UND/SCSU fan social set for Saturday, March 8th

Please join us for the UND/SCSU pre-game social, an annual event which provides an opportunity for fans of the University of North Dakota and St. Cloud State University to gather, celebrate the great sport of hockey, and award the UND/SCSU Challenge Cup, a traveling trophy which is presented to the team which collects more points in the four regular-season games between the schools.

This event, held on Saturday, March 8th from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Southgate Grill and Bar in Grand Forks, is free and open to the public. SiouxSports.com is the title sponsor for the event in Grand Forks, while the Center Ice Club (the official hockey booster organization for the St. Cloud State University Huskies) hosts the social in St. Cloud every year.

Fans of both teams enjoy the camaraderie at these social events and regularly comment that the connection between the two fan bases is among the best in college hockey.

Other businesses which have donated prizes to this event include:

American Federal Bank
AZSioux.com
Barnes and Noble/UND Bookstore
Barry’s Collector’s Corner
Domino’s Pizza
Happy Joe’s Pizza
McPherson’s Jewelry
Nature’s Country Store
Ralph Engelstad Arena
Southgate Grill and Bar
Vaaler Insurance

Please consider joining us for this event. As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions.

Where’s the MacNaughton Cup?

In my 2007-2008 WCHA Midseason Report, I lamented the fact that “as in recent seasons, (North Dakota’s) disappointing first half has all but dashed any hopes of hoisting the MacNaughton Cup.”

What a difference a second-half surge makes.

At the time of the article, UND had a conference record of 9-7-0. Colorado College sat at 15-3-0, and Denver was second at 12-4-0.

Fast forward to the last weekend of the regular season, and the records are now:

Colorado College..19-6-1 (39 points)
North Dakota……….18-7-1 (37 points)
Denver………………….16-9-1 (33 points)

In other words, while North Dakota has gone 9-0-1 in the WCHA, Colorado College (4-3-1) and Denver (4-5-1) have collected just four victories each.

I also wrote in that same report that “(Denver’s) home and home series against Colorado College on the last week of the regular season may well decide the conference race.”

Truer words were never spoken. I didn’t know at the time, however, that I’d be talking about the race between Colorado College and North Dakota.

So the league is in an interesting situation. Where does the MacNaughton Cup go? My guess is that the Cup will be in Denver for Friday’s matchup between CC and DU, as a Tigers victory would clinch a share of the league title. Colorado College would also clinch a share with a North Dakota loss on Friday night. UND is hosting a two-game series against St. Cloud State this weekend.

If CC loses and UND wins, we have a problem. Both schools would have 39 points in league play with one game remaining. What would the WCHA do?

I spoke with Doug Spencer, Associate Commissioner for Public Relations in the league office, and he told me he was “99% sure that the MacNaughton Cup is in Colorado”. This stands to reason, because Colorado College had a sizeable lead heading into last weekend’s games. Doug also told me that Bruce McLeod certainly has a handle on all of the various scenarios, and that he (Doug) would let me know more of those details (including whether the league has been in conversation with the University of North Dakota) later on this week.

Teams which have shared the MacNaughton Cup in the past have staggered their trophy presentations over two weekends, with one school hoisting the Cup during the last weekend of the regular season and the other school waiting until the first round of the WCHA playoffs.

Jim Dahl has a great overview of the WCHA possibilities, including each team’s remaining games and how they will affect the race.

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

2008 Football Schedule pending?

As UND prepares to release the football schedule for it’s first year of D-I FCS (I-AA) football, fans have deduced that the schedule will probably look something like this:

Aug. 28 Texas A&M-Kingsville
Sept. 6 St. Cloud St.
Sept. 13 UW-La Crosse
Sept. 18 @ Idaho St.
Sept. 27 @ Southeastern Louisiana
Oct. 4 OPEN
Oct. 11 OPEN
Oct. 18 Western Washington
Oct. 25 @ UC Davis
Nov. 1 @ Southern Illinois
Nov. 8 Southern Utah
Nov. 15 OPEN
Nov. 22 @ South Dakota

Note — this is not the official schedule, but a fan compilation of known and rumored games

The first year of the transition is the toughest to schedule, because UND is considered a “non-counter” for teams with aspirations of making the I-AA playoffs. The inevitable comparisons with first-year schedules for other recently transitioned schools have arisen, and bincitysioux came through again with a breakdown of 1st year D-I schedules for current and former Great West members.

