Roses and Thorns: Well, That was Interesting

It was No. 1 Denver versus No. 3 UND this past weekend from Magness Arena in Denver and what a series it was.

Storylines galore in this match up.

Friday night, the Fighting Hawks were stunned out of the gates and trailed the Pioneers 3-0 midway through the second when UND head coach Brad Berry took his team's timeout.

From there, it was pretty much a Green and White avalanche (see what DDC did there? Avalanche... Denver... NHL... get it? :D) as the Hawks stormed
to a 5-4 comeback win.

On Saturday, DU got the split in a 4-1 win on the back of three power play goals. 'Nuff said about that, right? Na. We'll get to that later.

Bear with DDC, but this is a wee bit longer than normal, but he swears, there's some entertainment involved.

Check out what stood out to DDC in his Roses and Thorns review of the Pios and UND.

Roses

No. 1 -- Passing the Test

Coming into this weekend, DDC opined that while UND has been impressive in may ways so far this season, this series against DU would be a true test that would show the college hockey landscape, largely, who the Fighting Hawks really are. Indeed, the Pioneers proved they are the real deal (albeit with some chinks in the armor) but the Green and White took one from No. 1 in stunning fashion at Magness Arena on Friday and if it weren't for some.... well... DDC will touch on this later... we'll say... interesting calls...., had a chance for the sweep despite a 4-1 loss on Saturday. The college hockey season is indeed a marathon, not a sprint, but UND staked its claim as a team that is going to continue to make noise as a contender the calendar turns to 2018.

No. 2 -- Testicular Fortitude

DDC is going to share a bit of a secret that his droves (😉) of fans may not know about him. DDC is proud to say he's a wrestling fan. He understands that no, it's not real, but indeed, it is scripted. You know what, he'll say it... IT'S STILL REAL TO HIM, DAMMNIT!  Annnnyway, DDC is going to steal a phrase from WWE legend Mick Foley (sorry for this, David Larson) and say one thing about this UND hockey team. They've got testicular fortitude.

Ok, so this video is talking about Bill Simmons getting fired from ESPN for this, phrase, but it's all DDC could find... but the point still stands.

At one point in the first period, the Hawks were being out shot 21-2 on the road against the No. 1 team in the country and after a second period shorthanded goal, UND trailed 3-0. But man, did this team show the guts and fight of a team that did not want to lose and rallied back for a ridiculous 5-4 victory, outshooting DU 34-13 after their horrendous start. This will be an important win for the Green and White to look back and know that in whatever situation they are in from here on out, they have the fight to get back and win hockey games.

Testicular fortitude for days, ladies and gentlemen. 

No. 3 -- Depth

It's been said several times this year, but UND is truly a product of its depth. In Friday night's stunning comeback, the Green and White saw 13 players tally points and got goals from Zach Yon and Joel Janatuinen, both of which was their first of the season and Johnny Simonson's game-winner with 2:31 left was just his second on the year. On Saturday, freshman Matt Kierstad, inserted into the lineup after an injury to Casey Johnson on Friday, opened the scoring with his first of the year. While the Hawks may lack a bit of top end scoring (DDC will touch on this later), the depth of this team to be able to roll four lines against any team and get scoring from all over the lineup is this team's identity at this point of the season. Couple that with a defense that is playing incredibly well, UND has the pieces in place to stay with anyone in the NCAA.

Thorns

No. 1 -- Lack of True Top-End Scoring

DDC does believe that depth is a good thing and that definitely helped UND on Friday, its lack of top-end scoring is something this team lacked. The Fighting Hawks have just three players with double-digit points on the season as junior Nick Jones leads the team with five goals. In contrast, the top trio of Denver, Henrik Borgstrom, Troy Terry and Dylan Gambrell showed this weekend what top-end scoring looks like. The trio combined for 11 points on the weekend with Borgstrom and Terry both notching five-point weekends. Terry was particularly impressive, making plays all over the ice all weekend against UND. The Green and White need players who've shown scoring ability throughout their careers (ie. Shane Gersich and Austin Poganski) to step up and tally some points for UND to take the next step.

 No. 2 -- Officiating

 

Ugh, DDC really does hate being "this guy", but the referee crew in Denver certainly made a difference this weekend. He's going to do his best to make this quick, but it can't go without saying that officiating played a part all weekend long. On Friday night, the NCHC crew made it a point toss players from the faceoff circle in a torrid fashion. Ok, DDC gets, they were trying to prove a point about faceoff infractions, but this was ridiculous. At one point, DDC counted five-consecutive faceoff tosses. It's just too much. Then on Saturday, the officiating crew literally changed the game. With UND sporting a 1-0 lead in the first, Cole Smith was issued a five-minute major and was tossed from the game for a penalty that lead to an injury to DU defenseman Adam Plant. While the play was certainly interference, DDC believes the call to make it a major was, and he's being nice here, a stretch. Take a look at the hit in question (Credit to the Goonie!). DU tied the game at 1 on a Borgstrom goal. You make your call, but that hit, to DDC, wasn't malicious, high, nor did it come at high speed.

The big calls kept coming and after a Pioneers goal to make it 2-1 early in the third, UND appeared to tie it on a nifty passing play on a 2-1 rush when freshman Collin Adams fed fellow rookie Jordan Kawaguchi beating Tanner Jaillet. Just before the faceoff, however, the refs got together after some, shall we call it, "protesting" from Denver head coach Jim Montgomery. After review, the officials ruled Adams made enough contact with Jaillet to overturn the goal on goaltender interference. Check it out... the play in question starts at 2:42 in the clip:

Even further, here's a still shot of Adam's stick touching Jaillet's pad, but the point here, the pass to Kawaguchi has already been made.

In short, did that contact prevent Jaillet from making the play? DDC's take? Absolutely not. The shot comes an instant later... Jaillet is already beaten. How was this play even sent for review? That may be even the bigger mystery here. Montgomery told local media after the game he challenged the play, which would have put DU's timeout on the line. If that's the case, why did the crew stand around to talk about it for several minutes? It was also reported that the officials told the UND bench that the linesman called the interference. Is this the case? If indeed it was, that may the the first time DDC has ever heard of a linesman making that kind of call. This case was echoed by other media. And if it were the linesman, again, why was there a discussion before the review? It seemed to DDC that this play wasn't going to be reviewed until Denver made a case for it. Simply bizarre.

