Friday Gameday: A Shot at the Top

Hockey fans, we coming down the stretch.

It's hard to believe, but there are just five regular season series left for the UND men's hockey team and this weekend is huge one in the chase for the Penrose Cup as National Collegiate Hockey Conference champions.

The Green and White sit just three points behind first place St. Cloud State coming into this weekend. With the Huskies playing in the North Star College Cup, a four-point series against Western Michigan would put UND all alone a top the conference.

Just like last weekend against Colorado College, the Green and White will be without some vitally important scorers against the Broncos. UND has ruled out Drake Caggiula, Nick Schmaltz and Chris Wilkie for this series and again, it will be up to the depth of North Dakota to be successful.

Here's what DDC is watching for from Lawson Arena in Kalamazoo, Michigan in this week's "Who? What? How?" series preview.

Who?

Players to watch

WMU Sr. G, Lukas Hafner

Western Michigan

Fr. F, Griffen Molino, 7 goals, 11 assists -- 18 points; Jr. F, Sheldon Dries, 10g, 4a -- 14 pts; Fr. F, Colt Conrad, 5g, 8a -- 13 pts; Sr. F, Nolan LaPorte, 5g, 6a -- 11 pts. Likely to return this weekend after missing the last three games due to injury; Sr. G., Lukas Hafner, 5-9-3, 3.49 goals against average, .901 save percentage.

UND

Sr. F, Drake Caggiula, 15 (T-10th in NCAA), 15a -- 30 pts (T-11th in NCAA) Out this weekend due to injury; So. F, Nick Schmaltz, 3g, 24a (3rd in NCAA) -- 27 pts. Out this weekend due to injury; Fr. F, Brock Boeser, 15g (2nd in NCAA in rookie goals, T-10 overall in NCAA), 12a -- 27 pts (4th in NCAA in rookie scoring); Jr. D, Troy Stecher, 5g, 14a -- 19 pts; Sr. F, Bryn Chyzyk, 9g, 7a -- 16 pts; So. G, Cam Johnson, 11-1-1 (1st in NCAA in win percentage), 1.42 GAA (1st in NCAA), .942 SV PCT (T-2 in NCAA).

What?

UND Jr. G, Cam Johnson

Standout Stats

UND goalie Cam Johnson continues to be near the atop or near the top in the country in all three major statistical categories, .885 win percentage (T-1st), 1.42 goals against average (1st) and .942 save percentage (T-2).

UND is allowing just 1.77 goals per game which is third in the NCAA. Western Michigan is 59th out of 60 in goals allowed with a 3.96 mark.

WMU is last in the country in penalty kill, stopping just 68.8% of their opponents power plays.

The Green and White are 11-0-2 when leading after the first period this season and 17-0-2 when leading after 2. The Broncos are 4-1-0 when leading after 1 and 6-0-0 after 2. 

How?

How'd they get here?

No. 2 UND (20-3-3, 11-2-1-1 -- 35 points, 2nd in NCHC) tied 5-5 and won the shootout for the extra NCHC point on Friday and won 5-1 on Saturday at home against Colorado College. With St. Cloud State playing two non-conference games this weekend, UND has an opportunity to move into first alone with at least four points, against WMU.

Western Michigan (7-14-3, 4-9-1 -- 13 pts, 7th in NCHC) got swept at the hands of St. Cloud State 8-2 and 7-3 in St. Cloud. After sweeping CC in early December, the Broncos have skidded to a 1-4-2 record in their last seven games.

The Pick

While it's again a tall task for UND to be without its top two scorers, the Green and White showed last weekend that it certainly has the ability to score goals. Adding to the lineup frustration, reigning NCHC rookie of the week and the team's third-leading goal scorer, Rhett Gardner is questionable for the series due to illness.

With injuries gripping the UND lineup, Fr. F, Brock Boeser will look to pace
the Green and White offensive attack. (Photo credit: Grand Forks Herald)

Despite the injuries, North Dakota netted 10 goals against Colordo College, en route to a five-point weekend as their defense played sharp on Saturday, allowing just 19 shots against the Tigers. Against a Broncos squad that has had trouble finding the back of the for large portions of the season, the Green and White have a definitive edge in the 'D'-zone.

Sophomore goaltender Cam Johnson had a bit of a rocky weekend against CC, getting pulled in the second period on Friday night, but bounced back admirably on Saturday, while still not looking as crisp as he has throughout the 2015-16 campaign. If Johnson can get back to form and the Green and White continue to play as they have defensively all year, UND has plenty of offense to off-set the losses in the forward group. Look for Troy Stecher and Tucker Poolman to be very active from the blue line against a WMU team that has been leaky for much of this season.

