NCAA Tournament -- West Regional: It's Ours to Defend

UND's title defense starts Friday at 2 pm from Scheels Arena in Fargo versus the Boston University Terriers.

After all the ups and downs for the 2016-17 UND men's hockey team, they enter this weekend's NCAA West Regional right where they wanted to be at the start of the season -- 81 miles from home in Fargo with a chance to defend their 2015-16 national championship.

It's in our state and the title is ours to defend until someone takes it.

Joining the Green and White at Scheels Arena are three other teams who want to end UND's run at the top and move on to the Frozen Four in Chicago.

Semifinal 1 pits No. 3 seeded UND, the away team just an hour-plus from home, against the No. 2 seeded Boston University Terriers. In the other semifinal, the No. 1 seeded Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs faceoff with the No. 4 seeded Ohio State Buckeyes.

2017 NCAA West Regional -- Scheels Arena, Fargo

Friday:
Semifinal 1 -- No. 2 BU vs. No. 3 UND, ESPN2, 2 p.m.
Semifinal 2 -- No. 1 UMD vs. No. 4 OSU, ESPNU, 5:30

Saturday:
UND/BU vs. UMD/OSU -- ESPNU, 5 p.m.

Loaded with nine players drafted in the first or second round in the NHL draft, the Terriers are a team chocked full of talent. Minnesota Duluth enters the West Regional as the No. 2 overall seed in the tournament and have beaten the Green and White five times in five opportunities this season, capped off by a wild 4-3 win in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff championship game last weekend in Minneapolis. Ohio State features the best power play in the nation and the second-highest scoring offense.

Simply put, this is anybody's region to win.

When the brackets were announced this past Sunday, DDC called a friend when finding out UND would be taking on BU and had a potential looming battle with a foe in UMD that just locked the Green and White in a rough and tumble battle at the Target Center the night before and said, "Yikes."

DDC's first reaction was that he didn't want the Terriers in the first round. The response he got was simple -- "Well, no one wants to play us in the first round, either."

Think about it... The Green and White are playing this regional weekend having just beat the No. 1 overall seed Denver and took the No. 2 seeded Bulldogs down to the wire. UND is playing its best hockey of the season. Add that to the fact that the three other teams are headed to Fargo to play this weekend and the point is easy to make -- this region, this NCAA title, is ours until someone takes it.

Let's get it on.

Here's DDC's "Who? What? How?" breakdown of what will be a terrific weekend. Who will punch their ticket to Chicago?

Who?

Players to watch

BU Fr. F, Clayton Keller
leads all NCAA rookies
in points per game (1.45).

Boston University Terriers

Fr. F, Clayton Keller, 20 goals, 22 assists -- 42 points; Fr. F, Patrick Harper, 12g, 22a -- 34 pts; So. F, Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, 13g, 19a -- 32 pts; So. F, Bobo Carpenter, 13g, 18a -- 31 pts; Fr. G, Jake Oettinger, 20-10-3, 2.09 goals against average, .927 save percentage.

UND

So. F, Shane Gersich, 21g, 16a -- 37 pts; Fr. F, Tyson Jost, 16g, 19a -- 35 pts; So. F, Brock Boeser, 16g, 17a -- 33 pts; Jr. D, Tucker Poolman, 7g, 23a -- 30 pts (questionable with injury); Jr. G, Cam Johnson, 20-12-3, 2.38 GAA, .904 SV PCT.

OSU So. Mason Jobst
leads the nation's top
power play and second-
highest scoring offense.

Ohio State University Buckeyes

So. F, Mason Jobst, 19g, 36a -- 55 pts; Sr. F, Nick Schilkey, 27g, 14a -- 41 pts; Sr. F, David Gust, 18g, 23a -- 41 pts; So. F, Dakota Joshua, 12g, 22a -- 34 pts; Sr. G, Christian Frey, 9-7-3, .910 SV PCT, 3.07 GAA; Sr. G, Matt Tomkins, 12-4-3, .909 SV PCT, 2.48 GAA.

Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs

Sr. F, Alex Iafallo, 18g, 27a -- 46 pts; So. F, Adam Johnson, 17g, 19a -- 36 pts; So. D, Neal Pionk, 7g 25a -- 32 pts; Fr. F, Joey Anderson, 10g, 20a -- 30 pts; Fr. G., Hunter Miska, 24-4-5, 2.23 GAA, .917 SV PCT.

What?

Standout Stats

Boston University

The Terriers are 18th in the NCAA in scoring, averaging 3.16 goals per game and 10th in goals allowed at 2.27.

Freshman Clayton Keller leads all NCAA rookies with a 1.45 points per game mark.

BU has four NHL first-round draft picks in Keller, Kieffer Bellows, Dante Fabbro and Charlie McAvoy and four second-round picks in Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, Jordan Greenway, Chad Krys and John MacLeod. Netminder Jake Oettinger is expected to be drafted high in June's draft.

UND

The Green and White are t-16 in NCAA in scoring (3.18) and 19th in goals against (2.56).

UND allows the second least amount of shots per game in the nation with 24.8.

North Dakota is 12-5-2 when scoring first this year and just 9-10-1 when not.

Freshman Tyson Jost is 6th in the nation in rookie points per game with 1.09.

Minnesota Duluth

The Bulldogs are 8th in the NCAA in scoring offense (3.42) and 11th in defense (2.29).

Minnesota Duluth netminder Hunter Miska is t-4 in the NCAA with five shutouts and 2nd in winning percentage .803.

Neal Pionk and Dom Toninato are tied for 10th nationally in plus/minus with a +22 rating.

UMD is 16-0-2 when leading after two periods, this season and 4-4-5 when trailing at that same point.

Ohio State

OSU is 2nd in the NCAA in scoring with 3.97 goals per game but are allowing a 31st-best 2.89. The Buckeyes are first in power play with a ridiculous 32.5%, nearly five percentage points better than No. 2 Northeastern.

Sophomore forward Mason Jobst is 8th in the NCAA in points per game with 1.45 and t-5th in assists per game with .95.

Senior forward Nick Schilkey leads the nation in power play goals with 16 and is 2nd in goals per game with .79.

How?

How'd they get here?

No. 6 BU (23-11-3, At-Large Bid, 2nd in Hockey East) lost to Boston College in the Hockey East Tournament semifinals. The Terriers have won four out of their last six games. BU was rolled by Denver, 7-2, in the first round of the NCAA tournament last season.

No. 10 UND (21-15-3, At-Large Bid, 4th in NCHC) topped Denver 1-0 and lost to UMD 4-3 in the  NCHC Frozen Faceoff last weekend. The loss on Saturday snapped a five-game winning streak. The Green and White are the defending national champion and are playing in their 15th-consecutive NCAA tournament (2nd-best streak in history).

