Bill Fenmwick asked if Mankato was really going to Division I this season.
Yes, indeed, they are.  They are playing a Division I independent schedule this
year.  I know they plan to petition to join the WCHA, but I'm not sure what
their timetable is for doing this.  (Next year, the year after???)   There
are going to be four Minnesota schools playing Division I:  the University
of Minnesota (Twin Cities campus), the University of Minnesota-Duluth,
St. Cloud State University, and now Mankato State University.
 
It was kind of surprising to me insofar as I don't think of Mankato as a big
hockey area of the state.  Other than the Rochester area, southern Minnesota
isn't really as "into" hockey as the rest of the state.  The people of
Mankato, however, got behind the idea of going Division I, and I believe it
is they who are financing the building of the new arena.  (They didn't
come begging to the State of Minnesota like some other State University we
know of, not to name names or anything...:-)!)  Hopefully this will stir up
more interest in hockey in that hitherto-orange-ball-dominated part of the
state.
 
The other thing that was brought up is Todd Hartje, the author of "Behind the
Red Line".  I recall that he got a mention in Sid Hartman's column in
the Star-Tribune a few weeks ago.  I don't remember what he's doing now, so
I'll try and dig it up, but I've probably thrown the paper out by now, so
if anyone else who gets the Strib remembers...
 
Pam Sweeney
Go Gophers!!!