COMMITTED UND Recruits

[Kevin G]

Livanavage with an assist for Chicago in a 2-1 loss to Youngstown.

[brianvf]

2 hours ago, Kevin G said:

Your feed must be way ahead of mine.

Sorry that was from last game, not tonight's. 

[Kevin G]

So with Youngstown's victory over Chicago, the Clark Cup Finals will be Strathmann (Youngstown) versus Swanson (Fargo).

I was kinda hoping Chicago would advance, only because UND has so many commits on the team, but it wasn't to be. Youngstown is red hot right now. 

[brianvf]

 

[SiouxForever]

What do Fargo Force playoff final tickets cost? Pardon my ignorance and lack of using the internet correctly this morning.

Lmk all - thx!

[siouxforce19]

7 minutes ago, SiouxForever said:

What do Fargo Force playoff final tickets cost? Pardon my ignorance and lack of using the internet correctly this morning.

Lmk all - thx!

$10 not including Ticketmaster fees. 

[Kevin G]

13 minutes ago, SiouxForever said:

What do Fargo Force playoff final tickets cost? Pardon my ignorance and lack of using the internet correctly this morning.

Lmk all - thx!

 

5 minutes ago, siouxforce19 said:

$10 not including Ticketmaster fees. 

I was wondering the same thing. I might try to catch one of the games this weekend. It's extra fun that both teams have a UND commit. 

[brianvf]

Article on Swanson and his great playoff run thus far:

https://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/und-hockey/und-commit-mac-swanson-thriving-in-ushl-playoffs?fbclid=IwAR1Y8NmVKOlkhhJA4OglA8frWq9YT75dgw1I5ioekV0rrNXKkbunHJUHyt4

[N of GF]

2 hours ago, siouxforce19 said:

$10 not including Ticketmaster fees. 

So... about $50 after Ticketmaster gets their "cut"? 

[Kevin G]

In the Strathmann (Youngstown) vs. Swanson (Fargo) series: Youngstown won last night 4-1 over Fargo.

Neither Strathmann nor Swanson registered a point. Swanson's line--Cole Knuble (Notre Dame), Bret Link (Colorado College), and Mac Swanson (UND)--was a -3 on the night. Youngstown's goalie, Jacob Fowler (Boston College), saved 29 of 30 shots.

Game 2 tonight at Scheels Arena, 6pm.

[homer]

1 hour ago, Kevin G said:

In the Strathmann (Youngstown) vs. Swanson (Fargo) series: Youngstown won last night 4-1 over Fargo.

Neither Strathmann nor Swanson registered a point. Swanson's line--Cole Knuble (Notre Dame), Bret Link (Colorado College), and Mac Swanson (UND)--was a -3 on the night. Youngstown's goalie, Jacob Fowler (Boston College), saved 29 of 30 shots.

Game 2 tonight at Scheels Arena, 6pm.

I’m not a great hockey mind but thought Strathman looked really good.  Had a very aggressive style and is skilled with the puck.  
 

Fun to watch the two of them.  Tickets are $10 and kids 12 and under are free for the playoffs.  Great entertainment.  

[siouxforce19]

3 minutes ago, homer said:

I’m not a great hockey mind but thought Strathman looked really good.  Had a very aggressive style and is skilled with the puck.  
 

Fun to watch the two of them.  Tickets are $10 and kids 12 and under are free for the playoffs.  Great entertainment.  

I was at the game last night and I agree with your take on Strathmann.  Didn’t notice any glaring defensive issues but Youngstown played a good defensive game and Fargo really didn’t have that many good opportunities. 

[Kevin G]

Youngstown downed Fargo 2-1 in OT in the USHL finals.

A couple of observations from the game:

1) Neither Strathmann nor Swanson tallied a point in the game. Strathmann looked confident with the puck and seemed defensively responsible. Indeed Youngstown as a whole was defensively sound and pretty physical, giving Fargo very few grade A chances.

2) As for Swanson, he's quick and he was able to absorb contact while staying on his skates. Tonight however he didn't impact the game much. He did turn the puck over a couple times. You can see the potential though. A growth spurt would do his game a world of good.

3) I thought the best player on the ice was Jacob Fowler, Youngstown's goalie. Calm and always in good position. The only goal he allowed was on a breakaway. I thought the best skater tonight was William Whitelaw, a forward for Youngtown. He created more chances than anyone and was regularly buzzing in the o-zone. 

[brianvf]

3 hours ago, Kevin G said:

I thought the best skater tonight was William Whitelaw, a forward for Youngtown. He created more chances than anyone and was regularly buzzing in the o-zone. 

It'll be interesting to see how UW does next year.  They have some good recruits and transfers coming in...both them and MSU should be improved..."on paper", that is. 

[Esoteric]

11 hours ago, brianvf said:

It'll be interesting to see how UW does next year.  They have some good recruits and transfers coming in...both them and MSU should be improved..."on paper", that is. 

Having lived a quarter of century in Wisconsin.  Maybe Eau Claire, Stout, or River Falls could give UW a good game.  

[burd]

27 minutes ago, Esoteric said:

Having lived a quarter of century in Wisconsin.  Maybe Eau Claire, Stout, or River Falls could give UW a good game.  

And Stevens Point is usually better than those teams.

[The Sicatoka]

On 5/13/2023 at 11:24 PM, Kevin G said:

Youngstown downed Fargo 2-1 in OT in the USHL finals.

You're not in trouble in the playoffs until you lose at home. 

Fargo is in trouble x 2 ... in a best of five. 

