Month: October 2011

St. Cloud State would like to forget all about last season. Entering the year, the Huskies had high expectations for a top-tier finish in the WCHA and a deep tournament run.

Instead, SCSU sputtered to a 9th place finish in league play and bowed out in the first round of the WCHA playoffs at Duluth. Perhaps most disappointing was the Huskies’ record on home ice, finishing with a 6-8-4 record at the National Hockey Center.

North Dakota had a dream season end in heartbreak at the hands of the Michigan Wolverines, one game short of the NCAA championship game. UND is a much different team this season after losing nine players from last year’s squad (forwards Matt Frattin, Evan Trupp, Brad Malone, Brent Davidson, Brett Hextall and Jason Gregoire; and defensemen Chay Genoway, Jake Marto, and Derrick LaPoint).

In my WCHA season predictions, I have North Dakota finishing 3rd and St. Cloud State ending up in 9th place once again.

This weekend, the teams will be earning points for the UND/SCSU Challenge Cup, a traveling fan trophy awarded to the team which wins the four-game season series. The trophy will be awarded in St. Cloud on January 21, 2012. North Dakota has won at least a share of the Challenge Cup each of the past five seasons.

St. Cloud State Team Profile

Head Coach: (Bob Motzko, 7th season at SCSU, 122-95-30, .555)
National Ranking: NR/NR
This Season: 2-3-1 overall, 0-0-0 WCHA (8th)
Last Season: 15-18-5 overall, 11-13 4 WCHA (9th)

Team Offense: 3.50 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 3.50 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 27.3% (6 of 22)
Penalty Kill: 72.7% (16 of 22)

Key Players: Senior F Drew LaBlanc (2-8-10), Senior F Jared Festler (4-3-7), Junior F Ben Hanowski (2-5-7), Freshman D Jarrod Rabey (2-2-4), Sophomore D Nick Jensen (1-3-4), Junior G Mike Lee (2-2-1, 3.34 GAA, .896 SV%)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (8th season at UND, 189-96-28, .649)
National Rankings: #12/#13
This Season: 2-3-1 overall, 0-2-0 WCHA (10th)
Last Season: 32-9-3 overall (NCAA Frozen Four semifinalist), 21-6-1 WCHA (1st)

Team Offense: 3.17 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 3.83 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 21.4% (6 of 28)
Penalty Kill: 74.1% (20 of 27)

Key Players: Junior F Danny Kristo (4-7-11) Junior F Corban Knight (3-5-8), Sophomore F Brock Nelson (3-4-7), Sophomore D Derek Forbort (1-1-2), Senior D Ben Blood (1-1-2), Senior G Brad Eidsness (1-1-0, 3.31 GAA, .895 SV%)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: February 19, 2011 (St. Cloud, MN). One night after Matt Frattin’s late goal salvaged a tie and earned North Dakota the Challenge Cup, UND’s Brett Hextall broke a 2-2 tie early in the third and the Fighting Sioux held on to defeat the homestanding Huskies, 3-2. The victory was the first of eleven wins in a row for North Dakota.

Last Meeting in Grand Forks: December 4, 2010. UND took out the black jerseys at home (a rare occurrence) and steamrolled SCSU for five goals in the first period alone. The Sioux received a standing ovation from their fans as they left the ice after the opening twenty minutes. The final score was 6-2, and North Dakota earned the home sweep.

Most Important Meeting: March 17, 2001 (St. Paul, MN). St. Cloud State defeated North Dakota 6-5 to claim the 2001 WCHA Final Five Championship. Derek Eastman scored the game-winner in overtime after UND scored three goals in the final ten minutes of regulation to force the extra session.

All-time Series: UND leads the all-time series, 56-29-11 (.641), and holds a record of 29-12-5 (.685) in games played in Grand Forks. North Dakota is 7-2-1 (.750) in the last ten contests, with both losses coming by a single goal. The combined score of the past ten games is UND 47 – SCSU 23.