DU then went on to score two more goals, both on the power play, to pace a 4-1 win and a split.

The power play goals are the biggest note here. Remember the major penalty to tie the game at 1-1? Well, that was only the start. The final tally of penalties called on Saturday night? Denver -- 1 penalty for 2 minutes (UND had :33 seconds of power play time). UND -- 8 penalties for 27 minutes (per Brad Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald, DU had 13:41 of power play time). That is absolutely ridiculous. The Hawks were certainly guilty of some poorly-times penalties in this game and warranted a big chunk of those calls, but are you meaning to tell DDC that DU did not commit a single penalty after the first period? Not a single stick in the skates? No hook around the waist? No interference? Nothing?

It was a sad state of affairs on Saturday that really overshadowed a wonderful weekend of hockey with No. 1 taking on No. 3, but what can you do?

Holy smokes, so much for keeping that short, eh? 

Moving on. Thanks for reading and come back later for DDC's take on UND vs. Union in a Turkey Day weekend tussle from the Ralph.

It's Time to Reload -- DDC's Look at the 2016-17 Squad

For the first time in 16 years, it's been a celebratory offseason.

It's been 172 days since we saw the UND men's hockey team skate around Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL with the National Championship trophy. Before DDC takes a look ahead, let's all reminisce, one more time, shall we?

One last time ... what a team.

While the pressure of once a seemingly unending, unbearable streak of frustration is over, the goal for the 2016-17 version of the Green and White remains the same as all previous incarnations of UND hockey -- to win a national championship.

The 2015-16 team was special. A squad stuffed with scoring, defense and tenacity, they finally cashed in on their all-time UND legacy. While many of those special players are gone, many remain and the expectations are still as high as ever in Grand Forks. Losing players like Troy Stecher, Drake Caggiula, Nick Schmaltz and Paul LaDue, all key cogs in the run to No. 8, will force the 2016-17 squad to look for answers as to who will step up into key roles.

However, let DDC make one thing clear -- UND doesn't rebuild. We reload.

Here's a look at what remains and who will be there to restock the talent load lost from the tremendous 2015-16 squad.

Who's Left?

UND's Top Returning Players

 Sophomore Forward, Brock Boeser

Without a doubt, Boeser is the most important and dynamic returning player for the 2016-17 Green and White. The first-round NHL draft pick was arguably the best forward in the country last year, ending last season as the nation's third-leading scorer with an impressive 27 goal, 33 assist -- 60 point season. Boeser was pegged by USCHO as the top returning forward for the 2016-17 season, and for good reason. If you need a refresher as to why, here you go:

Boeser's unique blend of effort, power, speed and scoring touch led to one of the best freshman campaigns in UND history. Last year's NCHC Rookie of the Year is a Hobey Baker candidate and will wear an 'A' for the Green and White as they look to repeat. 

Junior Forward, Austin Poganski

The big-bodied power forward really came into his own last year as a part of UND's Heavy Line with Rhett Gardner and Luke Johnson. Poganski was a force in the middle of the ice, owning the front of the net and anchoring a line that was matched with opponent's top lines down the stretch. The St. Cloud, Minn., native notched 10 goals and added 15 assists last season. This year, Poganski has been named an Assistant Captain and will greatly factor again into UND's success. Another step forward for the St. Louis Blues draft pick will be an important piece in the Green and White's run to No. 9, this season.

Jr. D, Tucker Poolman
named an Assistant Captain
for the 2016-17 season.

Junior Defenseman, Tucker Poolman

Much like Poganski, Tucker Poolman took another big step in his development as one of UND's most important defensemen last year on a squad chocked full of important defensemen. Poolman was fifth in the NCHC in defenseman scoring and notched career highs in assists (19) and points (24). The East Grand Forks, Minn., product will wear an 'A' for the 2016-17 team. Armed with a lethal slap shot from the point, Poolman is also incredibly steady on the back end and will anchor a great returning corps of D-men along with two-time Captain Gage Ausmus and sophomores Christian Wolanin and Hayden Shaw. Defense was the backbone of the 2015-16 title team and with Poolman on the back end once again, UND should be stellar, once again.

Who's New?

UND's Top Newcomers

 Freshman Forward, Tyson Jost

As DDC noted earlier, UND doesn't rebuild ... it reloads. Bringing in the talent the likes of freshman forward Tyson Jost, the Green and White will look to do just that. The St. Albert, Alberta native was selected No. 10 overall in this year's NHL draft by the Colorado Avalanche, becoming UND's second forward Top 10 pick of all time with the legendary Jonathan Toews. The comparisons to the former Fighting Sioux superstar isn't just due to his high draft status. DDC was recently told by a local media member that Jost reminds him very much of Toews in that he just simply does everything right. Last season with Penticton, Jost was named the BCHL MVP, the CJHL National Player of the Year, MVP and forward of the year with an eye-popping 104 points (42 goals, 62 assists) in 48 games. He has been tabbed as ISS Hockey's Top Incoming Freshman. Take a look at UND's new prized blue chipper:

Oof. Anyone else licking their chops? Looks like a special player. Hands, playmaking ability, vision and scoring touch, anyone? With Nick Schmaltz and Drake Caggiula gone, look for Mr. Jost to make an immediate impact.

Freshman Forward, Ludvig Hoff

The Oslo, Norway native had a stalwart career with the Lincoln Stars of the USHL, posting 57 points last season. Hoff was eighth in the league in points and fifth in assists (37) and was named a USHL Third-Team All-star. Hoff, UND's first Norwegian-born product, twice captained Norway's World Junior Championship team. Hoff will certainly have his chance at Top 6 minutes in UND's effort to reload.

Fr. D, Casey Johnson adds
to UND's local talent pool.

