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.

 

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).

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

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

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

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

Stick Taps 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

🤫#UNDproud | #LGH pic.twitter.com/01X66rxkvk

— North Dakota Hockey (@UNDmhockey) March 2, 2025

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. 

Sacha Boisvert is a Hobey Baker Memorial Award nominee! 🏒💪 North Dakota fans, show your support for this standout forward by voting daily at https://t.co/CGEVafN9rB! #VoteForHobey @boisvertsacha @undmhockey @thenchc @drinkbodyarmor pic.twitter.com/lx1BHwYysa

— Hobey Baker Award (@HobeyBakerAward) March 4, 2025

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 

(Link to NCHC Stats)

(College Hockey News Stats)

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

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

I tweeted this on Saturday and reposted the UND Men's Hockey X.com account tweet yesterday. I don't know how popular this will be, but the NODAK jerseys should be the official jerseys of the @UNDmhockey team. I think they're awesome. Even designing a black business suit NODAK jersey would be outstanding. Go!

I don't know how popular this will be, but the NODAK jerseys should be the official jersey on the @UNDmhockey team. I think they're awesome. Even designing a black business suit NODAK jersey would be outstanding. Go! https://t.co/YVYNN4C05F

— Eric J. Burton (@goon48) February 22, 2025

This could be a win for the UND athletic Department, possibly sell more jerseys. Just a thought. Here are some photos I took on Saturday night during the second period. You can also click the link to my photo blog from Saturday.  

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.

UND beats Minnesota Duluth for the seventh time in a row and the 11th time in 12 games, 4-2 in the series opener Friday. Wilkie with a goal and 3 points. Strinden, Littler, Boisvert with goals. Croal with 2 assists. Semptimphelter stops 30 of 32.

— Brad Elliott Schlossman (@SchlossmanGF) February 22, 2025

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.

The only ones who have played more than Jake Livanavage are the two goalies.

— Eric J. Burton (@goon48) February 22, 2025

Denver Gazette Writer Mark Kizla Trolls UND fans

Déjà vu, the feeling that you've already experienced a current situation. It's a French phrase that means "already seen." 

That was what I felt today when I clicked on a link from Sara Folkestad; there it was, another Denver writer taking a shot at the University of North Dakota hockey team. 

Again, Denver is a big city, and their local newspaper doesn't need clicks, but this is clickbait. Here's the Link to the article in question.

https://t.co/SNbUrICz09 pic.twitter.com/MHxUN7BIlg

— Sara Folkestad (@saraj323) February 18, 2025

On a Valentine’s Day when there was no love lost between Denver and the fighting mad Hawks of North Dakota, Pioneers star Zeev Buium was lucky to get off the ice in one piece. The game was no contest, with the No. 6 Pioneers winning 4-0 Friday for their third victory of the season against a team nowhere near the grand tradition of North Dakota hockey. The visitors could not score. But that didn’t stop No. 17 North Dakota from taking a scary cheap shot on Buium, the Pioneers’ premier defenseman.

None of us should be surprised; it is the modus operandi of the Denver writers to troll the North Dakota fanbase. Mike Chambers of the Denver Post spent most of the mid-2000s trolling UND fans about how their team was a bunch of knuckle-dragging goons. It was remotely entertaining for a while, but it got old after the 15th article complaining about the UND hockey team being dirty.

Finally,  I wonder if Kizla missed the dirty hit on UND forward Dane Montgomery after he was knocked out of Friday's game with a dirty elbow?  

Mike Chambers wrote this tripe following a heated series between UND and DU. This was the infamous game where George Gwozdecky walked out onto the ice to chat with WCHA official Todd Anderson. 

My thoughts: Gwozdecky is the most mild-mannered coach I know, and in 14 years, I’ve only seen his blood boil twice — both times against North Dakota and with referee Todd Anderson blowing the whistle. 

See a pattern there? The “Sioux Fighters” and their fans want minor-league entertainment, Anderson is an emotional official who sometimes jaws at players, and Gwozdecky is a class act. At some point, those styles clash, and the mild-mannered coach can’t stomach it. It becomes disgusting, and the coach erupts into what he doesn’t like. 

Gwozdecky doesn’t deserve anything except a pat on the back for being the way he is 99 percent of the time. He might be embarrassed to have been ejected, but shame on DU for throwing him under the bus. I think DU is using Gwozdecky to remind the Sioux that it is better than them. But to publicly scorn your respected coach is a bad way to do that.

I can appreciate the Sioux and their fans. They are to North Dakota what football is to Nebraska. The players are hard-nosed, and the coaching staff gives them a long leash, maybe too long, but … I don’t hear any apologies from Grand Forks, and there shouldn’t be any from Denver. ( Link to post; the Denver Post link is no longer active.) 

