2022-23 University of North Dakota Hockey Season

[SiouxFanatic]

38 minutes ago, AJS said:

The other down Berry years have never felt like this. This is just not a fun team to follow.  

18-19 season wasn’t real fun to follow. Not many lowlights will top Canisius sweeping UND. 

[AJS]

9 minutes ago, The Sicatoka said:

As much as goaltender is a concern, the defense is just as much.

2, 3, and 7 are out of eligibility. 25 will surely sign. The 6 situation is curious at best; he'll leave. 

That leaves 4 and 24, ... and 15 has a Covid year to use.

We need 15 back badly. 

 

Big time. The two most critical off-season moves would be.

1. Hellsten transfers out. Clearly bring in two capable goalies to battle for the starting job.
2. 15 Stays. This is for a multitude of reasons. 

[Wilbur]

1 hour ago, tnt said:

For real, they would bring in two portal goalies?  How does Duluth get Gajan, and we are sitting here possibly needing to be bringing in two portals?  Doing that would be admitting total whiff on recruiting.  Would think Karl would be having a lot of input on goaltending recruiting and developing them, so how did we get to this place?

In my opinion we have missed out on recruiting the goaltenders in Minnesota/Red River Valley the past few years. The dad of the Slukynsky kid in Warroad played for UND.  The last section 8 goalie we got won the Richter award.  He is headed to Northern Michigan.

Locally you've got some goalies from Fargo that are having success like Trent Wiemken that is having a good year in Austin in the NAHL and was called up to the Force at some point as well.  He's only 18.  You've got a kid in Noel Olsonawski in Fargo that is a senior with a GAA under 1.  Plenty of room for those guys to grow.  People forget that guys like Hunter Shepherd and Ryan Faragher were NAHL guys.  

Kids like this have to be on the radar.  People will say "but we have Kaleb Johnson", but honestly he wasn't great in the NAHL and played on loaded Central teams so he was not tested much in high school.  I'm looking at kids that could be regular starters at UND.

Maybe the Hedquist kid from Minnesota turns that tide and gets us away from the portal, but he hasn't lit the world on fire either lately.  

 

[The Sicatoka]

Just now, AJS said:

Big time. The two most critical off-season moves would be.

1. Hellsten transfers out. Clearly bring in two capable goalies to battle for the starting job.
2. 15 Stays. This is for a multitude of reasons. 

1. I predict there are at least two new faces at G next year no matter what 32 does. (If ever was a year to carry 4G it's next year: Cheese, 32, portal, portal/recruit.) 

2. " ... a multitude of reasons ... " ... I ... C (pronounced: I see). 

[AJS]

10 minutes ago, SiouxFanatic said:

18-19 season wasn’t real fun to follow. Not many lowlights will top Canisius sweeping UND. 

Agreed, it wasn't fun, but I had hope that year. Whichever one of the years (or it could have been both), they played really hard and just could not score. Any individual game they could pass the eye test. Like I mentioned, I always had hope they would turn it around. Those teams barely missed the playoffs. I've never followed a UND team where you don't believe they can do it. Last Saturday. They weren't doing it. This isn't sandbagging, or downplaying, you know they had no shot of winning that game. Very weird feeling. 

[siouxweet]

57 minutes ago, AJS said:

Tough times. Here's the good news. Fortunately, UND has advantages that most teams do not. They are still a Top 5 destination for recruits. The overall recruiting pipeline is solid and although I do not like the transfer portal, it's an advantage for UND. A bounce back is likely. Here's the bad news. The coaching staff. UND has an extremely average coaching staff. When you have average coaching abilities, but you can get talent, you're still going to win for the most part. We're looking based on a pretty good sample size, that they'll make the playoffs slightly over half the time. 

The other down Berry years have never felt like this. This is just not a fun team to follow. It really is unfair and unfortunate, but a lot of the frustration for me is falling on the 5th year guys. I would rather see 29 or 18 than 10. 11 for 19. 6 for 3. I've never felt like the development of players is really being hindered like I do this year.

Very important offseason is ahead. With the advantages they have, a turnaround is likely if they nail it. 

 

Are we still a Top 5 destination for recruits, that I think has become debatable?

[AJS]

4 minutes ago, siouxweet said:

Are we still a Top 5 destination for recruits, that I think has become debatable?

I think so, but I do think it's debatable. Minnesota, Michigan, Boston U, Boston College. Those schools are clearly at a higher level. I would put UND with Denver (Wisconsin?) on the next level. 

 

[Siouxfancrazy92]

28 minutes ago, The Sicatoka said:

As much as goaltender is a concern, the defense is just as much.

2, 3, and 7 are out of eligibility. 25 will surely sign. The 6 situation is curious at best; he'll leave. 

That leaves 4 and 24, ... and 15 has a Covid year to use.

We need 15 back badly. 

 

I wouldn’t be so sure on 4 and 24 coming back.  You may only get 15 back. 

[Siouxfancrazy92]

8 minutes ago, siouxweet said:

Are we still a Top 5 destination for recruits, that I think has become debatable?

When’s the last time UND landed a NTDP player….3 plus yrs.  

[AJS]

8 minutes ago, Siouxfancrazy92 said:

I wouldn’t be so sure on 4 and 24 coming back.  You may only get 15 back. 

Why wouldn't they?

[The Sicatoka]

I could see an incoming group of 5D/3F/2G and ending up with a 15F/8D/3G or 4G roster. 

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

25 minutes ago, Wilbur said:

In my opinion we have missed out on recruiting the goaltenders in Minnesota/Red River Valley the past few years. The dad of the Slukynsky kid in Warroad played for UND.  The last section 8 goalie we got won the Richter award.  He is headed to Northern Michigan.