No. 3 UMD (25-6-7, NCHC tournament champion, 2nd in NCHC) topped UND 4-3 in the finals of the NCHC Frozen Faceoff last weekend. The Bulldogs have won five straight games. UMD lost to Boston College 3-2 in the Regional Final.

No. 14 Ohio State (21-11-6, At-Large Bid, 3rd in BTHC) lost to Wisconsin 2-1 in the Big Ten tournament semifinals. Before the loss, the Buckeyes had won four straight. OSU returns to the national tournament for the first time since 2009.

The Pick(s)

So now that you're all caught up on the ins and outs of these four teams, let's get to it.

West Regional Semifinal No. 1 -- UND vs. BU

What a juicy match up. These are two of college hockey's blue bloods taking the ice in an arena that will be packed to the rafters.

Boston University entered this season will all the accolades.

Picked by many fans and media as the favorites to raise the national championship trophy at the end of the year, the Terriers have wholly lived up to expectations. While their season hasn't been perfect, BU is a tremendously talented team that is stocked with players who know what it feels like to play in big-time situations. Seven players from this year's squad played in the World Junior Championship tournament with six winning gold for Team USA. The big stage won't scare the Terriers.

On the other side of the ice, the defending national champions know exactly how to play in this spot, having won the 2015 West Regional in Scheels Arena in front of a green-clad, tremendously partisan and raucous crowd.

While both teams won't be afraid of the bright lights, the crowd in Fargo will be jacked up for this one and an early edge will do one of two things depending on who nets the first tally on Friday. It will either blow the roof off the arena if it's the Green and White leading, while the silence will be deafening if it's the Terriers.

Boston University, with all its youth, hasn't exactly been world beaters away from home this season, going just 10-8-1 away from their home rink, Agganis Arena. Also, since the national tournament went to its current 16-team format in 2003, BU hasn't done well when having to fly to a regional, losing in the first round in three previous attempts.

The Terriers have also had a recent trend of falling behind early. In their last nine games, BU has allowed the first goal of the game and have gone 4-4-1 in those games.

So, being unfazed by the big stage is one thing in the WJC, falling behind UND in Fargo doesn't seem like a recipe for success for the Terriers.

Both teams have top end talent. Both teams can score. Both teams are serviceable defensively. Both teams have solid goaltending. What will be the decider?

Again, this one is in North Dakota and this rink is ours to defend.

UND TOPS BU IN A WILD ONE, 5-4.

West Regional Seminfinal No. 2 -- UMD vs. OSU

Ohio State reminds DDC a lot of UND's 2016 Midwest Regional final foe, Michigan. This is a team that can score quick, fast and in a hurry. However, that's not where the comparison ends. Much like the Wolverines last season, the Buckeyes are a bit leaky defensively, sporting the 31st-ranked team defense, allowing 2.89 goals per game.

Their opponent, the UMD Bulldogs are, top-to-bottom, one of the most well-rounded and skilled teams in the NCAA featuring the 8th-best scoring offense and 11th-ranked team defense. Goaltender Hunter Miska will be tested against a team the tries to fire the puck from everywhere, but UMD has been near the top of the NCAA polls all year for a reason.

In DDC's opinion, it's all about composure for the Bulldogs. In the Frozen Faceoff championship last weekend against UND, Minnesota Duluth was incredibly undisciplined, committing 15 penalties and allowing three power play goals. Against the best power play in the country in OSU, UMD has to stay out of the box.

While DDC thinks OSU will get their chances with the extra man, the Buckeyes don't look to be deep enough to hold the Bulldogs down for 60 minutes.

THE BULLDOGS MOVE ON TO SATURDAY, 5-2.

West Region Final -- UND vs. UMD

*Takes a deep breath*

The Bulldogs have beaten the Green and White five teams this season and have won the last six between the two teams, overall.
 
However, after UMD beat UND last weekend in Minneapolis, in a game that was as intense, chippy and wild as it comes, DDC realized one thing -- the Green and White can beat the Bulldogs.

Much like against BU, both of these teams can score, play defense and have good netminding. This time, UND finishes the job.

Forget Neal Pionk running over Cam Johnson. Forget all the questionable calls. Forget the late, heart-breaking goal in Minneapolis. Forget six losses in a row.

With sights set on Chicago and revenge in the cross hairs, North Dakota will take on one of its biggest rivals, but this time, it's to keep its title defense alive and it's in their backyard.

It's ours to defend.

UND TAKES DOWN THE BULLDOGS AND ADVANCES TO THEIR FOURTH-STRAIGHT FROZEN FOUR, 3-2.

Strap in, boys and girls. Thanks for reading.

Roses and Thorns: Trying to Take the High Road

UND and Minnesota Duluth scuffle after UMD's Neal Pionk (4) ran over North Dakota goaltender Cam Johnson (33)
in the first period of the Bulldogs' 4-3 win over the Green and White in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff Championship game
from the Target Center in Minneapolis on Saturday. Pionk was issued a five-minute penalty for the play. (Photo: Eric Hylden, GF Herald)

This must be said ...

DDC isn't "that guy" to criticize officiating. He's truly not. Refereeing sports is incredibly hard, having it done it at the high school level, DDC knows it's a no-win job.

This must also be said ...

DDC has never been one to question a team's leadership and/or integrity (other than maybe the Gophers ;) ).

With those things said, there were some ... we'll call it... questionable ... calls and some ... questionable ... penalties committed this Saturday night when the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs topped the UND men's hockey team 4-3 in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference's Frozen Faceoff championship game from the Target Center in Minneapolis.

The Green and White used a 5-on-3 power play goal to tie the game with just under three minutes to go in the third period. However, UMD would have the last laugh, netting their own 5-on-3 goal with under a minute left in regulation to take the Frozen Faceoff tournament title.

Below are some video highlights from this wild game, thanks to Goon and his blog. There are a few points to note, well, more than a few, actually ... DDC is going to take the high road and let you make the calls:

1:15 -- Neal Pionk takes out Cam Johnson; 2:00 Commentary on Previous Hit; 4:00 -- Kyle Osterberg Falls After Clear Penalty by Johnny Simonson; 4:20 -- Willie Raskob Falls After Scuffle with Hayden Shaw; 5:10 -- Dom Toninato Reacts to Call; 7:00 -- Hunter Miska Falls Down; 7:45 -- Dan Molenaar Falls Down -- Note Commentary After Fall.

With all of that said, while the Green and White aren't back in Grand Forks with a new piece of hardware, they come back with a lot of reasons to be happy.

