UMD needs to play 60 minutes in this game, not 50. Also, stay out of the penalty box, even if it means not getting power plays of your own.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Farley - Cameranesi - Basaraba
Osterberg - Herbert - Spurrell
Iafallo - Toninato - Young
Sampair - Decowski - Krause
Soucy - Welinski
Smith - Raskob
Johnson - McManus
Crandall (Aaron) - McNeely - Fons
ND
Costello - Fogarty - Rust
Lucia - Tynan - Wuthrich
Voran - Gerths - Peterson
Herr - Hinostroza - Schneider
Taker - Johns
Lind - Russo
Johnson - Ostlie
Summerhays - Rogers - Katunar
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Saturday Hockey Notes and Thoughts: Irish Eyes Smile After Non-Conference Win
Yes, I had to go there.
This will be a quick blog. I have errands this morning and a hockey practice to run this afternoon. But Friday was so interesting that I couldn't ignore it completely.
Not often that you see two ejections in a game, with neither of them being for a hit from behind nor contact to the head.
Instead, UMD junior Caleb Herbert was booted late in the first period after being found guilty of spearing Notre Dame center T.J. Tynan in his happy place. Officials used video review to confirm the guilty party on the call. That is within the confines of NCAA video replay protocol, which allows officials to call a penalty and then use video review to confirm the player who committed the infraction. In this case, a linesman made the call, and a referee looked quickly at the video to make sure they had the right player.
But the truly bizarre happened in the third period.
UMD junior co-captain Adam Krause was checked into the Notre Dame goal crease. On his way out of the crease, Irish goalie Steven Summerhays grabbed Krause by the facemask -- from behind -- and pulled him back. After the ensuing skirmish, the officials convened. They sent Andy Ryan of Notre Dame and a loudly protesting Krause to the box for matching roughing calls (conveniently missing the cross-check that sent Krause flying into the crease to start with). They then ejected Summerhays for facemasking.
You read that correctly. A goalie got ejected. Not for fighting or for a hit to the head. No, for facemasking.
Freshman Kevin Catunar came in, and he played pretty well. In my opinion, UMD didn't do enough to test the glove of the 6-5 youngster, and his pads cover a lot of space since he's 77 inches tall and everything.
But this wasn't a bad effort by UMD at all. I'm sure the Bulldogs would like to get a good chunk of the second period back, and they have to find a way to stay out of the box against these guys. But five on five, UMD proved it can play with one of the best teams in the land.
Notre Dame is legit, people. Among the skaters are eight seniors who have seen virtually everything there is to see -- last night proved you never have seen everything. And Jeff Jackson knows he can play those eight seniors in any situation he wants. Tynan (two assists) has a bit of "rat" to him. He's a smart, crafty, two-way player who might be better on the penalty kill than he is offensively. David Gerths, Bryan Rust, Shayne Taker, and many others have talent and loads of experience playing high-end Division I hockey.
What am I saying? Notre Dame has everything Notre Dame needs to make it to Philadelphia next April. And it's probably going to take an upset or a rash of injuries to prevent it.
That team that has everything got plenty of fits from a young UMD team that needs to grow on the blueline, and it needed some bounces to win 3-2 on Friday. It's a good sign for UMD, no question. The Bulldogs have some very talented pieces of their own.
Cal Decowski had a great night, I thought, after Herbert was ejected. Unlike the Tech home game where Dominic Toninato was ejected and it seemed it took the air out of everyone, it seemed that some guys tried to take advantage of the extra ice time available with Herbert out. Decowski and Krause were two examples of that. Andy Welinski struggled early, but got better with the puck in the last 40 minutes, and he threw a couple nice hits in the defensive zone. Freshman Carson Soucy continues to show himself as a heck of a find by the UMD coaching staff, but he had more struggles Friday than he had in the first four games.
For now, they have to solve the blue line. Notre Dame did a very good job of putting pressure on the defensemen, and doing so forced too many turnovers by the home team. UMD has to deal with those puck management problems on Saturday to avoid a sweep. I'd expect a little bit of jumbling of personnel, though nothing major with the lines or pairings. Remember, UMD only has 14 forwards and eight eligible defensemen (they have nine rostered, but St. Scholastica transfer Brenden Kotyk can't play this season per NCAA rules). It's a long season, and the guys who sat out last night have to be kept fresh so they're available in case of injury.
The NCHC went 2-4 in non-conference play Friday. St. Cloud State (at Colgate) and Denver (vs Niagara) both won, while Colorado College (at Clarkson), Miami (at Providence), Omaha (vs Cornell), and UMD all lost.
This will be a quick blog. I have errands this morning and a hockey practice to run this afternoon. But Friday was so interesting that I couldn't ignore it completely.
Not often that you see two ejections in a game, with neither of them being for a hit from behind nor contact to the head.
Instead, UMD junior Caleb Herbert was booted late in the first period after being found guilty of spearing Notre Dame center T.J. Tynan in his happy place. Officials used video review to confirm the guilty party on the call. That is within the confines of NCAA video replay protocol, which allows officials to call a penalty and then use video review to confirm the player who committed the infraction. In this case, a linesman made the call, and a referee looked quickly at the video to make sure they had the right player.
But the truly bizarre happened in the third period.
UMD junior co-captain Adam Krause was checked into the Notre Dame goal crease. On his way out of the crease, Irish goalie Steven Summerhays grabbed Krause by the facemask -- from behind -- and pulled him back. After the ensuing skirmish, the officials convened. They sent Andy Ryan of Notre Dame and a loudly protesting Krause to the box for matching roughing calls (conveniently missing the cross-check that sent Krause flying into the crease to start with). They then ejected Summerhays for facemasking.
You read that correctly. A goalie got ejected. Not for fighting or for a hit to the head. No, for facemasking.
Freshman Kevin Catunar came in, and he played pretty well. In my opinion, UMD didn't do enough to test the glove of the 6-5 youngster, and his pads cover a lot of space since he's 77 inches tall and everything.
But this wasn't a bad effort by UMD at all. I'm sure the Bulldogs would like to get a good chunk of the second period back, and they have to find a way to stay out of the box against these guys. But five on five, UMD proved it can play with one of the best teams in the land.
Notre Dame is legit, people. Among the skaters are eight seniors who have seen virtually everything there is to see -- last night proved you never have seen everything. And Jeff Jackson knows he can play those eight seniors in any situation he wants. Tynan (two assists) has a bit of "rat" to him. He's a smart, crafty, two-way player who might be better on the penalty kill than he is offensively. David Gerths, Bryan Rust, Shayne Taker, and many others have talent and loads of experience playing high-end Division I hockey.
What am I saying? Notre Dame has everything Notre Dame needs to make it to Philadelphia next April. And it's probably going to take an upset or a rash of injuries to prevent it.
That team that has everything got plenty of fits from a young UMD team that needs to grow on the blueline, and it needed some bounces to win 3-2 on Friday. It's a good sign for UMD, no question. The Bulldogs have some very talented pieces of their own.
Cal Decowski had a great night, I thought, after Herbert was ejected. Unlike the Tech home game where Dominic Toninato was ejected and it seemed it took the air out of everyone, it seemed that some guys tried to take advantage of the extra ice time available with Herbert out. Decowski and Krause were two examples of that. Andy Welinski struggled early, but got better with the puck in the last 40 minutes, and he threw a couple nice hits in the defensive zone. Freshman Carson Soucy continues to show himself as a heck of a find by the UMD coaching staff, but he had more struggles Friday than he had in the first four games.
For now, they have to solve the blue line. Notre Dame did a very good job of putting pressure on the defensemen, and doing so forced too many turnovers by the home team. UMD has to deal with those puck management problems on Saturday to avoid a sweep. I'd expect a little bit of jumbling of personnel, though nothing major with the lines or pairings. Remember, UMD only has 14 forwards and eight eligible defensemen (they have nine rostered, but St. Scholastica transfer Brenden Kotyk can't play this season per NCAA rules). It's a long season, and the guys who sat out last night have to be kept fresh so they're available in case of injury.
******
The NCHC went 2-4 in non-conference play Friday. St. Cloud State (at Colgate) and Denver (vs Niagara) both won, while Colorado College (at Clarkson), Miami (at Providence), Omaha (vs Cornell), and UMD all lost.