UND SWEEPS IN "THE ZOO" AND VAULTS INTO THE NCHC DRIVER'S SEAT, 4-1, 4-2

Check back early in the week to see how it all went down. Thanks for reading.

Roses and Thorns: Five-out-of-Six Ain't Bad

NCHC Standings:
1) SCSU, 12-3-1-1 -- 38 points; 2) UND, 11-2-1-1 -- 35 pts;
3) DU, 8-4-2 -- 26 pts; 4) UMD, 5-8-3-1 -- 19 pts;
T-5) UNO, 5-8-1 -- 16 pts; T-5) Miami, 4-8-2-2 -- 16 pts;
7) WMU, 4-9-1-1 -- 14 pts; 8) CC, 3-10-1 -- 10 pts.

Up 4-0 just 10 minutes into the first period on Friday night at home against Colorado College, the script was being just as intended. The UND men's hockey team was without two of their best players with Drake Caggiula and Nick Schmaltz out due to injury, but the Green and White weren't missing a step.

However, five unanswered goals later, UND was looking an embarrassing home loss to the last place team in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference square in the face.

Then, as he has done several times in his impressive rookie campaign, Rhett Gardner sparked the Green and White, potting an extra attacker, game-tying goal with just 32 seconds left in regulation, to tie the game at 5-5.

After a 5-on-5 OT put the game into the record books as a tie, the two teams skated through a scoreless 3-on-3 second OT and into a shootout. In the shootout, freshman Brock Boeser notched a dazzling goal and junior Matt Hrynkiw, who relieved shaky starter Cam Johnson in the second period, stopped CC's attempt to tie, giving the Green and White the extra conference point.

On Saturday night, much like they did following a home letdown performance the previous Friday in a a OT loss against Omaha, UND shutdown the opponent's top line and cruised to a 5-1 win.

All things considered, 5-out-of-6 points on a NCHC weekend is nothing to be ashamed about.

Here's what stood out to DDC in his weekly Roses and Thorns series recap with Colorado College.

Roses

No. 1 -- Rhett Gardner

Fr. F, Rhett Gardner's
four-goal weekend
earned him NCHC rookie
of the week honors.

Gardner was a late add to this year's squad as UND decided to bring in the Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan native as the season neared its start and Gardner really has been impressive. The freshman forward had his best weekend to date against CC, netting two goals each night, including the game-tying goal on Friday, earning NCHC rookie of the week honors. His big-body presence has been a huge boost for UND throughout this season, but his biggest impact might be in the faceoff circle. Gardner has won 156 faceoffs to this point in the season, which is currently fourth among rookies since 2003-04 for UND. He will likely reach second most in that list that includes NHL stars T.J. Oshie (154), Brock Nelson (173), Jonathan Toews (204) and Travis Zajac (485). By the way, no, that is not a typo. Travis Zajac won 485 faceoffs as a freshman, which is roughly 19 a game. Crazy stat. Some pretty impressive company for Gardner to be in.

No. 2 --Defensive Response

As mentioned earlier, UND had another defensive letdown on Friday night against an opponent's top line. Last weekend, it was the line of Austin Ortega, Jake Randolph and Jake Guentzel recording 9 points. This past Friday, it was CC's line of Hunter Fejes, Sam Rothstein and Luc Gerdes doing the damage as the trio notched 8 points in a stunning tie. But, as they did the previous week against Omaha, the Green and White shutdown the CC top line and coasted to a big win. UND was flat out dominant on Saturday, allowing just 19 Tiger shots, with just 9 in the first two periods. While the offense has been impressive this season, the D corps is the backbone of this team and showed it again in a big way on Saturday.

No. 3 -- Offensive Depth

UND Sr. F, Bryn Chyzyk chipped in a goal on Saturday
night in a 5-1. The Green and White netted 10 goals
on the weekend without the services of Drake Caggiula
and Nick Schmaltz. (photo credit: Eric Hylden, GF Herald)

A running storyline for UND this season has, of course, been the play of their vaunted CBS line of Caggiula, Schmaltz and freshman Brock Boeser dominating the Green and White statistics while the rest of the team dragged a bit behind. However, with Caggiula and Schmaltz both nursing injuries this weekend, UND's depth came to play. The Green and White netting 10 goals, white Boeser notched just one point on the weekend. Six players scored goals this weekend including freshman Mike Gornall, who potted his first-career goal in his second-career game, on Saturday. UND got contributions from important players like Luke Johnson, who scored twice on Friday, Austin Poganski and Bryn Chyzyk in the series. This is a huge development for UND as they'll need their depth to show as the CBS line is still nicked up.

