Author: Dave Berger

UND and CC are quite familiar with each other, having already played four times this season. The teams split both weekend series, with UND needing some late game heroics on Saturday night in Colorado Springs to earn a 3-2 overtime victory over the Tigers.

Beginning on December 1st, Colorado College went just 6-11-4 to finish out the regular season. After losing the first playoff game at rival Denver, not many gave Scott Owens and his club much of a chance at advancing to the WCHA Final Five. But the Tigers rattled off 2-1 and 4-3 victories over the Pioneers to earn a berth in the last Final Five as we know it.

CC may be happy to be playing, yes, but not necessarily pleased to be facing North Dakota. After the January series against the Tigers in Grand Forks, UND hit a bit of a rough patch, earning just one point each against Minnesota and St. Cloud State. Those two weekends certainly kept them from hoisting the MacNaughton Cup, but the Green and White have been on a roll since then, going 8-3-2 on their way to St. Paul. Furthermore, UND gave up more than two goals only three times in that 13 game stretch, and all three of their losses were by a single goal.

And there is more on the Green and White side of the ledger in this matchup: Dave Hakstol’s crew has won eight consecutive Final Five games, and UND is 7-2-0 all-time against Colorado College in conference playoff games, including a spotless 4-0 record at the Final Five. Certainly, the smaller ice sheet (200×85) at Xcel Energy works in favor of North Dakota. UND plays on NHL ice in Grand Forks, and posted an 11-4-6 record at home this season and a 5-1-0 road record on the narrow surface for a combined record of 16-5-6 (.704) on NHL ice this season. Colorado College plays its home games on Olympic ice (200×100), and will have to adjust to a different style of game. Incidentally, of the six teams in the WCHA Final Five field, only UND plays on the narrow sheet.

Lastly, North Dakota is coming off its best performance of the season in Sunday’s decisive 6-0 Game 3 victory over Michigan Tech. UND got a solid 60 minute effort up and down the lineup, and if they bring that brand of hockey to the WCHA Final Five, they will hoist their fourth consecutive Broadmoor Trophy.

Both goaltenders are coming off of solid performances in last weekend’s first round action. Colorado College senior netminder Joe Howe notched 112 saves in the opening round, including a combined 78 saves (.951 save percentage) in Game 2 and Game 3 victories. North Dakota junior goaltender Clarke Saunders started Games 2 and 3 for UND, and despite taking the loss in Game 2, stopped 57 of 59 shots he faced against the Huskies.

Thanks to Jim Dahl’s excellent work here, we know that North Dakota will earn a bid to the NCAA tournament regardless of wins or losses at the Final Five this weekend. Colorado College, on the other hand, must win the tournament to claim the conference’s autobid and advance to the national tournament; an NCAA at-large bid is not within reach for the Tigers.

Colorado College Team Profile

Head Coach: Scott Owens (14th season at CC, 315-203-48, .599)
Pairwise Ranking: 25th
National Ranking: NR
This Season: 16-18-5 overall, 11-13-4 WCHA (8th)
Last Season: 18-16-2 overall, 15-12-1 WCHA (5th)
Team Offense: 3.21 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 3.46 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 17.4% (24 of 138)
Penalty Kill: 78.2% (115 of 147)

Key Players: Senior F Rylan Schwartz (17-31-48), Senior F William Rapuzzi (15-19-34), Junior F Alexander Krushelnyski (14-26-40), Senior D Mike Boivin (14-14-28), Junior D Eamonn McDermott (3-19-22), Senior G Joe Howe (12-11-4, 3.09 GAA, .912 SV%, 1 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (9th season at UND, 234-117-37, .651)
Pairwise Ranking: t-6th
National Ranking: #6
This Season: 21-11-7 overall, 14-7-7 WCHA (3rd)
Last Season: 26-13-3 overall (NCAA West Regional Finalist), 16-11-1 WCHA (4th)

Team Offense: 3.31 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.41 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 21.3% (32 of 150)
Penalty Kill: 83.8% (119 of 142)

Key Players: Senior F Corban Knight (15-33-48), Senior F Danny Kristo (24-26-50), Sophomore F Mark MacMillan (13-12-25), Freshman F Rocco Grimaldi (13-21-34), Junior D Derek Forbort (4-11-15), Junior D Dillon Simpson (5-19-24), Junior G Clarke Saunders (13-7-4, 2.20 GAA, .920 SV%, 2 SO)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: January 12, 2013 (Grand Forks, ND). North Dakota forward Mitch MacMillan, who was eligible in his first WCHA series after transferring from St. Cloud State, notched a goal and assist in leading to a 5-3 victory over visiting Colorado College. The Tigers, who took Friday’s opener by a score of 4-3, did not have an answer for offensive juggernaut Dan “Jimmer” Senkbeil, who potted the game-winner for his first career goal.

Last Meeting in St. Paul: March 18, 2011. UND Hobey Baker hopeful Matt Frattin broke a 3-3 tie late in the third period with his 34th goal of the season, and the Green and White advanced to the WCHA Final Five championship game. North Dakota forward Brock Nelson was ejected from the game early in the third period for checking from behind, but UND’s Brad Malone scored shorthanded to regain the momentum. The Tigers had a late power play, but couldn’t get a fourth goal past Aaron Dell.

Most Important Meeting: March 27, 1997. UND defeated Colorado College, 6-2, in the Frozen Four Semifinals in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Two nights later, North Dakota downed Boston University, 6-4, to claim its sixth NCAA Championship. North Dakota and Colorado College also met in the 2001 East Regional (Worcester, Mass.), with UND prevailing, 4-1.

All-time Series: UND leads the all-time series, 139-78-10 (.634), including an 8-1 (.889) mark on neutral ice, a 7-2 (.778) record in WCHA playoff games, and a perfect 4-0 mark at the WCHA Final Five. The teams first met in 1948.

Last Ten: North Dakota is 7-3-0 (.700) in the last ten meetings between the teams. UND has only outscored CC 40-32 over the last ten games, with five of UND’s seven victories coming by a single goal.

Game News and Notes

This game boasts the top two active NCAA career scoring leaders in UND’s Danny Kristo (159) and CC’s Rylan Schwartz (154). Kristo’s linemate, senior forward Corban Knight, is not far behind with 145 career points. North Dakota’s five senior skaters have combined for 153 points, while Colorado College’s six seniors have amassed 162 points. UND is 32-9 in WCHA playoff games under Dave Hakstol, including a 15-5 record at the Final Five.

