The University of Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State University will renew their intrastate rivalry this Thursday (March 16) when the two clubs collide in the opening game of the 2006 Red Baron Western Collegiate Hockey Association Final Five. Game time is set for 7:37 p.m. at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.

THE RECORDS: The Bulldogs, who have just won just three of their last 18 games (3-14-1), are 11-24-4 overall and finished 6-19-3 in WCHA play (ninth place). St. Cloud State, which has posted only three wins in its last nine outings (3-5-1), sports a 20-15-4 record in all games and placed sixth in the final WCHA standings with a 13-13-2 mark.

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Hockey Notes vs. St. Cloud State

HOW THEY RANK: Here is how UMD and the Huskies stack up in this week’s uscho.com/CSTV and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls and the PairWise rankings:



uscho.com USA Today PairWise

UMD RV NR NR

SCSU 18th RV 18th-tie

ON THE AIR: All UMD games during the 2005-06 season are being carried by KDAL-Radio (610 AM) with Bruce Ciskie handling the play-by-play duties and Rik Jordan doing color commentary. The Duluth-based station is in its 46th consecutive year of airing the Bulldogs (which is believed to be the longest streak of its kind in college hockey). The broadcast can be heard as well via the internet at: www.umdbulldogs.com.

THE COACHES: The 2003-04 American Hockey Coaches Association NCAA Division I Coach of the Year (Spencer Penrose Award), Scott Sandelin is winding down his sixth season at UMD where he has compiled a 96-121-26 overall record -- including a 76-69-19 mark since the start of the 2002-03 season. Two years ago, Sandelin, 41, turned UMD into a NCAA Frozen Four participant for the first time in nearly a generation while directing his troops to their most victories (they were 28-13-4 overall) and highest WCHA finish (second place on a 19-7-2 mark) since the 1992-93 season. For his efforts, the Hibbing, Minn., native was chosen the WCHA Coach of the Year as well as the national coach of the year by both insidecollegehockey.com and uscho.com. In 2002-03, Sandelin’s Bulldogs went 22-15-5 overall and captured fifth place in the WCHA with a 14-10-4 mark while experiencing the greatest one-season turnaround of any league club. One year earlier, he directed UMD to a 13-24-1 record in all games-- nearly doubling the number of victories from the previous season (7-28-4). Sandelin officially signed on as a member of the Bulldog staff on March 31, 2000 after six years of assistant coaching duty at North Dakota. Prior to joining the Fighting Sioux (who won two NCAA titles during his tenure), Sandelin spent the 1993-94 season as the head coach of the Fargo-Moorhead Junior Kings of the Junior Elite Hockey League after working in that same capacity (and doubling as general manager) the previous winter with the American Hockey Association’s Fargo-Moorhead Express. He capped off his four-year playing career at North Dakota in 1985-86 by being named one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award. An All-WCHA first team pick and an All-American second team selection as a senior, Sandelin went on to play seven years of professional hockey, which included National Hockey League stints with the Montreal Canadiens (1986-88), Philadelphia Flyers (1990-91) and Minnesota North Stars (1991-92). Sandelin, one of just two current WCHA coaches to do time in the NHL, was the Montreal Canadiens’ second round pick in the 1982 NHL draft (40th choice overall). He served as Team USA’s head coach at the 2005 World Junior Hockey Championships in Grand Forks, N.D., where he directed that club to a fourth-place finish.

Bob Motzko (St. Cloud State, 1987) returned to his alma mater this summer to assume the school’s head hockey coaching duties following the resignation of long-time bench boss Craig Dahl. Motzko, who skated with the Huskies for a pair of seasons (1983-85), spent the previous four winters serving as an assistant coach at the University of Minnesota and, prior to that, was the head coach/general manager for the United States Hockey League’s Sioux Falls Stampede from 1998-2001. His college coaching resume also includes stints as an assistant coach at Miami University (1991-93 and 1994-98), the University of Denver (1993-94) and St. Cloud State (1986-87), where he worked under the legendary Herb Brooks.

THE SERIES: Thursday night’s clash will mark the 81st meeting ever between UMD and St. Cloud State. The Huskies hold a 43-32-5 lead in the rivalry, which started way back during the 1947-48 seasons (UMD’s first-ever confrontation with a four-year school) and are 40-28-4 versus the Bulldogs since joining the NCAA I ranks in 1987-88.