Friday, October 25, 2013
Game 5: Notre Dame at UMD
I ran into Notre Dame's video and other things guru, Nick Siergiej, a former UMD staffer, on my way into the rink. After sharing our complaints about the officiating (of course) so far this season, we agreed that games like this are usually a lot of fun.
This job is usually fun, mind you, but these types of games are much more fun. Notre Dame and UMD have produced some quality hockey in the last five meetings, going back to the 2011 Frozen Four. These are two programs that are compatible, as I like to say, and this is a rivalry that should continue.
(It will. UMD is in South Bend both for the IceBreaker next year and a two-game series in 2015-16.)
Anyway, on to the opener of this series. Hopefully it isn't a penalty-filled clunker that ends 3-2 with a goal off someone's rear end.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Farley - Cameranesi - Basaraba
Osterberg - Herbert - Crandall (Justin)
Iafallo - Toninato - Young
Sampair - Decowski - Krause
Soucy - Welinski
Smith - Raskob
Johnson - McManus
Crandall (Aaron) - McNeely - Fons
ND
Costello - Fogarty - Rust
Lucia - Tynan - Wuthrich
Herr - Gerths - Voran
DiPauli - Hinostroza - Schneider
Taker - Johns
Lind - Russo
Johnson - Ryan
Summerhays - Rogers - Katunar
This job is usually fun, mind you, but these types of games are much more fun. Notre Dame and UMD have produced some quality hockey in the last five meetings, going back to the 2011 Frozen Four. These are two programs that are compatible, as I like to say, and this is a rivalry that should continue.
(It will. UMD is in South Bend both for the IceBreaker next year and a two-game series in 2015-16.)
Anyway, on to the opener of this series. Hopefully it isn't a penalty-filled clunker that ends 3-2 with a goal off someone's rear end.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Farley - Cameranesi - Basaraba
Osterberg - Herbert - Crandall (Justin)
Iafallo - Toninato - Young
Sampair - Decowski - Krause
Soucy - Welinski
Smith - Raskob
Johnson - McManus
Crandall (Aaron) - McNeely - Fons
ND
Costello - Fogarty - Rust
Lucia - Tynan - Wuthrich
Herr - Gerths - Voran
DiPauli - Hinostroza - Schneider
Taker - Johns
Lind - Russo
Johnson - Ryan
Summerhays - Rogers - Katunar
UMD Faces Latest in Long Series of Non-Conference Tests
I'm not a fan of hyperbole, but look at UMD's non-conference schedule:
vs Michigan Tech
vs Notre Dame
at Ohio State
at Minnesota
vs Minnesota State and either Minnesota or St. Cloud State (North Star College Cup)
There aren't a lot of programs which can boast an out-of-league schedule this difficult. It'll be good for a young Bulldog team.
That said, the best of these tests probably comes this weekend, when Notre Dame visits Amsoil Arena.
Last week, UMD rebounded from a 3-1 loss to Colorado College to pick up a dominant 5-1 win on Saturday in Colorado Springs. You could see a bit of a turnaround in the Bulldogs' game in the third period Friday, even though it ended up not being enough.
"We weren't real happy with that effort (Friday), and that's unacceptable," junior forward Justin Crandall said this week. "We knew what we needed to do Saturday."
To be perfectly blunt, UMD kicked the crap out of Colorado College Saturday, in a way I haven't seen a UMD team do to anyone on the road in my eight-plus years doing this. That game was never close in terms of puck possession, scoring chances, or offensive zone time. UMD had 71 shot attempts to 36, 44 shots on goal to 14, and outshot CC 59-20 over the last four periods of the two-game series.
"I think it was our best 60 minutes for sure," head coach Scott Sandelin said. "Our guys controlled the play. I thought they played very hungry to win the game."
Wins like that are fun, even when followed by 4:30am wakeup calls and 5:30am bus rides through the Colorado mountains.
But now the Bulldogs have to follow that strong performance with more of the same. And there will be significant resistance this weekend.
Notre Dame is in town for a pair of games starting Friday. The teams have split weekend series the last two years. The Fighting Irish are 4-0 and ranked second in both national polls, having outscored foes 17-5 so far this season. They are eight-for-40 on the power play.
(You read that right. 40 power plays in two games.)
Notre Dame has experience up and down its lineup. Its leading scorer through four games is a freshman who plays on the fourth line (in fairness, Vince Hinostroza has seen power play minutes and contributed there). Robbie Russo is one of the best defensemen in the country, and Steven Summerhays has a .946 save percentage through four starts.
"They have a lot of seniors," Sandelin said. "There aren't a lot of new faces in their lineup, so they've got a lot of experience."
Traditionally, Notre Dame is a pretty difficult team to play against. In addition to Russo, there are big bangers like Shayne Taker and Kevin Lind back there. Sophomore Andy Ryan has shown promise, too.
Russo is the key to Notre Dame's lethal power play unit. He quarterbacks the top group, and he loves to have the puck. A big key for UMD will be to deny him good looks and force someone else to carry the load. It's much easier said than done, since Russo will go just about anywhere on the ice to get the puck on his stick.
UMD can attack this team with speed, and I'd expect that to be a big advantage for the Bulldogs if they're ultimately successful this weekend.
Staying out of the box would be good, too. I'm actually somewhat confident that Notre Dame wouldn't mind some five-on-five hockey after seeing 40 power plays and 24 penalty kills over 240 minutes of hockey.
Notre Dame's numbers are gaudy, but the Irish have yet to trail this season. Not even for a second. Maybe UMD can rattle the proverbial cages and get a lead at some point. Again, I'm somewhat confident that Jeff Jackson won't think it's the worst thing to happen if his team falls behind. Over 34 games, it's inevitable. Might as well see how the crew responds.
These are UMD's last home games until December, so I'm expecting good and enthusiastic crowds for what should be a very good, fast-paced series.
vs Michigan Tech
vs Notre Dame
at Ohio State
at Minnesota
vs Minnesota State and either Minnesota or St. Cloud State (North Star College Cup)
There aren't a lot of programs which can boast an out-of-league schedule this difficult. It'll be good for a young Bulldog team.
That said, the best of these tests probably comes this weekend, when Notre Dame visits Amsoil Arena.
Last week, UMD rebounded from a 3-1 loss to Colorado College to pick up a dominant 5-1 win on Saturday in Colorado Springs. You could see a bit of a turnaround in the Bulldogs' game in the third period Friday, even though it ended up not being enough.
"We weren't real happy with that effort (Friday), and that's unacceptable," junior forward Justin Crandall said this week. "We knew what we needed to do Saturday."
To be perfectly blunt, UMD kicked the crap out of Colorado College Saturday, in a way I haven't seen a UMD team do to anyone on the road in my eight-plus years doing this. That game was never close in terms of puck possession, scoring chances, or offensive zone time. UMD had 71 shot attempts to 36, 44 shots on goal to 14, and outshot CC 59-20 over the last four periods of the two-game series.
"I think it was our best 60 minutes for sure," head coach Scott Sandelin said. "Our guys controlled the play. I thought they played very hungry to win the game."
Wins like that are fun, even when followed by 4:30am wakeup calls and 5:30am bus rides through the Colorado mountains.
But now the Bulldogs have to follow that strong performance with more of the same. And there will be significant resistance this weekend.
Notre Dame is in town for a pair of games starting Friday. The teams have split weekend series the last two years. The Fighting Irish are 4-0 and ranked second in both national polls, having outscored foes 17-5 so far this season. They are eight-for-40 on the power play.
(You read that right. 40 power plays in two games.)
Notre Dame has experience up and down its lineup. Its leading scorer through four games is a freshman who plays on the fourth line (in fairness, Vince Hinostroza has seen power play minutes and contributed there). Robbie Russo is one of the best defensemen in the country, and Steven Summerhays has a .946 save percentage through four starts.
"They have a lot of seniors," Sandelin said. "There aren't a lot of new faces in their lineup, so they've got a lot of experience."
Traditionally, Notre Dame is a pretty difficult team to play against. In addition to Russo, there are big bangers like Shayne Taker and Kevin Lind back there. Sophomore Andy Ryan has shown promise, too.
Russo is the key to Notre Dame's lethal power play unit. He quarterbacks the top group, and he loves to have the puck. A big key for UMD will be to deny him good looks and force someone else to carry the load. It's much easier said than done, since Russo will go just about anywhere on the ice to get the puck on his stick.
