Author: Dave Berger

One of these teams, but likely not both, will be at home for the first round of the WCHA playoffs in March.

For North Dakota, it would be their tenth consecutive home playoff series, the longest active streak in the league. Michigan Tech has never hosted the first round of the conference tournament under the current fomat.

The Huskies sit one point back of 6th place UND in the race for home ice. Colorado College and Nebraska-Omaha are tied for 4th place, one point ahead of North Dakota. The top six teams in the final WCHA standings will earn home playoff games.

It would be easy for the casual fan to overlook first year head coach Mel Pearson and his Michigan Tech squad, given the fact that UND has taken the last ten meetings between the teams by a combined score of 53-14. But MTU is improved in every area – scoring offense, scoring defense, power play, and penalty kill – and expect to have junior forward Milos Gordic (8-5-13 in 20 games) back for this series.

For the record, Mel Pearson spent the previous 23 seasons as an assistant coach at Michigan and was behind the bench for the Wolverines 2-0 Frozen Four victory over North Dakota last April. MTU assistant coach Bill Muckalt and goaltending coach Steve Shields are former Michigan players. Pearson played his college hockey at Michigan Tech.

North Dakota continues to roll out the only healthy bodies left in the locker room, and have gone 12-4-1 in the last 17 games. After a torried 6-2-1 start, Michigan Tech is a pedestrian 6-9-2 in the past 17.

For UND, junior goaltender Aaron Dell has played the majority of minutes this season, but look for Dell and senior netminder Brad Eidsness to split starts this weekend.

It’s a bit of an unusual end to the regular season for the Green and White: after hosting Michigan Tech in the first two meetings between the teams this year, North Dakota plays at Denver and vs. MSU-Mankato to close out the schedule, two other teams UND has not faced all season.

After next season (2012-13), 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 (1st season at MTU, 13-14-3, .483)
Pairwise Ranking: NR
National Rankings: NR/NR
This Season: 13-14-3 overall, 10-9-3 WCHA (7th)
Last Season: 4-30-4 overall, 2-24-2 WCHA (12th)

Team Offense: 3.07 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 3.00 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 20.6% (28 of 136)
Penalty Kill: 83.8% (109 of 130)

Key Players: Senior F Brett Olson (9-18-27), Senior F Jordan Baker (9-16-25), Junior F Milos Gordic (8-5-13), Freshman F David Johnstone (9-14-23), Junior D Steven Seigo (3-16-19), Sophomore D Daniel Sova (2-9-11), Senior G Josh Robinson (12-11-3, 2.85 GAA, .909 SV%, 3 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (8th season at UND, 203-104-29, .647)
Pairwise Ranking: t-15th
National Rankings: #14/#15
This Season: 16-11-2 overall, 12-10-0 WCHA (6th)
Last Season: 32-9-3 overall (NCAA Frozen Four semifinalist), 21-6-1 WCHA (1st)

Team Offense: 3.07 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.79 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 21.3% (29 of 136)
Penalty Kill: 81.5% (101 of 124)

Key Players: Junior F Danny Kristo (14-17-31) Junior F Corban Knight (8-18-26), Sophomore F Brock Nelson (20-12-32), Freshman D Nick Mattson (5-10-15), Senior D Ben Blood (2-12-14), Junior G Aaron Dell (12-9-2, 2.80 GAA, .890 SV%, 1 SO)

By The Numbers

Last meeting: March 12, 2011 (Grand Forks, ND). In the second and decisive game of the WCHA first-round playoff series, UND battled a tough Michigan Tech squad and secured a 3-1 victory to advance to the WCHA Final Five in St. Paul, MN. Two second period goals in the span of two minutes erased an early 1-0 Michigan Tech lead. North Dakota had won the previous three meetings between the teams by a combined score of 25-3.

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, 144-90-9 (.611), including a 81-33-4 (.703) record in games played in Grand Forks. The teams first met in 1948.

Last Ten: UND has won the last ten games between the teams. The last time the Huskies earned a point against North Dakota was back in January 2009, when the teams skated to a 3-3 tie in Houghton. North Dakota avenged the tie with a 5-0 drubbing the following night. The Fighting Sioux have outscored the Huskies 53-14 in the last ten games.

Game News and Notes

UND head coach Dave Hakstol is 22-5-1 (.804) in his coaching career against Michigan Tech. MTU has picked up points in four of five road series this season. Bemidji State is the only WCHA team to sweep the visiting Huskies this year. North Dakota junior forward Carter Rowney is on a tear this season, potting twelve goals this season (29 games) after collecting just four goals in his first two years at UND (67 games).

The Prediction

The Huskies are eager to bring their new look to Engelstad Arena, and Friday’s first period will tell the tale. Both games will be close, and Michigan Tech could earn a point or two this weekend, but UND has been focused, particularly at home. UND 4-3, 5-3.

