2022-23 University of North Dakota Hockey Season

[brianvf]

https://www.collegehockeynews.com/news/2023/01/11_NCAA-Approves-Addition-of.php

Time to get Ulmer on the payroll.   

[brianvf]

Today's games move UND up to #23 in the PWR.
The comeback begins.   

Next weekend won't help much if we sweep other than get us back above .500.
If we lose a game or two to #36 UMD, however, will only drill us down even more spots.

The hole is just too big at this point.  Pulling out a win last night would've done wonders.

[nodakgirl93]

This weekend should be fun with two desperate teams. Lots of video from last weekend that Brad and company could go over to try and fix their problems but it's the same stuff almost every weekend so not expecting it. 

[The Sicatoka]

Western's last goal: 

Four white shirts outside and below the dot.
One lonely black shirt in the mid slot. 
One goalie on the clothesline. 

Whose man was it?
Do they no longer teach team defensive zone coverage? 

[iramurphy]

2 minutes ago, The Sicatoka said:

Western's last goal: 

Four white shirts outside and below the dot.
One lonely black shirt in the mid slot. 
One goalie on the clothesline. 

Whose man was it?
Do they no longer teach team defensive zone coverage? 

Same problem Squirt teams have. Everyone goes to the puck. 

[Clark17]

9 hours ago, brianvf said:

Today's games move UND up to #23 in the PWR.
The comeback begins.   

Next weekend won't help much if we sweep other than get us back above .500.
If we lose a game or two to #36 UMD, however, will only drill us down even more spots.

The hole is just too big at this point.  Pulling out a win last night would've done wonders.

How dare Sandy be 36 -time to burn that place down

[siouxweet]

13 minutes ago, iramurphy said:

Same problem Squirt teams have. Everyone goes to the puck. 

That make things a little better knowing we have a roster full of squirts playing D1 hockey because if we had a roster full of D1 players making these mistakes we would have some issues

[Siouxperfan7]

UND currrently 7th in the NCHC standings.  8 points out for home ice.  Next two series are against #6 UMD and at #8 Miami.  We then end the year with Series against the top 4 teams in the league.  Now playing those teams can help us catch up in the standins to secure home ice pretty quick.  But this team has to get at minimum 9 points over the next two weekends to even put us in a position a chance fro home ice.  

[tnt]

13 hours ago, brianvf said:

Today's games move UND up to #23 in the PWR.
The comeback begins.   

Next weekend won't help much if we sweep other than get us back above .500.
If we lose a game or two to #36 UMD, however, will only drill us down even more spots.

The hole is just too big at this point.  Pulling out a win last night would've done wonders.

At one point last weekend, Providence went from 20 to 12 in the pairwise, so it is possible to move up with a winning streak.  Unfortunately, they can't slip against teams like Miami, and need to do well against St. Cloud and Denver when they have the opportunity.  

[brianvf]

https://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/und-hockey/in-season-of-slim-margins-two-blown-leads-loom-large

Crazy to think how just two blown 3-goal leads would change UND's NCHC and PWR outlooks this season:

Quote

UND led St. Cloud State 3-0 in December in St. Cloud. It led Western Michigan 5-2 on Saturday night in Ralph Engelstad Arena.

Had UND finished off those two games, it would be just three points back of Omaha for second in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference standings. As it stands, the Fighting Hawks will enter this weekend's series against Minnesota Duluth in seventh.

Had UND finished off those two games, it would be No. 11 in the Pairwise Rankings — in terrific position to be in Fargo for the NCAA regionals in March. As it stands, the Fighting Hawks are No. 23 and face a daunting task — winning roughly nine of the final 12 regular-season games — to be in that position.

And...for everyone's favorite xG metric:

Quote

If you go through the xG of every game for each team, the metric predicts over half of the NCHC teams' record to almost exact precision — Denver (18-6 projected, 19-5 reality), Western Michigan (15-9 projected, 14-9-1 reality), Colorado College (10-12 projected, 10-11-1 reality), Minnesota Duluth (10-12 projected, 9-12-1 reality), Miami (7-15 projected, 7-13-2 reality).

And then there's UND.

Based on location of shot attempts for UND vs. its opponents, it thinks the Fighting Hawks should be 19-4. Reality is 9-10-4.

It is, by far, the biggest differential of any team in the league and perhaps any team in the country.

 

[Oxbow6]

5 hours ago, brianvf said:

Crazy to think how just two blown 3-goal leads would change UND's NCHC and PWR outlooks this season:

And...for everyone's favorite xG metric:

 

 

[The Sicatoka]

Will the proposed alternate college hockey tournament be based on xG? 

