Friday Gameday: Penrose Champs Until We Ain't

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.

Who?

Players to Watch

University of Denver Pioneers

So. F., Carter Savoie, 6 goals, 6 assists -- 12 points; Sr. F., Cole Guttman, 3g, 6a -- 9pts; Jr. F., Bobby Brink, 3g, 6a -- 9pts; Fr. F., Massimo Rizzo, 5g, 3a -- 8 pts; Jr. G., 3-1-0, 3.12 GAA average, .868 sv%; Fr. G., Matt Davis, 1-1-0, 2.36 GAA, .911 sv%

University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks

So. F., Riese Gaber, 3 goals, 6 assists -- 9 points; So. D., Jake Sanderson, 3g, 5a -- 8pts; Fr. F., Jake Schmaltz, 4g, 4a -- 8pts; Jr. F., Ashton Calder, 4g, 3a -- 7pts; Jr. F., Judd Caulfield, 3g, 3a -- 6pts; Sr. G., Zach Driscoll, 4-3-0, 2.74 GAA, .890 sv%

What?

Standout Stats and Notes

Denver

DU So. Carter Savoie

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.

Friday Gameday: An October Must Have Series

Excuse the questionable source, but per Urban Dictionary, a "trap game" is defined as a game played against an opponent generally deemed to be easy to defeat. As a result, a person or team may not prepare as thoroughly as they would for a formidable opponent. Often, this attitude and its attendant lack of preparation, lead to a loss.

DDC dubs this weekend .. a trap series.

Kicking off the regular season, the No. 8/7 University of North Fighting Hawks take on the Niagara University Purple Eagles from the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, and as the 2018-19 UND squad can attest to, this weekend is an important one for the Green and White.

On January 5-6, 2019, UND faced off against Canisius College, got swept against a team that ultimately would finish 54 out of 60 teams in the Pairwise ranking, which determine the NCAA tournament field each season. These losses ultimately popped the Green and White's tournament bubble by season's end. While Niagara isn't necessarily as poor Canisius ended up being that season, with the Pairwise ranking determining everyone's fate, losing to the Purple Eagles would be a massive blow to a potential national tournament in the future. 

With all of that said ... trap series. 

And as he did for the Roses and Thorns column, DDC will re-introduce the Who? What? How? preview. Simply put, this is the people, the things and the situations that lead up to a particular weekend's tilt. The players, that standout stats, and the how they got here are going to give you all an idea of what to look for each weekend. And finally, it will end with DDC's weekend pick! Without further ado...

Who?

Players to Watch

Niagara University Purple Eagles -- 2020-21 stats

Sr. F., Walker Sommer, 8 goals, 7 assists -- 15 points; Jr. F., Ryan Numovski, 3g, 10a -- 13pts; Sr. F., Ryan Cox, 7g, 4a -- 11pts; Sr. D., Chris Harpur, 0g, 8a -- 8 pts; Jr. G.,Chad Veltri, 5-7-2, 2.61 goals against average, .914 save percentage; Sr. G., Michael Corson, 2-4-1, 3.28 GAA, .903 SV%

University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks -- 2020-21 stats

So. F., Riese Gaber, 11g, 10a -- 21pts;  So. F., Jake Sanderson, 2g, 13a -- 15pts; Sr. F., Mark Senden, 3g, 11a -- 14pts; Jr. F., Judd Caulfield, 4g, 7a -- 11pts; Sr. G., Zach Driscoll (w/Bemidji State), 15-9-3; 2.32 GAA; .922 SV%

What?

Standout Stats and Notes

Niagara

So. F., Carter Randklev

Moorhead, Minn., native and former UND recruit Carter Randklev skates for the Purple Eagles. The now sophomore tallied 3 goals and 2 assists for Niagara last season.

Niagara returns 18 players from last year's team and adds 12 rookies.

