2024-25 University of North Dakota Hockey Season

[brianvf]

Looking at some numbers:

23/24 -- 151 goals, 243 assists -- 394 points

11 players departing for graduation, pros, or portal:

- 67 goals, 103 assists -- 170 points

3 players incoming from portal (this year's numbers):

+ 20 goals, 35 assists -- 55 points

7-8 incoming freshmen -- numbers TBD, but expecting some to have substantial opportunities to contribute
Judging portal pickup stats can be a crapshoot, but looking at this year's UND portal players...all except two had better stats this year compared to the previous year (Zmolek +1, Britt +2, Johannes -10, Pyke +6, Berg +13, Pehrson -3)...net improvement of +9 points compared to their old teams.

= 104 goals (69%), 175 assists (72%) -- 279 points (71%) returning & incoming portal players

[Benny Baker]

5 hours ago, Sioux>Bison said:

If Bubba isn’t on the hot seat then Berry will never be no matter how many tourney games he loses!

Duluth football:

3 seasons before Bubba: 28-7

4 following seasons with Bubba: 22-21

3 seasons following Bubba: 41-2

 

Hindsight is 20/20, sure. But still can’t believe we hired that doofus over DeBoer to begin with, let alone the fact we extended him after last season.  

I agree with you.  With this athletic department, Berry ain’t going nowhere.

[Big A HG]

Food for thought using the Frozen Four teams this year.

 

David Carle (DU), 34 years old - 3 Frozen Fours in 4 seasons.

Brandon Naurato (Mich), 39 years old - 2 Frozen Fours in 2 seasons.

Jay Pandolfo (BU), 49 years old - 2 Frozen Fours in 2 seasons.

Greg Brown (BC), 56 years old - 1 Frozen Four in 2 seasons.

Brad Berry (UND), 59 years old - 1 Frozen Four in 8 seasons.

**2020 season omitted in statistics since tournament was cancelled

 

The younger hires of David Carle and Brandon Naurato have both shown to be successful hires so far.  Pandolfo is younger now than Berry was when he was hired.  Greg is of similar age to Brad, but has shown he is able to provide elite recruiting.  There's no agenda to push here, just some interesting tidbits to note.  Maybe having a younger head coach wouldn't be such a bad thing.  Maybe just having a fresh face can spark new life into the program.  Maybe none of it matters and you just need a good coach.  But, combined, the four of those coaches have 8 Frozen Four appearances in their 10 collective seasons while UND hasn't been to one in 8 years.  Not only that, we've only won one NCAA tournament game since then.

[MafiaMan]

On 4/9/2024 at 11:51 AM, Goon said:

I can respect that. For instance, some people like pineapple on their pizza, I don't. 

 

I can’t respect pineapple on pizza, sorry.  

[Goon]

14 minutes ago, MafiaMan said:

I can’t respect pineapple on pizza, sorry.  

My wife likes pineapple on her pizza, so, I've had to pick pineapple off my pizzas for 28 years.  

[cowboys5xsbs]

1 hour ago, Goon said:

My wife likes pineapple on her pizza, so, I've had to pick pineapple off my pizzas for 28 years.  

Can't you just go half and half 

[Goon]

2 minutes ago, cowboys5xsbs said:

Can't you just go half and half 

Most of the time we do, but if I eat my half before she is done, I will go that route.  

[burd]

25 minutes ago, cowboys5xsbs said:

Can't you just go half and half 

That probably won't get it done.   To them, we are works in progress.  

[fightingsioux4life]

1 hour ago, burd said:

That probably won't get it done.   To them, we are works in progress.  

Me and my girlfriend do the half and half pizza all the time.

[Oxbow6]

20 minutes ago, fightingsioux4life said:

Me and my girlfriend do the half and half pizza all the time.

Is your wife OK with that??

[fightingsioux4life]

43 minutes ago, Oxbow6 said:

Is your wife OK with that??

No wife right now.

[MafiaMan]

19 hours ago, Big A HG said:

Food for thought using the Frozen Four teams this year.

