Should be a good one, as these longtime rivals meet for the second time in the NCAA Tournament. It's UMD first tourney appearance since 2011, first time hosting since 2010.
For UMD, the only injury concern coming in was junior defenseman Catherine Daoust. She's good to go after leaving last Saturday's WCHA semifinal against Minnesota and missing the championship game against Wisconsin.
Winner off to the Women's Frozen Four. Here we go.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Stalder - McGovern - Brykaliuk
Brodt - Mrazova - Lindh
Lowenhielm - Crossman - Astrup
Schugel - Morse - Yanko
Elmes - Morin
Healey - Daoust
Hedin - Brossart
Rooney - Johnson
UMN
Potomak - Pannek - Cameranesi
Reilly - Piazza - Schipper
Schammel - Agnew - Skarzynski
Williamson - Haley - Keller
Stecklein - Wolfe
Baldwin - Marshall
Cline - Robinson
Peters - May - D'Angelo
Showing posts with label wcha. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wcha. Show all posts
Saturday, March 11, 2017
Friday, March 10, 2017
UMD Women Return to NCAA Tournament
From 2000 until 2010, UMD was the pre-eminent program in women's NCAA hockey. The Bulldogs won five national championships (2001-2003, 2008, 2010), while playing for the 2007 championship and making the 2009 Frozen Four.
But 2011 was the last time UMD qualified for the NCAA Tournament. We all know the Shannon Miller saga that followed, and we all know that Maura Crowell was named the second head coach in program history in April 2015.
Now, in just her second season at the helm, Crowell has led the Bulldogs back into the national tournament. And Saturday afternoon, UMD will host an NCAA playoff game for the first time since its last national title in 2010. The Bulldogs welcome their longtime rival Minnesota Gophers, with the winner moving on to the NCAA Women's Frozen Four next week in St. Charles, Mo.
"To be one of eight teams left is a huge honor," UMD senior defenseman and assistant captain Sidney Morin said this week. "What an opportunity we have this weekend. I think we're all going to embrace it and have as much fun as we can."
"We knew we were going to have to play the Gophers at some point to get to the national championship, so why not do it here?," Crowell said. She talked about the familiarity between the two, with Saturday being the sixth meeting this season -- UMD is 3-2 -- and with their meeting last weekend at the WCHA Final Faceoff going into a second overtime before Lara Stalder's dramatic game-winning goal.
"Say we had an eastern team come out here we hadn't seen all year," she noted. "We'd have to made adjustments and break down a lot of video. We're quite familiar with the Gophers. We're able to focus on ourselves a lot more, make sure we're healthy and locked in for the game."
Minnesota coach Brad Frost, whose team has won four of the last five NCAA titles, really liked how the Gophers played in Saturday's game at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis. Minnesota outshot UMD 63-41 and probably could have ended the game much earlier were it not for Bulldog goalie Maddie Rooney, who made 62 saves and was spectacular throughout the weekend.
"I was really proud and impressed with our team, and thought they played extremely well," Frost said this week. "Last Saturday here was Duluth's night, and they earned it. We're looking forward to getting another crack at them (this Saturday)."
The return of senior forward Dani Cameranesi -- whose brother, Tony, wrapped up a four-year run at UMD last season -- certainly boosted the Gophers a bit. She had been out since January with a lower-body injury, but put 14 shots on goal in Saturday's game against UMD. She'll likely be on the top line with Kelly Pannek, the nation's leading scorer, and sophomore Sarah Potomak, who has seen six of her 19 goals this year go for game-winners, and has shown a knack for scoring some big goals in her two short years at Minnesota.
UMD, of course, counters with some of the best seniors in the country. Stalder is a Patty Kazmaier Award finalist with 23 goals and 56 points in just 34 games. 14 of those goals and 27 of those points have come over the last 13 games. Captain Ashleigh Brykaliuk had a 19-game point streak snapped in the first round of the playoffs against St. Cloud State, but she still has 17 goals and 45 points. Katie McGovern earned her way to the top line with Brykaliuk and Stalder, and she's responded with by far her best season, scoring 17 goals and heading into Saturday with 34 points. Morin is the WCHA Defensive Player of the Year, with eight goals, 24 points, and a plus-35 rating.
Don't discount UMD's depth. Freshman forward Sydney Brodt has 21 points and has shown real progress throughout the season. Senior forward Demi Crossman is a tremendous skater and two-way player who has potted some big goals. Forwards Kateřina Mrázová and Maria Lindh aren't big names, but they've given this team some quality minutes throughout the season. On the blue line, junior Jessica Healey and freshman Jalyn Elmes are both solid players who might not have big numbers, but can play quality minutes against top players.
While UMD lacks NCAA Tournament experience (something every non-freshman on the Minnesota roster sports), Crowell is quick to note that not only do all three coaches -- Duluth natives Laura Bellamy and Chris Connolly are the assistant coaches -- have NCAA Tournament experience (Connolly won an NCAA title at Boston University in 2009), but many of UMD's players (led by Stalder, a Swiss Olympian) have international experience. Brodt was part of a USA U-18 team that won gold last spring.
And UMD is playing at home. The Bulldog women might not draw the crowds the men do, but the players love being at Amsoil Arena. They've lost just once there this season, and the seniors have talked about making it a real advantage to play there.
"It's an unreal facility," Stalder said. "We love to be in our locker room, sleep at home, to have all those little things. We've shown we're pretty unstoppable at home, and we hope we can do that again Saturday."
"I love the scattered gold seats," Morin noted. "We practice here every day. We're comfortable here. I love it here."
No matter what happens Saturday, it will be the last home game for this stellar UMD senior class. They are hoping to make it a special one, and get UMD to its first Women's Frozen Four in seven years.
But 2011 was the last time UMD qualified for the NCAA Tournament. We all know the Shannon Miller saga that followed, and we all know that Maura Crowell was named the second head coach in program history in April 2015.
Now, in just her second season at the helm, Crowell has led the Bulldogs back into the national tournament. And Saturday afternoon, UMD will host an NCAA playoff game for the first time since its last national title in 2010. The Bulldogs welcome their longtime rival Minnesota Gophers, with the winner moving on to the NCAA Women's Frozen Four next week in St. Charles, Mo.
"To be one of eight teams left is a huge honor," UMD senior defenseman and assistant captain Sidney Morin said this week. "What an opportunity we have this weekend. I think we're all going to embrace it and have as much fun as we can."
"We knew we were going to have to play the Gophers at some point to get to the national championship, so why not do it here?," Crowell said. She talked about the familiarity between the two, with Saturday being the sixth meeting this season -- UMD is 3-2 -- and with their meeting last weekend at the WCHA Final Faceoff going into a second overtime before Lara Stalder's dramatic game-winning goal.
"Say we had an eastern team come out here we hadn't seen all year," she noted. "We'd have to made adjustments and break down a lot of video. We're quite familiar with the Gophers. We're able to focus on ourselves a lot more, make sure we're healthy and locked in for the game."
Minnesota coach Brad Frost, whose team has won four of the last five NCAA titles, really liked how the Gophers played in Saturday's game at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis. Minnesota outshot UMD 63-41 and probably could have ended the game much earlier were it not for Bulldog goalie Maddie Rooney, who made 62 saves and was spectacular throughout the weekend.
"I was really proud and impressed with our team, and thought they played extremely well," Frost said this week. "Last Saturday here was Duluth's night, and they earned it. We're looking forward to getting another crack at them (this Saturday)."
The return of senior forward Dani Cameranesi -- whose brother, Tony, wrapped up a four-year run at UMD last season -- certainly boosted the Gophers a bit. She had been out since January with a lower-body injury, but put 14 shots on goal in Saturday's game against UMD. She'll likely be on the top line with Kelly Pannek, the nation's leading scorer, and sophomore Sarah Potomak, who has seen six of her 19 goals this year go for game-winners, and has shown a knack for scoring some big goals in her two short years at Minnesota.
UMD, of course, counters with some of the best seniors in the country. Stalder is a Patty Kazmaier Award finalist with 23 goals and 56 points in just 34 games. 14 of those goals and 27 of those points have come over the last 13 games. Captain Ashleigh Brykaliuk had a 19-game point streak snapped in the first round of the playoffs against St. Cloud State, but she still has 17 goals and 45 points. Katie McGovern earned her way to the top line with Brykaliuk and Stalder, and she's responded with by far her best season, scoring 17 goals and heading into Saturday with 34 points. Morin is the WCHA Defensive Player of the Year, with eight goals, 24 points, and a plus-35 rating.
Don't discount UMD's depth. Freshman forward Sydney Brodt has 21 points and has shown real progress throughout the season. Senior forward Demi Crossman is a tremendous skater and two-way player who has potted some big goals. Forwards Kateřina Mrázová and Maria Lindh aren't big names, but they've given this team some quality minutes throughout the season. On the blue line, junior Jessica Healey and freshman Jalyn Elmes are both solid players who might not have big numbers, but can play quality minutes against top players.
While UMD lacks NCAA Tournament experience (something every non-freshman on the Minnesota roster sports), Crowell is quick to note that not only do all three coaches -- Duluth natives Laura Bellamy and Chris Connolly are the assistant coaches -- have NCAA Tournament experience (Connolly won an NCAA title at Boston University in 2009), but many of UMD's players (led by Stalder, a Swiss Olympian) have international experience. Brodt was part of a USA U-18 team that won gold last spring.
And UMD is playing at home. The Bulldog women might not draw the crowds the men do, but the players love being at Amsoil Arena. They've lost just once there this season, and the seniors have talked about making it a real advantage to play there.
"It's an unreal facility," Stalder said. "We love to be in our locker room, sleep at home, to have all those little things. We've shown we're pretty unstoppable at home, and we hope we can do that again Saturday."
"I love the scattered gold seats," Morin noted. "We practice here every day. We're comfortable here. I love it here."
No matter what happens Saturday, it will be the last home game for this stellar UMD senior class. They are hoping to make it a special one, and get UMD to its first Women's Frozen Four in seven years.
Thursday, March 02, 2017
UMD Women's Hockey Cleans Up as WCHA Awards are Announced; Stalder a Patty Kaz Finalist
KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- I'll be back later with a UMD-Western Michigan preview, but first some big news from the UMD women's program as we traveled east.
First, UMD senior Lara Stalder was named a top three finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award, given annually to the top player in women's college hockey.
From UMD:
(The other finalists are Wisconsin puck-stopping machine Ann-Renee Desbiens and Clarkson senior forward Cayley Mercer. The objective part of me thinks Desbiens -- who has more wins (25) than goals allowed (21) this season -- has to win this thing, but I also have to think Stalder is right there.)
In addition to that, UMD cleaned up in WCHA postseason awards. Stalder was named the Player of the Year and Student Athlete of the Year.
You know about her credentials, but the WCHA mentions what she does away from hockey, which is just as impressive.
Away from AMSOIL Arena, Stalder has maintained a 3.80 grade-point average in the University of Minnesota Duluth’s prestigious Labovitz School of Business and Economics. A two-time WCHA Scholar-Athlete Award recipient, she is one of a select number in the school’s ReMAP project that is engaged in analyses of various business in the Duluth area.
We're not done. Senior assistant captain Sidney Morin was named WCHA Defensive Player of the Year:
UMD faces Minnesota Saturday at 5pm in the WCHA Final Faceoff semifinals. Looking ahead, I have yet to find a scenario where UMD does not make the NCAA Tournament. The possibilities vary wildly, largely based off what happens in the ECAC (St. Lawrence and Clarkson appear in, but Princeton and Cornell remain in the tournament and can crash the party by stealing the autobid) and Hockey East (only Boston College is in the field as of now, not a mortal lock to get in but should, and anyone else winning that league steals an at-large bid). UMD could enter the tournament as a No. 2 seed, even with a loss Saturday, while Minnesota could miss altogether, even with a win Saturday. It's all up in the air. But the Bulldogs are in solid position to host an NCAA game for the first time since 2009. Stalder, Morin, Crowell, and company are a huge part of how this turnaround happened so fast.
First, UMD senior Lara Stalder was named a top three finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award, given annually to the top player in women's college hockey.
From UMD:
The No. 2 Bulldogs leading scorer with 53 points (22g, 31a) in 32 games, the Luzern, Switzerland native also ranks second in the WCHA in scoring and goals and third in assists. In the NCAA, Stalder is second in points per game (1.66), third in goals per game, and fourth in assists. as well as tied for first with seven game-winning goals. Stalder, currently in the midst of a 27 point, 13-game scoring streak, has had 16 multiple point games for the Bulldogs, including seven outings with three or more points. In 12 games against top-10 opponents, Stalder had seven goals and 10 assists for 17 points.The fact Stalder hasn't let up against top opponents is a huge point. Also, keep in mind her season numbers were hampered by missing time playing for Switzerland in the Olympic qualifying tournament overseas. Despite that absence (she posted 12 points over three games to help the Swiss secure a spot in the Games next winter), Stalder still is among the most productive players in the nation.
(The other finalists are Wisconsin puck-stopping machine Ann-Renee Desbiens and Clarkson senior forward Cayley Mercer. The objective part of me thinks Desbiens -- who has more wins (25) than goals allowed (21) this season -- has to win this thing, but I also have to think Stalder is right there.)
In addition to that, UMD cleaned up in WCHA postseason awards. Stalder was named the Player of the Year and Student Athlete of the Year.
You know about her credentials, but the WCHA mentions what she does away from hockey, which is just as impressive.
Away from AMSOIL Arena, Stalder has maintained a 3.80 grade-point average in the University of Minnesota Duluth’s prestigious Labovitz School of Business and Economics. A two-time WCHA Scholar-Athlete Award recipient, she is one of a select number in the school’s ReMAP project that is engaged in analyses of various business in the Duluth area.
We're not done. Senior assistant captain Sidney Morin was named WCHA Defensive Player of the Year:
One of the Bulldogs’ co-captains, Morin is the defensive backbone and veteran leader for a Minnesota Duluth team that has won 24 games entering the 2017 WCHA Final Face-Off. The senior from Minnetonka, Minn. has excelled on both ends of the ice, tying for the NCAA lead among defensemen with a plus-37 rating and tying for sixth with 23 points (WCHA-best seven goals and 16 assists). She compiled a league defenseman-high 96 shots on goal in 28 WCHA games, while tying for third with a plus-26 rating and ranking fifth with 14 points (6g-8a). Morin has also helped the Bulldogs hold opponents to just 1.65 goals-per-game, good for second in the WCHA and sixth nationally.Oh, and second-year bench boss Maura Crowell takes home WCHA Coach of the Year.
In her second season behind the Bulldog bench, Crowell has engineered Minnesota Duluth’s best campaign since the early part of the decade. After guiding UMD to a surprise trip to the WCHA Final Face-Off in 2016, she brings the Bulldogs back to the league playoff championships in 2017 as the nation’s second-ranked team – the program’s highest perch since the 2010-11 season. Minnesota Duluth posted a third-place finish in the WCHA regular season standings with a 19-5-4-1 record, marking the Bulldogs’ highest finish since 2010-11 and most league wins since 2009-10. While playing the nation’s third-toughest schedule to date, UMD enters the Final Face-Off at 24-5-5 overall – the Bulldogs’ most victories since the 2009-10 national champions finished 31-8-2.Somehow, Morin was only on the All-WCHA second team, while Stalder made the first team. Also, senior captain Ashleigh Brykaliuk made the second team. Senior forward Katie McGovern and sophomore goalie Maddie Rooney are on the third team, while forward Sydney Brodt -- the WCHA Rookie of the Month for February -- is on the All-Rookie team.
UMD faces Minnesota Saturday at 5pm in the WCHA Final Faceoff semifinals. Looking ahead, I have yet to find a scenario where UMD does not make the NCAA Tournament. The possibilities vary wildly, largely based off what happens in the ECAC (St. Lawrence and Clarkson appear in, but Princeton and Cornell remain in the tournament and can crash the party by stealing the autobid) and Hockey East (only Boston College is in the field as of now, not a mortal lock to get in but should, and anyone else winning that league steals an at-large bid). UMD could enter the tournament as a No. 2 seed, even with a loss Saturday, while Minnesota could miss altogether, even with a win Saturday. It's all up in the air. But the Bulldogs are in solid position to host an NCAA game for the first time since 2009. Stalder, Morin, Crowell, and company are a huge part of how this turnaround happened so fast.
Thursday, February 16, 2017
UMD Men Enter Stretch Run in Search of Payback
(NOTE: Check my earlier update on Minnesota Mr. Hockey finalists, including a lot of local and UMD flavor, here.)
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- With Denver and UMD both sitting at six games left in the regular season, and the Pioneers a one-point lead on the Bulldogs in the conference standings, it's obvious what UMD needs for the league title it so covets.
(And make no mistake, guys, UMD wants this. Ask any of the players. Ask the coaches. This means something to them, and they're operating right now with the full intention of going for the NCHC title and not resting in the final weeks now that a home-ice spot is clinched. UPDATE: Or maybe it isn't clinched. UMD still needs one point. Long story. Please don't make me tell it. Thanks to Michael Weisman of the NCHC for setting the record straight.)
The stretch run should be fun for fans of both teams. Obviously, there are bigger fish to fry, but I've been given no indication that either team is going to fade away and just be happy with home ice in the first round.
For UMD, it starts here in beautiful Colorado Springs. Great weather greeted the team as it arrived Thursday, and that theme is expected to continue into the weekend. Of course, the focus is elsewhere.
Normally, the No. 1 team in the polls and PairWise facing a seven-win team that is last in its conference wouldn't lead to a lot of conversation. However, Colorado College got the better of a two-game series in Duluth last month, and that fact has the undivided attention of these Bulldogs.
UMD coach Scott Sandelin was blunt this week in talking about what happened in that January weekend set.
"I don't think we gave them enough respect," he said. "I thought they were the hungrier team."
If that was an issue in January, it isn't now.
"Especially them coming into our building and taking those four points," senior captain Dominic Toninato said this week, "it makes us want it more."
What has to happen?
Well, for starters, UMD can't be shocked into playing, as the coaches might say. The home team fell behind early to CC in a 2-1 loss on Jan. 7. The Bulldogs never led, and weren't a serious threat once CC took the lead for good in the second period. It just wasn't a great night, as UMD made mistakes in the neutral zone and fed into the Tigers' defensive ways.
"We didn't get inside the dots very much," Sandelin said. "They just wanted it more than we did, and we didn't respond very well."
The Bulldogs struggled against Colorado College freshman Alex Leclerc, who made 69 saves on 72 shots in what was his best weekend of the season. Leclerc was pressed into duty when incumbent Jacob Nehama proved insufficently recovered from offseason surgery and was once again shelved. He's had his moments, including the win and tie in Duluth and a 3-0 shutout of North Dakota Jan. 28 that still stands as CC's only home win this season to date. After a tough start, Leclerc has rebounded a bit to a .901 save percentage on the season, as CC's team save percentage has improved to .894.
Part of that is predicated on third-year coach Mike Haviland getting his team to buy in to his more defensive-minded system. Under Scott Owens, Colorado College was as wide-open a team as any you could find. The older guys -- namely senior forwards Luc Gerdes, Sam Rothstein, and Matt Hansen -- are holdovers from that system. That they're among CC's leading scorers this season, along with being among the top guys in plus-minus, underscores the buy-in Haviland is getting.
What appears to be true, however, is that Haviland's system is tougher to perfect on the Olympic ice sheet CC calls home.
