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!

Roses and Thorns: Oh Baby (Boy)! What a Start!

It's been quite a week for DDC both personally and in sports fandom as it was found out Tuesday that baby DDC No. 2 brewing in Mrs. DDC's belly is boy No. 1. While baby DDC No. 1 surely has embraced her father's love for the Green and White (and the Yankees, G-Men and Rangers, too), a baby boy brings about memories of Grandpa DDC's grooming in sports love and brings a smile to his face.

Baby DDC No. 1's recruitment for the (roughly) 2033-34 UND women's hockey team has been rampant since her March 2013 birth and baby DDC's No. 2 window for the 2037-38 UND men's hockey team is now open. Brad Berry, Dane Jackson, Matt Shaw... feel free to drop a comment. The roadmap to your team's success is traced to this blog.

In tandem with the personal news, DDC has been enjoying the No. 1 UND men's hockey team's start at defending their national title. While the first two weekends brought little resistance in Canisius and RPI, Bemidji State, who came into last weekend's series at the Ralph Engelstad Arena also undefeated on the season, came to play. However, the skill of the Green and White won the weekend as UND swept the Beavers 3-2, 5-4.

On Friday night, BSU came out and struck quickly, scoring the first two goals of the game, staking a 2-0 lead early. However, UND sophomore sensation Brock Boeser then entered the equation. Boeser ripped off a natural hat trick in a span of less than 20 minutes in the second and third, the last on a penalty shot with just over seven minutes left in the game, to get UND a 3-2 win. On Saturday, Boeser did it again, netting two goals as the Green and White held on late to earn the sweep, 5-4.

Here's what stood out to DDC in his first Roses and Thorns series review of the 2016-17 season.

Roses

No. 1 -- Brock Boeser

The Burnsville, Minn., native entered the series with BSU with seven points, leading the team, but just one of those were goals. While this development certainly wasn't a bad thing, REA crowds came accustomed to seeing Boeser score goals. Maybe he needed to see the Beavers, again? On the heels of his first-career hat trick last season against BSU, Boeser did it again on Friday and netted two more on Saturday. Boeser earned his second NCHC Offensive Player of the Week honor in three weeks, with the effort. The Alternate Captain now has 12 points on the season and his 2.40 points per game average is second in the country. Boeser scored from all over the ice on the weekend and it was just further evidence that UND absolutely has a NHL-type player on its team. Here's a video recap of Boeser's Friday night hatty, topped off by his game-winning penalty shot goal.

No. 2 -- Comeback Kids

It's been an odd trend for UND to not score the first goal this season as they have only done so in their season opener, but that hasn't prevented wins. The Green and White trailed 2-0 against BSU, but absolutely rolled in the second half of the game and came back to win. Again, they trailed the Beavers on Saturday, just 2:53 into the game, in fact. But again, UND roared back, potting five straight before holding on for a 5-4 win. While getting behind early isn't a great thing, the ability to fight off adversity and finding ways to win certainly is. 

No. 3 -- Welcome Freshmen

UND Fr. F, Zach Yon
netted his first-career
goal on Saturday night.

Exactly half of UND's goals from its national championship team from last season came from players that are not on their 2016-17 roster. Through five games this season, the Green and White freshmen forwards are doing their part to replace some of those goals. Roseau's Zach Yon netted a goal, the first of his career, on Saturday night. With that goal, all five of UND's rookie forwards have found the back of the net. Tyson Jost (2 goals) looks to be the big-time player that his draft stock indicated coming into the year while Ludvig Hoff has cemented his spot in the lineup with three points (1 goal, 2 assists). Cole Smith and Dixon Bowen both have scored, as well. This is a huge development for the Green and White and it's certainly been a welcomed start for UND's freshie forwards.

Thorns

No. 1 -- Defensive Lapses

As previously mentioned, UND lost a lot of production from its national title squad and it wasn't just offensively. Losing the likes of Paul LaDue and Troy Stecher on the blue line has forced some inexperience into the lineup for UND and it has shown, at times. While the Green and White are allowing just 17.8 shots on goal per game, by far the best in the NCAA, it has seen some questionable defensive lapses and blunders that have left netminder Cam Johnson out to dry and have Johnson below a 90% save percentage, thus far. The blame can be spread around as not even the veterans have been immune to hiccups so far, but UND needs to find a reliant pairing from its freshman D-men. Junior Tucker Poolman and senior Gage Ausmus logged upwards of 30 minutes of ice time each night (not an official stat in NCAA hockey) and keeping these two fresh is important. UND needs more help on the backend.