North Dakota has lost just three times in the past 15 games (11-3-1), and, according to Jim Dahl’s work, could find themselves in the top ten of the Pairwise rankings with a sweep this weekend. UND would also likely rise a bit in the Pairwise with a split.

Minnesota-Duluth has shown some cracks in the armor recently. The Bulldogs have gone just 3-3-1 in the past seven after rattling off a 17-game unbeaten streak (14-0-3). Losses to Michigan Tech and Alaska-Anchorage in consecutive weekends have some in Duluth wondering if UMD can repeat as NCAA champions.

At the end of last season (2010-11), many expected these two squads to go to battle for the national title. Duluth held up their end of the bargain, dispatching Notre Dame in their semifinal. UND fell short, however, falling to Michigan 2-0 in heartbreaking fashion.

North Dakota and Minnesota-Duluth are two of eight schools scheduled to begin play in the new National Collegiate Hockey Conference beginning in 2013-14.

Minnesota-Duluth Team Profile

Head Coach: Scott Sandelin (12th season at UMD, 210-206-56, .504)
Pairwise Ranking: 5th
National Rankings: #3/#3
This Season: 18-6-4 overall, 12-5-3 WCHA (2nd)
Last Season: 26-10-6 overall (NCAA National Champions), 15-8-5 WCHA (4th)

Team Offense: 3.75 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.46 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 18.7% (26 of 139)
Penalty Kill: 78.1% (100 of 128)

Key Players: Senior F Jack Connolly (15-27-42), Sophomore F J.T. Brown (16-21-37), Senior F Travis Oleksuk (16-21-37), Senior D Brady Lamb (5-14-19), Senior D Scott Kishel (3-14-17), Senior G Kenny Reiter (17-5-4, 2.30 GAA, .914 SV%, 3 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (8th season at UND, 202-103-29, .648)
Pairwise Ranking: t-15th
National Rankings: #16/#15
This Season: 15-10-2 overall, 11-9-0 WCHA (t-5th)
Last Season: 32-9-3 overall (NCAA Frozen Four semifinalist), 21-6-1 WCHA (1st)

Team Offense: 3.04 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.78 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 21.4% (27 of 126)
Penalty Kill: 83.8% (93 of 111)

Key Players: Junior F Danny Kristo (14-17-31) Junior F Corban Knight (8-18-26), Sophomore F Brock Nelson (19-12-31), Freshman D Nick Mattson (5-10-15), Senior D Ben Blood (2-11-13), Junior G Aaron Dell (11-8-2, 2.81 GAA, .892 SV%, 1 SO)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: December 30, 2010 (Duluth, MN). North Dakota scored three 2nd period goals in a span of 74 seconds to spoil the opening of Amsoil Arena for the homestanding Bulldogs. The U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game featured #3 UND against #2 Duluth, and the visiting squad from Grand Forks blanked UMD 5-0. Arena officials had to sound the goal horn after the game to let fans know how it would sound.

Most Important Meeting: March 22, 1984 (Lake Placid, NY) Minnesota-Duluth and North Dakota met in the national semifinal game, with the Bulldogs defeating the Fighting Sioux 2-1 in overtime to advance to the championship. UND went on to defeat Michigan State 6-5 (OT) for third place, while Duluth fell to Bowling Green 5-4 in four overtimes, the longest championship game ever played.

All-time Series: UND leads the all-time series, 134-74-8 (.639), including a 54-38-5 (.582) record in games played in Duluth.

Last Ten: North Dakota is 6-4-0 (.600) in the last ten games between the teams. UND has outscored Duluth 30-19 in the past ten contests.

Game News and Notes

UND teammates Danny Kristo and Ben Blood are among 77 players on the fan ballot for college hockey’s Hobey Baker Award. Head coaches Dave Hakstol and Scott Sandelin each have notched more than 200 career victories. UMD’s recent skid came after a string of eight straight road games. Both North Dakota goalies (Aaron Dell and Brad Eidsness) have sub-1.90 goals-against averages in games against Duluth.

The Prediction

North Dakota is finding ways to get points on the road every weekend, but Duluth is looking to flip the scoreboard from last season’s 5-0 embarrassment. It’s possible that UND will notch three points this weekend by tying one up late, but I’ll go with a split. UMD 3-2, UND 4-2.

There are two trends at odds this weekend when North Dakota travels to St. Cloud to face the Huskies:

Trend #1: In the past eleven games this season, North Dakota is 8-2-1, while St. Cloud State is just 3-6-2.

Trend #2: Since 1998, UND is winless on Friday nights at SCSU (0-7-4) but has come back strong on Saturday nights (9-1-1).

Another issue at play in this critical WCHA series is that both teams are playing shorthanded.

