Showing posts with label NCHC Hockey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NCHC Hockey. Show all posts

Saturday, April 05, 2025

Redwing77's Take: New Coach... Direction?


 

Whoo boy.  Here we go!

I recently posted my thoughts on the next coach of UND hockey.  So much weight is put on whom it was who takes the reins that it often goes hand in hand with the rumors of how and why we got into this situation in the first place.  I had no issues with Brad Berry.  I've only talked to him once, and that was briefly over the phone.  Most who blog or follow UND hockey closely within the media know him far better than I ever will.

That being said, I have no qualms about saying that I was surprised by Berry's firing.  However, it happened and everyone asked:  What next?  What direction would UND take?  The answer was the same direction, it appears, that UND took when Blais left.  This poses an interesting bit of reading when it comes to what the fanbase thought.  After Jackson's hiring, I joking told Goon that perhaps we should start up X threads and UND hockey message board threads about when to fire Jackson.  This direction was not what the angry UND fan mob wanted to go.  They all seemed to want Hakstol or other untouchable coaches (like Fershweiler from WMU or even David Carle from DU).  

Regardless of "spin," I believe that hiring Dane Jackson was the safe, if not predictable move by Chaves.  Jackson has been around UND hockey for 19 years as a coach and almost 25 years all together.  His dedication is hardly arguable.  But image weighs a lot to the fans outside of the inner circles.   If memory serves, Jackson was a Blais or Hakstol hire whom Berry promoted to associate when Hakstol departed.  Therefore it's not a stretch to claim that Jackson is simply a younger variant of Hakstol and Berry.  He inherits a team in turmoil amidst NCAA college sports in its own turmoil.  NIL and CHL (and USports by extension) is now a thing for NCAA DI college hockey.  This, in itself, is a topic for another day. Jackson inherits a challenge and I hope he's up to it.  We'll find out either way.

I watched the press conference and there were a few things that jumped out at me:

1.  Modernize the program.  It's perhaps a not so challenging argument to be made that the program had sort of stagnated.  We were still getting decent recruits, but times were changing and it was thought, imo, that UND was falling behind the curve.  Having a recruiting/portal/GM coordinator as an assistant is a pretty decent idea of changing that complacency... assuming that UND and the 1883 Collective can compete against big money programs like those found in the Big 10 Hockey Conference.  Right now, it's not out of control, but it's rocketing towards that direction; following in the wake of college football and perhaps college basketball.

2.   Jackson's Staff.  Coach Jackson hasn't said much about who he will be hiring other than the fact that UND will hire an assistant coach/GM/recruiting guy.  This seems to scream Bryn Chyzyk.  I think this job redesign is essential but it's also going to be a severely time consuming and stressful job to do it well.

3.  Building a program of no excuses filled with 3-4 year players is all well and good but in the day of NIL and player selfishness, one has to wonder what kind of players we'll end up with?  UND fans aren't really patient and sometimes lose sight of everything short of the Frozen Four.  To me, it's an ideal situation but in reality it would put us in the same tier as UNO.  They go after high-character and hard-working guys.  However, if they are in fact top tier hockey talent, they're invariably going to transfer out to a program with money like Jayden Perron did for UND to Michigan or Tanner Ludtke of UNO transferring to Minnesota.  Top tier players now see DI hockey as more of an academic CHL with the added bonus of having control over where you play.  Don't like what it's like here?  Transfer there.  UND fans might not like what type of program that would display.  But then again I'm a skeptic and a cynic.  

4.  The NIL.  Jackson talked about the role of the 1883 Collective in the future of UND.   I think that the 1883 Collective will quickly, if it isn't already, become the most important off ice factor in bringing championships to UND.  And that's a problem considering UND doesn't have the financial clout that most of the teams in the Big 10 Hockey Conference does as well as teams like ASU and, perhaps, some teams out East.   

Coach Jackson has to address the remainder of his staff.  He has two openings to fill.  One will be the GM he spoke about, but the other will be the Associate Head Coach if he doesn't name Simpson to that role.  I wonder whom it will be?  Will it be a former UND player like Matt Smaby or Colten St. Clair?  Or will he go off the board?  Maybe someone from the CHL or the pro minor leagues?  Who knows outside of him.  

It will be interesting to see what happens.  It will definitely be an interesting ride.

