Author: Dave Berger

This weekend’s games will mark the 15th and 16th meetings between the two teams in the past three seasons. In addition to the normal league schedule, the two teams met at the Great Lakes Invitational in December 2008 and faced each other in the league playoffs each of the past two seasons. In the previous 14 games, North Dakota is 10-3-1 against Michigan Tech and has outscored the Huskies 49-21. Sixteen games in three seasons is believed to be the most against one opponent in that span.

In the past five contests between the schools, the Fighting Sioux have been even more dominant, winning all five and scoring 22 goals while allowing 7.

After opening 2010 with a record of 4-5-2, UND has reeled off five straight victories and secured home ice for the first round of the WCHA playoffs. Michigan Tech has clinched the title of “having to travel to Denver to face the #1 Pioneers and win two games to extend their season”. Two weeks ago, DU swept the visiting Huskies, 5-2 and 5-3.

Michigan Tech has been in a freefall for two years. After collecting 18 victories in 2006-07 and 14 in 07-08, the Huskies have posted a record of 11-51-8 over the past two seasons.

North Dakota can still finish as high as third place in the WCHA, as UND holds the tiebreaker over 3rd place St. Cloud State and 4th place Minnesota-Duluth. Coming into this weekend, the Fighting Sioux trail UMD by two points and SCSU by four points in the standings. Duluth is at Anchorage this weekend, while St. Cloud State travels to Mankato for a pair with the Mavericks.

Michigan Tech Team Profile

Head Coach: (Jamie Russell, 7th season at MTU, 66-163-33, .315)
National Ranking: NR/NR
PairWise Ranking: NR
This Season: 5-26-1, 4-22-0 WCHA (10th)
Last Season: 6-25-7 overall, 2-19-7 WCHA (10th)
Team Offense: 2.12 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 4.19 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 15.6% (22 of 141)
Penalty Kill: 69.1% (121 of 175)
Key Players: Sophomore F Brett Olson (18-12-30), Senior F Malcolm Gwilliam (12-14-26), Junior F Jordan Baker (8-9-17), Freshman D Steven Seigo (4-15-19), Freshman G Kevin Genoe (4-17-1, 3.48 GAA, .904 SV%)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (6th season at UND, 148-82-24, .630)
National Ranking: #7/#7
PairWise Ranking: t-6th
This Season: 18-11-5, 31-10-3 WCHA (5th)
Last Season: 24-15-4 overall (NCAA Northeast Regional semifinalist), 17-7-4 WCHA (1st)
Team Offense: 3.15 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.18 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 21.3% (39 of 183)
Penalty Kill: 87.4% (152 of 174)
Key Players: Sophomore F Jason Gregoire (15-12-27), Senior F Chris VandeVelde (13-18-31), Freshman F Danny Kristo (12-15-27), Junior F Evan Trupp (5-22-27), Junior D Derrick LaPoint (2-12-14), Sophomore G Brad Eidsness (17-8-4, 2.21 GAA, .910 SV%, 1 SO)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: November 7, 2009 (Houghton, MI). UND defeated the Huskies 4-1 behind two goals from junior Evan Trupp. Trupp also had a goal in Friday’s 4-2 Sioux victory.

Last Meeting in Grand Forks: March 14, 2009. North Dakota held on for a 4-3 victory and a sweep of the WCHA first-round playoff series. It would turn out to be UND’s last victory of the 2008-09 season, as the Fighting Sioux lost both games at the WCHA Final Five (to Minnesota-Duluth and Wisconsin) and dropped their NCAA tournament opener to New Hampshire in overtime.

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, 138-90-9 (.599), including a 77-33-4 (.693) record in Grand Forks. The teams first met in 1948.

