Category: Men’s Hockey

In the first two seasons of the NCHC, North Dakota has won 31 league games, while Colorado College has managed to win just eight. If we look more closely at last season, the numbers are even worse for the Tigers. UND went 16-6-2-0, claiming the Penrose Cup and posting the best record in the two-year history of the league. The Tigers were historically bad in 2014-15, winning just two league games (2-19-3-1) all season.

The boys from Colorado Springs have not been able to score or stop anyone from scoring. Over the last twenty games dating back to last season, CC has given up three or more goals 15 times and scored more than two goals only six times. As a result, Colorado College has been outscored 77-37 in that stretch and sputtered to record of 1-17-2 over the past twenty games.

The feeling among the Tiger faithful is that new blood behind the bench will eventually translate into new life on the ice. Second-year head coach Mike Haviland is new to Division I hockey, but he was named the AHL coach of the year in 2006-07 (Norfolk Admirals) and served as an assistant coach with the Chicago Blackhawks for four seasons (2008-12), winning a Stanley Cup in 2010. He was most recently head coach for the AHL’s Hershey Bears.

UND and Colorado College met six times last season (twice in Colorado Springs), with North Dakota winning all six games and outscoring the Tigers 25-10. Without those six victories, UND’s record last year would have looked far less impressive at 23-10-3 (.681).

This weekend’s games, the first of the conference season, are critical for UND’s Penrose Cup hopes. Last year, North Dakota went 10-2-0 against the bottom four teams in the league (Colorado College, Western Michigan, St. Cloud State, and Minnesota-Duluth) en route to a 16-6-2 conference mark and the NCHC regular season title. A second reward for the Green and White was a first-round playoff series against Colorado College, the 13th time in a row that UND hosted the opening round of the conference tournament. The Green and White dispatched the Tigers in two games (5-1, 3-2) and advanced to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff.

After this weekend, North Dakota will have played seven of its eight October games on the road, with only a single home game versus Bemidji State(a 5-2 victory) to satisfy the fans in Grand Forks. Beginning with a November visit from the Wisconsin Badgers, however, UND will have eight home series and only six weekends away from Ralph Engelstad Arena.

North Dakota killed all four Vermont power plays last weekend and raised its penalty kill percentage to 72.2% (48th best in the country). This stat will need continually improve if the boys from Grand Forks want to compete for a league title again this year. In the first four games of the season, UND surrendered a total of five power play goals (to put that in perspective, Dave Hakstol’s group allowed only 27 power play goals in 42 games last year). The penalty kill numbers will improve as the goaltending situation improves (UND’s top two netminders – Matej Tomek and Cam Johnson – are both out with injury), but until that happens, the key will be to stay out of the penalty box.

The NCHC led all leagues last season with a sparkling record against the other five conferences, and in doing so placed six teams in the NCAA tournament. And this year, the eight teams in the league have gone 24-14-6 (.587) to place second (the ECAC is first at 21-10-4, .657). Last season, Dave Hakstol’s squad went 9-1-1 in regular season non-conference action and advanced to the NCAA Frozen Four. After a 4-0-2 start outside the NCHC, North Dakota’s other non-conference opponents this season will be Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Alabama-Huntsville (all currently unranked). UND has lost just once in its last 21 nonconference games (16-1-4) dating back to the second half of the 2013-14 season.

Saturday’s series finale will mark the first time that North Dakota will play on Halloween since 2008-09, when UND defeated Wisconsin 3-2. That victory pushed North Dakota’s all-time record on October 31st to 6-3-0. UND and Colorado College have never met on Halloween.

Colorado College Team Profile

Head Coach: Mike Haviland (2nd season at CC, 6-32-3, .183)
National Rankings: NR/NR
This Season: 0-6-0 overall, 0-0-0-0 NCHC
Last Season: 6-26-3 overall, 2-19-3-1 NCHC (8th)

Season Statistics:
Team Offense: 1.50 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 3.83 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 14.3% (4 of 28)
Penalty Kill: 76.7% (23 of 30)

Key players: Senior F Cody Bradley (1-2-3), Senior F Hunter Fejes (1-0-1), Junior F Sam Rothstein (0-3-3), Freshman F Trey Bradley (3-1-4), Sophomore D Teemu Kivihalme (1-3-4), Freshman D Andrew Farny (0-2-2), Junior G Tyler Marble (0-2-0, 3.44 GAA, .877 SV%)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Brad Berry (1st season at UND, 4-0-2, .833)
National Ranking: #1/#2
This Season: 4-0-2 overall, 0-0-0-0 NCHC
Last Season: 29-10-3 overall (NCAA Frozen Four appearance), 16-6-2-0 NCHC (1st out of 8 teams)

Season Statistics:
Team Offense: 3.67 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 1.83 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 20.0% (5 of 25)
Penalty Kill: 72.2% (13 of 18)

Key Players: Senior F Drake Caggiula (2-6-8), Sophomore F Nick Schmaltz (0-5-5), Senior F Bryn Chyzyk (5-1-6), Freshman F Brock Boeser (4-2-6), Junior D Paul LaDue (0-1-1), Junior D Troy Stecher (2-4-6), Junior G Matt Hyrnkiw (3-0-1, 1.76 GAA, .933 SV%, 1 SO)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: March 14, 2015 (Grand Forks, ND). Senior forward Connor Gaarder potted the game-winner with under 90 seconds remaining in the hockey game to propel UND to a 3-2 victory over the visiting Tigers. Colorado College forward Luc Gerdes scored a wraparound goal at 6:10 of the third period to knot the game at 2. CC outshot the Green and White 33-31, but Zane McIntyre was up to the challenge, making 31 saves in the victory. North Dakota won Friday’s opener by a much more comfortable 5-1 margin.

Last Meeting in Colorado Springs: October 18, 2014. UND blitzed the homestanding Tigers with four goals in the opening frame before cruising to a 7-2 victory. The visitors from Grand Forks went 5-for-9 on the power play and added two shorthanded goals. Senior forward Mark MacMillan scored a rare empty net shorthanded goal for his hat trick, and added two assists for good measure. North Dakota won Friday’s opener 3-1.

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, 149-80-10 (.644), although Colorado College has had the advantage at altitude (6,035 feet), going 57-50-4 (.532) in Colorado Springs. The teams first met in 1948.

Last Ten: North Dakota has won nine of the last ten meetings between the teams, outscoring CC 38-20 over that span. The only Tigers victory was an overtime win in the 2014 NCHC quarterfinals. Seventeen of the last nineteen games have been decided by two goals or less.

Game News and Notes

Four of the Tigers’ nine goals this season have come with the man advantage. UND went the entire 2014-15 season without being swept on the road (11-4-0 during the regular season away from Ralph Engelstad Arena last year). Colorado College has only scored one first period goal in six games this season. North Dakota senior forward Drake Caggiula, who leads all current NCAA men’s hockey players in career games played with 129, has already faced CC 16 times in his career, collecting 13 points (eight goals, five assists).

Media Coverage

This weekend’s series at Colorado College will not be televised, but a webcast of both games is available to NCHC.tv subscribers. All UND men’s hockey games (home and away) can be heard on 96.1 FM and on stations across the UND Sports Network (as well as through the iHeart Radio app). Follow @UNDMHockey for real-time Twitter updates, or follow the action via live chat at UNDsports.com.

The Prediction

UND has been rolling and Colorado College has been stumbling. Furthermore, the boys from Grand Forks can expect a predominantly green and white crowd at World Arena, proving yet again that for UND hockey, it’s always a home game. If the Tigers’ power play gets clicking, they could make one game close. North Dakota will sweep and end October with a sparkling 6-0-2 record. UND 5-1, 4-2.

There are plenty of unanswered questions heading into the third season of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, a league that sent six teams to the NCAA tournament a year ago.

And there’s a recurring theme: the teams with an established goaltender feel like they can contend for the league title and beyond, and the teams with question marks between the pipes will be searching for answers.

Minnesota-Duluth (Kasimir Kaskisuo, career record of 20-15-5), Denver (Tanner Jaillet, 16-9-0), Miami (Ryan McKay, 32-27-7), St. Cloud State (Charlie Lindgren, 24-22-2), Western Michigan (Lukas Hafner, 21-19-8), and Colorado College (Tyler Marble, 5-20-2) all appear to have their goalie situations solidified, while North Dakota and Nebraska-Omaha are dealing with the losses of Zane McIntyre (58-24-9) and Ryan Massa (32-27-9), respectively.

There are two main reasons why goaltending is more important now than ever. The first is that games are more tightly contested than ever before, with most league games decided by one or two goals. And the second is that teams will rely on their netminders (especially early in the season) as new and returning players adjust to new roles and new linemates.

On the offensive side of the ledger, four top-tier teams lost more than 40 percent of their goal scoring from last season, while Minnesota-Duluth and Nebraska-Omaha have more than 80 percent of their offense returning.

Here’s how the teams ended up last season, the second year of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (goals returning, total goals last season, % of offense returning)

1. North Dakota (69 of 138, 50.0 percent)
2. Miami (57 of 130, 43.8 percent)
3. Nebraska-Omaha (97 of 105, 92.4 percent)
4. Denver (72 of 131, 55.0 percent)
5. Minnesota-Duluth (94 of 115, 81.7 percent)
6. St. Cloud State (56 of 109, 51.4 percent)
7. Western Michigan (64 of 98, 65.3 percent)
8. Colorado College (52 of 74, 70.3 percent)

And here are the combined league records for each school over the first two seasons of the NCHC:

1. North Dakota 31-15-2-0 (95 points)
2. Nebraska-Omaha 25-17-6-4 (85 points)
3. St. Cloud State 26-18-4-0 (82 points)
4. Minnesota-Duluth 23-20-5-2 (76 points)
4. Denver 23-21-4-3 (76 points)
6. Miami 20-26-2-2 (64 points)
6. Western Michigan 17-24-7-6 (64 points)
8. Colorado College 8-32-8-2 (34 points)

What follows is my prediction for the league standings, from #8 all the way up to #1 (media prediction in parenthesis). For the first time, my predictions are identical to the final preseason poll.

