Playoffs Begin For UMD With Familiar Opponent

Last year, UMD hosted Miami for the regular season finale. After taking a sweep at the hands of a desperate Bulldog team, the RedHawks took a charter plane back home, only to hop on a bus and make the long journey to Duluth four days later for a playoff series.

This year, Miami was just in Duluth two weeks ago. Now, we get to find out what lessons the Bulldogs learned from that Thursday-Friday series.

"I thought against them, especially the Friday game, we didn't manage the puck very well," UMD coach Scott Sandelin said this week of a 4-3 win and 3-3 tie (three-on-three loss) Feb. 23-24. "Just going back, when we got up, we couldn't find a way to score the third goal. Got to be tighter (defensively). They're a hard team to defend. They move laterally a lot. We've got to defend a lot better."

"This is a new time, so whatever you saw two weeks ago will be thrown out the window," Miami coach Enrico Blasi said. "When you play this time of year, everything will be a little more intense, more magnified."

It's playoff hockey now.

"You have to compete, make sure you're winning your battles," Blasi said before his team made the trek to Duluth. "This is a team (UMD) that's going to work hard, their second effort's really good. You have to pay attention to details."

His team did a good job in those areas two weeks ago. Not so much last week. After a 5-2 loss to North Dakota Saturday in which his team was outshot 27-11 in front of a sellout crowd on Senior Night, Blasi simply said the RedHawks "weren't good enough."

"North Dakota took it to us right from the beginning," he noted.

These are certainly familiar adversaries at this point. This weekend will mark their ninth, tenth, and maybe eleventh meetings in the last 14 months and change. If they don't know each other well by now, they never will.

UMD got four points in that sole regular season meeting two weeks ago, but the prevailing thought was the Bulldogs left two points on the table. Now, to be fully realistic, no one was beating out Denver for the league title, but UMD didn't do a good enough job over six games against the seventh- and eighth-place teams (the Bulldogs went 2-1-3 against Miami and Colorado College) to stay alive in the race for the Penrose Cup.

What has to change? For starters, the Bulldogs need to bear down when they have a chance to put a team away.

Look at Saturday against Western Michigan. The Broncos aren't going to quit on any game at this point, but UMD was up 2-0 late in the first and on a power play. Score, and it's a 3-0 game after one with all three goals coming in the final five minutes. The game might not be over, but it's as close as it can be at the end of the first period. Instead, UMD takes a late penalty, a Western power play starts in the second period, and the Broncos score on a great shot by Matheson Iacopelli to get back in the game.

Later, in a 2-2 game, UMD gets a crazy goal off a scramble in front of the Western Michigan net with four seconds left in the second. Then Avery Peterson and Joey Anderson in the first seven minutes of the third to turn 3-2 into 5-2, and for the most part, the game is over at that point.

That next goal can make a big difference. In both games against Miami two weeks ago, the Bulldogs failed to get that next goal, whether it be for a one- or two-goal lead. The RedHawks made UMD pay both nights, in the Thursday game making UMD get that late power-play goal from Peterson to secure the win, then Friday getting two points with a late tally in regulation and a three-on-three goal.

Miami scored two goals off rushes in the Thursday game, then three off shots from up high Friday, plays where defenders didn't do a good job tracking guys or blocking shots before Hunter Miska had to deal with them. That's another area Sandelin wants his team to clean up, and plenty of time in practice was devoted to it this week.

Miami won't lay down. Blasi is one of the top coaches in the country, and he knows his young team has shown significant progress over the course of the season. With captain Louie Belpedio out (knee injury suffered Feb. 18 against Denver), the RedHawks are thinner on defense, but that was the case in the earlier visit. UMD needs to contain guys like Anthony Louis and Kiefer Sherwood better than they did two weeks ago. Do that, be better about consistently attacking the RedHawks blue line, and take care of the defensive zone, and the Bulldogs will be well on their way to Target Center next weekend.

******

Sandelin and the staff were pleased as punch with Saturday's game. No, it wasn't a perfect performance, but they really liked how the players responded to some real adversity.

As if losing 7-4 Friday wasn't bad enough, senior defenseman Carson Soucy was lost to a lower-body injury late in the third period. He didn't play Saturday and will not play this weekend. In addition, UMD lost forward Kyle Osterberg to an upper-body injury in the first period (he didn't return but is good to go this weekend), and it was already missing freshman Riley Tufte (virus, good to go this weekend).

Instead, a number of other guys stepped to the forefront. Jared Thomas scored his first goal since October 2015. Jarod Hilderman was solid in his third game since Oct. 15. Willie Raskob and Neal Pionk were dynamic at times. Brenden Kotyk, I thought, had a really good game. Avery Peterson was strong. Joey Anderson scored two goals (just his second and third in the last 15 games).

We don't how long Soucy will be absent, but what was witnessed on Saturday was a huge positive sign. Once again, this veteran team responded well to roadblocks being thrown out in front of them.