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

Game News and Notes

For the third consecutive week, two Fighting Sioux were honored as WCHA Players of the Week. This time around, freshman forward Corban Knight was chosen as the league’s top rookie (his third such honor this season) and sophomore goaltender Brad Eidsness earned Defensive Player honors for the second consecutive week. UND’s power play converts at 26.3 percent when Brett Hextall is in the lineup and just 6.5 percent when he does not play. Michigan Tech freshman goaltender Kevin Genoe made 58 saves last Friday night against Wisconsin. Despite the effort, MTU lost 5-2. North Dakota junior forward Matt Frattin has picked up eight points (5 goals, 3 assists) in his last five games, and has scored five goals and five assists in eleven career games against Michigan Tech. UND will honor its three seniors on the ice prior to Saturday’s game. Chay Genoway, Darcy Zajac, and Chris Vandevelde make up this year’s senior class. Our two children, Alex and Ashley, will ride the Zamboni during the first intermission on Friday night.

The Prediction

All signs point to a North Dakota sweep. Michigan Tech will need to play five on five to to keep it close and have a chance in the third period. If it’s a battle of special teams, the score could get ugly early. North Dakota 5-2, 4-2.

In most seasons during the Hakstol era, there is a midpoint (typically around the start of the new year) when his Fighting Sioux squad begins to get on a roll and pile up wins.

No one knew what to make of this season’s 7-1-1 start, a stretch during which UND was outscoring opponents 3.67-1.56 goals per game.

Everyone knows what happened to Chay Genoway on Friday the 13th of November, 2009. For the sake of this article, we’ll call that midpoint #1. Over the next nine games (up until January 1st and an interesting comparison to the nine games Genoway was in the lineup), UND struggled to a 2-5-2 mark, losing all five games by one goal and playing dead even hockey, scoring 25 goals and allowing 25 goals.

January 1, 2010. Midpoint #2. Since the calendar turned, North Dakota is 7-5-2 and is outscoring opponents 3.07-2.21 goals per game. Most importantly, Brett Hextall’s return has reignited the power play and UND has rattled off three straight victories, outscoring St. Cloud State and Minnesota-Duluth 18-4.

The biggest differences over the past 14 games have been solid defensive play and the goaltending of Brad Eidsness. A comfort level has developed on the back end which allows some of the more offensive-minded blueliners (Derrick Lapoint, Jake Marto, and Ben Blood) to play more effectively in the attacking zone.

Colorado College and North Dakota come into the weekend tied for 5th place in the WCHA, and this weekend’s action might well determine who claims the fifth and final home ice spot in the first round of the league playoffs.

Colorado College Team Profile

Head Coach: Scott Owens (11th season at CC, 256-145-38, .626)
National Rankings: #13/#12
PairWise Ranking: 17th
This Season: 17-12-3 Overall, 11-10-3 WCHA (t-5th)
Last Season: 16-12-10 Overall, 12-9-7 WCHA (t-3rd)
Team Offense: 3.34 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.78 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 22.9% (41 of 179)
Penalty Kill: 82.6% (123 of 149)
Key Players: Senior F Bill Sweatt (14-15-29), Senior F Mike Testwuide (18-9-27), Freshman F Rylan Schwartz (6-20-26), Senior D Nate Prosser (3-21-24), Freshman G Joe Howe (15-11-3, 2.74 GAA, .908 SV%, 3 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (6th season at UND, 146-82-24, .627)
National Ranking: #8/#8
PairWise Ranking: 8th
This Season: 16-11-5, 11-10-3 WCHA (t-5th)
Last Season: 24-15-4 overall (NCAA Northeast Regional semifinalist), 17-7-4 WCHA (1st)
Team Offense: 3.16 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.19 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 21.0% (37 of 176)
Penalty Kill: 86.6% (142 of 164)
Key Players: Sophomore F Jason Gregoire (15-12-27), Senior F Chris VandeVelde (12-18-30), Freshman F Danny Kristo (10-15-25), Junior F Evan Trupp (5-19-24), Junior D Derrick LaPoint (2-12-14), Sophomore G Brad Eidsness (15-8-4, 2.22 GAA, .909 SV%, 1 SO)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: March 1, 2009 (Grand Forks, ND). North Dakota moved into first place in the WCHA with a thrilling 4-3 overtime victory over the visiting Tigers. The Fighting Sioux killed 1:50 of penalty time in the extra frame before Darcy Zajac netted the game winner with 90 seconds remaining. UND and CC battled to a 4-4 tie in Friday’s opener.

