After a frustrating Friday, UMD tried again in the rematch against SCSU.
Quick blog, truncated prep time because of the UMD women's game (a 5-3 win over Minnesota to sweep the Gophers!). But as you can see, a few changes for UMD. Jade Miller draws back in, Avery Peterson moves back to the middle, and a couple line jumbles you can see below.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Iafallo - Toninato - Anderson
Tufte - Johnson - Kuhlman
Osterberg - Peterson - Mackay
Miller - Thomas - Exell
Soucy - Raskob
Pionk - Kotyk
Wolff - Molenaar
Miska - Deery - Shepard
SCSU
Jackson - Winiecki - Newell
Poehling (Nick) - Peterson - Poehling (Jack)
Eyssimont - Poehling (Ryan) - Benson
Papa - Storm - Wahlin
Ahcan - Borgen
Schuldt - Cholowski
Widman - Nevalainen
Smith - Driscoll
Saturday, January 14, 2017
Saturday Hockey Notes and Thoughts: Better Effort for UMD, Same Result in Series Opening Loss to St. Cloud
Apologies for the late blog. Had a difficult conversation for breakfast in order to assure you an ELITE blog as a means of making up for my tardiness.
We talked during the week about UMD's lack of intensity and/or emotion in last week's series against Colorado College. If it was going to be an issue Friday, St. Cloud State shocked the Bulldogs into the game early when sophomore defenseman Will Borgen decked UMD sophomore Adam Johnson near the SCSU blue line. It was a clean hit all the way, but Johnson seemed jarred initially by it. He stayed in the game.
Unquestionably, UMD's intensity was better, and the Bulldogs played late in the game with a sense of urgency that was somewhat lacking last weekend as well. If you take the long view, these are good things, but they didn't lead to a better result, as UMD fell 2-1 for the second straight game. It's UMD's fourth one-goal loss out of five losses this season. More on that in a bit.
World Juniors gold medalist Jack Ahcan scored both goals for the Huskies, who started the second half of the season 1-3 and were swept at Miami last weekend. Freshman goalie Jeff Smith made 41 saves and made many of them look easy. Maybe they were, and UMD absolutely needs to do a better job of getting to the net. The Bulldogs scored eight goals in St. Cloud that weren't empty-net tallies. Of those, the Bulldogs got half of them by going to the net and either creating traffic or finding rebounds. UMD's only goal Friday -- the first of Riley Tufte's Bulldog career -- came from doing the same darn thing.
Smith kept himself in good position and made himself big by playing at the top of his crease. UMD did a number of good things in this game, but did not do nearly well enough making the goalie move laterally or make him sag deeper into the crease. For much of the night, UMD shot like a team that doesn't have a lot of confidence, putting pucks right in Smith's midsection.
Part of this is SCSU's defensive corps, which will be elite if its key pieces -- Ahcan, Borgen, Jimmy Schuldt, and Dennis Cholowski -- stay together (Schuldt should be a big-time free agent target for NHL teams once the season ends, Borgen is drafted by Buffalo, and Cholowski is a first-round pick by Detroit). Any team that wants to get to the dirty areas against these guys will have a hell of a challenge. They're good positionally, skate well, and are good with the puck. UMD is a forecheck team, and that forecheck struggled to get going on Friday.
One guy SCSU couldn't stop on Friday was Tufte. In his 17th college game, Tufte finally got his first goal. It won't be his last.
I've been a staunch defender of Tufte's from the start. Yes, you could argue he should have played a year in Fargo. He decided junior hockey wasn't for him, and I can't be mad at that. He showed up in Duluth ready to work and eager to learn.
I don't care that the scoreline shows 1-1-2 in 17 games, which no one should be impressed by. As head coach Scott Sandelin says, they look beyond production when evaluating the players, and when you look beyond Tufte's production, you see development. Look no further than how Tufte played Friday versus how Tufte played the first time the Bulldogs met St. Cloud.
The Friday game in St. Cloud was probably the worst game Tufte's had. He struggled on the wall, losing races and battles, and was guilty of a couple garish turnovers. He rebounded and played better in the Saturday game, and he's been progressing steadily ever since.
This time around, Tufte was winning those wall battles, getting to the net, and creating havoc. That's how he scored, and he had a couple near-goals before that happened. There's no doubt Tufte's earning more ice time, probably earning more power play time (the power play really struggled on Friday), and he's getting better day by day.
Ultimately, that's all you can ask of a player. Improve every day. Tufte is, and he's showed these last three games that he will be an X-factor for UMD in the second half. He has been bumped to the top six, and I'd expect him to stay there.
After the game, Sandelin hinted at potential line changes. There were a couple centers -- Johnson and Jared Thomas -- who had difficult moments. While Johnson stayed in the game after the Borgen hit, it seemed to jar him a bit. Johnson needs to use his speed to be at his most effective, and he wasn't always doing that on Friday. I'd argue Johnson has every tool in the toolbox, outside of a little more size, to be an effective pro. He has speed, good puck skills, and he has an uncanny ability to make plays while at full speed, something you can't teach and something the pro coaches love in a skill player.
But Johnson has to be more consistent. He needs to want the puck on his stick and he needs to get his feet going when he has it. I'm not sure moving him back to wing is the answer, because I do like him playing in the middle where he can be more of a factor, but when he isn't going at his peak he struggles as a center.
Thomas hasn't scored since October 2015, a span of too many games to count. He's had some really good moments in there. As an example, I liked his game last Friday against Colorado College. He was good on draws, moved the puck well, was fine defensively, and was probably UMD's most consistent physical forward in that game.
Against St. Cloud State, he had a couple garish turnovers in the defensive zone that nearly led to Huskies goals, and he wasn't strong on a power play that was largely ineffective in five chances (four, really, since the officials saw fit to wipe out a UMD power play with a terrible goalie interference call on Neal Pionk).
Thomas had been UMD's most consistent faceoff man in the first part of the season. Over the first 14 games, he was only under 50 percent on draws three times. In the seven games since, it's happened five times. He's 39-for-84 in the circle since the first break, which came after the Omaha series ended Nov. 19.
Scoring goals can only get you so far as a player. I'd argue Thomas has been fairly effective this season, even though it's clear his confidence has been shaken a bit by this scoring slump. He's found goalposts and missed the net on golden opportunities this season, and I can't help but feel for someone who has shown themselves perfectly capable but appears to be absolutely snakebit in front of the net. But if he isn't going to score, he has to do other important things -- i.e. win faceoffs, get to the net, be effective defensively -- well. Hopefully he can get back to that and cement his spot in this lineup as a result.
The sky is not falling. UMD has lost five of 21 games this season. Four of them (FOUR!) have been by one goal. Games only get tighter in the second half of the season, so the Bulldogs have to be more effective around the net to be successful.
After a "hot" start in one-goal games, UMD is now 4-4 in those situations this season. Yes, there have been some other games where UMD got empty-net goals to widen the final margin, but we've talked about this before. A great record in one-goal games indicates some fortune. UMD had it early, not so much as of late.
The power play has to get going. UMD has 17 power play goals on 158 power play shots, a 10.5 shooting percentage that is only one point higher than its overall shooting percentage of 9.5 this season. To contrast, UMD's opponents have a shooting percentage of 13.8 on the power play, 9.1 overall.
The power play had been okay, even when not scoring. The game-by-game stats I keep show that it was generating opportunities, and outside of consistently scoring goals the power play was passing the eye test. It was not effective on Friday.
Elsewhere in the NCHC, Miami put up five third period goals to beat North Dakota 6-3 in Grand Forks. Anthony Louis, Carson Meyer, Karch Bachman, Ryan Siroky, and Louie Belpedio struck for the RedHawks, with Bachman's goal giving Miami a 4-3 lead and chasing UND starting goalie Cam Johnson. Matej Tomek took over and allowed two more goals on five shots. Ryan Larkin made 30 saves in goal for Miami, which has quietly won five in a row.
Fredrik Tiffels scored the winning goal on a five-minute Western Michigan power play, and the Broncos went on to take down No. 1 Denver 3-0 in Kalamazoo. Ben Blacker got the shutout for WMU, while Chris Dienes and Sheldon Dries tallied empty-net goals.
In Colorado Springs, Tyler Vesel scored twice, Jake Randolph had two assists, and Omaha beat Colorado College 5-2. Vesel scored his power play goals after Brandon Makara gave CC a 1-0 lead in the first period. After tough weekend at home against North Dakota where the Fighting Hawks scored 16 goals, UNO got a sound night from goalie Kris Oldham, who made 26 saves.
Before I go, a shoutout to the UMD women's hockey team, which beat Minnesota 3-2 Friday at Amsoil Arena. The Bulldogs got a third-period goal by Katherine McGovern to provide the winning margin, as each team struck twice in the third period. UMD got goals from Kateřina Mrázová in the first period and Lara Stalder -- who had assists on the other Bulldog goals -- in the second. Kelly Pannek and Sarah Potomak had the Minnesota goals, both on third-period power plays as the Gophers went two-for-two on the power play. Minnesota has scored six power play goals on 12 chances against UMD over three games, accounting for six of the nine goals the Gophers have over those three meetings.
Maddie Rooney, who has been a rock in goal for UMD, made 15 of her 28 saves in the third period. UMD led in shots 35-30, and picked up its first win over Minnesota in exactly five years (last one was Jan. 13, 2012). The teams play again at 3pm Saturday.
