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.

Rose and Thorns: Shippin' Up to Boston

UND gives a stick salute to the Scheels Arena faithful after their 4-1 win
over St. Cloud State on Saturday. (Photo: Eric Hylden, Grand Forks Herald)

Two weekends ago, the UND men's hockey team entered the NCHC Frozen Faceoff in Minneapolis fresh off a 5-1, 3-2 sweep of Colorado College as the favorites to take home some more hardware.

Two uninspiring losses later, their first in back-to-back form in two years, the Green and White suddenly found themselves looking for answers coming into the NCAA tournament.

As noted in last weekend's preview, what a difference a week makes.

The NCAA West Regional at Scheels Arena in Fargo saw UND get back to the form that got them the No. 1 seed in said regional. North Dakota rode the emotional wave of a raucous, green and white clad, highly-partisan crowd with a pair of convincing 4-1 wins over Quinnipiac and St. Cloud State to punch their ticket to the Frozen Four in Boston.

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

ROSES

No. 1 -- Scheels Arena

The aforementioned barn, just 70+ miles from the UND campus, provided a special dynamic that willed the Green and White to Boston. North Dakota sure did provide the crowd something to cheer about. The sold out arena delivered a distinct, home-ice advantage to the Green and White and UND played with a passion that could not be slowed all weekend. Every goal, big hit and timely save brought an enormous cheer from the 5,000+ in Fargo.

“It was awesome,” UND head coach Dave Hakstol said following the 4-1 win over Quinnipiac on Friday. “Right from walking in the building a couple of hours before the game right through the final buzzer. What a tremendous atmosphere for our players to have an opportunity to play in.”

No. 2 -- Tucker Poolman and Luke Johnson

DDC didn't give these two separate roses just to avoid getting too long, but, this pair certainly deserved it. Both Poolman and Johnson scored goals on Friday. Saturday, Poolman notched an assist and Johnson scored again, leading UND to the west region title. Outside of the scoresheet, these two both played uptempo, physical games all weekend. The pair led the way on the forecheck, as well. After a weekend that saw few players deliver on the energy part of the game in Minneapolis, these two set the tone for the Green and White.

No. 3 -- Andrew Panzarella

Before Saturday night's game, the senior defenseman had been a healthy scratch in 15 consecutive games for UND, so, to expect much of an impact from a player who hadn't scored all season was a bit of a long shot. In the biggest of spots, the Washington, D.C. native delivered. Playing for Keaton Thompson who was out with the flu, Panzarella scored a big-time goal in the first period that tied the game 1-1 and got North Dakota going when it desperately needed it. As it has been said many times this season, UND's strongest feature may be its depth. No stronger testament to that was the play of Panzarella on Saturday.

From Tom Miller of the Grand Forks Herald:

When UND coach Dave Hakstol was chatting with broadcasting crews before the regional, Hakstol mentioned Panzarella as one of the players who sets the bar for the team.

Before the regional, Hakstol mentioned Panzarella as one of the players who sets the bar for the team.

Hakstol said he received a few puzzling looks, because Panzarella hasn’t been in the lineup much lately.

“He sets the tone for our hockey team,” Hakstol said. “His work ethic and what type of teammate he is is what sets the bar.

“It’s not by accident that he’s able to step in and be successful. That’s not easy. That says all you need to know about the extra work that young man does to be prepared."

UND's Andrew Panzarella (22) celebrates his goal with Tucker Poolman
on Saturday. (Photo: Eric Hylden, Grand Forks Herald

No. 4 -- Zane McIntyre

Seriously. What else can be said about this kid? The Hobey Baker and Mike Richter Award finalist proved his mettle once again in Fargo. For the 14th and 15th time this season, McIntyre allowed just one goal in a game. Although not tested as much on Friday, the junior netminder certainly was tested on Saturday, making several point-blank saves against St. Cloud, leading his team to Boston.

THORNS

UND's Michael Parks (15) and Drake Caggiula celebrate a goal on Saturday
during their 4-1 win over St. Cloud State. (Photo: Eric Hylden, Grand Forks Herald

No. 1 -- Rand Pecknold

Quinnipiac looked to be down its best scorer, Sam Anas, in Friday night's game and Pecknold went as far as to say that they'd be "dreaming" to have the forward play. Well, he did. Although Anas was an afterthought throughout, this was interesting talk coming into a NCAA tournament. Was he trying to fleece the UND faithful? Who knows? Then, after QU fell to UND, Pecknold took a shot at the Fargo regional selection, stating it wasn't a neutral site. He later noted that being the No. 14 seed provided them no help. Sounds like sour grapes to this blogger.