Niagara is 0-7-0 all-time against North Dakota including a 2013 NCAA regional loss. The Purple Eagles' last visit to Grand Forks in 2015 was not a pleasant one with UND sweeping the series to the tune of a 12-1 margin in the two games. 

UND

This weekend marks 20 years since the REA opened it's doors. Cheers to the Palace on the Prairie. 

UND welcomes forward Connor Ford (Bowling Green) and Ashton Calder (Lake Superior State) to this year's squad and hopes the two continue their solid WCHA goal scoring in the NCHC. Ford and Calder finished last season tied with 16 goals each, good for fifth in the nation.

The Green and White hopes to find offensive consistency and goal scoring with a plethora of new faces. Last year, UND was 16-1-0 when they scored at least 4 goals.

How?

How'd they get here?

Niagara plays in its first game action of the year after missing out on the NCAA tournament last season. The Purple Eagles fell in the Atlantic Hockey semifinals to end their campaign. 

UND took down the Bemidji State Beavers 2-1 in an exhibition last weekend in Grand Forks. Sophomore winger Riese Gaber scored the Fighting Hawks' first goal and sophomore defenseman Jake Sanderson notched the game winner.

The Pick

The Cathedral of College Hockey turns 20. DDC predicts UND will celebrate in style with a sweep.

DDC will be honest, here ... this needs to be a sweep. He gets it, yes, it's October... but come tournament time, if he has to hear about a loss or two to frickin' Niagara from October, he is gonna be sick. DDC believes talent wins out, here. While there are concerns with how this team will gel to start the year, DDC believes in the pieces that the Fighting Hawks will skate out onto the REA ice this weekend. Zach Driscoll looked so good in the exhibition and he will clean up with a solid defensive performance in front of him.

Jake Sanderson is so an NHL player playing college hockey and DDC predicts a big weekend from him as Atlantic Hockey just doesn't have this type of talent skating against its opponents on a nightly basis. The UND faithful got a whiff of this premise in the first round of the NCAA tournament as the Hawks rolled AIC. The Yellow Jackets just weren't in UND's league and DDC believes that will show again this weekend for the Purple Eagles.

It's time to pay homage to the Palace on the Prairie for its 20th birth, kick the season off right, and get two wins.

The Green and White pushes Niagara over the falls and sweeps, 4-1, 5-2

Check back early next week to see how it all went down! Thanks for the read!

Roses and Thorns: It's Back and It's Still Fun

UND goalie Cam Johnson fights off Minnesota forward Brannon McManus during UND's 4-0 win over the Gophers
on Saturday in Grand Forks. Johnson earned his 10th-career shutout with the victory. (Photo: GF Herald)

Well, it's back and for all intents and purposes, this past weekend's series between UND and
Minnesota lived up to its billing.

The Green and White played incredibly well on Friday, outshooting the Gophers handily, allowing just 18 shots on goal, the first time Minnesota was held under 20 shots in a span of 110 games. However, the Gophers got two transition play goals, one in the first period and the other halfway into the third to pace a 2-0 lead late into the game. UND got a Rhett Gardner goal with just under seven minutes to play to make it 2-1, but that's all they could muster as Minnesota took the opener.

On Saturday night, Minnesota upped their game and played better overall, but a power play goal on a five-minute major penalty taken late in the first staked UND to a 2-0 first period lead. The Fighting Hawks tallied twice more on that power play in the early parts of the second and the 4-0 lead held up as UND earned the split.

While DDC certainly would have loved a sweep, he'll take a split in two good performances.

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

Roses

No. 1 -- The Rivalry is Back

Regardless of the scores, this weekend was flat out fun to watch. Midco Sports color commentator and former Sioux goaltender Jake Brandt noted a few times in the past handful of weeks that the Ralph Engelstad Arena had lost a bit of its mojo and hadn't been too tough a place to play recently. Well, that went out the window on Friday from the very first shift as UND pushed paced early on and the REA faithful responded. Down the stretch in the front end of the series as the Green and White tried to rally back to tie the game, the crowd was loud and fully involved. Then on Saturday, three goals on on a five-minute major kept the barn rocking. Two good paced games with high energy made things clear -- The Rivalry is back. Cheers to five more consecutive years of this series.

