Next Thursday, April 10th, 2014 is the day every NCAA hockey fan in the upper Midwest had hoped for since the addition of the NCHC and Big 10 this season, a MN vs. UND match-up. On the line is a trip to the national title game.
This is a rivalry that dates way back, but I am going to highlight some of the more exciting games in recent history, and a couple of older events between the two schools as well.
We will start back in 1979 in the national championship game. The then Fighting Sioux would match-up against the Gophers in a national title game for the first time in school history. The game, who many thought UND should have won, went into overtime and Minnesota native Neal Broten would score the game winner to earn Minnesota their third national championship.
Moving along to more recent times, one can't forget their many battles in the Final Five or even just in the regular season. We first go back to 2007 at Mariucci Arena. There is just over a minute left in the first period and the Sioux are down 3-2. Defenseman Robbie Bina clears the puck from the bottom of the circles, and 180 feet later, the puck is sitting behind Gopher goalie Jeff Frazee. I do believe that this is still the longest goal scored in NCAA history still, correct me if I am wrong.
Later in 2007 at the Final Five, Minnesota would counter this fluky Sioux goal with an overtime victory over the Sioux in the championship game. Trying to avoid an icing call, now Winnipeg Jets player, Blake Wheeler, would do a Superman like dive and chip the puck over the shoulder of JP Lamoureux to win the game. This was also the very first UND Gopher game that I ever attended. Unfortunately for me, I was young and influential so with how big of a Gopher fan my dad is, I was cheering for the dark side, however lets just not talk about that part of my life.
UND would get the last laugh in 2007. It would come in the West Regional championship game, once again in overtime. This goal was no fluke either. Sioux forward would gather up a lose puck, take it behind the net and have the wraparound of his life, putting the puck behind Frazee and sending the Sioux to the Frozen Four.
Among the many memories of scuffles, triumphs, and defeats, my personal favorite would have to be my very first Sioux Gopher game at the Ralph my freshman year at UND. It was a chilly January Friday, and our first weekend back from Winter break. Like the great UND students always do, I would wait in line for six hours that day, losing feeling in my feet, to get a seat on the glass for this epic battle. Little did I know it would be a game to remember. This game had everything. A lot of big hits, scrums, and great game speed. Oh yeah and a UND victory. What made this game memorable for me though is, then junior defenseman Andrew MacWilliam scoring his very first collegiate goal in his 102nd game played for the Sioux. Being right on the glass right next to where he shot the puck from made it just that much better.
Finally, one can't talk this rivalry without talking the comeback of the decade at the 2012 Final Five. the first 30 minutes of their semi-final match-up was all Minnesota. Late in the second down 3-0, Sioux head coach Dave Hakstol calls the infamous timeout, and the floodgates opened. It would start with a quick goal off of a face-off from Derek Forbort and UND would go into the locker room down 3-1 with one period left. UND would strike quick when Michael Parks would find the twine to pull the Sioux within one goal. While the PA guy was announcing the goal, Brock Nelson would make it a tie game. Minnesota was now playing on their heels and half of the Xcel Energy Center was left stunned. The guy who scored the fourth goal, and game winner couldn't have been more fitting though. The captain, the Grand Forks native, a guy who bleeds green, Mario Lamoureux would make it 4-3 and the comeback would be officially complete. UND would score two more, including one more from Lamoureux to send UND to their third straight WCHA championship.
I will be sharing more of my favorite memories from this historic rivalry as we get closer to the game on April 10th. Feel free to share your favorite memories with me via Twitter @siouxhockey33.
Showing posts with label Red Baron WCHA Final Five. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Red Baron WCHA Final Five. Show all posts
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Lots of fire power in the WCHA Final Five
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There's a lot of fire power in this week’s Red Baron WCHA Final Five. The asterisk annotates an active player in this week’s tourney. As you can see from the list, Danny Kristo and Rylan Schwartz are the active career point’s leaders in the WCHA.
Cross-posted at the Hockey Writers Combine.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
UND: Quarter Final game Ahead 3/21
Historically, this is also the last Red Baron WCHA Final Five before UND moves to the NCHC next season.
Matchup: #Unranked Colorado College (16-18-5, No. 6 seed) versus North Dakota #6 (21-11-7, No. 3 Seed)
Dates: March 21, 2013
Times: March 21: 7:07 p.m. (CT).
Radio: UND 96.1 (KQHT-FM) – The Fox, wcha.com
Webcast: none
TV: Midco/FCS/DirecTV (668)/Dish Network (436)
Live Stats: wcha.com
Series History: All-Time: All-Time: UND leads the all-time series 139-78-10 (.634). UND leads the series against the Tigers in Grand Forks, ND 83-20-6 (.789). UND trails the series against the Tigers in Colorado Springs, CO 48-57-4 (.459). At Neutral sites; UND leads the series against the Tigers 8-1-0 (.889). WCHA Playoff’s, UND leads 7-2-0 (.778). Against the Tigers in the WCHA Final Five, UND leads 4-0-0 (1.000). The last 10 games, UND leads 7-3-0. UND went 2-2 against the Tigers this season.
