, you can just walk to a bar and then there's another bar. Oh, and then there's another bar. So yeah, it's uh I can't wait, man. Um, we'll see who's on the roster this year. Uh we'll see.
SPEAKER_02Couple guys, couple guys dragging their feet.
SPEAKER_00Yep, that's how it's happens every year. Couple guys having kids, that happens. That's baseball. Couple guys have work obligations, and some guys, frankly, just get scared. So uh it'll be good to have Troy Stetcher back in the mix. Hopefully, he makes it. And um and Brock Besser is gonna be bullied into another trip. I'm sure he'll leave early. Um, it's a classic play from Bess. He's a guy that can't go three or four. So if you're listening, Brock, you know that I would tell that to your face.
SPEAKER_02Oh, yeah. Yeah, there's no way he can handle it. He'll be in, he'll come in maybe Wednesday night, fly out Friday afternoon.
SPEAKER_00Yep, yep. Come in the day before where it's a little bit more tame. Uh, I hope we get jacks and and hack back in the mix. Those are great ads, great ads last year. But yeah, it's getting to that time. It was so funny. I was texting with Rico on the side, and you know, our buddy Colton Sanderson, that is, and he's he was like legitimately like worried or sad that there's not enough buzz around year 10.
SPEAKER_02I'm like Rico, like I think everyone's just you know, we're kind of older now, like we we know everyone's excited, it's not like yeah, we're just not gonna we're not gonna express it right like we did when we were 23.
SPEAKER_00Right. I mean, people are just busier. There's that shit that comes up. People have kids now.
SPEAKER_02He's he's sad there's not more buzz around here, Ted.
SPEAKER_00Oh, yeah, yeah. He's like, what's going on? Like, are we is this like the last he's like, is this gonna be like the last year of it? Like, he's getting like nervous. Like, I'm like, dude, I think we're all right, man. It's you know, we got we got good mojo.
SPEAKER_02So it always works out, trust me. Yeah, I mean, that's the way this group is, that's the way we've been trending. Yeah, and we've we've given it our all every all all nine years.
SPEAKER_00Damn, dude. Yeah, we really have. So 10 years on the slate on the docket Chicago IEL will not release the dates for that because that stays internal over here. Ozzo, this week's People's Insider term of the week is here. And this week's People's Insider Term of the Week is a Chili Willy. Now, a chili willy, let me back it up for some context here. Ozzo, I'm gonna take you back to 2008, my first time ever on the campus of the University of Madison, uh, Wisconsin. It was Halloween weekend, and I was playing for the Chicago mission at the time. We had a showcase at Madison Ice Arena, aka Cap Ice. And prior to one of these games, the Saturday night in Madison, arguably the biggest night on the college was Halloween. So, what did we do? Well, I was 15 and I went out with some older teammates that night, and we put on an absolute clinic on State Street. I had never seen women with less clothing, I had never seen the amount of piss being funneled. I was wide-eyed, I had drank a few times in my life, but I had never played a college-like big league effort. So I'm on State Street, and we end up in this basement just off of Langdon Street on Frat Row at the University of Madison. And we're in a basement, it's low lit. There's people grinding, juking, smoking, drinking, having a good time, anywhere from 18 to 22 years old. And there's a young Jay Swish, 15 at the time, my friend didn't even have my license. And I'm down in this basement, and this guy comes up to me and he offers me what is called a chili willy. And he's like, Do you want a chili willy, young fella? And I go, sure, what is it? He puts a shot of vodka on a bottle cap, on an upside-down bottle cap of the vodka, and he goes, snort this. So what did I do? I oblige, I snorted that, and I had my first ever chili willy. Now, I don't recommend this to anyone, a chili willy. I took that to the University of North Dakota, and I may or may not have made a guy like Gay Josmis, a class below me, do a chili willy. So we brought that tradition from 2008 to 2012. And for anyone in college right now, I don't recommend a chili willy, but my god, snorting a shot is called a chili willy, often referred to. And what a buzz that is, fella. Don't do too many of them. But you know who loved a good chili willy was my roommate Zane McIntyre. So that's this week's People's Insider Tribe of the Week.
SPEAKER_02Zayno used to do them without even being asked or forced. He just do them because he liked them.
SPEAKER_00Dude, those things used to fuck you up, man. Oh those chili willies, those were dangerous, dude.
SPEAKER_02Bad.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that's they work. They work, they do work. That might be worse than snorting, you know, some some other stuff. Um, but yeah, those those hit like those hit like Joe Frazier, brother.
SPEAKER_02They do. That's a that's a hell of a call. Thanks for bringing that up again.
SPEAKER_00God damn, dude. The chili wheelie. So Ozzo, I gotta run. I'm meeting Mikey Schmaltz for dinner right now. Um, I'm gonna go see the old man. Unreal. So, yeah, he's obviously lives down here now. Um, he's a snowbird himself, but uh the amount I'm on the road and shit like that. Don't get to see him a ton. So gonna go meet Mikey Schmaltz for dinner. I'll tell him the captain says what's up.
SPEAKER_02Tell him I saw it up.
SPEAKER_00I will, brother. Um, and yeah, that was Live and Five, episode 116. Folks, thanks for tuning in. It was the college hockey preview. Um, Ozzo, we might have to do a chili wheelie uh for old time's sake in in Chicago, maybe. I'm kind of scared to be honest. I'm I don't know if I got that in me anymore.
SPEAKER_02I think we gotta do it now.
SPEAKER_00Ooh, that's a lot of vodka right to the dome. But Ozzo, always good snapping it with you, brother. I appreciate your time. Um, and we'll talk after the weekend, brother. Folks, stay safe out there. Go sue, baby. Let's go sue. Woo!