EARLIER THIS YEAR: The two clubs met only twice during the 2005-06 regular season, with the host Huskies posting a pair of wins (4-2 and 6-3) on Jan. 20-21 in St. Cloud. In the series opener, the Bulldogs and Huskies were knotted 2-2 until 7:27 of regulation when the host club scored two times, including once into an empty net, to seal the 4-2 win. The following evening, UMD spotted St. Cloud State a 5-0 second-period lead before rallying with three straight goals. The Huskies again closed out the scoring with an empty net goal and a 6-3 triumph.

LAST WEEKEND: The Bulldogs punched their ticket to St. Paul by rolling past the University of Denver 5-2 in the third, and deciding game, of their best-of-three opening round WCHA playoff series with the two-time defending NCAA champion Pioneers on Sunday night. UMD used a pair of goals by freshman left wing Andrew Carroll and freshman center MacGregor Sharp’s overtime game-winner to shade the host Pioneers 3-2 on Friday night. Denver came back the next night to win by that same score, breaking a 2-2 tie on goal with 4:29 remaining in regulation. On Sunday, UMD obliterated a 1-0 Denver lead with a four-goal outburst in a span of 3:45 late in the second period. The Bulldogs got goals from four different players, including senior center Tim Stapleton who scored once and added two assists.

Like the Bulldogs, St. Cloud State took care of business on the road last weekend, knocking Colorado College out of the WCHA playoff picture Sunday night via a 3-1 triumph. St. Cloud State opened the first round playoff series by winning 2-1, but the Tigers roared back with a 3-2 victory the ensuing evening.

BULLDOG-HUSKY PLAYOFF HISTORY: UMD is 3-8 in 11 lifetime WCHA playoff games with the Huskies, but ousted its intrastate rivals in the opening round of the 2003 WCHA playoffs -- the most recent league postseason meetings between the two clubs. UMD and St. Cloud State have met only once previously in a WCHA Final Five and that was in 1998 when St. Cloud State skated off with a 4-3 overtime win in the play-in game in Milwaukee.

PLAYOFF PASTS: In 102 lifetime WCHA playoff games, the Bulldogs are 32-66-4, which includes a 14-57-2 mark away from Duluth and a 9-10-0 record under current head coach Scott Sandelin.

BULLDOGS AT THE FINAL FIVE: Since the WCHA adopted a Final Five/Four playoff championship format in 1987-88, the Bulldogs have taken part in five league post season tournaments -- 2004 (when they captured third place with a 2-1 record), 2003 (2-1, third place), 1998 (0-1), 1993 (1-1, third place), and 1988 (0-2). During that time, UMD is winless (0-4) in semifinal games.

THREE-PEAT BUSTER: This is the second time in three years UMD has eliminated (or possibly eliminated) a two-time defending NCAA champion during the post-season. In 2004, the Bulldogs ended the University of Minnesota’s bid for a third straight national title by besting the Gophers 3-1 in the NCAA Midwest Regional final.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH: Prior to last weekend, the only time the Bulldogs had ever won a WCHA playoff road series (excluding neutral sites) was in 1987-88 when they swept the Pioneers (5-2 and 7-3) in Denver en route to advancing to the inaugural WCHA Playoff Championship.

SEEMS LIKE OLD TIMES: Center Tim Stapleton, defensemen Steve Czech and goaltender Isaac Reichmuth, are the only three current Bulldogs who suited up in both the 2003 and 2004 WCHA Final Five tourneys. Right wing Justin Williams was a healthy scratch at the 2003 event while the Bulldogs’ other senior, defenseman Ryan Swanson, transferred to UMD from the now-defunct Iona College hockey program in 2003-04.

HOLDING THEIR OWN AGAINST THE BIG BOYS: The Bulldogs are an even 3-3-1 against teams who occupy the top seven positions in this week’s uscho.com/CSTV poll, going 1--2-1 vs. No. 1 Minnesota, 1-1-0 vs. No. 3 University of Wisconsin, 1-0-0 vs. No. 6 University of Maine and 0-0-1 vs. No. 7 Cornell University.

YOUTH IS BEING SERVED: Nearly 58 percent (146 of 253) of UMD’s point production and 63 percent of its goal harvest (61 of 96) this winter has come from the team’s 11 freshmen. That group currently ranks third among all WCHA classes in point production, trailing only the Colorado College seniors (184 points) and the North Dakota freshman (162 points) . Rookies accounted for nine of UMD’s 10 goals last weekend in Denver. Of the top 23 current WCHA rookie scoring leaders (overall), no less than seven are Bulldogs -- Mason Raymond (No. 5), left wing Andrew Carroll (No. 8), left wing Michael Gergen (No. 9), center MacGregor Sharp (No. 16-tie), defensemen Matt Niskanen (No. 16-tie) right wing Nick Kemp (19-tie), and defensemen Jason Garrison (No. 23). Another first-year Bulldog, Josh Meyers amassed the third highest scoring average (0.42 points per game) in league play among all WCHA rookie blueliners.