SDSU HOME GAMES: three DII’s, one transitional (GWFC game)
SDSU ROAD GAMES: two transitional, 5 established DI’s

UC DAVIS HOME GAMES: four DII’s, one transitional (future GWFC team), one established DI (future GWFC team)
UC DAVIS ROAD GAMES: one DII (future GWFC team), three established DI’s

NDSU HOME GAMES: one non-scholarship, one NAIA, one DII, three established DI’s (2 GWFC games)
NDSU ROAD GAMES: three transitionals (GWFC games), two established DI’s

USD HOME GAMES: three NAIA, one DII, one transitional (GWFC game)
USD ROAD GAMES: five established DI’s (2 GWFC games)

N. COLORADO HOME GAMES: five DII’s
N. COLORADO ROAD GAMES: one DII, one transitional (GWFC team) four established DI’s

UND HOME GAMES: one non-scholarship, three DII’s, one established DI (GWFC game)
UND ROAD GAMES: one transitional (GWFC game), 4 established DI’s (1 GWFC game)

While every football fan should have been hoping for a better schedule, this is on par with what other transitional teams were able to put together.

While comments here are always welcome, you might as well just head over to the UND 2008 Schedule thread and check on the latest.

Game Preview: UND vs. Minnesota-Duluth

November 23rd and 24th, 2007 (Grand Forks, ND). The Sioux and Bulldogs split a two-game conference series, and North Dakota’s record stood at 6-4-1 (4-4-0 WCHA). Even less impressive was UND’s 3-2-0 home record at Ralph Engelstad Arena.

After Saturday’s game (a 4-2 Duluth victory), I took a look at the October/November records of the past three seasons, all of which ended with Frozen Four appearances:

2004-2005 October/November record: 9-5-2 (7-4-1 WCHA)
2005-2006 October/November record: 8-5-1 (4-4-0 WCHA)
2006-2007 October/November record: 7-6-1 (5-4-1 WCHA)

And again, this season in October and November: 6-4-1 (4-4-0 WCHA)

And I wrote these words about the disappointing start:

Think of that what you will; I’m merely suggesting that we’ve played tough teams, we’ve competed well in almost every game (Saturday vs. CC being the only exception), and we can clearly get better in every phase. And that’s reason for optimism, not pessimism, in my book.

Optimism, indeed. Since that series in Grand Forks, North Dakota has gone 15-4-1, including 12-3-1 in the conference and 10-2-0 at home. UND brings a 13 game unbeaten string (12-0-1) to Duluth, the longest current streak in the nation.

Duluth, on the other hand, has won only six games since earning a split at North Dakota, going 6-9-4 to bring its season record to 12-12-6 (8-11-5 WCHA). The Bulldogs were swept at home by Colorado College last weekend, going scoreless in the two games. UMD is 2-4-2 in their last eight games at home after opening the season 4-0-3 at the DECC.

North Dakota has had the better of the results between the two teams recently, going 8-1-1 against Duluth in the past ten games.

Minnesota-Duluth Team Profile
National Rankings: #15/#15
Head Coach: Scott Sandelin (8th season at UMD, 121-155-37, .446)
This Season: 12-12-6 Overall, 8-11-5 WCHA (7th)
Special Teams: Power Play 11.5% (15 of 131), Penalty Kill 89.2% (132 of 148)
Last Season: 13-21-5, 8-16-4 WCHA (9th)
Key Returning Players: Junior F MacGregor Sharp (6-10-16), Junior F Nick Kemp (7-7-14), Junior D Josh Meyers (5-8-13), Sophomore G Alex Stalock (12-12-6, 2.28 GAA, .915 SV, 3 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile
National Rankings: #2/#3
Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (4th season at UND, 99-53-13, .639)
This Season: 21-8-2 Overall, 16-7-1 WCHA (2nd)
Specialty Teams: Power Play 19.1% (27 of 141), Penalty Kill 88.7% (126 of 142)
Last Season: 24-14-5 (Frozen Four semifinalist), 13-10-5 WCHA (3rd)
Key Returning Players: Junior F T.J. Oshie (13-20-33), Junior F Ryan Duncan (13-19-32), Sophomore F Chris VandeVelde (12-14-26), Senior D Robbie Bina (2-21-23), Sophomore D Chay Genoway (6-15-21), Senior G Jean-Philippe Lamoureux (20-8-2, 1.76 GAA, .931 SV, 4 SO)