"The win to me was a huge one for a number of reasons," Sandelin said. "It was one of those times where you find out a little bit about your team. I thought our guys pulled together and played a strong game. It shows our depth, our resiliency, and the character of our team."

******

In addition to the NCHC awards that came out Wednesday (if you didn't read, Alex Iafallo first team All-NCHC, Neal Pionk and Hunter Miska second team), Miska Thursday morning was named a semi-finalist for the Mike Richter Award, given to the top goalie in Division I. Miska is 20-5-4 with a 2.14 goals against and .921 save percentage entering the playoffs.

The rest of the group of ten is: Michael Bitzer, Bemidji State; Parker Gahagen, Army; Kyle Hayton, St. Lawrence; Tanner Jaillet, Denver; Merrick Madsen, Harvard; Jake Oettinger, Boston University; Cal Petersen, Notre Dame; Shane Starrett, Air Force; Charles Williams, Canisius.

Five finalists will be named March 23, with the winner announced at the Frozen Four April 7.

NCHC Award Winners Include Three Bulldogs

After announcing the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) All-Rookie Team on Tuesday, the NCHC has announced its all-conference teams for the 2016-17 season, as voted on by coaches and student-athletes. Denver led the way with two representatives on both the First and Second All-NCHC teams, while Minnesota Duluth placed three on the all-conference teams and Omaha had one player land on each All-NCHC squad. Miami and North Dakota each had one player earn First-Team All-Conference as five teams are represented, while Western Michigan had a Bronco land on the Second Team.

Garnering First-Team All-NCHC is UMD senior forward Alex Iafallo, Miami senior forward Anthony Louis, Omaha senior forward Austin Ortega, Denver senior defenseman Will Butcher, North Dakota senior defenseman Tucker Poolman and DU junior netminder Tanner Jaillet. A pair of Pioneers took two forward spots on the All-Conference Second Team in freshman Henrik Borgström and sophomore Dylan Gambrell, while Western Michigan senior Sheldon Dries nabbed the third forward spot. On the Second Team blue line is UMD sophomore Neal Pionk and Omaha junior Luc Snuggerud, while another Bulldog takes the goaltender spot in freshman Hunter Miska.

Butcher, the only repeat selection on the All-NCHC First Team, led all voting with 35 points, including 11 (of a possible 14) first-place votes. Iafallo, who was on the inaugural NCHC All-Rookie Team, also received 11 first-place votes and 34 points as the top forward vote-getter. Louis totaled 30 points and nine first-place votes while Ortega had 23 points and six first-place votes. Poolman took the other blue line spot with 26 points and seven first-place votes, while Jaillet nabbed 10 first-place votes for 32 points.

Iafallo captured the NCHC scoring title with 30 points (his 1.25 ppg was also tops in the NCHC) while playing in all 24 conference games, scoring 11 goals and adding 19 assists, which ranked second in NCHC play. He also logged a plus-13 rating in those 24 games, while scoring two game-winners, leading the NCHC with two short-handed goals and tallying a hat trick. Ortega was second in NCHC scoring with 28 points on 10 goals and 18 assists in 23 games, with his 1.22 ppg also second. Louis, a Chicago Blackhawks draft pick, took third in NCHC scoring with 27 points in 24 conference games, tying Iafallo for second with 19 assists while chipping in eight goals.

On the back end, Butcher finished fifth in NCHC scoring and led all blue liners with 25 points in 24 games, including an NCHC-best 22 assists in conference play. The Colorado Avalanche draft pick also led the NCHC with a plus-18 rating while blocking 46 shots, which tied for fourth in conference play. Poolman tied for third among defenseman scoring in NCHC play with 18 points while appearing in all 24 conference games. The Winnipeg Jets prospect scored four goals and added 14 assists, while logging a plus-6 rating and blocking 28 shots. In goal, Jaillet led the NCHC with 16 wins and an .833 win percentage, posting a 16-2-3 mark in his 22 conference starts. He also led NCHC netminders with a 1.65 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage.

Among Second-Team selections, the blue liners were the top vote-getters with six first-place votes each as Pionk earned 25 points and Snuggerud 21, while Borgström, who was also named to the NCHC All-Rookie Team this year, also received six first-place votes and had 20 points. Gambrell, an NCHC All-Rookie Team pick last year, picked up 19 points and five first-place votes, while Dries and Miska each garnered three first-place votes with 14 and 16 points, respectively.

Gambrell, a San Jose Sharks prospect, tied for fifth in NCHC scoring with 25 points in 24 games, scoring 10 goals and adding 15 assists with a plus-15 rating. His teammate, Borgström, a pick of the Florida Panthers, totaled 19 points and a plus-9 rating in only 20 NCHC games with his 12 goals tying for third in conference play. Dries also tallied 12 goals in NCHC play, compiling 22 points in 24 games, scoring two game-winning goals and adding a hat trick, while also blocking 46 shots.

