Friday Gameday: Searching for a Sweep

With two weekends left in the regular season, the race for the Penrose Cup as National Collegiate Hockey Conference champions is as tight as it can be.

The No. 4 UND men's hockey team is locked in a tie with St. Cloud State for the top spot.

Although No. 13 Nebraska Omaha is out of the running for the Penrose, the Mavericks are searching for important wins for home ice in the conference tourney and to solidify their spot in the national tournament.

So, it's easy to see both teams are desperate for a sweep this weekend when the Green and White and Mavs faceoff from Baxter Arena in Omaha, however, six points may be tough to find.

These two teams have developed a good rivalry since the creation of the NCHC in 2012-13 and neither team has swept the other since February of 2013 when UND did it in Omaha. In fact, this series has been incredibly close since that sweep in 2013 with four of the six contests going into overtime, including a 4-3 win by the Mavericks in Grand Forks earlier this season.

UNO looks to bounce back after a rough weekend in St. Cloud as the Mavericks got swept 4-1, 6-3. UND is coming off a home sweep of Minnesota Duluth last weekend in Grand Forks and hopes to continue that momentum.

Can either one of these teams find those six points this weekend in Omaha? Let's see what's to watch for as North Dakota and Omaha battle in a crucial NCHC series in this week's "Who? What? How?" preview.

Who?

Players to watch

Nebraska Omaha

Omaha Jr. F, Austin Ortega
leads the NCAA in game-
winning goals, including the
winner in a 4-3 OT game
in Grand Forks in January.

Jr. F, Jake Guentzel, 16 goals, 24 assists -- 40 points (T-9 in NCAA); Jr. F, Austin Ortega, 19g (T-9 in NCAA), 12a -- 31 pts; Jr. F, Justin Parizek, 8g, 19a -- 27 pts; So. F, Jake Randolph, 9g, 12a -- 21 pts; So. F, Tyler Vesel, 6g, 11a -- 17 pts; Fr. G., Evan Weninger, 13-5-0, 2.31 goals against average, .926 save percentage.

UND

Fr. F, Brock Boeser, 20g (2nd in NCAA in rookie goals, T-7 overall in NCAA), 15a -- 35 pts (T-4 in NCAA in rookie scoring); Sr. F, Drake Caggiula, 15g, 18a -- 33 pts; So. F, Nick Schmaltz, 4g, 25a (T-8 in NCAA) -- 29 pts; Jr. D, Troy Stecher, 6g, 15a -- 21 pts, out for Friday's game due to 1-game suspension for checking from behind misconduct; So. F, Austin Poganski, 8g, 10a -- 18 pts; So. G, Cam Johnson, 15-3-1 (T-2 in NCAA in win percentage), 1.54 GAA (2nd in NCAA), .940 SV PCT (2nd in NCAA), 5 shutouts (T-5 in NCAA).

What?

Standout Stats

UND Sr. F, Drake Caggiula

UND is allowing just 1.84 goals per game which is tied for second in the NCAA. Omaha is slated 33rd, allowing 2.83 goals per game.

The Green and White are 11th in the NCAA in goals per game with a 3.31 average. Omaha is 16th at 3.12.

Omaha's Austin Ortega leads the NCAA with eight game-winning goals including the winner of a 4-3 contest in Grand Forks on Friday in January.

UND senior forward Drake Caggiula leads all Green and White active scorers with 12 points (4 goals, 8 assists) in 12 career games against Nebraska Omaha.

North Dakota has the country's 6th-best penalty kill at 87% and since December 1st, the Green and White leads the NCAA with a 95.1% mark. The Mavericks have struggled on the power play this season, converting just 16.3% of their opportunities, 37th in the NCAA.

How?

How'd they get here?

No. 4 UND (No. 4 in PWR, 24-5-3, 15-4-1-1 -- 47 points, T-1st in NCHC) swept Minnesota Duluth at home 2-1 each night.

No. 13 Nebraska Omaha (No. 11 in PWR, 18-11-1, 8-11-1 -- 25 pts, T-4 in NCHC) swept on the road against St. Cloud State, 4-1, 6-3.

The two teams split on January 15-16 at the Ralph with the Mavericks winning 4-3 in overtime on Friday and the Green and White topping UNO 5-1 on Saturday.

