He had to talk his way into the lineup against Colorado College, but there's no question UMD senior captain Adam Krause is ready to play now.
"I'm back, and I feel good," he said. "Don't even have a brace on right now. Just a little tape."
Krause broke his wrist against Denver Oct. 25. He described it as such a freak play. He wasn't slashed or anything like that. He followed through on a pass, and his hand hit the midsection of Denver forward Ty Loney, bent wrong, and he felt the crack. Krause tried to get it taped up and continue playing, but it was quickly determined to be a bad idea. He missed eight games, and UMD went 6-1-1 while he was out, including a two-game home-and-home sweep of rival Minnesota.
"People come up to me and say it must have been hard to watch," Krause noted, "and it was, but Bulldog hockey has been part of my life for my whole life. Whenever the Bulldogs win is a good night.
"It was awesome to see. Some of the guys who got limited minutes stepped up and got to play with some more experienced guys, and it was awesome to see. The guys helped me out along the way when I was practicing with them, kind of kept my chin up."
Krause returned Dec. 5 against Colorado College. He said he had to talk his way into the lineup because coach Scott Sandelin didn't feel he was ready. But that night, Sandelin noted that Krause "was one of our only guys who was playing" during the first period, as CC took a 1-0 lead and largely shut down the potent UMD attack. So Krause went from limited fourth line minutes to being reunited with the top line of Dominic Toninato and Alex Iafallo.
The three combined for the tying goal Friday, then Krause had a goal and assist Saturday in a 7-2 win. The three iced a Dec. 12 win at Michigan Tech when Krause deftly sprung Toninato for a breakaway goal to restore UMD's two-goal edge after Tech had cut it in half.
Keep in mind that Krause did all that with a brace. He wasn't 100 percent. He is now.
Krause and his teammates are looking forward to this weekend's exhibition series against Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ont. It's a good chance to shake off the rust before a key NCHC series at North Dakota next weekend. The team returned from break Sunday and practiced for the first time Monday. Energy has been good, and spirits are high.
"We didn't really want to play at North Dakota right away, and Lakehead was good enough to have us come up there," Krause said. "It'll be a rough series, but it's a good chance to bond closer as a team and get away for a bit."
This starts a run of 20 games in ten weekends to finish the regular season. UMD will not take a weekend off until its season is over, unless it makes the Frozen Four.
(UMD will play without forward Kyle Osterberg this weekend, but he's expected back for the UND games. Coincidentally, Osterberg had quite the injury scare in the October exhibition against Lakehead in Duluth, where he took a knee on knee hit and was lucky to not miss any playing time as a result.)
There's just no questioning Krause's value to the team, even if he isn't necessarily comfortable when confronted with it.
Ask his teammates. They don't just say he's a good captain.
Kyle Osterberg and Karson Kuhlman are among those who have -- independently -- told me Krause is the best captain they've ever played with. Keep in mind, those are guys who have played on national teams. It's high praise.
Krause didn't take his absence lightly. Showing the kind of character he possesses, he didn't spend much time slouching. Sure, in the week after he was hurt, it was clear he wasn't pleased with the situation. But it didn't take long for his trademark positive attitude to return. I knew Adam wouldn't spend much time feeling sorry for himself, but he came back with a great perspective on what he has the chance to do at UMD.
"First thing my mom and dad said was it could have been a lot worse," he said this week. "I have my roommate, who was paralyzed in hockey. Looking at him, hockey is a dangerous sport, breaking a wrist is nothing compared to what could happen. I grew from it. I got excited about the game again. I got determined. I'm not ready to give the game up yet, and I kinda saw how big a part of my life it is."
You could follow this program for 50 years and not find a better representative of it -- on the ice and off -- than Adam Krause. That his teammates speak so highly of him, and that the praise is practically unanimous, should tell you all you need to know. Krause won't be in line for the Hobey Baker Award because he isn't a 25-goal superstar, but his name should be mentioned for significant honors because of his academics, character, and leadership. And thanks to Krause and his talented teammates, the Bulldogs have a chance to be playing deep into March and -- dare we say it -- maybe April, too.
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Thursday, December 18, 2014
UMD Women's Hockey Struggling With Elite Opponents
Earlier this week, UMD announced it would not renew the contracts of head women's hockey coach Shannon Miller or her assistants, Laura Schuler and Gina Kingsbury. There's been much made of this story (read the above link for interviews with both Miller and athletic director Josh Berlo, and you can podcast my interview with Berlo from Thursday morning here -- fast forward to around the top of the show's third hour), and there is probably more to come.
Hopefully, the end of the story includes a long and fruitful playoff run for the women. They've worked hard this season, as evidenced by practices and games I've seen, and they're clearly improved from the start of the year. Miller is doing a very good job, and if the group can rally from this and not let it affect play, there's no reason UMD can't return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since a quarterfinal exit in 2011.
Yes, I said 2011. It's the only sustained NCAA Tournament drought Miller has experienced since joining UMD to launch its women's hockey program in 1999. UMD missed in 2004 after three straight titles, but rebounded to make the national playoffs seven straight years -- with two more titles -- before this three-year absence started in 2012.
That stretch of missing the national tournament has coincided with a precipitous drop in success for UMD against the other elite programs of the WCHA, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Since I couldn't sleep Wednesday night, I started doing some research on this topic. The findings are quite interesting.
After going a respectable 6-7-1 against Minnesota in 2008-2010, it fell off a cliff for the Bulldogs against their biggest in-state rival.
In the four-plus seasons since UMD's last national championship -- won, coincidentally, in 2010 at Ridder Arena -- the Bulldogs have played 21 games against the Gophers. The record? 3-16-2. In those 16 losses, UMD has been shut out nine times. Over the 21 games, UMD has scored 28 goals and allowed 78. A tie (followed by a UMD shootout win for an extra WCHA point) in October broke a streak of 12 straight losses to the Gophers by an aggregate of 55-10.
Against Wisconsin, things haven't been much easier. Over the last 20 meetings stretching to the start of the 2010-11 season, UMD is just 4-14-2 against the Badgers. They've been outscored 55-35. Games have generally been much more competitive, even if UMD isn't winning a significantly higher number of them. UMD is 4-10 against the Badgers in games decided by one or two goals in those last 20 meetings. In the 21 games against the Gophers, only six have been decided by one or two goals, with UMD going 3-3.
(NOTE: This research does not differentiate between regular-season and playoff games. Teams meet four times -- two games at each respective venue -- during the regular season, for a fully-balanced, 28-game league schedule.)
So since the start of the 2010-11 season, the score of the average Minnesota-UMD game: Minnesota 3.7, UMD 1.3
The score of the average Wisconsin-UMD game: Wisconsin 2.75, UMD 1.67
Certainly this is a bigger problem against the Gophers than it is the Badgers, but UMD is not nearly as competitive against the WCHA's two best programs as it used to be.
If you throw in North Dakota, which had a nice run thanks to the Lamoureux twins, the numbers don't get much better. In the same time frame, UMD is 5-9-4 against North Dakota.
Here are the overall winning percentages of the WCHA's top four programs over the last four-plus years (all numbers are through this week):
UMD: 84-59-17 .578 (1 NCAA appearance)
North Dakota: 97-58-13 .616 (2 NCAA appearances)
Wisconsin: 138-27-9 .819 (3 NCAA appearances, 1 title, 1 second place)
Minnesota: 155-18-7 .881 (4 NCAA appearances, 2 titles, 1 second place)
In addition, UMD has not picked up a single point against the Gophers at Ridder Arena since Jan. 14, 2011, a run of seven straight regulation or overtime road losses to Minnesota. UMD's last regular season win at Minnesota was Jan. 23, 2009.
(UMD beat Minnesota at Ridder on March 19, 2010, in the Frozen Four semifinals.)
WCHA teams who have won more recently at Minnesota than UMD has (regular-season games only)? Wisconsin (Nov. 6, 2010), North Dakota (Nov. 17, 2013), and Bemidji State (Nov. 1 of this year). Ohio State (Jan. 11 of this year) has a point at Minnesota more recently than UMD's last point there.
All the while, Miller has continued to be the highest-paid women's hockey coach in Division I (at least that we can find). Over the last four years, via public employee salary postings easily accessed for Minnesota and Wisconsin, Miller has made an average of around $223,000 in base pay. Wisconsin's Mark Johnson has averaged $166,000, while Brad Frost of Minnesota has made $134,000 on average.
(All numbers are rounded for simplicity.)
It isn't easy to admit it, but there's no question. The program has fallen off a bit in recent years. Part of that is the push forward Minnesota has made since Frost took over. Wisconsin has also surged ahead of UMD. What's even more interesting is how well North Dakota fared against the Bulldogs. You could argue UMD -- a five-time national champion over a span of just ten years -- has been the fourth-best program in the WCHA since the start of the 2010-11 season.
(In fairness, UND has fallen back a bit so far this season, and I don't think I'm qualified enough to say UND has passed UMD in terms of recruiting. It's clear Minnesota and Wisconsin have.)
Maybe it comes back in 2015, but UMD is 1-4-1 against Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota, and that was with all but the UND games at home. A six-game run that starts with UND at home in late January will tell us a lot, because that's followed up by roadies to Minnesota and Wisconsin. Beyond that, UMD would surely have to take down either Minnesota or Wisconsin in order to make the Frozen Four, assuming it finishes strong enough to make the NCAA Tournament.
No matter what happens, it won't be a "plug and play" situation for whoever takes over for Miller. It would be tough enough to ever have to take over at UMD for Miller, but the controversy surrounding her departure at the end of this season will only increase the pressure. Make no mistake: There are many who are very loyal to Shannon Miller. You don't win 375 games in one place -- and she'll add to that number before she leaves -- without building up some equity and earning the respect and loyalty of people around you.
Throw in there the fact that UMD is no longer the top program in its conference, nor is it really knocking on the door of a well-established top two. This should be a destination job for any qualified Division I women's hockey coach, but that person will have plenty of work to do to get this team back to legitimate, year-to-year, national contention.
I don't care who gets the job. I just hope whoever does is able to use the program's history and high-quality facilities to get UMD back to the top of the WCHA. It's a place the Bulldogs haven't been in a while, and it'd be nice to knock on the door again.
Hopefully, the end of the story includes a long and fruitful playoff run for the women. They've worked hard this season, as evidenced by practices and games I've seen, and they're clearly improved from the start of the year. Miller is doing a very good job, and if the group can rally from this and not let it affect play, there's no reason UMD can't return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since a quarterfinal exit in 2011.
Yes, I said 2011. It's the only sustained NCAA Tournament drought Miller has experienced since joining UMD to launch its women's hockey program in 1999. UMD missed in 2004 after three straight titles, but rebounded to make the national playoffs seven straight years -- with two more titles -- before this three-year absence started in 2012.
That stretch of missing the national tournament has coincided with a precipitous drop in success for UMD against the other elite programs of the WCHA, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Since I couldn't sleep Wednesday night, I started doing some research on this topic. The findings are quite interesting.
After going a respectable 6-7-1 against Minnesota in 2008-2010, it fell off a cliff for the Bulldogs against their biggest in-state rival.
In the four-plus seasons since UMD's last national championship -- won, coincidentally, in 2010 at Ridder Arena -- the Bulldogs have played 21 games against the Gophers. The record? 3-16-2. In those 16 losses, UMD has been shut out nine times. Over the 21 games, UMD has scored 28 goals and allowed 78. A tie (followed by a UMD shootout win for an extra WCHA point) in October broke a streak of 12 straight losses to the Gophers by an aggregate of 55-10.
Against Wisconsin, things haven't been much easier. Over the last 20 meetings stretching to the start of the 2010-11 season, UMD is just 4-14-2 against the Badgers. They've been outscored 55-35. Games have generally been much more competitive, even if UMD isn't winning a significantly higher number of them. UMD is 4-10 against the Badgers in games decided by one or two goals in those last 20 meetings. In the 21 games against the Gophers, only six have been decided by one or two goals, with UMD going 3-3.
(NOTE: This research does not differentiate between regular-season and playoff games. Teams meet four times -- two games at each respective venue -- during the regular season, for a fully-balanced, 28-game league schedule.)
So since the start of the 2010-11 season, the score of the average Minnesota-UMD game: Minnesota 3.7, UMD 1.3
The score of the average Wisconsin-UMD game: Wisconsin 2.75, UMD 1.67
Certainly this is a bigger problem against the Gophers than it is the Badgers, but UMD is not nearly as competitive against the WCHA's two best programs as it used to be.
If you throw in North Dakota, which had a nice run thanks to the Lamoureux twins, the numbers don't get much better. In the same time frame, UMD is 5-9-4 against North Dakota.
Here are the overall winning percentages of the WCHA's top four programs over the last four-plus years (all numbers are through this week):
UMD: 84-59-17 .578 (1 NCAA appearance)
North Dakota: 97-58-13 .616 (2 NCAA appearances)
Wisconsin: 138-27-9 .819 (3 NCAA appearances, 1 title, 1 second place)
Minnesota: 155-18-7 .881 (4 NCAA appearances, 2 titles, 1 second place)
In addition, UMD has not picked up a single point against the Gophers at Ridder Arena since Jan. 14, 2011, a run of seven straight regulation or overtime road losses to Minnesota. UMD's last regular season win at Minnesota was Jan. 23, 2009.
(UMD beat Minnesota at Ridder on March 19, 2010, in the Frozen Four semifinals.)
WCHA teams who have won more recently at Minnesota than UMD has (regular-season games only)? Wisconsin (Nov. 6, 2010), North Dakota (Nov. 17, 2013), and Bemidji State (Nov. 1 of this year). Ohio State (Jan. 11 of this year) has a point at Minnesota more recently than UMD's last point there.
All the while, Miller has continued to be the highest-paid women's hockey coach in Division I (at least that we can find). Over the last four years, via public employee salary postings easily accessed for Minnesota and Wisconsin, Miller has made an average of around $223,000 in base pay. Wisconsin's Mark Johnson has averaged $166,000, while Brad Frost of Minnesota has made $134,000 on average.
(All numbers are rounded for simplicity.)
******
It isn't easy to admit it, but there's no question. The program has fallen off a bit in recent years. Part of that is the push forward Minnesota has made since Frost took over. Wisconsin has also surged ahead of UMD. What's even more interesting is how well North Dakota fared against the Bulldogs. You could argue UMD -- a five-time national champion over a span of just ten years -- has been the fourth-best program in the WCHA since the start of the 2010-11 season.
(In fairness, UND has fallen back a bit so far this season, and I don't think I'm qualified enough to say UND has passed UMD in terms of recruiting. It's clear Minnesota and Wisconsin have.)
Maybe it comes back in 2015, but UMD is 1-4-1 against Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota, and that was with all but the UND games at home. A six-game run that starts with UND at home in late January will tell us a lot, because that's followed up by roadies to Minnesota and Wisconsin. Beyond that, UMD would surely have to take down either Minnesota or Wisconsin in order to make the Frozen Four, assuming it finishes strong enough to make the NCAA Tournament.
No matter what happens, it won't be a "plug and play" situation for whoever takes over for Miller. It would be tough enough to ever have to take over at UMD for Miller, but the controversy surrounding her departure at the end of this season will only increase the pressure. Make no mistake: There are many who are very loyal to Shannon Miller. You don't win 375 games in one place -- and she'll add to that number before she leaves -- without building up some equity and earning the respect and loyalty of people around you.
Throw in there the fact that UMD is no longer the top program in its conference, nor is it really knocking on the door of a well-established top two. This should be a destination job for any qualified Division I women's hockey coach, but that person will have plenty of work to do to get this team back to legitimate, year-to-year, national contention.
I don't care who gets the job. I just hope whoever does is able to use the program's history and high-quality facilities to get UMD back to the top of the WCHA. It's a place the Bulldogs haven't been in a while, and it'd be nice to knock on the door again.
Duluth Marshall Makes The Leap
This broke Wednesday night from Northland's News Center, but it has now been confirmed by Duluth Marshall. The school sent out a press release affirming its desire to move the boys' hockey program to Class AA.
Here is the press release.
There are a couple logistical questions (nothing that will stop the move from happening):
1. Who comes out of Section 7AA, or will there be two play-in games? Assuming Marshall goes to Section 7 (and why would the MSHSL do anything else?), you have four local teams -- Marshall, East, Cloquet/Esko/Carlton, and Grand Rapids -- along with Andover, Cambridge-Isanti, Elk River, Forest Lake, St. Francis, and St. Michael-Albertville. Would there be any need to cut teams? Not necessarily, unless teams are falling back to Class A and they want at least eight teams in as many sections as possible. I'd imagine St. Michael-Albertville is the first to go if they're bumping teams out of the section.
2. Will anyone move to Section 7A to replace Marshall? That move leaves nine teams in the section. There's no real need to have ten, but there's a pretty good fit for Section 7 that hasn't been in it in a while.
Proctor.
The Rails haven't been in Section 7 since they won their only section title in 1996. Currently mired in a section where Moose Lake is the closest team to them, Proctor sure makes a lot of sense for a new Section 7A starting next season. In fact, it almost makes too much sense.
Either way, congratulations to Duluth Marshall. And best of luck. We'll see if it has any kind of ripple effect on other schools.
(We're all looking at you, Hermantown. Not saying you have to make the move, but now there's no one else for everyone to stare at.)
Here is the press release.
Marshall School is working with the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) to move to AA for its boys hockey program. The move is expected to be approved by the MSHSL and take effect for the 2015-2016 school year.Obviously, this is a huge development for local hockey. Marshall should be able to attract more elite local players with this move. The Hilltoppers will be competitive in Section 7AA, no question about it, no matter the severe enrollment disparity with Duluth East (1,400-plus students compared to 268 at Marshall).
“The move to AA represents a new chapter in the storied history of Marshall/Cathedral boys hockey,” said Kevin Snyder, Marshall’s Athletic Director. “It will indeed be a challenge, one I believe our coaches and players are ready to meet. Excellence in the classroom and in athletics competition can and should go hand-in-hand. The Toppers have proven that in the past, and will continue to do so in the future.”
Marshall has appeared in seven MSHSL state tournaments at the A level, including three-consecutive second-place finishes from 2006-2008. Before joining the MSHSL, the Hilltoppers won five-straight Minnesota State Catholic titles from 1965-1969 as Cathedral High School.
“We want to create an opportunity for our students to compete at the highest level, whether in the classroom or on the ice,” said Brendan Flaherty, Marshall’s head hockey coach. “This will give our hockey players the chance to display their skills on the largest stage, the same way we want all of our students to pursue great opportunities academically.”