Last Meeting in Colorado Springs: November 8, 2008. Tiger forward Eric Walsky scored four goals as CC upended visiting North Dakota 7-4. UND won the series opener 3-1 a night earlier.

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, 132-75-10 (.631), although the Tigers hold a 55-45-4 (.548) edge in games played in Colorado Springs. The teams first met in 1948.

Last Ten: North Dakota is 6-3-1 (.650) in the last ten meetings between the teams.

Game News and Notes

Colorado College has not lost this season when leading after one period of play (10-0-2), and have won only twice when trailing after the opening twenty minutes (2-9-0). The WCHA honored a pair of North Dakota sophomores after last weekend, as forward Brett Hextall (four points) and goaltender Brad Eidsness (53 saves on 56 shots) were named Offensive and Defensive players of the week. UND’s power play converts at 26.6 percent when Brett Hextall is in the lineup and just 6.5 percent when he does not play.

The Prediction

This series has split written all over it, but if North Dakota continues to score at a breakneck pace, they could squeeze three points out of the weekend. Friday’s first period is key for both teams, and will forecast how the rest of the weekend will play out. North Dakota 4-2, Colorado College 4-3.

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

If North Dakota has an edge in this series, it’s this: the last time Duluth traveled to Ralph Engelstad Arena to take on the Fighting Sioux was November 24, 2007. The Bulldogs have 15 players on the roster who have never played in Grand Forks.

The Bulldogs have hit a bit of a rough patch lately, winning just twice in their last six games. UMD was swept in a home-and-home with Bemidji State and posted consecutive splits against Wisconsin and Michigan Tech. Duluth was idle last weekend.

North Dakota is coming off of its best 120 minute performance of the season. Despite splitting with the Huskies in St. Cloud, UND carried the play offensively and physically throughout the weekend. If the Green and White hope to improve their position for the NCAAs, they will need to play that brand of hockey from here on out.

Minnesota-Duluth Team Profile

Head Coach: Scott Sandelin (10th season at UMD, 162-184-46, .472)
This Season:  18-11-1 Overall, 14-7-1 WCHA (t-3rd)
National Rankings: #6/#6
PairWise Ranking: t-9th
Team Offense: 3.33 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.70 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 22.2% (41 of 185)
Penalty Kill: 80.4% (127 of 158)
Last Season: 22-13-8 Overall (NCAA West Regional Finalist), 10-11-7 WCHA
Key Players: Sophomore F Jack Connolly (16-23-39), Junior F Justin Fontaine (17-19-36), Junior F Rob Bordson (8-26-34), Sophomore F Mike Connolly (11-20-31), Sophomore D Brady Lamb (8-7-15), Junior G Kenny Reiter (10-6-0, 2.22 GAA, .917 SV%, 2 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (6th season at UND, 144-82-24, .624)
National Ranking: #11/#11
PairWise Ranking: t-13th
This Season: 14-11-5, 9-10-3 WCHA (6th)
Last Season: 24-15-4 overall (NCAA Northeast Regional semifinalist), 17-7-4 WCHA (1st)
Team Offense: 3.03 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.23 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 20.9% (34 of 163)
Penalty Kill: 86.3% (132 of 153)
Key Players: Sophomore F Jason Gregoire (13-11-24), Senior F Chris VandeVelde (11-16-27), Freshman F Danny Kristo (9-14-23), Junior F Evan Trupp (5-18-23), Junior D Derrick LaPoint (2-11-13), Sophomore G Brad Eidsness (13-8-4, 2.28 GAA, .905 SV%, 1 SO)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: December 5, 2009 (Duluth, MN). The Bulldogs got a controversial tying goal from Travis Oleksuk with just over thirty seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime, and completed the comeback just 12 seconds into the extra session to defeat North Dakota 3-2. The Fighting Sioux won Friday’s opener, 4-2.

Last Meeting in Grand Forks: November 24, 2007. After defeating Duluth 8-3 on Friday night, UMD’s Drew Akins scored an improbable 80 foot goal for the game winner on Saturday. It was Duluth’s first win in Grand Forks in eleven attempts.