For St. Cloud, sophomore forwards Cam Reid and Mitch MacMillan have left the team for better opportunities, while senior forward Drew LeBlanc (2-10-12 in 10 games) and junior goaltender Mike Lee (2-2-1, 3.34 GAA, .896 SV%) suffered injuries. Mike Lee is close to returning and could see action this weekend.

On the North Dakota side, it’s even worse. Before the season started, the predicted 2nd and 3rd line forwards were J.T.Miller, Colten St. Clair, Rocco Grimaldi, Derek Rodwell, Michael Parks, and Brendan O’Donnell. None of those six forwards will play in these games.

Miller backed out of his commitment to UND, and St. Clair has not yet cleared the NCAA Eligibility Center. Grimaldi and Rodwell are in line for season-ending surgeries, while Parks and O’Donnell are nursing injuries and unable to suit up this weekend.

Put another way: UND is competing this weekend with a top line of Danny Kristo/Corban Knight/Brock Nelson and a whole slew of fourth line forwards. UND is so thin up front that it is possible (though unlikely) that third-string goaltender Tate Maris could suit up and see action as a forward on the fourth line.

On the blue line, North Dakota’s Derek Forbort sustained a lower body injury while playing for the United States at the World Junior tournament and has yet to return to the lineup.

The teams split an October series in Grand Forks, so the UND/SCSU Challenge Cup is on the line this weekend in St. Cloud.

St. Cloud State Team Profile

Head Coach: (Bob Motzko, 7th season at SCSU, 129-103-33, .549)
Pairwise Ranking: 30th (tie)
National Rankings: NR/NR
This Season: 9-11-4 overall, 6-7-3 WCHA (8th)
Last Season: 15-18-5 overall, 11-13 4 WCHA (9th)

Team Offense: 3.12 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 3.04 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 20.7% (19 of 92)
Penalty Kill: 75.8% (72 of 95))

Key Players: Senior F Jared Festler (10-8-18), Junior F Ben Hanowski (12-13-25), Senior F Travis Novak (7-10-17), Freshman D Jarrod Rabey (2-5-7), Sophomore D Nick Jensen (5-14-19), Freshman G Ryan Faragher (7-9-3, 2.82 GAA, .909 SV%, 1 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (8th season at UND, 199-102-29, .647)
Pairwise Ranking: 18th (tie)
National Rankings: #17/#16
This Season: 12-9-2 overall, 8-8-0 WCHA (7th)
Last Season: 32-9-3 overall (NCAA Frozen Four semifinalist), 21-6-1 WCHA (1st)

Team Offense: 3.00 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.83 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 21.2% (24 of 113)
Penalty Kill: 82.5% (80 of 97)

Key Players: Junior F Danny Kristo (12-13-25) Junior F Corban Knight (6-15-21), Sophomore F Brock Nelson (16-9-25), Freshman D Nick Mattson (5-8-13), Senior D Ben Blood (2-9-11), Senior G Brad Eidsness (3-1-0, 2.48 GAA, .915 SV%)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: October 29, 2011 (Grand Forks, ND). The Huskies blanked North Dakota 4-0 in Friday’s opener, but UND exacted revenge on Saturday. North Dakota forwards Corban Knight and Brock Nelson potted second period goals just 89 seconds apart to lead the Green and White to a 3-1 home victory.

Last Meeting in St. Cloud: February 19, 2011. 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.

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, 57-30-11 (.638), with a slight edge of 22-16-6 (.568) in games played at the National Hockey Center in St. Cloud. North Dakota is 6-3-1 (.750) in the last ten contests between the schools. This weekend will mark the 99th and 100th meetings between the two programs.

Game News and Notes

North Dakota head coach Dave Hakstol is 19-8-6 (.667) in his career against St. Cloud State. Hakstol could join UND’s 200 Victory Club with a win this weekend, joining two others (John “Gino” Gasparini and Dean Blais) as the only coaches to reach that milestone. SCSU freshman goalie Ryan Faragher has made 18 consecutive starts for the Huskies, a run that started with his 4-0 shutout victory in Grand Forks on October 28th. St. Cloud assistant coach Steve Johnson was a four year letterwinner at UND, collecting 191 points in 153 games. He was a finalist for the Hobey Baker award and a first-team All-American as a senior.

The Prediction

The Friday/Saturday trend will continue, with North Dakota falling just short on Friday night before pulling away in Saturday’s rematch. SCSU 4-3, UND 4-2.

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 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Legends Bar inside the Holiday Inn in St. Cloud. 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 season. For a complete look at how the the WCHA schedule works, click here.

And it’s safe to say that as members of the new eight-team National Collegiate Hockey Conference (which begins play in 2013-2014), North Dakota and St. Cloud State will continue to play four regular season games each year.

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.

In the first two games of this season’s series, the teams split two games at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks. The Huskies blanked UND in the opener, 4-0, and North Dakota took the rematch by a final of 3-1. The win kept UND from starting the WCHA season with four consecutive losses for the first time in school history.