UND topped Denver 1-0 on Friday night, holding Denver to just 21 shots on goal, a season-low total for the Pioneers, and broke a 0-3 skid in the Frozen Faceoff semifinals. The win mathematically clinched North Dakota a spot in the NCAA tournament for the 15th-straight season.

However, DDC Baby No. 2's magic ran out on Saturday night, as Duluth took the NCHC's autobid.

But hey, 5-1 ain't so bad.

Here's what stood out to DDC in his Frozen Faceoff edition of his Roses and Thorns column.

Roses

No. 1 -- Breaking the Target Center Curse

Finally, UND faithful left the Target Center in Minneapolis on Friday with smiles on their faces and not gonna lie, that felt pretty darn good. After three years of lethargic play and bad bounces, the Green and White played with pace and passion against Denver and got a bounce off those lovely, springy end boards and got a win in the Frozen Faceoff semifinals. Fans in the Target Center saw a team that was hungry and their defensive effort was tremendous on Friday night. It was a good win against arguably the best team in the country. Coupled with another great effort the next night against UMD, the Green and White showed they can hang with (and outplay) anyone in the upcoming NCAA tournament.

UND Jr. F, Austin Poganski and Shane Gersich celebrate Poganski's goal in the third period
of the Green and White's 1-0 win over Denver on Friday (Photo: Eric Hylden, GF Herald)

No. 2 -- Offensive Creativity

While this weekend wasn't a dynamite offensive effort, it was a very good one. What's more important in the eyes of DDC were the chances UND created, particularly on the power play. Outshooting the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the PairWise on a particular weekend isn't a small feat, particularly since both Denver and UMD are among the defensive teams in the nation. In a game that was largely played with special teams on Saturday night, the Green and White scored all three of their goals on the power play. Sure, they had 10 chances, but even when they didn't score, UND moved the puck well and broke the Bulldog PK box with sharp passing and created loads of chances. The top power play unit has started to become something special with Boeser, Jost and Gersich consistently finding each other in soft spots for scoring chances. Outside of the power play, Jost and Boeser paired together at times and are showing once again why they are NHL first rounders. When UND gets this kind of effort from its top forwards, the bottom six becomes that harder to handle and those lines have been creating a lot, too (see: Trevor Olson). For the Green and White, it's all about effort and speed. They brought that game to the Target Center this weekend and it turned out two great performances.

No. 3 -- Defensive Effort

UND Fr. D, Colton Poolman

What would you have said if DDC told you UND would shutout Denver, the best offense in the nation since January 1st, on Friday? What would you have said if DDC told you the Green and White would lose the NCHC Defensive Defenseman of the Year in Tucker Poolman to injury in the first period on Saturday and that UND would hold Minnesota Duluth down for large chunks of the game and nearly win? Crazy on both accounts, right? Well, not this weekend. As mentioned previously, North Dakota's game is all about speed and effort right now and that is showing up. On Friday, the Green and White held DU to just 21 shots, a season low for the Pioneers. On Saturday, it took a goal off a teammate's skate during a 5-on-3 penalty kill to beat netminder Cam Johnson for the game winner. The D-corps' physicality was tremendous. Colton Poolman and Hayden Shaw played with an edge this blogger has rarely seen. While Tucker's injury looms large, UND's young blue line took a big step this weekend in Minneapolis.

Thorns

No. 1 -- 27 Penalties and Four 5-on-3s

Simply put, this shouldn't happen. Like mentioned previously, DDC is going to take the high road and not overly criticize, but no way should a tournament championship be decided on a 5-on-3 power play. Nor should the game end up tied with less than 3 minutes to go on a 5-on-3 power play. The fact that the stripes reviewed Neal Pionk's contact with Cam Johnson and gave him a five minute penalty without tossing the sophomore defenseman is what, in DDC's opinion, let this game get away in terms of penalties. This was too good of a weekend for it to be hijacked by penalties. A bit of a shame, to say the least.

No. 2 -- An Injury and a Big One

Jr. D, Tucker Poolman
left Saturday's NCHC
Championship game
in the first period due
to injury and did not return

Tucker Poolman is a NHL defenseman. He has the frame, the offensive skill, the skating and the defensive prowess to be playing for the Winnipeg Jets, his draft team, as we speak. So, when he went down in the first period on Saturday against Duluth and did not return to action, a collective groan could be heard across NoDak nation. Head coach Brad Berry brought fans a little solace in the postgame presser, saying that Tucker is the toughest player in the NCHC and expects him to play on Friday when the NCAA tournament starts. It goes without saying that Tucker is invaluable to UND. Cheers to him hopefully being ready to go.

There you have it, hockey fans. Welp, the conference tournaments are over, the field is set and the NCAA Tournament starts in four days. UND will be in Fargo in a pretty eyebrow raising regional, considering history and this past weekend's event.

Check back on Friday as DDC previews the West Regional from Scheels Arena in Fargo -- Minnesota Duluth ( 😁 ) versus Ohio State and North Dakota vs. Boston University.

Thanks for reading!

Friday Gameday: The Luck of the Babe and of The Timeout

It's Frozen Faceoff weekend 2017 and the Target Center again plays host, this time with some new equipment!

For this blogger, it's truly the most wonderful time of the year. Welcome to Frozen Faceoff weekend 2017!

Of the four teams skating for the National Collegiate Hockey Conference tournament trophy this Friday and Saturday at the newly-renovated Target Center in downtown Minneapolis (check out that scoreboard!), only one isn't assured to be playing past their time at the Frozen Faceoff.

Denver, Minnesota Duluth and Western Michigan have done enough to this point in the season to guarantee a spot in the NCAA tournament when it starts next week. The UND men's hockey hasn't gotten there quite yet.

However, as noted in Grand Forks Herald hockey writer extraordinaire Brad Schlossman's blog, the Green and White can lock up their 15th-straight NCAA tournament berth with a win this weekend. With all scenarios run, UND would get in 100% of the time with at least one win at the Frozen Faceoff, but two losses would still have them in the tournament in 90% of the scenarios.

With that being said, the Green and White don't want to take any chances. UND has had plenty of struggles in the Target Center since the berth of the NCHC and with another expected large gathering of Green and White (Hello, St. Patty's Day! We'll get back to what St. Patty's day weekend means to UND a bit later) in the stands, could this be the year North Dakota finally breaks through in Minneapolis?

While the other three teams have less to play for in terms of the season, clearly, no team wants to back into the national tournament with a loss and playing for a trophy is always a big deal in a conference like the NCHC.

This weekend has four of the best teams in college hockey, including three potential No. 1 seeds for the NCAA tournament and it will certainly be fun to watch. Can UND keep riding Baby DDC No. 2's magic with their four-game post birth winning-streak? What is DDC watching for this weekend? Check out his "Who? What? How?" Frozen Faceoff preview and see who he thinks will skate away from the Target Center hoisting some hardware.