On the blue line, Snuggerud was second among defensemen with 22 points in 24 games, notching nine goals and 13 assists, including an NCHC-best six power play goals. The Chicago Blackhawks prospect also blocked 20 shots in NCHC play. Pionk tallied 18 points in 24 games, including 14 assists and four goals, while compiling a plus-12 rating and blocking 38 shots. In net, Miska led the NCHC with four shutouts in conference play as he was the lone goalie to start all 24 NCHC games, posting a 15-4-4 record (.739). His .919 save percentage was second in the NCHC, as was his 2.24 goals-against average in conference play.

Six players also earned Honorable Mention All-NCHC, which is made up of the next three highest point totals at forward, next two at defensemen and the third overall point finisher at goaltender. Receiving Honorable Mention are Denver sophomore forward Troy Terry, UND sophomore forward Shane Gersich, SCSU sophomore forward Mikey Eyssimont, Miami junior defenseman Louie Belpedio, SCSU sophomore defenseman Jimmy Schuldt and WMU freshman netminder Ben Blacker, who also earned NCHC All-Rookie Team honors on Tuesday. Along with Blacker, Belpedio and Schuldt were named NCHC All-Rookie in previous seasons.

Voting was conducted by the head coaches and one student-athlete at each institution. Coaches and student-athletes voted for six forwards, four defensemen and two goaltenders, awarding first-place votes for six players (three forwards, two defensemen and one goaltender) and second-place votes for the other six selections. Three points were awarded for a first-place vote while one point was awarded for a second-place vote. Coaches and players were not allowed to vote for themselves or their players/teammates.

The NCHC will announce its individual award finalists on Thursday. Individual award winners will be announced at the NCHC Awards Celebration in Minneapolis, Minn. on Thursday, March 16.

All-Conference First Team
F: *Alex Iafallo, Sr., UMD – 34 points (11 first-place votes)
F: Anthony Louis, Sr., Miami – 30 (9)
F: $Austin Ortega, Sr., Omaha – 23 (6)
D: #Will Butcher, Sr., Denver – 35 (11)
D: Tucker Poolman, Jr., UND – 26 (7)
G: Tanner Jaillet, Jr., Denver – 32 (10)

All-Conference Second Team
F: %Henrik Borgström, Fr., Denver – 20 (6)
F: @Dylan Gambrell, So., Denver – 19 (5)
F: Sheldon Dries, Sr., WMU – 14 (3)
D: Neal Pionk, So., UMD – 25 (6)
D: ^Luc Snuggerud, Jr., Omaha – 21 (6)
G: Hunter Miska, Fr., UMD – 16 (3)

Honorable Mention All-Conference
F: Troy Terry, So., Denver – 10 (3)
F: Shane Gersich, So., UND – 9 (1)
F: Mikey Eyssimont, So., SCSU – 8 (0)
D: ^+Louie Belpedio, Jr., Miami – 14 (2)
D: @Jimmy Schuldt, So., SCSU – 4 (0)
G: %Ben Blacker, Fr., WMU – 15 (3)

# 2015-16 NCHC First-Team All-Conference
+ 2015-16 NCHC Honorable Mention All-Conference
$ 2014-15 NCHC Honorable Mention All-Conference
% 2016-17 NCHC All-Rookie Team
@2015-16 NCHC All-Rookie Team
^ 2014-15 NCHC All-Rookie Team
* 2013-14 NCHC All-Rookie Team

NCHC Awards: How I Would Have Voted

The annual tradition that is NCHC postseason awards started Tuesday, when the league released its All-Rookie Team.

All-NCHC honors are due soon, but before that happens, here's a quick look at how your humble correspondent would have voted were he permitted to do so. These are always difficult choices, and surely some of you will be offended.

Leave your thoughts in the comments, or hit me up on Twitter @BruceCiskie. I'll be back with the official announcement once it's out.

ALL-NCHC TEAMS
FIRST TEAM
Forwards
Alex Iafallo, UMD
Anthony Louis, Miami
Austin Ortega, Omaha

Defensemen
Will Butcher, Denver
Carson Soucy, UMD

Goalie
Tanner Jaillet, Denver

SECOND TEAM
Forwards
Dylan Gambrell, Denver
Shane Gersich, North Dakota
Matheon Iacopelli, Western Michigan

Defensemen
Neal Pionk, UMD
Luc Snuggerud, Omaha

Goalie
Hunter Miska, UMD

APOLOGIES TO
Forwards: Sheldon Dries, Western Michigan; Mikey Eyssimont, St. Cloud State; Adam Johnson, UMD; Griffen Molino, Western Michigan; Kiefer Sherwood, Miami
Defensemen: Jack Ahcan, St. Cloud State; Tucker Poolman, North Dakota

NCHC ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Forwards
Joey Anderson, UMD
Henrik Borgstrom, Denver
Tyson Jost, North Dakota

Defensemen
Jack Ahcan, St. Cloud State
Colton Poolman, North Dakota

Goalie
Hunter Miska, UMD

NCHC Player of the Year: Alex Iafallo, UMD
NCHC Defenseman of the Year: Will Butcher, Denver
NCHC Goaltender of the Year: Tanner Jaillet, Denver
NCHC Rookie of the Year: Henrik Borgstrom, Denver

Monday Musings: Split With Western Michigan Sets UMD Up For Postseason

Much better, more composed performance from UMD in Saturday's 6-3 win over Western Michigan in Kalamazoo. That they did it without big-minute defenseman Carson Soucy is a gigantic bonus, in my view.