We talked during the week about UMD's lack of intensity and/or emotion in last week's series against Colorado College. If it was going to be an issue Friday, St. Cloud State shocked the Bulldogs into the game early when sophomore defenseman Will Borgen decked UMD sophomore Adam Johnson near the SCSU blue line. It was a clean hit all the way, but Johnson seemed jarred initially by it. He stayed in the game.
Unquestionably, UMD's intensity was better, and the Bulldogs played late in the game with a sense of urgency that was somewhat lacking last weekend as well. If you take the long view, these are good things, but they didn't lead to a better result, as UMD fell 2-1 for the second straight game. It's UMD's fourth one-goal loss out of five losses this season. More on that in a bit.
World Juniors gold medalist Jack Ahcan scored both goals for the Huskies, who started the second half of the season 1-3 and were swept at Miami last weekend. Freshman goalie Jeff Smith made 41 saves and made many of them look easy. Maybe they were, and UMD absolutely needs to do a better job of getting to the net. The Bulldogs scored eight goals in St. Cloud that weren't empty-net tallies. Of those, the Bulldogs got half of them by going to the net and either creating traffic or finding rebounds. UMD's only goal Friday -- the first of Riley Tufte's Bulldog career -- came from doing the same darn thing.
Smith kept himself in good position and made himself big by playing at the top of his crease. UMD did a number of good things in this game, but did not do nearly well enough making the goalie move laterally or make him sag deeper into the crease. For much of the night, UMD shot like a team that doesn't have a lot of confidence, putting pucks right in Smith's midsection.
Part of this is SCSU's defensive corps, which will be elite if its key pieces -- Ahcan, Borgen, Jimmy Schuldt, and Dennis Cholowski -- stay together (Schuldt should be a big-time free agent target for NHL teams once the season ends, Borgen is drafted by Buffalo, and Cholowski is a first-round pick by Detroit). Any team that wants to get to the dirty areas against these guys will have a hell of a challenge. They're good positionally, skate well, and are good with the puck. UMD is a forecheck team, and that forecheck struggled to get going on Friday.
******
One guy SCSU couldn't stop on Friday was Tufte. In his 17th college game, Tufte finally got his first goal. It won't be his last.
I've been a staunch defender of Tufte's from the start. Yes, you could argue he should have played a year in Fargo. He decided junior hockey wasn't for him, and I can't be mad at that. He showed up in Duluth ready to work and eager to learn.
I don't care that the scoreline shows 1-1-2 in 17 games, which no one should be impressed by. As head coach Scott Sandelin says, they look beyond production when evaluating the players, and when you look beyond Tufte's production, you see development. Look no further than how Tufte played Friday versus how Tufte played the first time the Bulldogs met St. Cloud.
The Friday game in St. Cloud was probably the worst game Tufte's had. He struggled on the wall, losing races and battles, and was guilty of a couple garish turnovers. He rebounded and played better in the Saturday game, and he's been progressing steadily ever since.
This time around, Tufte was winning those wall battles, getting to the net, and creating havoc. That's how he scored, and he had a couple near-goals before that happened. There's no doubt Tufte's earning more ice time, probably earning more power play time (the power play really struggled on Friday), and he's getting better day by day.
Ultimately, that's all you can ask of a player. Improve every day. Tufte is, and he's showed these last three games that he will be an X-factor for UMD in the second half. He has been bumped to the top six, and I'd expect him to stay there.
******
But Johnson has to be more consistent. He needs to want the puck on his stick and he needs to get his feet going when he has it. I'm not sure moving him back to wing is the answer, because I do like him playing in the middle where he can be more of a factor, but when he isn't going at his peak he struggles as a center.
Thomas hasn't scored since October 2015, a span of too many games to count. He's had some really good moments in there. As an example, I liked his game last Friday against Colorado College. He was good on draws, moved the puck well, was fine defensively, and was probably UMD's most consistent physical forward in that game.
Against St. Cloud State, he had a couple garish turnovers in the defensive zone that nearly led to Huskies goals, and he wasn't strong on a power play that was largely ineffective in five chances (four, really, since the officials saw fit to wipe out a UMD power play with a terrible goalie interference call on Neal Pionk).
Thomas had been UMD's most consistent faceoff man in the first part of the season. Over the first 14 games, he was only under 50 percent on draws three times. In the seven games since, it's happened five times. He's 39-for-84 in the circle since the first break, which came after the Omaha series ended Nov. 19.
Scoring goals can only get you so far as a player. I'd argue Thomas has been fairly effective this season, even though it's clear his confidence has been shaken a bit by this scoring slump. He's found goalposts and missed the net on golden opportunities this season, and I can't help but feel for someone who has shown themselves perfectly capable but appears to be absolutely snakebit in front of the net. But if he isn't going to score, he has to do other important things -- i.e. win faceoffs, get to the net, be effective defensively -- well. Hopefully he can get back to that and cement his spot in this lineup as a result.
******
The sky is not falling. UMD has lost five of 21 games this season. Four of them (FOUR!) have been by one goal. Games only get tighter in the second half of the season, so the Bulldogs have to be more effective around the net to be successful.
After a "hot" start in one-goal games, UMD is now 4-4 in those situations this season. Yes, there have been some other games where UMD got empty-net goals to widen the final margin, but we've talked about this before. A great record in one-goal games indicates some fortune. UMD had it early, not so much as of late.
The power play has to get going. UMD has 17 power play goals on 158 power play shots, a 10.5 shooting percentage that is only one point higher than its overall shooting percentage of 9.5 this season. To contrast, UMD's opponents have a shooting percentage of 13.8 on the power play, 9.1 overall.
The power play had been okay, even when not scoring. The game-by-game stats I keep show that it was generating opportunities, and outside of consistently scoring goals the power play was passing the eye test. It was not effective on Friday.
******
Elsewhere in the NCHC, Miami put up five third period goals to beat North Dakota 6-3 in Grand Forks. Anthony Louis, Carson Meyer, Karch Bachman, Ryan Siroky, and Louie Belpedio struck for the RedHawks, with Bachman's goal giving Miami a 4-3 lead and chasing UND starting goalie Cam Johnson. Matej Tomek took over and allowed two more goals on five shots. Ryan Larkin made 30 saves in goal for Miami, which has quietly won five in a row.
Fredrik Tiffels scored the winning goal on a five-minute Western Michigan power play, and the Broncos went on to take down No. 1 Denver 3-0 in Kalamazoo. Ben Blacker got the shutout for WMU, while Chris Dienes and Sheldon Dries tallied empty-net goals.
In Colorado Springs, Tyler Vesel scored twice, Jake Randolph had two assists, and Omaha beat Colorado College 5-2. Vesel scored his power play goals after Brandon Makara gave CC a 1-0 lead in the first period. After tough weekend at home against North Dakota where the Fighting Hawks scored 16 goals, UNO got a sound night from goalie Kris Oldham, who made 26 saves.
******
Maddie Rooney, who has been a rock in goal for UMD, made 15 of her 28 saves in the third period. UMD led in shots 35-30, and picked up its first win over Minnesota in exactly five years (last one was Jan. 13, 2012). The teams play again at 3pm Saturday.
Friday, January 13, 2017
Game 21: St. Cloud State at UMD
Should be a fun series this weekend between two teams that can't be thrilled with last week's events. UMD, of course, settled for two out of six points against Colorado College at home, while St. Cloud State got zero of six at Miami. In that set, SCSU led 2-1 late Friday before a controversial major penalty allowed the RedHawks to score a late equalizer and overtime winner.
UMD will play without senior defenseman Willie Raskob, suspended for a head contact incident on CC's Mason Bergh Saturday. It's a warranted punishment that we've discussed enough. Freshman Jarod Hilderman draws in for the series opener, his first game since Oct. 15 against Notre Dame.
UMD coach Scott Sandelin Wednesday lamented a lack of emotion and intensity in the previous weekend. You can bet that his players will be prepared to change that this weekend. Huge opportunity to bank some points this weekend before a tough set at North Dakota and then a stretch of two out of three weeks where UMD won't be playing in conference.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Iafallo - Toninato - Anderson
Tufte - Johnson - Kuhlman
Osterberg - Thomas - Mackay
Peterson - Spurrell - Exell
Soucy - Molenaar
Pionk - Kotyk
Wolff - Hilderman
Miska - Deery - Shepard
SCSU
Wahlin - Peterson - Papa
Jackson - Winiecki - Newell
Eyssimont - Poehling (Ryan) - Benson
Poehling (Jack) - Storm - Poehling (Nick)
Ahcan - Borgen
Schuldt - Cholowski
Nevalainen - Lizotte
Smith - Driscoll
UMD will play without senior defenseman Willie Raskob, suspended for a head contact incident on CC's Mason Bergh Saturday. It's a warranted punishment that we've discussed enough. Freshman Jarod Hilderman draws in for the series opener, his first game since Oct. 15 against Notre Dame.