Who?

DU Fr. F, Henrik Borgstrom
leads the NCAA's 10th-best
scoring offense with 38 points.

Players to Watch

Denver

Fr. F, Henrik Borgstrom, 21 goals, 17 assists -- 38 points; So. F, Dylan Gambrell, 11g, 26a -- 37 points; So. F, Troy Terry, 19g, 17a -- 36 pts; Sr. D, Will Butcher, 6g, 29a -- 35 pts; Sr. G., Tanner Jaillet, 24-4-4, 1.84 Goals Against Average, .929 Save Percentage.

UND

So. F, Shane Gersich, 21g, 16a -- 37 pts; Fr. F, Tyson Jost, 15g, 16a -- 31 pts; So. F, Brock Boeser, 15g, 16a -- 31 pts; Jr. D, Tucker Poolman, 7g, 23a -- 30 pts; Jr. G, Cam Johnson, 19-11-3, 2.39 GAA, .904 SV PCT.

UMD Sr. F, Alex Iafallo

Minnesota Duluth

Sr. F, Alex Iafallo, 17g, 24a -- 41 pts; So. F, Adam Johnson, 16g, 15a -- 31 pts; So. D, Neal Pionk, 7g 22a -- 29 pts; Fr. F, Joey Anderson, 9g, 19a -- 28 pts; Fr. G., Hunter Miska, 22-4-5, 2.22 GAA, .917 SV PCT.

Western Michigan

So. F, Matheson Iacopelli, 20g, 14a -- 34 pts; Sr. F, Sheldon Dries, 15g, 14a -- 29 pts; So. F, Griffen Molino, 14g, 15a --29 pts; Fr. F, Wade Allison, 12g, 17a -- 29 pts; Fr. G, Ben Blacker, 17-5-2, 2.37 GAA, .922 SV PCT

What?

Standout Stats

Denver

The Pioneers lead the NCAA in scoring defense, allowing just 1.84 goals per game and are 10th best scoring offense at 3.39 goals per game.

Freshman forward Henrik Borgstrom, the newly-minted NCHC Rookie of the Year, is tied for second in the NCAA with six game-winning goals.

Senior defenseman Will Butcher was named a Hobey Baker Finalist, the lone pick for the NCHC as well as the conference's Player of the Year.

UND

The Green and White are 14th in scoring in the NCAA at 3.24 goals per game and are T-20 in scoring defense, allowing 2.59 goals per game.

During UND's four-game winning streak, junior forward Trevor Olson has the game-winning goal in three of those games.

Freshman forward Tyson Jost is one of six rookies in the NCAA averaging at least 1 point per game. Jost has a 1.03 point per game average.

Minnesota Duluth

The Bulldogs are 11th in the NCAA in scoring offense with 3.36 goals per game and are 10th in scoring defense, allowing 2.28 goals per game.

UMD has struggled to a paltry 80.4% penalty kill rate which slots them as No. 41 in the NCAA.

Freshman goaltender Hunter Miska is fourth in the NCAA in winning percentage at .790 and in shutouts with 5.

Western Michigan

The Broncos have the 8th-best scoring offense  (3.41 goals per game) in the NCAA and power play (21.8%).

Freshman goaltender Ben Blacker has the 6th-best winning percentage in the NCAA at .750.

WMU has struggled on the penalty kill, this season, stopping just 81.5% of opponents power plays. This ranks them 39th in the NCAA.

How?

How'd they get here?

No. 1 Denver (PWR: 1, 28-6-4, No. 1 seed in NCHC tournament) swept Colorado College 4-1, 4-0 in the first round of the NCHC tournament. The Pioneers are on a NCAA best 13-game winning streak.

No. 11 UND (PWR: 11, 20-14-3, No. 4 seed in NCHC tournament) swept SCSU 5-2, 6-5 (OT) in the first round of the NCHC tournament. UND has won five of their last six games after winning just three of the previous 10.

UND Jr. F, Trevor Olson netted the series-winning goal past St. Cloud State goalie
 Jeff Smith on Saturday. The Green and White take on Denver in the NCHC
Tournament semifinals from the Target Center in Minneapolis
(photo cred: GF Herald)

No. 3 Minnesota Duluth (PWR: 2, 23-6-7, No. 2 seed in NCHC tournament) swept Miami 5-4 (OT) and 5-3 in the first round of the NCHC tournament. The Bulldogs are 6-1-3 in their last 10 games.

No. 8 Western Michigan (PWR: 4, 22-10-5, No. 3 seed in NCHC tournament) beat No. 6 seeded Omaha in three games at home during the NCHC first round. Won Saturday and Sunday after falling on Friday. Sunday's win came 34 seconds into overtime when Michael Rebry netted the game winner.

The Pick(s)

Semifinal No. 1 -- Minnesota Duluth vs. Western Michigan

DDC likes the Bulldogs in this one. UMD is loaded up front with senior Alex Iafallo and and sophomore Adam Johnson leading the way and defenseman Neal Pionk is a dynamic playmaker in front of freshman netminder Hunter Miska who is 4th in the country in shutouts.

The Bulldogs dominated UND in their four games this year and DDC is of the opinion that they are the best team in college hockey right along with Denver.

With that being said, Western Michigan is having a tremendous year with a power play that can break a game. If WMU can slow down UMD's depth, this could go the way of the Broncos, but DDC thinks the Dogs take this one.

THE BULLDOGS HEAD TO THE TITLE GAME, 5-2.

 

Semifinal No. 2 -- Denver vs. UND

The stats scream Denver, but DDC is a homer and all of my readers know that. There are certainly many factors in this particular pick, but DDC just has a hunch here. That hunch comes from two things -- UND's Baby DDC No. 2 birth magic and their 4-0 current run and the luck of the Irish.

The luck of the Irish, you say, DDC? What do you mean?!

Well, think back, UND fans... when was the last time the Green and White took over the Twin Cities for a conference championship tournament during St. Patrick's Day weekend? 2012. You all remember what happened that weekend, don't you? Here's a hint that only needs two words ... The Timeout.

There is it. The luck of the Irish. The luck of the green. The 2012 WCHA Final Five is one of DDC's favorite tournaments he can remember. A special and incredibly memorable weekend. Is magic really in the air, this weekend in Minneapolis?

Let's look at this without bias, shall we? Denver is good. Really good, in fact. The Pioneers are No. 1 in the NCAA for a reason. They sport the NCAA's lowest goals against average (1.84) and are 10th in scoring. Freshman Henrik Borgstrom (NCHC rookie of the year) and sophomore Dylan Gambrell are two of the NCHC's best forwards and senior defenseman Will Butcher is the conference's only Hobey Baker finalist and was named the NCHC player of the year. Goaltender Tanner Jaillet was named the NCHC Goaltender of the Year, to boot. On paper, DU is the better team.