Freshman Defenseman, Casey Johnson

Johnson, a Grand Forks native and former Central High Knight, continues a trend of local flavor that has spotted the Green and White over the last handful of years. The defenseman spent the 2015-16 season with the USHL's Dubuque Fighting Saints and tallied nine goals and 13 assists, helping Dubuque to the Clark Cup Final. A solid defenseman, Johnson will have the opportunity for minutes as UND looks to find a pair to join a returning corps.

Poised for a Breakout?

DDC's Breakout Player for 2016-17

So. F, Shane Gersich
is DDC's pick for UND's
Breakout Player of 2016-17.

Sophomore Forward, Shane Gersich

Losing the likes of Schmaltz, Caggiula, Stecher and LaDue, who will be the man to take the biggest step for the 2016-17 Green and White? Along with the previously mentioned Austin Poganski and Rhett Gardner, Shane Gersich showed flashes of greatness last year for UND. Gersich scored 9 goals and added two assists last season and scored the Green and White's first goal in their 5-1 National Title winning victory against Quinnipiac. The Chaska, Minn., product has tremendous top-end speed and a noticeable scoring touch in space. With that speed and touch, Gersich could very well have the opportunity to play on the top line with Boeser and potentially Jost, setting up a group that's loaded with a dynamic scoring knack. With opponents having to contend with Boeser and with what looks to be elite-level playmaking ability in Jost, Gersich should have time and space and DDC thinks big things are in store. DDC sees Gersich jumping up into the 30 point range and becoming a huge factor for the Green and white.

It's good to be back, folks. Thanks again for reading and keep coming back for DDC's takes on UND hockey all season.

Later this week, visit DDC as he looks at UND's biggest storylines for 2016-17, delves into his NCHC and NCAA preseason rankings and predictions and previews the season-opening exhibition against the Manitoba Bisons.

We're just three days away from the glory of another banner raising as the Green and White hoist Green Banner No. 8 into the Ralph Engelstad Arena rafters on October 3 to kick off the 2016-17 season. 

Cheers and Fight On, Green and White!

DDC's Top 10 Moments of 2015-16, Part III

UND Fr. F, Shane Gersich celebrates his goal giving the Green and White a 1-0 lead in the first period
of their 5-1 win over Quinnipiac in the national championship game. (Photo: David Samson, The Forum)

Thanks for heading back to the blog as DDC continues his countdown of his top 10 moments of UND's banner year, 2015-16.

So far, we’ve had a new coach, the birth of a now legendary line, battles with the Pios setting up a later moment, earning back-to- back banners and all goalie questions becoming goalie afterthoughts.

It’s been a fun first five moments, but now, we’re getting into the big stuff.

If No. 10 through No. 6 were big, DDC will go as far as to say that No. 5 through No. 1 are the moments that UND fans will be talking about forever. These are the moments of history. These five moments are the ones that when everyone looks into the rafters of the REA at green banner No. 8, they will remember first and foremost. These are the stuff of legend.

So, without further fanfare, let’s get back into it.

No. 5 – Drake’s Windmill – UND vs. Alabama Huntsville, Ralph Engelstad Arena, January 2, 2016.

Up to the point of DDC’s No. 5 moment, the weekend in question as a whole had been kind of a quiet one.

UND was playing a non-conference game against a UAH team that had like 3 wins in a 50 year span (just kidding, but they were really bad) the students were still away on Christmas break, the Green and White had squeaked by with a 1-0 the night before with two-thirds of the CBS line out due to the World Junior Championship and were tied 1-1 with the Chargers in the middle of the second period while on the penalty kill.

Then, Caggiula decided to take the game into his own hands.

What DDC remembers most about this goal is the crowd.

Eight seconds in, dull roar, the shorthanded chance develops. Eleven seconds in, gasp! louder roar, Drake goes over the top, leaves the puck behind the defender. Twelve seconds in, Drake gathers the puck, louder gasp! LOUD ROAR! Thirteen seconds in, Drake dekes, undresses the goalie, buries, bye, bye REA roof.

A special player yet again making a special play. The hands, the creativity and the finishing ability. A truly dynamic triple threat.

Just for the heck of it, here's a really great video of some of Drake's career highlights with a lot of 2015-16 flavor. We've enjoyed your time here, Mr. Caggiula. You will be missed. Enjoy.

No. 4 -- "This Happens Like Once Every 10 Years" -- UND vs. UMD, Ralph Engelstad Arena, February 19, 2016

Those closest to DDC know very well that one of his favorite movies of all time is the horribly underrated Adam Sandler movie Big Daddy.

In DDC's second favorite scene (first is the McDonald's scene), Julian (or Frankenstein as he prefers to be called), Sonny's "adopted" child, wakes up from his nap in the midst of a New York Rangers game that has gone to overtime. During said overtime, the Rangers have been awarded a penalty shot. Julian wakes up and per his tradition, wants to watch "The Kangaroo Song". Sonny then explains to young Julian the importance of the upcoming penalty shot and notes "this happens like once every 10 years." Hilarity ensues. Please watch ... DDC promises it sets up his No. 4 moment (1:38 in). Watch the whole clip if you want to remember how flippin' amazing this movie is.

"ALLLLRIIIIIIIGHHHHT! GOD, you were normal yesterday!"

So great. Now... onto how it relates to the 2015-16 UND men's hockey team.

With the Green and White reeling after being swept for the first time on the road since 2011 a week earlier at the hands of Denver, UND was desperate for a home win against Minnesota Duluth. DDC was informed midway through the third period that Big Daddy just so happened to be on Comedy Central. "Good. I'll watch it after we win," DDC said to himself.

In overtime, Austin Poganski was hauled down on a partial breakway and was awarded a penalty shot.

The last time the Green and White won a game in overtime with a penalty shot? 2004 (Drew Stafford cashes in on Jimmy Howard at Maine called by the legendary Doc Emrick who calls Stafford "Dave") .... for the purposes of DDC's story... "this happens like once every 10 years."

In a seemingly Godly turn of fate, Sonny's words rang true. Pogo went to his "go-to move", beat Bulldog goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo with a backhander giving UND an incredible moment in a 2-1 win.

DDC then remembered Big Daddy was on and all was officially right with the world. Magical.

