CHICAGO -- Here we go. One game left in the college hockey season, and it belongs to the NCHC. UMD and Denver collide at United Center for the national championship. The teams met Dec. 9-10 in Denver, with the Pioneers winning 4-3 before UMD took the rematch 3-1 in what was probably the best-played series of the regular season for the Bulldogs (in terms of their play and the quality of the competition).
Game preview
Great senior classes collide
Harvard recap
6:30 montage on 92.1 The Fan. Stream it here (it should be active by 6pm). Hope you all enjoy it, wherever you are.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Iafallo - Toninato - Anderson
Osterberg - Johnson - Kuhlman
Tufte - Peterson - Mackay
Young - Thomas - Exell
Pionk - Kotyk
Soucy - Raskob
Wolff - Molenaar
Miska - Shepard - Deery
DU
Lukosevicius - Gambrell - Terry
McLellan - Borgstrom - Finlay
Janssen - Marcinew - O'Connor
Romig - Ritt - Staub
Butcher - Plant
Hammond - Davies
Hillman - VanVoorhis
Jaillet - Cowley
Showing posts with label frozen four. Show all posts
Showing posts with label frozen four. Show all posts
Saturday, April 08, 2017
Frozen Four: UMD, Denver Seniors Earn One More Ride
CHICAGO -- Both combatants in Saturday's NCAA title game at United Center boast seven-man senior classes.
While every one of those players took a different path to this game, those seniors are a large reason both the UMD Bulldogs and Denver Pioneers have found themselves playing for the ultimate prize in college hockey.
On the UMD side, while each senior has made a large impact on this team, the main water-carriers have been captain Dominic Toninato and longtime linemate (going back to their time in juniors with Fargo) Alex Iafallo.
"Number one, they had a lot of success together in Fargo," head coach Scott Sandelin said Friday. "So when you're bringing them both in at the same time, I'm not going to screw that up, you just keep playing them together. And at times I've thought is one helping the other or hurting the other, maybe they're too comfortable, and we've tried that, as you've seen moving Al maybe to a different line.
"But we always seem to go back to those two because of their chemistry. And I think they love playing together. I think they both complement each other very well. So been pretty easy. And we've just had to find a right winger for those guys.
"But if you look at them, again, I've said this a number of times, they've been awesome for us this year. I think they've both had great years. I think they both have played at a very high level consistently."
Toninato set up Joey Anderson's first-period goal in Thursday's semifinal win over Harvard with an offensive zone faceoff win. Then Iafallo tipped a pass from Willie Raskob with 26.6 seconds left to lift UMD to another in a series of one-goal wins.
(Iafallo, by the way, was named a First Team West Region All American by the American Hockey Coaches Association Friday. He was previously named first-team All NCHC and hit 50 points for the season and scored his 20th goal of the season for the winner Thursday.)
"It's a pretty surreal feeling," Kotyk said of getting to the championship game. "We've all had different paths. But I think we've come together as a team. Everybody brings something a little different to the table."
Kotyk is the oldest player on the team at 25, older than people who are here covering the tournament. He arrived at St. Scholastica as an older freshman, then transferred to UMD after one season. That meant sitting out the 2013-14 season and getting three years of eligibility after that, hence the age gap.
"I think we've got guys who bought into their roles," Raskob said, "and I think that's been the difference this year, is everyone's accepted the role they have on the team and, yeah, it's been incredible and so amazing and so surreal, and just taking everything in and enjoying the moment."
Raskob has been pretty consistently a top-four defenseman for UMD since his arrival from Shattuck-St. Mary's by way of his hometown of Hastings. Raskob's informal nickname, Mr. March, might need to be expanded to add April. In 18 postseason games in his career, Raskob has six goals, 12 points, and a plus-eight that leads all active UMD players.
For most of his career, Raskob has been paired with Carson Soucy. When the latter went down with a lower-body injury March 3 against Western Michigan and couldn't play in the NCAA West Regional two weeks ago in Fargo, Raskob did everything he could -- including scoring the overtime winner against Ohio State -- to make sure his partner got to play in the Frozen Four.
"That's huge," Soucy said. "It shows how close our team has been. That's what it takes to get here, you have to want to do it for the guy sitting next to you."
UMD's punching bag, so to speak, has been forward Kyle Osterberg. Along with posting strong offensive numbers this season (12 goals, 23 points, three game-winners), Osterberg has been a fixture on the penalty kill throughout his career, and he has been good at drawing both penalties and the ire of his adversaries.
Not many things have made me happier in my 12 years doing this than watching Dan Molenaar have the season he had. The senior and former state champion at Eden Prairie has been snakebit by injuries and illness during his UMD career, but has put it all together this year to become a steady influence on the blue line. The only game Molenaar has missed was the opener against Michigan Tech (healthy scratch).
True to his form, Molenaar was a class act when asked about his emotions heading into the championship game.
"I want to give credit to the guys who aren't in the lineup," Molenaar said. "The last couple of years in the regionals and stuff I was out. I know how hard that is. But they've just been exceptional teammates. And I think that's a reflection of the character in our room, and I think it speaks volumes to the program that so many people laid the foundation to build. And it's just a blast to be here with these guys and, yeah, there's no other way we want to end it."
The task Saturday is formidable, against a Denver team that has a similar senior class that's on a mission to complete the journey that fell short last year, when the Pioneers lost a national semifinal to eventual champion North Dakota.
DU is captained by Hobey Baker winner Will Butcher, who eschewed the potential start of his professional career for one more year in college. He has led the charge for a group of older Pioneers who have spoken openly about their singular goal for this season.
"Well, you know, we've been here last year, and obviously we lost in the semifinal," said forward Emil Romig. "And it was pretty crushing for a lot of us. And so with you speaking to being on a mission, I mean, we've been working to get back here all year long. Ever since we lost, we wanted to do whatever we can to get back here, and we've worked really hard to accomplish that. And being back here definitely feels great. But, I mean, you know, we've got to finish it off."
Butcher could choose free agency this summer over signing with the Colorado Avalanche, who drafted him. However, he told NHL Network Friday after winning the Hobey his "sole focus" is Saturday's game against UMD.
It's the spot this group has worked all season to get to, and they refuse to be denied now.
Sound familiar?
While every one of those players took a different path to this game, those seniors are a large reason both the UMD Bulldogs and Denver Pioneers have found themselves playing for the ultimate prize in college hockey.
On the UMD side, while each senior has made a large impact on this team, the main water-carriers have been captain Dominic Toninato and longtime linemate (going back to their time in juniors with Fargo) Alex Iafallo.
"Number one, they had a lot of success together in Fargo," head coach Scott Sandelin said Friday. "So when you're bringing them both in at the same time, I'm not going to screw that up, you just keep playing them together. And at times I've thought is one helping the other or hurting the other, maybe they're too comfortable, and we've tried that, as you've seen moving Al maybe to a different line.
"But we always seem to go back to those two because of their chemistry. And I think they love playing together. I think they both complement each other very well. So been pretty easy. And we've just had to find a right winger for those guys.
"But if you look at them, again, I've said this a number of times, they've been awesome for us this year. I think they've both had great years. I think they both have played at a very high level consistently."
Toninato set up Joey Anderson's first-period goal in Thursday's semifinal win over Harvard with an offensive zone faceoff win. Then Iafallo tipped a pass from Willie Raskob with 26.6 seconds left to lift UMD to another in a series of one-goal wins.
(Iafallo, by the way, was named a First Team West Region All American by the American Hockey Coaches Association Friday. He was previously named first-team All NCHC and hit 50 points for the season and scored his 20th goal of the season for the winner Thursday.)
"It's a pretty surreal feeling," Kotyk said of getting to the championship game. "We've all had different paths. But I think we've come together as a team. Everybody brings something a little different to the table."
Kotyk is the oldest player on the team at 25, older than people who are here covering the tournament. He arrived at St. Scholastica as an older freshman, then transferred to UMD after one season. That meant sitting out the 2013-14 season and getting three years of eligibility after that, hence the age gap.
"I think we've got guys who bought into their roles," Raskob said, "and I think that's been the difference this year, is everyone's accepted the role they have on the team and, yeah, it's been incredible and so amazing and so surreal, and just taking everything in and enjoying the moment."
Raskob has been pretty consistently a top-four defenseman for UMD since his arrival from Shattuck-St. Mary's by way of his hometown of Hastings. Raskob's informal nickname, Mr. March, might need to be expanded to add April. In 18 postseason games in his career, Raskob has six goals, 12 points, and a plus-eight that leads all active UMD players.
For most of his career, Raskob has been paired with Carson Soucy. When the latter went down with a lower-body injury March 3 against Western Michigan and couldn't play in the NCAA West Regional two weeks ago in Fargo, Raskob did everything he could -- including scoring the overtime winner against Ohio State -- to make sure his partner got to play in the Frozen Four.
"That's huge," Soucy said. "It shows how close our team has been. That's what it takes to get here, you have to want to do it for the guy sitting next to you."
UMD's punching bag, so to speak, has been forward Kyle Osterberg. Along with posting strong offensive numbers this season (12 goals, 23 points, three game-winners), Osterberg has been a fixture on the penalty kill throughout his career, and he has been good at drawing both penalties and the ire of his adversaries.
Not many things have made me happier in my 12 years doing this than watching Dan Molenaar have the season he had. The senior and former state champion at Eden Prairie has been snakebit by injuries and illness during his UMD career, but has put it all together this year to become a steady influence on the blue line. The only game Molenaar has missed was the opener against Michigan Tech (healthy scratch).
True to his form, Molenaar was a class act when asked about his emotions heading into the championship game.
"I want to give credit to the guys who aren't in the lineup," Molenaar said. "The last couple of years in the regionals and stuff I was out. I know how hard that is. But they've just been exceptional teammates. And I think that's a reflection of the character in our room, and I think it speaks volumes to the program that so many people laid the foundation to build. And it's just a blast to be here with these guys and, yeah, there's no other way we want to end it."
The task Saturday is formidable, against a Denver team that has a similar senior class that's on a mission to complete the journey that fell short last year, when the Pioneers lost a national semifinal to eventual champion North Dakota.
DU is captained by Hobey Baker winner Will Butcher, who eschewed the potential start of his professional career for one more year in college. He has led the charge for a group of older Pioneers who have spoken openly about their singular goal for this season.
"Well, you know, we've been here last year, and obviously we lost in the semifinal," said forward Emil Romig. "And it was pretty crushing for a lot of us. And so with you speaking to being on a mission, I mean, we've been working to get back here all year long. Ever since we lost, we wanted to do whatever we can to get back here, and we've worked really hard to accomplish that. And being back here definitely feels great. But, I mean, you know, we've got to finish it off."
Butcher could choose free agency this summer over signing with the Colorado Avalanche, who drafted him. However, he told NHL Network Friday after winning the Hobey his "sole focus" is Saturday's game against UMD.
It's the spot this group has worked all season to get to, and they refuse to be denied now.
Sound familiar?
Friday, April 07, 2017
Saturday Hockey Notes and Thoughts: Bulldogs Aim for Second National Championship
CHICAGO -- Before Thursday's national semifinal against Harvard at United Center, I asked UMD coach Scott Sandelin, working his third Frozen Four at UMD, how to balance a group of players in their first Frozen Four enjoying the moment with the do-or-die mentality it takes to win at this level.
"You don't get out of your routine," he said. "You can't take the excitement away. It's hard to get to this point. It's still a hockey game. You have to go in there and everyone has to trust what you've done all year, have confidence, and go play. This is not a time of year to throw in a bunch of new stuff. Hopefully, our guys play our best games of the year."
On the UMD roster, there isn't one player who has been through this before. Sure, you have coaches with ring cred. Captain Dominic Toninato's father, Jim, was on two UMD Frozen Four teams in the 1980s. Freshman forward Joey Anderson has played in some highly-charged environments with U.S. national teams, most notably the World Junior team that won gold in Canada barely three months ago.
And as we've discussed at length on this here blog, there doesn't seem to be anything that phases this UMD team. No deficit too large, no challenge too difficult. These guys know what lies in front of them Saturday night.
"We know they're very skilled hockey team," senior defenseman Brenden Kotyk said. "They've got Will Butcher back there and (Henrik) Borgström and (Dylan) Gambrell. (Troy) Terry. They're all exceptional hockey players.
"So I just don't think we have to quit what we're doing right now, we've just got to keep playing defense on those guys especially and be real hard on them. I think that will be key to us."
"We know they pose a big challenge in some ways because of how they play and their offensive ability and puck possession ability, and I think they defend very well, too," Sandelin said.
Denver is a classic example of a team that's more than the sum of its parts. Borgström jumps off the page, and off the screen when you watch him play. He's that kind of player. DU coach Jim Montgomery has talked at length about the offensive ability Borgström has, but this week was asked about what area he's seen his star freshman improve most in. He didn't hesitate.
"He's played without the puck," Montgomery said. "When he wants to, he can be dominant on all 200 feet of the ice. It's just a question of whether he wants his motor to go."
Sandelin was asked about defending the Finnish star, who didn't play in the Dec. 9-10 series between these teams in Denver because of illness.
"You're going to give up some things," Sandelin said. "But you just gotta be aware and you gotta take as much time and space away, just like any good player. You do your best.