On average, more than 98% of Marshall graduates attend a four-year college. The 66 students who graduated from Marshall in 2014 were offered more than $5 million in merit-based academic scholarships. The Class of 2015 has an average ACT score of 27, three points higher than the Minnesota state average.
“Marshall School has always been a destination for students who want to pair incredible academic opportunities with outstanding extra-curricular opportunities,” said Kevin Breen, Marshall’s Head of School. “This is another opportunity for us to tie excellence and access together for students who want to explore this caliber of experience.”
There are a couple logistical questions (nothing that will stop the move from happening):
1. Who comes out of Section 7AA, or will there be two play-in games? Assuming Marshall goes to Section 7 (and why would the MSHSL do anything else?), you have four local teams -- Marshall, East, Cloquet/Esko/Carlton, and Grand Rapids -- along with Andover, Cambridge-Isanti, Elk River, Forest Lake, St. Francis, and St. Michael-Albertville. Would there be any need to cut teams? Not necessarily, unless teams are falling back to Class A and they want at least eight teams in as many sections as possible. I'd imagine St. Michael-Albertville is the first to go if they're bumping teams out of the section.
2. Will anyone move to Section 7A to replace Marshall? That move leaves nine teams in the section. There's no real need to have ten, but there's a pretty good fit for Section 7 that hasn't been in it in a while.
Proctor.
The Rails haven't been in Section 7 since they won their only section title in 1996. Currently mired in a section where Moose Lake is the closest team to them, Proctor sure makes a lot of sense for a new Section 7A starting next season. In fact, it almost makes too much sense.
Either way, congratulations to Duluth Marshall. And best of luck. We'll see if it has any kind of ripple effect on other schools.
(We're all looking at you, Hermantown. Not saying you have to make the move, but now there's no one else for everyone to stare at.)
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
UMD Women's Hockey Program Ending an Era
The only coach the UMD women's hockey program has ever known, Shannon Miller, will be finishing the 2014-15 season and then moving on from the university.
Lots of emotions here, and understandably so. I'm in the building quite a bit, but I'm not going to claim great knowledge of the goings-on on the women's side of Amsoil Arena. That said, if you think the players aren't going to speak out in support of the person who brought them here and has been coaching them for however long, you're insane. If they don't come out and support Miller here, something is probably amiss.
Miller has always been courteous and professional in my inquiries to her over the years. I have no gripes, not that I'd necessarily share them in this forum anyway. But I don't.
(And you know me. I'd probably have said something on Twitter if I had a gripe.)
I am scheduled to visit with Josh Berlo on Thursday -- previously scheduled -- and I don't expect to hit him up any earlier than that. Duluth News Tribune noob Matt Wellens did speak both to Berlo and Miller Monday night.
Berlo interview
Miller interview
I'd suggest reading both of them. Good quotes from each party, and Matt asks just about every question I could think to ask myself. And he did it on his day off.
The school made the announcement Monday night via a press release.UMD is 12-5-3 this season and off until Jan. 10. Senior forward Zoe Hickel was one of the only players to chime in on Twitter Monday night.
University of Minnesota Duluth women’s hockey head coach Shannon Miller will not have her contract extended beyond the 2014-15 season, due to financial considerations. Two assistant coaches and a part-time director of operations will also not have their contracts renewed.
“We deeply appreciate and are proud of what Shannon has built and accomplished at UMD,” said Athletic Director Josh Berlo. “She established a winning program, raised it to the highest level of competition and sustained a national championship tradition over the last 15 years. Today’s decision about Shannon’s contract was an immensely difficult and financially driven decision. Unfortunately, UMD Athletics is not in a position to sustain the current salary levels of our women’s hockey coaching staff. However, we remain committed to supporting the Bulldog women’s hockey program.”
Chancellor Lendley (Lynn) Black expressed his deep appreciation for Coach Miller’s tenure: “Thank you for being one of the best coaches in the history of UMD Intercollegiate Athletics. I will always fondly remember our 2010 trip to the White House!”
Coach Miller came to UMD in 1998 and immediately established the program as a national powerhouse, winning five NCAA championships since the program’s inception. In that time, she developed 28 current and former Olympians, as well as multiple national team coaches. The championship tradition of Bulldog Women’s Hockey was built with players from the United States, Canada and around the globe bringing an international community to Duluth. Coach Miller boasts a .713 winning percentage at UMD.
"I am extremely shocked and saddened by this news, as is our entire staff and team,” said Miller. “But we are committed to staying here to coach these great young women for the rest of the season and to a national championship."
A national search will take place following the 2014-15 season.
Lots of emotions here, and understandably so. I'm in the building quite a bit, but I'm not going to claim great knowledge of the goings-on on the women's side of Amsoil Arena. That said, if you think the players aren't going to speak out in support of the person who brought them here and has been coaching them for however long, you're insane. If they don't come out and support Miller here, something is probably amiss.
Miller has always been courteous and professional in my inquiries to her over the years. I have no gripes, not that I'd necessarily share them in this forum anyway. But I don't.
(And you know me. I'd probably have said something on Twitter if I had a gripe.)
I am scheduled to visit with Josh Berlo on Thursday -- previously scheduled -- and I don't expect to hit him up any earlier than that. Duluth News Tribune noob Matt Wellens did speak both to Berlo and Miller Monday night.
Berlo interview
Miller interview
I'd suggest reading both of them. Good quotes from each party, and Matt asks just about every question I could think to ask myself. And he did it on his day off.
Monday, December 15, 2014
Monday Musings: Bulldogs Rally Again, But Michigan Tech Scores Late to Split Series
Well, the Drama Dogs did it again.
Down 2-0 after one period Saturday, then 3-1 after two, UMD found a way back in Houghton against Michigan Tech. From the time Dominic Toninato scored to make it a 3-2 game until Mike Neville's game-winning goal with 18.4 seconds left for Tech, the Bulldogs outshot the home side 13-4. The forecheck was cranked up, the forwards were flying, and UMD looked like a team poised to steal another game.
Toninato's 13th goal of the season got UMD started, and Austyn Young followed up a Willie Raskob point shot for his third of the year to tie the game.
(Toninato had three goals on the weekend, while Austin Farley chipped in two. Both guys have a nose for the net and can be counted on to make plays when things might not be going all that well around them.)
The way the game started, there's no question UMD was fortunate to be even at that point.
Michigan Tech was putting heat on the Bulldogs early, and it paid off on a Tyler Heinonen goal at 3:33 of the first. Less than 90 seconds later, a bizarre play in the crease led to an Alex Gillies goal that made it 2-0. That goal ended Kasimir Kaskisuo's 15th straight start very early. On came Matt McNeely for his first action since Oct. 17.
While Kaskisuo has been great this season, Saturday wasn't a good start for him. Both goals were preventable, both on his part and on the guys in front of him, and I think Scott Sandelin's decision to pull the goalie was twofold. He wasn't playing well, and UMD was in for a long 55 minutes if it didn't improve some things in its own zone.
The Bulldogs still had problems away from the puck, including lax clearing attempts that helped lead to Tech's goal that made it 3-1 in the second period. But nothing was as glaring as the mistake that led to Neville's winning goal, where UMD just lost coverage and let him get down the right wing and cut toward the net unchecked.
It was something Sandelin eluded to a bit in our pregame conversation.
"We got away from some things, especially in the third period (Friday)," he said. "Part of that comes from not moving your feet and not engaging."
Sandelin went on to explain that it can be difficult to defend well on a consistent basis when a team has the puck a lot at the other end of the rink.
He's a prophet, because he unknowingly laid out the blueprint for Michigan Tech to win the game. The Bulldogs had the puck almost constantly after Young's goal, and when Tech got it, UMD was not sharp in its own zone. This time, the Bulldogs paid for it with a loss.
It's break time. This team is 12-6. Don't dwell on how Saturday's game ended. It sucked, but it's not like UMD lost to a crap team. Michigan Tech is legitimately good, and this is a huge win for the Huskies. A series split was probably justified, as each team took turns being the better team on the ice. They were fun games to watch and it would be great if the two teams met again in 2015.
12-6 is solid. UMD has played ten different teams this season. All but one (Colorado College) was ranked when the Bulldogs played them. Only one other (Notre Dame) isn't ranked as of last week.
There are warts, and we'll discuss some of them during the time off, but UMD is unquestionably a national contender.
Health becomes a huge key now. Counting the exhibition games at Lakehead the weekend after New Year's Day, UMD plays 20 games in ten weekends before the NCHC playoffs start March 13. Looking way ahead in the future, the Bulldogs won't have a weekend off until either 1) the season ends, or 2) the week before the Frozen Four, whichever comes first (and I know which one of these I want to come first). UMD simply doesn't have the luxury to rest for a week here or there and get guys healthy. Now, either the team stays healthy, or the depth gets a big-time test, like it did in November.
The penalty kill took a good step last weekend -- going six-for-six after a bit of a mini-slump. That and the power play need to gain consistency as the season wears on. Kaskisuo is the bell cow in net, undoubtedly, so he must show progress and be ready for a grind after Christmas.
(By the way, read this piece from College Hockey News' Ryan Lambert, talking about how often college teams should be playing their No. 1 goalies. Ice time should not be an issue for Kas going forward. Just need to do a better job in front of him.)
Just don't let Saturday cloud your judgment. The Bulldogs are in position to make serious noise come March and (hopefully) April.
This will be the last post for at least a few days. At some point before the Jan. 9 return to NCHC play, I'll post my midseason All-NCHC team and have some other thoughts on the halfway mark of the season.
I'll be in Thunder Bay for the exhibition games, but I don't know that there will be a ton of posts about those. And I'm off for some time in between now and then.
If you don't visit the blog again before 2015, thanks for supporting the blog, our broadcasts, and the UMD hockey program. Have a Merry Christmas and a joyous holiday season.
Down 2-0 after one period Saturday, then 3-1 after two, UMD found a way back in Houghton against Michigan Tech. From the time Dominic Toninato scored to make it a 3-2 game until Mike Neville's game-winning goal with 18.4 seconds left for Tech, the Bulldogs outshot the home side 13-4. The forecheck was cranked up, the forwards were flying, and UMD looked like a team poised to steal another game.
Toninato's 13th goal of the season got UMD started, and Austyn Young followed up a Willie Raskob point shot for his third of the year to tie the game.
(Toninato had three goals on the weekend, while Austin Farley chipped in two. Both guys have a nose for the net and can be counted on to make plays when things might not be going all that well around them.)
The way the game started, there's no question UMD was fortunate to be even at that point.
Michigan Tech was putting heat on the Bulldogs early, and it paid off on a Tyler Heinonen goal at 3:33 of the first. Less than 90 seconds later, a bizarre play in the crease led to an Alex Gillies goal that made it 2-0. That goal ended Kasimir Kaskisuo's 15th straight start very early. On came Matt McNeely for his first action since Oct. 17.
While Kaskisuo has been great this season, Saturday wasn't a good start for him. Both goals were preventable, both on his part and on the guys in front of him, and I think Scott Sandelin's decision to pull the goalie was twofold. He wasn't playing well, and UMD was in for a long 55 minutes if it didn't improve some things in its own zone.
The Bulldogs still had problems away from the puck, including lax clearing attempts that helped lead to Tech's goal that made it 3-1 in the second period. But nothing was as glaring as the mistake that led to Neville's winning goal, where UMD just lost coverage and let him get down the right wing and cut toward the net unchecked.
It was something Sandelin eluded to a bit in our pregame conversation.
"We got away from some things, especially in the third period (Friday)," he said. "Part of that comes from not moving your feet and not engaging."
Sandelin went on to explain that it can be difficult to defend well on a consistent basis when a team has the puck a lot at the other end of the rink.
He's a prophet, because he unknowingly laid out the blueprint for Michigan Tech to win the game. The Bulldogs had the puck almost constantly after Young's goal, and when Tech got it, UMD was not sharp in its own zone. This time, the Bulldogs paid for it with a loss.
******
It's break time. This team is 12-6. Don't dwell on how Saturday's game ended. It sucked, but it's not like UMD lost to a crap team. Michigan Tech is legitimately good, and this is a huge win for the Huskies. A series split was probably justified, as each team took turns being the better team on the ice. They were fun games to watch and it would be great if the two teams met again in 2015.
12-6 is solid. UMD has played ten different teams this season. All but one (Colorado College) was ranked when the Bulldogs played them. Only one other (Notre Dame) isn't ranked as of last week.
There are warts, and we'll discuss some of them during the time off, but UMD is unquestionably a national contender.
Health becomes a huge key now. Counting the exhibition games at Lakehead the weekend after New Year's Day, UMD plays 20 games in ten weekends before the NCHC playoffs start March 13. Looking way ahead in the future, the Bulldogs won't have a weekend off until either 1) the season ends, or 2) the week before the Frozen Four, whichever comes first (and I know which one of these I want to come first). UMD simply doesn't have the luxury to rest for a week here or there and get guys healthy. Now, either the team stays healthy, or the depth gets a big-time test, like it did in November.
The penalty kill took a good step last weekend -- going six-for-six after a bit of a mini-slump. That and the power play need to gain consistency as the season wears on. Kaskisuo is the bell cow in net, undoubtedly, so he must show progress and be ready for a grind after Christmas.
(By the way, read this piece from College Hockey News' Ryan Lambert, talking about how often college teams should be playing their No. 1 goalies. Ice time should not be an issue for Kas going forward. Just need to do a better job in front of him.)
Just don't let Saturday cloud your judgment. The Bulldogs are in position to make serious noise come March and (hopefully) April.
******
This will be the last post for at least a few days. At some point before the Jan. 9 return to NCHC play, I'll post my midseason All-NCHC team and have some other thoughts on the halfway mark of the season.
I'll be in Thunder Bay for the exhibition games, but I don't know that there will be a ton of posts about those. And I'm off for some time in between now and then.
If you don't visit the blog again before 2015, thanks for supporting the blog, our broadcasts, and the UMD hockey program. Have a Merry Christmas and a joyous holiday season.
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Game 18: UMD at Michigan Tech
HOUGHTON, Mich. -- In the runup to Friday's series opener, I asked UMD coach Scott Sandelin what he thought the keys were to breaking down Michigan Tech goalie Jamie Phillips, who entered the game with a .943 save percentage.
"You gotta get traffic," he said. "You gotta get shots. You have to get him moving a little bit east and west.
"You have to get around him, and we have to work hard to do that."
Mission largely accomplished. UMD attempted 38 shots in the first period and 74 for the game. There were people at the net a lot, with Phillips flailing more than a few times to try to draw a penalty that never came.
(There was some contact with Phillips, but he did a good job selling what came at him.)
This game should be intense. Tech has lost three straight at home, and Mel Pearson will have his team ready for battle. UMD jumped on Tech pretty early Friday, but the Huskies eventually got off the mat and competed pretty darn hard. That's the team I expect to see the Bulldogs have to deal with from the outset in this one.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Iafallo - Toninato - Krause
Farley - Cameranesi - Kuhlman
Osterberg - Decowski - Young (Austyn)
Young (Blake) - Thomas - Crandall
Johnson - Welinski
Soucy - Raskob
Corrin - Molenaar
Kaskisuo - McNeely - Fons
MTU
Vallis - Pietila - Sturos
Petan - Kero (Tanner) - Gould
Heinonen - Neville - Hietala
Eick - Steman - Gillies
Watson - Sweeney
Hanna - Roy
Auk - Hyland
Phillips - Kero (Devin) - Messina
(Programming note: I'll be back with the normal Monday blog to recap the weekend's events. Then we'll go silent for most of the next two weeks. The team is off until Jan. 2, and I'm taking a bunch of time off in that span as well.)
"You gotta get traffic," he said. "You gotta get shots. You have to get him moving a little bit east and west.
"You have to get around him, and we have to work hard to do that."
Mission largely accomplished. UMD attempted 38 shots in the first period and 74 for the game. There were people at the net a lot, with Phillips flailing more than a few times to try to draw a penalty that never came.
(There was some contact with Phillips, but he did a good job selling what came at him.)
This game should be intense. Tech has lost three straight at home, and Mel Pearson will have his team ready for battle. UMD jumped on Tech pretty early Friday, but the Huskies eventually got off the mat and competed pretty darn hard. That's the team I expect to see the Bulldogs have to deal with from the outset in this one.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Iafallo - Toninato - Krause
Farley - Cameranesi - Kuhlman
Osterberg - Decowski - Young (Austyn)
Young (Blake) - Thomas - Crandall
Johnson - Welinski
Soucy - Raskob
Corrin - Molenaar
Kaskisuo - McNeely - Fons
MTU
Vallis - Pietila - Sturos
Petan - Kero (Tanner) - Gould
Heinonen - Neville - Hietala
Eick - Steman - Gillies
Watson - Sweeney
Hanna - Roy
Auk - Hyland
Phillips - Kero (Devin) - Messina
(Programming note: I'll be back with the normal Monday blog to recap the weekend's events. Then we'll go silent for most of the next two weeks. The team is off until Jan. 2, and I'm taking a bunch of time off in that span as well.)
Minnesota State Cancels Hockey Game Due to Flu Outbreak
Minnesota State has cancelled its Saturday men's hockey home game against Princeton after an outbreak of the flu on the MSU team.
Here is the statement from the university:
I couldn't find a provision in the NCAA rule book to cover this, but I do not have access to WCHA by-laws and can't tell you if it's covered there. Either way, I'm glad it's a no-contest, as opposed to a forfeit that would give Princeton a 1-0 win. That doesn't benefit anyone and serves to penalize Minnesota State for a matter completely out of its control.
There isn't much information on this situation beyond the statement, but I'd encourage you to follow the wonderful Mankato Free Press Mavericks beat guy, Shane Frederick, on Twitter @puckato. I presume he'll have more on this story as he gathers more information.
Here is the statement from the university:
Kevin Buisman, Minnesota State Director of Athletics, has announced that the men’s hockey game for Minnesota State vs. Princeton, scheduled for Saturday evening in Mankato, has been cancelled.Obviously, this is the right thing to do. Player safety is first and foremost, and if MSU didn't have enough healthy players to field something that at least resembled a full lineup, there is no reason to move forward with this game.
“Several members of our men’s hockey team have come down with the flu and we do not have enough healthy student-athletes to field a team tonight,” said Buisman. “After consulting with several stakeholders, including the NCAA, Verizon Wireless Center and the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, and discussing our options, it was decided to cancel the game. There were several complicating factors in the decision which involved facility scheduling, individual and team travel and the fact that there is no guarantee that we would have enough bodies to play tomorrow. We know that our fan base and those that follow us would have wanted to see the third-rated Mavericks play tonight and hope everyone can understand this difficult situation and the issues we faced in coming to this decision.”