THE PUCK STOPS HERE: In his last five appearances (all on the road against three nationally ranked opponents -- Minnesota, North Dakota and Denver), sophomore goaltender Nate Ziegelmann is 2-3-0 to go with an impressive 2.39 goals against average and a .923 saves percentage. Ziegelmann, who transferred to UMD one year ago from Dakota (where he had seen only 21:08 of work during the 2003-04 season), has started four straight games. This past Friday night, he registered his first collegiate victory by stopping 27 of 29 shots in a 3-2 overtime win over Denver and followed that up with a career-high 33-save performance on Sunday.

LEAD ‘DOGS: The Bulldogs have yet to lose a game this season when leading (8-0-0) at the second intermission, but are winless (0-22-0) when they’ve headed into the third period behind in 2005-06. The last time UMD rallied to post a victory in that situation was on Nov. 27, 2004 when it scored three times in the third period to overcome a 1-0 deficit and defeat host St. Cloud State 3-1. Since then, the Bulldogs are 0-31-0 in games in which they have trailed after 40 minutes of play.

CHART CLIMBER: Buoyed by a three-point night Sunday in Denver, senior center Tim Stapleton has taken over as the Bulldogs’ current scoring leader with 13 goals and 16 assists for 29 points. Stapleton, who snapped a seven-game pointless drought (the longest skid of his career) by picking up an assist in UMD’s 3-2 setback to Denver Saturday, resides in the No. 18 slot on the school’s all-time scoring charts with 151 points (62 goals and 89 assists) in 161 games. The LaGrange, Ill. native is now within two points of tying Monty Jones (1973-77) for 17th place.

DRAWING SECOND BLOOD: UMD has gotten on the scoreboard first in just 25 of its last 77 games and only 13 of its 39 outings this winter. In addition, the Bulldogs have held a lead at the first intermission a mere seven times in 2005-06.

PLAYOFF POINT PRODUCERS: Senior center Tim Stapleton’s 17 career WCHA playoff points are far and away the most of any current 2005-06 Bulldog. The top active Bulldog leaders in that department are as follows:

Name GP G A TP

Tim Stapleton 15 7 10 17

Justin Williams 10 3 4 7

Steve Czech 16 1 4 5

Andrew Carroll 3 3 1 4

Matt Niskanen 3 0 3 3

Jason Garrison 3 2 0 2

Michael Gergen 3 2 0 2

Josh Meyers 3 1 1 2

Nick Kemp 3 0 2 2

Matt McKnight 5 1 1 2

Matt Greer 3 0 1 1

Mason Raymond 3 0 1 1

Michael Curry 4 0 1 1

Bryan McGregor 8 1 0 1

FEELING THE POWER: In the 15 games it has won or tied in 2005-06, UMD has registered a 25.3 percent efficiency rate (18 of 71) on the power play, but has connected at a mere 10.6 percent clip (14 of 132) with the extra man in its 24 losses.

FEELING THE POWER II: The Bulldogs are last in the WCHA in penalty killing efficiency both overall (78.3 percent) and in league play (75.5 percent vs. league competition). Opponents have cashed in on 11 of their 46 power play opportunities (23.0 percent) over the past nine games.

ONE TOUGH ROOKIE: Freshman left wing Mason Raymond, who enjoyed a prolonged (three-month stay) atop the UMD scoring charts before giving way to Tim Stapleton last weekend, has been held without a point in 10 of the last 12 games. Raymond, one of seven Bulldogs to skate in all 39 games to date, finished third among WCHA rookies in league points (23) and second in assists (15). He’s also put more shots on goal (148) than any other 2005-06 Bulldog while fellow freshman wing Nick Kemp has made the most of his shots as evident by his team-high .127 shooting percentage (7 goals on 55 shots). Rookie left wing Andrew Carroll is a distant second in the shots department with 120.

BLANKING BLUES: The Bulldogs have been shut out on five occasions this winter (equalling a club mark set in both 1999-2000 and 1997-98), including four times in the past nine games. Prior to the 2005-06 season, UMD had been held scoreless only once in its previous 165 contests.

