DENVER -- For the third straight year, UMD goes into the second game of a league playoff series facing elimination. This one is a bit different than the last two, however.
UMD knew its season would be over with one more loss in both 2013 and 2014. No such issue exists in 2015. The Bulldogs are still fourth in the PairWise and a near-mortal lock to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012. That's regardless of the result of this game.
Since beating Minnesota State 6-2 on March 13, 2004, at the DECC, UMD is 0-4 in Saturday playoff games after losing Friday. In that 2004 series, the Bulldogs forced a Game 3, then beat the Mavericks to move on to the WCHA Final Five.
Time to see if the proverbial ball bounces in UMD's favor a little more than it did in Game 1. I'll reiterate what I said on the earlier blog: If the Bulldogs' effort level matches Game 1, UMD wins Game 2.
Senior captain Adam Krause returns after missing Friday due to suspension. Meanwhile, senior Justin Crandall will play after sustaining what appeared -- to anyone with functioning eyes, at least -- to be a lower-body injury during Friday's game.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Osterberg - Toninato - Krause
Farley - Cameranesi - Kuhlman
Decowski - Thomas - Crandall
Sampair - Young (Austyn) - Molenaar
Johnson - Welinski
Soucy - Raskob
Corrin - Kotyk
Kaskisuo - McNeely
DU
Moore - Doremus - Heinen
Janssen - Shore - Loney
Larazza - Levin - Romig
Jacobson - Tabrum - Arnold
LaLeggia - Zajac
Plant - Didier
Butcher - Neville
Cowley - Jaillet
Saturday, March 14, 2015
Saturday Hockey Notes and Thoughts: Controversial Winning Goal Sends UMD to Brink of NCHC Tourney Elimination
DENVER -- Well, that sure was interesting.
In a game slowed by two long video reviews, Denver's third goal of the third period -- and third of the game for Ty Loney -- stood as the difference in a 4-3 win over UMD Friday night. Denver takes a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three into Saturday's Game 2.
There was no shortage of controversy. A long video review led to a Denver short-handed goal being disallowed in the second period. I believe it was because Danton Heinen made contact with UMD goalie Kasimir Kaskisuo, though it was never made clear over the PA system.
(Closed circuit to the NCHC: I know I've whined about this before, but if we're not going to mic the officials and make them explain this stuff themselves, and if we're not going to put a shock collar on PA guys to make them relay the info, can we at least get a statement from the league on any video review, ala the NHL Situation Room? Not asking much, just "play was reviewed because of X, goal either stands or doesn't stand, and why that ruling was reached.
I'm pretty sure I am not the only radio guy in the sport who has struggled to get this information in real time because we have jobs to do and can't necessarily drop everything to listen to a PA announcement, assuming there is one. Seems like an easy thing to do that wouldn't require the NCAA be on board. I've put this to the league's attention and probably will again.)
Then after Denver had tied and re-tied the game, the Pioneers scored to go ahead with less than five to play. Loney's goal stood after a lengthy review.
(UMD fan @CampBenCh on Twitter puts together awesome animations of these plays. Give him a follow. Best part is you can pause and rewind them.)
It's a high stick. I'd almost bet my plane ticket home, that's how confident I am. But it is what it is. I'll go back to what I said on the air during the video review, high sticks are very tough to call, both live action and on replay. When reviewing, you almost always need multiple angles, and if it isn't a clean look -- and this is not a clean look, at least not with the angles Ben was able to get on the video he posted -- it's going to be tough for the referees to overturn the existing call. Makes it even tougher when the offensive player is motioning downward with his stick as he makes contact.
(More telling to me than the high stick were the immediate reactions of the players in the area, especially Loney, who reacted as if he was certain he had just done something to keep that goal from counting. You'd think someone would be a little more joyous after completing a hat trick in a playoff game to give his team the lead. But maybe I'm thinking too much. It happens.)
If you're going to rag on the officials, who get enough crap from the coaches (Denver's Jim Montgomery got so angry at one point that his face turned almost redder than a tomato, and Scott Sandelin was quite irate at the end of the game) and don't need our input, that's fine. But I'd rather you pointed your frustrations toward the fact that this hit from behind didn't lead to an ejection, and this hit wasn't called at all.
(The first hit, by DU's Josiah Didier on UMD's Justin Crandall, was a straight five-minute major for boarding, and not a check from behind, which would have been an automatic game misconduct. Looks like a textbook check from behind. Remember, even if you think Crandall turned, the rule clearly states that in a play like this along the boards, the onus is on the checking player to deliver a clean hit [Taken from Rule 50.1: "The committee reminds coaches and players that the responsibility remains with the player approaching an opponent along the boards in this rule. While players turning to draw penalties are a concern, the positive change in behavior the committee observed outweighs this issue. Any penalty in relation to this rule along the boards or into the goal cage must be a major penalty and a game misconduct or disqualification."]. The second hit, by Denver forward Larkin Jacobson on Andy Welinski, was where Sandelin went off in frustration. It might have been more of a combination of things than a reaction to this single hit, but clearly he wasn't happy with the men in stripes.)
In the end, the officials cost UMD nothing. Players still have to play, and DU was able to make a couple big plays in the third period. For the fifth time this season, these two entertained everyone in attendance. I expect that number to grow to six and maybe seven before the weekend is out.
To be perfectly honest, I thought Denver had the puck too much in the third period. UMD started to run around a little bit in the defensive zone, and that usually leads to trouble for any team. Denver made a couple big plays and took advantage of its offensive zone time. The Pioneers then defended pretty darn well when UMD had Kasimir Kaskisuo pulled for an extra attacker.
That said, UMD did a great job forechecking, especially in the first half of the game. DU couldn't get a whole lot going, and it started in its own zone, where UMD was all over the puck. The Bulldogs did a great job pressuring in the right places, the right situations, and on the right people. It disrupted Denver's ability to make plays up the rink. When facing a team like the Pioneers that is so good off the rush and so good in transition, the ability to slow them down before they get started is critical.
It's little things when you're in a tight matchup like this one. UMD put forth a very good effort on Friday, one of its best efforts of the season when you consider the absences the Bulldogs are dealing with. If you just crawled out from under a rock, Adam Krause was suspended for this game because of his kneeing major last weekend against Western Michigan. Oh, and Alex Iafallo has mono. They're both here, and Iafallo has been skating, but I don't foresee him playing. With Blake Young left home injured, UMD had ten actual forwards dressed Friday, with defensemen Dan Molenaar and Nick McCormack playing on the third and fourth lines, respectively.
Even that wasn't a permanent condition. Austyn Young played some right wing with Jared Thomas and Cal Decowski, with the two masquerading defensemen and Charlie Sampair all used a little more sparingly than normal fourth-liners might be.
Getting Krause back will help UMD's wall play a little bit. The Bulldogs are usually pretty strong on the boards, but I thought they lost a few more puck battles than usual. Makes sense considering Krause is probably their best player on the wall and he was in a suit. Hopefully Crandall's injury isn't too serious, because that would be a blow to UMD's grit, as well as the penalty kill. He was able to finish the game, but without knowing the nature of his injury, it's impossible to say if he can continue in the series or not. We'll have to wait and see.
If Crandall and Krause both play Saturday, one of the defensemen will come out, and UMD will have three full forward lines and a fourth line that features a blue-liner but can at least be used occasionally. I did think DU was a little fresher in the third, but the gap wasn't as significant as I expected, considering the Pioneers used their fourth line more often and we were playing at altitude (a bit of an overrated factor in some ways, but still a factor for sure).
I expect UMD will force a Game 3 if it can give the kind of effort it did on Friday. There will be adjustments by both teams, but everything the coaches will want to do starts with a strong effort. Without that, they've got nothing. And it's not fair to just blame the bounces. Those matter, but I firmly believe UMD will be just fine if it can duplicate its Friday effort.
Only one road team won in the NCHC Friday, and it took double overtime for it to happen. St. Cloud State's David Morley scored his second of the game in the second OT as the Huskies won at Omaha 2-1. Morley opened the scoring in the first period before UNO's Austin Ortega scored short-handed to draw the Mavericks even in the second.
Miami trailed Western Michigan 3-2 in the third before getting the final three goals in a 5-3 victory. Blake Coleman tallied twice, including the game-winner, and had two assists for Miami. Riley Barber had two apples, while Sheldon Dries led Western with a goal and an assist. Miami is now 4-0-1 against Western Michigan this season.
In Grand Forks, the top seed North Dakota breezed by Colorado College 5-1. Senior defenseman Nick Mattson remains on a tear, with a goal and two assists on Friday.
In a game slowed by two long video reviews, Denver's third goal of the third period -- and third of the game for Ty Loney -- stood as the difference in a 4-3 win over UMD Friday night. Denver takes a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three into Saturday's Game 2.
There was no shortage of controversy. A long video review led to a Denver short-handed goal being disallowed in the second period. I believe it was because Danton Heinen made contact with UMD goalie Kasimir Kaskisuo, though it was never made clear over the PA system.
(Closed circuit to the NCHC: I know I've whined about this before, but if we're not going to mic the officials and make them explain this stuff themselves, and if we're not going to put a shock collar on PA guys to make them relay the info, can we at least get a statement from the league on any video review, ala the NHL Situation Room? Not asking much, just "play was reviewed because of X, goal either stands or doesn't stand, and why that ruling was reached.
