NCHC Preseason Media Poll

NCHC Preseason Poll

1.       Minnesota Duluth – 208 points (17 first-place votes)

2.       Denver – 187 (7)

3.       North Dakota – 183 (4)

4.       Omaha – 148

5.       Miami – 142 (2)

6.       St. Cloud State – 117

7.       Western Michigan – 60

8.       Colorado College – 35

The University of Minnesota-Duluth has been picked to finish first in the third annual preseason media poll. As we found out last year, there wasn't a lot of difference between 1-6. I expect the same this season.

Denver's Peg Bradley-Doppes on the Big Five

University of Denver Vice Chancellor for Athletics and Recreation Peg Bradley-Doppes had this to say about the big five conference rules. Obliviously, DU is a small school in the Summit League, but is considered a big school in division I hockey and lacrosse.

Marc Tracy, New York Times -- The new model would codify the college sports world as one “much more, perhaps, of haves and have-nots,” said Peg Bradley-Doppes, the vice chancellor for athletics at the University of Denver, which is not in a Big 5 conference. “It may make the competitive experience more challenging.”

Both supporters and detractors of the new model see the vote as pivotal, even as outside developments threaten to force more drastic reform.

“This is a game-changer,” Ms. Bradley-Doppes, of the University of Denver, said.

And I think you can see a theme starting to emerge here. If the Big Five doesn't get their way, these big schools are going to leave the NCAA. This is why N.C.A.A. President Mark Emmert is behind this move. The NCAA doesn't want to lose the big money that the big five conference schools generate.

If the board rejects the model, it could prompt a more severe break. Big 5 commissioners have suggested that in that event, they would consider much more drastic measures: departing from the N.C.A.A. and taking their teams — and the billions in revenue they produce — to a so-called Division IV.

N.C.A.A. President Mark Emmert, the former president of Washington and chancellor of Louisiana State — both Big 5 universities — has appeared to support autonomy. In 2011, he pushed for a proposal to allow Division I colleges to offer athletes additional $2,000 stipends. (The board passed the proposal, but the membership overrode it.)

The No. 1 reason the NCAA voted to give greater autonomy to the Big Five conferences today: http://t.co/AfwEVE5pi4 pic.twitter.com/66l8m2jwHP
— Jim Pagels (@jimpagels) August 7, 2014

Related articles

• N.C.A.A.'s Rich Poised to Get Richer, With More Athlete Benefits
• N.C.A.A. May Let Its Top Conferences Play by Their Own Rules
• Four-year college athletic scholarships could be wave of future
• For Wealthy NCAA Programs, Autonomy Is Not a Panacea

UND Hockey: Zane Gothberg out for a couple of weeks with injury

The University of North Dakota will face some more adversity this weekend against the University of Denver.  Sophomore goalie Zane Gothberg was injured in practice yesterday and is out indefinitely.

Gothberg has been pretty solid this season and has racked up some decent numbers during the nine-game unbeaten streak. From Schlossman, "Goaltender Zane Gothberg, who has started all of the games in the streak, has a 1.76 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage."

For the season, Gothberg has a line of (10-5-3, 2.20 GAA and a .916 save percentage). The sophomore goalie is third in the NCHC in wins, fourth in the NCHC in save percentage, and third in the NCHC in goals against average.

UND will be without Gothberg, at minimum, for a couple weeks. He has started every game in UND's 9-game unbeaten streak.
— Schlossman (@SchlossmanGF) January 22, 2014

Gothberg out indefinitely w lower body injury
— Schlossman (@SchlossmanGF) January 22, 2014

Sophomore G Zane Gothberg is out indefinitely with a lower body injury sustained yesterday during practice. @UNDMHockey
— Jayson Hajdu (@UNDSID) January 22, 2014

Related articles

• UND Hockey: The Weekend in Review (thehockeywriters.com)
• UND and BSU Tie in Bemidji (insidehockey.com)
• UND Beats BSU in Grand Forks (insidehockey.com)
• NCHC Hockey: Breaking Down the Numbers Half Way Point (thehockeywriters.com)
• UND Hockey: The Weekend in Review (thehockeywriters.com)

Watch both UNO vs. UND games ON UND Insider

This weekend, you can watch both UND vs. UNO games on-line. Here's the link. 