Game News and Notes

Danny Kristo is tied for third in the country with 11 points, and has collected 34 points (11 goals, 23 assists) in his last 23 games. North Dakota has not started 0-3-0 in the WCHA since 1989-90. Under the new 12-team WCHA schedule rotation, the Fighting Sioux and Huskies continue to play four regular season games each year. With eight goals this weekend, UND would reach the 10,000 goal milestone in program history.

The Prediction

North Dakota will be looking to avenge two close losses at Wisconsin last weekend, but the Huskies will not make it easy. UND will not break through until Saturday night. 3-3 tie, UND 5-1.

On a Personal Note

I look forward to this series every year because of the unique relationship we have with the Center Ice Club, the official hockey booster organization for the St. Cloud State University Huskies. On behalf of SiouxSports.com, I would like to invite you to the UND/SCSU pre-game social on Saturday afternoon from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Muddy Rivers ballroom (inside the GuestHouse) in downtown Grand Forks. This is a great opportunity to meet fans on both sides of the rivalry, win fabulous door prizes, and view the Challenge Cup. This event is free and open to all fans 21 and older.

Beginning with the 2002-03 season, the WCHA changed its schedule rotation, creating “rivals” which would play each other four times each season. St. Cloud State and North Dakota were partnered up in a scheduling system that ended in 2009-10.

Last season, even though the WCHA expanded to 12 teams (adding Bemidji State and Nebraska-Omaha) and implemented a new rotating schedule, UND and SCSU continue to play four games each year. For a complete look at the new WCHA schedule, click here.

Over the past eight seasons, the fans have made their mark on the partnership between the schools. The UND/SCSU rivalry has a commemorative fan trophy, thanks to the Center Ice Club at St. Cloud State University:

The UND/SCSU Challenge Cup is awarded to the team which collects more points in the four regular-season games. As you may be able to see in the photo above, the winning team is engraved for each year. UND won the Challenge Cup in 2005, going 3-0-1 against the Huskies. St. Cloud took the trophy back in 2006, sporting a record of 3-1-0 against North Dakota. In 2007, the Sioux won two games and tied the other two, collecting six points and the Challenge Cup. The next season, the teams shared the Cup, with UND and SCSU each winning one game and tying the other two. In 2009, North Dakota sprinted to the lead in the Challenge Cup race by winning both games in Grand Forks but needed a Saturday victory in St. Cloud to salvage a split on the weekend and reclaim the Cup. The next season (2009-10), both series were splits, and the Challenge Cup was shared once again.

Last year, North Dakota swept the early December series in Grand Forks and earned a win and a tie at St. Cloud in February, outscoring the Huskies by a combined 15-8.

If you’re keeping track at home, UND has won the Cup four times, St. Cloud has claimed the Cup once, and the schools have shared the Challenge Cup twice. No school has ever swept the four game season series.

The Challenge Cup will be on display at the SiouxSports.com pre-game social this Saturday, October 29th from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Muddy Rivers ballroom inside the GuestHouse (701 First Avenue North) in downtown Grand Forks. This is a great opportunity to meet fans on both sides of this hockey rivalry and win fabulous door prizes. The event is free and open to all fans 21 and older.

For a complete preview of this weekend’s action, click here.  We hope to see you at this event. Here’s to hockey!

The Wisconsin Badgers played in the national title game two seasons ago but missed the NCAA tournament last year. UW also fell to 7th in the WCHA after finishing in second place in 2009-10. For Mike Eaves’ squad, the single biggest problem has been early departures. The Badgers have had seven players (forwards Derek Stepan, Jordy Murray, and Craig Smith; and defensemen Cody Goloubef, Brendan Smith, Ryan McDonagh, and Jake Gardiner) give up college eligibility over the last two years.

North Dakota was hit harder than normal during the offseason as well. Sioux forwards Jason Gregoire and Brett Hextall left school early to play professional hockey, and their departures, coupled with a graduated class of seven high end players, have left holes up and down the UND lineup.

UW left Houghton, Michigan last weekend after falling to Michigan Tech not once but twice in overtime.
The Badgers have not won a WCHA overtime contest in their last 23 attempts (0-9-14). North Dakota hosted Maine for a pair of non-conference games last weekend and took three of four points from the series, winning Friday’s opener 3-1 before settling for a 3-3 tie in Saturday’s rematch.