 

David Carle (DU), 34 years old - 3 Frozen Fours in 4 seasons.

Brandon Naurato (Mich), 39 years old - 2 Frozen Fours in 2 seasons.

Jay Pandolfo (BU), 49 years old - 2 Frozen Fours in 2 seasons.

Greg Brown (BC), 56 years old - 1 Frozen Four in 2 seasons.

Brad Berry (UND), 59 years old - 1 Frozen Four in 8 seasons.

**2020 season omitted in statistics since tournament was cancelled

 

The younger hires of David Carle and Brandon Naurato have both shown to be successful hires so far.  Pandolfo is younger now than Berry was when he was hired.  Greg is of similar age to Brad, but has shown he is able to provide elite recruiting.  There's no agenda to push here, just some interesting tidbits to note.  Maybe having a younger head coach wouldn't be such a bad thing.  Maybe just having a fresh face can spark new life into the program.  Maybe none of it matters and you just need a good coach.  But, combined, the four of those coaches have 8 Frozen Four appearances in their 10 collective seasons while UND hasn't been to one in 8 years.  Not only that, we've only won one NCAA tournament game since then.

Pffft.  How many Penrose Cups have those other coaches won though? 

[BusinessSiouxt]

On 4/11/2024 at 11:44 AM, dustnyou said:

I don’t know the Lucius’ personally but from what I’ve read and heard over the years, they might not be “Fighting Sioux “ material…   Obviously very talented though. No argument there . 

What have you heard?

[Wilbur]

I can't see Lucius in GF.  I mean his parents built him his own school. 

Or are we the new landing spot for spoiled rich kids who committed when they were 11?  

[AlphaMikeFoxtrot]

5 minutes ago, Wilbur said:

I can't see Lucius in GF.  I mean his parents built him his own school. 

Or are we the new landing spot for spoiled rich kids who committed when they were 11?  

I'm honestly surprised that they weren't steered to UND by their dad based on the images he wants associated with him:

www.chucklucius.com

[tnt]

20 hours ago, Big A HG said:

Food for thought using the Frozen Four teams this year.

 

David Carle (DU), 34 years old - 3 Frozen Fours in 4 seasons.

Brandon Naurato (Mich), 39 years old - 2 Frozen Fours in 2 seasons.

Jay Pandolfo (BU), 49 years old - 2 Frozen Fours in 2 seasons.

Greg Brown (BC), 56 years old - 1 Frozen Four in 2 seasons.

Brad Berry (UND), 59 years old - 1 Frozen Four in 8 seasons.

**2020 season omitted in statistics since tournament was cancelled

 

The younger hires of David Carle and Brandon Naurato have both shown to be successful hires so far.  Pandolfo is younger now than Berry was when he was hired.  Greg is of similar age to Brad, but has shown he is able to provide elite recruiting.  There's no agenda to push here, just some interesting tidbits to note.  Maybe having a younger head coach wouldn't be such a bad thing.  Maybe just having a fresh face can spark new life into the program.  Maybe none of it matters and you just need a good coach.  But, combined, the four of those coaches have 8 Frozen Four appearances in their 10 collective seasons while UND hasn't been to one in 8 years.  Not only that, we've only won one NCAA tournament game since then.

   If I recall, Blais said that 10 years at one place is about right, as you run the risk of overstaying your welcome.  Of course that is when Sandelin started to come into his own at Duluth, so you never know.  
   Gino had his run from approximately 1978-1987 before things started to deteriorate and he was forced out by Wanless.  We saw that Gino was loyal to a fault, having two goaltenders as his assistants in Craig Perry and Jim Scanlan.  
   I get the feeling that Berry isn’t going anywhere either unless it comes to the same ugly conclusion. Having said that, we are nowhere near that kind of fall, but we do have more advantages now than we used to. 
   I see Berry being loyal to guys that have been loyal to him, but he needs to look at some things and some players with more of an objective eye.  We know who some of those players are/were that seemed to have an extra long leash.