Related articles

• Saint Cloud sweeps North Dakota (ndgoon.blogspot.com)
• UND Hockey: Making the Case for Dave Hakstol (thehockeywriters.com)
• UND Hockey: Two Cousins set to make Debut for UND (thehockeywriters.com)
• Saint Cloud Sweeps North Dakota (insidehockey.com)
• UND Hockey: Jordan Schmaltz Growing Into His Role (thehockeywriters.com)

Saint Cloud sweeps North Dakota

English: Ralph Engelstadt Arena at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, North Dakota. *Personally photographed by the undersigned May 8, 2007. Elcajonfarms 03:46, 3 July 2007 (UTC) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“People like to label us as a young team, but that’s not an excuse now, we’ve been here two months,” North Dakota defenseman Troy Stecher on being swept at home by the Saint Cloud State Huskies.

Let’s say that it wasn’t a good weekend of hockey for the University of North Dakota, as they were swept at home for the first time in almost four years (January 29-30, 2010, against the University of Denver). There’s no way to sugar coat it, Saturday’s 3-1 loss was downright ugly. UND was outshot 29-17 by the Huskies, and they generated little offense. There where times during the game were UND was flatfooted, standing around, watching the Huskies make plays.

Defensively, the Huskies were air tight, and it was tough for the UND to generate much of anything in the way of offense. The Huskies pushed the pace and they were very good in all three zones on the ice.

“We didn’t generate enough,” head coach Dave Hakstol said. “We didn’t make enough plays coming out of our zone, through the neutral zone, to give us that speed to have some opportunities off of the rush.”

When the Huskies defensemen didn’t block another UND shot, get in the passing lanes, or stifle another UND offensive opportunity, their goaltender Ryan Faragher was there to thwart them once again. It has been the story of his career against UND.

UND has had no success against SCSU’s junior goalie Ryan Faragher who has been nothing short of amazing at the Ralph Engelstad Arena, record 4-1-1, .957 save percentage and a 1.50 goals against average.

“Tonight, we were getting them on target,” Hakstol said. “I think they blocked some and Faragher made some good saves. When we did get some opportunities… opportunities were pretty hard to come by both directions.”

Junior assistant captain Steph Pattyn didn’t pull any punches when he talked to the media after the game.

“They have a good team,” Pattyn said.  “Very good team in that locker room…energy wise, maybe we were strong, but we weren’t doing the right things. We didn’t get very many pucks on net today. Didn’t get much traffic in front of him today, we have to get in front of his eye and we didn’t do that today.”

Not a lot of positives taken from the weekend

If you were a UND hockey fan, there wasn’t a lot of bright spots and positives to take away from this weekend. There is one bright spot, UND’s penalty kill, UND has killed off 28 of 29 opposition power plays. Also, UND has killed off 28 straight opposition power plays and that leads the nation. On the flip side UND’s power play has not been as good, but they did go 1/2 on the power play tonight and are now 5/27 (.187) for the season. UND has lost three games in a row and travel to Omaha, Nebraska next weekend to play the University of Nebraska Omaha Mavericks in an important two game series.

Related articles

• UND Hockey: The Weekend Ahead (11/01-10/02) (ndgoon.blogspot.com)
• SCSU bites UND 3-2 (ndgoon.blogspot.com)
• North Dakota, Minnesota to renew historic rivalry (ndgoon.blogspot.com)
• North Dakota and Minnesota to resume historic series (hockeywilderness.com)
• SCSU bites UND 3-2 (insidehockey.com)
• St. Cloud St. beats North Dakota 3-1 (miamiherald.com)

DU Hockey: Student Season Ticket Campout Underway

http://t.co/3B1cu3jhwq - DU Hockey Student Season Ticket Campout Underway #PioNation http://t.co/NHBJBoLjG2
— Denver Hockey (@DU_Hockey) October 4, 2013

All fifty of DU's student section is camping out, to get in-line for their season hockey tickets. They shouldn't take long to distribute. :)

Related articles

• UND Hockey: Both games of the UND vs. DU Hockey Series will be on DirecTV (ndgoon.blogspot.com)
• NCAA Hockey: Focus on Obstruction and Checking from Behind (hockeywilderness.com)
• UND Hockey: UND set in net (ndgoon.blogspot.com)

University of North Dakota Tentative 2012‐2013 Midco Sports Network Live Broadcast Schedule

Here is the tentative  Midco Sports Net Live Broadcast Schedule.

