Flawed Logic: Take Checking out of High School Hockey

In yesterday's StarTribune letters to the editor, one writer from Minneapolis suggested that they take checking out of high school hockey. How about no. People watch hockey for the contact and collisions on the ice.

Another great Minnesota boys’ hockey tournament is behind us. I celebrate the effort of the players, the strategy of the coaching and the unshakable spirit of the loyal fans.

I wonder, however, if it isn’t time to eliminate checking from the game. With growing evidence of the disabling effects of concussions, sensitivity to the damage that violence inflicts across our society and several highly publicized injuries of late, I submit that the Great State of Hockey would be better for this civilizing change.

As a longtime supporter of girls’ and women’s hockey — as a fan, a parent and a former player — I assure you that the game can be fast, thrilling and just as spectator-friendly without potentially paralyzing blows. Along with the score, the shots on goal and the time remaining on the clock, boys’ hockey still includes one chilling statistic: hits. As one TV announcer boasted during the Wayzata-Eden Prairie game: “If you’re on the ice, you either hit, or you’re gonna be hit.”

Let’s let these athletes’ explosive speed, puck-handling finesse, and undeniable grace and power under pressure be their lasting legacy. Let’s leave the roughneck bashing behind. These boys are too good not to be able to walk off the ice with their heads high and their bodies and futures intact.

Tracy Nordstrom, Minneapolis

First, to suggest that there's no hitting in women's hockey is short sighted and just wrong. I have covered women's college hockey for the last five season and I would say that the women's game is physical and at times rough. Go back and watch the Olympic games between the USA and Canada. Then come back and talk to me.

Apparently, this author has a short term memory loss. If you've watched a Women's College Hockey game between UMN vs. UND game you will know that there's a lot of body contact. You just can't cream the opponent in the open ice. The refs let a lot of contact around the net go as well as along the boards.

I think the biggest problem facing hockey today some coaches and trainers aren't as proactive as they should be with the concussion protocol. There are risks in life, even for our children.

So, I am going to say no. Let's not remove checking from high school hockey. Maybe the author should find another sport to watch if she's so concerned about it.

WHKY: Second period Shelby shuts out Badgers

GRAND FORKS, N.D. --

The University of North Dakota spoiled Wisconsin's 18-game winning streak on Friday with a shut-out win. For the second time this season the Fighting Hawks downed the No. 1 ranked team in the country in an attempt to gain traction on the season.

UND got on the board with a power play goal from Layla Marvin during about a little a little over 12 minutes into the first. Four minutes later Vilma Tanksanen put the Hawks up 2-0 with assist from Rebekah Kolstad and Tanja Eisenschmid.

Shelby Amsley-Benzie faced a flurry of 15 shots during the second period. The Badgers dominated offensively, but weren't able to produce results in the form of goals.

“Shelby was lights out and that’s a big part of [the win]. I thought everyone contributed and played well with a lot of passion,” Head coach Brian Idalski said.

Wisconsin was also able to hold off the Hawks' offense to two shots during the second.

“You know what I told the team?” Idalski said about second period. “That’s the great thing about hockey and having three periods. As soon as it’s over, it’s done, it has no bearing. It doesn’t matter. We were good in the first. Second, we got hemmed in, we turned pucks over too much. I said, 'That’s over, let’s go back to what we were doing in the first; keep things simple, manage the game a little bit.' We did that and grinded it out in the third.”

North Dakota was able to rebound in the third period which included a second assist for Eisenschmid on the third goal of the evening by Becca Kohler.

The Fighting Hawks improved to 11-6-2 overall and 8-5-1 in the WCHA. 

Tonight's game marks Amsley-Benzie's fifth shut-out of the year. The Fighting Hawks will attempt to sweep the Badgers Saturday afternoon at 4:07 p.m. at the Ralph Engelstad Arena.  

WHKY: North Dakota splits with the Buckeyes

Grand Forks, N.D. -- North Dakota wanted to sweep Ohio State this weekend, however, it skated away with a split Sunday afternoon.

Saturday afternoon UND threw everything and the kitchen sink at OSU's goaltender, Alex Lamere in the first period. By the end of the first, UND had 20 shots on goal, but only one goal to show for it.

The lone first-period goal came at the 12:04 mark from Jordan Hampton with an assist from Samantha Hanson. It was Hampton's first career goal for North Dakota.  There were several opportunities for UND to capitalize during the first, but they were unable to complete.