There wasn't a long list of players who played well in Friday's game. UMD was guilty of missed coverages and not doing enough to get to the net front and disrupt WMU goalie Ben Blacker. Saturday's tone was set in the first period, when the Bulldogs were getting outshot in the early going but not letting anyone get second chances in Hunter Miska's kitchen. Then, the first Western Michigan penalty of the game ended up in the back of the Broncos' net when a shooting mentality and net drive led to Jared Thomas' first goal in 70 games, going back to Oct. 17, 2015.

A couple minutes later, Western captain Sheldon Dries took an undisciplined penalty and ended up in the box for six seconds. Why six seconds? Because Adam Johnson walked the blue line, found a lane, and scored off a Joey Anderson tip (yes, we know Johnson got official credit, but both he and Anderson said after the game it was tipped). It was a perfect example of a player up high finding a way to get a puck through to give UMD a scoring chance.

This time of year, you have to score that way.

You also have to, at this time of the season, deal with pushback from the team that trails. Down 2-0, Western Michigan didn't lay down. The Broncos leveled by the midway point of the second, and kept pushing to take the lead before UMD got a break late in the period. Blacker came out to play a dump-in and turned it over to Karson Kuhlman on the right wing. Kuhlman whipped the puck toward the net as Blacker hustled back to the crease. He stopped Kuhlman's shot, but Adam Johnson poked it by him as he kept sliding back out of the crease, and the puck crossed the line before the mass of bodies took the net off.

UMD seized the momentum, getting an Avery Peterson goal early in the third before Anderson made a great individual effort off the wall and ripped a shot by Blacker to chase him from the game.

The win is UMD's 21st of the season and it keeps the Bulldogs safely in the second spot of the PairWise rankings. UMD finishes NCHC play in second place after Denver swept Omaha over the weekend.

(Like I said last week, UMD didn't lose this conference title. Denver won it, going on a tear here down the stretch and looking every bit the national championship contender we believe them to be.)

******

UMD had to shake some adversity. Soucy was injured late in Friday's loss when he got tangled with Western forward Griffen Molino. Nothing malicious in any way, but Soucy fell awkwardly after Molino collided low trying to get in front of a shot. He hobbled off the ice and didn't return, and didn't dress Saturday. As for prognosis and the like, we should know more in the early part of the week. Keep the fingers crossed for good news.

Without him, UMD went with freshman Jarod Hilderman and mixed up pairings. We saw a lot of Neal Pionk with Willie Raskob, and they were very good. It was one of Raskob's best games in a while, and Pionk was his usual self. If Soucy is gone for any length of time, these are the two I expect the Bulldogs to ride. Both are capable of handling big minutes and can be dynamic players moving the puck. Pionk's shot is a game-changer.

Dan Molenaar and Brenden Kotyk also saw a lot of minutes Saturday and did quite well. Kotyk had an assist and blocked shots like normal. Molenaar played in his 33rd straight game -- a great accomplishment for a guy who had been so snakebit by injury and illness in his UMD career -- and continued his stretch of very consistent work on the blue line.

UMD also played without forward Riley Tufte (illness), who was sick on and off during the day and ruled out after the team got the rink pregame Saturday. Tufte told me at the airport Sunday he was already feeling better, so hopefully he's a full go this week for Miami. Same for forward Kyle Osterberg, who left late in the first with an upper-body injury after a check to the head. He did not return, but hopefully recovers in time to go this week.

******

Next up for UMD is the only weekend of playoffs that can't end its season. The Bulldogs will host Miami in a first-round NCHC playoff series starting Friday at 7. Same Miami team that gave UMD fits two weeks ago, but one swept last week at home by North Dakota.

The RedHawks need to win the league tournament to move on, and UMD wants to build off what it accomplished in a strong effort on Saturday.

Also, the UMD women and WCHA Tournament MVP Maddie Rooney host Minnesota Saturday afternoon. We'll have all the hockey this weekend on the radio, and preview stuff coming on the blog so watch for that.

Game 34: UMD at Western Michigan

KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- It'll be interesting to see how UMD responds after Friday got out of control so quickly in the second period. Western made it 2-0 late in the first, then got two goals in 53 seconds early in the second to double the lead and chase UMD freshman goalie Hunter Miska. Hunter Shepard finished the game by stopping 12 of the 13 shots he faced, doing his best to keep UMD in the game.