Locally you've got some goalies from Fargo that are having success like Trent Wiemken that is having a good year in Austin in the NAHL and was called up to the Force at some point as well.  He's only 18.  You've got a kid in Noel Olsonawski in Fargo that is a senior with a GAA under 1.  Plenty of room for those guys to grow.  People forget that guys like Hunter Shepherd and Ryan Faragher were NAHL guys.  

Kids like this have to be on the radar.  People will say "but we have Kaleb Johnson", but honestly he wasn't great in the NAHL and played on loaded Central teams so he was not tested much in high school.  I'm looking at kids that could be regular starters at UND.

Maybe the Hedquist kid from Minnesota turns that tide and gets us away from the portal, but he hasn't lit the world on fire either lately.  

 

He's .923 in his last 10 games <shrugs>

[tnt]

27 minutes ago, Siouxfancrazy92 said:

When’s the last time UND landed a NTDP player….3 plus yrs.  

When we do, people complain about them --  Hain, Caulfield!

[siouxweet]

36 minutes ago, Siouxfancrazy92 said:

When’s the last time UND landed a NTDP player….3 plus yrs.  

I remember the days when we had 7 first round picks in the lineup.  Now we might get one every fours years or so if we are lucky.   It has been 6 years since there was a forward in the lineup who was a first round pick.

[Wilbur]

1 hour ago, The Sicatoka said:

As much as goaltender is a concern, the defense is just as much.

2, 3, and 7 are out of eligibility. 25 will surely sign. The 6 situation is curious at best; he'll leave. 

That leaves 4 and 24, ... and 15 has a Covid year to use.

We need 15 back badly. 

 

Very much agreed.  I'd say you'll likely see two....maybe three portal defenseman in next year.  

[Oxbow6]

1 hour ago, Wilbur said:

In my opinion we have missed out on recruiting the goaltenders in Minnesota/Red River Valley the past few years. The dad of the Slukynsky kid in Warroad played for UND.  The last section 8 goalie we got won the Richter award.  He is headed to Northern Michigan.

Locally you've got some goalies from Fargo that are having success like Trent Wiemken that is having a good year in Austin in the NAHL and was called up to the Force at some point as well.  He's only 18.  You've got a kid in Noel Olsonawski in Fargo that is a senior with a GAA under 1.  Plenty of room for those guys to grow.  People forget that guys like Hunter Shepherd and Ryan Faragher were NAHL guys.  

Kids like this have to be on the radar.  People will say "but we have Kaleb Johnson", but honestly he wasn't great in the NAHL and played on loaded Central teams so he was not tested much in high school.  I'm looking at kids that could be regular starters at UND.

Maybe the Hedquist kid from Minnesota turns that tide and gets us away from the portal, but he hasn't lit the world on fire either lately.  

 

Sandy at UMD isn't lost on those of us in the FM area.

[Goon]

1 hour ago, The Sicatoka said:

As much as goaltender is a concern, the defense is just as much.

2, 3, and 7 are out of eligibility. 25 will surely sign. The 6 situation is curious at best; he'll leave. 

That leaves 4 and 24, ... and 15 has a Covid year to use.

We need 15 back badly. 

 

I was wondering if you could get on that, see if you can persuade him to stay.  

[Goon]

1 hour ago, The Sicatoka said:

I could see an incoming group of 5D/3F/2G and ending up with a 15F/8D/3G or 4G roster. 

I wouldn't be surprised if one of the two remaining goalies leave. 

[Goon]

1 hour ago, siouxweet said:

Are we still a Top 5 destination for recruits, that I think has become debatable?

One thing to remember, while UND has the best facilities in all of college hockey, destination is still a concern for some recruits. Not everyone is going want to live in Grand Forks or in this climate. Not dissing Grand Forks, but the weather is absolutely horrendous. 

[Wilbur]

3 minutes ago, Goon said:

One thing to remember, while UND has the best facilities in all of college hockey, destination is still a concern for some recruits. Not everyone is going want to live in Grand Forks or in this climate. Not dissing Grand Forks, but the weather is absolutely horrendous. 

My in laws live 15 minutes away from the Arizona State campus.  Wearing your shorts into a hockey rink every day isn't over-rated.  

[Oxbow6]

Just now, Wilbur said:

My in laws live 15 minutes away from the Arizona State campus.  Wearing your shorts into a hockey rink every day isn't over-rated.  

Throw in the co-ed talent to boot.

[The Sicatoka]

10 minutes ago, Goon said:

I was wondering if you could get on that, see if you can persuade him to stay.  

I see more of his brothers and parents than E lately. 

[The Sicatoka]

9 minutes ago, Goon said:

I wouldn't be surprised if one of the two remaining goalies leave. 

I see Cheese here. He bought into that role from the start.
I'd tell 32 it's his choice but two are coming in either way (be they portal or recruit). 

That's why I say 3 or 4 G roster in the fall (based on 32's decision). 

[brianvf]

3 minutes ago, Wilbur said:

My in laws live 15 minutes away from the Arizona State campus.  Wearing your shorts into a hockey rink every day isn't over-rated.  

I live 20 minutes away from the ASU campus. 
The weather in summer here is equally as horrendous as the weather in winter in GF.  Just on the complete opposite end of the spectrum.

[Godsmack]

Highly speculative and no basis for this comment but since we’re all thinking out loud here, I’ll post my comments…

I could see senior Matt Vernon of CC entering the transfer portal at the conclusion of this season. It’s been very clear from early on that freshman Kaiden Mbereko was going to be Mayotte’s guy from the get-go (and with good reason as Mbereko has demonstrated). Vernon, while smaller and sometimes erratic in his playing style, is a capable collegiate level goaltender. I just don’t see him staying at CC for a fifth year, mostly riding the pine. Just a name to keep in the back of your heads if/when he decides to enter the portal.