"Sometimes you've got to respect those guys a little bit, because if you're too aggressive, they can make you look really stupid. So you've got to be a little bit smart with angles and different things. Reminds me about playing against Jack Eichel a couple of years ago. Just because they have a little more length versus the shorter guys, but they're hard to defend."
Gambrell is a highly-talented offensive player. Terry is another one. Jarid Lukosevicius not only has the best name in college hockey, but he might be the most underrated player on this team. Lukosevicius leads this stacked roster with 147 shots on goal. He's not bashful about firing from anywhere, and with the shot he possesses, he shouldn't be.
On the blue line, Butcher (seven goals, 37 points) just won the Hobey Baker Award (well deserved, by the way), and he's joined by emerging freshman Michael Davies, underrated puck-mover Adam Plant, and big junior Tariq Hammond, who scored off a beautifully-executed odd-man rush in the semifinal thumping of Notre Dame.
A reporter asked Sandelin about trying to slow down Denver, which is almost undoubtedly the fastest team in the country (all due respect to UMD, because I think the Bulldogs are fast, but UMD is a heavier version of Denver, capable of playing with a lot of pace but probably not quite DU's).
Sandelin: "When you look at -- if you look at, number one, just forechecking, their D -- they're very -- they don't have maybe the biggest guy. Hammond is a bigger player, but they've got some great skill and shiftiness. You've got to be careful. You can try and play really aggressive in their face, but they support the puck so well and those guys are pretty elusive that you've got to certainly play above the puck. Be aggressive when you can be.
"But just defensively you've got to be tight. And you're going to have to weather some storms. They're going to play in the offensive zone and they transition well, but in the offensive zone, they possess the puck, they move, they get five men involved in the attack, and obviously they've got some great guys to finish around the net.
"And they're a very good small-area team, and their D add to that with their involvement. So sometimes you're going to have defensemen at the blue line, our defensemen, just sometimes how they move around.
"And there's got to be a lot of communication. Like I said, we've seen them play. We've played against them. So that helps. And we've seen a lot of teams play that way, so that helps.
"But I just think one of the things they do really well is not just on their forecheck, but their end zone forecheck. They're probably one of the best puck pursuit teams that get above you and they don't give you room, and they make it very difficult to make clean plays or plays because they recover above the puck and they pursue the puck so well."
Montgomery called the rivalry between the two "fiercely respectful", and he was effusive in his praise of the Bulldogs Friday, especially the top line of Toninato, Alex Iafallo, and Anderson.
"They're a great college line. And I think maybe the best line in the country. And I think you've just got to know when they're out there and match their intensity.
"Their intensity, I think, fuels that team. And I think the third player that fuels that team with intensity is (Neal) Pionk on the back end.
... "I know how good -- we all know how good and talented Duluth is. They're a mentally tough team. They're hard in all three zones. They don't give you an inch. And we know that. You're going to have to go out and earn it. That's why I think it's going to be a great game (Saturday) night."
The only matchup we saw with these two teams was that aforementioned December weekend in Denver. The Pioneers won 4-3 Friday, then UMD won 3-1 Saturday. Sandelin quipped again Friday that he felt his team played better in the game it lost than the one it won, an opinion he shared with me after the series ended while we were traveling home.
The Friday game was as good a pace as you'll see in a college hockey game, and UMD held its own quite nicely, even playing its first game in 19 days and doing it at altitude.
Players on both teams talked about the respect the teams have for one another.
"It's always physical against those guys," DU senior Emil Romig said, "but obviously we really respect each other. This year we've been, you know, switching off in the No. 1 and No. 2 spot basically all year long. So basically there's a lot of respect.
"They're big, they're strong. They skate well, and it's always been tough. So I think it's going to be a great game."
"That weekend was a lot of fun as a player," Pioneers forward Colin Staub said. "It was back-and-forth hockey. It was a lot of speed. It was pretty physical, and like it was the time Duluth was the No. 1 team in the country and it was 1 versus 2 that weekend and there was a lot of hype going into it and it was a lot of fun for players."
Toninato deemed it the "ultimate rubber match. We've been one and two all year, so this is for all the marbles. We need to play the best full 60 minutes we have all year."
"They have good forwards who will make plays. We have to play our game," senior defenseman Carson Soucy, who played Thursday for the first time in eight games, said.
I look at this matchup, and the first thing that needs to be understood is these teams' paths to this point were different. By no means am I trying to discount Michigan Tech, Penn State, or Notre Dame, or claim that UMD had a more difficult route to the title game.
They're different enough teams that the differences matter, if that makes sense. Denver is a full-on pace team. The veteran presence the Pioneers get from guys like Butcher allows them to grind on teams when it's called on, but it's not their preferred style. They want to get out and skate. They're lethal in transition, very hard to forecheck effectively against, and don't take a lot of penalties.
Denver might want to push the pace Saturday night, but look for UMD to play a similar game as Thursday against Harvard, where the Bulldogs are content to use their grinding forecheck to wear down its foe and create scoring chances. One observer compared UMD's forecheck to, well I'll just let you read it because it's more fun that way.
Frankly, it's not the craziest thing Mike Eidelbes has ever tweeted. Not even close. In fact, I'd say it's accurate. No one in the country -- with all due respect to North Dakota -- forechecks as well as UMD. Outside of maybe Denver. But that's where there are stark differences in the teams these two have faced in this run.
UMD was challenged by an Ohio State team that frustrated it by coming at the Bulldogs in waves, especially once down a couple goals in the third period. Against Boston University, UMD played a much stronger defensive game and found a way to get the winner in overtime. But make no mistake, they were different games. The Bulldogs found a defensive posture in the BU game and were not going to let the Terriers destroy them with their speed and skill up the rink.
Harvard was very much the same. UMD had to take that first-period punch when Harvard just got too many chances on the power play. But the Bulldogs were not going to be an easy bunch to beat five-on-five. Until the end, when Harvard's goalie was pulled, UMD did a good job keeping the Crimson's good chances to a minimum (the somewhat-subjective "Grade-A Scoring Chances" chart, which is kept at the Frozen Four, gives Harvard five at even-strength before the flurry after Iafallo's winner; by comparison, UMD had seven).
By no means do I think UMD wants to slow the game down. That's not a pace UMD is good at playing, as we saw a few times this season. And there's a difference between playing a good pace game and a run-and-gun game, which is more Denver's style. UMD hits hard and attacks fast, and the Bulldogs can use their high-pressure defensive style (we hope) to limit Denver's looks and great chances while also forcing the kinds of mistakes other teams have struggled to force.
Much will be made of the first-ever all-NCHC final. Trust me, it's significant.
In fact, it says more about the relative strength of this conference than anything else you'll ever see in a 16-team, single-elimination hockey tournament. Everyone likes to (erroneously) tie the strength of these leagues to member schools' success in piling up national championships. But this has been the NCHC's season in many other ways.
1. Its top two teams, UMD and Denver, were the top two teams in the country by any respected metric for basically the entire season.
2. Imagine if Western Michigan were healthy down the stretch, had earned a one seed, and if North Dakota had fallen to a four. The real possibility of an all-NCHC Frozen Four existed, and it wouldn't have taken a lot of result-twisting the final weekend to make it happen.
3. For the second straight year, NCHC members were dominant in non-conference play. In fact, every NCHC member school beat at least one NCAA team from outside the conference. Yes, even Colorado College (Cornell) and Miami (Providence and Ohio State). And you wonder why coaches of the league's top teams have so much respect for the league their teams play in.
4. And if you're one of those who thinks a league's strength is actually related to the number of national championships it wins, the NCHC is about to win a second straight. And I'll guarantee you one of its teams will be among the top favorites to win in 2018.
Montgomery said it best after his team flummoxed Notre Dame Thursday night. Asked why he thought his team could jump on the Irish with their pace, he said "Because outside the NCHC, what I've seen the last two years is we're able to jump on people. That's not going to happen Saturday night. It's an NCHC opponent.
"NCHC opponents, two best teams consistently throughout the year in the NCHC, it's going to be a barn burner and a great show for college hockey."
If you're back in Duluth, there are a number of watch parties that UMD is promoting for Saturday night's game. Duluth parties are being held at Tavern on the Hill, Grandma's Sports Garden, Dubh Linn Irish Brew Pub, Sneakers Bar and Grill, Green Mill, and Kirby Student Center.
Also, the Black Woods in Two Harbors is hosting a party, as is Palmer's Tavern in Hibbing (the hometown of UMD coach Sandelin and sophomore forward Adam Johnson). There are also parties being held in such locales as Dallas, Madison, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, New York City, and Seattle. The UMD Alumni Relations Office has a full list here.
ESPN has the game with John Buccigross, Barry Melrose, and Quint Kessenich.
Obviously, we'd love if you listened to the radio broadcast. 92.1 The Fan in the Duluth area, or a FREE stream that works on desktop or mobile here. We start with what I think is a cool montage at 6:30, so join us for that. Pregame interviews with UMD seniors Toninato and Soucy, who have been such great kids to get to know the last four years. We chat with old friend and UMD alum Jess Myers, who is attending his 25th Frozen Four, after the first period, and Zach Schneider of KBJR joins us after the second to lend his perspective to this wonderful week we've spent in Chicago.
And we'll have plenty of time for thank yous and salutes, but this experience has been great so far. Different in a lot of ways from 2011, when we were in familiar territory in a city we all knew pretty well. Making the trek to a new city (at least for me) has been fun. For someone like me who's usually pretty intimidated by big cities, it's been fun to settle in and actually start to feel somewhat comfortable. Only one thing can make it better, and we'll find out soon enough if that's in the cards.
"You don't get out of your routine," he said. "You can't take the excitement away. It's hard to get to this point. It's still a hockey game. You have to go in there and everyone has to trust what you've done all year, have confidence, and go play. This is not a time of year to throw in a bunch of new stuff. Hopefully, our guys play our best games of the year."
On the UMD roster, there isn't one player who has been through this before. Sure, you have coaches with ring cred. Captain Dominic Toninato's father, Jim, was on two UMD Frozen Four teams in the 1980s. Freshman forward Joey Anderson has played in some highly-charged environments with U.S. national teams, most notably the World Junior team that won gold in Canada barely three months ago.
And as we've discussed at length on this here blog, there doesn't seem to be anything that phases this UMD team. No deficit too large, no challenge too difficult. These guys know what lies in front of them Saturday night.
"We know they're very skilled hockey team," senior defenseman Brenden Kotyk said. "They've got Will Butcher back there and (Henrik) Borgström and (Dylan) Gambrell. (Troy) Terry. They're all exceptional hockey players.
"So I just don't think we have to quit what we're doing right now, we've just got to keep playing defense on those guys especially and be real hard on them. I think that will be key to us."
"We know they pose a big challenge in some ways because of how they play and their offensive ability and puck possession ability, and I think they defend very well, too," Sandelin said.
******
Denver is a classic example of a team that's more than the sum of its parts. Borgström jumps off the page, and off the screen when you watch him play. He's that kind of player. DU coach Jim Montgomery has talked at length about the offensive ability Borgström has, but this week was asked about what area he's seen his star freshman improve most in. He didn't hesitate.
"He's played without the puck," Montgomery said. "When he wants to, he can be dominant on all 200 feet of the ice. It's just a question of whether he wants his motor to go."
Sandelin was asked about defending the Finnish star, who didn't play in the Dec. 9-10 series between these teams in Denver because of illness.
"You're going to give up some things," Sandelin said. "But you just gotta be aware and you gotta take as much time and space away, just like any good player. You do your best.
"Sometimes you've got to respect those guys a little bit, because if you're too aggressive, they can make you look really stupid. So you've got to be a little bit smart with angles and different things. Reminds me about playing against Jack Eichel a couple of years ago. Just because they have a little more length versus the shorter guys, but they're hard to defend."
Gambrell is a highly-talented offensive player. Terry is another one. Jarid Lukosevicius not only has the best name in college hockey, but he might be the most underrated player on this team. Lukosevicius leads this stacked roster with 147 shots on goal. He's not bashful about firing from anywhere, and with the shot he possesses, he shouldn't be.
On the blue line, Butcher (seven goals, 37 points) just won the Hobey Baker Award (well deserved, by the way), and he's joined by emerging freshman Michael Davies, underrated puck-mover Adam Plant, and big junior Tariq Hammond, who scored off a beautifully-executed odd-man rush in the semifinal thumping of Notre Dame.
******
A reporter asked Sandelin about trying to slow down Denver, which is almost undoubtedly the fastest team in the country (all due respect to UMD, because I think the Bulldogs are fast, but UMD is a heavier version of Denver, capable of playing with a lot of pace but probably not quite DU's).
Sandelin: "When you look at -- if you look at, number one, just forechecking, their D -- they're very -- they don't have maybe the biggest guy. Hammond is a bigger player, but they've got some great skill and shiftiness. You've got to be careful. You can try and play really aggressive in their face, but they support the puck so well and those guys are pretty elusive that you've got to certainly play above the puck. Be aggressive when you can be.
"But just defensively you've got to be tight. And you're going to have to weather some storms. They're going to play in the offensive zone and they transition well, but in the offensive zone, they possess the puck, they move, they get five men involved in the attack, and obviously they've got some great guys to finish around the net.
"And they're a very good small-area team, and their D add to that with their involvement. So sometimes you're going to have defensemen at the blue line, our defensemen, just sometimes how they move around.