In 12 games at the Broadmoor World Arena, Colorado College is 1-11, outscored by adversaries 53-24, basically 4.5 goals allowed per game to two scored.
In 16 road/neutral site games (all but one played on NHL-size ice), the Tigers are 6-8-2, and that goal differential is only 41-34.
The sample size isn't exactly gargantuan, so this could be a coincidence. But it's worth noting that the Tigers succeeded against UMD, in large part, by forcing the Bulldogs to dump pucks and win races and/or battles to gain offensive zone possession.
On the big sheet, will UMD have to resort to dump-and-chase hockey? I doubt it. The extra width of the rink could very well play to the Bulldogs' advantage this weekend. Now, this is predicated on UMD maintaining an attack mentality, playing with speed, and executing the plan, three things that didn't really happen against CC in Duluth. Combine a better commitment to that style of hockey with the additional room players will have in Colorado Springs, and you could be looking at a better recipe for much-needed NCHC points this weekend.
Sandelin said a couple different times this week that clean plays will be very hard to come by against this team. The Bulldogs have thrived on transition opportunities and odd-man rushes this season. We're hard-pressed to think of any of either happening in the earlier meeting between these teams. A bigger ice sheet isn't going to create them, either. UMD is still going to have to show a willingness to win board battles, win races for loose pucks and to be smart about puck placement when it's time to dump the puck and go after it.
"Hopefully the bigger rink will help," Sandelin said, "but they're a team that doesn't give up very much. Sometimes, you have to be patient and take what the game gives you.
"If we can get cleaner transition out of the (defensive) zone, come through the neutral zone with some speed and get pucks behind their D, and if you're going to do that you have to forecheck."
One thing that works in UMD's favor this weekend is a roster as close to full health as it's been all season.
Sophomore forward Parker Mackay returns after missing six games with an upper-body injury. He was able to skate while he was out, but it's doubtful he'll be in full game shape this fast. That said, no one will complain about his return.
"I'm not expecting him to go in there and be where he'll be a week or two from now," Sandelin said. "I hope he brings that energy and is a good 200-foot player.
"His impact, the type of player he is, we've missed that. He's kind of that gritty power forward type guy who has some skill. Can kill penalties, too. It'll be nice to have him. One of our most competitive guys."
Mackay should slot on the second or third line, which will necessitate some changes to UMD's forwards. Projections below. If everything works out well, UMD will be as heavy a team as it's been all season, and there will be smart 200-foot players on all four lines. The Bulldogs are never going to be a big-hitting type of team, but the third and fourth lines will present good size and intensity and difficult matchups for opposing coaches.
Projected UMD lines
Iafallo - Toninato - Anderson
Osterberg - Johnson - Mackay
Tufte - Peterson - Kuhlman
Young - Thomas - Exell
Soucy - Raskob
Pionk - Kotyk
Wolff - Molenaar
Miska - Deery
Back in Duluth, the UMD women finish the regular season with Friday night and Saturday afternoon games against St. Cloud State. The Bulldogs still have a small chance to finish second in the WCHA standings, as UMD trails Minnesota by four points in the standings heading into the weekend. Minnesota is home to take on Wisconsin, which is unbeaten in 14 games since losing to Minnesota in early December.
No matter what, the Bulldogs know they'll host a first-round WCHA playoff series next weekend (SCSU, Bemidji State, or Ohio State will visit). That will be a Thursday-Friday-Sunday (if necessary) series, so make your plans now.
Wins this weekend will also help UMD keep in position to host an NCAA playoff game, something second-year coach Maura Crowell doesn't want to look at now ("We haven't talked about the home games coming up," she said, "just what's right in front of us"), but certainly a source of pride for everyone involved in the program.
(UMD is No. 2 in the PairWise rankings, but Minnesota is right behind the Bulldogs in third, and there's a chance even a split against Wisconsin is enough to push the Gophers past UMD. The top four host quarterfinal games, but UMD needs wins this weekend to avoid needing another big win to stay in the top four. One thing is certain: The WCHA is getting at least three teams in the NCAA Tournament after years of only getting two despite being the strongest league in the country. And there's a money chance three WCHA teams are hosting quarterfinals. Break out the checkbook, NCAA. You'll be flying teams west this year, whether you want to or not.)
Another source of pride: The five-player senior class (six players when you count junior Maria Lindh, who will also be honored after Saturday's game). Two-year captain Ashleigh Brykaliuk and two-year assistant Sidney Morin will play their final regular-season game in Duluth Saturday, along with forwards Demi Crossman, Lara Stalder, and Katie McGovern.
The impact of the six is not measured in numbers. But if you'd like, they average 126 career games between them, and they're over 400 points with nearly 175 career goals.
"I can't say enough about them," Crowell said. "I love them. They empty the tank every game. They go as we go. The character and personality of the team is based on them. They set the tone every day in practice."
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- With Denver and UMD both sitting at six games left in the regular season, and the Pioneers a one-point lead on the Bulldogs in the conference standings, it's obvious what UMD needs for the league title it so covets.
(And make no mistake, guys, UMD wants this. Ask any of the players. Ask the coaches. This means something to them, and they're operating right now with the full intention of going for the NCHC title and not resting in the final weeks now that a home-ice spot is clinched. UPDATE: Or maybe it isn't clinched. UMD still needs one point. Long story. Please don't make me tell it. Thanks to Michael Weisman of the NCHC for setting the record straight.)
The stretch run should be fun for fans of both teams. Obviously, there are bigger fish to fry, but I've been given no indication that either team is going to fade away and just be happy with home ice in the first round.
For UMD, it starts here in beautiful Colorado Springs. Great weather greeted the team as it arrived Thursday, and that theme is expected to continue into the weekend. Of course, the focus is elsewhere.
Normally, the No. 1 team in the polls and PairWise facing a seven-win team that is last in its conference wouldn't lead to a lot of conversation. However, Colorado College got the better of a two-game series in Duluth last month, and that fact has the undivided attention of these Bulldogs.
UMD coach Scott Sandelin was blunt this week in talking about what happened in that January weekend set.
"I don't think we gave them enough respect," he said. "I thought they were the hungrier team."
If that was an issue in January, it isn't now.
"Especially them coming into our building and taking those four points," senior captain Dominic Toninato said this week, "it makes us want it more."
What has to happen?
Well, for starters, UMD can't be shocked into playing, as the coaches might say. The home team fell behind early to CC in a 2-1 loss on Jan. 7. The Bulldogs never led, and weren't a serious threat once CC took the lead for good in the second period. It just wasn't a great night, as UMD made mistakes in the neutral zone and fed into the Tigers' defensive ways.
"We didn't get inside the dots very much," Sandelin said. "They just wanted it more than we did, and we didn't respond very well."
The Bulldogs struggled against Colorado College freshman Alex Leclerc, who made 69 saves on 72 shots in what was his best weekend of the season. Leclerc was pressed into duty when incumbent Jacob Nehama proved insufficently recovered from offseason surgery and was once again shelved. He's had his moments, including the win and tie in Duluth and a 3-0 shutout of North Dakota Jan. 28 that still stands as CC's only home win this season to date. After a tough start, Leclerc has rebounded a bit to a .901 save percentage on the season, as CC's team save percentage has improved to .894.
Part of that is predicated on third-year coach Mike Haviland getting his team to buy in to his more defensive-minded system. Under Scott Owens, Colorado College was as wide-open a team as any you could find. The older guys -- namely senior forwards Luc Gerdes, Sam Rothstein, and Matt Hansen -- are holdovers from that system. That they're among CC's leading scorers this season, along with being among the top guys in plus-minus, underscores the buy-in Haviland is getting.
******
What appears to be true, however, is that Haviland's system is tougher to perfect on the Olympic ice sheet CC calls home.
In 12 games at the Broadmoor World Arena, Colorado College is 1-11, outscored by adversaries 53-24, basically 4.5 goals allowed per game to two scored.
In 16 road/neutral site games (all but one played on NHL-size ice), the Tigers are 6-8-2, and that goal differential is only 41-34.
The sample size isn't exactly gargantuan, so this could be a coincidence. But it's worth noting that the Tigers succeeded against UMD, in large part, by forcing the Bulldogs to dump pucks and win races and/or battles to gain offensive zone possession.
On the big sheet, will UMD have to resort to dump-and-chase hockey? I doubt it. The extra width of the rink could very well play to the Bulldogs' advantage this weekend. Now, this is predicated on UMD maintaining an attack mentality, playing with speed, and executing the plan, three things that didn't really happen against CC in Duluth. Combine a better commitment to that style of hockey with the additional room players will have in Colorado Springs, and you could be looking at a better recipe for much-needed NCHC points this weekend.
Sandelin said a couple different times this week that clean plays will be very hard to come by against this team. The Bulldogs have thrived on transition opportunities and odd-man rushes this season. We're hard-pressed to think of any of either happening in the earlier meeting between these teams. A bigger ice sheet isn't going to create them, either. UMD is still going to have to show a willingness to win board battles, win races for loose pucks and to be smart about puck placement when it's time to dump the puck and go after it.
"Hopefully the bigger rink will help," Sandelin said, "but they're a team that doesn't give up very much. Sometimes, you have to be patient and take what the game gives you.
"If we can get cleaner transition out of the (defensive) zone, come through the neutral zone with some speed and get pucks behind their D, and if you're going to do that you have to forecheck."
******
One thing that works in UMD's favor this weekend is a roster as close to full health as it's been all season.
Sophomore forward Parker Mackay returns after missing six games with an upper-body injury. He was able to skate while he was out, but it's doubtful he'll be in full game shape this fast. That said, no one will complain about his return.
"I'm not expecting him to go in there and be where he'll be a week or two from now," Sandelin said. "I hope he brings that energy and is a good 200-foot player.
"His impact, the type of player he is, we've missed that. He's kind of that gritty power forward type guy who has some skill. Can kill penalties, too. It'll be nice to have him. One of our most competitive guys."
Mackay should slot on the second or third line, which will necessitate some changes to UMD's forwards. Projections below. If everything works out well, UMD will be as heavy a team as it's been all season, and there will be smart 200-foot players on all four lines. The Bulldogs are never going to be a big-hitting type of team, but the third and fourth lines will present good size and intensity and difficult matchups for opposing coaches.
Projected UMD lines
Iafallo - Toninato - Anderson
Osterberg - Johnson - Mackay
Tufte - Peterson - Kuhlman
Young - Thomas - Exell
Soucy - Raskob
Pionk - Kotyk
Wolff - Molenaar
Miska - Deery
******
Back in Duluth, the UMD women finish the regular season with Friday night and Saturday afternoon games against St. Cloud State. The Bulldogs still have a small chance to finish second in the WCHA standings, as UMD trails Minnesota by four points in the standings heading into the weekend. Minnesota is home to take on Wisconsin, which is unbeaten in 14 games since losing to Minnesota in early December.
No matter what, the Bulldogs know they'll host a first-round WCHA playoff series next weekend (SCSU, Bemidji State, or Ohio State will visit). That will be a Thursday-Friday-Sunday (if necessary) series, so make your plans now.
Wins this weekend will also help UMD keep in position to host an NCAA playoff game, something second-year coach Maura Crowell doesn't want to look at now ("We haven't talked about the home games coming up," she said, "just what's right in front of us"), but certainly a source of pride for everyone involved in the program.
(UMD is No. 2 in the PairWise rankings, but Minnesota is right behind the Bulldogs in third, and there's a chance even a split against Wisconsin is enough to push the Gophers past UMD. The top four host quarterfinal games, but UMD needs wins this weekend to avoid needing another big win to stay in the top four. One thing is certain: The WCHA is getting at least three teams in the NCAA Tournament after years of only getting two despite being the strongest league in the country. And there's a money chance three WCHA teams are hosting quarterfinals. Break out the checkbook, NCAA. You'll be flying teams west this year, whether you want to or not.)
Another source of pride: The five-player senior class (six players when you count junior Maria Lindh, who will also be honored after Saturday's game). Two-year captain Ashleigh Brykaliuk and two-year assistant Sidney Morin will play their final regular-season game in Duluth Saturday, along with forwards Demi Crossman, Lara Stalder, and Katie McGovern.
The impact of the six is not measured in numbers. But if you'd like, they average 126 career games between them, and they're over 400 points with nearly 175 career goals.
"I can't say enough about them," Crowell said. "I love them. They empty the tank every game. They go as we go. The character and personality of the team is based on them. They set the tone every day in practice."
Tuesday, February 09, 2016
Game 28: Bemidji State at UMD
Three months to the date of a bizarre power outage that postponed the season opener between these two teams, the Bulldogs are finally set to host the Bemidji State Beavers. Both teams are playing well. UMD has won three straight, and Bemidji is 6-2-2 in its last ten games. Records are identical at 11-11-5 overall.
Some news:
UMD senior forward Austin Farley is out for this game with an undisclosed injury. I've been told the hope is to get him healthy for the North Dakota trip. Also out injured are freshman forward Parker Mackay and junior defenseman Dan Molenaar. I don't know the seriousness of either injury at this point, but the bye week is definitely not coming at a bad time.
Junior blue-liner Brenden Kotyk is suspended for this game, but junior Willie Raskob has been deemed sufficiently recovered from an upper body injury and will play.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Iafallo - Toninato - Kuhlman
Young (Blake) - Thomas - Cameranesi
Johnson - Decowski - Young (Austyn)
Sampair - Spurrell - Exell
Welinski - Pionk
Soucy - Raskob
McCormack - Corrin
Kaskisuo - McNeely - Deery
BSU
O'Connor - Ward - Harms
Gerbrandt - Bauman - Parker
Fitzgerald (Leo) - Fitzgerald (Gerry) - Fitzgerald (Myles)
Marinaccio - Arentz - Heller
Eichstadt - McCormack
Beauvais - Billett
Pedan - Janco
Bitzer - Mimmack
Some news:
UMD senior forward Austin Farley is out for this game with an undisclosed injury. I've been told the hope is to get him healthy for the North Dakota trip. Also out injured are freshman forward Parker Mackay and junior defenseman Dan Molenaar. I don't know the seriousness of either injury at this point, but the bye week is definitely not coming at a bad time.
Junior blue-liner Brenden Kotyk is suspended for this game, but junior Willie Raskob has been deemed sufficiently recovered from an upper body injury and will play.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Iafallo - Toninato - Kuhlman
Young (Blake) - Thomas - Cameranesi
Johnson - Decowski - Young (Austyn)
Sampair - Spurrell - Exell
Welinski - Pionk
Soucy - Raskob
McCormack - Corrin
Kaskisuo - McNeely - Deery
BSU
O'Connor - Ward - Harms
Gerbrandt - Bauman - Parker
Fitzgerald (Leo) - Fitzgerald (Gerry) - Fitzgerald (Myles)
Marinaccio - Arentz - Heller
Eichstadt - McCormack
Beauvais - Billett
Pedan - Janco
Bitzer - Mimmack
Monday, February 01, 2016
Monday Musings: Bulldogs Earn Much-Needed Win
There was good and bad for UMD in Saturday's 3-1 win over Northern Michigan in Marquette. Obviously, with the end result being a win that snapped a five-game winless streak, and no one obviously getting shelved by an injury, the good outweighs the bad.
We'll start there and save the negative for later.
UMD ground out a win against an opponent that wants to slow the pace of the game. Saturday's game was played at NMU's pace, with not many scoring chances either way. This has been an issue for past UMD teams, but the Bulldogs stuck with their tight defense and didn't give NMU much of anything. The Wildcats' only goal came off a UMD mistake, as Adam Johnson tried to weave through the neutral zone and coughed up the puck. Dominik Shine got it back over the UMD blue line and fed Darren Nowick to cut UMD's lead to 3-1.
Not only did that close the scoring, but the Wildcats didn't seriously threaten after that goal, either. By no means was it pretty, but it was an effective defensive performance by a team that really needed one.
Going into Friday, head coach Scott Sandelin really wanted to see his team play tighter defensively. While there were spurts of it in the series opener, NMU scored four goals, and three of them came off questionable defense (including a transition goal that UMD allowed not even 30 seconds after taking the lead in the third period).
The effort in the UMD zone was much more consistent and effective on Saturday, and the Bulldogs were rewarded for it with a victory.
Offensively, it wasn't pretty. In fact, I'm not sure what the final 40 minutes consisted of, because there weren't a lot of hockey-type things happening. But the Bulldogs jumped on NMU freshman goalie Matthias Israelsson, making his fourth appearance of the season, for two goals on three shots in less than four minutes. Matthias Dahlstrom took over from there, but the damage was done when Tony Cameranesi and Parker Mackay scored for a 2-0 lead. Dominic Toninato jammed in a rebound late in the first to make it 3-0.
The Bulldogs didn't do a whole lot offensively the rest of the night, but they also didn't have to. They weren't threatened.
It was a win, a win where Mackay continued his ascent by scoring again and contributing a very nice game. A win where senior captain Andy Welinski chipped in another point for a three-point weekend. A win where Kasimir Kaskisuo made 19 saves and was solid in net. A win where Alex Iafallo picked up his first assist of the calendar year. A win.
Good thing it was a win, because it takes the stain off the last 40 minutes, which was honestly some of the worst hockey I've seen all season. That's not all on UMD. The Wildcats didn't appear to have much urgency, even late in the game down by two goals. It wouldn't be fair to say NMU was content to lose the game 3-1, but it did look like that at times. Like I said, UMD went against a team that likes to slow the game down and limit scoring chances, and the Bulldogs didn't have to worry about chasing the game like they did Friday, because they scored first Saturday and never looked back.
It also makes the power play's performance less painful.
But that one still stings.
The power play was scoreless in seven tries. It generated just three shots on goal, marking the same number of shots on goal UMD got short-handed. The Bulldogs are now scoreless in their last 36 power plays going back to Dec. 11. Of those 36 power plays, UMD has been held without a shot on goal in 17 of them, including eight of 11 over the weekend against Northern Michigan.
There's been some bad luck -- goalposts, missed nets, "How did he do that?" saves, etc. -- thrown in to ruin effective man advantage efforts by UMD. Not all 36 power plays have been garbage, far from it, actually. But they've all had the same net result: No goals.
On Saturday, the power play looked like a group that didn't think it had a chance to score. Movements and passes were deliberate. Players appeared indecisive, unsure of themselves. And from my seat, our power play just looked way too easy to defend.
The system hasn't changed. We've seen it work. This was a power play hitting at over 20 percent before the slump started. But it works when passes are crisp and decisions are quick. That didn't appear the case on Saturday, and I don't know how that gets fixed.
I do know that is has to be better. We've beaten this subject to death, and yet it will inevitably come up again this week. I'm not going to call for personnel changes, largely because they just made personnel changes and constantly switching up personnel won't solve the issue.
(In fairness, special teams are far from a disaster. The penalty kill continues to shine, and it is probably equal parts Kaskisuo and the killers doing a good job. That's good to see. They're not overly relying on Kaskisuo to save the bacon, and instead doing things like preventing clean zone entries and blocking shots to make his life easier at times.)
Next up is a three-game homestand that will play out over five days. It starts with Colorado College in town Friday and Saturday. The Tigers are a .500 team since an 0-13 start to the season, and clearly CC is playing better hockey. I watched back the Tigers' games at St. Cloud State Jan. 8-9, and CC earned that split.