By The Numbers
Last Meeting: November 24, 2007 (Grand Forks, ND). Drew Akins broke a 2-2 third period tie with an 80 foot goal, and Duluth added an empty netter to win 4-2 and split the weekend series. North Dakota won the opener, 8-3.
Last Meeting in Duluth: November 12, 2005. After falling behind 2-0 and losing Matt Smaby and Drew Stafford to checking-from-behind penalties, North Dakota scored five goals in the second period en route to a 7-4 victory, completing the weekend sweep of the homestanding Bulldogs. “When we were behind and lost two players I didn’t even feel this team blink,” said North Dakota coach Dave Hakstol. “To come back and win was very significant for this team. I was happy with the drive and the strong will they showed. We haven’t had a period like that all year.” UND won the series opener, 5-3.
Most Important Meeting: March 22, 1984. Minnesota-Duluth and North Dakota meet in a National Semifinal game in Lake Placid, New York. The Bulldogs defeat the Fighting Sioux 2-1 in overtime to advance to the title game. UND goes on to defeat Michigan State 6-5 (OT) for third place, while Duluth falls to Bowling Green 5-4 in four overtimes, the longest championship game ever played.
All-time Series: UND leads the all-time series, 126-70-8 (.637), including a 52-37-5 (.580) record in Duluth.

Game News and Notes
North Dakota holds a 14-2-1 record against Duluth over the past five seasons. MacGregor Sharp leads the Bulldogs with 16 points on the season; seven Sioux players have scored 17 points or more. UND senior goaltender Jean-Philippe Lamoureux saw his string of 55 consecutive starts (a school record which ranks third all-time in NCAA history) come to an end when junior netminder Aaron Walski was given the nod against Bemidji State on Sunday afternoon. Walski collected a shutout in his first career start for the Sioux, but Lamoureux is expected to start both games against the Bulldogs. UND has clinched home ice for the first round of the WCHA playoffs, and can finish no worse than third place in the conference. North Dakota head coach Dave Hakstol has 99 career victories and could join the century club this weekend. Only three coaches in Sioux history (Rube Bjorkman, John “Gino” Gasparini, and Dean Blais) have collected 100 wins at UND. For the second consecutive weekend, the Sioux will play on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. The games are scheduled at 2:07 p.m. each day, and are available on the Fighting Sioux Sports Network.

The Prediction
North Dakota has the top-end talent and an edge in special teams situations that should translate into two victories, but the Bulldogs are smarting after being shut out twice at home last weekend and will find a way to earn at least one point. UND 4-1, 2-2 tie.

Thank you for reading. I welcome your comments and suggestions. Check back after the games for news, reaction, and analysis.

Sunday Game React: UND vs. Bemidji State

In a battle of backup goaltenders, UND junior Aaron Walski outdid his Bemidji State counterpart, fellow junior Orlando Alamano.  Walski stopped all 13 shots he faced on the afternoon in his first career start for North Dakota.  The amount of action was a far cry from the legendary 73 shots he turned aside in a 2-1, triple overtime loss in the North Dakota state high school championship game exactly seven years earlier. 

Alamano made 31 of 32 saves for the Beavers, allowing only Andrew Kozek’s game winner with under five minutes to play.  The game was Alamano’s sixth start of the season.

Kozek’s game-winning goal was a product of T.J. Oshie’s effort behind the net.

 “(Oshie) is just a heck of a hockey player,” Bemidji head coach Tom Serratore noted.  “He had people draped all over him. I mean, what do you do? It’s just a heck of a play.”

Andrew Kozek also appreciated Oshie’s effort.

“T.J. just put it in a great spot for me to kind of step into it,” Kozek said. “He had three guys all over him, like he usually does. It was just a great play by him.”

Kozek leads the team with 14 goals. Oshie has 20 assists this season, second only to Robbie Bina’s 21.

North Dakota head coach Dave Hakstol said Oshie’s play elevates his teammates.

“His play is at a very high level, and that has a tendency to bring the level of play of the team up,” he said. “It also has the effect of bringing up the confidence level of our hockey team. He did a tremendous job tonight with his effort and playmaking in all areas.”

The number 13 was lucky for Walski, as he turned aside all 13 shots he faced.  13 was also lucky for the entire North Dakota program, as the Sioux are now unbeaten in their last 13 games (12-0-1), a streak that leads the nation.  That stretch has seen North Dakota’s record go from 9-8-1 to a stellar 21-8-2.  UND also extended its home winning streak to eight games, the longest streak in the new Ralph Engelstad Arena.

UND senior goaltender Jean-Philippe Lamoureux saw his string of 55 consecutive starts (a school record which ranks third all-time in NCAA history) come to an end.

North Dakota head coach Dave Hakstol collected his 98th and 99th career victories against Bemidji State, and will look to hit the century mark when the Sioux travel to Duluth to take on the Bulldogs next weekend. Only three other coaches in UND history (Rube Bjorkman, John “Gino” Gasparini, and Dean Blais) have collected 100 wins.  Of those three, only Dean Blais (.679) holds a better career winning percentage than Hakstol’s .639 (99-53-13).

Thank you for reading. I welcome your comments and suggestions. For more on the matchup between the teams, click here. For reaction to Saturday’s series opener, click here.