[The Sicatoka]

So based on where the team is getting shots from they should be 19-4.

So why aren't they going in? Do we have bad shooting skills? 

[Blackheart]

43 minutes ago, The Sicatoka said:

So based on where the team is getting shots from they should be 19-4.

So why aren't they going in? Do we have bad shooting skills? 

I’ll take ‘Substandard Defense’ for $100, Alex.

[Oxbow6]

45 minutes ago, The Sicatoka said:

So based on where the team is getting shots from they should be 19-4.

So why aren't they going in? Do we have bad shooting skills? 

@gfhockey can answer both questions with a single word

[AJS]

43 minutes ago, The Sicatoka said:

So based on where the team is getting shots from they should be 19-4.

So why aren't they going in? Do we have bad shooting skills? 

For UND they are. I've read a lot of valid, really good discussion points over the last few days of issues with this team. Let's not overcomplicate it though, it's not the only issue, but Goaltending is the issue. I've slowly learned over the years when it comes to UND sports to never think you've reached rock bottom, because it gets worse, BUT, you have to think we are currently watching history this year. We're watching the University of North Dakota Men's hockey team be the worst at something. Not bad, not below average, but the actual statistically worst in the county. 

Side note: Remember when DeRidder was lights out against WMU in Kalamazoo, also happens to be the only goalie on roster that is a capable D1 goalie and then Berry decided the best bet to win was to not play him against that same Western team? Good times. 

[AJS]

Here's the million-dollar question. Is Hellsten on the roster next year? This is going to be a very interesting off-season for Berry. Last off-season was very frustrating to watch. From my point of view, so many schools seemed so calculated. UND's did not appear to be. Felt very disjointed. 

[SIOUXELEVENS]

Not sure why deridder was not an option for Berry, even when it got to 5-4 he should have put him in. I think they need two d1 goalies next year with Johnson as the third practice goalie. Helston is just not going to cut it. 

[jk]

12 minutes ago, AJS said:

Here's the million-dollar question. Is Hellsten on the roster next year? This is going to be a very interesting off-season for Berry. Last off-season was very frustrating to watch. From my point of view, so many schools seemed so calculated. UND's did not appear to be. Felt very disjointed. 

Is it possible it looked that way to you, but in fact it was the execution of a plan by the coaches?  It seems like they got what they wanted:  Farmer and Sidorski to fill in for D recruits who were not ready, and DeRidder in net.  Those two D have not remotely been the problem this year, and I think DeRidder was thought to be one of the top targets at the position.  Obviously fixing the tending of the goal is Roman numeral I for the off-season.

[The Sicatoka]

50 minutes ago, jk said:

... and I think DeRidder was thought to be one of the top targets at the position.  

I'm no goalie expert (paging @Wilbur) but I'm not sure DeRidder was a top 3 portal goalie spring of 2022.

I see Basse at SCSU and Kucharski (17-7-3 at AIC) at UNO as guys I was more interested in. And those two come after TJ Semptimphelter (NE'n to ASU). 

[siouxforce19]

9 minutes ago, The Sicatoka said:

I'm no goalie expert (paging @Wilbur) but I'm not sure DeRidder was a top 3 portal goalie spring of 2022.

I see Basse at SCSU and Kucharski (17-7-3 at AIC) at UNO as guys I was more interested in. And those two come after TJ Semptimphelter (NE'n to ASU). 

DeRidder got offers from over 30 NCAA teams, including UNO. Kucharski wasn’t UNO’s first choice. 

[jk]

In the eye of the beholder, I guess.  I'd have ranked him lower myself because I prefer oversized goaltenders.  Paging Adam Scheel.  Was the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man in the portal? 

[90siouxfan]

The question "why are the shots not going in" mademe wonder....  I saw & heard the announcers comment on high & wide, missing the net.  I also recall that a few seasons back, the forums here lamenting hoe all the pucks are buried in the tendies belly...  coincidence? Or is the great hockey collective here at Siouxsportz guiding the team?   If they do read these boards I would suspect it adds to the pressure and frustration. 

[N of GF]

10 minutes ago, The Sicatoka said:

I'm no goalie expert (paging @Wilbur) but I'm not sure DeRidder was a top 3 portal goalie spring of 2022.

I see Basse at SCSU and Kucharski (17-7-3 at AIC) at UNO as guys I was more interested in. And those two come after TJ Semptimphelter (NE'n to ASU). 

Yes, yes. After he played a great game against us last October, we all became more interested in him last May. LOL. 

[90siouxfan]

Maybe Carl's focus should be the teddies instead of power play?