No. 2 -- Christian Wolanin

UND Jr. D, Christian Wolanin
leads the team in goals,
points and shots on goal

While UND fans certainly saw a glimpse of what was to come from the junior defenseman from Detroit down the stretch last season, particularly in the NCAA tournament game against BU, Wolanin has certainly lived up to his stature this season. Wolanin was dynamic against the Gophers with an assist on Friday and two goals in a span of four and half minutes with UND on a five-minute power play to pace the 4-0 win on Saturday. The junior now leads the Fighting Hawks in goals (3), points (6) and shots on goal (23). Quarterbacking the power play, Wolanin had lead UND to a stellar 22% mark. Known for his offensive prowess during his career, Wolanin has been solid defensively, as well as the Green and White lead the nation in goals against, allowing just 1.17 goals per game on the season. It's been a heckuva start for Wolanin.

No. 3 -- Defense and PK

UND lost a senior captain in Gage Ausmus and an All-American now playing in the NHL in Tucker Poolman from last year's blue line, so it was easy to think that the Fighting Hawks would struggle at the outset defensively, this year. However, this has simply not been the case. As previously mentioned, the Green and White lead the nation in goals against (1.17) is second in penalty kill (96.3%) and net special teams (+7). Minnesota has always been known for a dynamic power play that can move the puck and pepper the net with opportunities over the years, but UND simply shut the Gophers down this past weekend killing off all 11 chances down a man. Senior netminder Cam Johnson earned his 10th career shutout on Saturday and is now third in the nation in goals against average (1.16) and 10th in save percentage (.942). As the Fighting Hawks look to find more scoring punch, their blue line is holding up incredibly well. Adding freshman Gabe Bast to the lineup this past weekend proved to be a good experiment as Bast added a tremendous offensive presence. Great start for the blue liners and Cam.

Thorns

No. 1 -- Don Lucia

Fr. F, Casey Mittelstadt
sat out Saturday night's
contest against UND

Alright, DDC is going to make this short, but Minnesota head coach Don Lucia is officially on this blogger's nerves. Lucia skipped a fan luncheon that has been attended by each visiting coach as long as DDC can remember. This can be dismissed easily as gamesmanship and so be it if that's the case. However, it did not end there. After a tough battle on Friday, Lucia decided to sit freshman star Casey Mittelstadt for Saturday night's game after the rookie took a shove in the lower back area on a net-front scrum. Lucia noted that Mittelstadt was sore and maybe he was just protecting his player. Again, this can be dismissed, but should it be? Lucia noted that Mittelstadt said he wanted to play, but the head coach held him out. To DDC, this is a disappointing move. What is this doing for Mittelstadt? Taking him out of probably the most heated game he's ever played isn't going to help the freshman as he's going to need to play in this type of environment at some point. Let the kid earn his stripes, coach. Well, that wasn't short, but so be it.

Thanks for reading, everybody! Comeback for a look at DDC's preview of UND's trip to Colorado Springs as National Collegiate Hockey Conference play beings against the Colorado College Tigers.

UND/Minnesota -- What's a Rivalry?

Former UND captain Chris Porter's game-winning goal in the 2007 West Regional Final. (Photo: UND Sports)

Pardon DDC for being a little bit disconnected the past two weeks. 

With Baby DDC No. 2 growing and battling sleep regression and his favorite baseball team playing currently playing in the ALCS (thumbs down... if you don't know what this means, Google it) DDC has been a wee bit predisposed. 

In the midst of all of this, in case you didn't know, my guess is you did, but in case you don't, the Minnesota Gophers travel to Grand Forks to take on the University of North Dakota men's hockey team this Friday and Saturday for a renewal of pleasantries in what has apparently become a debatable topic -- Is UND vs. Minnesota still a rivalry? 

