Showing posts with label North Dakota. Show all posts
Showing posts with label North Dakota. Show all posts

Monday, October 06, 2014

UND Second in USA Today Poll

USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll

Rk.      School (1st place)                      Record           Pts.         PR
1.         Minnesota (34)                                  0-0-0         510            1
2.         North Dakota                                    0-0-0         462            2
3.         Boston College                                 0-0-0             428            4
4.         Providence                                         0-0-0            415            3
5.         Colgate                                              0-0-0            319            5
6.         St. Cloud State                                  0-0-0            304            6
7.         Union                                                 0-0-0            293            8
8.         Ferris State                                        1-0-0            279          10
9.         Michigan                                            0-1-0            237            7
10.       Miami                                                 0-0-0            178            9
11.       Minnesota State                                0-0-0            171          13
12.       Wisconsin                                          0-0-0            136          12
13.       Notre Dame                                       0-0-0            118          10
14.       Cornell                                               0-0-0              82          14
15.       Boston University                             0-0-0              43         NR               


Others receiving votes: Denver 21, Michigan Tech 14, Massachusetts-Lowell 14, Minnesota Duluth 12, Northeastern 10, Michigan State 8, Yale 8, Quinnipiac 6, Ohio State 5, Robert Morris 4, Bowling Green 2, New Hampshire 1.

Sunday, October 05, 2014

Omaha.COM: Blais believes the Mavs are close to contending



Interesting article about coach Dean Blais and his UNO hockey program.
Tony Boone, Omaha.com -- NO, entering its 18th season, still needs to establish itself as a program relevant on the national level, Blais said. Becoming a perennial NCAA tourney team is an important part of that.

The coach recalled his days at North Dakota, where he was the head coach from 1994 to 2004, when he could drive to Winnipeg, then fly to British Columbia or Saskatchewan and have immediate credibility when he visited a recruit because his program had name recognition.

“Everyone knows about North Dakota. They have that tradition,” he said. “We have to build that tradition. We have to be known as a team that’s going to be there at the end of the year. We’ll get there.”

Omaha has a recruiting advantage, Blais said, by being located within driving distance of a number of teams from the United States Hockey League, the top junior league in America. But he expects the biggest boost to come when the new on-campus arena at UNO opens next October.

Players, for the first time in the program’s history, will be able to go to practices or games without driving across the city. And they’ll have their own space they don’t have to share with another team.

Friday, October 03, 2014

THN Top 50 NCAA Players



The Hockey News has ranked the top 50 NCAA Hockey players and 14 (.28%) are from the NCHC. Three of them are from the University of North Dakota. 
8. Riley Barber, Miami – Incredible offensive prowess has boosted the Washington pick’s stock since he came to RedHawks; look for more of the same from the junior.
9. Jordan Schmaltz, North Dakota – St. Louis first-rounder is a maturing, mobile defenseman who doubled his points as a sophomore last season.
12. Nick Schmaltz, North Dakota – Jordan’s younger bro joins him in Grand Forks. The Chicago first-rounder is blessed with a number of sick offensive moves.
17. Jonny Brodzinski, St. Cloud State – Gifted goal-scorer will once again light the lamp large for the Huskies; he’s a Los Angeles selection.
21. Evan Cowley, Denver – With Sam Brittain gone, Cowley can put his stamp on the crease with the Pios. The big netminder is a Florida pick.
27. Jake Guentzel, Nebraska-Omaha – Smaller Pittsburgh pick had an outstanding freshman season with the Mavs and they’ll need his playmaking prowess again.
28. Andy Welinski, Minnesota-Duluth – Mobile Anaheim pick with great size led the Bulldogs in points from the blueline as a sophomore.
33. Zane McIntyre, North Dakota – Boston prospect formerly named “Gothberg,” will hold down the fort in net for UND as the team eyes a national title.
34. Jaccob Slavin, Colorado College – The Carolina prospect is much bigger than he was when the Canes drafted him and he plays all situations on the back end.
35. Quentin Shore, Denver – The third of four hockey brothers, Shore is an Ottawa prospect who brings some nice scoring punch back to the lineup.
38. Paul LaDue, North Dakota – A late-blooming defenseman snagged by Los Angeles as a depth pick, LaDue was great as a freshman, grabbing all-conference rookie honors.
40. Teemu Kivihalme, Colorado College – Incoming freshman boasts a crazy set of wheels from the blueline; he’s a Nashville pick.
45. Aidan Muir, Western Michigan – Raw Edmonton project kicks off his college career in Kalamazoo; 
50. Joey LaLeggia, Denver – The skilled offensive blueliner is an Edmonton pick primed to put up big numbers as a senior.

