Roses and Thorns: Taking Care of Business

NCHC Standings

1) UNO, 9-4-1 (1 SO win), 29 points. 
2) UND, 9-4-1, 28 pts.
3) UMD, 8-5-1, 25 pts.
4) Miami, 8-6-0, 24 pts.
5) Denver, 7-6-0, 21 pts.
6) WMU, 4-7-3 (3 SO wins), 18 pts.
7) SCSU, 5-8-1, 16 pts.
8) CC, 1-11-1, 4 pts.

This past week, DDC heralded the weekend series between UND and Colorado College as the start of the stretch run.

And down the stretch, only one thing matters regardless of standings, rankings or records – wins.

UND took care of business this past weekend with two hard-fought National Collegiate Hockey Conference victories, 2-1 and 5-3, earning a sweep and grabbing six very crucial NCHC points in front of the Ralph Engelstad Arena faithful in Grand Forks.

The two wins, coupled with a 1-1 weekend for Minnesota State, vaulted UND into the No. 1 national ranking and more importantly, moved North Dakota to No. 2 in the Pairwise rankings, which mimic the NCAA tournament selection process.

Here’s what stood out to DDC this past weekend in this week’s installment of Roses and Thorns.

Roses

No. 1 – Zane McIntyre

With eight minutes to play on Friday night and UND nursing a tight 2-1 lead, McIntyre lost his goal stick. Like he has all season, the junior netminder kept his cool making two stops. Then, with an empty net and the game in the waning seconds, it happened again. With his goal stick next to the net and the Tigers feverishly pushing for a tying goal, McIntyre again shut the door and closed out the win. McIntyre wasn’t perfect on Saturday night giving up three goals, but still led the way and helped bring UND the sweep with 25 saves. DDC has said it before and will say it again – as Zane goes, so goes the Green and White.

UND's Luke Johnson and Mark MacMillan celebrate as Johnson nets a goal
on CC's Tyler Marble on Saturday, (Logan Werlinger/Grand Forks Herald)

No. 2 – Connor Gaarder

Is it possible to not record a point on a weekend and be the best player on the ice? DDC thinks so. The senior assistant captain played with speed and power all weekend, leading the team with eight shots on goal. Gaarder found open ice for chances and led rushes throughout. Depth is a huge key to UND’s success and the Edina, Minn., native leads the way for this team.

No. 3 – Senior Leaders

Speaking of leadership, the core of this North Dakota team is led by the top and UND’s seven seniors showed it this weekend. Mark MacMillan scored twice to run his team-high goal total to 13 and Michael Parks chipped in with the game-winning shorthanded goal (UND’s nation leading 9th) on Friday and added an assist on Saturday to pace the attack. The senior group had nine points and was a +9 this weekend. What a class.

Thorns

No. 1 – Trap Defense

UND's Zane McIntyre and Andrew Panzarella defend against CC's Alex Roos
and Hunter Fejes on Saturday. (Logan Werlinger/Grand Forks Herald)

Colorado College may have laid the blueprint for the rest of the NCHC to slow North Dakota, this weekend. The Tigers played very well defensively, plugging the middle against the speedy UND squad. Eventually, the Green and White speed and play-making ability found ways to earn the zone both nights, winning the battles on the boards and grinding out goals, but, CC showed lots of grit all weekend in two hotly-contested contests. UND will have to continue to win end-board battles the rest of the way, because this weekend showed how to at least slow down North Dakota.

No. 2 – Slumping Schmaltz

The play-making freshman Nick Schmaltz has struggled a bit since returning from the World Junior tournament during the Christmas break. When at his best, Schmaltz leads rushes and dishes all over the ice to open teammates. DDC sees a player that may be trying to do too much for his team. A moving back to center this weekend may be just what Schmaltz needed.  The talent is there and no one is arguing that, but UND needs the freshman to start backing that up with points. DDC is very interested to see what the forward plays like this weekend.

Up next for the newly crowned No. 1 team in the country is a monster-sized series with NCHC-leading Nebraska-Omaha. UND trails the Mavericks by just one point in the conference standings and a sweep either way could lead the way to a conference title and the Penrose Cup.

Come back later this week for the breakdown of what should be one heck-of-a series in Omaha.

Friday Gameday: It's Time to Stretch

Here we go, college hockey fans. We’ve officially hit the stretch run.

Tonight and Saturday, the No. 2 UND men’s hockey team takes on the Colorado College Tigers from the Ralph Engelstad Arena in a National Collegiate Hockey Conference two-game tussle.

This weekend’s series finds these two teams pretty much where they were when they faced each other back in October, with North Dakota near the top of the national rankings while CC continues its search for consistency.

