Author: Dave Berger

The first half of the WCHA season has been wild and unpredictable. It is remarkable to me that:

1) Only three teams (Colorado College, Denver, and North Dakota) have winning records in the conference.
2) Those same three teams are the only three WCHA schools to score more goals than they’ve allowed in conference play.
3) If the season ended today, Minnesota and Wisconsin would both be on the road for the first round of the conference playoffs.

Denver and Minnesota-Duluth are at the top of my list of midseason surprises, as I predicted them to finish 7th and 9th in the league, respectively. Minnesota gets my vote for the biggest disappointment, as I expected them to challenge for the league title and they may very well be on the road for the opening round of the WCHA playoffs.

Here’s a midseason capsule for each conference team. (Preseason predictions are mine, and a full season preview article can be found here.)

#1 Colorado College Tigers (Preseason #4)
WCHA record: 15-3-0
Conference statistics: 3.44 goals scored/game (1st), 1.67 goals allowed/game (1st)
Home series remaining: St. Cloud State, MSU-Mankato, Denver (one game)
Road series remaining: Michigan Tech, Minnesota-Duluth, Denver (one game)
Key players: Junior F Chad Rau (17-11-28), Sophomore F Bill Sweatt (5-10-15), Senior F Jimmy Kilpatrick (11-10-21), Senior F Scott McCulloch (5-6-11), Senior D Jack Hillen (3-12-15)

Midseason report: The question about whether junior goaltender Drew O’Connell would be good enough has been answered. The answer is freshman Richard Bachman. Bachman has stolen the top spot in net, playing in 18 of 22 games and posting a record of 15-3-0 to go along with a 1.61 goals against average, a save percentage of .940, and two shutouts.

#2 University of Denver Pioneers (Preseason #7)
WCHA record: 12-4-0
Conference statistics: 3.13 goals scored/game (3rd), 2.19 goals allowed/game (2nd)
Home series remaining: Minnesota, Alaska-Anchorage, Colorado College (one game)
Road series remaining: MSU-Mankato, North Dakota, Michigan Tech, Colorado College (one game)
Key players: Sophomore F Tyler Ruegsegger (10-10-20), Sophomore F Rhett Rakhshani (7-8-15), Sophomore F Brock Trotter (12-17-29), Junior D Chris Butler (1-10-11), Senior G Peter Mannino (17-5-0, 1.96 GAA, .927 SV, 4 SO)

Midseason report: Denver’s super sophs are averaging over one point per game, and freshman Tyler Bozak’s ability to provide offensive punch (10-11-21) has been a pleasant surprise. Mannino has proven more than capable of handling the goaltending duties after splitting time last year. A home and home series against Colorado College on the last week of the regular season may well decide the conference race.

#3 University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux (Preseason #1)
WCHA record: 9-7-0
Conference statistics: 3.31 goals scored/game (2nd), 2.25 goals allowed/game (3rd)
Home series remaining: Alaska-Anchorage, Denver, St. Cloud State
Road series remaining: MSU-Mankato, Minnesota, Minnesota-Duluth
Key players: Junior F Ryan Duncan (9-13-22), Junior F T.J. Oshie (10-10-20), Senior D Robbie Bina (1-17-18), Junior D Taylor Chorney (2-14-16), Senior G Phillippe Lamoureux (12-8-1, 1.86 GAA, .929 SV, 4 SO)

Midseason report: Lamoureux has been outstanding. North Dakota has not yet found the right linemate for Oshie and Duncan, although they are getting more scoring from other lines. As in recent seasons, a disappointing first half has all but dashed any hopes of hoisting the MacNaughton Cup.

#4 University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs (Preseason #9)
WCHA record: 6-6-4
Conference statistics: 2.50 goals scored/game (5th), 2.81 goals allowed/game (4th)
Home series remaining: Minnesota, Colorado College, North Dakota
Road series remaining: Wisconsin, Michigan Tech, Minnesota
Key returning players: Junior F Nick Kemp (7-6-13), Junior F MacGregor Sharp (5-7-12), Junior F Michael Gergen (5-5-10), Junior D Josh Meyers (5-8-13), Sophomore G Alex Stalock (8-7-5, 2.43 GAA, .909 SV, 2 SO)

Midseason report: The losses of Raymond and Niskanen were brutal, but Sandelin’s squad has found balanced scoring, as eight Bulldogs have scored four or more goals. Stalock has been good enough between the pipes to keep Duluth in contention for a top-five finish and home ice for the playoffs.