No. 2 -- Slow Starts

"Wait a second, DDC. Didn't you just say that UND's four comeback wins so far this season is a good thing?" Sure it is, but it's definitely not ideal. Having the ability to fight off a slow start and find a way to win will do nothing but help this team as the season progresses, but as the schedule turns to NCHC play and tougher non-conference opponents, playing from behind will be a much tougher task. As the defending national champion and a perennial NCAA power, UND gets its opponents' very best from the drop of the puck night in and night out. That being said, digging early holes cannot continue to be a trend for the Green and White.

Keeping it 100

This was post No. 100 in Daddy Dump and Chase history and at last check, DDC has reached over 40,000 (WOW!) views. It's been so fun to do and from a grateful author, a simple thank you for reading!

Speaking of tough opponents and a rougher schedule, tune back in later this week as DDC previews a battle of No. 1 vs. No. 2. UND travels to Duluth to take on the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs, the newly dubbed No. 2 team in the country, in a huge NCHC schedule opening series. Come back and read post No. 101, please!

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!

Roses and Thorns: Dynamic, Game-Breaking, Cold-Blooded Goal Scoring

Following the UND men's hockey team's exhibition win over Manitoba, the DDC wrote in his Roses and Thorns column that this year's team might have something that had been lack over the last handful of years in Grand Forks: dynamic, game-breaking, cold-blooded goal scoring.

If there was any doubt that the 2015-16 Green and White lack that special knack, one play may have put that all to rest.

UND raced out to a 5-0 lead on Miami on Friday night, but gave up back-to-back goals in the third period to make the game interesting. Then, one play put the college hockey world on notice that this North Dakota squad has a scoring punch that is something to behold.

Any questions?

The goal had Grand Forks, social media and the college hockey world buzzing. But, UND didn't stop with that goal and 6-2 win.

On Saturday night, despite being heavily out shot, Miami looked to hush all the hype and scored a goal with just under 6 minutes to go in the third to take a 3-2 lead. But, once again, the cold-blooded scoring punch rang true for UND when Nick Schmaltz buried the game-tying goal with an extra attacker to tie the game at three and Luke Johnson scored just 1:23 into overtime to give the Green and White a National Collegiate Hockey Conference sweep, 4-3.

Here's what stood out from this weekend's series at the Ralph in DDC's weekly Roses and Thorns column.

Roses

UND Sr. F, Drake Caggiula leads the Green and White with 13 points (4g, 9a)
this season. The senior paces his vaunted "CBS line" with sophomore Nick
Schmaltz and freshman Brock Boeser. (Photo credit: Grand Forks Herald.

No. 1 -- The CBS line

Honestly, DDC could just go ahead and say "see above" and point you to the attached video, but that would diminish the impact that the line of Drake Caggiula, Nick Schmaltz and Brock Boeser had again this weekend. Leading the way once again, this line racked up 13 points (5 goals, 8 assists) including a 1 goal, 3 assist Friday night from both Schmaltz and Boeser. DDC's friend told him earlier this past week before the Miami series that he thinks Schmaltz might be the best passer he's ever seen in college hockey. His opinion is one that DDC respects pretty much more than any, but he was hesitant to give Schmaltz that honor. However, after this weekend, it really is becoming hard to argue. Couple the play-making touch of Schmaltz with the pure scoring from Boeser and Caggiula, UND has something special this season.

No. 2 -- Rhett Gardner

With heralded freshmen of the likes of Boeser, Shane Gersich and Chris Wilkie coming into the program, the big-bodied Gardner was a bit of an afterthought. After a goal in each game against Miami, the Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan native appears to be carving out a big role with this UND squad. With a team full of scoring touch, Gardner is adding a net-front presence and that showed against Miami. Gardner tipped in a Troy Stecher point shot on Friday and buried a pass from Caggiula on the door step on Saturday, netting his second and third goals of the season. As the Green and White continue on their schedule with defenses keying on UND's elite scoring, greasy, tough-guy goals from guys like Gardner and Austin Poganski will be very important.

No. 3 -- Tucker Poolman 

Speaking of big bodies... after missing the previous four games with a leg injury, the sophomore defenseman got back in to the lineup this weekend and Poolman did not miss a beat. The East Grand Forks native was a plus 4 and assisted on UND's first goal on Saturday night. With junior d-man Paul LaDue missing Saturday's game with an injury, Poolman logged heavy minutes and was on the ice for all four of UND's goals. Fans of the Green and White know what this guy is capable with his rocket of a slap shot from the point, but Poolman showed his lock down defensive ability this weekend.

Thorns

No. 1 -- Injuries

UND Jr. D, Paul LaDue

Even though it may turn out not to be a serious one, LaDue's injury in the second period on Friday is certainly a cause of frustration for UND. LaDue has had a bit of a slow start to the 2015-16 season, but potted his first goal of the season on Friday night before leaving before the start of the third. Early indications are that LaDue may not miss any time, but if he does, the junior will be the ninth player to sit because of injury this year for the Green and White.