The Prediction

I hear more people talking about UND vs. Minnesota than UND vs. Colorado College, but the players and coaching staffs will be ready for Thursday’s quarterfinal. The Tigers have a bit more to play for, but a large, vocal North Dakota crowd will create yet another “road home game” for the Green and White. The first goal will be key, particularly if CC can get one early and take the fans out of the equation. As it is, though, North Dakota is just too much to handle. UND 4-2.

Bonus Prediction

In the other Thursday semifinal, it’s UW against MSU-Mankato. The Mavericks are a virtual lock for the NCAA’s, while the Badgers need to win at least two games at the Final Five to have a chanceat playing next weekend. I think Wisconsin will take this one in a mild upset. UW 3-2.

Last season was Mel Pearson’s first as head coach of the Michigan Tech Huskies, and by all accounts, his rookie campaign was a success. Pearson brought energy, enthusiasm, and a new brand of hockey to Houghton, and his team responded with a 6-2-1 start. MTU ended the season by dispatching Colorado College in two games to join its band at the WCHA Final Five for the first time since 2007.

The year before Pearson arrived at MacInnes Ice Arena, the Huskies won four games (4-30-4). Last season, Michigan Tech posted a respectable 16-19-4 record and earned the eighth spot in the league standings, just two points out of the final home ice spot held by St. Cloud State. MTU has never hosted the first round of the WCHA playoffs under the current format. Interestingly enough, either North Dakota or the University of Denver has ended the Huskies’ year each of the past five seasons

UND fans may not recognize this year’s version of the Huskies, as Brett Olson (93 points in 127 career games) and Jordan Baker (82 points in 146 games) have both graduated after seemingly playing at MTU forever. Michigan Tech is very young up front, as their top five scoring forwards are first- or second-year players. Leading the charge is freshman forward Alex Petan (15-18-33), who was recently named to the 2012-13 WCHA All-Rookie team along with UND forward Rocco Grimaldi (13-18-31).

North Dakota and the Huskies only met twice this season for a pair of league games at MTU. UND dispatched Michigan Tech 6-1 and 4-1, and that sweep left Mel Pearson’s squad sitting at 4-10-3 overall. Since that weekend, however, MTU has gone 8-8-1, outscoring opponents 57-41 over their last 17 games. That stretch includes wins over Michigan, Western Michigan, Nebraska-Omaha, St. Cloud State, and Colorado College.

After this season, it is unclear whether North Dakota and Michigan Tech will continue their storied rivalry. UND will move to the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, while MTU will remain in the WCHA and maintain ownership of the historic MacNaughton Cup.

Michigan Tech Team Profile

Head Coach: Mel Pearson (2nd season at MTU, 28-37-8, .438)
Pairwise Ranking: NR
National Ranking: NR
This Season: 12-18-4 overall, 8-16-4 WCHA (10th)
Last Season: 16-9-4 overall, 11-13-4 WCHA (8th)

Team Offense: 3.00 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 3.06 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 21.6% (29 of 134)
Penalty Kill: 80.6% (116 of 144)

Key Players: Freshman F Alex Petan (15-18-33), Sophomore F Blake Pietila (14-9-23), Sophomore F David Johnstone (10-19-29), Senior D Steven Seigo (6-11-17), Junior D Brad Stebner (1-8-9), Freshman G Pheonix Copley (7-14-1, 3.19 GAA, .899 SV%, 3 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (9th season at UND, 232-116-37, .651)
Pairwise Ranking: t-5th
National Ranking: #4
This Season: 19-10-7 overall, 14-7-7 WCHA (3rd)
Last Season: 26-13-3 overall (NCAA West Regional Finalist), 16-11-1 WCHA (4th)

Team Offense: 3.25 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.47 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 21.4% (30 of 140)
Penalty Kill: 83.5% (111 of 133)

Key Players: Senior F Corban Knight (14-31-45), Senior F Danny Kristo (21-24-45), Sophomore F Mark MacMillan (13-12-25), Freshman F Rocco Grimaldi (13-18-31), Junior D Derek Forbort (4-9-13), Sophomore D Dillon Simpson (3-18-21), Junior G Clarke Saunders (12-6-4, 2.30 GAA, .915 SV%, 2 SO)

By The Numbers

Last meeting: December 15, 2012 (Houghton, MI). North Dakota closed out the homestanding Huskies 4-1 after taking the opener by a 6-1 score. UND forwards Danny Kristo and Corban Knight each had six point weekends, while blueliner Joe Gleason added a goal and three assists for the Green and White.

Last meeting in Grand Forks: February 18, 2012. The two squads had to settle for a 1-1 tie one night after North Dakota won the opener 4-2. Michigan Tech’s Jordan Baker scored a lucky goal off his chest midway through the third period that gave the Huskies one point. MTU rang three shots off the post in the opening frame, while UND forward Corban Knight potted the lone goal for the Green and White early in the third period.

Most Important Meeting: The Sioux and Huskies have never met in the NCAA tournament, so I will go with the most important meeting that never was: in 1965, the Sioux lost to Boston College, 4-3, one game short of the national championship game, where they would have faced the Michigan Tech Huskies, who won the second of their three titles by defeating the Eagles. UND settled for third place that season, downing Brown University, 9-5. North Dakota went 13-3-0 in the regular season in 1964-65, with two of those three losses coming at the hands of Michigan Tech.

All-time Series: UND leads the all-time series, 147-93-10 (.608), including a dominating 82-33-5 (.704) record in games played in Grand Forks. The teams first met in 1948.

Last Ten: North Dakota is 9-0-1 (.950) in the last ten meetings between the schools and undefeated in the last 16 (14-0-2). The Green and White have outscored the Huskies 51-12 in the last ten games. The last time Michigan Tech defeated UND was in the first round of the WCHA playoffs in March 2008 (Grand Forks, ND). MTU took the middle game of the three-game series, but North Dakota came back to win on Sunday night to advance to the Final Five.