I'm pretty sure I am not the only radio guy in the sport who has struggled to get this information in real time because we have jobs to do and can't necessarily drop everything to listen to a PA announcement, assuming there is one. Seems like an easy thing to do that wouldn't require the NCAA be on board. I've put this to the league's attention and probably will again.)
Then after Denver had tied and re-tied the game, the Pioneers scored to go ahead with less than five to play. Loney's goal stood after a lengthy review.
(UMD fan @CampBenCh on Twitter puts together awesome animations of these plays. Give him a follow. Best part is you can pause and rewind them.)
It's a high stick. I'd almost bet my plane ticket home, that's how confident I am. But it is what it is. I'll go back to what I said on the air during the video review, high sticks are very tough to call, both live action and on replay. When reviewing, you almost always need multiple angles, and if it isn't a clean look -- and this is not a clean look, at least not with the angles Ben was able to get on the video he posted -- it's going to be tough for the referees to overturn the existing call. Makes it even tougher when the offensive player is motioning downward with his stick as he makes contact.
(More telling to me than the high stick were the immediate reactions of the players in the area, especially Loney, who reacted as if he was certain he had just done something to keep that goal from counting. You'd think someone would be a little more joyous after completing a hat trick in a playoff game to give his team the lead. But maybe I'm thinking too much. It happens.)
If you're going to rag on the officials, who get enough crap from the coaches (Denver's Jim Montgomery got so angry at one point that his face turned almost redder than a tomato, and Scott Sandelin was quite irate at the end of the game) and don't need our input, that's fine. But I'd rather you pointed your frustrations toward the fact that this hit from behind didn't lead to an ejection, and this hit wasn't called at all.
(The first hit, by DU's Josiah Didier on UMD's Justin Crandall, was a straight five-minute major for boarding, and not a check from behind, which would have been an automatic game misconduct. Looks like a textbook check from behind. Remember, even if you think Crandall turned, the rule clearly states that in a play like this along the boards, the onus is on the checking player to deliver a clean hit [Taken from Rule 50.1: "The committee reminds coaches and players that the responsibility remains with the player approaching an opponent along the boards in this rule. While players turning to draw penalties are a concern, the positive change in behavior the committee observed outweighs this issue. Any penalty in relation to this rule along the boards or into the goal cage must be a major penalty and a game misconduct or disqualification."]. The second hit, by Denver forward Larkin Jacobson on Andy Welinski, was where Sandelin went off in frustration. It might have been more of a combination of things than a reaction to this single hit, but clearly he wasn't happy with the men in stripes.)
In the end, the officials cost UMD nothing. Players still have to play, and DU was able to make a couple big plays in the third period. For the fifth time this season, these two entertained everyone in attendance. I expect that number to grow to six and maybe seven before the weekend is out.
******
To be perfectly honest, I thought Denver had the puck too much in the third period. UMD started to run around a little bit in the defensive zone, and that usually leads to trouble for any team. Denver made a couple big plays and took advantage of its offensive zone time. The Pioneers then defended pretty darn well when UMD had Kasimir Kaskisuo pulled for an extra attacker.
That said, UMD did a great job forechecking, especially in the first half of the game. DU couldn't get a whole lot going, and it started in its own zone, where UMD was all over the puck. The Bulldogs did a great job pressuring in the right places, the right situations, and on the right people. It disrupted Denver's ability to make plays up the rink. When facing a team like the Pioneers that is so good off the rush and so good in transition, the ability to slow them down before they get started is critical.
It's little things when you're in a tight matchup like this one. UMD put forth a very good effort on Friday, one of its best efforts of the season when you consider the absences the Bulldogs are dealing with. If you just crawled out from under a rock, Adam Krause was suspended for this game because of his kneeing major last weekend against Western Michigan. Oh, and Alex Iafallo has mono. They're both here, and Iafallo has been skating, but I don't foresee him playing. With Blake Young left home injured, UMD had ten actual forwards dressed Friday, with defensemen Dan Molenaar and Nick McCormack playing on the third and fourth lines, respectively.
Even that wasn't a permanent condition. Austyn Young played some right wing with Jared Thomas and Cal Decowski, with the two masquerading defensemen and Charlie Sampair all used a little more sparingly than normal fourth-liners might be.
Getting Krause back will help UMD's wall play a little bit. The Bulldogs are usually pretty strong on the boards, but I thought they lost a few more puck battles than usual. Makes sense considering Krause is probably their best player on the wall and he was in a suit. Hopefully Crandall's injury isn't too serious, because that would be a blow to UMD's grit, as well as the penalty kill. He was able to finish the game, but without knowing the nature of his injury, it's impossible to say if he can continue in the series or not. We'll have to wait and see.
If Crandall and Krause both play Saturday, one of the defensemen will come out, and UMD will have three full forward lines and a fourth line that features a blue-liner but can at least be used occasionally. I did think DU was a little fresher in the third, but the gap wasn't as significant as I expected, considering the Pioneers used their fourth line more often and we were playing at altitude (a bit of an overrated factor in some ways, but still a factor for sure).
I expect UMD will force a Game 3 if it can give the kind of effort it did on Friday. There will be adjustments by both teams, but everything the coaches will want to do starts with a strong effort. Without that, they've got nothing. And it's not fair to just blame the bounces. Those matter, but I firmly believe UMD will be just fine if it can duplicate its Friday effort.
******
Only one road team won in the NCHC Friday, and it took double overtime for it to happen. St. Cloud State's David Morley scored his second of the game in the second OT as the Huskies won at Omaha 2-1. Morley opened the scoring in the first period before UNO's Austin Ortega scored short-handed to draw the Mavericks even in the second.
Miami trailed Western Michigan 3-2 in the third before getting the final three goals in a 5-3 victory. Blake Coleman tallied twice, including the game-winner, and had two assists for Miami. Riley Barber had two apples, while Sheldon Dries led Western with a goal and an assist. Miami is now 4-0-1 against Western Michigan this season.
In Grand Forks, the top seed North Dakota breezed by Colorado College 5-1. Senior defenseman Nick Mattson remains on a tear, with a goal and two assists on Friday.
Friday, March 13, 2015
Game 37: UMD at Denver (NCHC Playoffs Game 1)
DENVER -- A new journey begins now.
UMD is in Denver to open the NCHC playoffs against the Pioneers. Don't worry. The irony of the nation's third-ranked (PairWise) team being on the road and seeded fifth in its own league tournament is not lost.
It speaks volumes to the strength of the Bulldogs' schedule. And the No. 1-ranked schedule in the country is not taking a break this weekend. Denver is no slouch, eighth in the PairWise and fifth in schedule strength.
Let's get the proverbial party started.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Osterberg - Toninato - Crandall
Farley - Cameranesi - Kuhlman
Decowski - Thomas - Molenaar
McCormack - Young (Austyn) - Sampair
Johnson - Welinski
Soucy - Raskob
Corrin - Kotyk
Kaskisuo - McNeely
DU
Moore - Doremus - Heinen
Janssen - Shore - Loney
Larazza - Levin - Romig
Jacobson - Tabrum - Arnold
LaLeggia - Zajac
Plant - Didier
Butcher - Neville
Jaillet - Cowley
UMD is in Denver to open the NCHC playoffs against the Pioneers. Don't worry. The irony of the nation's third-ranked (PairWise) team being on the road and seeded fifth in its own league tournament is not lost.
It speaks volumes to the strength of the Bulldogs' schedule. And the No. 1-ranked schedule in the country is not taking a break this weekend. Denver is no slouch, eighth in the PairWise and fifth in schedule strength.
Let's get the proverbial party started.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Osterberg - Toninato - Crandall
Farley - Cameranesi - Kuhlman
Decowski - Thomas - Molenaar
McCormack - Young (Austyn) - Sampair
Johnson - Welinski
Soucy - Raskob
Corrin - Kotyk
Kaskisuo - McNeely
DU
Moore - Doremus - Heinen
Janssen - Shore - Loney
Larazza - Levin - Romig
Jacobson - Tabrum - Arnold
LaLeggia - Zajac
Plant - Didier
Butcher - Neville
Jaillet - Cowley
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Andy Welinski, Kasimir Kaskisuo, Scott Sandelin Up For NCHC Awards
DENVER -- Greetings from Denver, where UMD is completing preparation for this weekend's NCHC playoff series against the host Pioneers.
The NCHC announced its all-league teams Wednesday, then finalists for its individual awards on Thursday. Here is the info on those awards, which feature three Bulldogs up for honors.
The NCHC announced its all-league teams Wednesday, then finalists for its individual awards on Thursday. Here is the info on those awards, which feature three Bulldogs up for honors.
After revealing its all-conference teams on Wednesday, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) announced the finalists for its eight individual specialty awards on Thursday. The winners of the awards will be announced Thursday, March 19 at the NCHC Awards Celebration in Minneapolis on the eve of the second annual NCHC Frozen Faceoff.