"And there's got to be a lot of communication. Like I said, we've seen them play. We've played against them. So that helps. And we've seen a lot of teams play that way, so that helps.
"But I just think one of the things they do really well is not just on their forecheck, but their end zone forecheck. They're probably one of the best puck pursuit teams that get above you and they don't give you room, and they make it very difficult to make clean plays or plays because they recover above the puck and they pursue the puck so well."
Montgomery called the rivalry between the two "fiercely respectful", and he was effusive in his praise of the Bulldogs Friday, especially the top line of Toninato, Alex Iafallo, and Anderson.
"They're a great college line. And I think maybe the best line in the country. And I think you've just got to know when they're out there and match their intensity.
"Their intensity, I think, fuels that team. And I think the third player that fuels that team with intensity is (Neal) Pionk on the back end.
... "I know how good -- we all know how good and talented Duluth is. They're a mentally tough team. They're hard in all three zones. They don't give you an inch. And we know that. You're going to have to go out and earn it. That's why I think it's going to be a great game (Saturday) night."
The only matchup we saw with these two teams was that aforementioned December weekend in Denver. The Pioneers won 4-3 Friday, then UMD won 3-1 Saturday. Sandelin quipped again Friday that he felt his team played better in the game it lost than the one it won, an opinion he shared with me after the series ended while we were traveling home.
The Friday game was as good a pace as you'll see in a college hockey game, and UMD held its own quite nicely, even playing its first game in 19 days and doing it at altitude.
Players on both teams talked about the respect the teams have for one another.
"It's always physical against those guys," DU senior Emil Romig said, "but obviously we really respect each other. This year we've been, you know, switching off in the No. 1 and No. 2 spot basically all year long. So basically there's a lot of respect.
"They're big, they're strong. They skate well, and it's always been tough. So I think it's going to be a great game."
"That weekend was a lot of fun as a player," Pioneers forward Colin Staub said. "It was back-and-forth hockey. It was a lot of speed. It was pretty physical, and like it was the time Duluth was the No. 1 team in the country and it was 1 versus 2 that weekend and there was a lot of hype going into it and it was a lot of fun for players."
Toninato deemed it the "ultimate rubber match. We've been one and two all year, so this is for all the marbles. We need to play the best full 60 minutes we have all year."
"They have good forwards who will make plays. We have to play our game," senior defenseman Carson Soucy, who played Thursday for the first time in eight games, said.
******
I look at this matchup, and the first thing that needs to be understood is these teams' paths to this point were different. By no means am I trying to discount Michigan Tech, Penn State, or Notre Dame, or claim that UMD had a more difficult route to the title game.
They're different enough teams that the differences matter, if that makes sense. Denver is a full-on pace team. The veteran presence the Pioneers get from guys like Butcher allows them to grind on teams when it's called on, but it's not their preferred style. They want to get out and skate. They're lethal in transition, very hard to forecheck effectively against, and don't take a lot of penalties.
Denver might want to push the pace Saturday night, but look for UMD to play a similar game as Thursday against Harvard, where the Bulldogs are content to use their grinding forecheck to wear down its foe and create scoring chances. One observer compared UMD's forecheck to, well I'll just let you read it because it's more fun that way.
Watching UMDs forecheck is like throwing a rock at a hornet's nest and waiting around to see what happens.— Mike Eidelbes (@INCH) April 6, 2017
Frankly, it's not the craziest thing Mike Eidelbes has ever tweeted. Not even close. In fact, I'd say it's accurate. No one in the country -- with all due respect to North Dakota -- forechecks as well as UMD. Outside of maybe Denver. But that's where there are stark differences in the teams these two have faced in this run.
UMD was challenged by an Ohio State team that frustrated it by coming at the Bulldogs in waves, especially once down a couple goals in the third period. Against Boston University, UMD played a much stronger defensive game and found a way to get the winner in overtime. But make no mistake, they were different games. The Bulldogs found a defensive posture in the BU game and were not going to let the Terriers destroy them with their speed and skill up the rink.
Harvard was very much the same. UMD had to take that first-period punch when Harvard just got too many chances on the power play. But the Bulldogs were not going to be an easy bunch to beat five-on-five. Until the end, when Harvard's goalie was pulled, UMD did a good job keeping the Crimson's good chances to a minimum (the somewhat-subjective "Grade-A Scoring Chances" chart, which is kept at the Frozen Four, gives Harvard five at even-strength before the flurry after Iafallo's winner; by comparison, UMD had seven).
By no means do I think UMD wants to slow the game down. That's not a pace UMD is good at playing, as we saw a few times this season. And there's a difference between playing a good pace game and a run-and-gun game, which is more Denver's style. UMD hits hard and attacks fast, and the Bulldogs can use their high-pressure defensive style (we hope) to limit Denver's looks and great chances while also forcing the kinds of mistakes other teams have struggled to force.
******
Much will be made of the first-ever all-NCHC final. Trust me, it's significant.
In fact, it says more about the relative strength of this conference than anything else you'll ever see in a 16-team, single-elimination hockey tournament. Everyone likes to (erroneously) tie the strength of these leagues to member schools' success in piling up national championships. But this has been the NCHC's season in many other ways.
1. Its top two teams, UMD and Denver, were the top two teams in the country by any respected metric for basically the entire season.
2. Imagine if Western Michigan were healthy down the stretch, had earned a one seed, and if North Dakota had fallen to a four. The real possibility of an all-NCHC Frozen Four existed, and it wouldn't have taken a lot of result-twisting the final weekend to make it happen.
3. For the second straight year, NCHC members were dominant in non-conference play. In fact, every NCHC member school beat at least one NCAA team from outside the conference. Yes, even Colorado College (Cornell) and Miami (Providence and Ohio State). And you wonder why coaches of the league's top teams have so much respect for the league their teams play in.
4. And if you're one of those who thinks a league's strength is actually related to the number of national championships it wins, the NCHC is about to win a second straight. And I'll guarantee you one of its teams will be among the top favorites to win in 2018.
Montgomery said it best after his team flummoxed Notre Dame Thursday night. Asked why he thought his team could jump on the Irish with their pace, he said "Because outside the NCHC, what I've seen the last two years is we're able to jump on people. That's not going to happen Saturday night. It's an NCHC opponent.
"NCHC opponents, two best teams consistently throughout the year in the NCHC, it's going to be a barn burner and a great show for college hockey."
******
If you're back in Duluth, there are a number of watch parties that UMD is promoting for Saturday night's game. Duluth parties are being held at Tavern on the Hill, Grandma's Sports Garden, Dubh Linn Irish Brew Pub, Sneakers Bar and Grill, Green Mill, and Kirby Student Center.
Also, the Black Woods in Two Harbors is hosting a party, as is Palmer's Tavern in Hibbing (the hometown of UMD coach Sandelin and sophomore forward Adam Johnson). There are also parties being held in such locales as Dallas, Madison, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, New York City, and Seattle. The UMD Alumni Relations Office has a full list here.
ESPN has the game with John Buccigross, Barry Melrose, and Quint Kessenich.
Obviously, we'd love if you listened to the radio broadcast. 92.1 The Fan in the Duluth area, or a FREE stream that works on desktop or mobile here. We start with what I think is a cool montage at 6:30, so join us for that. Pregame interviews with UMD seniors Toninato and Soucy, who have been such great kids to get to know the last four years. We chat with old friend and UMD alum Jess Myers, who is attending his 25th Frozen Four, after the first period, and Zach Schneider of KBJR joins us after the second to lend his perspective to this wonderful week we've spent in Chicago.
And we'll have plenty of time for thank yous and salutes, but this experience has been great so far. Different in a lot of ways from 2011, when we were in familiar territory in a city we all knew pretty well. Making the trek to a new city (at least for me) has been fun. For someone like me who's usually pretty intimidated by big cities, it's been fun to settle in and actually start to feel somewhat comfortable. Only one thing can make it better, and we'll find out soon enough if that's in the cards.
Friday Hockey Notes and Thoughts: Iafallo's Late Goal Pushes UMD to National Championship Game
CHICAGO -- This is old hat for UMD.
Over this 20-game stretch that has seen the Bulldogs go 16-1-3, this team has won five times in overtime, four other games by one goal, and three of those four one-goal wins have come with the winning goal inside the last 1:21 of regulation.
That's nine hair-raising wins among the last 16, and while the announcer's heart rate is in the 175 range during these games, I swear this team has a collective resting heart rate of around 22. Nothing seems to phase them.
That, by the way, is the ultimate compliment for a hockey team. I'm not sure I've ever been around one quite like this. And while I'm sure they could be rattled by something, I have no desire at this point to find out.
Alex Iafallo tipped a Willie Raskob pass through the legs of Harvard goalie Merrick Madsen with 26.6 seconds left, lifting UMD past the Crimson 2-1 and into the national championship game for the third time in program history. In the first-ever all-NCHC final, UMD will battle Denver for the title Saturday night at United Center.
"It was a good pass by Joey (Anderson, who passed the puck to Raskob)," Iafallo said. "We kept it in there at the blue line. And that was pretty much the key to the goal. And Raskob made a good play. We do it in practice all the time. So simple things like that, getting the puck to the net. Just had to shovel it in."
Iafallo did something UMD has done so many times this season. He got inside position on a defender and drove the net hard. And, yes, it's something they work on regularly in practice.
"It appeared we had a couple opportunities to get the puck out and we get trapped I think with three guys on the boards," Harvard coach Ted Donato said.
So how does UMD do this all the time?
"I just think that we're a really composed team," Anderson, who posted his fourth straight two-point game, said. "I think as the game wears on, we play a really good style that allows us to maintain our game, and we're able to finish chances when we get them. And that's been the way we've done it lately."
"We've got our experience," head coach Scott Sandelin said. "We've got our senior group. They've been through, they've won a lot of games, they've been in some big games. But I think just the way our year has gone, maybe getting some confidence, winning some of those games earlier in the year and throughout the year."
It's been a year where the Bulldogs' mettle has been tested multiple times. In 41 games, UMD has fallen behind at least 1-0 19 times, nearly half the games. Thursday's win after trailing 1-0 moved the Bulldogs to a record of 12-4-3 when allowing the game's first goal.
(For additional perspective, UMD's adversary Saturday, No. 1 Denver, is 8-7-3 when conceding the ice-breaker goal in a game.)
"I think pretty much every bit of ice was hard to get out there," Donato said. "I give Minnesota Duluth a lot of credit for that. I thought neither team really had a lot of zone time. I think both teams had some good chances."
Sandelin agreed that the two teams fought hard for every inch of ice.
"I thought our first period, I thought we had maybe the edge in that. I thought the second period they were really good. I thought they won a lot of puck battles. I thought they controlled a lot of the O zone time especially down low.
"They played their game well. The third period I thought they had more rush plays, where I thought we maybe had a little better O zone time than we did in the second period."
The game wasn't over. There were still 26.6 seconds left after Iafallo scored. Donato took his timeout, pulled Madsen, and Harvard won a couple faceoffs to set up as dramatic a sequence as you'll see anywhere, in any sport.
The Crimson got a couple offensive zone looks after Anderson barely missed a bouncing puck near the UMD blue line for a potential clear. Two Harvard shots drew iron, with UMD freshman defenseman Nick Wolff getting a piece of one of them.
"It’s nerve-wracking but yeah, the puck was on the right side and they crossed it over to the middle," Wolff said. "Right when he shot it my first thought was go down, and it hit the top of my knee, and hit the cross bar and out. If it had been one inch lower it would've gone bar down. We were very fortunate it stayed out."
"We had opportunities to score there at the end, hit a couple of posts," Harvard co-captain Alexander Kerfoot said. "We took it to them. And just wasn't meant to be."
The second Harvard shot, taken by Luke Esposito, bounced back towards the high slot, where Anderson cleared it to center and touched off another UMD celebration.
"That was definitely the longest 30 seconds of my life," senior captain Dominic Toninato said. "I mean, they had some good chances and we were fortunate. So, we got one more game for a national championship."
UMD goalie Hunter Miska (39 saves) was asked if he got a piece of either great Harvard chance.
"I think Wolff said he got a piece with his knee. Yeah, it's all good tonight."
(That's Miska in a nutshell, in case you were wondering.)
Per Nate Wells (@gopherstate) on Twitter, this is the first time since the NCAA Tournament went to a 16-team format that the No. 1 and No. 2 teams will meet for the national championship. Never has it been more fitting than it is this year.
Back in February, College Hockey News' Joe Meloni wrote:
More to come later, with a UMD-Denver preview on the way. Should be a great game. 6:30 pregame Saturday on 92.1 The Fan or free around the world by clicking here.
Over this 20-game stretch that has seen the Bulldogs go 16-1-3, this team has won five times in overtime, four other games by one goal, and three of those four one-goal wins have come with the winning goal inside the last 1:21 of regulation.
That's nine hair-raising wins among the last 16, and while the announcer's heart rate is in the 175 range during these games, I swear this team has a collective resting heart rate of around 22. Nothing seems to phase them.
That, by the way, is the ultimate compliment for a hockey team. I'm not sure I've ever been around one quite like this. And while I'm sure they could be rattled by something, I have no desire at this point to find out.
Alex Iafallo tipped a Willie Raskob pass through the legs of Harvard goalie Merrick Madsen with 26.6 seconds left, lifting UMD past the Crimson 2-1 and into the national championship game for the third time in program history. In the first-ever all-NCHC final, UMD will battle Denver for the title Saturday night at United Center.