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.

Old time hockey coach. That is an impressive box score. From the end of the UND vs. DU game. pic.twitter.com/E5iVtj8gBF

— Eric J. Burton (@goon48) February 16, 2025

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.

Two NHL first rounders, UND's Emery (NYR) & Denver's Buium (MIN) suspended one game for scrap at the end of Saturdays game. pic.twitter.com/25b80Hwa8k

— 𝗘𝗙𝗕 (@ElFrijolBlanco) February 17, 2025

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. 

UND Hockey: A Deep Dive into the Numbers

Statistically, the UND hockey team has a lot of room for improvement. It's not too late. They’re doing pretty well in goal scoring and offense but struggling defensively and goaltending. UND’s penalty kill is a mess. Western went 3-for-4 (75%) on their power play opportunities this weekend. That has to improve if UND is going to turn things around. They also need to cut down on the number of undisciplined penalties. UND will need to improve in all three zones on the ice if they want to be in the mix at the end of the season. So far this season, I've seen a lot of blind passes to no one. We've seen players take penalties that kill momentum and take the wind out of their sails.

"I think our structure is great," Jamernik said. "Jax (Dane Jackson) does a great job talking about the right things. We have the right system in place. The details are biting us right now."

Right now, the PK isn’t getting it done for UND. Something has to change, or they won’t make it out of the first round of the NCHC playoffs. I went through and posted some of the national and conference numbers. There's room for improvement, but not all is lost.

Regarding goaltending, head coach Brad Berry has said he'd like someone to lean on the go-to guy. On a goaltender stepping up.

"Having a goaltender that can grab the consistency about winning a game and keep it moving forward here. We'll see where that goes," Berry said. 

Goal Scoring 23rd
NCHC Goal Scoring 3rd
Goals Against 27th
Goals Against Average NCHC 2.84
Goals Allowed Per Game 3rd
Save Percentage 47th
Save Percentage NCHC .894 7th
Power Play 14th (24.3 %)
Power Play NCHC 4th
Penalty Kill 58th (73.7 %)
Penalty Kill NCHC 9th (73.7 %)
Shorthanded Goals Tied 11th 3
Shorthanded Goals NCHC 3rd
Faceoffs 54.5 tied 6th
Faceoffs NCHC 4th

Andrew Mangiapane Unloads on Brandon Carlo; Dirty Play or Fair Game?

I watched today's National Hockey League game between the Washington Capitals and the Boston Bruins this afternoon. For the most part, it was a boring game. The Bruins looked like they were still on their Christmas vacation. They were outworked most of the game, and when they did get a shot on the net, Capitals goalie Logan Thompson was there to make the save. Thompson stopped 27-of-28 shots, and the Bruins could not tie the game. The Capitals iced the game with an empty-net goal with nine seconds remaining. 

At 10:26 in the third period, the Bruins were killing a Capitals power play when Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman froze the puck, getting a whistle. Capitals forward Connor McMichael took an extra whack at the Bruins goaltender, starting a spirited scrum in front of the Bruins' net. This play happens hundreds of times during an NHL season, but what happened after was unacceptable. The smaller Mangiapane somehow got leverage on the much larger Brandon Carlo. Mangiapane used this as an opportunity to unload on Carlo. Mangiapen sat on top of Carlo as he lay on the ice, punching Carlo numerous times in the face. Even more surprising, none of the Bruins went after Mangiapane after he served his penalty. 

I see two problems with this. If Mangiapane had wanted to fight Carlo, he should've challenged him to a fight. That's how it's supposed to be done. Instead, Mangiapane broke the hockey code by continuing to hit Carlo after he was out of the fight and lying on the ice. 

It's easy to nitpick the on-ice officials, but the NHL's Department of Player Safety doesn't care about player safety, so nothing will happen to Mangiapane. Carlo has a history of concussions; according to Boston.com, he has suffered six documented concussions during his NHL career.  

Proper response by the officials: start holding the players accountable. All four players could've been given a two-minute minor and a misconduct penalty. Mangiapane deserves more than a two-minute minor. A five and a game would be a better response. 

Andrew Mangiapane (5'10") went OFF on Brandon Carlo (6'5") 😳👀 pic.twitter.com/xErlEtnwJi

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) December 31, 2024

Checking Hockey Fights, Andrew Mangiapane has never been in a fight, not in the OHL or the NHL. What caused this player to snap and act out of character?