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

UND Women Fourth in WCHA Head Coaches' Preseason Poll

2014-15 WCHA Head Coaches’ Preseason Poll
Rk       Team (1st place votes)              Points
1          Minnesota (6)                               48
2          Wisconsin (2)                                 44
3          Minnesota Duluth                       34
4          North Dakota                                 33
5          Ohio State                                       26
6          Minnesota State                          17
7          Bemidji State                                 13
8          St. Cloud State                              9

(Note: coaches could not vote for their own teams in the poll and points were awarded on a 7-6-5-4-3-2-1 system)

Reading this poll, it would appear that UND is flying under the radar. 

Saturday, September 20, 2014

NDSU Linebacker Carlton Littlejohn smokes Montana receiver Mitch Saylor



NDSU linebacker Carlton Littlejohn was assessed a personal four for targeting and given a game disqualification for this hit on Montana receiver Mitch Saylor. After further review, the disqualification for targeting was reversed. Littlejohn remained in the game, but NDSU was still given a penalty.

This is a perfect textbook example of how reviewing a penalty, in the end, will help the officials make the right call.  College hockey should pay attention, the review didn't take all that long, and in the end right call was made.


Wednesday, September 10, 2014

NCHC to Launch its Own Digital Network: NCHC.tv

An exciting announcement from the NCHC today. Here's the official Press Release.
Here's the link to the Frequently Asked Questions, for those that are wondering, you will be able to watch the games on your smart phones.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Looking for a way to watch your favorite NCHC team when they’re playing on the road? Now you can, and even more!

As the National Collegiate Hockey Conference enters its second season of competition, the conference continues to strive to be innovative and at the forefront with fan engagement. With this in mind, the NCHC has partnered with NeuLion to launch its own digital network, NCHC.tv, beginning with the upcoming 2014-15 season, NCHC Commissioner Josh Fenton announced Wednesday, Sept. 10. In doing so, the NCHC becomes the first single-sport NCAA conference to offer a fully integrated digital network.

NCHC.tv will allow fans to watch nearly all of their team’s games live, both home and on the road, while also viewing other NCHC action occurring at the same time. In addition to the live games, fans who subscribe to the network will have access to other live events, as they are produced, and will be able to access archived games and condensed games. Live audio of the games is also included with a subscription.

NCHC.tv will also feature free on-demand video content, without a subscription, from all eight NCHC programs and the conference itself. Among the free on-demand video available on the network will be game highlights, mid-week and post-game press conferences, conference features, such as the Top 5 Goals of the Week, and unique hockey features from the NCHC members.

“We are extremely excited to provide an innovative and integrated concept to our passionate NCHC fan base! The creation of NCHC.tv helps build the brand of the conference and improve the overall fan interaction and experience,” Fenton said. “This significant step forward is a credit to the vision of our member schools for wanting to create something that distinguishes our conference. We look forward to working alongside NeuLion to build the network and content long into the future.”

The integrated approach to video content allows NCHC fans to access their favorite team’s video, as in years past, but fans also now have the option to enjoy video content from the other seven members of the conference and the NCHC, all in one place, helping unite and strengthen the conference brand.