"It was a good pass by Joey (Anderson, who passed the puck to Raskob)," Iafallo said. "We kept it in there at the blue line. And that was pretty much the key to the goal. And Raskob made a good play. We do it in practice all the time. So simple things like that, getting the puck to the net. Just had to shovel it in."
Iafallo did something UMD has done so many times this season. He got inside position on a defender and drove the net hard. And, yes, it's something they work on regularly in practice.
"It appeared we had a couple opportunities to get the puck out and we get trapped I think with three guys on the boards," Harvard coach Ted Donato said.
So how does UMD do this all the time?
"I just think that we're a really composed team," Anderson, who posted his fourth straight two-point game, said. "I think as the game wears on, we play a really good style that allows us to maintain our game, and we're able to finish chances when we get them. And that's been the way we've done it lately."
"We've got our experience," head coach Scott Sandelin said. "We've got our senior group. They've been through, they've won a lot of games, they've been in some big games. But I think just the way our year has gone, maybe getting some confidence, winning some of those games earlier in the year and throughout the year."
It's been a year where the Bulldogs' mettle has been tested multiple times. In 41 games, UMD has fallen behind at least 1-0 19 times, nearly half the games. Thursday's win after trailing 1-0 moved the Bulldogs to a record of 12-4-3 when allowing the game's first goal.
(For additional perspective, UMD's adversary Saturday, No. 1 Denver, is 8-7-3 when conceding the ice-breaker goal in a game.)
"I think pretty much every bit of ice was hard to get out there," Donato said. "I give Minnesota Duluth a lot of credit for that. I thought neither team really had a lot of zone time. I think both teams had some good chances."
Sandelin agreed that the two teams fought hard for every inch of ice.
"I thought our first period, I thought we had maybe the edge in that. I thought the second period they were really good. I thought they won a lot of puck battles. I thought they controlled a lot of the O zone time especially down low.
"They played their game well. The third period I thought they had more rush plays, where I thought we maybe had a little better O zone time than we did in the second period."
******
The game wasn't over. There were still 26.6 seconds left after Iafallo scored. Donato took his timeout, pulled Madsen, and Harvard won a couple faceoffs to set up as dramatic a sequence as you'll see anywhere, in any sport.
The Crimson got a couple offensive zone looks after Anderson barely missed a bouncing puck near the UMD blue line for a potential clear. Two Harvard shots drew iron, with UMD freshman defenseman Nick Wolff getting a piece of one of them.
"It’s nerve-wracking but yeah, the puck was on the right side and they crossed it over to the middle," Wolff said. "Right when he shot it my first thought was go down, and it hit the top of my knee, and hit the cross bar and out. If it had been one inch lower it would've gone bar down. We were very fortunate it stayed out."
"We had opportunities to score there at the end, hit a couple of posts," Harvard co-captain Alexander Kerfoot said. "We took it to them. And just wasn't meant to be."
The second Harvard shot, taken by Luke Esposito, bounced back towards the high slot, where Anderson cleared it to center and touched off another UMD celebration.
"That was definitely the longest 30 seconds of my life," senior captain Dominic Toninato said. "I mean, they had some good chances and we were fortunate. So, we got one more game for a national championship."
UMD goalie Hunter Miska (39 saves) was asked if he got a piece of either great Harvard chance.
"I think Wolff said he got a piece with his knee. Yeah, it's all good tonight."
(That's Miska in a nutshell, in case you were wondering.)
******
Back in February, College Hockey News' Joe Meloni wrote:
So often in recent years, the field has given us an open tournament. Seeding suggested some favorites, of course, and any number of variables can change an outcome on a given night. However, both Denver and Minnesota-Duluth have proven they are capable of overcoming these variables and recovering quickly. Moreover, their play will assure them the least difficult paths through the NCAA tournament.
... Upsets may happen, of course, but whether it's a regular-season title, the NCHC playoffs or the NCAA tournament, Denver and UMD are about to begin a memorable race that ends on April 8 at the United Center in Chicago.He wasn't the only one. ESPN play by play guy John Buccigross was pretty blunt from the outset of 2017 that UMD and Denver had separated themselves from the pack. It was a take that was out there, but these two teams had to get through what has been for years a meat-grinder of a tournament that gobbles top seeds like breakfast.
More to come later, with a UMD-Denver preview on the way. Should be a great game. 6:30 pregame Saturday on 92.1 The Fan or free around the world by clicking here.
Thursday, April 06, 2017
Game 41: Harvard vs UMD (NCAA Frozen Four Semifinal)
CHICAGO -- For the fifth time in program history, the UMD men's hockey team is at the NCAA Frozen Four. This time, the Bulldogs are where the tournament bracket expected them to be, if inanimate objects could expect things.
UMD is the No. 2 overall seed in a tournament that saw the top three overall seeds get to Chicago. For an event full of parity for so many years, it's an interesting turn.
This semifinal matchup with Harvard features a lot of cool storylines. The best? UMD senior Carson Soucy is back in the lineup after missing seven games with a lower-body injury. There was a point in time where it wasn't certain he could have played again, even at this stage of the season. That Soucy was able to work his way back to health, and his teammates rallied around him to an extent like they did, says a lot about this group.
What does it change? With the emergence of Nick Wolff and continued stellar play of Neal Pionk (and let's not forget Willie Raskob's continued penchant for playing his best hockey when the ads at a rink are covered by NCAA signage), UMD's coaches have more choices for who to throw on the ice for clutch situations. The six as they're laid out -- with all due respect to seniors Brenden Kotyk and Dan Molenaar, who unquestionably are also a part of why UMD is here -- don't have to be that way the whole game.
If a particular situation calls for physicality, Soucy, Pionk, Kotyk, and Wolff are all options. If you need to move the puck, get Raskob, Molenaar, and/or even Pionk out there. Wolff has really taken steps as an offensive player, too. Kotyk will still be used on the penalty kill, where his stick and shot-blocking prowess are large factors.
Should be a fun game. Hope you enjoy the broadcast.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Iafallo - Toninato - Anderson
Osterberg - Johnson - Kuhlman
Tufte - Peterson - Mackay
Young - Thomas - Exell
Pionk - Kotyk
Soucy - Raskob
Wolff - Hilderman
Miska - Shepard - Deery
Harvard
Donato - Kerfoot - Zerter-Gossage
Esposito - Malone - Moy
Zielonka - Horton - Krusko
Tringale - Pelton-Byce - Floodstrand
Sherman - Marino
Olson - Fox
Dombrovskiy - Anderson
Madsen - Gornet - Lee
UMD is the No. 2 overall seed in a tournament that saw the top three overall seeds get to Chicago. For an event full of parity for so many years, it's an interesting turn.
This semifinal matchup with Harvard features a lot of cool storylines. The best? UMD senior Carson Soucy is back in the lineup after missing seven games with a lower-body injury. There was a point in time where it wasn't certain he could have played again, even at this stage of the season. That Soucy was able to work his way back to health, and his teammates rallied around him to an extent like they did, says a lot about this group.
What does it change? With the emergence of Nick Wolff and continued stellar play of Neal Pionk (and let's not forget Willie Raskob's continued penchant for playing his best hockey when the ads at a rink are covered by NCAA signage), UMD's coaches have more choices for who to throw on the ice for clutch situations. The six as they're laid out -- with all due respect to seniors Brenden Kotyk and Dan Molenaar, who unquestionably are also a part of why UMD is here -- don't have to be that way the whole game.
If a particular situation calls for physicality, Soucy, Pionk, Kotyk, and Wolff are all options. If you need to move the puck, get Raskob, Molenaar, and/or even Pionk out there. Wolff has really taken steps as an offensive player, too. Kotyk will still be used on the penalty kill, where his stick and shot-blocking prowess are large factors.
Should be a fun game. Hope you enjoy the broadcast.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Iafallo - Toninato - Anderson
Osterberg - Johnson - Kuhlman
Tufte - Peterson - Mackay
Young - Thomas - Exell
Pionk - Kotyk
Soucy - Raskob
Wolff - Hilderman
Miska - Shepard - Deery
Harvard
Donato - Kerfoot - Zerter-Gossage
Esposito - Malone - Moy
Zielonka - Horton - Krusko
Tringale - Pelton-Byce - Floodstrand
Sherman - Marino
Olson - Fox
Dombrovskiy - Anderson
Madsen - Gornet - Lee
Wednesday, April 05, 2017
Frozen Four: Johnson, Donato Present Challenges for Defenses
CHICAGO -- We already discussed some of the basic similarities that we'll see in the first national semifinal Friday night, when UMD battles Harvard.
As mentioned in that post, both teams have dynamic sophomore forwards, capable of scoring from almost literally anywhere.
For UMD, it's Hibbing native Adam Johnson. Senior Alex Iafallo has the team lead in goals with 19, but Johnson has scored some massive goals -- and some impressive ones -- this season. Case in point, his overtime winner in the NCAA West Regional final against Boston University.
Mentioned it at the time, but what an impressive play by Johnson, who naturally downplayed it to an extent.
“I took a one-timer and the shot got blocked," he said that night. "I was fortunate enough to get it back on the wall and I saw an opening. I just tried to fake a shot and get that guy to bite and shoot it by him. I found the corner and it was a good feeling.”
It's the kind of play Johnson has become quite adept at making. His shot -- and his ability to get that shot through to goaltenders -- has been a factor for UMD all season.
And when in doubt, Johnson has proven he has enough skill to score from behind the goal line, a trick he's successfully pulled off at least three times this season.
"Really quick feet," Iafallo said of his sometimes-linemate. "Very agile. He makes a lot of juice. Very good hands. He's been great for us. Especially on that power play, the last goal in overtime. Just simple things like that. He's very good at it."
It isn't so simple. Boston University coach David Quinn gave Iafallo credit on that play at first, for keeping the puck in the offensive zone with a strong pinch after BU won the faceoff and captain Doyle Somerby wrapped the puck around the wall. But Johnson's play -- firing the initial shot off Somerby, realizing he was stunned, and taking the puck right back at him -- was outstanding. UMD coach Scott Sandelin has preached a shoot-first mentality on the power play, and as of late the Bulldogs have turned a corner in that area.
Starting Feb. 3, UMD scored at least once on the man advantage over eight straight games. Since then, over 14 games total, the power play is 15-for-63 for a 23.8 percent clip that has lifted UMD's season total to an even 20 percent. Not the best season UMD has ever had on the power play, but it's gotten better and more productive and, more importantly, more dangerous. Johnson plays a huge role in that. With him and fellow sophomore Neal Pionk up top, teams have to respect the point shot, allowing more room to maneuver down low for guys like Iafallo, Dominic Toninato, and Joey Anderson.
Harvard sophomore Ryan Donato was a more highly-touted prospect heading into college, but he does a lot of the things Johnson does for UMD. The second-round pick of the Boston Bruins is the son of head coach Ted Donato, a former NHLer himself. Ryan Donato has a lethal shot, one that he's used to post a Crimson-leading (tied with senior Tyler Moy) 21 goals this season.
He can fly, an asset Johnson shares, and one Donato used to knife through the Air Force defense for a huge goal in the regional final win March 25. He also has a lethal shot and, like Johnson, can score from practically anywhere. He scored four goals against Union Feb. 10 and has 25 points in 23 games since the calendar flipped to 2017.
Overall, Sandelin is impressed with what Harvard brings to the table in this national semifinal.
"I think they're very balanced," he said. "Obviously, they've got some very talented forwards up front. Their top two lines especially. There's a lot of skill, a lot of deception. They're a puck-possession team. I've been impressed with their poise and composure."
That skill leads to a dangerous Harvard transition game, one that UMD can't feed into, not with turnovers and not with other mistakes, like slow or poorly-timed shift changes.
"Watching the tape," Sandelin said Wednesday, "I think a couple of their opponents had bad line changes, which led to some goals off rushes. We've got to have good rush coverage, making sure we're doing little things like that, making sure we're not changing at the wrong times. Those are mistakes that we just can't catch up."
The second game pits two old friends against one another. Denver coach Jim Montgomery got his start in this profession when he took a gig as a volunteer assistant at Notre Dame, working for Jeff Jackson.
Now, with Montgomery in his fourth year at DU, their paths cross on the sport's biggest stage.
"He's a great young coach," Jackson said of Montgomery. "He's got a great future ahead of him. He's got all the right aspects to being a great coach. I'm proud of him. I'm happy for him."
"For me, I'm happy," Montgomery said. "I think it shows that our relationship is special and that I learned from a great coach because he's here again for the sixth or seventh time in his career, and I've managed to get back here for the second year in a row.
"So whatever he taught me, I've been able to apply, and I think both teams play with a lot -- I guess the same way, and we don't beat ourselves, and we're hard to play against."
Jackson won three titles at Lake Superior State, but is seeking the first in Notre Dame history. Denver has seven titles, but none since 2005, when George Gwozdecky was still at the helm.
As mentioned in that post, both teams have dynamic sophomore forwards, capable of scoring from almost literally anywhere.
For UMD, it's Hibbing native Adam Johnson. Senior Alex Iafallo has the team lead in goals with 19, but Johnson has scored some massive goals -- and some impressive ones -- this season. Case in point, his overtime winner in the NCAA West Regional final against Boston University.