#8 Colorado College (#8 in the media poll)

Head Coach: Mike Haviland (2nd season at CC, 6-32-3, .183)

2014-15 Season: 6-26-3 overall, 2-19-3-1 NCHC (8th)
Team Offense: 2.11 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 3.89 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 20.0% (26 of 130)
Penalty Kill: 77.9% (106 of 136)

Key graduation losses: F Scott Wamsganz (8-11-19), F Charlie Taft (4-4-8), D Peter Stoykewych (3-8-11)

Early departure: D Jaccob Slavin (5-12-17)

Key returning players: Senior F Cody Bradley (10-20-30), Senior F Hunter Fejes (5-14-19), Junior F Sam Rothstein (6-8-14), Junior F Luc Gerdes (4-8-12), Sophomore D Teemu Kivihalme (5-6-11), Sophomore D Garrett Cecere (0-3-3), Junior G Tyler Marble (5-18-2, 3.48 GAA, .896 SV%, 1 SO)

Potential impact freshmen: F Trey Bradley, F Trevor Gooch, F Mason Bergh, D Andrew Farny, D David Radke

2015-16 season outlook: Mike Haviland has had success in the coaching ranks, but he’ll have to do it with 14 freshman and only four seniors on his roster. Netminder Tyler Marble has appeared in 30 career games and could keep the Tigers competitive, but I don’t see much here that leads me to believe that Colorado College will climb out of the basement.

#7 Western Michigan Broncos (#7 in the media poll)

Head Coach: Andy Murray (5th season at WMU, 75-61-25, .543)

2014-15 Season: 14-18-5 overall, 6-13-5-4 NCHC (7th)
Team Offense: 2.65 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.89 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 20.0% (29 of 145)
Penalty Kill: 81.0% (145 of 179)

Key graduation losses: F Justin Kovacs (6-20-26), F Will Kessel (7-13-20), D Matt Stewart (2-4-6), G Frank Slubowski (3-6-0, 3.55 GAA, .884 SV%)

Early departures: F Colton Hargrove (14-14-28), D Kenny Morrison (5-10-15)

Key returning players: Junior F Sheldon Dries (14-15-29), Senior F Nolan LaPorte (11-12-23), Sophomore F Frederik Tiffels (11-10-21), Junior D Chris Dienes (3-14-17), Senior G Lukas Hafner (11-12-5, 2.42 GAA, .914 SV%, 1 SO)

Potential impact freshmen: F Griffen Molino, F Colt Conrad, F Matheson Iacopelli, D Oliwer Kaski, D Corey Schueneman

2015-16 season outlook: Western Michigan is perhaps the most physically intimidating team in the league, but can they score enough and kill enough penalties to be relevant in the NCHC? Andy Murray’s club will be miserable to play against, but three goals will be enough to top WMU on most nights.

#6 St. Cloud State Huskies (#6 in the media poll)

Head Coach: Bob Motzko (11th season at SCSU, 208-157-41, .563)

2014-15 Season: 20-19-1 overall (NCAA West Regional finalist), 11-12-1-0 NCHC (6th)
Team Offense: 2.73 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.42 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 23.7% (37 of 156)
Penalty Kill: 80.3% (94 of 117)

Key graduation losses: F David Morley (17-12-29), F Joe Rehkamp (5-14-19), F Nick Oliver (3-2-5), D Andrew Prochno (3-12-15), D Tim Daly (1-7-8)

Early departure: F Jonny Brodzinski (21-17-38)

Key returning players: Senior F Joey Benik (16-23-39), Senior F Kalle Kossila (6-20-26), Sophomore F Patrick Russell (10-15-25), Senior D Ethan Prow (4-19-23), Junior G Charlie Lindgrem (19-18-1, 2.26 GAA, .919 SV%, 2 SO)

Potential impact freshmen: F Robby Jackson, F Mikey Eyssimont, F Jacob Benson, D Jon Lizotte, D Jimmy Schuldt

2015-16 season outlook: After winning back-to-back conference titles, the Huskies fell to 6th place in the NCHC last year. While SCSU consistently scored with the man advantage, the rest of the offense suffered. St. Cloud State only scored 1.65 even strength goals per game in 2014-15 after posting a much more respectable 2.42 goals per game in the same category two seasons ago. If Bob Motzko’s crew wants to contend for an upper-division finish, balanced scoring is key.

#5 Miami RedHawks (#5 in the media poll)

Head Coach: Enrico Blasi (17th season at Miami, 354-232-58, .595)

2014-15 Season: 25-14-1 overall (NCAA East Regional semifinalist, 14-9-1-1 NCHC (2nd)
Team Offense: 3.25 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.50 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 19.5% (33 of 169)
Penalty Kill: 83.6% (138 of 165)

Key graduation losses: F Austin Czarnik (9-36-45), F Blake Coleman (20-17-37), F Cody Murphy (13-11-24), F Alex Wideman (7-11-18), D Ben Paulides (3-7-10)

Early departure: F Riley Barber (20-20-40)

Key returning players: Junior F Anthony Louis (9-27-36), Senior F Sean Kuraly (19-10-29), Senior F Kevin Morris (5-9-14), Senior D Matthew Caito (4-20-24), Sophomore D Louis Belpedio (6-13-19), Senior G Jay Williams (19-8-0, 2.04 GAA, .917 SV%, 5 SO)

Potential impact freshman: F Jack Roslovic, F Josh Melnick, F Keifer Sherwood, D Grant Hutton

2015-16 season outlook: Miami lost more goal scoring from last season than any other team in the league, as last year’s seniors and Riley Barber accounted for 73 of the RedHawks 130 goals a year ago. Who is going to pick up the slack? I can’t quite put Miami in the top half of the conference just yet, but Jay Williams (five shutouts in 2014-15) could provide all the support they need.

#4 Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks (#4 in the media poll)

Head Coach: Dean Blais (7th season at UNO, 117-99-24, .538)

2014-15 Season: 20-13-6 overall (NCAA Frozen Four semifinalist), 12-8-4-3 NCHC (3rd)
Team Offense: 2.69 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.31 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 19.3% (28 of 145)
Penalty Kill: 83.7% (113 of 135)

Key graduation losses: F Dominic Zombo (5-9-14), G Ryan Massa (14-8-6, 1.96 GAA, .939 SV%, 2 SO)

Early departures: none

Key returning players: Junior F Jake Guentzel (14-25-39), Junior F Austin Ortega (20-17-37), Sophomore F Jake Randolph (5-21-26), Junior F Justin Parizek (13-8-21), Junior D Ian Brady (5-16-21), Senior D Brian Cooper (5-11-16), Junior G Kirk Thompson (5-5-0, 2.70 GAA, .905 SV%, 1 SO)

Potential impact freshmen: F Fredrik Olofsson, F Steven Spinner, F Ryan Galt, D Lukas Buchta

2015-16 season outlook: UNO has almost everyone back from last season’s Frozen Four team. But there are still some question marks: How will the Mavericks respond to heightened expectations and a brand-new arena? Will goaltender Kirk Thompson be able to carry the load now that Ryan Massa has graduated? And finally, UNO was outshot in twenty games last season but won 13 of those. Can that trend continue?

#3 North Dakota (#3 in the media poll)

Head Coach: Brad Berry (1st season at UND, 4-0-2, .833)

2014-15 Season: 29-10-3 (NCAA Frozen Four semifinalist), 16-6-2-0 NCHC (1st)
Team Offense: 3.29 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.24 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 20.4% (34 of 167)
Penalty Kill: 84.0% (142 of 169)

Key graduation losses: F Michael Parks (12-20-32), F Mark MacMillan (16-9-25), F Brendan O’Donnell (13-8-21), F Connor Gaarder (10-10-20), D Nick Mattson (4-17-21)

Early departures: D Jordan Schmaltz (4-24-28), G Zane McIntyre (29-10-3, 2.05 GAA, .929 SV%, 1 SO)

Key returning players: Senior F Drake Caggiula (18-18-36), Sophomore F Nick Schmaltz (5-21-26), Junior F Luke Johnson (11-13-24), Junior D Paul LaDue (5-17-22), Sophomore D Tucker Poolman (8-10-18), Junior D Troy Stecher (3-10-13)

Potential impact freshmen: F Brock Boeser, F Chris Wilkie, F Shane Gersich, D Christian Wolanin, G Matej Tomek

2015-16 season outlook: Before the season started, the question was whether Cam Johnson or Matej Tomek would take over the crease from Mike Richter Award winner/Hobey Baker finalist Zane McIntyre. And now both Tomek and Johnson are injured. The job is left (for now) to junior walkon Matt Hrynkiw, and he’s been up to the challenge so far. But league games are a whole different story. If North Dakota can score enough goals until someone solidifies the goaltending position, Brad Berry’s club might be looking at back-to-back Penrose Cups.

#2 Denver Pioneers (#2 in the media poll)

Head Coach: Jim Montgomery (3rd season at DU, 47-31-8, .593)

2014-15 Season: 24-14-2 overall (NCAA East Regional finalist), 13-10-1-1 NCHC (4th)
Team Offense: 3.27 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.48 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 22.1% (32 of 145)
Penalty Kill: 82.3% (107 of 130)

Key graduation losses: F Daniel Doremus (11-23-34), F Zac Larraza (12-8-20), F Ty Loney (10-6-16), D Joey LaLeggia (15-25-40), D Josiah Didier (3-8-11)

Early departures: none

Key returning players: Sophomore F Danton Heinen (16-29-45), Junior F Trevor Moore (22-22-44), Senior F Quentin Shore (10-16-26), Senior D Nolan Zajac (5-21-26), Junior D Will Butcher (4-14-28), Junior G Evan Cowley (9-6-2, 2.16 GAA, .924 SV%, 3 SO), Sophomore G Tanner Jaillet (15-8-0, 2.35 GAA, .917 SV%, 1 SO)

Potential impact freshmen: F Logan O’Connor, F Jarid Lukosevicius, F Dylan Gambrell, D Blake Hillman

2015-16 season outlook: Denver went 15-5 at home last season but struggled to a 9-9-2 record on the road and at neutral sites. In order to make a deep playoff run again, the Pios will need to improve away from Magness Arena. DU has the luxury of two proven netminders and should make a push for the league title.

#1 Minnesota-Duluth (#1 in the media poll)

Head Coach: Scott Sandelin (16th season at UMD, 270-262-72, .507)

2014-15 Season: 21-16-3 overall (NCAA Northeast Regional finalist, 12-9-3-0 NCHC (5th)
Team Offense: 2.88 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.42 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 18.4% (29 of 158)
Penalty Kill: 81.6% (124 of 152)

Key graduation losses: F Justin Crandall (13-10-23), F Adam Krause (7-10-17), D Derik Johnson (1-4-5)

Early departures: none

Key returning players: Senior F Tony Cameranesi (9-21-30), Junior F Dominic Toninato (16-10-26), Junior F Alex Iafallo (8-17-25), Senior F Austin Farley (8-16-24), Senior D Andy Welinski (9-12-21), Junior D Willie Raskob (4-13-17), Junior D Carson Soucy (6-8-14), Sophomore G Kasimir Kaskisuo (18-14-3, 2.30 GAA, .917 SV%, 1 SO)

Potential impact freshmen: F Adam Johnson, F Parker Mackay, D Neal Pionk

2015-16 season outlook: Duluth is a legitimate title contender this year, with almost all of the key pieces returning. The Bulldogs tightened up defensively last season and could be even better this time around. If UMD stays healthy, they will have their most successful season since 2011, when Scott Sandelin hung a national championship banner inside the DECC.

