Roses and Thorns: Doesn't Mean Much, But a Good Start

UND watches as it's 2021 NCHC championship banner was raised at the Ralph before
the Fighting Hawks' 2-1 exhibition win over BSU. Photo credit: Russel Hons.

Alright, folks, it's Roses and Thorns time! For those of who are new to the blog, and since it's been a bit since DDC has done one, let's explain how this little thing goes. So, DDC will recap this past weekend ... the things DDC believes went well, stood out, were solid, they get a rose. The things, events, situations that DDC believes went poorly get a thorn. Let's be honest, this is a game where everything is made up and the points don't matter.

Let's get after it!

The University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks had an exhibition this past Saturday that was not your normal exhibition. Normally, the Green and White takes on Canadian college team the Manitoba Bisons, but since everything is still kind of stupid, the NCAA allowed teams to schedule exhibitions against Division I opponents. Scheduling a game against the Bemidji State Beavers was an incredibly smart move for both teams. Instead of coasting through a match up against an inferior opponent just to get the legs warm, both of these squads were able to check out real, top-notch opposition. In fact, this game served as a scouting session for both teams as the two will play a home-and-home series in two weeks.

For the first two periods, this one looked like an exhibition -- sloppy play, turnovers, lack of offensive flow -- and the score was tied at 1. Then, like North Dakota fans are hoping to see all season, perhaps college hockey's premier defenseman (no, sorry Owen Power), did what he does. Sophomore defenseman Jake Sanderson gathered a loose puck to the left of the UND goal, blazed coast-to-coast and fired a quick shot to beat BSU netminder Gavin Enright at 11:02 of the third to give the Hawks the 2-1 lead which they never relinquished.

Here's what stood out to DDC.

Roses:

1) The Ralph is Back

Take a listen to the building when Sanderson buried his goal. Starts at about 2:40 into the clip:

God, that was missed. Cheers to full buildings in 2021-22.

2) Transfers, Rookies Look Solid

UND Goalie Zach
Driscoll stopped
16 of 17 shots

With 14 new faces (9 freshmen, 5 transfer additions) on this year's squad, a lot of anticipation was built around how these players would fit into UND's mold. As was pointed out by the GF Herald's Brad Schlossman, the Fighting Hawks saw all of their transfer players look like they belonged, basically because, well, they've played college hockey before. Forwards Connor Ford and Ashton Calder played well with Calder showing great speed and quickness. Defensemen Chris Jandric and Brady Ferner both had solid showings. DDC was impressed by Jandric's vision and structure. Lastly, goaltender Zach Driscoll was incredibly steady against his former BSU brethren stopping 16 of 17 shots including a clutch save on a clean breakaway with seven minutes to go. As for the rookies, the Green and White faithful saw a consistent performance by Jake Schmaltz, wearing his cousin Nick's former No. 8 jersey and settling in to a second-line winger spot. Nick Portz played a tremendous defensive game, slotting in on the second penalty kill and center Mateo Constantini went 5-for-6 in the faceoff dot. Great starts all around for UND's new faces.

3) The Straw Stirs the Drink

As noted in his 2021-22 season preview, DDC believes Sanderson will be the key-est of all keys for UND this season and the alternate captain immediately started to stir that proverbial drink for his team. Sanderson looked every bit of his status, potting the game-winner and adding an assist in the exhibition. Going back to the clip of his goal, his speed is just flat out game changing. Watch as he sees the defenseman continue to give him space. He hits the blue line and just goes. Quick shot, boom. Goal. Enjoy him, boys and girls. He's a special, special player. 

It was also nice to see sophomore forward Riese Gaber didn't forget how to shoot. Going back to the highlights, check out this rocket at around 1:10 into the clip. No doubter. That top powerplay unit of Gaber, Sanderson, Calder, Ford and Judd Caulfield could end up being really fun to watch.

Thorns:

1) The Need to Gel

Pointing out all the good this game had to offer is important, but it'll be important to note that UND did not have a lot of grade A opportunities in this one. Facing a solid opponent in Bemidji State, which DDC thinks will fare very, very well in the reincarnated CCHA (RIP WCHA 😞), showed that the Green and White may take some time before they develop consistent offensive prowess. With last season's team, the Fighting Hawks had three solid lines that could chip in on any night, but simply put, they didn't have that on Saturday. With 14 new faces, this team will need to rely on structure, goaltending, and solid defense to get some of these rookies up to speed and for new lines to develop. The pieces however are, without a doubt, there. 

