Sioux Sports Talk

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

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

For the record, Mel Pearson spent the 23 seasons as an assistant coach at Michigan and was behind the bench for the Wolverines 2-0 Frozen Four victory over North Dakota in April 2011 (St. Paul, MN). MTU assistant coach Bill Muckalt and goaltending coach Steve Shields are former Michigan players. Pearson played his college hockey at Michigan Tech.

UND fans may not recognize this year’s version of the Huskies, as Brett Olson (93 points in 127 career games) and Jordan Baker (82 points in 146 games) have both graduated after seemingly playing at MTU forever. Michigan Tech is very young up front, as their top five scoring forwards are first or second year players.

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

Michigan Tech Team Profile

Head Coach: Mel Pearson (2nd season at MTU, 20-27-7, .435)
Pairwise Ranking: NR
National Rankings: NR/NR
This Season: 4-8-3 overall, 3-6-3 WCHA (t-8th)
Last Season: 16-9-4 overall, 11-13-4 WCHA (8th)

Team Offense: 2.87 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 3.53 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 17.9% (12 of 67)
Penalty Kill: 75.8% (50 of 66)

Key Players: Freshman F Alex Petan (4-9-13), Sophomore F Blake Pietila (9-2-11), Sophomore F David Johnstone (3-8-11), Senior D Steven Seigo (4-4-8), Junior D Brad Stebner (1-4-5), Senior G Kevin Genoe (3-1-3, 2.83 GAA, .909 SV%)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (9th season at UND, 221-111-33, .651)
Pairwise Ranking: 10th
National Rankings: #8/#8
This Season: 8-5-3 overall, 5-2-3 WCHA (t-5th)
Last Season: 26-13-3 overall (NCAA West Regional Finalist), 16-11-1 WCHA (4th)

Team Offense: 3.12 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.62 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 15.6% (10 of 64)
Penalty Kill: 84.5% (49 of 58)

Key Players: Senior F Danny Kristo (6-9-15), Sophomore F Mark MacMillan (6-6-12), Senior F Corban Knight (5-12-17), Freshman F Rocco Grimaldi (6-9-15), Junior D Derek Forbort (4-5-9), Sophomore D Nick Mattson (1-6-7), Junior G Clarke Saunders (6-3-3, 2.39 GAA, .916 SV%, 2 SO)

By The Numbers

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

Last meeting in Houghton: March 5, 2011. North Dakota absolutely destroyed MTU on consecutive nights, winning 6-1 and 11-2. Friday night’s win clinched the MacNaughton Cup for visiting UND, but there was no letdown in Saturday’s finale or in the first round playoff games between the schools in Grand Forks the following weekend (8-0 and 3-1 victories). The Malone-Frattin-Trupp line collected six goals and eight assists in the weekend series.

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

All-time Series: UND leads the all-time series, 145-93-10 (.605), including a slight 61-55-5 (.525) edge in games played in Houghton. The teams first met in 1948.

Last Ten: North Dakota is 9-0-1 (.950) in the last ten meetings between the schools and undefeated in the last 14 (12-0-2). The Green and White have outscored the Huskies 49-13 in the last ten games. The last time Michigan Tech defeated UND was in the first round of the WCHA playoffs in March 2008 (Grand Forks, ND). MTU took the middle game of the three-game series, but North Dakota came back to win on Sunday night to advance to the Final Five.

Game News and Notes

UND head coach Dave Hakstol is 23-5-2 (.800) in his coaching career against Michigan Tech. Either North Dakota or the University of Denver has ended the Huskies’ year each of the past five seasons. UND senior forward Corban Knight is riding an eleven game point streak. Saturday’s rematch will mark the 250th game played between the two storied programs.

The Prediction

Everything points to a UND sweep in this one, but both games will be closer than recent history suggests. Dave Hakstol has his team playing its best hockey of the season, but North Dakota will need to come back late in at least one of these tilts. UND 4-2, 3-2.

Even though it feels like we’re headed to the halfway point of the season, we’re really just over a third of the way through our league games. UND has played ten conference games (out of 28), and sits at 5-2-3 (.650).

The league standings show North Dakota in a tie for fifth place, but that’s misleading since UND (as well as three other teams) has played two fewer games than the majority of the WCHA. A closer look at the top teams reveals that North Dakota is the only program with only two losses in conference play (DU, Minnesota, and UNO have three), and by winning percentage order, UND is tied for 2nd place with Nebraska-Omaha, behind only Denver. The Pioneers have earned three more league points in one extra weekend of WCHA action.

After the games at Michigan Tech this weekend, North Dakota has a tough WCHA road schedule moving forward. The Green and White travel to Minnesota, Nebraska-Omaha, Denver, and MSU-Mankato in the second half. Four points in Houghton is an absolute must, as I see UND earning nine or ten points from the other four series.

At home, it’s a bit easier. After a non-conference series with Holy Cross, North Dakota will host Colorado College, St. Cloud State, Wisconsin, and Bemidji State in league play. Sweeps against the Badgers and Beavers are possible, but I see five or six points against the Tigers and Huskies.