In the second, OSU picked up the pace and wouldn't trail again after potting their first goal which came after a couple of shifts that had North Dakota on its heels.

Early in the third UND's Amy Menke helped take a 2-1 advantage. Menke tallied three goals on on the weekend. A little over a minute later Kendall Curtis scored for the Buckeyes. Followed by another OSU goal from Maddy Field.

That was enough to seal the game for Ohio State after their 2-7-0 record heading into the Ralph on the weekend.

Sunday afternoon shifted North Dakota where they were able to capitalize on their opportunities in the first scoring twice with goals from Kryzaniak and Menke.

Freshman forward, Vilma Tanskanen scored her second goal of the season at the 6:45 mark of the second period.

The Buckeye's Maddy Field was able to break through in the third period for OSU's singular goal of the game, but it was not enough to overcome the deficit. Before the game ended, Menke potted her second goal.

Over the weekend, Menke had three goals and registered eight shots on goal. North Dakota skated away with a spilt.

This Friday (7:07 p.m.) evening and Saturday afternoon (4:07 p.m.) UND will face WCHA conference opponent, Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs. The Bulldogs are 2-6 in conference. 

WHKY: North Dakota splits with top-ranked Minnesota

Grand Forks, N.D. - Thursday evening's match up against the top-ranked Minnesota Gophers did not produce the kind of results that the University of North Dakota women's hockey hoped for. North Dakota suffered a 5-1 loss to the reigning national champions. UND was never able to surmount the three-goal first period deficit.

Friday was another story when North Dakota  snapped the Gopher's 12-game winning streak that dated back to the Western Collegiate Hockey Conference's Final Face-Off tournament.

"There are so many times they've smacked us around and we've been able to respond the next day, play well and shake it off," head coach Brian Idalski said.

North Dakota was able to hold the Gopher's off for a 4-3 win in front of a crowd of 3,361 at Ralph Engelstad Arena. The team performed 55 minutes of the game without Tanja Eisenschmid who received a five-minute major and game misconduct early in the first period. UND was able to weather the storm holding the Gophers to only two shots on goal during the advantage.

Minnesota's Captain Hannah Brandt opened up the scoring shortly after North Dakota killed a penalty with 3:20 remaining in the first period.

North Dakota's Amy Menke hit back a little over a minute into the second period on a gritty play with traffic around the Gopher net. After that, UND didn't trail again.

Idalski's adjustment for game two was to put Menke and senior, forward Meghan Dufault on the same line. That change paid off.

“He told us if he’s putting us together, we have to produce multiple points,” Menke said. Before the end of the night, Menke and Dufault each tallied two goals a piece. 

Dufault's goals coming only nine seconds apart with about six minutes remaining in the second.

During the third period, Menke tacked on her second goal of the evening. North Dakota held a two-goal lead with less than four minutes remaining in the frame. When trailing, the Gophers, have almost always found a way to turn the game around in their favor.

North Dakota was able to hold the one-goal lead and as the seconds ticketed down, the Kelly green and white fanbase counted down with it.

UND will have a bye week before hosting Ohio State Nov. 14-15.  OSU is 4-4-0 and will face Bemidji State this weekend.

Note: North Dakota was without Halli Krzyzaniak due to her participation in the Four Nations Cup.

You can watch the recap video from Friday's game at UNDSports.com - including Dufault's back-to-back goals.

UND Sports game-day story
Grand Forks Herald - UND beats No. 1-ranked Minnesota 
Box score

WHKY: North Dakota opens season against the Rensselaer Engineers

GRAND FORKS, N.D. -

The University of North Dakota women's hockey team will open its regular season on the road in upstate New York. North Dakota will face RPI in an ever-important non-conference game right out of the gate.

When playing in the WCHA, non-conference games can make or break a team's post-season hopes. This weekend is no exception and North Dakota hopes to win its first game in Troy, N.Y. this weekend. Veterans returning to this ice for the green and white understand that importance of this weekend. "We know what it's like to drop games early and, I guess, be punished for it at the end of the season," senior, forward Layla Marvin said.

Head coach Brian Idalski said that the focus is to win hockey games, but that the team needs to be patient with where its at at this stage in the season.

The last time the teams met at the Houston Field House, RPI swept North Dakota. Last season, the Engineers traveled to The Ralph for the season opener where North Dakota took the game 7-1.

Last weekend North Dakota struggled offensively in their exhibition against the University of Manitoba Bisons. The lone goal credited in the second to Anna Kiponen. The puck came off the skate of a Bisons player before entering their net. North Dakota gave all three goaltenders a workout during the exhibition.