Buisman said that the game would be declared a “no contest” and that plans for ticket reimbursement will be announced at a later date.
I couldn't find a provision in the NCAA rule book to cover this, but I do not have access to WCHA by-laws and can't tell you if it's covered there. Either way, I'm glad it's a no-contest, as opposed to a forfeit that would give Princeton a 1-0 win. That doesn't benefit anyone and serves to penalize Minnesota State for a matter completely out of its control.
There isn't much information on this situation beyond the statement, but I'd encourage you to follow the wonderful Mankato Free Press Mavericks beat guy, Shane Frederick, on Twitter @puckato. I presume he'll have more on this story as he gathers more information.
Friday, December 12, 2014
Saturday Hockey Notes and Thoughts: Toninato's Bookend Goals Lead UMD to Quality Road Win
HOUGHTON, Mich. -- Here's how good a season Michigan Tech has been having to this point.
Before Friday night, Tech had faced a two-goal deficit for 9:16. In 14 games. So they played 840 minutes and only trailed by two goals for a hair over nine of them. That's about 1.1 percent of the time.
On Friday, UMD took a 2-0 lead in the second period, then added an insurance goal after Tech got on the board in the third. In a 3-1 win for No. 9 UMD over No. 4 Michigan Tech here, the Bulldogs led by two goals for 27:28, or nearly half the game, and nearly three times as much as Tech had trailed by two goals all season long before this game.
The Bulldogs came out firing on Friday. UMD took 38 shots in the first period alone, getting a lot of good chances and doing a good job making Tech goalie Jamie Phillips work to see pucks and make saves. And he made saves. Lots of them. Phillips stymied UMD until a power play late in the first period. After Andy Welinski's center point shot was deflected high, it bounced back toward the front of the net. Austin Farley deftly poked it out toward the slot, where Dominic Toninato had what was basically a tap-in for a 1-0 UMD lead.
The Bulldogs added to the lead with a four-on-four goal in the second period, when Farley jammed in a rebound off a Tony Cameranesi sharp-angle shot. That was the first two-goal lead of the night for UMD. And as I mentioned, getting up by two against this team is quite an accomplishment.
After Dylan Steman tipped in a Cliff Watson point shot to halve the lead, Toninato struck again. This time, it was a breakaway that was brilliantly set up by linemates Adam Krause and Alex Iafallo.
This served as a fitting conclusion to the game's scoring, given how fantastic this line was for almost the entire affair. They combined for seven shots on goal, 17 total attempts*, and plenty of offensive zone time.
Cameranesi's line was also good. He, Farley, and Karson Kuhlman had 13 shots on goal, 17 attempts*, and their share of puck possession in the offensive zone.
(* - Unofficial, because I'm counting off the shot chart and I'm old so I can't sees as good as I used to.)
Both lines were fantastic defensively. They used their sticks to break up passes and rushes, and all six players blocked shots and stopped Tech from making plays down low. Farley's effort was especially notable a couple different times, breaking up potential chances before Kasimir Kaskisuo had to do anything. Kaskisuo was rock-solid with 25 saves and some superb rebound control, but he never had to make a "wow" save because the guys in front of him were so good.
Tech coach Mel Pearson was highly complimentary of UMD going into the week. He was almost equally complimentary after Friday's game, when appearing on Tech's radio postgame show.
UMD was the better team Friday. Pearson knows it. He's going to make some adjustments, and it'll be up to UMD to bring it again Saturday as it goes for the sweep.
The ending to Friday's game was somewhat bizarre. Not because of anything that happened on the ice.
Instead, it was something that didn't happen.
Pearson chose not to pull Phillips late in the game.
Tech had puck possession in the offensive zone a few times, sustained it for a while at one point, but Phillips stayed put. Pearson told Tech VOX Dirk Hembroff after the game he just didn't feel the timing was right, even though it looked like an obvious move.
It's not a crime or anything like that. But with how aggressive coaches are about pulling goalies (see: Blais, Dean), it's weird to see someone choosing NOT to. Looking back, Pearson may have telegraphed his decision in the final three minutes by passing on taking his timeout a couple times.
He has his reasons. I doubt it would have had a great impact on the final outcome. But it was weird at the time.
A quick personal note.
This series is the final in a two-year arrangement UMD and Tech had for non-conference games. I do not know if the teams have any plans to continue playing, but I do not believe they do at this time. Obviously, things like that can change.
No one wants me trying to set the non-conference schedule. I'd litter it with driving trips when we do play on the road, because it's easier than flying, and it means we have a better chance of getting some of our fans to make trips and be able to attend games.
And this place has always been special for me. In October 2005, I fell into the UMD play-by-play gig, taking over for the great Kerry Rodd.
(By the way, it isn't lost on me that I followed someone as good as Kerry, and yet have been lucky enough to do this for almost ten seasons now. Usually, the guy who replaces someone that good ends up on his keyster within a year or two because everyone hates him. I'm lucky in that the people who hated me kept their mouths shut.)
The first games I had a chance to call were here. I can look back now, find the box score, and tell you UMD won 6-3 on Friday behind two Mike Curry goals. The teams tied 2-2 on Saturday, and I was off and running, so to speak.
(I was petrified. I've never been that nervous, outside of maybe my wedding day, and that isn't even a guarantee. I had literally no clue what I was doing or what I had gotten myself into. I remember Matt McKnight's first goal Friday. I don't think I had a clue who scored it at the time. Called a few high school hockey games, but this was a pace, an intensity that I wasn't at all prepared for. And it took me a couple years to figure out how best to prepare for games.)
Ever since then, I've thoroughly enjoyed calling games here, because it reminds me of that first weekend. Also because it's an awesome building with great history, great character, and about the nicest people you could ever ask to meet and/or work with.
If Saturday is the end of that run for the time being, so be it. I'll follow this team wherever it goes and enjoy the hell out of doing it. But I'll miss this place if I don't get a chance to come back.
Elsewhere in the NCHC, St. Cloud State outshot Omaha 49-27 Friday night. But Ryan Massa was in goal for UNO, and SCSU's Jonny Brodzinski was ejected in thesecond third period on a questionable contact to the head call.
There will be a new No. 1 in the polls. Or at least I'd assume so. Denver took down North Dakota 4-1 in Denver. The Pioneers got another goal from Joey LaLeggia -- in other words, another day at the office for him -- as well as a goal and an apple from Quentin Shore and two assists from Gabe Levin. Oh, and UND's Mark MacMillan was ejected from the game on a possibly questionable checking from behind call.
(The Brodzinski penalty was a lot more questionable than the one on MacMillan, but that isn't going to make North Dakota fans feel any better.)
(Rant: Listen, I think we've all seen enough. Officials simply have to be given the power to review potential major penalties. It's gotten to the point of ridiculousness. Put a clock on the amount of time officials can view the video, make the screen go black after that time has expired, and put the onus on the officials to trust what they saw in live action if there isn't anything compelling on replay. /rant)
(Speaking of that, can we put a time limit on all reviews? The officials took so long to review UMD's first goal that I started to think they were going to overturn it no matter what. I saw the replay three times and I have no idea what they looked at for so long. There's another problem. Whenever a review is initiated, it should be made clear to everyone what the review was initiated to look at, and it should be made clear what was seen. There's almost no communication from downstairs to the press box or the crowd in general. That's unacceptable. Like the NHL system or not, their Situation Room blog is fantastic for almost real-time updates on the reason for and result of all video reviews that are conducted. The first college hockey league to adopt a similar system will be looked at as pioneers of the sport.)
(Ahem, focus ...)
In Kalamazoo, Frederik Tiffels scored twice, including the winning goal at 1:58 of overtime, as Western Michigan beat Colorado College 3-2. CC tied the game with three seconds left on a power-play goal by Cody Bradley, but Tiffels' overtime goal sent the Tigers to an 0-8 record in league play.
Before Friday night, Tech had faced a two-goal deficit for 9:16. In 14 games. So they played 840 minutes and only trailed by two goals for a hair over nine of them. That's about 1.1 percent of the time.
On Friday, UMD took a 2-0 lead in the second period, then added an insurance goal after Tech got on the board in the third. In a 3-1 win for No. 9 UMD over No. 4 Michigan Tech here, the Bulldogs led by two goals for 27:28, or nearly half the game, and nearly three times as much as Tech had trailed by two goals all season long before this game.
The Bulldogs came out firing on Friday. UMD took 38 shots in the first period alone, getting a lot of good chances and doing a good job making Tech goalie Jamie Phillips work to see pucks and make saves. And he made saves. Lots of them. Phillips stymied UMD until a power play late in the first period. After Andy Welinski's center point shot was deflected high, it bounced back toward the front of the net. Austin Farley deftly poked it out toward the slot, where Dominic Toninato had what was basically a tap-in for a 1-0 UMD lead.
The Bulldogs added to the lead with a four-on-four goal in the second period, when Farley jammed in a rebound off a Tony Cameranesi sharp-angle shot. That was the first two-goal lead of the night for UMD. And as I mentioned, getting up by two against this team is quite an accomplishment.
After Dylan Steman tipped in a Cliff Watson point shot to halve the lead, Toninato struck again. This time, it was a breakaway that was brilliantly set up by linemates Adam Krause and Alex Iafallo.
This served as a fitting conclusion to the game's scoring, given how fantastic this line was for almost the entire affair. They combined for seven shots on goal, 17 total attempts*, and plenty of offensive zone time.
Cameranesi's line was also good. He, Farley, and Karson Kuhlman had 13 shots on goal, 17 attempts*, and their share of puck possession in the offensive zone.
(* - Unofficial, because I'm counting off the shot chart and I'm old so I can't sees as good as I used to.)
Both lines were fantastic defensively. They used their sticks to break up passes and rushes, and all six players blocked shots and stopped Tech from making plays down low. Farley's effort was especially notable a couple different times, breaking up potential chances before Kasimir Kaskisuo had to do anything. Kaskisuo was rock-solid with 25 saves and some superb rebound control, but he never had to make a "wow" save because the guys in front of him were so good.
Tech coach Mel Pearson was highly complimentary of UMD going into the week. He was almost equally complimentary after Friday's game, when appearing on Tech's radio postgame show.
UMD was the better team Friday. Pearson knows it. He's going to make some adjustments, and it'll be up to UMD to bring it again Saturday as it goes for the sweep.
******
The ending to Friday's game was somewhat bizarre. Not because of anything that happened on the ice.
Instead, it was something that didn't happen.
Pearson chose not to pull Phillips late in the game.
Tech had puck possession in the offensive zone a few times, sustained it for a while at one point, but Phillips stayed put. Pearson told Tech VOX Dirk Hembroff after the game he just didn't feel the timing was right, even though it looked like an obvious move.
It's not a crime or anything like that. But with how aggressive coaches are about pulling goalies (see: Blais, Dean), it's weird to see someone choosing NOT to. Looking back, Pearson may have telegraphed his decision in the final three minutes by passing on taking his timeout a couple times.
He has his reasons. I doubt it would have had a great impact on the final outcome. But it was weird at the time.
******
A quick personal note.
This series is the final in a two-year arrangement UMD and Tech had for non-conference games. I do not know if the teams have any plans to continue playing, but I do not believe they do at this time. Obviously, things like that can change.
No one wants me trying to set the non-conference schedule. I'd litter it with driving trips when we do play on the road, because it's easier than flying, and it means we have a better chance of getting some of our fans to make trips and be able to attend games.
And this place has always been special for me. In October 2005, I fell into the UMD play-by-play gig, taking over for the great Kerry Rodd.
(By the way, it isn't lost on me that I followed someone as good as Kerry, and yet have been lucky enough to do this for almost ten seasons now. Usually, the guy who replaces someone that good ends up on his keyster within a year or two because everyone hates him. I'm lucky in that the people who hated me kept their mouths shut.)
The first games I had a chance to call were here. I can look back now, find the box score, and tell you UMD won 6-3 on Friday behind two Mike Curry goals. The teams tied 2-2 on Saturday, and I was off and running, so to speak.
(I was petrified. I've never been that nervous, outside of maybe my wedding day, and that isn't even a guarantee. I had literally no clue what I was doing or what I had gotten myself into. I remember Matt McKnight's first goal Friday. I don't think I had a clue who scored it at the time. Called a few high school hockey games, but this was a pace, an intensity that I wasn't at all prepared for. And it took me a couple years to figure out how best to prepare for games.)
Ever since then, I've thoroughly enjoyed calling games here, because it reminds me of that first weekend. Also because it's an awesome building with great history, great character, and about the nicest people you could ever ask to meet and/or work with.
If Saturday is the end of that run for the time being, so be it. I'll follow this team wherever it goes and enjoy the hell out of doing it. But I'll miss this place if I don't get a chance to come back.
******
Elsewhere in the NCHC, St. Cloud State outshot Omaha 49-27 Friday night. But Ryan Massa was in goal for UNO, and SCSU's Jonny Brodzinski was ejected in the
There will be a new No. 1 in the polls. Or at least I'd assume so. Denver took down North Dakota 4-1 in Denver. The Pioneers got another goal from Joey LaLeggia -- in other words, another day at the office for him -- as well as a goal and an apple from Quentin Shore and two assists from Gabe Levin. Oh, and UND's Mark MacMillan was ejected from the game on a possibly questionable checking from behind call.
(The Brodzinski penalty was a lot more questionable than the one on MacMillan, but that isn't going to make North Dakota fans feel any better.)
(Rant: Listen, I think we've all seen enough. Officials simply have to be given the power to review potential major penalties. It's gotten to the point of ridiculousness. Put a clock on the amount of time officials can view the video, make the screen go black after that time has expired, and put the onus on the officials to trust what they saw in live action if there isn't anything compelling on replay. /rant)
(Speaking of that, can we put a time limit on all reviews? The officials took so long to review UMD's first goal that I started to think they were going to overturn it no matter what. I saw the replay three times and I have no idea what they looked at for so long. There's another problem. Whenever a review is initiated, it should be made clear to everyone what the review was initiated to look at, and it should be made clear what was seen. There's almost no communication from downstairs to the press box or the crowd in general. That's unacceptable. Like the NHL system or not, their Situation Room blog is fantastic for almost real-time updates on the reason for and result of all video reviews that are conducted. The first college hockey league to adopt a similar system will be looked at as pioneers of the sport.)
(Ahem, focus ...)
In Kalamazoo, Frederik Tiffels scored twice, including the winning goal at 1:58 of overtime, as Western Michigan beat Colorado College 3-2. CC tied the game with three seconds left on a power-play goal by Cody Bradley, but Tiffels' overtime goal sent the Tigers to an 0-8 record in league play.
Game 17: UMD at Michigan Tech
HOUGHTON, Mich. -- For UMD's first visit here in over two years (Nov. 30-Dec. 1, 2012), you could have asked for better weather.
Well, some more sunshine would be nice (maybe Saturday, I guess), but I'm not about to complain about mild temperatures, no snow threat, and no bone-chilling wind.
Weather won't be an issue, but the opponent might be.
Michigan Tech is 12-2, stout defensively with great goaltending, and deep and experienced up front. Mel Pearson's Huskies are no slouch at all.
Tech has conceded just 21 goals in 14 games so far, and that includes two games against a pretty strong Minnesota State team where the Mavericks swept but only scored five goals. Make no mistake: Tech is a tough team to break down in its own zone.
However, it hasn't faced a team as speedy or deep as UMD. The Bulldogs will present challenges with their forecheck and pressure that Tech simply hasn't faced, outside of -- arguably -- Minnesota State.
(I'd argue that Minnesota State, Miami, and Minnesota are the three best teams UMD has faced to this point. Please don't ask me to put them in any kind of meaningful order, because I don't know that I can. But they're all very good.)
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Iafallo - Toninato - Krause
Farley - Cameranesi - Kuhlman
Osterberg - Decowski - Young (Austyn)
Sampair - Thomas - Crandall
Johnson - Welinski
Soucy - Molenaar
McCormack - Kotyk
Kaskisuo - McNeely
MTU
Petan - Pietila - Sturos
Johnstone - Kero - Gould
Heinonen - Hietila - L'Esperance
Eirck - Steman - Gillies
Hanna - Roy
Watson - Sweeney
Leibinger - Hyland
Phillips - Wintjes - Kero
Well, some more sunshine would be nice (maybe Saturday, I guess), but I'm not about to complain about mild temperatures, no snow threat, and no bone-chilling wind.
Weather won't be an issue, but the opponent might be.
Michigan Tech is 12-2, stout defensively with great goaltending, and deep and experienced up front. Mel Pearson's Huskies are no slouch at all.
Tech has conceded just 21 goals in 14 games so far, and that includes two games against a pretty strong Minnesota State team where the Mavericks swept but only scored five goals. Make no mistake: Tech is a tough team to break down in its own zone.
However, it hasn't faced a team as speedy or deep as UMD. The Bulldogs will present challenges with their forecheck and pressure that Tech simply hasn't faced, outside of -- arguably -- Minnesota State.
(I'd argue that Minnesota State, Miami, and Minnesota are the three best teams UMD has faced to this point. Please don't ask me to put them in any kind of meaningful order, because I don't know that I can. But they're all very good.)
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Iafallo - Toninato - Krause
Farley - Cameranesi - Kuhlman
Osterberg - Decowski - Young (Austyn)
Sampair - Thomas - Crandall
Johnson - Welinski
Soucy - Molenaar
McCormack - Kotyk
Kaskisuo - McNeely
MTU
Petan - Pietila - Sturos
Johnstone - Kero - Gould
Heinonen - Hietila - L'Esperance
Eirck - Steman - Gillies
Hanna - Roy
Watson - Sweeney
Leibinger - Hyland
Phillips - Wintjes - Kero
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Bulldogs Tangle With Longtime Rival Michigan Tech in Meaningful Non-Conference Series
Every game counts.
Part of the beauty of the NCAA PairWise system is that every game will matter in some way, shape, or form. Some end up meaning a bit more than most.
This could be one of those weekends.
The way No. 9 (polls, that is; No. 2 PairWise) UMD and No. 4 (No. 5 PWR) Michigan Tech are playing, this weekend's series in Houghton could go a long way to deciding placement in the final and all-important PairWise when it comes out in March.
It's something that hasn't escaped UMD coach Scott Sandelin.
"I think we all know how important every game is," he said this week. "Obviously, they are having a great year. I think it's going to have a playoff-type intensity. You look at how we've played each other over the years, it should be a great series. I think both teams know how important it is to try to win some games before break."
Tech coach Mel Pearson is looking forward to the weekend.
