UND So. F., Riese Gaber sneaks the puck by Pio goalie Magnus Chrona in magical fashion on Saturday leading the Fighting Hawks to a 4-1 win and a huge NCHC series sweep. Photo credit: Russell Hons.
Coming into this past weekend, DDC said this about the series against Denver:
"These are always fun, but DDC is nervous for this weekend. These nerves come from two things -- DU's 5 goal a game scoring clip and UND's lack of team scoring and cohesion so far this season. The Green and White lack depth scoring and playing against a team like the Pioneers who is scoring in bunches, DDC fears a shootout, run-and-gun type series. .... Containing the top line of Brink, Savoie, and Guttman will obviously be the key. These three men have had a dominant start, so UND must find a way to make other players on the ice score goals against them."
So, depth scoring and containing DU's top line -- check. check.... and sweep.
Led by a terrific collective team defensive effort and by starting netminder Zach Driscoll's best weekend as a Fighting Hawk, UND topped the Pioneers 3-1 on Friday and 4-1 on Saturday for a massive sweep in the Hawks' first National Collegiate Hockey Conference series of the season. The Green and White, tasked with slowing DU's top line of Carter Savoie, Bobby Brink, and Cole Guttman who came into the series with 30 total points in 6 games, shutdown the line for exactly zero points.
Here's how DDC saw it in his weekly Roses and Thorns.
**NOTE** DDC is intentionally avoiding talking about Savoie's hit on UND captain Mark Senden late in Saturday's game because the doctor said he should avoid raising his blood pressure. Gotta watch out for the ticker, eh? If you feel like watching this disgusting performance... check it out, below. DDC is BEGGING these two teams play in the playoffs....
The Apple Valley, Minn., native came to UND as a goaltender who was a well-known commodity, but has, along with the team, had mixed results this season. With both Adam Scheel (professional contract) and Peter Thome (St. Thomas) leaving in the offseason, the former two-time all-WCHA pick with Bemidji State was tabbed as the Hawks' No. 1 goaltender after a heavy pursuit in the transfer portal. This weekend, the Green and White faithful may have been assured UND made the right move. Driscoll was fantastic against Denver stopping 43 of 45 Pioneer shots, allowing just a single goal in each contest to help pace the sweep. Driscoll made several key saves in both nights, namely in the third period on Friday when the game was still 2-1. Driscoll isn't as large or athletic as some of UND's most recent No. 1 netminders, but his ability to play the puck and his tenacity stand out to DDC. Simply put, Driscoll is a battler. His movement is quick and solid and he always seems to find a way to come out of a scrum in his crease on top of the puck. He was wonderful this weekend and the Hawks are lucky to have him.
2) Overall Defense - Top Line Shutdown
Denver's top line of Carter Savoie, Cole Guttman, and Bobby Brink strolled into The Ralph as one of the hottest lines in college hockey and are leaving with a goose egg. Coming into this weekend's series with a combined 30 points in six games, UND knew these three would be a handful and the Hawks were up to the challenge holding that line to zero -- yes, zero -- points on the weekend. Buoyed by a stifling checking line of Mark Senden, Louis Jamernik, and Gavin Hain, UND was as good as they've been all year with the back check and found ways to keep the puck off of DU's talented top group. One thing that stood out to DDC this weekend was UND's game while playing with the lead. The Green and White are not an explosive scoring team, but as they showed against Quinnipiac several weeks back, when they get out and score first, they have the ability to lock down other teams. Playing a smart, aggressive, and grinding game, UND was able to slow DU's desire to run and gun. It's a simple formula, and as the team continues to build chemistry, this will be their best way to win games.
Costantini pots his goal on Saturday. Photo credit: Russell Hons.