Thorns

No. 1 --Goaltending

Sophomore Cam Johnson has been nothing short of impressive this season as the netminder tops or is in second in the NCAA in all major statistical categories so far, but the Michigan native seemed a bit out of sorts this weekend. Johnson was pulled in the second period after allowing a third goal in the second period on Friday, moving the game to 4-3. Johnson made just 8 saves and allowed two goals from well away from the net as he was yanked in favor of Matt Hyrnkiw. Hyrnkiw, who has also been wholly impressive this season, seemed to struggle a bit as well, letting in two goals to give CC a third period lead. However, the junior made a couple big saves in the third and OT to earn UND the comeback tie. Johnson bounced back admirably on Saturday, allowing just one goal on 19 shots faced, but still looked a bit uncomfortable with several heavy rebounds. While this could be nothing more than a hiccup for a goaltender who had a stretch of unbelievable play earlier this season, the concern is certainly there. The Green and White need Cam Johnson to play like the goalie who ran off a UND record shutout streak to continue to be successful, down the stretch.

No. 2 -- Turnovers

DDC doesn't often single out poor performances on a weekend to an individual, but it's hard to ignore the turnovers from this series against CC. Junior defenseman Keaton Thompson had two critical turnovers on Friday night, one leading to the Tigers first goal and the other nearly ending the game in overtime. A dynamic, play-making d-man, Thompson is usually one to help create offense for UND, but his lapses in play this weekend were evident. The Green and White as a whole were terribly inconsistent outside of the first 10 minutes on Friday, continually turning the puck over in the neutral zone and missing breakout passes, leading to transition the other way. This is something that was corrected on Saturday and must not turn into a trend.

There you have it. Come back later this week as UND travels to Kalamazoo, MI to take on the Western Michigan Broncos in another NCHC tussle. Thanks for reading.

Friday Gameday: Battling Tigers and a Bug

DDC wrote in his last column that the UND men's hockey team hasn't faced much in terms of adversity so far this season.

While that was meant in terms of adversaries on the ice, the Green and White could have more than just the Colorado College Tigers to battle Friday and Saturday at the Ralph Engelstad Arena.

UND is also battling the injury bug.

With freshman Chris Wilkie already out of the lineup last Saturday night due to injury, the Green and White saw Hobey Baker candidate Drake Caggiula leave the game after finishing a check. Caggiula is doubtful this weekend, said UND head coach Brad Berry at the team's weekly presser. Bad, right?

Well, it gets worse.

Fellow Hobey Baker candidate and CBS linemate, sophomore Nick Schmaltz, sustained an injury during practice this week and could join Wilkie and Caggiula in the stands.

Wilkie aside, UND could be without two players who have racked up 57 points thus far this season and are tied for first in the NCAA in plus/minus. Really bad, right? Again, it gets worse as this doesn't appear to be the same Tigers squad that the Green and White swept back in October.

Besides UND and St. Cloud, can you name the NCHC team with the best record since December 1? You guessed it, Colorado College. During that eight-game span, the line of senior Hunter Fejes and juniors Luc Gerdes and Sam Rothstein have racked up a whopping 26 points, including a sweep against Miami and a win over the NCHC-leading Huskies.

How will it all shake out? DDC has his take in this week's "Who? What? How?" series preview.

Who?

Players to watch

Colorado College
Sr. F, Hunter Fejes

Colorado College

Sr. F, Hunter Fejes, 9 goals, 5 assists -- 14 points; Jr. F, Luc Gerdes, 4g, 9a -- 13 pts; Jr. F, Sam Rothstein, 5g, 7a -- 12 pts; So. D, Teemu Kivihalme, 3g, 9a -- 12 pts; Fr. F, Trey Bradley, 7g, 4a -- 11 pts; Fr. G, Jacob Nehama, 5-10-0, 3.37 goals against average, .905 save percentage.

