Video from game one UND vs. SCSU

The video speaks for it's self. Not a good effort by the boys in the green and white last night, and players are standing around and watching SCSU make plays.

For those that want coach Dave Hakstol fired, I would say lets see how the boys respond tonight before you march on the Ralph with pitch forks and torches. I kid, but last night was a hard game to watch, there were a lot of things that went wrong, the video speaks volumes as well. I get it, but the head coach is going no where.

I think that Johnny Brodzinski is making a serious case for Rookie of the year in the WCHA, the kid is a horse an the coach of the SCSU Huskies compared him to former Fighting Sioux forward Matt Frattin.

RT @scsuhuskies: @scsuhuskies Jonny Brodzinski goal celebration photo by Brace Hemmelgarn at UND on Jan. 25. twitter.com/SCSUHUSKIES/st…
— Mick Hatten (@MickHatten) January 26, 2013

Did the Minnesota and North Dakota series become more tame?

Ralph Engelstad Arena 

The Minnesota and North Dakota hockey series is one of the best rivalries in college hockey.

Unfortunately, this past weekend was the final regular season WCHA series between the University of Minnesota and The University of North Dakota. There will be no more of these regular season battles.

The Rivalry has been likened by some as the modern day version of the Hatfield’s and McCoy’s feud.

All a person has to do is go on YouTube.comand search for Sioux and Gophers and there are literally hours of video of scrums, dustups and fights.

From a historical perspective, last weekend’s series between there UND and UMN was rather tame.  There were no major dust-ups or line brawls. Both teams were whistled for a combined miniscule total of 64 minutes in penalties over the course of a two game series.

What’s even more shocking, there were no major penalties called against either team all weekend long, not a single one.

I thought UND was a bunch of knuckle dragging Neanderthal goons? Looking at the numbers it’s safe to assume that North Dakota is not anymore.

This weekend’s penalty minutes were tame compared to last season’s series at the Ralph Engelstad Arenabetween UND and UMN on

English: Logo for the University of Minnesota (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

January 13-14, 2012. Minnesota and North Dakota amassed 105 minutes in penalties. There were also two major penalties called during that weekend series, with each team garnering a five minute major penalty.

In years past, there were single periods that surpassed that penalty minute total of 64 minutes.

North Dakota Senior Defenseman MacWillam was asked about this past weekend’s games and if they were as tame as they appeared on the television.

“It has been in the past,” MacWillam said. “I think that hockey is changing a little bit. You can’t have the big hits anymore. So I think that might have contributed to some of it. It’s still heated between the whistles. It’s a little different than playing I assume. But that bitter rivalry is still there.”

UND Junior Defenseman Dillon Simpson who has played in the series for three seasons, had this to say about this past weekend’s series as well.

UND forward Mitch MacMillan
Eric Classen, UND Sports

“On the ice there is a lot of stuff on the ice going on,” Simpson said. “Maybe not as much open to the fans as you can see. But it’s always heated when we play those guys, and it was rough, a lot of big hits but nothing out of control. I think for us we were more focused, we needed to two wins big time. We were trying to stay out of the box and try to make it a game. It was still rough and still a tough series but at the same time nothing outrageous happened.”

One could make the argument that the players do adjust to the way the game is being called.

When Simpson was asked about his thoughts on not playing the Minnesota Gophers next season, he went on to say.

“It sucks, this is the biggest rivalry I think in college hockey”, Simpson said. “This is the most fun that I have playing on the weekends. It kind of sucks! Who knows if we will see them down the line this year, but it’s not fun not being able to play them next year.”

 Originally Posted at the Hockey Writers - Combine...

Related articles

• Breaking down the Minnesota vs. North Dakota Rivalry (thehockeywriters.com)
• One step back, before we move forward (UND vs. UMN) (thehockeywriters.com)
• UND: The Weekend Ahead (1/25-1/26) (thehockeywriters.com)

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Video from UND and CC

Tonight, was not a good night for the boys in Green and White. Also, the men in stripes had a very bad night, I know, I know, it's Brad Shepherd and Todd Anderson. What do I expect? I expect the refs to be professional and not yelling obscenities at the playes on the ice. That being said, the refs didn't cost UND the game, UND did it to themselves.

I do think that the hit by Mike Boivin on Drake Caggiula was a dangerous and senseless hit, I think that Boivin needs to be suspended for this hit, it this was the AHA, Boivin would not be playing tomorrow night. I said on the chat that I think this hit is as bad as the Marvin hit on Chay Genoway that knocked him out for the rest of the 2009-2010 season.