So there you have it. Do you agree? Disagree? Who do you have coming out on top? Feel free to post your predictions below, and check back in December for a midseason report.

Vermont is opening up the 2015-16 season by playing arguably the toughest schedule in the country. The Catamounts began the year by blanking #9 Minnesota 3-0 at Mariucci Arena. #3 Nebraska-Omaha traveled to Vermont last weekend and swept the home team in two tight contests. And after this weekend’s test against #1 North Dakota, Kevin Sneddon’s club will face #7 Massachusetts-Lowell, #8 Boston University, #17 St. Lawrence, and #18 Union, all before the Christmas break.

This trip to Burlington (the first ever for North Dakota men’s hockey) is the second half of a schedule agreement that brought Vermont to Grand Forks in October 2013 (North Dakota earned a win and a tie in that series). Despite the fact that Vermont and UND have only met four times on the ice, the Catamounts roster (and particularly its blueline) has North Dakota fingerprints all over it.

Defenseman Dan Senkbeil (affectionately known as “Jim” or “Jimmer”) transferred to Vermont after playing his first two years at UND. Senkbeil sat out a season due to NCAA transfer rules and is now in his final season with Vermont. And senior defenseman Yvan Pattyn, the Catamounts’ captain, is the younger brother of former UND forward (and captain) Stephane Pattyn.

North Dakota is playing in its third season in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference after 54 seasons in the WCHA. Vermont went through a similar transition 12 years ago, moving to Hockey East after 31 years in the ECAC. Catamounts head coach Kevin Sneddon took Vermont to the Frozen Four in 2008-09 and back to the NCAA tournament the following season and in 2013-14, but he also had a three year stretch (2010-13) where his teams only won 25 games. Combined.

These early season games are critical for UND’s postseason aspirations. Last season, Dave Hakstol’s squad went 9-1-1 in regular season non-conference action and advanced to the NCAA Frozen Four. North Dakota’s other non-conference opponents this season will be Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Alabama-Huntsville (all currently unranked). UND enters this week’s series at Vermont having lost just once in its last 19 nonconference games (14-1-4) dating back to the second half of the 2013-14 season.

Seven of North Dakota’s eight October games will be played on the road, with only Saturday’s home opener versus Bemidji State to satisfy the fans in Grand Forks. Beginning with a November visit from the Wisconsin Badgers, however, UND will have eight home series and only six weekends away from Ralph Engelstad Arena.

North Dakota’s penalty kill (64.3%, 49th in the country) will need to improve if the boys from Grand Forks want to compete for a league title again this year. In the first four games of the season, UND has surrendered a total of five power play goals (to put that in perspective, Dave Hakstol’s group allowed only 27 power play goals in 42 games last year). The struggle was especially apparent against last Friday night, as three Beaver power play goals fueled the Bemidji State comeback and North Dakota had to settle for a 4-4 tie despite allowing only 20 shots on goal.

The penalty kill numbers will improve as the goaltending situation improves (UND’s top two netminders – Matej Tomek and Cam Johnson – are both out with injury), but until that happens, the key will be to stay out of the penalty box.

Vermont Team Profile

Head Coach: Kevin Sneddon (13th season at Vermont, 190-206-60, .482)
National Ranking: NR/NR
This Season: 1-2-0 overall, 0-0-0 Hockey East
Last Season: 22-15-4 overall, 10-9-3 Hockey East (7th out of 12 teams)

Season Statistics:
Team Offense: 2.33 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.33 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 18.2% (2 of 11)
Penalty Kill: 92.3% (12 of 13)

Key Players: Junior F Mario Puskarich (3-1-4), Junior F Tom Forgione (1-1-2), Freshman F Liam Coughlin (0-2-2), Senior D Alexx Privitera (0-2-2), Junior D Rob Hamilton (0-2-2), Junior G Mike Santaguida (1-2-0, 2.03 GAA,.917 SV%, 1 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Brad Berry (1st season at UND, 2-0-2, .750)
National Ranking: #1/#1
This Season: 2-0-2 overall, 0-0-0-0 NCHC
Last Season: 29-10-3 overall (NCAA Frozen Four appearance), 16-6-2-0 NCHC (1st out of 8 teams)

Season Statistics:
Team Offense: 3.75 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.25 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 22.2% (4 of 18)
Penalty Kill: 64.3% (9 of 14)

Key Players: Senior F Drake Caggiula (1-5-6), Sophomore F Nick Schmaltz (0-3-3), Senior F Bryn Chyzyk (3-1-4), Junior F Luke Johnson (1-2-3), Junior D Paul LaDue (0-1-1), Junior D Troy Stecher (1-4-5), Junior G Matt Hyrnkiw (1-0-1, 2.82 GAA, .879 SV%)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: October 12, 2013 (Grand Forks, ND). North Dakota built an early 2-0 lead but could not make it hold up against the visitors from Vermont. Chris McCarthy’s shorthanded goal evened the game up at 2-2, and UND’s late push to win the game resulted in three shots off the post. Catamounts netminder Mike Santaguida made 31 saves, including 23 over the first two periods, to earn the tie. UND won Friday’s opener 5-3.

Most Lopsided Meeting: November 27, 1999 (Durham, NH). The Fighting Sioux blitzed the Catamounts 8-0 in the opening round of the UNH Classic. Bryan Lundbohm scored twice, Jason Ulmer picked up three points (2g, 1a), and Jeff Panzer notched three assists for North Dakota, which went 4-for-4 with the man advantage. UND would fall to host New Hampshire 6-2 in the championship game.

Most Important Meeting: Considering the two schools have only met four times on the ice, I will call Friday’s opener the most important meeting, with both teams looking to set the tone early in the season.

All-time Series: North Dakota leads the all-time series 3-0-1 (.875), outscoring the Catamounts 22-10 in those four games. The teams have never played in Vermont.

Game News and Notes

Gutterson Fieldhouse (capacity 4,035) holds an ice sheet that is 200 feet long and 90 feet wide (five feet wider than NHL ice). UND senior forward Drake Caggiula has two goals and two assists in two career games against the Catamounts. Caggiula leads all current NCAA men’s hockey players in career games played (127). North Dakota went 16-3-3 on the road last season.

Media Coverage

This weekend’s series at Vermont will not be televised, but a free live stream of both games will be available here. All UND men’s hockey games (home and away) can be heard on 96.1 FM and on stations across the UND Sports Network (as well as through the iHeart Radio app). Follow @UNDMHockey for real-time Twitter updates, or follow the action via live chat at UNDsports.com.

The Prediction

Vermont will keep the games close by scoring with the man advantage. UND will earn a sweep by staying out of the penalty box. If each side gets their share of power play opportunities, it’s anyone’s guess. I have a feeling that the Catamounts take one of these games to overtime. UND 4-1, 3-3 tie.

Strange things were afoot at Amsoil Arena (Duluth, Minnesota) last Friday night. With Bemidji State in town for the first half of a home-and-home series with the Bulldogs, a power outage caused poor ice conditions, and #2 Minnesota-Duluth’s home opener was postponed. That game was rescheduled for Tuesday, February 9th, 2016.

The following night, the Beavers kept the lights on and shocked UMD with a 3-2 victory. BSU junior forward Charlie O’Connor broke a 2-2 tie and netted the game winner with just 22 seconds remaining on the clock. The teams had earlier traded third-period goals 28 seconds apart. The visiting Bulldogs outshot the hosts 12-5 in the opening frame but headed to the locker room in a scoreless tie. Bemidji State turned the tables during the first intermission, outshooting their former WCHA foe 28-18 over the final 40 minutes of the game.

Turning our attention to this weekend’s action, North Dakota and Bemidji State will play a home and home series, with UND traveling to Bemidji for Friday’s opener before returning home to host BSU on Saturday night. The Beavers will open up conference play by hosting #14 Minnesota State next weekend, while Brad Berry’s club will travel to Burlington, Vermont to face the 20th ranked Vermont Catamounts.

These early season games are critical for North Dakota’s postseason aspirations. Last season, Dave Hakstol’s squad went 9-1-1 in regular season non-conference action and advanced to the NCAA Frozen Four, while the Beavers sported a pedestrian 4-4-0 record in non-league games and missed the national tournament. UND’s other non-conference opponents this season will be Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Alabama-Huntsville (all currently unranked).

Seven of North Dakota’s eight October games will be played on the road, with only Saturday’s home opener versus Bemidji State to satisfy the fans in Grand Forks. Beginning with a November visit from the Wisconsin Badgers, however, UND will have eight home series and only six weekends away from Ralph Engelstad Arena.

The Beavers return almost all of their scoring from a year ago, graduating only two forwards. While Phil Brewer (6-7-13) and Mitch Cain (2-3-5) were the only losses up front, BSU will miss the veteran leadership of Matt Prapavessis (9-15-24), Sam Rendle (2-8-10), and Sam Windle (1-6-7) on the blue line, but with 81 of 101 goals returning, Bemidji State should be able to keep games competitive all season long.

On the other hand, North Dakota lost eight seniors (six forwards and two defensemen) who combined for 65 of UND’s 138 goals last season. Furthermore, the Green and White lost two key underclassmen on the back end. Stalwart blueliner Jordan Schmaltz (4-24-28 in 42 games) and Mike Richter award winner Zane McIntyre (29-10-3, 2.05 GAA, .929 SV%) gave up their final year of college eligibility to sign professional contracts. Schmaltz is now with the St. Louis organization and McIntyre signed with the Boston Bruins.

UND’s underclassmen will be expected to contribute early and often. Many of North Dakota’s first-year forwards (Brock Boeser, Rhett Gardner, Shane Gersich, Joel Janatuinen, and Chris Wilkie) have already made an impact, while sophomore forwards Trevor Olson, Austin Poganski, Nick Schmaltz, and Johnny Simonson will need to take on larger roles. With so much returning skill and experience on the back end (sophomore Tucker Poolman and juniors Gage Ausmus, Paul LaDue, Troy Stecher, and Keaton Thompson), Brad Berry can ease his rookie blueliners into the system. Expect a rotation among freshman defensemen Danys Chartrand, Hayden Shaw, and Christian Wolanin to start the year (Shaw and Wolanin each played a game last weekend).