The Tigers have also swept Miami since UMD played in Colorado Springs Nov. 20-21 (5-0 and 6-0 wins). CC rallied from 4-0 down to eventually steal a point at North Dakota two weekends ago, and this past week the Tigers beat Omaha 5-1 Friday before losing 6-1 on Saturday. In the Saturday loss, CC was held to just 12 shots on goal.
It's also Hockey Day weekend, so we invite you to make a day of it on Saturday. Outdoor high school games at Bayfront Park start at 10am, and there's plenty of time after the second high school game to grab dinner and join us inside Amsoil Arena for the second game against the Tigers.
The homestand concludes with Bemidji State next Tuesday, Feb. 9. That's a makeup from the power outage-spoiled home opener that was scheduled for Oct. 9.
We'll start there and save the negative for later.
UMD ground out a win against an opponent that wants to slow the pace of the game. Saturday's game was played at NMU's pace, with not many scoring chances either way. This has been an issue for past UMD teams, but the Bulldogs stuck with their tight defense and didn't give NMU much of anything. The Wildcats' only goal came off a UMD mistake, as Adam Johnson tried to weave through the neutral zone and coughed up the puck. Dominik Shine got it back over the UMD blue line and fed Darren Nowick to cut UMD's lead to 3-1.
Not only did that close the scoring, but the Wildcats didn't seriously threaten after that goal, either. By no means was it pretty, but it was an effective defensive performance by a team that really needed one.
Going into Friday, head coach Scott Sandelin really wanted to see his team play tighter defensively. While there were spurts of it in the series opener, NMU scored four goals, and three of them came off questionable defense (including a transition goal that UMD allowed not even 30 seconds after taking the lead in the third period).
The effort in the UMD zone was much more consistent and effective on Saturday, and the Bulldogs were rewarded for it with a victory.
Offensively, it wasn't pretty. In fact, I'm not sure what the final 40 minutes consisted of, because there weren't a lot of hockey-type things happening. But the Bulldogs jumped on NMU freshman goalie Matthias Israelsson, making his fourth appearance of the season, for two goals on three shots in less than four minutes. Matthias Dahlstrom took over from there, but the damage was done when Tony Cameranesi and Parker Mackay scored for a 2-0 lead. Dominic Toninato jammed in a rebound late in the first to make it 3-0.
The Bulldogs didn't do a whole lot offensively the rest of the night, but they also didn't have to. They weren't threatened.
It was a win, a win where Mackay continued his ascent by scoring again and contributing a very nice game. A win where senior captain Andy Welinski chipped in another point for a three-point weekend. A win where Kasimir Kaskisuo made 19 saves and was solid in net. A win where Alex Iafallo picked up his first assist of the calendar year. A win.
******
Good thing it was a win, because it takes the stain off the last 40 minutes, which was honestly some of the worst hockey I've seen all season. That's not all on UMD. The Wildcats didn't appear to have much urgency, even late in the game down by two goals. It wouldn't be fair to say NMU was content to lose the game 3-1, but it did look like that at times. Like I said, UMD went against a team that likes to slow the game down and limit scoring chances, and the Bulldogs didn't have to worry about chasing the game like they did Friday, because they scored first Saturday and never looked back.
It also makes the power play's performance less painful.
But that one still stings.
The power play was scoreless in seven tries. It generated just three shots on goal, marking the same number of shots on goal UMD got short-handed. The Bulldogs are now scoreless in their last 36 power plays going back to Dec. 11. Of those 36 power plays, UMD has been held without a shot on goal in 17 of them, including eight of 11 over the weekend against Northern Michigan.
There's been some bad luck -- goalposts, missed nets, "How did he do that?" saves, etc. -- thrown in to ruin effective man advantage efforts by UMD. Not all 36 power plays have been garbage, far from it, actually. But they've all had the same net result: No goals.
On Saturday, the power play looked like a group that didn't think it had a chance to score. Movements and passes were deliberate. Players appeared indecisive, unsure of themselves. And from my seat, our power play just looked way too easy to defend.
The system hasn't changed. We've seen it work. This was a power play hitting at over 20 percent before the slump started. But it works when passes are crisp and decisions are quick. That didn't appear the case on Saturday, and I don't know how that gets fixed.
I do know that is has to be better. We've beaten this subject to death, and yet it will inevitably come up again this week. I'm not going to call for personnel changes, largely because they just made personnel changes and constantly switching up personnel won't solve the issue.
(In fairness, special teams are far from a disaster. The penalty kill continues to shine, and it is probably equal parts Kaskisuo and the killers doing a good job. That's good to see. They're not overly relying on Kaskisuo to save the bacon, and instead doing things like preventing clean zone entries and blocking shots to make his life easier at times.)
******
Next up is a three-game homestand that will play out over five days. It starts with Colorado College in town Friday and Saturday. The Tigers are a .500 team since an 0-13 start to the season, and clearly CC is playing better hockey. I watched back the Tigers' games at St. Cloud State Jan. 8-9, and CC earned that split.
The Tigers have also swept Miami since UMD played in Colorado Springs Nov. 20-21 (5-0 and 6-0 wins). CC rallied from 4-0 down to eventually steal a point at North Dakota two weekends ago, and this past week the Tigers beat Omaha 5-1 Friday before losing 6-1 on Saturday. In the Saturday loss, CC was held to just 12 shots on goal.
It's also Hockey Day weekend, so we invite you to make a day of it on Saturday. Outdoor high school games at Bayfront Park start at 10am, and there's plenty of time after the second high school game to grab dinner and join us inside Amsoil Arena for the second game against the Tigers.
The homestand concludes with Bemidji State next Tuesday, Feb. 9. That's a makeup from the power outage-spoiled home opener that was scheduled for Oct. 9.
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Game 25: UMD at Northern Michigan
MARQUETTE, Mich. -- Let's forget the pleasantries.
You're sick of reading it. I'm sick of writing it and talking about it. The coaches are sick of talking about it and living it. The players are surely sick of it.
And I don't know how it gets fixed, outside of UMD has to play better, starting in its own zone. I'd say three of Northern Michigan's four goals Friday were the result of shoddy work in the defensive zone, and the fourth was a transition play that was defended very poorly.
Like I said in the blog after the game, scream at the goalie all you want, but playing that way in the D-zone is going to get any goalie beaten, no matter how well he is or isn't playing.
Last Saturday, Matt McNeely got the net against Denver in a move I theorized wasn't so much about the goalie but about the guys in front of him. I'd surmise the change wasn't made for this game for the same reason. UMD has to figure out its own zone and play better. It's capable. UMD was very tight defensively in taking four points from Miami just three short weeks ago. I thought the Bulldogs played pretty well defensively against an obviously dangerous St. Cloud State team the following weekend. It's there. It's been done before. And even if it means offense needs to be sacrificed, UMD has to get back to that form in its own end of the rink.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Iafallo - Toninato - Mackay
Farley - Cameranesi - Kuhlman
Thomas - Decowski - Johnson
Exell - Spurrell - Young (Austyn)
Welinski - Corrin
Soucy - Kotyk
McCormack - Pionk
Kaskisuo - McNeely - Deery
NMU
Adair - Nowick - Shine
Hanson - Sooth - Siemer
Payne - Diamantoni - Pierce
Starzynski - Paskaruk - Black
Klimek - Kaib
Maschmeyer - Urban
Vermuelen - Trenz
Israelsson - Tolvanen - Dahlstrom
You're sick of reading it. I'm sick of writing it and talking about it. The coaches are sick of talking about it and living it. The players are surely sick of it.
And I don't know how it gets fixed, outside of UMD has to play better, starting in its own zone. I'd say three of Northern Michigan's four goals Friday were the result of shoddy work in the defensive zone, and the fourth was a transition play that was defended very poorly.
Like I said in the blog after the game, scream at the goalie all you want, but playing that way in the D-zone is going to get any goalie beaten, no matter how well he is or isn't playing.
Last Saturday, Matt McNeely got the net against Denver in a move I theorized wasn't so much about the goalie but about the guys in front of him. I'd surmise the change wasn't made for this game for the same reason. UMD has to figure out its own zone and play better. It's capable. UMD was very tight defensively in taking four points from Miami just three short weeks ago. I thought the Bulldogs played pretty well defensively against an obviously dangerous St. Cloud State team the following weekend. It's there. It's been done before. And even if it means offense needs to be sacrificed, UMD has to get back to that form in its own end of the rink.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Iafallo - Toninato - Mackay
Farley - Cameranesi - Kuhlman
Thomas - Decowski - Johnson
Exell - Spurrell - Young (Austyn)
Welinski - Corrin
Soucy - Kotyk
McCormack - Pionk
Kaskisuo - McNeely - Deery
NMU
Adair - Nowick - Shine
Hanson - Sooth - Siemer
Payne - Diamantoni - Pierce
Starzynski - Paskaruk - Black
Klimek - Kaib
Maschmeyer - Urban
Vermuelen - Trenz
Israelsson - Tolvanen - Dahlstrom
Friday, January 29, 2016
Saturday Hockey Notes and Thoughts: UMD Power Play Shoots More Blanks as Winless Streak Hits Five
MARQUETTE, Mich. -- Maybe it was just hope, but I really thought UMD had hit rock bottom last weekend in Denver. Friday's effort was strong, but Saturday was just not good enough as Denver held on late to win 2-1.
"I thought we didn't play confidently," head coach Scott Sandelin said of his team's performance in that game. "Our game, we need to get our feet moving, and we really didn't have that. They kind of had the jump."
But UMD didn't hit rock bottom. I know this because Friday's 4-3 loss to Northern Michigan here was another step down the ladder toward rock bottom. Maybe this is it. I won't try to guess.
It was another game for UMD that simply wasn't good enough.
The Bulldogs wanted to play tighter defensively, but NMU scored twice -- including Robbie Payne's winner on a power play late -- off scramble plays in front of the net where bodies got to the front and UMD couldn't close out.
(This isn't meant as a rip on the goaltender, but without the benefit of replays, I'd say it could be argued that Kasimir Kaskisuo allowed a couple regrettable goals along the way. None of this should excuse more shoddy defensive zone play.)
Defensive zone play was a culprit on Friday, goaltending played a role, but the UMD power play might have been the most to blame. Scoreless in four chances, shotless in three of them, and somehow UMD missed a wide open net on the power play for the second time in three games.
I don't get it.
Most galling, the teams were playing four-on-four in the final minute and UMD had Kaskisuo pulled. NMU took a penalty with 29 seconds left, giving UMD a four-on-three power play that became a five-on-three with the empty net. The Bulldogs got two shots off in that 29-second sequence. One was wide, and one was blocked. Nothing on net.
It was a terrible setup by UMD. At a time in the game where urgency should just be a given (I mean, they're down a goal with less than a half minute to play), the Bulldogs showed none. Andy Welinski and Neal Pionk went back and forth up high, and at no point did the puck get picked up by a forward until half the 29 seconds had bled off the clock. It was a situation that screamed for someone to take the bull by the horns and make something happen, but that's not how it played out.
With how the power play has struggled, I guess it was fitting to see the game finish up that way.
Not sure what else to write. Nothing about this game was good. The crowd was small and quiet. The goal horn is loud and annoying, and I swear the damn thing is right by where I sit. The officiating was hideous. I didn't think UMD played all that particularly well. UMD lost.
The guys are frustrated. The coaches are frustrated. I'm frustrated. You're frustrated.
What can I say to make you guys feel any better?
Well, I asked on Twitter. Lots of "what's going on?" type questions. "What's it going to take to turn the season around?" That stuff.
Honestly, and this isn't an excuse, I think the whole season to this point is starting to catch up with UMD. Not only are we talking about kids, but we're talking about human beings. How many times can they dominate a game and get kicked in the face in the end before it starts to affect their confidence?
Now, as Sandelin noted regarding Saturday's loss in Denver, the Bulldogs are starting to look like a team that just isn't sure of itself. Everyone around it can deny, but UMD is morphing into a team that's waiting for something bad to happen because that's all it's seen as of late.
As long as there's season left, there's time to turn this around. I firmly believe that. But I'm also not a moron. There isn't a lot of time. UMD has kicked away some real opportunities to win games and build a resume, and now I don't know what needs to happen to fix what's wrong.
I screamed about the importance of scoring three goals. And then we gave up four.
I talked about scoring five on five. We did that three times Friday. So did the adversary.
Basically, it looks like I'm wrong a lot.
We'll be back Saturday night to try again. For now, I'm going to drown my sorrows in SmartWater while I watch women's curling on TV and something on Netflix.
"I thought we didn't play confidently," head coach Scott Sandelin said of his team's performance in that game. "Our game, we need to get our feet moving, and we really didn't have that. They kind of had the jump."
But UMD didn't hit rock bottom. I know this because Friday's 4-3 loss to Northern Michigan here was another step down the ladder toward rock bottom. Maybe this is it. I won't try to guess.
It was another game for UMD that simply wasn't good enough.
The Bulldogs wanted to play tighter defensively, but NMU scored twice -- including Robbie Payne's winner on a power play late -- off scramble plays in front of the net where bodies got to the front and UMD couldn't close out.
(This isn't meant as a rip on the goaltender, but without the benefit of replays, I'd say it could be argued that Kasimir Kaskisuo allowed a couple regrettable goals along the way. None of this should excuse more shoddy defensive zone play.)
Defensive zone play was a culprit on Friday, goaltending played a role, but the UMD power play might have been the most to blame. Scoreless in four chances, shotless in three of them, and somehow UMD missed a wide open net on the power play for the second time in three games.
I don't get it.
Most galling, the teams were playing four-on-four in the final minute and UMD had Kaskisuo pulled. NMU took a penalty with 29 seconds left, giving UMD a four-on-three power play that became a five-on-three with the empty net. The Bulldogs got two shots off in that 29-second sequence. One was wide, and one was blocked. Nothing on net.
It was a terrible setup by UMD. At a time in the game where urgency should just be a given (I mean, they're down a goal with less than a half minute to play), the Bulldogs showed none. Andy Welinski and Neal Pionk went back and forth up high, and at no point did the puck get picked up by a forward until half the 29 seconds had bled off the clock. It was a situation that screamed for someone to take the bull by the horns and make something happen, but that's not how it played out.
With how the power play has struggled, I guess it was fitting to see the game finish up that way.
******
Not sure what else to write. Nothing about this game was good. The crowd was small and quiet. The goal horn is loud and annoying, and I swear the damn thing is right by where I sit. The officiating was hideous. I didn't think UMD played all that particularly well. UMD lost.
The guys are frustrated. The coaches are frustrated. I'm frustrated. You're frustrated.
What can I say to make you guys feel any better?
Well, I asked on Twitter. Lots of "what's going on?" type questions. "What's it going to take to turn the season around?" That stuff.
Honestly, and this isn't an excuse, I think the whole season to this point is starting to catch up with UMD. Not only are we talking about kids, but we're talking about human beings. How many times can they dominate a game and get kicked in the face in the end before it starts to affect their confidence?
Now, as Sandelin noted regarding Saturday's loss in Denver, the Bulldogs are starting to look like a team that just isn't sure of itself. Everyone around it can deny, but UMD is morphing into a team that's waiting for something bad to happen because that's all it's seen as of late.
As long as there's season left, there's time to turn this around. I firmly believe that. But I'm also not a moron. There isn't a lot of time. UMD has kicked away some real opportunities to win games and build a resume, and now I don't know what needs to happen to fix what's wrong.
I screamed about the importance of scoring three goals. And then we gave up four.
I talked about scoring five on five. We did that three times Friday. So did the adversary.
Basically, it looks like I'm wrong a lot.
We'll be back Saturday night to try again. For now, I'm going to drown my sorrows in SmartWater while I watch women's curling on TV and something on Netflix.
Game 24: UMD at Northern Michigan
MARQUETTE, Mich. -- I can think of no better time to start turning this season around. At 8-10-5, UMD is completely off the national radar, an also-ran in the bloated national polls (one-third of the nation's teams are ranked by USCHO, just think about that, then ponder the fact that national polls rank 25 of nearly 340 Division I basketball teams!), and trailing in the PairWise.
This weekend, the Bulldogs do battle non-conference with Northern Michigan, a WCHA team that has been hovering around .500 much of the season and is sitting at exactly .500 right now (9-9-6).
It might be an unfamiliar venue (UMD hasn't played in Marquette since 2010), but it's a familiar feel. The Berry Events Center is an Olympic ice sheet -- 200 feet by 100.
The Olympic sheet -- or "big sheet," as most call it -- has been very good to UMD over the last two seasons. "Good" might be an understatement.
Since the start of the 2014-15 season, UMD is 6-0 in Olympic surfaces, outscoring the adversaries 23-4. Included in that is a 3-0 mark this year, with a 14-1 aggregate.
That average of four goals per game sure is enticing. UMD just can't seem to shake the scoring doldrums this year. I don't know the power play/even-strength breakdown from 2014-15, but last season UMD scored on 8.9 percent of its shots overall. This year, the Bulldogs have 59 goals on 884 shots (7.0 percent). If UMD was scoring on 8.0 percent of its shots this season, the Bulldogs would have 20 more goals.
Think about that. A team that has lost three games by one goal and three more by two (one of those was a one-goal game until a late empty-netter) with 20 more total goals scored, nearly one per game. If UMD merely matched its opponents' shooing percentage of 8.4, the Bulldogs would have 13 more goals, more than enough to still make a difference.
It's scary.
That's how low the margin for error is in this sport, and UMD is consistently -- for whatever reason -- coming up on the wrong side of it.
As head coach Scott Sandelin noted this week, there's still time to get this fixed. But he also correctly stated that "we're running out of time." Sounds contradictory, but both statements are very true.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Iafallo - Toninato - Mackay
Farley - Cameranesi - Kuhlman
Thomas - Decowski - Johnson
Sampair - Spurrell - Young (Austyn)
Welinski - Pionk
Soucy - Kotyk
Corrin - Molenaar
Kaskisuo - McNeely - Deery
NMU
Adair - Nowick - Shine
Hanson - Sooth - Siemer
Payne - Diamantoni - Purpur
Black - Starzynski - Pierce
Klimek - Kaib
Maschmeyer - Urban
Frantti - Trenz
Tolvanen - Israelsson - Dahlstrom
This weekend, the Bulldogs do battle non-conference with Northern Michigan, a WCHA team that has been hovering around .500 much of the season and is sitting at exactly .500 right now (9-9-6).
It might be an unfamiliar venue (UMD hasn't played in Marquette since 2010), but it's a familiar feel. The Berry Events Center is an Olympic ice sheet -- 200 feet by 100.
The Olympic sheet -- or "big sheet," as most call it -- has been very good to UMD over the last two seasons. "Good" might be an understatement.
Since the start of the 2014-15 season, UMD is 6-0 in Olympic surfaces, outscoring the adversaries 23-4. Included in that is a 3-0 mark this year, with a 14-1 aggregate.
That average of four goals per game sure is enticing. UMD just can't seem to shake the scoring doldrums this year. I don't know the power play/even-strength breakdown from 2014-15, but last season UMD scored on 8.9 percent of its shots overall. This year, the Bulldogs have 59 goals on 884 shots (7.0 percent). If UMD was scoring on 8.0 percent of its shots this season, the Bulldogs would have 20 more goals.
Think about that. A team that has lost three games by one goal and three more by two (one of those was a one-goal game until a late empty-netter) with 20 more total goals scored, nearly one per game. If UMD merely matched its opponents' shooing percentage of 8.4, the Bulldogs would have 13 more goals, more than enough to still make a difference.
