Sunday, March 23, 2025

Redwing77's Coaching Musings


Ok, I was wrong.  I admit it.  I didn't think UND would fire someone with only a few really down years as a Head Coach and a lot of talent on the roster.  But today I was proven wrong.  Brad Berry had a win percentage of over 64% in his time with UND as the head honcho.  Admittedly, all the hate online for him as the season progressed must have swayed the AD at UND because I thought there were a lot of exceptions to this year that would have bought at least one more season from other programs.  First, the injuries.  We faced a LOT of injuries this year in key positions.  Second, the screwy pairwise.  For the first time since 1990, we failed to make the NCAA tournament despite having 20+ wins.  But hey, we're not Arizona State, right?

 I'm too far south to be "in the loop" anymore, so I didn't see this coming.  Maybe I should have.  I guess the signs were there: our D not being as fearsome as in years past, fundamentals not being as stout as they should, raiding "lesser" programs for top-line players (We're the southern campus, apparently, of Alaska Fairbanks), and running the risk of turning into another transfer portal surfing plug and play institution when our reputation is built based upon our developmental programming as much as our winning.  I'm still not a fan of "If we're not in the Frozen Four every year, fire the coach" mentality many on social media seem to possess.  

I'm curious who they will find.  I wonder how our recruits will handle this change.  I wonder who will transfer out because of this?  Will this ensure Boisvert signs with Chicago?

I wonder what the national search will bring UND?  Here are a few names that I know are out there.  I don't know if they're under consideration or, if approached, would even consider coming to Grand Forks.

Dane Jackson - He's been named Interim Head Coach.  He's familiar, and his style is known.  He's an ex-UND player and has pro-playing and coaching experience.  It is unclear to me how much of the recruiting that UND has done during his time at UND was performed by Coach Jackson.  In my opinion, the penalty kill, which he's the main coach of, has regressed mightily the past few seasons as well.  This might or might not signal a diminishing return for him.  However, retaining him on the staff would be a good sign for Karl Goehring and Dillon Simpson.

Cary Eades:  He's currently the President of Hockey Operations and Assistant GM of the Fargo Force.  I am told he left under questionable circumstances, and I've heard from some unaffiliated USHL folks that he's not the most popular guy.  That's all rumor and I know nothing about this.  What I do know is that he was the 2023-2024 GM of the Year for the USHL and built Fargo into a powerhouse USHL program.  I don't think Eades will get the job, but his name is out there.

Dave Hakstol:  This is probably what all of the armchair social media GMs want to happen... just like they wanted Dean Blais back after he left Columbus.  He is currently out of hockey after being let go as head coach of the Seattle Kraken.  He experienced some success in the NHL with Philadelphia and was even a candidate for NHL coach of the year with the Kraken.  Then again, his dismissal came with storm clouds after reports were made that Hakstol and some of the Kraken players were not on the best terms.

Matt Smaby:  This is an odd choice but not unbelievable.  Matt Smaby played for UND, has served at one point as team manager, coached abroad in a Swiss pro league, and currently is the head coach of the USHL Waterloo Blackhawks.  It's unclear to me how good he is at recruiting or whether or not his coaching acumen is ready for DI hockey (which isn't a big deal to me as I argued that UNO's hire of Gabinet would bite them and so far, I'm wrong).

Long Shots that are NOT likely regardless:

Scott Sandelin:  Ok, he's come up when Blais and Hakstol left so why not know?  He has strong ties at UND and in Grand Forks.  After the past few years where UMD has fallen on their faces more often than they'd like, I'm not so sure they'd be upset if UND came calling.  That being said, I doubt Sandelin would leave Duluth while still employed.

Jason Herter:  He's currently an assistant with WMU, he's had a lot of coaching experience, and he's well-liked.  He's a former UND player as well.  That being said, I highly doubt he'd take the job.  He was coaxed out of retirement by WMU head coach Ferschweiler (I'm thinking I'm spelling that wrong).  For that reason, I'm not so sure he'd want the job.  Could be wrong though.