Bemidji State head coach Tom Serratore, now in his 15th year behind the Beaver bench, appears to have his club headed in the right direction. After finishing in a tie for 8th place in the first season of the new-look WCHA, BSU opened the 2014-15 campaign with a disastrous 3-10-0 record. Over the final four months of the season, however, Serratore posted a mark of 13-7-5, moved up to 5th place in the conference standings, and took Ferris State to triple overtime in the WCHA playoffs before falling 3-2. The Beavers were picked to finish fourth in the ten-team conference this year.

Bemidji State Team Profile

Head Coach: Tom Serratore (15th season at BSU, 228-224-61 .504)
National Ranking: NR
This Season: 1-0-0 overall, 0-0-0 WCHA
Last Season: 16-17-5 overall, 12-11-5 WCHA (5th)

Season Statistics:
Team Offense: 3.00 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.00 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 25.0% (1 of 4)
Penalty Kill: 100.0% (4 of 4)

Key Players: Senior F Markus Gerbrandt (0-0-0), Senior F John Parker (1-0-1), Senior F Phillip Marinaccio (0-1-1), Senior F Cory Ward (0-0-0), Senior D Graeme McCormack (0-1-1), Junior D Ruslan Pedan (0-0-0), Sophomore G Michael Bitzer (1-0-0, 2.00 GAA, .933 SV%)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Brad Berry (1st season at UND, 1-0-1, .750)
National Ranking: #1/#1
This Season: 1-0-1 overall, 0-0-0-0 NCHC
Last Season: 29-10-3 overall (NCAA Frozen Four appearance), 16-6-2-0 NCHC (1st)

Season Statistics:
Team Offense: 3.00 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 1.55 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 28.6% (2 of 7)
Penalty Kill: 71.4% (5 of 7)

Key Players: Senior F Drake Caggiula (0-2-2), Sophomore F Nick Schmaltz (0-1-1), Junior F Luke Johnson (0-1-1), Junior D Paul LaDue (0-1-1), Junior D Troy Stecher (0-2-2), Sophomore G Cam Johnson (1-0-1, 1.44 GAA, .935 SV%)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: October 11, 2014 (Bemidji, MN). UND recovered from Friday’s blowout loss, putting together just enough to edge BSU 2-1. North Dakota went scoreless on the power play (0 for 6), but senior captain Stephane Pattyn scored the game winner late in period two while UND was shorthanded . Junior goaltender Zane McIntyre made 28 of 29 saves for the Green and White and earned the first win of his Mike Richter Award-winning season.

Last Meeting in Grand Forks: October 10, 2014. Bemidji State scored four unanswered goals to chase goaltender Zane McIntyre from UND’s home opener. The Beavers added insult to injury by scoring on freshman netminder Cam Johnson just 15 seconds into his collegiate career. #2 North Dakota’s Nick Schmaltz scored the only goal for the Green and White, who fell to BSU 5-1. Freshman Michael Bitzer made 25 saves for Bemidji State.

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

Last Ten: North Dakota is 6-2-2 (.700) in the last ten meetings between the teams, outscoring the Beavers 27-20 over that stretch of games.

All-time Series: UND leads the all-time series, 27-3-3 (.864), including a 9-1-1 (.864) record in games played in Bemidji. Two of BSU’s three wins over North Dakota came in the past four seasons (November 2011 and October 2014). Bemidji’s other victory over UND came in 1970.

Game News and Notes

North Dakota senior forward Drake Caggiula comes into the weekend leading all men’s hockey players in career games played (125). Caggiula, who led UND with 18 goals and 36 points last season, collected an assist in each of UND’s two games at the Ice Breaker Tournament last weekend and was named to the all-tournament team along with forward Nick Schmaltz and defensemen Troy Stecher and Paul LaDue. After Bemidji State’s win over #2 Minnesota-Duluth, the Beavers almost cracked the USCHO top 20 this week. BSU currently sits in 22nd place in the voting. Nick Schmaltz is the only current North Dakota player with a goal against the Beavers (1-0-1 in two games played).

Media Coverage

Both games are televised this weekend. Friday’s opener is available on Lakeland Public Televison (which can be seen in Grand Forks), while the rematch will be telecast on Midco Sports Network. Friday’s game will be streamed live via WCHA.tv and Saturday’s game via NCHC.tv (subscription required). All UND men’s hockey games (home and away) can be heard on 96.1 FM and on stations across the UND Sports Network (as well as through the iHeart Radio app). Follow @UNDMHockey for real-time Twitter updates, or follow the action via live chat at UNDsports.com.

The Prediction

UND will come out flying against the Beavers, showcasing the skill and depth that has them at the top of the national rankings. Saturday’s rematch in Grand Forks will be closer, with North Dakota winning the special teams battle to complete the sweep. UND 5-2, 3-2.

Since the NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey tournament expanded to 16 teams in 2003, twelve championship trophies have been awarded to nine different teams (Boston College won three times over that span; Denver twice). I took a look back to see if tournament (and particularly Frozen Four) experience played a role in a team’s success the following year.

In the first six years of the 16-team format (2003-08), five of the six national champions had played in the NCAA tournament the year before, with three of those appearing in the previous season’s Frozen Four.

In 2009, Boston University began a run of six consecutive national championship teams which had not advanced beyond the regionals the previous season. Furthermore, only two of the last six champions appeared in the NCAA tournament the year before claiming college hockey’s top prize.

This speaks directly to the parity that we’ve seen in college hockey over that same stretch of seasons. In fact, three of the last four national champions are first-time winners (Union, Yale, and Minnesota-Duluth). Prior to that stretch, the teams claiming the trophy in the first eight years of the new format were programs with storied histories like Boston College, Boston University, Denver, Michigan State, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

Here’s a look at how experience has played (or not played) a role in determining the last twelve national champions:

Year	Champion	NCAAs Previous Year	Frozen Four Previous Year	NCAAs Previous Three Years	Frozen Fours Previous Three Years
2014	Union	Yes		3	1
2013	Yale			2	0
2012	Boston College	Yes		2	1
2011	Minnesota-Duluth			1	0
2010	Boston College			2	2
2009	Boston University			2	0
2008	Boston College	Yes	Yes	3	2
2007	Michigan State	Yes		2	0
2006	Wisconsin	Yes		2	0
2005	Denver	Yes	Yes	2	1
2004	Denver			1	0
2003	Minnesota	Yes	Yes	2	1

And for comparison’s sake, here are the four teams playing in Boston on Thursday in the 2015 NCAA Frozen Four:

Year	Team	NCAAs Previous Year	Frozen Four Previous Year	NCAAs Previous Three Years	Frozen Fours Previous Three Years
2015	Boston University			1	0
2015	North Dakota	Yes	Yes	3	1
2015	Omaha			0	0
2015	Providence	Yes		1	0

What stands out to you? Does North Dakota’s Frozen Four experience give Dave Hakstol’s team an edge this weekend? Or does recent history tell us that each season stands alone?

This is my yearly attempt to predict the ten finalists for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award. In the past, my results have been mixed, from a high of seven (including last year) to a low of four.

Last season, Johnny Gaudreau (Boston College) had basically won the award before the ten finalists were announced. By this time last year, “Johnny Hockey” had already collected 32 goals and 37 assists in 37 games (1.86 points/game).

This season, the nation’s top point producer comes from another Beantown program: Boston University’s Jack Eichel. The freshman phenom from North Chelmsford, Massachusetts (32 miles from Boston) has a stat line of 20 goals and 41 assists in 34 games (1.79 points/game).

Last year’s Hobey winner (Gaudreau) finished his collegiate career with a flourish, scoring four goals and adding seven assists in his final three NCAA appearances to finish with 80 points in 40 games played. That was the most points in a season since Colorado College junior forward Peter Sejna had 36 goals and 46 assists (82 points) for the Tigers in 2002-03.

No collegiate player has scored 100 points in a season since Paul Kariya went 25-75-100 in 39 games as a freshman with the Maine Black Bears in 1992-93. I bring up Kariya because he remains the only first-year player to win the Hobey Baker Memorial Award. In 34 years, seniors have taken home college hockey’s highest individual honor 23 times, while juniors and sophomores have won five times each.

Despite the fact that scoring is down in men’s college hockey this season (2.70 goals scored/game this year, compared to 2.82 goals/game last season and 2.74 in 2012-13), seventeen different skaters have hit the 20 goal plateau and fifty players (40 forwards and 10 defensemen) have collected more than 20 assists.

Six players have already reached 50 points this year, and a seventh (Michigan’s Zach Hyman) is one point shy. I’ve got four of those players on my top ten list (Boston University’s Jack Eichel, RIT’s Matt Garbowsky, Hyman, and Harvard’s Jimmy Vesey), with a fifth (Union’s Daniel Ciampini) an honorable mention. The other two to reach 50 points (BU’s Evan Rodriques and Union’s Mike Vecchione) are overshadowed by higher-profile teammates, and a Hobey nod for either of them is unlikely.

Of the top eight teams in the Pairwise rankings, six (North Dakota, Minnesota State, Denver, Boston University, Michigan Tech, and Miami) are represented among my ten finalists and six honorable mentions. The only two schools in the top eight that don’t get a nomination on my list are both NCHC teams: Minnesota-Duluth and Nebraska-Omaha. Minnesota-Duluth is led by Tony Cameranesi (8-20-28) up front, Andy Welinski (9-11-20) on defense, and Kasimir Kaskisuo (17-13-3, 2.31 GAA, .915 SV%, 1 SO) in net, while Nebraska-Omaha’s frontrunners are forward Jake Guentzel (12-23-35), defenseman Ian Brady (5-15-20), and goaltender Ryan Massa (12-7-6, 2.04 GA, .934 SV%, 1 SO). Despite the success of their teams, it is my opinion that none of these six players will make the final Hobey list.

Of my top sixteen, I’ve got eight forwards, three defensemen, and five goaltenders. My list is laden with upperclassmen (nine seniors, five juniors), with just one sophomore (Yale goaltender Alex Lyon) and the aforementioned first-year sensation Jack Eichel of Boston University.

Here’s my best shot at the ten Hobey Baker finalists:

Skaters (in alphabetical order):

Jack Eichel, freshman forward, Boston University
20 goals, 41 assists (61 points) in 34 games (1.79 points/game)
5 goals, 16 assists for 21 points in his last 10 games (2.10 points/game)

Incredibly, Eichel has only been held off the score sheet five times in 34 games this season, with 18 multi-point efforts to his credit. In his past ten outings, he has scored over two points per game while leading BU to the second weekend of the Hockey East playoff championship. There’s an excellent article by Scott Weighart here about Jack Eichel, who played for the U.S National Under-18 Team (NTDP) before attending Boston University. And a final point about Eichel’s impact: the Terriers went just 10-21-1 last season (their worst mark in over 40 years); this year (with Eichel), they are 21-7-5 with two trophies in the case already: the Beanpot championship (the program’s first since 2009, a national championship season) and the Hockey East regular season title.