A look at UND’s Athletic Director candidates

As UND looks toward its transition to D-I, it is also evaluating candidates for the Athletic Director who will lead athletics through that transition.

The selection committee has whittled down the numerous applicants to a few leading candidates, though information on those candidates has been somewhat hard to come by from the University itself. Thanks particularly to the efforts of Sioux fans in the 221-post forum thread, UND’s Next Athletics Director, supplemented with an afternoon of web searches, here’s a look at the remaining UND athletic director candidates.

Have anything to say about the candidates, or know something we don’t? Stop by the forum and chat.

Barbara Burke

BurkeSenior Associate Athletics Director, University of Wyoming (NCAA D-I/BCS, Mountain West Conference)

M.E. Education/Administration of Athletics, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, 1984

B.S. Physical Education, Western Michigan, 1980 (letters in basketball and softball)

Notable experience

  • 2001 – Wyoming – Senior Associate Athletic Director
  • 1998 – Wyoming – Associate Athletics Director/Senior Women’s Administrator
  • 1998 – Texas El Paso (UTEP) – Interim Athletics Director
  • 1994 – Marshall – Associate Athletics Director/Senior Women’s Administrator

“Burke oversees all internal operations of the UW Athletics Department, as well as directly supervises game management for football and men’s and women’s basketball.”

“In addition to overseeing the sports programs, she is in charge of the day-to-day internal operations of the department, is directly involved in the marketing and promotion of Wyoming’s athletics programs and is responsible for the department’s compliance with Title IX objectives. Currently, her focus is on the completion of several major building projects.”

Resources

Tim Hickman

hickmanAssociate Athletic Director, Operations, University of Missouri (NCAA D-I/BCS, Big Twelve Conference)

B.S. Business Administration, University of Missouri, 1989

Notable experience

  • 2002 – Missouri, Associate Athletic Director
  • 2001 – Missouri, Assistant Athletic Director (following merger of Hearnes and Missouri athletics operations)
  • 1992 – Director of the Hearnes Center

“Hickman oversees all business activities for the Missouri Department of Athletics, including development and oversight of the department’s $44 million budget, purchasing, human resources and daily office operations, while additionally directing the operations of Mizzou Arena and the Hearnes Center. He also oversees the areas of facilities, game operations, food service and computing operations, while serving as the administrative liason to Mizzou’s nationally ranked baseball program and up-and-coming softball program. In his current capacity as department CFO, Tim also works very closely with development, Mizzou Sports Properties and outsourcing contracts.”

Other info from the ‘net

  • Chamber of Commerce – chair of budget and finance committee
  • Callaway Bank – board member
  • He has served on committees or the boards of the Central Missouri Food Bank, the Mid-Missouri Tourism Council, the Columbia Chamber of Commerce and the Missouri Balloon Corporation.
  • Grew up in the family grocery business, Hickman’s IGA
  • Owned Columbia, MO, restaurant, T.K. Brothers Grill & Games, with brothers

Resources

Tim Leonard

leonard.jpgAssociate Athletics Director/Development – University of Central Florida (Conference USA, NCAA D-I/BCS)

B.A. Communication, Boise State University, 1992

Relevant experience

  • 2003 – Associate Athletics Director/Development – University of Central Florida
  • 1999 – Assistant Athletics Director for External Affairs and the executive director of the Golden Knights Club
  • 1997 – Assistant Director of the Bronco Athletic Association at Boise State
  • 1992 – Director of Annual Giving at Illinois State University

Led fundraising during the fundraising, building, and naming-rights sale of new football stadium.

“After serving as an assistant athletics director for external affairs and the executive director of the Golden Knights Club for four years, Leonard now has major gifts as his primary fundraising focus for UCF athletics. He also has management oversight of the GKC, premium seating and the University’s Annual Fund.”

“In his six years at Central Florida, Leonard has excelled at getting people to believe in potential. When the football team was struggling, it was tough to convince donors to invest in a program that didn’t appear to have the school’s full commitment. That mentality has been completely transformed, largely because of persistence.”

Resources

Tom Sadler

sadler.jpgPresident, Global Entertainment Corp. Facility Management Company

B.A. Industrial/Organizational Psychology, St. Thomas Aquinas College

Relevant Experience

  • 2005 – President, Global Entertainment Corp. Facility Management Company
  • 2003 – Associate Athletics Director for Administrative Services, University of Hawaii (UH)
  • 1983 – Various positions (incl Assistant Athletics Director, Stadium Management Director) Arizona State University

“While at UH, Sadler was responsible for the internal day-to-day operations of the department that covered multiple sports and related events. He also negotiated a new facility concession contract that generated an increase in revenue.”