Each team’s website, as well as NCHCHockey.com, will have a NCHC.tv player embedded on it that will show a limited amount of free archived and on-demand video, while subscription-based live games and other content will be viewed directly on the digital network. All free archived and on-demand content will also be available on the network. NCHC.tv will be accessible via NCHCHockey.com and each member school’s men’s ice hockey website.

Fans that subscribe to NCHC.tv through the conference package will have access to watch over 100 games live throughout the season, including over 70 conference games and over 30 non-conference games from seven different venues, allowing fans to watch nearly every home and road conference game of their favorite team. The only games not available on the NCHC digital network are non-conference road games and NCHC contests with rights restrictions due to television agreements. Also, due to rights restrictions, games originating from the University of Denver’s Magness Arena will not be shown, however on-demand video of Denver’s content will be available through NCHC.tv.

The digital network, powered by NeuLion, will give fans a unique action-packed hockey experience with high quality, HD live video on multiple devices. The network’s live and on-demand video will be available seamlessly across all mobile devices by putting the same web address (www.NCHC.tv) in any mobile browser. This is done through a responsive design technique that automatically detects the screen size and adjusts for optimal viewing. NCHC.tv also allows schools and fans to easily share video content across over 25 social media channels, including the ability to embed video players on third-party sites.

“We are excited to partner with the NCHC,” said Steven Brown, SVP of College for NeuLion. “Our expertise in creating digital destinations for major hockey leagues and throughout college athletics, coupled with the NCHC hockey content, will give their dedicated fan base a second-to-none digital experience with unlimited access to their favorite content, including high-quality live video, anytime and anywhere.”

Based in Plainview, N.Y., NeuLion is a leading digital video technology company powering live and on-demand content to viewers worldwide. NeuLion currently serves as the digital technology provider for four NCHC members – Miami, North Dakota, Omaha and Western Michigan – as well as over 150 NCAA schools and several conferences, such as the Big 12, the Big Ten Network, the Pac-12 and the Ivy League; which all use the NeuLion College Platform to deliver live and on-demand games, news, and information to their fans on multiple devices.

In addition to college, NeuLion powers the digital products for many of the major hockey leagues including the NHL, the AHL, the ECHL and other Canadian junior leagues like the OHL and WHL, as well as other sports leagues, teams and networks, such as the UFC, NBA, MLS and Univision.

While much of the on-demand video content will be free, there are several subscription packages from which fans can choose. To enjoy access to over 100 NCHC regular-season games that will be streamed live, fans can purchase the conference season package for $89.95, which offers the highest value among all streaming packages at well less than $1 per game. For fans who only want access to their favorite team’s games, including road contests at NCHC schools, season packages are available for $74.95. Monthly and single-event packages will be available at a later date.

Fans can sign up now for NCHC.tv and select their season subscription package at NCHC.tv. All fans that sign up for a conference season subscription prior to Sept. 25 will receive an $8 discount on their package ($81.95), further dropping the per-game price. Subscribers of a conference season package by Sept. 25 will also be automatically entered into a contest to win four Treasure Island VIP Club tickets and a complimentary hotel room in downtown Minneapolis on March 20-21 for the 2015 NCHC Frozen Faceoff. In addition, fans who subscribe prior to Sept. 25 will receive a 15 percent off discount code to be used on the NCHC’s Fan Shop by Oct. 30 (good on conference and school merchandise).

Any subscriber who signs up for a conference season package will automatically receive the NCHC Tournament games available on the network. A separate postseason package will be available closer to the end of the season for those who do not have a conference season subscription.