UNO is 4-6 in their last 10 games while UND is 6-3-1 in that same span.

The Pick

As readers of the DDC are well aware, this blogger never shies away from picking a sweep for the Green and White. This weekend has DDC thinking.

It's impossible to ignore the recent history of these two teams' series that have been fast-paced, high-flying and physical battles that have consistently gone down to the wire.

It's also impossible to ignore the bench boss for the Mavericks, former UND coaching great Dean Blais' ability to get his team up to play the Green and White. With Omaha still fighting for NCHC home ice, position in the national tournament and looking to shake off a sweep last weekend, DDC certainly has a lot to ponder.

Omaha Jr. F, Austin Ortega got the best of UND with an overtime game winner
in Grand Forks back in January. Four of the last six contests between the Green and
White and the Mavericks have gone to the extra frame. (Photo Credit: OMavs.com)

UND got the sweep last weekend at home against Duluth, but didn't do much to convince the Green and White faithful that they are back to top form after returning Drake Caggiula and Nick Schmaltz to the lineup as they struggled during the series to find open shooting lanes and create space.

One last bit of information that cannot be ignored is a huge omission to UND's lineup on Friday night. Junior defenseman and alternate captain Troy Stecher will sit out the front end of the series due to suspension after a checking from behind penalty late in last Saturday night's win. Stecher is the Green and White's leading point producer from the blue line and is a dynamic player in all phases of the game.

With all of that aside, DDC can't shake the memory of what this UND team looks like when it's truly clicking. The CBS line of Caggiula, Schmaltz and team-leading goal scorer Brock Boeser got back together for the first time in a handful of weeks last series and looked to reestablish a bit of that magic chemistry they showed in the first half on Saturday night. After being held off the scoresheet on Friday, Caggiula found Boeser for the game-winning goal on Saturday.

Sophomore netminder Cam Johnson will be tested by UNO's top line, including a pair of game-changing scorers in Jake Guentzel and Austin Ortega.

With another week of practice to get back to form (and closer to 100% health), DDC has a hunch we'll see what Green and White fans salivated over at times this season -- a dominant CBS line and huge sweep that keeps them in the race for the Penrose.

UND FINDS THE ELUSIVE SWEEP, 4-2, 6-2.

There's the pick. Check back after the series to see if DDC's homerisms were right in Omaha. Thanks for reading!

Friday Gameday: It's Time to Forget

With six games left to go in the 2015-16 season, the UND men's hockey team has lost just five times.

However, when two of those losses come in sweeping fashion on the road for the first time since 2011 against a bitter rival, with a chance to clinch home ice in the first round of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference playoffs, and with the race for the NCHC championship as tight as it is, it's hard to fight off a sense of concern.

That concern aside, the Green and White have a job to do this weekend against Minnesota Duluth.

Those two important pieces, the aforementioned chases for home ice and the Penrose Cup, are still  directly in front of UND. Three points this weekend at home against the Bulldogs or if Nebraska Omaha loses three, the Green and White will clinch playoff home ice for the 14th-straight season. With a sweep, UND will for sure stay atop the NCHC standings.

Simply put, last weekend no longer matters.

The Green and White hosts a desperate UMD squad in the Ralph that is looking to cement their spot in the NCHC playoffs and make a run at the NCAA tournament.

Here's what to watch for as No. 4 North Dakota takes on UMD in this week's "Who? What? How?" series preview.

Who?

Players to watch

UMD Sr. F. Tony Cameranesi

Minnesota Duluth

Sr. F, Tony Cameranesi, 9 goals, 18 assists -- 27 points; Sr. F, Austin Farley, 13g, 13a -- 26 pts (out this weekend due to injury); Sr. D, Andy Welinski, 4g, 13a -- 17 pts; Jr. F, Dom Toninato, 10g, 4a -- 14 pts; Jr. F, Alex Iafallo, 6g, 8a -- 14 pts; So. G., Kasimir Kaskisuo, 11-11-5, 2.01 goals against average, .918 save percentage, 4 shutouts (T-7 in NCAA).