#5 Saint Cloud State University Huskies (Preseason #5)
WCHA record: 6-8-2
Conference statistics: 2.94 goals scored/game (4th), 2.94 goals allowed/game (7th)
Home series remaining: MSU-Mankato (one game), Michigan Tech, Wisconsin
Road series remaining: MSU-Mankato (one game), Colorado College, Alaska-Anchorage, North Dakota
Key players: Sophomore F Ryan Lasch (17-17-34), Sophomore F Andreas Nodl (11-17-28), Freshman F Garrett Roe (15-17-32), Senior F Nate Dey (9-7-16), Senior D Aaron Brocklehurst (2-11-13)

Midseason report: Despite a difficult second-half schedule, this team will contend for home ice and an NCAA berth. The Huskies suffered six straight losses before Christmas, including five by one goal, but appear to have righted the ship with solid weekends against North Dakota and Minnesota. Garrett Roe is the front-runner for league rookie of the year.

#6 Michigan Tech University Huskies (Preseason #6)
WCHA record: 5-8-1
Conference statistics: 2.07 goals scored/game (9th), 2.93 goals allowed/game (6th)
Home series remaining: Colorado College, Wisconsin, Minnesota-Duluth, Denver
Road series remaining: Alaska-Anchorage, St. Cloud State, MSU-Mankato
Key players: Senior F Peter Rouleau (8-8-16), Senior F Tyler Shelast (11-5-16), Senior F Jimmy Kerr (7-4-11), Junior D Geoff Kinrade (1-10-11), Junior G Michael-Lee Teslak (4-4-2, 1.72 GAA, .934 SV, 1 SO), Junior G Rob Nolan (5-7-0, 2.75 GAA, .892 SV)

Midseason report: The Huskies started out 4-1-0 in the conference before hitting a 2-5-1 stretch before the holiday break. The injury to Teslak has forced Nolan to the forefront, and Michigan Tech will struggle until they get Teslak back.

#6 University of Minnesota Golden Gophers (Preseason #2)
WCHA record: 5-8-1
Conference statistics: 2.43 goals scored/game (6th), 3.00 goals allowed/game (8th)
Home series remaining: North Dakota, Wisconsin, Minnesota-Duluth
Road series remaining: Minnesota-Duluth, Wisconsin, Denver, Alaska-Anchorage
Key players: Sophomore F Jay Barriball (3-11-14), Senior F Ben Gordon (7-12-19), Junior F Blake Wheeler (12-10-22), Senior D Derek Peltier (1-9-10)

Midseason report: The Gophers were already struggling to find offense before Kyle Okposo (7-4-11) bolted for the pros after 18 games. Goaltending has been suspect, and Minnesota might find itself on the road for the first round of the playoffs.

#6 University of Wisconsin Badgers (Preseason #3)
WCHA record: 5-8-1
Conference statistics: 2.43 goals scored/game (6th), 3.43 goals allowed/game (9th)
Home series remaining: Minnesota, Minnesota-Duluth, MSU-Mankato
Road series remaining: Alaska-Anchorage, Michigan Tech, Minnesota, St. Cloud State
Key players: Junior F Ben Street (9-12-21), Freshman F Kyle Turris (9-13-22), Sophomore D Jamie McBain (2-8-10), Senior D Kyle Klubertanz (4-9-13), Junior G Shane Connelly (8-10-1, 2.63 GAA, .910 SV, 1 SO)

Midseason report: The Badgers have found some scoring after finishing last in the league in goal production last year. The problem has been defense and goaltending. Only Alaska-Anchorage (3.57 goals allowed/game) has been worse than Wisconsin.

#9 Minnesota State University-Mankato Mavericks (Preseason #8)
WCHA record: 3-7-4
Conference statistics: 1.79 goals scored/game (10th), 2.86 goals allowed/game (5th)
Home series remaining: North Dakota, St. Cloud State (one game), Denver, Alaska-Anchorage, Michigan Tech
Road series remaining: St. Cloud State (one game), Wisconsin, Colorado College
Key players: Sophomore F Trevor Breuss (5-11-16), Senior F Joel Hanson (4-8-12), Junior F Mick Berge (10-2-12), Junior G Mike Zacharias (8-5-4, 1.94 GAA, .930 SV, 3 SO)

Midseason report: The Mavericks have tightened up defensively after giving up 3 or more goals 17 times (and 5 or more goals nine times) in 28 league games last year. The problem has been scoring, as only three players have more than five points in the league.

#10 University of Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves (Preseason #10)
WCHA record: 2-9-3
Conference statistics: 2.14 goals scored/game (8th), 3.57 goals allowed/game (10th)
Home series remaining: Wisconsin, Michigan Tech, St. Cloud State, Minnesota
Road series remaining: North Dakota, MSU-Mankato, Denver
Key players: Sophomore F Kevin Clark (7-10-17), Sophomore F Paul Crowder (6-10-16), Sophomore F Josh Lunden (9-7-16), Junior D Mat Robinson (2-10-12)

Midseason report: The unexpected departure of goaltender Nathan Lawson thrust senior net minder Jon Olthuis into the spotlight, and he hasn’t done enough to bail out the Seawolves, who have given up 3 or more goals in 10 of 14 WCHA games thus far.