[brianvf]

Great article on Strathmann and his decision to return to USHL for another season.
Seems that the kid is pretty level-headed and is all-in on UND for next year:

https://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/und-hockey/andrew-strathmann-one-win-from-clark-cup-sets-course-to-und?fbclid=IwAR1ScqQLzYJVJma6evSOV3PAgIBMuKZ7Su9GGvs4_6nLbPItFCmw687th6E

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Although Strathmann graduates high school this spring and is eligible to go to college, he will play one more year in the USHL.

Then, he'll be part of a 2024 UND freshman class that's shaping up to be among college hockey's best. Strathmann, Swanson, forward Sacha Boisvert, forward Cody Croal and defenseman Jayden Jubenvill are expected to be headliners of a group that blends strong NHL prospects with older, projected four-year college players.

"I'm super excited," Strathmann said. "I was just talking to the (UND) coaches. They thought it was best for me to come back, develop another year, mature another year, and I love it. To be here with my buddies again, to have another year of developing, would be great."

Strathmann said he talked through the development path with UND and his family advisor.

"We're all on the same page," Strathmann said. "I'm just so excited about North Dakota. How could you not be?

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Strathmann said he wants to work on his defensive game and puck decisions next season before making the jump to UND.

"He's going to be a captain," Youngstown coach Ryan Ward said. "A defenseman takes a little longer, right? Any defenseman worth his weight in gold, you can't rush. You have to have situations where you round them out to a full, complete player. So, when they go to wherever they're going — in this case North Dakota — he can hit the ground running. I think he's done a great job taking strides this year. I think we're looking for him to be the best defenseman in the USHL next year."

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"The best part about Stratty is he's not in a rush," Ward said. "Everybody wants it now. Everyone is in a rush. The good thing about Stratty is he's just where his feet are.

"He's a loyal kid. No matter what North Dakota decided for him, he was all in. That lends itself to a very long and successful career."

 

[stoneySIOUX]

9 minutes ago, brianvf said:

Great article on Strathmann and his decision to return to USHL for another season.
Seems that the kid is pretty level-headed and is all-in on UND for next year:

https://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/und-hockey/andrew-strathmann-one-win-from-clark-cup-sets-course-to-und?fbclid=IwAR1ScqQLzYJVJma6evSOV3PAgIBMuKZ7Su9GGvs4_6nLbPItFCmw687th6E

 

I love it all so much. Seems like a kid who is gonna work his sack off to develop his remaining needs defensively and will absolutely shine for us the next season. 

[brianvf]

2 minutes ago, stoneySIOUX said:

I love it all so much. Seems like a kid who is gonna work his sack off to develop his remaining needs defensively and will absolutely shine for us the next season. 

Agreed, for sure!
That recruiting class for fall of 24 is shaping up to be very impressive.

[scpa0305]

Strathmann with the Clark Cup. Nice accolade…hoping he goes in the 2-3 rd range.

[brianvf]

Nice article on incoming freshman dman Wiebe:

https://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/und-hockey/abram-wiebe-ready-to-jump-to-und-after-winning-bchls-defenseman-of-the-year-honor

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Brian Maloney has been the head coach of the Chilliwack Chiefs in the British Columbia Hockey League for six seasons.

That's long enough to know his meeting with UND commit Abram Wiebe last summer was out of the ordinary.

"Usually, I'm driving the conversation about playing another year of juniors," Maloney said. "I worry about a lot of kids going in too early and figuring it out too late."

But that's not how it went with Wiebe, a seventh-round pick of the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2022 NHL Draft.

"In one of our first exit meetings last year, Abram said he knew he needed to come back and get better," Maloney said. "Not a lot of kids are that self aware with their game."

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Wiebe, a 6-foot-3, 198-pound defenseman, had a dominant season in the BCHL.

He scored 12 goals and tallied 53 points in 54 games for Chilliwack, finishing second in points among defensemen in the league.

Last week, he won the Campbell Blair Trophy, which is awarded to the league's best defenseman.

Only two UND players have ever earned the honor of the BCHL's top defenseman — Troy Stecher in 2013 and Travis Roche in 1998. Both Stecher and Roche won NCAA national championships at UND before moving on to the NHL.

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"I'm one of those guys who thinks a player should overcook and develop first before going to college, because I know how hard it is at the next level," said Maloney, who played at Michigan State. "But Abram is ready. He's a kid I'll be driving to the airport and wishing him luck."

 

[The Sicatoka]

 

[siouxfaninseattle]

Lots of good play out of committed recruits. Pipeline is looking pretty good right now. I'm thinking a trip to Vegas may be in order in a couple years.

[brianvf]

https://www.flohockey.tv/articles/11001691-2024-top-prospect-macklin-celebrini-reflects-on-historic-season-surgery?utm_campaign=2022ushl&utm_medium=socialmedia&utm_source=twitter&utm_content=article&utm_term=thumbnail.celebrinisurgery&rtid=0061n00000akehbqam

Article about Celebrini's season.  He has high praise for incoming recruit Perron in it:

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Celebrini quickly developed a connection with Perron, as the duo became must-watch television.

With Perron as the setup man, the North Dakota commit fit seam passes through the narrowest windows to find his roommate for the backdoor tap-in.

“He’s up there,” Celebrini said when asked where Perron ranks in terms of players he’s played with. 

“He's a very, very special player, and I was very lucky to play with him this year. He’s one of the best players I've ever seen, and I feel like our chemistry and our friendship went a long way in playing a role in (our on-ice production)."