UND

Fr. F, Brock Boeser, 19g (2nd in NCAA in rookie goals, T-6 overall in NCAA), 14a -- 33 pts (T-3 in NCAA in rookie scoring); Sr. F, Drake Caggiula, 15g, 17a -- 32 pts; So. F, Nick Schmaltz, 4g, 25a (T-5 in NCAA) -- 29 pts; Jr. D, Troy Stecher, 6g, 14a -- 20 pts; Sr. F, Bryn Chyzyk, 9g, 8a -- 17 pts; So. G, Cam Johnson, 13-3-1 (4th in NCAA in win percentage), 1.61 GAA (2nd in NCAA), .937 SV PCT (3rd in NCAA), 5 shutouts (T-4 in NCAA).

What?

Standout Stats

Despite being swept last weekend at Denver, North Dakota can clinch home ice in the first round of the NCHC playoffs with at least three points this weekend or if Omaha loses three points. The Green and White have hosted the first round for 13 straight years, the longest active streak in men's hockey.

UND Jr. F, Luke Johnson

Last weekend, the Green and White dropped back-to-back games for the first time since last year's NCHC Frozen Faceoff tournament. UND bounced back from those losses one week later and punched their ticket to the Frozen Four with two West Regional wins in Fargo.

Junior Luke Johnson has tallied 8 points (3 goals, 5 assists) in 8 career games against UMD.

UND is allowing just 1.90 goals per game which is fourth in the NCAA. UMD is 11th, allowing just 2.18 goals per game.

The Bulldogs are outshooting teams by a 10.96 margin this season, the second-best mark in the NCAA and has the third most shots per game with 36.14.

North Dakota has the country's 5th best penalty kill at 87.1%. In the past 14 games, UND has killed 96.3% of their PK chances, including 20 straight. The Bulldogs have struggled on the power play this season, converting just 14.5% of their opportunities, slating them 42nd in the NCAA.

UND is 10-2-1 at the Ralph this season while UMD is just 5-6-2 away from home.

The Green and White has won three straight and 5 of 6 against UMD.

How?

How'd they get here?

No. 4 UND (No. 3 in PWR, 22-5-3, 13-4-1-1 -- 41 points, T-1st in NCHC) were swept on the road last weekend against Denver 6-4, 4-1, for the first time since 2011.

Minnesota Duluth (No. 23 in PWR, 7-8-3-1 -- 25 pts, T-4 in NCHC) lost a rescheduled game from earlier in the season at home against Bemidji State, 2-1, on Feb. 9.

The Green and White swept the Bulldogs in Duluth on December 4-5. Cam Johnson shutout UMD 3-0 in both games despite the Bulldogs outshooting UND by 18 in each game.

The Pick

As mentioned earlier, it's hard to shake off the lingering effects of last weekend's series in Denver.

The Green and White spent the entire weekend chasing a hungry Pioneers squad that pushed one of the nation's best defenses in a way DDC hadn't seen so far this season.

DU netted 10 goals in the series while UND constantly left Pioneer skaters wide open for easy shots in the slot and on backdoor feeds. The Green and White got back three skaters last weekend, Drake Caggiula, Nick Schmaltz and Chris Wilkie, but the team seemed to lack a bit of chemistry it had shown earlier in the season.

The powerful CBS line of Caggiula, Schmaltz and Brock Boeser were kept off the scoresheet as a group for the first time this season, while the team as a whole, struggled to generate offense.

With all of that said, all of UND's regular season goals are still in front of them and this weekend's series against the Bulldogs is easily the most important, to date.

As noted by the Grand Forks Herald's Brad Schlossman, UMD is a dominant puck possession team that will test UND's defensive corps that played arguably it's worst series of the year last weekend at Denver.

That will put much of the onus on UND sophomore netminder Cam Johnson, who shutout the Bulldogs in December with back-to-back sterling 3-0 shutouts that saw UMD outshoot the Green and White by 18 shots in each game.

UND netminder Cam Johnson shined in December against UMD in back-to-back
3-0 shutouts in Duluth. The Green and White will look to their sophomore goalie
this weekend as the Bulldogs visit the Ralph. (Photo Credit: Duluth News Tribune)

The loss of UMD's leading goal scorer, Austin Farley, cannot be understated as UND's defense has one less key cog to worry about.