Bad news: Senior defenseman Carson Soucy is out with an injury, replaced in the lineup by freshman Jarod Hilderman. Not sure the prognosis at this point, but he went down late in Friday's game with what appeared to be a lower-body problem after a collision with Western Michigan forward Griffen Molino, who was sliding to block a shot but ended up hitting Soucy after he skated forward before trying to shoot. From what I saw, it didn't appear to be anything malicious, just unfortunate. It's Hilderman's sixth game this season, third since the new year.

Mixes up defensive pairings, as you can imagine. Up front, Riley Tufte is ill, so the lines are a jumbled mess.

As for the game, I hammered on the earlier blog the problems that reared their ugly heads in Friday's game. No need to rehash. Read down for that stuff. Playoffs start with Miami visiting on Friday night. This is the last chance to get everything going the way UMD wants it to before the second season begins.

One more note: This will be the last game this season where potential major penalties are not subject to video review. The NCAA directive is that officials be allowed to look at these during postseason games, and that extends to conference tournaments as well as the NCAAs. Because you're a loyal UMD fan, I'm giving you this info now so hopefully it sinks in for all of us by next weekend.

Lines?

Lines.

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

Molenaar - Kotyk
Pionk - Raskob
Wolff - Hilderman

Miska - Shepard

WMU
Molino - Dries - Iacopelli
McKee - Rebry - Hadley
Courtnall - Tiffels - McMullen
McGing - Conrad - Allison

Dienes - Bafia
Schueneman - Fleming
Lee - Moldenhauer

Olson - Blacker - Gorsuch

(WMU lists goalies in numerical order. Starter is expected to be Blacker, I'll update on Twitter blah blah.)

Saturday Hockey Notes and Thoughts: Western Michigan Ends UMD's Unbeaten Streak, NCHC Title Hopes

KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- After a 7-4 UMD loss to Western Michigan Friday night, thoughts -- naturally -- turned to Mike Yeo. And, no, not because son Kyler and Hill-Murray are heading back to the state tournament.

Back in 2015, the Minnesota Wild beat the St. Louis Blues in a first round Stanley Cup Playoff series. Leading the series 2-1, the Wild hosted Game 4 and were summarily waxed 6-1. So, naturally, Minnesota went into St. Louis and won Game 5 before clinching the series in Game 6.

After the series, then-head coach Mike Yeo appeared on KFAN with Paul Allen and was asked if that Game 4 loss might have been a blessing in disguise because it helped re-focus the team. Yeo didn't hesitate to agree.

"I think it's better to get your butt kicked in a game like that than to not be up to your game and just fall short," Yeo said. "It was a good, stiff reminder that's not good enough, that's not our level."

For a couple weeks now, UMD coaches have been imploring their players to be better, especially in the neutral and defensive zones. But as the team continued to rack up not-losses and ran its unbeaten streak to 11, was the message really getting through?

I'd like to think -- to be perfectly honest -- a veteran team like this wouldn't have any trouble understanding what's in front of it. However, if it can happen and be necessary in the NHL, why should a band of college kids be exempt?

With that in mind, was Friday the "stiff reminder" Yeo was talking about with his now-former team? Only time will tell, but there's little doubt that Friday wasn't good enough, and it can't be sugar-coated around a result that saw UMD get points. Instead, Western Michigan took it to the Bulldogs, putting five goals by UMD goaltenders, including four on just eight shots against freshman Hunter Miska before he was yanked. Classmate Hunter Shepard stopped 12 of 13, and the worthless empty net made no saves on two shots.

There was a lot not to like from UMD. Not the first game like this as of late, and now that the Penrose Cup has been won by Denver, we'll see some things change for UMD.

Poor coverage from the faceoff dots down helped stake the Broncos to a 2-0 lead after one. Sheldon Dries and Hugh McGing scored on different rebound plays. Dries got free for a quick slot shot that Miska made a good save on, but the rebound somehow bounced back to Dries, who was still open in the slot and this time made no mistake. On that play, UMD had defenders in the area, but Dries got in between Joey Anderson and Alex Iafallo, and the latter let Dries go after the first shot and wasn't ready for the puck to bounce back to him. Both Iafallo and Willie Raskob were in position to stop that shot from happening, but somehow Dries kept his stick free in a tight space and got a puck by Miska because the goalie had no chance to see it.

On the second, Hugh McGing drove the net from the goal line and threw in a rebound off a Griffen Molino shot for a power play goal. The killers did a good job, outside of McGing charging by Raskob to get to the puck, which can't happen.

The third goal featured a puck dumped to the right-wing side of the UMD zone. Instead of chasing the loose puck, Avery Peterson let Luke Bafia get there first. Watching the video, the only thing I can imagine is Peterson didn't see Bafia and was letting Riley Tufte get to it, but I don't know. It looks really bad on video, and while Miska should have stopped Bafia's shot, it's hard to be too mad at the freshman goalie when the shot never should have happened to start with.

