2025-26 University of North Dakota Hockey Season

[AlphaMikeFoxtrot]

11 minutes ago, nodakgirl93 said:

Bryn and Dane have done a good job putting this team together. The late addition of Ollie has been a very good one. Bryn definitely knows talent. Did no other college teams have interest in him? 

They listened to the scout that was getting indignant about his belief Ollie wasn't ready to leave the Dub...

[beastandco]

23 minutes ago, nodakgirl93 said:

Bryn and Dane have done a good job putting this team together. The late addition of Ollie has been a very good one. Bryn definitely knows talent. Did no other college teams have interest in him? 

In one of Brad’s articles, it states that he picked UND over Michigan State and a couple of others. 

[Goon]

My Post Link: UND's Red Hot Ben Strinden Takes Flight

The more I think about it, @Oxbow6 I believe this is the player you thought he could be. He's having one hell of a season—a career year. 

[cberkas]

@Oxbow6 they are #2 in xG 

[dustnyou]

Words can’t describe how much I hate this stat and how irrelevant and flawed it is. 

[Fratt Mattin]

59 minutes ago, cberkas said:

@Oxbow6 they are #2 in xG 

I don't know a lot about analytics, but I think this actually means they are #2 in goals above expected. That can mean two things, either you have elite finishing talent on your team, you're getting a lot of puck luck, or a little bit of both. This likely means they're due for a bit of regression in terms of actual goals scored

[dustnyou]

12 minutes ago, Fratt Mattin said:

I don't know a lot about analytics, but I think this actually means they are #2 in goals above expected. That can mean two things, either you have elite finishing talent on your team, you're getting a lot of puck luck, or a little bit of both. This likely means they're due for a bit of regression in terms of actual goals scored

#3. It doesn’t mean squat. 

[Walsh Hall]

16 minutes ago, dustnyou said:

#3. It doesn’t mean squat. 

`I don't understand the hate some folks have for advanced analytics.   In the end, all that matters is the final score, but the actual analytics prove extremely relevant information as to how individual players are performing, and how the team is performing.  At the macro-level there is a direct correlation between these measurable data points and team success.  

It seems to me to be a no-brainer to use the available data to identify strengths and weaknesses.

[stoneySIOUX]

On 11/14/2025 at 10:55 PM, AlphaMikeFoxtrot said:

They listened to the scout that was getting indignant about his belief Ollie wasn't ready to leave the Dub...

Boy did that guy sound like he had just chewed a bushel full of sour grapes. Clown stuff from him to put that out in public!

[stoneySIOUX]

1 hour ago, dustnyou said:

Words can’t describe how much I hate this stat and how irrelevant and flawed it is. 

It's only irrelevant if you take it for more than the actual value it provides. Clearly, it doesn't matter because the puck isn't in the net, right? With that said, ignoring possession is a little bit silly. I expected to win that game against ASU on Sat. So did xG. You're giving it too much thought! 

[Oxbow6]

2 hours ago, cberkas said:

@Oxbow6 they are #2 in xG 

So UND's record isn't 11-1. Interesting......I just checked.

[stoneySIOUX]

26 minutes ago, Walsh Hall said:

`I don't understand the hate some folks have for advanced analytics.   In the end, all that matters is the final score, but the actual analytics prove extremely relevant information as to how individual players are performing, and how the team is performing.  At the macro-level there is a direct correlation between these measurable data points and team success.  

It seems to me to be a no-brainer to use the available data to identify strengths and weaknesses.

Not to mention that these advanced analytics almost always nail how well or un-well a team is playing.

[cberkas]

1 hour ago, Fratt Mattin said:

I don't know a lot about analytics, but I think this actually means they are #2 in goals above expected. That can mean two things, either you have elite finishing talent on your team, you're getting a lot of puck luck, or a little bit of both. This likely means they're due for a bit of regression in terms of actual goals scored

Or it could mean you are doing better than last year.

[cberkas]

37 minutes ago, Walsh Hall said:

`I don't understand the hate some folks have for advanced analytics.   In the end, all that matters is the final score, but the actual analytics prove extremely relevant information as to how individual players are performing, and how the team is performing.  At the macro-level there is a direct correlation between these measurable data points and team success.  