Final Thoughts
The league race may go down to the wire, with Denver and Colorado College playing a home and home series on the final weekend of the regular season. The Final Five could see some new and unlikely participants this season, as Minnesota and Wisconsin could be on the outside looking in.

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

Midway through the second period, Michigan Tech and North Dakota were tied at 1-1 and Sioux defenseman Robbie Bina was headed to the penalty box, yet another in a series of UND penalties through the first 30 minutes of the hockey game.

The Sioux used a tenacious penalty kill to fire up the crowd, and shortly after the penalty expired, UND rode that momentum to goals by Joe Finley (10:53 of the second) and Matt Watkins (11:50) to take the Huskies by storm. It was all North Dakota after that, as Taylor Chorney added a third period tally and North Dakota won, 4-1.

So many positive things to note in this edition of the Game React. Evan Trupp, Darcy Zajac, Watkins, and Finley all played possibly their best games of the season, and Jean-Phillipe Lamoureux was solid yet again, allowing only an early second period goal on 15 shots.

After a first period in which shots from the point were slow to develop, UND began shooting quickly during the final forty minutes, and the result was goals from defensemen Joe Finley and Taylor Chorney and numerous other scoring chances. The assignment for the blueliners seemed to be “shoot and shoot again”, a trend I would like to see continue.

Junior forward T.J. Oshie continues to display amazing hands and all-out effort on every shift, qualities that remind me of Zach Parise during his two seasons at North Dakota.

One note about Darcy Zajac. After being held in the offensive zone early in the first period, his retaliation, which was called a two-minute minor for roughing, could have been a five minute major for cross-checking with intent to injure. I’m surprised UND escaped this exchange without a shorthanded situation.

Sophomore forward Chris VandeVelde had another strong game, and is playing like an upperclassman. He tallied two assists and won 14 of 18 faceoffs on the night. For the season, he has now tallied 7 goals and 11 assists in 20 games.

UND finished 1 for 5 on the power play tonight; MTU was 0 for 5 with the man advantage. North Dakota also continues to play well in 4 on 4 situations.

The Sioux improve to 11-8-1 (8-7-0 WCHA) on the season; the Huskies fall to 9-10-2 (5-7-1 WCHA). North Dakota is now 2-1-0 against Michigan Tech this season; UND has outscored MTU 11-4 in the three games.

North Dakota remains in third place in the WCHA, one point ahead of fourth place Minnesota-Duluth, who capped a furious comeback with an overtime winner at home against MSU-Mankato to keep pace with the Sioux.

The same two teams face off at Ralph Engelstad Arena at 7:07 on Saturday night. For more on the matchup between the two teams, click here.

I thank you for reading, and welcome your comments and suggestions. Check back after Saturday’s contest for more reaction, news, and notes.

Amazingly, only two teams in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association have winning records at the halfway point of the conference season. Colorado College (13-3-0) and Denver (11-3-0) have run away with the top two spots, leaving the rest of the league at .500 or below. North Dakota (7-7-0 WCHA) and Michigan Tech (5-6-1 WCHA) are in good shape for home ice in the first round of the conference playoffs, despite their average league records.

UND is in good shape for a stretch run, as the toughest part of their schedule seems to be behind them. With seven conference weekends remaining, the Sioux will host Michigan Tech, Alaska-Anchorage, Denver, and St. Cloud State, and travel to MSU-Mankato, Minnesota, and Minnesota-Duluth. It is my prediction that North Dakota will still be in third place at the end of the regular season, hosting a first-round playoff series, advancing to the WCHA Final Five, and avoiding the dreaded Thursday play-in game.

That stretch run begins now. UND can strengthen its position with strong showings this weekend and against Mankato and Anchorage. Five wins in those six contests isn’t out of the questions, and would give the Sioux much-needed momentum heading down to Mariucci to take on the Golden Gophers in early February.

For Michigan Tech, early-season success has given way to inconsistency. An injury has kept the Huskies’ top goaltender, junior Michael-Lee Teslak (4-4-2, 1.72 GAA, .934 SV), out of action for the past five games. It is unknown whether he will make a start this weekend. If he cannot go, junior netminder Rob Nolan (5-5-0, 2.50 GAA, .903 SV) will handle the duties between the pipes.