Thanks for reading! DDC will be back later this week as UND starts its regular season schedule with an important non-conference series with the Niagara University Purple Eagles Friday and Saturday at the Ralph. 

The Return

*Screen pans across the ice, focusing on group of bloggers, readers, fans. Long, slow camera draw towards the far corner. Enter, the returning protagonist*

*Camera shift towards protagonist. Dramatic music rises*

*Protagonist's brow furled, clutching laptop, skating towards crowd*

*Protagonist's stride slowly extends as the group takes notice of returning protagonist. Music builds*

*Camera pans crowd, acknowledging protagonist. Faces stunned*

"It's DDC."

*One in crowd claps. Again. Again. Camera pans to another in crowd. Joins slow clap. Crowd continues to join*

*Music crescendos* 

*Protagonist begins 3/4 skate towards crowd, opens laptop as claps reach summit. Protagonist joins the crowd*

END SCENE

Too much? Meh. It's been a while, and DDC enjoys an entrance.

It's been 1,398 days since DDC's last post, a November 20, 2017 recap of then No. 1 Denver and No. 3 UND splitting a series in Magness Arena. That was a fun one, by the way. Green and White were down 3-0 on Friday and came back to win 5-4 in wild fashion. Anyway, it's been a while! Let's catch up!

What's up?

Welp, not much has happened since 2017, amirite?! Right?? *Insert overplayed, lame 2020-21 joke here*. DDC has been busy. Right before and right as the world went nutty, a house was sold, a move to the in-laws occurred, a new house was purchased, a MBA was completed, and DDC baby No. 3 came along. 

And, NOTHING. ELSE. HAPPENED. DDC swears. How about you? Nothing? Good. Glad all is well 😀

New season, new DDC -- well, old DDC? Idk. We're blogging, again

DDC swore he'd get back to his droves of fans once the MBA was done. It's done, so he's here. We'll be rolling this out again, at least once a week, during the hockey season, to chat about the good and the bad of our beloved University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks. *sigh* ok... he did it. He said it. Fighting Hawks. Time heals all terrible monikers, or something like that.

The Green and White have changed, a lot, obviously, since DDC has been gone, but the game stays the same. UND comes into the 2021-22 season as the two-time defending Penrose Cup champions as NCHC regular season winners and fully expects to compete for green banner No. 9, this year. The Hawks should be a physically dominant and defensive-minded team that, if the offense clicks with a hoard of new faces (transfers and freshmen), could be a real contender. More on that in the coming weeks as we inch towards the October 2nd exhibition against Manito... er, uh, Bemidji State. Wait, what? Yeah, we'll get to that. Stay tuned!

DDC is back, ladies and gentlemen. Looking forward to hearing from all of you.

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!

Friday Gameday: DDC's Apology, A Quick Recap and Battling the Beavs

Sophomore forward Joel Janatuinen (25) celebrates his first goal in a hat trick performance on Saturday in UND's 5-2
win over RPI. Janatuinen has helped pace a Green and White attack that has lead to a 3-0 record. (Photo: GF Herald)

Did you all miss me? No? Well, DDC is sorry, anyway.

A busy schedule, including starting his MBA earlier this month, has led DDC away from his readers and for that, he is truly sorry! Time management, people!

Let's get right into it.

Since DDC last wrote, the defending national champion UND men's hockey team hasn't skipped a beat. Just in case those reading rely on DDC as their only way to follow college hockey (He knows better, but just in case), here's what's been happening with your Green and White.

Two Weeks In, Still on Top

DDC noted in his season preview that the three main storylines for the 2016-17 UND men's hockey team were defense, an emergence of a new, dominant top line and a battle between the pipes. Well, it seems that the script is going to plan for the Green and White.

Offense From Top to Bottom

UND So. F, Brock Boeser
leads the team in points
with seven (1g, 6a).