With all that said, DDC loves how UND is playing right now. They've found an effort level that has found them tough to beat, right now. Couple that with the play of their best players (Jost, Boeser, Gersich, T. Poolman and Poganski) over the last few weeks and the Green and White are poised for a big weekend. North Dakota knows they are one win away from the NCAA tournament and DDC expects them to play desperate.

Forget that the Green and White have yet to win a semifinal game at the Frozen Faceoff. Forget that DU has won a NCAA best 13 straight games. Forget that UND has been up and down this season. The Green and White need one win this weekend to clinch a berth into the NCAA tournament and rightfully defend their national championship.

The luck of the Green and of Baby DDC No. 2 continues in this one.

UND BREAKS OUT OF THEIR TARGET CENTER SEMIFINAL FUNK, 4-2.

 

Championship Game -- UND vs. Minnesota Duluth

See all above. Note that UMD has beaten UND four times this season. Forget that.

THE MAGIC CONTINUES ... UND TAKES THE NCHC TOURNAMENT TROPHY, 4-3.

There you have it, college hockey fans. Enjoy the weekend.

Roses and Thorns: Let's Keep This Short, Shall We?

In a battle of No. 1 and No. 2 in the NCAA, the UMD Bulldogs took it to No. 1 UND, sweeping the Green and White,
5-2, 3-0, for the Bulldogs' first home sweep over UND since 1992. (Photo: Duluth News Tribune)

For sanity's sake, we're going to keep this short and to the point.

In a showdown of No. 1 vs. No. 2 in the NCAA, No. 2 flat out put it on No. 1.

The UND men's hockey team traveled to Duluth and AmsOil Arena to take on the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs, in a city where they hadn't been swept since 1992. Two losses later, 5-2 on Friday and 3-0 on Saturday, the Green and White left Duluth with their first two losses on the season.

With the Presidential Election now just a week away, let's put this in prespective.

The last time UMD swept UND in Duluth, George H.W. Bush was the current president and Bill Clinton had just been elected as the next.

It was hard for DDC to find things he would consider Roses and Thorns were a plenty. So, DDC is going to keep it short. Flat out, UMD took it to the Green and White this weekend.

Roses

No. 1 -- Saturday's Strong Start

Yes, UND gave up the first goal for the sixth-straight game, but it came after a very solid start for the Green and White. UMD did not register a shot on UND goaltender Cam Johnson until 13 minutes into the game and had just three in the first 25. However, the Bulldogs scored 11:24 into the second period on a shorthanded goal, added a power play tally just over four minutes later and rounded out the third with another shorty, with under a minute left, in the second stanza to pace a 3-0 victory. A promising start didn't lead UND to victory, but showing some early spark is the only real bright spot for the Green and White on the weekend.

Thorns

No. 1 -- Not-so-Special Teams

UND went a paltry 1-for-13 with the extra man against the Bulldogs, including a 0-for-7 mark on Saturday that included two minute-plus long 5-on-3 power plays. To make things worse, UMD netted two shorthanded goals on Saturday. Through seven games, the Green and White are just 5-for-37 (13.5%) on the power play and are 30-for-36 (83.3%) on the penalty kill, ranking them 40th and T-32 in the NCAA, respectively. Yuck. Simply put, this has to improve. UND came to play on Saturday after a wholly disappointing performance on Friday, but lost the special teams battle and that lead to the sweep. Time for the Green and White to become special on special teams if they want to get the results they are looking for.

No. 2 -- Looking Young

UMD Jr. F, Alex Iafallo
notched a five-point weekend
against UND, including a
hat trick on Friday night.

Last year's national championship team certainly had its share of young players, but also carried a core of upperclassmen, like Drake Caggiula, Paul LaDue, Troy Stecher and others that really knew how to handle big-time situations. In Duluth this past weekend, UMD showed that kind of veteran presence and handled the big stage much better than UND. The Bulldogs got five of their eight goals in the series from upperclassmen, including a hat trick from junior Alex Iaffalo on Friday. Yes, UND's best player, Brock Boeser, is a sophomore and to attest to the looking young point, Boeser was held without a point in the series. As the season goes along, the freshmen and sophomores will continue to improve, but to go to the next level, the Green and White needs to lean on their upperclassmen who have been there before, particularly on the blue line.

Well, there you have it. Not much good came out of this weekend, but maybe this weekend's rough performance will lead UND to bigger and better things. 

For just the third time in 88 series, the Green and White were swept. That's a pretty remarkable run. 

Up Next? The Rivalry Returns

Can the Green and White shake off this performance? Well, we'll find out and it's coming at an interesting time as UND travels to Minneapolis this coming Friday and Saturday to take on their bitter rival Minnesota Gophers in a regular season series for the first time since UND left for the NCHC and the Gophers to the Big 10. 

Yes, DDC fans, it's UND/Minnesota week. It's time to turn the page. Bring on the Gophers. 

Check back later this week for the breakdown of the best rivalry in college hockey back at it from Mariucci Arena. Thanks for reading.

Friday Gameday: A Tussle at the Top

For a series in late October, it really doesn't get any better than this.

It's a showdown of the No. 1 UND men's hockey team and the No. 2 Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs from AmsOil Arena in Duluth, the first regular-season tussle between the nation's top two teams since 2008.

The Green and White come in undefeated, but a bit untested as they've beaten three teams, Canisius, RPI and Bemdiji State, with a combined seven wins. On the other side of that spectrum, the Bulldogs have proven their mettle against some of the NCAA's best, Michigan Tech, UMass-Lowell and Notre Dame, going 3-1-2.

It's the first National Collegiate Hockey Conference series for both teams and the points on the line aren't just for the polls as both are looking to start off on the right NCHC foot.

It's going to be a fun weekend against teams who know each other very well and here's what to watch for in DDC's "Who? What? How?" series preview.

Who?

Players to Watch

UMD So. D, Neal Pionk
leads all NCHC defensemen
with seven points (3g, 4a).

Minnesota Duluth

So. F, Adam Johnson, 4 goals, 3 assists -- 7 points; So. D, Neal Pionk, 3g, 4a -- 7 pts; Fr. F, Joey Anderson, 0g, 6a -- 6 pts; Sr. F, Kyle Osterberg, 3g, 2a -- 5 pts; Sr. F, Alex Iafallo, 2g, 2a -- 4 pts; So. G, Nick Deary, 1-0-2, 1.54 goals against average (6th in NCAA), .934 save percentage (T-10th in NCAA); Fr. G, Hunter Miska, 2-0-0, 2.73 GAA, .877 SV PCT.