No. 2 -- The Flu

Having several players fighting illness certainly isn't an ideal situation, but UND had to fight through just that this weekend. The Green and White were without a top defenseman, Keaton Thompson, due to the flu and reportedly had another player receiving IVs during intermissions. Here's to hoping the week off can get UND back to full health.

No. 3 -- Heartbreaking Final Game for MTU's Riley Sweeney

Man, this was tough. With Michigan Tech under a minute away from its first NCAA tournament win since 1981, Michigan Tech senior Riley Sweeney skated to the red line with an open St. Cloud State net, looking to seal the victory. Sweeney missed the net. SCSU netted the game-tying goal moments later and sent the game to overtime. Then, things got worse for Sweeney. MTU carried the zone in OT and the senior held the puck, but slipped to the ice. A two-on-one rush the other way led to the game-winning goal off the stick of St. Cloud's Judd Peterson. Absolutely heartbreaking stuff. Keep your head up, Mr. Sweeney.

So, that's it. Thanks again for reading. Check back in over the next handful of days leading up to UND's Frozen Four battle with Boston University on April 9.

Friday Gameday: It's Time

NCAA West Region
Friday (all times CT):
No. 1 North Dakota vs. No. 4 Quinnipiac, ESPN U, 7 p.m.
No. 2 Michigan Tech vs. No. 3 St. Cloud State, ESPN 3, 3:30 p.m.
Saturday:
UND/QU winner vs. MTU/SCSU winner, ESPN U, 8 p.m.

Ladies and gentlemen, it's that time of year.

It's time for one-and-done. It's time for white knuckles and sweaty palms.

It's time for beating hearts, greasy goals and queasy stomachs.

The time for conference championships and game-planning is over.

For the four teams in the NCAA West Regional, North Dakota, Michigan Tech, St. Cloud State and Quinnipiac, it's two wins to Boston and one loss to the golf course.

It's playoff time.

All four teams that will grace the Scheels Arena ice in Fargo, N.D. this weekend are coming off a loss. Another one will mean the end of their season.

All have some big questions that need answers this weekend.

One team, UND, is coming off losses in back-to-back games for the first time in two years. Two teams, QU and SCSU, are facing key injuries. The other, Michigan Tech, is playing in its first NCAA tournament since 1981.

Who will have the answers this weekend?

Let's get to it. Here's your breakdown of what we'll see this weekend.

The Teams

No. 1 North Dakota, 27-9-3, 16-2-2, NCHC regular season champion

Leading Scorers: Jr. F, Drake Caggiula, 16 g, 17 a --33 pts
Sr. F, Michael Parks, 12 g, 20 a -- 32 pts
Jr. D, Jordan Schmaltz, 4 g, 23 a -- 27 pts

16 players with at least 10 points

Jr. G, Zane McIntyre, 27-9-3 (2nd in NCAA in wins), .929 sv pct, 2.05 GAA

3.26 GPG (10th in NCAA), 2.33 goals allowed (10th in NCAA), 19.6% PP, 84.5 % PK, 23-0-2 when leading after 2

Last Action: 3-1 L vs. SCSU, 5-1 L vs. Denver in NCHC Frozen Faceoff

Big Story: What will be the response after losing back-to-back games for first time in two years? Playing in front of a partisan crowd, just 70 miles from home, UND will need to find goals.

No. 4 Quinnipiac Bobcats, 23-11-4, 16-3-3, ECAC regular season champion

Leading Scorers: So. F, Sam Anas, 23 goals, 16 assists -- 39 points
Sr. F, Matthew Peca, 7 g, 29 a (.76 per game, T-14 in NCAA) -- 36 pts
Jr. F, Travis Denis, 15 g, 18 a -- 33 pts

Jr. G, Michael Garteig, 22-9-3, .918 save percentage, 2.00 goals against average, 5 shutouts (T-6 in NCAA)

Split with SCSU 3-2 L, 4-1 in January

2.76 GPG, 2.24 goals allowed (11th in NCAA) 19.6% PP, 87.9% PK (6th in NCAA) +223 in shots

Last Action: 5-2 L vs. Harvard in ECAC semifinals

Big Story: Head coach Rand Pecknold played coy with media on Thursday after his leading scorer, Sam Anas, who was presumed to be out for the regional, practiced with a no-contact jersey.