The CBS line of last season saw consistently dominant play. The only returner from that vaunted line, sophomore sensation Brock Boeser is starting his potential Hobey Baker campaign off on the right foot and freshman Tyson Jost is living up to expectations. Boeser tallied six points (1g, 5a) in an opening weekend 6-0, 4-1 sweep of Canisius, earning NCHC Player of the Week honors and added an assist in a 5-2 win over RPI last Saturday, leading the team with seven points on the year. Jost and Shane Gersich, who has filled out the top line in the first three games, are tied for third with four points a piece.

But, the top line isn't the end of the story. UND has seen scoring from all over the lineup through their 3-0 start, highlighted by sophomore Joel Janatuinen's hat trick against RPI last Saturday. The Espoo, Finland native is second on the team with five points (3g, 2a). Along with Janatuinen, the Green and White has gotten a big season start from another European product. Freshman forward and Norway native Ludvig Hoff scored his first-career goal last Saturday against Canisius and assisted on two of Janatuinen's goals against RPI to bring his point total to three (1g, 2a) through three games. In total, 16 players have tallied a point, so far and seven players are averaging at least a point per game. It's been a solid start for UND's depth to see scoring from all over the stat sheet.

The 'D' is Dominant

Through three games, UND's D corps hasn't allowed an opponent more than 17 shots, outshooting teams 118-42 and outscoring them 15-3. Cam Johnson has started where he left off his 2015-16 Mike Richter award finalist season, allowing just three goals (1.00 goals against average) and posting a 92.8 save percentage. With a couple of freshmen defenseman anchoring spots No. 5 and 6 in all three games, UND's defense is definitely doing its job. 

Bring On the Beavers

For the sake of length, DDC will forgo his usual "Who? What? How?" preview and will summarize who's to watch when UND takes on the Bemidji State Beavers this weekend from Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks.

After a relatively easy pair of weekends, the No. 1 Green and White will be tested against BSU. The Beavers are No. 18 in this week's USCHO.com poll on the heels of a 4-0 start after a pair of sweeps of WCHA opponents. The first came against preseason top pick Bowling Green 2-1, 4-1 on opening weekend and the second last weekend against Northern Michigan, winning 2-0 both nights.

Junior forward Myles Fitzgerald leads the Beavers with five points (1g, 4a) and sophomore forward Jay Dickman's team-leading two goals. Junior netminder and Moorhead native Michael Bitzer has dazzled through four games, starting in each, with a 0.50 goals against average and a 97.7 save percentage with two shutouts.

The Pick

The Beavers are coming into the weekend hot, just like the Green and White and they are looking to prove to the college hockey world that they are here to stay in 2016-17. This is always a tight series with two teams that know each other very well. After a couple of weekends where UND dominated, this series isn't going to come that easy.

DDC has been very impressed with UND's play through three games. This team has had a lot of contributions from top to bottom of their lineup and their defense has shutdown their opposition through three games.

While Bowling Green and Northern Michigan certainly are not weak opponents, BSU hasn't seen the depth of talent that UND will bring to the Ralph in this weekend's series. Plus, they are coming to UND's barn where they have lost just four times in their last 43 games at home (35-4-4).

The battle between the pipes will loom large in this one and while Bitzer has absolutely had a stellar start and has been a quality netminder in his career, Cam Johnson has proven his meddle on the big stage against top tier teams and DDC thinks this is where North Dakota has the advantage.

UND KEEPS THE HOME SUCCESS ROLLING AND SWEEPS THE BEAVERS TO STAY UNDEFEATED, 4-2, 3-1.

Thanks for coming back and cheers to another weekend of college hockey.

A Banner Year: DDC's Top 10 Moments of 2015-16

UND captain Gage Ausmus is presented the national championship trophy as the Green and White celebrate
their first title since 2000 after beating Quinnipiac 5-1. (Photo: Shawna Noel Schill, UNDsports.com)

It's been 12 days since the UND men's hockey team rolled Quinnipiac 5-1 in the national championship game to earn title No. 8.

What a 12 days it has been.

DDC's 12 days have been chocked full of celebrations, memories, boasting, smack talking and ultimately, the glory of his team being a top the college hockey mountain, once again.

In these 12 days, we've had some good news with freshman phenom Brock Boeser announcing his intentions to stay for his sophomore year. We've also seen some not so good news, at least for the sake of the Green and White with junior d-men Troy Stecher and Keaton Thompson signing pro contracts. It's sad to see these two men move on, but DDC joins the many UND fans in a heartfelt thank you.