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, 126-70-8 (.637), including a 72-30-2 (.702) record in games played in Grand Forks

Last Ten: North Dakota is 5-4-1 (.550) in the last ten games between the teams.

Game News and Notes

Sioux forwards Chris Vandevelde and Corban Knight were honored by the WCHA for their play last weekend against St. Cloud State. Vandevelde notched two goals and four assists on the weekend and was named co-offensive player of the week, and Knight earned Rookie of the Week honors for his four point effort (one goal, three assists). The Bulldogs have three of the top ten scorers in the league in Connolly, Fontaine, and Bordson. UND will be celebrating the tenth anniversary of its 2000 championship on Saturday night. Members of that team will be available for autographs and Saturday’s game program will feature a pull-out poster of the team.

The Prediction

If North Dakota can put together more series like last weekend’s games in St. Cloud, the wins will start to pile up. I’m not ready to give the Sioux a home sweep just yet, but it’s not out of the question. UND 3-2, 3-3 tie.

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

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 ends after this year.

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

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

The UND/SCSU Challenge Cup is awarded to the team which collects more points in the four regular-season games. As you may be able to see in the photo above, the winning team is engraved for each year. UND won the Challenge Cup in 2005, going 3-0-1 against the Huskies. St. Cloud took the trophy back in 2006, sporting a record of 3-1-0 against North Dakota. In 2007, the Sioux won two games and tied the other two, collecting six points and the Challenge Cup. The next season, the teams shared the Cup, with UND and SCSU each winning one game and tying the other two. And last year, 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.

Earlier this season, the teams split a weekend series in Grand Forks, so the Cup is on the line this weekend in St. Cloud.

The Challenge Cup will be on display at the Center Ice Club pre-game social this Saturday, February 13th 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.

Check back later this week for a complete preview of this weekend’s series. As always, I welcome your questions, comments, and suggestions.

March 18, 2005: Denver’s Geoff Paukovitch checks Robbie Bina from behind. February 24, 2006: Mike Prpich pops Paukovitch.

February 16, 2008: The entire DU bench spills onto the ice after every period. That same night: Kyle Radke takes exception.

January 24, 2009: Denver head coach George Gwozdecky parades across the ice to protest a call. The officials bow to his authority, calling five straight penalities against the Fighting Sioux. And earlier this season, the Pioneers were awarded seven power plays in one period and defeated UND, 3-2.

So far, North Dakota seemingly has no answer for the benefits Gwozdecky enjoys from the referees. (Full disclosure: the WCHA league office is in Denver)

The other issue for UND this weekend is that sophomore forward Brett Hextall is not ready to return to the lineup. In the last series played in Grand Forks, Hextall clearly took several Pioneers off their game. In fact, in Friday’s opener, he completed a rare triple play midway through the third period: he drew three penalties at the same time. With Hextall out of the lineup, expect other Sioux skaters to make life miserable for the Pioneers and their coach.

One key area to watch this weekend is special teams play, particularly the Sioux power play against the Denver penalty kill. UND has not scored on its last 19 power play opportunities, and the Pioneers boast the league’s best penalty kill (87.2%). In a series that could turn into a steady parade to the penalty box on both sides, North Dakota will have to score at least one power play goal each night to come out on top.