Dave Tippett:  He's currently a senior advisor for the Seattle Kraken.  Has loads of experience as a player and a coach.  The only reason why I think Dave Tippett would take this job is if he wanted to be another Andy Murray.  Go out coaching into retirement.  This is about as long of a long shot as they come.

Aaron Schneekloth:  Currently head coach of the Colorado Eagles of the AHL.  Former UND guy.  Other than that, he's so well established in the AHL that I don't see it likely he'd come down a level or two to D1 college hockey, even if it is his alma mater.  Oh yeah, and he's leading the first-place team in his division right now.  Would be nice though. 

Evan Trupp:  This is unlikely because of experience or lack thereof.  Evan was a great player for UND and played for a while in the ECHL, AHL, and the German pro leagues before returning to be an assistant coach in the NAHL and now an assistant coach and Director of Hockey Ops for Muskegon of the USHL.  He lacks experience in a head coaching position.  He, along with Matt Smaby (should he be passed up for the head coaching position) would be a great candidate as an assistant with UND should the new head coach decide to change staff.

Dean Bla... just kidding folks.  He's retired.  I only bring him up because there are still fans of the Nebraska Cornhuskers who are still pining for Tom Osborne to come back.  He's gone, Jim.  

NON-UND guys

Brett Skinner:  Ok, he's not a UND guy.  Worse yet, he's a DU guy.  But he's been leading the Fargo Force for a few years and has been very successful.  

Stu Bickel:  Ok, that's not going to happen.  Former Minnesota defenseman and current assistant coach of the AHL Coachella Valley Firebirds.  I did say long shots, but he's a college hockey guy and has a coaching resume and player resumes. (On a tangent, former UND goaltender Peter Thome is the video coach for Coachella Valley!  Who knew!)

 Jeff Blashill: WMU guy.  Currently an assistant coach with Tampa Bay.  Has massive connections all over the place.  No way he'd come to Grand Forks, but it's a name.

Grant Potulny: HA!  He just left Northern Michigan for an AHL gig.  No way he's coming back to D1 so soon.  But he is a Grand Forks kid, even if he did play for some stinking rodents in college.

Greg Moore:  Ok, he's a UMaine guy, but he's the current head coach of the NTDP program and has connections throughout USA Hockey, NHL, USHL, and the AHL. It would give us an in-road back into the National program.

Nick Fohr: U17 head coach.  Very respected and has much of the same connections that Greg Moore has.

Dallas Ferguson:  Current DU assistant coach.  Former Alaska Fairbanks head coach.  Hey, we take all of their castoffs, so why not take a former head coach?  :D

 

SOMEBODY ELSE

There are a ton of coaches out there.  Maybe we'll raid the Major Junior ranks or the ECHL or AHL coaching ranks for a coach?   Who do you think will take the reins?

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: ,

UND Hockey: Brad Berry Is Out as Head Coach

The University of North Dakota men's hockey team has decided to part ways with head coach Brad Berry after 10 seasons with the Fighting Hawks. Per a release from UND: Berry guided North Dakota to 10 winning seasons, amassing a 227-119-35 overall record to rank fourth all-time in program history in wins. He also captured five NCHC Penrose Cups, one NCHC Frozen Faceoff crown, and five NCAA Tournament appearances. He became the first and only head coach in NCAA Division I men's hockey history to win a national title in his first season in 2015-16.

"Coach Berry has had a tremendous decade run at his alma mater," UND Athletic Director Bill Chaves said. "Not many coaches win a national title, and he's one of a very few. His time will be cherished, but today was the right time to move in a new direction for UND hockey."

UND will immediately seek a replacement. AD Chaves also announced that Dane Jackson will serve as interim head coach. 