I could do this all night. But I don't want to. You get the point. There were mistakes made on pretty much every Western Michigan goal that came with a goalie in the net, and even one of the empty-net goals featured a lost battle that just can't happen when a team has an extra skater on the ice. Maybe some messages will get through more effectively after a game like this that ends in a lopsided defeat than they were after wins and ties.

Miska wasn't great but had little help. The top line of Dominic Toninato, Iafallo, and Anderson was a combined minus-12 with one point and seven shots. I thought pretty much the entire defensive corps struggled, outside of Dan Molenaar and Nick Wolff, both of whom I thought were okay. Peterson and Adam Johnson won a combined eight of 27 faceoffs. The power play was a trainwreck.

Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?

This isn't to take away from the Broncos. They played very well. Dries and Molino are as advertised, not that I expected anything different. Western deserved everything it got on this night.

So did UMD.

******

The third period was, well, interesting. Karson Kuhlman's power play goal cut the lead to 5-2 early. UMD had a couple power plays after that but couldn't cash in, but Sandelin pulled Shepard with 4:13 to go. Western, however, won a faceoff and scored quickly into the empty net to make it 6-2.

UMD then responded with goals by Brenden Kotyk and Adam Johnson 26 seconds apart to cut the lead to 6-4. And 11 seconds after Johnson's goal, UMD was back on the power play.

It didn't score, and Dries capped a hat trick with an empty-netter in the final minute.

The power play struggled against WMU's pressure. It's been a longstanding theme for UMD to have difficulty scoring against aggressive penalty kills. Effective, aggressive kills force the power play guys to make quick decisions, and make them under pressure. UMD just wasn't decisive enough on this night, leading to tie-ups and battles on the wall, and the Bulldogs weren't able to win them often enough.

There were opportunities for UMD to claw back in, but the Bulldogs never got there. Power play struggles were a large reason for it.

******

If you'll indulge me, there was a topic that came up Friday that I thought merited a mention. Bemidji State hosted Northern Michigan to kick off the WCHA playoffs, and even though every BSU game this season was televised, this weekend's are not.

Read more from the Bemidji Pioneer.

(BSU athletic director Tracy) Dill cited attendance and revenue concerns as reasons for the playoff broadcast decision.
"We appreciate everything Lakeland does for BSU," Dill said. "The broadcast is really good. The difference for us is, for first-round games in the WCHA, if we are in a position where we host, you have to guarantee the league $25,000 for the first round. Semifinals is the same and I think the championship is $15,000 or something. So we have to be able to sell tickets."

Dill went down the road that televised games hurt attendance. In 2017.

And maybe he's right if you take the narrow view. Maybe Bemidji doesn't draw 2,904 paid for the series opener if it's on TV. But let's take a real-world look at this.

People go to games for an experience. That experience can't be fulfilled on television. Trust me. I rarely get to Wild games, but went to two during UMD's February bye. As much as I struggle with big crowds of people sometimes, how could any hockey fan not want to go to a Wild game in person? What a great experience, and with all due respect to Anthony LaPanta and Mike Greenlay and Michael Russo and Audra Martin and Wes Walz and whoever else, TV and social media can't touch what you get when you're in the building.

My point, and I promise I have one, is people who want that experience aren't going to give it up because the game is on television. If a particular team -- especially a successful one like Bemidji State -- isn't drawing enough fans compared to what it thinks it should, it should be looking in the mirror, not at a TV. If anything, television helps a team become more visible in its community, which should help attendance. Because, again, you can't get the stadium experience watching on television.

Ask the Chicago Blackhawks, who once blacked out home games from being televised, and in a shocking development, saw attendance -- which was already terrible -- get worse. The owner died, his son took over, put the games back on TV, and even before the team was relevant again, attendance was back on the rise.

Amazing, a team is visible and people want to attend its games. What a concept.

******

Denver beat Omaha 4-2 to clinch the NCHC title on the strength of two third period goals by Henrik Borgstrom and a three-point night from Troy Terry. North Dakota got a short-handed goal from Duluth native Trevor Olson late in the second and won at Miami 3-2. Finally, St. Cloud State scored the last four goals in a 5-2 home win over Colorado College.

On the last night of the regular season, spots four through six in the final standings are up for grabs. Right now, North Dakota has the last home ice spot with 32 points, St. Cloud State is one point back at 31, and Omaha is sixth with 29. Lots of scenarios in play, but UND is definitely in the driver's seat to be at home next weekend.

Game 33: UMD at Western Michigan

KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- Obviously, the odds are long, but UMD is here to take a swing at the Penrose Cup title. That's all you can do, right?

Western Michigan is locked into third and can only help/hurt its PairWise position this weekend, not a whole lot. Both teams will be home next weekend, regardless.

Lines?

Lines.

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

Soucy - Raskob
Pionk - Kotyk
Wolff - Molenaar

Miska - Shepard

WMU
Molino - Dries - Iacopelli
McKee - Hadley - McMullen
Courtnall - Rebry - Tiffels
McGing - Conrad - Allison

Dienes - Bafia
Schueneman - Fleming
Lee - Moldenhauer

Olson - Blacker - Gorsuch

(WMU lists goalies in numerical order. Starter is expected to be Blacker, I'll update on Twitter blah blah.)