“Sadler has been there and done it, helping to implement a $41 million capital campaign for ASU while also eliminating a $1 million budget shortfall.”

“…Arizona State University (ASU) over a period of 20 years, during which he directed intercollegiate operations, managing and staging more than 250 events each year for ASU, and serving as tournament director for several NCAA and Pacific-10 Conference championships. He served as a key member of the host committee in Arizona for Super Bowl XXX, and guided the development of a comprehensive operating manual for several sporting events.”

Resources

Brian Faison

faison.jpgAssistant Vice President for Athletic Development, New Mexico State University (NCAA D-I/BCS, Western Athletic Conference)

University of Missouri, 1972

Relevant experience

  • 2004 – Assistant Vice President for Athletics Development, New Mexico State University
  • 1999 – Athletics Director, New Mexico State University
  • 1988 – Athletics Director, Indian State
  • 1984 – athletics administration, Louisville
  • 1979 – athletics administration, Illinois State
  • 1974 – athletics administration, Missouri

“Faison says the new position frees him up to focus on fundraising and one of his goals will be to elevate the Athletics Department’s revenues from its current $9.2 million to $18 million within the next 12 months.”

“Faison’s five years as head of the department have been highlighted by success in the classroom, on the playing field and in the development of athletic facilities.”

Resources

Paul Schlickmann

schlickmann.jpgStony Brook University, Executive Associate Director of Athletics

B.A. American Studies, Trinity College (men’s basketball player), 1989

M.S. Physical Education, Springfield College, 1995

Relevant Experience

  • 2005 – Executive Associate Director of Athletics, Stony Brook
  • 2003 – Senior Associate Director of Athletics, Stony Brook
  • 1999 – Senior Assistant Athletics Director for Varsity Program Administration and Football Operations, Yale University
  • 1993 – Assistant Athletics Director for Varsity Program Administration, Yale University

“He is a talented administrator who understands that the primary function of intercollegiate athletics at Stony Brook is to advance the educational mission of the university.”

“Schlickmann has supervised the daily internal operations of 35 intercollegiate programs as a member of the senior management team that sets department policy at Yale. He was responsible for all varsity program operations for men’s soccer and men’s lacrosse while also overseeing facility operations and event management. He developed and managed department operating budgets which totaled nearly $2.5 million, and administered athlete initial eligibility, team travel, contest scheduling and the management of conference and postseason championships.

His football operations duties included the oversight of 150 gameday personnel in the 60,000-seat Yale Bowl which had an average attendance of over 23,000 for Yale home games. In addition, he served as the athletics department liaison to undergraduate admissions and financial aid while managing and formulating team budgets.”

“He is responsible for all varsity program operations for men’s basketball, football, baseball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s lacrosse, men’s tennis and men’s and women’s track and field while also overseeing facility operations and event management.

In addition, he develops and manages a department operating budget of $12 million, administers team travel, contest scheduling and the management of conference and postseason championships. In 2004-05, Stony Brook balanced its operating budget for the first time in the last six years while chairing the search committee for Men’s Lacrosse and Men’s Basketball, the Director of Speed Strength and Conditioning and the Director of Student-Athlete Development.

Schlickmann is responsible for personnel matters including the coordination of national searches for coaches, staff and administrative positions, personnel employment contracts and employee performance appraisals.”

“At the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta, Schlickmann served as a sector coordinator where he coordinated various aspects of facility preparation and event planning for the men’s and women’s soccer venue. He also worked as the Deputy Commissioner of the Special Olympics World Games in the summer of 1995.”

Resources

Saturday Game React: UND vs. Bemidji State

North Dakota capitalized on a five minute major penalty midway through the first period, scoring three goals in a span of 91 seconds and all but burying the Beavers in the process.

The major penalty was assessed on Bemidji’s Matt Read for checking from behind. The freshman forward, who entered the game as the Beavers’ leading scorer, was sent to the locker room with a game misconduct.

“Obviously, after that, it really deflates you, it really demoralizes you,” noted BSU head coach Tom Serratore. “The kid that gets kicked out is our best player, so it’s a double whammy.”

The teams traded power play goals in the second period, and Brad Miller’s empty net goal with just over one minute remaining made the final score 5-1.

UND finished 4 of 10 with the man advantage and killed four of five Bemidji power plays.

“The key is not to waste power play time, and we didn’t,” Hakstol said. “We generated a lot of opportunities. The power play was absolutely the difference, and I don’t really recall the last time that it was,” he said. “We’ve had an overtime win. We’ve had a real good comeback win. We’ve had some one-goal wins. Tonight was a night when specialty teams separated us. When you’re playing well, you find different ways to win.”

North Dakota is now unbeaten in its last 12 games (11-0-1) and carries a seven-game home winning streak into Sunday’s series finale.