There's No. 4 and 5. Come back soon for moment No. 3 ... A CBS liner flips the narrative.

Thanks for reading.

Roses and Thorns: Two Boxes Left to Check

UND celebrates their 5-2 win over Michigan in the Midwest
Regional final on Saturday. Coupled with their 6-2 victory over
Northeastern on Friday, the Green and White punched their ticket
to the Frozen Four for the third-straight season. (Photo: GF Herald)

When UND men's hockey coach Brad Berry took over the 2015-16 squad from the NHL-departing Dave Hakstol, he immediately met with the team and made sure they knew that expectations weren't changing.

The Green and White had finished their past two seasons in the national semifinals and Berry made it clear in his first meeting as bench boss that the team had two boxes left to check -- get to the national title game and bring home green banner No. 8 to the REA rafters.

After two convincing wins in the NCAA tournament's Midwest Regional in Cincinnati, North Dakota, once again, has just two boxes left to check.

The Green and White took the crown in the Queen City, overwhelming red-hot Northeastern 6-2 and shutting down Michigan and the vaunted CCM line, 5-2 and punched their ticket to Tampa and the Frozen Four for the third-straight season.

It was an impressive weekend for UND and here's what stood to DDC is his Roses and Thorns column, NCAA tournament style.

Roses

No. 1 -- Relentless Defense

UND head coach Brad Berry
after the 5-2 win over Michigan:

"I truly believe we have a special group
in our locker room," Berry said.
"They do the right things on and off
the ice. It's a team culture. It's a team-first
mentality. We've got a lot of high-end
players in that locker room.
They check their egos at the door.
It's team first and I think you witnessed
that this weekend."

The lead storyline coming into the Midwest Regional, outside of Northeastern's second-half success, was the offenses. The Huskies had the 12th-best scoring offense in the NCAA and the 7th-best power play, UND's was 8th led by the vaunted CBS line and the Wolverines, headlined by a trio of Hobey Baker Finalists, the CCM line, carried the best scoring offense and best power play. Who was going to score the most goals and head to Tampa? Well, simply put, it was the tenacious effort by the UND defense that stole the show and led UND to another Frozen Four. All weekend, the Green and White did not let either the Huskies nor the Wolverines time and space to create. They were incredible in the neutral zone. After dispatching NU in the first round, UND kept the CCM line of JT Compher, Kyle Connor and Tyler Motte at bay and made them do something that no other team had all season -- play dump and chase hockey. The CCM was a combined -7 on Saturday. This allowed the Green and White to control play and let their offense go to work. UND outshot their opponents by a 75-53 margin, allowing Michigan just 27 in the title game.  It was an amazing effort of sticks in lanes, board battle wins and net front efforts that led North Dakota. Goaltender Cam Johnson was solid, allowing just 2 goals per game to earn regional MVP honors. What a weekend from this defense against two tremendous offenses.

No. 2 -- Luke Johnson and the "Heavy Line"

The Junior forward has often been maligned by UND fans for his play in his career due to some ill-timed penalties and inconsistent play. But, Johnson has been nothing short of impressive in the NCAA tournament. Grouped on the newly dubbed "Heavy Line" with Rhett Gardner and Austin Poganski, Johnson notched a goal in each game this weekend and earned all-regional first team honors. The Grand Forks native has now scored a goal in five-straight NCAA tournament games, netting the eventual game winner on Friday and adding a crucial goal on Saturday with just 45 seconds left in the second period to give UND a 2-1 lead. Johnson and the Heavy Line's impact wasn't just offensive. The trio had a major part in shutting down the CCM line on Saturday with a terrific forecheck. Hats off to this trio, lead by Johnson.

UND's Rhett Gardner and the newly coined "Heavy Line" with Austin Poganski
and Luke Johnson had a tremendous weekend, notching 3 of UND's 11 goals and
leading a staunch defensive charge allowing just four goals in two games.
(Photo credit: Jesse Trelstad, Grand Forks Herald)

No. 3 -- UND's Depth

UND So. F, Johnny Simonson
scored a huge goal on Friday
with the Green and White trailing
1-0. It was Simonson's first goal
since October. The forward tallied
one of eight non-CBS line goals
on the weekend for UND.

For much of the season, a consistent storyline for the Green and White was their ability, or inability, of players outside of the top-flight CBS line to score goals. Once again, this is clearly in the rear-view mirror. The CBS did their part as both Brock Boeser and Drake Caggiula scored on Friday while Caggiula netted UND's first goal on Saturday, but the rest of the team did the heavy lifting on the weekend. The Green and White scored 11 goals on the weekend and the effort was from all over the lineup. Johnny Simonson scored UND's first goal on Friday, with the team trailing 1-0 in the first, his first since October. Then, Tucker Poolman, Luke Johnson and Bryn Chyzyk tallied the next three to put Northeastern away. On Saturday, it was more of the same. Caggiula opened the scoring for UND, but with the game tied 2-2, the Green and White depth took over with goals by Rhett Gardner and Coltyn Sanderson just 1:14 apart in the third period to send the Green and White to Tampa. Paul LaDue added an empty-netter to round out the 5-2 win. Scoring 11 goals in a regional is impressive. Even more impressive when just three of those came from UND's best forward line. This is a huge statement for the Green and White. This squad is absolutely not a one-line team.

Thorns

No. 1 -- John Siminson, Cam Jansen, UND's CCM line and the TV Announcers

Woof. DDC knows this is silly, but it's worth mentioning -- who were these guys calling the games at the Midwest Regional? Ok, ok .... yes, this doesn't matter, but it certainly was annoying listening to the color man mention how many times he was the MVP of the regional when he played for Boston University while butchering simple names for UND. He certainly knew the names of the CCM, except when he called the CBS line the CCM. The Green and White dominated both teams in the regional, but somehow, the game always seemed close with this duo's constant love for non-existent consistent offensive pressure. Thank you for the coverage of this tournament, ESPN, but c'mon, let's get these guys to do a little pregame prep, eh? *Deep breath* ok... rant over.