UND entered that early-season series in Colorado Springs with the sting of a stunning 5-1 opening-night loss to Bemidji State still fresh on their minds, but rolled the Tigers 3-1 and 7-2 to earn a sweep.

Since then, not much has changed for the Green and White as they’ve rolled to a 16-5-2 record and a No. 4 Pairwise ranking.

Colorado College has started to show signs of life, earning their first NCHC win of the season last weekend against NCHC-leading Nebraska-Omaha.

The Tigers lost Saturday night’s game against the Mavericks 4-1, but outshot UNO 28-14.

UND rounded out their non-conference season in the Dave Hakstol era with a dominating 7-1, 5-0 weekend sweep over Niagara this past weekend to earn a stellar 9-1-1 record out of the NCHC.

Terrible Tendies

As these two teams dig in for the race to the postseason, the Tigers will look to slow UND’s No. 6 nationally-ranked offensive attack that is clipping at 3.48 goals per game.

To find success this weekend, CC will need to find someone to step up between the pipes.

Freshman Chase Perry and sophomore Tyler Marble have both started 12 games this season for a Tiger team that’s allowing the fourth-most goals per game in country, averaging 4.00 goals allowed per game.

The netminding duo have put up some pretty paltry numbers this year that finds both Perry and Marble in the bottom five out of 79 qualifying goalies in save percentage (Perry .884, Marble .880) and goals against average (Perry 3.64, Marble 3.95).

Junior forward Cody Bradley (8g, 10a –18 points) and dynamic sophomore defenseman Jaccob Slavin (2g, 8a –10 pts) lead the Tiger offense.

Dynamic Depth

Junior forward Drake Caggiula continues to lead UND offensively with 24 points (9g, 15a) while senior assistant captain Mark MacMillan carries the goal scoring lead with 11 for the Green and White.

Depth has been UND’s calling card this season with 10 players entering this weekend’s series with double-digit point totals. Two more, defenseman Troy Stecher and forward Bryn Chyzyk, both of who have missed significant time with injuries, have nine points on the season.

Welcome Back?

Speaking of injuries, UND may have finally turned the corner in a good way as Stecher (leg), junior Colton St. Clair (upper-body injury) and freshman Trevor Olson (mononucleosis) all returned to practice this week. While all three are still very much questionable for this weekend, a return for these three key cogs could prove huge for UND as the stretch run rolls on.

The Man, the Myth, the McIntyre

UND's Zane McIntyre

Defensively for North Dakota, as it has been all season, it starts and ends with goaltender Zane McIntyre.

The junior from DDC’s hometown of Thief River Falls, Minn., was lights out last weekend against Niagara, stopping 42-of-43 shots and was one Friday night softie away from a pair of shutouts.

McIntyre (16-5-2) is tied for most wins in the country and places 10th nationally in both goals against average (1.87) and save percentage  (.933).

The Pick

While CC has certainly grown as a team since these two played in October under first-year head coach Mike Haviland, the Tiger’s goaltending situation looks to be much too shaky to slow a high-flying offense like UND’s.

The Green and White are coming off a weekend that saw them put up 12 goals and DDC expects UND to continue to put pressure forward this weekend.

Throw in North Dakota’s No. 8 ranked defense (allowing just 2.09 goals per game) in front of a goaltender in McIntyre playing better and better by the weekend, this weekend has sweep written all over it.

DDC expects to CC to bring intensity and hustle all weekend, but in the end, UND is playing too well to pick against them.

UND SWEEPS 4-1, 5-2.

Roses and Thorns: Breathing Easy

UND senior forward Mark MacMillan pots a power play
goal on Saturday night. Photo Credit: UND Sports

This past weekend had all the makings of a Pairwise disaster for the UND men’s hockey team.

The Green and White had little to gain and a lot to lose in the rankings with a loss to dead-last ranked Niagara. A loss in either game would have sent UND hurdling down the rankings.

A 7-1, 5-0 sweep later, North Dakota and its fans can breathe easy.

The Green and White dominated the lowly Purple Eagles for a full 120 minutes Friday and Saturday and closed out their non-conference play for 2014-15 with a stellar 9-1-1 record.

Here’s what stood out to DDC in his weekly Roses and Thorns:

Roses

No. 1 – Zane McIntyre

The junior netminder was a late, third-period softie on Friday short of back-to-back shutouts on the weekend. Although not tested very much all weekend, McIntyre was nearly perfect, stopping 42-of-43 shots and recording his first shutout of the season and the fourth of his career. With the solid weekend, McIntyre’s .933 save percentage is now best in UND single-season history. Already UND’s career leader in save percentage (.927) and goals against average (2.06), we’re running out of superlatives for the all-world goalie.

