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.
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.
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
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!
UND watches as it's 2021 NCHC championship banner was raised at the Ralph before the Fighting Hawks' 2-1 exhibition win over BSU. Photo credit: Russel Hons.
Alright, folks, it's Roses and Thorns time! For those of who are new to the blog, and since it's been a bit since DDC has done one, let's explain how this little thing goes. So, DDC will recap this past weekend ... the things DDC believes went well, stood out, were solid, they get a rose. The things, events, situations that DDC believes went poorly get a thorn. Let's be honest, this is a game where everything is made up and the points don't matter.
Let's get after it!
The University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks had an exhibition this past Saturday that was not your normal exhibition. Normally, the Green and White takes on Canadian college team the Manitoba Bisons, but since everything is still kind of stupid, the NCAA allowed teams to schedule exhibitions against Division I opponents. Scheduling a game against the Bemidji State Beavers was an incredibly smart move for both teams. Instead of coasting through a match up against an inferior opponent just to get the legs warm, both of these squads were able to check out real, top-notch opposition. In fact, this game served as a scouting session for both teams as the two will play a home-and-home series in two weeks.
For the first two periods, this one looked like an exhibition -- sloppy play, turnovers, lack of offensive flow -- and the score was tied at 1. Then, like North Dakota fans are hoping to see all season, perhaps college hockey's premier defenseman (no, sorry Owen Power), did what he does. Sophomore defenseman Jake Sanderson gathered a loose puck to the left of the UND goal, blazed coast-to-coast and fired a quick shot to beat BSU netminder Gavin Enright at 11:02 of the third to give the Hawks the 2-1 lead which they never relinquished.
Here's what stood out to DDC.
Roses:
1) The Ralph is Back
Take a listen to the building when Sanderson buried his goal. Starts at about 2:40 into the clip:
God, that was missed. Cheers to full buildings in 2021-22.
2) Transfers, Rookies Look Solid
UND Goalie Zach Driscoll stopped 16 of 17 shots
With 14 new faces (9 freshmen, 5 transfer additions) on this year's squad, a lot of anticipation was built around how these players would fit into UND's mold. As was pointed out by the GF Herald's Brad Schlossman, the Fighting Hawks saw all of their transfer players look like they belonged, basically because, well, they've played college hockey before. Forwards Connor Ford and Ashton Calder played well with Calder showing great speed and quickness. Defensemen Chris Jandric and Brady Ferner both had solid showings. DDC was impressed by Jandric's vision and structure. Lastly, goaltender Zach Driscoll was incredibly steady against his former BSU brethren stopping 16 of 17 shots including a clutch save on a clean breakaway with seven minutes to go. As for the rookies, the Green and White faithful saw a consistent performance by Jake Schmaltz, wearing his cousin Nick's former No. 8 jersey and settling in to a second-line winger spot. Nick Portz played a tremendous defensive game, slotting in on the second penalty kill and center Mateo Constantini went 5-for-6 in the faceoff dot. Great starts all around for UND's new faces.
3) The Straw Stirs the Drink
As noted in his 2021-22 season preview, DDC believes Sanderson will be the key-est of all keys for UND this season and the alternate captain immediately started to stir that proverbial drink for his team. Sanderson looked every bit of his status, potting the game-winner and adding an assist in the exhibition. Going back to the clip of his goal, his speed is just flat out game changing. Watch as he sees the defenseman continue to give him space. He hits the blue line and just goes. Quick shot, boom. Goal. Enjoy him, boys and girls. He's a special, special player.
It was also nice to see sophomore forward Riese Gaber didn't forget how to shoot. Going back to the highlights, check out this rocket at around 1:10 into the clip. No doubter. That top powerplay unit of Gaber, Sanderson, Calder, Ford and Judd Caulfield could end up being really fun to watch.
Thorns:
1) The Need to Gel
Pointing out all the good this game had to offer is important, but it'll be important to note that UND did not have a lot of grade A opportunities in this one. Facing a solid opponent in Bemidji State, which DDC thinks will fare very, very well in the reincarnated CCHA (RIP WCHA 😞), showed that the Green and White may take some time before they develop consistent offensive prowess. With last season's team, the Fighting Hawks had three solid lines that could chip in on any night, but simply put, they didn't have that on Saturday. With 14 new faces, this team will need to rely on structure, goaltending, and solid defense to get some of these rookies up to speed and for new lines to develop. The pieces however are, without a doubt, there.
Thanks for reading! DDC will be back later this week as UND starts its regular season schedule with an important non-conference series with the Niagara University Purple Eagles Friday and Saturday at the Ralph.