Michigan Tech Team Profile
National Rankings: #18/-
Head Coach: Jamie Russell (5th season at MTU, 50-101-22, .353)
This Season: 9-9-2 Overall, 5-6-1 WCHA (t-5th)
Specialty Teams: Power Play 17.3% (17 of 98), Penalty Kill 89.1% (82 of 92)
Last Season: 18-17-5, 11-12-5 WCHA (6th)
Key Players: Senior F Peter Rouleau (7-8-15), Senior F Tyler Shelast (11-5-16), Junior D Geoff Kinrade (1-10-11), Junior G Michael-Lee Teslak (4-4-2, 1.72 GAA, .934 SV)

North Dakota Team Profile
National Rankings: #8/#10
Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (4th season at UND, 88-53-12, .614)
This Season: 10-8-1 Overall, 7-7-0 WCHA (3rd)
Specialty Teams: Power Play 15.4% (12 of 78), Penalty Kill 88.2% (82 of 93)
Last Season: 24-14-5 (Frozen Four semifinalist), 13-10-5 WCHA (3rd)
Key Players: Junior F Ryan Duncan (9-11-20), Junior F T.J. Oshie (10-8-18), Sophomore F Chris VandeVelde (7-9-16), Senior D Robbie Bina (1-16-17), Junior D Taylor Chorney (0-12-12), Senior G Jean-Philippe Lamoureux (10-8-1, 1.95 GAA, .929 SV)

By The Numbers
Last Meeting: October 27, 2007. UND defeats the Huskies 6-0 to gain a split of the weekend series in Houghton. Michigan Tech won the opener, 3-1 (ENG).
Last Meeting in Grand Forks: December 15-16, 2006. Michigan Tech sweeps the series in Grand Forks, 3-1 and 3-2, for its first sweep over North Dakota in 14 years.
All-time: UND leads the all-time series, 129-88-8 (.591). The teams first met in 1948.

Game News and Notes
UND has won at least one game on 19 consecutive regular season weekends, tops among WCHA teams. North Dakota forward Ryan Duncan was named the WCHA Offensive Player of the Week following his four point weekend at St. Cloud State. Duncan won the Hobey Baker Award last season. UND senior netminder Jean-Phillippe Lamoureux has played in 88 career games, and can tie Scott Brower (1984-88) for fourth all-time with two starts this weekend. Hockey legend Gordie Howe is scheduled to drop the ceremonial first puck prior to Friday’s game.

The Prediction
This is the weekend for a stick salute. UND brings too much depth and experience, and Teslak’s injury will hurt the Huskies. The Sioux will not let these points slip away. UND 3-2, 5-1.

Thank you for reading. I welcome your questions and comments. Click here for reaction to Friday’s game. Check back after Saturday’s contest for more reaction, news, and commentary.

As I mentioned in my article about the Challenge Cup, the rivalry between these two schools has picked up since the WCHA made North Dakota and St. Cloud State schedule partners five seasons ago.

And on a personal note, this weekend will mark my tenth visit to the National Hockey Center to watch these two teams take the ice.

There are a couple of keys for this weekend’s games. UND comes in as the second-most penalized team in the country (19.3 penalty minutes/game), while SCSU is the least-penalized team in all of college hockey (9.3 penalty minutes/game). Further complicating matters for North Dakota is that the Huskies are converting almost 23% of their power play opportunities, while the Fighting Sioux are struggling at just over 15%.

Or put more simply, SCSU has scored over 40% of its goals with the man advantage; UND, only 20%.

UND will also feel the loss of junior forward T.J. Oshie, who will serve a one-game suspension for a violation of team rules and will not play Friday night. Oshie is tied for the team lead in points, and his energy and hard-nosed play will be missed in the opener.

The two teams will meet again in Grand Forks on March 7-8 (the final weekend of the regular season) with the UND/SCSU Challenge Cup on the line.

St. Cloud State Team Profile
National Rankings: #15/-
Head Coach: Bob Motzko (3rd season at SCSU, 53-36-13, .583)
This Season: 9-9-2 Overall, 4-7-1 WCHA (t-7th)
Special Teams: Power Play 22.8% (26 of 114), Penalty Kill 86.7% (65 of 75)
Last Season: 22-11-7 Overall (NCAA East Regional Semifinalist), 14-7-7 WCHA (2nd)
Key Players: Sophomore F Ryan Lasch (15-15-30), Freshman F Garrett Roe (11-16-27), Sophomore F Andreas Nodl (10-13-23), Senior F Nate Dey (8-5-13), Senior D Aaron Brocklehurst (2-10-12), Sophomore G Jase Weslosky (7-8-0, 2.16 GAA, .928 SV, 1 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile
National Rankings: #8/#7
Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (4th season at UND, 87-52-12, .616)
This Season: 9-7-1 Overall, 7-7-0 WCHA (4th)
Specialty Teams: Power Play 15.1% (11 of 73), Penalty Kill 87.5% (70 of 80)
Last Season: 24-14-5 (Frozen Four Semifinalist), 13-10-5 WCHA (3rd)
Key Players: Junior F Ryan Duncan (7-9-16), Junior F T.J. Oshie (9-7-16), Sophomore F Chris VandeVelde (6-7-13), Senior D Robbie Bina (1-15-16), Junior D Taylor Chorney (0-12-12), Senior G Jean-Philippe Lamoureux (9-7-1, 1.88 GAA, .932 SV, 4 SO)