UND

So. F, Brock Boeser, 6g (T-2nd in NCAA), 6a -- 12 pts (2nd in NCAA); So. F, Shane Gersich, 3g, 5a -- 8 pts; Fr. F, Tyson Jost -- 2g, 5a -- 7 pts; Jr. D, Tucker Poolman, 1g, 5a -- 6 pts; So. F, Joel Janatuinen, 3g, 2a -- 5 pts; Jr. F, Austin Poganski, 2g, 2a -- 4 pts; Jr. G, Cam Johnson, 5-0-0, 1.81 GAA, .899 SV PCT.

What?

Standout Stats

UND

The Green and White are allowing just 17.8 shots on goal per game, the best in NCAA by over three shots per game and are third in the country in shots on goal with 37.4 per game.

North Dakota is 6-1 all time at AmsOil Arena outscoring UMD 27-8 in those seven games including a pair of 3-0 shutouts last season. In fact, the Bulldogs haven't scored a goal against UND in 166 minutes and 23 seconds in AmsOil, the last coming in 2014.

With Zach Yon's goal in last Saturday's 5-4 win against Bemidji State, all five UND freshman forwards have scored a goal.

Minnesota Duluth

The Bulldogs haven't won a series against UND since 2008 and haven't swept the Green and White -- home or away -- since 1995.

Sophomore defenseman Neal Pionk's seven points (3g, 4a) leads all NCHC defenseman and Freshman goaltender Nick Deary is 6th in the NCAA with a 1.54 goals against average and 10th in the NCAA with a .934 save percentage. 

This weekend's series will be UMD's fourth consecutive playing a team ranked in the USCHO.com poll at the time they played their opponent. So far this season, the Bulldogs have played No. 17 Michigan Tech, No. 8 UMass-Lowell and No. 5 Notre Dame. 

How?

How'd they get here?

No. 1 UND (5-0-0) swept Bemidji State in Grand Forks, 3-2, 5-4, coming from behind from early deficits in each game. Going back to last Thanksgiving, the Green and White have lost just four times in their last 35 games (29-4-2).

No. 2 Minnesota Duluth (3-1-2) lost an exhibition affair against the USA U-18 team 2-1, while playing all three goaltenders one period and outshooting Team USA 33-18. UMD split a home series against Notre Dame on October 14-15 winning 4-3 on Friday and falling 3-1 on Saturday.

The Pick

UND has been dominant against Minnesota Duluth in AmsOil Arena since its opening in 2010, posting a 6-1 record
in the Bulldogs' home rink. The Green and White spoiled the opening in December 2010, rolling UMD 5-0. UND hasn't
allowed the Bulldogs a goal against in AmsOil in 166 minutes, 23 seconds, not scoring since 2014.

This series is an interesting one in many aspects. On one side of the ice, you have UND who is undefeated, but not having seen the quality of UMD and on the other, the Bulldogs have played top competition all season and are still No. 2 in the country.

The Green and White have had UMD's number of late in the regular season, including two sweeps last year, but Duluth knocked off UND in the Frozen Faceoff.

UND's Brock Boeser went absolutely nutty last weekend against BSU, netting his second-career hat trick on Friday and adding two more goals on Saturday and is kicking off his Hobey Baker campaign in style. The Green and White's top line of Boeser, sophomore Shane Gersich and freshman Tyson Jost have lit up the score sheet so far and are looking to cement themselves as one of the nation's top lines against a freshman goaltender in Nick Deary who came in highly touted and has brought that talent to the NCAA ice.

Will the Green and White continue its dominant play in AmsOil Arena? The Bulldogs are definitely aware of what UND has done to them in Duluth and overall in recent years and they will come out firing. UMD presents UND its first huge challenge of the year and despite going 5-0, the Green and White have had some big-time defensive lapses that have led to goals against. With a lineup chocked full of veteran scoring, the Green and White will need to tighten up defensively.

Another stat that could loom large is that UND has given up the first goal in 4-of-5 games this year. While they've come back to win in all four, falling behind against a UMD team that is getting solid netminding and features a defense with top D-men Neal Pionk and Willie Raskob, the Green and White need quick starts to get wins in Duluth.

With all of that said, DDC likes UND's depth so far as they have gotten scoring from all over the lineup. If they can get a couple goals from their bottom two lines, the top line of Boeser, Gersich and Jost could make up the difference. Until DDC sees UND falter, he's not going to pick against them.

UND SWEEPS AND CONTINUES TO MAKE AMSOIL ARENA ITS "REA EAST", 4-3, 3-1.

Thanks for reading and head back early next week to see who prevailed in the matchup of No. 1 versus No. 2. It should be a heckuva weekend.

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: The Two Dogs Have Their Days

St. Cloud State became the third team to capture the NCHC
Championship Trophy in three seasons of the event, topping
Minnesota Duluth 3-1 in the Frozen Faceoff championship
on Saturday at the Target Center in Minneapolis.

DDC did it again. It was UND vs. Denver and St. Cloud State vs. Minnesota Duluth on Saturday at the Frozen Faceoff.

Nailed it!

Wait... so you're telling me DDC went 0-3-1 this weekend in his picks?

Damn you, Target Center.

Much to UND and the DDC's chagrin, the Green and White again struggled at the NCHC Frozen Faceoff in Minneapolis dropping a 4-2 decision to UMD on Friday afternoon and playing to a 1-1 tie on Saturday against Denver, moving to 1-4-1 in three years of the tournament.

St. Cloud State topped Denver 4-2 in the other semifinal on Friday and capitalized on their chances in the Finals en route to a 3-1 win over the Bulldogs despite being outshot 34-18.

The two sets of Dogs had their days as SCSU won the NCHC Frozen Faceoff Championship Trophy and UMD, despite the loss in the final, punched a ticket to the NCAA tournament.

Here's what stood to the DDC in the Frozen Faceoff version of Roses and Thorns.

Roses

No. 1 -- The CBS Connects

UND So. F, Nick Schmaltz
scored two of three Green
and White goals this weekend.
The winger has goals in five
straight games for UND.

It's hard to be rosy when talking about UND's play this weekend as the Green and White didn't do much all weekend to keep the partisan Green clad crowd happy. However, it certainly started well. Just 49 seconds into Friday's game, the CBS flashed its scoring touch, as Nick Schmaltz buried a one-time feed on a nice drop pass from Drake Caggiula. It was a hot start for UND's electric line and this bodes well going forward. While the results didn't continue, it was good to see this line get a big goal early. Schmaltz scored two of three UND goals on the weekend and now has a five-game goal scoring streak heading into the national tournament. Harnessing that kind of play will be absolutely essential for the Green and White in the NCAAs.