North Dakota senior netminder Jean-Philippe Lamoureux has now allowed one goal or less in 17 of 30 starts this season. His 20-8-2 record, 1.76 goals-against average, .931 save percentage, and four shoutouts are all Hobey Baker-caliber numbers.

Alright, one rant for today: the wave has NO place in a hockey arena. Even my seven-year old son could smell the pointlessness. “Dad, why are they doing that?”, he asked. “Exactly,” I said.

The two teams take to the ice Sunday afternoon. The UND coaches have hinted at the possibility of starting junior goaltender Aaron Walski between the pipes.

Thank you for reading. I welcome your comments and suggestions. For more on the matchup between the two teams, click here. Click here for reaction to Sunday’s series finale.

Game Preview: UND vs. Bemidji State

Bemidji State is perhaps North Dakota’s most familiar non-conference opponent. This weekend’s matchup will mark the fourth consecutive season in which the schools will play a two-game series. The Beavers have competed well over that span, but have only one tie to go along with five losses over the past six games.

BSU has fared better against the WCHA as a whole. After struggling to a 3-42-3 record against the WCHA in its first six seasons at the Division I level, the Beavers have posted a 10-14 mark in the last three seasons. This season, Bemidji State has a 1-7-0 record in two-game series against St. Cloud State, MSU-Mankato, and Minnesota-Duluth, and single games against Colorado College and Denver. Four of those seven losses were by a single goal. By contrast, UND has an 8-4-0 record against those teams.

The WCHA recently announced a scheduling agreement with Bemidji State (a member of College Hockey America), an agreement that has the team and school officials hopeful for more home games and as many as 12 games each year against WCHA teams beginning in 2010-11.

Bemidji State head coach Tom Serratore believes that the partnership between the schools is not only good from a scheduling standpoint, but also for the development of his players.

“When you play North Dakota, I don’t care what the outcome of the games are,” Serratore said. “We’re going to be a better hockey team (after the series) Sunday night. (UND’s) kids play so hard, with such intensity, and they are so talented that it forces us to be mentally strong. That’s going to make us a better hockey team, I guarantee it.”

North Dakota head coach Dave Hakstol had similar praise for the Beavers.

“We’ve had great games against them all the way through,” Hakstol noted. “Bemidji plays with a great deal of intensity. They play extremely hard and with speed. I think that makes for very exciting hockey games for fans to watch. That’s what we’ve seen game in and game out and it will be the same this weekend.”

On the national scene, Bemidji State will need to win the College Hockey America postseason championship to advance to the NCAA tournament. North Dakota is currently in fourth place in the PWR rankings and has locked up home ice for the first round of the WCHA playoffs.

Bemidji State Team Profile
National Rankings: -/-
Head Coach: Tom Serratore (7th season at BSU, 117-99-28, .537)
This Season: 14-13-3 Overall, 11-4-3 CHA
Special Teams: Power Play 20.4% (29 of 142), Penalty Kill 89.1% (139 of 156)
Last Season: 14-14-5 Overall, 9-6-5 CHA (3rd)
Key Players: Freshmen F Matt Read (8-15-23), Junior F Tyler Scofield (10-11-21), Senior F Matt Pope (12-8-20), Junior D Cody Bostock (6-10-16), Senior G Matt Climie (12-6-3, 1.95 GAA, .921 SV, 5 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile
National Rankings: #2/#2
Head Coach: Dave Hakstol (4th season at UND, 97-53-13, .635)
This Season: 19-8-2 Overall, 16-7-1 WCHA
Specialty Teams: Power Play 18.0% (23 of 128), Penalty Kill 88.9% (120 of 135)
Last Season: 24-14-5 (Frozen Four semifinalist), 13-10-5 WCHA (3rd)
Key Players: Junior F Ryan Duncan (11-19-30), Junior F T.J. Oshie (13-16-29), Sophomore F Chris VandeVelde (11-12-23), Senior D Robbie Bina (2-20-22), Sophomore D Chay Genoway (6-15-21), Senior G Jean-Philippe Lamoureux (19-8-2, 1.78 GAA, .930 SV, 4 SO)

By The Numbers
Last Meeting: January 20, 2007 (Grand Forks, ND). UND fell behind 2-0 in the first period before storming back for a 6-3 victory, completing the non-conference sweep in a home-and-home series with BSU. T.J. Oshie’s goal and three assists were instrumental to North Dakota’s comeback.
Most Important Meeting: For Bemidji State, it would have to be its only victory against the Fighting Sioux – February 7, 1970. The Beavers downed North Dakota, 7-5.
All-time series: UND leads the all-time series, 13-1-1 (.900)