Related articles

• Tigers take a bite out of UND 4-3. (thehockeywriters.com)

Don't forget to vote in the Greatest Sioux Jersey Tournament

The Greatest Sioux Jersey Tournament being held by the Sioux Jersey Blog has now narrowed the field from 16 to 8. Go to the Sioux Jersey Blog and click on the link to go vote for your favorite Fighting Sioux Jersey. [Click to vote]

UND; The Weekend Ahead (01/11-01/12)

University of North Dakota entertains the Colorado College Tigers in an important two game WCHA series at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, N.D.

Colorado College (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Matchup: North Dakota (12-5-3, 7-2-3 WCHA) #7 USCHO and #7 USA Today Polls versus unranked Colorado College (8-12-2, 5-8-1 WCHA).

Dates: January 11-12, 2013

Times: Jan. 11: 7:30 p.m. (CT); Jan. 12: 7:00 p.m. (CT)

Radio:  UND 96.1 (KQHT-FM) – The Fox.

TV: Midco Sports Network, FCS Central, DirecTV 623 (Friday), FCS DirecTV626 Pacific (Saturday).

Live Video & Audio: www.UNDSports.com

Series History: UND leads the All-Time series against the Colorado College Tigers 138-77-10 (.636). UND leads the series against the Tigers in Grand Forks, 82-19-6 (.794). UND trails the Tigers in Colorado Springs 48-57-4 (.459). UND leads Colorado College at Neutral sites 8-1-0 (.889). In the last ten games against Colorado College UND leads 8-2-0 (.800). Last time out against C.C., UND split their series against the Tigers (3-5 L – 3-2 O.T. W) on November 30, 2010 – December 1, 201.

Players to Watch:

North Dakota: Forwards: Danny Kristo (10g-15a—25pts), *Rocco Grimaldi (7g-9a—16pts), Mark MacMillan (7g-9a—16pts), Corbin Knight (10g-19a—29pts), Drake Caggiula (5g-6a—11pts). Defense:  Dillon Simpson (2g-8a—10pts), Andrew MacWilliam (1g-5a—6pts), Derek Forbort (4g-6a—10pts). Goaltenders: Clarke Saunders 10-3-3, 2.17 GAA, .925 save percentage, Zane Gothberg 2-2-0, 2.97 GAA, .902 save percentage.

Colorado College Tigers: Forwards: Rylan Schwartz (10g-17a—27pts), William Rapuzzi  (11g-15a—26pts), Alexander Krushelnyski (8g-15a—23pts), Scott Winkler (10g-10a—20pts), Defense:  Mike Boivin (9g-9a—18pts) Eamonn McDermott  (2g-12a—17pts). Goalies: Joe Howe 4-6-1, 3.50 GAA, .896 save percentage, Josh Thorimbert 4-6-1, 3.66 GAA, .876 save percentage.

UND Official Web Page

Colorado College Web Page

Originally posted at the Hockey Writers - Combine. 

Corban Knight named Red Baron WCHA Co-Offensive Player of the Week.

MADISON, Wis. – Forwards Josh Archibald of the University of Nebraska Omaha, who scored four goals in a league sweep over Colorado College last weekend, and Corban Knight of the University of North Dakota, who produced six scoring points in a pair of victories over Holy Cross, have been named Red Baron® WCHA co-Offensive Players of the Week for January 8. Knight also earned the weekly award on Dec. 18.

 Archibald, a 5-10, 170-pound sophomore center from Brainerd, Minn., powered the host Mavericks (13-8-1) to back-to-back conference wins over visiting Colorado College on Jan. 4-5 at CenturyLink Center Omaha and into first place in the WCHA race. He notched a three-goal hat trick, the first of his collegiate career, and was the First Star of the Game in UNO’s 8-4 triumph last Friday night, scoring in each period at even-strength, on the power-play and while shorthanded. The following night (Saturday), he scored his fourth goal of the series in the third period, giving him four goals on four shots, as the Mavericks completed the sweep over the Tigers with a 3-1 win. In the two games, he had four goals, four shots on goal and a +4 plus/minus rating.

A draftee of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, Archibald is third in team scoring this season with 21 points (11g, 10a).