No. 2 --  A Green and White Gathering

DDC had the pleasure of attending the Frozen Faceoff with Mrs. DDC and several of his closest friends and despite the results, he genuinely enjoyed his time this weekend. The Pourhouse again hosted a fun and raucous UND gathering and that energy moved across the street to the Target Center. For the 14th-straight season, North Dakota fans ascended on the Twin Cities and brought their passion and lively attitude and it made the Frozen Faceoff an amazing weekend, once again. Cheers to the fans. The NCHC, the city of Minneapolis and surrounding establishments, DDC is sure, also gives you all thanks.

Despite the results across the street at the Target Center, the Green and White faithful again turned out in droves to Minneapolis. For the 14th-straight season, UND fans made the Twin Cities their second home for a conference postseason tourney. Cheers to you, UND fans. Well done, once again. (Photo Credit: Logan Werlinger, GF Herald)

Thorns

No. 1 -- What Could Have Been

UND head coach Brad Berry
decided not to challenge a
potential goal late in the
first period on Friday, believing
the play was inconclusive.

Up 1-0 with the seconds ticking down in the first period on Friday's game against Minnesota Duluth, UND missed out on an apparent goal late in the period when officials decided not to review a shot by Tucker Poolman that may have been stopped by UMD netminder Kasimir Kaskisuo behind the goal line. UND bench boss Brad Berry explained that he decided not to challenge the call for fear of losing his timeout early in the game. “We tossed it around a little bit,” Berry said. “From our side, it looked like the pad got stuck out. We looked at it after the period and it looked pretty inconclusive to me. When you only have one timeout, you have to be very selective of when you use it. Asking all of the coaches on the bench, we decided not to take it. I thought it was inconclusive.” This could have made a big difference as Duluth took over in the second, but we will never know.

No. 2 -- Missed Opportunities

In both games, UND squandered leads and in both nights, the Green and White had their chances to extended leads, but failed to do so. Whether it was the decision to not challenge Poolman's close attempt against Minnesota Duluth or hitting several pipes and missing open nets against Denver, UND will need to remedy these missed opportunities immediately as it's one-and-done time starting on Friday in the NCAA tournament. Fans of the Green and White can take solace that their team had chances to make plays in the Frozen Faceoff, but these cannot be misses anymore. Duluth did a tremendous job on Friday in limiting UND's time and space. This cannot happen starting on Friday. The players must bear down and bury. Simple as that.

No. 3 -- Moving On Away from the Target Center

Another Frozen Faceoff, another disappointing weekend for UND.

UND Jr. D, Troy Stecher.

Whatever the reasons, the Green and White are mired in a paltry 1-4-1 record at the Target Center with the loss and tie this weekend. However, UND fans can take heart as they aren't playing in Minneapolis for the NCAA tournament.

"I can't point to one thing why we're losing here," UND defenseman Troy Stecher said after Friday's loss to UMD. "But it's better to lose now than next weekend in my mind."

Well said, Mr. Stecher. It's time to move on and UND will do just that and coach Berry sees no reason to panic. “We hit four pipes tonight,” Berry said after UND's tie with Denver. “Hopefully some puck luck will go our way next week. We need to make sure we play hard to get the puck luck and go forward. I think we’re in a good spot. Our guys are working hard. We’ll make sure we’re ready for next weekend.”

Thanks again for reading. Check back on Friday morning for DDC's preview of the Midwest Regional as UND takes on red hot Northeastern and Notre Dame battles Michigan.

Frozen Faceoff Preview: Top Four for the Title

Semifinals and Final on CBS Sports,
Third Place Game on NCHC.tv:

Game times:

UND vs. Minnesota Duluth, 4:08 p.m.;
St. Cloud State vs. Denver, 7:38 p.m.

Third place game, Saturday, 3:38 p.m.;
Championship game, Saturday, 7:08 p.m.

When the National Collegiate Hockey Conference was born, league brass picked the Target Center in Minneapolis to host its league postseason tournament with hopes that the central location would create a must-see weekend.

With UND, St. Cloud State and Minnesota Duluth all just hours away from the Twin Cities, the possibilities were ripe for a full arena.

While the first two incarnations of the Frozen Faceoff drew good numbers, this weekend's version could be the best ever.

All four quarterfinal series ended in sweeps by the top four seeds, with the three attendance golden geese, UND, SCSU and UMD all included. Throw Denver into the mix, a team in the midst of the nation's best 11-game winning streak, the NCHC tournament looks like it will fulfill all the dreams that officials hoped for in 2013.

The Bulldogs look to be the team who has the most to gain this weekend in Minneapolis as the Green and White, Huskies and Pioneers are all locks for the national tournament. UMD sits at No. 13 in the Pairwise Rankings and will look to cement their own spot. UND and SCSU look to be No. 1 seeds in the NCAA's and Denver is playing for a shot at their own.

Attendance. National tournament implications. Rivalries.

Strap in, folks. This is going to be a fun weekend.

Here's DDC's Frozen Faceoff preview in traditional "Who? What? How?" fashion.

Who?

Players to watch

UMD Sr. F, Tony Cameranesi

Minnesota Duluth

Sr. F, Tony Cameranesi, 10 goals, 24 assists -- 34 points; Sr. F, Austin Farley, 13g, 15a -- 28 pts; Jr. F, Alex Iafallo, 7g, 13a -- 20 pts; Sr. D, Andy Welinksi, 6g, 13a -- 19 pts; So. G., Kasimir Kaskisuo, 17-13-5, 1.89 goals against average, .924 save percentage.

UND

Fr. F, Brock Boeser, 25g (Most goals in NCHC, 2nd in NCAA in rookie goals, 4th overall in NCAA), 23a -- 48 pts (NCHC scoring champ, 2nd in NCAA in rookie scoring, T-7 overall); Sr. F, Drake Caggiula, 19g, 23a -- 42 pts; So. F, Nick Schmaltz, 8g, 32a (2nd in NCAA in assists per game with 1.03) -- 40 pts; Jr. D, Troy Stecher, 7g, 19a -- 26 pts; Mike Richter Award Finalist So. G, Cam Johnson, 20-3-1 (1st in NCAA in win percentage), 1.58 GAA (1st in NCAA), .938 SV PCT (T-1st in NCAA).

DU Fr. F, Dylan Gambrell

Denver

Fr. F, Dylan Gambrell, 15g, 27a -- 42 points (3rd in NCAA rookie scoring); Jr. F, Trevor Moore, 9g, 32a (T-5 in assists per game .91) -- 41 pts; So. F, Danton Heinen, 18g, 22a -- 40 pts; Jr. D, Will Butcher, 6g, 23a -- 29 pts; Jr. G., Tanner Jaillet, 15-3-5, 2.19 GAA, .928 SV PCT.