The Challenge Cup will be on display at the Center Ice Club pre-game social this Saturday, January 21st from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Legends Bar inside the Holiday Inn (Division Street and 37th Avenue) in St. Cloud. This is a great opportunity to meet fans on both sides of this hockey rivalry. There will be complimentary food and door prizes. The event is free and open to all fans 21 and older.

Please check back for a complete preview of this weekend’s series. We hope to see you at Saturday’s fan social. Here’s to hockey!

Much has been made of the fact that these two teams have been headed in opposite directions since Minnesota swept North Dakota at Mariucci Arena in November (2-0, 3-2). But is that really the case? Let’s take a look inside some of the numbers and find out…

Coming into the November series, Minnesota’s numbers were eye-popping. Consider these:

Team Offense: 5.38 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 1.75 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 35.9% (14 of 39)
Penalty Kill: 87.5% (35 of 40)

And since those two games:

Team Offense: 3.46 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.54 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 21.1% (12 of 57)
Penalty Kill: 78.0% (46 of 59)

For North Dakota, their early numbers spoke directly to their 3-4-1 record:

Team Offense: 2.75 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 3.50 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 20.5% (8 of 39)
Penalty Kill: 78.1% (25 of 32)

And since being swept at the hands of the Gophers:

Team Offense: 3.73 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.27 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 26.4% (14 of 53)
Penalty Kill: 81.8% (36 of 44)

UND has put together a record of 8-2-1 since their last meeting with Minnesota, while the Gophers are just 6-6-1.

The question this weekend will be: can the intensity and importance of this series be enough for North Dakota to overcome injuries and battle Minnesota’s depth? Goaltending can be the great equalizer, but we haven’t seen Aaron Dell or Brad Eidsness steal a game for UND yet this year.

For Minnesota, the early season scoring depth has cooled off. Second-line center Erik Haula has just three goals in his last 16 games after collected seven goals and 10 assists in his first seven games.

North Dakota is 19-12-3 (.603) all time when playing on Friday the 13th, including a 7-1-2 record in its last ten games on that date. The series opener is, of course, on Friday the 13th.

Minnesota Team Profile

Head Coach: Don Lucia (13th season at Minnesota, 305-166-54, .632)
Pairwise Ranking: 8th
National Rankings: #5/#5
This Season: 15-7-1 overall, 11-3-0 WCHA (t-1st)
Last Season: 16-14-6 overall (missed NCAA tournament), 13-10-5 WCHA (5th)

Team Offense: 4.04 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.13 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 24.5% (27 of 110)
Penalty Kill: 82.9% (92 of 111)

Key Players: Sophomore F Erik Haula (10-17-27), Freshman F Kyle Rau (12-10-22), Sophomore F Nick Bjugstad (17-11-28), Sophomore D Nate Schmidt (1-23-24), Sophomore D Mark Alt (4-10-14), Senior G Kent Patterson (15-7-1, 2.13 GAA, .918 SV%, 6 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (8th season at UND, 198-101-29, .648)
Pairwise Ranking: t-18th
National Rankings: #17/#18
This Season: 11-8-2 overall, 7-7-0 WCHA (6th)
Last Season: 32-9-3 overall (NCAA Frozen Four semifinalist), 21-6-1 WCHA (1st)

Team Offense: 3.10 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.76 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 22.1% (23 of 104)
Penalty Kill: 82.2% (74 of 90)

Key Players: Junior F Danny Kristo (11-13-24) Sophomore F Brock Nelson (15-9-24), Freshman F Mark MacMillan (4-5-9), Senior D Ben Blood (2-8-10), Freshman D Nick Mattson (5-8-13), Senior G Brad Eidsness (3-1-0, 2.43 GAA, .918 SV%)

By The Numbers

Last meeting: November 5, 2011 (Minneapolis, MN). North Dakota took a 2-1 lead into the third period against the Gophers but it didn’t hold up. Minnesota’s Nick Larson tied the game with six minutes to play and Kyle Rau potted the game winner with under a minute to go. Minnesota took the opener, 2-0.

Last meeting in Grand Forks (January 15, 2011). UND spotted Minnesota an early goal and then responded with four straight of their own to earn a 4-1 victory and a split of the weekend series. The Golden Gophers took a 3-2 decision in Friday’s opener.

Most important meeting: March 24, 1979 (Detroit, MI). North Dakota and Minnesota met to decide the national championship, and the Gophers prevailed, 4-3.

All-time: Minnesota leads the all-time series by a slim margin, 135-128-14 (.513), although North Dakota has a 69-54-8 (.557) edge in games played in Grand Forks.

Recent history: Minnesota has had the better of it lately, sporting a record of 5-3-2 (.600) in the last ten games between the schools.