Game News and Notes
The afternoon games were scheduled to accommodate the North Dakota boys and girls state high school hockey tournaments, held this weekend at the Ralph Engelstad Arena. UND will also play a Saturday/Sunday afternoon series at Minnesota-Duluth next weekend. North Dakota carries an 11-game unbeaten streak (10-0-1) into this weekend’s games. The Sioux have won six consecutive home games, and have never won more than seven home games in a row at the new Ralph Engelstad Arena. The Beavers are 1-7-0 against WCHA opponents this season, but four of those losses were by a single goal. Two North Dakota players were honored by the WCHA league office after UND swept Denver University last weekend. Junior forward Andrew Kozek produced six points (4g, 2a) and was named co-offensive player of the week, and sophomore defenseman Chay Genoway was named the league’s defensive player of the week. Genoway scored two goals, added two assists, and played in all situations, anchoring a Sioux defense that held the Pioneers under twenty shots each game

The Prediction
As head coach Tom Serratore says, his Beavers will be a better team Sunday night after going through the experience of playing the Fighting Sioux. Better, yes, but with no more wins. Bemidji State will hang tough, but North Dakota is clicking on all cylinders. UND 3-1, 4-2.

Thank you for reading. I welcome your comments and suggestions. For reaction to Saturday’s game action, click here. Click here for analysis and commentary on Sunday’s game.

Saturday Game React: UND vs. Denver

North Dakota used a furious first period, great goaltending, and an outstanding penalty kill in a 4-1 victory over the Pioneers that completed the weekend sweep. A near-fight in the second period and a brawl at the conclusion of the middle frame punctuated the action and added another chapter to this storied rivalry.

The Fighting Sioux came out of the gate quickly, dominating puck possession and outshooting Denver 13-3 in the first twenty minutes. North Dakota’s first goal came at 13:04 of the first period, with the teams skating four on four. Chay Genoway’s blast from the point was turned aside by DU goaltender Peter Mannino, but Joe Finley’s slapshot found the back of the net.

UND has excelled in four on four situations all year long, outscoring opponents 7-2. It is critical for defensemen to move the puck and join the rush to create scoring chances while skating four on four, and North Dakota has plenty of blueliners who fit the bill. Robbie Bina (two assists), Chay Genoway (three assists), and Joe Finley (two goals), in particular, have been outstanding in 4 on 4 play.

UND’s second goal came less than two minutes later, a power play tally which stood as the eventual game-winner. Freshman Evan Trupp deflected Genoway’s blast past a helpless Mannino, and North Dakota led 2-0. Trupp has now collected 5 goals and 2 assists in his last ten games and leads all Sioux freshmen in scoring with 8 goals and 5 assists on the season.

After blowing a 4-1 lead and losing 5-4 the previous night, Gwozdecky admitted that North Dakota’s effort in the first period overwhelmed his Denver squad.

“Last night probably took more of an emotional toll on our team than I thought it did,” he said. “We really came out and struggled. We were very flat.”

Andrew Kozek and T.J. Oshie worked an offensive zone face-off play to perfection midway through the second period to give North Dakota a three goal cushion. Oshie won the draw forward to Kozek, who beat his man to the front of the goal crease and backhanded the puck past Mannino before the Denver netminder had time to react.

UND senior goaltender Jean-Philippe Lamoureux was steady as usual, allowing only a second period goal by Brian Gifford and turning away 16 Denver shots. In addition to four shutouts on the season, Lamoureux has allowed a single goal in twelve games. Let me put this another way: North Dakota has played 29 games, and Lamoureux has allowed one goal or less 16 times.

Plenty has been written about the scuffle at the end of the second period. I will say only this: there are many teams in this league who like to start trouble; North Dakota players stand up for each other and know how to finish it. I agree that Radke should have received an additional game suspension for his actions in this game; I am somewhat surprised, however, that the suspension was levied for his earlier near-fight with Denver junior defenseman J.P. Testwuide. I would have been more ok with Radke serving an additional game for the flurry of punches once Brandon Vossberg hit the ice than I am with Radke serving a game suspension for a fight that barely took place and was not called a fighting major by Marco Hunt, the game referee.

T.J. Oshie completed the scoring with a tremendous individual effort. The Sioux junior raced down the puck carrier from behind, stole the puck, and backhanded it from his own blue line and into the center of the empty net. Oshie, who has season totals of 13 goals and 19 assists in 28 games, is among the frontrunners for league player of the year. Oshie and linemate Ryan Duncan have 27 points in WCHA games, and are tied with St. Cloud State sophomore forward Ryan Lasch in the race for the league scoring title.

