Friday, March 10, 2017

Game 35: Miami at UMD (NCHC Playoffs Game 1)

The second season begins with a first-round home series for UMD. The second-seeded Bulldogs face Miami in the first round for the second straight year, and hope for the same result as last year, when the Bulldogs managed a two-game sweep.

No Carson Soucy on the blue line, and perhaps signaling an absence longer than one week, sophomore forward Adam Johnson has been shifted to the blue line. Johnson is not a newbie at the position, having played it extensively in high school at Hibbing/Chisholm, but this will be his first twirl on a Division I blue line, discounting his spot on UMD's power play, which usually comes on a point. He'll work with sophomore Neal Pionk, who is second team All-NCHC for good reason. His steadiness and experience will help Johnson, but if Johnson is comfortable on the blue line, that pairing becomes one of the more dynamic in the country, especially from a skating standpoint.

Up front, Jade Miller is the only scratch. Sammy Spurrell is back on the fourth line, playing for just the second time since Feb. 4.

Lines?

Lines.

UMD
Iafallo - Toninato - Anderson
Osterberg - Thomas - Mackay
Tufte - Peterson - Kuhlman
Young - Spurrell - Exell

Johnson - Pionk
Raskob - Kotyk
Wolff - Molenaar

Miska - Shepard - Deery

Miami
Lemirande - Johnson - Alger
Bachman - Greenberg - Siroky
LaValle - Sherwood - Green
Louis - Melnick - Meyer

Switzer - Hutton
Brandt - Frederic
Dornbrock - Sullivan

Larkin - Munroe - Masters

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