In its last 17 WCHA road contests, North Dakota boasts a stellar 14-2-1 record. Much of that is due to the strength of UND’s 2010-11 team, which found success at home and away.

The Fighting Sioux will host Wisconsin for a pair of WCHA games on January 27th and 28th, 2012 at Ralph Engelstad Arena.

Wisconsin Team Profile

Head Coach: Mike Eaves (10th season at UW, 193-141-42, .569)
National Rankings: NR/NR
This Season: 1-3-0 overall, 0-2-0 WCHA (t-10th)
Last Season: 21-16-4 overall, 12-13-3 WCHA (7th)

Team Offense: 2.00 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.50 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 11.5% (3 of 26)
Penalty Kill: 73.3% (11 of 15)

Key Players: Sophomore F Mark Zengerle (0-3-3), Sophomore F Tyler Barnes (3-0-3), Freshman F Joseph LaBate (1-2-3), Junior D Justin Schultz (0-5-5), Freshman G Joel Rumpel (1-1-0, 2.50 GAA, .918 SV%)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (8th season at UND, 189-94-28, .653)
National Rankings: #5/#6
This Season: 2-1-1, 0-0-0 WCHA
Last Season: 32-9-3 overall (NCAA Frozen Four semifinalist), 21-6-1 WCHA (1st)

Team Offense: 3.00 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 3.25 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 25.0% (5 of 20)
Penalty Kill: 76.5% (13 of 17)

Key Players: Junior F Corban Knight (3-3-6), Sophomore F Brock Nelson (2-2-4), Junior F Danny Kristo (2-5-7), Sophomore D Derek Forbort (1-1-2), Senior D Ben Blood (1-1-2), Senior G Brad Eidsness (1-0-0, 1.45 GAA, .949 SV%)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: November 13, 2010 (Madison, WI). North Dakota scored three 3rd period goals in under four minutes to secure a 4-2 victory and a road sweep in the Kohl Center. UND outshot the Badgers 68-32 on the weekend.

Last Ten: The Badgers have had slightly the better of it in recent history, going 5-4-1 (.550) over the last ten tilts.

Most Important Meeting: March 27, 1982. A 2-2 tie after two periods turns into a 5-2 Sioux victory, as Phil Sykes nets a hat trick and leads UND to its fourth National Championship.

All-time Series: Wisconsin leads the all-time series, 84-62-11 (.570), and holds a 44-27-3 (.615) edge in games played in Madison.

Game News and Notes

Wisconsin played Colorado College five straight times to close out the 2010-11 season, splitting at home to end the regular season and losing a tough three-game playoff series in Colorado Springs. Since 2005, UND has gone 6-3-0 at the Kohl Center. Wisconsin has allowed the first goal in all four of its games this season. Friday night’s game will be broadcast live on Fox Sports North Wisconsin and Fox College Sports Atlantic. Saturday’s game will not be available outside of Wisconsin.

The Prediction

North Dakota will take a victory away from this weekend’s series, but no more than that. The Fighting Sioux will struggle in their first road contest of the year and won’t recover until Saturday’s rematch. UW 4-2, UND 3-1.

Thank you for reading. As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions.

Earlier this week, I gave you my predictions for the bottom six in the WCHA this season:

#12 MSU-Mankato
#11 Michigan Tech
#10 Bemidji State
#9 St. Cloud State
#8 Alaska Anchorage
#7 Wisconsin

For a summary of those six teams, please click here.

Before I move on to the top six, here’s a reminder of how the teams ended up last year:

WCHA 2010-11 Final Standings

Team	Record	Points
North Dakota	21-6-1	43
Denver	17-8-3	37
Nebraska-Omaha	17-9-2	36
Minnesota-Duluth	15-8-5	35
Minnesota	13-10-5	31
Colorado College	13-13-2	28
Wisconsin	12-13-2	27
Alaska-Anchorage	12-14-2	26
St. Cloud State	11-13-4	26
Bemidji State	8-15-5	21
MSU-Mankato	8-16-4	20
Michigan Tech	2-24-2	6

And now, the top six teams in the WCHA:

#6 University of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks

Head Coach: Dean Blais

2010-11 Record: 21-16-6 overall, 17-9-2 WCHA, (3rd)

Key returning players:  Sr. F Alex Hudson (13-18—31), Jr. F Terry Broadhurst (11-19—30), So. F Matt White (14-11—25), So. F Ryan Walters (11-12—23), So. F Brock Montpetit (11-10—21), Jr. D Bryce Aneloski (2-17—19), Sr. G John Faulkner (20-15-2, 2.56, .908)

Key losses: F Joey Martin, F Matt Ambroz, F Rich Purslow, D Eric Olimb

2011-12 season outlook: When the Mavs get Hudson back from a team-issued suspension, they will be one of the top teams in the WCHA.  How they fare without him will determine whether they can contend for the league title.

#5 University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs

Head Coach: Scott Sandelin

2010-11 Record: 26-10-6 overall, 15-8-5 WCHA, (4th)

Key returning players: Sr. F Jack Connolly (18-41—59), So. F J.T. Brown (16-21—37), Sr. F Travis Oleksuk (14-19—33), Jr. F Mike Seidel (8-6—14), Sr. D Brady Lamb (1-9—10), Sr. G Kenny Reiter (16-7-5, 2.30, .914)

Key losses: F Mike Connolly, F Justin Fontaine, F Kyle Schmidt, D Justin Faulk, D Mike Montgomery

2011-12 season outlook: Oleksuk centering Connolly and Brown will be plenty potent for the Bulldogs.  The issue I have with UMD is on the blue line; I would need to see a difference-maker back there to have them rated any higher, but an NCAA tournament berth is likely.

#4 University of Minnesota Golden Gophers

Head Coach: Don Lucia

2010-11 Record: 16-14-6 overall, 13-10-5 WCHA, (5th)

Key returning players: So. F Erik Haula (6-18—24), Sr. F Jake Hansen (11-9—20), So. F Nick Bjugstad (8-12—20), So. F Nate Condon (8-9—17), So. F Zach Budish (2-4—6), So. D Mark Alt (2-8—10), Sr. G Kent Patterson (14-9-6, 2.54, .919)

Key losses: F Mike Hoeffel, F Jay Barriball, F Jacob Cepis, D Cade Fairchild, D Kevin Wehrs, D Aaron Ness

2011-12 season outlook: Call it a hunch or a feeling, but Minnesota will earn home ice, advance to the Final Five, and make the NCAA tournament this season. And with only four senior skaters, they’re a year away from being scary good.

#3 University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol

2010-11 Record: 32-9-3 overall, 21-6-1 WCHA, (1st)

Key returning players: Jr. F Corban Knight (14-30—44), Jr. F Danny Kristo (8-20—28), So. F Brock Nelson (8-13—21), Sr. F Mario Lamoureux (3-14—17), So. D Derek Forbort (0-15—15), Sr. D Ben Blood (2-10—12), Jr. G Aaron Dell (30-7-2, 1.79 .924)

Key losses: F Matt Frattin, F Evan Trupp, F Brad Malone, F Jason Gregoire, F Brett Hextall, D Chay Genoway

2011-12 season outlook:  This North Dakota group will struggle until the second half of the season, at which point the freshmen in the lineup can no longer be considered rookies.  It’s hard not to look ahead to next year since the Sioux will lose only three players (F Mario Lamoureux, D Ben Blood, G Brad Eidsness) to graduation.

#2 University of Denver Pioneers

Head Coach: George Gwozdecky

2010-11 Record: 25-12-5 overall, 17-8-3 WCHA, (2nd)

Key returning players: Jr. F Drew Shore (23-23—46), So. F Jason Zucker (23-22—45), So. D David Makowski (6-24—30), Sr. F Luke Salazar (17-11—28), So. F Beau Bennett (9-16—25), Sr. D John Lee (3-9—12), Jr. G Adam Murray (6-3-0, 3.46, .879)

Key losses: F Anthony Maiani, F Kyle Ostrow, D Matt Donovan

2011-12 season outlook: If goaltender Sam Brittain hadn’t suffered a knee injury, the Pioneers would occupy the top spot in my rankings. It’s possible Brittain will return before the end of the year and could give DU a boost at playoff time.