No. 2 -- The Ref Check Heard 'Round the World

Ok, so this might be a bit of a rose, as it was hilarious, but where in the heck did that ref come from that delivered a huge check behind the net after Caggiula's goal on Saturday? If you haven't yet seen it, check out this bomb of a hit.

Cag was just about to go for a big celly, but this ref wasn't having it. DENIED! UND has done more celebrations this season than in years past with a more relaxed team style, so maybe former head coach Dave Hakstol got in this guy's ear to not allow this anymore. Great form. DDC is dying to know what Caggiula said to the man in stripes, but Troy Stecher did a good job to keep this laughable. Good stuff.

For fans of the Green and White, we've been here before. Up next, it's UND vs. Denver in the national semifinals in Tampa. Check back this week for more as North Dakota's chase for No. 8 continues. Thanks for reading!

Roses and Thorns: Back-to-Back Banners

NCHC Standings:
1) UND (clinched share of league title) 17-4-1-1 -- 53 points;
T-2) Denver, 15-5-2 -- 47 pts; T-2) SCSU, 15-6-1-1 -- 47 pts;
T-4) UMD, 9-10-3-1 -- 31 pts; T-4) Miami, 9-11-2-2 -- 31 pts;
6) Omaha, 8-13-1 -- 25 pts; 7) WMU, 5-16-1-1 -- 17 pts;
8) Colorado College, 4-17-1 -- 13 pts.

UND, DU and SCSU have all clinched home ice
for the first round of the conference playoffs.

Click here for a breakdown of all NCHC scenarios
from the Grand Forks Herald's Brad Schlossman.

 

The UND men's hockey team came into Baxter Arena in Omaha tied for first place atop the National Collegiate Hockey Conference standings with St. Cloud State with just two weekends to go in the regular season.

The Green and White were facing an angry Nebraska Omaha squad coming off a rough sweep at the hands of the Huskies while SCSU was at home against a UMD team that got swept in a frustrating series against UND.

Sounds like a recipe for the Penrose Cup to be settled in the last weekend, right?

A pair of sweeps later, one by UND in dominant fashion over Omaha and another in shocking fashion for Minnesota Duluth over St. Cloud, the Green and White return to Grand Forks for the last weekend of the year as Penrose Cup champions for a second straight season. UND can finish no lower than in a tie for first, but will, at worst, share the league title.

It turned out to be a banner weekend for UND (25-5-3). With the 4-2, 4-1 sweep and subsequent UMD sweep over St. Cloud, the Green and White clinched their 17th conference title, the most in college hockey history.

Here's what stood out to DDC in this weekend's Roses and Thorns recap with Omaha and UND.

Roses

No. 1 -- Defensive Dominance

Two weekends ago, UND played arguably their worst defensive weekend as the Green and White were swept in Denver. North Dakota allowed 10 goals in the series while the Pioneers top line exposed UND, finding gaping holes in the slot and in front of the net while DU raced to a sweep. The Green and White got a bit of their defensive mojo back the next week in a sweep of Duluth and carried that momentum through to Omaha. UND was fantastic in the series, filling passing lanes with sticks, winning puck battles and clearing out the net front for goaltender Cam Johnson for a 4-2, 4-1 sweep. North Dakota was flying all series with a terrific team effort on the back check even without their best defenseman Troy Stecher, who served a one-game suspension on Friday night for a checking from behind penalty the Saturday before against UMD. Simply put, if the Green and White play defense like this the rest of the way, they will make a deep run in the NCAA tournament.

No. 2 -- CBS is Must-See-TV, Once Again

UND Sr. F, Drake Caggiula
netted both game-winning
goals this weekend in the
4-2, 4-1 sweep at Omaha.

Injuries and a week of inconsistent play had mired the vaunted CBS line of Drake Caggiula, Brock Boeser and Nick Schmaltz in a bit of a slump over the last handful of weekends. However, against Omaha, the CBS line looks like they are getting back to form at the most important time of the season. Caggiula netted both game winners and added an assist on Saturday, Boeser added a pair of goals, his 21st and 22nd of the season and Schmaltz tallied an assist on Saturday to give the line six points on the weekend. Boeser leads the NCHC in goals, is second nationally in rookie goal scoring and is tied for fourth overall. A bonus rose goes to Caggiula specifically as the senior was all over the ice this weekend on both ends. The Ontario native brought all the bit of the Hobey Baker candidate play he'd shown for large parts of the season, forechecking, winning puck battles and creating scoring chances. UND fans saw what this team can be like during much of this year when this line is at its best and the CBS delivered that against Omaha.

No. 3 -- UND Shows Depth

A consistent storyline for the Green and White this season has been lack of scoring outside of the CBS line. Against the Mavericks, UND showed that they are absolutely more than a one line team. Forward Luke Johnson and defenseman Tucker Poolman netted goals on Friday, then, defenseman Keaton Thompson and forward Bryn Chyzyk added markers on Saturday, as the Green and White delivered the sweep. Austin Poganski added three assists, Johnny Simonson added a pair of helpers, while Poolman and Chyzyk also added assists, for a successful team statistical weekend.  The line of Johnson, Poganski and Rhett Gardner were terrific on Saturday, adding a physical element to the UND attack.

UND Jr. D, Keaton Thompson celebrates his second goal of the season on Saturday.
Thompson scored one of four non-CBS line goals in the series as UND swept
Nebraska Omaha 4-2, 4-1 in Omaha to clinch a share of the NCHC title.
(Photo Credit: Chris Machian, Omaha World-Herald)

Honorable Mention -- TRF Skates to State

One special shoutout to DDC's hometown Thief River Falls Prowlers as they topped defending Class A State champion East Grand Forks 3-1 in the Section 8A championship game to advance to the Minnesota State Tournament. Hopefully the Green and White brass are talking a good, hard look at TRF senior Ethan Johnson. The forward netted two goals in the title game, his 44th and 45th of the season. Johnson had seven goals in the section tournament and his 45 goals on the year is fourth-best in the state. DDC coached several of these young men in youth baseball during his high school days. Big props to DDC's hometown Prowlers.