It's scary.
That's how low the margin for error is in this sport, and UMD is consistently -- for whatever reason -- coming up on the wrong side of it.
As head coach Scott Sandelin noted this week, there's still time to get this fixed. But he also correctly stated that "we're running out of time." Sounds contradictory, but both statements are very true.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Iafallo - Toninato - Mackay
Farley - Cameranesi - Kuhlman
Thomas - Decowski - Johnson
Sampair - Spurrell - Young (Austyn)
Welinski - Pionk
Soucy - Kotyk
Corrin - Molenaar
Kaskisuo - McNeely - Deery
NMU
Adair - Nowick - Shine
Hanson - Sooth - Siemer
Payne - Diamantoni - Purpur
Black - Starzynski - Pierce
Klimek - Kaib
Maschmeyer - Urban
Frantti - Trenz
Tolvanen - Israelsson - Dahlstrom
Monday, October 12, 2015
Monday Musings: Late Goal Sinks UMD in Opener
Imagine this: Your teenage child returns home from school one day, and informs you s/he failed a test. You get mad and start asking questions, and the kid tells you everyone else in class either struggled or flat-out-failed, too.
Doesn't make you feel better, does it?
While it's crazy that the Nos. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 9 teams in the preseason USCHO top ten all lost at least one game over the weekend (No. 8 didn't play), it doesn't help UMD much. In fact, it's an empty fact.
What has been probably UMD's most consistent bugaboo since the start of last season -- the penalty bug -- bit again Saturday. This time, it helped conspire to turn a game around the Bulldogs were dominating everywhere but the scoreboard, and the homestanding Bemidji State Beavers took full advantage, scoring with 22.7 seconds left to win 3-2.
By no means is this loss on defenseman Carson Soucy, justifiably ejected for a contact to the head penalty late in the first period, or is it on forward Kyle Osterberg, who got a major for charging in the second period.
Soucy's penalty came at a time where UMD was leading 12-2 in shots, had by far the better scoring chances, and almost had exclusive ownership of the puck. The top line of Dominic Toninato, Alex Iafallo, and Adam Johnson created chance after chance. Toninato finished with six shots, many of them in that opening period, but the Bulldogs couldn't beat star Bemidji State goalie Michael Bitzer early.
The Beavers put up nine shots on goal during the Soucy major, which came after he hit BSU forward Leo Fitzgerald as he flew through the neutral zone chasing the puck. There was little doubt in my mind it would draw a major and an ejection. Beyond the fact it got Soucy -- a player who is in my opinion the most NHL-ready on the UMD roster -- ejected in the first period, it also gave Bemidji State a chance to seize the momentum in a game it had nothing going in.
From that point on, UMD was outshot 31-18 and never looked the same team. From the Soucy major on, the Bulldogs were outshot at even strength 17-9.
Ouch.
The reasons were multiple. Surely, the Soucy major changed momentum a bit and gave BSU some life that it hadn't previously shown. However, the Beavers also were able to take advantage of a UMD blue line fatigued a bit by the ejection. Down to five defensemen, everyone's ice time increased, and Bemidji's forwards looked fresher than UMD's defense did down the stretch.
(This isn't all on Soucy, because there were 17 other skaters playing in the game, and none of them did enough in the second half of the game to reseize the momentum and get things going back in UMD's favor for more than a shift or two at a time.)
That kind of a thing will be less of a factor later in the season.
It's why it's so important to avoid those types of penalties. UMD was in bad enough position having to kill off two five-minute power plays in the game. The fact it lost Soucy on one of those calls made it even more difficult. He's an all-situation player.
It's somewhat fair to bring up discipline. It was a talking point for Scott Sandelin during the week, as well as before the game Saturday. It was an issue last season, unquestionably. It's been a problem in the past. Even with 22 minutes in penalties after Saturday's loss, it's way too early to cast judgments on this year's team. We just don't know if it's going to be an issue going forward.
But we know it can't be.
A season with this much promise can't -- and I mean it can't -- be sabotaged from within. It's up to the leaders and coaches to figure out a way to address the issue without taking away the aggressiveness that has made UMD such an effective team.
There's a line. Soucy definitely crossed it, and Osterberg probably did.
(After viewing both replays, I'd say it's hard to yell about either call. I absolutely agreed with Soucy, and I'll admit to privately wondering if the NCHC would try to send a preventive message by giving him a one-game suspension early in the season. I don't have anyone I know saying it will and I don't believe that will happen, it's just a thought in my head. I think it'd be a stronger possibility if the hit happened in the third period. And, yes, those things have been considered by leagues before, to the point that the new targeting rule in college football calls for players ejected in the second half of a game to sit the first half of the next one. In this case, I think time served of 42-plus minutes is enough. As for Osterberg, an argument exists that his hit wasn't enough to be a major, but the flip side is that -- again without looking at a replay -- it looked obvious he left his feet to deliver the hit, and that's a huge red flag for the men in striped shirts.)
(Remember to follow @umdhockeygifs on Twitter, an account run by a UMD fan named Ben. Animations that you can pause and rewind were posted of both hits. Also, when you watch those GIFs, remember that every time you watch the replay is one more opportunity than the officials got to watch it before issuing a penalty. Someday, I'll write another blog about the need to have replay review available for major penalties in all games, but that will be a different day where I actually have a beef with a call. That threshold is high because many of the ejections happen after bang-bang plays, but I'm sure it'll happen at some point.)
Yes, this was a tough week for ranked teams. No. 1 Boston College lost to RPI. No. 3 Boston University lost to Union. No. 5 Denver lost to Air Force. No. 6 Minnesota State was swept at home by Omaha. No. 11 Miami lost and tied against Providence.
It was such a bad weekend that the new No. 1 -- North Dakota -- got there by rallying from two goals down to beat mighty Lake Superior State.
Again, it's way too early for judgments. But if the first weekend of the season is any indication, we're in for another wild ride in 2015-16.
UMD fell to seventh in the USCHO poll, and I do not think UMD will stay there long. The Bulldogs have already seen what they're capable of. Now it's a matter of staying out of their own way enough to let it happen.
Minnesota is next, and like UMD, the Gophers are licking their wounds after an upset loss. Minnesota lost 3-0 to Vermont in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game at Mariucci Arena. The Gophers are young, nowhere near the experience level of last year's outfit. Captain Justin Kloos is the only center who isn't a freshman, and Don Lucia opted to start a freshman -- Eric Schierhorn -- in goal for Saturday's game.
Minnesota is dangerous, as usual, up front, and while the depth isn't quite there on defense, the presence of Omaha transfer Nick Seeler helps significantly. Jake Bischoff, Ryan Collins, and Jack Glover finish a pretty solid top four.
And if you don't think the Gophers have forgotten last year, when UMD won the last four out of five meetings, you're crazy. They might not admit it out loud, but they remember, and they'll be ready this weekend.
Hey, maybe we'll actually get both games in this weekend. #obligatoryelectricityjoke
Doesn't make you feel better, does it?
While it's crazy that the Nos. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 9 teams in the preseason USCHO top ten all lost at least one game over the weekend (No. 8 didn't play), it doesn't help UMD much. In fact, it's an empty fact.
What has been probably UMD's most consistent bugaboo since the start of last season -- the penalty bug -- bit again Saturday. This time, it helped conspire to turn a game around the Bulldogs were dominating everywhere but the scoreboard, and the homestanding Bemidji State Beavers took full advantage, scoring with 22.7 seconds left to win 3-2.
By no means is this loss on defenseman Carson Soucy, justifiably ejected for a contact to the head penalty late in the first period, or is it on forward Kyle Osterberg, who got a major for charging in the second period.
Soucy's penalty came at a time where UMD was leading 12-2 in shots, had by far the better scoring chances, and almost had exclusive ownership of the puck. The top line of Dominic Toninato, Alex Iafallo, and Adam Johnson created chance after chance. Toninato finished with six shots, many of them in that opening period, but the Bulldogs couldn't beat star Bemidji State goalie Michael Bitzer early.
The Beavers put up nine shots on goal during the Soucy major, which came after he hit BSU forward Leo Fitzgerald as he flew through the neutral zone chasing the puck. There was little doubt in my mind it would draw a major and an ejection. Beyond the fact it got Soucy -- a player who is in my opinion the most NHL-ready on the UMD roster -- ejected in the first period, it also gave Bemidji State a chance to seize the momentum in a game it had nothing going in.
From that point on, UMD was outshot 31-18 and never looked the same team. From the Soucy major on, the Bulldogs were outshot at even strength 17-9.
Ouch.
The reasons were multiple. Surely, the Soucy major changed momentum a bit and gave BSU some life that it hadn't previously shown. However, the Beavers also were able to take advantage of a UMD blue line fatigued a bit by the ejection. Down to five defensemen, everyone's ice time increased, and Bemidji's forwards looked fresher than UMD's defense did down the stretch.
(This isn't all on Soucy, because there were 17 other skaters playing in the game, and none of them did enough in the second half of the game to reseize the momentum and get things going back in UMD's favor for more than a shift or two at a time.)
That kind of a thing will be less of a factor later in the season.
It's why it's so important to avoid those types of penalties. UMD was in bad enough position having to kill off two five-minute power plays in the game. The fact it lost Soucy on one of those calls made it even more difficult. He's an all-situation player.
It's somewhat fair to bring up discipline. It was a talking point for Scott Sandelin during the week, as well as before the game Saturday. It was an issue last season, unquestionably. It's been a problem in the past. Even with 22 minutes in penalties after Saturday's loss, it's way too early to cast judgments on this year's team. We just don't know if it's going to be an issue going forward.
But we know it can't be.
A season with this much promise can't -- and I mean it can't -- be sabotaged from within. It's up to the leaders and coaches to figure out a way to address the issue without taking away the aggressiveness that has made UMD such an effective team.
There's a line. Soucy definitely crossed it, and Osterberg probably did.
(After viewing both replays, I'd say it's hard to yell about either call. I absolutely agreed with Soucy, and I'll admit to privately wondering if the NCHC would try to send a preventive message by giving him a one-game suspension early in the season. I don't have anyone I know saying it will and I don't believe that will happen, it's just a thought in my head. I think it'd be a stronger possibility if the hit happened in the third period. And, yes, those things have been considered by leagues before, to the point that the new targeting rule in college football calls for players ejected in the second half of a game to sit the first half of the next one. In this case, I think time served of 42-plus minutes is enough. As for Osterberg, an argument exists that his hit wasn't enough to be a major, but the flip side is that -- again without looking at a replay -- it looked obvious he left his feet to deliver the hit, and that's a huge red flag for the men in striped shirts.)
(Remember to follow @umdhockeygifs on Twitter, an account run by a UMD fan named Ben. Animations that you can pause and rewind were posted of both hits. Also, when you watch those GIFs, remember that every time you watch the replay is one more opportunity than the officials got to watch it before issuing a penalty. Someday, I'll write another blog about the need to have replay review available for major penalties in all games, but that will be a different day where I actually have a beef with a call. That threshold is high because many of the ejections happen after bang-bang plays, but I'm sure it'll happen at some point.)
******
Yes, this was a tough week for ranked teams. No. 1 Boston College lost to RPI. No. 3 Boston University lost to Union. No. 5 Denver lost to Air Force. No. 6 Minnesota State was swept at home by Omaha. No. 11 Miami lost and tied against Providence.
It was such a bad weekend that the new No. 1 -- North Dakota -- got there by rallying from two goals down to beat mighty Lake Superior State.
Again, it's way too early for judgments. But if the first weekend of the season is any indication, we're in for another wild ride in 2015-16.
UMD fell to seventh in the USCHO poll, and I do not think UMD will stay there long. The Bulldogs have already seen what they're capable of. Now it's a matter of staying out of their own way enough to let it happen.
******
Minnesota is next, and like UMD, the Gophers are licking their wounds after an upset loss. Minnesota lost 3-0 to Vermont in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game at Mariucci Arena. The Gophers are young, nowhere near the experience level of last year's outfit. Captain Justin Kloos is the only center who isn't a freshman, and Don Lucia opted to start a freshman -- Eric Schierhorn -- in goal for Saturday's game.
Minnesota is dangerous, as usual, up front, and while the depth isn't quite there on defense, the presence of Omaha transfer Nick Seeler helps significantly. Jake Bischoff, Ryan Collins, and Jack Glover finish a pretty solid top four.
And if you don't think the Gophers have forgotten last year, when UMD won the last four out of five meetings, you're crazy. They might not admit it out loud, but they remember, and they'll be ready this weekend.
Hey, maybe we'll actually get both games in this weekend. #obligatoryelectricityjoke
Saturday, October 10, 2015
Game 1: UMD at Bemidji State
BEMIDJI, Minn. -- By now, you know that UMD's scheduled game against Bemidji State Friday was postponed. That makes what was supposed to be a Saturday return match in Bemidji both teams' season opener.
Beautiful day for a drive to a great facility in Bemidji. This building is wonderful and I'm glad to be back after a couple years without a trip here. Expecting a full house for this game. Broadcast time is 6:30, hope you enjoy.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Johnson - Toninato - Iafallo
Farley - Cameranesi - Kuhlman
Osterberg - Thomas - Young (Austyn)
Sampair - Decowski - Spurrell
Pionk - Welinski
Soucy - Raskob
Corrin - Kotyk
Kakisuo - McNeely - Deery
BSU
O'Connor - Bauman - Harms
Marinaccio - Ward - Parker
Dickman - Fitzgerald (Gerry) - Fitzgerald (Leo)
Gerbrandt - Arentz - Heller
Baudry - McCormack
Beauvais - Eichstadt
Pedan - Janco
Bitzer - Mimmack
Beautiful day for a drive to a great facility in Bemidji. This building is wonderful and I'm glad to be back after a couple years without a trip here. Expecting a full house for this game. Broadcast time is 6:30, hope you enjoy.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Johnson - Toninato - Iafallo
Farley - Cameranesi - Kuhlman
Osterberg - Thomas - Young (Austyn)
Sampair - Decowski - Spurrell
Pionk - Welinski
Soucy - Raskob
Corrin - Kotyk
Kakisuo - McNeely - Deery
BSU
O'Connor - Bauman - Harms
Marinaccio - Ward - Parker
Dickman - Fitzgerald (Gerry) - Fitzgerald (Leo)
Gerbrandt - Arentz - Heller
Baudry - McCormack
Beauvais - Eichstadt
Pedan - Janco
Bitzer - Mimmack
Friday, October 09, 2015
Saturday Hockey Notes and Thoughts: Bulldogs, Beavers Stymied by Power Outage in Duluth
Greetings from where I lay my head: Home.
Usually, we talk about games in a weekly update that publishes Friday night or Saturday morning, subject to change based on my schedule during a particular weekend.
This one's easy. There was no game.
UMD and Bemidji State saw their scheduled season opener Friday night postponed, thanks to a power outage that affected the ice plant -- among other things -- at Amsoil Arena. The outage started around 2pm Friday, when a contractor "bored into an unmarked private underground cable," according to a tweet from Minnesota Power.
The game was said to be in peril around 4pm, when local media became aware of the outage. The announcement of the game's postponement came shortly after 5:30pm.
According to the Duluth News Tribune, the ice could have been in playing shape within 90 minutes of the restoration of power. However, with both teams traveling to Bemidji after the game, a decision was made that the game couldn't be played later than 8pm. Once it could not be guaranteed that power would be restored by 6:30, the game was called off.
In case you're wondering, a DECC employee tweeted to me that power was restored at 7:30. DECC do-everything dude Jeff Stark was asked on Twitter about the prospect of the ice having to be replaced, and he said as long as power was restored before around 11pm, it would probably be fine by Saturday.
(Kudos to Matt Wellens, who actually was at the rink for much of the ordeal. With logistical things to take care of at the radio ranch, it wasn't practical for me to be there when no game was going to be played. I took care of radio business that needed to be done once the game was called, then made my way back here, where we had fully functioning lights. And then we spent $100 at WalMart somehow when we only needed like four things.)
As for the game itself, UMD athletic director Josh Berlo said it would not be made up Sunday, as seemed logical. While I don't know for sure the reason, it's probably due to either travel logistics for Bemidji State or scheduling issues with the teams.
Looking at the teams' schedules, the only mutual off weekend is Dec. 18-19, the week before Christmas. Outside of that, the only option would be to play on a weekday.
This is purely speculative, but I have time to kill. Just keep in mind it's pure speculation.
One option that would seem to have potential is Feb. 9 or 10. UMD is going into a bye week and coming off a home series against Colorado College. Bemidji State is coming off a bye week and plays that weekend at Lake Superior State. The week of Halloween could work, too. UMD is home that weekend, while Bemidji is at Northern Michigan.
Without asking, I would assume UMD has no desire to play this game the week of a conference series. We'll see what can be mutually agreed upon, and will let you know as soon as we do.
So now the teams will play their season opener Saturday at Sanford Center in Bemidji at 7pm. Both teams traveled up Friday evening, so Saturday will be a normal game day.
In non-conference action involving the NCHC, the league had a mixed start. North Dakota opened the IceBreaker in Portland, Maine, with a come-from-behind 5-2 win over Lake Superior State. The Lakers shocked UND with two quick goals in the first for a 2-0 lead, but UND stormed back and took the lead for good in the second. UND plays Maine to finish up the event Saturday.
Western Michigan got a power play goal from Griffen Molino in the third period to beat Ferris State 3-2. The teams play in Big Rapids Saturday. Defending national champion Providence scored four straight goals between the second and third periods to blow open a 3-2 game, and the Friars beat Miami 7-3 in Oxford, scoring those seven goals on just 26 shots. Prized freshman Jack Roslovic tallied in his RedHawks debut.
Omaha got goals from Jake Randolph, Jake Guentzel, and Austin Ortega to lead 3-0 at Minnesota State, but the Black and Red Mavericks had to hold on to beat the Purple Mavericks 3-2. Kirk Thompson made 24 saves for the win.
Veterans Joey Benik, Blake Winiecki, and Judd Peterson scored for St. Cloud State in a 3-0 win over Alaska at the Kendall Hockey Classic in Anchorage. Charlie Lindgren only had to make 14 saves for the season-opening shutout. The Huskies play the host Seawolves tomorrow night. Arizona State is the other team in the tournament.
Quentin Shore's second goal of the game came with 6:46 left to get Denver even 4-4 at Air Force, but the Falcons got an overtime goal from Ben Kucera to upset DU 5-4. Danton Heinen and Emil Romig also scored for the Pioneers, who will host Air Force Saturday at Magness Arena. Trevor Moore had three assists Friday.
Also, UMass got a hat trick from Trevor Plevy to beat Colorado College 6-3. I expect CC to go through some serious growing pains, as Mike Haviland overhauled the roster over the offseason with a large recruiting class.
Usually, we talk about games in a weekly update that publishes Friday night or Saturday morning, subject to change based on my schedule during a particular weekend.
This one's easy. There was no game.
UMD and Bemidji State saw their scheduled season opener Friday night postponed, thanks to a power outage that affected the ice plant -- among other things -- at Amsoil Arena. The outage started around 2pm Friday, when a contractor "bored into an unmarked private underground cable," according to a tweet from Minnesota Power.
The game was said to be in peril around 4pm, when local media became aware of the outage. The announcement of the game's postponement came shortly after 5:30pm.
According to the Duluth News Tribune, the ice could have been in playing shape within 90 minutes of the restoration of power. However, with both teams traveling to Bemidji after the game, a decision was made that the game couldn't be played later than 8pm. Once it could not be guaranteed that power would be restored by 6:30, the game was called off.