Game News and Notes

In his coaching career, UND head coach Dave Hakstol is 25-5-2 (.813) against Michigan Tech and 30-8 (.789) in the WCHA playoffs. Michigan Tech is undefeated in overtime games this year (3-0-4), while the Green and White suffered their first loss in the extra session last Saturday night in Mankato (2-1-7). UND is trying to advance to its 11th consecutive Final Five, a mark that would tie Minnesota (1999-2009) for the longest streak in league history. Coming in to this weekend’s series, these two storied programs have faced off 250 times.

The Prediction

This is a familiar sight to UND fans, as this is the fourth time in the past six seasons that North Dakota will host Michigan Tech in the first round of the WCHA playoffs. In its last six first-round playoff series, UND has gone 6-0 on Friday nights by a combined score of 32-4. Over the past six Saturdays (when trying to end a team’s season), North Dakota has won only four of six, with three of those victories by a single goal. This weekend’s series will follow that same formula, with the Green and White surviving a nail-biter on Saturday to punch their ticket to the WCHA Final Five. UND 5-2, 3-2.

I took part in the 2nd Annual Blogger/Website All-WCHA poll, and I thought I would post my picks here as well. Keep in mind that I only took conference statistics into consideration as I made my selections.

All-WCHA Rookie Team:
F – Alex Petan (MTU) 11-18-29
F – Tony Cameranesi (UMD) 11-17-28
F – Rocco Grimaldi (UND) 10-16-26
D – Andy Welinski (UMD) 3-12-15
D – Nolan Zajac (DU) 4-10-14
G – Stephon Williams (MSUM) 15-9-1, 1.93 GAA, .927 SV%, 3 SO

All-WCHA Third Team:
F – Rylan Schwartz (Sr, CC) 12-23-35
F – Nick Bjugstad (Jr, MN) 15-8-23
F – Alexander Krushelneski (Jr, CC) 11-21-32
D – Andrew Prochno (So, SCSU) 3-19-22
D – Andrej Sustr (Jr, UNO) 7-11-18
G – Adam Wilcox (Fr, MN) 16-6-5, 2.13 GAA, .914 SV%, 1 SO

All-WCHA Second Team
F – Corban Knight (Sr, UND) 12-23-35
F – Drew LeBlanc (Sr, SCSU) 10-25-35
F – Josh Archibald (So, UNO) 18-15-33
D – Mike Boivin (Sr, CC) 13-10-23
D – Joey LaLeggia (So, DU) 10-13-23
G – Landon Peterson (So, UW) 5-2-3, 2.01 GAA, .928 SV%

All-WCHA First Team
F – Ryan Walters (Jr, UNO) 16-24-40
F – Danny Kristo (Sr, UND) 17-20-37
F – Erik Haula (Jr, MN) 13-24-37
D – Nate Schmidt (Jr, MN) 7-19-26
D – Nick Jensen (Jr, SCSU) 4-19-23
G – Stephon Williams (Fr, MSUM) 15-9-1, 1.93 GAA, .927 SV%, 3 SO

WCHA Coach of the Year – Mike Hastings, MSUM
WCHA Rookie of the Year – Stephon Williams, G, MSUM
WCHA Defensive Player of the Year – Nate Schmidt, D, MN
WCHA Player of the Year – Ryan Walters, F, UNO

After three consecutive disappointing seasons in Mankato, head coach Troy Jutting was replaced by Mike Hastings. The first year head coach has turned the Mavericks around, with 21 wins to his credit already (21-10-3). By comparison, Jutting only hit 20 wins once in his 12 seasons behind the MSU-M bench (20-11-10 in 2002-03, Jutting’s only NCAA tournament appearance), and lost 16 or more games in 11 of his 12 head coaching campaigns.

Last year, the Mavericks relied heavily on their rookie class, and those players are now flourishing as sophomores. Forwards Matt Leitner (15-25-40) and Jean-Paul Lafontaine (8-20-28) have been offensive catalysts, while fellow sophomore Zach Palmquist (5-16-21) has chipped in from the blue line.

By contrast, UND’s top scoring second year player is forward Mark MacMillan (12-12-24), while sophomore defenseman Nick Mattson has notched three goals and added 12 assists.

The biggest storyline in Mankato, however, might be the emergence of netminder Stephon Williams. The freshman goaltender from Fairbanks, Alaska spent two seasons in the USHL (Sioux Falls and Waterloo) before beginning his NCAA career, and Williams has taken the job away from senior Phil Cook. Cook has struggled in nine appearances this season (3-2-1, 3.49 GAA, .879 SV%), while Williams has ben nothing short of outstanding (18-8-2, 1.82 GAA, .930 SV%, 4 SO).

UND still has a goaltending battle on its hands, with freshman Zane Gothberg and junior transfer Clarke Saunders both playing well. Look for each to get a start this weekend in Mankato, with the sharper of the two getting the nod for the playoff run beginning next weekend.

Since December 1st, both teams have been in fine form. North Dakota has gone 12-4-5 over the past three months, outscoring opponents 73-49, while the Mavericks have posted an impressive 15-5-1 mark over the same time frame, owning the scoreboard by a 74-43 margin.

Dave Hakstol’s team has secured home ice for the first round of the WCHA playoffs and currently sits in 7th place in the Pairwise rankings, which mimic the NCAA tournament selection process. Based on the results of this weekend’s conference action, North Dakota could host Alaska-Anchorage, Bemidji State, Colorado College, Denver, Michigan Tech, Minnesota-Duluth, Nebraska-Omaha, or Wisconsin in the first round of the league playoffs next weekend. UND will host the first round of the conference playoffs for the 11th consecutive season, the longest active streak in the WCHA.

Mike Hastings’ squad sits in a tie for fourth place in the WCHA, and could end up at home or on the road next weekend, depending on the results of this series and other games around the league. Regardless of how the lconference playoffs turn out, the Mavericks appear to be in line for an NCAA tournament bid for the first time since 2002-03.

This is the first meeting between the schools during the 2012-13 campaign. The teams also played just two games last season, with North Dakota sweeping a pair from the Mavericks in Grand Forks. Beginning next season, UND will move to the NCHC while Mankato will remain in the new-look WCHA. It is unclear when the two schools will schedule games again or whether there is interest on either side in continuing the rivalry.