"I just enjoy the way Scott and his team play," Pearson said. "They play the game the right way. They skate, they have skill. They play hard, they're physical, but they play within the rules, and I like that. These are the games your players want to play in. They want to be pushed."
For Sandelin, he's still a bit hot under the collar when talking about his team's 3-2 overtime win over NCHC cellar-dweller Colorado College, a game that saw the Bulldogs fall behind 2-0 before a second period awakening. When asked about the return of senior captain Adam Krause last week, Sandelin noted something he said to me Saturday.
"He was the only guy in the first period on Friday who was playing, compared to the other 19."
Certainly, the team was sparked by a play Krause made in the first period, when he drove hard toward the net with puck possession and ended up crashing into the goal after he lost an edge. It was the hardest offensive play UMD made in the first period. Once Karson Kuhlman set up UMD's first goal in the second period, the Bulldogs were off and running.
"It's been great playing with Tony (Cameranesi) and (Austin) Farley," Kuhlman said this week. "We've been getting a lot of chances, and luckily we've been putting the puck away when it counts. That's led to goals by other lines. It's a great motivation boost for us."
Kuhlman keys a penalty kill that has slipped under 80 percent for the first time this season. Expect to see more of Krause on the kill if the penalties pile up in Houghton. That's not a given, given the way things have been going for UMD. The Bulldogs, once the nation's most-penalized team by a lot, have seen their penalty minutes decrease precipitously. UMD has dropped to tenth at 15.9 minutes per game, good for fourth in the NCHC. Fewer penalty minutes? Fewer power plays to defend.
Unfortunately for UMD, the kill has sprung a couple of leaks. Sandelin said Saturday that a UMD defensive mistake led to CC's Friday power play goal, a back-door tap-in by Sam Rothstein. Sandelin noted UMD had done a great job in the first 1:45 of that kill, but two players went toward the puck carrier, leaving Rothstein wide-open. The Tigers scored off a net-mouth scramble on the man advantage Saturday.
The Bulldogs have still taken a few silly penalties recently, but not nearly as many as they have been. The issues they've had on the kill appear to be correctable. Remember, these are Division I athletes UMD is facing, too. They're going to make a play once in a while. UMD just needs to be a little more consistent on the kill. This isn't far off.
Tech has a ton of veterans. Pearson's forward group is as deep as he's had it. Blake Pietila, David Johnstone, Tanner Kero, and Alex Petan should be familiar names, as should Malcolm Gould. They're all back and they're all contributing. The blue-line might not have a bona-fide star, but guys like Shane Hanna, Cliff Watson, and Riley Sweeney are all solid defensively while contributing at the other end of the rink.
Oh, and there's goalie Jamie Phillips. His save percentage? A solid .943. It's not an accident. He's played over 800 minutes, all but 2:31 of Michigan Tech's games. UMD has a heck of a task trying to get enough pucks by him to win games.
No matter what happens, remember these results. For both teams, this weekend could mean a higher or lower seed, or it could mean the difference between making or missing the NCAAs*. Intensity should be as high as it's ever been between these two longtime WCHA rivals.
(* - Don't believe me? The 2009-10 Bulldogs missed out on the NCAA Tournament by a margin so slim that UMD would have made it if any one of about three losses it suffered during the season were flipped to a win.)
Part of the beauty of the NCAA PairWise system is that every game will matter in some way, shape, or form. Some end up meaning a bit more than most.
This could be one of those weekends.
The way No. 9 (polls, that is; No. 2 PairWise) UMD and No. 4 (No. 5 PWR) Michigan Tech are playing, this weekend's series in Houghton could go a long way to deciding placement in the final and all-important PairWise when it comes out in March.
It's something that hasn't escaped UMD coach Scott Sandelin.
"I think we all know how important every game is," he said this week. "Obviously, they are having a great year. I think it's going to have a playoff-type intensity. You look at how we've played each other over the years, it should be a great series. I think both teams know how important it is to try to win some games before break."
Tech coach Mel Pearson is looking forward to the weekend.
"I just enjoy the way Scott and his team play," Pearson said. "They play the game the right way. They skate, they have skill. They play hard, they're physical, but they play within the rules, and I like that. These are the games your players want to play in. They want to be pushed."
For Sandelin, he's still a bit hot under the collar when talking about his team's 3-2 overtime win over NCHC cellar-dweller Colorado College, a game that saw the Bulldogs fall behind 2-0 before a second period awakening. When asked about the return of senior captain Adam Krause last week, Sandelin noted something he said to me Saturday.
"He was the only guy in the first period on Friday who was playing, compared to the other 19."
Certainly, the team was sparked by a play Krause made in the first period, when he drove hard toward the net with puck possession and ended up crashing into the goal after he lost an edge. It was the hardest offensive play UMD made in the first period. Once Karson Kuhlman set up UMD's first goal in the second period, the Bulldogs were off and running.
"It's been great playing with Tony (Cameranesi) and (Austin) Farley," Kuhlman said this week. "We've been getting a lot of chances, and luckily we've been putting the puck away when it counts. That's led to goals by other lines. It's a great motivation boost for us."
Kuhlman keys a penalty kill that has slipped under 80 percent for the first time this season. Expect to see more of Krause on the kill if the penalties pile up in Houghton. That's not a given, given the way things have been going for UMD. The Bulldogs, once the nation's most-penalized team by a lot, have seen their penalty minutes decrease precipitously. UMD has dropped to tenth at 15.9 minutes per game, good for fourth in the NCHC. Fewer penalty minutes? Fewer power plays to defend.
Unfortunately for UMD, the kill has sprung a couple of leaks. Sandelin said Saturday that a UMD defensive mistake led to CC's Friday power play goal, a back-door tap-in by Sam Rothstein. Sandelin noted UMD had done a great job in the first 1:45 of that kill, but two players went toward the puck carrier, leaving Rothstein wide-open. The Tigers scored off a net-mouth scramble on the man advantage Saturday.
The Bulldogs have still taken a few silly penalties recently, but not nearly as many as they have been. The issues they've had on the kill appear to be correctable. Remember, these are Division I athletes UMD is facing, too. They're going to make a play once in a while. UMD just needs to be a little more consistent on the kill. This isn't far off.
Tech has a ton of veterans. Pearson's forward group is as deep as he's had it. Blake Pietila, David Johnstone, Tanner Kero, and Alex Petan should be familiar names, as should Malcolm Gould. They're all back and they're all contributing. The blue-line might not have a bona-fide star, but guys like Shane Hanna, Cliff Watson, and Riley Sweeney are all solid defensively while contributing at the other end of the rink.
Oh, and there's goalie Jamie Phillips. His save percentage? A solid .943. It's not an accident. He's played over 800 minutes, all but 2:31 of Michigan Tech's games. UMD has a heck of a task trying to get enough pucks by him to win games.
No matter what happens, remember these results. For both teams, this weekend could mean a higher or lower seed, or it could mean the difference between making or missing the NCAAs*. Intensity should be as high as it's ever been between these two longtime WCHA rivals.
(* - Don't believe me? The 2009-10 Bulldogs missed out on the NCAA Tournament by a margin so slim that UMD would have made it if any one of about three losses it suffered during the season were flipped to a win.)
Monday, December 08, 2014
Monday Musings: Brooms Broken Out as UMD Thumps Colorado College, Tie For NCHC Lead
It got hairy for a few minutes.
But Saturday was something I felt UMD needed. An emphatic wire-to-wire victory.
(The Denver game was fun. But it was scoreless after a period and didn't really turn in UMD's favor until the second.)
The Bulldogs led throughout -- basically -- in a 7-2 win over Colorado College Saturday night. With the win, UMD moved back into a tie for first in the NCHC with Miami, which lost to Omaha Saturday. If North Dakota fails to sweep at Denver this weekend, Miami and UMD will remain tied for first into the new year.
Saturday was all UMD, outside of a sequence during the third period. Tony Cameranesi had scored on a Brenden Kotyk rebound to make it 4-0, but Colorado College scored twice on scramble plays to halve the lead. At 4-2, some in the crowd went from jubilantly chanting for ice cream to perhaps gnawing on their fingernails a bit.
UMD's older guys -- the leaders -- changed that. Andy Welinski and Derik Johnson helped set up a rebound goal for Justin Crandall that made it 5-2 (the ice cream goal, so to speak), then Adam Krause made it 6-2 before Austin Farley capped the scoring.
Just before the game, while visiting with family in the hallway, I commented to a loyal listener that I thought it was time for UMD to get this kind of win. No pulled goalie at the end, no rally from a deficit like Friday, no overtime heroics. UMD was the deeper, faster, and stronger team, and it showed on Saturday.
12 different players got on the scoresheet Saturday, including standouts Andy Welinski, Dominic Toninato, Alex Iafallo, Adam Krause, Austin Farley, Tony Cameranesi, Karson Kuhlman, and Cal Decowski, along with depth guys like Austyn Young, Brenden Kotyk, and Nick McCormack.
Krause and McCormack both returned from injury, and neither appeared to miss a beat. Krause was quickly reinserted on UMD's top line Friday and had a three-point weekend. McCormack helped set up a goal on Saturday and finished plus-three.
I've already written about UMD's depth shining. This weekend, it did so again, though in a different way.
Who do you want to shut down? Put your top checking line on the Toninato line, and Cameranesi's line runs wild. Shut down the top two lines, and you have to deal with guys like Decowski, Crandall, and Kyle Osterberg, who aren't even among the "top six forwards" at this time.
Oh, and after a rather unproductive year from the blue line, the defense is definitely contributing more this season. UMD's eight defensemen combined for five goals (all by Welinski) last year, totaling 48 assists and 53 points in 216 total man-games. The group has combined for 96 appearances so far this year, with 10 goals (six by Welinski) and 31 points. That's a 36-game pace of 70 points on 23 goals and 47 assists.
UMD needs to solve some things on the penalty kill, which hasn't been as good as it was in the first part of the season. It's weird, because as the PIM numbers have dropped appreciably*, the penalty kill percentage has, too.
(* - On that note, you don't hear anyone harping on UMD's lack of discipline anymore, do you? The Bulldogs have gone from being easily the most penalized team in the sport going into November to a team barely in the top ten in penalty minutes per game now.)
This weekend, UMD travels to Houghton for a two-game series against Michigan Tech. I'll have to check with the coaches, but I believe this is the last series against Michigan Tech in their current deal. Hopefully it's one that they find a way to continue. Tech is a strong team this season under Mel Pearson, and I'm expecting the MacInnes Student Ice Arena to be as loud as I've ever heard it for these games. It'll be a fun way to finish the 2014 portion of the schedule.
But Saturday was something I felt UMD needed. An emphatic wire-to-wire victory.
(The Denver game was fun. But it was scoreless after a period and didn't really turn in UMD's favor until the second.)
The Bulldogs led throughout -- basically -- in a 7-2 win over Colorado College Saturday night. With the win, UMD moved back into a tie for first in the NCHC with Miami, which lost to Omaha Saturday. If North Dakota fails to sweep at Denver this weekend, Miami and UMD will remain tied for first into the new year.
Saturday was all UMD, outside of a sequence during the third period. Tony Cameranesi had scored on a Brenden Kotyk rebound to make it 4-0, but Colorado College scored twice on scramble plays to halve the lead. At 4-2, some in the crowd went from jubilantly chanting for ice cream to perhaps gnawing on their fingernails a bit.
UMD's older guys -- the leaders -- changed that. Andy Welinski and Derik Johnson helped set up a rebound goal for Justin Crandall that made it 5-2 (the ice cream goal, so to speak), then Adam Krause made it 6-2 before Austin Farley capped the scoring.
Just before the game, while visiting with family in the hallway, I commented to a loyal listener that I thought it was time for UMD to get this kind of win. No pulled goalie at the end, no rally from a deficit like Friday, no overtime heroics. UMD was the deeper, faster, and stronger team, and it showed on Saturday.
12 different players got on the scoresheet Saturday, including standouts Andy Welinski, Dominic Toninato, Alex Iafallo, Adam Krause, Austin Farley, Tony Cameranesi, Karson Kuhlman, and Cal Decowski, along with depth guys like Austyn Young, Brenden Kotyk, and Nick McCormack.
Krause and McCormack both returned from injury, and neither appeared to miss a beat. Krause was quickly reinserted on UMD's top line Friday and had a three-point weekend. McCormack helped set up a goal on Saturday and finished plus-three.
I've already written about UMD's depth shining. This weekend, it did so again, though in a different way.
Who do you want to shut down? Put your top checking line on the Toninato line, and Cameranesi's line runs wild. Shut down the top two lines, and you have to deal with guys like Decowski, Crandall, and Kyle Osterberg, who aren't even among the "top six forwards" at this time.
Oh, and after a rather unproductive year from the blue line, the defense is definitely contributing more this season. UMD's eight defensemen combined for five goals (all by Welinski) last year, totaling 48 assists and 53 points in 216 total man-games. The group has combined for 96 appearances so far this year, with 10 goals (six by Welinski) and 31 points. That's a 36-game pace of 70 points on 23 goals and 47 assists.
UMD needs to solve some things on the penalty kill, which hasn't been as good as it was in the first part of the season. It's weird, because as the PIM numbers have dropped appreciably*, the penalty kill percentage has, too.
(* - On that note, you don't hear anyone harping on UMD's lack of discipline anymore, do you? The Bulldogs have gone from being easily the most penalized team in the sport going into November to a team barely in the top ten in penalty minutes per game now.)
This weekend, UMD travels to Houghton for a two-game series against Michigan Tech. I'll have to check with the coaches, but I believe this is the last series against Michigan Tech in their current deal. Hopefully it's one that they find a way to continue. Tech is a strong team this season under Mel Pearson, and I'm expecting the MacInnes Student Ice Arena to be as loud as I've ever heard it for these games. It'll be a fun way to finish the 2014 portion of the schedule.
Saturday, December 06, 2014
Game 16: Colorado College at UMD
Yay. More Thunderstix.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Iafallo - Toninato - Krause
Farley - Cameranesi - Kuhlman
Osterberg - Decowski - Young (Austyn)
Sampair - Thomas - Crandall
Johnson - Welinski
Soucy - Molenaar
McCormack - Kotyk
Kaskisuo - McNeely
CC
Berger - Bradley - Rothstein
Aman - Heil - Taft
Fejes - Hansen - Hanson
Wamsganz - Gerges - Roos
(Peter Maric is listed as an extra forward. He will take the warmup and may play for one of the above.)
Stoykewych - Cecere
Slavin - Lagrone
Young - Kivihalme
Perry - Marble
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Iafallo - Toninato - Krause
Farley - Cameranesi - Kuhlman
Osterberg - Decowski - Young (Austyn)
Sampair - Thomas - Crandall
Johnson - Welinski
Soucy - Molenaar
McCormack - Kotyk
Kaskisuo - McNeely
CC
Berger - Bradley - Rothstein
Aman - Heil - Taft
Fejes - Hansen - Hanson
Wamsganz - Gerges - Roos
(Peter Maric is listed as an extra forward. He will take the warmup and may play for one of the above.)
Stoykewych - Cecere
Slavin - Lagrone
Young - Kivihalme
Perry - Marble
Saturday Hockey Notes and Thoughts: UMD Shakes off Tryptophan, Finds Way to Win
I know the tryptophan/turkey/sleepy thing isn't necessarily proven science, but it's the stuff of legend, so we'll roll with it.
That said, the turkey sleepies aren't supposed to last a week, are they?
For UMD, the turkey sleepies lasted into the second period on Friday night, and could have cost it three valuable NCHC points. But you should really know better by now.
Down 2-0 in the second period, UMD used a great play down low by freshman Karson Kuhlman to wake up the echoes, tied the game late in the third, and got a Kyle Osterberg goal in overtime to squeak past Colorado College 3-2 Friday night in Duluth.
The Tigers took the lead halfway through the first as the drowsy Bulldogs were made to pay for puck-watching late in a penalty kill. Cody Bradley created a passing lane to the back door, where Sam Rothstein was wide open for a tap-in goal by Kasimir Kaskisuo for a 1-0 lead.
The play was a microcosm of UMD's start. The Bulldogs were a tad leaky defensively, getting help from Kaskisuo and the goalpost, both of which kept the score from being worse than it was.
CC's Hunter Fejes then made it worse early in the second, doubling his team's lead by driving down the right wing and flipping a shot five-hole. Things didn't look great at 2-0, but UMD had a rally in it, for sure. Just needed a spark to get it started.
Kuhlman provided that spark. He won a battle down low and fed the puck across the low slot to Tony Cameranesi to set up UMD's first goal a bit more than seven minutes into the second period. That woke up the crowd, the UMD bench, and changed the complexion of the game.
From there, the Bulldogs seized momentum. The puck possession clearly was in UMD's favor, but the Bulldogs were their own worst enemy, missing the net and whiffing on chances. That said, they had the puck enough that CC was forced to adopt the Bemidji State "Hold On For Dear Life and Ice It Whenever Possible" plan. Also forced CC to use its timeout in the second period after a particularly long shift ended with an icing.
For a while, the Tigers held on. UMD struggled to generate great scoring chances and test goalie Chase Perry, but as the game wore on, you could see Colorado College wearing down from all the defending. UMD finally took advantage with a hair under three minutes to go in the third. Dominic Toninato and Alex Iafallo were reunited with a returning Adam Krause in the second period, and that line -- so dynamic before Krause's injury -- made the play to tie the score. Krause took the initial shot, Toninato banged away at it, and then Iafallo picked up the loose puck at the bottom of the left circle and beat a prone Perry high.
UMD buzzed a bit more late in the third but couldn't get one home, so the game went to overtime. Colorado College had some zone time in OT, but only a couple relatively harmless-looking shots at Kaskisuo. Then Osterberg and reunited linemates Cal Decowski and Justin Crandall went to work in the offensive zone. Osterberg insisted to Matt Wellens that he simply got lucky, but "being where you're supposed to be" is not good luck, it's good hockey. He potted the overtime winner on another rebound chance, this time after the initial play came from Crandall and Decowski was able to get it on goal. Perry was down and out and -- just like Iafallo's goal -- Osterberg beat him up high.
It is UMD's first overtime win at home since Mike Seidel scored in double overtime to beat Minnesota State 3-2 on March 10, 2012, and clinch an opening-round WCHA playoff series win. It was the first regular-season overtime win since February 24 of that year, when JT Brown scored to beat Colorado College 4-3.