UMD can attack this team with speed, and I'd expect that to be a big advantage for the Bulldogs if they're ultimately successful this weekend.
Staying out of the box would be good, too. I'm actually somewhat confident that Notre Dame wouldn't mind some five-on-five hockey after seeing 40 power plays and 24 penalty kills over 240 minutes of hockey.
Notre Dame's numbers are gaudy, but the Irish have yet to trail this season. Not even for a second. Maybe UMD can rattle the proverbial cages and get a lead at some point. Again, I'm somewhat confident that Jeff Jackson won't think it's the worst thing to happen if his team falls behind. Over 34 games, it's inevitable. Might as well see how the crew responds.
These are UMD's last home games until December, so I'm expecting good and enthusiastic crowds for what should be a very good, fast-paced series.
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Game 4: UMD at Colorado College
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- After a rough start and an eventual 3-1 loss to Colorado College Friday, UMD tries to bounce back in the series finale.
After this game, UMD is out of conference play and on a bye, so the Bulldogs don't return to NCHC play until Nov. 15-16 at North Dakota. The NCHC home opener isn't until December.
And that's it for this year's schedule quirk. Happens to everyone.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Farley - Cameranesi - Basaraba
Iafallo - Toninato - Young
Osterberg - Herbert - Crandall (Justin)
Sampair - Decowski - Krause
Soucy - Welinski
Smith - Raskob
Johnson - McManus
McNeely - Crandall (Aaron)
CC
Krushelnyski - Bradley - Taft
Fejes - Skalbeck - Roos
Maric - Collett - Hanson
Wamsganz - Rothstein - Heil
Stoykewich - Olofsson
Harstad - McDermott
Slavin - Young
Thorimbert - Lockwood
After this game, UMD is out of conference play and on a bye, so the Bulldogs don't return to NCHC play until Nov. 15-16 at North Dakota. The NCHC home opener isn't until December.
And that's it for this year's schedule quirk. Happens to everyone.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Farley - Cameranesi - Basaraba
Iafallo - Toninato - Young
Osterberg - Herbert - Crandall (Justin)
Sampair - Decowski - Krause
Soucy - Welinski
Smith - Raskob
Johnson - McManus
McNeely - Crandall (Aaron)
CC
Krushelnyski - Bradley - Taft
Fejes - Skalbeck - Roos
Maric - Collett - Hanson
Wamsganz - Rothstein - Heil
Stoykewich - Olofsson
Harstad - McDermott
Slavin - Young
Thorimbert - Lockwood
Saturday Hockey Notes and Thoughts: UMD Surges Late, Can't Beat Thorimbert in First Loss
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- You know it's a bad night when I leave my laptop cord in the broadcast booth.
Wasn't great on the ice, either, as UMD fell 3-1 to Colorado College in front of a sellout crowd at the World Arena.
The Bulldogs struggled from the outset Friday, unable to generate consistent offensive zone pressure or get a lot of pucks or bodies to the net. UMD had eight shots in each of the first two periods, but few memorable scoring chances.
The third period was better, but UMD entered it down 2-0 and couldn't equalize before a CC power play goal past the halfway mark of the period iced the game.
Early in the game, UMD didn't appear to be in any kind of synch. Austin Farley uncharacteristically passed up a couple great shooting chances in favor of ill-advised passes that led to UMD not getting shots at all in those particular sequences. Offensive zone rushes were killed by bad passes or bad puck decisions.
These things happen early in the season. Was a bit surprising to see the top line -- Tony Cameranesi, Joe Basaraba, and Austin Farley -- struggle with the puck a bit, since they were together last year. But I'm not at all shocked the second line is struggling with two freshmen and a guy in Caleb Herbert who played center last year.
UMD's third and fourth lines were generally non-factors in this game. Justin Crandall had his moments, but this group as a whole didn't get nearly enough offense going and just struggled to get pucks to the net. When it finally did, CC goalie Josh Thorimbert stood his ground nicely, making 14 of his 30 saves in the third period as the Bulldogs surged. It just wasn't enough.
The Bulldogs have done pretty well with puck possession, even in this game, where faceoffs were 36-29 the wrong way. That's a big reason I'm not concerned at this point in time.
Also, the team played very well in the third period Friday. They got pucks to the net, bodies to the net, and generated some consistent pressure. Were it not for the power play goal (Andy Welinski had to take the penalty he took), those last couple minutes would have been really interesting.
Scoring is an issue, but if puck possession isn't a huge issue, scoring will come around. As we saw last Saturday with Tech, if puck possession becomes a problem, it's next to impossible to score. Two games where goalies were great against UMD isn't anything meaningful. If it keeps up, we could have an issue.
But the fact that UMD isn't chasing the puck up and down the rink is a good thing. It's tougher to turn around puck possession issues than it is to turn around scoring issues. Coaches like to talk about "bearing down" in front of the net. UMD has to do that. Pucks are there to be banged into the net. It's simply a matter of someone taking advantage of the opportunities.
There is zero reason for panic at this point. For that reason, I don't expect huge lineup changes Saturday. UMD might tweak the bottom two lines to try to get a spark, and you might see a change on defense or in goal, where Aaron Crandall hasn't played yet. That isn't a shot at Matt McNeely, but it might benefit the sophomore to watch a game right now after playing three in a row. A .923 save percentage through three games is impressive, so I don't think that's the problem.
But don't look for much more change than that.
Now watch UMD throw the players' numbers into a hat and re-draw everything.
North Dakota won the first game in NCHC history, beating Miami 4-2. Four different players scored for UND, and goalie Zane Gothberg made 35 saves on 37 shots for the win. North Dakota led 3-0 in the second before the RedHawks scored twice in the middle stanza. Nick Mattson's goal with seven-plus minutes to play iced it for UND.
Nebraska Omaha won non-conference at Northern Michigan, 2-1. Ryan Walters and Brock Montpetit lit the lamp for the Mavericks, with Montpetit's third period tally proving to be the game-winner. Kirk Thompson stopped 28 of 29 Wildcat shots for UNO, which improved to 2-1.
At the Brice Alaska Goal Rush, Western Michigan broke its season-long shutout streak early and routed Alaska Anchorage 6-2. Shane Berschbach scored twice for the Broncos, while Josh Pitt had a goal and an assist. Frank Slubowski got the win in goal. Also, Denver blew a 2-0 lead in a 3-2 overtime loss to host Alaska. Cody Kunyk tied the game in the third for the Nanooks, then Garrick Perry scored in the final 30 seconds of overtime to win it. Denver had held opponents scoreless for the first 159 minutes and change this season before UAF scored in the last minute of the second period Friday to get on the board. Opponents flip-flop Saturday, with Denver battling UAA and Western Michigan playing Alaska.
Also, the Minnesota women scored three in the third to pull away from UMD 4-0 at Amsoil Arena. The Gophers have now won 54 games in a row.
Wasn't great on the ice, either, as UMD fell 3-1 to Colorado College in front of a sellout crowd at the World Arena.
The Bulldogs struggled from the outset Friday, unable to generate consistent offensive zone pressure or get a lot of pucks or bodies to the net. UMD had eight shots in each of the first two periods, but few memorable scoring chances.
The third period was better, but UMD entered it down 2-0 and couldn't equalize before a CC power play goal past the halfway mark of the period iced the game.
Early in the game, UMD didn't appear to be in any kind of synch. Austin Farley uncharacteristically passed up a couple great shooting chances in favor of ill-advised passes that led to UMD not getting shots at all in those particular sequences. Offensive zone rushes were killed by bad passes or bad puck decisions.
These things happen early in the season. Was a bit surprising to see the top line -- Tony Cameranesi, Joe Basaraba, and Austin Farley -- struggle with the puck a bit, since they were together last year. But I'm not at all shocked the second line is struggling with two freshmen and a guy in Caleb Herbert who played center last year.
UMD's third and fourth lines were generally non-factors in this game. Justin Crandall had his moments, but this group as a whole didn't get nearly enough offense going and just struggled to get pucks to the net. When it finally did, CC goalie Josh Thorimbert stood his ground nicely, making 14 of his 30 saves in the third period as the Bulldogs surged. It just wasn't enough.