3) Matteo Costantini
UND Fr., forward Matteo Costantini
DDC didn't really know what to expect from the freshman forward as he made his way to North Dakota. Looking at numbers, seeing his fifth-round draft status, and catching a few clips of his game, DDC was hoping Costantini would develop into a solid performer for the Hawks by the time he left campus. With the surprise late departure of Jasper Weatherby to the NHL, Costantini has been thrust into an important role for UND and has really started to show out. The St. Catherine's, Ontario native scored the Hawks' opening goal each night, adding an assist on Saturday for a three-point, +2 weekend. So far this season, he's racked up seven points (3g, 4a) and is a solid +4. His poise on his goal on Saturday night was special. Speeding in on a partial breakaway, Costantini realized he was facing pressure from his left and instead of trying to make a move, fired a quick wrister that beat DU goaltender Magnus Chrona five-hole to the back of the net just 4:13 into the game. Starting off the season as a bottom-six center, Costantini has already found himself in the top six and has certainly cemented a nightly lineup spot. With Connor Ford missing Saturday night's game and being called day-to-day with an injury, Costantini will be essentially be UND's 1 or 1(a) center for the time being and the freshman is stepping up.
Thorns
1) Faceoffs
DDC just mentioned it, but it has become pretty clear what Weatherby's signing meant for UND this year and how big of a loss it really is. The Hawks' lost a great leader, scorer, and defender when he signed his NHL deal with the San Jose Sharks, but losing a No. 1 center on a team also comes with losing the No. 1 faceoff man. Ford has stepped into that top drawman role well for the Green and White thus far, but that's ok as long as he's in the lineup. With Ford out and UND down to two (well, two and a half) regular centermen, the Hawks lost the faceoff battle 32-27, but at one point, were down 12 in that category during a rough second period. A lot of North Dakota's game is built by forecheck and possession and losing faceoffs certainly does not help that type of game. The Hawks can afford to lose a close faceoff game, but players like Costantini and fellow freshman Jake Schmaltz are going to have a lot of pressure on them to win draws, especially with Ford out of the lineup.
2) Zone Exits/Icings
This got much better as the game went along, but it was noticeable for DDC to want to comment as it happened for long stretches in both games. With a tight-checking and speedy team like Denver, UND has always preached chipping up the side boards into neutral to slow a team like that down. However, the Hawks, during a couple of annoying spans of time each night, seemed to panic, not skate to open ice in the defensive zone, and rush a play into an icing or a bad dump. During a three-minute stretch in the second period on Saturday, DDC counted five icings -- five. With the amount of speed and talent UND has on the backend, that can't keep happening. Couple that with the Hawks' lack of as much faceoff prowess as years past, these poor exits and icings could end up hurting them. DDC knows this can and will get fixed.
All-in-all, these two thorns are about the size of Rhode Island to the U.S. when compared to the enormity of this weekend's sweep of DU. Fantastic start to NCHC play.
Thanks for the read and check back later this week as DDC previews UND's trip to Oxford to visit the Miami RedHawks.
One of the NCHC's most-storied rivalries renews this weekend in Grand Forks as Denver travels to take on UND. Photo Credit: GF Herald.
Welcome to November and welcome, in earnest, to the start of our University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks' defense as the back-to-back Penrose Cup champions. The rest of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference has to chase down the green and white if they plan on taking the cup as regular season champions and that chase begins this weekend as hated rival Denver travels to Grand Forks for a two-game series.
UND, ranked No. 8/10 this week, hasn't had a terrific start to the season going just 4-3 in their first seven games including a last week's disappointing loss to Penn State in Nashville, but DDC believes that reigniting the rivalry with the Pios could certainly be a catalyst for the Hawks as conference play kicks off.
DU, ranked No. 11/13, has had a solid 4-2 start to their campaign and is led by a dominant first line of sophomore Carter Savoie, junior Bobby Brink, and senior Cole Guttman. The trio has tallied a whopping 30 points in the Pioneers' six games.
As UND fans, we all well know what these battles are all about overall and what it means this weekend. Here's what to look for in DDC's weekly "Who? What? How" series preview as NCHC play begins as one of the conference's most bitter rivalries renews inside Ralph Engelstad Arena.