Thief River Falls’ Brendan Bushy (66) and Wyatt Ortloff pile on top of teammate Ethan Johnson
after Johnson scored an empty-net goal to seal the Prowlers’ win over East Grand Forks on Thursday
in the Minnesota Section 8A championship game. (Photo Credit: Eric Hylden, Grand Forks Herald)

Thorns

No. 1 -- One Weekend Left

It's hard to believe, but there is only one weekend left in the regular season. UND's series against Western Michigan this weekend brings senior weekend, which will certainly be an emotional one for the four seniors, Bryn Chyzyk, Coltyn Sanderson, Colten St. Clair and Drake Caggiula. With the Penrose Cup likely in the house, UND needs just one point to take the conference title outright. It would be a fitting end for this group of four to skate with the "Penne Rosa" on their senior night. Here's to hoping the Green and White can make that happen. 

Thanks for reading. Come back later this week as DDC takes a look at UND's last regular season series of the season, as they take on the Western Michigan Broncos at the Ralph.

Roses and Thorns: Pulverizing the Pios

NCHC Standings:
1) UND, 7-1-0, 21 pts; 2) SCSU, 6-2-0, 18pts;
T-3) UMD,4-3-1, 13 pts; T-3) Omaha, 4-3-1, 13 pts;
5) DU, 3-2-1,10 pts; 6) Miami, 2-7-1, 7 pts;
T-7) CC, 2-6-0, 6 pts; T-7) WMU, 2-6-0, 6 pts.

So, DDC has been busy with a bunch of stuff of late and if you've missed the blog over the last couple of weekends, consider this an official apology.

Once piece of housekeeping before the recap. DDC wants to take a second to mention his Twitter and Blogosphere buddy, RWD (if you don't know who she is, follow Runnin' With the Dogs for all the best Minnesota Duluth hockey tidbits) and her awesome fundraiser for local food shelves all over the country. Check it out and help out a great cause and hashtag #FromTopShelfToFoodShelf all over social media. Sorry there wasn't a blog before this weekend, RWD. DDC hopes you'll take more if this helps at all!

On to the matters at hand.

Across the college hockey world, a prime cliche is used on a nightly basis of "playing a complete 60 minutes." Period by period, teams look to execute at their best level. A full weekend's effort would be considered a "complete 120 minutes."

The UND men's hockey team certainly lived up to this cliche this weekend.

The No. 4 Green and White battled the No. 9 Denver Pioneers in an important National Collegiate Hockey Conference series at the Ralph Engelstad Arena and while doing everything here to not sound trite, UND took DU to the woodshed.

Again, it the was the vaunted CBS line of Drake Caggiula, Brock Boeser and Nick Schmaltz leading the way. Boeser scored twice while Caggiula and Schmaltz both netted a goal en route to a 5-1 win on Friday night as the trio racked up six points. On Saturday night, UND got some serious secondary scoring as Austin Poganski potted a pair of goals, then the CBS buried the Pios late, as Caggiula and Boeser scored 27 seconds apart in the third period, pacing a 4-0 win and a pulverizing series sweep.

Here's what stood out from what was possibly the best 120 minutes of dominating hockey DDC has ever seen in his weekly (kind of, of late) Roses and Thorns series recap.

Roses

No. 1 -- CBS line

Duh. This line racked up 10 points this weekend (Caggiula, 2g, 2a; Boeser, 3g; Schmaltz, 1g, 2a) and was a whopping +15 for the series, but the impact wasn't just on the scoresheet against Denver. The trio's compete level really stood out on the defensive end all weekend as they shut down the Pioneers with a tenacious forecheck and backcheck. Schmaltz was an absolute horse, consistently stick checking DU players and leading offense the other way. This line is constantly facing the top groups of defenders and lines, but nothing is slowing this group down. The chemistry, the playmaking ability and the cold-blooded scoring punch has UND on a roll, right now. It's one thing for this line and team as a whole to be better then any particular team in regards to talent, which they have been all season, but it's a whole different to outwork them. UND fans are seeing both, right now and it's certainly been a treat.

No. 2 -- Austin Poganski

UND So. F, buries a short-handed tally with 0.6 left in the first period on Saturday.
Poganski netted three goals on the weekend. (Photo: Eric Hylden, GF Herald).

As much fun as it has been to watch the CBS line dominate teams over the course of this season, UND has lacked a bit of secondary scoring, of late. Well, sophomore Austin Poganski certainly had something to say about that, this weekend. The St. Cloud native netted three goals in the series, including both game-winning goals. Poganski was particularly good in front of the net, using his big frame to slam home two of his three. The other was probably his biggest one, on Saturday. UND dominated DU in the first period, outshooting the Pios 19-3, but the game was scoreless until Poganski stole the puck at the UND blue line, skated in alone and potted a short-handed goal with just 0.6 left in the period. Much like the CBS line's performance, Poganski's impact wasn't just in scoring as he drew a couple of penalties on Friday, using his heavy skating and hard effort and joined his teammates in the forechecking barrage. Great weekend for the sophomore.

No. 3 -- Cam Johnson

It's easy for a goalie to get a bit overshadowed when the team in front of him is dominating all over the ice, but without the sophomore netminder, this weekend could have been much different for UND. Johnson wasn't overwhelmingly tested at any point in this series, but made key saves in both games to lead the Green and White to the sweep. Johnson has allowed just three goals in the last four games, all starts, after returning from an early-season injury last weekend in East Lansing. The Michigan native stopped 44 of 45 shots in the series, earning his first-career shutout on Saturday and is showing the ability to become UND's true No. 1 netminder.  Back-to-back NCHC goaltender of the weekend honors should be on tap for Johnson.

No. 4 -- Compete level

If DDC wasn't so lazy before the series to do a preview, he would have honestly picked a split for this weekend. It was a top 10 battle pitting two bitter and long-time rivals in an important conference series. Let's make one thing clear.... Denver is good. In fact, they are really good. However, UND was flat out better in every single phase this weekend and it started from the drop of the puck on Friday and didn't stop until the final buzzer on Saturday. Like previously mentioned, it's one thing to have more talent and play better than a team on a particular weekend, but it's another to outwork the other team. The Green and White won nearly every battle in all three zones, shutdown Denver with a sterling 10 for 10 penalty kill that actually outscored the Pios 1-0 for the series and scored back-breaking goals when needed. Head coach Brad Berry really had his team ready to play this weekend. That was a special level of play UND had in this series.