As of today, Sept. 10, fans will no longer be able to sign up for live streaming hockey subscriptions through a member school’s website and hockey subscriptions will no longer be automatically renewed. For fans of Miami, North Dakota, Omaha or Western Michigan who already have an existing subscription that allows access to hockey content through a member school, NeuLion will upgrade them to the conference level package on NCHC.tv for the remainder of their existing subscription. In advance of the full network launching, an email will be sent to the fan with their username and login for NCHC.tv, along with the expiration date of their current subscription. Once the current subscription expires, those fans would then have the option to select any of the packages (conference or school) available on NCHC.tv at the regular price. For fans with subscriptions through member schools that allowed access to other sports content in addition to hockey, they will still have access to that content through the member site for the duration of their subscription. New non-hockey subscription packages will then also be available at a different price point on the member websites.

The NCHC’s digital network will be officially launched prior to the start of the season with the official launch date to be announced at a later time. Along with links on NCHCHockey.com and member sites, once live, fans can access NCHC.tv directly at this link: www.NCHC.tv. For help or issues with subscribing, contact NCHCtv@neulion.com.

Subscribers will enjoy their first live games on Saturday, Oct. 4, when three exhibitions will be streamed through the network, while five more will follow over the next two days. The NCHC’s second season begins in earnest Friday, Oct. 10 with seven teams in action, four of which can be viewed on the NCHC’s digital network. Conference play then opens the following Friday, Oct. 17 as Omaha travels to Western Michigan and North Dakota heads to Colorado College, both of which will be available via a subscription on NCHC.tv.

Saturday, August 09, 2014

Grand Forks Herald, UND may play NDSU in football in Fargo, without return game

I would have to say that this is an interesting turn of events. I do find it odd that NDSU will schedule a home-and-home game with a Big Sky Conference foe, but not with UND. Seems kind of petty to me. Again, obviously, NDSU is a very good FCS team, but UND is already playing and beating NDSU in every other sport that they have.
Brad Schlossman, Grand Forks Herald --- UND athletic director Brian Faison may be willing to sign a contract to renew the UND-North Dakota State football rivalry without any guarantee of a game in Grand Forks.

Faison, who previously held firm asking for a home-and-home series, indicated Friday that he would even consider playing two games in Fargo for a monetary guarantee just to get the dormant rivalry started again.

“There’s a strong sentiment from a certain part of our fan base that, whatever we have to do, let’s do it,” Faison told the Herald. “If that means one game or two games. . . at least it gets it to being started again. I’ve been working to get a home-and-home, but that doesn’t appear to be in the mix.”

The teams, who haven’t competed against each other in football since 2003, could play as soon as next season.


Wednesday, July 30, 2014

My Early Preseason NCAA Men's Hockey Favorite

Ok, I know that the season is still two months away, but I just can't get over how this one ended, and not just for North Dakota either. In general, this past season saw a lot of  parody and I expect this season to be just the same. We saw a team with just one NHL draft pick win it all, a team beat another in .6 seconds to go to the national title game, but lose and lose badly. The end of an era in NCAA Men's Hockey with the end of one conference, and the addition to two new ones. Surprising blow-outs and spectacular overtime thrillers. Most of this could be seen within the North Dakota club alone.

Looking ahead to the season upon us, one must look at who left early, and from where, and who has the best incoming freshman. You have your usual suspects as one might imagine, with Boston College, Minnesota, and North Dakota probably being in the top 10 all season long, barring the typical first half North Dakota funk they always seem to have. Union, the defending national champs, is a team that I don't know what to think about. They proved that if you have a good core of players, and believe in your coach/team, great things can happen.

Michigan looks like they are back on the upswing once again, but their usual Big 10 football rival,
Ohio State, they too look as if they could become a team to look at when it comes to tourney time. The Buckeyes are off of a Big 10 tournament runner-up finish, losing an overtime heartbreaker to Wisconsin.

One also has to wonder about Boston University and if they will crawl back up the rankings again, or if they will stay out of the tournament picture like last season. Only time will tell.

Once again, the NCHC looks to be the powerhouse conference, with the possibility of sending at least five teams to the tournament once again. Miami has their top players returning this season, and are once again among the favorites to win the conference in preseason polls. However, they said that last season too and you saw how that ended up.