By The Numbers
Last Meeting: March 16, 2007 (St. Paul, Minnesota). UND defeats SCSU 6-2 in the WCHA Final Five semifinals. Chris Porter plays in his 171st consecutive game to tie the all-time WCHA record. Porter would set the record in the championship game the following night.
Last Meeting in St. Cloud: March 3, 2007. UND takes the series finale 7-2 after the teams skate to a 3-3 tie in the opener.
All-time Series: UND leads the all-time series, 46-25-8 (.633), and holds a record of 18-13-5 (.569) in games played in St. Cloud.

Game News and Notes
UND goaltender Jean-Philippe Lamoureux has now started 42 consecutive games between the pipes, breaking the previous school record of 40 held by Al Finkelstein (1951-53). Lamoureux’s streak is the second-longest streak in WCHA history, trailing only Brant Nicklin, who started 76 consecutive games for the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs from 1996-98. St. Cloud State boasts two of the top five scorers in the country in sophomore Ryan Lasch (#2, 15-15-30) and freshman Garrett Roe (#5, 11-16-27, tops among rookies). By comparison, UND’s top scorers T.J. Oshie, Robbie Bina, and Ryan Duncan (16 points each) are tied for 70th among national scoring leaders. North Dakota has not lost to St. Cloud in the last six meetings between the two teams, going 4-0-2 in that span. The Fighting Sioux are definitely not a comeback team. The last time North Dakota won a game after trailing through two periods was almost three seasons ago. Since then, UND has gone 0-24-0 when facing a deficit after forty minutes.

The Prediction
I’m not sure when the Sioux will stop doing the splits, but it won’t be this weekend. With T.J. Oshie out of the lineup on Friday night, North Dakota will be happy to take two points from the weekend series. SCSU 4-2, UND 3-2.

Thank you for reading. As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions. Check back after the games for reaction and commentary.

Beginning with the 2002-03 season, the WCHA changed its scheduling system, creating “rivals” which would play each other four times each season (and play the other schools twice one season, four times the next, and so on). Minnesota and Wisconsin were paired up, as were Colorado College and Denver. All four of those schools, and particularly Minnesota and Wisconsin, would have made excellent schedule partners for UND.

And which of the remaining teams would become North Dakota’s schedule partner? Alaska-Anchorage? Mankato? No, as the two newest members of the WCHA (1993 and 1999, respectively), the Seawolves and Mavericks were paired with each other. How about Minnesota-Duluth or Michigan Tech, schools which had been members of the conference for over 35 years? No again. Those two schools are just over 200 miles apart, and that was certainly a factor in the decision.

That left St. Cloud State, a familiar foe for Sioux fans from North Central Conference football and basketball games. The St. Cloud State Huskies had been a Division I hockey program for 15 years (and a WCHA member for 12) before the 2002-03 season, and had posted a 83-34-6 (.699) record over the previous three seasons. By contrast, from 1999-02, UND held a record of 76-35-16 (.654).

The two schools had played a handful of meaningful games in the past. In 1991 (St. Cloud’s first in the league), the Huskies and Sioux met in Grand Forks for the first round of the WCHA playoffs. St. Cloud took the opener, 4-2, before falling 10-2 and 7-4 in games 2 and 3. The two teams met in the 1998 and 2000 WCHA Final Five semifinal games, with North Dakota prevailing in both contests. Perhaps the best reason to be optimistic about the rivalry was the 2001 WCHA Final Five championship game, a hard-fought contest which St. Cloud State won on Derek Eastman’s overtime winner.

It’s fair to say that in 2002 there was confusion AND cautious optimism surrounding the potential rivalry between the two teams. (And on a personal note, I had already traveled to St. Cloud for the Sioux/Husky games four times before the rivalry announcement was made, and I was more than pleased that I would now be able to make this trip every year.)

It’s also fair to say that the rivalry has caught on over the past five seasons. The two teams have played eight overtime contests in their 24 regular-season meetings, and points are tough to come by, at home and on the road. The fans have also made their mark on the partnership between the schools, as the UND/SCSU rivalry now 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. And last season, the teams shared the cup, with UND and SCSU each winning one game and tying the other two.

We will be bringing the Challenge Cup to the pre-game social at Southgate Grill and Bar in Grand Forks on Saturday, December 13th. Stop by between 3:00 and 6:00 for a look at the trophy and a chance to meet fans on both sides of this hockey rivalry.