Just like we talked about in the pregame, this was not going to be an easy game unless UMD made it one by coming out hard and taking the play to Colorado College from the start. It didn't take long to see that the Bulldogs weren't themselves at the outset. They allowed a couple strong scoring chances and couldn't complete passes to get the puck up the rink clean. CC clogged up the neutral zone effectively, which further accentuated UMD's struggles moving the puck and using its speed.
To avoid a similar fate on Saturday, UMD needs to come out of the gates stronger and more assertively. This was similar to the Omaha series, in that UMD probably should have lost the Friday game, but instead dug deep and found a way to win. In that series, Ryan Massa stood firmly on his head and UNO was able to steal Saturday's game despite garish deficits in puck possession, attempted shots, and shots on goal. If UMD comes out as strong as it did against UNO two weeks ago, there's no way history repeats itself.
But the Bulldogs have to make it happen.
Speaking of Massa, he got pulled from his start at Miami Friday as the RedHawks hung half a snowman on him before Dean Blais went to Kirk Thompson. He proceeded to allow the other half a snowman as Miami won 8-2. Insert "Frozen" jokes here. Cody Murphy had a natural hat trick for Miami, which holds on to first place in the conference.
Thought UMD had a nice comeback? North Dakota chuckles at the cute rally from a little 2-0 deficit to win in overtime. Down 4-1 in the second period, UND scored four goals in less than seven minutes to take a 5-4 lead into intermission, then added two more in the third to beat Lake Superior State 7-4 at The Ralph. Also in non-conference play, Cornell handed the NCHC a rare loss by besting Denver 4-1 in Ithaca, N.Y.
All those matchups repeat on Saturday. A reminder that the UMD-Colorado College game can be seen on FSN PLUS. Find a channel guide here. If you have DirecTV, you'll want to watch channel 668-2 for game coverage at 7pm. If you prefer radio (thank you), use your DVR and our radio stream and you can synch the broadcasts by pausing the DVR until the radio stream catches up.
That said, the turkey sleepies aren't supposed to last a week, are they?
For UMD, the turkey sleepies lasted into the second period on Friday night, and could have cost it three valuable NCHC points. But you should really know better by now.
Down 2-0 in the second period, UMD used a great play down low by freshman Karson Kuhlman to wake up the echoes, tied the game late in the third, and got a Kyle Osterberg goal in overtime to squeak past Colorado College 3-2 Friday night in Duluth.
The Tigers took the lead halfway through the first as the drowsy Bulldogs were made to pay for puck-watching late in a penalty kill. Cody Bradley created a passing lane to the back door, where Sam Rothstein was wide open for a tap-in goal by Kasimir Kaskisuo for a 1-0 lead.
The play was a microcosm of UMD's start. The Bulldogs were a tad leaky defensively, getting help from Kaskisuo and the goalpost, both of which kept the score from being worse than it was.
CC's Hunter Fejes then made it worse early in the second, doubling his team's lead by driving down the right wing and flipping a shot five-hole. Things didn't look great at 2-0, but UMD had a rally in it, for sure. Just needed a spark to get it started.
Kuhlman provided that spark. He won a battle down low and fed the puck across the low slot to Tony Cameranesi to set up UMD's first goal a bit more than seven minutes into the second period. That woke up the crowd, the UMD bench, and changed the complexion of the game.
From there, the Bulldogs seized momentum. The puck possession clearly was in UMD's favor, but the Bulldogs were their own worst enemy, missing the net and whiffing on chances. That said, they had the puck enough that CC was forced to adopt the Bemidji State "Hold On For Dear Life and Ice It Whenever Possible" plan. Also forced CC to use its timeout in the second period after a particularly long shift ended with an icing.
For a while, the Tigers held on. UMD struggled to generate great scoring chances and test goalie Chase Perry, but as the game wore on, you could see Colorado College wearing down from all the defending. UMD finally took advantage with a hair under three minutes to go in the third. Dominic Toninato and Alex Iafallo were reunited with a returning Adam Krause in the second period, and that line -- so dynamic before Krause's injury -- made the play to tie the score. Krause took the initial shot, Toninato banged away at it, and then Iafallo picked up the loose puck at the bottom of the left circle and beat a prone Perry high.
UMD buzzed a bit more late in the third but couldn't get one home, so the game went to overtime. Colorado College had some zone time in OT, but only a couple relatively harmless-looking shots at Kaskisuo. Then Osterberg and reunited linemates Cal Decowski and Justin Crandall went to work in the offensive zone. Osterberg insisted to Matt Wellens that he simply got lucky, but "being where you're supposed to be" is not good luck, it's good hockey. He potted the overtime winner on another rebound chance, this time after the initial play came from Crandall and Decowski was able to get it on goal. Perry was down and out and -- just like Iafallo's goal -- Osterberg beat him up high.
It is UMD's first overtime win at home since Mike Seidel scored in double overtime to beat Minnesota State 3-2 on March 10, 2012, and clinch an opening-round WCHA playoff series win. It was the first regular-season overtime win since February 24 of that year, when JT Brown scored to beat Colorado College 4-3.
Just like we talked about in the pregame, this was not going to be an easy game unless UMD made it one by coming out hard and taking the play to Colorado College from the start. It didn't take long to see that the Bulldogs weren't themselves at the outset. They allowed a couple strong scoring chances and couldn't complete passes to get the puck up the rink clean. CC clogged up the neutral zone effectively, which further accentuated UMD's struggles moving the puck and using its speed.
To avoid a similar fate on Saturday, UMD needs to come out of the gates stronger and more assertively. This was similar to the Omaha series, in that UMD probably should have lost the Friday game, but instead dug deep and found a way to win. In that series, Ryan Massa stood firmly on his head and UNO was able to steal Saturday's game despite garish deficits in puck possession, attempted shots, and shots on goal. If UMD comes out as strong as it did against UNO two weeks ago, there's no way history repeats itself.
But the Bulldogs have to make it happen.
******
Speaking of Massa, he got pulled from his start at Miami Friday as the RedHawks hung half a snowman on him before Dean Blais went to Kirk Thompson. He proceeded to allow the other half a snowman as Miami won 8-2. Insert "Frozen" jokes here. Cody Murphy had a natural hat trick for Miami, which holds on to first place in the conference.
Thought UMD had a nice comeback? North Dakota chuckles at the cute rally from a little 2-0 deficit to win in overtime. Down 4-1 in the second period, UND scored four goals in less than seven minutes to take a 5-4 lead into intermission, then added two more in the third to beat Lake Superior State 7-4 at The Ralph. Also in non-conference play, Cornell handed the NCHC a rare loss by besting Denver 4-1 in Ithaca, N.Y.
All those matchups repeat on Saturday. A reminder that the UMD-Colorado College game can be seen on FSN PLUS. Find a channel guide here. If you have DirecTV, you'll want to watch channel 668-2 for game coverage at 7pm. If you prefer radio (thank you), use your DVR and our radio stream and you can synch the broadcasts by pausing the DVR until the radio stream catches up.
Friday, December 05, 2014
Game 15: Colorado College at UMD
Off and running. We are having technical snafus here, so I'll just give you the charts.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Iafallo - Toninato - Crandall
Farley - Cameranesi - Kuhlman
Osterberg - Decowski - Young (Austyn)
Young (Blake) - Thomas - Krause
Johnson - Welinski
Soucy - Raskob
Corrin - Kotyk
Kaskisuo - McNeely
CC
Berger - Bradley - Rothstein
Aman - Heil - Taft
Fejes - Hansen - Hanson
Wamsganz - Gerges - Roos
(Peter Maric is listed as an extra forward. He will take the warmup and may play for one of the above.)
Stoykewych - Cecere
Slavin - Lagrone
Young - Kivihalme
Perry - Marble
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Iafallo - Toninato - Crandall
Farley - Cameranesi - Kuhlman
Osterberg - Decowski - Young (Austyn)
Young (Blake) - Thomas - Krause
Johnson - Welinski
Soucy - Raskob
Corrin - Kotyk
Kaskisuo - McNeely
CC
Berger - Bradley - Rothstein
Aman - Heil - Taft
Fejes - Hansen - Hanson
Wamsganz - Gerges - Roos
(Peter Maric is listed as an extra forward. He will take the warmup and may play for one of the above.)
Stoykewych - Cecere
Slavin - Lagrone
Young - Kivihalme
Perry - Marble
Bulldogs Prepare for New-Look Tigers
One thing is certain: It'll be weird not seeing Scott Owens patrolling the Colorado College bench at Amsoil Arena this weekend. Instead, it's Mike Haviland, a highly-respected pro coach who took over the program this season.
For Haviland, the lure of a beautiful city and a traditionally-strong program in a great conference turned into his first college hockey head-coaching job.
"When I first started talking to the athletic director and president," Haviland said this week, "I saw how much they wanted to see this program succeed. These jobs don't open often, and it was a great fit for me and my family. At this time of my career, it was the right choice to do.
"I'm an East Coaster, born in Manhattan. My wife's from Boston, and now we're in the mountains. It's absolutely gorgeous."
The 46-year-old Haviland joined Colorado College as the program's 14th head coach, taking over for Owens, who stepped aside after last season. It's the first time Haviland has worked in college hockey since he served as an assistant for alma mater Elmira College in New York. He helped lead the Soaring Eagles to two ECAC (Division III) championships.
More recently, he was an assistant coach for the 2010 Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks. He also has a bunch of minor pro coaching experience, including as head coach of the AHL's Hershey Bears last season.
In Colorado College, Haviland inherits a team that struggled mightily last season, winning just seven games out of 37. That was enough to bring on the coaching change. The Tigers have one of the better young blue-liners in the nation in sophomore Jaccob Slavin. He made the U.S. World Junior team last winter, and while he has just two points in 11 games, Haviland knows there's plenty of potential there. Slavin plays in all situations and leads his team with 25 blocked shots.
Haviland wants his team playing a tighter defensive style than what they played under Owens, and Slavin is a huge part of that plan. He's strong off the puck and good with it. While his offensive numbers haven't come around yet (he had 25 points last season), he is playing big minutes and continues to get better.
The Tigers are young in goal, where former Andover star Chase Perry and Tyler Marble have split the games. Numbers aren't good, but Haviland knows both players have potential and will only get better as they gain experience. We're expecting to see Perry start at least on Friday, as he's made five straight starts and has played pretty well of late. In CC's last games, a non-conference win over Wisconsin and loss to Air Force the weekend before Thanksgiving, he stopped 46 of 51 shots, including 24 in the win over the Badgers.
UMD needs to generate shots and traffic. The Colorado College defense can be beaten as it tries to find its footing under Haviland. The Tigers haven't played a team as deep as the Bulldogs are up front. And as tough a year as it's been in the faceoff circle for UMD so far, CC is just as bad at faceoffs. If UMD can generate puck possession and handle the biscuit with care, scoring chances will come.
If the Tigers are growing into their tighter structure, UMD will have to work for the chances that may have come more easily for North Dakota in Colorado Springs back in October.
Haviland admitted that his team is probably better-suited for the NHL-size surface it plays on this weekend versus the gargantuan Olympic-size surface in Colorado Springs that I've previously compared to what you see in the movie "Mystery, Alaska."
"I think we're better suited for a smaller rink," he said. "Guys need to understand things happen quicker. There's not a lot of time or space out there."
This is where I remind everyone that Colorado College is winless away from home this season, with losses at Boston College (NHL size) and New Hampshire (Olympic), two losses at Miami (NHL size), one really lopsided loss at Denver (NHL size), and a loss at Air Force (NHL size).
I'm not saying Haviland is wrong, because watching back the Air Force game, I thought CC played pretty well, especially over the first two periods. The Tigers outshot the Falcons 27-14 and held the puck a ton. They just couldn't beat AFA goalie Chris Truehl, outside of a fluky bounce for Charlie Taft in the opening two minutes.
That's been a theme for the Tigers so far. Opponents have a .933 save percentage. While 13 Division I goalies have matched or exceeded that number so far this season, it's hard to imagine that continuing. Only four goalies did it over a full season last year, eight the year before, and five the year before that.
However, Haviland knows his team has to be better to get that number to come down.
"We need more traffic. We need guy to stay in those tough areas. You're just not beating goalies anymore coming down the wing. I don't care what level you're at. We need more guys with that will to go in the tough areas and get those second and third chances."
In case you're wondering, yes, he showed his new players his championship ring from that magical run in Chicago.
"I had a meeting early on when I was here, and I had the ring on," he said. "Lot of wide-eyed kids. I don't like to wear it much, but my staff says I should more often.
"Certainly, it's something everybody dreams of. I was fortunate to go through the hard work and understand what it takes to win."
For Haviland, the lure of a beautiful city and a traditionally-strong program in a great conference turned into his first college hockey head-coaching job.
"When I first started talking to the athletic director and president," Haviland said this week, "I saw how much they wanted to see this program succeed. These jobs don't open often, and it was a great fit for me and my family. At this time of my career, it was the right choice to do.
"I'm an East Coaster, born in Manhattan. My wife's from Boston, and now we're in the mountains. It's absolutely gorgeous."
The 46-year-old Haviland joined Colorado College as the program's 14th head coach, taking over for Owens, who stepped aside after last season. It's the first time Haviland has worked in college hockey since he served as an assistant for alma mater Elmira College in New York. He helped lead the Soaring Eagles to two ECAC (Division III) championships.
More recently, he was an assistant coach for the 2010 Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks. He also has a bunch of minor pro coaching experience, including as head coach of the AHL's Hershey Bears last season.
In Colorado College, Haviland inherits a team that struggled mightily last season, winning just seven games out of 37. That was enough to bring on the coaching change. The Tigers have one of the better young blue-liners in the nation in sophomore Jaccob Slavin. He made the U.S. World Junior team last winter, and while he has just two points in 11 games, Haviland knows there's plenty of potential there. Slavin plays in all situations and leads his team with 25 blocked shots.
Haviland wants his team playing a tighter defensive style than what they played under Owens, and Slavin is a huge part of that plan. He's strong off the puck and good with it. While his offensive numbers haven't come around yet (he had 25 points last season), he is playing big minutes and continues to get better.
The Tigers are young in goal, where former Andover star Chase Perry and Tyler Marble have split the games. Numbers aren't good, but Haviland knows both players have potential and will only get better as they gain experience. We're expecting to see Perry start at least on Friday, as he's made five straight starts and has played pretty well of late. In CC's last games, a non-conference win over Wisconsin and loss to Air Force the weekend before Thanksgiving, he stopped 46 of 51 shots, including 24 in the win over the Badgers.
UMD needs to generate shots and traffic. The Colorado College defense can be beaten as it tries to find its footing under Haviland. The Tigers haven't played a team as deep as the Bulldogs are up front. And as tough a year as it's been in the faceoff circle for UMD so far, CC is just as bad at faceoffs. If UMD can generate puck possession and handle the biscuit with care, scoring chances will come.
If the Tigers are growing into their tighter structure, UMD will have to work for the chances that may have come more easily for North Dakota in Colorado Springs back in October.
Haviland admitted that his team is probably better-suited for the NHL-size surface it plays on this weekend versus the gargantuan Olympic-size surface in Colorado Springs that I've previously compared to what you see in the movie "Mystery, Alaska."
"I think we're better suited for a smaller rink," he said. "Guys need to understand things happen quicker. There's not a lot of time or space out there."
This is where I remind everyone that Colorado College is winless away from home this season, with losses at Boston College (NHL size) and New Hampshire (Olympic), two losses at Miami (NHL size), one really lopsided loss at Denver (NHL size), and a loss at Air Force (NHL size).
I'm not saying Haviland is wrong, because watching back the Air Force game, I thought CC played pretty well, especially over the first two periods. The Tigers outshot the Falcons 27-14 and held the puck a ton. They just couldn't beat AFA goalie Chris Truehl, outside of a fluky bounce for Charlie Taft in the opening two minutes.
That's been a theme for the Tigers so far. Opponents have a .933 save percentage. While 13 Division I goalies have matched or exceeded that number so far this season, it's hard to imagine that continuing. Only four goalies did it over a full season last year, eight the year before, and five the year before that.
However, Haviland knows his team has to be better to get that number to come down.
"We need more traffic. We need guy to stay in those tough areas. You're just not beating goalies anymore coming down the wing. I don't care what level you're at. We need more guys with that will to go in the tough areas and get those second and third chances."
In case you're wondering, yes, he showed his new players his championship ring from that magical run in Chicago.
"I had a meeting early on when I was here, and I had the ring on," he said. "Lot of wide-eyed kids. I don't like to wear it much, but my staff says I should more often.
"Certainly, it's something everybody dreams of. I was fortunate to go through the hard work and understand what it takes to win."
Thursday, December 04, 2014
Bulldogs Get Charge From Depth, Now Getting Healthier
The first seven weeks of the college hockey season were a huge test for the depth of this UMD team. Not only did the Bulldogs not have a weekend off until Thanksgiving, they had to slog through with some significant players missing time due to injury.
Senior alternate captain Justin Crandall missed the Denver weekend. Senior captain Adam Krause missed eight games. Sophomore Sammy Spurrell has missed eight games (and is probably lost for the season). Freshmen Brett Boehm and Nick McCormack have missed time.
(We first talked about the injury bug before the St. Cloud series. No one is going to feel sympathy for this team when guys are banged up, but it was great to see things go as well as they did while the boys were fighting through so many man-games lost.)
UMD got so thin up front that it only had 12 healthy forwards for the Omaha series.
No matter how well the team was playing heading into break, it was a great time for a weekend off.
"Our guys are excited and anxious to get back," head coach Scott Sandelin said this week. "I think the break came at a good time. We got some guys rested up, healed up. The energy's been good (this week)."
"When you're on top and everyone's playing well, you don't want to go into a break," sophomore forward Kyle Osterberg said. "At the same time, guys are getting beaten down. We needed a break."
One of the players benefitting from the bye is Krause. He's expected back this weekend, and his coach and teammates are excited. Sandelin said it should be a "big lift" for his team.
"He's our leader. There's no question we've missed him. He's a player that guys have a tremendous amount of respect for."
Osterberg says there's "nothing better."
"He's probably the best captain I've ever had. He does everything right, from the locker room to on the ice. When we didn't have him, I think we played really well, but he'll help us out a lot in a lot of different situations."
Krause is likely to play on the fourth line with Jared Thomas and Blake Young, at least to start the weekend. The top three lines remain unchanged from the Omaha trip. But it should be a big plus to have the former Hermantown Hawk back on the ice. Those of you who are close to this team know what kind of human being Krause is. He's a great leader for this group, and his presence on the ice was missed, despite the success UMD enjoyed through November.