UND

Sr. F, Drake Caggiula, 15 (T-8 in NCAA), 15a -- 30 pts (9th in NCAA) Likely out this weekend due to shoulder injury; So. F, Nick Schmaltz, 3g, 24a (3rd in NCAA) -- 27 pts; Fr. F, Brock Boeser, 15g (2nd in NCAA in rookie goals, T-8 in NCAA), 10a -- 25 pts (3rd in NCAA in rookie scoring); Jr. D, Troy Stecher, 5g, 14a -- 19 pts; So. D, Tucker Poolman, 3g, 11a -- 14 pts; So. G, Cam Johnson, 10-1-1 (T-1st in NCAA in win percentage), 1.28 GAA (1st in NCAA), .949 SV PCT (1st in NCAA).

What?

Standout Stats

The "CBS line" of Drake Caggiula (+28), Nick Schmaltz (+28) and Brock Boeser (+22) ranks T-1st, T-1st
and T-6th respectively in the NCAA in plus/minus rating.

UND So. G, Cam Johnson

In the past eight games, the Green and White leads the NCHC in both power play (28.1%) and penalty killing (96.9%).

Despite losing for the first time in his college career last Friday night, UND goalie Cam Johnson continues to lead the country in all three major statistical categories, .875 win percentage (T-1st), 1.28 goals againstaverage and .949 save percentage.

UND is allowing just 1.67 goals per game which is third in the NCAA.

Colorado College ranks near the bottom in the NCAA in both goals per game and goals against per game, ranking 55th out of 60 (2.05) and 52nd out of 60 (3.59) respectively. 

How?

How'd they get here?

No. 2 UND (19-3-2, 10-1-1 -- 30 pts, 2nd in NCHC) split at home against Nebraska Omaha, 4-3 OT and 5-1 last weekend.

Colorado College (5-17-0, 3-9 -- 9 pts, 7th in NCHC) was idle last weekend, but earned a split at St. Cloud two weeks ago, falling 2-1 on Friday and winning 5-2 on Saturday.

The Green and White swept the Tigers 5-2, 2-0 on October 30-31 in Colorado Springs.

The Pick 

Lack of scoring depth has been a bit of a problem so far this season for UND. Outside of the CBS line, the rest of the forwards in Green and White have notched just 36 goals in 24 games. With the injuries mounting, UND will need scoring depth.

Brock Boeser could be the only remaining member of the top line and while the freshman is in the midst of a seven-game goal scoring streak, frankly put, he can't do it alone.

With the forward grouping potentially depleted, a heavy onus is set on UND's blue liners. This is where DDC thinks the weekend will be made.

With injuries mounting, UND will rely on a talented blue line group, lead by
junior Troy Stecher, who is fourth on the team in points with 19 (5g, 14a).
(Photo credit: The Gazette in Colorado Springs)

The Green and White D corps paces the third-best defense in the NCAA in terms of goals allowed at 1.67 per game and has notched 66 points this season. Couple that with Cam Johnson, who is leading the country in every major goaltending stat, UND has the ability to lock teams down.

Fejes, Gerdes and Rothstein will be of a major concern for the Green and White, but the defense will carry the load this weekend.

UND SWEEPS, 3-1, 4-3

There you have it. Come back later to see if DDC's call is right. Thanks for reading.

Roses and Thorns: Bouncing Back for a Split

NCHC Standings:
1) SCSU, 10-3-1-1 -- 32 points; 2) UND, 10-2-0 -- 30 pts;
3) DU, 6-4-2 -- 20 pts; 4) UMD, 5-6-3-1 -- 19 pts:
5) UNO, 5-6-1 -- 16 pts; 6) WMU, 4-7-1-1 -- 14 pts;
7) Miami, 2-8-2-2 -- 10 pts; 8) CC, 3-9-0 -- 9 pts.

Simply put, the UND men's hockey team hasn't faced much adversity up to this point of the season.

Coming into this past weekend's series with Nebraska Omaha, the Green and White were 18-2-2 and were rolling with a 8-game unbeaten streak, having not lost a game at home in over two months.

That all changed on Friday night when Mavericks forward Austin Ortega potted his NCAA-best 7th game-winning goal in overtime, giving UNO a 4-3 win in front of a shocked Ralph Engelstad Arena crowd.

Faced with the possibility of being swept at home against a National Collegiate Hockey Conference rival, UND responded on Saturday night as it has done 18 out of the last 19 times following a loss since 2013, with a dominant 5-1 win and an important NCHC split.

Here's what stood out to DDC in his weekly Roses and Thorns series recap with Nebraska Omaha.