The three finalists for NCHC Player of the Year are St. Cloud State junior forward Jonny Brodzinski, Denver senior defenseman Joey LaLeggia and North Dakota junior goaltender Zane McIntyre. Brodzinski compiled 23 points in 24 NCHC games, tying for the NCHC lead with 13 goals, including an NCHC-best seven power play markers and two game-winners. He was the co-NCHC Player of the Month in January. LaLeggia, a two-time NCHC Player of the Month, finished second in the NCHC scoring race with 29 points in 23 conference games on 12 goals and 17 assists, while posting a plus-9 rating in NCHC action. McIntyre, a four-time NCHC Goaltender of the Week, was one of just two goalies to play all 24 conference games, posting a NCHC-best 16-6-2 record (.708 win percentage), while ranking in the top three in conference play with both a .931 save percentage and a 2.15 goals-against average.
Up for the Herb Brooks Coach of the Year Award are Omaha’s Dean Blais, North Dakota’s Dave Hakstol and Minnesota Duluth’s Scott Sandelin. Blais led the Mavericks to a 12-8-4-3 mark in conference play and a second straight third-place finish, despite being picked sixth in the NCHC Preseason Poll and having one of the youngest teams in the country. Hakstol guided UND to the Penrose Cup and the NCHC regular-season title with a 16-6-2 record in the NCHC, winning the conference by six points. Under Sandelin, the Bulldogs went 12-9-3-0 in conference play to finish fifth, while reaching 20 wins overall and ranking in the top six nationally.
Finalists for NCHC Rookie of the Year include Miami defenseman Louie Belpedio, Denver forward Danton Heinen and St. Cloud State forward Patrick Russell, all three of which were named to the NCHC All-Rookie Team. Heinen, a four-time NCHC Rookie of the Week and February Rookie of the Month, led all NCHC rookies and tied for third overall with 26 points in 24 conference games, including nine goals and 17 assists. Belpedio, a two-time NCHC Rookie of the Week, led all rookie blue liners with 10 points and had a plus-7 rating in 24 NCHC games, while blocking 21 shots. Russell was second in rookie scoring behind Heinen with 20 points on 10 goals and assists each in 24 conference games. He earned NCHC Rookie of the Week three times on the year.
In addition to being up for Player of the Year, McIntyre is one of three finalists for the NCHC Goaltender of the Year, along with Omaha senior Ryan Massa and Minnesota Duluth freshman Kasimir Kaskisuo. McIntyre, a nominee for the Mike Richter Award and a First-Team All-NCHC selection, led the NCHC in win percentage (.708), wins (16) and saves (704) in conference play, while his .931 save percentage was second. Massa, also up for the Mike Richter Award, was a Second-Team All-Conference selection and started 20 conference games in net, going 9-7-4 with one shutout, while leading the NCHC with a .933 save percentage and ranking second with a 2.12 GAA. Kaskisuo was the only other NCHC goalie to start all 24 conference games (with McIntyre) as he went 12-9-3 with a 2.27 GAA and a .918 save percentage.
Like McIntyre, Brodzinski is also up for two awards as he is one of three finalists for the Forward of the Year, joining Miami senior Austin Czarnik and Denver sophomore Trevor Moore. Brodzinski was a First-Team All-NCHC selection with 13 goals and 10 assists in conference play as his 13 goals tied for the NCHC lead. He was also a two-time NCAA Star of the Week. Czarnik finished with an NCHC-best 22 assists in 24 NCHC games, while tallying four goals, including a hat trick, as he totaled 26 points en route to Second-Team All-Conference honors this year. Moore, a First-Team All-NCHC selection, captured the NCHC scoring title with 30 points in 23 conference games, while his 13 goals in conference play tied for the NCHC lead with Brodzinski and others. His plus-15 rating in NCHC play also led the conference.
LaLeggia is a finalist for three awards, including NCHC Defenseman of the Year, along with Miami junior Matthew Caito and Minnesota Duluth junior Andy Welinski. LaLeggia, a unanimous First-Team All-NCHC recipient, won NCHC Defenseman of the Week five times this season, including three straight weeks in February, while he blocked 24 shots and posted a plus-9 rating. Caito tallied three goals and had 13 assist for 16 points in 24 NCHC games, while his plus-10 rating was second among blue liners and his 45 blocked shots were sixth. Welinski, a Second-Team All-NCHC pick, racked up 12 points, including seven goals, while playing all 24 NCHC games and blocking 25 shots. LaLeggia won the inaugural award last season.
LaLeggia is also up for NCHC Offensive Defenseman of the Year, along with Omaha sophomore Ian Brady, North Dakota junior Jordan Schmaltz and Colorado College sophomore Jaccob Slavin. LaLeggia’s 29 points in conference play were 13 more than any other defenseman, while his 12 goals, all in conference play, rank second nationally among defensemen. Brady tied for second in NCHC defensemen scoring with 16 points on four goals and 12 assists in 23 NCHC games, while he was one of just two defensemen with a short-handed goal in NCHC play this year. Schmaltz was named Second-Team All-NCHC after compiling 13 points, including 11 assists, in 24 conference games and fired 52 shots on goal. Slavin posted 10 points in conference play, including four goals, three of which came on the power play as he earned First-Team All-NCHC honors. LaLeggia also won the inaugural award for Offensive Defenseman last season.
The final award is NCHC Defensive Forward of the Year with Czarnik up for a second NCHC specialty honor, while he is joined by Denver senior Daniel Doremus and North Dakota senior Mark MacMillan as finalists. Czarnik was a staple of Miami’s penalty kill, scoring two short-handed goals in conference play while blocking 17 shots. Doremus finished fifth in blocked shots among forwards with 22 while his plus-13 rating was second among forwards in NCHC action. MacMillan collected First-Team All-NCHC honors while he tied for third among forwards with a plus-11 rating and like Czarnik, tallied two short-handed goals and 17 blocked shots.
Finalists were determined based on voting by the conference’s head coaches and one student-athlete from each team with the top three vote-getters (plus ties) being finalists.
AWARD FINALISTS
Herb Brooks Coach of the Year
Dean Blais, Omaha
Dave Hakstol, North Dakota
Scott Sandelin, Minnesota Duluth
Player of the Year
Jonny Brodzinski, St. Cloud State, Jr., F
Joey LaLeggia, Denver, Sr., D
Zane McIntyre, North Dakota, Jr., G
Rookie of the Year
Louie Belpedio, Miami, D
Danton Heinen, Denver, F
Patrick Russell, St. Cloud State, F
Goaltender of the Year
Kasimir Kaskisuo, Minnesota Duluth, Fr.
Ryan Massa, Omaha, Sr.
Zane McIntyre, North Dakota, Jr.
Forward of the Year
Jonny Brodzinski, St. Cloud State, Jr
Austin Czarnik, Miami, Sr.
Trevor Moore, Denver, So.
Defenseman of the Year
Matthew Caito, Miami, Jr.
Joey LaLeggia, Denver, Sr. (last year’s winner)
Andy Welinski, Minnesota Duluth, Jr.
Offensive Defenseman of the Year
Ian Brady, Omaha, So.
Joey LaLeggia, Denver, Sr. (last year’s winner)
Jordan Schmaltz, North Dakota, Jr.
Jaccob Slavin, Colorado College, So.
Defensive Forward of the Year
Austin Czarnik, Miami, Sr.
Daniel Doremus, Denver, Sr.
Mark MacMillan, North Dakota, Sr.
Playoffs Open in NCHC as Bulldogs Meet Pioneers Again
DENVER -- Denver coach Jim Montgomery joked this week that he was hoping to not see UMD again until the NCHC Frozen Faceoff at Target Center.
Well, that's next week, and Montgomery won't be getting his wish. Instead, his Pioneers host the Bulldogs in the NCHC quarterfinals.
Despite being third in the PairWise, UMD finished fifth in the NCHC standings. It was really the Bulldogs' own doing. They played 12 NCHC series -- a total of 24 games. In those 12 series, UMD won or tied the Friday game nine times (lost series openers to Denver and Miami in back to back weekends at home, then to Denver again in January).
That's nine chances to either sweep or win a series by winning on Saturday. UMD's record in those Saturday games? 2-6-1.
Valuable points left on the table, and UMD had some winnable games in there. The Saturday game in Omaha saw UMD outshoot UNO 40-18, take 85 shots to the Mavericks' 31, and lose 4-1. The Jan. 17 game vs. Western Michigan was tied 2-2 in the third period before the Broncos scored the game's last two goals. UMD had leads against Miami (3-1) and Omaha (1-0) in back-to-back Saturday games that ended with an overtime loss (4-3 to Miami) and a tie with Omaha (1-1).
Win a couple of those games, and the Bulldogs are sleeping in their own beds this weekend, instead of staring a 3am wakeup call in the face for the trip home on Monday.
(Yes, I realize the shootout losses made a big difference. I'm choosing not to give them too much of the credit, however, because they're so random and dumb.)
And as much a fan as I've always been of this city we're in, it's hard to argue with the comforts of home, especially given UMD's obvious improvement as a home team this season (5-10-3 last year to 8-5-3 this year).
Montgomery's joking aside, this is going to be a great series, and the fact it's the 4/5 matchup isn't the only reason. Denver and UMD play very well against one another. As Montgomery noted back in January, these are two teams that "play the game the right away." Montgomery eluded to that again this week when we chatted.
"I have the utmost respect for Scott Sandelin, their staff, and that team. To think someone's going to sweep this series is a little naive."
They aren't exactly the same, but the purpose is.