It seems to me to be a no-brainer to use the available data to identify strengths and weaknesses.

Only baseball has any real use for analytics.

[nascar99]

On 11/14/2025 at 11:42 PM, nodakgirl93 said:

Bryn and Dane have done a good job putting this team together. The late addition of Ollie has been a very good one. Bryn definitely knows talent. Did no other college teams have interest in him? 

Others had interest, but because several programs (ex: Minnesota) have coaching staffs with no knowledge of the player pool in the O, the Dub, or the Q (&/or any willingness to do the hard & quick work to recruit these players) certain players will have been a bit less recruited than expected. The good programs will have connections throughout the Canadian hockey world, and many including North Dakota will have familiarity with the CHL player base when they were recruiting them coming out of minor hockey before they went major junior under the old rules.

Certain schools would have been all over Josh Zakreski before he committed, several others would have had no clue who he was in the Dub. Same applies for Kocha Delic, the standout in the O who is putting up very good numbers at Miami.

[Walsh Hall]

22 minutes ago, Oxbow6 said:

So UND's record isn't 11-1. Interesting......I just checked.

Do you believe it's foolhardy for a D1 golfer to use advanced analytics to improve their golf game? 

[brianvf]

Ben gets NCHC forward of the week again:

https://x.com/UNDmhockey/status/1990827633957879832

[The Sicatoka]

1 hour ago, dustnyou said:

#3. It doesn’t mean squat. 

#4 - it's another 'analytic' for writers to prattle on about 

[tnt]

53 minutes ago, Walsh Hall said:

Do you believe it's foolhardy for a D1 golfer to use advanced analytics to improve their golf game? 

That’s a good point, and it is how the analytics should be used.  They are more of an overview than something that should be looked at with a small sample size.  I don’t think greens in regulation is always going to dictate the score you shoot in golf, but over the long run, you will shoot better scores with more greens in regulation.

[hockeytherapy13]

2 hours ago, Walsh Hall said:

`I don't understand the hate some folks have for advanced analytics.   In the end, all that matters is the final score, but the actual analytics prove extremely relevant information as to how individual players are performing, and how the team is performing.  At the macro-level there is a direct correlation between these measurable data points and team success.  

It seems to me to be a no-brainer to use the available data to identify strengths and weaknesses.

Jax has mentioned some of the analytics in interviews, so you know they are looking at them to guide a few things. So the analytics have value and definitely relevant, despite what some people feel. I'm guessing some people got annoyed with it getting talked about so much by Schloss (while we were never reaching our full potential multiple seasons) that they decided to ignore it's value altogether.

[Wilbur]

And with the analytics, when it comes down to it, the Twins shouldn't have bunted with Chuck Knoblauch in the tenth inning of game 7 of the World Series that season.  Rookie of the year bunting in that situation took out the possibility of what could have been a 3 or 4 run inning for them.

On a lighter note, I know they are big on the XGA.  My question is, does it make a difference if @Oxbow6 has the puck shooting it in a prime scoring position, or either of the Plante brothers?  Guessing by his handicap on the golf course I'm guessing its #ferdaoxbow. 

[stoneySIOUX]

1 hour ago, tnt said:

That’s a good point, and it is how the analytics should be used.  They are more of an overview than something that should be looked at with a small sample size.  I don’t think greens in regulation is always going to dictate the score you shoot in golf, but over the long run, you will shoot better scores with more greens in regulation.

EXACTLY! So, Ben Strinden has been outrageous the past several weeks after struggling early on. Is there any possibility that he looked at statistics to improve his game? To me, the answer is clear.

[The Sicatoka]

Didn't take analytics, just film, to tell Ben he's bigger and faster than 85% of those he faces and he should use it.  

[Oxbow6]

2 hours ago, Walsh Hall said:

Do you believe it's foolhardy for a D1 golfer to use advanced analytics to improve their golf game? 

I hit 13 of 14 fairways off the tee yesterday. Analytics would suggest I should have scored way better that I did. A scorecard doesn't have any pictures or a what could have been number. Just one number per hole.

....or in @Wilbur's case sometimes 2 numbers per hole.

[The Sicatoka]

1 minute ago, Oxbow6 said:

....or in @Wilbur's case sometimes 2 numbers per hole.

That's straight frosty.