Pursuing social media and our favorite fan message board, I see fans wanting a Dave Hakstol 2.0. That would be fine, but I doubt he's interested in coaching college hockey again. I imagine he'd like to coach in the NHL again. Finally, I also want to remind these people you were the same people who wanted him fired after he didn't win an NCAA title. We come full circle. 

Exhibit A: UND Hockey: Making the Case for Dave Hakstol

Exhibit B: Fire Coach Hakstol, Not Likely

There will be more on this subject later this week. 

The Hockey World Responds to Berry's Firing.


Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , ,

Saturday, March 22, 2025

NCHC Coaches: They Said What?


Hockey is full of cliches' and sound bites. Yesterday, during the semifinal round of the NCHC Frozen Faceoff, it was a big day for quotes from the coaches. Here are a few that caught my attention. 

Arizona State head coach Greg Powers talked about the Pairwise Rankings. 

"We feel like we're a team that should still be playing," coach Powers said. "We're the first team in the history of the NCHC to finish second (in the regular season standings) and not advance. It's a screwy year in the Pairwise. Cornell won tonight, and there's another spot gone."

Late in the first period, ASU Graduate forward Artem Shlaine blocked a Denver Pioneers shot. Shlaine would miss some time, but he would return later in the game, score a goal, and almost set up another goal. 

"He's a warrior, he's (Shlaine) our MPV," coach Powers said. "His foot is probably broken. I'm sure it's fractured. For him to come back and do what he did, get a big goal, and miss Chuckie (Charlie Schoen) in the back door and make a great play there in the third to take the lead, and their guy just got their stick on him, that's what he does. He's a winner and has a long career in front of him."

UND head coach Brad Berry gave his thoughts on his team's season being over. 

"Everybody has key injuries," coach Berry said. "The inconsistency in our game early on, which led to our nonconference record, was .500 or about .500. It wasn't good enough to get in the tournament. You have to build it up early in the year, which means your nonconference record. Not only us but also a lot of teams in our league didn't have great nonconference schedules or outcomes. We have to be better at that next year."

Denver head coach David Carle discussed Arizona State's fortunes and how the Sun Devils deserve to be in the NCAA tournament. 

"I certainly think they're a team that deserves to be," coach Carle said. "They're a top 12, top 10 team all day long. But unfortunately, it is what it is. You've got to win your games, and the Pairwise is a brutal thing sometimes. The games count as much in October as they do in March and don't take into account injuries or anything like that."

Western head coach Pat Ferschweiler on his team's style of play. 

"We talk daily," head coach Ferschweiler said. No slamming your stick. No frustration. Frustration is a weakness. We will not show it. We will stick with our plan. We'll believe in ourselves, and we're gonna we're gonna go forward in a relentless fashion. That's the way we play."

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , ,

Well...Redwing77's Take


Well….


Another season is in the books and well… it was a season.  This was a season made most notable by injuries, transfers, and freshmen.  It was also a season made noteworthy by less favorable statistics.   Here’s my take:


The Offense


This was a team that, on paper, could hang with anyone.  Sometimes it did!  Sometimes, it did not.  The only consistent factor of our offense was the fact that it was inconsistent.  All in all, I figured that the offense had to carry this team in order for it to win.  How so?  They’re VERY FAR under .500 when they score 3 or less goals.  Tonight, they lost the semifinals 4-2.  Very sad, considering how well we played otherwise.


Drop the Puck…no wait… uhm…


This team struggled mightily in the faceoff circle.  I’m not sure how to fix this.  What I saw on the replays and as I watched wasn’t bad form per se, but then again… if you need me to judge form and technique, you might as well fold the team.  Regardless, this is an issue.


The Defense


Young and somewhat Injury-plagued as well.  Emery, Jubenvill, and Strathman have promise.  Strathman can be great if he just is more disciplined.  Jubenvill is going to be special.  I might be the only one, but Caleb McDonald didn't impress me all that much.  He wasn't a liability, but, to me, he wasn't a first-pairing defenseman.  Regardless, UND's defense used to provoke fear due to their physicality and proficiency at their trade.  I don't feel like that's the case much anymore.  WMU shot the puck at will. 