UMD coach Scott Sandelin Wednesday lamented a lack of emotion and intensity in the previous weekend. You can bet that his players will be prepared to change that this weekend. Huge opportunity to bank some points this weekend before a tough set at North Dakota and then a stretch of two out of three weeks where UMD won't be playing in conference.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Iafallo - Toninato - Anderson
Tufte - Johnson - Kuhlman
Osterberg - Thomas - Mackay
Peterson - Spurrell - Exell
Soucy - Molenaar
Pionk - Kotyk
Wolff - Hilderman
Miska - Deery - Shepard
SCSU
Wahlin - Peterson - Papa
Jackson - Winiecki - Newell
Eyssimont - Poehling (Ryan) - Benson
Poehling (Jack) - Storm - Poehling (Nick)
Ahcan - Borgen
Schuldt - Cholowski
Nevalainen - Lizotte
Smith - Driscoll
Bulldogs, St. Cloud State Both Seek Redemption After Tough Weekends
Undoubtedly, last weekend was not what UMD was looking for.
"I don't want to sit here and talk about everything we did wrong," head coach Scott Sandelin said this week. "I want to give CC credit."
Sandelin did that, noting their left wing lock, played to near perfection, caused UMD all sorts of problems.
"We just never got going."
As I wrote on Monday, any complaining or bellyaching about how UMD played or how the officials officiated or how the ice was or anything else had to be predicated by giving the Tigers credit. Feeling good about themselves after a Florida College Classic championship, Colorado College waltzed into Amsoil Arena and played the way it wanted to play. The Bulldogs struggled throughout both games, never seemed emotionally into what was going on, and got the result that level of play would warrant.
But let's be fair to UMD. It was one bad weekend after a long series of good to great weekends. Even the great teams have them. North Dakota got swept at Denver and later lost and tied at the NCHC Frozen Faceoff before going on to win the NCAA title.
If we believe this UMD team has a chance to be a great team, the occasional hiccup is still inevitable. And if the group tackles adversity week to week the way it has tackled adversity during games, there is zero reason to be concerned.
Some examples:
Oct. 7 at UMass-Lowell: Trailed 4-1 midway through the second, rallied to earn 4-4 tie
Oct. 28 vs North Dakota: 3-0 lead became 3-2 in final minute of second, scored only goals of third in 5-2 win
Nov. 4-5 at St. Cloud State: Trailed 3-1 both nights, won both games 5-3
Nov. 12 vs Western Michigan: After late goal gave WMU a 4-3 win Friday, UMD won 2-0 Saturday
Dec. 10 at Denver: After 4-3 loss Friday, UMD won 3-1 Saturday
Dec. 17 at Bemidji State: Gave up goal :44 in, trailed into second period, won 2-1 and didn't allow a shot in back-to-back BSU power plays over final 3:37 of regulation
Sandelin wants to see some emotion this weekend, which he said was lacking last week.
"It was just kind of dead. Very flat. Maybe a combination of not playing enough over 30 or 40 days. We gotta find a way to get back to it. We had a good, very simple talk Monday about getting back to what we need to do, focusing more on the things we need to get better at.
"Hopefully our guys learned the lesson," he said. "Our league is tough. Certainly, we didn't play well enough either night to win two games, but we had opportunities. We have to be better this weekend for sure."
Senior forward Kyle Osterberg noted classes at UMD resumed this week, and that return to "routine" might be a little bit of a boost for most guys. After all, athletes are creatures of habit.
St. Cloud State, meanwhile, also had a disappointing start to 2017. The Huskies went into break with a 2-1-1 mark over their last four games, including a win and tie at Western Michigan. They've come out of break 1-3, swept by Miami last weekend and having split games at the Desert Hockey Classic the weekend prior.
"It's been good and bad," SCSU coach Bob Motzko said this week. "It's just like our team. We're in every game, it's tight. We don't score like we did a year ago. We don't have an All-American goalie like last year (Charlie Lindgren), but they've given us a chance in every game. I like our hockey team, I like it a lot.
"We're just not there yet, but we're coming."
Sophomore Mikey Eyssimont leads with ten goals, followed by Duluth Marshall graduate Judd Peterson with nine. Freshman Jack Ahcan, a World Junior gold medalist along with Motzko (head coach), video coordinator Matt Chapman, and of course UMD freshman Joey Anderson, has 13 points in 16 games.
The goalies, Jeff Smith and Zach Driscoll, have basically split time, each playing in 12 games and being separated by just 30 minutes played. Smith has a 2.98 goals against and .891 save percentage, Driscoll a 3.13 and .889. Smith started both games at Miami with Driscoll ill, but Motzko said he was back in practice this week and we don't know which goalie will get the nod in the series opener.
Motzko, by the way, had nothing but praise for UMD's Anderson, who played top-line minutes and was used in many key situations in the World Juniors.
"There was one moment, he's in the hall, and I put my arm around him and said 'Except for Duluth, I love you'. He's a special kid and hockey player. One of my favorites. Last year on that (Under 18) team, (Clayton) Keller and (Kiefer) Bellows got all the accolades for what they did, but I got the feeling Joey was the straw that stirred that drink.
"I found myself using him in the big games the most, because I could trust him. I hate to say it, but you guys got a special one up there."
Motzko was grateful for the chance to work with this team, one he said he knew during evaluation camp in the summer in Michigan had a chance to be special.
Sandelin told reporters Wednesday UMD will "do something" Friday to honor the members of the World Junior team that are part of the Bulldogs and Huskies.
Also, it's Hall of Fame weekend, with the UMD Athletic Hall of Fame inductions set for Saturday. All six inductees -- former men's hockey star and Hobey Baker winner Junior Lessard, Tim Battaglia (baseball and football), Barry Fermanich (baseball and basketball), Lindsey Dietz (basketball), Dave Hicks (skiing and golf), and Angie Jones (softball) -- will be honored on the ice after the first period of Saturday's game. For the radio folk, Lessard will be with us after the second period Friday, and Battaglia after the second period Saturday.
"I don't want to sit here and talk about everything we did wrong," head coach Scott Sandelin said this week. "I want to give CC credit."
Sandelin did that, noting their left wing lock, played to near perfection, caused UMD all sorts of problems.
"We just never got going."
As I wrote on Monday, any complaining or bellyaching about how UMD played or how the officials officiated or how the ice was or anything else had to be predicated by giving the Tigers credit. Feeling good about themselves after a Florida College Classic championship, Colorado College waltzed into Amsoil Arena and played the way it wanted to play. The Bulldogs struggled throughout both games, never seemed emotionally into what was going on, and got the result that level of play would warrant.
But let's be fair to UMD. It was one bad weekend after a long series of good to great weekends. Even the great teams have them. North Dakota got swept at Denver and later lost and tied at the NCHC Frozen Faceoff before going on to win the NCAA title.
If we believe this UMD team has a chance to be a great team, the occasional hiccup is still inevitable. And if the group tackles adversity week to week the way it has tackled adversity during games, there is zero reason to be concerned.
Some examples:
Oct. 7 at UMass-Lowell: Trailed 4-1 midway through the second, rallied to earn 4-4 tie
Oct. 28 vs North Dakota: 3-0 lead became 3-2 in final minute of second, scored only goals of third in 5-2 win
Nov. 4-5 at St. Cloud State: Trailed 3-1 both nights, won both games 5-3
Nov. 12 vs Western Michigan: After late goal gave WMU a 4-3 win Friday, UMD won 2-0 Saturday
Dec. 10 at Denver: After 4-3 loss Friday, UMD won 3-1 Saturday
Dec. 17 at Bemidji State: Gave up goal :44 in, trailed into second period, won 2-1 and didn't allow a shot in back-to-back BSU power plays over final 3:37 of regulation
Sandelin wants to see some emotion this weekend, which he said was lacking last week.
"It was just kind of dead. Very flat. Maybe a combination of not playing enough over 30 or 40 days. We gotta find a way to get back to it. We had a good, very simple talk Monday about getting back to what we need to do, focusing more on the things we need to get better at.
"Hopefully our guys learned the lesson," he said. "Our league is tough. Certainly, we didn't play well enough either night to win two games, but we had opportunities. We have to be better this weekend for sure."
Senior forward Kyle Osterberg noted classes at UMD resumed this week, and that return to "routine" might be a little bit of a boost for most guys. After all, athletes are creatures of habit.
******
St. Cloud State, meanwhile, also had a disappointing start to 2017. The Huskies went into break with a 2-1-1 mark over their last four games, including a win and tie at Western Michigan. They've come out of break 1-3, swept by Miami last weekend and having split games at the Desert Hockey Classic the weekend prior.
"It's been good and bad," SCSU coach Bob Motzko said this week. "It's just like our team. We're in every game, it's tight. We don't score like we did a year ago. We don't have an All-American goalie like last year (Charlie Lindgren), but they've given us a chance in every game. I like our hockey team, I like it a lot.
"We're just not there yet, but we're coming."
Sophomore Mikey Eyssimont leads with ten goals, followed by Duluth Marshall graduate Judd Peterson with nine. Freshman Jack Ahcan, a World Junior gold medalist along with Motzko (head coach), video coordinator Matt Chapman, and of course UMD freshman Joey Anderson, has 13 points in 16 games.
The goalies, Jeff Smith and Zach Driscoll, have basically split time, each playing in 12 games and being separated by just 30 minutes played. Smith has a 2.98 goals against and .891 save percentage, Driscoll a 3.13 and .889. Smith started both games at Miami with Driscoll ill, but Motzko said he was back in practice this week and we don't know which goalie will get the nod in the series opener.