Game News and Notes

Dave Hakstol is 15-11-3 against Minnesota in his head coaching career. With a sweep this weekend, Hakstol will join the 200 win club (John “Gino” Gasparini and Dean Blais are the only other UND coaches to reach that plateau). This weekend is a White Out Weekend at Ralph Engelstad Arena, with fans encouraged to wear white to both games. In an effort to alleviate parking and security concerns this weekend, Gopher fans are asked to arrive at 10:37 p.m. each night. Downtown Horns will be playing in the Ralph Engelstad Arena concourse both nights. UND is 8-2-1 when the Horns play at the Ralph.

The Prediction

I’d love to give more than two points to North Dakota, but I can’t see it happening here. UND will pull out a victory on Friday before Minnesota’s depth shines through in the rematch. UND 4-2, MN 4-1.

This is the type of series that can make or break a season, particularly a season filled with ups and downs and NCAA tournament bubbles.

After some growing pains, North Dakota is hitting their stride, winning six of their last eight and losing the other two by a single goal (at Bemidji State, vs. Nebraska-Omaha). With a 2-1-1 mark in non-conference play and only a single game against Clarkson (in Winnipeg, Manitoba) on the schedule, these two games are critical for securing a spot in the national tournament.

For Harvard, it may be a bit too early to tell, as the Crimson have played just ten games (North Dakota has played 18). Is Harvard capable of sustaining their nation’s-best 32% power play? Can they correct a dreadful 68% penalty kill? And can a freshman goaltender continue to keep them in games?

As with most teams, Harvard’s special teams play will come back to the pack. The Crimson continue to get offensive contributions from their blueliners (their top-six defensemen have collected 36 points in 10 games, while UND’s top three pairs have notched only 33 points in 18 games).

North Dakota’s Derek Forbort (sophomore defenseman) will miss this weekend’s series (World Junior Championships), while two Sioux forwards – junior Corban Knight and senior Mario Lamoureux – may return to the lineup after missing time with undisclosed injuries. UND freshman forward Rocco Grimaldi will not return to game action this weekend.

Harvard Team Profile

Head Coach: Ted Donato (8th season at Harvard, 107-113-24, .488)
Pairwise Ranking: #25 (tie)
National Rankings: NR/NR
This Season: 4-3-3 overall, 3-3-2 ECAC (t-4th)
Last Season: 12-21-1, 7-14-1 ECAC (10th)

Team Offense: 3.50 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 3.40 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 32.1% (17 of 53)
Penalty Kill: 68.6% (24 of 35)

Key Players: Senior F Alex Killorn (6-6-12), Junior F Alex Fallstrom (3-6-9), Junior F Marshall Everson (4-3-7), Junior D Danny Biega (3-10-13), Freshman D Patrick McNally (3-9-12), Freshman G Steve Michalek (4-2-2, 3.10 GAA, .898 SV%)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (8th season at UND, 196-101-28, .646)
Pairwise Ranking: #20 (tie)
National Rankings: #18/NR
This Season: 9-8-1 overall, 7-7-0 WCHA (6th)
Last Season: 32-9-3 overall (NCAA Frozen Four semifinalist), 21-6-1 WCHA (1st)

Team Offense: 2.83 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.78 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 22.2% (20 of 90)
Penalty Kill: 82.3% (65 of 79)

Key Players: Junior F Danny Kristo (9-11-20) Junior F Corban Knight (6-15-21), Sophomore F Brock Nelson (14-8-22), Freshman D Nick Mattson (3-6-9), Senior D Ben Blood (2-7-9), Senior G Brad Eidsness (3-1-0, 2.43 GAA, .918 SV%)

By The Numbers

Last meeting: December 6, 2008 (Cambridge, MA). The Fighting Sioux answered an early third period goal by the Crimson with two goals of their own in the final frame and held off homestanding Harvard to earn the road sweep. UND pounded Harvard 10-1 in Friday’s opener despite being outshot 40-37.

Last meeting in Grand Forks: December 30, 2005. The Green and White won a hard-fought 3-2 contest to avenge a 1-0 defeat one night earlier. Harvard’s shutout win in the opener was their only win over North Dakota in the last 60 years.

Most important meeting: The teams have met twice in the NCAA semifinals (1958 and 1987), with North Dakota winning both by a combined score of 14-3. Since UND won the national championship in 1987, I will go with March 26, 1987 (a 5-2 Sioux victory in Detroit, MI) as the most important game between the schools.

All time series: UND leads the all-time series with a record of 8-2-1 (.773) against Harvard.

Game News and Notes

Saturday’s game will mark just the second official game UND has ever played on New Year’s Eve. The only other contest was a 6-3 setback against the U.S. National team in 1955. North Dakota played an exhibition game (also a loss) against the St. Petersburg Red Army in 1993. Harvard senior defenseman Danny Biega is second nationally in points per game by a blueliner (1.40). Brad Eidsness is the only current Sioux player to have played against Harvard, winning both games in Cambridge and posting a 2.00 GAA and .947 save percentage in the road sweep.