(By the way, both Youngs -- Austyn and Blake -- deserve a lot of kudos. Austyn struggled to get in the lineup as a freshman and a sophomore, but he found a regular spot on the line with Cal Decowski and Kyle Osterberg, and he has played very well with those two. Osterberg said he "started off doing all the little things right, and he's starting to make more plays and get confidence." Blake is a big kid with a tremendous attitude. He was the last freshman to get in the lineup, but he's found a spot by playing a hard and physical game, unafraid of any contact, while understanding his role. If it weren't for the unrelated Youngs, the Bulldogs don't win six in a row before the bye.)
Krause's "demotion" comes for a multitude of reasons, none of which are anything that people should read as a message to Krause. When I talked to him after the injury happened, he joked he hoped that Austin Farley -- who was first to take Krause's spot on the line with Dominic Toninato and Alex Iafallo -- would give him his spot back. Now it's Justin Crandall on the Toninato line, and for now, he isn't giving the spot back.
But Krause has to get back to game speed. He's missed significant time, and while he's been able to skate and has been practicing for two weeks, none of that accurately simulates game speed. Putting him on the fourth line limits his minutes a bit, but it should allow him to ease back into game speed.
Sandelin was hopeful that Boehm would be able to play this weekend. McCormack is also getting closer, according to the head coach, but it's unclear if he could go this weekend or if his return waits until the Houghton trip next week.
Spurrell had surgery Wednesday and is likely lost for the season. Because Spurrell only played in five games, he is eligible for a medical redshirt should the decision be made to pursue one. That would give him three years of eligibility starting next season. I don't know if he will go that option.
Even without Spurrell, UMD is as healthy as it's been since before the October exhibition against Lakehead. I know the Bulldogs played well before break, but even taking that into consideration, the injury situation being what it was means the bye couldn't possibly have been timed better.
Now, it's time for the players to come out looking fresh and ready Friday against Colorado College.
Senior alternate captain Justin Crandall missed the Denver weekend. Senior captain Adam Krause missed eight games. Sophomore Sammy Spurrell has missed eight games (and is probably lost for the season). Freshmen Brett Boehm and Nick McCormack have missed time.
(We first talked about the injury bug before the St. Cloud series. No one is going to feel sympathy for this team when guys are banged up, but it was great to see things go as well as they did while the boys were fighting through so many man-games lost.)
UMD got so thin up front that it only had 12 healthy forwards for the Omaha series.
No matter how well the team was playing heading into break, it was a great time for a weekend off.
"Our guys are excited and anxious to get back," head coach Scott Sandelin said this week. "I think the break came at a good time. We got some guys rested up, healed up. The energy's been good (this week)."
"When you're on top and everyone's playing well, you don't want to go into a break," sophomore forward Kyle Osterberg said. "At the same time, guys are getting beaten down. We needed a break."
One of the players benefitting from the bye is Krause. He's expected back this weekend, and his coach and teammates are excited. Sandelin said it should be a "big lift" for his team.
"He's our leader. There's no question we've missed him. He's a player that guys have a tremendous amount of respect for."
Osterberg says there's "nothing better."
"He's probably the best captain I've ever had. He does everything right, from the locker room to on the ice. When we didn't have him, I think we played really well, but he'll help us out a lot in a lot of different situations."
Krause is likely to play on the fourth line with Jared Thomas and Blake Young, at least to start the weekend. The top three lines remain unchanged from the Omaha trip. But it should be a big plus to have the former Hermantown Hawk back on the ice. Those of you who are close to this team know what kind of human being Krause is. He's a great leader for this group, and his presence on the ice was missed, despite the success UMD enjoyed through November.
(By the way, both Youngs -- Austyn and Blake -- deserve a lot of kudos. Austyn struggled to get in the lineup as a freshman and a sophomore, but he found a regular spot on the line with Cal Decowski and Kyle Osterberg, and he has played very well with those two. Osterberg said he "started off doing all the little things right, and he's starting to make more plays and get confidence." Blake is a big kid with a tremendous attitude. He was the last freshman to get in the lineup, but he's found a spot by playing a hard and physical game, unafraid of any contact, while understanding his role. If it weren't for the unrelated Youngs, the Bulldogs don't win six in a row before the bye.)
Krause's "demotion" comes for a multitude of reasons, none of which are anything that people should read as a message to Krause. When I talked to him after the injury happened, he joked he hoped that Austin Farley -- who was first to take Krause's spot on the line with Dominic Toninato and Alex Iafallo -- would give him his spot back. Now it's Justin Crandall on the Toninato line, and for now, he isn't giving the spot back.
But Krause has to get back to game speed. He's missed significant time, and while he's been able to skate and has been practicing for two weeks, none of that accurately simulates game speed. Putting him on the fourth line limits his minutes a bit, but it should allow him to ease back into game speed.
Sandelin was hopeful that Boehm would be able to play this weekend. McCormack is also getting closer, according to the head coach, but it's unclear if he could go this weekend or if his return waits until the Houghton trip next week.
Spurrell had surgery Wednesday and is likely lost for the season. Because Spurrell only played in five games, he is eligible for a medical redshirt should the decision be made to pursue one. That would give him three years of eligibility starting next season. I don't know if he will go that option.
Even without Spurrell, UMD is as healthy as it's been since before the October exhibition against Lakehead. I know the Bulldogs played well before break, but even taking that into consideration, the injury situation being what it was means the bye couldn't possibly have been timed better.
Now, it's time for the players to come out looking fresh and ready Friday against Colorado College.
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Game 14: UMD at Omaha
OMAHA, Neb. -- I'm not sure we can top what the UMD football team did at home this afternoon (congrats, fellas!), but it's our turn to try.
Off a three-goal third period Friday, UMD now seeks a seventh straight win that it can take into its first bye week of the season.
It's been a hell of a grind so far, and UMD has played a lot of games without senior captain Adam Krause -- who is here but was not going to play this weekend. Krause has missed eight games, counting this one. Senior alternate captain Justin Crandall missed two. Sophomore forward Sammy Spurrell has now missed six games and is likely to miss a bunch more, from what it sounds like. Freshman forward Brett Boehm wasn't available this weekend because of injury. Freshman defenseman Nick McCormack has missed some time but could be close to returning.
These injuries have tested UMD's resolve, and its depth. Guys like junior forward Austyn Young and freshman Blake Young have acquitted themselves well lately, and this team has shown it isn't just about its top line.
Friday, the top line didn't score and was a collective minus. UMD won anyway. It's a sign that the Bulldogs are getting reliable goaltending, and it's a sign this is a deep team.
Let's win one more, take a week off, get healthy, and finish the first half strong.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Iafallo - Toninato - Crandall
Farley - Cameranesi - Kuhlman
Osterberg - Decowski - Young (Austyn)
Young (Blake) - Thomas - Sampair
Johnson - Welinski
Soucy - Raskob
Corrin - Kotyk
Kaskisuo - McNeely
UNO
Randolph - Vesel - Parizek
Pope - Guentzel - Peterson
Lane - Zombo - Ortega
Nogard - Mountain - Polk
Cooper - Messner
Snuggerud - Brady
Youso - Gallo
Massa - Thompson - Crossthwaite
Off a three-goal third period Friday, UMD now seeks a seventh straight win that it can take into its first bye week of the season.
It's been a hell of a grind so far, and UMD has played a lot of games without senior captain Adam Krause -- who is here but was not going to play this weekend. Krause has missed eight games, counting this one. Senior alternate captain Justin Crandall missed two. Sophomore forward Sammy Spurrell has now missed six games and is likely to miss a bunch more, from what it sounds like. Freshman forward Brett Boehm wasn't available this weekend because of injury. Freshman defenseman Nick McCormack has missed some time but could be close to returning.
These injuries have tested UMD's resolve, and its depth. Guys like junior forward Austyn Young and freshman Blake Young have acquitted themselves well lately, and this team has shown it isn't just about its top line.
Friday, the top line didn't score and was a collective minus. UMD won anyway. It's a sign that the Bulldogs are getting reliable goaltending, and it's a sign this is a deep team.
Let's win one more, take a week off, get healthy, and finish the first half strong.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Iafallo - Toninato - Crandall
Farley - Cameranesi - Kuhlman
Osterberg - Decowski - Young (Austyn)
Young (Blake) - Thomas - Sampair
Johnson - Welinski
Soucy - Raskob
Corrin - Kotyk
Kaskisuo - McNeely
UNO
Randolph - Vesel - Parizek
Pope - Guentzel - Peterson
Lane - Zombo - Ortega
Nogard - Mountain - Polk
Cooper - Messner
Snuggerud - Brady
Youso - Gallo
Massa - Thompson - Crossthwaite
Friday, November 21, 2014
Saturday Hockey Notes and Thoughts: UMD Rallies, Runs Win Streak to Six
OMAHA, Neb. -- Hell of a win Friday here. Hell of a win.
This will be a quick blog, as I am with family this weekend on this trip and want to spend some time with them. Watch my Twitter (@BruceCiskie) for more thoughts during the day.
UMD rallied from a 2-0 deficit to beat Omaha 3-2 Friday at CenturyLink Center. It's the second time UMD has come back from a multi-goal deficit to tie a game. It's the first time UMD has won when trailing by multiple goals through two periods since Jan. 11, 2008, versus Minnesota State. It's the first win of any kind when trailing after two since Nov. 12, 2010, against Michigan Tech.
Both those games were at home. You have to go back to Oct. 16, 2004, to find the last time UMD trailed by two in the third and won a road game (Michigan Tech took a 3-1 lead in the third before UMD ripped off five straight to win 6-3).
Not much happened in the first, but you could tell UNO goalie Ryan Massa wasn't going to be beaten low. Just didn't appear the opportunities were going to come there. I even made a comment -- and this is not a self high-five, I promise, because I could very well have ended up wrong and forgotten I ever said it -- that I wanted to see UMD start testing Massa high.
Sure enough, UMD started shooting higher and got some success in the third. Karson Kuhlman pinballed one in to make it 2-1, then Andy Welinski threw an absolute missile by Massa to tie it before Cal Decowski scored the winner with 2:35 left.
The UNO goalie had a good night with 33 saves. He still has a .947 save percentage, which is obscene. I'd be surprised if Dean Blais didn't come back with him Saturday.
I know Scott Sandelin will come back with Kasimir Kaskisuo. The freshman got beat twice in the second (the David Pope two-on-one goal was probably the worst one he's allowed in weeks, if not since the Minnesota game at the Ice Breaker, and that's being kind of picky about our goaltender, who has been awesome). But Kaskisuo made a big save that led to the rush Welinski scored on. That's a two-goal swing in a game we won by one, and it's something that can't be forgotten.
(Of course, I forgot who had the chance for UNO. I believe it was Dominic Zombo or Austin Ortega, which means it was definitely Jake Guentzel.)
The Bulldogs have won six straight to improve to 9-4. UMD is still tied with Miami atop the NCHC, as the RedHawks beat Western Michigan 1-0. In the other league game, St. Cloud State held off North Dakota 3-1. Colorado College and Denver won non-conference, which keeps the NCHC's stellar record in those games very much alive.
Saturday should be another good game here. UNO will push back hard, and UMD has proven it can answer the bell. Playing with good discipline (two penalties for four minutes Friday) will be a key once again. Keep the Omaha power play off the ice, as Guentzel's return makes that unit quite dangerous.
That's it for me. More on Twitter Saturday as things pop into my head.
This will be a quick blog, as I am with family this weekend on this trip and want to spend some time with them. Watch my Twitter (@BruceCiskie) for more thoughts during the day.
UMD rallied from a 2-0 deficit to beat Omaha 3-2 Friday at CenturyLink Center. It's the second time UMD has come back from a multi-goal deficit to tie a game. It's the first time UMD has won when trailing by multiple goals through two periods since Jan. 11, 2008, versus Minnesota State. It's the first win of any kind when trailing after two since Nov. 12, 2010, against Michigan Tech.
Both those games were at home. You have to go back to Oct. 16, 2004, to find the last time UMD trailed by two in the third and won a road game (Michigan Tech took a 3-1 lead in the third before UMD ripped off five straight to win 6-3).
Not much happened in the first, but you could tell UNO goalie Ryan Massa wasn't going to be beaten low. Just didn't appear the opportunities were going to come there. I even made a comment -- and this is not a self high-five, I promise, because I could very well have ended up wrong and forgotten I ever said it -- that I wanted to see UMD start testing Massa high.
Sure enough, UMD started shooting higher and got some success in the third. Karson Kuhlman pinballed one in to make it 2-1, then Andy Welinski threw an absolute missile by Massa to tie it before Cal Decowski scored the winner with 2:35 left.
The UNO goalie had a good night with 33 saves. He still has a .947 save percentage, which is obscene. I'd be surprised if Dean Blais didn't come back with him Saturday.
I know Scott Sandelin will come back with Kasimir Kaskisuo. The freshman got beat twice in the second (the David Pope two-on-one goal was probably the worst one he's allowed in weeks, if not since the Minnesota game at the Ice Breaker, and that's being kind of picky about our goaltender, who has been awesome). But Kaskisuo made a big save that led to the rush Welinski scored on. That's a two-goal swing in a game we won by one, and it's something that can't be forgotten.
(Of course, I forgot who had the chance for UNO. I believe it was Dominic Zombo or Austin Ortega, which means it was definitely Jake Guentzel.)
The Bulldogs have won six straight to improve to 9-4. UMD is still tied with Miami atop the NCHC, as the RedHawks beat Western Michigan 1-0. In the other league game, St. Cloud State held off North Dakota 3-1. Colorado College and Denver won non-conference, which keeps the NCHC's stellar record in those games very much alive.
Saturday should be another good game here. UNO will push back hard, and UMD has proven it can answer the bell. Playing with good discipline (two penalties for four minutes Friday) will be a key once again. Keep the Omaha power play off the ice, as Guentzel's return makes that unit quite dangerous.
That's it for me. More on Twitter Saturday as things pop into my head.
Game 13: UMD at Omaha
OMAHA, Neb. -- For the last time, UMD will play a weekend series in the gargantuan and largely empty CenturyLink Center.
(What was your favorite CenturyLink Center Bulldog moment? I'm going with Aaron Crandall's 358-save weekend* last January as the Bulldogs swept UNO.)
(* - Possible exaggeration)
Next year, UNO's home games will be played at the brand-new arena being built on campus in midtown Omaha, probably a good six or seven miles from the CenturyLink Center's downtown location. That'll cut capacity for UNO home games from around 17,000 to around 7,500, a much more manageable number.
(This is especially true in the fall months, where minds even in Omaha are largely preoccupied with Nebraska football, especially since Omaha dropped its football program as it was transitioning its athletic programs to Division I.)
This series pits two hot teams against one another, as UMD has won five straight and Omaha is unbeaten in six. Hopefully there's some excitement around here for the games and we get good crowds. Omaha hasn't played at home since Oct. 11.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Iafallo - Toninato - Crandall
Farley - Cameranesi - Kuhlman
Osterberg - Decowski - Young (Austyn)
Young (Blake) - Thomas - Sampair
Johnson - Welinski
Soucy - Raskob
Corrin - Molenaar
Kaskisuo - McNeely
UNO
Randolph - Vesel - Parizek
Pope - Peterson - Davis
Guentzel - Zombo - Ortega
Nogard - Lane - Polk
Cooper - Messner
Snuggerud - O'Rourke
Brady - Gallo
Massa - Thompson - Crossthwaite
(What was your favorite CenturyLink Center Bulldog moment? I'm going with Aaron Crandall's 358-save weekend* last January as the Bulldogs swept UNO.)
(* - Possible exaggeration)
Next year, UNO's home games will be played at the brand-new arena being built on campus in midtown Omaha, probably a good six or seven miles from the CenturyLink Center's downtown location. That'll cut capacity for UNO home games from around 17,000 to around 7,500, a much more manageable number.
(This is especially true in the fall months, where minds even in Omaha are largely preoccupied with Nebraska football, especially since Omaha dropped its football program as it was transitioning its athletic programs to Division I.)
This series pits two hot teams against one another, as UMD has won five straight and Omaha is unbeaten in six. Hopefully there's some excitement around here for the games and we get good crowds. Omaha hasn't played at home since Oct. 11.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Iafallo - Toninato - Crandall
Farley - Cameranesi - Kuhlman
Osterberg - Decowski - Young (Austyn)
Young (Blake) - Thomas - Sampair
Johnson - Welinski
Soucy - Raskob
Corrin - Molenaar
Kaskisuo - McNeely
UNO
Randolph - Vesel - Parizek
Pope - Peterson - Davis
Guentzel - Zombo - Ortega
Nogard - Lane - Polk
Cooper - Messner
Snuggerud - O'Rourke
Brady - Gallo
Massa - Thompson - Crossthwaite
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Piping-Hot Teams Collide in Omaha
INTERSTATE 35, Minn. -- Don't worry. My wife's driving.
UMD coach Scott Sandelin knows what his team has to do this weekend, as he faces mentor Dean Blais and Omaha at CenturyLink Center.
"We've got to go in there and make sure we do the things we need to do, and we're not living off last weekend."
Surely, UMD's players understand where the veteran coach is coming from. It won't get much better -- not from a standpoint of opponent, quality of game, or atmosphere -- than it was on Saturday at home. It was there that a record crowd witnessed one of the biggest wins UMD has ever posted in the building, 2-1 over then-No. 1 Minnesota to finish a weekend home-and-home sweep.
"It was great," Sandelin said of the charged-up home building. "It's fun when you go out for warmup, and that student section is full. You can feel that electricity. It was nice that we could keep them in it early by scoring. It's a fun place when it's like that. I know the guys feed off that, too."
Sophomore forward Dominic Toninato of Duluth called the weekend "an absolute blast."
"It was a big weekend for us, taking down the number one team," he said.
Now, UMD has to avoid a letdown as it heads south.
(Admittedly, that's quite the liberal use of the word, because UNO is white-hot, having gone unbeaten in six. This is a really good hockey team UMD is facing this weekend. However, UNO struggles to fill its home building, which seats 17,000 or so. The atmosphere isn't all that great. It won't be as bad as the Ice Breaker was, but it won't be nearly as good as the last two weekends were, either. That's what UMD has to be careful with. No big crowds to feed off of this weekend, so they'll have to feed off each other.)
For the Bulldogs, a five-game winning streak hasn't solved every problem that's popped up, but they've done a good job killing off a few demons.
"Our keys have been we've had good starts, and we've made those work," Sandelin said this week. "I think our guys have competed hard and I think our effort's been good. The other part of that is we've been disciplined.
"It's a combination. Defense is everybody. It starts in goal, and Kaz (Kasimir Kaskisuo) has been outstanding for us. He gives us a chance every night. I thought our guys did a good job."