Those results would put UND in the 39-41 point range at the end of the race for the MacNaughton Cup. Over the past five years, the WCHA champion has averaged 41.2 points, with only North Dakota’s 2008-09 league championship (17-7-4, 38 points) coming in under 40 points.

There are some who would say “if only UND had tied Colorado College on Friday night” or “North Dakota deserved to beat Denver in the first game”, but there are also instances where the Green and White stole an extra point or two out of the weekend (Minnesota-Duluth comes to mind), so I think that UND’s current conference mark feels about right for the way they have played to date.

The most encouraging aspect of North Dakota’s first half is that they’ve played their best hockey over the past two weekends, the lines appear to be coming together, and the team is closer to healthy than they’ve been in a long time. As we’ve seen so many times in the past, the second half is going to be quite a ride.

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

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

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

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

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

For North Dakota, the headline is the emergence of Drake Caggiula. The freshman forward has collected six points (four goals, two assists) in his last seven games, including the overtime winner at Colorado College last Saturday night. Caggiula has been skating on a line with fellow freshman Rocco Grimaldi and sophomore forward Mark McMillan.

Denver started the season white-hot (9-1-0) but has since gone 0-3-1 against Yale, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin. North Dakota has split four of its last six series (vs. Boston University, at St. Cloud State, at Notre Dame, at Colorado College) and picked up three points in the other two (vs. Alaska-Anchorage, vs. Minnesota-Duluth).

Because only eight WCHA teams have played ten conference games (UND, Colorado College, Nebraska-Omaha, and Alaska-Anchorage have played just eight), the league standings can appear out of balance. But here’s the important thing: the top six teams in the standings (by winning percentage) are facing off against each other this weekend:

Denver (1st) at North Dakota (t-3rd)
Nebraska-Omaha (2nd) at St. Cloud State (t-5th)
Minnesota (t-5th) at Colorado College (t-3rd)

Expect some movement as the top three or four teams begin to rise to the top.

Denver Team Profile

Head Coach: George Gwozdecky (19th season at DU, 432-257-60 .617)
Pairwise Ranking: 11th
National Rankings: #6/#6
This Season: 9-4-1 overall, 7-2-1 WCHA (1st)
Last Season: 25-14-4 Overall (NCAA Midwest Regional Semifinalist), 16-8-4 WCHA (3rd)

Team Offense: 3.71 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.43 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 18.6% (11 of 59)
Penalty Kill: 86.4% (51 of 59)

Key Players: Junior F Nick Shore (6-12-18), Senior F Chris Knowlton (8-7-15), Senior F Shawn Ostrow (4-6-10), Sophomore D Joey LaLeggia (6-8-14), Junior D David Makowski (5-5-10), Sophomore G Juho Olkinuora (3-1-1, 2.15 GAA, .934 SV%)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (9th season at UND, 220-111-32, .650)
Pairwise Ranking: 13th
National Rankings: #9/#9
This Season: 7-5-2 overall, 4-2-2 WCHA (t-5th)
Last Season: 26-13-3 overall (NCAA West Regional Finalist), 16-11-1 WCHA (4th)

Team Offense: 3.00 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.64 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 15.1% (8 of 53)
Penalty Kill: 87.5% (42 of 48)

Key Players: Senior F Danny Kristo (5-9-14), Sophomore F Mark MacMillan (6-5-11), Senior F Corban Knight (3-11-14), Freshman F Rocco Grimaldi (5-6-11), Junior D Derek Forbort (3-5-8), Sophomore D Nick Mattson (1-5-6), Junior G Clarke Saunders (5-3-2, 2.38 GAA, .921 SV%, 2 SO)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: March 17, 2012 (St Paul, MN). It was a good day to be wearing green, as North Dakota dispatched Denver 4-0 to become the first team to win three consecutive Broadmoor trophies (WCHA Final Five champions). UND scored the last ten goals in the postseason tournament after netting six straight against Minnesota in the semifinals.

Last Meeting in Grand Forks: October 30, 2010. One night before Halloween, it was a scary scene on the ice at Ralph Engelstad Arena. Pioneers senior center Jesse Martin was taken off the ice on a stretcher after receiving a crushing hit from UND’s Brad Malone. DU scored just after the major penalty expired and put the game out of reach with a shorthanded tally and an empty net goal. UND won the series opener by a final of 4-3.

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

Last Ten Games: North Dakota has had a slight edge lately, going 6-4-0 (.600) in the last ten meetings between the schools. Only four of the last ten games between the teams have taken place in Grand Forks, with the Pioneers claiming a victory in three of the four contests. The two teams have also met three times in the WCHA Final Five (St. Paul) during this most recent stretch, with UND winning all three games.

All-time Series: UND leads the all-time series, 135-116-8 (.537), including a stellar 80-42-5 (.650) mark in games played in Grand Forks.

Game News and Notes

UND has only lost once in six home games this season (3-1-2). DU has only played three games this season away from home, winning all three. North Dakota’s Corban Knight is riding a nine game point streak, the longest streak by a UND player in three years. Denver head coach George Gwozdecky just might squat on the dasher in front of his team’s bench.