So, let's take a look, shall we? First, let's start with a simple definition

What's in a Sports Rivalry?

According to the Wikipedia entry on "List of sports rivalries", a sports rivalry is defined as an "intense competition between athletic teams or athletes, but not directly related to the formal sport and the practice thereof. This pressure of competition is felt by players, coaches, and management, but is perhaps felt strongest by the fans."

So, in summation in DDC's words, a sports rivalry isn't necessarily about the ins and outs of the history between two teams (of course this is a massive part of it), but more about the experience and how players, coaches, teams respond to how the FANS feel about the competition. 

With this considered, there are two obvious sides -- Side 1 says "since UND and Minnesota have stopped playing yearly, the game is big, but doesn't feel the same." Side 2 rebuts with "the rivalry is as strong as ever regardless of how often they play."

Most Recent Examples

DDC is strong on side 2 with the two previous match ups (2014 Frozen Four semifinals and last year's series in Minneapolis) between UND and Minnesota showing an incredible intensity on the ice and a tremendous community response. 

Two examples of this.... one important thing to note. Listen to the crowd. DDC understands the importance of the 2014 goal, but the ovations are incredible.

This makes DDC a bit sick to his stomach to show this, but it helps prove his point. Just a note, DDC didn't watch it, he just listened.

Insanity. Listen! 

So, if we're using the most recent example, this sounds like tremendous community support, correct? Well, let's take a look at how the teams feel about this "rivalry".

What do the Players and Coaches Think?

DDC's single-favorite picture ever taken in regards
to this rivalry. (Photo: John Stennes, GF Herald.)

Head coach Brad Berry before UND traveled to take on Minnesota last season -- "It's on our walls in our rink here. (The players) get it from there. To hit on that point, we had T.J. Oshie and Taylor Chorney come in and give their point of view on how special the weekend is. Not only for the players, but for alumni watching. Obviously we haven't played them in a few years, but the history and tradition resonates through this building and through our program." 

By the way, what does that say about this set of games that NHL players TRAVEL TO GRAND FORKS to talk about it on their day off?

UND forward Shane Gersich about the games against Minnesota -- "Everyone knows what this rivalry is about. We know what's at stake without even talking about."

Former Minnesota forward Jake Bischoff before last year's series -- "My dad used to love playing North Dakota. Watching as a kid, I remember it being super intense; all the players would be getting into it with each other, and all the games were really competitive. It was always fun as a fan. Now, getting to play it should be unbelievable."

Former Minnesota forward Justin Kloos before last year's series -- "These are the ones you highlight. These are the ones you dream about."


So, so far... fans? Check. Players, coaches and alumni? Check.  

DDC's Final Take

In short, when considering the parameters of how the FANS feel and how the teams respond, DDC thinks it's clear as day that UND vs. Minnesota is still as big as it comes when talking about a sports rivalry, particularly in college hockey. 

Outside of these stated parameters, consider the tickets to the actual games. The UND athletic department announced ticket prices for this weekend's series at the Ralph Engelstad Arena back in August at $99, this highest single-game price in REA history. Did this cause fans pause to buy these tickets? Absolutely not. In fact, the tickets sold out instantly back in September.

Even the NCAA has recognized this rivalry, recently naming UND vs. Minnesota its No. 2 best in college hockey in a Facebook video. While DDC disagrees with this being No. 2, it still helps cement the point. 

The rivalry, yes, it is a rivalry, is back and we're all ready to go. So, how about a few pump up memories? Let's go. 

Check back tomorrow for a series preview. Thanks for reading!

 

Roses and Thorns: UND's Newfound Weapons

UND Jr. F, Trevor Olson tips in the game-winning goal past SCSU netminder Jeff Smith for a wild 6-5 overtime win on
Saturday at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks. Olson netted the series-clinching goal and now has game-winning
goals in three of the last four games for UND. Photo Credit: Jesse Trelstad, Grand Forks Herald.