In case you're wondering, a DECC employee tweeted to me that power was restored at 7:30. DECC do-everything dude Jeff Stark was asked on Twitter about the prospect of the ice having to be replaced, and he said as long as power was restored before around 11pm, it would probably be fine by Saturday.
(Kudos to Matt Wellens, who actually was at the rink for much of the ordeal. With logistical things to take care of at the radio ranch, it wasn't practical for me to be there when no game was going to be played. I took care of radio business that needed to be done once the game was called, then made my way back here, where we had fully functioning lights. And then we spent $100 at WalMart somehow when we only needed like four things.)
As for the game itself, UMD athletic director Josh Berlo said it would not be made up Sunday, as seemed logical. While I don't know for sure the reason, it's probably due to either travel logistics for Bemidji State or scheduling issues with the teams.
Looking at the teams' schedules, the only mutual off weekend is Dec. 18-19, the week before Christmas. Outside of that, the only option would be to play on a weekday.
This is purely speculative, but I have time to kill. Just keep in mind it's pure speculation.
One option that would seem to have potential is Feb. 9 or 10. UMD is going into a bye week and coming off a home series against Colorado College. Bemidji State is coming off a bye week and plays that weekend at Lake Superior State. The week of Halloween could work, too. UMD is home that weekend, while Bemidji is at Northern Michigan.
Without asking, I would assume UMD has no desire to play this game the week of a conference series. We'll see what can be mutually agreed upon, and will let you know as soon as we do.
So now the teams will play their season opener Saturday at Sanford Center in Bemidji at 7pm. Both teams traveled up Friday evening, so Saturday will be a normal game day.
******
In non-conference action involving the NCHC, the league had a mixed start. North Dakota opened the IceBreaker in Portland, Maine, with a come-from-behind 5-2 win over Lake Superior State. The Lakers shocked UND with two quick goals in the first for a 2-0 lead, but UND stormed back and took the lead for good in the second. UND plays Maine to finish up the event Saturday.
Western Michigan got a power play goal from Griffen Molino in the third period to beat Ferris State 3-2. The teams play in Big Rapids Saturday. Defending national champion Providence scored four straight goals between the second and third periods to blow open a 3-2 game, and the Friars beat Miami 7-3 in Oxford, scoring those seven goals on just 26 shots. Prized freshman Jack Roslovic tallied in his RedHawks debut.
Omaha got goals from Jake Randolph, Jake Guentzel, and Austin Ortega to lead 3-0 at Minnesota State, but the Black and Red Mavericks had to hold on to beat the Purple Mavericks 3-2. Kirk Thompson made 24 saves for the win.
Veterans Joey Benik, Blake Winiecki, and Judd Peterson scored for St. Cloud State in a 3-0 win over Alaska at the Kendall Hockey Classic in Anchorage. Charlie Lindgren only had to make 14 saves for the season-opening shutout. The Huskies play the host Seawolves tomorrow night. Arizona State is the other team in the tournament.
Quentin Shore's second goal of the game came with 6:46 left to get Denver even 4-4 at Air Force, but the Falcons got an overtime goal from Ben Kucera to upset DU 5-4. Danton Heinen and Emil Romig also scored for the Pioneers, who will host Air Force Saturday at Magness Arena. Trevor Moore had three assists Friday.
Also, UMass got a hat trick from Trevor Plevy to beat Colorado College 6-3. I expect CC to go through some serious growing pains, as Mike Haviland overhauled the roster over the offseason with a large recruiting class.
Thursday, October 08, 2015
Underrated Bemidji State Awaits Bulldogs
When Bemidji State sat in college hockey limbo after its old conference -- College Hockey America -- disbanded, the WCHA stepped up and helped out. Admission to the league could possibly have saved a longtime small-college hockey power. Bemidji State had already established itself in Division III and (now largely defunct) Division II before moving to the Division I ranks in 1999.
Tom Serratore then took over for legendary R.H. "Bob" Peters in 2001. It didn't take long for the Beavers to hit the 20-win mark for the first time in Division I (2003-2004 season). The 2009 team made the Frozen Four for the first time as a Division I program.
Since moving from CHA to the WCHA, BSU has had its struggles, but last year was a promising one for the Beavers. Bemidji State opened with a 5-1 win at (!) North Dakota, and later added convincing wins over UMD and Minnesota State to claim the North Star College Cup.
A later win over the Mavericks clinched home ice in the first round of the league playoffs, but Bemidji lost two straight to Ferris State to end its season. Still, an 10-6-2 record after Christmas (13-7-5 after Thanksgiving) showed the program was heading back in the right direction.
"We had really good success the second half of the year," Serratore said. "It's a tough pill to swallow (losing at home in the playoffs), but there's such a fine line between winning and losing. We lost our second game (to Ferris) in triple overtime.
"It was an interesting year. You take a look at our losses, we went through a stretch in November where we lost six straight. We could have gone 5-1, it was just amazing how well we played. It's hard to put a finger on things."
Serratore admits it will be tough to replace big-minute captain Matt Prapavessis, or defensive cohorts Sam Rendle and Sam Windle. He said he "isn't sure" how he will divide the minutes on the blue line this weekend, as the Beavers play in Duluth Friday, then host the Bulldogs at Sanford Center Saturday night.
The Beavers do have some skill up front. Senior Cory Ward leads the way, and is a prototypical Bemidji State 200-foot player. Brendan Harms is back, as is sophomore Kyle Bauman, who really came on late last season. And BSU has the Fitzgerald triplets, best known for the "Baby Geniuses" movie back in the day. Well, now they're pretty good at hockey. Gerry's probably the most explosive of the three, but all three can play an all-zone game and there's certainly a chemistry that exists when they're on the ice together.
In goal, Michael Bitzer is back. All he did as a freshman was post a .929 save percentage and wrestle the job away from Andrew Walsh, who graduated.
Other UMD blogs of note:
Great Expectations (season preview)
Monday Musings (wrap-up of Sunday exhibition win)
The second-half run wasn't enough to land the Beavers in the preseason national rankings, but surely it caught the attention of UMD coach Scott Sandelin. A couple times this week, Sandelin has talked about UMD teams of the past not having enough respect for Bemidji State. Going back to last season, however, Sandelin says this isn't the same BSU program. Before the loss in St. Paul last January, he praised Bemidji for bringing in more and more skill and being a different team -- though still difficult -- to play against.
He doubled down on that this week.
"I don't know that some of the games we've played them that we've respected them enough," Sandelin said. "And that's a bad omen, because if that happens you don't deserve to win.
"Tom's teams have always worked hard, have always been tenacious. Now they've developed through their recruiting more and more skill. I think they're playing a little bit different game with that skill, which is fun to play against. They still have the work ethic, they play well defensively, and they've always seemed to get good goalies."
Now, the challenge for the No. 2/3 Bulldogs is to ignore the preseason hype. Top three in the preseason national polls, consensus pick to win the NCHC, and all the preseason individual honors that have come in are nice. They aren't going to win UMD any games.
21 letterwinners are back for UMD this season. The fewest number of games played by a veteran? 12, by sophomore defenseman Nick McCormack. Blake Young played in 17 games last year. Both would have played more were it not for injuries. Every other returning player has at least 30 games under his belt in these colors. So it's not just about having a bunch of bodies back. They're experienced and battle-tested.
I asked Sandelin if this is the deepest forward group he's had at UMD. I preface this by saying I'm not a fan of doing the "This is just like the 2011 team" bit. No two journeys are the same, no two teams are the same. I don't think it matters that Welinski's path back to UMD can be compared to Mike Montgomery and/or Justin Fontaine before the 2010-11 season. I'm also not trying to compare Cal Decowski to guys like Brett Hammond or Jake Hendrickson.
Sandelin agrees, saying "I felt very comfortable last year with our depth up front. I'm really happy and excited about the other freshman forwards we have in place (Parker Mackay and Billy Exell). Those kids have done a good job and they're going to add some much-needed depth to our team.
"I think some guys understand their roles better, which will hopefully make them better players. I think (this is similar to) the 2005 year, where I thought we had good depth, but this is a little deeper. We've got really good balance and some very good players. I feel the same way in goal and on the back end."
And say what you want about conference realignment (in all honesty, there's been good and bad to it from my perspective), but this weekend is a good thing for college hockey in northern Minnesota. I'm not of the mind that these games mean nothing because points aren't on the line. Actually, I tend to think they might be worth more because of that.
Look at last season for evidence. Why did the NCHC get six teams in the NCAA Tournament? Because the eight teams combined to go 53-25-4 in non-conference play. Colorado College (4-5) was the only team under .500 out of league. North Dakota, Denver, Miami, UMD, Omaha, and St. Cloud State -- the six teams that went dancing -- combined to go 42-17-4. That strong non-conference record meant everyone gained huge points in strength of schedule just by playing league opponents.
Not only that, but people are excited. It's Homecoming at UMD, and we should have a good crowd Friday night. Saturday, Sanford Center will be rocking in Bemidji. Serratore notes that with the nice weather forecast, there's going to be tailgating and some fun happening outside the building, and it'll be packed inside once the game starts.
It's good for the fans, good for the players, and good for the game. Like it or not, Bemidji's fans just aren't going to get amped up for a weekend set against Lake Superior State like they will to play UMD. The fact UMD is so highly-ranked only adds to it.
Tom Serratore then took over for legendary R.H. "Bob" Peters in 2001. It didn't take long for the Beavers to hit the 20-win mark for the first time in Division I (2003-2004 season). The 2009 team made the Frozen Four for the first time as a Division I program.
Since moving from CHA to the WCHA, BSU has had its struggles, but last year was a promising one for the Beavers. Bemidji State opened with a 5-1 win at (!) North Dakota, and later added convincing wins over UMD and Minnesota State to claim the North Star College Cup.
A later win over the Mavericks clinched home ice in the first round of the league playoffs, but Bemidji lost two straight to Ferris State to end its season. Still, an 10-6-2 record after Christmas (13-7-5 after Thanksgiving) showed the program was heading back in the right direction.
"We had really good success the second half of the year," Serratore said. "It's a tough pill to swallow (losing at home in the playoffs), but there's such a fine line between winning and losing. We lost our second game (to Ferris) in triple overtime.
"It was an interesting year. You take a look at our losses, we went through a stretch in November where we lost six straight. We could have gone 5-1, it was just amazing how well we played. It's hard to put a finger on things."
Serratore admits it will be tough to replace big-minute captain Matt Prapavessis, or defensive cohorts Sam Rendle and Sam Windle. He said he "isn't sure" how he will divide the minutes on the blue line this weekend, as the Beavers play in Duluth Friday, then host the Bulldogs at Sanford Center Saturday night.
The Beavers do have some skill up front. Senior Cory Ward leads the way, and is a prototypical Bemidji State 200-foot player. Brendan Harms is back, as is sophomore Kyle Bauman, who really came on late last season. And BSU has the Fitzgerald triplets, best known for the "Baby Geniuses" movie back in the day. Well, now they're pretty good at hockey. Gerry's probably the most explosive of the three, but all three can play an all-zone game and there's certainly a chemistry that exists when they're on the ice together.
In goal, Michael Bitzer is back. All he did as a freshman was post a .929 save percentage and wrestle the job away from Andrew Walsh, who graduated.
******
Other UMD blogs of note:
Great Expectations (season preview)
Monday Musings (wrap-up of Sunday exhibition win)
******
The second-half run wasn't enough to land the Beavers in the preseason national rankings, but surely it caught the attention of UMD coach Scott Sandelin. A couple times this week, Sandelin has talked about UMD teams of the past not having enough respect for Bemidji State. Going back to last season, however, Sandelin says this isn't the same BSU program. Before the loss in St. Paul last January, he praised Bemidji for bringing in more and more skill and being a different team -- though still difficult -- to play against.
He doubled down on that this week.
"I don't know that some of the games we've played them that we've respected them enough," Sandelin said. "And that's a bad omen, because if that happens you don't deserve to win.
"Tom's teams have always worked hard, have always been tenacious. Now they've developed through their recruiting more and more skill. I think they're playing a little bit different game with that skill, which is fun to play against. They still have the work ethic, they play well defensively, and they've always seemed to get good goalies."
Now, the challenge for the No. 2/3 Bulldogs is to ignore the preseason hype. Top three in the preseason national polls, consensus pick to win the NCHC, and all the preseason individual honors that have come in are nice. They aren't going to win UMD any games.
21 letterwinners are back for UMD this season. The fewest number of games played by a veteran? 12, by sophomore defenseman Nick McCormack. Blake Young played in 17 games last year. Both would have played more were it not for injuries. Every other returning player has at least 30 games under his belt in these colors. So it's not just about having a bunch of bodies back. They're experienced and battle-tested.
I asked Sandelin if this is the deepest forward group he's had at UMD. I preface this by saying I'm not a fan of doing the "This is just like the 2011 team" bit. No two journeys are the same, no two teams are the same. I don't think it matters that Welinski's path back to UMD can be compared to Mike Montgomery and/or Justin Fontaine before the 2010-11 season. I'm also not trying to compare Cal Decowski to guys like Brett Hammond or Jake Hendrickson.
Sandelin agrees, saying "I felt very comfortable last year with our depth up front. I'm really happy and excited about the other freshman forwards we have in place (Parker Mackay and Billy Exell). Those kids have done a good job and they're going to add some much-needed depth to our team.
"I think some guys understand their roles better, which will hopefully make them better players. I think (this is similar to) the 2005 year, where I thought we had good depth, but this is a little deeper. We've got really good balance and some very good players. I feel the same way in goal and on the back end."
And say what you want about conference realignment (in all honesty, there's been good and bad to it from my perspective), but this weekend is a good thing for college hockey in northern Minnesota. I'm not of the mind that these games mean nothing because points aren't on the line. Actually, I tend to think they might be worth more because of that.
Look at last season for evidence. Why did the NCHC get six teams in the NCAA Tournament? Because the eight teams combined to go 53-25-4 in non-conference play. Colorado College (4-5) was the only team under .500 out of league. North Dakota, Denver, Miami, UMD, Omaha, and St. Cloud State -- the six teams that went dancing -- combined to go 42-17-4. That strong non-conference record meant everyone gained huge points in strength of schedule just by playing league opponents.
Not only that, but people are excited. It's Homecoming at UMD, and we should have a good crowd Friday night. Saturday, Sanford Center will be rocking in Bemidji. Serratore notes that with the nice weather forecast, there's going to be tailgating and some fun happening outside the building, and it'll be packed inside once the game starts.
It's good for the fans, good for the players, and good for the game. Like it or not, Bemidji's fans just aren't going to get amped up for a weekend set against Lake Superior State like they will to play UMD. The fact UMD is so highly-ranked only adds to it.
Thursday, February 19, 2015
UMD Women Host Important Series, Look to Help One of Their Own
Back in Duluth, the UMD women's hockey team will host a very special night on Friday. The series that opens against Ohio State is critical for the Bulldogs' chances at home ice in the WCHA playoffs next weekend, but that's not the most important thing happening at the rink.
Julianne "Montana" Vasichek was a two-time All-American as a player at UMD (the nickname works because she is from Great Falls, Mont.). Now the hockey equipment manager and strength and conditioning coach for the women's team, Vasichek is battling a serious illness. The Bulldog program is trying to help.
Vasichek was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis back in 2002, while she was still playing for UMD. If that wasn't bad enough, she was hit with a diagnosis of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) five years later.
PSC is a very rare disease that affects the liver. Vasichek has undergone multiple procedures to open her bile ducts and place stents (they're called ECRPs, she says she's had around 12-15 of them total). Thankfully, she isn't on the list for a liver transplant because her score is too low. We hope it stays that way.
Many aren't so fortunate.
According to statistics available for December through LifeSources, there were 546 people awaiting liver transplants in the local region (Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota) and 15,465 awaiting liver transplants nationally. Contrast those statistics with only 118 liver transplants performed regionally in 2013, and the numbers show that about 21 people died waiting for a transplant every day. Vasichek also points out that every 10 minutes, a person is added to the national transplant list, proving how great the need is for awareness of organ donation.
That leads us to this weekend. Vasichek's passion is multi-fold at this point. She wants to raise awareness of PSC and help raise money for research. Vasichek also wants to help get more people registered to be organ and tissue donors.
"I am not really the type of person to sit around and wait for something to happen, I like to make things happen and be involved in the process," she said. "While playing hockey at UMD, I had the opportunity to learn leadership and problem solving skills from great leaders, coaches and teammates that I played with. When I was first diagnosed with PSC and after a short period of adjustment to a life with a new chronic disease, I felt like I wanted to contribute to a solution for myself and hopefully many others."
On Friday, the Bulldogs are asking fans to help by donating to any of a number of great organizations.
If you're going to the games, you can get more information on how to help at Amsoil Arena. If not, here's a list:
PSC Partners Seeking a Cure
www.pscpartners.org
Also, Vasichek is doing a fundraiser for PSC Partners that you can contribute to here.
Even hit by a splitting headache, Vasichek was in a good mood at the rink Wednesday. She's always in a good mood at the rink. This is a great cause, and we're all pulling for "Montana" as she continues her battle.
Julianne "Montana" Vasichek was a two-time All-American as a player at UMD (the nickname works because she is from Great Falls, Mont.). Now the hockey equipment manager and strength and conditioning coach for the women's team, Vasichek is battling a serious illness. The Bulldog program is trying to help.
Vasichek was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis back in 2002, while she was still playing for UMD. If that wasn't bad enough, she was hit with a diagnosis of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) five years later.
PSC is a very rare disease that affects the liver. Vasichek has undergone multiple procedures to open her bile ducts and place stents (they're called ECRPs, she says she's had around 12-15 of them total). Thankfully, she isn't on the list for a liver transplant because her score is too low. We hope it stays that way.
Many aren't so fortunate.
According to statistics available for December through LifeSources, there were 546 people awaiting liver transplants in the local region (Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota) and 15,465 awaiting liver transplants nationally. Contrast those statistics with only 118 liver transplants performed regionally in 2013, and the numbers show that about 21 people died waiting for a transplant every day. Vasichek also points out that every 10 minutes, a person is added to the national transplant list, proving how great the need is for awareness of organ donation.
That leads us to this weekend. Vasichek's passion is multi-fold at this point. She wants to raise awareness of PSC and help raise money for research. Vasichek also wants to help get more people registered to be organ and tissue donors.
"I am not really the type of person to sit around and wait for something to happen, I like to make things happen and be involved in the process," she said. "While playing hockey at UMD, I had the opportunity to learn leadership and problem solving skills from great leaders, coaches and teammates that I played with. When I was first diagnosed with PSC and after a short period of adjustment to a life with a new chronic disease, I felt like I wanted to contribute to a solution for myself and hopefully many others."
On Friday, the Bulldogs are asking fans to help by donating to any of a number of great organizations.
If you're going to the games, you can get more information on how to help at Amsoil Arena. If not, here's a list:
PSC Partners Seeking a Cure
www.pscpartners.org
LifeSource (will have a table and representative at the event)
United Network for Organ Sharing
Donor Dudes (sent green sunglasses for the team)
BetheMatch (will be setting up swabbing to add people to bone marrow transplant list)
Even hit by a splitting headache, Vasichek was in a good mood at the rink Wednesday. She's always in a good mood at the rink. This is a great cause, and we're all pulling for "Montana" as she continues her battle.