THE “REICH” STUFF: Senior goaltender Isaac Reichmuth, who has appeared in 28 of the Bulldogs’ 39 games this winter, currently sports the best lifetime goals against average (2.91) and saves percentage mark (.898) in team history. The two-time All-WCHA honoree (second team in 2003-04 and third team in 2002-03) is also third in career wins (he’s 56-48-15 overall) and is within four victories of becoming UMD’s all-time leader in that department.

HOME ICE ADVANTAGE?: UMD finished with a 4-13-1 home record and managed to win just one of its final 10 games at the DECC. Conversely, the Bulldogs are 7-11-3 on the road this season.

THIS IS YOUR CAPTAIN SPEAKING: Senior defenseman Steve Czech, who is an impressive plus-34 as a collegian, is serving as UMD’s team captain in 2005-06 while senior center Tim Stapleton, the Bulldogs’ top returning point-getter from a year ago, has been entrusted with one of the alternate team captain roles. The other alternate has been chosen on month-by-month basis with the February and March honors going to senior right wing Justin Williams. The following individuals have served in that capacity this winter:



Month Player

October Justin Williams

November Matt McKnight

December Andrew Carroll

January Mason Raymond

February Justin Williams

March Justin Williams

HERE’S TO GOOD HEALTH: The injury bug has been relatively kind to UMD thus far in 2005-06. In fact, only four Bulldogs have missed games this winter due to injuries or illnesses. They include freshman defenseman Josh Meyers (13 games from Nov. 18 to Dec. 28 and Feb. 3; wrist), sophomore defenseman Travis Gawryletz (seven games from Jan. 27-Feb. 17 and Feb. 24-25; illness), freshman defenseman Adam Davis (two games at Alaska Anchorage on Nov. 18-19; hip) and junior goaltender Josh Johnson (two games at Minnesota on March 3-4; knee).

BULLDOG BITS: Freshman Matt Niskanen, UMD’s top scoring defenseman at the moment (one goal and 13 assists), was the only Bulldog to pick up at least one point in all three playoff games against Denver (he was credited with one assist each night) ... Sophomore center Matt McKnight, who trails only Tim Stapleton and Mason Raymond in scoring among 2005-06 Bulldogs, has established a career high for goals (nine), assists (16) and points (25), but has managed just five points in his last 20 outings ... The Bulldogs received votes in a national poll this week (uscho.com) -- the first time that has happened since Jan. 9, 2006 ... Senior defenseman and resident ironman Steve Czech has now played in 163 of a possible 164 games with the Bulldogs -- including the last 117 in a row... Freshman left wing Michael Gergen racked up his first goal in 11 games in Saturday’s 3-2 loss to the Pioneers and then proceeded to score again (the eventual game-winner) the following evening ... Although the Bulldogs have been outscored in all three periods this season, they have still outshot the opposition in each of those three frames ... All of freshman defenseman Jason Garrison’s three career goals have come at the expense of Denver -- including a pair of tallies he collected last weekend in the WCHA playoffs ... Junior center Jeff McFarland, whose scoring line in 2005-06 includes a personal-high five assists, has now gone 83 straight games without a goal. His last tally came on Oct. 31, 2003 against the University of Alaska Anchorage ... UMD has compiled a .931 saves percentage in the 15 games it has won or tied this winter and a mere .841 mark in its 24 setbacks ... Junior right wing Bryan McGregor is mired in an 23-game pointless droughts, having last marked in the scoring column on Nov. 25 (a goal against Yale University) .... UMD has not held an opponent scoreless at the DECC since Brant Nicklin turned the trick back on Feb. 28, 1998 (7-0 over North Dakota) -- a stretch of some 157 outings. Over basically that same period of time, the Bulldogs have posted six shutouts on the road -- including three by senior Isaac Reichmuth and one by junior Josh Johnson ... Freshman defenseman Adam Davis is the lone Bulldog with a positive plus-minus rating (he’s a plus-4) through 39 games ... The last time a UMD season scoring leader finished with less than 36 points was in 1968-68 when All-American Ron Busniuk collected a team-high in 29 games. Senior Tim Stapleton, with 29 points, tops the 2005-06 Bulldog scoring charts heading into the Final Five.



MOVING ON: The winner of Thursday night’s UMD-St. Cloud State matchup will move on to the Final Five semifinals where they’ll take on 2005-06 WCHA regular season champion Minnesota at 7:37 p.m. Friday. North Dakota and Wisconsin will sqaure off in the other semifinal.

THE SCOTT SANDELIN SHOW: The Scott Sandelin show airs Tuesdays at 6 p.m. on KDAL-Radio. UMD play-by-play announcer Bruce Ciskie hosts the one-hour program, which can also heard via the internet at www.umdbulldogs.