2024-25 University of North Dakota Hockey Season

[Irish]

10 hours ago, Benny Baker said:

Yup, I agree he was a very good goalie last year but on a completely different level during the playoffs.  That’s how you win championships. 

5 losses in 31 starts isn’t that bad for a starting goalie.

My point is that Denver is developing good goalies who have peaked at the right time - we are continually in the portal for a one year fix.  With Karl (who is a great goalie coach) on staff I have no idea why this is continually happening.  A young prospect should be able to be sold on having a solid team in front of him, a great goalie coach, our facilities, and our great tradition.  I hate it that other teams - especially Denver - are having tourney success and here we are.

[siouxforce19]

14 minutes ago, Irish said:

My point is that Denver is developing good goalies who have peaked at the right time - we are continually in the portal for an one year fix.  With Karl (who is a great goalie coach) on staff I have no idea why this is continually happening.  A young prospect should be able to be sold on having a solid team in front of him, a great goalie coach, our facilities, and our great tradition.  I hate it that other teams - especially Denver - are having tourney success and here we are.

It’s happening because for some strange, stupid reason UND only has one goalie recruit committed at one time. Hobie Hedquist was the only goalie recruit for years and we kept deferring him, hence the transfer goalies. And now we have Caleb Heil, who unless has an absolutely monster year I don’t see them bringing him in next year. He’s still pretty young. So the cycle repeats. 

[cberkas]

I don’t see the trend breaking anytime soon because they like to go to the portal. Heil is still a year out and I don’t see why Johnson would come back next season. They need to get 2 or 3 goalies in the pipeline, but they will get one and find a portal goalie. 

[scpa0305]

Goalies are so hard to recruit because the game changes so much from HS, to juniors, to college. You get the best 16 year old and they end up getting shelled in juniors. It’s tough to figure out. 

[brianvf]

Schloss had his NCHC Preview on his podcast.  Lengthy overview of the league.
Brief synopsis:

ASU - great forward group, not sure who will take the reigns for goalie, experienced group, not much offense from the blueline
CC - excellent goalie, great top 6 forwards, unproven d-corps after their top 4 left or graduated from last year
DU - lot of losses up front, can Davis repeat his performance, not many question marks, Buium Hobey candidate + Pohlkamp addition huge
Miami - had a lot of injuries last year, good depth at center, they'll be better but maybe not enough to move up
UMD - not a ton of depth, great recruiting class, will be young but talented, season result will depend on how quickly the frosh develop
UND - will go more in depth during next week's podcast, but did touch on the team's excellent center depth
UNO - ton of turnover, unknown center depth/leadership/scoring, good portal pickups
SCSU - good returning group, big losses at D, improvement at F, goalie question mark, Schloss' surprise pick at 3rd behind DU/UND
WMU - ton of turnover - especially at F, offense question mark, reliant on freshmen, similar to UMD...will need frosh to develop quickly, goalie battle

[thUNDer]

On 9/16/2024 at 9:49 PM, PHE said:

Blackheart...thanks for the heads up. Got tickets for Saturday night. Go Sioux!

Dang, hotels jacked up rates due to a marathon. Fun place to attend games.

[brianvf]

Schloss had his podcast today that breaks down his outlook for the UND team.
A long listen at an hour+, but a good analysis.

Some bullet points:

• very very deep forward group
• top 9 should all be scoring threats
• expecting breakout years from Perron & James & Strinden
• team practiced 3x3 in practice last Friday and James scored 3 times in a row
• young but highly skilled d-corps
• best 1-2 goaltending duo in quite a few years
• unknown PP with two biggest weapons gone in Blake & Gaber
• brutal start to the schedule, will know a lot about this team after the 1st month
• Berry & Jammer want to switch focus from Penrose to peaking in late March/early April
• a lot of media coverage and articles will be upcoming in the next week (UND media day tomorrow)

[.357]

1 hour ago, brianvf said:

 

• Berry & Jammer want to switch focus from Penrose to peaking in late March/early April

That is exactly what I've been harping on for the last 6 months. Too much focus on the Penrose in years past may have caused the team to experience an energy-dump in early March, peaking too early; kudos to Berry for shifting gears. My main concern for the team this year wasn't necessarily the players, but would the coaching staff tone down their hype of winning the Penrose. The focus should be doing well week-to-week, instead of the players & staff being overly concerned the entire season about finishing first. Play hard, enjoy the moment & let the chips fall where they may. 