The Bulldogs have done pretty well with puck possession, even in this game, where faceoffs were 36-29 the wrong way. That's a big reason I'm not concerned at this point in time.
Also, the team played very well in the third period Friday. They got pucks to the net, bodies to the net, and generated some consistent pressure. Were it not for the power play goal (Andy Welinski had to take the penalty he took), those last couple minutes would have been really interesting.
Scoring is an issue, but if puck possession isn't a huge issue, scoring will come around. As we saw last Saturday with Tech, if puck possession becomes a problem, it's next to impossible to score. Two games where goalies were great against UMD isn't anything meaningful. If it keeps up, we could have an issue.
But the fact that UMD isn't chasing the puck up and down the rink is a good thing. It's tougher to turn around puck possession issues than it is to turn around scoring issues. Coaches like to talk about "bearing down" in front of the net. UMD has to do that. Pucks are there to be banged into the net. It's simply a matter of someone taking advantage of the opportunities.
There is zero reason for panic at this point. For that reason, I don't expect huge lineup changes Saturday. UMD might tweak the bottom two lines to try to get a spark, and you might see a change on defense or in goal, where Aaron Crandall hasn't played yet. That isn't a shot at Matt McNeely, but it might benefit the sophomore to watch a game right now after playing three in a row. A .923 save percentage through three games is impressive, so I don't think that's the problem.
But don't look for much more change than that.
Now watch UMD throw the players' numbers into a hat and re-draw everything.
******
North Dakota won the first game in NCHC history, beating Miami 4-2. Four different players scored for UND, and goalie Zane Gothberg made 35 saves on 37 shots for the win. North Dakota led 3-0 in the second before the RedHawks scored twice in the middle stanza. Nick Mattson's goal with seven-plus minutes to play iced it for UND.
Nebraska Omaha won non-conference at Northern Michigan, 2-1. Ryan Walters and Brock Montpetit lit the lamp for the Mavericks, with Montpetit's third period tally proving to be the game-winner. Kirk Thompson stopped 28 of 29 Wildcat shots for UNO, which improved to 2-1.
At the Brice Alaska Goal Rush, Western Michigan broke its season-long shutout streak early and routed Alaska Anchorage 6-2. Shane Berschbach scored twice for the Broncos, while Josh Pitt had a goal and an assist. Frank Slubowski got the win in goal. Also, Denver blew a 2-0 lead in a 3-2 overtime loss to host Alaska. Cody Kunyk tied the game in the third for the Nanooks, then Garrick Perry scored in the final 30 seconds of overtime to win it. Denver had held opponents scoreless for the first 159 minutes and change this season before UAF scored in the last minute of the second period Friday to get on the board. Opponents flip-flop Saturday, with Denver battling UAA and Western Michigan playing Alaska.
Also, the Minnesota women scored three in the third to pull away from UMD 4-0 at Amsoil Arena. The Gophers have now won 54 games in a row.
Friday, October 18, 2013
Game 3: UMD at Colorado College
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- The Penrose Cup is here.
For display, I'm guessing. Seems a bit too early for someone to be able to clinch the league title.
This first NCHC season kicks off in style, as UMD takes on Colorado College in the back end of a CBS Sports Network (221 on DirecTV, not sure about others).
(They tell me we will start on time. I don't think we have a snowball's chance in downtown Honolulu of being on TV when the game starts if we indeed start on time. North Dakota-Miami probably won't be over by 8:37 Central time. Hopefully, I'm wrong.)
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Farley - Cameranesi - Basaraba
Iafallo - Toninato - Herbert
Osterberg - Decowski - Crandall (Justin)
Sampair - Tardy - Krause
Corrin - Welinski
Soucy - McManus
Smith - Raskob
McNeely - Crandall (Aaron)
CC
Krushelnyski - Bradley - Taft
Fejes - Skalbeck - Roos
Maric - Collett - Hanson
Wamsganz - Rothstein - Hansen
Stoykewich - Olofsson
Harstad - McDermott
Slavin - Finch
Thorimbert - Lockwood
For display, I'm guessing. Seems a bit too early for someone to be able to clinch the league title.
This first NCHC season kicks off in style, as UMD takes on Colorado College in the back end of a CBS Sports Network (221 on DirecTV, not sure about others).
(They tell me we will start on time. I don't think we have a snowball's chance in downtown Honolulu of being on TV when the game starts if we indeed start on time. North Dakota-Miami probably won't be over by 8:37 Central time. Hopefully, I'm wrong.)
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Farley - Cameranesi - Basaraba
Iafallo - Toninato - Herbert
Osterberg - Decowski - Crandall (Justin)
Sampair - Tardy - Krause
Corrin - Welinski
Soucy - McManus
Smith - Raskob
McNeely - Crandall (Aaron)
CC
Krushelnyski - Bradley - Taft
Fejes - Skalbeck - Roos
Maric - Collett - Hanson
Wamsganz - Rothstein - Hansen
Stoykewich - Olofsson
Harstad - McDermott
Slavin - Finch
Thorimbert - Lockwood
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Bulldogs' Record Proves Altitude Isn't Huge Issue During Colorado Visits
The tunnel at the World Arena in Colorado Springs doesn't have such a sign. Instead, two signs like the one I snapped a picture of at the rink Thursday adorn the inside of the facility.
These aren't there for the fans. The fans aren't exerting enough energy to have to worry about altitude.
They also aren't there for the broadcasters, though there was this one time the elevator there was on the fritz and I had to haul my fat body up all those stairs. And then I was worried a bit about the altitude.
But I digress.
The altitude reminders are out there. Home teams love to remind visitors about it, and the media loves to use it as a talking point whenever there's a significant game out here.
Does it matter?
Longtime UMD strength and conditioning coach and current marketing guru Justin May never believed in it. He believed in the conditioning of his athletes, and didn't think there was a whole lot to the altitude talk as long as the athletes took care of themselves.
Coaches don't want to even let someone suggest it could matter in a game. That's excuse chatter, and coaches hate that. Not only that, but it's part of the mental game. If you go into a game thinking your body is going to break down because of altitude, it probably will.
Athletes are wired the same way.
"Obviously, being reminded of that, it's in your mind," sophomore center Tony Cameranesi said this week when asked about the visual notes of elevation in the Colorado arenas. "But for the most part, as long as you work hard and don't really think about it, it goes away a little bit."
And if you look at the records UMD has posted both in Denver and Colorado Springs, there's reason to believe that the altitude talk is nothing but that ... talk.
In its last 18 games at the Colorado Springs World Arena (since the start of the 2003-04 season), where UMD opens NCHC play against Colorado Springs Friday night, the record is 9-6-3. Included in that are some very impressive performances, including a two-game WCHA playoff series sweep that started the team's run to a Final Five championship in 2009. Over the same stretch, the Tigers are 140-72-13 on home ice, a winning percentage of .651, a much higher total than the .417 they've posted against UMD in the same building.
Up Interstate 25, the Bulldogs have been solid, though not as impressive, in Denver over the years. Since the start of the 2003-04 season, UMD is 8-8-1 against the Pioneers at Magness Arena. I guarantee you DU has won more than half its home games in the last decade. Don't even have to look it up.
My point? UMD hasn't cared about the altitude in the last decade, at least (UMD was 1-7 in its first eight games at the World Arena once it opened in 1998). I'm not saying you shouldn't, but it's humorously overrated.
Maybe in football, where the 300-pounders are running around, it matters a bit more. We all know what thin air can do to a baseball. But the Bulldogs aren't suffering when they play out there. Quite the opposite, actually.
******
In other matters, it is a historic night on Friday, as conference games are played in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference for the first time. Everyone seems to have been able to poke their fun at the "Super League" after Omaha lost to Bentley last week. They must have forgotten about Michigan losing to a Canadian college team (Waterloo) the previous weekend, and the No. 1 team in the nation (UMass-Lowell) losing its home opener to a Sacred Heart squad that won exactly two games a year ago, and one that got pasted by RPI 6-0 the next night.
The NCHC is going to be a very, very good league. Other things will work themselves out. No, the app isn't perfect yet. But at least there is one, and they'll work to make it better. I mentioned on Twitter last week that in-progress scores on the league website need to show what period the game is in, and how much time is left. The league responded and said it will try to make it better.