The Prediction

One of these games will be close, and if history repeats it will be Saturday’s rematch. Aside from a win against Colgate, the Crimson have not fared well against better teams. UND will wear down Harvard over the course of the weekend and come out with two victories. UND 5-1, 3-2.

North Dakota has had two distinct stretches in league play this season. In its first three weekends of WCHA action this year (at Wisconsin, vs. St. Cloud State, at Minnesota), UND went just 1-5-0 and was outscored 20-12.

Over the next three conference series (at Bemidji State, vs. Colorado College, at Alaska-Anchorage), the Fighting Sioux won five of six games and outscored its opponents 25-15.

The Green and White have improved in several areas since the opening of the season. Goaltending is getting better, and it’s encouraging that both Aaron Dell and Brad Eidsness are in the mix. More importantly, UND has found secondary scoring. While North Dakota’s top line of Danny Kristo, Brock Nelson, and Corban Knight (28 goals and 34 assists so far this year) continue to be the team’s bread and butter, the all-freshman line of Mark MacMillan, Brendan O’Donnell, and Michael Parks have collected three goals and two assists in the last four games.

Last year’s UNO/UND series in Grand Forks was a homecoming of sorts for Mavericks’ head coach Dean Blais, and this year, he brings two players with him who have strong ties to the Fighting Sioux program:

Freshman netminder Dayn Belfour has started four games for the Mavs this year and boasts the best goaltending numbers on the team (2.30 GAA, .899 SV%)

Fellow freshman Josh Archibald has played all 18 games at forward for UNO, collecting 9 goals and adding 4 helpers. Archibald has been disappointing in the penalty minute category, however, notching only six minor penalties for a total of 12 minutes.

In its second season in the WCHA, Dean Blais’ squad isn’t able to sneak up on anyone, but they’re still holding on to third place in the league, three points in front of North Dakota.

Nebraska-Omaha Team Profile

Head Coach: Dean Blais (3rd season at UNO, 49-39-11, .551)
Pairwise Ranking: #26
National Rankings: NR/NR
This Season: -8-7-3 overall, 6-3-3 WCHA (3rd)
Last Season: 21-16-2, 17-9-2 WCHA (3rd)

Team Offense: 3.33 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 3.22 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 24.7% (19 of 77)
Penalty Kill: 80.3% (49 of 61)

Key Players: Junior F Terry Broadhurst (14-9-23), Sophomore F Matt White (8-15-23), Freshman F Jayson Megna (6-11-17), Sophomore D Andrej Sustr (3-8-11), Junior D Bryce Aneloski (1-8-9), Senior G John Faulkner (4-4-0, 3.28 GAA, .862 SV%)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (8th season at UND, 195-100-28, .647)
Pairwise Ranking: #18
National Rankings: #19/NR
This Season: 8-7-1 overall, 6-6-0 WCHA (t-4th)
Last Season: 32-9-3 overall (NCAA Frozen Four semifinalist), 21-6-1 WCHA (1st)

Team Offense: 3.06 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 3.00 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 24.1% (20 of 83)
Penalty Kill: 81.1% (60 of 74)

Key Players: Junior F Danny Kristo (8-11-19) Junior F Corban Knight (6-15-21), Sophomore F Brock Nelson (14-8-22), Freshman D Nick Mattson (3-6-9), Senior D Ben Blood (2-7-9), Senior G Brad Eidsness (3-1-0, 2.43 GAA, .918 SV%)

By The Numbers

Last meeting: January 22, 2011 (Grand Forks, ND). One night after being throttled by the visiting Mavericks 8-4, North Dakota scored four third period goals to salvage a split of the weekend series by a final of 4-2. Sioux forward Jason Gregoire scored two goals and added an assist to lead the way.

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

Game News and Notes

Nebraska-Omaha has tallied at least 40 shots on goal in 8 of 18 games this season, and leads the conference with an average of 37.4 shots on goal per game. This weekend’s action will be North Dakota’s last league games until the Fighting Sioux host Minnesota on January 13 and 14, 2012 at Ralph Engelstad Arena. UND and UNO are the two least penalized teams in the WCHA (UND 12.1 penalty minutes per game, UNO 10.0). Only six current North Dakota players (Corban Knight, Danny Kristo, Ben Blood, Derek Forbort, Derek Rodwell, Andrew MacWilliam) played in all four games against Nebraska-Omaha last year.

The Prediction

This is the only time the two teams are scheduled to meet this season, and I have a hard time believing that either team will take all four points. North Dakota is on a bit of a roll and has the edge at home, but the Mavs will not make it easy. UND 4-3, 3-3 tie.