Thorns

No. 1 -- It's only December?!

Head coach Brad Barry after UND's 4-0 win on Saturday:
"I think tonight, we took another step as a team,"
Berry said."I talked to the guys after the game,
and we're not done. We're not done yet.
We have two games to go before Christmas.
We have a good thing going here."

This was a statement series for UND. If the college hockey world didn't know enough about the Green and White coming into this weekend, they certainly know them now. This wasn't a non-conference series against a pairwise-busting opponent. This destruction was against the No. 9 team in the country and bitter rival, Denver. DDC's only thorn this weekend is the fact that it's only December and as everyone knows, banners aren't hung for December sweeps, regardless how impressive. As unlikely as it may seem by the way this team is playing of late, there are going to be bumps in the road. However, when times to get tough, UND will be able to look back on this dominating series and know that they have the capability to dominate any team they face. What an impressive weekend. Consider this blogger blown away.

There's just one more series remaining for UND in 2015 as they travel to Duluth to take on the Bulldogs in another NCHC battle, this coming Friday and Saturday.

Roses and Thorns: The Legend Continues

Results from NCHC first-round:
No. 1 UND sweeps No. 8 CC
No. 2 Miami tops No. 7 WMU in three games,
No. 6 SCSU upsets No. 3 Omaha with a sweep
No. 4 Denver sweeps No. 5 UMD

For the 13^th season in a row, the UND men’s hockey team hosted a first-round conference to

urnament series from Ralph Engelstad Arena.

And after a 5-1 and 3-2 series sweep of Colorado College, for the 13^th season in a row, UND fans will have the opportunity to follow the Green and White to the Twin Cities while they vie for a conference tournament championship.

No. 1 ranked UND shook off a slow start on Friday and netted two goals late in the second period before coasting in the third period.

On Saturday, CC brought their A game as a team that was playing for their season and stood toe-to-toe with North Dakota, tying the game in the third period.

But, the legend of Connor Gaarder would not let this series go past Saturday.

The senior assistant captain added to his growing list of big-time, late-season goals, notching the game-winner on a terrific back-handed, net-crashing one-timer with just over a minute left in the game.

After a nice play from Bryn Chyzyk in the neutral zone to turn over the puck, Austin Poganski came in from the right wing with Gaarder barreling towards the net. The freshman made a nifty saucer pass to the slot and Gaarder did the rest, sending the REA faithful into a frenzy and UND to the Target Center.

Gaarder’s goal was his fifth in his last six games – and fourth game-winner in that span.

The Edina, Minn., native’s penchant for scoring big goals started last season in the Frozen Faceoff as he potted two in a pivotal, third-place game victory over WMU, including the game winner that kept UND’s season alive. Then, in the NCAA tournament, Gaarder sent the Green and White to the Frozen Four with a dramatic double-overtime winner. In Frozen Four, Gaarder did it again, scoring UND’s lone goal against Minnesota, less than a minute after the Gophers took the lead in the third period.

The senior leader doesn’t have much to say about this knack for big goals, however.

 “It’s just puck luck and hard work, I guess,” Gaarder said on Saturday. “If you work hard, you’re just going to get the bounces.” 

Whatever it is, DDC hopes to see the tough-minded senior continue his flare for the dramatic.

Here’s what stood out to DDC in this week’s Roses and Thorns.

UND's Connor Gaarder nets the series-clinching goal with 1:22 left in the third on Saturday. (Photo: UNDsports.com)

Roses

No. 1 – Connor Gaarder

See above.

Gaarder came to UND four years ago as a late addition to the roster following J.T. Miller’s decision to de-commit from the program and bolt for the Canadian Juniors. While this move crushed DDC at the time as Miller was set to be UND’s first New York Rangers draft pick to don the Green and White,  there are certainly no reasons to be upset now. While Miller has seen success in Broadway, much to DDC’s liking, Gaarder has become a living legend for UND. Fair trade.

No. 2 – Nick Mattson

After bouncing in and out of the lineup during the first half of the season, the senior defenseman took Christmas break to reevaluate his play. Since then, Mattson has been arguably UND’s best defenseman and he showed up big time against CC. Mattson netted the game-winning goal on Friday and added two assists in the 5-1 added an assist. Mattson has been a force for UND, leading the team with 14 points (3 goals, 11 assists) in the last 14 games. The senior had often been a source of frustration for fans for parts of his career, but he’s brought his game to a new level during a special run.

No. 3 – Johnny Simonson, Bryn Chyzyk and Trevor Olson

These three were grouped together on the fourth line this weekend and found immediate chemistry. With senior Mark MacMillan officially out for the season and forward Colten St. Clair out for the weekend with injury, Simonson and Olson stepped into the lineup in the playoffs and made a heck of an impact. While trio only notched one point on the weekend, Chyzyk’s second assist on Gaarder’s game-winner on Saturday, the line played with energy and created many chances. Simonson may have had his best game with UND on Friday night, tallying three shots on goal. DDC expects this line to be together this weekend in Minneapolis and is certainly all for it.

UND's Nick Mattson celebrates his game-winning goal in front of the REA faithful on Friday. (Photo: UNDsports.com)

Thorns

No. 1 – No Coverage of Penrose Celebration

DDC did not have the opportunity to see UND parade the Penrose Cup around the REA following Saturday night’s win and he’s not happy about it. Ok, DDC gets it, there are timing constraints and other TV programs to be shown, but c’mon, not even a snippet?! C’mon Midco. This was a pinnacle regular-season celebration for the fans of the Green and White and you cut to other programming?! Fail. Well, here’s to hoping for more important trophy celebrations in the coming weeks.

Thanks for tuning in once again. Come back later this week for the breakdown of the Frozen Faceoff in Minneapolis.