I know this thing has been in the works for a while, but it doesn't mean every kink will be ironed out before games are played. What matters is that when those imperfections rear their ugly heads, someone actually makes an effort to improve. In that way, I really like the responses I've seen from the league to certain questions and concerns.
I do believe the league made a mistake in not setting up a streamlined video streaming package, where everyone goes through the same service, and games can be easily found on the league website with little hassle. A UMD fan should be able to watch every UMD game played (in league play, that is) without buying access from a bunch of different schools. Hopefully, it's something that is looked at in the future.
It's next to impossible to predict how this league will play out, and even opening weekend is going to be fun. Colorado College hasn't played a game that counts yet, and while UMD has, I tend to think UMD will average more than three goals per weekend.
In Oxford, Miami hosts North Dakota in a battle of programs who have gone without a national championship since UND won in 2000, no matter what the fans want you to believe (Miami has never won one, though it's certainly been close a couple times). They're tremendous programs, however, and this weekend should be some fantastic hockey.
More than anything, that's what we should be focused on. I think those expecting these teams to go unbeaten through conference play, and for the league to have everything instantly figured out, are barking up the wrong tree. In the end, the hockey will win out, and NCHC hockey is going to be good.
******
It's hard to get a good read on this weekend series. I think the style of play will be completely different from what we saw with Michigan Tech last week. Colorado College wants to get out and skate, and so does UMD. More than anything, the good mesh of playing styles is why UMD has done so well against the Tigers.
CC has Alex Krushelnyski, one of the nation's most underrated players, leading the charge up front, along with Archie Skalbeck and promising young talent like sophomore forward Hunter Fejes. The Tigers are not as deep in the back, unless Wild draft pick Gustav Olafsson develops quickly. And the loss of Joe Howe in goal could be significant unless senior Josh Thorimbert reverts to his third team All-WCHA form from his sophomore season.
UMD will get a chance to push the pace with its lethal top two forward lines, and I think we'll see a lot more from the second line than we did last week, when Dominic Toninato, Alex Iafallo, and Caleb Herbert struggled to get room against the Huskies.
******
Finally, congratulations to future UMD Bulldogs Neal Pionk and Karson Kuhlman. Both have been named to Team USA for the World Junior A Challenge next month in Nova Scotia. Pionk is a defenseman from Hermantown, and Kuhlman is a forward from Cloquet/Esko/Carlton.
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Game 2: Michigan Tech at UMD
Well, Saturday was pretty nice. Got some Christmas shopping done before getting some Halloween decorations done at home.
Yes. Christmas.
Ugh.
Anyway, off and running for Game 2. UMD edged Michigan Tech 2-1 Friday despite a 41-16 stranglehold in shots on goal. This should be interesting.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Farley - Cameranesi - Basaraba
Iafallo - Toninato - Herbert
Sampair - Spurrell - Krause
Osterberg - Tardy - Crandall (Justin)
Corrin - Welinski
Johnson - Molenaar
Soucy - McManus
McNeely - Crandall (Aaron) - Fons
MTU
Baltus - Kero - Petan
Furne - Johnstone (Jacob) - Gould
Eick - Rix - Heinonen
Vallis - Neville - Hietala
Stebner - Hyland
Leibinger - Sweeney
Watson - Hanna
Phillips - Copley
Yes. Christmas.
Ugh.
Anyway, off and running for Game 2. UMD edged Michigan Tech 2-1 Friday despite a 41-16 stranglehold in shots on goal. This should be interesting.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Farley - Cameranesi - Basaraba
Iafallo - Toninato - Herbert
Sampair - Spurrell - Krause
Osterberg - Tardy - Crandall (Justin)
Corrin - Welinski
Johnson - Molenaar
Soucy - McManus
McNeely - Crandall (Aaron) - Fons
MTU
Baltus - Kero - Petan
Furne - Johnstone (Jacob) - Gould
Eick - Rix - Heinonen
Vallis - Neville - Hietala
Stebner - Hyland
Leibinger - Sweeney
Watson - Hanna
Phillips - Copley
Saturday Hockey Notes and Thoughts: UMD Finds Good Point to Jump Off From
For those new to the blog, this is a piece I try to file every Saturday during hockey season, schedule permitting. Now that I'm coaching, it might be tougher to follow that plan. We'll try.
Friday was the season opener. Coaches will talk about starting points.
And UMD's coaches have to be happy with the starting point their players provided at Amsoil Arena.
UMD won the faceoff battle, dominated in shots, shut down a potent Michigan Tech power play, and got a bad-angle goal from Justin Crandall late to get a 2-1 victory.
The Bulldogs probably deserved a better fate than sweating out a one-goal win, but Tech goalie Pheonix Copley was stellar, making 39 saves while getting peppered regularly throughout the proceedings.
Copley stoned a number of UMD players close in, including Crandall, Austin Farley, and Alex Iafallo. He stopped a pair of three-on-one rushes in the second, though the one Iafallo got a shot on was executed much more crisply than the other, which featured a tough-angle shot by Dominic Toninato.
It was a physical game that featured a couple interesting calls on what looked to potentially be clean hits (that happens in October), plenty of special teams hockey, five on threes that came up empty, and a lot of things coaches can pick apart when they watch the videotape. There were also a couple scrums that led to penalties.
UMD's five on threes featured some quality puck movement, but you can tell it was the opening game, as not everything was crisp. Tech's long five on three was all sorts of ugly, as UMD did a great job getting into lanes and clearing pucks when opportunity existed to do so.
The Bulldogs got bottled up a couple times early in the game, as they struggled a bit to control MTU's top line of Tanner Kero, Alex Petan, and Blake Pietila. The hitch was that the pressure didn't lead to many shots on goal. Instead, Tech had only six in the first period and 16 for the game.
I would expect the Huskies to be a much stronger team Saturday. They need to get more pucks to the net. 41 shot attempts when the opponent has 41 shots on goal (70 attempts) isn't going to cut it. The Huskies have to establish more offensive zone puck possession and do a better job getting into the dirty areas and putting pressure on UMD's relatively inexperienced defense.
For the Bulldogs, Andy Welinski had a great game, I thought. He was active in the defensive zone, he stepped up and used his body, and he moved the puck well. Freshman Carson Soucy also stood out on the blue line, as did his defensive partner, Luke McManus. He's been cursed by injuries during his UMD career, but McManus may have played his best game on Friday. He was rewarded with the primary assist on Crandall's winner.
Speaking of that, Bulldog fans have to like the fact that the fourth line was as good as it was Friday. Crandall, Max Tardy, and Kyle Osterberg were creating offense, and the more they can do that, the more dangerous this forward group is. I'd argue 12 forwards had pretty good games Friday, and the staff has some tough decisions to make if they are to get Friday's scratches -- Sammy Spurrell and Austyn Young up front, Dan Molenaar and Willie Corrin in the back -- into the lineup Saturday.
Matt McNeely did fine in goal. Most notably, he kept his concentration despite not seeing a lot of pucks for long stretches of the game. That can be a huge challenge for goalies sometimes.
Saturday should be a quality game, but UMD got off to a good start Friday. Following up before league play starts would be a huge step.
Elsewhere in the NCHC, Miami won at Ohio State 6-2, ruining the debuts of former UMD assistants Steve Rohlik (head coach) and Brett Larson (assistant) on the tOSU bench. Sean Kuraly had three assists as the RedHawks got goals from six different players and outshot the Buckeyes 38-28.
Notre Dame beat Western Michigan 4-0 behind a shutout from goalie Steven Summerhays. WMU could struggle to score this season, so this might be more a trend than a mirage.
North Dakota scored the last four goals in a 5-3 win over Vermont in Grand Forks. Mark McMillian got the game-winner in the third period. Clarke Saunders allowed three goals in 17 shots before getting the hook, and Zane Gothberg shut out UVM the rest of the way for the win.
St. Cloud State held off Bemidji State 3-2 in St. Cloud. Nic Dowd scored the short-handed winner late in the second period. BSU tried to rally, but only had one shot on goal in the third period. Joey Benik had the other two SCSU goals.
Denver found a way to hold off Merrimack 1-0 in Denver. Daniel Doremus' power play goal in the first held up as the winner. DU outshot Merrimack 30-25, as Sam Brittain pitched the shutout for the Pioneers.