The Goaltending


Whoo… this part is the most aggravating to me.  TJ played great tonight against a VASTLY superior Western Michigan.  However, it’s not enough.  I can’t find much to say negatively about his play tonight, but why is it that it takes most of the season to grow into this form?  I talked to some more dialed-in UND fans at the Baxter Arena in Omaha, and they spoke highly of TJ and even said that he was the best “first-shot goaltender” they’ve ever seen.  The problem is you don’t see just one shot in a flurry of chances usually.  To me, I’m still leaning a lot towards comparing TJ to Drew DeRidder.  Both TJ and Drew had rough seasons and got hot late in the season all for naught.  My thought to ponder, though, is: Is it better to come up just short despite playing well with a transfer or to come up equally short developing a homegrown goaltender like Hedquist?  I think Berry ultimately made the right choice with TJ, but I've always been a homegrown guy.  Think of Herb Brooks in Miracle.  He brought in the flashy guy and sent him home in favor of the guys he had to start.  I'm like that.  Maybe detrimental and irrational, but still..

Special Teams… WELLLLL……


The Power play was pretty good again.  Not as good as last year but still good.  The Penalty Kill, however…. That was special with air quotes around it.  50th in the nation special.  I will give BIG kudos to UND for killing off two penalties against WMU when WMU could shoot the puck practically at will.  I would say that this is the most significant problem in UND’s game if it wasn’t for the fact that faceoffs happen all game long.  I know.  Understatement as usual and certainly not a statement made on a limb.  It was straight-up bad this year, even with the later season PK being better.  


Coaching


FIRE…. No one.  It never ceased amazing me how many social media coaches and GMs out there would fire a head coach with Berry’s resume.  It is true this is the first time since 1990 that UND had 20+ wins and failed to get to the NCAA Regionals, but UND is going to need to fail more before the boo birds get their way.  That being said… I can’t see this year being all that helpful towards the careers of Dane Jackson and maybe Karl Goehring.  Jackson ran the PK coaching, and it was atrocious, and Goehring seems unable to find good goaltenders, or at least ones that grow season to season.  And that hurts because Karl Goehring might be my favorite all-time UND player.  He certainly is my favorite goaltender.


The Future


I think the future hangs a lot on #9.  Sacha Boisvert was a stud this year.  It’s no secret that the Blackhawks are NOT very good and Bedard isn’t happy.  Chicago drafted Boisvert as a two-way player that can, eventually, center a line with Bedard (though I thought Bedard was a center?).  We have good players already in Grand Forks and more coming, but none nearly as dynamic and game-changing as Boisvert.  And he’s only going to get better.  That being said, if we’re not talking about Boisvert, the player that impressed me the most late in the season was Cade Littler.  He’s the replacement for Jackson Kunz and Cam Berg easily if he can improve his faceoff skills.  He’s a big kid, and he can score.  I am VERY certain that Cade will be a top 2 liner next season.


Predictions


Well, here we may get a bit edgy, but this is an Op-Ed piece, so…

  1. Next season, UND will only have 1 returning goaltender:  Alexsi Huson (assuming Kaleb Johnson graduates).  TJ graduates, and I’m predicting Hobie Hedquist transfers.  What does this mean?  Another transfer to come in with Caleb Heil.  Let’s face it.  Heil didn’t have statistically the best season in Madison.  True, he was 22-8-2, but his 2.67 GAA with a .897 Save% was nothing to write home about.  Will it matter if we’re always going to the Portal for 1 year wonders in net?  I can’t help but notice that WMU had a transfer goaltender, too…as a backup to their freshman phenom (and a former UND commit to boot).  DU doesn’t have a transfer goaltender on their roster.  I guess that puts me in the “homegrown” camp.  I guess I’d rather develop a goaltender through playing time rather than roll the dice on a retread every year.  