The Prediction

Everything on paper points to a split, but the way both teams played last weekend, I have a feeling that North Dakota will earn three points. The teams will battle all weekend long, with a parade to the penalty box slowing down at least one game in the series. 3-3 tie, UND 4-3.

When Scott Owen’s Colorado College squad came to Grand Forks last November, the Tigers were ranked #4 in the country with a record of 7-2-0. CC was scoring 4.33 goals per game and converting over 25% of their power play opportunities.

North Dakota allowed 9 goals to Scott Owen’s squad but came away with two victories (by scores of 7-6 and 4-3). Beginning with that weekend, the Tigers posted a disappointing 11-14-2 record the rest of the way and missed out on the WCHA Final Five and the NCAA tournament.

CC played (and lost) many close games a year ago, especially down the stretch, and this year will be no different. The Tigers have already played seven one-goal games this year, and goaltending will be key to their success. So far this season, both senior Joe Howe and junior Josh Thorimbert have shown flashes of brilliance and extended periods of unsteady play.

North Dakota has two players with over 100 career points: senior forwards Danny Kristo (123) and Corban Knight (108). There are seven other players in all of college hockey to have accomplished that feat, and UND has already played against two of them, squaring off against St. Cloud State’s Drew LeBlanc (112) and Notre Dame’s T.J. Tynan (101). This weekend, UND will go against Rylan Schwartz, who is tied with Kristo for the NCAA active scoring lead with 123 points.

Colorado College Team Profile

Head Coach: Scott Owens (14th season at CC, 306-191-44, .606)
National Ranking: #18
This Season: 7-6-1 overall, 4-2-0 WCHA (t-5th)
Last Season: 18-16-2 overall, 15-12-1 WCHA (5th)

Team Offense: 3.71 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 3.50 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 24.4% (11 of 45)
Penalty Kill: 73.5% (36 of 49)

Key Players: Senior F Rylan Schwartz (7-10-17), Senior F William Rapuzzi (7-10-17), Senior F Scott Winkler (8-6-14), Senior D Mike Boivin (6-6-12), Junior D Eamonn McDermott (2-10-12), Senior G Joe Howe (3-3-1, 3.45 GAA, .900 SV%, 1 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (9th season at UND, 219-110-32, .651)
National Ranking: #7
This Season: 6-4-2 overall, 3-1-2 WCHA (t-5th)
Last Season: 26-13-3 overall (NCAA West Regional Finalist), 16-11-1 WCHA (4th)

Team Offense: 3.00 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.50 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 15.2% (7 of 46)
Penalty Kill: 85.7% (36 of 42)

Key Players: Senior F Danny Kristo (5-9-14), Sophomore F Mark MacMillan (6-4-10), Senior F Corban Knight (2-9-11), Freshman F Rocco Grimaldi (5-3-8), Junior D Derek Forbort (3-3-6), Sophomore D Nick Mattson (1-4-5), Junior G Clarke Saunders (4-2-2, 2.09 GAA, .934 SV%, 2 SO)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: November 26, 2011 (Grand Forks, ND). One night after North Dakota won a wild 7-6 contest (13 goals on only 41 shots), the teams got into a special teams battle, with UND prevailing 4-3. The two squads traded power play goals, with Danny Kristo’s shorthanded tally six minutes into the final frame holding up as the game winner for the Green and White.

Last Meeting in Colorado Springs: January 29, 2011. One night after falling 4-2 to homestanding Colorado College, North Dakota came out in the black jerseys and throttled the Tigers 6-0. Six different players scored for the Green and White and Aaron Dell earned the shutout with 20 saves. The win moved UND’s record in the “business suits” to 25-1-2.

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, 137-76-10 (.637), although Colorado College has a 56-47-4 (.542) edge in games played in Colorado Springs. The teams first met in 1948.

Last Ten: North Dakota is 7-2-1 (.750) in the last ten meetings between the teams, including four straight victories. UND has only outscored CC 41-34 over the last ten games, with six of UND’s seven victories coming by a single goal.

Game News and Notes

Colorado College has been outscored 20-11 in first periods this season. With one point this weekend, Danny Kristo will tie Lee Goren, Bryan Lundbohm, and David Lundbohm for 44th on UND’s all-time scoring list. Kristo has 11 points (six goals, five assists) in seven career games against the Tigers. If you are planning to watch the webcast of this weekend’s games (via cctigers.com), beware the floating Tiger head.

The Prediction

In close, tightly-contested games, three things make the difference: team defense, goaltending, and special teams. Colorado College has the edge on the power play, but every other column favors North Dakota. If UND can adjust to the altitude and wide sheet, they could earn more than a split this weekend. I’m reversing the Friday/Saturday trend and calling for a better North Dakota performance in Saturday’s rematch, with a big first period carrying UND to victory. CC 4-2, UND 5-2.

It’s a battle of the Crossed ND’s this weekend as North Dakota heads to South Bend to take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Notre Dame is fresh off a rare road sweep of Michigan (3-1, 4-1), while UND had a home battle with Minnesota-Duluth last weekend, taking three points from a series that probably should have gone to the Bulldogs.