Denver wants to push the pace, and the Pioneers do it while being led by their back line. Joey LaLeggia is a sure-fire All-American, a Hobey Baker candidate, and possibly (probably?) the best player at his position in college hockey. When he isn't out there, it's likely DU has Nolan Zajac or Will Butcher on the ice. Or emerging freshman Adam Plant, who I thought had a nice weekend against UMD in January and seems to be coming into his own at the right time.
Similarly, UMD wants to push the pace, but the Bulldogs' horses are up front. Sophomores Dominic Toninato and Alex Iafallo have led the team in scoring much of the season, but it's the line of juniors Tony Cameranesi and Austin Farley with freshman Karson Kuhlman that -- I believe -- defines this team and its style of play. Those three can play a puck possession game, are dogged on the forecheck, and use their speed to both make plays and get back defensively if they happen to lose possession.
When UMD is healthy, I'll take the Bulldogs' four lines against anyone in the nation. Other teams might have a dynamic top line or two (Denver's top line of Daniel Doremus, Danton Heinen, and Trevor Moore is as good as any in the nation right now), but the Bulldogs' depth is what makes them so dangerous.
Of course, illness to Iafallo and an injury to freshman Blake Young -- along with the earlier injury to Toninato -- really has done harm to UMD's depth. Young didn't make the trip to Denver, and with Adam Krause suspended for Friday's series opener, UMD is expected to dress ten forwards and eight defensemen for Game 1.
It'll mark the tenth straight game where Scott Sandelin can't field his optimal forward lineup. It isn't an excuse for the 4-3-2 mark over the last nine games, but rest assured the head coach would like to pencil in his best lineup. Injuries happen, and illnesses happen. The former is the price we pay for playing such a high-speed, high-intensity game. The latter is the price paid for 20-some guys hanging out in close proximity. These things happen, but they preferably happen in January and not March, when the intensity ramps up and the stakes rise.
Luckily for UMD, the PairWise has been friendly all season. UMD earned that by taking care of non-conference business. Wins over teams like Minnesota (three out of four), Minnesota State (one out of two), and Notre Dame (won the only meeting) look increasingly good now. Minnesota State won the WCHA, Minnesota could win the Big Ten this weekend, and Notre Dame has fought its way back to .500 at 17-17-5 for the first time since it was 9-9-2.
It doesn't hurt that the rest of the NCHC did well non-conference, and it's helped UMD greatly that the Bulldogs got points every weekend in conference play. Not even UMD's higher-seeded opponent this weekend can brag about that (Omaha swept Denver Jan. 9-10).
After all, the only NCHC teams to get points out of every weekend series were UMD and North Dakota. Yeah, UND won the league and UMD finished fifth, but look at the PairWise.
The top two NCHC teams in the PairWise? No. 1 North Dakota and No. 3 UMD. It isn't a coincidence. None of the NCHC's five were slouches in non-conference play (UND 9-1-1, DU 7-2-1, UNO 6-2-2, UMD 8-4, Miami 7-3), after all.
With that nice PWR ranking of third, it doesn't take a rocket surgeon to figure out that UMD can lose this weekend and still make the NCAA Tournament comfortably. Just don't tell anyone affiliated with the Bulldogs this. It's not that they don't know. They aren't stupid, after all. They can act like they don't know or don't want to know, but they know. They just don't want it to affect the mindset of the players.
For them, it's about that mindset being to go take care of business this weekend, not "try hard and see what happens." And if UMD can win Friday without Krause, it's about not letting the guard down on Saturday.
I believe it was Red Wings coach Mike Babcock I heard talking about this. His team was up 3-0 or 3-1 in a best-of-seven, and he was asked about his team having more margin for error because of the big series lead. His remark was something along the lines of "It's a race to four wins, not a seven-game series."
Same applies here. It's a race to two wins. No law says a team needs to play three games to get there. While I'm sure neither coach can see a sweep happening, I think it's a huge chance for one of them -- hopefully the Bulldogs -- to make a statement.
Well, that's next week, and Montgomery won't be getting his wish. Instead, his Pioneers host the Bulldogs in the NCHC quarterfinals.
Despite being third in the PairWise, UMD finished fifth in the NCHC standings. It was really the Bulldogs' own doing. They played 12 NCHC series -- a total of 24 games. In those 12 series, UMD won or tied the Friday game nine times (lost series openers to Denver and Miami in back to back weekends at home, then to Denver again in January).
That's nine chances to either sweep or win a series by winning on Saturday. UMD's record in those Saturday games? 2-6-1.
Valuable points left on the table, and UMD had some winnable games in there. The Saturday game in Omaha saw UMD outshoot UNO 40-18, take 85 shots to the Mavericks' 31, and lose 4-1. The Jan. 17 game vs. Western Michigan was tied 2-2 in the third period before the Broncos scored the game's last two goals. UMD had leads against Miami (3-1) and Omaha (1-0) in back-to-back Saturday games that ended with an overtime loss (4-3 to Miami) and a tie with Omaha (1-1).
Win a couple of those games, and the Bulldogs are sleeping in their own beds this weekend, instead of staring a 3am wakeup call in the face for the trip home on Monday.
(Yes, I realize the shootout losses made a big difference. I'm choosing not to give them too much of the credit, however, because they're so random and dumb.)
And as much a fan as I've always been of this city we're in, it's hard to argue with the comforts of home, especially given UMD's obvious improvement as a home team this season (5-10-3 last year to 8-5-3 this year).
Montgomery's joking aside, this is going to be a great series, and the fact it's the 4/5 matchup isn't the only reason. Denver and UMD play very well against one another. As Montgomery noted back in January, these are two teams that "play the game the right away." Montgomery eluded to that again this week when we chatted.
"I have the utmost respect for Scott Sandelin, their staff, and that team. To think someone's going to sweep this series is a little naive."
They aren't exactly the same, but the purpose is.
Denver wants to push the pace, and the Pioneers do it while being led by their back line. Joey LaLeggia is a sure-fire All-American, a Hobey Baker candidate, and possibly (probably?) the best player at his position in college hockey. When he isn't out there, it's likely DU has Nolan Zajac or Will Butcher on the ice. Or emerging freshman Adam Plant, who I thought had a nice weekend against UMD in January and seems to be coming into his own at the right time.
Similarly, UMD wants to push the pace, but the Bulldogs' horses are up front. Sophomores Dominic Toninato and Alex Iafallo have led the team in scoring much of the season, but it's the line of juniors Tony Cameranesi and Austin Farley with freshman Karson Kuhlman that -- I believe -- defines this team and its style of play. Those three can play a puck possession game, are dogged on the forecheck, and use their speed to both make plays and get back defensively if they happen to lose possession.
When UMD is healthy, I'll take the Bulldogs' four lines against anyone in the nation. Other teams might have a dynamic top line or two (Denver's top line of Daniel Doremus, Danton Heinen, and Trevor Moore is as good as any in the nation right now), but the Bulldogs' depth is what makes them so dangerous.
Of course, illness to Iafallo and an injury to freshman Blake Young -- along with the earlier injury to Toninato -- really has done harm to UMD's depth. Young didn't make the trip to Denver, and with Adam Krause suspended for Friday's series opener, UMD is expected to dress ten forwards and eight defensemen for Game 1.
It'll mark the tenth straight game where Scott Sandelin can't field his optimal forward lineup. It isn't an excuse for the 4-3-2 mark over the last nine games, but rest assured the head coach would like to pencil in his best lineup. Injuries happen, and illnesses happen. The former is the price we pay for playing such a high-speed, high-intensity game. The latter is the price paid for 20-some guys hanging out in close proximity. These things happen, but they preferably happen in January and not March, when the intensity ramps up and the stakes rise.
Luckily for UMD, the PairWise has been friendly all season. UMD earned that by taking care of non-conference business. Wins over teams like Minnesota (three out of four), Minnesota State (one out of two), and Notre Dame (won the only meeting) look increasingly good now. Minnesota State won the WCHA, Minnesota could win the Big Ten this weekend, and Notre Dame has fought its way back to .500 at 17-17-5 for the first time since it was 9-9-2.
It doesn't hurt that the rest of the NCHC did well non-conference, and it's helped UMD greatly that the Bulldogs got points every weekend in conference play. Not even UMD's higher-seeded opponent this weekend can brag about that (Omaha swept Denver Jan. 9-10).
After all, the only NCHC teams to get points out of every weekend series were UMD and North Dakota. Yeah, UND won the league and UMD finished fifth, but look at the PairWise.
The top two NCHC teams in the PairWise? No. 1 North Dakota and No. 3 UMD. It isn't a coincidence. None of the NCHC's five were slouches in non-conference play (UND 9-1-1, DU 7-2-1, UNO 6-2-2, UMD 8-4, Miami 7-3), after all.
With that nice PWR ranking of third, it doesn't take a rocket surgeon to figure out that UMD can lose this weekend and still make the NCAA Tournament comfortably. Just don't tell anyone affiliated with the Bulldogs this. It's not that they don't know. They aren't stupid, after all. They can act like they don't know or don't want to know, but they know. They just don't want it to affect the mindset of the players.
For them, it's about that mindset being to go take care of business this weekend, not "try hard and see what happens." And if UMD can win Friday without Krause, it's about not letting the guard down on Saturday.
I believe it was Red Wings coach Mike Babcock I heard talking about this. His team was up 3-0 or 3-1 in a best-of-seven, and he was asked about his team having more margin for error because of the big series lead. His remark was something along the lines of "It's a race to four wins, not a seven-game series."