  2. Please note that the following is my opinion and it is not meant to be a dig at any player or be mean-spirited in any way!  I think Berry SHOULD use the transfer portal to bring in a bench defenseman or depth at D.  Why?  Because Bennet Zmolek has more talent than his body allows him to display.  I like the kid, and it kills me to say this, but… he’s too fragile to play the game style he’s been playing thus far.  Yes, he’s coming back next year, but for how many games?  He hasn’t played a full season to my recollection yet… at least in Grand Forks.  He’s a GOOD defenseman, though.  Maybe this time, he’ll come back healthy and become a workhorse on the back end for UND.  I certainly hope so.  I’m just not confident that his body will allow what his mindset and spirit desires.

  3. They aren’t going to fire Berry, but his seat MIGHT be getting warmer.  Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure Berry was the primary recruiter while Hakstol was the head coach.  Could be wrong on this. 

  4. In the transfer era, we need a new recruiting philosophy.  How come we’re not even top 3 in the NCHC at recruiting goaltenders?  Even UNO is better than we are and there’s an argument to be made that CC is better too.  I really am thinking that Adam Scheel and Cam Johnson were flukes.  And how come Denver is always able to find great goaltenders?  Pisses me off.

  5. It seems like the NCHC is having a grand time finding Scandinavian skaters to bolster their American and Canadian skaters…except UND isn’t one of them.  UND, to my knowledge, has had three:  Ludvig Hoff, Ludvig Persson, and Jacob Helleston.  Not so sure we need Scandinavians but what’s with that anyways?  Bring the umlaut to UND!  :D 

     


Ponderings from around D1 Hockey:


Ok, this is off-topic, but I’ve watched a bit of hockey from other places, and this is what I have pondered:

  1. What is everyone’s fascination with Trey Augustine of MSU?  I’m not suggesting he’s a bad goalie nor am I saying he’s overrated.  I’m simply amazed by how, when I watched him play vs. Penn State earlier this year, the commentators couldn’t stop raving about him even after he gives up a rather weak goal or even after MSU lost the game.  This must be the potential he shows.  He was ok with Team USA.  It’s like he’s the second coming of Rick DiPietro or Mike Richter.  Future NHLer?  Quite probably.  Great college hockey goalie?  Not yet.

  2. Alex Bump is good.  Not as good as Dave Starman made him out to be, but very darn good.  I feel that Bump is as likely to be signed this offseason as Boisvert is.  Philadelphia is hurting for talent, too. 

  3. As for coaching hot seats, What do you think is happening in Duluth?  Sandelin continues to get talent (like the Plante brothers, and their goaltenders aren’t that bad), but they’ve been terrible.  Could Sandelin’s seat be getting a bit toasty?


Final Thought


If you’ve hung around college athletics the past year, be it hockey or football, the prevailing thoughts have been centered around the transfer portal and NIL.  True, the NIL isn’t as big of an issue in hockey as it is in football (and WOW, is it a problem in FBS land), but the true test of Berry and whether or not he can last will be how he will build a team despite the revolving door college athletics has become.  Are we done seeing teams that primarily build from within?  I think the transfer portal has made it harder to build teams and instead play into superficiality in both players and fans alike.  TJ would have been a great add if he were a sophomore or even a junior, but he’s one and done.  Imagine what Ludvig Persson would have been like had he had more than 1 year of eligibility remaining when he came to Grand Forks.  So many fans want a “win now” attitude or maybe now they’re far more vocal than in the past.  UND fans are going around saying that we should be in the National Championship game every year or at least the Frozen Four on a yearly basis and that’s just not practical in this environment.  The biggest key will be how coaches can build and develop teams moving forward in this landscape.  I think UND is trying to find its footing and UND will be back.  I just hope it’s sooner rather than later.