"I don't think we've done too much," Toninato said when asked how the team so quickly turned around poor starts to games, subpar Friday performances, and discipline issues. "I think it's just mental preparation before the game. I think guys are more ready to go from the drop of the puck. Guys are moving their feet, competing hard, and trying to stay out of the box."
UMD will face a very young but high-end Omaha squad. The Mavericks played seven freshmen in their last game, a win at Ohio State Nov. 8. UNO is 6-1-1, hasn't lost since falling 4-2 to Minnesota State Oct. 11, and -- by the way -- hasn't played a home game since that date, either. Dean Blais' young pups have ripped off a six-game unbeaten streak away from CenturyLink Center.
Among those young pups: Last year's Minnesota Mr. Hockey, Avery Peterson of Grand Rapids. In that Ohio State sweep, Peterson scored three times and had a five-point weekend for NCHC Rookie of the Week honors. The Minnesota Wild draft pick played some in the USHL around his high school season, but Peterson is showing that kids don't have to skip years of high school hockey in order to make the jump to college as "true" freshmen. It isn't for everyone, but there's no need for a universal rule on the bit.
Also in Blais' impressive freshman class is Duluth's Jake Randolph. The son of longtime East coach Mike Randolph spent two years in junior hockey with the Omaha Lancers after graduating from East and helping Toninato and linemate Trevor Olson become the most dynamic forward line in the state. After a 44-point debut season with the Lancers, Jake Randolph broke out big-time last year, with 26 goals and 86 points in 60 games.
"Jake's a great player and does very special things," Toninato said of his former Duluth East linemate. "He has great vision on the ice and can protect the puck well. He's making those assists like he did here."
(In case you're wondering, Olson is at North Dakota, where he has played in eight games as a freshman and is still awaiting his first collegiate point. Olson struggled through injuries during his USHL run, playing in just 21 games for Sioux City last season. He had 71 points in 84 USHL games over two seasons. He's a really physical player who will be a solid player at UND once the scoring comes for him, which it will eventually. Until it does, he may bounce in and out of the lineup. Even with that in mind, it's pretty cool to see all three playing at the Division I level. They were other-worldly players at Duluth East.)
Watching that Ohio State series, Blais really is fearless about employing his freshmen in tough situations. There were multiple instances where three freshmen -- Randolph, Tyler Vesel, and Luc Snuggerud in one impressive sequence -- were on a single penalty-kill unit. These guys can play. Snuggerud is already a very good defenseman, with a goal and three points in eight games. With the late departure of Nick Seeler, who eventually transferred to Minnesota, Snuggerud has gotten a great chance to make an impact early, and he appears prepared to take full advantage.
In goal, it's been all about Ryan Massa so far. He's 5-0-1 with a .953 save percentage, 45 points above his career total of .908. He's playing with high confidence, and he's getting some help from his friends, too.
"Massa's been outstanding," Sandelin said, "they haven't given up a lot of goals. They block a lot of shots. They get a lot of sticks in and disrupt a lot of plays."
Blocked shots and sticks in passing lanes are two hallmarks of this UNO defense. UMD has to put a priority on getting pucks to the net and making sure bodies are going to the front, too. Maybe a weekend of trying to solve Adam Wilcox will help the Bulldogs. He was clearly on his game, and UMD did the things it had to do: Created rebounds, got people to the net, tipped shots, and outnumbered Minnesota down low.
Oh, and the Bulldogs need to play with discipline. This UNO power play is hitting at just 16 percent, but there's a lot of skill, with guys like Dominic Zombo, Austin Ortega, and a returning-from-injury Jake Guentzel.
Toninato knows this.
"Omaha's got a pretty good power play, so discipline. Almost like a broken record."
He laughed, but he wasn't joking. Don't play with fire. UMD is likely a deeper team when you look at the forward lines and defensive groups. Like Massa, Kaskisuo is giving his team a chance to win every game it plays. Yes, UMD's power play has been clicking, but a special teams game allows UNO to dodge one of its biggest deficits when you look at this head-to-head matchup, and that's depth.
Good starts and good discipline could lead the way for UMD to have another good weekend.
UMD coach Scott Sandelin knows what his team has to do this weekend, as he faces mentor Dean Blais and Omaha at CenturyLink Center.
"We've got to go in there and make sure we do the things we need to do, and we're not living off last weekend."
Surely, UMD's players understand where the veteran coach is coming from. It won't get much better -- not from a standpoint of opponent, quality of game, or atmosphere -- than it was on Saturday at home. It was there that a record crowd witnessed one of the biggest wins UMD has ever posted in the building, 2-1 over then-No. 1 Minnesota to finish a weekend home-and-home sweep.
"It was great," Sandelin said of the charged-up home building. "It's fun when you go out for warmup, and that student section is full. You can feel that electricity. It was nice that we could keep them in it early by scoring. It's a fun place when it's like that. I know the guys feed off that, too."
Sophomore forward Dominic Toninato of Duluth called the weekend "an absolute blast."
"It was a big weekend for us, taking down the number one team," he said.
Now, UMD has to avoid a letdown as it heads south.
(Admittedly, that's quite the liberal use of the word, because UNO is white-hot, having gone unbeaten in six. This is a really good hockey team UMD is facing this weekend. However, UNO struggles to fill its home building, which seats 17,000 or so. The atmosphere isn't all that great. It won't be as bad as the Ice Breaker was, but it won't be nearly as good as the last two weekends were, either. That's what UMD has to be careful with. No big crowds to feed off of this weekend, so they'll have to feed off each other.)
For the Bulldogs, a five-game winning streak hasn't solved every problem that's popped up, but they've done a good job killing off a few demons.
"Our keys have been we've had good starts, and we've made those work," Sandelin said this week. "I think our guys have competed hard and I think our effort's been good. The other part of that is we've been disciplined.
"It's a combination. Defense is everybody. It starts in goal, and Kaz (Kasimir Kaskisuo) has been outstanding for us. He gives us a chance every night. I thought our guys did a good job."
"I don't think we've done too much," Toninato said when asked how the team so quickly turned around poor starts to games, subpar Friday performances, and discipline issues. "I think it's just mental preparation before the game. I think guys are more ready to go from the drop of the puck. Guys are moving their feet, competing hard, and trying to stay out of the box."
UMD will face a very young but high-end Omaha squad. The Mavericks played seven freshmen in their last game, a win at Ohio State Nov. 8. UNO is 6-1-1, hasn't lost since falling 4-2 to Minnesota State Oct. 11, and -- by the way -- hasn't played a home game since that date, either. Dean Blais' young pups have ripped off a six-game unbeaten streak away from CenturyLink Center.
Among those young pups: Last year's Minnesota Mr. Hockey, Avery Peterson of Grand Rapids. In that Ohio State sweep, Peterson scored three times and had a five-point weekend for NCHC Rookie of the Week honors. The Minnesota Wild draft pick played some in the USHL around his high school season, but Peterson is showing that kids don't have to skip years of high school hockey in order to make the jump to college as "true" freshmen. It isn't for everyone, but there's no need for a universal rule on the bit.
Also in Blais' impressive freshman class is Duluth's Jake Randolph. The son of longtime East coach Mike Randolph spent two years in junior hockey with the Omaha Lancers after graduating from East and helping Toninato and linemate Trevor Olson become the most dynamic forward line in the state. After a 44-point debut season with the Lancers, Jake Randolph broke out big-time last year, with 26 goals and 86 points in 60 games.
"Jake's a great player and does very special things," Toninato said of his former Duluth East linemate. "He has great vision on the ice and can protect the puck well. He's making those assists like he did here."
(In case you're wondering, Olson is at North Dakota, where he has played in eight games as a freshman and is still awaiting his first collegiate point. Olson struggled through injuries during his USHL run, playing in just 21 games for Sioux City last season. He had 71 points in 84 USHL games over two seasons. He's a really physical player who will be a solid player at UND once the scoring comes for him, which it will eventually. Until it does, he may bounce in and out of the lineup. Even with that in mind, it's pretty cool to see all three playing at the Division I level. They were other-worldly players at Duluth East.)
Watching that Ohio State series, Blais really is fearless about employing his freshmen in tough situations. There were multiple instances where three freshmen -- Randolph, Tyler Vesel, and Luc Snuggerud in one impressive sequence -- were on a single penalty-kill unit. These guys can play. Snuggerud is already a very good defenseman, with a goal and three points in eight games. With the late departure of Nick Seeler, who eventually transferred to Minnesota, Snuggerud has gotten a great chance to make an impact early, and he appears prepared to take full advantage.
In goal, it's been all about Ryan Massa so far. He's 5-0-1 with a .953 save percentage, 45 points above his career total of .908. He's playing with high confidence, and he's getting some help from his friends, too.
"Massa's been outstanding," Sandelin said, "they haven't given up a lot of goals. They block a lot of shots. They get a lot of sticks in and disrupt a lot of plays."
Blocked shots and sticks in passing lanes are two hallmarks of this UNO defense. UMD has to put a priority on getting pucks to the net and making sure bodies are going to the front, too. Maybe a weekend of trying to solve Adam Wilcox will help the Bulldogs. He was clearly on his game, and UMD did the things it had to do: Created rebounds, got people to the net, tipped shots, and outnumbered Minnesota down low.
Oh, and the Bulldogs need to play with discipline. This UNO power play is hitting at just 16 percent, but there's a lot of skill, with guys like Dominic Zombo, Austin Ortega, and a returning-from-injury Jake Guentzel.
Toninato knows this.
"Omaha's got a pretty good power play, so discipline. Almost like a broken record."
He laughed, but he wasn't joking. Don't play with fire. UMD is likely a deeper team when you look at the forward lines and defensive groups. Like Massa, Kaskisuo is giving his team a chance to win every game it plays. Yes, UMD's power play has been clicking, but a special teams game allows UNO to dodge one of its biggest deficits when you look at this head-to-head matchup, and that's depth.
Good starts and good discipline could lead the way for UMD to have another good weekend.
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
UMD Pregame Video vs Minnesota
UMD's pregame videos this season have been fantastic from the word "go."
But, like the atmosphere, Saturday's video was off the charts. In a good way.
Here it is, in all its glory.
But, like the atmosphere, Saturday's video was off the charts. In a good way.
Here it is, in all its glory.
Monday, November 17, 2014
Monday Musings: Bulldogs Can't Fly Under Radar After Sweeping Minnesota
Last week, I was texting with someone involved with the UMD men's hockey program. This particular person wasn't necessarily pleased with UMD's spot in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll that came out last week. While understanding that polls really don't matter at all in college hockey, it still stung that the Bulldogs were 15th, one spot behind a St. Cloud State team they had just swept in St. Cloud.
The conversation ended with us agreeing that UMD was flying under the old radar, and that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
Forget that. It's over now.
Sweeping in St. Cloud might not have grabbed people's attention, but sweeping No. 1 Minnesota -- the prohibitive national championship favorite -- damn sure will.
UMD ran its winning streak to five by completing a sweep of the Gophers in front of a record crowd at Amsoil Arena Saturday night. That crowd was plenty juiced before the game. The student section filled quickly when doors opened 90 minutes before faceoff. Armed with Thunderstix, the fans were making noise throughout the pregame warmup, and even with a ton of events going on at the DECC complex on Saturday, the vast majority of the fans were in their seats or in the building in time for an epic pregame video.
(If it ends up on YouTube, I'll get it on the blog. Whether you were there or not, it's worth watching.)
Said huge crowd was amped already, and Dominic Toninato's early goal (28 seconds in) gave them an excuse to not settle in at any point. That about blew the roof off the place.
The Bulldogs kept putting pressure on Gophers goalie Adam Wilcox, and freshman Karson Kuhlman deftly tipped a Willie Raskob center-point shot past the star netminder late in the first to give UMD a 2-0 lead.
The Bulldogs badly outshot the Gophers Friday (38-17), and kept that rolling for most of Saturday's game, until Minnesota began to push back more emphatically in the second period of that game at Amsoil Arena.
In the third, Minnesota finally was able to sustain attack. The Gophers got their forecheck going steadily throughout the game, and it was at its best in the third. It was probably part-desperation and partially due to UMD losing senior forward Justin Crandall on a (bogus*) kneeing major in the closing moments of the first period. The Bulldogs were down to 11 forwards, had to mish-mash lines, and it is likely a few guys were a bit fatigued in that third period. UMD still did a good job blocking shots and keeping bodies largely away from Kasimir Kaskisuo, not that he needed a ton of help. Kaskisuo was outstanding Saturday, making a few saves where it seemed impossible he saw the puck, but read plays wonderfully and kept himself in great position.
(* - I know a lot of Minnesota fans vehemently disagree, but based on the animation I saw of the hit, I see nothing more than a minor. Crandall knocked knees with Minnesota defenseman Michael Brodzinski, but he never changed his vertical base or direction, while it was Brodzinski who made a sudden movement to try to avoid the contact. Yes, Crandall turned his body, but it was pulling up to hit someone, not to lead with his knee. The knee never came out from the body.)
(And I'm still not mad at the on-ice officials. Live action, it looked bad. And they don't get replays. I've already ranted about this and I probably will again. But not now.)
But when it came time to push offensively, it was clear a lot of guys didn't have the energy they had earlier in the game. That and the No. 1 team in the country wasn't about to go down without a fight. UMD did a great job defending late, to the point that even what appeared to be a neutral-zone breakdown and a tremendous odd-man chance for Minnesota late turned into no shots on Kaskisuo because Alex Iafallo ruined the rush with the mother of all backchecks. It was a great play by the sophomore and all about hustle.
This was a great team effort. I thought freshman Blake Young looked good playing some on the Toninato line after Crandall's ejection. Willie Raskob had his best weekend of the season, and Carson Soucy -- though not a factor in the scoring -- was really good, too. Andy Welinski is off-the-charts good at the moment, and he's doing it in all phases, with and without the puck. I'd argue he's top two in the NCHC (I haven't seen Jordan Schmaltz of North Dakota yet, and might not for some time since we don't play them until January), and possibly top 3-5 in the country.
Junior Austyn Young was put in on the third line for the Saturday St. Cloud game, and I don't think it's a stretch to say he's playing the best hockey that he's played at UMD right now. He's a good example of a guy who is taking advantage of the opportunity placed in front of him after Adam Krause went down. When the captain returns -- possibly as soon as early December -- coach Scott Sandelin will have some decisions to make with his lineup. But that's down the line a bit, still.
A five-game winning streak is nice, and UMD is sure to get some national attention now, which is good for the program and will make some fans feel good. But nothing has been won yet, outside of these eight games.
The Bulldogs go from the No. 1 team in the country to one of the hottest in Omaha. The Mavericks ride a six-game unbeaten streak into this weekend's series at CenturyLink Center in Omaha. UNO maybe hasn't played the best competition in that run -- sweeps against Western Michigan and Ohio State, along with a win and tie against Cornell -- but it's done this work all on the road. UNO hasn't played at home since Oct. 10-11 against Minnesota State, running off these six road games with a pair of bye weeks mixed in.
Dean Blais has some Northland connections on this squad, with former Duluth East Greyhound and Toninato linemate Jake Randolph joined by last year's Mr. Hockey, Avery Peterson. Randolph has a goal and eight points in eight games, while Peterson scored three times in the Ohio State series and has four goals and six points this year.
Goalie Ryan Massa, who entered the season with a career save percentage of .901 in 46 games, has played in six this year, with a 5-0-1 record and .953 save percentage. He's allowed eight goals on 171 shots so far.
Hell, with Kaskisuo sitting at .931 right now, will anyone score this weekend???
That'll do it for me. I'll try to check in at the rink Tuesday, but Wednesday for sure ahead of the Thursday travel to Omaha. Remember, Friday's game is 7:30, with Saturday set for 7. There aren't a lot of places that draw better Friday than Saturday, but with Nebraska football hosting Minnesota an hour away in Lincoln on Saturday, you can imagine where the state's attention lands for that day.
The conversation ended with us agreeing that UMD was flying under the old radar, and that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
Forget that. It's over now.
Sweeping in St. Cloud might not have grabbed people's attention, but sweeping No. 1 Minnesota -- the prohibitive national championship favorite -- damn sure will.
UMD ran its winning streak to five by completing a sweep of the Gophers in front of a record crowd at Amsoil Arena Saturday night. That crowd was plenty juiced before the game. The student section filled quickly when doors opened 90 minutes before faceoff. Armed with Thunderstix, the fans were making noise throughout the pregame warmup, and even with a ton of events going on at the DECC complex on Saturday, the vast majority of the fans were in their seats or in the building in time for an epic pregame video.
(If it ends up on YouTube, I'll get it on the blog. Whether you were there or not, it's worth watching.)
Said huge crowd was amped already, and Dominic Toninato's early goal (28 seconds in) gave them an excuse to not settle in at any point. That about blew the roof off the place.
The Bulldogs kept putting pressure on Gophers goalie Adam Wilcox, and freshman Karson Kuhlman deftly tipped a Willie Raskob center-point shot past the star netminder late in the first to give UMD a 2-0 lead.
The Bulldogs badly outshot the Gophers Friday (38-17), and kept that rolling for most of Saturday's game, until Minnesota began to push back more emphatically in the second period of that game at Amsoil Arena.
In the third, Minnesota finally was able to sustain attack. The Gophers got their forecheck going steadily throughout the game, and it was at its best in the third. It was probably part-desperation and partially due to UMD losing senior forward Justin Crandall on a (bogus*) kneeing major in the closing moments of the first period. The Bulldogs were down to 11 forwards, had to mish-mash lines, and it is likely a few guys were a bit fatigued in that third period. UMD still did a good job blocking shots and keeping bodies largely away from Kasimir Kaskisuo, not that he needed a ton of help. Kaskisuo was outstanding Saturday, making a few saves where it seemed impossible he saw the puck, but read plays wonderfully and kept himself in great position.
(* - I know a lot of Minnesota fans vehemently disagree, but based on the animation I saw of the hit, I see nothing more than a minor. Crandall knocked knees with Minnesota defenseman Michael Brodzinski, but he never changed his vertical base or direction, while it was Brodzinski who made a sudden movement to try to avoid the contact. Yes, Crandall turned his body, but it was pulling up to hit someone, not to lead with his knee. The knee never came out from the body.)
(And I'm still not mad at the on-ice officials. Live action, it looked bad. And they don't get replays. I've already ranted about this and I probably will again. But not now.)