No. 2 – Slump Breakers

A trio of players broke slumps on Saturday night when Michael Parks netted two goals on Saturday, his first since Dec. 5, Mark MacMillan scored twice and added an assist, recording three points after having just one in five games and Wade Murphy got his first point of the season with an assist in the third. It was great to see the top liners get going again and even better to see the hard-working Murphy finally find the scoresheet.

No. 3 – Senior Captains

What a weekend from UND’s senior captains. Stephane Pattyn scored twice (1g Friday, 1g Saturday), Parks netted two on Saturday and McMillan added four points (2 goals on Saturday, 2a) for an eight-point weekend for the core of the team. On Saturday, all five goals came from the captains. After a cutesy first period for UND that saw too many passes and waste chances, the seniors turned up the heat and found the next three times in the second to pace the sweep. Huge statement from a great group.

No. 4 – UND’s “fourth” Line

The recently-formed line of Austin Poganski, Connor Gaarder and Brendan O’Donnell was dominant on Friday night recording three goals (two from Poganski and one from O’Donnell) and five assists for eight points. A lot can be said for chemistry and these three found each other all night. The freshman Poganski was in the right spot on both goals after big bounces while seniors Gaarder and O’Donnell meshed very well together. DDC would like to see this line stick together.

No. 5 – Bryn Chyzyk

The junior forward scored UND’s first and last goals on Friday night and each goal showed Chyzyk’s growth as a player this season. Chyzyk’s first was a blend of speed and power as he beat the NU netminder 1-on-1. His second, Chyzyk ripped a laser past the goaltender on a short-side wrister, both gorgeous in their own right. This may have been said previously, but if the Virden, Manitoba native doesn’t wear a letter next year for UND, something is wrong.

UND's Stephane Pattyn leads the team back to the bench after celebrating a goal on
Niagara University's Jackson Teichroeb on Friday. Photo Credit: Grand Forks Herald.

Thorns

No. 1 – Lack of Grit for Niagara

For a team that lacks talent, DDC fully expected to see Niagara play a slow, defensive type game in an attempt to plug the middle against an explosive UND offense. That wasn’t the case on the weekend as the Purple Eagles attempted to play an up-tempo, run and gun style that North Dakota blew up right from the beginning of the weekend. That type of play probably works in Atlantic Hockey. Well, no actually, it probably doesn’t since NU has three wins on the year. Hard to believe that was a tournament team just two years ago.

No. 2 – NU Defenseman

Sorry to beat a dead horse on this one, but it’s hard to find a thorn for UND this weekend, so DDC will stick with Niagara. Going out on a limb here… The Purple Eagles are awful on defense. Head coach Dave Burkholder could have easily deployed pylons this weekend. The NU defensemen got blown by wide several times this weekend and left their goaltenders out to dry on multiple goals. Not a good performance from the team from Niagara Falls. DDC must say that the NU D-Man’s feed to North Dakota’s Steph Pattyn for the senior’s Friday night goal was pretty nice.

So, that’s it. Thanks for stopping by and check back in later this week as UND prepares to start the stretch run, welcoming the CC Tigers to the Ralph, this coming weekend.

Friday Gameday: A Must Sweep

Feels like we’ve been here before, doesn’t it?

A highly-ranked UND squad comes into the weekend facing off against a lowly non-conference foe that has struggled to score and keep pucks out of their own net.

While the result ultimately was good, a 7-4, 3-1 sweep against Lake Superior State in early December, UND fans at the Ralph Engelstad Arena nearly saw a Pairwise disaster before a furious rally in first of two games against the Lakers.

And here we are, again.  This time, it’s the 59-out-of-59- Pairwise ranked Niagara University Purple Eagles.

The No. 3 UND men’s hockey team wraps up its non-conference schedule tonight and Saturday against a Niagara squad that has struggled mightily this season.

The Purple Eagles (3-15-2) are last in Atlantic Hockey, in the bottom 10 in the country in scoring (1.95 goals per game) and the bottom five in defense (4.00 goals allowed per game), penalty kill (74.2%) and power play (7.4%).

Last week, NU dropped a pair of 4-3 games to Air Force, whom UND needed overtime to beat in November.

Continuing the search for scoring, the Purple Eagles rely on upperclassmen forwards Issac Kohls and Hugo Turcotte, who lead the team with 10 (4g, 6a) and nine points (5g, 4a) respectively. 

Sophomore goaltender Jackson Teichroeb has been the man in the net for Niagara, with all three of the team’s wins.

DÉJÀ VU ALL OVER AGAIN

Much like the rhetoric coming into the LSSU series, UND (14-5-2, 7-4-1 NCHC) should have a chance to fill the net against a struggling defensive team.