Notre Dame was a member of the WCHA from 1971-1981, posting three winning seasons in ten campaigns. The Fighting Irish have had more success lately, winning the CCHA league title twice in the past six seasons. Jeff Jackson’s Golden Domers have already played five games this season against teams headed to the National Collegiate Hockey Conference in 2013-14, splitting series with Minnesota-Duluth and Western Michigan and handing Nebraska-Omaha a 3-2 defeat in the championship game of the Icebreaker tournament.

The Fighting Irish have eight skaters and two goaltenders on their roster under six feet tall, including junior forward T.J. Tynan, who at 5’8” and 165 lbs. could be considered Rudy on skates. Tynan notched his 100th collegiate point last weekend against Michigan, joining UND’s Danny Kristo and Corban Knight as three of the nine active mens’ college hockey players with at least 100 points. Considering Tynan is just eleven games into his junior season (94 games total games played), that’s quite an accomplishment.

The two teams figure to make the NCAA field of 16, and this weekend’s games are critically important for pairwise comparisons and seeding in the tournament. North Dakota showed signs of weakness against Duluth, and will need to shore up their play in the defensive zone (breakouts, coverage, and penalty kill) if they hope to escape South Bend with points this weekend.

Notre Dame Team Profile

Head Coach: Jeff Jackson (8th season at Notre Dame, 168-100-30, .614)
National Ranking: #6
This Season: 8-3-0 overall, 5-1-0-0 CCHA (t-2nd)
Last Season: 19-18-3 overall, 12-13-3-0 CCHA (8th)

Team Offense: 2.82 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 1.64 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 12.2% (6 of 49)
Penalty Kill: 90.9 % (40 of 44)

Key Players: Junior F Anders Lee (5-4-9), Junior F Bryan Rust (3-5-8), Junior F T.J. Tynan (2-3-5), Sophomore D Robbie Russo (4-3-7), Junior D Stephen Johns (0-7-7), Junior G Steven Summerhays (7-3-0, 1.51 GAA, .939 SV%, 2 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (9th season at UND, 218-109-32, .652)
National Ranking: #7
This Season: 5-3-2 overall, 3-1-2 WCHA (t-4th)
Last Season: 26-13-3 overall (NCAA West Regional Finalist), 16-11-1 WCHA (4th)

Team Offense: 3.20 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.40 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 15.4% (6 of 39)
Penalty Kill: 84.4% (27 of 32)

Key Players: Senior F Danny Kristo (4-8-12), Sophomore F Mark MacMillan (5-4-9), Freshman F Rocco Grimaldi (4-3-7), Junior D Derek Forbort (3-3-6), Freshman D Jordan Schmaltz (1-1-2), Junior G Clarke Saunders (3-2-2, 2.24 GAA, .927 SV%, 2 SO)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: November 27, 2010 (Grand Forks, ND). Sophomore blueliner Sam Calabrese scored the game tying goal with just over three minutes remaining and the Fighting Irish killed two UND power plays in overtime as the teams battled to a 2-2 tie. North Dakota took the series opener 6-3 behind Jason Gregoire’s three point effort (two goals, one assist).

Last Meeting in South Bend: January 17, 1981. The two teams skated to a 1-1 tie one night after UND throttled the Fighting Irish 7-3. The tie would snap North Dakota’s nine-game winning streak over Notre Dame, during which time the Green and White outscored the Golden Domers 58-29.

Last Ten: North Dakota has a 6-1-3 (.750) record over the past ten games.

Most Important Meeting: March 15, 1980. In WCHA playoff action, the Fighting Sioux dispatched with Notre Dame with a 7-4 victory after winning the opener 10-4. UND would go on to win its third national championship two weeks later.

All-time Series: The series is tied 16-16-3. The Fighting Irish won 15 of the first 20 meetings between the two teams, but UND has evened the ledger with an 11-1-3 mark over the past fifteen games. Notre Dame boasts a home record of 9-6-1 (.594) against North Dakota.

Game News and Notes

The Fighting Irish appeared in the national championship game in 2008, falling 4-1 to Boston College. Notre Dame ranks second in the NCAA in scoring defense (1.64 goals allowed per game). Three players on the ice this weekend have 100 career points: UND’s Danny Kristo (121) and Corban Knight (105) are joined in the Century Club by Notre Dame’s T.J. Tynan, who notched his 100th collegiate point on November 15th against Michigan. The puck drops at 6:35 p.m. Central time on Friday and 4:05 p.m. Central time on Saturday. Free video webcasts are available at www.und.com.

The Prediction

I correctly predicted a three point weekend for North Dakota the last time around, but I don’t think it will go that well for UND in the rematch. Dave Hakstol’s best chance for points will come in Friday’s opener, with Notre Dame winning handily on Saturday night. UND 3-2, Notre Dame 4-1.

51-20-12. That’s the record that Minnesota-Duluth compiled over the past two full seasons. In 2010-11, the Bulldogs won the national title, and they followed that up with a berth in the Northeast Regional final at the end of the 2012 campaign (falling to Boston College).