On the ice, my biggest concern is how the team will respond to heavy forechecking, & will they be able to transition out of the d-zone more effectively this year.

Will be interesting to see how Mac adjusts to the faster, stronger NCHC.

Would like to see a defining year for Kunz, park his large frame in front of the goalie early & often for screens & deflections.

Will the coaches relegate James to a checking line again, or is this the season he has a breakout year offensively?

Perhaps Croal, Schmaltz & Wilkie on a checking/energy line.

 

 

[tnt]

6 hours ago, .357 said:

That is exactly what I've been harping on for the last 6 months. Too much focus on the Penrose in years past may have caused the team to experience an energy-dump in early March, peaking too early; kudos to Berry for shifting gears. My main concern for the team this year wasn't necessarily the players, but would the coaching staff tone down their hype of winning the Penrose. The focus should be doing well week-to-week, instead of the players & staff being overly concerned the entire season about finishing first. Play hard, enjoy the moment & let the chips fall where they may. 

On the ice, my biggest concern is how the team will respond to heavy forechecking, & will they be able to transition out of the d-zone more effectively this year.

Will be interesting to see how Mac adjusts to the faster, stronger NCHC.

Would like to see a defining year for Kunz, park his large frame in front of the goalie early & often for screens & deflections.

Will the coaches relegate James to a checking line again, or is this the season he has a breakout year offensively?

Perhaps Croal, Schmaltz & Wilkie on a checking/energy line.

 

 

Depending on how the first 10 games go, they may need to be focusing on doing really well in the NCHC.   On the other hand, they could really set themselves up well to be getting the young players a ton of experience in the NCHC games and not have to be ultra concerned about whether that will cost them a tournament bid. 

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

7 hours ago, .357 said:

That is exactly what I've been harping on for the last 6 months. Too much focus on the Penrose in years past may have caused the team to experience an energy-dump in early March, peaking too early; kudos to Berry for shifting gears. My main concern for the team this year wasn't necessarily the players, but would the coaching staff tone down their hype of winning the Penrose. The focus should be doing well week-to-week, instead of the players & staff being overly concerned the entire season about finishing first. Play hard, enjoy the moment & let the chips fall where they may. 

On the ice, my biggest concern is how the team will respond to heavy forechecking, & will they be able to transition out of the d-zone more effectively this year.

Will be interesting to see how Mac adjusts to the faster, stronger NCHC.

Would like to see a defining year for Kunz, park his large frame in front of the goalie early & often for screens & deflections.

Will the coaches relegate James to a checking line again, or is this the season he has a breakout year offensively?

Perhaps Croal, Schmaltz & Wilkie on a checking/energy line.

 

 

I'd like to hear what that actually means though, follow up questions in pressers would be great.  What changes? Do you sit guys towards the end of the year to prevent injuries if an NCAA spot is locked up despite it costing you seeding and potentially better placement? Do you place more emphasis on the non-conference games? 

[scpa0305]

7 hours ago, .357 said:

That is exactly what I've been harping on for the last 6 months. Too much focus on the Penrose in years past may have caused the team to experience an energy-dump in early March, peaking too early; kudos to Berry for shifting gears. My main concern for the team this year wasn't necessarily the players, but would the coaching staff tone down their hype of winning the Penrose. The focus should be doing well week-to-week, instead of the players & staff being overly concerned the entire season about finishing first. Play hard, enjoy the moment & let the chips fall where they may. 

On the ice, my biggest concern is how the team will respond to heavy forechecking, & will they be able to transition out of the d-zone more effectively this year.

Will be interesting to see how Mac adjusts to the faster, stronger NCHC.

Would like to see a defining year for Kunz, park his large frame in front of the goalie early & often for screens & deflections.

Will the coaches relegate James to a checking line again, or is this the season he has a breakout year offensively?

Perhaps Croal, Schmaltz & Wilkie on a checking/energy line.

 

 

I thought Wilkie was brought in for offensive production?

[brianvf]

58 minutes ago, scpa0305 said:

I thought Wilkie was brought in for offensive production?

I could see him as 2C with Berg as 1C.
The good problem is that our center depth is probably one of the best in the country...so we could slot someone like Wilkie anywhere in the lineup at center as either a scoring threat or to create matchup problems with other teams 3rd/4th lines.