Players to Watch:
North Dakota: Forwards: Corbin Knight (15g-33a—48pts), Danny Kristo (24g-26a—50pts), Rocco Grimaldi (13g-21a—34pts), Mark MacMillan (13g-12a—25pts), Carter Rowney (10g-16a—26pts). Defense: Dillon Simpson (3g-18a—21pts), Joe Gleason (5g-11a—16pts), Joe Gleason (5g-11a—16pts), Nick Mattson (3g-12a—15pts), Derek Forbort (4g-9a—13pts), Jordan Schmaltz (3g-9a—12pts) Andrew MacWilliam (1g-9a—10pts). Goaltenders: Clarke Saunders 12-6-4, 2.30 GAA, .915 save percentage, Zane Gothberg 7-4-3, 2.52 GAA, .918 save percentage.
Colorado College Tigers: Rylan Schwartz (17g-31a—48pts), Alexander Krushelnyski (14g-26a—40pts), William Rupuzzi (15g-19a—34pts), Scott Winkler (13g-14a—27pts), Archie Skalbeck (12g-11a—23pts) Defense: Mike Boivin (14g-14a—28pts) Eamonn McDermott (3g-19a—22pts), Peter Stoykewych (1g-8a—9pts). Goalies: Joe Howe 12-11-4, 3.09 GAA, .912 save percentage, Josh Thorimbert 4-7-1, 3.73 GAA, .873 save percentage.
UND Officials Web Page
Colorado College Tigers Web Page
Cross-posted at the Hockey Writers Combine.
LONGEST WINNING AND UNBEATEN STREAKS OF 2012-13 BY WCHA TEAM • ALL GAMES
Alaska Anchorage: Longest Winning Streak (1 game – 1-0-0). Longest Unbeaten Streak (3 games – 1-0-2).
Bemidji State: Longest Winning Streak (1 game – 1-0-0). Longest Unbeaten Streak (3 games – 2-0-1; 2-0-1).
Colorado College: Longest Winning Streak (4 games – 4-0-0). Longest Unbeaten Streak (5 games – 2-0-3).
Denver: Longest Winning Streak (5 games – 5-0-0). Longest Unbeaten Streak (5 games – 5-0-0; 4-0-1).
Michigan Tech: Longest Winning Streak (2 games – 2-0-0). Longest Unbeaten Streak (2 games – 2-0-0; 0-0-2; 2-0-0; 1-0-1).
Minnesota: Longest Winning Streak (6 games – 6-0-0). Longest Unbeaten Streak (10 games – 8-0-2).
Minnesota Duluth: Longest Winning Streak (4 games – 4-0-0). Longest Unbeaten Streak (5 games – 4-0-1).
Minnesota State: Longest Winning Streak (7 games – 7-0-0). Longest Unbeaten Streak (7 games – 7-0-0).
Nebraska Omaha: Longest Winning Streak (7 games – 7-0-0). Longest Unbeaten Streak (7 games – 7-0-0).
North Dakota: Longest Winning Streak (5 games – 5-0-0). Longest Unbeaten Streak (7 games – 6-0-1).
St. Cloud State: Longest Winning Streak (5 games –5-0-0). Longest Unbeaten Streak (6 games – 5-0-1).
Wisconsin: Longest Winning Streak (7 games – 7-0-0). Longest Unbeaten Streak (11 games – 8-0-3).
Saturday, March 17, 2012
UND vs. DU lines
Fighting Sioux Forward Lines
29 Brock Nelson–10 Corban Knight (A) –7 Danny Kristo
16 Mark MacMillan–27 Carter Rowney–15 Michael Parks
Stephane Pattyn 28 –9 Mario Lamoureux (C) – 20 Joe Gleason
8 Dan Senkbeil–13 Connor Gaarder– No forward.
UND Defensive Pairings.
4 Derek Forbort – 24 Ben Blood
2 Andrew MacWilliam (A) – 5 Nick Mattson
18 Dillon Simpson–22 Andrew Panzarella
UND Goalies
32 Aaron Dell
31 Brad Eidsness
Fighting Sioux Players Stats
Denver Pioneer Lines
12 – Ty Loney – 15 Drew Shore (C) – 18 Luke Salazar
17 Jason Zucker -23 Nick Shore – 19 Daniel Doremus
37 Nate Dewhurst – 26 – Shawn Ostrow – 8 Dustin Jackson (C)
14 Larkin Jacobson – 25 Matt Tabrum – 22 Jarrod Mermis
16 Zac Larraza
Pioneer Defense Pairing
21 Joey LaLeggia – 5 John Lee
24 John Ryder – 4 Josiah Didier
2 Scott Mayfield
Goalies
31 Juho Olkinuora
33 Adam Murray
1 Sam Brittain
Pioneer Player Stats
Related articles
- Sioux dismantle Gophers 6-3 in St. Paul (insidehockey.com)
- Sioux vs. Pioneers Final Five championship game notes (ndgoon.blogspot.com)
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