Aug. 30 SD School of Mines /Tech UND 7:00 PM Football
Sept. 8 Portland State UND 6:00 PM Football
Sept. 13 Montana State UND 7:00 PM Volleyball
Sept. 29 Cal Poly UND 6:00 PM Football
Oct. 1 Northern Colorado UND 7:00 PM Volleyball
Oct. 6 Canadian Exhibition UND 7:00 PM Hockey (men)
Oct. 12 USA Exhibition UND 7:30 PM Hockey (men)
Oct. 13 Northern Arizona UND 3:00 PM Football
Oct. 26 Anchorage UND 7:00 PM Hockey (men)
Oct. 27 Anchorage UND 7:30 PM Hockey (men)
Oct. 27 Minnesota (tape delay) UND 2:00 PM Hockey (women)
Oct. 28 Minnesota UND 2:00 PM Hockey (women)
Nov. 2 Boston University UND 7:30pm Hockey (men)
Nov. 3 Southern Utah UND 1:00 PM Football
Nov. 3 Boston University UND 7:00 PM Hockey (men)
Nov. 8 Portland State UND 7:00 PM Volleyball
Nov. 16 UMD UND 7:30 PM Hockey (men)
Nov. 17 UMD UND 7:00 PM Hockey (men)
Dec. 5 University of Missouri ‐KC UND 7:00 PM Basketball (men)
Dec. 7 Denver University UND 7:30 PM Hockey (men)
Dec. 8 Denver University UND 7:00 PM Hockey (men)
Jan. 4 Holy Cross UND 7:30 PM Hockey (men)
Jan. 5 Holy Cross UND 7:00 PM Hockey (men)
Jan. 11 Colorado College UND 7:30 PM Hockey (men)
Jan. 12 Colorado College UND 7:00 PM Hockey (men)
Jan. 17 E. Washington UND 7:00 PM Basketball (men)
Jan. 18 Wisconsin UND 7:00pm Hockey (women)
Jan. 19 Wisconsin UND 7:00 PM Hockey (women)
Jan. 25 St. Cloud State UND 7:30 PM Hockey (men)
Jan. 26 St. Cloud State UND 7:00 PM Hockey (men)
Feb. 1 Wisconsin UND 7:30 PM Hockey (men)
Feb. 2 Wisconsin UND 7:00 PM Hockey (men)
Feb. 7 Montana State UND 7:00 PM Basketball (women)
Feb. 9 Montana UND 2:00 PM Basketball (women)
Feb. 14 Sacramento State UND 7:00 PM Basketball (men)
Feb. 16 Northern Arizona UND 2:00 PM Basketball (men)
Feb. 21 Northern Colorado UND 7:00 PM Basketball (women)
Feb. 28 Portland State UND 7:00 PM Basketball (women)
Mar. 1 Bemidji State UND 7:30 PM Hockey (men)
Mar. 2 Bemidji State UND 7:00 PM Hockey (men)
Mar. 15‐17 WCHA Playoffs UND 7:30 PM Hockey (men)

DU get some some good news... Brittain & Ryder back

Image via WikipediaIt appears that the Denver Pioneers have gotten some good news as two of their key players have returned from injury. It will be interesting to see how well Sam Brittain plays.

Mike Chambers, Denver Post --- Two of the University of Denver's most important defenders are close to returning to a depleted lineup. Pioneers coach George Gwozdecky said sophomore goalie Sam Brittain and senior defenseman John Ryder were cleared to practice Monday and are probable for this weekend's two-game series at Alaska-Anchorage.

Brittain, who took over as the program's No. 1 goalie as a freshman last season, has missed the entire season after undergoing major knee surgery June 17. Ryder, DU's fiercest hitter, suffered a fractured knee cap in November and has missed the past 13 games.

Related articles

• DU's Brittain, Ryder cleared to practice (denverpost.com)
• DU hockey without injured Adam Murray and John Ryder until January (denverpost.com)