Matt Garbowsky, senior forward, RIT
26 goals, 24 assists (50 points) in 36 games (1.39 points/game)
7 goals, 8 assists (15 points) in his last 10 games (1.50 points/game)

After missing 24 games of the 2013-14 season with a broken bone in his left wrist, Garbowsky came back with a vengeance this year, scoring 50 points to become the latest member of RIT’s Century Club (48-62-110 in 124 career games). There’s an excellent feature from the Democrat and Chronicle here which details Garbowsky’s return from injury and demonstrates just how much he means to the RIT hockey program. The Tigers’ captain, who hails from St. George, Ontario, is tied for second in the nation in goals (26), one back of Harvard’s Jimmy Vesey. RIT swept Air Force (Garbowsky had two goals and two assists) to make it to the second weekend of the AHA playoffs and would need to win the tournament title to advance to the NCAAs.

Zach Hyman, senior forward, Michigan
19 goals, 30 assists (49 points) in 34 games (1.44 points/game)
3 goals, 9 assists (12 points) in his last 10 games (1.20 points/game)

The senior from Toronto, Ontario had point streaks of nine and five games earlier this season, but he’s somewhat disappeared over the past two weekends, notching just two assists over the past four games. Hyman, who writes children’s books on the side, is also up for the Hockey Humanitarian Award and the Senior CLASS award. The Michigan Wolverines are currently tied for 20th in the Pairwise rankings after missing the NCAA tournament two straight years (they had advanced to the NCAAs 22 consecutive seasons before that), and if Michigan is going to win the Big Ten tournament (their only hope of making the field of 16), Hyman will need to lead the charge.

Tanner Kero, senior forward, Michigan Tech
19 goals, 26 assists (45 points) in 38 games (1.18 points/game)
6 goals, 4 assists (10 points) in his last 10 games (1.00 points/game)

Tanner Kero scored 34 points (13 goals, 21 assists) in 28 conference games and led the Huskies to a second-place finish in the WCHA (one point behind league champion Minnesota State). There’s an excellent story here about how Kero felt about his final Great Lakes Invitational with the Huskies as favorites. Kero, who hails from Hancock, Michigan and played his junior hockey with the Fargo Force (USHL), was recently named the WCHA Player of the year and Student-Athlete of the Year. Michigan Tech (a program which has had only two winning seasons in the past 32 years) has a record of 28-8-2 and is a lock to make the NCAA tournament for the first time since the 1980-81 campaign. Kero has career marks of 54-56-110 in 150 games with the Huskies.

Joey LaLeggia, senior defenseman, Denver
13 goals, 25 assists (38 points) in 34 games (1.12 points/game)
4 goals, 12 assists (16 points) in his last 10 games (1.60 points/game)

The first defenseman to make my list hails from the University of Denver. LaLeggia, last season’s NCHC Defenseman of the Year and Offensive Defenseman of the Year, has been everything for the Pioneers this season (and throughout his career) and has his team in position for a number-one seed in the NCAA tournament (currently 3rd in the Pairwise rankings). The senior from Burnaby, British Columbia is the third-most prolific blueliner in the nation, trailing only Minnesota’s Mike Reilly (who also made my list) and Notre Dame’s Robbie Russo, who scored three more points than LaLeggia but appeared in six more games. LaLeggia, who has often been overlooked because of his size (he is listed at 5’10 and 185 pounds), has played 153 games in his DU career, scoring 47 goals and adding 83 assists for 130 points. The Denver Pioneers just completed a first round sweep of NCHC rival Minnesota-Duluth (LaLeggia scored a goal and notched two assists) and are headed to Minneapolis for the Frozen Faceoff, looking for their second consecutive league playoff title.

Mike Reilly, junior defenseman, Minnesota
6 goals, 36 assists (42 points) in 36 games (1.17 points/game)
2 goals, 14 assists (16 points) in his last 10 games (1.60 points/game)

The second player from the Big Ten to make my list wears the Maroon and Gold of the Minnesota Gophers. Reilly is the top scoring defenseman in the country (17th among all skaters) and is tied for 2nd among all players with 36 assists (Jack Eichel has 41). The junior from nearby Chanhassen, Minnesota recently repeated as the Big Ten Defenseman of the Year and was also named to the All-Big Ten First Team. Reilly, who assisted on two goals each night in the Gophers’ sweep of visiting Penn State last weekend, is the Columbus Blue Jackets’ most exciting prospect and is often mentioned as a likely early departure from the college ranks. Minny is in a perilous Pairwise position at the moment (currently 13th), and may need to win the Big Ten playoff tournament (or win at least one game and get some help) in Detroit, Michigan to earn a spot in the NCAA tournament.

Jimmy Vesey, junior forward, Harvard
27 goals, 26 assists (53 points) in 34 games (1.56 points/game)
8 goals, 6 assists (14 points) in his last 10 games (1.40 points/game)

The nation’s leading goal scorer hails from the hallowed halls of Harvard University. Vesey, who trails only Jack Eichel in points/game this season (1.56 to Eichel’s 1.79), has already collected 95 points (51 goals and 44 assists) in 92 career games for the Crimson. The junior from North Reading, Massachusetts is one of only nine players in the country with at least 20 goals and 20 assists. Vesey, who was featured in this Boston Herald article, scored the game-winning goal in the second overtime of a decisive Game Three against Yale in the ECAC playoffs on Sunday night. Harvard, currently 15th in the Pairwise rankings, will need to continue winning to extend its season, and Vesey will be key for the Crimson in Lake Placid this weekend.

Goaltenders (in alphabetical order):

Alex Lyon, sophomore goaltender, Yale
17-9-5, 1.58 goals-against average, .939 save percentage, 7 shutouts
5-3-2, 1.73 goals-against average, .931 save percentage, 3 shutouts in his last 10 games

Lyon is an easy addition to the Hobey Baker top ten. The sophomore from Baudette, Minnesota has the nation’s best goals-against average (1.58), is tied for the lead in save percentage (.939), and has posted more shutouts (seven) than any other netminder in the country. Lyon, who was recently named one of five finalists for the 2015 Mike Richter Award (most outstanding goaltender), has been Yale’s number one goalie since he arrived in New Haven in the fall of 2013. The Bulldogs are idle this weekend after falling to Harvard in the ECAC quarterfinals but have a slim chance at an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.

Jamie Phillips, junior goaltender, Michigan Tech
27-7-2, 1.62 goals-against average, .938 save percentage, 6 shutouts
8-1-1, 0.90 goals-against average, .964 save percentage, 3 shutouts in his last 10 games

Jamie Phillips was another of five finalists for the Mike Richter award, but his Huskies are in a much better position than Lyon’s Bulldogs. Michigan Tech opened the season with ten consecutive wins (Phillips started and won all ten) and is currently 5th in the Pairwise rankings headed into the WCHA Final Five (St. Paul, Minnesota). Phillips, from Caledonia, Ontario, is second in the nation in goals-against average (1.62), third in save percentage (.938), tied for first in wins (27), and second in shutouts (six) while playing the second-most minutes in the country (behind only CJ Motte of Ferris State). The All-WCHA First Teamer has played in every game this season for the Huskies, allowing two goals or less 29 times. He posted back-to-back shutouts against Alabama-Huntsville in the first round of the league playoffs and has not allowed a goal in over 180 minutes of game action.

Stephon Williams, junior goaltender, Minnesota State
23-5-3, 1.68 goals-against average, .923 save percentage, 4 shutouts
6-2-2, 1.59 goals-against average, .928 save percentage, 2 shutouts in his last 10 games

This final spot was a tough call between Williams and North Dakota’s Zane McIntyre, but I’m giving the edge to the Mavericks’ netminder simply because his numbers are better. While McIntyre has a better save percentage, Williams has the edge in goals-against average and shutouts. So it comes down to this: UND and Minnesota State played the 8th and 12th toughest schedules in the country (according to KRACH), and McIntyre allowed 21 more goals than Williams in five more games played. It is noteworthy that Stephon Williams, who hails from Fairbanks, Alaska, was responsible for the greatest goaltending moment of the 2014-15 season: he intentionally knocked his net off its moorings to draw attention to an injured teammate. A penalty shot was awarded, Williams proceeded to stop that attempt, and the Mavericks went on to defeat Minnesota. Again, this was a tough call, and it may be telling that Williams was not among five finalists for the 2015 Mike Richter Award, but I think he’s deserving.

Honorable Mention:

Daniel Ciampini, senior forward, Union
26 goals, 24 assists (50 points) in 39 games (1.28 points/game)

Austin Czarnik, senior forward, Miami
8 goals, 32 assists (40 points) in 37 games (1.08 points/game)

Robbie Russo, senior defenseman, Notre Dame
15 goals, 26 assists (41 points) in 40 games (1.03 points/game)

Cody Wydo, senior forward, Robert Morris
19 goals, 22 assists (41 points) in 36 games (1.14 points/game)

Zane McIntyre, junior goaltender, North Dakota
27-7-3, 1.97 goals-against average, .932 save percentage, 1 shutout

CJ Motte, senior goaltender, Ferris State
18-19-2, 2.05 goals-against average, .923 save percentage, 5 shutouts

So what do you think? Who would you include? Leave out? Feel free to comment below, and thanks for reading!

St. Cloud State won the inaugural season of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, with North Dakota hoisting the Penrose Cup this year. But beyond that, which teams are making their mark as frontrunners in the NCHC and which programs are quickly headed in the wrong direction?

For comparison’s sake, I have the teams ranked in order of their average league finish (2013-14 and 2014-15). There was one tie (Denver finished 6th and 4th over the past two seasons; Miami, 8th and 2nd), and I settled that by looking at the combined conference record for both schools.

Season and combined records are for conference games only.

Team	2014-15 record	2014-15 finish	2013-14 record	2013-14 finish	Combined record	Average finish
North Dakota	16-6-2-0	1st	15-9-0-0	2nd	31-15-2-0	1.5
Nebraska-Omaha	12-8-4-3	3rd	13-9-2-1	3rd	25-17-6-4	3.0
St. Cloud State	11-12-1-0	6th	15-6-3-0	1st	26-18-4-0	3.5
Minnesota-Duluth	12-9-3-0	5th	11-11-2-2	4th	23-20-5-2	4.5
University of Denver	13-10-1-1	4th	10-11-3-2	6th	23-21-4-3	5.0
Miami University	14-9-1-1	2nd	6-17-1-1	8th	20-26-2-2	5.0
Western Michigan	6-13-5-4	7th	11-11-2-2	5th	17-24-7-6	6.0
Colorado College	2-19-3-1	8th	6-13-5-1	7th	8-32-8-2	7.5

What stands out to you? Who are North Dakota’s biggest rivals, year in and year out? Which conference series do you most look forward to? And who do you expect to make the biggest jump next season?