Last year was a turnaround of sorts for Dave Shyiak and his Alaska-Anchorage squad. UAA finished with a 12-14-2 mark in WCHA play, just two points away from home ice in the first round of the playoffs. Instead of hosting, the Seawolves traveled to Minnesota for the first round and swept the Gophers, 4-3 and 2-0. Anchorage appeared in the WCHA Final Five for the second time in school history, losing to Colorado College in the quarterfinals and ending the year at 16-18-3.

This season, it’s a turn-back-around, as the Seawolves find themselves back in familiar territory in league play with a record of 2-7-1. UAA sits in a tie for 11th place in the conference and is struggling to score goals and prevent goals.

It has been an equally frustrating turnaround for North Dakota. One season removed from a league title, Final Five championship, and Frozen Four appearance, UND came into last weekend’s home series against Colorado College at 2-6-0 in league play. A high-scoring sweep has rejuvenated UND, and the Green and White hope to continue scoring goals and picking up wins.

For Dave Hakstol’s Fighting Sioux, it’s been a puzzling goaltender tandem, as Aaron Dell and Brad Eidsness have shown flashes of brilliance and periods of mediocrity. Hakstol has two good buttons to push this weekend, however, as both Dell (3-0-0, .067 GAA, .964 SV%) and Eidsness (3-1-1, 2.00 GAA, .907 SV%) have had success against Anchorage.

North Dakota’s Danny Kristo (7 goals, 10 assists in 14 games) has been making plays all over the ice, and linemates Brock Nelson (10 goals, 7 assists) and Corban Knight (6 goals, 11 assists) have provided a spark as well. On the blueline, freshman Nick Mattson (3 goals, 5 assists) has added sorely-needed offensive punch, as the other seven defensemen on the roster have a combined 2 goals and 17 assists.

Alaska is always a difficult road trip, as evidenced by the fact that in team history, North Dakota has a record of 15-14-1 at Anchorage. UND’s road record of 1-5-0 this season is less than stellar, although the Seawolves are just 2-3-1 at home this year.

Alaska-Anchorage Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Shyiak (7th season at UAA, 72-134-26, .366)

Pairwise Ranking: NR
National Rankings: NR/NR
This Season: 5-7-2 overall, 2-7-1 WCHA (t-11th)
Last Season: 11-23-2 overall, 9-17-2 WCHA (t-8th)

Team Offense: 2.43 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 3.36 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 20.8% (10 of 48)
Penalty Kill: 76.7% (46 of 60)

Key Players: Junior F Mickey Spencer (7-2-9), Junior F Daniel Naslund (2-5-7), Sophomore F Brett Cameron (2-5-7), Senior D Scott Warner (0-6-6), Senior F/D Curtis Leinweber (3-1-4), Sophomore G Chris Kamal (3-4-0, 3.10 GAA, .890 SV%)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (8th season at UND, 193-100-28, .645)
Pairwise Ranking: #28
National Rankings: NR/NR
This Season: 6-7-1 overall, 4-6-0 WCHA (9th)
Last Season: 32-9-3 overall (NCAA Frozen Four semifinalist), 21-6-1 WCHA (1st)

Team Offense: 2.86 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 3.21 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 20.8% (15 of 72)
Penalty Kill: 80.3% (49 of 61)

Key Players: Junior F Danny Kristo (7-10-17) Junior F Corban Knight (6-11-17), Sophomore F Brock Nelson (10-7-17), Freshman D Nick Mattson (3-5-8), Senior D Ben Blood (1-2-3), Freshman D Nick Mattson (2-4-6), Junior G Aaron Dell (4-6-1, 3.27 GAA, .877 SV%)

By The Numbers

Last meeting: February 12, 2011 (Grand Forks, ND). UAA almost survived North Dakota’s first period onslaught, but Sioux forward Brett Hextall scored a power play goal with under a second remaining in the opening frame. Fellow forward Evan Trupp added the game winner less than a minute into the second period, and UND completed the sweep by a score of 3-1. Friday’s opener was all UND, 6-1.

Last meeting in Anchorage: October 8, 2010. Midway through the 2nd period at the Kendall Hockey Classic, North Dakota led 5-1. Eight minutes later, the Seawolves were within one. Anchorage got the equalizer early in the 3rd and the game ended 5-5.

Most Important Meeting: March 19, 2004 (St. Paul, MN). The Fighting Sioux and Seawolves met in the semifinal round of the WCHA Final Five, and UND cruised to the championship game with a 4-2 victory.

All-time Series: UND leads the all-time series, 42-17-4 (.698), including a slim 15-14 1 (.517) edge in games played in Anchorage. The last time UND swept a series in Anchorage was in February 2009.

Last Ten: UND has a 7-2-1 (.750) record in the last ten games between the teams.