So the view is decidedly different for Scott Sandelin’s squad early this year. UMD has won just twice in eight games (2-5-1) and are winless over two WCHA weekends (0-3-1). Duluth finds themselves in last place in the league standings and traveling to Ralph Engelstad Arena on a short week of practice.

For the Green and White, the Friday/Saturday trend continues. UND is now undefeated on Friday nights (4-0-0) and winless on Saturdays (0-3-1). Last season , North Dakota had a fairly even split: 11-5-1 on Fridays and 14-6-2 on Saturdays.

Two current North Dakota forwards are members of UND’s Century Club (100 career points). Corban Knight (102 points) joined Danny Kristo (116) two weekends ago. With one more point, Kristo will pass former UND star Zach Parise, but Parise accomplished his 116 career points in only two seasons (2002-2004).

On the injury front, UND sophomore forward Michael Parks (10-12-22 as a freshman last season) has not played in a regular season game this year (lower body injury) but is expected to suit up for Friday’s opener.

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

North Dakota and Minnesota-Duluth are two of eight schools scheduled to begin play in the new National Collegiate Hockey Conference beginning next season. Four other current WCHA member schools (Colorado College, Denver, St. Cloud State, and Nebraska-Omaha) will join them.

Minnesota-Duluth Team Profile

Head Coach: Scott Sandelin (13th season at UMD, 219-215-59,.504)
National Rankings: NR
This Season: 2-5-1 overall, 0-3-1 WCHA (12th)
Last Season: 25-10-6 overall (NCAA Northeast Regional Finalist), 16-7-5 WCHA (2nd)

Team Offense: 2.38 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.88 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 23.3% (10 of 43)
Penalty Kill: 80.5% (33 of 41)

Key Players: Senior F Mike Seidel (5-4-9), Freshman F Tony Cameranesi (3-4-7), Freshman F Austin Farley (2-4-6), Senior D Wade Bergman (0-6-6), Freshman D Andy Welinski (1-2-3), Freshman G Matt McNeely (1-3-1, 2.78 GAA, .892 SV%)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (9th season at UND, 217-109-31, .651)
National Ranking: #6
This Season: 4-3-1 overall, 2-1-1 WCHA (6th)
Last Season: 26-13-3 overall (NCAA West Regional Finalist), 16-11-1 WCHA (4th)

Team Offense: 3.00 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.12 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 17.2% (5 of 29)
Penalty Kill: 87.5% (21 of 24)

Key Players: Senior F Danny Kristo (1-6-7), Sophomore F Mark MacMillan (3-3-6), Freshman F Rocco Grimaldi (3-3-6), Junior D Derek Forbort (2-3-5), Freshman D Jordan Schmaltz (1-1-2), Junior G Clarke Saunders (3-2-1, 1.98 GAA, .931 SV%, 2 SO)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: February 11, 2012 (Duluth, MN). North Dakota claimed an early 2-1 lead before the Bulldogs scored the next four goals. Duluth held off a furious UND comeback for a 5-4 victory and a split of the weekend series. UMD forward Jack Connolly was involved al night long, potting two goals and assisting on the other three.

Last Meeting in Grand Forks: November 6, 2010. The Bulldogs held on to the top spot in the WCHA standings with a 3-2 overtime victory over homestanding North Dakota. UMD senior forward Justin Fontaine netted the game-winner on a 2-on-1 less than a minute into the extra frame.

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

All-time Series: UND leads the all-time series, 135-75-8 (.638), including a 75-31-2 (.704) record in games played in Grand Forks.

Last Ten: North Dakota is 7-3-0 (.700) in the last ten games between the teams. UND has outscored Duluth 36-19 in the past ten contests. All three losses were by a single goal, including two overtime defeats.

Game News and Notes

UND forwards Carter Rowney and Danny Kristo each have seven career points against the Bulldogs. Duluth has scored more than half of their goals this season on the power play. Both head coaches this weekend are alumni of the University of North Dakota: Dave Hakstol (’92) and Scott Sandelin (’86) both played for UND.

The Prediction

UND will come out flying on Friday after last Saturday’s dismal performance in St. Cloud. The Bulldogs won’t have an answer for North Dakota’s team speed and will find themselves in an early hole. Saturday’s rematch will be a tighter checking affair that will go down to the wire. I feel like North Dakota will rally to tie late and survive overtime for a three point weekend. UND 4-1, 2-2 tie.

Trend #1: In the early part of the 2012-13 season, North Dakota is 3-0 on Friday nights and 0-2-1 on Saturday nights. UND has scored 13 goals in weekend openers but only 6 goals in the second game of the weekend.

Trend #2: Over the past ten seasons, North Dakota has not won a Friday game in St. Cloud (0-6-4), but has posted an unblemished 10-0 record in Saturday rematches at the National Hockey Center.

All three of UND’s Saturday games this season could be classified as a disappointing result:

North Dakota held a lead against Alaska in the Goal Rush tournament but gave up consecutive goals to fall 2-1. UND settled for a 3-3 tie against Alaska-Anchorage after outscoring the Seawolves 9-1 in two earlier victories. And last weekend, the Green and White gave up three third period goals to Boston University in a 4-2 defeat.