Live stats will be available for tomorrow's game (5:00 p.m. CST) and Saturday (1:00 p.m. CST) match-up at RPI Athletics. You can also follow @UNDWHockey on Twitter for updates.

North Dakota will continue its caravan on the road through October 16th. The first home game of the season will be a Saturday afternoon match-up against the gritty, Bemidji State Beavers on October 17th.

WHKY: A letter to WCHA women's hockey

Dear WCHA Women’s Hockey,

We’ve been friends for several years now and it’s been wonderful watching some of the best and most dominant women’s hockey teams in the country under the umbrella of the WCHA. But this weekend’s Final Face-Off left me a little blue.

I spent my Saturday at the Ralph Engelstad Arena watching a two quality women’s hockey games, but I was still left wanting something a little more.  During intermission I wondered why there weren’t any intermission games. No videos before or after honoring previous winners or highlighting the successes or WCHA alumni, coaching staff or programs. How about highlighting the WCHA nominees for the Patty Kaz award? WCHA women’s hockey has so much to be proud of. Why not showcase it?

If you walked around the arena, it didn’t make you feel as if you were in a tournament atmosphere. I know these are little things that might cost a little money and time, but I think it’s worth creating a fan atmosphere.

Maybe the lack of fan engagement is a dollar and cents situation. And I get it, the Final Face-Off can’t be compared to the money or atmosphere of the WCHA Final Five, but the WCHA can do better for women’s hockey. It has to do better. You should strive to be like the Final Five of yester-year even if it seems like an impossible goal. In the same way you ask student-athletes to elevate their game on ice and in the classroom, I’m asking you to do the same for the fan experience.

I applaud the effort to offer the free youth clinic on Saturday morning. I can appreciate the fact that this was an excellent opportunity to advance girls’ hockey. I hope the attendees had an unforgettable experience.

An event such as the Final Face-Off has two opportunities: help grow girls’ hockey and increase and sustain the fan base. You have an exceptional product on the ice. Make the event unforgettable for fans, not just the players.

Sincerely,

Jackie – a WCHA women’s hockey fan

WHKY: North Dakota outlasts Ohio State in triple overtime

Grand Forks, N.D. -- Fans who attended North Dakota's Saturday afternoon game against Ohio State got more than their money's worth in a triple overtime game that ended allowing North Dakota an advancement to the WCHA Final Face-Off.

Saturday's score was more indicative of the play between the two teams more so than North Dakota's 5-2 Friday win.

The goals that drove the teams into overtime play happened in second period. North Dakota's Samantha Hanson broke the scoreless stalemate around halfway through the second. The Buckeyes were able to rally the tying goal with 38 seconds remaining in the period

After OSU's tying goal at the end of the second period. It would take another 63 minutes for North Dakota to complete the sweep and punch their ticket to play, at least, one more game at home. "It was a super grind; start to finish," head coach Brian Idalski said.

The game ended 3:17 seconds into triple overtime when Becca Kohler made a transition play that sent Megan Dufault up ice. Dufault passed the puck cutting through two OSU defense to Amy Menke who put it top shelf on UND's 41st shot on goal.

North Dakota will take a couple days off before they start preparing for the WCHA Final Face-Off that is being hosted at The Ralph on Saturday and Sunday. "The one thing we knew for sure we didn't want was to do was watch other teams play in our rink," Amy Menke said.

Taking a page out of the UND men's hockey program's playbook, the women's team is 22-2-2 sine mid-January.

North Dakota plans to take the next couple days off before preparing for face-off against the Wisconsin Badgers at 5:00 on Saturday, March 7. Tickets are available for the WCHA Final Face-Off at The Ralph box office and online.

UMN vs. UND, Pack the Ralph

WHKY: North Dakota splits with Syracuse

GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- North Dakota came out of winter break in non-convference action against Syracuse University. By the final buzzer on Sunday afternoon UND earned a split on the weekend.

It took the first 20 minutes of Saturdays's game for North Dakota to work out the rust from break. With tired 'Cuse players on the ice, Gracen Hirshy scored the first goal of the game.

During the second period UND was able to hold the Orange to four shots on goal. North Dakota maintained the lead and dictate the majority of play for the remainder of the game.

Former Warroad Warriors teammates Layla Marvin and Kayla Gardner both found the scoresheet. This included a two-goal game for Marvin who potted an empty net goal with under a minute remaining in the game.