Denver Team Profile

Head Coach: George Gwozdecky (16th season at DU, 360-223-50, .608)
This Season:  14-6-4 Overall, 10-4-4 WCHA (t-2nd)
National Rankings: #3/#3
PairWise Ranking: t-1st
Team Offense: 3.12 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.67 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 20.2% (26 of 129)
Penalty Kill: 87.2% (102 of 117)
Last Season: 23-12-5 Overall (NCAA West Regional semifinalist), 16-8-4 WCHA (3rd)
Key Players: Senior F Rhett Rakhshani (16-15-31), Senior F Tyler Ruegsegger (12-16-28), Junior F Anthony Maiani (4-13-17), Sophomore F Joe Colborne (9-14-23), Sophomore D Patrick Wiercioch (4-13-17) Junior G Marc Cheverie (12-3-3, 2.12 GAA, .928 SV%, 5 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (6th season at UND, 143-79-24, .630)
National Ranking: #4/#4
PairWise Ranking: t-10th
This Season: 13-8-5, 8-7-3 WCHA (6th)
Last Season: 24-15-4 overall (NCAA Northeast Regional semifinalist), 17-7-4 WCHA (1st)
Team Offense: 3.00 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.15 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 20.7% (29 of 140)
Penalty Kill: 86.6% (116 of 134)
Key Players: Sophomore F Jason Gregoire (13-8-121), Senior F Chris VandeVelde (7-12-19), Freshman F Danny Kristo (8-12-20), Junior F Evan Trupp (5-16-21), Junior D Derrick LaPoint (1-11-12), Sophomore G Brad Eidsness (12-6-4, 2.24 GAA, .906 SV%, 1 SO)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: November 21, 2009 (Denver, CO). After jumping out to a 2-0 lead, North Dakota committed seven penalties in the second period and could not solve the Pioneer power play. Denver won 3-2 and completed the weekend sweep.

Last Meeting in Grand Forks: January 24, 2009. In a game remembered more for Gwozdecky’s antics on the dasher and on the ice, Denver twice came back to tie UND and the final score read 2-2.  Brad Eidsness made 38 saves to preserve one point for the Fighting Sioux.  A night earlier, North Dakota rolled, 8-3.

Last Ten: North Dakota has a 5-4-1 edge in the last ten games.

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.

All-time Series: UND leads the all-time series, 129-112-8 (.534), including a 79-39-5 (.663) advantage in games played in Grand Forks.

Game News and Notes

On average, North Dakota is outshooting teams 33-23 this season. Denver has only lost one game in the past five meetings between the schools. Sioux forwards Even Trupp and Chris Vandevelde each have six career points against the Pioneers. Vegas oddsmakers are offering 6 to 5 that Denver head coach George Gwozdecky stands on the dasher at least once this weekend.

The Prediction

There’s so much on the line (both in the WCHA race and nationally) this weekend that a split seems almost inevitable. But North Dakota has the home ice (and home crowd) advantage, and that should translate into an extra point. Gwozdecky is the wild card in all of this, and if he bends the ear of an official or two, anything is possible. UND 4-3, 3-3 tie.

From the familiar to the unknown.

One week after traveling to Mariucci to face the Golden Gophers in a series that marked the 270th game played between the two teams, North Dakota heads to Ithaca, New York for the first time ever. UND has played Cornell just six times in school history, with four of those meetings in the NCAA tournament and the last two games played in Grand Forks last season.

The Big Red are on a bit of a slide, going just 2-2-2 in their last six games and scoring more than three goals just once in the last eight. Cornell opened the season 7-2-1.

For North Dakota, it’s more of the same. With Chay Genoway in the lineup, the Fighting Sioux were 7-1-1. Without him, the Green and White are a sub-par 5-6-4. Talk has ramped up in recent weeks regarding the possibility that Genoway might apply for a medical hardship year and return to UND next season.

As for this weekend’s action, I expect the games will be played much like Saturday’s finale in Grand Forks last season, a tight-checking affair won and lost on special teams. If the Big Red can keep the game close, senior goaltender Ben Scrivens can and will be the difference.

For North Dakota, the power play is a recent concern after UND went 0 for 10 last weekend in Minneapolis.

Cornell Team Profile

Head Coach: Mike Schafer (15th season at Cornell, 285-153-52, .635)
National Rankings: #9/#7
PairWise Ranking: 17th-tie
This Season: 9-4-3 overall, 7-2-2 ECAC (2nd)
Last Season: 22-10-4 overall (Midwest Regional Finalist), 13-6-3 ECAC
Team Offense: 3.31 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.12 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 24.3% (18 of 74)
Penalty Kill: 88.0% (73 of 83)
Key Players: Senior F Blake Gallagher (11-9-20), Senior F Colin Greening (7-13-20), Junior F Riley Nash (5-9-14), Senior D Brendon Nash (2-8-10), Freshman D Nick D’Agostino (2-7-9), Senior G Ben Scrivens (9-4-3, 2.04 GAA, .928 SV%, 1 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (6th season at UND, 142-77-23, .634)
National Ranking: #5/#6
PairWise Ranking: 12th-tie
This Season: 12-7-5, 8-7-3 WCHA (6th)
Last Season: 24-15-4 overall (NCAA Northeast Regional semifinalist), 17-7-4 WCHA (1st)
Team Offense: 3.12 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.25 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 22.0% (29 of 132)
Penalty Kill: 85.8% (97 of 113)
Key Players: Sophomore F Jason Gregoire (12-7-19), Senior F Chris VandeVelde (6-12-18), Freshman F Danny Kristo (8-11-19), Junior F Evan Trupp (5-15-20), Junior D Derrick LaPoint (1-11-12), Sophomore G Brad Eidsness (11-6-4, 2.29 GAA, .906 SV%, 1 SO)