Check back for a preview of this weekend’s games. As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions.

After two periods, North Dakota senior goaltender Jean-Philippe Lamoureux had set the all-time school record for consecutive starts (41) and UND held a 1-0 lead over the New Hampshire Wildcats. At 5:49 of the third period, Jerry Pollastrone beat Lamoureux glove-side, spoiling the Sioux netminder’s bid for a fifth shutout.

The following minute was the key to the hockey game. 27 seconds after Pollastrone’s tally, Sioux freshman forward Evan Trupp knocked in a rebound of Matt Frattin’s breakaway attempt. Just 41 seconds after UND took the lead, Ryan Martens gave the Sioux a two-goal cushion, stealing all of the momentum away from the Wildcats.

Lamoureux finished with 29 saves on 30 shots, lowering his goals-against average to 1.68 (second in the nation). Remarkably, through the first sixteen games of the season, he has allowed two goals or fewer eleven times.

The key line for UND was Darcy Zajac centering Ryan Martens and Kyle Radke. Zajac scored the first Sioux goal, and Martens (1 goal, 1 assist) and Radke (2 assists) led North Dakota with two points each . The three had not played together since a March game at St. Cloud, when they notched three goals and two assists in a 7-2 Sioux victory.

There was energy up and down the North Dakota lineup. Kaip was effective on the top line with Oshie and Duncan, and I liked Bina and Chorney paired on defense.

The one area of concern was the UND power play. North Dakota went 0 for 6 with the man advantage and has not scored on its last 15 chances. A unit that was clicking at over 18% through the first two months is now hovering around 14% (10 of 70). New Hampshire had an effective penalty kill that generated momentum for the Wildcats.

UND (9-6-1) saw a nice bounce in the pairwise rankings after the win, and is now sitting in sixth. New Hampshire (9-5-1) is seventh. The two teams take the ice tonight for the second game of the series.

Thanks for reading. As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions. Check back after Saturday’s game for more reaction and commentary. For more on the matchup between the teams, click here.

As I wrote here, the playoffs create rivalries. And because the Fighting Sioux and the Wildcats have never met in the playoffs, it comes as no surprise that no rivalry exists. Despite a combined 20 NCAA tournament appearances in the past 11 seasons, North Dakota and New Hampshire have managed to avoid each other on the national stage. In fact, since the schools began playing each other in 1971, they have only met 13 times.

Perhaps the most meaningful connection between the schools is that Rube Bjorkman was the head coach at New Hampshire for four seasons (1964-68) before becoming UND’s head coach for the 1968-69 season. Bjorkman, who posted only two winning seasons and no tournament appearances in his ten seasons behind the North Dakota bench, struggled to a 17-26 record in his first two seasons with the Wildcats before winning 40 of 54 games from 1966-68.

Both schools are looking to start the second half on a winning note, and this weekend’s results will certainly be important come tournament time.

New Hampshire Team Profile
National Rankings: #10/#9
Head Coach: (Dick Umile, 18th season at New Hampshire, 408-201-64, .654)
This Season: 9-4-1 Overall, 6-4-1 Hockey East
Special Teams: Power Play 13.3% (10 of 75), Penalty Kill 84.6% (66 of 78)
Last Season: 26-11-2 Overall (NCAA Northeast Regional Semifinalist), 18-7-2 Hockey East (1st)
Key Players: Senior F Matt Fornataro (6-11-17), Freshman F James vanRiemsdyk (6-9-15), Senior F Mike Radja (8-4-12), Junior F Jerry Pollastrone (4-6-10), Senior D Brad Flaishans (4-8-12), Senior G Kevin Regan (7-3-0, 2.21 GAA, .922 SV, 1 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile
National Rankings: #7/#7
Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (4th season at UND, 86-51-12, .617)
This Season: 8-6-1 Overall, 6-6-0 WCHA
Specialty Teams: Power Play 15.6% (10 of 64), Penalty Kill 88.9% (64 of 72)
Last Season: 24-14-5 (Frozen Four Semifinalist), 13-10-5 WCHA (3rd)
Key Players: Junior F Ryan Duncan (6-9-15), Junior F T.J. Oshie (8-7-15), Sophomore F Chris VandeVelde (6-6-12), Senior D Robbie Bina (0-13-13), Junior D Taylor Chorney (0-12-12), Senior G Jean-Philippe Lamoureux (8-6-1, 1.72 GAA, .936 SV, 4 SO)

By The Numbers
Last Meeting: October 22, 2005 (Durham, New Hampshire). The Sioux and Wildcats skate to a 3-3 tie on Saturday night after North Dakota takes the opener, 3-2.
Last Meeting in Grand Forks: January 6, 1989. UND downs New Hampshire 8-2 in a single game at the old Ralph Engelstad Arena.
All-time Series: UND leads the all-time series with 9 wins against 2 losses and 2 ties. North Dakota has never lost against New Hampshire in Grand Forks, winning all four home contests.