FBS Football Playoffs Proves NCAA Playoffs at the Higher Seed's Stadium Can work -- Looking at You NCAA Hockey

If you watched the first round of the FBS playoffs this afternoon, you noticed that the teams were playing at the home stadium of the higher seed. While perusing X.com this afternoon, hockey journalist Ryan Stieg retweeted Mike Eidelbes's excellent tweet. Grand Forks Herald hockey scribe Brad E. Schlossman followed suit. Sounds like a great idea. Let's get this done soon. 

Went to IU-ND football yesterday. Probably the best sporting event I’ve attended in terms of atmosphere and electricity.

Having it on campus made it a billion times greater. Hint hint hockey …

— Mike Eidelbes (@INCH) December 21, 2024

Home hockey regionals would be electric. https://t.co/iVNbUKeZjp

— Brad Elliott Schlossman (@SchlossmanGF) December 21, 2024

Yes, it's well past time to revisit this subject again. We've beaten it to death, but we're not going away. Of course, you'll get some pushback from the same old soles, media members, coaches, and schools that want to play in quiet, empty, listless mausoleums masquerading as neutral-site hockey arenas. SMH! These arenas will be in exciting locations like Allen Town, Pennsylvania, or some arena that doesn't usually host hockey games. What could go wrong, right? You have to ask yourself what these people are afraid of? To be the best, you have to beat the best. It shouldn't matter if you have to play in an energy-filled arena. The Frozen Four isn't played in listless arenas. 

Last February, DU head hockey coach David Carle appeared on a podcast from Inside Hockey with Editor Adam Wodon and shared his perspective on the matter. Coach Carle was receptive to the idea. 

For the record, Adam Wodon of College Hockey News favors maintaining the status quo and does not support home-site regionals. 

Here are some points from that podcast. I included Carle's comments because he sees the whole picture and has a realistic opinion. 

"We are in a small minority of sports that do it this way, Carle said. College football is also neutral, but even the behemoth that it is, next year, expanding to 12. They are going to campus sites."

"We are vastly in the minority of not using home site top seeds hosting in any capacity," Carle said. "For the record, I'm against North Dakota being a one-seed this year and having three teams enter their building. That's worse than what we currently do—the top four seats hosting, you know, all the teams to four sites. It's worse when you talk about atmosphere, excitement, and the fan experience. I would get we all host games all the time, right? The top eight would host the bottom eight."

Let's get it done. It's well past time. Last season, I asked UND head coach Brad Berry if he favored playing regional games at home sites. 

Would Coach Berry’s team rather play in Minnesota or Duluth than in an empty arena in Bridgeport? Of course, he would.

“A hundred percent, Berry said. “That goes into the part of earning it. If we’re a lower seed and we have to go into a building. We already do that. We go into environments like that during the regular season; it shouldn’t be different in the playoffs. You have to win a game on the road. It’s going to provide a better atmosphere and a better experience for the college student-athletes.”

SCSU Assistant Coach R.J. Enga Airs Grievances Following Series with UND

SCSU Player Talks to the Refs During a Break in the Action

When I was a freshman at Upper Iowa University, our football coach told our team, following a painful loss, that we won class and we lost with class. Apparently, St. Cloud assistant coach R.J. Enga hasn't heard those words of advice. 

AUDIO: The Brett Larson Show from last night (12/16) from the @GreenMill

With Huskies assistant coach RJ Enga.

Next show will be Jan. 13. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all Huskies fans. https://t.co/MtmN5P0Dcf

— Jim Erickson (@SCSU_hockey_pbp) December 17, 2024

 

Coach Enga filled in for head coach Brent Larson on the Brent Larson Show with Huskies play-by-play radio announcer Jim Erickson. (You can listen to the whole show, linked in the tweet above.)  If you haven't heard it, check it out. It's interesting. 

Larson wasn't available because he had already left town to be an assistant coach with Team USA for the U20 World Junior Tourney. It was an interesting 40+ minutes. Enga aired his grievances about this past weekend's series. He attacked the linesmen, saying they dropped the pucks closer to the UND centermen, giving them an unfair advantage. The faceoff numbers were tied on Friday night 29-29; on Saturday, UND had the advantage 36-29. 

Whatever.

Enga attacked T.J. Semptimphelter, saying that he showed the ref up for taking his helmet off after being elbowed in the head on Friday night and taking off his helmet during Saturday's game after being elbowed in the head. Granted, the SCSU player was cross-checked into the UND goalie. He also attacked the ref for not making the right call. It sounds like sour grapes. 

After Friday's game, head coach Brad Berry got into a heated conversation with Larson. The video replay showed both coaches shouting obscenities at each other (you could read both men's lips). In the post-game press conference, coach Berry wasn't very pleased with what had transpired on the ice. 