Roses

No. 1 -- Coltyn Sanderson

After being a healthy scratch on Friday night, Sanderson potted his first-career goal in his 26th game with UND on Saturday night that turned out to be the game winner. DDC has been hard on the Saskatchewan native this season as the senior has fought to be in the lineup on a night-to-night basis, but credit Sanderson's hard work in his UND career for a special moment. It's a tough proposition for a senior to often find himself not in the lineup often, but Sanderson's character has never been in question for the Green and White. Truly a lunch pail type player, it was fun seeing No. 26 finally find the back of the net. Props to you, Coltyn. You deserve it.

UND swarms Coltyn Sanderson (center) after the senior notched his first-career
goal on Saturday night in a 5-1 win. (Photo credit: Grand Forks Herald)

No. 2 -- Special Teams

Despite giving up a power play goal for the first time in 30 chances down a man with UNO's only goal on Saturday night, UND's penalty kill was once again sterling this weekend against a potent offensive attack. The Green and White killed off 8-of-9 UNO power plays this weekend. UND also had a tremendous weekend when on the power play, notching two goals with the extra man in each game in the series, going 4-for-8 with the extra man. In the past eight games, the Green and White leads the NCHC in both power play (28.1%) and penalty killing (96.9%). This is a very important development for UND as both units has struggled at times during the season.

No. 3 -- Troy Stecher

With the high profile CBS line stealing most of the headlines for UND this season, junior defenseman Troy Stecher might very well be the Green and White's best overall player. The B.C. native tallied a goal and an assist in both games of the series to nab NCHC defenseman of the week honors for the second time this season. Stecher was an offensive spark plug all weekend, consistently involving himself in the scoring zone and generating several chances both nights. The defenseman's goal on Friday was special as he drove hard to the net and potted a highlight reel goal while sliding to the ice after being hit. On the defensive end, Stecher blocked three shots on Friday and on Saturday helped lock down UNO's top line of Ortega, Jake Guentzel and Jake Randolph, a trio who tallied 9 points the night before, to just 1 in the series finale. It was a dominant weekend for Stecher who extended his career-high point streak to four.

No. 4 -- Brock Boeser

UND Fr. F, Brock Boeser

While his vaunted CBS linemates had a relatively quiet weekend, Boeser continued to excel. The freshman forward racked up a four-point weekend with a goal and an assist each night, en route to NCHC rookie of the week honors for the third time this season. Boeser struggled a bit early on Friday as the CBS line slowly regained chemistry after not playing together for a month, but potted an important game-tying goal late. On Saturday, Boeser showed off his typical self, ripping home a laser wrist shot to give UND a 3-1 lead to bury the Mavericks. The Burnsville, Minn. native is now tied for the team lead with 15 goals and is second nationally among rookies. He has scored in seven-straight games. The freshman continues to be all the Green and White could have hoped for.

Thorns

No. 1 -- Injuries

After a rocky start to the season on the injury front, UND had found a way to stay pretty healthy to this point in the season. In fact, the Green and White saw senior foward Colten St. Clair in the lineup for the first time this year, on Friday. However, the bug seems to have bitten again as freshman defenseman Christian Wolanin missed both games this weekend while freshman Chris Wilkie missed Saturday night's game. The biggest injury this weekend came to stalwart forward Drake Caggiula after finishing an open-ice check to UNO player led to an apparent shoulder injury. The extent of the injuries are unknown for all three, but Caggiula's clearly looms the largest. The senior has been dominant all season and UND will have a big spot to fill on the top line if he misses extended time.

Thanks for reading and stop back later this week and the Green and White prepares for a home series against the Colorado College Tigers.

Friday Gameday: Time to Set the Tone

The No. 1 UND men's hockey team is 18-2-2 coming into this weekend's National Collegiate Hockey Conference Series against No. 9 Nebraska Omaha.

The first half of season couldn't have gone any better for the Green and White as the vaunted CBS line of junior Drake Caggiula, freshman Brock Boeser and sophomore Nick Schmaltz and NCAA goaltending leader sophomore Cam Johnson tore up the schedule and the scoresheet.


While all that is certainly nothing to be negative about, the real stretch begins Friday and Saturday in Grand Forks versus the Mavericks. After finishing their non-conference schedule with a sterling 9-1-2 record, it's all NCHC games from here on out for the Green and White in what is lauded by many as the best conference in the NCAA.

It's time to set the tone and make that first half really mean something.

Here's what to watch for from the Ralph in this week's "Who? What? How?" series breakdown.

Who?