By The Numbers

Last meeting: November 29, 2008 (Grand Forks, ND). One night after the Fighting Sioux drubbed Cornell 7-3, the teams played a tighter contest on Saturday, with the Big Red scoring the game winner with under four minutes to play. UND had a power play goal disallowed earlier in the contest.

Last meeting at James Lynah Rink: These will be the first two games played between the two schools at Lynah.

Most important meeting: The teams have met twice in the NCAA semifinals, with Cornell coming out on top 1-0 in 1967 and North Dakota returning the favor the following season, 3-1.

All-time: North Dakota leads the all-time series 4-2-0 (.667). The teams have never met in Ithaca, NY.

Game News and Notes

Ben Scrivens has started every game in net for Cornell this season, ranking sixth nationally in goals-against average and fourth in the nation in save percentage. UND junior forward Brad Malone will play in his 100th career game this weekend, joining seniors Chris Vandevelde, Darcy Zajac, and Chay Genoway in reaching the century mark in games played.

The Prediction

Cornell has the edge playing at home, and if Scrivens is on his game, North Dakota will struggle. Call it a hunch, but UND should come out firing after a disappointing weekend at Mariucci, and the Big Red will lock it down on Saturday night. UND 4-2, Cornell 2-1.

Well, this is how I expected it to shake out – really the best possible solution to a tough problem (twelve teams in the league and only 28 conference games allowed).

The traditional travel partners will remain the same (North Dakota/St. Cloud State, Michigan Tech/Minnesota-Duluth, Denver/Colorado College, Minnesota/Wisconsin, and Minnesota State-Mankato/Alaska-Anchorage), with the addition of Bemidji State being paired with Nebraska-Omaha.

In 2010-11, UND and SCSU will be joined by BSU and UNO to form a four-team “cluster“. The Sioux will play each team in the cluster four times (two games each at home and away) for a total of 12 games. North Dakota will then play the remaining eight teams in the league two games each, for a total of 16 games, with eight on the road and eight at home. Home series in 2010-11 for the Sioux include Alaska-Anchorage, Denver, Minnesota, and Duluth. UND will travel to Colorado College, Michigan Tech, Mankato and Wisconsin.

The “cluster mates” will rotate in each of the five seasons. In 2011-12 UND and SCSU will be joined by Minnesota and Wisconsin. In that season, UND will also host CC, Tech, Mankato, and UNO. The Fighting Sioux will travel to UAA, BSU, Denver, and UMD (in addition to their cluster mates) in 2011-12.

Under this schedule every team in the league will play every other team at home three out of five years (except for the travel partners, who will play each other four times every year). Over the course of the five year schedule, every team plays every other team the same amount of times – home and away.

Tell me what you think. Do you like the new system? Which teams benefit the most? How do you see the league race being affected year in and year out?

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

When the Sioux and Gophers met in Grand Forks in January of last season, Minnesota was ranked third nationally, while North Dakota was unranked. The Fighting Sioux routed the Maroon and Gold in two straight games, pulled even with Minnesota in the conference standings, and rode that momentum all the way to the WCHA conference championship and the NCAA tournament. Starting with that weekend, North Dakota went 13-2-3 on their way to the WCHA Final Five, while Minnesota went 7-10-2 the rest of the way and failed to make the national tournament even though they were serving as host of the West Regional.