Denver's top line of Brink (No. 3, +9), Savoie (t-No.8, +8), and Guttman (t-No.8, +8) all rank near the top nationally in plus/minus rating.
Savoie's 6 goals is tied for sixth in the NCAA and his 12 points has him tied for 9th. He is also second in the NCAA with 34 shots on goal.
DU's penalty kill has been a struggle this year with a paltry 59.3% kill rate on the year, 56th out of 59 in NCAA, but their 27.6% power play is 12th in the country.
Former UND commit, freshman Massimo Rizzo has had a hot start in his first year in college hockey with five goals on the season.
UND
The Fighting Hawks' power play has been solid so far this season, scoring at a 30.8% clip, good for No. 4 in the NCAA. Their 81.3% penalty kill is 28th.
This weekend marks games number 301 and 302 in the long-storied history of UND versus Denver. Those 302 games is the most played against any opponent in the team's history.
UND lost a 6-4 tilt to Penn State last weekend, dropping just their fourth game since 2018 when scoring at least 4 goals. The Hawks are 44-4-2 in that span when scoring four.
How?
How'd they get here?
The Pioneer's last action came two weekends ago when they dropped two games on the east coast, one to Providence College 6-5 and the next night to Boston College, 5-1. Denver (4-2-0) was 4-0 to start the season prior to those back-to-back losses.
UND (4-3-0) returns home after a stinging 6-4 loss to Penn State last Saturday in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game in Nashville. After starting the season with three-straight wins, the Fighting Hawks have lost three of their last four.
Both teams are playing their first NCHC action of the season and this will be the only series between the two teams this year.
Oh, the memories. Photo credit: Sports Illustrated
The Pick
Ahhhh. Good ol' Denver. The memories are endless and the hatred is real. Nick Schmaltz, Robbie Bina, Jesse Martin, Brad Malone, Peter Maninno, and so on, and so on, and so on... To say these teams know each other well is an incredible understatement.
These are always fun, but DDC is nervous for this weekend. These nerves come from two things -- DU's 5 goal a game scoring clip and UND's lack of team scoring and cohesion so far this season. The Green and White lack depth scoring and playing against a team like the Pioneers who is scoring in bunches, DDC fears a shootout, run-and-gun type series. With all of that said, UND's weekend split against Quinnipiac, particularly in their Saturday night win, gives DDC confidence that the Hawks can slow down a solid offensive team. Containing the top line of Brink, Savoie, and Guttman will obviously be the key. These three men have had a dominant start, so UND must find a way to make other players on the ice score goals against them.
One of those other players, former UND recruit, freshman Massimo Rizzo has shown the ability to pot goals, so this will need to be a defensive performance for the Hawks this weekend. If they can hold the fort like they did against QU, they will be fine this weekend.
Chemistry, flow, and team gelling has been the bugaboo for UND so far as the development of these pieces just hasn't gotten there. Skating at home, kicking off the NCHC schedule, against a massive rival, there's no better time for this to happen then in this series. DDC is picking a split.
UND takes one Friday, 4-2 and DU rebounds for Splitsville on Saturday, 5-3.
As always, thanks for the read! Check back early next week for DDC's look at how it all went down from the Ralph.
The UND Fighting Hawks fell 6-4 to Penn State in Nashville, but the story of the weekend was the Green and White faithful supporting their team. Photo Credit: Russell Hons
As the seconds ticked down on Saturday night, DDC sat down in his seat at Bridgestone Arena and looked around the rink in silence. The Penn State Nittany Lions had just beaten our University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks 6-4 in front of 14,659 nearly-all green (add in white, black, pink, etc.) fans and DDC was, frankly, just bummed out. At the apex of a wild trip to Nashville where the UND faithful painted the Music City in our colors, the Green and White came up short.
While DDC was definitely disappointed with the loss, there were too many good things to come out of the weekend to call this road trip anything but an absolute blast.