MSU-Mankato Team Profile

Head Coach: Mike Hastings (1st season at MSU-M, 21-10-3, .662)
Pairwise Ranking: t-8th
National Ranking: #10
This Season: 21-10-3 overall, 15-10-1 WCHA (t-4th)
Last Season: 12-24-2 overall, 8-18-2 WCHA (11th)

Team Offense: 3.29 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.26 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 23.5% (38 of 162)
Penalty Kill: 82.5% (113 of 137)

Key Players: Sophomore F Matt Leitner (15-25-40), Senior F Eriah Hayes (18-13-31), Sophomore F Jean-Paul Lafontaine (8-20-28), Junior F Zach Lehrke (8-15-23), Sophomore D Zach Palmquist (5-16-21), Junior D Josh Nelson (5-8-13), Freshman G Stephon Williams (18-8-2, 1.82 GAA, .930 SV%, 4 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (9th season at UND, 231-115-37, .651)
Pairwise Ranking: 7th
National Ranking: #5
This Season: 18-9-7 overall, 13-6-7 WCHA (t-2nd)
Last Season: 26-13-3 overall (NCAA West Regional Finalist), 16-11-1 WCHA (4th)

Team Offense: 3.29 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.47 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 22.1% (30 of 136)
Penalty Kill: 83.3% (105 of 126)

Key Players: Senior F Corban Knight (14-30-44), Senior F Danny Kristo (20-24-44), Sophomore F Mark MacMillan (12-12-24), Freshman F Rocco Grimaldi (12-17-29), Junior D Derek Forbort (4-9-13), Sophomore D Dillon Simpson (3-17-20), Junior G Clarke Saunders (12-6-4, 2.30 GAA, .915 SV%, 2 SO)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: March 3, 2012 (Grand Forks, ND). Senior goaltender Brad Eidsness pitched a 29 save shutout on Senior Night and Brock Nelson added an empty-netter with 90 seconds to play as UND rolled the Mavericks 3-0. North Dakota won Friday’s opener 4-2 on the strength of a three goal first period.

Last Meeting in Mankato: December 12, 2010. In a rare Sunday afternoon contest, UND again rallied from an early deficit to secure the road victory, 4-2. Down one goal late in the game, the Mavericks couldn’t capitalize on nearly two minutes of 5 on 3 play, and North Dakota forward Evan Trupp iced the contest with an empty-netter in the final minute. On Friday night, the Green and White scored three 3rd period goals in under three minutes to come back and win 4-3.

All-time Series: UND leads the all-time series, 37-10-7 (.750), including a 14-4-4 (.727) record in games played in Mankato.

Last ten: North Dakota has a sparkling 9-1-0 record in the last ten contests, and has lost just once in the last 20 meetings (18-1-1) between the schools.

Game News and Notes

UND head coach Dave Hakstol is 22-3-2 (.852) against the Mavericks in his career. This weekend’s games will be played on an Olympic sheet of ice at the Verizon Wireless Center (capacity 4,832). North Dakota is just 3-4-1 on the wider ice surface this season (at Alaska Goal Rush tournament, St. Cloud State, Colorado College, and Minnesota). MSU-Mankato is 10-5-1 at home this year.

The Prediction

I really can’t see either team taking more than two points from this series. If the games were in Grand Forks, the edge would go to the Green and White, but Mankato is fast and skilled and will take UND by surprise in game one. North Dakota will silence the cowbells and take the series finale on Saturday night. MSUM 4-2, UND 4-2.

Last season, North Dakota finished out the WCHA regular season with two victories over Minnesota State-Mankato before dispatching Bemidji State at home in the first round of the league playoffs.

Fast forward one year, and it’s much the same. UND hasn’t played the Beavers in 2012-13, but will host Tom Serratore’s squad for a pair before traveling to Mankato to end the regular season. North Dakota looks to be in line to host the first round of the WCHA playoffs, and may likely host Bemidji at the Ralph in two weeks time.

There is a distinct difference between the top nine teams in the league and the bottom three, and wins this weekend and next would almost guarantee that UND would host Bemidji State, Michigan Tech, or Alaska-Anchorage with a trip to the WCHA Final Five on the line.

Bemidji State is in a freefall, winning only one game since December 15th (1-9-4) and being outscored 44-23 in that span. By contrast, North Dakota is 11-4-4 since December 1st, outscoring opponents 67-45.

For the most part, Dave Hakstol has his line combinations set heading into the playoffs. The question mark will be between the pipes, and these next two weekends will determine whether junior Clarke Saunders or freshman Zane Gothberg will take the reins for a run to the Frozen Four.

Bemidji State Team Profile

Head Coach: Tom Serratore (12th season at BSU, 201-181-48 .523)
Pairwise Ranking: NR
National Rankings: NR/NR
This Season: 6-17-7 overal, 5-13-6 WCHA (t-10th)
Last Season: 17-18-3 overall, 11-14-3 WCHA (9th)

Team Offense: 2.07 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.97 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 18.9% (17 of 90)
Penalty Kill: 81.6% (93 of 114)

Key Players: Senior F Jordan George (8-9-17), Senior F Brance Orban (8-12-20), Senior F Aaron McLeod (11-5-16), Sophomore D Matt Prapavessis (0-9-9), Senior D Brady Wacker (3-5-8), Sophomore G Andrew Walsh (5-10-5, 2.60 GAA, .917 SV%, 1 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (9th season at UND, 230-115-36, .651)
Pairwise Ranking: t-5th
National Ranking: #6
This Season: 17-9-6 overall, 12-6-6 WCHA (t-3rd)
Last Season: 26-13-3 overall (NCAA West Regional Finalist), 16-11-1 WCHA (4th)

Team Offense: 3.31 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.50 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 22.0% (29 of 132)
Penalty Kill: 82.9% (102 of 123)

Key Players: Senior F Corban Knight (14-29-43), Senior F Danny Kristo (20-23-43), Sophomore F Mark MacMillan (10-11-21), Freshman F Rocco Grimaldi (12-15-27), Junior D Derek Forbort (4-9-13), Sophomore D Dillon Simpson (3-17-20), Junior G Clarke Saunders (11-6-4, 2.31 GAA, .916 SV%, 2 SO)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: March 10, 2012 (Grand Forks, ND). Proving the old adage that it’s never easy to end an opponent’s season, North Dakota had to withstand a late Bemidji State rally to prevail 4-3 and sweep the WCHA first round playoff series from the Beavers. BSU senior Jamie McQueen scored two late goals, but it wasn’t quite enough to match UND’s Mark MacMillan-Carter Rowney-Michael Parks line, who followed up a seven-point performance in Friday’s 4-1 victory with a six-point night in the rematch.