 Knight, a 6-2, 200-pound senior center from High River, Alberta, put together his second straight six-point weekend and figured in on both game-winning goals as host North Dakota (12-5-3) collected its second sweep in a row with 5-2 and 3-2 non-conference wins over No. 20-ranked Holy Cross at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks. Named the game’s No. 1 star last Friday and the No. 2 star on Saturday, Knight also extended his point-scoring streak to 15 games, UND’s longest since All-American Brandon Bochenski had a 17-game streak in 2002-03. He had two goals, including the game-winner, and two assists on Jan. 4 and then had two more assists on Jan. 5, both in the third period and on the power-play, setting up Michael Parks’ game-tying goal and Danny Kristo’s game-winning goal as UND rallied from a 2-0 deficit for a 3-2 win. Knight also won 21-of-24 (87.5%) face-offs on Saturday and 31-of-40 (77.5%) in the series.

Related articles

• Knight's Four Points Leads UND Past Holy Cross (insidehockey.com)
• Why not Corban Knight for the Hobey Baker? (thehockeywriters.com)

UND versus Holy Cross - Yeah that one...

UND’s Forward lines

15 Michael Parks –10 Corban Knight (A) – 7 Danny Kristo (A)

9 Drake Caggiula– 27 Carter Rowney (A) –13 Connor Gaarder

25 Mitch MacMilliam – 16 Mark MacMillan – 21 Brendan O’Donnell

8 Dan Senkbeil – 28 Steph Pattyn –17 Colten St. Clair

UND Defense Parings 

2 Andrew MacWilliam (C) – 5 Nick Mattson

18 Dillon Simpson–20 Joe Gleason

4 Derek Forbort – 24 Jordan Schmaltz

UND Goalies 

33 Clarke Saunders

31 Zane Gothberg

Not in lineup:  29 Bryn Chyzyk , 11 Derek Rodwell (Injury), 19 Rocco Grimaldi (WJC) 8, Coltyn Sanderson – 26, Andrew Panzarella – 22.

Referees: Tom Sterns, Matt Ulwelling. Linesmen: Andy Carton, Nathan Freeman.

Holy Cross Crusaders Lines

Crusaders Forward Lines

15 Castan Sommer – 27 Shayne Stockton – 14 Adam Schmidt

29 Brandon Nunn – 10 Kyle Fletcher – 26 Rob Linsmayer (A)

17 Mike McNamara – 11 Jake Youso – 33 Erik Vos (C)

20 Tommy Dwyer – 21 Brent Lubanski – 19 Matt Vidal 

Crusaders Defensive Parings

18 Evan Zych – 3 Nagy Nilan

7 Nathaniel Domagala – 6  Karl Beckman

23 Ryan MacGrath – 2 Jake Bolton 

Crusader Goalies

35 Matt Ginn

1 Derek Kump

30 Thomas Tysowsky

 

Book Review: One Goal, From a UND Hockey Fan's Perspective

Coach Hakstol addresses his team after a game
One Goal, Allison Davis O’Keefe

This Christmas my wife gave me the book “One Goal” by Allison Davis O’Keefe.  If this book was not under your Christmas tree and you are thinking of purchasing it, do it.

I was told that they’re flying off of the shelves at the Sioux Shop. “One Goal” is on sale for $45.23 at the Ralph Engelstad Arena Sioux Shop. According to the Sioux Shop webpage, the book is still in stock.

In my opinion, this is a great gift idea for that person that loves UND hockey. I am glad that I found this book under my Christmas tree, and I am thankful for receiving it. Of course, this is coming from a guy that makes no apologies for his love of UND hockey. I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing, because I believe that the book’s audience is UND hockey fans.

If you’re a Fighting Sioux hockey fan and you followed the team during the 2010-11 season – you lived the memories that are well-documented in this book – “One Goal” will also bring back emotions that you experienced during the season.

I know the name changed for good on June 12, 2012 but for the purposes of this review, the team is referred to as Fighting Sioux, because that was the team’s name at the time.

“One Goal” is an emotional, thoughtful and personal look into the 2010-11 UND Fighting Sioux hockeyseason. “One Goal” also gives UND hockey fans a chance at closure, seeing their favorite team lose in the semifinals of the 2011 Frozen Four. This was a very painful experience for the team, the community and the fans.

“One Goal” also does a good job humanizing UND head hockey coach Dave Hakstol as well.

Coach Hakstol with his wife Erin after a game.
One Goal, Allison Davis O’Keefe

Being credentialed by UND for the last year and a half has allowed me to get a closer look at a man that many fans might not totally understand. In my opinion, Hakstol at times, has been unfairly bagged on by some in the UND fan base.

From the “front stage” perspective, Hakstol comes off a bit stiff, but also very serious and businesslike. One of my friends once asked me “when Hakstol was going to take the hanger out of his suit coat.”  If anything, this book gives the readers a chance to get a different look at the man that many fans have not seen.