As mentioned in DDC's preview of the first round National Collegiate Hockey Conference series between the UND men's hockey team and St. Cloud State, DDC Baby No. 2 was born March 1st.

Since that wonderful day in DDC's life, the Green and White has seen two new heroes come to the forefront -- junior forward Trevor Olson and DDC Baby No. 2.

Following a 5-2 win on Friday, Olson netted the game-winning goal at 7:38 of the OT period in a wild and memorable game at Ralph Engelstad Arena as UND swept the Huskies to advance the Green and White to the Frozen Faceoff in Minneapolis this coming weekend. Since DDC Baby No. 2's birth, UND was won four-straight games and Olson has the deciding tally in three of those games.

North Dakota handled St. Cloud fairly handily on Friday, but the old adage "it's hard to end a team's season" held true on Saturday as the Huskies brought a tremendous effort.

The game was tied 1-1, 2-2, 3-3, 4-4 and 5-5 before Olson potted the winner in OT. After a Shane Gersich goal made it 4-3 halfway through the third period, St. Cloud State continued to come at UND, tying the game just 1:02 later and took the lead just 1:44 after that.

But, the Green and White had the magic of Baby DDC No. 2 in their pocket as Christian Wolanin knotted the game at five with 4:02 to go.

During the intermission before the overtime period, fans at the REA were treated to bonus coverage of the UND men's basketball team's overtime winning effort in the Big Sky tournament finals that punched the Green and White's first-ever ticket to the NCAA tournament over Weber State, sending the fans into a frenzy that continued with Olson's winner in OT.

Baby DDC No. 2's magic was too strong for the Huskies and Weber State, for that matter.

Here's what stood out to DDC as UND notched wins No. 19 and 20 and moved one step closer to the NCAA tournament.

Roses

NCHC Playoffs First Round Results:

No. 1 Denver sweeps CC, 4-1, 4-0;
No. 2 UMD sweeps Miami, 5-4 (OT), 5-3;
No. 3 WMU in three over UNO, 2-1 (OT)
UNO, 5-2 WMU, 2-1 (OT) WMU;
No. 4 UND sweeps SCSU, 5-2, 6-5 (OT)

Frozen Faceoff semifinals -- Friday, times TBD:

No. 1 Denver vs. No. 4 UND
No. 2 UMD vs. No. 3 WMU

No. 1 -- Big Players Playing Big

While UND's depth has been a huge part of their last handful of games where they've won five-of-six, come playoff time, teams that compete for NCAA titles need to have their best players be their best players, each night. This was definitely the case this weekend for the Green and White. UND's top five point producers, Shane Gersich, Brock Boeser, Tyson Jost, Austin Poganski and Tucker Poolman all had multiple point weekends. Boeser returned to the lineup after missing the previous weekend in Miami and scored in both games. Gersich and Poganski also both scored in both. With the development of depth players increasing each game, having these five players rolling will prove large for UND as the look to continue to advance.

No. 2 -- Depth Goals Coming Up Large

As just mentioned, UND's depth players are turning dividends for the Green and White, of late. Along with Olson's game winner, junior Johnny Simonson and freshman Cole Smith both assisted on the game-tying goal by Christian Wolanin and did the same on Olson's series-clinching goal. Simonson fired the puck from the side boards toward the net and Olson got his stick on it to get the winner. The line of Smith, Simonson and Olson had a tremendous weekend, playing with edge and pace that St. Cloud had trouble containing. UND will be a tough out the rest of the way if this trend continues.

No. 3 -- A Memorable Day for UND Sports

DDC Baby No. 2's magic is pretty evident to this blogger. A wee bit biased, you say? No. You're wrong. DDC Baby No. 2 is clearly a UND sports Godsend.