#1 Colorado College Tigers

Head Coach: Scott Owens

2010-11 Record: 23-19-3 overall, 13-13-2 WCHA, (6th)

Key returning players: So. F Jaden Schwartz (17-30—47), Jr. F Rylan Schwartz (10-28—38), Sr. D Gabe Guentzel (6-22—28), Sr. F Nick Dineen (13-11—24), Jr. F William Rapuzzi (12-10—22), Jr. G Joe Howe (18-15-2, 2.94, .903)

Key losses: F Stephen Schultz, F Tyler Johnson, D Ryan Lowery

2011-12 season outlook: It may seem like a stretch for CC to go from sixth to first place in one season, but the Tigers have depth all over the ice and are the only team in the top six that can’t be characterized as “young”.  This is the year for Scott Owens and Colorado College.

Thank you for reading.  I welcome your comments, suggestions, and predictions.

Please join us for the UND/SCSU pre-game social, an annual event which provides an opportunity for fans of the University of North Dakota and St. Cloud State University to gather, celebrate the great sport of hockey, and view the UND/SCSU Challenge Cup, a traveling trophy which is presented to the team which collects more points in the four regular-season games between the schools.

This event will be held on Saturday, October 29th from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Muddy Rivers Bar and Grill (inside the GuestHouse Inn and Suites) in downtown Grand Forks.  Muddy Rivers is smoke-free, and the event is free and open to the public (due to the venue, guests must be 21 years of age or older).

SiouxSports.com is the title sponsor for the event in Grand Forks, while the Center Ice Club (the official hockey booster organization for the St. Cloud State University Huskies) hosts the social in St. Cloud every year.

Fans of both teams enjoy the camaraderie at these social events and regularly comment that the connection between the two fan bases is among the best in college hockey.

After Saturday’s hockey game, fans are invited back to the Muddy Rivers ballroom for a Halloween party featuring the music of Downtown Horns.

Check back later for a preview of the weekend series.

Other sponsors for this event include:

Barry’s Collectors Corner
Buffalo Wild Wings
Crosstown Lounge
Fargo Force
Happy Joe’s Pizza
Hickey Designs
Muddy Rivers Bar and Grill
Nature’s Country Store
Ralph Engelstad Arena
Red Pepper
SiouxPride.com
Vaaler Insurance

Well, here it is.  My annual crack at predicting the order of finish in the WCHA.  Last season, I had my hits and misses, with Nebraska-Omaha (up six spots from my prediction), Alaska-Anchorage (up three spots), and St. Cloud State (down seven spots) the three teams that surprised me the most.

Here’s a reminder of how the teams finished last season:

WCHA 2010-11 Final Standings

Team	Record	Points
North Dakota	21-6-1	43
Denver	17-8-3	37
Nebraska-Omaha	17-9-2	36
Minnesota-Duluth	15-8-5	35
Minnesota	13-10-5	31
Colorado College	13-13-2	28
Wisconsin	12-13-2	27
Alaska-Anchorage	12-14-2	26
St. Cloud State	11-13-4	26
Bemidji State	8-15-5	21
MSU-Mankato	8-16-4	20
Michigan Tech	2-24-2	6

And here’s how I see the bottom six spots shaping up in the league this year…

#12 Minnesota State University – Mankato Mavericks

Head Coach: Troy Jutting

2010-11 Record: 14-18-6 overall, 8-16-4 WCHA, (11th)

Key returning players: Sr. F Michael Dorr (12-14-26), Jr. F Eriah Hayes (11-11—22), So. F Chase Grant (8-12—20), Jr. F Eli Zuck (5-13—18), Sr. F Justin Jokinen (9-8—17), Jr. D Tyler Elbrecht (1-7—8), Jr. G Phil Cook (10-13-4, 3.01, .903)

Key losses: F Rylan Galiardi, F Andy Sackrison, D Kurt Davis, D Ben Youds, D Channing Boe

2011-12 season outlook: The Mavs lost eight conference games last season by one goal.  If they can get consistent goaltending from Phil Cook and their underclassmen can overachieve, they could climb out of the WCHA cellar.