But when it came time to push offensively, it was clear a lot of guys didn't have the energy they had earlier in the game. That and the No. 1 team in the country wasn't about to go down without a fight. UMD did a great job defending late, to the point that even what appeared to be a neutral-zone breakdown and a tremendous odd-man chance for Minnesota late turned into no shots on Kaskisuo because Alex Iafallo ruined the rush with the mother of all backchecks. It was a great play by the sophomore and all about hustle.
This was a great team effort. I thought freshman Blake Young looked good playing some on the Toninato line after Crandall's ejection. Willie Raskob had his best weekend of the season, and Carson Soucy -- though not a factor in the scoring -- was really good, too. Andy Welinski is off-the-charts good at the moment, and he's doing it in all phases, with and without the puck. I'd argue he's top two in the NCHC (I haven't seen Jordan Schmaltz of North Dakota yet, and might not for some time since we don't play them until January), and possibly top 3-5 in the country.
Junior Austyn Young was put in on the third line for the Saturday St. Cloud game, and I don't think it's a stretch to say he's playing the best hockey that he's played at UMD right now. He's a good example of a guy who is taking advantage of the opportunity placed in front of him after Adam Krause went down. When the captain returns -- possibly as soon as early December -- coach Scott Sandelin will have some decisions to make with his lineup. But that's down the line a bit, still.
A five-game winning streak is nice, and UMD is sure to get some national attention now, which is good for the program and will make some fans feel good. But nothing has been won yet, outside of these eight games.
******
The Bulldogs go from the No. 1 team in the country to one of the hottest in Omaha. The Mavericks ride a six-game unbeaten streak into this weekend's series at CenturyLink Center in Omaha. UNO maybe hasn't played the best competition in that run -- sweeps against Western Michigan and Ohio State, along with a win and tie against Cornell -- but it's done this work all on the road. UNO hasn't played at home since Oct. 10-11 against Minnesota State, running off these six road games with a pair of bye weeks mixed in.
Dean Blais has some Northland connections on this squad, with former Duluth East Greyhound and Toninato linemate Jake Randolph joined by last year's Mr. Hockey, Avery Peterson. Randolph has a goal and eight points in eight games, while Peterson scored three times in the Ohio State series and has four goals and six points this year.
Goalie Ryan Massa, who entered the season with a career save percentage of .901 in 46 games, has played in six this year, with a 5-0-1 record and .953 save percentage. He's allowed eight goals on 171 shots so far.
Hell, with Kaskisuo sitting at .931 right now, will anyone score this weekend???
That'll do it for me. I'll try to check in at the rink Tuesday, but Wednesday for sure ahead of the Thursday travel to Omaha. Remember, Friday's game is 7:30, with Saturday set for 7. There aren't a lot of places that draw better Friday than Saturday, but with Nebraska football hosting Minnesota an hour away in Lincoln on Saturday, you can imagine where the state's attention lands for that day.
Saturday, November 15, 2014
Game 12: Minnesota at UMD
Time for Minnesota's first visit to Amsoil Arena since the Gophers stole a pair of 5-4 wins in October 2011, one week after UMD unveiled its first-ever national championship banner for men's hockey.
As I mentioned before, the silver lining is that UMD ran off a 17-game unbeaten streak that took it to the top of the national polls*.
(* - You know, the polls that don't matter.)
Bumping around town during the day, there seemed to be an inordinate amount of UMD apparel on people at the mall and other shopping-type places. Either the bandwagon is already starting to swell after four straight wins, or the last of the four -- a dominating 3-0 win over No. 1 Minnesota -- really has people excited for this home game.
UMD is 2-3 here, 5-0 on the road (counting the Notre Dame Ice Breaker game as a true road game), and 0-1 at neutral venues so far. That 2-3 record is deceiving, because UMD likely played well enough to win two of the games it lost, and it absolutely deserved the two it won. But when you win five games at home over a full season, people tend to overreact to things like that and think it's the "same old (expletive)" again.
Anyway, if you're reading this, get here early. Just trust me on that. Traffic is already building up.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Iafallo - Toninato - Crandall
Farley - Cameranesi - Kuhlman
Osterberg - Decowski - Young (Austyn)
Young (Blake) - Thomas - Sampair
Johnson - Welinski
Soucy - Raskob
Kotyk - Molenaar
Kaskisuo - McNeely - Fons
UMTC
Reilly (Connor) - Rau - Fasching
Warning - Kloos - Cammarata
Bristedt - Lettieri - Ambroz
Michaelson - Isackson - Reilly (Ryan)
Reilly (Mike) - Collins
Marshall - Brodzinski
Bischoff - Glover
Wilcox - Lehr
As I mentioned before, the silver lining is that UMD ran off a 17-game unbeaten streak that took it to the top of the national polls*.
(* - You know, the polls that don't matter.)
Bumping around town during the day, there seemed to be an inordinate amount of UMD apparel on people at the mall and other shopping-type places. Either the bandwagon is already starting to swell after four straight wins, or the last of the four -- a dominating 3-0 win over No. 1 Minnesota -- really has people excited for this home game.
UMD is 2-3 here, 5-0 on the road (counting the Notre Dame Ice Breaker game as a true road game), and 0-1 at neutral venues so far. That 2-3 record is deceiving, because UMD likely played well enough to win two of the games it lost, and it absolutely deserved the two it won. But when you win five games at home over a full season, people tend to overreact to things like that and think it's the "same old (expletive)" again.
Anyway, if you're reading this, get here early. Just trust me on that. Traffic is already building up.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Iafallo - Toninato - Crandall
Farley - Cameranesi - Kuhlman
Osterberg - Decowski - Young (Austyn)
Young (Blake) - Thomas - Sampair
Johnson - Welinski
Soucy - Raskob
Kotyk - Molenaar
Kaskisuo - McNeely - Fons
UMTC
Reilly (Connor) - Rau - Fasching
Warning - Kloos - Cammarata
Bristedt - Lettieri - Ambroz
Michaelson - Isackson - Reilly (Ryan)
Reilly (Mike) - Collins
Marshall - Brodzinski
Bischoff - Glover
Wilcox - Lehr
Friday, November 14, 2014
Saturday Hockey Notes and Thoughts: Bulldogs Administer Impressive Beatdown of No. 1 Minnesota
MINNEAPOLIS -- I've done over 300 of these hockey games over nine-plus years of being lucky enough to hold down this gig.
I'm not sure any 60-minute performance I've seen was as impressive as what UMD put on display Friday night at Mariucci Arena.
Greetings from downtown Minneapolis, where I'll blog quickly on the events of the evening, set up a wild Saturday back in Duluth, and then get some shut-eye before I execute the trip home. I might add to this midday Saturday if I have time.
There isn't much that needs to be said. UMD pretty throughly trounced Minnesota in virtually every aspect of the game Friday. Constant puck possession and frustrating forechecks left Minnesota frustrated, taking bad penalties, and unable to gain any juice in the offensive zone because by the time the puck got there, it was time for a line change.
As Gopher radio analyst Pat Micheletti said afterwards, it was hard to tell sometimes which UMD line was on the ice, because they all did the same thing. They were all over Minnesota's vaunted defensemen, giving them no room to make plays up the rink. By the middle of the first period, Minnesota's behavior became that of a frustrated hockey team, one that was used to doing to other teams what UMD was doing, and it didn't stop until the final horn.
Final shots were 38-17. A Gopher team known for its offense was held to 14 even-strength shots, and the home team attempted only 31 shots in 60 minutes. And it wasn't because they weren't willing to shoot. UMD wouldn't let them.
And it wasn't like UMD had anyone not on board. 18 skaters, and I can't think of one that didn't contribute in some way. All six defensemen made plays at one point or another. All 12 forwards were a factor in the offensive zone. It was such a team effort that defensemen Derik Johnson and Carson Soucy were the only Bulldog skaters who didn't register a shot on goal.
Any thought that UMD would be intimidated was squashed early, and a penalty on Minnesota's Leon Bristedt 22 seconds in led to the game's first goal, a power-play tally by Austin Farley. If it weren't for Gophers goalie Adam Wilcox, it would have been 3-0 or 4-0 after one, as he made a few acrobatic saves on a long UMD five-on-three that registered six shots.
The Bulldogs didn't get frustrated by Wilcox, instead pouring more and more shots on him until he finally cracked again in the second. Sophomore defenseman Dan Molenaar registered his first career goal at 9:55 of the middle frame off a feed from the right by Karson Kuhlman. Dominic Toninato scored in the third to create the final margin of 3-0.
Freshman Kasimir Kaskisuo could have done homework in goal for much of the night. He made a few good saves, including stops on Kyle Rau and Jake Bischoff, but the work of the guys in front of him was incredible throughout. UMD negated Minnesota's speed by playing a highly-disciplined game and making them resort to chips and dumps to get the puck across the UMD blue line. The Bulldogs outnumbered Minnesota to the puck on so many occasions that it was easy to lose count.
I'm not kidding when I say this. There is almost literally not one thing that I thought UMD did poorly on Friday. It was a complete and thorough tail-kicking administered by a team that a lot of observers think is pretty darn good. Friday might have been the coming-out party.
Now, it's time to create some magic at home.
The teams meet in Duluth Saturday night. It's Minnesota's first trip to Duluth since a two-game sweep there in October of 2011. Those were the final two losses before UMD rolled off a 17-game unbeaten streak that started the following weekend in Providence. They were also fantastic hockey games, both 5-4 finals, with Friday's game going overtime.
Saturday will be no different. UMD better be ready, because the Bulldogs will see a pushback from Minnesota. There isn't much that Don Lucia can do as far as bodies because of the injuries he's dealing with, but I wouldn't be surprised if a couple lines were shuffled to try to create more of an offensive threat, and maybe even some offensive balance.
Kaskisuo will make his ninth straight start, with his save percentage now up to .928. You can see the confidence growing every time he plays, and all that does is make a goalie even more dangerous.
(By the way, UMD's current four-game winning streak is its longest since the end of the 2012-13 season, when the Bulldogs ripped off four straight home wins to finish the regular season.)
That's it for me for now. Possibly more early Saturday once I'm back in Duluth. Definitely more once we get to the rink.
I'm not sure any 60-minute performance I've seen was as impressive as what UMD put on display Friday night at Mariucci Arena.
Greetings from downtown Minneapolis, where I'll blog quickly on the events of the evening, set up a wild Saturday back in Duluth, and then get some shut-eye before I execute the trip home. I might add to this midday Saturday if I have time.
There isn't much that needs to be said. UMD pretty throughly trounced Minnesota in virtually every aspect of the game Friday. Constant puck possession and frustrating forechecks left Minnesota frustrated, taking bad penalties, and unable to gain any juice in the offensive zone because by the time the puck got there, it was time for a line change.
As Gopher radio analyst Pat Micheletti said afterwards, it was hard to tell sometimes which UMD line was on the ice, because they all did the same thing. They were all over Minnesota's vaunted defensemen, giving them no room to make plays up the rink. By the middle of the first period, Minnesota's behavior became that of a frustrated hockey team, one that was used to doing to other teams what UMD was doing, and it didn't stop until the final horn.
Final shots were 38-17. A Gopher team known for its offense was held to 14 even-strength shots, and the home team attempted only 31 shots in 60 minutes. And it wasn't because they weren't willing to shoot. UMD wouldn't let them.
And it wasn't like UMD had anyone not on board. 18 skaters, and I can't think of one that didn't contribute in some way. All six defensemen made plays at one point or another. All 12 forwards were a factor in the offensive zone. It was such a team effort that defensemen Derik Johnson and Carson Soucy were the only Bulldog skaters who didn't register a shot on goal.
Any thought that UMD would be intimidated was squashed early, and a penalty on Minnesota's Leon Bristedt 22 seconds in led to the game's first goal, a power-play tally by Austin Farley. If it weren't for Gophers goalie Adam Wilcox, it would have been 3-0 or 4-0 after one, as he made a few acrobatic saves on a long UMD five-on-three that registered six shots.
The Bulldogs didn't get frustrated by Wilcox, instead pouring more and more shots on him until he finally cracked again in the second. Sophomore defenseman Dan Molenaar registered his first career goal at 9:55 of the middle frame off a feed from the right by Karson Kuhlman. Dominic Toninato scored in the third to create the final margin of 3-0.
Freshman Kasimir Kaskisuo could have done homework in goal for much of the night. He made a few good saves, including stops on Kyle Rau and Jake Bischoff, but the work of the guys in front of him was incredible throughout. UMD negated Minnesota's speed by playing a highly-disciplined game and making them resort to chips and dumps to get the puck across the UMD blue line. The Bulldogs outnumbered Minnesota to the puck on so many occasions that it was easy to lose count.
I'm not kidding when I say this. There is almost literally not one thing that I thought UMD did poorly on Friday. It was a complete and thorough tail-kicking administered by a team that a lot of observers think is pretty darn good. Friday might have been the coming-out party.
Now, it's time to create some magic at home.
The teams meet in Duluth Saturday night. It's Minnesota's first trip to Duluth since a two-game sweep there in October of 2011. Those were the final two losses before UMD rolled off a 17-game unbeaten streak that started the following weekend in Providence. They were also fantastic hockey games, both 5-4 finals, with Friday's game going overtime.
Saturday will be no different. UMD better be ready, because the Bulldogs will see a pushback from Minnesota. There isn't much that Don Lucia can do as far as bodies because of the injuries he's dealing with, but I wouldn't be surprised if a couple lines were shuffled to try to create more of an offensive threat, and maybe even some offensive balance.
Kaskisuo will make his ninth straight start, with his save percentage now up to .928. You can see the confidence growing every time he plays, and all that does is make a goalie even more dangerous.
(By the way, UMD's current four-game winning streak is its longest since the end of the 2012-13 season, when the Bulldogs ripped off four straight home wins to finish the regular season.)
That's it for me for now. Possibly more early Saturday once I'm back in Duluth. Definitely more once we get to the rink.
Game 11: UMD at Minnesota
MINNEAPOLIS -- No reason to hide from reality.
UMD head coach Scott Sandelin used the phrase "big challenge" multiple times this week in describing his team's home-and-home series against No. 1 Minnesota.
And rightfully so. Hate on the Gophers all you want, but there's no denying that you won't find a better team in the nation right now. Even with their depth tested by a couple key injuries -- forwards Travis Boyd and Vinni Lettieri and defenseman Brady Skjei are either definitely out this weekend or likely out -- Minnesota has enough high-end skill to overwhelm most opponents.
We hope this weekend's opponent isn't "most opponents," because at least on paper, UMD has the ability to beat Minnesota. It's shown that ability multiple times before, and it's not like this team has stunk so far this season.
So they lose Skjei, a first-round pick of the New York Rangers? OK, well Don Lucia is typically scratching two drafted defensmen every night. Because he has eight to pick from for a lineup that usually only has six in it.
Yes, eight drafted defensemen. And there aren't any obvious busts in a group that is unquestionably led right now by junior Mike Reilly -- a guy who, at least in my completely unqualified opinion, could be playing in the NHL right now. Michael Brodzinski (yup, Jonny's brother), Jake Bischoff, Ryan Collins, Jack Glover, and the list continues with the rambunctious Ben Marshall. It was Marshall, you might remember, who threw the illegal hit on UMD's Austin Farley that helped turn the North Star College Cup title game into a gong show last January.
(No, it wasn't a hit to the head as charged by the officials. But it was an illegal and unnecessary blow-up hit on a guy who didn't have the puck. A penalty, but probably not a major, and look how the third period/overtime played out. Makeup calls and missed embellishments both ways, and it took away from a fantastic game.)
Anyway, task at hand. The Gophers are really good. UMD has shown it can be, but if "being in the national conversation" is something that matters (I'm not sure it should and I'm not sure it does to this group, but that's a rant for a different day), the Bulldogs need to win at least once this weekend.
Why wait?
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Iafallo - Toninato - Crandall
Farley - Cameranesi - Kuhlman
Osterberg - Decowski - Young (Austyn)
Young (Blake) - Thomas - Sampair
Johnson - Welinski
Soucy - Raskob
Corrin - Molenaar
UMTC
Bristedt - Rau - Fasching
Warning - Kloos - Cammarata
Reilly (Connor) - Isackson - Ambroz
Hoglund - Michaelson - Reilly (Ryan)
Reilly - Collins
Marshall - Brodzinski
Johnson - Bischoff
Wilcox - Coyne - Lehr
UMD head coach Scott Sandelin used the phrase "big challenge" multiple times this week in describing his team's home-and-home series against No. 1 Minnesota.
And rightfully so. Hate on the Gophers all you want, but there's no denying that you won't find a better team in the nation right now. Even with their depth tested by a couple key injuries -- forwards Travis Boyd and Vinni Lettieri and defenseman Brady Skjei are either definitely out this weekend or likely out -- Minnesota has enough high-end skill to overwhelm most opponents.
We hope this weekend's opponent isn't "most opponents," because at least on paper, UMD has the ability to beat Minnesota. It's shown that ability multiple times before, and it's not like this team has stunk so far this season.
So they lose Skjei, a first-round pick of the New York Rangers? OK, well Don Lucia is typically scratching two drafted defensmen every night. Because he has eight to pick from for a lineup that usually only has six in it.
Yes, eight drafted defensemen. And there aren't any obvious busts in a group that is unquestionably led right now by junior Mike Reilly -- a guy who, at least in my completely unqualified opinion, could be playing in the NHL right now. Michael Brodzinski (yup, Jonny's brother), Jake Bischoff, Ryan Collins, Jack Glover, and the list continues with the rambunctious Ben Marshall. It was Marshall, you might remember, who threw the illegal hit on UMD's Austin Farley that helped turn the North Star College Cup title game into a gong show last January.
(No, it wasn't a hit to the head as charged by the officials. But it was an illegal and unnecessary blow-up hit on a guy who didn't have the puck. A penalty, but probably not a major, and look how the third period/overtime played out. Makeup calls and missed embellishments both ways, and it took away from a fantastic game.)
Anyway, task at hand. The Gophers are really good. UMD has shown it can be, but if "being in the national conversation" is something that matters (I'm not sure it should and I'm not sure it does to this group, but that's a rant for a different day), the Bulldogs need to win at least once this weekend.
Why wait?
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Iafallo - Toninato - Crandall
Farley - Cameranesi - Kuhlman
Osterberg - Decowski - Young (Austyn)
Young (Blake) - Thomas - Sampair
Johnson - Welinski
Soucy - Raskob
Corrin - Molenaar
UMTC
Bristedt - Rau - Fasching
Warning - Kloos - Cammarata
Reilly (Connor) - Isackson - Ambroz
Hoglund - Michaelson - Reilly (Ryan)
Reilly - Collins
Marshall - Brodzinski
Johnson - Bischoff
Wilcox - Coyne - Lehr
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