Despite a terrible weekend in Denver, the Green and White have had a special year.

Injuries to a young squad, a new head coach and a difficult schedule has yet to derail this UND team that has shown the ability to take over games when they play with speed, heavy forecheck and grit. DDC expects to see a very fired up squad wearing Green and White this weekend and also expects North Dakota to return to from as the stretch run winds down.

The Ralph will be rocking.

UND SWEEPS, 5-2, 4-3.

There you have it. Come back later to see how it all unfolded. Thanks again for reading.

Roses and Thorns: It's Been a Long Time Coming

NCHC Standings:
T-1) UND, 13-4-1-1 -- 41 points; T-1) SCSU, 13-4-1-1 -- 41 pts;
3) DU, 11-5-2 -- 35 pts; T-4) UNO, 8-9-1 -- 25 pts;
T-4) UMD, 7-8-3-1 -- 25 pts; 6) 6-10-2-2 -- 22 pts;
7) WMU, 4-13-1-1 -- 14 pts; 8) CC, 4-13-1, 13 pts.

November 4-5, 2011.

Since that weekend, this blogger has earned a degree from his beloved University of North Dakota, moved from Grand Forks to the Twin Cities, gotten married and welcomed his first child, Emma, bringing her and the Daddy Dump and Chase blog, into the world.

Since November 4-5, 2011, college hockey has crowned four separate national champions, has expanded, adding two teams and realigned conferences across the NCAA.

Since November 4-5, 2011, the UND men's hockey team has played 33 road series and until this weekend, had never been swept in those 33 series.

That all changed in 120 minutes against Denver University as the Pioneers took two from the Green and White, 6-4 and 4-1 from Magness Arena in Denver.

UND, tied going into this past weekend for first in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference with St. Cloud State with two games in hand, had a chance to stake it's claim to the driver's seat in the race for the Penrose Cup as NCHC regular season champions. However, Denver took all six conference points and with three regular season series left, the chase for the Penrose is still deadlocked.

And for the first time since the birth of the DDC, here's your Roses and Thorns column following a series that saw UND get no points on the road.

Roses

No. 1 -- Back to Health

UND welcomed back three players to their lineup after missing the last handful of games. Hobey Baker Award candidates Drake Caggiula and Nick Schmaltz rejoined freshman Brock Boeser to reassemble the vaunted CBS line. Freshman Chris Wilkie also came back from injury on Saturday. The CBS line was good on Friday night, notching six points, including goals off the sticks of Boeser and Schmaltz. On Saturday, UND's top line failed to register a point for the first time as a grouping. While the results certainly weren't what the Green and White faithful were looking for, getting healthy is absolutely a welcomed sight with the stretch run firmly in place.

No. 2 -- It's February

Pairwise Rankings:
1) QU; 2) SCSU; 3) UND; 4) BC;
5) Prov; 6) Michigan; 7) ND; 8) DU
9) UNO; 10) Yale; 11) BU; 12) Harvard;
13) UM-L; 14) PSU; 15) SLU; 16) Minn.;
17) RPI; 18) Cornell; 19) MTU; 20) Miami.

Pardon the Kelly Green colored glasses, but hey, at least it's only February. There's not a lot of positive to come out of this weekend. 1) UND lost its chance to clinch home ice advantage in the first round of the conference playoffs for the 15th straight season. 2) The Green and White also gave up the opportunity to put a strangle hold on the NCHC standings with just three weeks left to go. 3) UND got swept against arguably its biggest rival in the conference. With all that said, the Green and White are still firmly in place for a shot at the national tournament, still ranked No. 3 in the Pairwise and are still tied for first in the NCHC with St. Cloud. A good run in their last six games, UND could very well welcome back the Penrose to the Ralph for another year. While it certainly is frustrating to have to point these things out, it's still important to do so. A good showing at home against Minnesota Duluth should cure all ills.