******
"There was one moment, he's in the hall, and I put my arm around him and said 'Except for Duluth, I love you'. He's a special kid and hockey player. One of my favorites. Last year on that (Under 18) team, (Clayton) Keller and (Kiefer) Bellows got all the accolades for what they did, but I got the feeling Joey was the straw that stirred that drink.
"I found myself using him in the big games the most, because I could trust him. I hate to say it, but you guys got a special one up there."
Motzko was grateful for the chance to work with this team, one he said he knew during evaluation camp in the summer in Michigan had a chance to be special.
Sandelin told reporters Wednesday UMD will "do something" Friday to honor the members of the World Junior team that are part of the Bulldogs and Huskies.
Also, it's Hall of Fame weekend, with the UMD Athletic Hall of Fame inductions set for Saturday. All six inductees -- former men's hockey star and Hobey Baker winner Junior Lessard, Tim Battaglia (baseball and football), Barry Fermanich (baseball and basketball), Lindsey Dietz (basketball), Dave Hicks (skiing and golf), and Angie Jones (softball) -- will be honored on the ice after the first period of Saturday's game. For the radio folk, Lessard will be with us after the second period Friday, and Battaglia after the second period Saturday.
Monday, January 09, 2017
Monday Musings: Lethargic, Lackluster Bulldogs Get What They Have Coming in Saturday Loss
A long, long time ago, UMD coach Scott Sandelin responded to a blowout loss by saying something along these lines (I'm paraphrasing, but the general point is accurate):
"They got what they deserved, and we got what we deserved."
Whenever those were spoken, it was indeed after a blowout loss by UMD. But they are often true when a game is played, no matter the final margin. They were true again on Saturday, when Colorado College got what it deserved, and UMD got what it deserved.
The final result was a 2-1 Tiger win, and while there are a lot of things I want to discuss in this here blog entry, the first thing that has to be done -- because it's 1) true, and 2) the right thing to do -- is to give credit where it's due.
Colorado College played very well defensively. The Tigers blocked 29 shots on the weekend (20 Friday), disrupted UMD's passing lanes, and got strong goaltending from freshman Alex Leclerc (.939 save percentage in six starts before the weekend, .958 save percentage in two games against UMD).
CC got timely goals from Mason Bergh (Saturday) and Sam Rothstein (short-handed on Friday) to shift momentum, and a five-on-three goal from Teemu Kivihalme Saturday provided the game's final margin. That stung for UMD because it came after a long five-on-three kill had started very well for the home team.
Sometimes, it's not necessarily about how many goals a team scores, but more when those goals happen. Rothstein's goal sparked one of the worst stretches of hockey UMD has played all season, and Bergh's Saturday marker seemed to take some life out of the UMD bench, as it was CC's first real scoring chance of the night.
Leclerc didn't really make any mind-blowing, "How did he do that?" saves. But he was a rock when his team needed him. The numbers over eight games tell you that he's playing well, and his team is defending well in front of him.
What happened? Well, it wasn't just the Tigers playing well. UMD wasn't sharp. Passes weren't crisp, guys weren't catching the accurate ones. Movements weren't those of a confident, sure-of-themselves group. Everything just looked a little off. And when you're even five percent off in the NCHC, you're probably not going to win. It was a good, hard reminder of the required level of play each night in this difficult league.
In another reminder of how not-sharp UMD was this past weekend, the Bulldogs took their first two major penalties of the 2016-17 season in the series. Avery Peterson was ejected for a check from behind Friday, and Willie Raskob got a game misconduct -- and likely a one-game suspension from the NCHC to be announced early this week -- for contact to the head on Saturday.
(A segment of UMD fans bristle when I argue a Bulldog should be suspended. If a CC player had delivered that hit to a UMD player, there'd be Bulldog fans advocating that player be removed from the league. So please understand we are trying to operate with a modicum of fairness, even though you all know we want UMD to win. I thought Raskob's hit was over the line and unnecessary, and it certainly warrants a suspension. He's not a dirty player. He made a mistake. It happens, but the fact he's not a dirty player doesn't excuse him from the rules.)
Heard a lot of fans complaining about the long break between games. One person even told me the break was a week longer than it was, because it felt like it was that long. Before the weekend series even started, I had two players privately tell me how tough it has been to get back in the groove after the holiday break, largely because the team had just finished up a two-week break before the Denver series.
None of these things were meant to be excuses. I mean, the player conversations I had came days before the CC series even began on Friday. They didn't know how it was going to play out, even if the words became a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Heck, I had conversations with people before the holiday break about how different it would be coming out of that one versus preparing for Denver. First off, that was a No. 1 vs No. 2 series and there was plenty of hype. Also, keep in mind the players were in a normal routine of school and practice during the week.
The other team is on break, too, however, so the logic can only take you so far. The Bulldogs needed to play better than they did, and surely they'll be reminded of that throughout the week as St. Cloud State approaches on Friday.
I've tried to exercise more and more patience with the officials. I've defended them in arguments with people, to the point where I'm sure some longtime followers wonder if there's something wrong with me. 😁
When I wrote about the re-emphasis of "standard of play" by the NCAA in September, it came with the obvious caution that not all officials are going to call the game the same way. That said, the hope was players and coaches would adjust and we'd see a quick improvement in the way the game was going to be played.
Apparently, that standard of play expired at the end of 2016.
And if you don't believe me, ask Matt Wellens, who saw the same game I did (I think):
The signature moment came while UMD was killing off Raskob's major on Saturday. Dominic Toninato decided to drive into the offensive zone, basically by himself, while UMD changed behind him. He was impeded trying to drive the net, lost the puck, and then took an illegal check while not in possession of the puck near the end boards.
I know players have been known to embellish contact while killing a penalty in hopes of getting a call to nullify the power play, but the second hit was interference and probably roughing as well. Nothing was called. Very frustrating for everyone in attendance, to say the least.
The NCHC has been better than this (I actually think, in whole, the league has done a great job enforcing standard of play while not taking too much away from the games), and I'm fully confident it will be again. But Saturday was difficult to watch, and might not have been with a little more love given to the standard of play emphasis.
(Long-view, UMD needed to do a better job fighting through some of the stickwork and body restraint that was going on. Goes back to the Bulldogs just not being totally in tune with the details of the game, something they've been quite good at most of the season.)
Moving on now, thankfully. UMD won't be No. 1 entering this weekend against St. Cloud State. Games are 7pm Friday and Saturday at Amsoil Arena.
The Huskies will be pretty much as ticked off as the Bulldogs entering the weekend. St. Cloud State lost a 2-0 lead in a 3-2 overtime loss to Miami on Friday, then never led in a 4-1 loss on Saturday.
The turning point of Friday was when SCSU forward Jacob Benson was given a five-minute major for contact to the head and a game misconduct when he backed into a Miami player in the neutral zone. The contact appeared to be with the RedHawk player's head, but it was a weird play that was similar to some big hits by Detroit Red Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall over the years. I know a lot of SCSU fans were irritated with the call, but honestly looking at the replay I don't have a huge issue with it. Good chance it wasn't a correct call, but remember the officials don't get multi-angle replay views before deciding on a major penalty call. And I can't argue the idea that hit looked really bad live action.
(Potential major penalties can be reviewed, but only in the postseason.)
St. Cloud's goaltending has been a bit suspect this year, as the Huskies have struggled to replace departed star Charlie Lindgren. Sophomore Mikey Eyssimont has ten goals, Duluth native Judd Peterson nine, and World Juniors gold medalist Jack Ahcan has 13 points in 16 games. SCSU's depth isn't what it was last year, but this is still a dangerous team that has a solid power play and just doesn't take a lot of penalties.
Looking forward to a good series. UMD wasn't at its best last weekend, but there's no reason to be worried unless it happens again right away. With this group, I'm betting strong that it won't.
"They got what they deserved, and we got what we deserved."
Whenever those were spoken, it was indeed after a blowout loss by UMD. But they are often true when a game is played, no matter the final margin. They were true again on Saturday, when Colorado College got what it deserved, and UMD got what it deserved.
The final result was a 2-1 Tiger win, and while there are a lot of things I want to discuss in this here blog entry, the first thing that has to be done -- because it's 1) true, and 2) the right thing to do -- is to give credit where it's due.
Colorado College played very well defensively. The Tigers blocked 29 shots on the weekend (20 Friday), disrupted UMD's passing lanes, and got strong goaltending from freshman Alex Leclerc (.939 save percentage in six starts before the weekend, .958 save percentage in two games against UMD).
CC got timely goals from Mason Bergh (Saturday) and Sam Rothstein (short-handed on Friday) to shift momentum, and a five-on-three goal from Teemu Kivihalme Saturday provided the game's final margin. That stung for UMD because it came after a long five-on-three kill had started very well for the home team.
Sometimes, it's not necessarily about how many goals a team scores, but more when those goals happen. Rothstein's goal sparked one of the worst stretches of hockey UMD has played all season, and Bergh's Saturday marker seemed to take some life out of the UMD bench, as it was CC's first real scoring chance of the night.
Leclerc didn't really make any mind-blowing, "How did he do that?" saves. But he was a rock when his team needed him. The numbers over eight games tell you that he's playing well, and his team is defending well in front of him.