For St. Cloud State, last Saturday night’s 6-1 loss at Denver snapped a string of five consecutive victories. SCSU had blanked the Pioneers 3-0 in the series opener.

On the injury front, UND forward Michael Parks has not been cleared to play, while SCSU forwards Ben Hanowski, David Morley, and Joey Benik are also out of the lineup.

There are eight current NCAA Division I men’s hockey players with at least 100 career points, and three of them will be on the ice this weekend. North Dakota’s Danny Kristo (115) and St. Cloud State’s Drew LeBlanc (108) will be joined by UND’s Corban Knight, who notched his 100th career point last Saturday night.

St. Cloud State Team Profile

Head Coach: (Bob Motzko, 8th season at SCSU, 142-112-34, .552)
National Rankings: #15
This Season: 5-3-0 overall, 3-1-0 WCHA (t-1st)
Last Season: 17-17-5 overall, 12-12 4 WCHA (6th)

Team Offense: 3.88 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.50 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 17.1% (7 of 41)
Penalty Kill: 83.8% (31 of 37)

Key Players: Junior F Nic Dowd (6-6-12), Senior F Drew LeBlanc (3-8-11), Freshman F Kalle Kossila (4-4-8), Junior D Nick Jensen (0-8-8), Freshman D Ethan Prow (2-4-6), Sophomore G Ryan Faragher (4-3-0, 2.23 GAA, .926 SV%, 2 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (9th season at UND, 216-108-31, .652)
National Ranking: #6
This Season: 3-2-1 overall, 1-0-1 WCHA (t-6th)
Last Season: 26-13-3 overall (NCAA West Regional Finalist), 16-11-1 WCHA (4th)

Team Offense: 3.17 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.00 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 14.8% (4 of 27)
Penalty Kill: 88.2% (15 of 17)

Key Players: Senior F Danny Kristo (1-5-6), Sophomore F Mark MacMillan (2-2-4), Freshman F Rocco Grimaldi (3-3-6), Junior D Derek Forbort (2-1-3), Freshman D Jordan Schmaltz (1-1-2), Junior G Clarke Saunders (2-1-1, 1.73 GAA, .933 SV%, 1 SO)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: March 15, 2012 (St. Paul, MN). The first of two goals by UND forward Brock Nelson broke a 1-1 second period tie and propelled North Dakota to a 4-1 victory and a berth in the Final Five semifinals against Minnesota. Aaron Dell made 29 saves and earned the win, while SCSU netminder Mike Lee saw his career mark against the Green and White fall to 0-5-1.

Last Meeting in St. Cloud: January 21, 2012. North Dakota survived a late goal review to hold off the homestanding Huskies 3-2. UND’s Corban Knight potted a pair of goals in the road win and the Green and White held SCSU scoreless in seven power play opportunities on the weekend. The victory jumpstarted UND to a 14-3-1 record the rest of the way.

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, 59-31-11 (.639), with a slight edge of 23-17-6 (.565) in games played at the National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.

Last Ten: North Dakota has had the edge lately, posting a 7-2-1 (.750) record in the last ten meetings between the teams. UND has outscored St. Cloud State 31-22 during that span.

Game News and Notes

UND has lost just twice in the last eleven meetings between the teams (8-2-1). North Dakota and St. Cloud State are two of eight teams who are moving to the National Collegiate Athletic Conference next season, and all eight of those teams are ranked in the top 25 this week. This weekend’s games are two of four contests in the race for the UND/SCSU Challenge Cup.

The Prediction

The Friday/Saturday trend will continue, with North Dakota falling just short on Friday night before pulling away in Saturday’s rematch. It will take UND a period or two to adjust to the wider sheet, but once they do, the lamp will light. SCSU 3-2, UND 5-2.

On a Personal Note

I look forward to this series every year because of the unique relationship we have with the Center Ice Club, the official hockey booster organization for the St. Cloud State University Huskies. On behalf of SiouxSports.com and the Center Ice Club, I would like to invite you to the UND/SCSU pre-game social on Saturday afternoon from 3:30 to 6:00 p.m. in the upper level of Brothers Pub (119 Fifth Avenue South) in St. Cloud. This is a great opportunity to meet fans on both sides of the rivalry, win fabulous door prizes, and view the Challenge Cup. This event is free and open to all fans 21 and older.

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

Beginning with the 2002-03 season, the WCHA changed its schedule rotation, creating “rivals” which would play each other four times each season. St. Cloud State and North Dakota were partnered up in a scheduling system that ended in 2009-10.

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

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

The UND/SCSU Challenge Cup is awarded to the team which collects more points in the four regular-season games. As you may be able to see in the photo above, the winning team is engraved for each year.