Thorns

No. 1 -- Flying Friday

Again, while the result wasn't what UND fans wanted to see, Friday night's game had a big fight feel. Denver was embarrassed by the Green and White in Grand Forks in December in a sweep, and the Pioneers played with a tremendous pace this weekend. UND was game and matched DU stride for stride. The rust showed in many aspects for the Green and White and a couple big defensive miscues lead to a Pioneers 6-4 win. In the long run, UND may need to turn up the volume and play with the kind of speed that DU showed, so while the loss stings, it'll be important to remember this kind of play.

While it wasn't a great result for UND, Friday's heavy and fast-paced game
against DU will certainly show the Green and White the kind of game they
need to bring down the stretch. (Photo Credit: Grand Forks Herald.)

No. 2 -- No Bounce Back

Senior Captain
Gage Ausmus following
UND's 4-1 loss on Sat.:
"It's not acceptable for our program
to lose two games in a row, no matter
where we're at or what team we play,
so it doesn't sit well with us.
We got outplayed both nights.
It's something we need to learn from quick
or it's going to hurt us in the end."

Over the last month or so, UND has seen a trend of their opponents' top line lighting it up on Friday, but the Green and White wholly shutdown each top group the next night. This wasn't the case this weekend. DU's top line of Danton Heinen, Dylan Gambrell and Trevor Moore torched UND for 11 points (3 goals, 8 assists) on Friday night and added seven more on Saturday (3g, 4a). In UND's home sweep of Denver in December, that trio had zero points on the weekend. That's was the clear difference in Denver.

No. 3 -- Defensive Lapses

UND came into this weekend's match up sporting the NCAA's second best goals allowed average, with the best statistical goaltender in Cam Johnson between the pipes. Ten goals allowed and two losses later, the Green and White are looking for reasons to answer what happened. The Green and White had several lapses defensively in both games that led to goals for the Pioneers. Whether it was set plays off faceoffs or wide open slot chances for DU's top line, UND didn't live up to its defensive billing this weekend. Giving players the likes of Moore, Heinen and Gambrell free reign in the slot is never a good thing. It's hard to blame Johnson for many of the goals he gave up, but the sophomore didn't make many big saves on those point-blank chances, either. UND has prided itself all season as a tenacious, heavy forechecking and high compete level defensive team, but showed little of that against DU. UND will need to get back to this type of game and bring back those active sticks and high energy level if they plan to repeat as Penrose Cup champs.

That's it. Come back later this week to see what's in store for UND as the come back home to take on the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs. It's crunch time.

Friday Gameday: North Dakota -- Back at Full Strength

For the past four games, the UND men's hockey team has played shorthanded.

Without two Hobey Baker Award candidates (Drake Caggiula and Nick Schmaltz) and another regular forward (Chris Wilkie), many teams may have struggled. However, the Green and White did what they have done all year long -- found ways to get points and deliver, going 3-0-1 in that span.

And now, with all 23 skaters available for their crucial National Collegiate Hockey Conference series at Magness Arena against the No. 13 Denver Pioneers, No. 2 UND's four-game running penalty kill is back at full strength.

Caggiula and Schmaltz will rejoin freshman Brock Boeser, putting what could be college hockey's most dynamic group, the CBS line, back on the ice.

With the Green and White tied atop the NCHC standings with just eight games remaining in the regular season and playing a bitter rival, the timing could not be any better.

Here's what to watch for as UND and Denver battle, in this week's "Who? What? How?" series preview.

Who?

Players to watch

Denver

DU So. F, Danton Heinen
has 6 points (2g, 4a) during
a four-game point streak.

Fr. F, Dylan Gambrell, 7 goals, 19 assists -- 26 points (6th in NCAA in rookie scoring); Jr. F, Trevor Moore, 4g, 20a -- 24 pts; So. F, Danton Heinen, 10g, 10a -- 20 pts; Jr. D, Wil Butcher, 5g, 14a -- 19 pts; Sr. C, Quentin Shore, 8g, 6a -- 14 pts; So. G., Tanner Jaillet, 7-3-5, 2.52 goals against average, .916 save percentage.