AN OVERTIME WINNER TO GO TO THE #FROZENFOUR! pic.twitter.com/2zq2XFiPGh— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) March 26, 2017
Mentioned it at the time, but what an impressive play by Johnson, who naturally downplayed it to an extent.
“I took a one-timer and the shot got blocked," he said that night. "I was fortunate enough to get it back on the wall and I saw an opening. I just tried to fake a shot and get that guy to bite and shoot it by him. I found the corner and it was a good feeling.”
It's the kind of play Johnson has become quite adept at making. His shot -- and his ability to get that shot through to goaltenders -- has been a factor for UMD all season.
And when in doubt, Johnson has proven he has enough skill to score from behind the goal line, a trick he's successfully pulled off at least three times this season.
"Really quick feet," Iafallo said of his sometimes-linemate. "Very agile. He makes a lot of juice. Very good hands. He's been great for us. Especially on that power play, the last goal in overtime. Just simple things like that. He's very good at it."
It isn't so simple. Boston University coach David Quinn gave Iafallo credit on that play at first, for keeping the puck in the offensive zone with a strong pinch after BU won the faceoff and captain Doyle Somerby wrapped the puck around the wall. But Johnson's play -- firing the initial shot off Somerby, realizing he was stunned, and taking the puck right back at him -- was outstanding. UMD coach Scott Sandelin has preached a shoot-first mentality on the power play, and as of late the Bulldogs have turned a corner in that area.
Starting Feb. 3, UMD scored at least once on the man advantage over eight straight games. Since then, over 14 games total, the power play is 15-for-63 for a 23.8 percent clip that has lifted UMD's season total to an even 20 percent. Not the best season UMD has ever had on the power play, but it's gotten better and more productive and, more importantly, more dangerous. Johnson plays a huge role in that. With him and fellow sophomore Neal Pionk up top, teams have to respect the point shot, allowing more room to maneuver down low for guys like Iafallo, Dominic Toninato, and Joey Anderson.
Harvard sophomore Ryan Donato was a more highly-touted prospect heading into college, but he does a lot of the things Johnson does for UMD. The second-round pick of the Boston Bruins is the son of head coach Ted Donato, a former NHLer himself. Ryan Donato has a lethal shot, one that he's used to post a Crimson-leading (tied with senior Tyler Moy) 21 goals this season.
He can fly, an asset Johnson shares, and one Donato used to knife through the Air Force defense for a huge goal in the regional final win March 25. He also has a lethal shot and, like Johnson, can score from practically anywhere. He scored four goals against Union Feb. 10 and has 25 points in 23 games since the calendar flipped to 2017.
Overall, Sandelin is impressed with what Harvard brings to the table in this national semifinal.
"I think they're very balanced," he said. "Obviously, they've got some very talented forwards up front. Their top two lines especially. There's a lot of skill, a lot of deception. They're a puck-possession team. I've been impressed with their poise and composure."
That skill leads to a dangerous Harvard transition game, one that UMD can't feed into, not with turnovers and not with other mistakes, like slow or poorly-timed shift changes.
"Watching the tape," Sandelin said Wednesday, "I think a couple of their opponents had bad line changes, which led to some goals off rushes. We've got to have good rush coverage, making sure we're doing little things like that, making sure we're not changing at the wrong times. Those are mistakes that we just can't catch up."
******
The second game pits two old friends against one another. Denver coach Jim Montgomery got his start in this profession when he took a gig as a volunteer assistant at Notre Dame, working for Jeff Jackson.
Now, with Montgomery in his fourth year at DU, their paths cross on the sport's biggest stage.
"He's a great young coach," Jackson said of Montgomery. "He's got a great future ahead of him. He's got all the right aspects to being a great coach. I'm proud of him. I'm happy for him."
"For me, I'm happy," Montgomery said. "I think it shows that our relationship is special and that I learned from a great coach because he's here again for the sixth or seventh time in his career, and I've managed to get back here for the second year in a row.
"So whatever he taught me, I've been able to apply, and I think both teams play with a lot -- I guess the same way, and we don't beat ourselves, and we're hard to play against."
Jackson won three titles at Lake Superior State, but is seeking the first in Notre Dame history. Denver has seven titles, but none since 2005, when George Gwozdecky was still at the helm.
Frozen Four: Bulldogs, Harvard Share Similarities
CHICAGO -- You don't always know what you're going to see when you face an unfamiliar foe on a stage like the NCAA Frozen Four.
Thursday, UMD will see an unfamiliar opponent, yes, in Crimson-hot Harvard (16 straight wins, 17-0-1 last 18 games). The teams haven't met since the 1995-96 season (a UMD non-conference sweep backstopped by current Bulldog volunteer assistant coach Brant Nicklin). They haven't played in the postseason since UMD swept Harvard in a two-game, total-goals series in 1985. The two only have one common opponent this season (Boston University, which UMD beat to get to the Frozen Four, and Harvard split two games with).
But the Bulldogs aren't unfamiliar with Harvard's style, and they sure aren't strangers to a team being carried by great seniors and high-end young skill.
The Crimson might have Tyler Moy, Sean Malone, and Alexander Kerfoot up front, but UMD has Dominic Toninato and Alex Iafallo. Harvard has dynamic skill on the blue line with Adam Fox, but UMD has stud sophomore Neal Pionk. Ryan Donato might attract a lot of attention for Harvard adversaries, but so does Adam Johnson for Bulldog opponents. And while Merrick Madsen might tower over Hunter Miska in terms of height, both have been a huge reason for their respective teams getting to this point.
"The style they play, we've seen some of that," UMD coach Scott Sandelin said. "They do have some similarities to teams we've played. So that's good, as far as going up against that.
"Again, it's a very solid team that you've got to play a very, very -- hopefully minimize the mistakes, especially with pucks, and certainly, again, hopefully continue to do what we've done and capitalize on our opportunities, because I think we've done a good job of that this year when we get them."
Crimson coach Ted Donato, who was part of the last Harvard Frozen Four team in 1989, feels similarly.
"I think they have some size and strength and defensive prowess," he said, "kind of like Cornell at times, and certainly up front I think they have some play makers, and they have some size and strength as well. I think their goaltender is playing as well as anybody in the country."
I leave the direct comparisons to coaches whenever possible, but watching this Harvard team it's hard to not be impressed. Donato has three lines that can really go, and while Fox is their most dynamic defenseman, there's no question guys like Wiley Sherman and John Marino can bring it, too. Madsen is just a force in net. He's 6-5 and plays as positionally sound as anyone I've seen this season. The Crimson do a very good job of blocking shots, but they also clear lanes so Madsen can see shooters and square up to them.
Before the Boston University game, I chatted with Sandelin about trying to beat a big goalie in BU freshman Jake Oettinger.
"He's going to stop everything he sees cleanly," Sandelin said. "We've got to create some second, third opportunities. We've got to get him moving. Get some moving screens and get pucks there to maybe get him opened up a bit. He just takes up so much of the net."
Asked about beating Madsen, Sandelin offered this:
"First of all, let's get pucks to the net. Again, you've got to attack. We've got to get inside, you know. I think anybody will say that to try and score, but they do a great job defending. They block a lot of shots. They really do a good job inside the dots. So they don't make it easy. When you have those opportunities, you've got to try and get pucks to the net, take pucks to the net, and if you do have shot opportunities, not a lot of them are going to get through because they do a good job blocking shots too. So you might have to look at other ways."
Is this just another game?
I would say, in an ideal world, all these players are able to treat this as such while also enjoying and savoring the moment they're in. Only four of 60 teams get to be here (thanks, Cap'n Obvious), and it's a special opportunity for all these coaches and players.
"This is a great opportunity, and every time you get here, you feel pretty lucky to be in the position that we're in," Sandelin said.
Miska talked about how tall the United Center is ("That's him," Sandelin quipped about his sometimes-eccentric star freshman goalie). But while it might have been momentarily weird to be in such a big building, Miska isn't about to do anything out of the ordinary to get ready for this national semifinal game.
"I'm going to treat it like any other game," Miska said. "I'm not going to change what I do on a daily basis. Just going to go do my daily routine and play my game."
Harvard players concurred.
"I think we're trying to treat it like any other game," Kerfoot said. "It's really exciting to be here at the (Frozen) Four. It's our goal all year long. Especially us three being seniors, it's pretty exciting just to end our college careers here.
"I think, if we get too caught up in everything else, we won't be as focused on our game. So we're just trying to treat this like any other weekend."
"We've played in really big games this year with the Beanpot and ECAC tournament and things like that," Malone added. "I think we could use our experience there and know that we have to come out playing our game hard right away."
(And look at what Harvard did to Boston University in the Beanpot championship game. Beat the Terriers 6-3, outshot them 46-17, including 18-2 in the first period. BU coach David Quinn said his team was "fighting an uphill battle" all night, even when it briefly had a 2-1 lead in the second period.)
While none of these players can draw on Frozen Four experience, there's other big-game experience out there. As an example, there's Harvard's win in the Beanpot, its first Beanpot title in 24 years. UMD won its first conference playoff title since 2009 and its first-ever North Star College Cup title. And individual players with national team experience can draw on that, too.
"You have to take the crowd out of it," UMD freshman Joey Anderson said. "You have to calm down and stick to the game, make sure there aren't too many ups and downs. Keep an even keel."
Ted Donato, however, knows this isn't just another hockey game.
"This is certainly a different game," he said. "I think you can always try to -- in your mind, just think of it as a different game. It's not just another game. But mentally, they're preparing as if it's another big game that they're playing."
Thursday, UMD will see an unfamiliar opponent, yes, in Crimson-hot Harvard (16 straight wins, 17-0-1 last 18 games). The teams haven't met since the 1995-96 season (a UMD non-conference sweep backstopped by current Bulldog volunteer assistant coach Brant Nicklin). They haven't played in the postseason since UMD swept Harvard in a two-game, total-goals series in 1985. The two only have one common opponent this season (Boston University, which UMD beat to get to the Frozen Four, and Harvard split two games with).
But the Bulldogs aren't unfamiliar with Harvard's style, and they sure aren't strangers to a team being carried by great seniors and high-end young skill.
The Crimson might have Tyler Moy, Sean Malone, and Alexander Kerfoot up front, but UMD has Dominic Toninato and Alex Iafallo. Harvard has dynamic skill on the blue line with Adam Fox, but UMD has stud sophomore Neal Pionk. Ryan Donato might attract a lot of attention for Harvard adversaries, but so does Adam Johnson for Bulldog opponents. And while Merrick Madsen might tower over Hunter Miska in terms of height, both have been a huge reason for their respective teams getting to this point.
"The style they play, we've seen some of that," UMD coach Scott Sandelin said. "They do have some similarities to teams we've played. So that's good, as far as going up against that.
"Again, it's a very solid team that you've got to play a very, very -- hopefully minimize the mistakes, especially with pucks, and certainly, again, hopefully continue to do what we've done and capitalize on our opportunities, because I think we've done a good job of that this year when we get them."
Crimson coach Ted Donato, who was part of the last Harvard Frozen Four team in 1989, feels similarly.
"I think they have some size and strength and defensive prowess," he said, "kind of like Cornell at times, and certainly up front I think they have some play makers, and they have some size and strength as well. I think their goaltender is playing as well as anybody in the country."
I leave the direct comparisons to coaches whenever possible, but watching this Harvard team it's hard to not be impressed. Donato has three lines that can really go, and while Fox is their most dynamic defenseman, there's no question guys like Wiley Sherman and John Marino can bring it, too. Madsen is just a force in net. He's 6-5 and plays as positionally sound as anyone I've seen this season. The Crimson do a very good job of blocking shots, but they also clear lanes so Madsen can see shooters and square up to them.
Before the Boston University game, I chatted with Sandelin about trying to beat a big goalie in BU freshman Jake Oettinger.
"He's going to stop everything he sees cleanly," Sandelin said. "We've got to create some second, third opportunities. We've got to get him moving. Get some moving screens and get pucks there to maybe get him opened up a bit. He just takes up so much of the net."
Asked about beating Madsen, Sandelin offered this:
"First of all, let's get pucks to the net. Again, you've got to attack. We've got to get inside, you know. I think anybody will say that to try and score, but they do a great job defending. They block a lot of shots. They really do a good job inside the dots. So they don't make it easy. When you have those opportunities, you've got to try and get pucks to the net, take pucks to the net, and if you do have shot opportunities, not a lot of them are going to get through because they do a good job blocking shots too. So you might have to look at other ways."
******
Is this just another game?
I would say, in an ideal world, all these players are able to treat this as such while also enjoying and savoring the moment they're in. Only four of 60 teams get to be here (thanks, Cap'n Obvious), and it's a special opportunity for all these coaches and players.
"This is a great opportunity, and every time you get here, you feel pretty lucky to be in the position that we're in," Sandelin said.
Miska talked about how tall the United Center is ("That's him," Sandelin quipped about his sometimes-eccentric star freshman goalie). But while it might have been momentarily weird to be in such a big building, Miska isn't about to do anything out of the ordinary to get ready for this national semifinal game.
"I'm going to treat it like any other game," Miska said. "I'm not going to change what I do on a daily basis. Just going to go do my daily routine and play my game."
Harvard players concurred.
"I think we're trying to treat it like any other game," Kerfoot said. "It's really exciting to be here at the (Frozen) Four. It's our goal all year long. Especially us three being seniors, it's pretty exciting just to end our college careers here.