UND won the Challenge Cup in 04-05, going 3-0-1 against the Huskies. St. Cloud took the trophy back in 05-06, sporting a record of 3-1-0 against North Dakota. In 06-07, the Sioux won two games and tied the other two, collecting six points and the Challenge Cup. The next season, the teams shared the Cup, with UND and SCSU each winning one game and tying the other two. In 08-09, North Dakota sprinted to the lead in the Challenge Cup race by winning both games in Grand Forks but needed a Saturday victory in St. Cloud to salvage a split on the weekend and reclaim the Cup. The following year (09-10), both series were splits, and the Challenge Cup was shared once again. Two years ago, UND claimed seven of eight points (3-0-1) and took back the trophy, while last season (2011-12) went down as another tie.

If you’re keeping track at home, UND has won the Cup four times, St. Cloud has claimed the trophy once, and the schools have shared the Challenge Cup three times. North Dakota has won the trophy in each odd-numbered season and will be hoping to do the same this year (2012-13).

This weekend’s games in St. Cloud will be the first two of four Challenge Cup games between the schools.

The Challenge Cup will be on display at the Center Ice Club pre-game social this Saturday, November 10th from 3:30 to 6:00 p.m. in the upper level of Brothers Pub (119 5th Avenue South) in St. Cloud. This is a great opportunity to meet fans on both sides of this hockey rivalry. There will be complimentary food and door prizes. The event is free and open to all fans 21 and older.

For a full preview of this weekend’s game action, click here.

The last time these two teams played, UND forward Jason Gregoire was named the WCHA preseason rookie of the year and fellow rookie Brett Hextall became the first California native to suit up for the Green and White.

This season, North Dakota forward Rocco Grimaldi was picked as the favorite to win the WCHA rookie of the year award. Grimaldi, who was born in Rossmoor, California, has picked up at least a point in all six games he has played for UND.

These non-conference matchups are critical for both schools, as UND and BU figure to be in the mix for the NCAA tournament at the end of the year. Over the past eight seasons, North Dakota has taken advantage of its non-league games, going 40-13-10 (.714) over that stretch.

The legendary Jack Parker will be behind the bench as the head coach of the BU Terriers. Parker, in his 40th season at the helm, has coached over 1400 games and led the Terriers to three NCAA titles (1978, 1995, 2009). Jack Parker has led BU to 33 winning seasons in his career. During one nine season stretch (1989-1998), Boston University made nine consecutive trips to the NCAA tournament, advanced to the Frozen Four seven times, and played in four title games, claiming the trophy in 1995.

Boston University Team Profile

Head Coach: Jack Parker (40th season at BU, 879-457-113, .646)
National Ranking: #12
This Season: 3-1-0, 3-1-0 Hockey East (2nd)
Last Season: 23-15-1 (NCAA West Regional semifinalist), 17-9-1 Hockey East (t-2nd)

Team Offense: 3.25 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.50 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 18.8% (3 of 16)
Penalty Kill: 85.0% (17 of 20)

Key Players: Sophomore F Cason Hohmann (3-3-6), Senior F Wade Megan (3-1-4), Sophomore F Evan Rodrigues (0-5-5), Junior D Garrett Noonan (1-2-3), Freshman D Matt Grzelcyk (0-3-3), Freshman G Matt O’Connor (3-0-0, 1.75 GAA, .945 SV%)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (9th season at UND, 215-107-31, .653)
National Ranking: #5
This Season: 2-1-1 overall, 1-0-1 WCHA (t-3rd)
Last Season: 26-13-3 overall (NCAA West Regional Finalist), 16-11-1 WCHA (4th)

Team Offense: 3.25 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 1.50 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 17.6% (3 of 17)
Penalty Kill: 91.7% (11 of 2)

Key Players: Senior F Danny Kristo (0-4-4), Sophomore F Mark MacMillan (2-0-2), Freshman F Rocco Grimaldi (2-2-4), Junior D Derek Forbort (2-1-3), Freshman D Jordan Schmaltz (1-1-2), Junior G Clarke Saunders (1-1-1, 1.64 GAA, .940 SV%, 1 SO)

By The Numbers

Last meeting: October 10, 2008 (Boston, MA). The Terriers blitzed North Dakota 5-1 in the opening game of the 2008 Ice Breaker Tournament. Early in the second period, UND knotted the game at 1-1. Within 38 seconds, Boston University had scored two goals and was off to the races. Brad Miller scored the lone goal for the Green and White.

Last meeting in Grand Forks: December 28, 1996. One night after North Dakota notched a 6-4 victory over the visiting Terriers, the two teams skated to a 2-2 tie in the rematch. Almost exactly three months later, UND downed BU 6-4 to claim its sixth national title.

Most important meeting: March 29, 1997. UND scores five goals in the second period and goes on to defeat Boston University 6-4 for the 1997 NCAA championship. David Hoogsteen scores two goals for the Fighting Sioux, including a back-breaker with six seconds remaining in the middle frame.

All-time record: North Dakota leads the all-time series, 11-7-1 (.605), helped by a stellar 5-0-1 (.833) record in games played in Grand Forks. When the newly-formed Hockey East began play in 1984-1985, it created a five-year interlocking schedule with the WCHA. During that time, Boston University and North Dakota met 7 times, with John “Gino” Gasparini’s Fighting Sioux squad going 6-1-0 against Jack Parker’s Terriers.