Game News and Notes

North Dakota heads into the weekend just two points out of sixth place in the WCHA. The top six teams in the league host the first round of the WCHA playoffs. Aside from the ten goals Anchorage scored in a road sweep of Mankato, UAA has scored a total of seven goals in eight league contests. UND sophomore forward Brock Nelson was named WCHA co-offensive player of the week after picking up six points in a home sweep of Colorado College last weekend. The puck drops at 10:07 Central time both night, with the games broadcast live on Fighting Sioux Sports Network (FSSN) and MidcoSN3.

The Prediction

It is so difficult to call a sweep in Anchorage, but North Dakota is on a bit of a roll and will get the next best thing, escaping Alaska without a loss. 2-2 tie, UND 4-2.

It appears that there is a power outage in Grand Forks. UND has been shut out in three of their last six games (vs. St. Cloud, at Minnesota, at Bemidji) and are averaging less than 2.5 goals per game after scoring over four goals per game in last season’s run to the Frozen Four.

The Fighting Sioux are also struggling defensively and between the pipes, allowing three goals per game, almost a full goal more than last year.

Granted, this year’s roster is substantially different than last year, and the coaches continue to preach patience. Younger players are gaining experience in key situations, and that will benefit UND in the second half.

Colorado College is hoping to take things one step further than last year. CC’s season ended in similar fashion to North Dakota’s, as the Tigers also lost a tight contest to Michigan in the NCAA tournament.

The Tigers are led by Jaden and Rylan Schwartz, but they also have depth up front, offensive defensemen, and solid goaltending. CC has scored at least three goals in every game this year, but they have gone a pedestrian 3-2 in their last five games after opening the year 4-0.

Colorado College Team Profile

Head Coach: Scott Owens (13th season at CC, 288-171-41, .617)
Pairwise Ranking: 5th
National Rankings: #4/#4
This Season: 7-2-0 overall, 5-2-0 WCHA (6th)
Last Season: 23-19-3 overall (NCAA West Regional finalist), 13-13-2 WCHA (6th)

Team Offense: 4.33 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.67 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 25.5% (12 of 47)
Penalty Kill: 85.0% (34 of 40)

Key Players: Sophomore F Jaden Schwartz (5-8-13), Junior F Rylan Schwartz (7-4-11),Senior F Nick Dineen (7-3-10), Senior D Gabe Guentzel (2-8-10), Junior D Mike Boivin (2-6-8), Junior G Joe Howe (4-1-0, 2.69 GAA, .906 SV%)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (8th season at UND, 191-100-28, .643)
Pairwise Ranking: NR
National Rankings: NR/NR
This Season: 4-7-1 overall, 2-6-0 WCHA (t-10th)
Last Season: 32-9-3 overall (NCAA Frozen Four semifinalist), 21-6-1 WCHA (1st)

Team Offense: 2.42 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 3.00 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 18.0% (11 of 61)
Penalty Kill: 82.4% (42 of 51)

Key Players: Junior F Danny Kristo (4-8-12) Junior F Corban Knight (5-7-12), Sophomore F Brock Nelson (7-4-11), Sophomore D Derek Forbort (1-2-3), Senior D Ben Blood (1-2-3), Freshman D Nick Mattson (2-4-6), Junior G Aaron Dell (3-6-1, 2.87 GAA, .887 SV%)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: March 18, 2011 (St. Paul, MN). Sioux senior forward Matt Frattin broke a 3-3 tie in the third period to propel North Dakota to the championship game of the WCHA Final Five. The goal was Frattin’s 34th of the season. UND winger Danny Kristo also scored in his first game back since suffering a case of frostbite on his right foot.

Last Meeting in Grand Forks: March 1, 2009. One night after skating to a 4-4 sister kisser, the two teams went to overtime yet again. Colorado College started the extra session with 1:50 of power play time, but UND killed the penalty and went on the offensive. Sioux center Darcy Zajac potted the game winner with 95 seconds remaining in the extra frame.

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, 135-76-10 (.633), including a remarkable 80-19-6 (.790) edge in games played in Grand Forks. The teams first met in 1948.

Last Ten: North Dakota is 7-2-1 (.750) in the last ten meetings between the teams.

Game News and Notes

North Dakota has lost three of four one-goal games this season. Colorado College has nine games remaining against the top four teams in the WCHA (Minnesota, Minnesota-Duluth, Denver, and Nebraska-Omaha), Only nine Sioux skaters have appeared in more than one game against Colorado College in their career. The Tigers have outscored opponents 15-6 in third periods this season.

The Prediction

I have a feeling that this won’t go well for North Dakota. The only two advantages that UND has are a home crowd and the ability to match up defensively with the Schwartz line. With the students gone for Thanksgiving break, it’s down to one advantage. The Fighting Sioux will keep one game close and get blown out in the other. UND could win a tight game on Friday, but I’ll call it a tie instead. 3-3 tie, CC 5-1.