Leading the way for the Green and White, as it has been all season, is the trio of Drake Caggiula, Michael Parks and Mark MacMillan.

Caggiula and MacMillan are tied for the team lead in goals with nine.

In goal, this could be a weekend Green and White fans see backup Cam Johnson, but with the potential of a devastating loss, Zane McIntyre (14-5-2, 2.01 GAA, .930 sv pct) should see action this weekend.

THE PICK

Simply put, this is a must sweep for UND. Coming off a hard-fought conference split against UMD, a letdown cannot be in the plan. While two wins won’t help much, a loss would be a Pairwise nightmare. As always, visitors get a boost from playing in the Ralph in front of a rowdy crowd and Niagara has absolutely nothing to lose. DDC expects the Eagles to come out hard tonight and UND has struggled on Fridays going 1-5-1 in their last seven series starters, but if UND can weather the early push, the Green and White roll the weekend. The talent difference is just too large.

UND SWEEPS, 4-1, 6-0.

 

Roses and Thorns: No Surprises, A Split

NCHC Standings: T-1) Miami, 7-3-0, 21 pts; T-1) UMD, 7-3-0, 21 pts;
3) UNO, 6-3-1-1, 20 pts; 4) UND, 6-3-1, 19 pts; 5) DU, 4-3-0, 12 pts;
6) WMU, 2-6-2-2, 10 pts; 7) SCSU, 2-5-1, 7 pts; 8) CC, 0-8-1, 1 pt

Another trip to Magness Arena. Another split.

The UND men’s hockey team and Denver played another high-energy, heated conference series this weekend as the Pioneers and netminder Evan Cowley took Friday night’s contest 4-1. North Dakota battled back on Saturday for a convincing 3-1 victory, earning the National Collegiate Hockey Conference split.

Here’s what stood out for the DDC in this week’s Rose and Thorns.

Roses

 

No. 1 – Nick Mattson 

The senior defenseman showed some veteran savvy in a big way on Saturday night. After being scratched the previous four games, Mattson netted UND’s first goal of the game and added an assist in the 3-1 victory. With Troy Stecher expected to be out through January, a contributing Mattson would be huge for UND.

No. 2 – Bryn Chyzyk

Chyzyk returned from injury and scored a big goal in Friday night’s game that got UND back in it at 2-1. He added an assist on Saturday. The junior has taken huge strides this season and it was nice seeing Chyzyk continue his good play after missing a good chunk of time with an injury.

No. 3 – Evan Cowley

DU head coach Jim Montgomery said after Saturday night’s 3-1 loss that he planned on using freshman goaltender Tanner Jaillet regardless of Cowley’s performance on Friday. Montgomery may be regretting that decision as Cowley was much better than Jaillet this weekend. The sophomore goalie came up huge on Friday, stopping 29 of 30 shots, also adding an assist. His save on the doorstep on UND’s Connor Gaarder with DU nursing a 2-1 lead in the third kept DU rolling and he earned the 4-1 win.

Thorns

No. 1 – Refereeing/Penalties

Ok. DDC gets it. No excuses. You can’t control the calls on the ice. However, the checking from behind call on UND’s top centerman and assistant captain Mark McMillan that saw the senior get ejected just seven minutes into the game, was flat out awful. Below is the call. You judge for yourself. Losing McMillan, UND was forced to jumble lines, even going as far as pulling Tucker Poolman from the blue line to forward. This call put North Dakota on its heels early on and made a big impact on a rivalry series. Two minutes? Sure. Five? Not a chance. Denver, in DDC’s opinion, was a bit soft on their skates this weekend and a talented power play group took advantage. Look, DDC understands that UND isn’t full of angels and protecting players is very important. However, calls like that shouldn’t be game changers. Call the two. Keep McMillan on the ice. Move on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AviQdFj_rF8

No. 2 – Stephane Pattyn

Pardon me for calling out the captain of this team, but the burley forward has put UND behind the 8-ball a few times this season with silly, after the whistle penalties. The forward did it again on Friday with an unsportsmanlike call. DDC has always loved the grit and gristle that Pattyn has brought to his team, but, UND would prefer to keep its captain out of the box.

No. 3 – Coltyn Sanderson

Sanderson didn’t directly do anything to earn a spot on DDC’s thorns this week, but that may be precisely why he’s on this list.  Once again, Sanderson was completely invisible on Friday night and freshman Johnny Simonson took his spot on Saturday and in DDC’s opinion, it should stay that way going forward. Sanderson’s lack of skill isn’t hurting the team, as the junior doesn’t see much of the ice, but Simonson is simply a better option.