 

 

 

[AJS]

13 F currently.

I’ve settled on wanting Klee next year definitely as F 12/13. Ideally, another FR for F 14/15, but a true “Montgomery” type of depth. If not, bring in Littler. Have Croal / Klee / Littler in F 12,13,14. 

[brianvf]

College hockey season done.
Countdown to next season has begun.

McLaughlin - Berg - James
Swanson - Wilkie - Perron
Boisvert - Jamernik - Strinden
Kunz - Schmaltz - Croal
Extra: Montgomery, Littler, Klee

Livanavage - Zmolek
Emery - Wiebe
Strathmann - MacDonald
Extra: Komzak, Jubenvill

Sempt / Hedquist
Extra: Johnson

We'll be strong up the middle.  The top 6 will be very good, and still allow you to put skilled players like Strinden & Kunz (two guys I'd expect to see even more progress out of) on the 3rd/4th lines.  Swanson & Boisvert might start on the lower lines, but I could see those two move up the lineup pretty quick once they get used to the speed of college puck.  That 2nd line would be fun to watch with the skill of Perron & Swanson, but they're both on the smaller side, so pairing them with a bigger 2-way player like Wilkie could help.

[AJS]

If you listen to the last UND pod, here were Schlossman’s F lines. I think he nailed it.

Kunz - Berg - Perron

McLaughlin - Wilkie - Swanson

James - Boisvert - Strinden

Schmaltz - Jamernik - Croal

Extra: Klee, Littler, Montgomery 

I’ll second  @brianvf D pairings 

F notes: What we’d see here is potential for the highest ceiling. Would Berry be willing to move Schmaltz / Jamernik from line 3 to 4? I have my doubts. This lineup would show great growth from Berry. Let’s see a lineup that by March / April would give this team the highest ceiling. 
 

The F group reminds me a bit of 2019. This team could be really good.

[ksl_sioux4ever]

Use the schmaltz line as a shutdown line. They were good at that on first change. That line isn't expected to score. It is expected to keep the other teams top line from scoring 

[Oxbow6]

5 hours ago, AJS said:

If you listen to the last UND pod, here were Schlossman’s F lines. I think he nailed it.

Kunz - Berg - Perron

McLaughlin - Wilkie - Swanson

James - Boisvert - Strinden

Schmaltz - Jamernik - Croal

Extra: Klee, Littler, Montgomery 

I’ll second  @brianvf D pairings 

F notes: What we’d see here is potential for the highest ceiling. Would Berry be willing to move Schmaltz / Jamernik from line 3 to 4? I have my doubts. This lineup would show great growth from Berry. Let’s see a lineup that by March / April would give this team the highest ceiling. 
 

The F group reminds me a bit of 2019. This team could be really good.

James should be top 6 over Kunz.

Swanson is not big but he's got elite top end skill.

No way Berry has Schmaltz and the 5th on the 4th line. Zero chance. Do the names Hain and Senden ring a bell??

[jk]

Wasn't Schmaltz just on the fourth line?  How is that no way?

As for Senden and Hain, there were few options that year.  There are now a plethora of better choices, and as demonstrated last year, the better choices end up higher in the lineup.  

[SIOUXELEVENS]

The patented Berry swoon is the culture we live now. 

[AJS]

1 hour ago, Oxbow6 said:

No way Berry has Schmaltz and the 5th on the 4th line. Zero chance. Do the names Hain and Senden ring a bell??

Unfortunately, I agree. Listening to Schlossman it was a breath of fresh air talking F lines. 

Pieces will be there next year. Here’s to Berry putting the puzzle together. 

[tnt]

2 hours ago, Oxbow6 said:

James should be top 6 over Kunz.

Swanson is not big but he's got elite top end skill.

No way Berry has Schmaltz and the 5th on the 4th line. Zero chance. Do the names Hain and Senden ring a bell??

I like Kunz’s net front presence with Berg and Perron’s precision shooting.