"I think, if we get too caught up in everything else, we won't be as focused on our game. So we're just trying to treat this like any other weekend."
"We've played in really big games this year with the Beanpot and ECAC tournament and things like that," Malone added. "I think we could use our experience there and know that we have to come out playing our game hard right away."
(And look at what Harvard did to Boston University in the Beanpot championship game. Beat the Terriers 6-3, outshot them 46-17, including 18-2 in the first period. BU coach David Quinn said his team was "fighting an uphill battle" all night, even when it briefly had a 2-1 lead in the second period.)
While none of these players can draw on Frozen Four experience, there's other big-game experience out there. As an example, there's Harvard's win in the Beanpot, its first Beanpot title in 24 years. UMD won its first conference playoff title since 2009 and its first-ever North Star College Cup title. And individual players with national team experience can draw on that, too.
"You have to take the crowd out of it," UMD freshman Joey Anderson said. "You have to calm down and stick to the game, make sure there aren't too many ups and downs. Keep an even keel."
Ted Donato, however, knows this isn't just another hockey game.
"This is certainly a different game," he said. "I think you can always try to -- in your mind, just think of it as a different game. It's not just another game. But mentally, they're preparing as if it's another big game that they're playing."
Friday, March 31, 2017
Frozen Four: Bulldogs Return to Glory
It doesn't always work out this way.
For every Justin Fontaine, who returned to UMD for a chance at a national championship that didn't elude him, there's a Jimmy Vesey, who returned to Harvard, won the Hobey Baker, but whose team couldn't get out of the first round last year.
For every Carson Soucy, who returned to UMD this year for a chance at redemption in the NCAA regionals after two years of heartbreaking losses in the round of eight, there's a Joey LaLeggia, a pure superstar in college who played out his four years at Denver but fell short of the Frozen Four as a senior.
I could go on and on, but you get the point.
It's one thing to have a group like the one UMD has. Players like Soucy, captain Dominic Toninato, and linemate Alex Iafallo could very easily have turned pro after last season. They had good college careers, but no one would have batted an eye if they gave up their last year for the chance to play for real money and take steps toward the NHL.
"They came back for a reason," UMD coach Scott Sandelin said recently. Actually, he's said it at least three times that I remember.
"For us as coaches," he told me in February, "the fun part is watching those guys grow and mature. They're all leaders for us. They play big time roles for us. They've been very successful. They set examples on and off the rink by working hard and being good teammates. They've helped continue the culture we've tried to have here."
That word. Culture.
Such a meaningful term in sports. In this case, it's what Sandelin and his staff have worked to achieve for 17 years. When impactful seniors, great players, and great leaders leave the program, there are bodies waiting to fill those roles. At UMD, this hasn't always been the case, but now you're seeing it develop.
Yes, the Bulldogs lose Soucy, Toninato, and Iafallo, along with Willie Raskob, Brenden Kotyk, Dan Molenaar, and Kyle Osterberg. All seven are having perhaps their best seasons at UMD, for a variety of reasons. Toninato and Iafallo continue to be top 200-foot players while being as productive as ever. Soucy was having a good offensive season before being injured. Raskob has stepped up big-time since Soucy was lost, and Kotyk has shaken off a late-season injury to be a continued shot-blocking fixture. Molenaar is finally healthy after a snakebit career to this point. Osterberg has stayed healthy while producing big goals and drawing key penalties at key times.
It's an impact not often made at UMD, but a look at the top of the NCHC shows two top programs nationally -- Denver and North Dakota -- that reload without rebuilding on a seemingly annual basis. It's a good roadmap for the future of the Bulldogs.
While they will leave a hell of a leadership void when they're done, UMD is hoping to have built a culture where others step in. Guys like Karson Kuhlman, Avery Peterson, Jared Thomas, Parker Mackay, Adam Johnson, Neal Pionk, and eventually Nick Wolff will be expected to help fill that void. And, again, they're all capable in their own way.
With what UMD loses once this awesome season ends, the Bulldogs will unquestionably need everyone who stays to pull some of that weight. Next year's team will be younger, with some high-end skill on the way. The mix will be different, for sure, but the goals will be unchanged.
******
Soucy is in an interesting spot. He's missed seven games with an injury, but has not been ruled out for the Frozen Four semifinal Thursday against Harvard in Chicago. While he's done what he can as a cheerleader and perhaps a behind-the-scenes coach of sorts, helping Wolff and fellow freshman Jarod Hilderman on the blue line, he's itching to play.
"It's not easy," Soucy said. "You focus on what you can do to help the team. Stay positive, give a little advice here and there. Our whole D-corps played big minutes against skilled teams. Not always easy to watch, but fun to see us win."
Soucy was watching Saturday's regional final with the other UMD scratches when Johnson netted the game-winner on a power play at 1:57 of overtime.
"If you would have videotaped our reaction, it would have been pretty funny," he said. "It was pretty quick, chairs going back, we got a big hug, then sprinted downstairs. You could see our guys' emotion, because we worked all year to get to this spot.
"Getting over that hump, that game we've lost the last two years. It's going to be fun to play, if I can, and I think our team's excited for it."
Sandelin wouldn't elaborate on Soucy's status Wednesday after telling media Tuesday that he remains "week to week". Soucy did practice Wednesday after being able to skate with the team last week in Fargo, but there's simply no definitive word on whether there's a chance he plays Thursday against the Crimson.
Remember, this is a lower-body injury, so Soucy wasn't skating for some time. He has to not only get his body back in "hockey shape" and be sure he's okay to take contact, but there's a conditioning element involved, too.
******
Team and staff (and your humble correspondent) fly to Chicago Tuesday. Media activities at United Center Wednesday. Semifinals Thursday. Join us on 92.1 The Fan if you can. #ListenToTheRadio
Saturday, March 25, 2017
Sunday Hockey Notes and Thoughts: Bulldogs Turn Tables on Boston University, Advance to Frozen Four
FARGO, N.D. -- There was no secret regarding the bitterness UMD felt in 2015, after an Evan Rodrigues goal with one second left in a power play off a very controversial call against Andy Welinski lifted Boston University to the Frozen Four.
A few days after that season ended, perhaps too soon, UMD coach Scott Sandelin was still fuming about the call against Welinski, who would captain the Bulldogs to another NCAA appearance last season.
"I've had a lot of great teams," Sandelin said at the time. "It's not even about winning. We've had some great kids. This group was pretty special. Unfortunately, they almost got to where they wanted to go. That's the part that's hard for a coach, when you see that. It was a fun group to work with. They worked hard. They cared about each other.
"Like I've said, some things you can't control. I kind of feel like that last game kind of got taken out of our hands. I don't like that, because I think it cheats the kids a little bit. They're the ones that people come to watch. You just want them to play and decide a game. That's the unfortunate thing, that's the thing that probably stings the most. Whether that sounds like whining, I really don't care. Because the bottom line is that for four of those guys, they can't play again.
"Sorry, I went off the deep end a little."
So to say this is a sweet victory for UMD is probably an understatement.
Adam Johnson's wrist shot at 1:57 of overtime got by Boston University goalie Jake Oettinger, and UMD beat BU 3-2 to advance to the NCAA Frozen Four, April 6 and 8 in Chicago.
Johnson picked up the rebound after his initial one-time attempt at the right point was blocked off the boards by BU captain Doyle Somerby.
Watch the video. Johnson smacks Somerby with a hard one-timer, then calmly picks the puck up off the boards and goes right on the attack. He makes a little juke move, enough to get Somerby out of the way to create the shooting lane, and there was no mistake on that shot. The whole thing started when Alex Iafallo pinched to keep a hard-around from Somerby in the zone.
“I took a one-timer and the shot got blocked," Johnson said. "I was fortunate enough to get it back on the wall and I saw an opening. I just tried to fake a shot and get that guy to bite and shoot it by him. I found the corner and it was a good feeling.”
"What a great play by them," Boston University coach David Quinn said. "They make an unbelievable play to keep the puck in, we win the draw and Doyle does a great job firing around, and [Iafallo] made an unbelievable play to keep the puck in and Doyle makes a great block and was a little bit staggered and they smelled blood and they took advantage of it.
"That's what great teams do and that's why they're going to the Frozen Four, they've been doing that all year long and you have to give them a lot of credit."
It's the kind of play Johnson has increasingly shown the ability to make, and it's what has helped make this power play so dangerous in the second half of the season.
Certainly this has the potential to be an X-factor for UMD in Chicago, that and the again-emerging penalty kill. Against a highly-skilled BU power play, UMD did the job on two chances, pulling off a perfect weekend in Fargo against two potent man-advantage teams.
Discipline played a role, with only six power plays condeded in two games, but the Bulldogs' special teams are dialed in at the right time of the season.
For UMD's seven-man senior class, this has to be awfully sweet. After two years of agonizing regional final losses to Boston teams, the Bulldogs are headed back to the premier event in college hockey.
“Absolutely incredible," Iafallo said. "It’s the reason why we came back. Just proud of the guys for sacrificing their bodies. The last two years we came short and this year we didn’t, so it feels absolutely phenomenal.”
There's little doubt Iafallo and captain Dominic Toninato, among others, have saved their best for last.
Iafallo had two more points Saturday to run his point streak to 13, a career high (7-15-22). He has exactly two points in each of the last seven games (5-9-14).
"I’m more excited for our team, our program and our seven seniors that have kind of gone through tough defeats in this regional final," Sandelin said. "To have the opportunity to get to Chicago, to get to the Frozen Four and keep playing is pretty exciting for all of us."
And as Sandelin himself noted Saturday night, he isn't easily excited. Can tell he's pumped about this. As he should be, and surely he isn't alone.
Talking to Sandelin before the game, one of his goals was to not have freshman goalie Hunter Miska end up making a half-dozen highlight reel saves again. Goal: Realized.
Miska made a great stop on BU's Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, lifting his pad to rob the Terriers star center blind on a BU power play. Other than that, he didn't have to do much more than his job. Defensively, it was a much more composed and structured performance from UMD, which did a great job limiting a dangerous team in transition and keeping star freshman Clayton Keller in check. Keller scored in the first period. That came after a pinch by freshman Jarod Hilderman at the offensive blue line, and Keller was able to get around Joey Anderson before scoring on a nice backhand.
Once that happened, UMD did a great job defensively. It might have been a bit boring to watch at times, but with the Bulldogs still missing senior Carson Soucy, they made sure the area in front of Miska was taken care of, first and foremost. It was probably UMD's strongest defensive game in a while, especially considering the quality of the adversary.
Miska headed up the All-Tournament Team, and was named the MVP of the regional. Joining him on the team were senior defenseman Willie Raskob, along with Iafallo and Anderson up front. Rounding out the All-Tournament team were Keller and BU sophomore defenseman Charlie McAvoy.
UMD will face Harvard in the national semifinals April 6 in Chicago. The Crimson, seeded third overall, beat Air Force 3-2 Saturday in Providence to claim the East Regional. Two more spots will be filled Sunday, as Penn State battles Denver in Cincinnati, and Notre Dame faces UMass-Lowell in Manchester.
Thanks to KBJR sports guy Zach Schneider for driving on this trip. Was a good time with him and News Tribune scribe Matt Wellens. It's never easy to drive through the middle of nowhere.
Might scuttle the regular Monday blog, but will be back later in the week. Follow the Twitter @BruceCiskie for whatever I post there.
A few days after that season ended, perhaps too soon, UMD coach Scott Sandelin was still fuming about the call against Welinski, who would captain the Bulldogs to another NCAA appearance last season.
"I've had a lot of great teams," Sandelin said at the time. "It's not even about winning. We've had some great kids. This group was pretty special. Unfortunately, they almost got to where they wanted to go. That's the part that's hard for a coach, when you see that. It was a fun group to work with. They worked hard. They cared about each other.
"Like I've said, some things you can't control. I kind of feel like that last game kind of got taken out of our hands. I don't like that, because I think it cheats the kids a little bit. They're the ones that people come to watch. You just want them to play and decide a game. That's the unfortunate thing, that's the thing that probably stings the most. Whether that sounds like whining, I really don't care. Because the bottom line is that for four of those guys, they can't play again.
"Sorry, I went off the deep end a little."
So to say this is a sweet victory for UMD is probably an understatement.
Adam Johnson's wrist shot at 1:57 of overtime got by Boston University goalie Jake Oettinger, and UMD beat BU 3-2 to advance to the NCAA Frozen Four, April 6 and 8 in Chicago.
Johnson picked up the rebound after his initial one-time attempt at the right point was blocked off the boards by BU captain Doyle Somerby.
AN OVERTIME WINNER TO GO TO THE #FROZENFOUR! pic.twitter.com/2zq2XFiPGh— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) March 26, 2017
Watch the video. Johnson smacks Somerby with a hard one-timer, then calmly picks the puck up off the boards and goes right on the attack. He makes a little juke move, enough to get Somerby out of the way to create the shooting lane, and there was no mistake on that shot. The whole thing started when Alex Iafallo pinched to keep a hard-around from Somerby in the zone.
“I took a one-timer and the shot got blocked," Johnson said. "I was fortunate enough to get it back on the wall and I saw an opening. I just tried to fake a shot and get that guy to bite and shoot it by him. I found the corner and it was a good feeling.”