[.357]

1 hour ago, InHeavenThereIsNoBeer said:

I'd like to hear what that actually means though, follow up questions in pressers would be great.  What changes? Do you sit guys towards the end of the year to prevent injuries if an NCAA spot is locked up despite it costing you seeding and potentially better placement? Do you place more emphasis on the non-conference games? 

I interpreted that as simply meaning that the coaching staff put too much emphasis on winning the Penrose in recent years; which may have caused the team to peak too early. Perhaps he's implying that it's just a change in perspective for the team rather than sitting guys later in the year. But yes, follow-up questions would be nice.

[MafiaMan]

On 9/16/2024 at 11:23 AM, Blackheart said:

Don't mean to break up the DU lovefest here...tickets vs the Purple Cows of Mankato went on sale today and our group will be attending Saturday, October 19.  Hope to see a lot of green there!

Well shoot, I was hoping to avoid seeing you that weekend…

[SiouxForever]

This team better perform come April because they’ll lose a lot next year and the following recruiting class isn’t as talented or deep. 

Not being a debbie downer, just stating reality. 

[AlphaMikeFoxtrot]

1 hour ago, SiouxForever said:

This team better perform come April because they’ll lose a lot next year and the following recruiting class isn’t as talented or deep. 

Not being a debbie downer, just stating reality. 

Graduating:

Kunz

Wilkie

Jamernik

Schmaltz

Berg

TJ

Possible early:

James

Unlikely early:

OMac

Strinden

Livanavage

Perron

(And whoever isn't getting ice time)

With the portal and (potentially) CHL, it's not hard to turn around a recruiting class. Not to put anyone down, but this list feels more quantity than quality. We've never seen Wilkie or TJ in action, hopefully we miss them next fall.

[Blackheart]

5 hours ago, MafiaMan said:

Well shoot, I was hoping to avoid seeing you that weekend…

Bullshi+...you're buying me a drink at Metty's.  Anyone thinking about going, better buy your tickets now...they be going fast.

[Blackheart]

btw...puck drops in 10 days!  Let's go!

[brianvf]

1 hour ago, Blackheart said:

btw...puck drops in 10 days!  Let's go!

Damn!

Almost time! The best part of the year is nearly upon us. 

[Godsmack]

I got a hall pass from the boss and just got my tickets for the UND series at Lawson against the Broncos in Feb/Mar. Anyone here heading to Kalamazoo as well?

[cberkas]

2 hours ago, Blackheart said:

Bullshi+...you're buying me a drink at Metty's.  Anyone thinking about going, better buy your tickets now...they be going fast.

Someone might just get Pitlicks stick again 

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

Would be a lot of fun to watch if it was open to the public

 

[brianvf]

https://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/und-hockey/und-hockey-media-day-brad-berry-says-its-time-to-finish-the-job

Berry says it's time to finish the job.

Quote

"We've got to finish the job," UND head coach Brad Berry said at the team's annual media day Wednesday. "Those white banners hanging behind us, we've done a good job hanging those on a yearly basis. We've won four of the last five years of the NCHC. We're hungry. We've got a job to finish."
Berry said the staff and players have already discussed keeping a focus on the national tournament.

Quote

"We had a meeting with our forward group a couple days ago," Berry said. "We said, 'Hey, just realize who is in this room right now. Whether it's our 15 forwards, eight defensemen or three goaltenders, man oh man, it's going to be tough decisions for our coaching staff to put the guys in the right spots on the right lines and right pairings.

"They have to be patient, hard-working and earn everything they get. These guys are receptive to that. You can tell at practices how sharp they are and how hungry they are."

 

[Green Banner]

Just now, InHeavenThereIsNoBeer said:

Would be a lot of fun to watch if it was open to the public

 

REA/UND should make an alumni game an annual event on the weekend of the Ex game. Embrace it and give the fans something fun to kickoff each season

[.357]

56 minutes ago, brianvf said:

https://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/und-hockey/und-hockey-media-day-brad-berry-says-its-time-to-finish-the-job

Berry says it's time to finish the job.

 

Every new season brings promises of finishing unsettled business from the previous year. Pretty sure that the members on this site have been stuck in the hockey version of Groundhog Day for the past 8 years. I'll be more focused on the team's actions next March & April, not so much on the coach's words in September. There's a reason why Nike's marketing department chose Just do it over Just say it. Prove it to the fans that you mean business this year & will make a serious run at #9; enough of this 1 & out nonsense. Make North Dakota hockey great again. That being said, it does sound like the team has made a big mental adjustment with how they view the Penrose; which makes sense & is encouraging.