******
What happened? Well, it wasn't just the Tigers playing well. UMD wasn't sharp. Passes weren't crisp, guys weren't catching the accurate ones. Movements weren't those of a confident, sure-of-themselves group. Everything just looked a little off. And when you're even five percent off in the NCHC, you're probably not going to win. It was a good, hard reminder of the required level of play each night in this difficult league.
In another reminder of how not-sharp UMD was this past weekend, the Bulldogs took their first two major penalties of the 2016-17 season in the series. Avery Peterson was ejected for a check from behind Friday, and Willie Raskob got a game misconduct -- and likely a one-game suspension from the NCHC to be announced early this week -- for contact to the head on Saturday.
(A segment of UMD fans bristle when I argue a Bulldog should be suspended. If a CC player had delivered that hit to a UMD player, there'd be Bulldog fans advocating that player be removed from the league. So please understand we are trying to operate with a modicum of fairness, even though you all know we want UMD to win. I thought Raskob's hit was over the line and unnecessary, and it certainly warrants a suspension. He's not a dirty player. He made a mistake. It happens, but the fact he's not a dirty player doesn't excuse him from the rules.)
Heard a lot of fans complaining about the long break between games. One person even told me the break was a week longer than it was, because it felt like it was that long. Before the weekend series even started, I had two players privately tell me how tough it has been to get back in the groove after the holiday break, largely because the team had just finished up a two-week break before the Denver series.
None of these things were meant to be excuses. I mean, the player conversations I had came days before the CC series even began on Friday. They didn't know how it was going to play out, even if the words became a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Heck, I had conversations with people before the holiday break about how different it would be coming out of that one versus preparing for Denver. First off, that was a No. 1 vs No. 2 series and there was plenty of hype. Also, keep in mind the players were in a normal routine of school and practice during the week.
The other team is on break, too, however, so the logic can only take you so far. The Bulldogs needed to play better than they did, and surely they'll be reminded of that throughout the week as St. Cloud State approaches on Friday.
******
I've tried to exercise more and more patience with the officials. I've defended them in arguments with people, to the point where I'm sure some longtime followers wonder if there's something wrong with me. 😁
When I wrote about the re-emphasis of "standard of play" by the NCAA in September, it came with the obvious caution that not all officials are going to call the game the same way. That said, the hope was players and coaches would adjust and we'd see a quick improvement in the way the game was going to be played.
Apparently, that standard of play expired at the end of 2016.
And if you don't believe me, ask Matt Wellens, who saw the same game I did (I think):
This weekend — tonight especially — the rules emphasis appeared nonexistent, as if we were transported back to the 2015-16 season.I'm all for letting the kids play. We don't need to see 20 power plays in a game. However, when there are constant restraining fouls being let go (both ways, yes, but it went more one direction than the other), it makes the game almost impossible. This was the most-like-2004ish hockey game I've seen since, well, 2004. That, friends, isn't a good thing.
Holding along the boards? No call.
Chipping players or impeding them as they came into the offensive zone? No call.
Hooking? Some got called, but too many “red flag” moments when the stick got parallel with the skater and made contact went uncalled.
It made this series tough to watch, and the fans who had come to expect one thing got frustrated they were back to getting what they were told was now dead.
The signature moment came while UMD was killing off Raskob's major on Saturday. Dominic Toninato decided to drive into the offensive zone, basically by himself, while UMD changed behind him. He was impeded trying to drive the net, lost the puck, and then took an illegal check while not in possession of the puck near the end boards.
I know players have been known to embellish contact while killing a penalty in hopes of getting a call to nullify the power play, but the second hit was interference and probably roughing as well. Nothing was called. Very frustrating for everyone in attendance, to say the least.
The NCHC has been better than this (I actually think, in whole, the league has done a great job enforcing standard of play while not taking too much away from the games), and I'm fully confident it will be again. But Saturday was difficult to watch, and might not have been with a little more love given to the standard of play emphasis.
(Long-view, UMD needed to do a better job fighting through some of the stickwork and body restraint that was going on. Goes back to the Bulldogs just not being totally in tune with the details of the game, something they've been quite good at most of the season.)
******
Moving on now, thankfully. UMD won't be No. 1 entering this weekend against St. Cloud State. Games are 7pm Friday and Saturday at Amsoil Arena.
The Huskies will be pretty much as ticked off as the Bulldogs entering the weekend. St. Cloud State lost a 2-0 lead in a 3-2 overtime loss to Miami on Friday, then never led in a 4-1 loss on Saturday.
The turning point of Friday was when SCSU forward Jacob Benson was given a five-minute major for contact to the head and a game misconduct when he backed into a Miami player in the neutral zone. The contact appeared to be with the RedHawk player's head, but it was a weird play that was similar to some big hits by Detroit Red Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall over the years. I know a lot of SCSU fans were irritated with the call, but honestly looking at the replay I don't have a huge issue with it. Good chance it wasn't a correct call, but remember the officials don't get multi-angle replay views before deciding on a major penalty call. And I can't argue the idea that hit looked really bad live action.
(Potential major penalties can be reviewed, but only in the postseason.)
St. Cloud's goaltending has been a bit suspect this year, as the Huskies have struggled to replace departed star Charlie Lindgren. Sophomore Mikey Eyssimont has ten goals, Duluth native Judd Peterson nine, and World Juniors gold medalist Jack Ahcan has 13 points in 16 games. SCSU's depth isn't what it was last year, but this is still a dangerous team that has a solid power play and just doesn't take a lot of penalties.
Looking forward to a good series. UMD wasn't at its best last weekend, but there's no reason to be worried unless it happens again right away. With this group, I'm betting strong that it won't.
Saturday, January 07, 2017
Game 20: Colorado College at UMD
While the second period of Friday's game left much to be desired, the UMD Bulldogs still found a way to get two NCHC standings points out of the evening, thanks to sophomore defenseman Neal Pionk's rocket of a one-timer with 41.7 seconds left in the third to tie it, then another blast for a power play goal 18 seconds into three-on-three overtime.
More will be needed to secure the five points that are now maximum for the series.
UMD will welcome back freshman forward Joey Anderson for this game, after he sat Friday to rest following the World Junior Championship. With Anderson's return, the forward lines are jumbled a bit, and freshman Jade Miller will be scratched.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Iafallo - Toninato - Anderson
Osterberg - Thomas - Mackay
Tufte - Johnson - Kuhlman
Peterson - Spurrell - Exell
Soucy - Raskob
Pionk - Kotyk
Wolff - Molenaar
Miska - Deery - Shepard
CC
Bergh - Gerdes - Hansen
Berardinelli - Rothstein - Halloran
Kehoe - Ockey - Michaud
Burmaster - Van Horn - Makara
Kivihalme - Farny
Blumenschein - Israel
McCaskill - Josefchak
Leclerc - Shatzer
More will be needed to secure the five points that are now maximum for the series.
UMD will welcome back freshman forward Joey Anderson for this game, after he sat Friday to rest following the World Junior Championship. With Anderson's return, the forward lines are jumbled a bit, and freshman Jade Miller will be scratched.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Iafallo - Toninato - Anderson
Osterberg - Thomas - Mackay
Tufte - Johnson - Kuhlman
Peterson - Spurrell - Exell
Soucy - Raskob
Pionk - Kotyk
Wolff - Molenaar
Miska - Deery - Shepard
CC
Bergh - Gerdes - Hansen
Berardinelli - Rothstein - Halloran
Kehoe - Ockey - Michaud
Burmaster - Van Horn - Makara
Kivihalme - Farny
Blumenschein - Israel
McCaskill - Josefchak
Leclerc - Shatzer
Saturday Hockey Notes and Thoughts: Bulldogs Get Late Pionk Goal for Tie
When the chips were down Friday night, UMD did what it's done for most of the 2016-17 season.
It found a way.
Friday's game was far from pretty, certainly leaving much to be desired on the Bulldogs' side, but UMD was able to grind out a 2-2 tie against last-place Colorado College at Amsoil Arena.
Sophomore defenseman Neal Pionk's rocket of a one-timer beat CC goalie Alex Leclerc with 41.7 seconds left in the third period to tie the game. After a scoreless overtime, the teams went to three-on-three overtime for an extra point in the NCHC standings. It was actually four-on-three, as a UMD power play carried over, and Pionk buried another blast from up high to end the game and get the Bulldogs that valuable point.
Lots to talk about here, and I'm going to try to be somewhat brief while covering as much as possible.
First, the Friday game. Not nearly good enough from UMD overall on this night, especially in the second period. The Bulldogs looked good at the start of the game, playing with some energy, but struggling to get a lot of quality scoring chances. The Tigers have played much better defensive hockey over a stretch that is now seven games, and they showed why in this game, frustrating the Bulldogs and limiting those grade-A opportunities.
Avery Peterson got his first in a Bulldog uniform with 6:04 left in the first, banking a shot in off a CC defenseman. Things were looking good less than 90 seconds later, when UMD was set to start its second power play of the game. That's where things started to turn the wrong direction. Luc Gerdes set up Sam Rothstein for a pretty short-handed goal to tie the game, and the Bulldogs fell a little flat for the better part of 20 minutes after that happened.
The second period might have been the worst of 57 20-minute periods UMD has played this season to this point. Just not much went right, from Peterson getting ejected for a hit from behind -- the first major called on UMD this season -- to Colorado College taking the lead 30 seconds into the power play, to the Bulldogs failing to execute much of anything in the offensive zone for a good chunk of the stanza.