"What a great play by them," Boston University coach David Quinn said. "They make an unbelievable play to keep the puck in, we win the draw and Doyle does a great job firing around, and [Iafallo] made an unbelievable play to keep the puck in and Doyle makes a great block and was a little bit staggered and they smelled blood and they took advantage of it.
"That's what great teams do and that's why they're going to the Frozen Four, they've been doing that all year long and you have to give them a lot of credit."
It's the kind of play Johnson has increasingly shown the ability to make, and it's what has helped make this power play so dangerous in the second half of the season.
Certainly this has the potential to be an X-factor for UMD in Chicago, that and the again-emerging penalty kill. Against a highly-skilled BU power play, UMD did the job on two chances, pulling off a perfect weekend in Fargo against two potent man-advantage teams.
Discipline played a role, with only six power plays condeded in two games, but the Bulldogs' special teams are dialed in at the right time of the season.
******
For UMD's seven-man senior class, this has to be awfully sweet. After two years of agonizing regional final losses to Boston teams, the Bulldogs are headed back to the premier event in college hockey.
“Absolutely incredible," Iafallo said. "It’s the reason why we came back. Just proud of the guys for sacrificing their bodies. The last two years we came short and this year we didn’t, so it feels absolutely phenomenal.”
There's little doubt Iafallo and captain Dominic Toninato, among others, have saved their best for last.
Iafallo had two more points Saturday to run his point streak to 13, a career high (7-15-22). He has exactly two points in each of the last seven games (5-9-14).
"I’m more excited for our team, our program and our seven seniors that have kind of gone through tough defeats in this regional final," Sandelin said. "To have the opportunity to get to Chicago, to get to the Frozen Four and keep playing is pretty exciting for all of us."
And as Sandelin himself noted Saturday night, he isn't easily excited. Can tell he's pumped about this. As he should be, and surely he isn't alone.
******
Talking to Sandelin before the game, one of his goals was to not have freshman goalie Hunter Miska end up making a half-dozen highlight reel saves again. Goal: Realized.
Miska made a great stop on BU's Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, lifting his pad to rob the Terriers star center blind on a BU power play. Other than that, he didn't have to do much more than his job. Defensively, it was a much more composed and structured performance from UMD, which did a great job limiting a dangerous team in transition and keeping star freshman Clayton Keller in check. Keller scored in the first period. That came after a pinch by freshman Jarod Hilderman at the offensive blue line, and Keller was able to get around Joey Anderson before scoring on a nice backhand.
Once that happened, UMD did a great job defensively. It might have been a bit boring to watch at times, but with the Bulldogs still missing senior Carson Soucy, they made sure the area in front of Miska was taken care of, first and foremost. It was probably UMD's strongest defensive game in a while, especially considering the quality of the adversary.
******
Miska headed up the All-Tournament Team, and was named the MVP of the regional. Joining him on the team were senior defenseman Willie Raskob, along with Iafallo and Anderson up front. Rounding out the All-Tournament team were Keller and BU sophomore defenseman Charlie McAvoy.
******
UMD will face Harvard in the national semifinals April 6 in Chicago. The Crimson, seeded third overall, beat Air Force 3-2 Saturday in Providence to claim the East Regional. Two more spots will be filled Sunday, as Penn State battles Denver in Cincinnati, and Notre Dame faces UMass-Lowell in Manchester.
******
Thanks to KBJR sports guy Zach Schneider for driving on this trip. Was a good time with him and News Tribune scribe Matt Wellens. It's never easy to drive through the middle of nowhere.
Might scuttle the regular Monday blog, but will be back later in the week. Follow the Twitter @BruceCiskie for whatever I post there.
UMD Advances to Frozen Four
FARGO, N.D. -- More to come, but Adam Johnson's power play goal at 1:57 of overtime propelled UMD to the NCAA Frozen Four, 3-2 over Boston University Saturday night.
Highlights available below. Thanks to everyone who tuned in.
Highlights available below. Thanks to everyone who tuned in.
Wednesday, April 04, 2012
Random Rabble: April 4
The NCAA Frozen Four starts Thursday in Tampa, and apparently ticket sales haven't been as brisk as in the past. The NCAA announced Tuesday that single-session tickets would be available for the event. All-session passes were in the neighborhood of $200, with single-session tickets priced at $110.
Does this sound absolutely insane to anyone else? This isn't St. Paul, where you can turn on the lights at the XCel Energy Center, tell people there's a hockey game going on, and draw thousands and thousands of fans.
In Tampa, the NHL team has troubles drawing for playoff games. Yes, there are great hockey fans in Florida, but there isn't a college hockey team within hundreds of miles. And the one closest -- Alabama-Huntsville, the tournament "host" -- is an independent that might be near extinction if it can't find a league soon.
These kinds of prices for what is probably an unknown commodity to most fans -- even diehard hockey fans -- in the general area is just a death wish.
Expect scores of empty seats at the Tampa Bay Times Forum this weekend, and that's too bad. The Frozen Four has grown in stature over the years, just not enough to be held anywhere that has a big-enough facility.
(Then again, the NCAA also thinks that the regional sites are working, even though the crowds two weekends ago were nothing short of embarrassing. Just keep the head buried in the sand, guys. You don't want to see what's really going on, because it might force you to make an effort to improve things.)
Speaking of insanity, I hope you're all familiar with NBC/NBC Sports Network/CBC hockey "analyst" Mike Milbury. The former failure of an NHL coach and executive is a rather controversial figure on television, thanks to a number of different incidents over the years. Rather than go through them all, I'll just give you a couple.
Nuts. I know.
Anyway, Milbury's latest strike came on the Pittsburgh Penguins after Sunday's now-infamous brawl with Philadelphia.
On a sports radio station in Philly Monday, Milbury made fun of Sidney Crosby's concussion problems, called him a "punk" and a "goody two shoes," and told Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma to take off his "skirt."
Milbury apologized -- sort of -- by noon Tuesday.
Yeah. I can't wait until NBC is carrying Penguins playoff games, and Milbury is called on for some sort of objective analysis. He's such a pro that I'm sure it won't be an issue at all.
Does this sound absolutely insane to anyone else? This isn't St. Paul, where you can turn on the lights at the XCel Energy Center, tell people there's a hockey game going on, and draw thousands and thousands of fans.
In Tampa, the NHL team has troubles drawing for playoff games. Yes, there are great hockey fans in Florida, but there isn't a college hockey team within hundreds of miles. And the one closest -- Alabama-Huntsville, the tournament "host" -- is an independent that might be near extinction if it can't find a league soon.
These kinds of prices for what is probably an unknown commodity to most fans -- even diehard hockey fans -- in the general area is just a death wish.
Expect scores of empty seats at the Tampa Bay Times Forum this weekend, and that's too bad. The Frozen Four has grown in stature over the years, just not enough to be held anywhere that has a big-enough facility.
(Then again, the NCAA also thinks that the regional sites are working, even though the crowds two weekends ago were nothing short of embarrassing. Just keep the head buried in the sand, guys. You don't want to see what's really going on, because it might force you to make an effort to improve things.)
Speaking of insanity, I hope you're all familiar with NBC/NBC Sports Network/CBC hockey "analyst" Mike Milbury. The former failure of an NHL coach and executive is a rather controversial figure on television, thanks to a number of different incidents over the years. Rather than go through them all, I'll just give you a couple.
Nuts. I know.
Anyway, Milbury's latest strike came on the Pittsburgh Penguins after Sunday's now-infamous brawl with Philadelphia.
On a sports radio station in Philly Monday, Milbury made fun of Sidney Crosby's concussion problems, called him a "punk" and a "goody two shoes," and told Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma to take off his "skirt."
Milbury apologized -- sort of -- by noon Tuesday.
"I reached out to David Morehouse and the Penguins about the comments I made yesterday on Philadelphia radio. In hindsight, I realize what I said was inappropriate and wrong, and I want to apologize to the Penguins organization and their fans."
Yeah. I can't wait until NBC is carrying Penguins playoff games, and Milbury is called on for some sort of objective analysis. He's such a pro that I'm sure it won't be an issue at all.
Monday, April 11, 2011
(Monday) Hockey Notes and Thoughts: This One Was Undoubtedly and Undeniably Earned
However, there was a reality expressed by Berenson at his postgame press conference, when he stated he thought UMD was the better team.
He wasn't as willing on Friday to say the same of his own team after its 2-0 upset of North Dakota. He said multiple times that he felt his team was fortunate to advance, and he felt North Dakota was a better team. They probably were, but Shawn Hunwick was a man in goal with 40 saves.
On Saturday, for the second time in a row at the Frozen Four, the Wolverines were not the better team.
This time around, they weren't fortunate enough to get a great goaltending performance or a fortunate bounce. They got the goaltending, but couldn't get the bounces to overcome a better team.
Some might say that the Yale and Michigan games went the way they did because UMD got fortunate breaks from whistle-happy officials. Of course, that's a pretty narrow-minded view of things, but it's your right to think that way if you do.
Reality dictates that there are different truths. Yale complained that the game was taken away from them with a five-minute major that was called eight seconds after a three-goal deficit was cut to two. But what they conveniently forgot was that Yale played nearly 15 minutes of five-on-five hockey in the third period, and mustered a grand total of four shots on goal.
As for Michigan, they had as many shot attempts (nine) in the third period as Mike Connolly had shots on goal in the game.
In overtime, UMD used their superior depth and skating ability to wear down the Wolverines. A couple of silly icings didn't help, and Berenson's decision not to use his timeout with Matt Rust's line stuck on the ice proved deadly for his team.
Was it a product of Michigan being too locked-in on matching up Rust's line with Jack Connolly's line? Was it a typical coach not wanting to burn a timeout when the game was starting to take the look of one that could last a while?
We'll probably never know.
No matter what, UMD deserves this. They were better than Michigan Saturday, outside of a stretch in the last part of the first period after the Wolverines took a 1-0 lead. They were good enough to beat Michigan, and would have been good enough to beat anyone else this tournament could have placed in front of them.
Simply, the Bulldogs were not going to be denied.
On this night, they didn't wait for a lucky bounce or a fluke bleeder goal to make it happen. They earned everything they got, and they showed why they set such high expectations for themselves when the season started.
******
If you're going to be in Duluth Wednesday night, you're invited (and encouraged) to stop by Amsoil Arena for the formal and official championship celebration. Doors at the arena will open at 5, with the proceedings getting underway at 6.
******
A few stats from the weekend:
- Thanks to that one-for-nine Saturday, UMD's power play "only" clicked at nine-for-32 in the NCAA Tournament. Bums.
- UMD's penalty kill was awesome throughout the tournament, but never better than at the Frozen Four. They went 23 for 26 in the tourney, but were nine for nine in the Frozen Four, holding Notre Dame and Michigan to a combined total of four shots on goal. Let that one sink in for a second.
- I complained (well, I brought the fact up) during the first intermission that UMD had won just 7 of 20 first-period faceoffs. They must have heard me. The Bulldogs went 44-25 on draws the rest of the game, with Travis Oleksuk going 17-8 over the final two-plus periods.
- The All-Tournament team included J.T. Brown and Kyle Schmidt up front, and Justin Faulk on defense. Michigan's Ben Winnett and Jon Merrill, along with goalie Shawn Hunwick, also made the team. Brown was the Most Outstanding Player.
- Tip of the cap to all the people in St. Paul who worked hard at the arena, most notably Dave Fischer, Mark Bedics, Paul Rovnak, and Wally Shaver, who put up with my deaf ears not hearing the officials' names on Saturday. Also, hats off to everyone at the Embassy Suites for making the four-night stay as comfortable and enjoyable as it was.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Frozen Four: Kyle Schmidt For The Win
In 15 years of radio, and six years of calling UMD hockey games, I don't think I've ever had more people -- in barely 12 hours time -- ask for audio of anything I have done.
For those who haven't heard it on ESPN or WCCO or wherever else it's been played, here is the call from Kyle Schmidt's overtime winner in Saturday's national championship game.
Oh, yeah, UMD won the national championship. Has it set in yet?
UPDATE: Apparently, the method I tried to use to get this audio to everyone isn't going to work. For now, check out this podcast of WCCO's This Week In Hockey, and go to the 20:18 mark in the podcast to hear the call and then a short interview with your humble correspondent.
For those who haven't heard it on ESPN or WCCO or wherever else it's been played, here is the call from Kyle Schmidt's overtime winner in Saturday's national championship game.
Oh, yeah, UMD won the national championship. Has it set in yet?
UPDATE: Apparently, the method I tried to use to get this audio to everyone isn't going to work. For now, check out this podcast of WCCO's This Week In Hockey, and go to the 20:18 mark in the podcast to hear the call and then a short interview with your humble correspondent.
Frozen Four: Glory
Enjoy.
More to come, including -- by insanely popular demand -- the audio of Kyle Schmidt's game-winner.
Hope someone in Duluth thought to burn their couch. ;)
Saturday, April 09, 2011
Game 42: UMD vs. Michigan (NCAA Final)
ST. PAUL -- Since I took this job in October 2005, I've dreamed of this moment for this program.
You don't need to worry about the radio guy being ready. He's ready.