Minnesota, the College Hockey News number one team coming into this coming season in their very preseason poll release, looks to gain revenge after their national title game flop against Union. The always tough Golden Gophers
should be in the top five of the rankings for much of, if not the entire season. Being lead by goalie Adam Wilcox, and Kyle Rau, Minnesota is looking for banner number six to hang up in their barn once the season is over.

Finally, a team I know much more about, North Dakota. With three of five incoming freshman being drafted at this years NHL Draft, they return a line-up that has a lot of options.
If you thought last year's freshman class was impressive, wait until you see this one. You have a stud goalie, a first round draft pick, and good core team guys leaving a game day spot hard to come by this year. Between Minnesota and North Dakota this year, you don't find much deeper line-ups in the entire country, and I know UND is looking for revenge after how their, dare I say Cinderella, season ended.

If you asked me to pick a national champion right now, I'd have to flip a coin between North Dakota and Minnesota, but the season is very long and a lot can happen. Ask me this question at the start of the second half and I might have a different answer for you.

Sunday, June 29, 2014

NCHC Players Drafted in the 2014 NHL Draft


North Dakota freshman forward Nick Schmaltz was the highest incoming NCHC player drafted in the 2014 NHL Entry Level Draft.  There were no incoming NCHC players taken in the second round of the 2014 NHL Draft. Nebraska-Omaha and North Dakota had the most players taken in this years draft.



Monday, June 23, 2014

UND Hockey LOI's



It's getting closer to the college hockey opener. In a 103 days, UND will be back on the ice again. For those keeping track at home, that's just under 3 1/2 months away. So, it's never very long until hockey season.









UND Hockey: Semi-Committed recruits (Ryan Mantha)

Semi-committed recruits, I am going to give a s/t to my buddy Mafia Man for this one. If I was the coaching staff, obviously I am not, I would consider pulling this kids scholarship offer. Frankly I am bored reading his various quotes about how he's going to wait and see.

Does this kid not realize that 31 percent of the NHL is a former college hockey player, that's only going to increase in the future. If this doesn't think he's going to develop at UND, he's crazy. Dave Hakstol and his staff are highly regarded by the NHL coaches and General Managers.

Nate Sager, Buzzing the Net -- (Ryan) Mantha's next port of call could be contingent on which NHL organization takes a chance on him at the NHL draft this weekend in Philadelphia. The big defender is uncommitted to a NCAA school for this season. The Muskegon Lumberjacks have his USHL rights, while the Ontario Hockey League's Niagara IceDogs recently traded two priority selection picks for his rights."

"North Dakota has eight D returning," Mantha says. "I don't want to sit, I want to continue to develop. I'm keeping my options open right now. They haven't told me to go back. That's something I have to decide over the summer.

"I think they're going to decide," he says of a NHL franchise having influence on the decision of where to play as an 18-year-old. "Some teams say they won't but I think if someone has input on what is best for me, I'll really consider it."
If you don't believe me, all you have to do is watch some of the great UND hockey players currently playing in the NHL. The last three Stanley Cups have a former UND hockey players' name on it. After watching what happened with Adam Tambellini last season, I would walk away from anyone that isn't 100 percent all in. Playing time at the University of North Dakota is earned. I have watched enough practices to know that.

Sunday, June 22, 2014

UND recruit Ryan Mantha on the Pipeline show



UND recruit defensmen Ryan Mantha, at least for now, was on the Pipeline show with Guy Flamming. You can listen to the show by clicking on this link. Doesn't sound like he's all in, at least when it comes to going to UND. Where's Mantha going (UND or OHL), it will depend on what team drafts him. He'll decide where he's going after the 2014 NHL Entry Level Draft.




Tuesday, May 27, 2014

UND could end up losing recruit Ryan Mantha, depending on who drafts him

As a fan of the University of North Dakota, none of us are shocked by these revelations. We have seen it numerous times. We will see it again, probably sooner rather than later. 