Same applies here. It's a race to two wins. No law says a team needs to play three games to get there. While I'm sure neither coach can see a sweep happening, I think it's a huge chance for one of them -- hopefully the Bulldogs -- to make a statement.
Monday, March 09, 2015
Monday Musings: Bulldogs Struggle, Finish Fifth, Hit the Road Again
Saturday was tough to watch.
I know how much our seniors wanted one more go-round at home. It wasn't meant to be, and some of our guys let their frustration show in a 3-0 loss to Western Michigan.
The Bulldogs got off to a good start, but the sledding was tough. Western came ready to play on Senior Night, and the Broncos were hitting everything in white that moved. UMD couldn't generate speed through the neutral zone, as Western was all over Bulldog players, especially in the middle of the ice.
Give the Broncos credit. You can blame lenient refereeing if you want, but UMD was able to fight through things on Friday. The biggest difference was Western played much more aggressive on Saturday than Friday. The Broncos also played a smarter game, avoiding selfish penalties and also doing a better job clogging up areas UMD wanted to play in.
When a team is trying to clog things up, it takes precision execution to win, and UMD didn't have that on Saturday. The Bulldogs whiffed on a couple early chances, then a bad line change led to the first -- and eventual game-winning -- goal.
I didn't think UMD was as mentally engaged as it has to be to win games, but saying that was the only reason the Bulldogs lost is 1) untrue, and 2) a discredit to Western Michigan's effort and execution.
That said, UMD will have to be better against bigger, grinding-type teams. Won't face one this weekend, as the playoff series at Denver will be racehorse hockey, but the NCAA Tournament can bring all types of opponents.
Denver is up next in the NCHC playoffs. The games between these two teams in the regular season were really, really good. I expect more of the same this weekend.
No question in my mind that there are two legitimate NCAA contenders at it this weekend, and while Denver is eighth in the PairWise, I don't think DU's in danger of falling out of the rankings. These teams can tear each other to pieces to see who moves on to Target Center and the NCHC Frozen Faceoff.
But is there advantage in defeat? Will the losing team take nearly two weeks of rest and use it to strengthen from within for an NCAA run. We know UMD is in, and we're pretty sure Denver is, too, after all.
I'll never advocate losing at the time of the loss, but it's undeniable that UMD's 2010-11 team was galvanized by losing to Bemidji State at the Final Five. It wasn't so much the days off that came after that loss. It was the loss itself. UMD knew it didn't play well and knew what it had to do starting the next week. The timing of that loss and the nature of it -- losing in overtime on a power play goal that came from a terrible call against UMD -- helped set up UMD's mindset that year.
Hopefully it doesn't take a loss this weekend to do that.
UMD, of course, is far from healthy.
Sophomore forward Alex Iafallo has missed two weeks with what we now know to be mono. Sophomore defenseman Dan Molenaar dealt with mono in January and missed significant time. With what little I know about the illness (I've never had it, so I looked it up on the internet), I'd think Iafallo won't be back until next week at the earliest, possibly not until NCAA regionals. That said, I also know everyone is different.
(Side note: This is at least four NCHC players I know of who've gotten mono this season. Molenaar had it. So did North Dakota's Trevor Olson, and it's been reported that Omaha's Dominic Zombo has it, too.)
Making matters worse, senior captain Adam Krause suffered an injury on the hit that got him run from Saturday's loss. He knocked knees with hulking Western Michigan forward Willem Nong-Lambert. Neither appeared to be seriously injured on the ice, so hopefully there is nothing wrong with Krause that will keep him from playing this weekend.
If Krause can't play and Blake Young can't return, UMD will have to deploy both its extra defensemen -- Dan Molenaar and Nick McCormack last weekend, with Molenaar playing both games and McCormack scratched -- as forwards on the fourth line.
I know how much our seniors wanted one more go-round at home. It wasn't meant to be, and some of our guys let their frustration show in a 3-0 loss to Western Michigan.
The Bulldogs got off to a good start, but the sledding was tough. Western came ready to play on Senior Night, and the Broncos were hitting everything in white that moved. UMD couldn't generate speed through the neutral zone, as Western was all over Bulldog players, especially in the middle of the ice.
Give the Broncos credit. You can blame lenient refereeing if you want, but UMD was able to fight through things on Friday. The biggest difference was Western played much more aggressive on Saturday than Friday. The Broncos also played a smarter game, avoiding selfish penalties and also doing a better job clogging up areas UMD wanted to play in.
When a team is trying to clog things up, it takes precision execution to win, and UMD didn't have that on Saturday. The Bulldogs whiffed on a couple early chances, then a bad line change led to the first -- and eventual game-winning -- goal.
I didn't think UMD was as mentally engaged as it has to be to win games, but saying that was the only reason the Bulldogs lost is 1) untrue, and 2) a discredit to Western Michigan's effort and execution.
That said, UMD will have to be better against bigger, grinding-type teams. Won't face one this weekend, as the playoff series at Denver will be racehorse hockey, but the NCAA Tournament can bring all types of opponents.
******
Denver is up next in the NCHC playoffs. The games between these two teams in the regular season were really, really good. I expect more of the same this weekend.
No question in my mind that there are two legitimate NCAA contenders at it this weekend, and while Denver is eighth in the PairWise, I don't think DU's in danger of falling out of the rankings. These teams can tear each other to pieces to see who moves on to Target Center and the NCHC Frozen Faceoff.
But is there advantage in defeat? Will the losing team take nearly two weeks of rest and use it to strengthen from within for an NCAA run. We know UMD is in, and we're pretty sure Denver is, too, after all.
I'll never advocate losing at the time of the loss, but it's undeniable that UMD's 2010-11 team was galvanized by losing to Bemidji State at the Final Five. It wasn't so much the days off that came after that loss. It was the loss itself. UMD knew it didn't play well and knew what it had to do starting the next week. The timing of that loss and the nature of it -- losing in overtime on a power play goal that came from a terrible call against UMD -- helped set up UMD's mindset that year.
Hopefully it doesn't take a loss this weekend to do that.
******
UMD, of course, is far from healthy.
Sophomore forward Alex Iafallo has missed two weeks with what we now know to be mono. Sophomore defenseman Dan Molenaar dealt with mono in January and missed significant time. With what little I know about the illness (I've never had it, so I looked it up on the internet), I'd think Iafallo won't be back until next week at the earliest, possibly not until NCAA regionals. That said, I also know everyone is different.
(Side note: This is at least four NCHC players I know of who've gotten mono this season. Molenaar had it. So did North Dakota's Trevor Olson, and it's been reported that Omaha's Dominic Zombo has it, too.)
Making matters worse, senior captain Adam Krause suffered an injury on the hit that got him run from Saturday's loss. He knocked knees with hulking Western Michigan forward Willem Nong-Lambert. Neither appeared to be seriously injured on the ice, so hopefully there is nothing wrong with Krause that will keep him from playing this weekend.
If Krause can't play and Blake Young can't return, UMD will have to deploy both its extra defensemen -- Dan Molenaar and Nick McCormack last weekend, with Molenaar playing both games and McCormack scratched -- as forwards on the fourth line.
Saturday, March 07, 2015
Game 36: UMD at Western Michigan
KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- And we arrive at the end of one journey.
Of course, it's just the first journey. There are more to come.
On this night, the Bulldogs close out the regular season against Western Michigan. On Friday, the teams combined for seven second-period goals -- five of them coming in a crazy two-minute stretch -- before UMD added two Dominic Toninato tallies in the third for a 6-3 win.
There are too many scenarios to count when it comes to UMD's home-ice chances. Reality is that if the Bulldogs win, they'll get home ice next week if any of the three teams ahead of them lose, and it might not need to be a regulation loss.
Never before have I seen a league with only one home-ice slot decided going into the last game of the season.
Enjoy it. This is all part of the journey.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Sampair - Toninato - Krause
Farley - Cameranesi - Kuhlman
Osterberg - Thomas - Crandall
Decowski - Young (Austyn) - Molenaar
Johnson - Welinski
Soucy - Raskob
Corrin - Kotyk
Kaskisuo - McNeely
WMU
Tiffels - Nong-Lambert - Laporte
McKee - Mellor - Hadley
Hargrove - Dries - Novak
Kovacs - Kessel - Muir
Stewart - Morrison
Goff - Moldenhauer
Dienes - Fleming
Slubowski - Bridges - Hafner
(This is how the goalies are listed. I have not gotten a confirmed starter from WMU. Watch Twitter for updates.)
Of course, it's just the first journey. There are more to come.
On this night, the Bulldogs close out the regular season against Western Michigan. On Friday, the teams combined for seven second-period goals -- five of them coming in a crazy two-minute stretch -- before UMD added two Dominic Toninato tallies in the third for a 6-3 win.
There are too many scenarios to count when it comes to UMD's home-ice chances. Reality is that if the Bulldogs win, they'll get home ice next week if any of the three teams ahead of them lose, and it might not need to be a regulation loss.
Never before have I seen a league with only one home-ice slot decided going into the last game of the season.