In the shocker of the night, Bentley won at Omaha 6-4. The -- hold on, let me look it up -- Falcons took a 2-0 lead early and never trailed in the game. Bentley led 5-2 before UNO rallied to close within one, but an empty-netter with 20 seconds left sealed the deal. UNO led in shots 38-25, but Ryan Massa only made 19 saves in a losing effort.
Same matchups Saturday, except Miami and Ohio State move their series to the RedHawks' home rink in Oxford, and Notre Dame and Western Michigan will play in front of the Lunatics in Kalamazoo.
Friday was the season opener. Coaches will talk about starting points.
And UMD's coaches have to be happy with the starting point their players provided at Amsoil Arena.
UMD won the faceoff battle, dominated in shots, shut down a potent Michigan Tech power play, and got a bad-angle goal from Justin Crandall late to get a 2-1 victory.
The Bulldogs probably deserved a better fate than sweating out a one-goal win, but Tech goalie Pheonix Copley was stellar, making 39 saves while getting peppered regularly throughout the proceedings.
Copley stoned a number of UMD players close in, including Crandall, Austin Farley, and Alex Iafallo. He stopped a pair of three-on-one rushes in the second, though the one Iafallo got a shot on was executed much more crisply than the other, which featured a tough-angle shot by Dominic Toninato.
It was a physical game that featured a couple interesting calls on what looked to potentially be clean hits (that happens in October), plenty of special teams hockey, five on threes that came up empty, and a lot of things coaches can pick apart when they watch the videotape. There were also a couple scrums that led to penalties.
UMD's five on threes featured some quality puck movement, but you can tell it was the opening game, as not everything was crisp. Tech's long five on three was all sorts of ugly, as UMD did a great job getting into lanes and clearing pucks when opportunity existed to do so.
The Bulldogs got bottled up a couple times early in the game, as they struggled a bit to control MTU's top line of Tanner Kero, Alex Petan, and Blake Pietila. The hitch was that the pressure didn't lead to many shots on goal. Instead, Tech had only six in the first period and 16 for the game.
I would expect the Huskies to be a much stronger team Saturday. They need to get more pucks to the net. 41 shot attempts when the opponent has 41 shots on goal (70 attempts) isn't going to cut it. The Huskies have to establish more offensive zone puck possession and do a better job getting into the dirty areas and putting pressure on UMD's relatively inexperienced defense.
For the Bulldogs, Andy Welinski had a great game, I thought. He was active in the defensive zone, he stepped up and used his body, and he moved the puck well. Freshman Carson Soucy also stood out on the blue line, as did his defensive partner, Luke McManus. He's been cursed by injuries during his UMD career, but McManus may have played his best game on Friday. He was rewarded with the primary assist on Crandall's winner.
Speaking of that, Bulldog fans have to like the fact that the fourth line was as good as it was Friday. Crandall, Max Tardy, and Kyle Osterberg were creating offense, and the more they can do that, the more dangerous this forward group is. I'd argue 12 forwards had pretty good games Friday, and the staff has some tough decisions to make if they are to get Friday's scratches -- Sammy Spurrell and Austyn Young up front, Dan Molenaar and Willie Corrin in the back -- into the lineup Saturday.
Matt McNeely did fine in goal. Most notably, he kept his concentration despite not seeing a lot of pucks for long stretches of the game. That can be a huge challenge for goalies sometimes.
Saturday should be a quality game, but UMD got off to a good start Friday. Following up before league play starts would be a huge step.
******
Elsewhere in the NCHC, Miami won at Ohio State 6-2, ruining the debuts of former UMD assistants Steve Rohlik (head coach) and Brett Larson (assistant) on the tOSU bench. Sean Kuraly had three assists as the RedHawks got goals from six different players and outshot the Buckeyes 38-28.
Notre Dame beat Western Michigan 4-0 behind a shutout from goalie Steven Summerhays. WMU could struggle to score this season, so this might be more a trend than a mirage.
North Dakota scored the last four goals in a 5-3 win over Vermont in Grand Forks. Mark McMillian got the game-winner in the third period. Clarke Saunders allowed three goals in 17 shots before getting the hook, and Zane Gothberg shut out UVM the rest of the way for the win.
St. Cloud State held off Bemidji State 3-2 in St. Cloud. Nic Dowd scored the short-handed winner late in the second period. BSU tried to rally, but only had one shot on goal in the third period. Joey Benik had the other two SCSU goals.
Denver found a way to hold off Merrimack 1-0 in Denver. Daniel Doremus' power play goal in the first held up as the winner. DU outshot Merrimack 30-25, as Sam Brittain pitched the shutout for the Pioneers.
In the shocker of the night, Bentley won at Omaha 6-4. The -- hold on, let me look it up -- Falcons took a 2-0 lead early and never trailed in the game. Bentley led 5-2 before UNO rallied to close within one, but an empty-netter with 20 seconds left sealed the deal. UNO led in shots 38-25, but Ryan Massa only made 19 saves in a losing effort.
Same matchups Saturday, except Miami and Ohio State move their series to the RedHawks' home rink in Oxford, and Notre Dame and Western Michigan will play in front of the Lunatics in Kalamazoo.
Friday, October 11, 2013
Game 1: Michigan Tech at UMD
And so it begins.
Reset the records and embrace the future. Off and running on a night where it would be entirely too warm for hockey if Lake Superior didn't have other ideas on the temperature.
An old friend is here in Michigan Tech. It's the team UMD has played more than any other, and it's one no one seems opposed to keeping on the schedule if at all possible.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Farley - Cameranesi - Basaraba
Iafallo - Toninato - Herbert
Sampair - Decowski - Krause
Osterberg - Tardy - Crandall (Justin)
Smith - Welinski
Johnson - Raskob
Soucy - McManus
McNeely - Crandall (Aaron) - Fons
MTU
Pietila (there's only one!!!) - Kero - Petan
Baltus - Rix - Eick
Vallis - Neville - Johnstone (David)
Furne - Johnstone (Jacob) - Gould
Stebner - Hyland
Leibinger - Sweeney
Watson - Hanna
Copley - Phillips
Reset the records and embrace the future. Off and running on a night where it would be entirely too warm for hockey if Lake Superior didn't have other ideas on the temperature.
An old friend is here in Michigan Tech. It's the team UMD has played more than any other, and it's one no one seems opposed to keeping on the schedule if at all possible.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Farley - Cameranesi - Basaraba
Iafallo - Toninato - Herbert
Sampair - Decowski - Krause
Osterberg - Tardy - Crandall (Justin)
Smith - Welinski
Johnson - Raskob
Soucy - McManus
McNeely - Crandall (Aaron) - Fons
MTU
Pietila (there's only one!!!) - Kero - Petan
Baltus - Rix - Eick
Vallis - Neville - Johnstone (David)
Furne - Johnstone (Jacob) - Gould
Stebner - Hyland
Leibinger - Sweeney
Watson - Hanna
Copley - Phillips
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Bulldogs Kick Off Season Full of Promise
There were pieces in place.
Just not enough of them.
A lack of depth up front led to a lack of even-strength scoring, and it was that offensive drought that went a long way toward dooming UMD to its first losing season in a while.
How long? UMD's last losing season before 2012-13 ended on March 15, 2008. Freshman defenseman Willie Raskob turned 13 the day before.
"Our standard is a lot higher," senior co-captain Joe Basaraba said. "We expect to win. Last season was tough. Looking at this season, I think the future's bright."
Now, the Bulldogs have regrouped and reloaded for the first season of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. Optimism is abound that this group can resume its winning ways.
"It's been a fun group," head coach Scott Sandelin, about to start his 14th year at the helm, said. "We've got some good skill and good depth. The freshmen are very exciting."
UMD fans should be excited to see the further development of sophomore forwards Tony Cameranesi and Austin Farley, along with defenseman Andy Welinski. All three of them played huge minutes last season as freshmen, showed themselves more than capable of playing at this level, and return ready to become even bigger parts of this year's team.
They're joined by another strong crop of freshmen, led by the hometown hero, Dominic Toninato. The former Duluth East star tore up the United States Hockey League last season in Fargo, along with Force linemate and fellow UMD freshman Alex Iafallo. The two are joined -- for the start of the season, at least -- by junior Caleb Herbert, who returns to wing after spending nearly all of last season at center.