[From the Hockey WritersRyan Mantha, Sioux City USHL, University of North Dakota, Elite Prospects Page


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Wednesday, May 14, 2014

(Video Highlights) University of North Dakota athletics 2013-14



Check out this sweet video from the University of North Dakota. It's a pretty good video montage.There's some good memories from the past season for UND sports. I like the one with Brewster dancing with the UND first lady. That's classic.
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Thursday, May 08, 2014

Grimaldi Takes Talents to South Beach



Ok, I know I am a day late on this on, but I needed to figure out how I wanted to word this post. As it was announced yesterday, UND Junior forward, Rocco Grimaldi signed with the Florida Panthers yesterday. The California native would sign a three year entry level deal worth around $3.2 million. Rocco was drafted 32nd overall, which is the second pick of the second round, in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft in St. Paul, Minnesota.

I myself have some memories in the two full seasons I was able to see him skate at UND, but my favorite memory is probably when he scored his first goal against Minnesota back in November of 2011. It was a game I was fortunate to be attending while back home for a weekend my freshman year, but what made it most memorable was his celebration. Replicating his idol, Tim Tebow, it possibly was the best celebration in college hockey that season. However, Rocco would miss most of this season due to a knee injury, and was forced to take a medical red shirt for the remainder of the 2011-2012 season.

Rocco was by far the fan favorite in his time at North Dakota, and with good reason. He was fast, and would dazzle the crowd with his great hands. However, his likeness to pull the flashy moves would cost UND at times where taking the shot would be the better option. However, when they did work they were all highlight reel goals that would leave the entire crowd speechless.

Grimaldi would lead UND in points this year with 37 and would make a statement in the NCAA tournament as well. His presence was well felt on the ice greatest in the Wisconsin game when he would earn his first collegiate hat trick, leading UND to a 5-2 victory.

It is hard for me to say if Rocco will have success in the NHL, or even make it into the NHL, but we wish him the best of the luck in whatever his career has in store for him.
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Z is for Zane (Gothberg)



What a really nice story by WDAZ's Dan Corey on UND sophomore goalie Zane Gothberg. I think this really shows how the younger kids look up to the UND hockey players as well.


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Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Three UND Hockey Players Cited for Underage Drinking


Three University of North Dakota hockey players have been cited for Possession/Consumption Of Alcohol By Person Under 21. It would appear that the offenses in question happened on April 12, 2014, after the Frozen Four was over.

The three players that were cited are freshman forwards Wade Murphy and Lucas Johnson, aka Luke Johnson and freshman defenseman Keaton Thompson. In addition, Thompson and Murphy were also cited for Failing to Halt.

All charges are Class B Misdemeanors. Checking the court records, no other players have any charges pending at this time. You can search the records using this search engine.


From theGrand Forks Herald. "We are aware of the situation and it has been dealt with internally," UND athletic director Brian Faison said.


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Thursday, April 10, 2014

UND Season over.... Much to be thankful for

Seal of the University of North Dakota
Seal of the University of North Dakota (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
One of my friend on facebook posted this... I think this sums it up best. 
I'm so proud of University of North Dakota Men's Hockey. For how the season was going by Christmas break, did **ANY** UND fan think they'd even make the big tourney? Or even the 2nd round of the NCHCs? No way. Nobody saw this coming. I'll forever be as big of a fan as I've ever been. To the four Seniors, thank you so much. Clarke Saunders, Mitch Mac, Derek Rodwell, and Dillon Simpson... Thank you so, so much, and I wish you the best of luck in your future careers off and on ice careers. To the coaches and the rest of the team, thank you for being such great student athletes. I wish I could shake every single one of your hands.

Man... it's going to be a long 5 months and 3 weeks without Tim Hennessy and Steve Olsen echoing through my house. SIOUX FOREVER.
All in all, it was a good season, and I don't think we should hang our heads about this. #rolltribe and go UNION...
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