SiouxScore

Now that it seems like we have a pretty good idea of who will be back I'll throw out my early lineup guess. One thing you notice doing this is we really lack right handed shots up front. Mismash-Jones-Kawaguchi Hain-Gardner-Weatherby Janatuinen-Hoff-Adams Smith-Bowen-Senden/Yon Senden/Yon,Huber,Keane Poolman-Bast Tychonick-Shaw Kiersted-Peski Johnson,Rieger Thome Scheel Anderson

Jayson Hajdu‏ @JaysonHajdu 54s55 seconds ago More It's that time of year where a handful of @UNDmhockey players have to make difficult decisions with regard to their careers. I'm happy to pass along that F Nick Jones and D Colton Poolman have already confirmed that they will be back at UND next year. #UNDproud

Rieger was his recruit too...although in my mind as soon as Berry took the job the entire team and pipeline became his recruits especially because he was in on recruiting most of them. If there was anyone he thought wasn't a good fit or couldn't play at UND he would have cut them lose like Mattson this year.

Put Tychonick in there for Rieger and it looks a lot better. If they keep Johnson at forward and bring in JBD he could push someone else to the seats at times as well like Peski.

Guys that could come in Forwards: Hain, Senden, Weatherby, Keane, Huber Defensemen: Tychonick, Bernard-Docker Goalies: Scheel Only guy I could see not coming in is Bernard-Docker depending on departures unless the staff tells somebody like Keane that he might want to look elsewhere. I guess if you didn't lose any forwards as early departures maybe Hain could be delayed because he is younger but I think he will make the biggest impact next year of the incoming forwards.

Part of not winning any of those overtime games and blowing multiple 2 goal leads late in the season is on the coaching staff though. Some people wanted to crown Berry and give him all the credit for the National Championship and not give any to Hak. So if people wanna give him all the credit why doesn't he deserve blame this year? You stack back to back years together like this and it is big trouble. Now hopefully Berry can adapt and make the necessary changes and improvements to the program to get it back where it belongs next year but lets not act like there weren't some issues this year that were troubling and can't continue to happen.

It is also the coaching staffs job to make sure the players are ready to play and execute. They are responsible for whatever happens in the program no excuses. I remember a couple years where injuries were much worse than this and Hak and staff found a way to get the team in the tournament. Blown leads, no shows, and a team that seemed to play worse in the 2nd half off the season are very concerning to me. If next season is anything like this one and ends with us at home watching the tournament instead of playing Berry should definitely feel the heat.

I'm not one who is quick to jump on coaches as I've coached plenty at plenty of levels and know some of the difficulties you have to navigate at times but I completely agree. I thought the people that thought Hak should feel the heat were crazy. He always had his teams in the postseason and that is all you can ask. Even if he didn't ever reach the end goal you could see his teams always improve throughout the year and never really underachieve except maybe in the frozen 4. I felt that this group definitely underachieved this year and their are definitely expectations around here that need to be met. Hopefully Berry can adjust some things that might need adjusting and we are right back in the tournament next year but if we are in the same spot we are right now next year there will definitely at least be plenty of heat on Berry.

How? Everyone has said we need both to win.

The guys got done what they needed to today. Now go Clarkson, go Providence, and pray to the hockey gods!

Hoff in for Johnson, Peski in for Rieger Smith-Simonson-Olson Gersich-Gardner-Janatuinen Mismash-Jones-Kawaguchi Hoff-Bowen-Poganski Wolanin-Poolman Shaw-Bast Kiersted-Peski Johnson

One huge mistake that everybody noticed and gave the game away. He made plenty more throughout the game and might've had his worst game of the season. UND should've just went with 5 defensemen for the 3rd and OT. I'd be pretty surprised if he plays today. If he does no way he should get a regular shift.

Not much. He just hasn't been the same player since he was injured earlier in the season. He was very good early in the year and just hasn't seemed to skate quite as well and I wonder if it is still a little bit of an issue.

He panics a lot. Shouldn't be on the ice especially in an OT game that you need to win if he can't be more composed than that.

All 3 St. Cloud goals came after failed opportunities for UND to clear the zone. I've said for weeks I'm not at all comfortable with Rieger on the ice and would rather have Johnson in back there and another forward up front. Rieger is what he is a 8th/9th d-man that can play physical. He gets caught out of position for opportunities and isn't a good decision maker. The play in OT from him is just ridiculously weak though, decent pewee players are smart enough to not make that stupid play. If this one ultimately ends the streak that play fits with how the season was. Cam was great and gave us the chance we needed.

Poganski

If I was gonna overpay for someone it would be Cousins over Bradford and Keenum. Both Bradford and Keenum are gonna get right around $20 million a year and I don't think they're are worth anything near that. I like Bridgewater but with all the time he has missed it is hard to know if he is anything close to the player he was before. Hopefully he can win the job with the Jets and have a good year and cash in in the future.

Just throwing it out there but maybe they like Johnson better at forward and keep him there for good. Then if Wolanin leaves you have Shaw(SR), Poolman(JR), Peski(JR), Bast(SO), Kiersted(SO), Rieger(SO), Tychonick(FR), and Bernard-Docker(FR). Would certainly give you a very good battle for that 6th spot when everybody is healthy.

YES!!! This team hasn't got many bounces at all this year but got one at a huge time when we had to have it. Glad to see the guys overcome some adversity tonight I thought there were some questionable calls/no calls against UND. Not sure how there wasn't a cross check on Omaha's 2nd goal and Omaha definitely got away with a ton of holding and interference in the 2nd and 3rd periods.

Mark Senden has goals in each of his last 3 games for Fargo last nights was a shorthanded goal.

Good first step tonight. Still no room for error and gonna have to turn it up a little more tomorrow to finish off Omaha.

2 assists and +4 for Ryder Donovan in the 4-2 semifinal win for Duluth East. He and the Hounds will play for a state championship tomorrow night against either Minnetonka or Centennial.

2 goals 1 assist and +4 for Garrett Worth tonight in #3 Duluth East's 4-2 win over #2 Edina. His coach Mike Randolph basically said in the postgame press conference no idea why nobody has took a chance on Worth yet. I'm starting to feel the same way he is a pure scorer but he has done a lot of little things pretty well the last couple nights.

#4 Alexandria beat #1 Hermantown 6-1 in the semifinals and SR defenseman Jack Powell is having a heck of a state tournament. Hat trick today and has been excellent on both ends of the ice today and Wednesday against Thief River. Not sure where he will end up playing juniors but looks like a kid that has made a name for himself this week. Alexandria has some nice talent up front mostly JRs and Sophs good to see that part of Minnesota starting to produce better players and be more competitive.

Peski was bad last Friday but I'm much more comfortable with him in than I am with Rieger. I don't like Rieger's game near as much as some others here and it seems to be whatever pair he is on when he gets in the lineup always gives up at least one odd man rush. I actually thought he was much more effective when they used him at forward a few times earlier this year. My depth chart for the 6th defenseman tonight would be Peski, Johnson, and then Rieger.