"The opportunity to keep Dominic and Alex together," Sandelin points out, "two guys that played on the same line and had their chemistry in Fargo, it's like having returning guys, even though they're freshmen.
"And it gives us the luxury to try Caleb at wing. I think he's really enjoying it. There's a ton of skill."
(Remember, Herbert played wing as a freshman and had a great season. He started slowly as a center last year and ended with a relatively unspectacular 25 goals.
UMD's improved depth at forward is undeniable. Cameranesi sat out the exhibition with a minor injury, which put Max Tardy in the middle of Farley and Basaraba. They produced two goals, Toninato scored twice, and freshman Kyle Osterberg was an ignitor on the third line with three points. Osterberg is drawing plenty of preseason praise from 14th-year head coach Sandelin.
"He's a very competitive player," Sandelin said. "He plays kind of a rat role. If people remember Luke Stauffacher, how Luke played, he was an agitator but had the skill to score goals. I think he (Kyle) is very similar to that. He's not going to back down. He's gonna get involved in the corners and all over the rink."
Yes, it was an exhibition against a Canadian college team that didn't stand much of a chance against UMD's skill level. But UMD has players across its lines who can do things, as opposed to last year's squad that was missing that key forward depth.
That improved forward depth should help in another area: The penalty kill. UMD has scored just two short-handed goals over the last two full seasons. The kill wasn't bad statistically last year, but it didn't create much offense.
This year, players like Cameranesi, Farley, Herbert, and others are going to help on the kill. The improved skill level on the PK could give UMD an offensive dimension there it hasn't had since Mike Connolly was roaming the ice at Amsoil Arena.
"We do have the skill to do that if we need a goal late," co-captain Adam Krause said. "Maybe make those power play 'D' a little lazy and flying a guy up (the rink)."
Defensively, Welinski will play on the top pair, but it's unknown who will join him after Drew Olson graduated. Willie Corrin, Derik Johnson, Luke McManus, and Tim Smith all return, and Raskob is joined in the group of newcomers by Wild draft pick Carson Soucy and former Eden Prairie state champion Dan Molenaar.
There are a lot of questions on the blue line, but there is also offensive ability that was missing last year outside of Welinski and the graduated Wade Bergman. Raskob and Soucy both showed a lot of willingness to pinch in the offensive zone during the exhibition. Don't be shocked if we see some growing pains while everyone finds their role in this group.
UMD returns all three goalies, and Matt McNeely, Aaron Crandall, and Alex Fons all started games last year. I think McNeely will get a chance to win the No. 1 job at some point, but I also don't think anyone is going to be in a rush to make that happen. Aaron Crandall has plenty of experience, and there's no reason he can't split duties -- or come close to a split -- while things play out.
"Last year, we were waiting for someone to take it and run with it," Sandelin said. "They need to understand that someone needs to want that and step up and try to grab it. I think it creates some good competition, but the sooner the better (on a No. 1 emerging)."
Sandelin believes that he needs the goaltending to "steal some games" on occasion while a young team grows in front of the net.
Michigan Tech is in town this weekend. It's funny, because even if you go back to Basaraba's freshman and seasons, this program was something seriously awful (4-30-4 that year). Not the case now. The Huskies are a legitimate contender in the new WCHA, one that might look weakened on paper but still has a few very good programs calling it home (Minnesota State was in the NCAAs last year and is a top ten team in the preseason this year, and Ferris State played for the national title in 2012). Settle in, because this will be a fun way to start the season.
"I think it's going to be really similar to what we see week in and week out in our league," Sandelin said. "They play very aggressive. They go hard to the net. They have some big bodies. It's going to be one of those grind it out kind of series. Not a lot of room on the rink."
Next week, the NCHC grind begins. And it'll be a heck of a grind. Just look at the preseason poll. UMD is picked sixth, and no matter what you think of that placement, Colorado College and Omaha are behind us. Neither is going to be an easy out for anyone. It might not have the glitz of the B1G, but the NCHC is a contender for the meaningless label of "toughest league in college hockey."
Just not enough of them.
A lack of depth up front led to a lack of even-strength scoring, and it was that offensive drought that went a long way toward dooming UMD to its first losing season in a while.
How long? UMD's last losing season before 2012-13 ended on March 15, 2008. Freshman defenseman Willie Raskob turned 13 the day before.
"Our standard is a lot higher," senior co-captain Joe Basaraba said. "We expect to win. Last season was tough. Looking at this season, I think the future's bright."
Now, the Bulldogs have regrouped and reloaded for the first season of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. Optimism is abound that this group can resume its winning ways.
"It's been a fun group," head coach Scott Sandelin, about to start his 14th year at the helm, said. "We've got some good skill and good depth. The freshmen are very exciting."
UMD fans should be excited to see the further development of sophomore forwards Tony Cameranesi and Austin Farley, along with defenseman Andy Welinski. All three of them played huge minutes last season as freshmen, showed themselves more than capable of playing at this level, and return ready to become even bigger parts of this year's team.
They're joined by another strong crop of freshmen, led by the hometown hero, Dominic Toninato. The former Duluth East star tore up the United States Hockey League last season in Fargo, along with Force linemate and fellow UMD freshman Alex Iafallo. The two are joined -- for the start of the season, at least -- by junior Caleb Herbert, who returns to wing after spending nearly all of last season at center.
"The opportunity to keep Dominic and Alex together," Sandelin points out, "two guys that played on the same line and had their chemistry in Fargo, it's like having returning guys, even though they're freshmen.
"And it gives us the luxury to try Caleb at wing. I think he's really enjoying it. There's a ton of skill."
(Remember, Herbert played wing as a freshman and had a great season. He started slowly as a center last year and ended with a relatively unspectacular 25 goals.
UMD's improved depth at forward is undeniable. Cameranesi sat out the exhibition with a minor injury, which put Max Tardy in the middle of Farley and Basaraba. They produced two goals, Toninato scored twice, and freshman Kyle Osterberg was an ignitor on the third line with three points. Osterberg is drawing plenty of preseason praise from 14th-year head coach Sandelin.
"He's a very competitive player," Sandelin said. "He plays kind of a rat role. If people remember Luke Stauffacher, how Luke played, he was an agitator but had the skill to score goals. I think he (Kyle) is very similar to that. He's not going to back down. He's gonna get involved in the corners and all over the rink."
Yes, it was an exhibition against a Canadian college team that didn't stand much of a chance against UMD's skill level. But UMD has players across its lines who can do things, as opposed to last year's squad that was missing that key forward depth.
That improved forward depth should help in another area: The penalty kill. UMD has scored just two short-handed goals over the last two full seasons. The kill wasn't bad statistically last year, but it didn't create much offense.
This year, players like Cameranesi, Farley, Herbert, and others are going to help on the kill. The improved skill level on the PK could give UMD an offensive dimension there it hasn't had since Mike Connolly was roaming the ice at Amsoil Arena.
"We do have the skill to do that if we need a goal late," co-captain Adam Krause said. "Maybe make those power play 'D' a little lazy and flying a guy up (the rink)."
Defensively, Welinski will play on the top pair, but it's unknown who will join him after Drew Olson graduated. Willie Corrin, Derik Johnson, Luke McManus, and Tim Smith all return, and Raskob is joined in the group of newcomers by Wild draft pick Carson Soucy and former Eden Prairie state champion Dan Molenaar.
There are a lot of questions on the blue line, but there is also offensive ability that was missing last year outside of Welinski and the graduated Wade Bergman. Raskob and Soucy both showed a lot of willingness to pinch in the offensive zone during the exhibition. Don't be shocked if we see some growing pains while everyone finds their role in this group.
UMD returns all three goalies, and Matt McNeely, Aaron Crandall, and Alex Fons all started games last year. I think McNeely will get a chance to win the No. 1 job at some point, but I also don't think anyone is going to be in a rush to make that happen. Aaron Crandall has plenty of experience, and there's no reason he can't split duties -- or come close to a split -- while things play out.
"Last year, we were waiting for someone to take it and run with it," Sandelin said. "They need to understand that someone needs to want that and step up and try to grab it. I think it creates some good competition, but the sooner the better (on a No. 1 emerging)."
Sandelin believes that he needs the goaltending to "steal some games" on occasion while a young team grows in front of the net.