Enjoy it. This is all part of the journey.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Sampair - Toninato - Krause
Farley - Cameranesi - Kuhlman
Osterberg - Thomas - Crandall
Decowski - Young (Austyn) - Molenaar
Johnson - Welinski
Soucy - Raskob
Corrin - Kotyk
Kaskisuo - McNeely
WMU
Tiffels - Nong-Lambert - Laporte
McKee - Mellor - Hadley
Hargrove - Dries - Novak
Kovacs - Kessel - Muir
Stewart - Morrison
Goff - Moldenhauer
Dienes - Fleming
Slubowski - Bridges - Hafner
(This is how the goalies are listed. I have not gotten a confirmed starter from WMU. Watch Twitter for updates.)
Friday, March 06, 2015
Saturday Hockey Notes and Thoughts: UMD Survives Crazy Flurry, Stays Alive for Home Ice
(UPDATED with full list of UMD scenarios and tiebreakers provided by the NCHC.)
KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- After scoring just twice in a weekend series at home against Omaha last weekend, there's no question the time was right for an offensive breakout.
Check.
With just one goal since Dec. 13, Dominic Toninato didn't necessarily "need" to get back on the scoreboard, but a goal or two from him before the regular season ended would be a good thing.
Check.
The 20-win marker means virtually nothing when you've clinched an NCAA Tournament berth, as UMD has done this season. But Friday was UMD's fourth chance to clinch a fifth 20-win season in seven years, a mark never before reached by this program.
Check.
The Bulldogs never trailed in a 6-3 win over Western Michigan Friday night that featured a little bit of everything.
While the first period featured good action on both ends of the ice, there weren't a ton of huge scoring chances. Kasimir Kaskisuo and Frank Slubowski kept the game scoreless when called upon, and things seemed quite innocent, honestly.
Even in the second period, there was nothing to indicate that an opening of the floodgates was about to come. Willie Corrin and Sheldon Dries (power play) traded goals, and we went into the last four minutes of the second period with a 1-1 tie. Corrin's goal gave UMD a lead against Western Michigan for the first time in 149:36 of play this season, and 163:14 dating back to last year's playoff series.
And then things, well, escalated. Quickly.
At 16:18 of the second, Willie Raskob made a great move and pass to set up Justin Crandall for a power-play goal, his 12th of the season. It stayed 2-1 UMD for all of 41 seconds before Western tied it on a rebound goal by Sam Mellor. Then Karson Kuhlman gave UMD the lead back 47 seconds after that, putting home a rebound off an Austin Farley shot.
We weren't done. 13 seconds later, Frederik Tiffels banked a puck in off Andy Welinski's skate to tie the game 3-3. Then Welinski got redemption 19 seconds later with a missile of a shot from the right point off a Jared Thomas drop pass.
Five goals in two minutes.
Not kidding, I felt like I was having an out of body experience. Craziness.
I have to think Andy Murray and Scott Sandelin can share a laugh about this at some point, but I find it hard to believe either coach was thrilled with what was happening. Neither team was playing well defensively, and the game got a little loose for either's taste, I'd assume.
Things settled down in the third, but not for Toninato.
He netted his first goal since Jan. 31 and second since Dec. 13 with 7:48 to open the gap back up to 5-3 for the Bulldogs. Toninato then hit an empty net from practically 200 feet away (corner boards at the other end of the rink) at the buzzer.
Kaskisuo made 25 saves for the win, his 17th. He was especially good in the third period, but it was hard to blame him for some of the lunacy in the second. He didn't get a great amount of help from the defensive play. Luckily, the run support rendered those mistakes irrelevant.
I thought UMD made a few mistakes in the third, letting Western Michigan generate scoring chances it shouldn't be able to get when facing a team protecting a two-goal lead. Tiffels had a great chance that Kaskisuo stoned him on, and another WMU player whose identity I can't remember tried to go short side on a rush and missed the net.
So what does UMD have to do to get home ice?
For starters, UMD is in fifth in the NCHC. It can fall no farther, so if the Bulldogs are on the road next weekend, it will be against the fourth seed.
UMD can finish as high as second in the final standings.
Here's how it breaks down, courtesy of Tim Danehy, via Michael Weisman of the NCHC.
UMD will be ...
Seeded #2 with a win, a Denver loss or shootout loss, a Miami loss or shootout loss, and a Omaha loss, shootout loss, or shootout win.
Seeded #3 with a win, a Denver win or shootout win, a Miami loss or shootout loss, and a Omaha loss, shootout loss, or shootout win.
Seeded #3 with a win, a Denver loss or shootout loss, a Miami win or shootout win, and a Omaha loss, shootout loss, or shootout win.
Seeded #3 with a win, a Denver loss or shootout loss, a Miami loss or shootout loss, and a Omaha win.
Seeded #4 with a win, a Denver win or shootout win, a Miami win or shootout win, and a Omaha loss, shootout loss, or shootout win.
Seeded #4 with a win, a Denver win or shootout win, a Miami loss or shootout loss, and a Omaha win.
Seeded #4 with a win, a Denver loss or shootout loss, a Miami win or shootout win, and a Omaha win.
Seeded #4 with a shootout win and a Omaha loss or shootout loss.
Seeded #4 with a shootout loss and a Omaha loss.
Here are the tie-breaker scenarios. Teams are listed in the order they would finish. If there are multiple point totals teams can tie with, and the tie-breaker is different, they are listed specifically by point total.
Two-team ties
DEN-MIA (goals DEN 13-12)
DEN-UNO (wins)
DEN-UMD at 41 pts (wins)
UMD-DEN at 42 pts (goals UMD 13-9)
MIA-UNO (wins)
MIA-UMD at 41 pts (wins)
UMD-MIA at 42 pts (goals UMD 12-11)
UMD-UNO (wins)
Three-team ties
DEN-MIA-UNO (wins, then goals for DEN-MIA)
DEN-MIA-UMD at 41 pts (wins, then goals for DEN-MIA)
UMD-DEN-MIA at 42 pts (goals UMD 25-20, MIA 23-25, DEN 22-25)
DEN-UMD-UNO at 41 pts (wins)
UMD-DEN-UNO at 42 pts (wins, then goals for UMD-DEN)
MIA-UMD-UNO at 41 pts (wins)
UMD-MIA-UNO at 42 pts (wins, then goals for UMD-MIA)
Four-team tie
DEN-MIA-UMD-UNO at 41 pts (wins, then goals for DEN-MIA)
UMD-DEN-MIA-UNO at 42 pts (wins, then goals for UMD-DEN-MIA)
Just win, baby. That's all you can control.
(And there's something else on the line there. UMD has gone into Saturday games with a chance to win or sweep a series five times in the second half of the season. In those games -- against North Dakota, Western Michigan (home), St. Cloud State, Miami, and Omaha -- UMD is 0-4-1. It'd sure be nice to get over that hump before the playoffs start. After all, there are some pretty significant games to be played on Saturdays in the coming weekends, right?)
Hope you're as confused as I am. There will be a quiz later. Don't fret, because I'll fail it, too.
Good and bad for UMD's home ice chances with the other results Friday.
In Oxford, North Dakota clinched the Penrose Cup with a 2-1 win over Miami. Zane McIntyre stopped 43 of 44 shots, while UND got goals from Keaton Thompson and Connor Gaarder. The RedHawks peppered McIntyre in the final 40 minutes, but couldn't get the equalizer. And as a result, Miami is still not guaranteed to be at home next weekend. Or it could finish second. Sound familiar?
Adam Plant picked a good time to score his first of the year. Plant was credited with the game-winner in the third period as Denver beat St. Cloud State 3-2. Tanner Jaillet made 39 saves as SCSU outshot DU 42-27.
Omaha had to settle for a 2-2 draw with Colorado College, as the Tigers got second-period goals from Peter Maric and Matt Hansen and 32 saves from red-hot goalie Tyler Marble. The Tigers won the shootout 1-0 on a goal by Cody Bradley, so Omaha falls to fourth and leads UMD by just one point.
KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- After scoring just twice in a weekend series at home against Omaha last weekend, there's no question the time was right for an offensive breakout.
Check.
With just one goal since Dec. 13, Dominic Toninato didn't necessarily "need" to get back on the scoreboard, but a goal or two from him before the regular season ended would be a good thing.
Check.
The 20-win marker means virtually nothing when you've clinched an NCAA Tournament berth, as UMD has done this season. But Friday was UMD's fourth chance to clinch a fifth 20-win season in seven years, a mark never before reached by this program.
Check.
The Bulldogs never trailed in a 6-3 win over Western Michigan Friday night that featured a little bit of everything.
While the first period featured good action on both ends of the ice, there weren't a ton of huge scoring chances. Kasimir Kaskisuo and Frank Slubowski kept the game scoreless when called upon, and things seemed quite innocent, honestly.
Even in the second period, there was nothing to indicate that an opening of the floodgates was about to come. Willie Corrin and Sheldon Dries (power play) traded goals, and we went into the last four minutes of the second period with a 1-1 tie. Corrin's goal gave UMD a lead against Western Michigan for the first time in 149:36 of play this season, and 163:14 dating back to last year's playoff series.
And then things, well, escalated. Quickly.
At 16:18 of the second, Willie Raskob made a great move and pass to set up Justin Crandall for a power-play goal, his 12th of the season. It stayed 2-1 UMD for all of 41 seconds before Western tied it on a rebound goal by Sam Mellor. Then Karson Kuhlman gave UMD the lead back 47 seconds after that, putting home a rebound off an Austin Farley shot.