Most Important Meeting: October 15, 2010 (Bemidji, MN). In the first game played at the BREC, North Dakota spotted BSU the opening goal less than two minutes into the contest and then steamrolled the Beavers 5-2. The Fighting Sioux outshot their fellow Green-and-Whiters 38-14.

Last Ten: North Dakota has won nine of the last ten meetings between the teams, outscoring BSU 41-20 during that stretch. One of those UND victories was a 4-3 overtime decision in Grand Forks, while Bemidji State’s lone bright spot was a 1-0 home win last season.

All-time Series: UND leads the all-time series, 24-2-1 (.907), including a 16-1-1 (.917) record in games played in Grand Forks. Bemidji State’s lone victory in Grand Forks came on February 7, 1970.

Game News and Notes:

UND senior forward Danny Kristo has not scored a single point in six career games against the Beavers. BSU has been outshot in 22 of 27 games this season. North Dakota junior netminder Clarke Saunders faced Bemidji State three times in his career at Alabama-Huntsville, winning one game and losing two others. In overtime games this season, UND has not lost (2-0-6) while BSU has not won (0-3-7).

The Prediction

Everything points to North Dakota domination, but it’s not that simple. Bemidji State has historically played UND tough, and I expect another gritty weekend from the Beavers this time around. Look for a close contest Friday, with North Dakota pulling away on Saturday. UND 3-2, 5-1.

In the new National Collegiate Hockey Conference, it is clear that Denver/North Dakota will be at the top of the league rivalries.

The two schools clearly do not like each other, and the feud goes all the way back to Geoff Paukovitch’ illegal check on Sioux forward Robbie Bina during the 2005 WCHA Final Five.

Since that game (a Denver victory), the two teams have met six times in tournament play. Denver won the 2005 NCAA title with a victory over North Dakota and claimed a 2008 WCHA Final Five win as well. UND has won the last four playoff games between the schools, including three consecutive victories in the WCHA Final Five (2010-2012) and the 2011 NCAA Midwest Regional final which sent the Fighting Sioux to the Frozen Four.

Along the way, we’ve had dasher dances, brawls, illegal checks, devastating hits, and a certain coach losing his way to the visiting locker room.

Both schools seem to get hit by the “early departure” bug each off-season. For North Dakota, forward Brock Nelson (36-32-68 in 84 games) left after his sophomore campaign while goaltender Aaron Dell (49-20-5, 2.15 GAA, .912 SV%, 9 SO) gave up his final season of eligibility. On the Denver side of the ledger, three Pioneers opted not to return: Drew Shore (50-68-118 in 123 games) gave up his senior season, while fellow forwards Jason Zucker (45-46-91 in 78 games) and Beau Bennett (13-25-38 in 47 games) left two years of eligibility on the table.

Only six WCHA teams are in conference action this weekend, but those three series will clear up the playoff picture for the home stretch. After this weekend, all of the schools will have played the same number of games (24), with the exception of Duluth, who travels to face Minnesota this weekend having already played 24 games.

St. Cloud State is in the driver’s seat with 31 points in 22 games played, but faces a tough test at Colorado College. Minnesota and North Dakota are tied for second in the league in winning percentage (28 points in 22 league games), and whichever team fares better this weekend will be the toughest test for SCSU over the final two weekends.

With Colorado College and Minnesota-Duluth stuck in 8th place with 20 points each, UND fans should be cheering for those two schools to topple St. Cloud State and Minnesota, respectively, to give North Dakota the best possible chance at the MacNaughton Cup.

When Denver came up to Grand Forks in December, Gwozdecky’s squad was on top of the WCHA with a record of 7-2-1 (.750). Since that time, however, they’ve been in freefall, going 3-5-3 (.409). DU has dropped all the way to 7th place in the league and is in danger of missing out on home ice for the first round of the conference playoffs.

Denver Team Profile

Head Coach: George Gwozdecky (19th season at DU, 438-262-64 .615)
Pairwise Ranking: 11th
National Rankings: #10
This Season: 15-7-5 overall, 10-7-5 WCHA (7th)
Last Season: 25-14-4 Overall (NCAA Midwest Regional Semifinalist), 16-8-4 WCHA (3rd)

Team Offense: 3.38 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.66 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 22.0% (27 of 123)
Penalty Kill: 84.7% (105 of 124)

Key Players: Junior F Nick Shore (11-15-26), Senior F Chris Knowlton (12-12-24), Senior F Shawn Ostrow (10-10-20), Sophomore D Joey LaLeggia (10-14-24), Junior D David Makowski (6-16-22), Sophomore G Juho Olkinuora (9-3-5, 2.11 GAA, .935 SV%, 2 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (9th season at UND, 229-114-36, .652)
Pairwise Ranking: 6th
National Ranking: #6
This Season: 16-8-6 overall, 11-5-6 WCHA (t-4th)
Last Season: 26-13-3 overall (NCAA West Regional Finalist), 16-11-1 WCHA (4th)

Team Offense: 3.20 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.47 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 21.6% (25 of 116)
Penalty Kill: 83.8% (93 of 111)

Key Players: Senior F Corban Knight (13-27-40), Senior F Danny Kristo (18-21-39), Sophomore F Mark MacMillan (9-9-18), Freshman F Rocco Grimaldi (10-14-24), Junior D Derek Forbort (4-8-12), Sophomore D Dillon Simpson (2-15-17), Freshman G Zane Gothberg (6-3-2. 2.42 GAA, .918 SV%)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: December 8, 2012 (Grand Forks, ND). Carter Rowney capped a five point weekend with two goals on assists from Rocco Grimaldi as UND prevailed, 6-3. Denver scored twice on a five minute power play in the second period but could not get the equalizer. The two teams skated to a 2-2 tie in Friday’s opener, with North Dakota outshooting the Pios 33-20.

Last Meeting in Denver: February 25, 2012. North Dakota could not capitalize on an early five minute power play, and DU road the momentum all the way to a 5-3 victory over the visiting squad from Grand Forks. Chris Knowlton scored twice for DU, who needed the victory to salvage a series split with UND, who won Friday’s opener 4-3.