#11 Michigan Tech University Huskies

Head Coach: Mel Pearson

2010-11 Record: 4-30-4 overall, 2-24-2 WCHA, (12th)

Key returning players: So. F Milos Gordic (15-6—21), So. F Ryan Furne (12-9—21), So. F Jacob Johnstone (4-15—19), Jr. D Steven Seigo (4-13—17), Sr. F Brett Olson (4-6—10), So. D Dan Sova (0-9—9), Jr. G Kevin Genoe (3-17-2, 4.03, .883)

Key losses: F Bennett Royer, D Deron Cousens

2011-12 season outlook: With a new coach in Houghton, there is reason for optimism.  Michigan Tech’s schedule is front-loaded with home games, so the Huskies should find some success early.  MTU could climb to as high as 8th or 9th, but they’re probably a year away from double digit wins.

#10 Bemidji State University Beavers

Head Coach: Tom Serratore

2010-11 Record: 15-18-5 overall, 8-15-5, (10th)

Key returning players: Jr. F Jordan George (17-19—36), Sr. D Brad Hunt (3-18—21), Sr. F Shea Walters (1-13—14), Sr. F Jamie MacQueen (7-4—11), Sr. G Dan Bakala (14-13-4, 2.47, .919)

Key losses: F Matt Read, F Ian Lowe, D Ryan Adams

2011-12 season outlook: I doubt the Beavers will be able to pick up five wins against Omaha again this season, so they’ll have to perform better against St. Cloud State, Michigan Tech, Alaska-Anchorage, and MSU-Mankato (4-5-1 last year) if they hope to contend for home ice.  It seems like so long ago that Bemidji State was in the Frozen Four, and it will be a while before they’re back.

#9 St. Cloud State University Huskies

Head Coach: Bob Motzko

2010-11 Record: 15-18-5 overall, 11-13-4 WCHA, (T-8th)

Key returning players: Sr. F Drew LeBlanc (13-26—39), So. F Cam Reid (8-21—29), Sr. F Jared Festler (12-12—24), So. D Nick Jensen (5-18—23), Jr. F David Eddy (9-8—17), Jr. F Ben Hanowski (13-7—20), Jr. G Mike Lee (12-14-4, 2.75, .910)

Key losses: F Garrett Roe, F Aaron Marvin, D Brett Barta, D Oliver Lauridsen, G Dan Dunn

2011-12 season outlook: SCSU qualifies as last season’s biggest disappointment.  I had them picked to finish second in the league and they finished tied for eighth. They’ll probably surprise me again and finish in third or fourth place this year, but I’ll slot them in ninth and let them overachieve.

#8 University of Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves

Head Coach: Dave Shyiak

2010-11 Record: 16-18-3 overall, 12-14-2 WCHA, (T-8th)

Key returning players: So. F Jordan Kwas (4-20—24), So. F Matt Bailey (10-10—20), Jr. F Mitch Bruijsten (9-8—17), Sr. F/D Curtis Leinweber (4-6—10), So. F Brett Cameron (4-8—12), Sr. F Jade Portwood (2-9—11)

Key losses: F Tommy Grant, F Sean Wiles, D Luka (“he lives on the second floor…”) Vidmar

2011-12 season outlook: Coming into this season, the Seawolves are where some of this season’s top teams hope to be a year from now: a team that played as many as ten freshmen each night throughout the season, found some success late (sweeping Minnesota in the first round of the WCHA playoffs), and is a better team because of it.  UAA graduated only five players and has only three seniors on this year’s roster, so the present and the future look bright for Dave Shyiak’s squad.  If Alaska-Anchorage can hold serve at home (9-5-3 last season), they could contend for home ice this year.

#7 University of Wisconsin Badgers

Head Coach: Mike Eaves

2010-11 Record: 21-16-4 overall, 12-13-3 WCHA, (7th)

Key returning players: Jr. D Justin Schultz (18-29—47), So. F Mark Zengerle (5-31—36), So. F Michael Mersch (8-11—19), So. F Tyler Barnes (5-12—17), Jr. F Derek Lee (3-14—17), Jr. D John Ramage (1-10—11), So. D Frankie Simonelli (2-9—11).