Coming into this weekend’s games, the roles are reversed. The Gophers are playing at home and hoping to kick start their second half with an upset or two against North Dakota. And things are looking up for Minnesota. After allowing 41 goals in their first 13 games (3.15 goals allowed/game), they have tightened up in their last nine, giving up just 18 goals (2.0/game). Junior forward Jacob Cepis, a transfer from Bowling Green, has had an immediate impact, scoring two goals and adding an assist in his first four games with his new team.

For North Dakota, injuries continue to dominate the headlines. Defenseman Chay Genoway (4-6-10 in nine games) and forwards Brett Hextall (8-4-12) and Corban Knight (3-0-3) will miss this weekend’s action. Senior forwards Darcy Zajac (4-7-11) and Chris VandeVelde (6-12-18) are finally healthy, and the return of Danny Kristo (6-11-17) from the World Juniors and Matt Frattin (13-12-25 last season) from suspension give UND some depth up front.

The special teams battle is one to watch this weekend. Minnesota is a -4 this season (14 power play goals scored, 18 allowed), while North Dakota is a +13 (29 scored, 16 allowed). But the Gophers have been better lately, scoring a power play goal in six straight games after opening the season 8 of 66 (12.1%) with the man advantage.

Minnesota Team Profile

Head Coach: Don Lucia (11th season at Minnesota, 267-136-46, .646)
National Ranking: NR/NR
PairWise Ranking: 25
This Season: 11-10-1 overall, 6-7-1 WCHA (7th)
Last Season: 17-13-7 overall (missed NCAA tournament), 12-11-5 WCHA (5th)
Team Offense: 2.64 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.68 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 15.7% (14 of 89)
Penalty Kill: 81.6% (80 of 98)
Key Players: Junior F Mike Hoeffel (10-7-17), Sophomore F Jordan Schroeder (4-11-15), Senior F Tony Lucia (5-12-17), Junior D Cade Fairchild (1-9-10), Junior G Alex Kangas (9-7-0, 2.59 GAA, .910 SV%)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (6th season at UND, 142-77-23, .634)
National Ranking: #4/#4
PairWise Ranking: 9
This Season: 12-6-4, 8-6-2 WCHA (5th)
Last Season: 24-15-4 overall (NCAA Northeast Regional semifinalist), 17-7-4 WCHA (1st)
Team Offense: 3.23 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.09 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 23.8% (29 of 122)
Penalty Kill: 85.8% (97 of 113)
Key Players: Sophomore F Jason Gregoire (12-7-19), Senior F Chris VandeVelde (6-12-18), Freshman F Danny Kristo (6-11-17), Junior F Evan Trupp (5-13-18), Junior D Jake Marto (3-6-9), Sophomore G Brad Eidsness (11-5-3, 2.13 GAA, .912 SV%, 1 SO)

By The Numbers

Last meeting: October 17, 2009 (Grand Forks, ND). Fighting Sioux defenseman Jake Marto tied the score late in the third period and blocked a shot with under two minutes to play as North Dakota salvaged a tie with the visiting Gophers. UND dominated Minnesota 4-0 in Friday’s opener.

Last meeting at Mariucci Arena: February 2, 2008. The two teams battled to a 1-1 tie and combined for 164 penalty minutes in the series finale. North Dakota took the opener 2-1 in overtime on Evan Trupp’s spectacular game winner.

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, 130-125-13 (.509), including a 70-51-5 (.575) mark in games played in Minneapolis.

Game News and Notes

North Dakota has had the better of the play lately, going 10-2-2 in the past four seasons (outscoring the Gophers 47-27 in that stretch and losing both games by one goal). Minnesota has not lost this season when leading after two periods of play (8-0-0). UND is unbeaten in its last five games at Mariucci Arena (4-0-1). After this weekend’s home series against the Fighting Sioux, the Gophers have only four home games remaining among their twelve WCHA contests.

The Prediction

Three will be the magic number this weekend. If North Dakota can hang three or more goals on the Gophers, they will win. Saturday’s game will be a battle until the final horn (and possibly longer), and UND could take three points on the weekend, but I’ll call it a split. UND 4-2, UMN 3-2.

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