Here's an awesome video of the ovation the REA crowd gave the UND men's basketball team's victory in the Big Sky Conference:

UND Men's Basketball Gets a Big Ovation at REA

You'll need a Facebook account to get to it and the video is about halfway down the page. Big props to the UND men's basketball team.

Thorns

No. 1 -- Last Game at REA for 2016-17

While it was done in victorious fashion, it's always a sad moment each season to know that the Palace on the Prairie will be closed for games until October. While UND struggled at times at home this season, The Ralph is always a true home advantage for the Green and White. Senior Gage Ausmus and Matt Hrynkiw as well as any underclassmen that leave after the season, helped send the REA faithful happy one more time. Here's to hoping there's another ceremony at The Ralph in about three weeks.

Thanks for reading and check back later this week as DDC previews the Frozen Faceoff at the Target Center in Minneapolis.

DDC's Top 10 Moments of 2015-16 -- No. 2 -- The Best Hockey Play He's Ever Seen

UND Sr. F, Drake Caggiula celebrates one of his two goals in the Green and White's 5-1 win over Quinnipiac
in the national championship game. (Photo credit: Associated Press)

Thanks again for checking back in to DDC's Top 10 moments of the 2015-16 season for the EIGHT-time NCAA hockey national champion, UND men's hockey team.

Nearly a month later and that still feels so good to say.

National. Champion.

*Deep breath* *Smile*

Soak it in, once again.

Ok, so back to it. We're down to the final two and this particular play, DDC has no shame in saying it, is the best single hockey play he has ever seen.

In a season full of memories and history, this play will be the one that fans of the Green and White talk about for generations to come.

This play is the first play that DDC will show baby Emma and all future DDC babies when telling them how special this 2015-16 squad was.

No. 2A -- The Tic-Tic-Tic-Tac-Toe Goal -- UND vs. Miami, Ralph Engelstad Arena, Grand Forks, N.D., November 13, 2015.

Sports fans all have those plays that will forever be etched into their minds. The beauty of sports often provides unforgettable ones that will span the test of time. Those plays that will be shown on highlight reels for all time. The plays that cause that "remember where you were, when..." feeling.

Being raised a New York professional sports fan, DDC's lean heavily to the east. Yankee captain Derek Jeter's dive into the stands to make a catch against the Red Sox. David Tyree's sticky-helmet catch in Super Bowl XLII against the Patriots. Stephane Matteau's double OT goal in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Devils. These are the pro clips he will show his children. DDC remembers where he was for all of these plays.

For his beloved UND hockey team, DDC's most memorable plays elicit the same feelings. Evan Trupp's diving game-winning goal against the Gophers. Robbie Bina's full-sheet goal, also against Minnesota. Chris Porter's regional-winning overtime tally... again... against the Gophers. These are the UND version of the "remember where you were, when..." goals.

Simply put, this goal passes all. DDC thinks you remember this one very well.

Remember this one? Yeah, DDC isn't surprised. He watched this goal on a 26" TV at one of his best friend's new house, while standing up as he had yet to bring chairs downstairs. DDC remembers giggling as he ran into the other room to explain the goal while he worked on his newly-bought home. It will be a moment DDC never forgets. It's the appropriate feeling for a play like this.

Schmaltz to Boeser to Caggiula to Stecher to Boeser to Schmaltz. Tic-tic-tic-tic-tac-toe.

Watching it again for the possibly millionth time, DDC starts to giggle when Boeser taps it to Stecher. By the time Schmaltz finishes the play, DDC's smile is a big as humanly possible and the laugh is now emanating from his belly. 

The buzz this goal created was unreal.

"I don't think I've been in a play with so many passes tic-tac-toe on the tape," Nick Schmaltz said in the postgame presser.

“In the moment, you didn’t think it was as cool as everyone was saying,” Boeser added. “But the bench just kept saying “wow’.”

“Those are special,” head coach Brad Berry said. “Those are things you like to see.”

From Bleacher Report to Twitter to TSN, this play reached college hockey legend. 