Key losses: Everyone else.  F Craig Smith, F Jordy Murray, and D Jake Gardiner left early; F Podge Turnbull, F Patrick Johnson, D Craig Johnson, and G Scott Gudmandson graduated.

2010-11 season outlook: The Badgers are the only team in the league without a returning goaltender, and freshman Joel Rumpel looks to have the early edge over fellow rookie netminder Landon Peterson.  With just one senior on this year’s roster, the Badgers have a bright future but they will take their lumps this year, particularly on the road.

As you can see, I haven’t got the bottom six changing all that much, other than Mankato and Michigan Tech swapping places at the bottom.  For an in-depth look at my predictions for the top six teams in the WCHA, please click here.

I expected UND to struggle last night, and they did. There was too much space in front of North Dakota’s net, and senior goaltender Brad Eidsness made 25 of 26 saves over the first two periods to keep the Fighting Sioux in the game.

Splitting UND’s top three forwards across two lines proved effective. I particularly like Mark MacMillan with Danny Kristo and Corban Knight and expect to see that forward group quite a bit going forward. In my opinion, Brock Nelson is more effective centering the second line.

The fourth Sioux forward line (Brendan O’Donnell, Stephane Pattyn, and Connor Gaarder) did not see the ice very much, as Hakstol wasn’t rolling all four lines as often as he’d like to. On the back end, I like Andrew MacWilliam and Nick Mattson together, as the two complement each other’s skill sets.

North Dakota’s Malcolm Parks, whose penalty resulted in a power play goal for the visiting Black Bears, tied it up less than three minutes later and played his best game as a Fighting Sioux.

UND survived two goal reviews – a Maine “no goal” held up under review and Parks’ goal was upheld by replay. Those won’t always go North Dakota’s way but they were key to the game last night.

The two Sioux penalties that I felt were unnecessary were the two interference calls in the offensive zone – 200 feet from the UND net. North Dakota needs to cut down on the needless infractions and play five on five hockey to be successful.

An overlooked area of the game – faceoffs – continues to be a bright spot for UND; particularly Corban Knight. His clean draw led directly to North Dakota’s second goal.

I was looking forward to seeing Joey Diamond (#39 for the Black Bears) and Ben Blood (#24 for the Fighting Sioux) go at it again this evening, but it is not to be. Diamond will be benched by his coaching staff after taking four penalties in the opener.

All credit to Maine – they played a great road game and could easily have been up by two goals if Brad Eidsness hadn’t been rock-solid between the pipes. Eidsness earned another start with his play last night.

North Dakota played a good final five minutes; they controlled the play with the lead and extended it with a third goal.

Last night’s Ralph Engelstad Arena band, Downtown Horns, energized the crowd before the game and between periods. The Fighting Sioux are now 8-1-1 when the nine-piece horn band play in the REA concourse. Check out the “black jerseys” of arena bands at facebook.com/downtownhorns.

It’s hard to find a Sioux fan who doesn’t have admiration and respect for the Maine Black Bears. There’s a certain affinity for other great hockey teams that survive and thrive in smaller markets and are the flagship programs for their state.

More specifically, the connection between North Dakota and Maine is well-documented. Former UND head coach Dean Blais is fondly remembered for his tribute to Shawn Walsh during Walsh’s cancer battle. I remember vividly the game played in Orono, Maine on Friday, October 13th, 2000, when the defending national champion Fighting Sioux took to the ice in matching “Walsh” jerseys and donated the game-worn uniforms to defray coach Walsh’s medical costs.

It was only fitting that when the late Shawn Walsh’s shamrock was retired and hoisted to the rafters at Alfond Arena in October 2004, North Dakota was once again on hand as the visiting team.

Turning the page to this weekend’s action, both squads are hungry to pick up key wins that will prove beneficial in the Pairwise Rankings. The Black Bears have had the better of the play lately, picking up two victories in Grand Forks in October 2006 on their way to Frozen Four and earning a home sweep in Orono last season (7-3, 4-2). North Dakota will look to return the favor this weekend.