So, let's take a look at the weekend that was from Nashville, Tennessee and the 2021 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame game. If you're looking for a lot of hockey analysis in this article, fair warning, this isn't DDC's focus on this one. But, if you're looking for a laugh and a good story or four, check it out.
Roses
1) Overall Experience in Nashville
It's really hard to quantify how this whole trip went down because, yes, it was about hockey, but in so many ways, the 6-4 loss became an afterthought. Yes, DDC understands, UND lost and that sucks, but this weekend was just another showcase of what this program is to the college hockey world. The little town of Grand Forks, North Dakota is the pivot point of the sport. Like it or not, no other college hockey fanbase brings the amount of fans to a neutral site like UND did. The sheer numbers of this experience was flat out insanity.
Whether it was the Wildhorse Saloon, the pregame event in front of Bridgestone, or on every single rooftop bar in Nashville, the Green and White faithful turned out in massive droves. DDC was waiting in line at Hattie B's Hot Chicken on Saturday afternoon and three comments were consistent by passerbys in the nearly hour-long wait -- 1) "Wow, look at the line" (it was wild)... 2) "This line isn't worth it, the chicken isn't that good" (PROPOSTEROUS! BLASPHEMOUS! It was phenomenal and well worth the wait) ... 3) "Where the hell are all of these Sioux/North Dakota fans coming from?"
Personally, this weekend was such a blast for DDC. On Thursday, DDC rode on The Nashville Tractor and it was so damn fun. Partaking in a few adult beverages while chugging up and down the streets around Broadway, which hosts the party bars in Nashville (think third street in Grand Forks times 5.5 million), DDC was floored by the sheer amount of people walking around. Every time one of those clad in green and white saw us, an immediate cheer went up. What a blast. The ride then led to a five-hour, late-night convo with some of college hockey's premier minds (not kidding 😃) on the rooftop of Tootsie's. Just an all-timer night.
Simply put, the trip to Nashville was incredible. What a terrific showcase of what UND means to the college hockey world and what the Fighting Hawk faithful mean to UND. So happy to have been there.
2) The Atmosphere at Bridgestone Arena
Sea of green. That actually feels like an understatement. An ocean? A galaxy? Whatever, DCC believes you get the picture -- the rink was LOADED with UND fans and my goodness did that place explode when we scored. Take a listen:
Other than Holy Cross knocking off Minnesota in the Ralph, this may be the loudest event DDC has ever experienced. Absolutely awesome -- chills. DDC was so ready for the Hawks to tie this game and this may be his biggest regret from this weekend -- we all missed a chance to hear that roar had we knotted it up late. C'est la vie.
3) Dayn "Not Ed" Belfour
For comparison sake, Ed is on the left, Dayn the right. Photo credit: Dallas Morning News
The funniest moment of the weekend for DDC came over two parts and from a non-UND alum. For those not at the arena, throughout the game, the media crew spotlighted on the big screen former UND greats for a quick cheer from the faithful. Dean Blais' waive was great. Evan Trupp's appearance, which saw the former forward chug his beer and pump up the crowd with a "let's f***** go!", was fantastic. Then, what was supposed to be Ed Belfour's moment actually showed Ed's son, former Omaha goaltender Dayn Belfour.
So, to many, this young man definitely shared a striking resemblance to his father, but when looking at the two side by side, this was clearly not Ed. Dayn rode the waive as the crowd went bananas, from what DDC perceived, as most of the crowd realizing it wasn't Ed, which made it funny, but more so because Dayn went nuts. This young man was waiving his arms, jumping up and down, laughing, pointing at the screen -- just having a ball. This would have been a funny story as is, but got way funnier later. That night at one of the Nashville establishments, DDC ran into the Belfours and he had to ask -- Dayn, what were you thinking when that happened. With a belly laugh that lasted several minutes, Dayn simply said... "I was four seats away and I was just dying laughing. It's as famous as I'll ever be." A heckuva former goaltender in his own right, Dayn Belfour became his father, for just a fleeting moment and soaked it up. It's been a long time since DDC laughed that hard for that long.