 

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , ,
Location: North Dakota, USA

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

UND Lives to Fight Another Day with Sweep of Omaha


Last Saturday, the UND men's hockey team completed a series sweep of Omaha (3-2 W, 3-2 W). With the win, Nodak lives to fight another day. UND still isn't out of the woods; the Fighting Hawks must win the Frozen Faceoff to advance to the NCAA playoffs. UND's path to the NCAA playoffs is very challenging if they want to make it to the West Regional in Fargo, ND. 

The Hawks will play the Western Michigan Broncos at 7:3p.m. on Friday. UND is 4-5-1 in the last 10 games against the Broncos. WMU is on the bit of a heater. The Broncos are 13-2-0 (.866) in their previous 15 games. On the flip side, UND is 9-4-1 (.633), including two losses against the Broncos. If UND can win the first game, they will play the winner of Denver and Arizona State. UND has a combined record of 2-4-0 against them. 

Here are a few things that stood out from last weekend's series. 

Saturday's win was UND's first road quarterfinal sweep since March 10-11, 1995, at St. Cloud State, which dates back to the Dean Blais era. 

Freshman forward Cade Littler had a solid weekend after being a healthy scratch a week earlier. I don't think it's an understatement to say that the East Wenatchee, WA, native took a huge step forward this past weekend. Littler has scored (7g-2a-9pts) in 32 games; he's a plus-nine. He's a solid two-way player and does many things that don't show up on the score sheet. On Friday, Littler scored the game-tying and game-winning goals. On Saturday, he scored the game-tying goal. 

Winning the first game in the conference series playoffs is key; UND has won seven straight game twos when taking a 1-0 series lead. UND has reached the conference semifinals in 20 of the last 21 years. UND unfortunately for UND, they have won one NCHC tourney in the previous 11 years, which was at the Ralph Engelstad Arena during the COVID-shortened season of the 2020-21 season. 

UND has been wearing the black third jerseys, aka the business suits, a lot this season. The Hawks have worn them nine times and are 6-2-1 (.722) when they wear them. This past weekend, UND wore them for their series against the Omaha Mavericks.  

This was the second time in three years that UND ended Omaha's season at Baxter Arena in Omaha. With the sweep against the Mavericks, UND improves to 4-1 in postseason games at Baxter Arena. UND has won four straight playoff games against the Mavericks at Baxter. 

This past season, UND went 3-1-0 against the Mavericks. UND never scored more than three against the Mavericks. Both teams scored 12 goals in the series (3-1 W, 3-7 L, 3-2 W, 3-2 W).


Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , ,

Saturday, March 08, 2025

Discussion: UND Finds Their Game, but Is It a Little Too Late?

On Friday night, the UND hockey team won for only the second time in 2025 (2-6-1). Friday has been a killer for the UND hockey team during the second half of the season. With the win, UND improves to 8-8-1 on Friday nights. 

With the 3-1 victory against the Mavericks, the Hawks also broke a three-game losing streak, including a 6-3 loss to the Mavericks in last year's Frozen Faceoff. With their play in the previous four and half weeks, UND has found their game. However, is it a little too late? NODAK is 6-2-0 in the last eight games and 14-7-2 since November 16, 2024. UND needs to win the NCHC tourney to make the NCAA tourney a very tall order. From here on out, every game is a must-win game. 


Speaking of NODAK, UND is 3-1-0 when wearing the white NODAK jerseys. I am on record for the NODAK jerseys becoming the official UND hockey team jerseys. UND could sell more of them than the current jerseys.


Stick Taps 

I was reading the UND post-game notes by Alec Johnson, the UND SID. A few things caught my attention. 


Over the years, the UND hockey team has had the better of the matchup against Omaha, 37-22-2 (.622) all-time. However, entering last night's game, the Mavericks had won the three previous games. 


You can bet that T.J. Semptimphelter will be in the net when the two teams face off on Saturday. He's 2-0-0, 0.99 GAA and a .964 save percentage. Semptimphelter improved to 6-2-0 over his last eight starts.