Things did start to change in the third period. UMD looked sharper and started getting some pucks on Leclerc, who made a couple really good stops on in-close shots to keep it 2-1. Out of a UMD timeout with 48 seconds left, Dominic Toninato won a key faceoff, and Adam Johnson put the puck on a tee for Pionk on the left side. Tic-tac-toe-blast-twine-tie.
It appeared CC coach Mike Haviland wanted a pick called on the faceoff, but his efforts were in vain. It might be something to watch for in Saturday's rematch, as UMD didn't get the benefit of a couple potential faceoff interference calls, either.
Pionk's three-on-three goal was a missile from the high slot that Leclerc didn't really have a chance on.
Shot attempts in the third period and overtime were 38-6 in UMD's favor, and shots on goal were 24-3 for UMD. To get that kind of rebound performance after a rough second period -- again -- shows the kind of resolve in the group right now.
UMD chose to sit freshman forward Joey Anderson for Friday's game. Anderson is optimistic about returning Saturday, but it isn't a guarantee. I do think he'll play, as long as he is able to get some rest. When I spoke to Anderson before Friday night's game, he said he hadn't slept since the USA-Canada World Junior game the night before.
Assuming Anderson plays, Sandelin will have to scratch two forwards for the first time this season. Nothing about this will be easy, and even tougher than figuring out who has to sit will be drawing up the lines.
So IF Anderson plays, here's a primer on what to watch for.
First off, I don't see any way the top line in this scenario isn't Toninato with Alex Iafallo and Anderson. Why mess with a line that was so good before Christmas?
That's where it gets complicated. Adam Johnson played well after being moved back to center Friday when Peterson got ejected. Kraig Karakas was right to recommend Johnson stay at center, and it makes sense to have him on the second line. That leaves three centers -- Peterson, Jared Thomas, and Sammy Spurrell -- to center two lines. I believe all five play, and I think Peterson is the most likely candidate to move to wing.
Spurrell and Billy Exell aren't coming out of the lineup when they're as good as they are at killing penalties. Riley Tufte continues to play well. He isn't going to eat popcorn during the games. Guys like Karson Kuhlman, Parker Mackay, Kyle Osterberg, etc., aren't getting scratched.
I believe Jade Miller -- who started well and has not really had any cover-your-eyes games -- is going to be the odd man out.
Taking a total stab at the potential lines:
Iafallo - Toninato - Anderson
Osterberg - Johnson - Kuhlman
Tufte - Thomas - Mackay
Peterson - Spurrell - Exell
This looks a lot like lines from earlier in the season, only with Peterson instead of Miller on the fourth line. If Tufte warrants more of a look, maybe swap him with Osterberg and give that third line a bit more speed.
Either way, UMD has plenty of options, and this is a nice problem to have.
That's all for now. Check Twitter @BruceCiskie for more. Chat with the actual lines before Saturday's game.
It found a way.
Friday's game was far from pretty, certainly leaving much to be desired on the Bulldogs' side, but UMD was able to grind out a 2-2 tie against last-place Colorado College at Amsoil Arena.
Sophomore defenseman Neal Pionk's rocket of a one-timer beat CC goalie Alex Leclerc with 41.7 seconds left in the third period to tie the game. After a scoreless overtime, the teams went to three-on-three overtime for an extra point in the NCHC standings. It was actually four-on-three, as a UMD power play carried over, and Pionk buried another blast from up high to end the game and get the Bulldogs that valuable point.
Lots to talk about here, and I'm going to try to be somewhat brief while covering as much as possible.
First, the Friday game. Not nearly good enough from UMD overall on this night, especially in the second period. The Bulldogs looked good at the start of the game, playing with some energy, but struggling to get a lot of quality scoring chances. The Tigers have played much better defensive hockey over a stretch that is now seven games, and they showed why in this game, frustrating the Bulldogs and limiting those grade-A opportunities.
Avery Peterson got his first in a Bulldog uniform with 6:04 left in the first, banking a shot in off a CC defenseman. Things were looking good less than 90 seconds later, when UMD was set to start its second power play of the game. That's where things started to turn the wrong direction. Luc Gerdes set up Sam Rothstein for a pretty short-handed goal to tie the game, and the Bulldogs fell a little flat for the better part of 20 minutes after that happened.
The second period might have been the worst of 57 20-minute periods UMD has played this season to this point. Just not much went right, from Peterson getting ejected for a hit from behind -- the first major called on UMD this season -- to Colorado College taking the lead 30 seconds into the power play, to the Bulldogs failing to execute much of anything in the offensive zone for a good chunk of the stanza.
Things did start to change in the third period. UMD looked sharper and started getting some pucks on Leclerc, who made a couple really good stops on in-close shots to keep it 2-1. Out of a UMD timeout with 48 seconds left, Dominic Toninato won a key faceoff, and Adam Johnson put the puck on a tee for Pionk on the left side. Tic-tac-toe-blast-twine-tie.
It appeared CC coach Mike Haviland wanted a pick called on the faceoff, but his efforts were in vain. It might be something to watch for in Saturday's rematch, as UMD didn't get the benefit of a couple potential faceoff interference calls, either.
Pionk's three-on-three goal was a missile from the high slot that Leclerc didn't really have a chance on.
Shot attempts in the third period and overtime were 38-6 in UMD's favor, and shots on goal were 24-3 for UMD. To get that kind of rebound performance after a rough second period -- again -- shows the kind of resolve in the group right now.
******
UMD chose to sit freshman forward Joey Anderson for Friday's game. Anderson is optimistic about returning Saturday, but it isn't a guarantee. I do think he'll play, as long as he is able to get some rest. When I spoke to Anderson before Friday night's game, he said he hadn't slept since the USA-Canada World Junior game the night before.
Assuming Anderson plays, Sandelin will have to scratch two forwards for the first time this season. Nothing about this will be easy, and even tougher than figuring out who has to sit will be drawing up the lines.
So IF Anderson plays, here's a primer on what to watch for.
First off, I don't see any way the top line in this scenario isn't Toninato with Alex Iafallo and Anderson. Why mess with a line that was so good before Christmas?
That's where it gets complicated. Adam Johnson played well after being moved back to center Friday when Peterson got ejected. Kraig Karakas was right to recommend Johnson stay at center, and it makes sense to have him on the second line. That leaves three centers -- Peterson, Jared Thomas, and Sammy Spurrell -- to center two lines. I believe all five play, and I think Peterson is the most likely candidate to move to wing.
Spurrell and Billy Exell aren't coming out of the lineup when they're as good as they are at killing penalties. Riley Tufte continues to play well. He isn't going to eat popcorn during the games. Guys like Karson Kuhlman, Parker Mackay, Kyle Osterberg, etc., aren't getting scratched.
I believe Jade Miller -- who started well and has not really had any cover-your-eyes games -- is going to be the odd man out.
Taking a total stab at the potential lines:
Iafallo - Toninato - Anderson
Osterberg - Johnson - Kuhlman
Tufte - Thomas - Mackay
Peterson - Spurrell - Exell
This looks a lot like lines from earlier in the season, only with Peterson instead of Miller on the fourth line. If Tufte warrants more of a look, maybe swap him with Osterberg and give that third line a bit more speed.
Either way, UMD has plenty of options, and this is a nice problem to have.
That's all for now. Check Twitter @BruceCiskie for more. Chat with the actual lines before Saturday's game.
Friday, January 06, 2017
Game 19: Colorado College at UMD
It's not often that gold medalists get welcomed back to UMD the day after winning said gold medal, but freshman forward Joey Anderson will feel the love during this series opener. Of course, he'll feel it while not playing, as UMD has chosen to give Anderson a night off after he helped the United States win gold at the World Junior Championship Thursday night.
Anderson played 24:35, including nearly eight of the 20 minutes in overtime to lead all U.S. forwards. Since UMD coach Scott Sandelin had already talked about wanting to rest him in Friday's game, it's not at all surprising he will be a healthy scratch. Probably for the only time in his career here.
Same lines and defensive pairings as the Saturday win in Bemidji. Once Anderson returns, it'll be interesting to see how things change.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Iafallo - Toninato - Johnson
Osterberg - Thomas - Mackay
Tufte - Peterson - Kuhlman
Miller - Spurrell - Exell
Soucy - Raskob
Pionk - Kotyk
Wolff - Molenaar
Miska - Deery - Shepard
CC
Bergh - Gerdes - Hansen
Berardinelli - Rothstein - Halloran
Kehoe - Ockey - Michaud
Burmaster - Van Horn - Makara
Kivihalme - Farny
Blumenschein - Israel
McCaskill - Josefchak
Leclerc - Shatzer
(CC lists Alex Pernitsky as an extra skater for warmup. If he draws in, I'll update the lines on Twitter@BruceCiskie.)
Anderson played 24:35, including nearly eight of the 20 minutes in overtime to lead all U.S. forwards. Since UMD coach Scott Sandelin had already talked about wanting to rest him in Friday's game, it's not at all surprising he will be a healthy scratch. Probably for the only time in his career here.