Players to watch

Nebraska Omaha

UNO Jr. F, Austin Ortega

Jr. F, Jake Guentzel, 10 goals, 17 assists (8th in NCAA) -- 27 points; Jr. F, Austin Ortega, 16g (3rd in NCAA), 8a -- 24 pts; Jr. F, Justin Parizek, 6g, 15a -- 21 pts; So. F, Jake Randolph, 8g, 9a --17 pts; Jr. G, Kirk Thompson, 4-3-1, 2.75 goals against average, .899 save percentage; Freshman goaltender, UNO's statistical goalie leader, won't travel to Grand Forks this weekend due to injury.

UND

Sr. F, Drake Caggiula, 14g (T-6 in NCAA), 15a -- 29 pts (T-6 in NCAA); So. F, Nick Schmaltz, 3g, 23a (2nd in NCAA) -- 26 pts; Fr. F, Brock Boeser, 13g (2nd in NCAA in rookie goals), 8a -- 21 pts; Jr. D, Troy Stecher, 3g, 12a -- 15 pts; So. D, Tucker Poolman, 3g, 11a -- 14 pts; So. G, Cam Johnson, 9-0-1 (1st in NCAA in win percentage), 1.07 GAA (1st in NCAA), .957 SV PCT (1st in NCAA).

What?

Standout Stats

The "CBS line" of Drake Caggiula (+29), Nick Schmaltz (+29) and Brock Boeser (+22) ranks T-1st, T-1st
and T-3rd respectively in the NCAA in plus/minus rating. Schmaltz and Boeser return to the lineup this weekend after a bronze medal performance for the United States in this year's World Junior Championship tournament.

UND sophomore forward Nick Schmaltz returns to the lineup for the
Green and White after an 8 point, bronze medal performance in this year's WJC.
Freshman forward Brock Boeser re-joins the CBS line as well after the WJC.

UNO's Austin Ortega leads the country in game-winning goals with six. Caggiula is tied for fourth with four.

UND's Cam Johnson leads the country in all three major statistical categories, .950 win percentage, 1.07 goals against average and .957 save percentage.

UND is allowing just 1.59 goals per game which is second in the NCAA. Omaha sports the nation's 7th-best penalty kill at 87.5%

How?

How'd they get here?

No. 1 UND (18-2-2, 9-0-1 -- 27 pts, T-1 in NCHC) has won eight-straight games since falling 6-1 at St. Cloud on November 21. The Green and White won an exhibition game against the U.S. Under-18 team 4-1 last Saturday.

No. 9 Nebraska Omaha (14-5-1, 4-5-1 -- 13 pts, 5th in NCHC) got swept by Denver 3-0, 4-3 at home last weekend after previously winning six out of their last seven games.

The Pick

UND So. G, Cam Johnson
leads the NCAA in win
percentage, goals against
average and save percentage.

Schmaltz and Boeser return to their Green and White brethren after a successful bronze for the U.S. in the WJC, putting back together the CBS line that dazzled the college hockey world in the first half. Schmaltz had a terrific tournament, notching 2 goals and adding 6 assists with Boeser adding 1 goal and 2 assists. The duo played on the same line for much of the tournament and UND looks for the chemistry from the WJC and first half of their collegiate season to continue.

Opposing the CBS line, UNO have a dynamic scoring duo in Jake Guentzel and Austin Ortega. Guentzel's 17 assists are 8th in the NCAA and Ortega's 16 goals are third. Ortega has shown over his first two and half seasons that he is truly a clutch player, setting a NCAA record with 11 game-winning goals last season and leading the country with six thus far, this year.

Omaha is coming off a rather stunning weekend against Denver in which they got swept at home, 3-0, 4-3, so expect a fired up Mavericks squad in Grand Forks.

These two teams have had a run of incredibly high-octane and tight battles over the last couple of seasons, including overtime games in three out of four contests. UND went 2-1-1 in those games.

Both of these teams can light it up offensively with top line talent, but DDC thinks the real difference between these squads comes on the back end. UNO is without freshman goaltender Evan Weninger, the team's top netminder this season due to injury while UND's Cam Johnson continues a historic pace. The Green and White goalie leads the country in every major statistical category, allowing just one goal in his last five outings. Couple that with a dynamic defensive corps led by Troy Stecher and Paul LaDue, UND is as good as it comes on the 'D' end. This ultimately will make the difference this weekend.

UND SWEEPS IN TWO TIGHT BATTLES, 4-2, 3-2 OT

There you have it. Check back after this weekend for how it all went down. Thanks for reading!