We weren't done. 13 seconds later, Frederik Tiffels banked a puck in off Andy Welinski's skate to tie the game 3-3. Then Welinski got redemption 19 seconds later with a missile of a shot from the right point off a Jared Thomas drop pass.
Five goals in two minutes.
Not kidding, I felt like I was having an out of body experience. Craziness.
I have to think Andy Murray and Scott Sandelin can share a laugh about this at some point, but I find it hard to believe either coach was thrilled with what was happening. Neither team was playing well defensively, and the game got a little loose for either's taste, I'd assume.
Things settled down in the third, but not for Toninato.
He netted his first goal since Jan. 31 and second since Dec. 13 with 7:48 to open the gap back up to 5-3 for the Bulldogs. Toninato then hit an empty net from practically 200 feet away (corner boards at the other end of the rink) at the buzzer.
Kaskisuo made 25 saves for the win, his 17th. He was especially good in the third period, but it was hard to blame him for some of the lunacy in the second. He didn't get a great amount of help from the defensive play. Luckily, the run support rendered those mistakes irrelevant.
I thought UMD made a few mistakes in the third, letting Western Michigan generate scoring chances it shouldn't be able to get when facing a team protecting a two-goal lead. Tiffels had a great chance that Kaskisuo stoned him on, and another WMU player whose identity I can't remember tried to go short side on a rush and missed the net.
******
So what does UMD have to do to get home ice?
For starters, UMD is in fifth in the NCHC. It can fall no farther, so if the Bulldogs are on the road next weekend, it will be against the fourth seed.
UMD can finish as high as second in the final standings.
Here's how it breaks down, courtesy of Tim Danehy, via Michael Weisman of the NCHC.
UMD will be ...
Seeded #2 with a win, a Denver loss or shootout loss, a Miami loss or shootout loss, and a Omaha loss, shootout loss, or shootout win.
Seeded #3 with a win, a Denver win or shootout win, a Miami loss or shootout loss, and a Omaha loss, shootout loss, or shootout win.
Seeded #3 with a win, a Denver loss or shootout loss, a Miami win or shootout win, and a Omaha loss, shootout loss, or shootout win.
Seeded #3 with a win, a Denver loss or shootout loss, a Miami loss or shootout loss, and a Omaha win.
Seeded #4 with a win, a Denver win or shootout win, a Miami win or shootout win, and a Omaha loss, shootout loss, or shootout win.
Seeded #4 with a win, a Denver win or shootout win, a Miami loss or shootout loss, and a Omaha win.
Seeded #4 with a win, a Denver loss or shootout loss, a Miami win or shootout win, and a Omaha win.
Seeded #4 with a shootout win and a Omaha loss or shootout loss.
Seeded #4 with a shootout loss and a Omaha loss.
Here are the tie-breaker scenarios. Teams are listed in the order they would finish. If there are multiple point totals teams can tie with, and the tie-breaker is different, they are listed specifically by point total.
Two-team ties
DEN-MIA (goals DEN 13-12)
DEN-UNO (wins)
DEN-UMD at 41 pts (wins)
UMD-DEN at 42 pts (goals UMD 13-9)
MIA-UNO (wins)
MIA-UMD at 41 pts (wins)
UMD-MIA at 42 pts (goals UMD 12-11)
UMD-UNO (wins)
Three-team ties
DEN-MIA-UNO (wins, then goals for DEN-MIA)
DEN-MIA-UMD at 41 pts (wins, then goals for DEN-MIA)
UMD-DEN-MIA at 42 pts (goals UMD 25-20, MIA 23-25, DEN 22-25)
DEN-UMD-UNO at 41 pts (wins)
UMD-DEN-UNO at 42 pts (wins, then goals for UMD-DEN)
MIA-UMD-UNO at 41 pts (wins)
UMD-MIA-UNO at 42 pts (wins, then goals for UMD-MIA)
Four-team tie
DEN-MIA-UMD-UNO at 41 pts (wins, then goals for DEN-MIA)
UMD-DEN-MIA-UNO at 42 pts (wins, then goals for UMD-DEN-MIA)
Just win, baby. That's all you can control.
(And there's something else on the line there. UMD has gone into Saturday games with a chance to win or sweep a series five times in the second half of the season. In those games -- against North Dakota, Western Michigan (home), St. Cloud State, Miami, and Omaha -- UMD is 0-4-1. It'd sure be nice to get over that hump before the playoffs start. After all, there are some pretty significant games to be played on Saturdays in the coming weekends, right?)
Hope you're as confused as I am. There will be a quiz later. Don't fret, because I'll fail it, too.
******
Good and bad for UMD's home ice chances with the other results Friday.
In Oxford, North Dakota clinched the Penrose Cup with a 2-1 win over Miami. Zane McIntyre stopped 43 of 44 shots, while UND got goals from Keaton Thompson and Connor Gaarder. The RedHawks peppered McIntyre in the final 40 minutes, but couldn't get the equalizer. And as a result, Miami is still not guaranteed to be at home next weekend. Or it could finish second. Sound familiar?
Adam Plant picked a good time to score his first of the year. Plant was credited with the game-winner in the third period as Denver beat St. Cloud State 3-2. Tanner Jaillet made 39 saves as SCSU outshot DU 42-27.
Omaha had to settle for a 2-2 draw with Colorado College, as the Tigers got second-period goals from Peter Maric and Matt Hansen and 32 saves from red-hot goalie Tyler Marble. The Tigers won the shootout 1-0 on a goal by Cody Bradley, so Omaha falls to fourth and leads UMD by just one point.
Game 35: UMD at Western Michigan
KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- I'll just cut to the chase.
Don't forget we're on 92.1 The Fan starting with this series. Network stations are unchanged. Red Rock Radio app for mobile streaming, go here for non-mobile.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Sampair - Toninato - Krause
Farley - Cameranesi - Kuhlman
Osterberg - Thomas - Crandall
Decowski - Young (Austyn) - Molenaar
NOTE: Nick McCormack will take the warmup and may play at forward.
Johnson - Welinski
Soucy - Raskob
Corrin - Kotyk
Kaskisuo - McNeely
WMU
Tiffels - Nong-Lambert - Laporte
McKee - Mellor - Rebry
Hargrove - Dries - Novak
Kovacs - Kessel - Muir
Stewart - Morrison
Goff - Moldenhauer
Dienes - Fleming
Slubowski - Bridges - Hafner
Don't forget we're on 92.1 The Fan starting with this series. Network stations are unchanged. Red Rock Radio app for mobile streaming, go here for non-mobile.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Sampair - Toninato - Krause
Farley - Cameranesi - Kuhlman
Osterberg - Thomas - Crandall
Decowski - Young (Austyn) - Molenaar
NOTE: Nick McCormack will take the warmup and may play at forward.
Johnson - Welinski
Soucy - Raskob
Corrin - Kotyk
Kaskisuo - McNeely
WMU
Tiffels - Nong-Lambert - Laporte
McKee - Mellor - Rebry
Hargrove - Dries - Novak
Kovacs - Kessel - Muir
Stewart - Morrison
Goff - Moldenhauer
Dienes - Fleming
Slubowski - Bridges - Hafner
Thursday, March 05, 2015
NCHC Season Wraps Up With UMD Facing 'Skating Refrigerators'
KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- When I tweeted the quote Wednesday, a UMD fan responded by asking if it was bulletin board material.
I've listened back a few times now, and I don't believe it was.
In fact, UMD assistant coach Jason Herter -- conducting the weekly men's hockey press conference Wednesday in place of head coach Scott Sandelin, who was making his way down I-35 to watch son Ryan play and score a goal in the state tournament -- was referencing how he doesn't think UMD matches up wonderfully with Western Michigan.
It actually started with a question about the teams' meeting in January, one that saw Western Michigan take five of a possible six points. The question framed that series as "disappointing."
"Disappointing? I don't know. You look at our league, every weekend so far, we've gotten points," Herter said. "Points matter. Yes, disappointing we didn't get three points, but as close as our league is and as hard as it is every weekend, playing against a team I would say we don't match up great against because they're like a bunch of skating refrigerators.
"They're big men who have a decent amount of skill. They work hard and they're well-coached."
Herter wasn't trying to insult the Broncos. Instead, the point was to show why UMD doesn't necessarily match up very well against them. That is especially true when the Bulldogs -- who probably have a speed and skill advantage in these games this weekend -- aren't moving their feet and are maybe trying to be too physical themselves.
Times have changed. When Western rolled into Duluth, Andy Murray's Broncos were, well, rolling. After starting 3-8-1, WMU ripped off a pair of three-game winning streaks in going 7-1-2 over a ten-game run that ended in Duluth. The Broncos split the following weekend at St. Cloud State, and since beating the Huskies 3-2 on Jan. 24, Western has won just one out of eight games (outscored 24-14, but half that margin came in Saturday's 5-0 loss to Colorado College).
Murray, however, says that doesn't tell the whole story.
On the North Dakota series, which ended in a UND sweep, Murray noted "we liked our compete level." He said UND goalie Zane McIntyre was the difference.
Murray thought his team played very well against North Dakota, but McIntyre (Murray called him the MVP of the NCHC) helped the adversary get all six points on the weekend. The Broncos rallied from 2-0 down in the third period of the Saturday game to force overtime, but gave up the winner in the extra session.