Are you? Pregame at 5:30 on 94X including special guest Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Wherever you tune in from, please enjoy this moment, as we will do our best to do here.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Connolly (Mike) - Connolly (Jack) - Fontaine
Schmidt - Oleksuk - Brown
Seidel - Hendrickson - Basaraba
Flaherty - Tardy - Grun
Faulk - Montgomery
Bergman - Lamb
Olson - Palm
Reiter - Crandall
Michigan
Hagelin - Caporusso - Brown
Vaughan - Lynch - Treais
Winnett - Rust - Glendening
Moffatt - Rohrkemper - DeBlois
Merrill - Langlais
Clare - Pateryn
Moffie - Bennett
Hunwick - Hogan - Janecyk
You don't need to worry about the radio guy being ready. He's ready.
Are you? Pregame at 5:30 on 94X including special guest Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Wherever you tune in from, please enjoy this moment, as we will do our best to do here.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Connolly (Mike) - Connolly (Jack) - Fontaine
Schmidt - Oleksuk - Brown
Seidel - Hendrickson - Basaraba
Flaherty - Tardy - Grun
Faulk - Montgomery
Bergman - Lamb
Olson - Palm
Reiter - Crandall
Michigan
Hagelin - Caporusso - Brown
Vaughan - Lynch - Treais
Winnett - Rust - Glendening
Moffatt - Rohrkemper - DeBlois
Merrill - Langlais
Clare - Pateryn
Moffie - Bennett
Hunwick - Hogan - Janecyk
Frozen Four: Musical Interlude, Part Deux
ST. PAUL -- I think I've mentioned being superstitious in the past.
That hasn't changed.
It worked Thursday, so here are two more tunes to amp everyone up for what is to come in less than six hours.
Wow. Less than six hours.
Here is one of the Fabulous Mrs. Ciskie's favorites.
That hasn't changed.
It worked Thursday, so here are two more tunes to amp everyone up for what is to come in less than six hours.
Wow. Less than six hours.
Here is one of the Fabulous Mrs. Ciskie's favorites.
Frozen Four: The Building Blocks
It came to mind that many of these players and coaches won't receive the proper accolades as we head into Saturday's NCAA final here in St. Paul. The majority of them flew under the radar during their careers, but it doesn't mean they have to now.
What follows is a list borrowed from the UMD athletics site, with help from this year's UMD media guide and my trusty young assistant, who read off names as I typed.
It's not meant to be a complete list, but instead a randomly selected group of names, chosen and listed alphabetically, regardless of their overall production in a UMD uniform. These are the people who each had a hand in building UMD's program. They are the building blocks without which we wouldn't have a team playing for the NCAA championship on this weekend in April.
As UMD supporters, we not only salute our current players and coaches and support staff, but we salute and thank all those who have worn this uniform with pride and dignity for the last 67 years.
Jerry Abelsen
Rod Aldoff
Colin Anderson
Nick Anderson
Rob Anderson
Greg Andrusak
Craig Arvidson
Mark Baron
Bobby Bell
Joe Biondi
Curtis Bois
Rob Bordson
Pat Boutette
Tyler Brosz
Ron Busniuk
Jerome Butler
Ernie Campe
Mark Carlson
Scott Carlston
Andrew Carroll
Matt Christensen
Keith Christiansen
Barry Chyzowski
Joe Ciccarello
Mitch Corbin
Dave Cowan
Mike Curry
Steve Czech
Gary DeGrio
Derek Derow
Curtis Doell
Ken Dzikowski
Lyn Ellingson
Chad Erickson
Brad Federenko
Jesse Fibiger
Dan Fishback
Rusty Fitzgerald
Jon Francisco
Pat Francisco
Cam Fryer
Jordan Fulton
Jason Garrison
Travis Gawryletz
Beau Geisler
Ryan Geris
Curt Giles
Guy Gosselin
Matt Greer
Bill Grillo
Mark Gunderson
Lyman Haakstad
Bill Halbrehder
Tim Hambly
Brett Hammond
John Harrington
Brett Hauer
Keith Hendrickson
Tom Herzig
Bob Hill
Phil Hoene
Ryan Homstol
Brett Hull
John Hyduke
Dale Jago
Pat Janostin
Brian Johnson
Jim Johnson
Josh Johnson
Monty Jones
Rodney Jones
Kevin Kaiser
Kraig Karakas
Scott Keller
Murray Keogan
Merv Kiryluik
Jim Knapp
Rick Kosti
Glenn Kulyk
Tom Kurvers
Bob Lakso
Dave Langevin
Brett Larson
Walt Ledingham
Dan Lempe
Junior Lessard
Laird Lidster
Norm Maciver
Chris Marinucci
Bill Mason
Bob Mason
Gord McDonald
Bruce McLeod
Judd Medak
Josh Meyers
Tom Milani
Kris Miller
Skeeter Moore
Jerome Mrazek
Rick Mrozik
Rob Murray
Darren Nauss
Tom Nelson
Chuck Ness
Mike Newton
Brant Nicklin
Matt Niskanen
Evan Oberg
Mark Odnokon
Bill Oleksuk
Bruce Olson
Drew Otten
Mark Pavelich
Mike Peluso
Marco Peluso
Bill Perkl
Derek Plante
Stu Plante
Shjon Podein
Shawn Pogreba
Mason Raymond
Isaac Reichmuth
Andy Reierson
Glenn "Chico" Resch
John Rohloff
Jay Rosehill
Ralph Romano
John Rothstein
Joe Rybar
John Santori
Kent Sauer
Evan Schwabe
Jeff Scissons
Mike Sertich
MacGregor Sharp
Sandy Smith
Todd Smith
Alex Stalock
Tim Stapleton
Luke Stauffacher
Joe Tamminen
Mike Tok
Jim Toninato
Sean Toomey
Doug Torrel
Steve Trachsel
Jesse Unklesbay
Dennis Vaske
Bill Watson
Max Wikman
Justin Williams
Marv Zilkie
This is just the start. Just a small sampling of the people who have built this program.
To all of you ... thank you.
Friday, April 08, 2011
Frozen Four: Justin Fontaine Going Out in Style
As the Bulldogs prepare for what they know is their final game of the season -- Saturday in the NCAA final against Michigan here -- Fontaine is making his final push for a shot at professional hockey when it's all finished up.
Based on how he's played as of late, Fontaine is well-prepared for that opportunity, one that is virtually inevitable.
On his way toward becoming the first UMD player since Mike Peluso to average a point per game over a four-year career, Fontaine carries a career-high 11-game point streak into Saturday's championship game.
Thanks to that run of 19 points in 11 games, Fontaine has improved to 164 career points on 62 goals and 102 assists. That makes him the 14th Bulldog ever to accumulate 100 assists (Jack Connolly is getting close, too). He's one point away from tying Skeeter Moore for 15th on UMD's all-time scoring charts (165 points). If he truly has the game of his life, former All-American defenseman Curt Giles had 171 points. That might be asking a bit too much, though.
Even more incredible, Fontaine did all this after posting 12 points in his freshman season. His production since then has been off the charts, and a huge part of this program's resurgence.
Coach Scott Sandelin has been singing Fontaine's praises all season, making sure everyone remembers that he's not exactly a weak link in UMD's top line.
While Jack and Mike Connolly garner All-American nods, and both were named first-team All-WCHA, it's almost like Fontaine does indeed lurk in the shadows.
In his four years at UMD, he's become a reliable penalty-killer, is certainly a top goal-scorer, and is capable of playing effectively in all zones. He was a quality talent when he showed up, and he has used his 158 (soon to be 159) career games to improve all facets of his game, making him a top free-agent prospect once his season ends in around 24 hours.
While he's been prepping himself for the next level, Fontaine has also shown what it means to end a successful career in style. He gets one more chance on his sport's biggest stage to show how truly valuable a player he is, and it's best that you not bet against him doing just that when the chips are down.
Someone is going to score the biggest goal of his life Saturday at the XCel Energy Center. And there's no better candidate to look at than Justin Fontaine.
Kyle Schmidt Wins National Honor
ST. PAUL -- On the eve of what he termed Friday as the biggest game of his life -- for the fourth game in a row -- UMD senior Kyle Schmidt has picked up a national honor.Schmidt, from Hermantown, has been named the winner of the Derek Hines Unsung Hero Award, given out by the Hockey Commissioners Association. It's named after former Army player Derek Hines, who was killed in the line of duty in Afghanistan in 2006.
The award is in its fifth year, and is given to a player who personifies Hines' spirit and commitment, as he was regarded as a great team player.
In a release from UMD, Schmidt says, "Although I never met Derek or ever saw him compete, he sounds like the kind of player I have always strived to be. It is a tremendous privilege for me to be selected for an award named in his honor. Over the past four years, I have been blessed in so many ways while being part of one of the best hockey programs in the country. Receiving the Derek Hines Award certainly is at the top of that list of blessings."
Schmidt has overcome a broken hand on two separate occasions this season, including two weeks ago, when he was injured during the regional final win over Yale.
“Kyle’s been a great representative of our program both off and on the ice,” UMD head coach Scott Sandelin said. “To me, he’s the ideal student-athlete, someone who has an undeniable commitment to hockey, academics and the community. It’s nice to see him being recognized with this award.”
Via UMD, here is a rundown of Schmidt's off-ice credentials, which certainly could make virtually any Bulldog fan proud:
Schmidt, who is majoring in statistics and actuarial science, owns a 3.70 cumulative grade point average and is a three-time WCHA Scholar-Athlete Award winner (a program first). He has qualified for the School of Science and Engineering Dean’s List on three occasions and earned a spot on the UMD Athletic Support Center Scholar List for maintaining the highest cumulative grade point average of any Bulldog as both a freshman and sophomore. Schmidt has also made the WCHA All-Academic Team in each of the past three years, and has been a member of the UMD Actuary Club and a tutor at the UMD Tutoring Center since arriving on campus.
Schmidt has also been active in the Twin Ports community during his stay at UMD, volunteering his time reading at local elementary schools and assisting at area youth hockey practices. Last month, he was bestowed with the 2010-11 Bulldog Fan Favorite Award for receiving the most votes in an on-line competition.
Schmidt and his Bulldog teammates will face off against Michigan for the NCAA title Saturday night here in St. Paul.
Frozen Four: Opportunity Knocks
On Saturday night, for the first time since 1984, UMD will play for the NCAA championship in men's hockey.
The Bulldogs' 4-3 win over Notre Dame Thursday at the XCel Energy Center puts them one win away from history, the kind that will forever define this class of players.
For seniors Mike Montgomery and Justin Fontaine, it's the moment they dreamed of when they turned down chances to play professionally to stay at UMD.
60 minutes Saturday night stands between this team and the biggest achievement of their hockey careers.
The Michigan Wolverines, of course, also stand in the way. It's quite the formidable opponent for UMD, especially when you look at the historical chasm between the two programs.
While UMD coach Scott Sandelin made it clear Friday that his program has tradition and plenty of pride, they don't have 24 Frozen Four appearances, nine NCAA titles, or a coach who will likely hit 800 wins if he sticks around next season.
"We have great respect for their program," Sandelin said of Michigan, coached by the legendary Red Berenson, who held court in the media room before Sandelin.
Berenson told stories from his playing career. "When I played -- and this was in the 1950s -- the WCHA was Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, North Dakota, Colorado College, and Denver. That was it," he noted, while mentioning that Wisconsin, a great program in their own right, didn't even exist when he played.
Berenson has been at Michigan -- his alma mater -- since 1984. He has never beaten UMD while with the Wolverines, not that he's had a lot of opportunity to do so, since Michigan has been in the CCHA for some time.
On this one night in St. Paul, a night where UMD will be the visiting team on the ice but the home team when it comes to crowd support, none of that matters. All that matters is which team can bring enough of that extra effort to skate around with the NCAA trophy.
It's going to be a fun battle of small goalies. In an era where goalies under six feet tall are almost dismissed as having any chance to succeed at a high level, the NCAA final features two small-stature goalies who keep coming up big for their respective teams.
For UMD, Kenny Reiter may have allowed a clunker in the opening minute, but he made some huge saves, including a stop on T.J. Tynan on a partial breakaway in the final minute of the first period.
Michigan senior Shawn Hunwick was not a top prospect coming out of the North American Hockey League, the same lesser-regarded junior league Reiter (along with UMD captain Mike Montgomery and senior Kyle Schmidt, to name two) played in. Hunwick showed up at Michigan and simply outplayed a guy who was thought to be a better candidate to be Michigan's No. 1 goalie in Bryan Hogan. At five-seven, Hunwick doesn't look imposing at all, but his athletic ability and smarts make him as dangerous as any goalie UMD will see.
Words cannot describe the excitement in the UMD fanbase as this game draws closer. Bulldog fans far and wide are searching for tickets for Saturday's final, the first for UMD in 27 years. Many recognize the opportunity that awaits this program, and they certainly understand how significant this moment is.
For a fan, that's all you can do at this point. I can't sit here and tell you that guys like Jack Connolly, Mike Connolly, and Justin Fontaine will own the night, just like I can't tell Michigan fans with certainty that Matt Rust, Carl Hagelin, or Chad Langlais will be the most important players in the game.
Like most big hockey games, this is likely to come down to things that we can't predict.
Who will get the bounces?
Which goalie will have a better game?
Who will benefit from the officiating "beans" more?
Who wins the special teams battle?
The answers to those questions will likely determine if Michigan skates with their tenth national championship, or if UMD gets their first.
Unfortunately, they're just not very easy questions to answer. It's kind of like a coin flip.
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