No. 2 -- Special Teams

Miami came into this weekend's series boasting the nation's third-best penalty kill and despite UND notching a power play goal early in the first period on Friday, the Green and White struggled the rest of the weekend, going a total of 1 for 7 with the extra man. The penalty kill didn't fare any better, allowing three power play goals in the series. After a nice stretch of penalty kill play over the previous two weekends, UND reverted to its early-season struggles a bit and are a dismal 79.1% while down a man on the season. With the scoring touch that the Green and White have shown this season, 14.3% on the power play certainly isn't a game-breaking number. These two areas will need to improve going forward.

There you have it. Come back later this week as UND travels down I-94 to take on rival St. Cloud State from Herb Brooks Arena in St. Cloud. 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.

Rose and Thorns: Don't Be a Liar

Raise your hand if you thought UND would be down 4-1 at any point to Lake Superior State this weekend.

Anyone? If your hand is up, you’re a liar.

Despite a stunning first half of the game on Friday that silenced the home crowd at Ralph Engelstad Arena, the No. 1 team in the country showed precisely why they earned that distinction coming into the weekend, ripping off six unanswered goals en route to a crazy 7-4 win.

In the series finale on Saturday, UND’s performance wasn’t its prettiest of the year, but North Dakota took care of business and earned a non-conference sweep with a 3-1 victory over LSSU. 

Here’s what stood out to DDC against the Lakers in this week’s edition of Roses and Thorns:

Roses

No. 1 – Tucker Poolman

Injuries to Drake Caggiula and Colton St. Clair forced the freshman defenseman to move to forward on Friday night and Poolman paced UND’s furious comeback win with a dynamic two-goal performance. Poolman netted his first on the power play to make it 4-2 and reignited the REA crowd and his second goal, again on the power play, knotted the game at 4-4. From there, the route was on. This freshman has a unique blend of size, skill and scoring touch and his versatility led UND to the win on Friday.

UND senior forward Michael Parks celebrates his third period power play
goal on Friday night. The Green and White were lethal with extra man this past
weekend, going a combined 5-for-8. Photo credit: UND Sports.

No. 2 – UND’s Power Play

After struggling mightily over the last handful of weekends, UND got back on track this weekend going a combined 5-for-8. Freshman Nick Schmaltz makes this unit go and they went all weekend.

No. 3 – Zane McIntyre

What else can be said about this kid? The junior netminder made two huge saves, one with UND still trailing and another while tied on Friday night after coming in cold after a tough start for freshman goaltender Cam Johnson. On Saturday night, McIntyre wasn’t very busy, but kept LSSU at bay, especially during a late push by the Lakers with UND nursing a tenuous 2-1 lead. As McIntyre goes, so goes the Green and White. Two more wins for the all-world North Dakota goalie. 

Honorable mention – LSSU’s Jerseys

Classic and timeless. Great colors and a solid logo. Simply put, those sweaters are a thing of beauty.

Thorns

No. 1 – Injuries

UND has been bitten by the injury bug a lot this year and the Green and White may have had it’s biggest one to date when sophomore defenseman Troy Stetcher went down with a leg injury on Saturday. Arguably UND’s best d-man so far this year, Stetcher went leg first into the boards in the third period and his status is unknown going forward. UND lost St. Clair on Friday as well, but saw Caggiula come back to the ice on Saturday night after missing a large portion of Friday night’s game. Injuries are part of the game, unfortunately, and it’s next man up for the Green and White. 

No. 2 – Cam Johnson

DDC didn’t want to pick on the freshman netminder’s shaky first-career start on Friday, but it showed UND fans a nervous side to life without an experienced backstop. Johnson fought the puck as LSSU jumped out to a 3-0 lead that saw the freshman get yanked, but lucky for UND, they never really lost control of the game. If something were to happen to McIntrye injury-wise for North Dakota, Johnson would be the man running the show. Johnson needs to fix whatever jitters he was plagued with on Friday. Depth at all positions is key to a deep run.

No. 3 – Dumb Penalties

UND kept the Lakers from scoring a power play goal all weekend, however, dumb penalties stymied an early UND comeback just a minute after scoring a huge 3-1 goal on Friday night after a slashing call on Luke Johnson. It didn’t stop the comeback, but those kinds of penalties can’t happen against more talented teams. Saturday night, UND couldn’t get any offense rolling in the first due to penalties. Again, ultimately, it didn’t matter, but this needs to be a point of emphasis going forward.

Check back later this week as DDC takes a look at UND’s series with conference foe and longtime-rival Denver.