Remarkably, North Dakota outscored Denver 8-1 in the final 81 minutes of the series after the Pioneers led UND 4-1 with one minute remaining in Friday’s contest.

UND’s penalty killers were spectacular yet again, killing off all four Denver power plays. The Sioux penalty kill is now clipping along at 88.9% (120 of 135). North Dakota’s power play percentage now stands at 18.0% (23 of 128).

Andrew Kozek has found a home on the top line with Duncan and Oshie, and has notched 6 goals and added 3 assists in the 8 games the three Sioux junior forwards have skated together.

North Dakota is now tied with Colorado College in the race for the McNaughton Cup. Both CC (16-5-1 WCHA) and UND (16-7-1) have collected 33 points in league play, and lead third-place Denver (13-8-1) by six points. The Tigers have six league games remaining (two at Duluth, two versus Mankato, home and home with Denver), while the Sioux have only four (two at Duluth, two versus St. Cloud State).

UND (19-8-2 overall, 16-7-1 WCHA) brings a six-game home winning streak into this weekend’s action against Bemidji State (14-13-3 overall, 11-4-3 CHA)

Friday Game React: UND vs. Denver

Simply put, this was the most exciting, most thrilling regular season comeback ever witnessed at the new Ralph Engelstad Arena.

Sioux junior forward Andrew Kozek netted the game-winner at 15:15 of the third period and collected his first collegiate hat trick. Skating on a line with fellow juniors T.J. Oshie (one assist) and Ryan Duncan (one goal, three assists), Kozek displayed an NHL-caliber wrist shot on his first two goals and banged home the rebound of a T.J. Oshie wraparound attempt to complete the UND comeback.

North Dakota trailed 4-1 with a minute to play in the second period. Denver was opportunistic in the middle frame, capitalizing on turnovers and rebounds to score three goals on four shots in the first nine minutes of the second period after the teams traded power play goals in the first period.

Enter Chay Genoway. The sophomore defenseman, who has elevated his offensive game, banged home a deflection with exactly one minute remaining in the second period to cut the deficit to 4-2. Genoway now has 6 goals and 13 assists for the Sioux in 25 games played, and has already equaled his point total from all of last season (5-14-19 in 43 games)

But the Sioux would not head to the locker room before adding another tally. Denver once again failed to clear the zone, and Kozek fed the puck to a streaking Ryan Duncan, who tipped the puck past DU netminder Peter Mannino with 27 seconds left to bring the Sioux to within one.

Kozek, who finished with four points on the night, has now scored 12 goals and 2 assists in 27 games this season. In his first two seasons, Kozek tallied 12 goals and 12 assists in 87 games.

North Dakota Jean-Phillppe Lamoureux (18-8-2, 1.81 GAA, .930 SV) allowed four goals on eight shots in the first 30 minutes of the hockey game, but shut down the Pioneer attack the rest of the way and finished with 14 saves. Denver goaltender Peter Mannino (18-9-1, 2.25 GAA, .917 SV) was solid in the first period, stopping 10 of 11 shots. He stopped 14 of 18 shots in the final two periods.

Acting head coach Cary Eades and the rest of the staff did a solid job behind the bench. Two key moments in the hockey game stand out:

On the faceoff in the Denver zone which led to Kozek’s game winner, Eades noted that Denver had sent out their all-freshmen line of Kyle Ostrow, Jesse Martin, and Anthony Maiani. The Sioux head coach, noting a possible mismatch, countered with his top line of Duncan, Oshie, and Kozek along with defensemen Genoway and Finley. The Sioux won the draw, Oshie won two puck battles behind the net, and Kozek banged home the rebound. It is worthwhile to note that Kozek and Duncan were both camped out in front, behind the Denver defense. UND won all of the battles in this sequence, and netted the game-winning goal as a result.

A second key coaching moment occurred during the Sioux penalty kill in the final two minutes of the hockey game. UND attempted to clear the zone, but the puck hit a microphone on its way down the boards. Initially, the referee brought the face-off back in the North Dakota end. Denver coach George Gwozdecky pulled Mannino, and UND was about to face a 6 on 4 situation. But Eades, correctly noting the rules, sent his captains to lobby for a face-off outside the zone. The drop of the puck was moved outside the Sioux blue line, Mannino went back to his goal crease, and it would be another 40 seconds before Denver could pull Mannino for the extra attacker.

These are items that will never appear in the box score, but were instrumental in the final outcome.

UND brings a ten-game unbeaten streak (9-0-1) into tonight’s rematch after beginning the year 9-8-1. Denver, on the other hand, is 2-5-1 in their last eight games after opening the season with a 17-4-0 record.

Thank you for reading. For more on the matchup between the two teams, click here. Check back after Saturday’s game for more reaction, commentary,and analysis.