A couple days back, DDC was reminiscing about the amazing year this team had. So, before we talk anymore about who's coming and who's going, let's all take one last look back at a truly banner year for this program.

DDC presents to you over the next handful of posts, his Top 10 moments of the 2015-16 season.

No. 10 -- Hakstol departs, Berry takes over -- May 18, 2015 -- Grand Forks, N.D.

Brad Berry became UND's
16th head coach in team
history on May 18, 2015.

Let's start at the very beginning. May 18th was quite the day.

Just over a month after UND fell in the national semifinals for the second year in a row, the headlines broke early in the day -- longtime head coach Dave Hakstol signed to become the next head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers in the National Hockey League.

Questions immediately stirred up a nervous fan base who had seen great success over Hakstol's tenure: What does this mean for our recruits? How long will the team be without a coach? And ultimately the biggest question -- Who's next?

Those questions found very quick answers and by the end of the day, UND announced Brad Berry would be promoted from his assistant role and take over as the Green and White's 16th head coach in team history.

A whole new crop of questions came from the hiring. Will UND adopt a new system? Can Berry do the job having never been a head coach? What kind of leader will he be?

Well, the rest, as they say, is truly history.

No. 9 -- The CBS is born -- October 17, 2015, UND vs. BSU, Grand Forks, N.D.

After winning the IceBreaker Invitational in Maine to open the season, the Green and White came home to open their Ralph Engelstad Arena schedule against Bemidji State.

After a 4-4 tie on Friday night, Brad Berry juggled his lines, grouping highly-touted freshman and first-round NHL draft pick Brock Boeser with another first rounder in sophomore Nick Schmaltz and senior alternate captain Drake Caggiula.

And again, the rest, as they say, is history.

Four goals, including a hat trick by Boeser, his first three goals in a UND sweater, five assists and a 5-2 win later and the CBS line was born. Caggiula netted the Green and White's first goal and had two assists. Schmaltz chipped in with two assists.

Oof, that shot (12 seconds in). Boeser showed off his nasty scoring touch in this game and it catapulted this line into college hockey stardom. While this game set the table, it was merely an appetizer for UND fans as this trio became the best line in the country.

Man, DDC is going to miss this line. Don't worry. We'll see plenty more of this now legendary trio later in the countdown.

There's your first installment of DDC's Top 10 moments from the 2015-16 season. Check back soon for moments No. 8 through No. 6 in the countdown. Up next... two sweeps that set the stage for a Frozen Four semifinal, UND's goalie troubles become an afterthought and the Green and White earn back-to-back banners.

Friday Gameday: New No. 1, New Challenge

After loses all over the Top 10 this past weekend coupled with an Ice Breaker Invitational championship, the
UND men's hockey team has taken over the top spot in college hockey.

The No. 1 Green and White will look to hold onto that top spot in an all-important, non-conference, home-and-home series against the Bemidji State Beavers Friday night in Bemidji and Saturday night in Grand Forks.

UND enters this weekend after playing well in a win and tie in Portland, Maine against Lake Superior State,
5-2 and Maine, 1-1. The Beavers started off their 2015-16 campaign with a strong victory over then No. 2 Minnesota Duluth last Saturday in Bemidji.

BSU scored with just 22 seconds left to play in the game to top the Bulldogs for their first win of the season.

Former conference mates in the WCHA, these two teams know each other very well. Last season, the Beavers stunned UND in the front end of the home-and-home series, dominating the Green and White 5-1 in Grand Forks. The loss marked the first for UND at home against BSU since 1970. North Dakota bounced back the next night and downed the Beavers 2-1 in Bemidji.

Here's what to watch for this weekend with DDC's "Who? What? How?" series preview.

Who?

Players to Watch

 

BSU:

BSU So. G, Michael Bitzer

So. G, Michael Bitzer, 14-11-3, 1.80 goals against average, .929 save percentage last season; So. F, Brendan Harms (10g, 11a -- 21 pts) and So. F, Nate Arens (9g, 11a -- 20 pts) were Bemidji's 2nd and 3rd leading scorers in 2014-15.