UND

Fr. F, Brock Boeser, 18g (2nd in NCAA in rookie goals, T-7 overall in NCAA), 13a -- 31 pts (T-3 in NCAA in rookie scoring); Sr. F, Drake Caggiula, 15g, 15a -- 30 pts, returns this weekend after missing the last four games due to injury; So. F, Nick Schmaltz, 3g, 24a -- 27 pts, returns this weekend after missing the last four games due to injury; Jr. D, Troy Stecher, 5g, 14a -- 19 pts; Sr. F, Bryn Chyzyk, 9g, 8a -- 17 pts; So. G, Cam Johnson, 13-1-1 (1st in NCAA in win percentage), 1.31 GAA (1st in NCAA), .948 SV PCT (1st in NCAA).

What?

Standout Stats

UND So. G, Cam Johnson
leads the NCAA in all
major goalie statistics.

North Dakota can clinch home ice in the fiirst round of the NCHC playoffs with at least three points this weekend or if Omaha loses three points. The Green and White have hosted the first round for 13 straight years, the longest active streak in men's hockey.

UND goalie Cam Johnson has again taken over the statistical lead in all three major netminder categories, .900 win percentage, 1.31 goals against average and .948 save percentage.

Denver sophomore Danton Heinen, last year's NCHC rookie of the year is heating up. The forward has six points (2g, 4a) during a four-game point streak.

UND is allowing just 1.68 goals per game which is second in the NCAA.

North Dakota has the country's 7th best penalty kill at 86.4%. Over the past 12 games, UND leads the conference, with a sterling 95.8% mark, which includes 14 consecutive kills.

Holding the lead after two periods will be important this weekend as both the Pioneers and the Green and White have excelled in that aspect. Denver is 12-0-2 this year when leading after the second stanza and UND is 18-0-2. 

How?

How'd they get here?

No. 2 UND (No.3 in PWR, 22-3-3, 13-2-1-1 -- 41 points, T-1st in NCHC) was off last weekend and swept Western Michigan in Kalamazoo two weekends ago. The Green and White have lost just once, a 4-3 OT decision at home against UNO, since November 21st (10-1-1).

No. 13 Denver (No. 12 in PWR, 13-8-5, 9-5-2-- 29 pts, 3rd in NCHC) was idle last weekend and split at Miami in their last action. The Pioneers are 6-1-1 in their last 8 games.

UND dominated Denver in a 5-1, 4-0 sweep in Grand Forks back in early December. The Green and White outshot the Pioneers 59-41 in the series.

The Pick

As previously noted, the Green and White rolled the Pios in Grand Forks earlier this season leading Denver head coach Jim Montgomery to say that UND was the best team he'd seen all season.

However, since that series in December and a couple more hiccups, Denver has seemingly righted the ship, going 6-1-1 in their last 8 games and no doubt, the Pioneers haven't forgot that drubbing at the hands of the Green and White.

UND and their vaunted CBS line of Drake Caggiula, Brock Boeser and Nick Schmaltz
look to regain their impressive form this weekend against Denver. Caggiula
and Schmaltz have missed the last four games due to injury. (Photo Credit: UND Sports)

Freshman Dylan Gambrell has been impressive this year and grouped with Trevor Moore and Danton Heinen, the trio paces a strong forward corps that will test UND's No. 2 ranked defense this weekend.

While Denver is playing well, the return of the Green and White's CBS line will make the difference this weekend. Despite not playing with his dynamic linemates for the last four games, Brock Boeser has continued a torrid season and DDC expects a healthy Drake Caggiula and Nick Schmaltz to bring UND back to its dominant form.

With a fully-healthy team in front of the NCAA's best statistical goalie, Cam Johnson, DDC believes the Green and White will come out with a renewed jump and take down the Pios this weekend.

UND SWEEPS DENVER, 5-2, 4-2

There you have it. Come back early next week to see if UND regained its top form. Thanks for reading.

Roses and Thorns: Bucking the Broncos -- Back in the Saddle

NCHC Standings:
1) UND, 13-2-1-1 -- 41 points; 2) SCSU, 12-3-1-1 -- 38 pts;
3) DU, 9-5-2 -- 29 pts; T-4) UNO, 6-9-1 -- 19 pts;
T-4) UMD, 5-8-3-1 -- 19 pts; T-4) 5-9-2-2 -- 19 pts;
7) WMU, 4-11-1-1 -- 14 pts; 8) CC, 4-11-1, 13 pts.

Simply put, it wasn't pretty, but at this time of year, it's not about style points and the Green and White are back in the saddle, again.