At the beginning of last season, Miami was #1 in the national polls and expected to finish first in the inaugural season of the NCHC. The RedHawks returned Ryan McKay between the pipes (1.39 goals-against average, .946 save percentage, and four shutouts in 2012-13) and a pair of high-flying forwards in Riley Barber and Austin Czarnik.

Inconsistent goaltending and a string of injuries took their toll on Enrico Blasi’s squad. Furthermore, Miami went 4-10 in one-goal games last year and sputtered to a 15-20-3 record. It was the first time in ten seasons that the RedHawks failed to win at least twenty games.

Despite the disappointing regular season results, last place Miami traveled to league champion St. Cloud State for the first round of the NCHC playoffs and dispatched #4 St. Cloud State in a pair of tight games. At the inaugural Frozen Faceoff, the RedHawks blanked #11 North Dakota 3-0 before dropping a heartbreaker to Denver in the league championship game, ending their improbable run one game short of the NCAA tournament.

Miami only graduated two players from last year’s squad: forwards Max Cook (23 points in 111 career games) and Bryon Paulazzo (33 points in 105 games). To the cynic, bringing back almost the entire roster from a 15 win season might not be all that exciting, but this year has been markedly different for the boys from Oxford, Ohio. After allowing over three goals per game a year ago, Miami has brought that number down to 2.28. (North Dakota is allowing just 2.09 goals/game). And the RedHawks have been able to score with anyone, notching three or more goals in 19 of 32 games this year (and potting two goals in eight others).

This season, RedHawks netminder Jay Williams has taken over the starting spot, and he had a spectacular first half. The junior from McLean, Virginia went 12-2-0 over the first three months of the season with three shutout victories. Since the calendar turned to 2015, however, Williams has struggled, giving up three or more goals in four of eight contests and posting a pedestrian record of 4-4-0. More incredibly, Williams only made 38 of 45 stops in back-to-back losses against Minnesota-Duluth and Denver (his two most recent appearances) and was chased by the Pioneers after less than thirteen minutes (four goals allowed on thirteen shots).

North Dakota will be without the services of senior forward Mark MacMillan this weekend and for the foreseeable future. The senior from Penticton, British Columbia sustained a lower body injury while blocking a shot during a key 5-on-3 penalty kill early in last Saturday’s game against St. Cloud State. MacMillan, who may have played his last game for the Green and White, has 99 career points in 151 games at UND. The last player to fall one point short of UND’s Century Club was forward Wes Dorey (1997-2001), who collected 47 goals and 52 assists in 140 career games.

It appears as though Trevor Olson will be inserted in the lineup at wing this weekend, with senior forward Stephane Pattyn moving to center. North Dakota fans may remember that two key UND players were out of the lineup for the home split against Miami earlier this season; freshman forward Nick Schmaltz and sophomore defenseman Paul LaDue both missed that November series.

UND’s seven senior skaters (forwards Connor Gaarder, Mark MacMillan, Brendan O’Donnell, Michael Parks, and Stephane Pattyn along with defensemen Nick Mattson and Andrew Panzarella) have combined for 52 points over the last twelve games and rank as the fourth-most productive senior group in the nation with 118 points (Mercyhurst 171, Air Force 128, Minnesota 124).

North Dakota honored those seven players during last Saturday’s Senior Night celebration. The 2015 senior class has amassed a combined record of 97-46-16 (.660) with three straight trips to the NCAA tournament. By comparison, the winningest class under Dave Hakstol was the 2011 class (forwards Matt Frattin, Evan Trupp, Brad Malone, and Brent Davidson and defensemen Chay Genoway, Jake Marto, and Derrick LaPoint), who went 109-48-16 (.676) during their time at UND. Beginning with the incoming freshman class of 2002, every four-year player to wear the Green and White has collected 100 career victories.

Offensive capability from the blue line is a big reason for UND’s continued success. After leading the nation in scoring by defensemen last year, UND is first in the country in that category again this season. Through 33 games, North Dakota blueliners have scored 21 goals and added 77 assists for 98 points, or 2.97 points per game. Denver is second in that category with 94 points in 32 games (2.94 points/game).

More to the point, North Dakota’s top six defensemen have notched 14 goals and added 68 assists for 82 points (2.81 points/game). By comparison, the six Miami blueliners expected to be in the lineup this weekend have combined for 12 goals and 42 assists for 54 points (1.80 points/game). And furthermore, UND is so deep with talent on the blue line that freshman defenseman Tucker Poolman has been playing wing this season, and he’s chipped in with six goals and six assists.

Five different members of UND’s defensive corps (Paul LaDue, Nick Mattson, Jordan Schmaltz, Troy Stecher, and Keaton Thompson) have nabbed NCHC Defenseman of the Week honors this season, while Tucker Poolman has been named the league’s Rookie of the Week.

UND junior netminder Zane McIntyre is squarely in the Hobey Baker conversation after another stellar performance last weekend against St. Cloud State (49 of 52 saves in the home sweep while not allowing an even-strength goal). McIntyre, who now sits 8th in the country in goals-against average (1.93) and 7th in save percentage (.933), has played the third-most minutes in the nation and has the most victories in the country (24). In my opinion, the junior from Thief River Falls, Minnesota will need to continue registering victories and pick up one or two more shutouts over the next two weekends of action to remain in contention for college hockey’s highest individual award.

Only three goalies in North Dakota hockey history have more wins in a season than McIntyre’s 24: Aaron Dell went 30-7-2 in 2010-11, Eddie Belfour notched 29 victories against only four defeats during his only season in Grand Forks (1986-87), and Jean-Phillippe Lamoureux posted a record of 27-11-4 in 2007-08.

It should be noted that Zane McIntyre is also statistically the best goaltender in North Dakota hockey history. His career goals-against average (2.06) and save percentage (.927) rank as the best all-time at UND. Former goaltending greats Jean-Phillippe Lamoureux, Jordan Parise, Aaron Dell, and Karl Goehring round out the top five.

Perhaps the biggest reason for UND’s success this season has been North Dakota’s ability to hold a lead. During the 2014-15 campaign, Dave Hakstol’s squad is unbeaten (20-0-2) when leading after the first forty minutes of play. In fact, over the past seven years, North Dakota is converting almost 90 percent of second intermission leads into victories and has just seven losses in the last 150 such situations (133-7-10). In fact, the last time UND lost when leading after two periods of play was November 1st, 2013 against visiting St. Cloud State, when a 1-0 lead turned into a 3-2 defeat.

Dave Hakstol has his team in a much better position than last year, when North Dakota’s NCAA tournament hopes went down to the wire. With a sparkling 9-1-1 non-conference record, UND currently sits in first place in the Pairwise rankings, one of five NCHC teams in line to make the NCAA tournament. Minnesota-Duluth (3rd), Miami (4th), Nebraska-Omaha (5th), and Denver (8th) would all make the field of 16 if the season ended today. St. Cloud State dropped from 14th to 17th in the Pairwise after losing two road games against North Dakota last weekend.

And speaking of Hakstol, the UND head coach has now won twenty or more games in each of his first eleven seasons behind the North Dakota bench. That mark is easily the longest current streak in men’s hockey (Jerry York is second with six straight seasons of twenty or more wins, and Quinnipiac’s Rand Pecknold has four).

North Dakota has already clinched a share of the Penrose Cup, which is awarded to the regular season league champion (Miami is the only team within striking distance). With one point this weekend, UND will claim the title outright and face Colorado College at home in the first round of the NCHC playoffs.

If league games were not decided by shootout, North Dakota would have already won the Penrose Cup: UND’s 15-5-2 record in NCHC action would be good for 32 points, while Miami’s 13-8-1 mark would only get them to 27.

The reason North Dakota is in such an enviable position (in the league and nationally) is that Dave Hasktol’s squad has played thirteen different teams this season and has a winning record against ten of them. UND earned splits against their other three opponents (Bemidji State, Minnesota-Duluth, and Miami), and would like at least a split this weekend to continue winning the Pairwise comparison against the RedHawks.

Miami Team Profile

Head Coach: Enrico Blasi (16th season at Miami, 346-227-57, .594)

Pairwise Ranking: 4th of 59 teams
National Ranking: #5/#5
This Season: 20-11-1 overall, 13-8-1-1 NCHC (2nd)
Last Ten Games: 6-3-1 overall, 6-3-1-1 NCHC
Last Season: 15-20-3 overall, 6-17-1-1 NCHC (8th)

Team Offense: 2.97 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.28 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 19.3% (27 of 140)
Penalty Kill: 83.1% (13 of 136)

Key players: Junior F Riley Barber (16-15-31), Senior F Austin Czarnik (2-30-32), Sophomore F Sean Kuraly (16-7-23), Senior F Blake Coleman (12-12-24), Sophomore F Anthony Louis (6-21-27). Sophomore D Matthew Caito (3-15-18), Freshman D Louie Belpedio (4-10-14), Junior G Jay Williams (16-6-0, 1.90 GAA, .920 SV%, 4 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (11th season at UND, 284-139-43, .656)

Pairwise Ranking: 1st of 59 teams
National Rankings: #1/#1
This Season: 24-6-3 overall, 15-5-2-0 NCHC (1st)
Last Ten Games: 8-1-1 overall, 8-1-1-0 NCHC
Last Season: 25-14-3 overall (NCAA Frozen Four appearance), 15-9-0-0 NCHC (2nd)

Team Offense: 3.39 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.09 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 20.9% (29 of 139)
Penalty Kill: 84.1% (116 of 138)

Key Players: Junior F Drake Caggiula (15-16-31), Senior F Michael Parks (12-19-31), Freshman F Nick Schmaltz (5-19-24), Senior F Brendan O’Donnell (11-6-17), Junior D Jordan Schmaltz (3-22-25), Sophomore D Paul LaDue (4-15-19), Senior D Nick Mattson (3-13-16), Junior G Zane McIntyre (24-6-3, 1.93 GAA, .933 SV%, 1 SO)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: November 15, 2014 (Grand Forks, ND). After surrendering the first goal early in the second period, North Dakota came roaring back with three of their own in the middle frame and cruised to a 4-1 win in front of 11,802 fans at Ralph Engelstad Arena. Junior forward Drake Caggiula potted two goals (including a highlight reel dangle through Ben Paulides’ skates) and assisted on another, while seniors Mark MacMillan and Michael Parks collected two points each. Zane McIntyre made 28 of 29 saves in the victory, while UND hung the loss on Ryan McKay (23 of 27 saves). Since then, McKay has only appeared in eight games for the RedHawks, going 4-2-1. Miami won the series opener by a final of 3-2, with both teams scoring a shorthanded goal.