Same lines and defensive pairings as the Saturday win in Bemidji. Once Anderson returns, it'll be interesting to see how things change.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD
Iafallo - Toninato - Johnson
Osterberg - Thomas - Mackay
Tufte - Peterson - Kuhlman
Miller - Spurrell - Exell
Soucy - Raskob
Pionk - Kotyk
Wolff - Molenaar
Miska - Deery - Shepard
CC
Bergh - Gerdes - Hansen
Berardinelli - Rothstein - Halloran
Kehoe - Ockey - Michaud
Burmaster - Van Horn - Makara
Kivihalme - Farny
Blumenschein - Israel
McCaskill - Josefchak
Leclerc - Shatzer
(CC lists Alex Pernitsky as an extra skater for warmup. If he draws in, I'll update the lines on Twitter
Bulldogs Welcome Back Gold Medalist Joey Anderson, Kick Off Second Half
For UMD's seven Canadian-born players, Thursday night was probably a little bittersweet. The home country fell in the gold-medal game of the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship, but yet one of their own won gold in the process.
UMD freshman Joey Anderson returns to the team Friday after being absent since Dec. 15 for USA Hockey training camp and then the tournament itself. He missed the home-and-home series with Bemidji State to take part in the camp and take his shot at the 23-man roster, and he didn't just scrape by and barely make the team. Anderson became a mainstay on the U.S. penalty kill, and his work on the top line was exemplary, even if he didn't stand out on the scoresheet.
Team USA twice rallied from two-goal deficits against Canada in Thursday's game at Montreal, then used a Troy Terry shootout goal to win 5-4 and claim its fourth gold medal at the WJC, first since 2013 (Seth Jones, Johnny Gaudreau, Jacob Trouba, John Gibson, etc.).
The question now: Will Anderson, whom I believe is due back in town inside of six hours before faceoff, be in the lineup for Scott Sandelin's No. 1 Bulldogs as they open the second half against Colorado College?
Anderson told Dave Starman, who worked the World Juniors for NHL Network and did a great job and will be in Duluth for Friday's broadcast on CBS Sports Network, that he texted UMD's coaches saying he wants to play.
Well, duh.
That, however, was before Anderson played 24:35, including 7:49 in overtime to lead all U.S. forwards, in the gold-medal game.
Sandelin spoke at his press conference Wednesday about Anderson, and he gave every indication he was prepared to hold Anderson out of the Friday lineup, especially were the U.S. to play for gold.
(His press conference came before the Russia game, where Anderson also saw plenty of ice time as the game went a full ten-minute overtime before the Americans won in a shootout.)
"He and I talked," Sandelin said. "I didn't even ask the question because I know the answer (he wants to play). We'll see how everything goes. These are pretty emotional games, pretty high intensity. Playing four games in a row in four days, we'll see. Might be okay. You hear a lot of guys who do that, they want to keep playing. We'll see how the travel goes, but I'm probably leaning towards him having one night off and getting back at it Saturday."
Keep in mind, not only has Anderson played high-intensity games the last two nights, but he's played big minutes and played in big situations. It isn't an easy decision for Sandelin, and there isn't any kind of rule he can rely on. When Anderson arrives, I'm sure there will be a conversation. Perhaps it happens via phone before Anderson even gets to Duluth. If the player feels strongly about playing, I tend to think he'll play. Sandelin can read the situation and limit his minutes if necessary, and UMD has plenty of forward depth to pick up the slack should that be an issue.
Either way, it's fantastic. Love that the U.S. won, love that Anderson played such a big role. The World Juniors is a wonderful tournament and a great experience for these kids. Even if they're tired now, they'll be better players for having been a part of the event.
Colorado College is the next opponent for UMD, and at least for your humble correspondent, it feels like UMD hasn't played in a month. Friday will be just the fifth game in 42 days for the Bulldogs, who went into break in first place in the NCHC. UMD is guaranteed to stay there at least another week, regardless of this weekend's results, as Denver -- a point back of the Bulldogs -- is out of conference this weekend against Arizona State.
The Tigers are in last place, three points back of seventh-place Miami, as the second half opens. Colorado College, however, should be riding a high after taking the championship at the Florida College Classic last week, thanks to a 3-0 win over Merrimack and a 2-1 overtime victory against Cornell in the title game. Before break, CC played two overtime games at Miami, losing a shootout in one and falling in five-on-five overtime in the other.
The Tigers' defense is improving. CC allowed 25 goals over five losses starting with a 6-2 defeat to Omaha Nov. 5. It's given up just 11 goals in six games since, so while the Tigers are only 2-3-1 in those six games, it's clear that third-year coach Mike Haviland is getting better play from his team.
Up front, sophomore forward Mason Bergh has nine goals, including four on the power play. Freshmen Nick Halloran and Alex Berardinelli each have eight points (five and three goals, respectively). Sophomore Westin Michaud of Cloquet has four goals, though only one of them has come in conference play. Freshman goalie Alex Leclerc has taken the reins in goal, posting an .884 save percentage in over 750 minutes. But over this six-game stretch, Leclerc's up to a .939 save percentage now, including 49 saves on 50 shots in Florida.
"They've got some nice players," Sandelin said. "Some nice freshmen. They compete. They've got good team speed. They've got a good mixture, some small, speedy guys. I thought they were very tenacious on the puck in the two games (Florida). If our guys go into it without the respect factor for their team, we're going to have a huge challenge on our hands. We've got to go in with the right mindset."
So, in short, look out. If UMD isn't ready, there's a good chance the Tigers can shock the top-ranked team into playing. Don't be surprised if one of these games is a meat-grinder.
One more reminder: All games going forward can be heard only on 92.1 The Fan out of the Twin Ports. To listen live online (desktop and mobile devices all work), click here. Streams will be activated 15 minutes prior to pregame each night. Hit me up with questions.
UMD freshman Joey Anderson returns to the team Friday after being absent since Dec. 15 for USA Hockey training camp and then the tournament itself. He missed the home-and-home series with Bemidji State to take part in the camp and take his shot at the 23-man roster, and he didn't just scrape by and barely make the team. Anderson became a mainstay on the U.S. penalty kill, and his work on the top line was exemplary, even if he didn't stand out on the scoresheet.
Team USA twice rallied from two-goal deficits against Canada in Thursday's game at Montreal, then used a Troy Terry shootout goal to win 5-4 and claim its fourth gold medal at the WJC, first since 2013 (Seth Jones, Johnny Gaudreau, Jacob Trouba, John Gibson, etc.).
The question now: Will Anderson, whom I believe is due back in town inside of six hours before faceoff, be in the lineup for Scott Sandelin's No. 1 Bulldogs as they open the second half against Colorado College?
Anderson told Dave Starman, who worked the World Juniors for NHL Network and did a great job and will be in Duluth for Friday's broadcast on CBS Sports Network, that he texted UMD's coaches saying he wants to play.
Well, duh.
That, however, was before Anderson played 24:35, including 7:49 in overtime to lead all U.S. forwards, in the gold-medal game.
Sandelin spoke at his press conference Wednesday about Anderson, and he gave every indication he was prepared to hold Anderson out of the Friday lineup, especially were the U.S. to play for gold.
(His press conference came before the Russia game, where Anderson also saw plenty of ice time as the game went a full ten-minute overtime before the Americans won in a shootout.)
"He and I talked," Sandelin said. "I didn't even ask the question because I know the answer (he wants to play). We'll see how everything goes. These are pretty emotional games, pretty high intensity. Playing four games in a row in four days, we'll see. Might be okay. You hear a lot of guys who do that, they want to keep playing. We'll see how the travel goes, but I'm probably leaning towards him having one night off and getting back at it Saturday."
Keep in mind, not only has Anderson played high-intensity games the last two nights, but he's played big minutes and played in big situations. It isn't an easy decision for Sandelin, and there isn't any kind of rule he can rely on. When Anderson arrives, I'm sure there will be a conversation. Perhaps it happens via phone before Anderson even gets to Duluth. If the player feels strongly about playing, I tend to think he'll play. Sandelin can read the situation and limit his minutes if necessary, and UMD has plenty of forward depth to pick up the slack should that be an issue.
Either way, it's fantastic. Love that the U.S. won, love that Anderson played such a big role. The World Juniors is a wonderful tournament and a great experience for these kids. Even if they're tired now, they'll be better players for having been a part of the event.
******
Colorado College is the next opponent for UMD, and at least for your humble correspondent, it feels like UMD hasn't played in a month. Friday will be just the fifth game in 42 days for the Bulldogs, who went into break in first place in the NCHC. UMD is guaranteed to stay there at least another week, regardless of this weekend's results, as Denver -- a point back of the Bulldogs -- is out of conference this weekend against Arizona State.
The Tigers are in last place, three points back of seventh-place Miami, as the second half opens. Colorado College, however, should be riding a high after taking the championship at the Florida College Classic last week, thanks to a 3-0 win over Merrimack and a 2-1 overtime victory against Cornell in the title game. Before break, CC played two overtime games at Miami, losing a shootout in one and falling in five-on-five overtime in the other.
The Tigers' defense is improving. CC allowed 25 goals over five losses starting with a 6-2 defeat to Omaha Nov. 5. It's given up just 11 goals in six games since, so while the Tigers are only 2-3-1 in those six games, it's clear that third-year coach Mike Haviland is getting better play from his team.