From the “front stage” Hakstol at times also comes off as being a “bit” intimidating, if not standoffish.

Coach Hakstol is a very passionate person when it comes to UND Hockey and that emanates from the book as well.

“One Goal” gives a glimpse into the “back stage” version of Dave Hakstol, but also the 2010-11 Fighting Sioux Hockey team as well. You see a guy that’s a family man.

“One Goal” really does a good job giving the fans a closer look at the senior class of 2011, especially seniors Matt Frattin and Chay Genoway, two of the bigger stars in a very star-studded line up.

While Frattin was known for his bone-crushing hits and timely goals on the ice, you see a different side of a young man off the ice. You see a reflective Frattin stopping to collect his thoughts before a big game.

The 2010-11 version of UND hockey was probably one of UND’s best teams during the Dave Hakstol era that made it to the Frozen Four; in my opinion that team should have hung a banner, but in the end could not seal the deal and bring home the hardware. That is  also illustrated in the book.

“One Goal” also illustrates that it’s more than just being about hockey, it’s about comradeship and being there for your teammates.

UND not winning the NCAA title in 2010-11 left a void in the hearts of Fighting Sioux hockey fans all across the Fighting Sioux fan base. You can see from the pictures in the book, that the loss also affected the players as well.

There are few if any written words in this book, but the pictures tell the story about a hockey season that did not quite end the way most of us would have wanted.

You see the cold reality of losing and also the cold barren winter prairie that comes alive when Fighting Sioux Hockey is in town playing at the Ralph.

Historically, the 2010-11 Fighting Sioux hockey team was also the last “full” season of UND being called the Fighting Sioux.

There is a bit of irony in the book, the Fighting Sioux nickname is supposed to be “hostile and abusive” or at least that’s what we’re led to believe based on what the NCAA has said in the past.  Yet there is a picture of Fighting Sioux fans of Native American descent at the Midwest Regional wearing jerseys sporting the Fighting Sioux logo. How could that be?

The Fighting Sioux came into the Frozen Four on a 15-game unbeaten streak (14-0-1) and won theMacNaughton Cup by six points over second-place Denver.

UND also won the Broadmoor Trophy in impressive fashion beating DU 3-2 in the championship game in two over times, but the team didn’t touch either trophy when it was presented to them at center ice. UND would then travel to Green Bay, Wisconsin and roll through the NCAA Midwest Regional Semifinal beating RPI 6-0 and DU 6-1 in impressive fashion.

The 2010-11 team was built to win a national title and was by far the best team in the WCHA during the regular season and first three rounds of the playoffs, but as we have learned in the past, the best team doesn’t always win. Just ask Brendan Morrison from Michigan.

Matt Frattin after the Frozen Four loss against Michigan
One Goal, Allison Davis O’Keefe

The 2010-11 Fighting Sioux Hockey team had higher aspirations, but it appeared from a bystander and the book illustrates that the Fighting Sioux hockey team didn’t really stop long enough to enjoy the moment.

Fighting Sioux head coach Dave Hakstol made mention of this to the author of the book a year and a half later. From the afterword of One Goal; “he [Hakstol] wished he had allowed the team to relish their wins – that perhaps the pressure of “destiny” prevented them from appreciating their accomplishments.”

There are a few examples of this in the book. You can see the lonely Broadmoor Trophy and a MacNaughton Cup sitting at center ice just begging to be picked up and paraded around the Ralph and the Xcel Energy Center. Some of the college hockey media people seem almost taken back by that, I think the author might have been as well. None-the-less, the author gives you the opportunity to ponder that for yourself.

I have now read the book “One Goal” about ten times and I find something new each time that I re-read the book, the first time I read it I got tears in my eyes. I highly recommend picking up a copy so you can relive the memories of the UND Fighting Sioux’s 2010-11 season. It’s like you can feel the memories coming out in the pictures of the book.

It would be interesting to see the pictures that didn’t make the book.

Originally posted at the Hockey Writers Combine... 

EDIT: So is UMN ducking UND in hockey?

Roman had this article on his blog this morning and I am kind of perplexed why the Gophers and UND wouldn't continue the rivalry?

The first reason really doesn't wash because UW Kept dates open on their schedule with the caveat that if UND didn't change the name the future nonconference games would be canceled.

One has to believe that there are other reasons that UMN doesn't want to continue the series right now.

Roman Augustoviz, Goal Gophers --- The Don tried to explain why on his weekly radio show on Monday. He said, in matter-of-fact fashion, that the U could not schedule a team with an American Indian nickname in a nonconference game by school rules. That dispute -- to keep the Fighting Sioux nickname or not -- at UND has only been settled recently.