Monday, February 09, 2015
Monday Musings: Strong Offensive Push Continues as UMD Sweeps Northern Michigan
For UMD, a slight downtick in defensive play and a struggling penalty kill have heightened the need for more offense.
With the power play generally not contributing, that means the Bulldogs are pressed to score more goals in other situations.
Check.
UMD picked up five even-strength goals and a short-handed marker in a 6-3 win over Northern Michigan Saturday night in Duluth. The power play struck out on Saturday, and the penalty kill had a Meat Loaf night (two out of three wasn't bad, as after a sloppy coverage on the first goal, the killers did good work and scored a shorty in the process).
When the Bulldogs produce at even-strength like they did Saturday, when they outshot NMU 32-12 during the portion of the game where both teams had an equal number of players on the ice, this team is going to be hellaciously tough to beat.
UMD yearned a quicker start on Saturday after Northern Michigan got on the board early Friday and the Bulldogs looked like they were skating in mud for a good chunk of the opening stanza.
Check.
Alex Iafallo got the Bulldogs on the board not four minutes in on Saturday, and Charlie Sampair followed just short of the seven-minute mark with his first goal of the season. It was a deserved result for Sampair, who played better this weekend than he had all year to this point, and certainly earned the two points and increased ice time he got.
When NMU cut that two-goal lead in half, the Captain answered. Adam Krause ripped a wrist shot top shelf late in the first to make it a 3-1 lead.
When NMU cut that two-goal lead in half, the Bulldogs' most consistent line -- Tony Cameranesi, Austin Farley, and Karson Kuhlman -- responded, with the former two setting up Kuhlman's wraparound goal that made it 4-2.
When NMU got a power play late in the second period, senior captain Krause and assistant captain Justin Crandall conspired on a short-handed tally that put the game out of reach.
The Bulldogs ended up with a half-dozen goals on the night, nine on the weekend, and they outshot the visitors 85-35 in the 120 minutes.
Hell, someone might want to order more pink sticks.
UMD got a bit leaky in the second period, and Northern Michigan's Jake Baker made a great read to recognize that Kuhlman -- who didn't have a stick -- wasn't paying attention to him as he crashed into the slot and scored off a perfect Reed Seckel centering pass. Baker was Kuhlman's guy on the play, but he was watching the puck in the right corner and didn't see Baker making his way toward the front of the net.
The Bulldogs do have to find a way to cut down on the defensive lapses. They seem to most commonly happen after long stretches of offensive-zone possession. It's like the guys forget they have to defend their end of the ice when it isn't attacked for a while.
It's human nature. You see a long period of puck possession, and you want to jump in the play. Everyone wants to jump in the play. A little overaggression, and suddenly it's a two-on-one the other way.
You can't assume puck battles or races will be won. Players have to work hard to win them. UMD just can't afford to have all these defensive mistakes, especially when it should be working with momentum on its side.
Dominic Toninato (or Tom Doninato, right, DU broadcasters?) sat out Saturday's game with an undisclosed upper-body injury. From the sounds of it, UMD doesn't expect it to be a long-term problem for Toninato.
But all was well, because freshman Jared Thomas stepped up big-time. The former Hermantown Hawk won ten of 13 faceoffs, scored a third-period goal and added an assist. Thomas' three-point weekend (he also scored the game-winning goal Friday) was his first multi-point binge on a weekend since his two-goal game in Mankato back on Oct. 18.
He stepped in for UMD's No. 1 center and played a strong game. They say freshmen aren't freshmen anymore once we get into the second half of the season. In Thomas' case, he showed a lot of maturity and poise in his game with Saturday's performance.
With Scott Sandelin possessing no desire to break up Cameranesi's line or Cal Decowski's line, Thomas likely goes back to the fourth line against St. Cloud this weekend. However, everyone knows that there's a button that can be pushed if Toninato has a rough game while Thomas continues to produce in his more limited role.
That is a good thing as we head down the stretch. Strength down the middle is a nice problem to have as February hits and March approaches.
Already blogged about the crazy finish that's coming for the NCHC.
Case in point: Miami's out to a 4-0 lead on Western Michigan with 12 minutes in their game at the Hockey City Classic Saturday in Chicago. Game's over, right?
Nope.
Western storms back with goals 37 seconds apart to cut the lead in half, then gets one with an extra attacker on in the final minute. The RedHawks did a good job in the final seven minutes of keeping pucks from getting to the net, however, and Miami survived 4-3 to jump ahead of UMD and Denver and take third place in the NCHC.
No lead is safe. No game is over.
(Unless you're St. Cloud State and you're pantsing Colorado College 7-0 in the second period. That's probably safe.)
Speaking of St. Cloud State, here come the Huskies. Since being swept at Denver, SCSU has won three of four and scored 272* goals.
(* - possible exaggeration)
In all seriousness, take the seven out of that number, and 22 goals in four games is pretty solid. Juniors Jonny Brodzinski (17 goals) and Joey Benik (24 points) are leading the way offensively. But Bob Motzko has skill on all four lines. Oh, and Charlie Lindgren carries a .922 save percentage in NCHC play.
I don't care that UMD swept at St. Cloud in November. This is going to be another in a long line of great series where a split appears ever-so-likely.
With the power play generally not contributing, that means the Bulldogs are pressed to score more goals in other situations.
Check.
UMD picked up five even-strength goals and a short-handed marker in a 6-3 win over Northern Michigan Saturday night in Duluth. The power play struck out on Saturday, and the penalty kill had a Meat Loaf night (two out of three wasn't bad, as after a sloppy coverage on the first goal, the killers did good work and scored a shorty in the process).
When the Bulldogs produce at even-strength like they did Saturday, when they outshot NMU 32-12 during the portion of the game where both teams had an equal number of players on the ice, this team is going to be hellaciously tough to beat.
UMD yearned a quicker start on Saturday after Northern Michigan got on the board early Friday and the Bulldogs looked like they were skating in mud for a good chunk of the opening stanza.
Check.
Alex Iafallo got the Bulldogs on the board not four minutes in on Saturday, and Charlie Sampair followed just short of the seven-minute mark with his first goal of the season. It was a deserved result for Sampair, who played better this weekend than he had all year to this point, and certainly earned the two points and increased ice time he got.
When NMU cut that two-goal lead in half, the Captain answered. Adam Krause ripped a wrist shot top shelf late in the first to make it a 3-1 lead.
When NMU cut that two-goal lead in half, the Bulldogs' most consistent line -- Tony Cameranesi, Austin Farley, and Karson Kuhlman -- responded, with the former two setting up Kuhlman's wraparound goal that made it 4-2.
When NMU got a power play late in the second period, senior captain Krause and assistant captain Justin Crandall conspired on a short-handed tally that put the game out of reach.
The Bulldogs ended up with a half-dozen goals on the night, nine on the weekend, and they outshot the visitors 85-35 in the 120 minutes.
Hell, someone might want to order more pink sticks.
******
UMD got a bit leaky in the second period, and Northern Michigan's Jake Baker made a great read to recognize that Kuhlman -- who didn't have a stick -- wasn't paying attention to him as he crashed into the slot and scored off a perfect Reed Seckel centering pass. Baker was Kuhlman's guy on the play, but he was watching the puck in the right corner and didn't see Baker making his way toward the front of the net.
The Bulldogs do have to find a way to cut down on the defensive lapses. They seem to most commonly happen after long stretches of offensive-zone possession. It's like the guys forget they have to defend their end of the ice when it isn't attacked for a while.
It's human nature. You see a long period of puck possession, and you want to jump in the play. Everyone wants to jump in the play. A little overaggression, and suddenly it's a two-on-one the other way.
You can't assume puck battles or races will be won. Players have to work hard to win them. UMD just can't afford to have all these defensive mistakes, especially when it should be working with momentum on its side.
******
Dominic Toninato (or Tom Doninato, right, DU broadcasters?) sat out Saturday's game with an undisclosed upper-body injury. From the sounds of it, UMD doesn't expect it to be a long-term problem for Toninato.
But all was well, because freshman Jared Thomas stepped up big-time. The former Hermantown Hawk won ten of 13 faceoffs, scored a third-period goal and added an assist. Thomas' three-point weekend (he also scored the game-winning goal Friday) was his first multi-point binge on a weekend since his two-goal game in Mankato back on Oct. 18.
He stepped in for UMD's No. 1 center and played a strong game. They say freshmen aren't freshmen anymore once we get into the second half of the season. In Thomas' case, he showed a lot of maturity and poise in his game with Saturday's performance.
With Scott Sandelin possessing no desire to break up Cameranesi's line or Cal Decowski's line, Thomas likely goes back to the fourth line against St. Cloud this weekend. However, everyone knows that there's a button that can be pushed if Toninato has a rough game while Thomas continues to produce in his more limited role.
That is a good thing as we head down the stretch. Strength down the middle is a nice problem to have as February hits and March approaches.
******
Already blogged about the crazy finish that's coming for the NCHC.
Case in point: Miami's out to a 4-0 lead on Western Michigan with 12 minutes in their game at the Hockey City Classic Saturday in Chicago. Game's over, right?
Nope.
Western storms back with goals 37 seconds apart to cut the lead in half, then gets one with an extra attacker on in the final minute. The RedHawks did a good job in the final seven minutes of keeping pucks from getting to the net, however, and Miami survived 4-3 to jump ahead of UMD and Denver and take third place in the NCHC.
No lead is safe. No game is over.
(Unless you're St. Cloud State and you're pantsing Colorado College 7-0 in the second period. That's probably safe.)
Speaking of St. Cloud State, here come the Huskies. Since being swept at Denver, SCSU has won three of four and scored 272* goals.
(* - possible exaggeration)
In all seriousness, take the seven out of that number, and 22 goals in four games is pretty solid. Juniors Jonny Brodzinski (17 goals) and Joey Benik (24 points) are leading the way offensively. But Bob Motzko has skill on all four lines. Oh, and Charlie Lindgren carries a .922 save percentage in NCHC play.
I don't care that UMD swept at St. Cloud in November. This is going to be another in a long line of great series where a split appears ever-so-likely.
Saturday, February 07, 2015
Game 28: Northern Michigan at UMD
The final non-conference game of the season for both teams, and despite 92 shot attempts, a 46-17 edge in shots on goal, and a win on Friday, there are things for UMD to work on.
Like starting the game.
Scott Sandelin didn't like his team's start Friday, and you can bet they'll be reminded of that prior to this one. They have to get going much quicker, because you can bet Northern Michigan will play hard and show plenty of pride in this one.
UMD wore down the Wildcats on Friday, and there's no reason that can't happen again. However, the Bulldogs have to come out with the feet moving in order to remove any doubt in the third period.
With any luck, that happens. I like sweeps and stick salutes. Time to see one of each, please.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Iafallo - Thomas - Krause
Farley - Cameranesi - Kuhlman
Osterberg - Decowski - Crandall
Young (Blake) - Young (Austyn) - Sampair
Johnson - Welinski
Soucy - Raskob
McCormack - Corrin
McNeely - Kaskisuo
NMU
Payne - Sooth - Diamantoni
Hanson - Nowick - Rose
Seckel - Vandercook - Salminen
Purpur - Kesti - Manno
Baker - Kaib
Maschmeyer - Urban
Klimek - Trenz
Doan - Dun
Like starting the game.
Scott Sandelin didn't like his team's start Friday, and you can bet they'll be reminded of that prior to this one. They have to get going much quicker, because you can bet Northern Michigan will play hard and show plenty of pride in this one.
UMD wore down the Wildcats on Friday, and there's no reason that can't happen again. However, the Bulldogs have to come out with the feet moving in order to remove any doubt in the third period.
With any luck, that happens. I like sweeps and stick salutes. Time to see one of each, please.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Iafallo - Thomas - Krause
Farley - Cameranesi - Kuhlman
Osterberg - Decowski - Crandall
Young (Blake) - Young (Austyn) - Sampair
Johnson - Welinski
Soucy - Raskob
McCormack - Corrin
McNeely - Kaskisuo
NMU
Payne - Sooth - Diamantoni
Hanson - Nowick - Rose
Seckel - Vandercook - Salminen
Purpur - Kesti - Manno
Baker - Kaib
Maschmeyer - Urban
Klimek - Trenz
Doan - Dun
Friday, February 06, 2015
Saturday Hockey Notes and Thoughts: Bulldogs Grind Out Another Win, Thanks to Tremendous Fourth Line
For UMD, depth has been a strength.
Friday night at Amsoil Arena, the Bulldogs showed that depth once again. The fourth line of Jared Thomas, Charlie Sampair, and Austyn Young was crucial throughout the night. Fittingly, it was Thomas scoring at Amsoil Arena for the first time as a Bulldog as UMD got two in the third to beat Northern Michigan 3-1.
UMD started slowly, which was about the only thing it did wrong in this game. Northern Michigan's DJ Vandercook -- which I'm 76.43 percent sure is a made-up name -- scored at 2:52 of the first off a UMD turnover. Vandercook was a late addition to the lineup when Mitch Jones was scratched (we don't know if he was healthy or if he got hurt or sick) after the warmup.
The Bulldogs just weren't quick out of the gate. They struggled with the puck, made some bad decisions, and really didn't have their feet moving.
No fear. That changed.
The Thomas line got things going with a quality shift. UMD built some positive momentum off a power play that came up empty. Eventually, a low-shot first period turned into UMD taking 36 total shots in the first and getting 12 on goal (NMU blocked 13 shots in the first alone).
UMD got on the board short of the midway point of the second, towards the end of a Wildcat power play. Junior defenseman Willie Corrin stole a puck in the defensive zone and led the short-handed charge. Instead of just dumping it in, Corrin fired a laser from just short of the blue line that beat NMU goalie Michael Doan clean from about a foot or 18 inches off the ice.
I've seen pucks take goofy bounces past goalies from the neutral or defensive zones. I've never seen a goalie beaten clean from that distance.
Oh, and that unassisted short-handed goal? Corrin's first career goal. Dan Molenaar made sure to save the puck for the International Falls native.
The Thomas line kept doing work. Sampair was making things happen with his speed. Young was using his speed and smarts to make plays, including a sweet move around Corrin when the two nearly ran into each other during an interchange along the left-wing boards.
All four lines were able to hem NMU in at times, using speed to get around the rink and disrupt the Wildcats on the breakout. That "fourth line" was particularly impressive, and Scott Sandelin recognized it, making sure they got more ice time than the typical "fourth line" would in a tight game.
In the third, it was all UMD. The Bulldogs took 32 more shots and got 21 of them on net. Thomas scored off a great feed by Derik Johnson from behind the NMU net to make it 2-1, and one of Tony Cameranesi's nine shots on goal found the net late in a power play to ice the game.
Yes, nine.
Everyone contributed. Justin Crandall and Kasimir Kaskisuo were the only UMD players who were in the game but didn't register a shot in the official statistics.
Kaskisuo is the goalie, in case you forgot. He was sharp, too, shaking off the early goal to make 16 saves, including a couple of the impressive variety when the game was still tight.
Of course, only three of those saves came in the third period, as UMD outshot NMU 21-3. UMD had 32 attempts to 10 in the third, 92-39 in the game.
It was a dominant effort keyed by a strong forecheck, contributions from everyone, good work on faceoffs, and solid discipline (just one penalty for two minutes). Give Doan credit, because he stood in there and took a ton of pucks. He made a few great saves among his 43, but he couldn't keep enough pucks out of the net to secure an upset win for his team.
UMD got its 16th win Friday, matching its 2013-14 season total with at least 11 games (nine regular season and two guaranteed playoff games) remaining. Oh, and Friday was UMD's sixth win at home (6-4-1). We won five games at home last year (5-10-3).
Moving forward.
Despite the strong performance, a couple lineup tweaks wouldn't shock me. We might see Blake Young play Saturday, and we'll see if Willie Raskob and/or Nick McCormack get back in on the blue line. Wouldn't pass out if Matt McNeely got the start in goal, though Kaskisuo was so seldom tested Friday that it could be argued the No. 1 goalie could use some more work on Saturday.
Basically, I don't know. Watch Twitter for updates when I do. Talk Saturday with the lineups. Game's at 7. Bring your money if you're going. Pink stick auction going on, as we try to raise a few bucks for the Essentia Health Foundation. I know it's probably geared a bit toward hockey players, but I have possession of a few sticks I don't ever envision allowing my son to use, since they're signed and all. They're cool sticks, and they'd make a good keepsake for fans of all shapes, sizes, and ages.
Not much else going on this weekend. On Friday, Danton Heinen had a goal and two assists as Denver won 3-0 at Colorado College. DU's Tanner Jaillet got his first collegiate shutout, one week after being pulled from Saturday's relief appearance against UMD. Denver is one point back of UMD for third place in the NCHC.
However, Miami can hop both teams if it beats Western Michigan Saturday afternoon. It's the only other game being played for points in the NCHC this weekend, and it's being played at Soldier Field in Chicago as part of the Hockey City Classic (Michigan and Michigan State also play at the event).
No matter what, the last four weekends will be nuts. This I promise you.
Friday night at Amsoil Arena, the Bulldogs showed that depth once again. The fourth line of Jared Thomas, Charlie Sampair, and Austyn Young was crucial throughout the night. Fittingly, it was Thomas scoring at Amsoil Arena for the first time as a Bulldog as UMD got two in the third to beat Northern Michigan 3-1.
UMD started slowly, which was about the only thing it did wrong in this game. Northern Michigan's DJ Vandercook -- which I'm 76.43 percent sure is a made-up name -- scored at 2:52 of the first off a UMD turnover. Vandercook was a late addition to the lineup when Mitch Jones was scratched (we don't know if he was healthy or if he got hurt or sick) after the warmup.
The Bulldogs just weren't quick out of the gate. They struggled with the puck, made some bad decisions, and really didn't have their feet moving.
No fear. That changed.
The Thomas line got things going with a quality shift. UMD built some positive momentum off a power play that came up empty. Eventually, a low-shot first period turned into UMD taking 36 total shots in the first and getting 12 on goal (NMU blocked 13 shots in the first alone).
UMD got on the board short of the midway point of the second, towards the end of a Wildcat power play. Junior defenseman Willie Corrin stole a puck in the defensive zone and led the short-handed charge. Instead of just dumping it in, Corrin fired a laser from just short of the blue line that beat NMU goalie Michael Doan clean from about a foot or 18 inches off the ice.
I've seen pucks take goofy bounces past goalies from the neutral or defensive zones. I've never seen a goalie beaten clean from that distance.
Oh, and that unassisted short-handed goal? Corrin's first career goal. Dan Molenaar made sure to save the puck for the International Falls native.
The Thomas line kept doing work. Sampair was making things happen with his speed. Young was using his speed and smarts to make plays, including a sweet move around Corrin when the two nearly ran into each other during an interchange along the left-wing boards.
All four lines were able to hem NMU in at times, using speed to get around the rink and disrupt the Wildcats on the breakout. That "fourth line" was particularly impressive, and Scott Sandelin recognized it, making sure they got more ice time than the typical "fourth line" would in a tight game.
In the third, it was all UMD. The Bulldogs took 32 more shots and got 21 of them on net. Thomas scored off a great feed by Derik Johnson from behind the NMU net to make it 2-1, and one of Tony Cameranesi's nine shots on goal found the net late in a power play to ice the game.
Yes, nine.
Everyone contributed. Justin Crandall and Kasimir Kaskisuo were the only UMD players who were in the game but didn't register a shot in the official statistics.