Playoff-Type Hockey Awaits UMD as Playoffs Loom

KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- What better way to prepare for the postseason if you're either of these teams?

Since the calendar flipped to 2017, Western Michigan is 9-3-2, including an 8-3-1 record in NCHC play that vaulted the Broncos from a home ice contender to a home ice lock heading into the final weekend of the regular season.

Since Jan. 13, UMD is 8-0-3, and over those 11 games, the Bulldogs have conceded just ten even-strength goals. Three of them came in last Friday's 3-3 tie with Miami.

Western Michigan plays a very difficult style for opponents. But things are different. Go back to before the teams met in Duluth in November, when I visited with WMU coach Andy Murray and asked him about how he's adjusted to the way NCHC teams play.

“When you have a poor year as we did last year, you have to take a look at what you’re doing and how you can improve," he said. "I think we changed our methodology. You’re foolish if you stay the same when it’s not working.”

What changed? This team has more speed and skill, for starters. The emergence of Corey Schueneman and Cam Lee gives WMU some serious mobility on the blue line. Up front, three-year captain Sheldon Dries is having another stellar season.

"He is our motor on our team," Murray said this week. "He thinks he's six-foot-four and plays in a five-nine body, but competes and battles and likes going up against other teams' best players."

Dries has produced this year, with 12 goals and 25 points. He has plenty of help, too. Sophomore Matheson Iacopelli was a revelation when these teams met earlier in the season. As teams have started paying more attention to him, he hasn't slowed down one bit. Iacopelli has 19 goals and 31 points to lead the team, and he's a very strong All-NCHC candidate.

(Dries, by the way, should be a good candidate for the league's Best Defensive Forward honors at the awards show before the Frozen Faceoff. But no one asked me.)

Flyers draft pick Wade Allison, a freshman, has 11 goals and 24 points. Sophomores Griffen Molino and Colt Conrad both have double-digit goals and 24 points. Molino will be a guy to watch after the season, as it sounds as if NHL teams are sniffing.

Schueneman and Lee lead a revamped defense that is mobile and can move the puck and join the rush. Lee is going to be a good one, he's only a freshman and has really emerged in the second half.

"They give us some mobility back there that maybe we've lacked in the past," Murray said, adding senior Taylor Fleming is another guy who can skate for the Broncos. "They've helped us move the puck more effectively than we did last year."

"They're a hard team to play against," UMD sophomore forward Adam Johnson said this week. "Always real physical. They've got some skill players and some guys who can score."

"They're fast, they hit hard, they block shots, they do things right," senior defenseman Brenden Kotyk said. "Obviously having Andy Murray as a coach will help that."

"I'm very impressed with their team," Bulldogs coach Scott Sandelin said. "They've done a really good job of adding more speed and skill to their lineup. It's not just one or two lines. It's lines one through four."

Of course, Western's opponent this weekend isn't exactly a slouch. Much like the Broncos, UMD doesn't have a star carrying the water. Or even a line. Behind senior Alex Iafallo's 34 points are four guys -- Neal Pionk, Adam Johnson, Joey Anderson, and Dominic Toninato -- in the 20s. Four Bulldogs have double-digit goals, and eight players are double-figures in points over the 22 NCHC games to date.

On UMD, Murray says "Tremendous, physical, they play hard-nosed hockey, in your face, can skate, good in transition."

Sounds like the kind of hockey both teams -- locks for the NCAA Tournament -- will see later in March. No better time to prepare than now.

******

Lots of work for UMD in practice this week on its defensive play. As assistant Jason Herter told me, it isn't that guys aren't working hard.

"We preach backchecking," he says. "And they backcheck so hard they take themselves out of position. We're trying to get our guys to settle their game down, understand what their job is."

Kotyk said there will be breakdowns, even in the NHL, but "you have to focus on your job.

"We have to make sure our defensive play is really tight."

He says communication is a huge key. Guys have to constantly be talking as they come back defensively.

"The defense start it on a rush," he said. "We can see the whole play. Forwards just turning around from the net can't really see what's going on. It's nice for us to be able to say 'Take far guy,' for example. It also identifies your man as you get into the zone."

UMD's rush coverage has broken down a couple times this season, most recently in the Thursday win over Miami. It's not the only wart Sandelin has found, but it's been a focus this week with the Broncos and then what should be a fantastic NCHC playoff on the horizon.

"Guys are working hard," he said. "We just need to work a little smarter.

"Our first forward back is usually low, and there's been some confusion. Sometimes it's a wing, and the center has to identify that. Sometimes, he gets caught low, and it leaves some gaps. It's just some more communication, reading, simplify things a little bit."