North Dakota got off to a strong start on Sunday, but ended the first period with a one-goal deficit when The Orange scored on the power play at the 6:42 mark. There were no shortage of chances in the form of odd-player rushes and open nets, but UND was never able to capitalize.

The lone goal for North Dakota came after they were able to tire Syracuse after a power play in the second. As time dwindled on the clock during the third period the pressure mounted. "Kids started gripping their sticks and it was brutal," head coach Brian Idalski said.

North Dakota will resume WCHA conference play when they meet with the WCHA third-ranked, Ohio State Buckeyes this coming weekend. OSU left the weekend with a sweep over the St. Cloud State Huskies.

WHKY: North Dakota takes advantage of St. Cloud's woes

GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- St. Cloud State University's Lexi Slattery scored late in the third ending the longest scoreless streak in program history. It was too late. North Dakota put up five goals before the shutout ended and tacked on another 21 seconds after Slattery's goal.

Gracen Hirschy, who had two goals on the night, started the scoring around six minutes into the first on an even strength goal. "[We] wanted to play with a lead. That's been very important to us; to get a bit of a cushion and have teams have to open up," head coach Brian Idalski said.

During the second Jakobsen ended her own 11-game scoreless streak by scoring a pair of goals before the game ended. "That's someone that we needed to produce and we're looking for to carry us a little bit," Idalski said. "Getting her to shoot the puck and have her playing with confidence is huge for us going forward."

UND finished yesterday with a dominating 6-1 win, holding St. Cloud to three shots on goal during the first and five in the second. UND carried most of the play throughout the entire game keeping the Huskies in defensive territory.

"I think winning gives you confidence and a lot of things are clicking for us. Systems wise and execution wise we're really doing what we need to do," sophomore defense Halli Krzyaniak said.

North Dakota hopes to carry that momentum into today's game while looking for its first home sweep of the season. UND will host the Huskies in the series finale today at 2:00 p.m. at the Ralph Engelstad Arena.

Keep an Eye on Bemidji State Women

The Bemidji State Beavers have put on some very good defensive teams in the past four or five years in the women's hockey front and nothing has changed in this young season either. Giving teams like North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Minnesota troubles in the past, is this finally the time for them to crack the top 10 in the USCHO poll? Right now the Bemidji ladies are sitting just outside the top 10, but knocking on the door after starting the season 4-0-0 and rattling off back to back 4-0 shutouts against RPI and Vermont.

Starting 4-0-0 is nothing to bat your eyes at when talking about NCAA Division 1 hockey, but it also must be said that each victory has come outside of the very tough WCHA. However, they did sweep Robert Morris on the road and they beat Vermont a night after Vermont took it to UND at the Ralph.

This group of ladies is one to keep a sharp eye on for the rest of the season. They could be playing spoiler to someone in the WCHA when it comes to making the Final Face-Off this season. Their time unranked could soon be over. They cracked the top ten for me already.

USCHO Women's top 10
1. Wisconsin
2. Minnesota
3. Harvard
4. BC
5. Cornell
6. BU
7. Clarkson
8. Mercyhurst
9. Quinnipiac
10. North Dakota

My Women's top 10
1. Wisconsin
2. Minnesota
3. BC
4. Harvard
5. BU
6. Clarkson
7. Cornell
8. North Dakota
9. Mercyhurst
10. Bemidji State

Women's Olympic Star Hilary Knight to practice with Anaheim Ducks

#452213842 / gettyimages.com

Here's a story that caught my eye this morning. US Women's Olympic hockey player Hilary Knight is going to practice with the Anaheim Ducks. If anyone can do it, it's Knight. This past winter Knight said in an interview that she would like to play men's hockey.

"I have aspirations of pushing the bar and showing people that a pony tail can't stop me from competing as a hockey player in a men's professional league, Knight said. "If you know of a skilled men's team looking for a forward, 5'11, 185lbs, let me know!"

NHL.COM -- U.S. Olympic women's ice hockey player Hilary Knight will practice with the Anaheim Ducks on Friday, the team announced.

Knight, a forward, is believed to be the first female non-goalie to practice with an NHL team, the Ducks said. Her participation is part of World Girls' Ice Hockey Weekend.

Knight, 25, won a silver medal at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and 2014 Sochi Olympics. She had seven assists in 2010, and three goals and three assists in 2014.

According to her website, she was named MVP of the Canadian Women's Professional Hockey League in 2012, and participated in the NCAA final four four times at the University of Wisconsin, winning the national championship twice.