Another incredible moment from the CBS line. What a joy. Thank you, men, for giving us a play for the ages.

DDC's Top 10 Moments in the UND/Minnesota Rivalry -- No. 2 -- Frattin Destroys Wehrs -- Ralph Engelstad Arena, Grand Forks, N.D., WCHA Playoffs, March 14, 2010.

Thanks again for visiting Daddy Dump and Chase to tune in to his Top 10 moments in the UND/Minnesota rivalry.

We are just two days away from renewing hostilities and if No. 2 doesn't get the mojo going, I'm not sure what will. Maybe No. 1, but, let's give this one a try.

Poor Kevin Wehrs. Keep your head up, buddy.

No. 2 -- Frattin Destroys Wehrs -- Ralph Engelstad Arena, Grand Forks, N.D., WCHA playoffs, March 14, 2010.

Let DDC set up the scene a bit. UND had dominated the Gophers in the Game 1 of this WCHA playoff tilt with a 6-0 victory, but Minnesota battled back for a 4-2 win in Game 2. The Sioux took a 2-1 lead before this play, but were visibly slowing as the Gophers tried to battle back. Then...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsxyzGkmAgg

Wow.

Again, the sound of this behemoth hit is what DDC remembers. Note the bang Brad Malone gives a Gopher player just 15 seconds before the hit on Wehrs. That was a good one. Matt Frattin's hit is that much heavier.

Frattin was called for a five-minute major for charging. He clearly left his feet, but it's DDC's take that Wehrs had his head down and caught Frattin coming at the last moment, dipped his head, thus causing a lot of the problem.

This moment isn't about the penalty. It's been debated for too long on message boards and the like. This hit got the Ralph rocking, the Sioux killed off the five-minute penalty and UND cruised to a 4-1 victory, ending the Gopher's season.

This moment also generated the coolest, single hockey photo that DDC has ever seen.

DDC's former colleague and Grand Forks Herald resident photog extraordinaire John Stennes gave the world this piece of history that, DDC's sure, is still plastered on many a laptop and Twitter background to this day.

 “I decided to try to get the boys going — big hit, a costly five minutes,” Frattin said of his hit on Wehrs. “But it was great PK for our team. That was a huge momentum swing for us and we didn’t look back after that.”

Call it what you will, but it was for sure one thing and that's memorable.

For some extra fun... check out wrestling announcing royalty Jim Ross' call on the Frattin destruction

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75my9p7eI4c

DDC's Top 10 Moments in the UND/Minnesota Rivalry -- No. 6 -- The Ralph is Rockin' -- Ralph Engelstad Arena, Minneapolis, January 9, 2009.

Thanks for coming back as the countdown continues.

No. 6 is one that DDC remembers very well because of one reason -- the fans at the Ralph Engelstad Arena.

If the No. 10 moment, the Holy Cross victory of Minnesota was the loudest REA has ever been, this game in January 2009 is a close second.

Goal, after goal, after goal. The Ralph exploded.

 No. 6 -- The Ralph is Rockin' -- Ralph Engelstad Arena, Minneapolis, January 9, 2009.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sr55K6B6V2g

UND fans' favorite goaltender, Alex Kangas, was very good in the first period on this night as the Sioux dominated, out shooting the Gophers 18-2. However, when the goals came, the kept coming. Sophomore Evan Trupp scored short handed just 1:17 into the second and the rest was history. At :15 of the video and just over five minutes into the second period, you can see the shot totals were favoring UND 23-3.

DDC's remembers vividly seeing Kangas sit in the crease after a Ryan Duncan goal to make it 3-1 and FSN did an amazing job catching this moment at :44 into the video. Kangas was later pulled.

Poor Alex Kangas.

He was pulled again the next night, as UND finished off the sweep with a 6-1 whooping.

Just six days left, Sioux fans. Come back tomorrow for No. 5 with a little magic from a diminutive Alaskan.