Last weekend, however, Murray wasn't as pleased with what he saw. Western outshot Colorado College 52-25 in the Friday game, which ended in a tie and a WMU shootout win. Saturday, the Tigers pummeled a Bronco team Murray described as "arrogant."
"Most disappointing game, probably, that I've had as a college coach," the former NHL bench boss said this week. "We knew we were going to finish seventh (in the NCHC), and did not show enough respect for our opponent. We were undisciplined in our game, and we got what we deserved.
"How can you play arrogant as a seventh-place team? I've always told people that if you don't stay humble, you'll get humbled."
That's the backdrop for this weekend.
Murray is an exceptional coach, one of the more intense individuals you'll ever come across. If you think he hasn't reminded his players of what happened Saturday -- whether it be subtle or blunt -- you're nuts. He's a smart guy. He'll use that as motivation for this weekend, when Western Michigan knows it will play at Lawson Ice Arena for the final time this season.
WMU only has four seniors -- Justin Kovacs, Will Kessel, Matt Stewart, and goalie Frank Slubowski -- but Senior Night can be a catalyst for everyone on the roster. Especially when the group knows it isn't playing at home again, no matter what.
My point? The Broncos will be ready.
UMD should be, too. The Bulldogs didn't play poorly last time out against this team, but UMD is 0-3-1 over four meetings against Western going back to last year's NCHC playoffs, when WMU ended UMD's season at Amsoil Arena.
(Murray said he felt his team's goaltending was the difference that weekend.)
As Herter said this week, UMD needs to do a better job using its speed as an asset. In January, there were times where the Bulldogs looked liked they were playing more at Western's pace, which is slower. Most opponents will try to -- at least to an extent -- slow UMD down. There aren't a lot of Miamis out there who can skate with the Bulldogs.
If the Bulldogs can quicken the pace and make Western chase more, they'll find more success this weekend.
It's a vital one for UMD's home-ice chances, which took a significant hit with the two ties/shootout losses against Omaha. UMD now trails Denver by two points for fourth and UNO by three for third. With UNO hosting last-place Colorado College this weekend, odds are high the Mavericks will go "over .500" and pull far enough ahead of UMD to hold on to third place. Denver is the kicker. UMD owns the tiebreaker, and DU is at St. Cloud State, which still has an outside shot at improving its position.
UMD will be trying to move up the standings without speedy sophomore Alex Iafallo, who will miss a second straight weekend because of illness. Herter was quick to point out Wednesday that both he and Sandelin were sick for extended periods of time. He forgot that his favorite radio nerd was also sick -- started with respiratory flu symptoms and then a persistent cough and off-and-on stuffiness and sore throat -- for close to two months. There's some serious crud going around, and it sounds like Iafallo is the latest victim.
It stinks, because this is the time of year you want your optimal lineup out there consistently. It's not the time for experimentation or rotating players. North Dakota, for example, has pulled away from the pack by going 11-1-1 since losing to UMD Jan. 9. The lineup hasn't changed much over those games, though it will now with senior forward Mark MacMillan (finalist for both the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award and Hockey Humanitarian Award) out indefinitely.
UMD hasn't been able to field its best lineup since a Feb. 6 win over Northern Michigan. The Bulldogs are 3-2-2 while dealing with the five-game absence of Dominic Toninato and now the two games Iafallo has missed (you can add these two to that record once we know the results of the games).
So it's "GOHUSKIESWOOOO" this weekend for UMD fans (that's a real Twitter handle, y'all), while hoping for the best in Kalamazoo.
That's all for now. I'll return at some point and post all the standings scenarios and the tiebreakers the NCHC will use. For now, know that UMD can finish anywhere from second to sixth, so there are a lot of possibilities in play. Obviously, some are more realistic than others.
I've listened back a few times now, and I don't believe it was.
In fact, UMD assistant coach Jason Herter -- conducting the weekly men's hockey press conference Wednesday in place of head coach Scott Sandelin, who was making his way down I-35 to watch son Ryan play and score a goal in the state tournament -- was referencing how he doesn't think UMD matches up wonderfully with Western Michigan.
It actually started with a question about the teams' meeting in January, one that saw Western Michigan take five of a possible six points. The question framed that series as "disappointing."
"Disappointing? I don't know. You look at our league, every weekend so far, we've gotten points," Herter said. "Points matter. Yes, disappointing we didn't get three points, but as close as our league is and as hard as it is every weekend, playing against a team I would say we don't match up great against because they're like a bunch of skating refrigerators.
"They're big men who have a decent amount of skill. They work hard and they're well-coached."
Herter wasn't trying to insult the Broncos. Instead, the point was to show why UMD doesn't necessarily match up very well against them. That is especially true when the Bulldogs -- who probably have a speed and skill advantage in these games this weekend -- aren't moving their feet and are maybe trying to be too physical themselves.
Times have changed. When Western rolled into Duluth, Andy Murray's Broncos were, well, rolling. After starting 3-8-1, WMU ripped off a pair of three-game winning streaks in going 7-1-2 over a ten-game run that ended in Duluth. The Broncos split the following weekend at St. Cloud State, and since beating the Huskies 3-2 on Jan. 24, Western has won just one out of eight games (outscored 24-14, but half that margin came in Saturday's 5-0 loss to Colorado College).
Murray, however, says that doesn't tell the whole story.
On the North Dakota series, which ended in a UND sweep, Murray noted "we liked our compete level." He said UND goalie Zane McIntyre was the difference.
Murray thought his team played very well against North Dakota, but McIntyre (Murray called him the MVP of the NCHC) helped the adversary get all six points on the weekend. The Broncos rallied from 2-0 down in the third period of the Saturday game to force overtime, but gave up the winner in the extra session.
Last weekend, however, Murray wasn't as pleased with what he saw. Western outshot Colorado College 52-25 in the Friday game, which ended in a tie and a WMU shootout win. Saturday, the Tigers pummeled a Bronco team Murray described as "arrogant."
"Most disappointing game, probably, that I've had as a college coach," the former NHL bench boss said this week. "We knew we were going to finish seventh (in the NCHC), and did not show enough respect for our opponent. We were undisciplined in our game, and we got what we deserved.
"How can you play arrogant as a seventh-place team? I've always told people that if you don't stay humble, you'll get humbled."
That's the backdrop for this weekend.
Murray is an exceptional coach, one of the more intense individuals you'll ever come across. If you think he hasn't reminded his players of what happened Saturday -- whether it be subtle or blunt -- you're nuts. He's a smart guy. He'll use that as motivation for this weekend, when Western Michigan knows it will play at Lawson Ice Arena for the final time this season.
WMU only has four seniors -- Justin Kovacs, Will Kessel, Matt Stewart, and goalie Frank Slubowski -- but Senior Night can be a catalyst for everyone on the roster. Especially when the group knows it isn't playing at home again, no matter what.
My point? The Broncos will be ready.
UMD should be, too. The Bulldogs didn't play poorly last time out against this team, but UMD is 0-3-1 over four meetings against Western going back to last year's NCHC playoffs, when WMU ended UMD's season at Amsoil Arena.
(Murray said he felt his team's goaltending was the difference that weekend.)
As Herter said this week, UMD needs to do a better job using its speed as an asset. In January, there were times where the Bulldogs looked liked they were playing more at Western's pace, which is slower. Most opponents will try to -- at least to an extent -- slow UMD down. There aren't a lot of Miamis out there who can skate with the Bulldogs.
If the Bulldogs can quicken the pace and make Western chase more, they'll find more success this weekend.
It's a vital one for UMD's home-ice chances, which took a significant hit with the two ties/shootout losses against Omaha. UMD now trails Denver by two points for fourth and UNO by three for third. With UNO hosting last-place Colorado College this weekend, odds are high the Mavericks will go "over .500" and pull far enough ahead of UMD to hold on to third place. Denver is the kicker. UMD owns the tiebreaker, and DU is at St. Cloud State, which still has an outside shot at improving its position.
UMD will be trying to move up the standings without speedy sophomore Alex Iafallo, who will miss a second straight weekend because of illness. Herter was quick to point out Wednesday that both he and Sandelin were sick for extended periods of time. He forgot that his favorite radio nerd was also sick -- started with respiratory flu symptoms and then a persistent cough and off-and-on stuffiness and sore throat -- for close to two months. There's some serious crud going around, and it sounds like Iafallo is the latest victim.
It stinks, because this is the time of year you want your optimal lineup out there consistently. It's not the time for experimentation or rotating players. North Dakota, for example, has pulled away from the pack by going 11-1-1 since losing to UMD Jan. 9. The lineup hasn't changed much over those games, though it will now with senior forward Mark MacMillan (finalist for both the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award and Hockey Humanitarian Award) out indefinitely.
UMD hasn't been able to field its best lineup since a Feb. 6 win over Northern Michigan. The Bulldogs are 3-2-2 while dealing with the five-game absence of Dominic Toninato and now the two games Iafallo has missed (you can add these two to that record once we know the results of the games).
So it's "GOHUSKIESWOOOO" this weekend for UMD fans (that's a real Twitter handle, y'all), while hoping for the best in Kalamazoo.
That's all for now. I'll return at some point and post all the standings scenarios and the tiebreakers the NCHC will use. For now, know that UMD can finish anywhere from second to sixth, so there are a lot of possibilities in play. Obviously, some are more realistic than others.
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