brianvf

Company? Matteo is such a head-scratcher to me. Such a great, promising freshman season for him...but then to go from 21 pts down to only 3 pts as a sophomore. And he still played 25 games this season.

Gonna be tight for them...they're at 12 now, but could fall if they lose...plus there could be a couple upsets in the making at the same time.

+1 Agreed, for sure.

Same result though. A season-ending loss followed by a “Fire Coach X” thread started on here. Except one year, of course.

I wondered that too. They're both from Quebec, but I couldn't find any mention on Elite Prospects or similar where they normally list siblings or family. That Boisvert goalie from SLU has literally played ONE game each of the last three seasons. Grand total of 3 games in 3 years. Geez, talk about well-rested.

22 needs to be Top 6, absolutely.

I agree with Schloss that our forward group has the chance to be elite next season. It will be a deep and talented group. My only HOPE is that Berry lets them play in a more wide-open system. We'll have the ability to play and BEAT teams next season playing a more run-n-gun style. Will it mean that we'll also allow more goals...of course, but we probably will anyway with a new goalie and almost entirely new and young d-corps. I was never a "hater" of Senden and Hain like some on this group, but I do agree that they gobbled up valuable minutes and had a slower, more grinding style of play. I think we're a stronger team next year, especially on the front end. We'll have the depth to have almost 3 scoring lines and one grinding/shut-down line. Berry just needs to utilize them effectively rather than give the shut-down line the majority of the minutes.

The fact that she got offended by a chant of "Oma-fraud" is funny to me.

Yeah I remember him from his Miami days. He didn't play a ton and had not great numbers on some poor teams. His numbers improved at ASU and were pretty decent this year in very limited games though.

Forward If Gaber and Caulfield opt to return, UND's forward group could be elite next season. If they don't, the Fighting Hawks will be very young but skilled. Jackson Blake is the most dynamic player in the NCHC and UND is adding another player who plays very similar in Jayden Perron of the United States Hockey League's Chicago Steel. Perron might not have Blake's tenacity in the corners and hard areas, but the Winnipeg native has an elite skill level, can create his own space, is an excellent setup man and an underrated finisher. Some of UND's other young players are due for progressions, including NHL draft picks Dylan James, Owen McLaughlin, Ben Strinden and Jackson Kunz. UND has one other forward recruit who is guaranteed to come in — 6-foot-1 winger Michael Emerson of the Chicago Steel. Emerson plays a direct game and goes to the net every chance he gets. He's been a big scorer in the USHL this season. He's third in goals (29) and sixth in points (56). Most of his goals come from the top of the paint. One area UND will be lacking, especially if Caulfield leaves, is size and strength. With the departures of Senden and Hain, UND is losing a lot of physicality up front. Those two played a lot of UND's toughest minutes in recent years. This is where UND could look to add a player out of the transfer portal — a big, strong veteran to complement the younger, smaller skill guys like Blake, McLaughlin and Perron. If that player can play center, it would be ideal.

Defense UND's major reconstruction project will be on the back end. Half of the blue line will be gone. Jandric, Sidorski and Farmer are out of eligibility. Kleven is expected to turn pro. Even more could follow. Frisch will have an opportunity to go. And any time players are getting scratched this day and age, they are portal risks. Brent Johnson, a third-round pick of the Washington Capitals, didn't play once after Dec. 3. Either way, a big freshman class is set to come. Vegas Golden Knights draft pick Abram Wiebe is the headliner of the group. At 6-foot-3, Wiebe will give UND some size on the back end. His return to the Chilliwack Chiefs of the British Columbia Hockey League this season has been an excellent one for his development. He's the No. 2 defenseman scorer in the league, averaging nearly a point per game. Offense won't be the hallmark of his game early in his college career. But he should be able to defend early and develop offense as time goes along. Draft-eligible defensemen Jake Livanavage and Andrew Strathmann appear likely to come in as true freshmen. They bring more of an offensive element. They're both 5-foot-10 left-handers. Livanavage generates offense through his skating. Strathmann has the highest skill level of any of UND's incoming defensemen. He's a great skater, sees the ice well and can get into scoring areas. But he will need to round out his defensive game in order to secure important minutes. Minnesota Wild draft pick Nate Benoit and Alberta Junior Hockey League defender Tanner Komzak are big, steady defenders, who figure to battle for lineup spots. Komzak is a right-hander — something UND will lack if Frisch leaves. The incoming blue liners are promising, but it's difficult to ask freshmen to play big minutes on defense in the NCHC. UND will need to supplement the freshmen with at least one older transfer. If Frisch signs, it will probably need two. The Fighting Hawks will have an enticing carrot to dangle for potential portal defensemen — an opportunity to compete for a spot on the top of UND's prolific first power-play unit. That job is up for grabs with Jandric's graduation.

Goaltender UND loses DeRidder, who got off to a slow start in 2022-23, but had a strong finish. That leaves Jakob Hellsten and Kaleb Johnson on the roster. The Fighting Hawks have one committed goalie recruit right now — Hobie Hedquist of the British Columbia Hockey League's Alberni Valley Bulldogs. It's improbable that UND heads into next season with a goalie tandem as unproven as Hellsten (.875 save percentage in 2022-23) and Hedquist (.911 in the BCHL), which means the Fighting Hawks will grab a goalie out of the transfer portal for a third-straight season. The prospect of being a backup for a third year also leaves Hellsten's return in question. If Hellsten returns, Hedquist still has another year of junior eligibility left and could play one more. If Hellsten leaves, that increases the likelihood of Hedquist coming to Grand Forks in the fall along with the transfer.

https://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/und-hockey/und-has-offseason-reconstruction-project-ahead Good article from Schloss with quotes from Berry.

If we're gonna pick up a dman out of the portal, Koch or Bengtsson are intriguing. Especially Bengtsson with two years of eligibility remaining. More pressing is the goalie situation...here are the current goalies in the portal: Chad Veltri, sr, Niagara, 18-16-3, 2.78, .906 Luke Lush, sr, Sacred Heart, 14-16-3, 2.69, .899 Seth Eisele, sr, Lake Superior State, 3-9, 2.86, .913 Zack Rose, sr, Bowling Green, 3-1, 3.44, .891 Ben Kraws, sr, Arizona State, 3-0, 2.19, .926 Kolby Matthews, sr, RIT, 3-2, 2.82, .904 Connor Hopkins, jr, Yale, 0-4, 5.23, .814 Ethan Roberts, fr, St. Thomas, 0-2, .869, 4.53 Francis Boisvert, sr, St. Lawrence, 0-0, .938, 3.70 Henry Baribeau, sr, St. Thomas, 0-0, 1.000, 0.00 I was hoping for the other goalie from ASU to be in the portal and for us to make a run at him.

https://www.grandforksherald.com/opinion/letters/letter-und-fans-tainted-omaha-hockey-series

Their Olympic ice.

I already said they were hacks. Most with no talent.

For sure. Case in point, Blake…sure he won the NCHC RotY, but he has no talent like the rest of those hacks.

Wow, Kleven stays. Bold prediction, Cotton!

Didn’t Duluth make the Frozen Four a couple seasons ago with five freshmen D?

Yes, and they’re good. Learning curve for freshmen D is bigger but a few good players coming in.

Gotta root for CC tomorrow. Would love to see them make the tourney as a sub .500 7th seed from the NCHC.

This feels like the scene in Major League. “Who gives a $&@!, it’s gone.”

If Frisch and Gaber come back, and if we can find a capable goalie in the portal or recruit, I think next years team could be good. Our forward group will be talented with our current group and our incoming recruits.

TBD