Last Meeting in Oxford: October 19, 2013. Blake Coleman’s hat trick led the way for Miami, as the RedHawks rolled to a 6-2 home victory over UND. Zane Gothberg (now McIntyre) was chased from the game after allowing four goals on fifteen shots. Less than fifteen seconds after Clarke Saunders entered the game, Coleman, who had just scored on Gothberg, put one top-shelf on Saunders to make it 5-0. North Dakota won the opener, 4-2, with Blake Coleman being issued a game misconduct early in the contest. 3642 fans came through the gates each night (Steve Cady Arena’s listed capacity is 3200).

Most Important Meeting: Last season’s loss to Miami at the Frozen Faceoff could have ended North Dakota’s season, but UND rebounded with a 5-0 victory over Western Michigan. After Wisconsin did their part across the river in St. Paul, the Green and White used their second chance as fuel for a Frozen Four run. The series these two teams will play this weekend has both NCHC and NCAA tournament implications.

All-time Series: North Dakota leads the all-time series 6-3-1 (.650), including a 1-1-0 (.500) mark in games played in Oxford. Five of the ten all-time meetings between the schools came during the 2013-14 season, with UND picking up wins in three of those five games. The teams first played in 1999 (Badger Showdown, Milwaukee, WI).

Game News and Notes

North Dakota is 9-2 in one-goal games this season. Miami has only been outshot in six of 32 games this season; the RedHawks are 0-6 in those games. UND has not allowed an even-strength goal in almost 260 minutes of action. Miami made the NCAA tournament in nine of Enrico Blasi’s previous fifteen seasons as head coach. North Dakota senior forward Michael Parks has collected eleven points in seven career games against the RedHawks, leading all current players in that category.

The Prediction

In the absence of Mark MacMillan, it will take some time for Dave Hakstol’s new line combinations to gel. I give Miami the edge in Friday’s opener, with North Dakota roaring back in the rematch to remain unbeaten on Saturday nights (currently 15-0-2) and hoist the Penrose Cup. Miami 3-2, UND 4-2.

In the first year of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, St. Cloud State bested North Dakota by three points to claim the league’s first regular season championship. SCSU and UND were both invited to the NCAA tournament, and Denver earned the conference autobid by winning the inaugural Frozen Faceoff.

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

UND had the better of the play in the first eight years of the Challenge Cup era, claiming the Cup four times and sharing the trophy three times while St. Cloud State only won the trophy once (2005-06). However, St. Cloud went 5-2-1 against North Dakota over the past two seasons (2012-14) and earned the last two Challenge Cups.

A November split in St. Cloud means that the Cup is on the line this weekend in Grand Forks.

According to KRACH, St. Cloud State has played the second-most difficult schedule in the country to this point. Over the last two weekends, the Huskies split at #6 Minnesota-Duluth and swept #5 Nebraska-Omaha. After this two game series in Grand Forks against #1 North Dakota, SCSU will host #7 Denver to close out the regular season. This weekend marks the Huskies’ twelfth ranked opponent of the year (UND has faced eight, and will travel to Oxford, Ohio to face the #5 Miami RedHawks next Friday and Saturday).

UND’s seven senior skaters (forwards Connor Gaarder, Mark MacMillan, Brendan O’Donnell, Michael Parks, and Stephane Pattyn along with defensemen Nick Mattson and Andrew Panzarella) have combined for 43 points over the last ten games and now rank as the fourth-most productive senior group in the nation with 109 points (Mercyhurst 170, Air Force 119, Minnesota 114).

North Dakota will honor those seven players during Saturday’s Senior Night celebration. The 2015 senior class has amassed a combined record of 95-46-16 (.656) with three straight trips to the NCAA tournament. By comparison, the winningest class under Dave Hakstol was the 2011 class (forwards Matt Frattin, Evan Trupp, Brad Malone, and Brent Davidson and defensemen Chay Genoway, Jake Marto, and Derrick LaPoint), who went 109-48-16 (.676) during their time at UND. Beginning with the incoming freshman class of 2002, every four-year player to wear the Green and White has collected 100 career victories.

Offensive capability from the blue line is a big reason for UND’s continued success. After leading the nation in scoring by defensemen last year, UND is first in the country in that category again this season. Through 31 games, North Dakota blueliners have scored 20 goals and added 71 assists for 91 points, or 2.94 points per game. Denver is second in that category with 88 points in 30 games (2.93 points/game).

More to the point, North Dakota’s top six defensemen have notched 13 goals and added 63 assists for 76 points (2.80 points/game). By comparison, the six SCSU blueliners expected to be in the lineup this weekend have combined for 10 goals and 39 assists for 49 points (1.85 points/game). And furthermore, UND is so deep with talent on the blue line that freshman defenseman Tucker Poolman has been playing wing this season, and he’s chipped in with six goals and five assists.

UND junior netminder Zane McIntyre has moved himself back into the Hobey Baker conversation after a stellar performance last weekend at Western Michigan (67 of 70 saves in the road sweep, with all three of WMU’s goals coming with the extra attacker). McIntyre, who now sits 12th in the country in goals-against average (1.96) and 8th in save percentage (.932), has played the fourth-most minutes in the nation and is tied for second in victories with 22 (Michigan Tech’s Jamie Phillips has 23). In my opinion, the junior from Thief River Falls, Minnesota will need to continue registering victories and pick up one or two more shutouts over the next three weekends of action to remain in contention for college hockey’s highest individual award.

It should also be noted that Zane McIntyre is also statistically the best goaltender in North Dakota hockey history. His career goals-against average (2.08) and save percentage (.927) rank as the best all-time at UND. Former goaltending greats Jean-Phillippe Lamoureux, Jordan Parise, Aaron Dell, and Karl Goehring round out the top five.

Perhaps the biggest reason for UND’s success this season has been North Dakota’s ability to hold a lead. During the 2014-15 campaign, Dave Hakstol’s squad is unbeaten (18-0-2) when leading after the first forty minutes of play. In fact, over the past seven years, North Dakota is converting almost 90 percent of second intermission leads into victories and has just seven losses in the last 148 such situations (131-7-10). In fact, the last time UND lost when leading after two periods of play was November 1st, 2013 against visiting St. Cloud State, when a 1-0 lead turned into a 3-2 defeat.

Back in November, I wrote this about the difference between year one and year two in the NCHC:

North Dakota finished second in the NCHC, and yet needed some help at the final hour to claim the last spot in the round of sixteen. UND went 8-4-3 in non-league play last season heading into the NCAAs, but the rest of the league struggled mightily, particularly against Hockey East (6-11-5) and the ECAC (4-7-3).

The National Collegiate Hockey Conference has a stellar record against other leagues so far this season, a far cry from last year’s troubles. Currently, six conference schools are ranked in the top sixteen in the country (only Western Michigan and Colorado College are unranked). If these numbers hold, the NCHC could easily place four or even five teams in the NCAA tournament in March after sending just three (and barely that) a year ago.

And now it’s looking like five or even six league schools could be invited to the NCAAs.

Dave Hakstol has his team in a much better position than last year, when North Dakota’s NCAA tournament hopes went down to the wire. With a sparkling 9-1-1 non-conference record, UND currently sits in second place in the Pairwise rankings, one of six NCHC teams in line to make the NCAA tournament. Minnesota-Duluth (3rd), Miami (4th), Denver (7th), Nebraska-Omaha (8th), and St. Cloud State (14th) would all make the field of 16 if the season ended today. The Huskies moved all the way from 19th to 14th in the Pairwise after sweeping Nebraska-Omaha last weekend.

And speaking of Hakstol, the UND head coach has now won twenty or more games in each of his first eleven seasons behind the North Dakota bench. That mark is easily the longest current streak in men’s hockey (Jerry York is second with five straight seasons of twenty or more wins, and the Eagles have 19 victories this season).

St. Cloud State Team Profile

Head Coach: (Bob Motzko, 10th season at SCSU, 199-150-41, .563)
Pairwise Ranking: 14th of 59 teams
National Ranking: NR/NR
This Season: 15-14-1 overall, 10-9-1-0 NCHC (6th)
Last Ten Games: 6-4-0 overall, 6-4-0-0 NCHC
Last Season: 22-11-5 overall (NCAA Region semifinalist), 15-6-3-0 NCHC (1st)

Team Offense: 2.87 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.47 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 23.4% (29 of 124)
Penalty Kill: 79.3% (73 of 92)

Key Players: Junior F Jonny Brodzinski (17-12-29), Junior F Joey Benik (11-18-29), Junior F Kalle Kossila (4-20-24), Freshman F Patrick Russell (10-13-23), Senior D Andrew Prochno (3-11-14), Junior D Ethan Prow (3-12-15), Sophomore G Charlie Lindgren (14-13-1, 2.30 GAA, .916 SV%, 2 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (11th season at UND, 282-139-43, .654)

Pairwise Ranking: 2nd of 59 teams
National Rankings: #1/#1
This Season: 22-6-3 overall, 13-5-2-0 NCHC (1st)
Last Ten Games: 8-1-1 overall, 6-1-1-0 NCHC
Last Season: 25-14-3 overall (NCAA Frozen Four appearance), 15-9-0-0 NCHC (2nd)

Team Offense: 3.42 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.13 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 20.5% (27 of 132)
Penalty Kill: 85.0% (108 of 127)

Key Players: Junior F Drake Caggiula (15-16-31), Senior F Michael Parks (12-19-31), Senior F Mark MacMillan (16-9-25), Freshman F Nick Schmaltz (4-19-23), Senior F Brendan O’Donnell (10-5-15), Junior D Jordan Schmaltz (3-22-25), Sophomore D Paul LaDue (4-13-17), Senior D Nick Mattson (2-11-13), Junior G Zane McIntyre (22-6-3, 1.96 GAA, .932 SV%, 1 SO)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: November 22, 2014 (St. Cloud, MN). On his 21st birthday, North Dakota freshman Trevor Olson potted the first two goals of his career (including the game-winner) and led UND to the 3-2 road victory over the Huskies. St. Cloud native Austin Poganski assisted on both Olson goals against his hometown team, and Brendan O’Donnell also scored for the Green and White (North Dakota is 19-0-1 all-time when O’Donnell lights the lamp). UND outshot the Huskies 39-29, and both teams went 0-for-3 with the man advantage. SCSU won Friday’s opener 3-2.