Kaskisuo is the goalie, in case you forgot. He was sharp, too, shaking off the early goal to make 16 saves, including a couple of the impressive variety when the game was still tight.
Of course, only three of those saves came in the third period, as UMD outshot NMU 21-3. UMD had 32 attempts to 10 in the third, 92-39 in the game.
It was a dominant effort keyed by a strong forecheck, contributions from everyone, good work on faceoffs, and solid discipline (just one penalty for two minutes). Give Doan credit, because he stood in there and took a ton of pucks. He made a few great saves among his 43, but he couldn't keep enough pucks out of the net to secure an upset win for his team.
UMD got its 16th win Friday, matching its 2013-14 season total with at least 11 games (nine regular season and two guaranteed playoff games) remaining. Oh, and Friday was UMD's sixth win at home (6-4-1). We won five games at home last year (5-10-3).
Moving forward.
Despite the strong performance, a couple lineup tweaks wouldn't shock me. We might see Blake Young play Saturday, and we'll see if Willie Raskob and/or Nick McCormack get back in on the blue line. Wouldn't pass out if Matt McNeely got the start in goal, though Kaskisuo was so seldom tested Friday that it could be argued the No. 1 goalie could use some more work on Saturday.
Basically, I don't know. Watch Twitter for updates when I do. Talk Saturday with the lineups. Game's at 7. Bring your money if you're going. Pink stick auction going on, as we try to raise a few bucks for the Essentia Health Foundation. I know it's probably geared a bit toward hockey players, but I have possession of a few sticks I don't ever envision allowing my son to use, since they're signed and all. They're cool sticks, and they'd make a good keepsake for fans of all shapes, sizes, and ages.
******
Not much else going on this weekend. On Friday, Danton Heinen had a goal and two assists as Denver won 3-0 at Colorado College. DU's Tanner Jaillet got his first collegiate shutout, one week after being pulled from Saturday's relief appearance against UMD. Denver is one point back of UMD for third place in the NCHC.
However, Miami can hop both teams if it beats Western Michigan Saturday afternoon. It's the only other game being played for points in the NCHC this weekend, and it's being played at Soldier Field in Chicago as part of the Hockey City Classic (Michigan and Michigan State also play at the event).
No matter what, the last four weekends will be nuts. This I promise you.
Game 27: Northern Michigan at UMD
UMD is home this weekend and next, its only four-game homestand all season. The Bulldogs have played just twice at Amsoil Arena since a Dec. 5-6 sweep of Colorado College, having lost and tied against Western Michigan in mid-January.
The Bulldogs host Northern Michigan of the WCHA this weekend in a battle that pits members of the two of the nation's three strongest leagues -- based on non-conference records -- head to head in a key series.
Northern might not have NCAA at-large hopes (29th in the Pairwise), but the Wildcats still want to position themselves well for the NCAA Tournament, and they'll be determined to put in a good performance without No. 1 goalie Mathias Dahlstrom, who did not make the trip this weekend because of an injury.
Lines?
Lines.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Iafallo - Toninato - Krause
Farley - Cameranesi - Kuhlman
Osterberg - Decowski - Crandall
Sampair - Thomas - Young (Austyn)
Johnson - Welinski
Soucy - Kotyk
Corrin - Molenaar
Kaskisuo - McNeely
NMU
Payne - Sooth - Diamantoni
Hanson - Nowick - Siemer
Seckel - Jones - Salminen
Purpur - Kesti - Manno
Baker - Kaib
Maschmeyer - Urban
Klimek - Trenz
Doan - Dun
The Bulldogs host Northern Michigan of the WCHA this weekend in a battle that pits members of the two of the nation's three strongest leagues -- based on non-conference records -- head to head in a key series.
Northern might not have NCAA at-large hopes (29th in the Pairwise), but the Wildcats still want to position themselves well for the NCAA Tournament, and they'll be determined to put in a good performance without No. 1 goalie Mathias Dahlstrom, who did not make the trip this weekend because of an injury.
Lines?
Lines.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Iafallo - Toninato - Krause
Farley - Cameranesi - Kuhlman
Osterberg - Decowski - Crandall
Sampair - Thomas - Young (Austyn)
Johnson - Welinski
Soucy - Kotyk
Corrin - Molenaar
Kaskisuo - McNeely
NMU
Payne - Sooth - Diamantoni
Hanson - Nowick - Siemer
Seckel - Jones - Salminen
Purpur - Kesti - Manno
Baker - Kaib
Maschmeyer - Urban
Klimek - Trenz
Doan - Dun
Mindset Key for UMD as Northern Michigan Invades
Late season non-conference series can be all over the place. They're not always easy to schedule, since league schedules are usually loaded up.
While the other seven NCHC teams are playing either one or zero games this weekend, UMD is set to complete its non-conference schedule with two games against Northern Michigan of the WCHA.
It's not surprising that UMD would find a way to get games in on a conference bye week late in the season. In fact, you have to go back to 2011 to find the last time UMD took a full weekend off after Christmas break.
"I think guys would rather play than take a week off," head coach Scott Sandelin said this week, referencing the fact that UMD's opponent next weekend -- St. Cloud State -- is one of three NCHC teams not playing at all this weekend.
(Omaha and North Dakota are the others. Denver, Colorado College, Miami, and Western Michigan each play one game.)
So UMD forges on with its 20-games-in-ten-weekends second-half schedule. So far, so good. There was a scare in the second period Saturday when sophomore forward Alex Iafallo went down with an apparent (-ly obvious) right leg problem. Luckily, our awesome trainer got him back on the ice to score a goal later that period. He was practicing Wednesday and didn't appear to have any serious limitations. I'd imagine he plays, unless the decision has been made to rest him as a precaution.
Even better is that defensemen Dan Molenaar and Nick McCormack were both practicing this week. So UMD had its (now) full compliment of 13 forwards and eight defensemen on the ice at the same time for the first time in the second half of the season. Molenaar was felled by mono out of break, while McCormack had missed time with an undisclosed injury.
Don't expect much change to the forward lines. All four of them played well in Denver, helping UMD establish a strong forecheck while also doing a pretty good job defensively. I'd expect all 13 forwards to play this weekend, with Sandelin working Charlie Sampair in one night. Not sure what the plan will be with the defensemen. Molenaar made the trip to Denver and looks much healthier than when he first got back on the ice. If either "extra" is cleared, one would think they play one game.
Beyond the chance to get everyone on the ice, it's going to be a key non-conference series. Northern Michigan has been streaky. The Wildcats started 7-1-1, endured some injuries and went through a rough patch (1-5-4 in their next ten games), and are now unbeaten in three.
"We went through a stretch there where we struggled," coach Walt Kyle said this week. "We feel like we're coming out of that right now. I feel like we're getting close to getting our game back in order."
NMU swept Alaska-Anchorage last weekend in Marquette, but it was a costly sweep. Sophomore goalie Mathias Dahlstrom went down on Friday after a collision with a UAA player. He will not be available against UMD.
The Wildcats will get back to league play next weekend, very much in the thick of things for home ice advantage. Kyle says the WCHA is obviously strong at the top, but he notes that isn't all.
"I think there's strength right through it. There's not much difference between a Bemidji State and a Bowling Green. There's a lot of good teams in our league. I think it's real good top to bottom."
Kyle notes that the league is now comprised of a lot of Division II schools that are prideful about playing Division I hockey. I hate the term "like-minded," which was popularized during realignment a few years ago, and Kyle didn't use it here, but it does work. These schools are as like-minded as it gets when it comes to running their athletic programs.
On the ice, Dahlstrom's absence creates trouble for Northern Michigan. He's been a big key to the team up to this point, with a .924 save percentage in 21 games. NMU's save percentage drops to .908 when Dahlstrom isn't manning the pipes.
The Bulldogs were beaten two Fridays ago by Bemidji State at the North Star College Cup. Sandelin said he doesn't think his team had the right mindset going into that game, which ended up 4-0.
"Our focus needs to be building off what we did the last two or three games," Sandelin said. "Continue to do that and get better. If we go into it with any other mindset than we need to play hard and do the things we need to do, we won't have success.
"I think our guys understand. Certainly what we went through a couple weeks ago. We didn't go into it with the right mindset and you saw what happened."
The first ten minutes will tell us a lot. Hopefully the Bulldogs come out with intensity and don't need to be "shocked" into the game, whether that comes from NMU scoring or just pinning the Bulldogs in their own zone for a spell, or from someone getting knocked into the middle of next week.
Sandelin talked extensively about special teams at his Wednesday press conference. He said freshman goalie Kasimir Kaskisuo was his team's best penalty killer on Saturday, as UMD killed off two Denver power plays in the third period after DU had closed within 3-2.
He also lauded his killers for their effort on a five-minute penalty kill in the third period of Friday's loss. The kill kept the margin at one goal and gave UMD a chance to tie late.
"I thought Kas played outstanding (Saturday)," Sandelin said. "Made two or three key saves. They were huge kills at the time."
The power play didn't score, but UMD got two goals in the first ten seconds after man advantages expired last weekend.
"I think there's good things," Sandelin said, "but we're not putting the puck in the back of the net. We're going to try to measure power play success based on some tangible things that give you success on the power play and not if you score. The ultimate goal is to score, but we have to do a lot of things well."
Sandelin said they've devised four or five categories to measure success by. He didn't get into specifics, but I'd imagine faceoffs, shot attempts, and shots on goal are on the list, along with some sort of measurement of zone entries, puck retrievals, and puck battles. Those latter things go toward puck possession, something UMD has struggled with.
Over last weekend, if UMD won the faceoff to start a power play, things generally went okay until Denver got possession and cleared. Zone entries were a bugaboo all weekend. Once DU got it out, UMD struggled to get it back in cleanly.
It's something to watch. I've seen improvement by UMD on the power play, but not in all areas and not all the time. I liked Saturday's power play chances, but they didn't score. If they keep doing more good things than bad, that will come around.
While the other seven NCHC teams are playing either one or zero games this weekend, UMD is set to complete its non-conference schedule with two games against Northern Michigan of the WCHA.
It's not surprising that UMD would find a way to get games in on a conference bye week late in the season. In fact, you have to go back to 2011 to find the last time UMD took a full weekend off after Christmas break.
"I think guys would rather play than take a week off," head coach Scott Sandelin said this week, referencing the fact that UMD's opponent next weekend -- St. Cloud State -- is one of three NCHC teams not playing at all this weekend.
(Omaha and North Dakota are the others. Denver, Colorado College, Miami, and Western Michigan each play one game.)
So UMD forges on with its 20-games-in-ten-weekends second-half schedule. So far, so good. There was a scare in the second period Saturday when sophomore forward Alex Iafallo went down with an apparent (-ly obvious) right leg problem. Luckily, our awesome trainer got him back on the ice to score a goal later that period. He was practicing Wednesday and didn't appear to have any serious limitations. I'd imagine he plays, unless the decision has been made to rest him as a precaution.
Even better is that defensemen Dan Molenaar and Nick McCormack were both practicing this week. So UMD had its (now) full compliment of 13 forwards and eight defensemen on the ice at the same time for the first time in the second half of the season. Molenaar was felled by mono out of break, while McCormack had missed time with an undisclosed injury.
Don't expect much change to the forward lines. All four of them played well in Denver, helping UMD establish a strong forecheck while also doing a pretty good job defensively. I'd expect all 13 forwards to play this weekend, with Sandelin working Charlie Sampair in one night. Not sure what the plan will be with the defensemen. Molenaar made the trip to Denver and looks much healthier than when he first got back on the ice. If either "extra" is cleared, one would think they play one game.
Beyond the chance to get everyone on the ice, it's going to be a key non-conference series. Northern Michigan has been streaky. The Wildcats started 7-1-1, endured some injuries and went through a rough patch (1-5-4 in their next ten games), and are now unbeaten in three.
"We went through a stretch there where we struggled," coach Walt Kyle said this week. "We feel like we're coming out of that right now. I feel like we're getting close to getting our game back in order."
NMU swept Alaska-Anchorage last weekend in Marquette, but it was a costly sweep. Sophomore goalie Mathias Dahlstrom went down on Friday after a collision with a UAA player. He will not be available against UMD.
The Wildcats will get back to league play next weekend, very much in the thick of things for home ice advantage. Kyle says the WCHA is obviously strong at the top, but he notes that isn't all.
"I think there's strength right through it. There's not much difference between a Bemidji State and a Bowling Green. There's a lot of good teams in our league. I think it's real good top to bottom."
Kyle notes that the league is now comprised of a lot of Division II schools that are prideful about playing Division I hockey. I hate the term "like-minded," which was popularized during realignment a few years ago, and Kyle didn't use it here, but it does work. These schools are as like-minded as it gets when it comes to running their athletic programs.
On the ice, Dahlstrom's absence creates trouble for Northern Michigan. He's been a big key to the team up to this point, with a .924 save percentage in 21 games. NMU's save percentage drops to .908 when Dahlstrom isn't manning the pipes.
The Bulldogs were beaten two Fridays ago by Bemidji State at the North Star College Cup. Sandelin said he doesn't think his team had the right mindset going into that game, which ended up 4-0.
"Our focus needs to be building off what we did the last two or three games," Sandelin said. "Continue to do that and get better. If we go into it with any other mindset than we need to play hard and do the things we need to do, we won't have success.
"I think our guys understand. Certainly what we went through a couple weeks ago. We didn't go into it with the right mindset and you saw what happened."
The first ten minutes will tell us a lot. Hopefully the Bulldogs come out with intensity and don't need to be "shocked" into the game, whether that comes from NMU scoring or just pinning the Bulldogs in their own zone for a spell, or from someone getting knocked into the middle of next week.
******
Sandelin talked extensively about special teams at his Wednesday press conference. He said freshman goalie Kasimir Kaskisuo was his team's best penalty killer on Saturday, as UMD killed off two Denver power plays in the third period after DU had closed within 3-2.
He also lauded his killers for their effort on a five-minute penalty kill in the third period of Friday's loss. The kill kept the margin at one goal and gave UMD a chance to tie late.
"I thought Kas played outstanding (Saturday)," Sandelin said. "Made two or three key saves. They were huge kills at the time."
The power play didn't score, but UMD got two goals in the first ten seconds after man advantages expired last weekend.
"I think there's good things," Sandelin said, "but we're not putting the puck in the back of the net. We're going to try to measure power play success based on some tangible things that give you success on the power play and not if you score. The ultimate goal is to score, but we have to do a lot of things well."
Sandelin said they've devised four or five categories to measure success by. He didn't get into specifics, but I'd imagine faceoffs, shot attempts, and shots on goal are on the list, along with some sort of measurement of zone entries, puck retrievals, and puck battles. Those latter things go toward puck possession, something UMD has struggled with.
Over last weekend, if UMD won the faceoff to start a power play, things generally went okay until Denver got possession and cleared. Zone entries were a bugaboo all weekend. Once DU got it out, UMD struggled to get it back in cleanly.
It's something to watch. I've seen improvement by UMD on the power play, but not in all areas and not all the time. I liked Saturday's power play chances, but they didn't score. If they keep doing more good things than bad, that will come around.
Friday, January 23, 2015
Saturday Hockey Notes and Thoughts: Bulldogs Turn in Clunker at North Star College Cup; Questions From Twitter
ST. PAUL -- You guys probably know me well enough by now.
I'm not much of a sugarcoater.
(Yes, I know that's not a word. The squiggly red line under it is plenty of evidence of that.)
So I'm not going to sugarcoat what we saw Friday afternoon/evening at XCel Energy Center. It wasn't very good. In fact, it was about as putrid a performance as we've seen all season. Probably not even close, to be frank.
Bemidji State took it to UMD for the better part of 60 minutes in a 4-0 win here that sends the Beavers to Saturday's championship game. UMD will play Minnesota, a 4-2 loser to Minnesota State, for third place at 4pm Saturday. It's the fourth meeting this season between the longtime rivals, and they've come at four different venues (Notre Dame's Compton Family Ice Arena, Mariucci Arena, Amsoil Arena, and now XCel Energy Center).
Things didn't start great for UMD, and they got much worse. Bemidji had four shots on goal before UMD even got close to one, but the Bulldogs generated some pressure after the first media timeout, which came just past the five-minute mark of the period.
UMD took a couple of penalties in a row, and Bemidji burned the Bulldogs on the second one, as Matt Prapavessis pinched from the center point to the high slot and put a screened shot by UMD goalie Kasimir Kaskisuo for a 1-0 lead. I would question the screen, as it appeared obvious there was a BSU player screening Kaskisuo while his skates were in the blue paint. By NCAA rule, that should be a no goal.
(The relevant part of the Rule 73.1 goes like this: "The overriding rationale of this rule is that a goalkeeper should have the ability to move freely within the goal crease without being hindered by the actions of an attacking player. If an attacking player enters the goal crease and, by these actions, impairs the goalkeeper’s ability to defend the goal either visually or physically, and a goal is scored, the goal will be disallowed."
There is no question that if you watch this animation of the goal, Markus Gerbrandt's skate or skates are in the crease when the puck comes through. It's also clear Gerbrandt is doing his job, providing a screen and making it hard for Kaskisuo to see the shot. Letter of the law, this is supposed to be a "no goal" call, and I've seen it reviewed to that "letter of the law" standard on multiple occasions in my years on this job.)
Luckily, any controversy was averted by the rest of the game (note some sarcasm there). It wasn't good for the Bulldogs.
The Beavers made it 2-0 halfway through the second when the Fitzgerald triplets struck. Well, two of them, as Gerry fed Leo for a shot from the slot. It was an example of UMD's not-very-good puck management and defensive coverage in this game. BSU took control of the puck in the defensive zone and UMD just didn't get back well enough.
Bemidji State tacked on two more goals in the third off UMD turnovers to get to the 4-0 final score. It hastened the inevitable, because even at 2-0 after two, I remarked to someone in the press box that it felt like 8-0. UMD just didn't have anything going.
UMD had scoring chances, but the Bulldogs missed the net on 15 of 55 shot attempts in the game, and didn't do enough to make freshman goalie Michael Bitzer's life difficult. In 23 games, I'm not sure I've seen the kind of poor execution and battle level in the offensive zone that plagued UMD Friday. And it was a near-constant from start to finish. Races and puck battles were lost all over the rink, and those types of things will kill a team when it's on the power play.
It did that on this day, for sure.
UMD's power play struggled through a five-minute chance in the first period when Gerbrandt leveled Kyle Osterberg and was whistled for a charging major. Five shots on goal in five minutes isn't terrible, but UMD lacked the prime scoring area shots ... then and throughout the game.
Credit to Bemidji State. They were ready to play. The Beavers have more speed -- not just with the Fitzgerald kids, who are going to be a hoot to watch get better, because man you can see there's talent there -- than they've had in the past, but they still bring the proverbial lunch buckets to the game. Even with improved talent, it's the work ethic that will win them hockey games, just like Friday.
This isn't necessarily on Kaskisuo. Coach Scott Sandelin told me before the game that Kaskisuo's .865 save percentage over his previous five starts was a combo platter. Kaskisuo's play -- in a sense -- reflected that of the guys in front of him. Uneven, yes, but probably not solely responsible for the poor stat line in those starts.
Well, now it's .862 over six starts. And Friday was more of the same. I'd expect Sandelin to start Matt McNeely on Saturday against Minnesota, but I honestly thought McNeely might get the call Friday. So now you know what I know.