Game News and Notes
UND goaltender Jean-Philippe Lamoureux has now started 40 consecutive games betwen the pipes, and shares the school record with Al Finkelstein (1951-53). Lamoureux’s streak is the second-longest streak in WCHA history, trailing only Brant Nicklin, who started 76 consecutive games for the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs from 1996-98. New Hampshire freshman forward James vanRiemsdyk is second on the team in scoring with 15 points (6g, 9a) but will not play in this weekend’s series, as he is currently playing for the United States national junior team at the World Junior Championships. New Hampshire has made the NCAA tournament 13 times in the past 16 seasons under head coach Dick Umile, and has four Frozen Four appearances and two runner-up finishes in that span.

The Prediction
I would love to predict a Sioux sweep to begin the patented “Hakstol second half surge”, but another split seems likely, particularily if Lamoureux rests Saturday after setting the school record for consecutive starts on Friday night. UND 3-2, UNH 4-2.

Thank you for reading. As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions. Check back after the games for reaction and commentary.

It’s like deja vu all over again. Yet another conference series, yet another split.

Minnesota outplayed North Dakota throughout the first 55 minutes of the contest, and led 4-1 before two Sioux goals in the final four minutes woke up the crowd and had the Gophers on their heels. Minnesota survived the late rally and prevailed, 4-3.

I wonder if I can even use the phrase “final four” without paying some sort of penalty to the NCAA. Hmmm….

I have two rants before I get to the game action:

Rant Number One: I will NEVER understand why fans leave a game early. Especially this series. Cold outside? Stay ’til the end. Sick? Stay ’til the end. Tired? Stay ’til the end. Team not playing well? Cheer louder and stay ’til the end. Growing up, we learned that the post-game show on the radio was what we listened to as we were stuck in post-game traffic.

Rant Number Two: I also don’t understand why fans throw objects on the ice. Ok, I can look past the gopher (moderately funny), but pompoms and pop? Come on, are we six years old? The only thing that I think is unfortunate about the “any more objects will result in a Sioux penalty” proclamation is this: what’s to stop any of the hundreds of Gopher fans in the arena from chucking almonds on the ice and creating an instant power play for their squad? I think it’s a tough spot for the refs to be in, and we as fans shouldn’t put them there.

Now to the game action:

It was much the same story as Friday night, with Minnesota outshooting and outchancing UND through the first two periods. The difference in Saturday’s game was that the Gophers were up 4-1 after two, with back-breaking goals at the end of each period proving too much for the Fighting Sioux to overcome.

The only area UND excelled at for the game (and the weekend) was in the face-off circle. VandeVelde is much improved on draws, and Zajac continues to win almost 60%.

It’s worth mentioning that Jean-Philippe Lamoureux tied the school record for consecutive starts by a goaltender with his 40th game in a row. I would imagine that he will break the record by starting Friday’s tilt against New Hampshire after the Christmas break, and then get a much-
deserved break on Saturday.

Minnesota outplayed North Dakota for much of this series, and could easily have swept the two games. The Gophers were better in most areas, particularily in the first forty minutes of each game.

Remarkably, in three WCHA home series, UND is 3-0 on Friday and 0-3 on Saturday. On the road in the WCHA, it’s the opposite: 0-3 on Friday and 3-0 on Saturday. Coincidence or trend?

UND falls to 6-6-0 in the WCHA, while Minnesota improves to 5-7-0. The way the conference race looks right now, there are a number of teams bunched up with five to seven losses, and after Colorado College and Denver, the race is still wide open.

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

Lamoureux was the difference in the 4-2 Sioux victory. He kept the game scoreless through two periods, turning aside all 26 shots he faced through the first forty minutes.

Minnesota held a 26-12 advantage in shots on goal through two periods, and finished with a 39-30 edge.

North Dakota has now won 5 of the last 6 meetings between the teams, and has narrowed the gap in the all-time series. Minnesota now sports a record of 129-121-11 (.515) in Sioux/Gopher games, while UND leads the series in Grand Forks, 64-52-7 (.549).

The Fighting Sioux continued their exceptional 4 on 4 play. UND’s second goal (Rylan Kaip from Chris VandeVelde and Robbie Bina) came with each team a man short. North Dakota has the puck-moving defenseman necessary to create chances in this situation.

Rylan Kaip continues his solid two-way play. The senior forward has five goals this season after tallying eight in his first three seasons combined.