Last Ten: Boston University has had the better of the play of late, going 6-3-1 against UND in the last ten matchups. The Terriers have outscored UND 43-33 during that span.

Game News and Notes

North Dakota has given up a total of six goals in four games this season. Last season, both UND and BU lost in the West Regional to Minnesota. UND senior center Corban Knight would join North Dakota’s Century Club (100 career points) with a goal or assist this weekend. There are currently 83 members of that exclusive fraternity, including fellow senior Danny Kristo (113 career points). The Terriers play on a hybrid sheet of ice at Agannis Arena; the playing surface is 90 feet wide; five feet wider than NHL rinks but not as wide as the Olympic ice sheets (100 feet wide).

The Prediction

Boston University has never won a game in Grand Forks, but they will steal at least a point (and probably more) this weekend. Both squads are still juggling line combinations and improving every week. Look for a tentative opening 30 minutes and a furious finish to both games. UND 3-2, BU 5-3.

It’s unusual to open the regular season in a non-conference tournament against a conference foe. It’s even more unusual to turn around and host that same conference opponent in the league opener for both schools.

One week after throttling the Seawolves 5-0 with only 15 skaters, North Dakota will have a full complement of weapons in the rematch. UND forwards Danny Kristo, Carter Rowney, Corban Knight, and Brendan O’Donnell all missed last Friday’s tilt but will be on the ice for this weekend’s action. The four have accounted for 7 goals and 10 assists in 19 career games against Alaska-Anchorage.

For Dave Shyiak’s squad, this weekend could go down as the last trip to Grand Forks unless UND hosts the Seawolves in the first round of the WCHA playoffs. North Dakota will be headed to the National Collegiate Hockey Conference next season, while UAA will remain in the new-look WCHA.

Alaska-Anchorage Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Shyiak (8th season at UAA, 78-153-27, .355)
National Ranking: NR
This Season: 2-1-1 overall, 0-0-0 WCHA
Last Season: 9-25-2 overall, 5-22-1 WCHA (12th)

Team Offense: 2.75 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.75 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 7.1% (1 of 14)
Penalty Kill: 81.0% (17 of 21)

Key Players: Junior F Matt Bailey (1-3-4), Junior F Jordan Kwas (1-1-2), Sophomore D Austin Coldwell (0-1-1), Sophomore F Derek Docken (1-0-1), Junior G Chris Kamal (1-1-0, 2.40 GAA, .907 SV%, 1 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (9th season at UND, 214-107-30, .652)
National Ranking: #4
This Season: 1-1-0 overall, 0-0-0 WCHA
Last Season: 26-13-3 overall (NCAA Regional Finalist), 16-11-1 WCHA (4th)

Team Offense: 3.00 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 1.00 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 16.7% (2 of 12)
Penalty Kill: 85.7% (6 of 7)

Key Players: Senior F Danny Kristo (no games played), Sophomore F Mark MacMillan (2-0-2), Freshman F Rocco Grimaldi (1-2-3), Junior D Derek Forbort (0-1-1), Freshman D Jordan Schmaltz (1-1-2), Junior G Clarke Saunders (1-1-0, 1.01 GAA, .962 SV%, 1 SO)

By The Numbers

Last meeting: Friday, October 19, 2012 (Fairbanks, AK). Despite playing with only 15 skaters (nine forwards) due to suspensions and injuries, UND steamrolled Alaska-Anchorage 5-0 in the opening game of the Goal Rush tournament. Sophomore forward Mark MacMillan led the way for North Dakota with two goals, while junior netminder Clarke Saunders stopped all 21 shots he faced to earn the victory.

Last meeting in Grand Forks: February 12, 2011. One night after steamrolling UAA 6-1, North Dakota had a tighter contest on their hands. The Seawolves almost made it out of the first period with a scoreless tie, but Brett Hextall scored a power play goal with under one second remaining in the opening frame. The Green and White would earn the sweep with a 3-1 victory.

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

All-time Series: UND leads the all-time series, 45-17-4 (.712), including a dominating 26-3-3 (.859) record in games played in Grand Forks.

Last Ten: UND has an 9-1-0 (.900) record in the last ten games between the teams, outscoring the Seawolves 42-15 over that span.

Game News and Notes

UND has won ten straight home openers. North Dakota freshman goaltender Zane Gothberg will make his first career start in Friday’s opener. Anchorage forward Scott Allen was named to the Brice Alaska Goal Rush all-tournament team last weekend. North Dakota senior forward Corban Knight has collecred nine points (three goals, six assists) in seven career games against UAA. This weekend’s games will be televised on Midco Sports Network, FOX College Sports, DirecTV 623 (Friday), and DirecTV 626 (Saturday). A webcast is available at UNDSports.com, and the radio broadcast can be found locally at 96.1 FM The Fox (KQHT-FM).

The Prediction

UND expects to get balanced scoring up front, and that should start with the drop of the puck. UAA will need to limit penalties and get outstanding goaltending if they hope to steal a point from the series. As it is, though, North Dakota has too much talent and will earn the sweep. UND 5-2, 3-2.

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