St. Cloud State

Sr. F, Kalle Kossila, 14g, 34a (7th in assists per game .89) -- 48 pts; Sr. F, Joey Benik, 21g, 23a -- 44 pts; So. F, Patrick Russell, 19g, 19a -- 38 pts; Sr. D, Ethan Prow, 8g, 27a -- 35 pts (NCHC's lone Hobey Baker Award Finalist and NCHC player-of-the-year); Mike Richter Award Finalist Jr. G, Charlie Lindgren, 28-8-1, 2.08 GAA, .926 SV PCT.

What?

Standout Stats

UND

The Green and White own the NCAA's third-best scoring defense allowing just 1.82 goals per game and has the NCAA's seventh-best scoring attack with a 3.66 goals per game average.

Drake Caggiula leads the country with a +38 while linemates Nick Schmaltz and Brock Boeser are tied for fourth at +34.

Sophomore goaltender and Mike Richter Award finalist Cam Johnson leads the NCAA in win percentage (.854), goals against average (1.58) and is tied for first in save percentage (.938).

Minnesota Duluth

The Bulldogs own the NCAA's eighth-best scoring defense allowing just 2.03 goals per game and is tied for sixth in the country on the penalty kill with a 86.2% kill rate.

UMD has struggled on the power play this season converting just 15.8% of their chances with the extra man. That mark is 41st in the NCAA.

Denver

The Pioneers own the NCAA's 14th best scoring offense at 3.22 and is 12th in the country in scoring defense, allowing 2.28 goals per game.

Denver's special teams have been average this season with the NCAA's 25th best penalty kill (82.9) and 29th best power play (17.9%).

DU's top line of Dylan Gambrell, Trevor Moore and Danton Heinen have accounted for 36% of the team's goals this season.
 

St. Cloud State

The Huskies have the second-best scoring offense (4.32 goals per game) in the NCAA and is tied for first in power play (29.5%).

SCSU's scoring defense is allowing the 10th least goals per game in the NCAA at 2.16.

Defenseman Ethan Prow is the league's lone Hobey Baker Finalist and NCHC player-of-the-year and goaltender Charlie Lindgren is one of five Mike Richter Award finalists as the nation's best netminder.

How?

How'd they get here?

No. 1 UND (No. 1 in PWR, 30-5-3) swept CC 7-1, 5-1 in the first round of the NCHC tournament. The Green and White are on a eight-game winning streak, the third best current streak in the NCAA.

UND swept CC last weekend in the NCHC quarterfinals. The Green and White
take on the UMD Bulldogs in the Frozen Faceoff semifinals at 4:08 on Friday.
Denver and St. Cloud State play in the other semifinal at 7:38. (Photo: GF Herald)

No. 16 Minnesota Duluth (No. 13 in PWR, 17-14-5) swept Miami 5-4. 3-1 in the first round of the NCHC tournament. The Bulldogs are on a six-game winning streak since being swept by UND in Geand Forks on February 19-20.

No. 4 St. Cloud State (No. 3 in PWR, 29-8-1) swept Western Michigan 4-3 (OT), 4-2 in the first round for the NCHC tournament. The Huskies are on a four-game winning streak and are 7-3 in their last 10 games.

No. 6 Denver (No. 6 in PWR, 23-8-5) swept Nebraska Omaha 5-2, 4-3 (2 OT) in the first round of the NCHC tournament. The Pioneers are on a NCAA best 11-game winning streak.

The Pick(s)

Four teams playing in four important games with four positions in the NCAA tournament on the line. Who is going to skate away from the Target Center with the Frozen Four Championship trophy?

North Dakota vs. Minnesota Duluth

UND and So. G, Cam Johnson
are 4-0 against UMD this season.
Johnson has allowed just two
goals in those four games.

The Green and White have beaten the Bulldogs four times this season, sweeping both series. In those four games, UND netminder Cam Johnson has allowed just two goals. All four contests have been tight-checking, playoff-type affairs. To expect anything different would just be silly.

UMD looks to have more to gain with a win as they are still trying to get into the NCAA tournament, but UND is still battling for the No. 1 overall seed.

The Frozen Faceoff has not been kind to UND in the first two years of the tournament as the Green and White are 1-3 at the Target Center. DDC sees this as a major motivation factor for North Dakota and expects to see a lot of jump from the Green and White on Friday afternoon.

UND EDGES UMD 4-3

St. Cloud State vs. Denver

SCSU Sr. D, Ethan Prow is the
NCHC's lone Hobey Baker
Award finalist.

This one will be a barn burner. These two team can fly up and down the ice with team speed and both have tremendous scoring touch.

St. Cloud's offense and power play seem to give them the offensive edge, but it's hard to go against Denver's 11-game winning streak.

If the Pioneers can limit slot chances and stay out of the penalty box, the line of Dylan Gambrell, Trevor Moore and Danton Heinen could take over. SCSU defenseman and NCHC player-of-the-year Ethan Prow and the rest of the Huskies will need to slow DU's top line.

DDC expects a lot of goals in this one and DU takes it late.

DU TOPS SCSU 5-4.

Third Place Game -- SCSU vs. UMD

With a loss to UND in the semifinals, the Bulldogs will officially be on the bubble.

UMD swept the Huskies in St. Cloud in late February in which the Bulldogs held the nation's second-best scoring attack to just two goals in the series. This series could go a long way in terms of how UMD plays SCSU in this match up.

Duluth will be a bit more rested and desperate in this one and they punch their ticket to the big dance with a win.

UMD BEATS ST. CLOUD 4-2

Championship Game -- UND vs. Denver

DDC thinks UND will take home the NCHC Frozen
Faceoff Trophy, topping DU in the championship game.

Depending on how everything shakes out, UND could be playing for the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAAs and Denver could be fighting for their own No. 1.

This game would feature two of the best top lines in the country with UND's CBS line of Drake Caggiula, Brock Boeser and Nick Schmaltz and DU's line of Gambrell, Heinen and Moore.

DDC's guess in that battle, they cancel each other out, so that means this game comes down to depth. The Green and White have shown over the last month or so that they are as deep as any team in the country. DU swept UND in Denver mid-February igniting a huge run for both teams. Since that series, UND has won eight in a row and DU pushed their streak to 11.

In that series, the Green and White defensive corps was leaky and DU's top line went to work. With a trophy and the No. 1 overall seed on the line, DDC thinks UND will remember that performance, shake off the Frozen Four demons and take home the hardware.

UND WINS AND TAKES HOME THE HARDWARE 3-2

Thanks for reading. Enjoy what should be an incredible weekend in Minneapolis and check back later to see how it went down.