One area of concern for the Fighting Sioux is the youth of the team. At this point in the season, UND does not have many players to count on for scoring and leadership. The other two problems with North Dakota’s inexperience – defensive zone coverage and lazy penalties – were exposed last Saturday night against Boston College. If those lapses and penalties continue, we could see the same scoreboard we witnessed at Maine last season, or worse. A veteran Sioux squad traveled to face the Black Bears in October 2010 and gave Maine 19 power plays, resulting in five power play goals.

Maine narrowly missed the NCAAs last season and hope to return to postseason play after a four year absence. That will be tougher this season because the Black Bears will be without two-time Hobey Baker finalist Gustav Nyquist, who gave up his final season of eligibility after leading Maine in scoring each of his three seasons (combined 50 goals and 94 assists in 113 games). Maine is also without its top two centers from last year’s team.

Maine Team Profile

Head Coach: Tim Whitehead (11th season at Maine, 217-139-43 .598)
National Ranking: #17/#17
This Season: 1-1-0 overall, 1-1-0 Hockey East
Last Season: 17-12-7 overall, 14-8-5 Hockey East (5th)
Team Offense: 3.50 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.50 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 12.5% (2 of 16)
Penalty Kill: 90.9% (10 of 11)
Key Players: Senior F Brian Flynn (1-4-5), Senior F Spencer Abbott (2-1-3), Junior F Joey Diamond (1-2-3), Senior D Will O’Neill (0-0-0), Junior D Mike Cornell (0-1-1), Sophomore G Dan Sullivan (1-0-0, 3.01 GAA, .889 SV%)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (8th season at UND, 188-94-27, .652)
National Ranking: #6/#6
This Season: 1-1-0, 0-0-0 WCHA
Last Season: 32-9-3 overall (NCAA Frozen Four semifinalist), 21-6-1 WCHA (1st)
Team Offense: 3.00 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 4.50 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 22.2% (2 of 9)
Penalty Kill: 88.9% (8 of 9)
Key Players: Junior F Corban Knight (2-1-3), Sophomore F Brock Nelson (2-1-3), Junior F Danny Kristo (0-3-3), Sophomore D Derek Forbort (1-1-2), Senior D Ben Blood (0-0-0), Junior G Aaron Dell (1-1-0, 4.94 GAA, .800 SV%)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: October 23, 2010 (Orono, ME). The Black Bears chose to start freshman goaltender Dan Sullivan in the second game of the series and he responded, stopping 23 of 25 North Dakota shots in earning a 4-2 victory and a weekend sweep for his squad. Maine won the opener, 7-3.

Last Meeting in Grand Forks: October 21, 2006. Maine sophomore goaltender Ben Bishop held UND scoreless for almost 58 minutes and the Black Bears weathered a barrage of North Dakota 5-on-3 power plays as the visiting squad won 3-1 to complete the weekend sweep. Bishop made 48 of 50 saves on the weekend.

Most Important Meeting: April 6, 2000 (Providence, RI). The Fighting Sioux scored twice in the second period and Karl Goehring stopped all 30 shots he faces as UND advanced to the national title game with a 2-0 victory over Maine. Two nights later, the Green and White would claim their seventh national championship.

Last Ten: UND is 4-5-1 (.450) in the last ten meetings between the teams. Maine has won the last four contests by a combined score of 20-8.

All-time Series: North Dakota leads the all-time series 11-8-1 (.575), including a 6-3-0 (.667) edge in games played in Orono.

Game News and Notes:

Only four current Fighting Sioux players (Ben Blood, Corban Knight, Danny Kristo, Derek Rodwell) have ever scored against Maine. Each of the four collected a single point in last season’s weekend series. The Black Bears return 19 players who saw action last season; the Fighting Sioux have 14 players back. With six more saves, Brad Eidsness would become the tenth goalie in UND hockey history to record 2,000 career stops.

The Prediction

North Dakota needs to improve in all major areas to compete for points this weekend. I feel like UND has a better shot at a win on Saturday night, with a rough showing Friday. Maine 4-2, 3-3 tie.