In what was likely the most physical and gritty series they've played this season, the No. 2 UND men's hockey team took care of business against the Western Michigan Broncos, winning 2-0 and 2-1, earning an important National Collegiate Hockey Conference sweep. That sweep vaults the Green and White past St. Cloud State into first place in the race for the Penrose Cup.

UND was again without a pair of Hobey Baker candidates in Drake Caggiula and Nick Schmaltz due to injury, and it was their CBS linemate, freshman Brock Boeser, leading the way. The Burnsville, Minn., native scored both game-winning goals in the series, potting two on Friday and adding a goal and an assist on Saturday for a four-point weekend, earning NCHC rookie of the week honors for the fourth time this year.

The heavy and fast attack by WMU made goals a premium this past weekend as the Green and White slugged it out at Lawson Arena. While Boeser lead the way offensively, UND sophomore netminder Cam Johnson stole the show defensively. Johnson stopped 59 of 60 Bronco shots in the series, earning NCHC goalie of the week honors for an impressive fifth time on the season.

With just four regular season series left, the Green and White (23-3-3 overall, 13-2-1-1-- 41 points NCHC) leads SCSU by three points and control their own destiny in the race for the Penrose.

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

Roses

No. 1 -- Cam Johnson

UND So. G, Cam Johnson
stopped 59 of 60 shots
against WMU, earning
NCHC goalie of the week
honors for the 5th time
this season.

UND was without two Hobey Baker candidates and two more forwards (Chris Wilkie and Rhett Gardner) on Friday night and saw two of their best defensemen (Troy Stecher and Tucker Poolman) go down with injuries on Saturday. With players of that ilk on the shelf (Poolman returned later in the game on Saturday) the Green and White turned to the steady hand of Johnson and the sophomore again stepped up large. Johnson shook off a less than stellar series against Colorado College the previous week and took control of large stretches of both games against Western Michigan. Johnson dazzled throughout and weathered a storm of 17 Bronco shots in the second period on Friday with tremendous rebound control and poise. The sophomore's stellar weekend kept Johnson atop the NCAA goaltending statistical world. If there were any questions of Johnson's starting status coming into Kalamazoo, he certainly answered them all, emphatically. It's Cam's net, from here on out.

No. 2 -- Brock Boeser 

What an impressive run this kid has been on. Boeser again led UND with his linemates out, delivering game winners on both nights. The freshman is now tied for the NCHC lead in goals with 18 and puts himself in the company of UND legends T.J. Oshie and Jonathan Toews, finding the back of the net the most times as a freshman since the duo tore up the college hockey world in 2005-06. Boeser is now second nationally among rookies in goals and third in points (31). A special blend of speed, physicality, defensive effort and goal scoring, Boeser is the real deal.

No. 3 -- Finding a Way to Win

UND head coach Brad Berry
after their 2-1 win on Saturday:
"I said to our guys in the locker room
that we have a really special group in
our team this year, to the point where
it doesn't matter who is in the lineup,
we find a way to win. That goes to our
mentality at North Dakota and
the players and their character."

As already stated, this wasn't a pretty weekend. Five total goals were a product of a physical, but incredibly up-tempo series. Western Michigan challenged UND with a banging style of play that they have yet to see this season and the Green and White were up to the task. DDC has mentioned it several times in this post alone, but it absolutely cannot be undersold -- UND was very banged up this weekend and the Broncos continued to bang. To go into Lawson Arena in front of a rowdy and hostile crowd and come out with a sweep is an impressive feat. The Green and White have now shown the ability to win in every way possible. Whether it's run and gun or grinding, UND has gotten it done, this season. Down the stretch, defenses will show their meddle and this weekend was an important one to show they have the ability to win these types of games when the lights are the brightest.

Thorns

No. 1 -- Injuries

Seriously? This is getting a wee bit ridiculous. Add defenseman Troy Stecher, arguably UND's best blue liner, to the injury report. The Green and White are off this coming weekend and it could not have come at a better time. Up next is Denver in two weeks and with the race for the Penrose in full form, UND needs to be healthy if they plan on repeating as NCHC regular season champs.

Thanks for reading. More to come, soon.