"I'm not happy right now," Berry said. "I'm not going to get myself into trouble here, but that wasn't a great hockey play by them. For it to be a two-minute minor, that's a five-minute major and a game misconduct." 

Here's Enga's quote from the show, referring to Friday's dirty play that 

"If you watch the video, the young man that plays goalie for them, he threw his helmet off, tapping his head and stuff," Enga said on the radio show. "I'm not really sure what was going on with the guy. But when you watch it, it's like a split second, and I thought maybe a skate came up. We've seen some terrible incidents. I thought maybe that was the way he reacted. And then when I kind of saw it, definitely when I saw the video, I'm like, 'What is going on?'

"To me, don't make a mockery of the referees. Don't put them in those situations. Just play an honest, hard game and let's see who comes out on top. That's my opinion."

As I heard Enga's comment, I wondered; are you kidding me? Do we need to review the play in question again? Without beating a dead horse, It was a dirty play by Gavyn Thoreson. How did he expect the UND hockey team to react to Thoreson's antics? 

Here's the hit on T.J. Semptimphelter that irked UND coach Brad Berry tonight. pic.twitter.com/sXhGpKKQag

— Brad Elliott Schlossman (@SchlossmanGF) December 14, 2024

Finally, Enga made a snide comment about Brad Schlossman, who referenced Thoreson's style of play when he was in the USHL. His remarks show that Enga had read Schlossman's Friday Gamer. 

"Thoreson was known as a skilled player and agitator T.J. Semptimphelter the United States Hockey League last year, where he had 87 penalty minutes for the Waterloo Black Hawks, " Schlossman wrote.

I don't see anything wrong with bringing that point up. For those keeping track at home, Thoreson had 103 PIMs in 85 USHL games. It's not out of line to bring that up, especially after he had just run over the opposition's goalie in an attempt to rally his team or take out their goalie. If you don't like it, don't read the opposition's beat writer's analysis. 

Finally, the league could come down on Enga. He could get suspended for making comments about the on-ice officials; he attacked their credibility and integrity. However, it's unlikely based on who the commissioner is. The two teams play in St. Cloud on January 31 and February 1, 2025. This could be an interesting rematch. 

Random Thoughts on the UND Goalie Position

In hockey, the most popular player on a hockey team is the backup goalie.

This season, the University of North Dakota's goalie position has been the subject of much discussion on X and fan message boards. Everyone has an opinion on the matter. It's been an interesting season, and the UND hockey team has faced their fair share of adversity. 

"This has been a tumultuous first half," head coach Brad Berry said. "Up and down, inconsistent. Every season is different, but my biggest positive is that we're going the right way. We still have a long way to go, and the second half is coming up. We have to keep our foot on the gas and know what we've built here. We've got to continue to build and grow."

I keep reading that UND sophomore goalie Hobie Hedquist needs to play, or he'll enter the transfer portal. First, anyone familiar with UND head coach Brad Berry knows he's a team-first coach, meaning no player is more important than the program. Why isn't Hedquist playing more? There could be a variety of reasons. 

My random thoughts on the UND goalie position: has anyone ever considered that T.J. Semptimphelter might be the better goaltender? It's something to think about. Hobie has occasionally let in some weak goals. The goal in game two against Cornell to open the third period comes to mind. I am not saying Hedquist is a bad goalie, not at all. Currently, Semptimphelter may be the better goalie for UND hockey. Based on how the season has gone, there's very little room to experiment with a goalie rotation, especially now that the first half has passed; the coaches need to put together the best lineup to win. If the coaching staff decides to ride a hot goalie, they may do that. 

What happens if he enters the portal? The coaching staff will recruit more goalies; there will be many available goalies, and the CHL players will be eligible to play NCAA hockey.

Since the 2021-22 season, UND has utilized the transfer portal to recruit a starting goalie.

Post UND's starting goalie, Adam Scheel, here's how the goalie position has played out. UND has used four goalies in four consecutive seasons who weren't initially recruited by UND but finished their college careers at UND. That's the nature of the transfer portal. Here's the list of Portal goalies UND has used since the 2021-22 season. I added Scheel for comparison purposes. 

2018-21; Adam Scheel  (52-18-5 (.726), 1.95 GAA and .915 Save Percentage)

2021-22; Zach Driscoll (22-11-1 (.642), 2.34 GAA, .908 Save Percentage)

2022-23; Drew DeRidder (13-9-4 (.576), 2.53, .899 Save Percentage )

2023-24; Ludvig Persson (22-11-2 (.657), 2.52 GAA, .904 Save Percentage)

2024-25; T.J. Semptimphelter (10-5-1 (.656), 2.56 GAA, .903 Save Percentage)