Most Important Meeting: It’s hard to pick just one game, as the two teams have played four times for the national title. Denver defeated UND for the national championship in 1958, 1968, and 2005, while the Sioux downed the Pioneers in 1963. And just last season, North Dakota defeated Denver in the WCHA Final Five championship game.

Last Ten Games: North Dakota has had the better of it lately, going 7-2-1 (.750) in the last ten meetings between the schools. Only two of the last ten games between the teams have taken place in Denver, with the teams splitting the weekend series. The two teams have also met three times in the WCHA Final Five (St. Paul) and once in the NCAA regionals during this most recent stretch, with UND winning all four games.

All-time Series: UND leads the all-time series, 136-116-9 (.538), but the Pioneers hold a 67-50-3 (.571) record in game played at altitude.

Game News and Notes

UND senior forward Danny Kristo is the active career scoring leader in the NCAA (148 points), and needs six more points to move into the top twenty all time at North Dakota. Both schools are 5-2 in one goal games this season, but North Dakota has scored two overtime winners in eight extra sessions (2-0-6), while DU is winless in seven overtime tries this year (0-2-5). Denver head coach George Gwozdecky just might squat on the dasher in front of his team’s bench.

The Prediction

Everything on paper points to a split this weekend. I have a sneaking suspicion that UND will get off to a slow start in Friday’s opener. A valiant effort will fall just short, but the momentum will carry over into Saturday’s rematch, and North Dakota will head home with two points. DU 4-3, UND 4-2.

This weekend’s WCHA action features a pair of contests that will decide the race for the MacNaughton Cup. #1 ranked Minnesota (10-4-4 WCHA, tied for 3rd place) travels to #8 St. Cloud to face the Huskies (14-5-1 WCHA, 1st place) while #7 North Dakota (9-5-6 WCHA, tied for 3rd place) travels to #14 Nebraska-Omaha (12-6-2 WCHA, 2nd place) to play an indoor/outdoor series against Dean Blais and the Mavericks.

Dean Blais’ squad has a distinct North Dakota feel to it, with Steve Johnson beside him on the bench and two forwards named Archibald and Zombo on the ice. UND fans may remember their dads, Jim Archibald and Rick Zombo, who wore the green and white during Blais’ tenure in Grand Forks.

UND took three points last weekend in a home series against Wisconsin, due in large part to the goaltending of freshman Zane Gothberg (50 saves on 52 shots) and the combined efforts of the power play and penalty kill units. North Dakota killed all eight Wisconsin power plays on the weekend and scored three goals in twelve man-advantage situations.

Both schools are getting scoring contributions from the blueline, as UND and UNO are tied for third nationally with 68 points from defensemen. Junior D Andrej Sustr leads the way for the Mavs with 20 points, while sophomore Dillon Simpson has collected 16 points for North Dakota.

A large and vocal UND fan contingent is expected for this weekend in Omaha. Saturday’s game will be played outdoors at TD Ameritrade Park, the home of the College World Series.

Nebraska-Omaha Team Profile

Head Coach: Dean Blais (4th season at UNO, 71-60-16, .537)
Pairwise Ranking: 21st
National Ranking: #14
This Season: 16-10-2 overall, 12-6-2 WCHA (2nd)
Last Season: 14-18-6 overall, 11-12-5 WCHA (7th)

Team Offense: 3.57 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.71 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 19.6% (19 of 97)
Penalty Kill: 82.9% (97 of 117)

Key Players: Junior F Ryan Walters (16-24-40), Sophomore F Josh Archibald (15-12-27), Sophomore F Dominic Zombo (9-17-26), Junior D Andrej Sustr (7-13-20), Senior D Bryce Aneloski (4-11-15), Senior G John Faulkner (14-5-2, 2.72 GAA, .897 SV%)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (9th season at UND, 227-114-36, .650)
Pairwise Ranking: t-7th
National Ranking: #7
This Season: 14-8-6 overall, 9-5-6 WCHA (t-3rd)
Last Season: 26-13-3 overall (NCAA West Regional Finalist), 16-11-1 WCHA (4th)

Team Offense: 3.18 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.54 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 21.6% (24 of 111)
Penalty Kill: 83.7% (87 of 104)

Key Players: Senior F Corban Knight (12-24-36), Senior F Danny Kristo (16-19-35), Sophomore F Mark MacMillan (9-9-18), Freshman F Rocco Grimaldi (9-13-22), Junior D Derek Forbort (4-8-12), Sophomore D Dillon Simpson (2-14-16), Freshman G Zane Gothberg (4-3-2. 2.62 GAA, .910 SV%)

Last meeting: December 10, 2011 (Grand Forks, ND). One night after the visiting Mavs claimed a dramatic 2-1 overtime victory, UND netminder Aaron Dell stopped all 26 shots he faced and junior forward Danny Kristo potted the only goal of the contest early in the third period. North Dakota held on for the 1-0 victory. Ryan Massa stopped 31 of 32 shots for the Mavericks.

Last meeting in Omaha: November 20, 2010. Just when it appeared that the two teams were headed to overtime in a scoreless tie, North Dakota’s Brad Malone kicked the puck out of the crease right onto the stick of UNO’s Alex Hudson, and the Maverick forward buried his chance with 0.3 seconds to play in regulation. The two teams played a completely different game in Friday’s opener, with North Dakota claiming a 6-5 victory.

Most important meeting: Since the two teams have only met six times (and the series is tied at three games apiece), I will call Friday’s opener the most important meeting between the schools.

Game News and Notes

Nebraska-Omaha’s John Faulkner is one victory away from tying Dan Ellis for the most career goaltending victories (53) for the Mavericks. North Dakota only has two current players who have scored a goal against Nebraska-Omaha (Danny Kristo and Carter Rowney). UNO’s Ryan Walter became the nation’s first 40 point scorer with his goal last Friday against Michigan Tech. Friday’s game will air live on NBC Sports Network, while Saturday’s outdoor contest will be featured on Midco Sports Network.

The Prediction

North Dakota’s momentum will carry into Friday’s opener, with the top line of Knight, Kristo, and Grimaldi leading the way. Saturday’s outdoor contest, equal parts sport and spectacle, will go to whichever team can handle the elements and the less-than-perfect ice surface. In the rematch, I give a slight edge to the Mavericks. UND 4-2, UNO 4-3.