In late September, UND and the NCAA agreed which signage could stay and which had to go at Ralph Engelstad Arena. A month later, workers took down the "Home of the Fighting Sioux" sign on the front of the building.

By then, Lucia seemed to imply, the Gophers' schedule, which will include a whopping 14 nonconference games -- the U will have only 20 conference games in the six-team Big Ten -- was all filled up for the next few seasons. The U will be playing the other Division I teams in the state and schools like Notre Dame, where his son Mario is a freshman, Boston College and Northeastern, Lucia said.

UND? They might return to the U schedule in three, four years, Lucia said.

What do "UND" fans think? Do you think somewhere between the Spin and the B.S. is an answer?  I will have to admit that some of the best games that have been on the schedule from a year-to-year basis have been the UND vs UMN games.

Let's examine the logic of this decision, we would rather not play a game that will fill both team arena's every other season. Hum... That makes no sense what-so-ever. I mean seriously, that one doesn't pass the smell test.

Does anyone think that the Gophers are tired of getting roughed up playing UND? Last year was an enigma in recent times where the Gophers got the best of UND and beat them 4/6 games.

Most of the games are very rough and physical and both teams fan bases are at each others throats for a week after. In fact the best weeks on the blog are during the rivalry series between UND and the Gophers... That doesn't happen during any other series in the current configuration of the WCHA. DU and UND are probably a distant second. You don't see UND and UMD fans at each other's throats on the message boards and fan blogs.

What's the real reason, I don't believe some of the meadow muffins that I have read recently on GPL either. I have a hard time believing that most Gopher fans with half a brain would not want to continue one of the greatest rivalries in all of college sports. No matter how you slice it, Penn State and Ohio State isn't going to bring half of the interest that UND vs. UMN will. You could play the game on an area lake and 5,000-10,000 people would show up for it.
Edit: Check out this quote by UMN head coach Don Lucia...s/t to INCH...

A day later, when asked about the high-tension rivalry between the Gophers and North Dakota, Minnesota coach Don Lucia suggested that a cooling off period might be in order starting in two years when the teams are no longer in the same conference.

“We will go back there as a non-conference team,” Lucia said at his weekly gathering with the media. “We have a great rivalry. Sometimes it gets a little over the top and I’m not sure that is healthy for anybody. So we will continue to play, but I doubt we will continue to play each and every year.”

Thanks to Jake in the comments for bringing up this point from last years series between UND and UMN, that got lost in the shuffle. So in retrospect, the Gophers probably are using the Fighting Sioux nick name as cover, but also probably are ducking UND as well.

NAHL grads making early impacts in college hockey

Western Collegiate Hockey Association logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This was an article that I came across my Tweet Deck; UND sophomore forward Connor Gaarder has been on fire this season so far and has almost equaled his goal total from last season. Gaarder is also second on the team in scoring with (3g-2a—5pts). I expect to see a huge improvement out of Gaarder this season and UND head coach Dave Hakstol speaks highly of Gaarder.He’s a good hockey player,” Hakstol said. “He goes to those hard areas..."

NAHL.COM --- Connor Gaarder, forward, University of North Dakota (North Iowa/Coulee Region 2009-11) – Gaarder carved out a place for himself in the UND hockey history books this past Friday night, becoming the first walk-on (no scholarship money) that anyone could recall to score a hat trick. His three-goal game was pivotal as North Dakota downed Boston University 4-2 in front of 11,589 fans at Ralph Engelstad Arena in the nonconference battle between two ranked teams. Gaarder's third goal -- he came into the game with zero this year-- proved to be the winner. Gaarder scored four goals in 33 games last year, nearly matched that in one night on Friday.

************

Pheonix Copley, goaltender, Michigan Tech University (Corpus Christi IceRays, 2010-11) - Michigan Tech goaltender Pheonix Copley, who helped the Huskies to a two-game split against top-ranked and visiting Minnesota in the middle of October while starting both games, was named the Red Baron® WCHA Rookie of the Week for Oct. 23.??A 6-3, 175-pound freshman from North Pole, Alaska, stopped 28 of 31 shots on goal on Oct. 19 while giving up just two even-strength goals against the No. 1 Golden Gophers to earn his first collegiate win. He then posted 31 more saves in a 3-2, one-goal setback last Saturday and held Minnesota scoreless on all five power-play chances as the two teams were tied at 2-2 until the 16:25 mark of the final period.