The University of Minnesota Duluth will draw the curtain on a prosperous 2009 this Friday and Saturday (Dec. 11-12) when the Bulldogs host the University of Denver in a pair of Western Collegiate Hockey Association showdowns. Opening faceoff is set for 7:05 p.m. both nights at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center (5,294).
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THE RECORDS: The defending WCHA playoff champion Bulldogs are 10-5-1 overall and 7-4-1 in league play (third place tie with St. Cloud State University and the University of Wisconsin) while Denver owns a 10-4-2 record in all games and holds down the No. 1 spot in the WCHA standings with an 8-2-2 mark.
HOW THEY RANK: Here is how UMD and Denver stack up in the latest uscho.com/CBS College Sports and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls:
uscho.com USA Today
UMD 12th 14th
Denver 2nd 2nd
ON THE AIR: This weekend's series will be carried locally on 1490 The Fan (KQDS-AM) with Bruce Ciskie handling the play-by-play assignment. The broadcast can also be heard on KQ 105.5 in Grand Rapids/Hibbing and KQ 106.7 in Ely/Virginia as part of the Bulldog Radio Network and is available on the internet at: www.fan1490.com.
In addition, both Bulldog-Pioneer clashes will be webstreamed live and be available on a pay-per-view basis through B2Networks at: www.b2livetv.com.
THE COACHES: The 2003-04 American Hockey Coaches Association NCAA Division I Coach of the Year (Spencer Penrose Award), Scott Sandelin is in his 10th season behind the UMD bench where he has compiled a 154-178-46 overall record -- including a 32-18-9 mark the past two seasons. His Bulldogs have advanced to four of the past seven WCHA Final Five tournaments and, last March, became the first play-in game participant to win it all in the 17-year history of that event. UMD also strung together a school-record six-game postseason winning streak in 2008-09 until it fell to Miami University 2-1 in the NCAA West Regional final. Six years ago, Sandelin, 45, turned UMD into a NCAA Frozen Four participant for the first time in nearly a generation, marshaling his troops to their most victories (they were 28-13-4 overall) and highest WCHA finish (second place on a 19-7-2 mark) in 11 seasons. 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 that winter. One year earlier, he guided 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 deployment 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 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championships and directed that club to a fourth-place finish.
George Gwozdecky (University of Wisconsin, 1978) is in his 17th year at Denver and has a 356-221-48record and two NCAA championships (2003-04 and 2004-05) to show for it. A three-time WCHA Coach of the Year honoree (2004-05, 2001-02 and 1994-95) and two-time winner of the Spencer Penrose Award (2004-05 and 1992-93), Gwozdecky directed Denver to a share of the 2004-05 WCHA regular season title as well as the league's playoff crown. His Pioneers have also advanced to NCAA post season play on seven occasions (2008, 2005, 2004, 2002, 1999, 1997 and 1995). Prior to his arrival in Denver, Gwozdecky spent five years as the head coach at Miami University (Ohio). The recipient of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association Coach of the Year honor in both 1991-92 and 1992-93 was 83-94-19 at Miami and coached his troops to their first CCHA regular season title in 1992-93 as well as their inaugural NCAA post-season berth. Gwozdecky, whose hockey resume includes a five-season assistant coaching stint at Michigan State University (1984-89) and a three-year head coaching stay at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls (1981-84), owns a 28-21-4 career mark against UMD.
THE RIVALRY: UMD and Denver will collide for the 185th and 186th times this weekend. The Pioneers hold a 104-71-9 lead in the all-time series (36-38-8 in Duluth), which began on Dec. 28, 1961 in Denver. UMD went 1-3-0 against Denver during the 2008-09 regular season, but later blanked the Pioneers 4-0 to claim the WCHA Final Five championship on March 21 at St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center.
LAST WEEKEND: UMD rebounded from a 4-2 loss to the University of North Dakota Friday at the DECC to shade the Fighting Sioux 3-2 in overtime the following evening after being down 2-0 at the second intermission. Junior left winger Kyle Schmidt and senior center Drew Akins accounted for the two UMD scores in the series opener, a game which the Bulldogs gave up three unanswered goals in the second period while being outshot 16-5. Schmidt opened the scoring for the Bulldogs the next night before goals from sophomore center Travis Oleksuk (with 33 seconds remaining in regulation) and junior right winger Justin Fontaine (12 seconds into overtime) sealed the win.
Denver took three of four points from archrival Colorado College in a WCHA home-and-home series, following up a 2-1 road triumph Friday with a 4-4 overtime deadlock in Denver.
THIS IS YOUR CAPTAIN SPEAKING: Senior center Drew Akins has been entrusted with team captaincy responsibilities for the 2009-10 Bulldogs while senior left winger Jordan Fulton and junior defenseman Mike Montgomery are serving as alternate captains.
BRING OUT THE BIG GUNS: This weekend's series will feature four of the WCHA's top six point producers in UMD's Jack Connolly (No. 2 with 23 points), Justin Fontaine (No. 3, 21 points) and Rob Bordson (No. 4, 20 points) and Denver's Rhett Rakhshani (No. 4, 20 points) and the league's two winningest goaltenders to date in the Pioneer's Marc Cheverie (8-1-1, .850) and the Bulldogs' Brady Hjelle (7-2-1, .750).