Despite better and more consistent play over the past two weekends, North Dakota is still struggling to find victories and finds itself in a precarious position for the NCAA tournament with Wisconsin coming to town.

Sound familiar? It’s the same story as last season. Almost exactly one year ago, UND managed no better than splits against Minnesota and St. Cloud State and needed wins against the Badgers. The Green and White swept Bucky out of the Ralph and went 12-3-1 the rest of the way, earning home ice for the playoffs, claiming the Broadmoor trophy, and making the NCAA West Regional final.

This season, Dave Hakstol’s club has struggled to find victories over the past couple of weekends, earning only a pair of ties and two losses against Minnesota and St. Cloud State. UW comes to town white-hot, with a 10-1-3 mark in the past 14 games, the same 14 games that freshman phenom Nic Kerdiles has been in the lineup.

The teams are tied for fourth in the WCHA race, but North Dakota’s picture nationally looks a little brighter than Wisconsin’s: UW is currently 23rd in the Pairwise rankings, while UND sits in 10th.

Mike Eave’s squad boasts a pair of netminders with sub-2.00 goals-against averages, and his team is allowing exactly two goals per game for the season. The struggle for Bucky has been scoring, particularly on the power play. If the two teams earn the same number of man-advantage opportunities, that situation would favor North Dakota.

For Dave Hakstol, freshman goaltender Zane Gothberg has worked his way into a rotation with Clarke Saunders. As a freshman for Alabama-Huntsville, Saunders faced the Badgers twice, and his line is not very impressive: 0-2-0, 6.73 GAA, .821 SV%. It is fair to say that the junior transfer has a different team in front of him this time around.

On the injury front, Wisconsin will be without the services of senior forward Derek Lee, who is still suffering from the effects of a concussion. Lee is second on the team in scoring with 19 points. North Dakota is healthy up and down the lineup, and appears to have more scoring depth than the Badgers.

Wisconsin Team Profile

Head Coach: Mike Eaves (11th season at UW, 220-164-49, .565)
Pairwise Ranking: 23rd
National Ranking: #19
This Season: 11-8-5 overall, 8-5-5 WCHA (t-4th)
Last Season: 17-18-2 overall, 11-15-2 WCHA (10th)

Team Offense: 2.33 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.00 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 11.4% (8 of 70)
Penalty Kill: 82.4% (70 of 85)

Key Players: Junior F Michael Mersch (15-6-21), Junior F Mark Zengerle (4-9-13), Freshman F Nic Kerdiles (3-7-10 in 14 games), Sophomore D Jake McCabe (2-8-10), Senior D John Ramage (4-3-7), Sophomore G Joel Rumpel (6-6-3, 1.85 GAA, .930 SV%, 3 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (9th season at UND, 226-114-35, .649)
Pairwise Ranking: 10th
National Ranking: #7
This Season: 13-8-5 overall, 8-5-5 WCHA (t-4th)
Last Season: 26-13-3 overall (NCAA West Regional Finalist), 16-11-1 WCHA (4th)

Team Offense: 3.23 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.65 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 21.2% (21 of 99)
Penalty Kill: 82.3% (79 of 96)

Key Players: Senior F Corban Knight (12-23-35), Senior F Danny Kristo (15-18-33), Sophomore F Mark MacMillan (8-9-17), Freshman F Rocco Grimaldi (9-11-20), Junior D Derek Forbort (4-8-12), Sophomore D Dillon SImpson (2-12-14), Junior G Clarke Saunders (10-5-4, 2.34 GAA, .914 SV%, 2 SO)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: January 28, 2012 (Grand Forks, ND). North Dakota rode a strong third period to a 4-2 victory and a series sweep over the visiting Badgers. Wisconsin had swept UND earlier in the year at the Kohl Center. Both Danny Kristo and Brock Nelson had four point weekends for the Green and White.

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, 86-64-11 (.568), and holds a 36-32-8 (.526) edge in games played in Grand Forks.

Last Ten: The Badgers have had slightly the better of it in the last ten contests, going 5-4-1 (.550) in that stretch. UND has won four of the last six, outscoring Bucky 21-17.

Game News and Notes

Despite coaching for two fewer seasons than his counterpart on the UW bench, North Dakota head coach Dave Hakstol has collected six more victories than Mike Eaves. Remarkably, Wisconsin has lost just once in ten road games (6-1-3). UND senior forward Danny Kristo has ten points in eight career games against the Badgers, including two goals and two assists in a home sweep last season.

The Prediction

Call it a hunch, but it’s February now and this feels like the weekend where UND’s effort translates to goals and victories. It won’t be easy, but North Dakota’s power play and penalty kill will lead the way. UND 2-0, 3-2.

As I mentioned in my UND/SCSU Challenge Cup article, North Dakota and St. Cloud State have been paired up as schedule partners and rivals since the 2002-03 season. Two years later, the Center Ice Club created a commemorative trophy to mark the rivalry, and the two teams have been battling it out four times each season to claim the Challenge Cup.

Since that time, UND has had the better of the play, both at home (9-4-3 in the Challenge Cup era) and in St. Cloud (9-6-3). North Dakota has claimed the Cup four times, the teams have shared the trophy three times, and the Huskies won the trophy outright in 2005-06.

The teams split a November series at the National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, so the Cup is on the line this weekend in Grand Forks.

St. Cloud State is tied with Minnesota for first place in the league standings, but the standings are incredibly tight. First and seventh place are separated by only three points, with eighth place Wisconsin (6-5-5 in league play) in the mix as well.

Both teams boast top-end talent and rookies who have made an impact. Special teams will be key this weekend, particularly SCSU’s power play. The Huskies have had 105 man-advantage situations this season and have only been called upon to kill 75 penalties, a difference of more than one full power play per contest. North Dakota’s power play took a step back last weekend, converting only one of ten chances against Minnesota.

The other key this weekend is how different these two teams are on the smaller ice sheet. North Dakota is 10-3-3 this year on NHL ice (7-2-3 at Ralph Engelstad Arena and 3-1 at Notre Dame and Michigan Tech), while St. Cloud State is 3-5 on the road (compared to 11-5 at home). Furthermore, SCSU has only played four games on the narrow sheet this season, splitting road series at Denver and Minnesota-Duluth.