Sandelin also mentioned the team's inability to put opponents away recently. Up 2-0 on Colorado College, the Bulldogs missed a couple chances to make it 3-0 early, then ran into penalty trouble and had to settle for a tie and shootout win. Up 2-0 against Miami last Thursday, UMD had a long shift in the offensive zone, couldn't generate even a great scoring chance, much less the third goal, and eventually Miami scored off a rush to get on the board. Next thing you know, the game is tied and UMD has to grind out a win in the third period. The Bulldogs led 3-2 in Friday's game before Miami got a late equalizer and then an extra point in three-on-three overtime.

"We haven't been able to find the third goal," Sandelin said. "We've left some plays on the rink and missed some opportunities, you have to find a way to get that next goal."

That said, UMD is still unbeaten in 11, and while there might be some things Sandelin and the coaches see that cause aggravation, it's hard to complain about an 11-game unbeaten run against the competition the Bulldogs face on a regular basis.

******

Haven't talked much about the Penrose Cup. Frankly, it's still attainable, but you all know the odds are long.

Here's what UMD needs to win the Penrose Cup.

Sweep Western Michigan, and have Denver get no more than two points -- in any way -- out of Omaha. If DU gets two points out of one game and is beaten in regulation in the other, the teams would be tied at 55 points, and UMD would win the tiebreaker based on head to head goals (6-5 in that December series in Denver).

Sweep Western Michigan, and have Denver get one or zero points out of Omaha, and UMD wins the Penrose outright.

UMD can win with a five-point weekend, but only if Denver is swept. Otherwise, the Pioneers will have the league wins tiebreaker.

If UMD gets four points or less out of the series, Denver wins the Penrose without getting a point.

While UMD's players still want to win the league, they also know the more realistic outcome is a second-place finish that will probably send Miami back to Duluth for a best-of-three series next weekend.

"We're not out of it," Johnson said. "We just gotta to try to keep improving and put the pressure on them."

By staying the course and improving against a really good opponent this weekend, UMD also sets the course for a playoff run that starts in a week. After next week, everything left is one-and-done for the Bulldogs, with the obvious goal of getting to Chicago and the Frozen Four.

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 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.

Monday Musings: Denver Sweep Likely Sends Penrose Cup to Pioneers

Listen, I'm all about optimism. I'm not the guy who likes to throw buckets of cold water on things and such.

No, really, I'm not. Quit laughing.

But it seems a safe bet right now to say UMD will not be claiming its first Penrose Cup NCHC championship.

If that's how it ends up this weekend, the Denver Pioneers won it. UMD didn't lose it.

The Bulldogs won and tied over the weekend against Miami to run their unbeaten streak to 11, the longest since the school-record 17-game run in 2011-12. Yes, Miami got a late Gordie Green goal to tie Friday's game, then Green scored in three-on-three overtime for the extra standings point. Yes, it stinks to have missed out on a chance for a sweep.

But that's not what cost UMD the league title. No, what cost UMD the league title was Denver having won nine straight games since a Jan. 20 loss to St. Cloud State. What cost UMD the league title is Denver's 12-2 record (10-2 NCHC) since the new year. UMD is a mere 8-2-4 (6-2-4).

The Pioneers are playing great hockey. They kept winning when UMD needed just a little bit of help. Tip the cap to DU, don't scoff at the Bulldogs. And hopefully the two meet in the postseason, because it'll be epic.

As for Friday's game, the Bulldogs were not sharp in their own zone and still avoided a loss. That's probably a good thing, but it won't help if UMD can't use the lessons to get better.

Freshman goalie Hunter Miska wasn't his sharpest, but two of Miami's goals came on long shots with traffic, something UMD has typically done a good job of avoiding this season. If Miska can see it, there's a really good chance he stops it. And the Bulldogs can be better defending up high, preventing those pucks from getting through in the first place. Look for that to be a point of emphasis this week as Western Michigan looms.

******

Current NCHC standings:
Denver 53 points
UMD 49
Western Michigan 39
Omaha 29
North Dakota 29
St. Cloud State 28
Miami 23
Colorado College 14

If my math and tiebreaker understanding are correct, Denver, UMD, and Western Michigan will be the top three, and WMU is locked into third. UMD is probably 85-90 percent to finish second.

After that, it's a jumbled mess. Miami can leapfrog teams with a home sweep of UND, and St. Cloud State gets Colorado College at home while Omaha hosts Denver. It's too early to tell for sure, but if North Dakota gets a point from Miami and UMD finishes second, it'll be guaranteed to face Miami in the first round.

UMD heads to Kalamazoo to finish the regular season against resurgent Western Michigan. The Broncos are still scoring, still getting great work out of the power play, but now Andy Murray has been able to settle on a starting goalie in freshman Ben Blacker. He's right behind Miska with a .925 save percentage (Miska is .926). These teams are pretty evenly matched, especially when playing at even strength. If UMD's power play can stay hot (goals in six straight games, 8-for-26 in that stretch), the Bulldogs stand a great chance of leaving Kalamazoo with points.