Thorns
1) The Game
The only thorn of the weekend (well, other than hangovers and horse throats) comes from, unfortunately, the most important part. After falling behind 2-0 early and giving up three power play goals, throughout the game, North Dakota just didn't get it done. DDC is not one who thought that UND got dominated in this one like many scattered throughout the internet, as that was absolutely not the case. The game on Saturday night was up and down, high-paced, and for the most part, fairly even. DDC would go as far to say that North Dakota controlled play in the second half the game (UND outshot PSU 32-23). But, as has been the case essentially all season, the Hawks lacked cohesion. The Green and White had turnovers, missed passes, and added silly mistakes that cost them goals. This team has really yet to gel and until that happens, UND will be an average team. On the plus, the power play was absolutely clutch in this game, going 3-for-6 overall and buried two massive, late goals in both the first and second period to keep the game close. However, the Green and White just couldn't overcome a the quick, first period hole and were never able to tie the game. Like DDC said earlier, the crowd at Bridgestone Arena was just begging for the tying goal, but North Dakota could not finish when it mattered most.
DDC believes this team is talented and that the pieces are there for this team to make a run at home ice in the NCHC playoffs and eventually at the national championship, but right now, this team just hasn't reached that level. With the NCHC schedule coming heavy, the Hawks need to right the ship. Will this team be a second-half, Hakstol-type squad that comes together down the stretch to make a run? We'll see. Work needs to be done and it frankly needs to happen soon.
Spinning back to a more positive note, this was a fantastic weekend and DDC is glad to have gotten a chance to share his experience with you. Thanks for the read and check back later this week as the hated Denver Pioneers travel to The Forks for UND's first NCHC action of the season.
UND's Connor Ford carries the puck up the ice during the Fighting Hawks' 5-2 loss on Friday in Conn.Photo Credit: Quinnipiac Athletics
DDC is going for the double dip, in this one. With departure for Music City on Thursday, DDC is wrapping up his review last week's split with Quinnipiac together with a nice, little Nashville-hot style sandwich preview of UND's Hall of Fame game with Penn State.
Let's giver a whirl, shall we?
It was a fun weekend of hockey and an un-shocking result. The Bobcats on Friday, paced by four-straight goals after UND took a 1-0 lead, took a 5-2 win. The next night, the Fighting Hawks used a solid defensive effort, paced by 17 blocked shots and a 34-save, 1 goal allowed performance by netminder Zach Driscoll to earn a 3-1 win and a series split.
There were definitely some standout pieces this weekend in Hamden, Conn., so let's take a condensed Roses and Thorns look at them.
Roses
1) Responding to adversity
To be blunt, the Green and White weren't very good on Friday night. Quinnipiac controlled every facet of the game and took it to UND. The Hawks looked slow, lacked creativity and cohesion, and there started to look like a bit of a lack of effort and that's not something DDC says about a UND game very often, win or lose. DDC expected a bounce back on Saturday and the Hawks bounced back, indeed. Right from puck drop, a noticeable level of hitting started and didn't stop until the final whistle and the Green and White essentially wore down QU with tenacious defense. DDC mentioned to a couple friends that he hadn't seen that level of hitting from UND for a long time and he believes this will likely need to be the way the team wins games for a while as they continue to gel offensively.
2) Jake Sanderson
Ok, so this probably wasn't needed because we're trying to condense, but DDC couldn't let this one go. Look at this frickin' wrister. Seriously. Just look at it. Three minutes into the clip. Goodness, gracious.
An NHL player playing college hockey -- the sophomore assistant captain had a three-point weekend (1g, 2a) and chipped in with a solid defensive performance. Again, enjoy him while he's here. Special, special player.
Thorns
1) General offensive flow, chemistry
We've spoken ad nauseum about the need for this team to gel. Adding 14 players to a squad is a daunting task for any team, and the Hawks showed that a bit on Friday night. Quinnipiac is a solid team with a lot of returners and they shut UND down for the most part in that game. It was a lot of one-and-done rushes, lots of dumps and chase, and not much for solid possession, passing in the zone. There was also a level of visual frustration from several players. Then on Saturday, North Dakota changed to a much more physical, energy-pushing style and generated success. This team needs to gel, still. Here's to hoping the team found a bit of its identity on Saturday.