Roses and Thorns: A Piece of the Penrose

NCHC Standings -- 1 Week Remaining:
1) UND, 15-5-2. 47 points
2) Miami, 13-8-1, 1 SO win, 41 pts
3) Nebraska Omaha, 11-8-3, 3 SO wins, 39 pts
4) Denver, 12-9-1, 1 SO win, 38 pts
5) Minnesota Duluth, 11-8-3, 36 pts
6) St. Cloud State, 10-11-1, 31 pts
7) Western Michigan, 5-12-5, 4 SO wins, 24 pts
8) Colorado College, 2-18-2, 8 pts

After a gritty 3-2 win on Friday, the No. 1 UND men’s hockey team led St. Cloud State 1-0 half way through the first period.

But, a pair of minor penalties shortly after brought the National Collegiate Hockey Conference’s top-ranked power play to the ice for a 5-on-3 power play for two full minutes. The Huskies netted both their goals on Friday night with the extra man, so needless to say, this was an important two minutes for both teams.

Four body-sacrificing blocks (three by defenseman Troy Stecher) and a handful of saves later, the 12,000 plus at the Ralph Engelstad Arena erupted into a frenzy as UND killed off the pair of penalties.

“That’s a huge part of the game with those guys laying it on the line and everybody that was on the ice during that,” UND coach Dave Hakstol said after the game. “That’s an awful big part of the game, and those guys, probably in that two-minute span, showed what heart and character are all about.”

The huge penalty kill paced a 3-1 North Dakota win for a monster-sized sweep that earned the Green and White at least a share of the Penrose Cup as NCHC regular season champions.

While that penalty kill helped earn an important win, it may have brought a bigger loss for UND.

Senior assistant captain Mark MacMillan had one of those blocks on the 5-on-3 kill, but his injured the forward and forced him to miss the remainder of the game with what appeared to be a leg injury. UND announced Tuesday that MacMillan is out indefinitely with a lower body injury.

MacMillan’s injury aside, it was an eventful sweep on senior weekend for North Dakota. There’s a bunch of roses and one, glaring thorn in DDC’s Roses and Thorns from this past weekend.

Roses

Before jumping into the roses, a quick shout out must be given to DDC’s real MVP.

This past Monday, the DDC household celebrated baby (not so much anymore, unfortunately) DDC’s second birthday.  It’s hard to believe that two years have passed and more great memories of watching UND hockey will come soon enough. Cheers to Emma Jean!

UND's seven seniors (from left to right), Stephane Pattyn, Michael
Parks, Mark MacMillan, Brendan O'Donnell, Connor Gaarder
Andrew Panzarella and Nick Mattson, gather for a photo following
their final regular season home game on Saturday.
Photo Credit: UND Sports

No. 1 – Seniors

For the seven seniors on this year’s squad, their last regular season home series saw UND check off two major goals – secure home ice for the first round of the conference playoffs and clinch the Penrose Cup. While 1 point is needed this weekend against Miami for an outright title, Saturday’s win earned UND at least a share of the league championship. Four of North Dakota’s six goals on the weekend were scored by the senior class. Assistant captain Connor Gaarder was responsible for both game-winning goals. For the last group to wear the Sioux logo, this was a fitting end to an outstanding four years. Captain Steph Pattyn request UND wear the black “business suits” jerseys on Saturday for the first time at home since 2011 and UND certainly took care of business. Despite the injury to MacMillan, the leadership from this group is something special. No doubt, this class will call for the next man up with a player out with injury.

No. 2 – Zane McIntyre and UND’s Defense

For the second weekend in a row, North Dakota did not allow a goal 5-on-5.

Let that sink in for a second.

It has been 250:57 since Denver notched an even-strength goal all the way back in the third period on Feb. 14. UND bottled up an explosive Husky attack for large stretches in both games and the 5-on-3 penalty kill in the first on Saturday showed the character this team possess. It’s been a long time since DDC has seen a team sellout like that on defense and this kind of effort will be hard to beat the rest of the way.

No. 3 – UND’s “4th Line”

UND's Austin Poganski sprawls on the ice after batting in his fourth goal
of the season on Saturday night. Photo Credit: UND Sports.

Depth has been the key to UND’s success all season and the play of their “4th line” of Austin Poganski, Gaarder and Brendan O’Donnell is the epitome of this. This group has been arguably North Dakota’s best line over the past month and they did it again against SCSU, netting three goals on the weekend.

Can we please consider giving this group a name? We’ve had the DOT line and Pony Express in recent memory. DDC heard rumblings of the “GOP” line. That works for him.

Again, with the injury to MacMillan, this line and the depth of the whole team, w

ill need to continue the type of play they’ve been getting over the last handful of games.

No. 4 – The REA Faithful

Wow. If you haven’t had a chance to watch the 5-on-3 kill on Saturday and the following ovation from the REA crowd, figure out a way to watch it. The fans absolutely blew the roof off the Ralph after this PK and that energy didn’t stop for the rest of the game. Recently dubbed “America’s Best Hockey Town”, the fans at the Ralph sure did attest. Watch this as a fan and try not to get chills. This group has surely given this fanbase something to cheer about.

Thorns

No. 1 – Mac’s Injury

UND F. Mark MacMillan

Not enough can be said about this. MacMillan absolutely sold out his body to block a Jonny Brodzinski shot just above his knee, which is noted as one of the hardest in the country.  While UND brass hasn’t ruled out his return, the injury and subsequent surgery, will more than likely keep MacMillan out for the remainder of his senior season. This is a devastating loss for UND as the forward is the team’s leading goal scorer and a fantastic defensive player. MacMillan is stuck on 99 points for his career at UND and here’s hoping that this injury isn’t Mark’s last memory wearing the Green and White. Here’s to a speedy recovery for one of the heart and soul players of this UND squad.

Check back later this week as UND prepares to wrap up the regular season in Oxford, Ohio. With 1 point in this series, North Dakota would close out the year as NCHC champs out right and head into the NCHC tourney as the No. 1 seed. The Miami University RedHawks look to spoil the party, as a sweep over UND would earn them a share of the Penrose Cup and the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament.

Thanks again for tuning in to DDC. It’s been one year since this blog has been going and it’s surely been a fun ride!