Carter Wilkie continued his torrid pace, scoring his 10th point in the last 10 games (4g-6a–10pts). 


Freshman forward Sacha Boisvert scored his fifth straight goal, his sixth goal in the previous five games (6g-1a–7pts). He leads the team with 15 goals. That was also his seventh multipoint game of the season.


Speaking of multipoint games. UND sophomore defenseman Jake Livanavage recorded his seventh multipoint game of the season with two assists. Livanavage becomes only 11th UND defenseman to record 50 points in his first two seasons. Even more impressive, Livanavage has the most points by UND defense in his first two seasons since 1999-01 (Travis Roche). Yeah, that guy.


UND junior forward Dylan James has been on a heater; on Friday, he scored his 14th goal of the season, giving him 15 points in the last 16 games (9g-5a-15pts). He's fifth on the team in scoring (14g-8a-22pts). He also has four multipoint games, including a four-point game on February 7, 2025. 

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: ,
Location: 2VC5+84 Faulkton, SD, USA

Wednesday, March 05, 2025

UND Hockey: Crunching the Numbers; It's Crunch Time

Today, I looked at the 2024-25 UND hockey team numbers. There are some good and bad. This time of year, no one cares about anything other than wins, losses, and Natty's. However, some of these statistics are telling and have value. But I digress. These numbers can also paint a larger picture. 

UND needs to improve its penalty kill, especially if it wants to advance in the NCHC playoffs and possibly to the NCAA playoffs. For most of the season, UND's penalty kill bottomed out at 58th in the nation. UND is currently 48th in the PK nationally, which is not great. Since UND's 3-1 win against C.C., the Hawks have improved on the power play and are 27-33 (81.8). 

Dr. Jekyell and Mr. Hyde, Friday nights have been a house of horrors during the second half of the season. Since January, the Hawks have been 1-5-1 (.214). On Saturday nights, UND is 6-1-0 (.857). 


During February, it was no different; UND was 5-3. All three losses came on Friday nights; UND was 1-3-0 (.250). UND was 4-0-0 on Saturday nights. UND's only win was against UMD on Friday night, February 21, 2025, 4-2.


Jake Livanavage Takes Flight 


UND defenseman Jake Livanavage has been stellar, averaging 24:28 minutes per game. His highest minute totals were 30:32 last Saturday against WMU, 29:12 against ASU, 27:47 against UMD, and 27:28 against DU. Jake Livanavage is UND’s top point-getter (4g—22a—26—pts). He’s also a plus-two. He has six multiple-point games. Saturday against Western Michigan, Livanavage scored the game-winning goal. His post-goal Celly was epic.

Carter Wilkie Gets Hot


Graduate forward Carter Wilkie came to UND as a highly touted offensive player. In 117 games at RIT, Wilkie scored (43g-68a—111pts). Yes, he compiled those numbers against the Atlantic Hockey competition, but you still have to be a good player to score those numbers. 

We're seeing a glimpse of what UND was looking for when they recruited Wilikie.

In 33 games with UND, Wilkie has scored (7g-8a—15pts); he’s also a plus one. Wilkie is getting hot at the right time. He has started contributing on the scoresheet after scoring (3g-3a—6pts) in the first 24 games of the season. Wilkie has (3g-6a—9pts) in the last nine games and  (2g-4a—6pts) in the previous four games.


Wilkie's hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed.


“He was snakebit a little bit in the first half of the season. I guess analytically and point-wise, but he’s just kept on playing,” Berry said. 


“We’ve started to play the right way, and it’s reaping the reward right now,” Wilkie said following Friday's wins against UMD. “Every guy in there is contributing, too. Not only my offense but everyone’s continued the winning aspect for our team.”