Nashville, Here we Come
"So come and visit me in Music City. We'll drink all night and write songs no one will sing. There's room for you and your cowboy boots. We'll even get you a rhinestone suit. You don't even have to sing on key. Producers with computers can fix it all. In Nashville, Tennessee."
After waiting for over a year because of the global bastard that is/was COVID-19, it's time for DDC and the UND faithful to strap on their boots and spurs, travel down to Tennessee, and show Music City, and the Penn State Nittany Lions what we're all about. Let's do a quick breakdown for this non-conference tussle in Tennessee.
Peeking at Penn State
Hailing from the Big 10, Penn State comes into this Saturday's tilt from Bridgestone Arena for the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame game on a hot 5-1 start, but hasn't exactly faced much for top tier competition. The Nittany Lions have swept Long Island and Niagara (by the same scores UND swept the Purple Eagles, mind you) and split against Canisius. Not exactly murder's row, if you ask DDC.
PSU has played solid team defense this year, allowing just 1.83 goals per game and boasts the nation's fourth-best penalty kill at 96.4% through six games. Junior forward Kevin Wall leads the Nittany Lions with 7 points and his 6 goals ties him for fourth-best in the NCAA. Between the pipes, PSU has seen a near even split of Oskar Autio and Liam Souliere, both sporting at least a .938 save percentage.
Penn State had a down 2020-21 season going just 10-12 for the year and missing out on the NCAAs, but has been a solid program since their inception in 2013-14. In their nine-year existence, the Nittany Lions have made the national tournament in three of those seasons and accumulated 137 wins to just 119 losses and 23 ties.
The Pick
Is Penn State as good as their 5-1 start? DDC isn't saying the Nittany Lions aren't good, because that's likely not the case. PSU head coach Guy Gadowsky's legacy has been a strong one since he's coached in the NCAA ranks with Princeton and now the Nittany Lions and he's built PSU up as a contender in his eight seasons in Happy Valley. With that said, DDC doubts PSU has seen the talent level that UND will bring to the Music City on Saturday and that talent level will play a big factor. However, the Fighting Hawks have shown that they can be shut down by solid goaltending and team defense, which Penn State has shown they have this season. What will be the deciding factor?
DDC thinks you all know where he's going with this. The deciding factor is YOU.
"The Nittany Lions and Fighting Hawks will play for the first time ever with the game taking place in Nashville, Tennessee. This means the blue and white's first road game will most likely be in front of a neutral crowd, because of the the neutral site.
DDC's sorry to say, Mr. Jeremiah Hassel, but you haven't seen much of UND fans, have ya?
If you, as a reader, don't think that the fanbase makes a difference in these neutral settings, take a look at our record in these games. Truth is, this fanbase is a difference maker, not only in the noise we make, but in the desire for the players to play well in front of a crowd that has traveled 1,000s of miles to see them play. It's a pride that our fanbase carries and that pride comes back from the players. They want to win and they want to win for US.
With that, the Green and White take this one.
UND SINGS LOUD IN THE MUSIC CITY WITH A 4-2 WIN
Thanks again for reading. DDC will check back in after Nashville, if he survives! 😅
North Dakota takes on Quinnipiac this weekend, the team the Green and White romped 5-1 en route to the 2016 National Championship. Photo Credit: Grand Forks Herald
DDC has built up a bit of disdain for the Quinnipiac Bobcats over the past decade or so. But, why?
There's not a big rivalry with UND. There's certainly no connection in terms of region. Connecticut is a beautiful state and it's super fun to say 'Connecticut.' The Green and White have never lost to the Bobcats, twice beating them in the NCAA tournament including, of course, the 2016 title game.