For UMD, getting beat is fine. It happens. The Western Michigan series was a dogfight from start to finish, and UMD didn't back down. Even when the Bulldogs weren't playing their best, they were battling. They won races, fought through checks, and found ways to make plays to the net.
None of those things really happened Friday. It was Bemidji State winning puck battles, winning races, and getting to the UMD net. More than anything, that's almost assuredly what concerned the coaching staff as it watched the events unfold.
What's the answer?
Honestly, it isn't that easy. Without Matt Wellens of the Duluth News Tribune tweeting that there was a players-only meeting after the game, I could have predicted that outcome.
I'm not a big "blame the coaches" guy. At least, I'm not anymore. And especially in hockey. Coaches can't do anything for the players, outside of try their damndest to prepare them for what lies ahead. They can't execute the plan for the players, as badly as they might want to sometimes. This isn't football, where coaches are constantly making decisions from the sideline that can change the course of a game.
When you have a game like this one -- an absolute throw-the-tape-in-the-garbage clunker -- it's probably time for the players to take a look at what they're doing.
It's hard to believe that only two Fridays ago, UMD was largely carrying the play against then-No. 1 North Dakota. But as hard as it is to fathom UMD falling this far in just two weeks, it's only been two weeks. And there is a lot of hockey left to be played.
UMD has 13 games left, starting Saturday against the Gophers. It only took four to get to this point, and there's no reason the Bulldogs can't get back where they were just as quickly.
But it starts in that room, hence the players-only meeting. They have to figure out where they went wrong and get back to what was going so well.
Because of the early start, I had decided on the drive down Friday that I would take questions after the game from fans via Twitter. Never did I think the game would go the way it did, but I figured I'd do it anyway.
The only stipulation was I would not accept questions or comments that went after individual players. This isn't the NHL. No one played well Friday, and no individual deserves to be called out in a public forum.
So here are a few questions from actual Twitter followers @bruceciskie. Thanks to all who submitted on the fly Friday for asking good questions and not letting frustration get to them.
@biddco: "why do we have this slump around this time of year? Teams figure us and we don’t adjust?"
It's a common thought that we have this kind of slump every year. Here's what the numbers say. They're 0-3-1 in the last four, and we hope it doesn't get worse than that. But it's a slump, for sure.
UMD had a four-game slide in February of last year, but the losses came to very good St. Cloud State and North Dakota teams. UMD responded by winning three straight. There was no big slump outside of that, really.
The 2012-13 team was up and down all year, so I'm not sure a winless streak that hit nine games (eight in February) really was all that meaningful towards this argument.
2011-12's team, a very good one, went 1-3-1 over a five-game stretch that included a 5-0 loss to Michigan Tech and a loss to Alaska-Anchorage. UMD responded by going unbeaten in its next five games on its way to the NCAA Tournament.
The 2010-11 team had a pretty famous 8-2 loss to St. Cloud State as the big negative in a six-game run where it went 1-3-2. That season ended well.
So there have been three pronounced slumps in the last five years. I'm not sure that makes or breaks that question, but I think it's just part of the normal ebb and flow of a season. It's not fun, for sure, but I don't see it as being anything more than that, unless it keeps going.
Tony Schmaltz asks "Was this by far, the sloppiest game of the season?"
I don't think there's a question. The only game where UMD was close to being this poor offensively was the Friday game at home against Denver in October. And no disrespect to Bemidji State, but Denver's blue line is elite. The Pioneers make a lot of teams look virtually inept offensively.
UMD wasn't hard on pucks, didn't make good decisions (the multiple turnovers during a five-on-three should provide plenty of evidence of this), and just didn't have enough battle level to win this game. Those things haven't all been the case in any other game to this point, in my opinion.
Craig Berry asks "Were they looking past Bemidji to UofM or Mankato?"
Geez, I'd hope not. You'd have to ask the players to be sure. I'd imagine that wasn't the case.
Oh, and it's "Minnesota State," Craig.
Corey Lange: "what's it gonna take to bring back the teams intensity and drive?"
Jon Fischer: "how can the bulldogs get back to how they were playing before the break."
Would hope it doesn't take much. It was just there a week ago.
See, I could argue a lot of things about UMD's games against Western Michigan. But I can't argue that the Bulldogs lacked intensity or drive last weekend. They didn't execute well enough, but it wasn't for a lack of effort.
I didn't like the effort level on Friday, but that's quite the rarity with this group, even going back to previous seasons.
As for Jon's question, which was somewhat similar to Corey's, I'd argue the Bulldogs are very similar to the Wild. They aren't built on a star player with a bunch of followers. For UMD to win, it takes a 20-man effort. Everyone has to "pull on the same chain." Sandelin coined "sticktoitness" when we were chatting on Friday. When UMD is going good, it sticks to the game plan and plays the way Sandelin wants the team to play.
When it goes off the rails, like Friday, those things don't happen.
It isn't as simple as flipping a switch, but UMD can get it back as quickly as it seems to have lost it.
Paul Clusiau: "Here's a question. Why are we turning over the puck so much lately?"
It's a combination.
There have been times this season where forwards have been caught up the rink before the puck is out of the defensive zone. It's almost as if they're hoping the puck gets out, and they're thinking a few seconds ahead of where the play is at. If everyone executes and does their job, this isn't a huge deal.
But teams are putting more and more pressure on the defense, which means forwards need to help out and give the blue-liners options to get the puck out of trouble. Flying up the rink isn't providing that option.
The lack of options will make the blue-liners look sloppy. To get the train back on the tracks, UMD must first get back to the 200-foot game it was playing so effectively before Christmas.
Finally, Al Onken asks, "Game #2 at Grand Forks took a lot more out of this team than anyone thought at the time, I think. Agree/Disagree?"
I don't know that I do.
What I do think is that UND exposed UMD's defensive zone issues that I just discussed. Now it's time for the Bulldogs to adjust.
It doesn't matter if you win a game 1-0 or 8-5, but the 1-0 game will be much easier to watch if the guys are taking care of their goalie and their own end of the rink first.
There have been times this season where UMD's defensive breakdowns have been caused not by a lack of defensive acumen, but instead by players thinking too much about the offensive side of things. There have been quite a few odd-man rushes lately, and many of them have been caused by players being caught too far up the rink because they're trying to make things happen offensively.
More than anything on Saturday, I want to see UMD take care of its own zone, whether it's McNeely or Kaskisuo in net. If that happens, I'll be happy regardless of the end result, because I know that other things will take care of themselves.
They have to be good defensively first.
As mentioned, No. 1 Minnesota State beat Minnesota 4-2 in the other NSCC semifinal. Bryce Gervais scored twice for the Mavericks. Hopefully the Gophers have forgotten about that home-and-home sweep in November. Ah, who are we kidding? The third-place game should be very salty Saturday afternoon.
In the NCHC, North Dakota got a short-handed goal from Michael Parks in the third period to beat Colorado College 2-1. Zane McIntyre made 30 saves as CC actually led in shots 31-27. Just when CC was looking like an easy out for the NCHC regular-season champion, the Tigers are playing much better hockey. That could mean no easy outs for any home team in the league tournament.
Denver went into Oxford and beat Miami 3-1. With the score tied at one in the second, DU killed off a five-minute major on Ty Loney, who was ejected for a check from behind. Then Trevor Moore scored twice in the third, including an empty-netter with ten seconds left. Tanner Jaillet got the win in goal with 27 saves.
St. Cloud State blasted Western Michigan 7-0, sending the red-hot Broncos to just a second loss in 11 games. Western had been 7-1-2 over ten games, an impressive run that came against some strong competition. But WMU had nothing for the Huskies Friday night. David Morley scored twice, while Joey Benik had four assists for SCSU while Charlie Lindgren pitched a 23-save shutout.
I'm not much of a sugarcoater.
(Yes, I know that's not a word. The squiggly red line under it is plenty of evidence of that.)
So I'm not going to sugarcoat what we saw Friday afternoon/evening at XCel Energy Center. It wasn't very good. In fact, it was about as putrid a performance as we've seen all season. Probably not even close, to be frank.
Bemidji State took it to UMD for the better part of 60 minutes in a 4-0 win here that sends the Beavers to Saturday's championship game. UMD will play Minnesota, a 4-2 loser to Minnesota State, for third place at 4pm Saturday. It's the fourth meeting this season between the longtime rivals, and they've come at four different venues (Notre Dame's Compton Family Ice Arena, Mariucci Arena, Amsoil Arena, and now XCel Energy Center).
Things didn't start great for UMD, and they got much worse. Bemidji had four shots on goal before UMD even got close to one, but the Bulldogs generated some pressure after the first media timeout, which came just past the five-minute mark of the period.
UMD took a couple of penalties in a row, and Bemidji burned the Bulldogs on the second one, as Matt Prapavessis pinched from the center point to the high slot and put a screened shot by UMD goalie Kasimir Kaskisuo for a 1-0 lead. I would question the screen, as it appeared obvious there was a BSU player screening Kaskisuo while his skates were in the blue paint. By NCAA rule, that should be a no goal.
(The relevant part of the Rule 73.1 goes like this: "The overriding rationale of this rule is that a goalkeeper should have the ability to move freely within the goal crease without being hindered by the actions of an attacking player. If an attacking player enters the goal crease and, by these actions, impairs the goalkeeper’s ability to defend the goal either visually or physically, and a goal is scored, the goal will be disallowed."
There is no question that if you watch this animation of the goal, Markus Gerbrandt's skate or skates are in the crease when the puck comes through. It's also clear Gerbrandt is doing his job, providing a screen and making it hard for Kaskisuo to see the shot. Letter of the law, this is supposed to be a "no goal" call, and I've seen it reviewed to that "letter of the law" standard on multiple occasions in my years on this job.)
Luckily, any controversy was averted by the rest of the game (note some sarcasm there). It wasn't good for the Bulldogs.
The Beavers made it 2-0 halfway through the second when the Fitzgerald triplets struck. Well, two of them, as Gerry fed Leo for a shot from the slot. It was an example of UMD's not-very-good puck management and defensive coverage in this game. BSU took control of the puck in the defensive zone and UMD just didn't get back well enough.
Bemidji State tacked on two more goals in the third off UMD turnovers to get to the 4-0 final score. It hastened the inevitable, because even at 2-0 after two, I remarked to someone in the press box that it felt like 8-0. UMD just didn't have anything going.
UMD had scoring chances, but the Bulldogs missed the net on 15 of 55 shot attempts in the game, and didn't do enough to make freshman goalie Michael Bitzer's life difficult. In 23 games, I'm not sure I've seen the kind of poor execution and battle level in the offensive zone that plagued UMD Friday. And it was a near-constant from start to finish. Races and puck battles were lost all over the rink, and those types of things will kill a team when it's on the power play.
It did that on this day, for sure.
UMD's power play struggled through a five-minute chance in the first period when Gerbrandt leveled Kyle Osterberg and was whistled for a charging major. Five shots on goal in five minutes isn't terrible, but UMD lacked the prime scoring area shots ... then and throughout the game.
Credit to Bemidji State. They were ready to play. The Beavers have more speed -- not just with the Fitzgerald kids, who are going to be a hoot to watch get better, because man you can see there's talent there -- than they've had in the past, but they still bring the proverbial lunch buckets to the game. Even with improved talent, it's the work ethic that will win them hockey games, just like Friday.
This isn't necessarily on Kaskisuo. Coach Scott Sandelin told me before the game that Kaskisuo's .865 save percentage over his previous five starts was a combo platter. Kaskisuo's play -- in a sense -- reflected that of the guys in front of him. Uneven, yes, but probably not solely responsible for the poor stat line in those starts.
Well, now it's .862 over six starts. And Friday was more of the same. I'd expect Sandelin to start Matt McNeely on Saturday against Minnesota, but I honestly thought McNeely might get the call Friday. So now you know what I know.
For UMD, getting beat is fine. It happens. The Western Michigan series was a dogfight from start to finish, and UMD didn't back down. Even when the Bulldogs weren't playing their best, they were battling. They won races, fought through checks, and found ways to make plays to the net.
None of those things really happened Friday. It was Bemidji State winning puck battles, winning races, and getting to the UMD net. More than anything, that's almost assuredly what concerned the coaching staff as it watched the events unfold.
******
What's the answer?
Honestly, it isn't that easy. Without Matt Wellens of the Duluth News Tribune tweeting that there was a players-only meeting after the game, I could have predicted that outcome.
I'm not a big "blame the coaches" guy. At least, I'm not anymore. And especially in hockey. Coaches can't do anything for the players, outside of try their damndest to prepare them for what lies ahead. They can't execute the plan for the players, as badly as they might want to sometimes. This isn't football, where coaches are constantly making decisions from the sideline that can change the course of a game.
When you have a game like this one -- an absolute throw-the-tape-in-the-garbage clunker -- it's probably time for the players to take a look at what they're doing.
It's hard to believe that only two Fridays ago, UMD was largely carrying the play against then-No. 1 North Dakota. But as hard as it is to fathom UMD falling this far in just two weeks, it's only been two weeks. And there is a lot of hockey left to be played.
UMD has 13 games left, starting Saturday against the Gophers. It only took four to get to this point, and there's no reason the Bulldogs can't get back where they were just as quickly.
But it starts in that room, hence the players-only meeting. They have to figure out where they went wrong and get back to what was going so well.
******
Because of the early start, I had decided on the drive down Friday that I would take questions after the game from fans via Twitter. Never did I think the game would go the way it did, but I figured I'd do it anyway.
The only stipulation was I would not accept questions or comments that went after individual players. This isn't the NHL. No one played well Friday, and no individual deserves to be called out in a public forum.
So here are a few questions from actual Twitter followers @bruceciskie. Thanks to all who submitted on the fly Friday for asking good questions and not letting frustration get to them.
@biddco: "why do we have this slump around this time of year? Teams figure us and we don’t adjust?"
It's a common thought that we have this kind of slump every year. Here's what the numbers say. They're 0-3-1 in the last four, and we hope it doesn't get worse than that. But it's a slump, for sure.
UMD had a four-game slide in February of last year, but the losses came to very good St. Cloud State and North Dakota teams. UMD responded by winning three straight. There was no big slump outside of that, really.
The 2012-13 team was up and down all year, so I'm not sure a winless streak that hit nine games (eight in February) really was all that meaningful towards this argument.
2011-12's team, a very good one, went 1-3-1 over a five-game stretch that included a 5-0 loss to Michigan Tech and a loss to Alaska-Anchorage. UMD responded by going unbeaten in its next five games on its way to the NCAA Tournament.
The 2010-11 team had a pretty famous 8-2 loss to St. Cloud State as the big negative in a six-game run where it went 1-3-2. That season ended well.
So there have been three pronounced slumps in the last five years. I'm not sure that makes or breaks that question, but I think it's just part of the normal ebb and flow of a season. It's not fun, for sure, but I don't see it as being anything more than that, unless it keeps going.
Tony Schmaltz asks "Was this by far, the sloppiest game of the season?"
I don't think there's a question. The only game where UMD was close to being this poor offensively was the Friday game at home against Denver in October. And no disrespect to Bemidji State, but Denver's blue line is elite. The Pioneers make a lot of teams look virtually inept offensively.
UMD wasn't hard on pucks, didn't make good decisions (the multiple turnovers during a five-on-three should provide plenty of evidence of this), and just didn't have enough battle level to win this game. Those things haven't all been the case in any other game to this point, in my opinion.
Craig Berry asks "Were they looking past Bemidji to UofM or Mankato?"
Geez, I'd hope not. You'd have to ask the players to be sure. I'd imagine that wasn't the case.
Oh, and it's "Minnesota State," Craig.
Corey Lange: "what's it gonna take to bring back the teams intensity and drive?"
Jon Fischer: "how can the bulldogs get back to how they were playing before the break."
Would hope it doesn't take much. It was just there a week ago.
See, I could argue a lot of things about UMD's games against Western Michigan. But I can't argue that the Bulldogs lacked intensity or drive last weekend. They didn't execute well enough, but it wasn't for a lack of effort.
I didn't like the effort level on Friday, but that's quite the rarity with this group, even going back to previous seasons.
As for Jon's question, which was somewhat similar to Corey's, I'd argue the Bulldogs are very similar to the Wild. They aren't built on a star player with a bunch of followers. For UMD to win, it takes a 20-man effort. Everyone has to "pull on the same chain." Sandelin coined "sticktoitness" when we were chatting on Friday. When UMD is going good, it sticks to the game plan and plays the way Sandelin wants the team to play.
When it goes off the rails, like Friday, those things don't happen.
It isn't as simple as flipping a switch, but UMD can get it back as quickly as it seems to have lost it.
Paul Clusiau: "Here's a question. Why are we turning over the puck so much lately?"
It's a combination.
There have been times this season where forwards have been caught up the rink before the puck is out of the defensive zone. It's almost as if they're hoping the puck gets out, and they're thinking a few seconds ahead of where the play is at. If everyone executes and does their job, this isn't a huge deal.
But teams are putting more and more pressure on the defense, which means forwards need to help out and give the blue-liners options to get the puck out of trouble. Flying up the rink isn't providing that option.
The lack of options will make the blue-liners look sloppy. To get the train back on the tracks, UMD must first get back to the 200-foot game it was playing so effectively before Christmas.
Finally, Al Onken asks, "Game #2 at Grand Forks took a lot more out of this team than anyone thought at the time, I think. Agree/Disagree?"
I don't know that I do.
What I do think is that UND exposed UMD's defensive zone issues that I just discussed. Now it's time for the Bulldogs to adjust.
It doesn't matter if you win a game 1-0 or 8-5, but the 1-0 game will be much easier to watch if the guys are taking care of their goalie and their own end of the rink first.
There have been times this season where UMD's defensive breakdowns have been caused not by a lack of defensive acumen, but instead by players thinking too much about the offensive side of things. There have been quite a few odd-man rushes lately, and many of them have been caused by players being caught too far up the rink because they're trying to make things happen offensively.
More than anything on Saturday, I want to see UMD take care of its own zone, whether it's McNeely or Kaskisuo in net. If that happens, I'll be happy regardless of the end result, because I know that other things will take care of themselves.
They have to be good defensively first.
******
As mentioned, No. 1 Minnesota State beat Minnesota 4-2 in the other NSCC semifinal. Bryce Gervais scored twice for the Mavericks. Hopefully the Gophers have forgotten about that home-and-home sweep in November. Ah, who are we kidding? The third-place game should be very salty Saturday afternoon.
In the NCHC, North Dakota got a short-handed goal from Michael Parks in the third period to beat Colorado College 2-1. Zane McIntyre made 30 saves as CC actually led in shots 31-27. Just when CC was looking like an easy out for the NCHC regular-season champion, the Tigers are playing much better hockey. That could mean no easy outs for any home team in the league tournament.
Denver went into Oxford and beat Miami 3-1. With the score tied at one in the second, DU killed off a five-minute major on Ty Loney, who was ejected for a check from behind. Then Trevor Moore scored twice in the third, including an empty-netter with ten seconds left. Tanner Jaillet got the win in goal with 27 saves.
St. Cloud State blasted Western Michigan 7-0, sending the red-hot Broncos to just a second loss in 11 games. Western had been 7-1-2 over ten games, an impressive run that came against some strong competition. But WMU had nothing for the Huskies Friday night. David Morley scored twice, while Joey Benik had four assists for SCSU while Charlie Lindgren pitched a 23-save shutout.
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