UND:

Sr. F, Drake Caggiula (18g, 18a -- 36 pts) returns as UND's leading scorer from 2014-15. Caggiula notched two assists last weekend. Fr. F, Brock Boeser is a first-round NHL draft pick and lead UND in shots last Saturday vs. Maine with eight. So. G, Cam Johnson earned his first career victory last Friday against LSSU.

What?

Standout Stats

UND is 27-3-3 all-time against Bemidji State, including an 18-2-2 record at home. The Green and White
are 47-19-3 all-time in their home opener.

Freshmen Shane Gersich (Friday) and Chris Wilkie (Saturday) scored their first career goals for UND last weekend in Portland.

Junior Charlie O'Connor scored the game-winning goal with just 22 seconds left to play to top UMD last weekend. Sophomore goaltender Michael Bitzer, a Moorhead, Minn., native, made 28 saves in the victory.

How?

How'd they get here?

No. 1 UND (1-0-1) won the Ice Breaker Invitational last weekend in Maine with a 5-2 win over Lake Superior State and tie against Maine, 1-1.

Bemidji State downed No. 2 Minnesota Duluth with a late goal, 3-2.

The Pick

UND So. G, Cam Johnson

Although they left Maine with a bit of hardware, the UND players felt a bit deflated. The Green and White dominated the game, outshooting the Black Bears 45-20, including 18-10 in the third, but could not solve Maine goaltender Rob McGovern a second time, earning a tie. It clearly wasn't for a lack of chances. The line of freshman Shane Gersich, sophomore Nick Schmaltz and freshman Brock Boeser had noticeable chemistry, creating opportunities throughout. DDC sees no reason why this won't continue this weekend against the Beavers.

Expect a high-energy, physical series as these two teams know how their opponent likes to play. UND's playmaking ability and dominant defensive corps should show through this weekend. After a shaky start, allowing two goals on his first three shots faced, netminder Cam Johnson played well the rest of the way. If the Green and White get a similar effort from Johnson against the Beavers, UND's offensive ability should take a hold of this series.

UND SWEEPS 5-2, 4-2

Head back to the blog after this weekend's series to see how it all went down.

Thanks for reading.

Friday Gameday: Moving On

“Disappointing.” “Unacceptable.” “Embarrassing.”

These were just some of the words uttered around fan circles after UND’s 5-1 drubbing at the hands of Bemidji State this past Friday as the Beavers looked more like the No. 2 team in the country, dominating North Dakota in every facet in Grand Forks.

UND coach Dave Hakstol said after the loss: “We got outcompeted. They were a focused, hungry team. We were not tonight. Bottom line, that’s on me.”

But, as the home-and-home series turned to Bemidji on Saturday, UND got back to what brought them to the verge of a national title game last season; lockdown defense and timely scoring, and North Dakota got an important 2-1 win and a non-conference split.

North Dakota played a much grittier game on Saturday night, getting to the front of the net and generating chances, and that play showed through. Senior captain Stephane Pattyn’s short-handed goal in the second period provided enough cushion for junior netminder Zane McIntyre’s steady 28-save effort in the win.

After Saturday night’s game, fan circles seemed relived and another term was often thrown out. It was time to simply “move on.”

Move on No. 3 UND does, right into NCHC play with this weekend’s series (8:30 p.m. CT Friday, 8 p.m. CT Saturday) against Colorado College in Colorado Springs.

The Tigers got a sweep last weekend at the hands of lowly Alabama-Huntsville 3-2 and 4-3, but it took some late-game heroics. Senior captain Peter Stoykewych netted the game-winning goal with 5:26 to go to seal the sweep against a Charger team that went 2-34-1 last year.

A sweep is a sweep, regardless of the opponent, however.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Colorado College is led by a solid defensive corps. Along with Stoykewych, the blueline is anchored by all-NCHC preseason pick, sophomore Jaccob Slavin. Slavin had a dynamic freshman campaign with a 20-point (5g, 20a) year.

Offensively, the Tigers look to continue to improve from last year’s paltry 56th ranked scoring after a 7-goal weekend against UAH.

Upfront, a pair of sophomores, Alex Roos and Sam Rothstein, look to provide CC’s scoring.