I’m not a fan of the Holy Cross references. I understand why fans continue to bring this up, but it shouldn’t come from the PA announcer at the arena. For the record, an announcement was made in the third period that “Holy Cross is off this weekend”.

Minnesota falls to 4-7-0 in WCHA play, equaling the number of conference losses from all of last season, when they finished 18-7-3 to claim the McNaughton Cup. UND is now 6-5-0 in the conference, and hope to pick up points Saturday night after splitting all five conference series to date.

The Gophers fall to 8-8-1 overall, while the Fighting Sioux improve to 8-5-1. The same two teams square off Saturday night at 7:07.

Thank you for reading. I welcome your comments and suggestions. For more on the matchup between the teams, click here. For background on this great college hockey rivalry, click here. Click here for analysis, commentary, and reaction to Saturday’s game.

I wrote in my WCHA Season Preview that the four games between North Dakota and Minnesota might very well decide the race for the McNaughton Cup.

As it looks right now, these games might determine whether one of these squads goes on the road for the first round of the conference playoffs.

UND (7-5-1, 5-5-0 WCHA) is currently in fifth place in the WCHA, while Minnesota (8-7-1, 4-6-0 WCHA) is tied for sixth with Wisconsin. Those standings are a bit misleading, however, as three of the four teams ahead of North Dakota and Minnesota in the league race (Denver, Minnesota-Duluth, and Michigan Tech) have played twelve conference games while the Sioux and the Gophers have each played ten.

That being said, these games are critical for league points, momentum, and the all-important Sioux-Gopher rivalry.

Last season, North Dakota took three of four games from Minnesota, including a regular season sweep at Mariucci Arena and an overtime victory in the NCAA West Regional Final which propelled the Sioux to their third consecutive Frozen Four. Minnesota defeated North Dakota 3-2 in overtime to claim the WCHA Final Five Championship in St. Paul.

Minnesota Team Profile
National Rankings: #15/#17
Head Coach: Don Lucia (9th season at Minnesota, 228-103-30, .673)
This Season: 8-7-1 Overall, 4-6-0 WCHA
Special Teams: Power Play 11.5% (9 of 78), Penalty Kill 83.8% (57-68)
Last Season: 31-10-3 Overall, 18-7-3 WCHA (1st)
Key Players: Sophomore F Jay Barriball (2-8-10), Senior F Ben Gordon (4-9-13), Sophomore F Kyle Okposo (6-4-10), Junior F Blake Wheeler (6-6-12), Freshman D Cade Fairchild (2-8-10), Junior G Jeff Frazee (6-5-0, 2.72 GAA, .896 SV, 1 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile
National Rankings: #7/#8
Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (4th season at UND, 85-50-12, .619)
This Season: 7-5-1 Overall, 5-5-0 WCHA
Specialty Teams: Power Play 16.9% (10 of 59), Penalty Kill 90.9% (60 of 66)
Last Season: 24-14-5 (Frozen Four Semifinalist), 13-10-5 WCHA (3rd)
Key Players: Junior F Ryan Duncan (5-9-14), Junior F T.J. Oshie (7-6-13), Sophomore F Chris VandeVelde (5-4-9), Senior D Robbie Bina (0-11-11), Junior D Taylor Chorney (0-9-9), Senior G Jean-Philippe Lamoureux (7-5-1, 1.52 GAA, .940 SV, 4 SO)

By The Numbers
Last Meeting: March 25, 2007 (NCAA West Regional Final, Denver, CO). Chris Porter scores the game-winner at 9:43 of overtime as UND prevails, 3-2, to advance to its third consecutive Frozen Four
Last Meeting in Grand Forks: December 10, 2005. Minnesota defeats UND 4-3 to sweep the weekend series. The Golden Gophers won the series opener by the same score. For the weekend, the Fighting Sioux never had a lead.
Most Important Meeting: March 24, 1979. North Dakota and Minnesota meet to decide the national championship, and the Gophers prevail, 4-3.
All-time Series: Minnesota leads the all-time series, 129-120-11 (.517). UND leads the series in Grand Forks, 63-52-7 (.545).

Game News and Notes
UND goaltender Jean-Philippe Lamoureux (who was recently named the WCHA Defensive Player of the Week) has now started 38 consecutive games betwen the pipes, two shy of the school record of 40 held by Al Finkelstein (1951-53). Minnesota holds a three game winning streak over North Dakota at Ralhp Engelstad Arena, and is 6-3-1 in the last ten meetings between the teams in Grand Forks.

The Prediction
UND appears to have an edge in goaltending, defensive depth, and special teams. In honor of the three Sioux victories in four opportunities last season, I’m picking three points this weekend for North Dakota. UND 5-2, 2-2 tie.

Thank you for reading. As always, I welcome your questions and comments. Click here for reaction to Friday’s game.  Click here for the Saturday Game React