Michigan Tech is in town this weekend. It's funny, because even if you go back to Basaraba's freshman and seasons, this program was something seriously awful (4-30-4 that year). Not the case now. The Huskies are a legitimate contender in the new WCHA, one that might look weakened on paper but still has a few very good programs calling it home (Minnesota State was in the NCAAs last year and is a top ten team in the preseason this year, and Ferris State played for the national title in 2012). Settle in, because this will be a fun way to start the season.
"I think it's going to be really similar to what we see week in and week out in our league," Sandelin said. "They play very aggressive. They go hard to the net. They have some big bodies. It's going to be one of those grind it out kind of series. Not a lot of room on the rink."
Next week, the NCHC grind begins. And it'll be a heck of a grind. Just look at the preseason poll. UMD is picked sixth, and no matter what you think of that placement, Colorado College and Omaha are behind us. Neither is going to be an easy out for anyone. It might not have the glitz of the B1G, but the NCHC is a contender for the meaningless label of "toughest league in college hockey."
Monday, October 07, 2013
Exhibition: Lakehead at UMD
It's entirely too nice outside for this.
Come on. You knew I couldn't get through the first game without some sort of complaint, right?
Off and running at Amsoil Arena, where UMD opens with an exhibition. Abbreviated pregame (6:45 or so) leading up to the 7pm start.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Farley - Tardy - Basaraba
Iafallo - Toninato - Herbert
Sampair - Decowski - Krause
Osterberg - Spurrell - Crandall (Justin)
Young
Corrin - Welinski
Johnson - Raskob
McManus - Soucy
Smith - Molenaar
Crandall (Aaron) - Fons - McNeely
LAKEHEAD
Gamache - Alcock - Grondin
Magill - Kaarela - Wilkins
Thompson - Hammond - Carrick
Restoule - Quesnele (David) - DeLory
Quesnele (Mike) - Fillman
Maw - Gilbert
McIntosh - Tessier
Bosch - McDonald
Come on. You knew I couldn't get through the first game without some sort of complaint, right?
Off and running at Amsoil Arena, where UMD opens with an exhibition. Abbreviated pregame (6:45 or so) leading up to the 7pm start.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Farley - Tardy - Basaraba
Iafallo - Toninato - Herbert
Sampair - Decowski - Krause
Osterberg - Spurrell - Crandall (Justin)
Young
Corrin - Welinski
Johnson - Raskob
McManus - Soucy
Smith - Molenaar
Crandall (Aaron) - Fons - McNeely
LAKEHEAD
Gamache - Alcock - Grondin
Magill - Kaarela - Wilkins
Thompson - Hammond - Carrick
Restoule - Quesnele (David) - DeLory
Quesnele (Mike) - Fillman
Maw - Gilbert
McIntosh - Tessier
Bosch - McDonald
UMD's Goal: Goals
After a renaissance period of offensive hockey, the UMD men's hockey team fell off a bit last year.
It wasn't completely unexpected.
Yes, Mike Seidel returned after a solid junior season. And Caleb Herbert looked awfully good a sa freshman. However, they were surrounded by unproven players and promising kids. In a college hockey world largely ruled by juniors and seniors, this wasn't a recipe for great success.
So it wasn't a stunner when a freshman-dominated UMD team fell to ninth in the WCHA and finished five games under .500 despite a nice late-season surge that included four straight wins and two quality performances against Minnesota.
Now, those freshmen -- forwards Tony Cameranesi, Austin Farley, and an emerging Cal Decowski, along with big-minutes, big-shot defenseman Andy Welinski -- are sophomores. Expectations on all of them are high, and more promising freshmen join the team for the 2013-14 season.
Seidel is gone, but Herbert is back for his junior season. After a slow start, he picked up his consistency last year, and it sounds like he will move to the middle this season, with former Duluth East star Dom Toninato manning the middle and fellow freshman and former Fargo Force standout Alex Iafallo working a wing on the second line.
Cameranesi stays on the No. 1 unit with Farley and senior co-captain Joe Basaraba, at least for now. With Cameranesi and Farley not being the biggest guys in the NCHC, it's nice to have Basaraba on that line to help make room and keep opponents honest against the highly-skilled sophomores.
In all, UMD's top two lines are more talented, more experienced, and deeper than they were last year. Decowski and co-captain Adam Krause provide more offensive push on the third line, and freshmen Kyle Osterberg and Sammy Spurrell could work themselves into the mix for playing time, along with senior Max Tardy and sophomore Charlie Sampair.
Defensively, I think the Bulldogs could suffer a bit while some new guys get adjusted. UMD will miss Drew Olson more than many realize. He was a steady, smart, heart-and-soul guy whose non-stop effort woke that team up more than once last year. Wade Bergman had a good offensive finish to his career and certainly ate a lot of minutes. Chris Casto started slowly, but came on late last season, and his early departure will hurt, too.
Welinski is joined by holdovers like Derik Johnson, Luke McManus, Willie Corrin, and Tim Smith. Smith is the only senior in this group. Freshmen Carson Soucy, Dan Molenaar, and Willie Raskob should all play big roles. Raskob could be in line for some real minutes with his offensive skill. He came in a year early after Casto left, so chances are he isn't here to sit.
In goal, Matt McNeely and Aaron Crandall will battle for the minutes. Both are capable, and both should be helped mightily by better puck possession and more scoring. They also have to do more, as a team save percentage in the .890s will do nothing for Scott Sandelin's blood pressure.
The Bulldogs are better in the middle, stronger and deeper on the wing, and have some potential talent on defense, especially when it comes to moving the puck. The first part of the season will be a huge key, as the new blue-liners get acclimated and UMD hopes to get off to a good start.
It wasn't completely unexpected.
Yes, Mike Seidel returned after a solid junior season. And Caleb Herbert looked awfully good a sa freshman. However, they were surrounded by unproven players and promising kids. In a college hockey world largely ruled by juniors and seniors, this wasn't a recipe for great success.
So it wasn't a stunner when a freshman-dominated UMD team fell to ninth in the WCHA and finished five games under .500 despite a nice late-season surge that included four straight wins and two quality performances against Minnesota.
Now, those freshmen -- forwards Tony Cameranesi, Austin Farley, and an emerging Cal Decowski, along with big-minutes, big-shot defenseman Andy Welinski -- are sophomores. Expectations on all of them are high, and more promising freshmen join the team for the 2013-14 season.
Seidel is gone, but Herbert is back for his junior season. After a slow start, he picked up his consistency last year, and it sounds like he will move to the middle this season, with former Duluth East star Dom Toninato manning the middle and fellow freshman and former Fargo Force standout Alex Iafallo working a wing on the second line.
Cameranesi stays on the No. 1 unit with Farley and senior co-captain Joe Basaraba, at least for now. With Cameranesi and Farley not being the biggest guys in the NCHC, it's nice to have Basaraba on that line to help make room and keep opponents honest against the highly-skilled sophomores.
In all, UMD's top two lines are more talented, more experienced, and deeper than they were last year. Decowski and co-captain Adam Krause provide more offensive push on the third line, and freshmen Kyle Osterberg and Sammy Spurrell could work themselves into the mix for playing time, along with senior Max Tardy and sophomore Charlie Sampair.
Defensively, I think the Bulldogs could suffer a bit while some new guys get adjusted. UMD will miss Drew Olson more than many realize. He was a steady, smart, heart-and-soul guy whose non-stop effort woke that team up more than once last year. Wade Bergman had a good offensive finish to his career and certainly ate a lot of minutes. Chris Casto started slowly, but came on late last season, and his early departure will hurt, too.
Welinski is joined by holdovers like Derik Johnson, Luke McManus, Willie Corrin, and Tim Smith. Smith is the only senior in this group. Freshmen Carson Soucy, Dan Molenaar, and Willie Raskob should all play big roles. Raskob could be in line for some real minutes with his offensive skill. He came in a year early after Casto left, so chances are he isn't here to sit.
In goal, Matt McNeely and Aaron Crandall will battle for the minutes. Both are capable, and both should be helped mightily by better puck possession and more scoring. They also have to do more, as a team save percentage in the .890s will do nothing for Scott Sandelin's blood pressure.
The Bulldogs are better in the middle, stronger and deeper on the wing, and have some potential talent on defense, especially when it comes to moving the puck. The first part of the season will be a huge key, as the new blue-liners get acclimated and UMD hopes to get off to a good start.
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