NEVER COUNT 'EM OUT: Saturday's 3-2 win over North Dakota marked the third time in four games (and the fourth time this season) the Bulldogs have come back from a two-goal deficit to win. They turned the trick twice during their series sweep at the University of Minnesota (4-3 and 3-2 on Nov. 20-21) and against Minnesota State-Mankato on Oct. 17 at the DECC (3-2).
OFF TO THE RACES: The Bulldogs are enjoying their best start (10-5-1) through 16 games since going 12-4-0 to open the 1995-96 season.
MAKING HIMSELF RIGHT AT “HJOME”: Sophomore netminder Brady Hjelle has yet to taste defeat in Duluthas a collegian, posting a 7-0-0 record to go with a 1.98 goals average and a .929 saves percentage in seven career home appearances. Overall, he is 8-2-1 since joining the Bulldog program last fall when he was All-American Alex Stalock's understudy.
NEVER COUNT 'EM OUT: Saturday's 3-2 win over North Dakota marked the third time in four games (and the fourth time this season) the Bulldogs have come back from a two-goal deficit to win. They turned the trick twice during their series sweep at the University of Minnesota (4-3 and 3-2 on Nov. 20-21) and against Minnesota State University-Mankato on Oct. 17 at the DECC (3-2).
THAT'S A FACT, JACK: UMD sophomore center Jack Connolly, who had his four-game scoring streak snapped Friday against North Dakota but assisted on two of UMD's three goals in the rematch, is currently tied for sixth on the NCAA points charts. Eighteen of Connolly's 23 points this season have been registered at home and 20 have come in UMD victorires.
MONEY IN THE BANK: The Bulldogs are 31-0-3 when they've held a lead heading into the third period since falling 3-2 at St. Cloud State in three overtimes in the third, and decisive, game of the 2007 WCHA playoffs (March 11).
ONE FONT-ASTIC FORWARD: Junior right winger Justin Fontaine continues to lead the nation in both power play goals (nine) and game-winners (four). The 2008-09 All-WCHA second team pick is also third among NCAA I skaters in overall goals (12), trailing only Canisius College's Cory Conacher and Ferris State University Blair Riley, who both have tallied 13 times.
GOT TO LOVE THAT FREE HOCKEY: UMD is now unbeaten in its last 13 overtime games (4-0-9) and has lost just one of the last 23 contests which have required an extra session (6-1-15). The lone setback during that stretch was inflicted by North Dakota on March 2, 2008 (2-1).
OFFERING PLENTY OF ASSISTANCE: A leading candiate for the WCHA's mythical Breakthrough Player of Year award, junior left winger Rob Bordson has racked up three goals and a WCHA-leading 17 assists (the second most in NCAA hockey) in 16 games this season after coming into year having scored seven points in 42 career outings. No less than 13 of his 20 points this winter have been registed on on the power play -- a figure unsurpassed by only one WCHA skater at the moment (teammate Jack Connolly with 14).
BULLDOG BITS: Going back to the opening of last year's postseason, UMD has amassed a 16-6-1 record and is 24-14-3 since the start of 2009 ... Dylan Olsen, who ranks second among WCHA rookie defensemen in scoring with nine points (all assists) this season, will bypass this Saturday's game while attending Canada's National Junior Team Selection Camp in Regina, Sask. A total of 36 players, including 12 blueliners, have been invited to the camp, which runs from Dec. 12-16. Olsen, the Chicago Blackhawks' first-round pick in the 2009 National Hockey League draft, is seeking to become the first UMD skater to ever play for Canada in the IIHF World Junior Championships (11 Bulldogs have previously done so for Team USA) ... UMD will come into the weekend possessing the nation's seventh most effective power play. The Bulldogs have cashed in on 24.5 percent (25 of 102) of their man advantage opportunities and have scored at least one power play goal in 13 of their 16 games thus far (they went 0-of-8 against Northern Michigan University on Oct. 11, 0-of-5 vs. Clarkson University on Oct. 30 and 0-of-4 vs. North Dakota last Friday night -- all at home). UMD led the WCHA in overall power play efficiency one year ago (21.5 percent) ... Junior left winger Kyle Schmidt has picked up a goal in each of the past three games to boost his 2009-10 tally total to a career-high six. The 2008-09 WCHA Scholar Athlete Award winner managed just four goals in his first two seasons combined with the Bulldogs. ... UMD is averaging 36.6 shots a night in 2009-10 (only Wisconsin with 39.3, Yale with 37.9 and Ferris State with 36.7 have outdone them in the NCAA ranks) while giving up 29.7 ... Talk about a couple of good luck charms: UMD is 25-6-1 in games in which sophomore center Jack Connolly has picked up a point during the past two seasons and 13-2-1 when senior left winger Jordan Fulton has done so.... This marks the final full season the Bulldogs will call the DECC home as they will move to a new $70 million, 6,800-seat facility a few hundred feet away next December -- two weeks after they play hosts Denver ... Sophomore right winger Mike Connolly is the only Bulldog who is averaging a point a game or better for his career (57 points in 57 outings).
COACHES LUNCHEON: The Bulldog Coaches' Luncheon will be held this Friday at 12 p.m. at Grandma's Sports Garden. The event costs $8.00 for an all-you-can eat buffet and features a live radio show on The FAN 1490 with UMD head coach Scott Sandelin.
UP NEXT: Following this weekend's activity, UMD will be idle until Jan. 2-3 when it takes part in the Sheraton/TD Banknorth Catamount Cup in Burlington, Vt.