Louis Jamernik Breaks an O-Fer Streak 


UND captain Louis Jamernik V broke a 14-game pointless streak with an assist last Friday against Western Michigan. Jamernik hasn't scored a goal since November 8, 2024. 


Hobie Sacha? 


Check out this Tweet from the Hobie Baker Memorial Award's X feed. Sacha Boisvert's Hobey Baker Memorial Award. You can vote for Boisvert here. 
Goal Scoring 19th 
NCHC Goal Scoring 4th
NCHC Goals Scored Per Game 4th 3.21
NCHC Shooting % 2nd 
Goals Against 30th GAA 
NCHC Goals Allowed Per Game 6th 2.88 GAA
Save Percentage 40th 
Save Percentage NCHC .898 7th SV%
Power Play 10th (25.5) 
Power Play NCHC 4th (25.3)
Penalty Kill 48th (76.5) 
Penalty Kill NCHC 8th (76.5) 
Shorthanded Goals Tied 13th 4 
Shorthanded Goals NCHC 3rd 
Faceoffs 54.5 tied Tied for 20th 
Faceoffs NCHC 5th 

Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , ,

Sunday, February 23, 2025

Why Not Make the NODAK Jerseys the Official UND Jersey for Hockey?

This past weekend, the University of North Dakota wore their NODAK jerseys for their series against the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs. 

I tweeted this on Saturday and reposted the UND Men's Hockey X.com account tweet yesterday. I don't know how popular this will be, but the NODAK jerseys should be the official jerseys of the @UNDmhockey team. I think they're awesome. Even designing a black business suit NODAK jersey would be outstanding. Go!
 This could be a win for the UND athletic Department, possibly sell more jerseys. Just a thought. Here are some photos I took on Saturday night during the second period. You can also click the link to my photo blog from Saturday.  









Posted by at 1 comment:
Labels: ,
Location: Grand Forks, ND, USA

Saturday, February 22, 2025

UND Hockey: Friday's House of Horror

Digging through the numbers following Friday's 4-2 win, the UND hockey team did something it hadn't done in 2025: They won a game on Friday night. You didn't read that wrong. Fifty-three days into 2025, UND finally won a game in regulation on a Friday. Entering game one against the Bulldogs, UND was 0-4-1 on Friday nights in 2025. 

It's not an understatement to say that it's been a tough year for NODAK, and the fan base is getting antsy. The prospect of missing another NCAA regional in Fargo is looming. There's still time to right the ship, but there's little room for error. 

With Friday's win, UND is sitting at 18th in the Pairwise Ranking; depending on upsets in conference tournaments, they would probably need to get to 13th or 14th to make the NCAA tourney. Five regular season games remain, and UND must continue winning, or their season will be over. However, one person wrote on Facebook that they still could win the conference tourney, West Regional, and advance to the Frozen Four. True. It's never over till it's over. Correct.

 We're Streaking... Friday was a night of ending negative streaks. It was also the first time UND had won back-to-back games since December when they won back-to-back games against SCSU and Miami. 

Saturday nights have been a different story for UND. They’re 7-1-1 on Saturdays; their only loss was against the Western Michigan Broncos. UND is 12-1-1 when leading after two periods.

Dominating the Bulldogs 

After the game, I scanned X.com before the post-game press conference when I came across Brad Schlossman's tweet. There will be streaks when you play a team enough times, but this is impressive.
Update: From UMD beat writer Matt Wellens: Since beating the Fighting Hawks in five overtimes in an NCAA regional final in Fargo in 2021, the Bulldogs are 2-11 against North Dakota, with the Bulldogs' last win coming Jan. 21, 2023, in Grand Forks.

Speaking of impressive numbers, UND sophomore D-man Jake Livanavage has played a lot of minutes this season. Last night, I tweeted that the only ones to have played more than Jake Livanavage are the two goaltenders. That wasn't a lie; Livanavage played 27.47 minutes in Friday's game, almost half the game. Livanavage was being double-shifted throughout the game.
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)