No. 2 Michigan Tech Huskies, 29-9-2, 2nd in WCHA

Leading Scorers: Sr. F, Tanner Kero, 19 g, 26 a --45 pts
Jr. F, Alex Petan, 15 g, 29 a -- 39 pts
Jr. F, Malcolm Gould, 14 g, 17 a -- 31 pts

15 players with at least 10 points

Jr. G, Jamie Phillips, 28-8-2 (Leads NCAA in wins), 1.71 GAA (3rd in NCAA), .935 sv pct (3rd in NCAA), 6 shutouts (T-2 in NCAA)

3.55 GPG (6th in NCAA), 1.77 goals allowed (2nd in NCAA), 1.77 scoring margin best in NCAA, 21.6% PP (7th in NCAA), 85.4% PK, +307 in shots, 19-3-0 when leading after 2

Last Action: 5-2 L vs. Minnesota State in WCHA Title Game

Big Story: In NCAA tournament for first time since 1981. Are the Huskies just happy to be here?

No. 3 St. Cloud State Huskies, 19-18-1, 11-12-1, 6th in NCHC

Leading Scorers: Jr. F, Joey Benik, 16 g, 22 a -- 38 pts
Jr. F, Jonny Brodzinski, 20 g (11 power play goals leads the NCAA), 17 a -- 37 pts
Jr. F, David Morley, 17 g, 11 a -- 28 pts

So. G, Charlie Lindgren, 18-17-1, 2.26 GAA, .919 sv pct

2.76 GPG, 2.39 goals allowed, 23.7% PP (5th in NCAA), 80.0% PK (44th in NCAA)    

Last Action: 3-1 W vs. North Dakota, 3-2 L vs. Miami in NCHC Frozen Faceoff title game

Big Story: Forward Kalle Kossila and defenseman Andrew Prochno likely to return from injury.

The Picks

No. 1 North Dakota vs. No. 4 Quinnipiac

Will forward Sam Anas play against UND?

Earlier this week, the Bobcats looked like they would be without their most dynamic player, Sam Anas for this first-round showdown with UND.

A red, no-contact jersey and a no comment postgame presser from coach Rand Pecknold later, Anas looks like he could be ready to go.

Gamesmanship? Why not?

Before last weekend's mess-of-a-weekend for UND, the Green and White looked to be a no-brainer pick to make it to the Frozen Four in Boston with what will be essentially a home game just 70 miles from Grand Forks.

What a difference a weekend makes.

Two uninspiring losses later, can North Dakota bounce back?

Defense and goaltending have been the name of the game all year for the Green and White, but this weekend, UND must find a way to be desperate offensively. In losses to St. Cloud and Denver, a lack of energy was evident and 2 goals on the weekend showed that. UND failed to generate any kind of sustained offense in front of their opponent's net and we're held to perimeter shots that missed the net or were blocked by traffic.

DDC's take is that there is just too much senior leadership on this team to allow for another soft performance. North Dakota failed to find rebounds down low in two games last weekend. Expect to see this change.

UND finds a way to get to the paint and knock home some rebounds with a hard-working, Sioux-like victory.

UND WINS 3-1

No. 2 Michigan Tech vs. No. 3 St. Cloud State

SCSU Jr. Forward
Jonny Brodzinski

This is a tough one as DDC really likes both of these teams. St. Cloud State looks like it may get two key cogs, forward Kalle Kossila and defeseman Andrew Prochno, back in time for this weekend.

On the other side of the ice, Michigan Tech is a very well-balanced team, featuring a goaltender in Jamie Phillips that is in the top three in the NCAA in every important statistic. Up front, forward Tanner Kero is a Hobey Baker finalist for a reason.

St. Cloud State showed a tenacious trap game last weekend against UND and got two goals in 30 seconds at the end of the first en route to a victory that essentially got them into the NCAA tournament.

Offensively, SCSU has a dynamic power play that is lead by junior forward Jonny Brodzinski. If MTU can keep St. Cloud's power play off the ice, DDC likes them to advance.

MTU WINS 3-2

North Dakota vs. Michigan Tech, West Region Championship

UND Jr. Goaltender
Zane McIntyre

One player that DDC did not mention in his pick of the UND vs. QU is certainly an important one --

The Thief River Falls, Minn., native was visibly frustrated during UND's loss to Denver last weekend, as the netminder was hung out to dry many times last Saturday afternoon. However, all season long, when UND needed a big stop, the Hobey Baker finalist was the man for the job. And as it often does in the NCAA tournament, goaltending will be the difference in this one.

The Huskies have seen their netminder take control of his fair share of games this season, too. This one will be a treat to watch.

Throughout his three-year career at UND, McIntyre has certainly had his ups and downs, but has shown the ability to shutdown any opponent.

Tech is looking to stake claim to a renewed program and find its way to Boston, but McIntyre won't let it happen.

Big time players find a way to put their team on their back and Zane McIntyre will show his mettle on Saturday, finding an elite level in victory.

UND WINS 3-0

We're all ready. Bring on the Big Dance.