It may not feel this way since UND doesn’t have one marquee offensive defenseman, but the Green and White boast the second-highest scoring d-corps in the country. Blueliners Dillon Simpson, Derek Forbort, Joe Gleason, and Nick Mattson have all reached double digits in points this season. Of that foursome, only Joe Gleason is a senior.

There are twenty current NCAA Division I men’s hockey players with at least 100 career points, and four of them will be on the ice this weekend. North Dakota’s Danny Kristo (140) and Corban Knight (130) will be joined by St. Cloud State’s Drew LeBlanc (131) and LeBlanc’s teammate, Ben Hanowski, who joined the Century Club with a three point game (one goal, two assists) against Denver last Saturday night.

St. Cloud State Team Profile

Head Coach: (Bob Motzko, 8th season at SCSU, 151-119-34, .553)
Pairwise Ranking: 14th
National Ranking: #16
This Season: 14-10-0 overall, 11-5-0 WCHA (t-1st)
Last Season: 17-17-5 overall, 12-12 4 WCHA (6th)

Team Offense: 3.33 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.54 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 18.1% (19 of 105)
Penalty Kill: 84.0% (63 of 75)

Key Players: Junior F Nic Dowd (11-15-26), Senior F Drew LeBlanc (7-27-34), Senior F Ben Hanowski (8-10-18), Junior D Nick Jensen (3-16-19), Sophomore D Andrew Prochno (2-12-14), Sophomore G Ryan Faragher (13-8-0, 2.29 GAA, .911 SV%, 2 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (9th season at UND, 226-113-34, .651)
Pairwise Ranking: t-6th
National Ranking: #5
This Season: 13-7-4 overall, 8-4-4 WCHA (t-3rd)
Last Season: 26-13-3 overall (NCAA West Regional Finalist), 16-11-1 WCHA (4th)

Team Offense: 3.38 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.67 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 17.4% (20 of 95)
Penalty Kill: 82.2% (74 of 90)

Key Players: Senior F Corban Knight (11-22-33), Senior F Danny Kristo (14-17-31), Sophomore F Mark MacMillan (8-9-17), Freshman F Rocco Grimaldi (8-11-19), Junior D Derek Forbort (4-8-12), Sophomore D Dillon SImpson (2-12-14), Junior G Clarke Saunders (10-5-3, 2.37 GAA, .915 SV%, 2 SO)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: November 10, 2012 (St. Cloud, MN). One night after Clarke Saunders stopped all 32 shots he faced in a 3-0 UND victory, St. Cloud State scored five times on 37 shots in a 5-2 home victory. Senior forward Drew LeBlanc scored twice and added an assist for the Huskies, who claimed two points and drew even in the race for the 2012-2013 Challenge Cup.

Last Meeting in Grand Forks: October 29, 2011. In a reversal of the storyline from the last series in St. Cloud, UND rebounded from a Friday shutout loss (4-0) to claim a Saturday home victory. Mark MacMillan, Corban Knight, and Brock Nelson all scored second period goals as North Dakota avoided starting the WCHA portion of their schedule 0-4 for the first time in program history.

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, 60-32-11 (.636), with a stellar 30-13-5 (.677) mark in games played in Grand Forks.

Last Ten: North Dakota has had the edge lately, posting a 6-3-1 (.650) record in the last ten meetings between the teams. UND has outscored St. Cloud State 28-23 during that span.

Game News and Notes

SCSU freshman forward Kalle Kossila leads the nation’s rookies with 11 goals. UND senior center Corban Knight is riding a 19 game point streak, the fourth-longest in school history. Knight has collected nine goals and 22 assists during that stretch. St. Cloud State has not tied a game this season (14-10-0), while UND has already knotted four games (13-7-4). North Dakota linemates Corban Knight and Danny Kristo have 30 career points in 30 games against the Huskies.

The Prediction

I could easily make a case for a three point weekend either way. St. Cloud State is flying high after a sweep of Denver last weekend (5-2, 5-1), while North Dakota is back at home after an emotional series at Minnesota. UND has only lost four home games to SCSU over the past eight seasons, so I’ll give the slight edge to North Dakota. Saturday’s rematch will go to overtime, with the Green and White salvaging a tie and claiming the Challenge Cup. UND 4-3, 3-3 tie.

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 and the Center Ice Club, I would like to invite you to the UND/SCSU pre-game social on Saturday afternoon from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. inside the Muddy Rivers Ballroom (710 First Avenue North) near downtown Grand Forks. This is a great opportunity to meet fans on both sides of the rivalry, win fabulous door prizes, enjoy a free appetizer bar, 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.

At that time, even though the WCHA expanded to 12 teams (adding Bemidji State and Nebraska-Omaha) and implemented a new rotating schedule, UND and SCSU continued to play four games each year. It remains to be seen whether North Dakota and St. Cloud State will partner up for four games each season in the new National Collegiate Hockey Conference.

Over the past nine 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 04-05, going 3-0-1 against the Huskies. St. Cloud took the trophy back in 05-06, sporting a record of 3-1-0 against North Dakota. In 06-07, 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 08-09, 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 following year (09-10), both series were splits, and the Challenge Cup was shared once again. In 2010-11, UND claimed seven of eight points (3-0-1) and took back the trophy, while the 2011-12 campaign went down as another tie. And last season (2012-13), the Huskies took five of eight series points to engrave their name on the trophy once again.

If you’re keeping track at home, UND has won the Cup four times, St. Cloud has claimed the trophy twice, and the schools have shared the Challenge Cup three times.

The teams will earn points toward the Challenge Cup this weekend in Grand Forks, but the winner of the trophy will not be determined until the teams meet in St. Cloud in late February and early March of next year.

The Challenge Cup will be on display at the SiouxSports.com UND/SCSU fan social this Saturday, November 2nd from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. in the Muddy Rivers Ballroom (GuestHouse Inn and Suites near downtown Grand Forks). This is a great opportunity to meet fans on both sides of this hockey rivalry. There will be complimentary appetizers, fabulous door prizes, and a fan bus to and from Ralph Engelstad Arena. The event is free and open to all fans 21 and older.

Check back on Friday for a full preview of this weekend’s game action.