Posted by at 1 comment:
Labels: , , ,

Friday, April 04, 2025

UND Head Coach Dane Jackson Introduced as 17th Head Coach; Messages Were Sent


A few people asked me what I thought about the Dane Jackson introductory press conference. I was going to get to it earlier, but I have been busy being a Just for Kix Dance Dad, attending band concerts, and taking care of other personal things that need to be taken care of in the off-season. This afternoon, I listened to yesterday's press conference again. 

Wow! Messages have been sent. It's a new dawn, a new day, a new direction. 

First, I would like to recognize former UND head coach Brad Berry. He always had time to sit down with the media and give you his thoughts on the team and college hockey. Good luck in the future, coach. He will be remembered for leading UND to its eighth NCAA title. Coach Jackson mentions Berry in his opening statement.

"Our staff wants to acknowledge and thank the recent leaders of our program: Brad Berry, Dave Hakstol, Hacks, and Gino Gasparini," Jackson said. 

Coach Jackson sent quite a few messages during the brief press conference. It was obvious who he was pointing his comments at. If you missed that, you should watch the video again (embedded below). 

"Gino (Gaspirini) taught us about toughness, competing, selflessness, Jackson said. "His passion and fire were inspiring. He talked about the logo on the front being more important than the name on the back."

There's more. 

"These leaders (Gaspirini, Blais, Hakstol) taught us about humility and respect, how to work and compete, and that everything is earned," Jackson said. "We are a selfless team, first being part of something bigger than yourselves."

You can already see where this is going. UND will commit to hard work and won't put up with entitled passengers. Draft status will not matter to the new staff moving forward. Every player will earn it every day. The UND hockey team will give 100 percent. That means on the ice in games. They will outwork their opponents for every game. UND will train hard in every drill in practice and in the weight room. The players will earn every inch, every day, and work hard. They will bring pride back to the UND brand and hockey jersey. The coaching staff is committed to getting UND hockey back to where it belongs. No excuses. 

Our staff's plan: "North Dakota has always been built differently. We've been built on the man -- the character -- the toughness -- the grit, Jackson said. "(We want) the guys that rise up in big moments. That's what our coaches have picked for years. We will get back to that. We have done that a lot, and we will ensure that's our core identity. Our core identity is to get the right players, for the right reasons, who want to play at UND, win championships, and develop as players and people."

Interpretation: There is a new sheriff in town, and things will change. Jackson and the staff will be ready for the new year with a new attitude. If you don't want to be here, pack your bags, we don't want you. 

"We need to modernize our program in this fast-changing college landscape," Jackson said. We need to adapt. We're going to hire a person who's a GM/recruiting coach dedicated to recruiting, roster management, and portal management. Having said that, we'll ensure we get back to a sustainable model of recruiting and developing three and four-year players (who) are tied to UND and love the program." 

Boom!

There are about six months until the 2025-26 season begins. There is a lot of work to be done, but you will see a new UND hockey team when the puck drops on the 2025-26 season. 

 

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

Sunday, March 30, 2025

Dane Jackson Is UND Hockey's 17th Head Coach, Now What?

Grand Forks, ND—What a week it's been. Last Sunday, around 6:20 pm, the University of North Dakota announced that it had fired Brad Berry and named Associate Head Coach Dane Jackson interim head coach. UND also announced that a national search would start immediately and close at Midnight on Wednesday.

Fast-forward to Saturday evening, around 9:30 pm, when UND announced that it had promoted Dane Jackson to head coach. Apparently, after conversations with current and former players and others, UND decided they didn't need to look outside the organization.


Now what? From this day forward, UND head coach Dave Jackson's chair will immediately be hot. If you think I am kidding, I am not. All you have to do is peruse social media and our favorite fan messageboard. Some from this group wanted Dave Hakstol fired after he didn't win an NCAA title after numerous trips to the Frozen Four. 


Again,  we've come full circle. 

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

Exhibit B: Fire Coach Hakstol, Not Likely


For the record, I am not a burn it to the ground fire everybody kind of guy. Did we need to make a change? I don't know. Something had to change. The loudest fire Brad Berry fans got their wish. We now have a new head coach. I don't know if UND got better. Only time will tell. It is what it is, that's the nature of the business. College sports are now a professional minor league. 