So, what's the reason? Frankly, it's pretty simple.
Rand Pecknold.
Whether it's whining about Scheels Arena not being a neutral site (he's right, but still, such a lame whine) and playing around with Sam Anas' injury status ("not even close to playing" -- he played) in the 2015 West Regional or downplaying how good the CBS line was before the 2016 National Championship game or his annoying feuds with coaches on eastern teams, DDC just doesn't like the Bobcats' head coach. While certainly petty, DDC is looking forward to this weekend as our No. 6 Fighting Hawks (3-1-0) take on the No. 7 Bobcats (2-0-1) in Hamden, Conn., with Pecknold behind the bench for QU.
Sorry for being out a couple weeks, but such is life for DDC. Let's take a deeper look at this important non-conference series.
Who?
Players to Watch
Quinnipiac University Bobcats
Sr. F., Michael Lombardi, 2 goals, 2 assists -- 4 points; Jr. F., Skyler Brind'Amour, 1g, 2a -- 3 pts; So. F., Ty Smilanic, 1g, 1a -- 2 pts; So. G., Yaniv Perets, 1-0-1, .947 save percentage, .96 goals against average; Sr. G., Dylan St. Cyr, 1-0-0; 14-save shutout last weekend against Vermont.
The Bobcats have yet to score a power play goal this year, but have also not allowed a goal when on the penalty kill through their three games.
Their 54% faceoff win percentage slots the Bobcats at 15th nationally.
Quinnipiac is 0-4-0 all-time against UND including a 4-1 loss in the 2015 West Regional in Fargo and a 5-1 loss in the 2016 National Championship game.
UND
The Fighting Hawks penalty kill comes into the weekend at 93.3%, good for 11th in the NCAA.
North Dakota is third in the nation with a 14.7% shooting percentage.
Senior defenseman Chris Jandric's +7 rating is tied for fifth best in the nation.
How?
How'd they get here?
Quinnipiac is 2-0-1 on the season, winning last Saturday's game against Vermont 2-0. Notre Dame transfer goalie Dylan St. Cyr notched a shutout for the Bobcats in his fist action with his new squad.
The Fighting Hawks (3-1-0) split a home-and-home series with Bemidji State, winning 4-3 in Bemidji on Friday and dropping a 4-3 decision in overtime at home on Saturday. The loss was UND's first in a non-conference clash at home since 2018, a span of 17 games.
The Pick
The last time these two teams played, it ended up alright for UND. DDC believes it won't be as fun this time, as a split is likely at hand. Photo credit: GF Herald
Ugh, it's tough to be a homer in this one because DDC really, really dislikes Mr. Pecker... sorry... Pecknold (See Ghostbusters reference). With that said, what UND has shown so far this season, much like DDC expected and predicted, has been a little bit of inconsistency. With 14 new faces, most understood this would take a little bit of time to grow into a fantastic hockey team. The new pieces have been great -- Jake Schmaltz has looked like a goal scorer as a freshman, Ashton Calder leads the team in goals, Zach Driscoll has been steady -- but the mesh just isn't fully there. UND is getting closer and closer to full health with forward Brendan Budy inching towards a comeback and defenseman Brady Ferner doing the same, but until then, the Hawks may still see some ups and downs as they look to gel.
All of this said, DDC has seen some pretty great stretches in the first four games and he expects this to vault the team to a solid weekend against a solid opponent in a very important non-conference series. QU looks to be starting off strong, tying then No. 6 Boston College, beating No. 18 Northeastern and Vermont, and there's plenty of historical motivation for Mr. Pecknold to fire his team up with.
Ugh... DDC just can't pick a sweep.
DDC thinks the Green and White will come out hard on Friday and get a win, but the Bobcats even it up on Saturday.
UND TAKES THE 5-2 WIN ON FRIDAY, BUT MR. PECKNOLD'S BOYS EVEN IT UP WITH A 4-2 VICTORY ON SATURDAY
As always, thanks for the read and check back early next week to see what DDC thought of this series.