LOOKING FOR A TENDY

Expect to see a pair of goaltenders this weekend for the Tigers as CC tries to find a steady replacement for longtime netminder Josh Thorimbert, who graduated after last season.

Junior Tyler Marble got both wins last week, winning Friday night’s matchup and replacing a shaky freshman Chase Perry last Saturday night that saw the rookie get the hook after allowing three goals on nine shots through two periods.

THE PICK

Last Saturday night, UND got back to what made them successful last season and shutdown a game BSU team that was looking for an early-season sweep. DDC sees this continue this weekend in the Rocky Mountains.

The big ice sheet and elevation in Colorado Springs always seems to give UND trouble, but expect to see North Dakota clamp down on defense again against a team that hasn’t proven it has the offensive guns as of yet to keep up with solid defense. The extra space should provide a group of speedy forwards in junior Drake Caggiula, freshman Nick Schmaltz and sophomore Luke Johnson plenty of scoring opportunities. Pairing that with the play-making ability of d-men junior Jordan Schmaltz, sophomore Paul LaDue and senior Nick Mattson, UND’s talent will open up the transition game and pot some goals.

UND SWEEPS 5-2, 3-0.

Friday Gameday: It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

First day of Summer.

Birthday.

Christmas.

Start of college hockey.

Today is the day that the fans love the most.  Forget Christmas. THIS is the most wonderful time of the year. Let’s drop the puck.

The 2014-15 season kicks off tonight for the UND men’s hockey team as they share a home-and-home series with former WCHA rival, the Bemidji State University Beavers. 

Tonight’s tilt in Grand Forks and tomorrow’s in Bemidji features teams with much different expectations coming into the season.

UND comes into the matchup ranked No. 2 in the country and is expected to contend for a national championship, while BSU is trying to find its way back into the tournament for the first time since 2010.

Seeking Scoring

Bemidji State should be solid defensively as they return the entire defensive corps from last year’s 10-21-7 squad, including all-WCHA third teamer in senior Matt Prapavessis. The Beavers struggled to score last season, netting just 2.42 goals per game, but returns a large portion of their production from last season, including their top-four point getters in junior forwards Cory Ward and Markus Gerbrandt,  Prapavessis and sophomore forward Brendan Harms.

In the nets, senior Andrew Walsh and freshman and Moorhead native, Michael Bitzer will battle for starts with sophomore Jesse Wilkins out with injury until December. Walsh led the Beavers with 7 wins to Wilkins 3, but Wilkins topped Walsh in save percentage and goals against average last year.

Who’s Going to Step Up?

For North Dakota, scoring also looks to be the focus as defense should be strong for potentially one of the best d-corps in the country. Junior Jordan Schmaltz, senior Nick Mattson and sophomore Paul LaDue lead the way. Schmaltz is poised for a breakout season after a 24-point campaign, notching three points (1G, 2A) in UND’s 4-0 exhibition win over Manitoba this past Sunday.

Junior netminder Zane McIntyre is the backbone of this dynamic blue line. McIntyre comes into the year as the media’s pick for all-NCHC first team goaltending honors after a stalwart 2014-15 season that saw him carry the fifth best GAA (1.99) in country.

Up front, North Dakota returns three key cogs in senior assistant captains Michael Parks and Mark MacMillian alongside junior Drake Caggiula. Parks (12G, 18A), MacMillian (10G,16A) and Caggiula (11G,13A) were UNDs second, third and fourth leading scorers last season.

But, the real question is, who will step up and lead the way?

UND saw the potential of the playmaking touch of freshman Nick Schmaltz in their exhibition win as the NHL first round pick was electric, notching two assists and surrounding the net with chances all game. Schmaltz looks to replace the production of Rocco Grimaldi, who turned pro after last season after leading UND in goals, assists and points.

The Pick

Slow starts have become a punchline for North Dakota during head coach Dave Hakstol’s tenure. Should UND fans expect the same? DDC isn’t worried about it this week. Next week’s series with Providence coming to Grand Forks is a different animal. Nick Schmaltz was absolutely electric this past weekend and DDC looks for the forward to start an impressive season with a couple points this weekend. Nick’s brother, Jordan, is DDC’s pick as preseason player of the year in the NCHC and will show why. UND sweeps, 5-1, 2-0.