Last Meeting in Grand Forks: November 2, 2013. Troy Stecher staked UND to an early lead, but St. Cloud State dominated the final forty minutes of action, outshooting North Dakota 21-11 in the second and third periods and scoring the final three goals of the hockey game to earn the road sweep (SCSU won Friday’s opener 2-1). Nic Dowd (one goal, one assist) and Jonny Brodzinski (two assists) led the way for the Huskies.

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, 62-37-12 (.613), including a 30-16-6 (.635) mark in games played in Grand Forks. However, North Dakota is winless (0-3-1) in the last four meetings at Ralph Engelstad Arena.

Last Ten: St. Cloud holds a 6-3-1 (.650) edge in the last ten meetings between the teams and has outscored North Dakota 26-21 over that stretch of games.

Game News and Notes

UND goaltender Zane McIntyre is just 2-5-0 against the Huskies in his three years at North Dakota. Head coach Bob Motzko needs one victory this weekend to reach 200 for his career (ten seasons). North Dakota head coach Dave Hakstol, who has 282 coaching victories in eleven seasons, is 24-15-7 (.598) in his career against the Huskies. UND can clinch home ice for the first round of the NCHC playoffs with at least three points this weekend.

The Prediction

This season, UND is 8-6-1 on Fridays and 14-0-2 on Saturdays. That trend continues this weekend, with St. Cloud State winning a close one in the opener before North Dakota takes over in the rematch, earning a split of the weekend series and a share of the Challenge Cup. SCSU 3-2, UND 4-1.

On a Personal Note

I look forward to this series every year because of the unique relationship we have with the St. Cloud State hockey fans. On behalf of SiouxSports.com, I would like to invite you to the UND/SCSU pre-game social on Saturday afternoon from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Muddy Rivers Bar and Grill (inside the Red Roof Inn/TownHouse) in downtown Grand Forks. This is a great opportunity to meet fans on both sides of the rivalry, win fabulous door prizes, enjoy a free appetizer bar, and view the Challenge Cup. This event is free and open to the public. Due to the venue, guests must be 21 years of age or older. Bring a friend or six!

Western Michigan is still somewhat of an unknown commodity to most North Dakota hockey fans. Before the Broncos joined the newly-formed NCHC in the fall of 2013, the two teams had only met five times, and just once since 1998: a 3-1 UND victory in the 2012 NCAA West Regional in St. Paul.

The Green and White went 4-1 against WMU last season, sweeping in Kalamazoo and splitting in Grand Forks before meeting up in Minneapolis for the third-place game of the inaugural NCHC Frozen Faceoff. After being shut out by Miami in the semifinals, Dave Hakstol had the boys ready to go from the drop of the puck and UND coasted to a 5-0 victory. That result, coupled with Wisconsin’s thrilling win in the Big Ten tournament across the river, propelled North Dakota to a thirteenth consecutive NCAA tournament bid.

This year’s version of Western Michigan has been up and down in league play (5-9-4 with three shootout victories), but head coach Andy Murray’s 7-3-0 non-conference record has fans in Kalamazoo hoping for a playoff run (the Broncos are currently 23rd in the Pairwise rankings). WMU has been able to score more consistently this season (2.75 goals/game), but the Broncos have given up three or more goals in five of their last nine games, including a 7-0 shellacking at the hands of St. Cloud State.

The boys from Kalamazoo, Michigan like to play a tight, physical brand of hockey, but that has meant quite a bit of time in the penalty box. WMU has been in 131 shorthanded situations already this season (compared to 108 power play opportunities). The Broncos’ blistering power play has scored 25 goals this year (converting at 23.1%), but their penalty killers have also allowed 25 goals to the opposition.

North Dakota’s specialty teams numbers are a bit more even: 119 power plays and 118 penalty kills this year, with a net of plus-eight goals (26 power play goals scored, 18 power play goals allowed). UND also leads the nation with nine shorthanded goals, while the Broncos are still looking for their first.

UND’s seven senior skaters (forwards Connor Gaarder, Mark MacMillan, Brendan O’Donnell, Michael Parks, and Stephane Pattyn along with defensemen Nick Mattson and Andrew Panzarella) have combined for 36 points over the last eight games and now rank as the fourth-most productive senior class in the nation with 102 points (Mercyhurst 167, Air Force 115, Minnesota 108).

Offensive capability from the blue line is another reason for UND’s continued success. After leading the nation in scoring by defensemen last year, UND is second in the country in that category this season. Through 29 games, North Dakota blueliners have scored 18 goals and added 65 assists for 83 points, or 2.86 points per game. Only Massachusetts-Lowell (2.87 points/game) has scored at a higher rate this year.

UND junior netminder Zane McIntyre sits squarely on the bubble for a Hobey Baker nod after another pedestrian performance last weekend versus Denver (52 of 57 saves in a win and a tie). McIntyre, who now sits 13th in the country in goals-against average (2.00) and 11th in save percentage (.930), has played the sixth-most minutes in the nation and is tied for second in victories (20). In my opinion, the junior from Thief River Falls, Minnesota will need to continue registering victories and pick up one or two more shutouts over the next month to remain in contention for college hockey’s highest individual award.

It should also be noted that Zane McIntyre is also statistically the best goaltender in North Dakota hockey history. His career goals-against average (2.08) and save percentage (.926) rank as the best all-time at UND. Former goaltending greats Jean-Phillippe Lamoureux, Jordan Parise, Aaron Dell, and Karl Goehring round out the top five.

One of the biggest reasons for UND’s success this season has been North Dakota’s ability to hold a lead. During the 2014-15 campaign, Dave Hakstol’s squad is unbeaten (16-0-2) when leading after the first forty minutes of play. In fact, over the past seven years, North Dakota is converting almost 90 percent of second intermission leads into victories and has just seven losses in the last 146 such situations (129-7-10).

Dave Hakstol has his team in a much better position than last year, when North Dakota’s NCAA tournament hopes went down to the wire. With a sparkling 9-1-1 non-conference record, UND currently sits in second place in the Pairwise rankings, one of five NCHC teams in line to make the NCAA tournament. Nebraska-Omaha (5th), Minnesota-Duluth (4th), Miami (6th), and Denver (9th) would all make the field of 16 if the season ended today. Of the remaining three league teams on the outside looking in, St. Cloud State is the closest to making the tournament, as the Huskies are currently in 19th place.

And speaking of Hakstol, the UND head coach has now won twenty or more games in each of his first eleven seasons behind the North Dakota bench. That mark is easily the longest current streak in men’s hockey (Jerry York is second with five straight seasons of twenty or more wins, and the Eagles have 18 victories this season).

Western Michigan Team Profile

Head Coach: Andy Murray, 4th season at WMU, 71-53-23, .561)

Pairwise Ranking: 23rd of 59 teams
National Ranking: NR
This Season: 12-12-4 overall, 5-9-4-3 NCHC (7th)
Last Ten Games: 5-3-2 overall, 3-3-2-1 NCHC
Last Season: 19-16-5 overall (missed NCAA tournament), 11-11-2-2 NCHC (t-4th)

Team Offense: 2.75 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.64 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 23.1% (25 of 108)
Penalty Kill: 80.9% (106 of 131)

Key Players: Junior F Colton Hargrove (12-10-22). Sophomore F Sheldon Dries (11-11-22), Senior F Justin Kovacs (4-17-21), Junior D Kenney Morrison (5-9-14), Sophomore D Taylor Fleming (2-9-11), Junior G Lukas Hafner (10-8-4, 2.28 GAA, .919 SV%)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (11th season at UND, 280-139-43, .653)

Pairwise Ranking: 2nd of 59 teams
National Rankings: #1/#1
This Season: 20-6-3 overall, 11-5-2-0 NCHC (t-1st)
Last Ten Games: 7-2-1 overall, 5-2-1-0 NCHC
Last Season: 25-14-3 overall (NCAA Frozen Four appearance), 15-9-0-0 NCHC (2nd)

Team Offense: 3.45 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.17 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 21.8% (26 of 119)
Penalty Kill: 84.7% (100 of 118)

Key Players: Junior F Drake Caggiula (13-16-29), Senior F Michael Parks (11-18-29), Senior F Mark MacMillan (15-8-23), Freshman F Nick Schmaltz (4-17-21), Senior F Brendan O’Donnell (10-5-15), Junior D Jordan Schmaltz (3-20-23), Sophomore D Paul LaDue (3-12-15), Sophomore D Troy Stecher (1-8-9 in 21 games), Junior G Zane McIntyre (20-6-3, 2.00 GAA, .930 SV%, 1 SO)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: Saturday, March 22nd (Minneapolis, MN). North Dakota faced a must-win situation in the 3rd place game at the inaugural NCHC Frozen Faceoff, and did not disappoint the partisan crowd. The Green and White rolled to a 5-0 victory behind two first period goals from Conner Gaarder. UND netminder Zane Gothberg made 25 saves for the shutout, and Dave Hakstol’s crew played the waiting game for several more hours before discovering that they had indeed made the NCAA tournament for the 13th consecutive season.

Last Meeting in Kalamazoo: December 7, 2013. WMU netminder Frank Slubowski gave up three goals on thirteen shots before being pulled early in the second period and North Dakota held on for a 3-2 road victory. Western Michigan, which outshot UND 25-16, collected two power play goals on six attempts. The Green and White also won Friday’s opener by a 3-2 score.

Most Important Meeting: March 24, 2012 (St. Paul, MN). North Dakota upended Western Michigan 3-1 in the NCAA West Regional semifinal. Brock Nelson had two points, including an empty net goal with 25 seconds remaining that sent UND to the regional finals against Minnesota. Aaron Dell made 24 saves for the Green and White.

All-time Series: In the short history between the schools, UND has won nine of the ten games, outscoring the Broncos 45-19. WMU’s lone victory over North Dakota was a 2-1 road win on March 8th, 2014. The teams first met in 1997.

Game News and Notes

UND is 7-6-1 on Friday nights and 13-0-2 on Saturdays. Western Michigan is just 3-4-3 at home this season; North Dakota is 8-3-0 on the road. MacMillan, whose twelve goals in conference play lead all scorers, has a career line of 45-52-97 in 147 games played and needs just three points to join UND’s Century Club. There are currently 84 members of that exclusive group (100 career points). Thanks to junior forward Nolan LaPorte (eight power play goals), Western Michigan has been the best in the league (23.1 percent) with the man advantage. UND forward Luke Johnson has collected three goals and four assists in five career games against WMU.

The Prediction

North Dakota can take a huge step forward in the league race with two NCHC victories this weekend. It won’t be easy, but I see Zane McIntyre rebounding with a dominating goaltending performance in Kalamazoo. UND 4-2, 3-0.