Up front, sophomore forward Mason Bergh has nine goals, including four on the power play. Freshmen Nick Halloran and Alex Berardinelli each have eight points (five and three goals, respectively). Sophomore Westin Michaud of Cloquet has four goals, though only one of them has come in conference play. Freshman goalie Alex Leclerc has taken the reins in goal, posting an .884 save percentage in over 750 minutes. But over this six-game stretch, Leclerc's up to a .939 save percentage now, including 49 saves on 50 shots in Florida.
"They've got some nice players," Sandelin said. "Some nice freshmen. They compete. They've got good team speed. They've got a good mixture, some small, speedy guys. I thought they were very tenacious on the puck in the two games (Florida). If our guys go into it without the respect factor for their team, we're going to have a huge challenge on our hands. We've got to go in with the right mindset."
So, in short, look out. If UMD isn't ready, there's a good chance the Tigers can shock the top-ranked team into playing. Don't be surprised if one of these games is a meat-grinder.
******
One more reminder: All games going forward can be heard only on 92.1 The Fan out of the Twin Ports. To listen live online (desktop and mobile devices all work), click here. Streams will be activated 15 minutes prior to pregame each night. Hit me up with questions.
Tuesday, January 03, 2017
Monday (Yes, it's Tuesday) Musings: UMD Back to Work, Readying for Grind
UMD hasn't played in four of the last six weekends after playing at least an exhibition in every weekend since Oct. 1-2.
Hopefully, the nation's No. 1 team enjoyed its rest.
The Bulldogs return to action Friday night, starting a two-game NCHC series against Colorado College. Between then and March 4, UMD will play seven NCHC weekend sets and its final non-conference games at the (possibly final?) North Star College Cup in St. Paul. 16 games with one weekend off before the playoffs begin -- hopefully at home -- on March 10.
If all goes well for the Bulldogs -- and you all know where this team intends to end its season -- the Bulldogs will play 24 games and take just two weekends off before finishing up.
And, no, the schedule doesn't get any easier for UMD.
Colorado College might be in last place in the NCHC, but the Tigers won the Florida College Classic last week, beating Merrimack 3-0 and then Cornell 2-1 in overtime in the championship game. Goalie Alex Leclerc stopped 49 of 50 shots in the two games, picking up just his second and third wins of the season.
The Tigers are in a similar position to when they visited Duluth for Hockey Day Minnesota weekend last year. They're playing better hockey than they might have been earlier in the year, and while last year's team had picked up nice NCHC wins over St. Cloud State and Omaha, this one just won a holiday tournament and conceded just one goal in two games. 5-12-1 doesn't look like much, but CC is playing a more structured defensive game than it was. The Tigers are down about a half a goal allowed per game from last season, even though the team save percentage is down slightly (.880 compared to last year's .886). Leclerc's efforts in Florida lifted him to .884 on the season.
Along with a return trip to Colorado Springs next month, UMD also hosts St. Cloud State, Omaha, and Miami, while traveling to North Dakota and Western Michigan, along with the North Star Cup trip. There will not be much -- if any -- damage done to UMD's schedule strength ratings down the stretch.
Much was made before the Bemidji State series about how good a defensive team the Beavers are. There's no question that is true. BSU isn't at 1.62 goals allowed per game by some sort of freak accident.
Goals against alone is a sketchy way to measure a team's defensive prowess, but run with me on this for a second. UMD is eighth nationally in goals against, and the Bulldogs so far this season have played ten games against five teams that are also in the top ten. UMD is 7-2-1 in those ten games (2-0 against both Michigan Tech and North Dakota, 1-0-1 against Bemidji State, 1-1 each against Denver and Notre Dame), outscoring opponents 32-18 with two shutouts.
What does this mean? It means UMD can play good hockey against strong defensive teams. This is a veteran group capable of adapting when a team wants to try to put the clamp down on them.
It's also a team that's taken advantage of its scoring chances, even when they've been scarce.
We talked before the Denver series about UMD's need to improve its puck possession game. That need hasn't changed much in the four games since that first double-bye. UMD did a very good job keeping Bemidji State from generating much in the Saturday road win, especially in the third period. Bemidji State spent most of the last 3:30 on the power play without generating a shot on goal.
However, UMD is still struggling mightily on faceoffs (55th of 60 teams nationally), and the Bulldogs have been outshot at even strength six times in 18 games, already more times than it happened all of last season.
It's one of very few warts in UMD's game at this point in the season, but something the coaching staff will keep working to correct through the second half.
Many of you are aware of changes in the Duluth radio scene. I am now at Midwest Communications, plying my craft on the KQ Morning Show and doing whatever else is asked of me. However, I will continue to call UMD games as 92.1 The Fan remains a Red Rock-owned station.
Confused? I get it.
So what does this mean for UMD hockey fans? A couple things you need to know:
For starters, men's hockey games starting Friday will no longer be heard on KBAJ (105.5 FM - Deer River/Grand Rapids) or KAOD (106.7 FM - Babbitt/Ely), and instead will only be heard on 92.1 The Fan (WWAX-FM) in the Duluth area.
Also, our streaming will change. Starting Friday, you can find the games here. Simply click or tap -- the site works on mobile devices -- on the game you want to stream and follow the on-screen instructions. I know it's not the most user-friendly interface on Earth, but it is free.
If you have questions or problems, please contact play by play voice Bruce Ciskie (bciskie@gmail.com) or Red Rock internet director Rich Cannata (rcannata@redrockradio.org). Thanks in advance for your support.
Hopefully, the nation's No. 1 team enjoyed its rest.
The Bulldogs return to action Friday night, starting a two-game NCHC series against Colorado College. Between then and March 4, UMD will play seven NCHC weekend sets and its final non-conference games at the (possibly final?) North Star College Cup in St. Paul. 16 games with one weekend off before the playoffs begin -- hopefully at home -- on March 10.
If all goes well for the Bulldogs -- and you all know where this team intends to end its season -- the Bulldogs will play 24 games and take just two weekends off before finishing up.
And, no, the schedule doesn't get any easier for UMD.
Colorado College might be in last place in the NCHC, but the Tigers won the Florida College Classic last week, beating Merrimack 3-0 and then Cornell 2-1 in overtime in the championship game. Goalie Alex Leclerc stopped 49 of 50 shots in the two games, picking up just his second and third wins of the season.
The Tigers are in a similar position to when they visited Duluth for Hockey Day Minnesota weekend last year. They're playing better hockey than they might have been earlier in the year, and while last year's team had picked up nice NCHC wins over St. Cloud State and Omaha, this one just won a holiday tournament and conceded just one goal in two games. 5-12-1 doesn't look like much, but CC is playing a more structured defensive game than it was. The Tigers are down about a half a goal allowed per game from last season, even though the team save percentage is down slightly (.880 compared to last year's .886). Leclerc's efforts in Florida lifted him to .884 on the season.
******
Along with a return trip to Colorado Springs next month, UMD also hosts St. Cloud State, Omaha, and Miami, while traveling to North Dakota and Western Michigan, along with the North Star Cup trip. There will not be much -- if any -- damage done to UMD's schedule strength ratings down the stretch.
Much was made before the Bemidji State series about how good a defensive team the Beavers are. There's no question that is true. BSU isn't at 1.62 goals allowed per game by some sort of freak accident.
Goals against alone is a sketchy way to measure a team's defensive prowess, but run with me on this for a second. UMD is eighth nationally in goals against, and the Bulldogs so far this season have played ten games against five teams that are also in the top ten. UMD is 7-2-1 in those ten games (2-0 against both Michigan Tech and North Dakota, 1-0-1 against Bemidji State, 1-1 each against Denver and Notre Dame), outscoring opponents 32-18 with two shutouts.
What does this mean? It means UMD can play good hockey against strong defensive teams. This is a veteran group capable of adapting when a team wants to try to put the clamp down on them.
It's also a team that's taken advantage of its scoring chances, even when they've been scarce.
We talked before the Denver series about UMD's need to improve its puck possession game. That need hasn't changed much in the four games since that first double-bye. UMD did a very good job keeping Bemidji State from generating much in the Saturday road win, especially in the third period. Bemidji State spent most of the last 3:30 on the power play without generating a shot on goal.
However, UMD is still struggling mightily on faceoffs (55th of 60 teams nationally), and the Bulldogs have been outshot at even strength six times in 18 games, already more times than it happened all of last season.
It's one of very few warts in UMD's game at this point in the season, but something the coaching staff will keep working to correct through the second half.
******
Many of you are aware of changes in the Duluth radio scene. I am now at Midwest Communications, plying my craft on the KQ Morning Show and doing whatever else is asked of me. However, I will continue to call UMD games as 92.1 The Fan remains a Red Rock-owned station.
Confused? I get it.
So what does this mean for UMD hockey fans? A couple things you need to know:
For starters, men's hockey games starting Friday will no longer be heard on KBAJ (105.5 FM - Deer River/Grand Rapids) or KAOD (106.7 FM - Babbitt/Ely), and instead will only be heard on 92.1 The Fan (WWAX-FM) in the Duluth area.
Also, our streaming will change. Starting Friday, you can find the games here. Simply click or tap -- the site works on mobile devices -- on the game you want to stream and follow the on-screen instructions. I know it's not the most user-friendly interface on Earth, but it is free.
If you have questions or problems, please contact play by play voice Bruce Ciskie (bciskie@gmail.com) or Red Rock internet director Rich Cannata (rcannata@redrockradio.org). Thanks in advance for your support.
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