As I tweeted on X today, checking the responses to this announcement, it would appear that it's about 40/60 or 50/50 on the @UNDmhockey team's new head coach.


My question is, how long of a honeymoon does Jackson get? How long before the fans start calling for his head, too? Some people are never happy. I guess time will tell. It will be interesting to see how the 2025-26 UND hockey team responds. There will be a lot of background noise, especially if they stumble out of the gate. 


Also, if Jackson wins a title in his first year, will fans say, "Well, he did it all with Brad Berry's recruits?" 


Also, should we be concerned that the players chose Berry's replacement? Is everyone comfortable with this? This is 2025, not your daddy's UND Fighting Sioux team or a 1990s version of college sports. Everything has changed. In the old days, if you were unhappy with your playing time, you'd talk to the coach, and he'd tell you to practice harder and play better. Now, players go somewhere else. The unhappy players take their sticks and leave. It's just a different time. 


After Jackson was hired, Dylan James and Jake Livanavage announced their return. That's excellent news for the UND hockey team. We should see more personnel announcements as the week moves forward. 


I recommend that you listen to the "Live in Five" podcast. It's interesting. It features former UND hockey players Gage Ausmus and Jordan Schmaltz from the 2016 NCAA title-winning team. Obviously, Ausmus is dialed in to the college hockey NIL.  


Here are a few things that stood out for me from the podcast. 

"The fans think they have the answers: We can go out and get whoever we want, or replacing Bubs is the better option," Ausmus said. "Are we sure we'll find a better coach than Bubs? Are you sure about that? You don't know. I don't know, either. Who knows if it's the right call?" 

 "The college landscape has changed, Jordo," Ausmus said. "The Gopher's first line this year cost them 225k or something like that, that's a rumor that I heard. Our first line cost 12k, and some free Deeks pizza on Saturday nights. What are we ranking right now in NIL money compared to these other schools? It ain't near the top 10 or 15. There might be like 10 to 15 teams spending more money than us. Do we expect to be better than them? I know we got a huge tradition and culture at North Dakota, and it's a great place to play, but at the end of the day, we've got to figure that out."

Posted by at 1 comment:
Labels: , , , , ,

Sunday, March 23, 2025

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: , , ,

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: , , ,

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: , ,

Monday, February 17, 2025

NCHC Suspends Denver’s Buium, North Dakota’s Emery One Game -- Thoughts

As the game clock clicked to zero on Saturday, things got heated between Denver and North Dakota. It was not surprising; it had been a hard-fought series. After beating UND 4-0 the night before, the Fighting Hawks showed they still had some fight. As the final seconds ticked off of the clock, UND had won game two 3-1; all the players on the ice, minus Denver's goalie, participated in a post-game melee. While the players were locked up, Denver's all-American D-man Zeev Buium and UND D-man EJ Emery engaged in hand-to-hand combat. Yes, it was a fight; both players had dropped the gloves, lost the helmets, and threw punches. After Saturday's game, the box score had posted this.
You had to know this incident would be reviewed by the league. The NCAA doesn't allow fighting, and they had to address this incident. It doesn't reflect well on the NCHC if they had let this one go. Below is the release by the NCHC. 

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO - The National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) has issued a one-game suspension to both Denver sophomore defenseman Zeev Buium and North Dakota freshman defenseman EJ Emery, in accordance with the conference’s supplemental discipline policy, the NCHC announced on Monday, Feb. 17. The suspensions stem from an altercation between the two on the ice following the Pioneers and Fighting Hawks game last Saturday night, Feb. 15 at Magness Arena in Denver. At the conclusion of Saturday night’s game, Buium and Emery were each assessed a roughing minor and given a 10-minute misconduct penalty at 20:00 of the third period. Buium and Emery will be required to serve their one-game suspension during their team’s next game. Buium will be suspended for Denver’s game at Miami this Friday, Feb. 21, while Emery will miss UND’s series opener against Minnesota Duluth this coming Friday. Both are eligible to return for their team’s series finale on Saturday, Feb. 22. 

 Here it is for the two people who haven't seen the video. Stick Tap, @ElFrijolBlanco.
Finally, it was good to see Emery sticking up for a teammate; he showed Buium and his teammates that he wouldn't accept opposing players' cheap shooting or taking runs from his teammates. 
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)