2025-26 University of North Dakota Hockey Season

[RedFrog]

3 hours ago, Sioux90 said:

I merely pointed out the obvious truth. Our SOS isn’t good. So if we lose games, we will drop. It’s like a bubble that leads to being on the bubble. I never said they couldn’t win these games, and who said I didn’t believe they could? Yes, pandering.

With this logic, would wins also not provide a bigger boost?  I get it, sitting at #3, there isn't much room to move up but we can separate a little bit. 

[siouxfaninseattle]

2 hours ago, Wilbur said:

UND jumps to 3rd in the rankings with Western taking a bad home loss to Stu and company.  Really need to take advantage of the dogs not having Gajan next weekend. 

The way UMD played tonight we should take two.

[ND_Texan]

Sweeping Duluth, Miami, and St. Cloud clinches the conference title and top seed for conference tournament. Go do it.

[burd]

3 minutes ago, ND_Texan said:

Sweeping Duluth, Miami, and St. Cloud clinches the conference title and top seed for conference tournament. Go do it.

As long as they can hang on to a 1-seed in the NCAAs, what they do at the conference level seems pretty unimportant to me, except as it relates to team (especially goalie) confidence.   

[Wilbur]

1 hour ago, burd said:

As long as they can hang on to a 1-seed in the NCAAs, what they do at the conference level seems pretty unimportant to me, except as it relates to team (especially goalie) confidence.   

Always the goalies....always....  If we score 10 a game from here on out we are fine...

[ND_Texan]

Michigan was sorely outplayed by Ohio State all weekend but managed to eke out a couple wins. And Western was outplayed big time by Omaha Saturday night. Both teams exposed weaknesses. I like our chances for a #1 seed in the regionals.

[ND_Texan]

12 hours ago, siouxfaninseattle said:

The way UMD played tonight we should take two.

Agree. Denver bottled UMD up at center ice all night long and kept the Plante line in check along the boards once inside the O zone. If not for Gajon the score could have been easily been 5-0. DU's goalie had an easy night.

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

23 hours ago, Sioux90 said:

Like I said, they need to win those games. Need.

No they don’t, sweep Miami and clown while splitting the road series and I bet we stay at 3 NPI or move up. You’re assuming sparty doesn’t drop one to Notre Dame or OSU and Michigan doesn’t have a slip up against the gophs(who just swept Bucky). Too many variable to make such black and white statements 

[ND_Texan]

3 minutes ago, InHeavenThereIsNoBeer said:

No they don’t, sweep Miami and clown while splitting the road series and I bet we stay at 3 NPI or move up. You’re assuming sparty doesn’t drop one to Notre Dame or OSU and Michigan doesn’t have a slip up against the gophs(who just swept Bucky). Too many variable to make such black and white statements 

Not to mention Penn State, who has a precarious position essentially tied with Western at 4/5, have remaining series with Michigan, Ohio State, Notre Dame and Bucky, plus the Big Ten tournament. I see their position dropping lower and giving the Sioux some space for a top seed, even with a split with both UMD and Western.

[tnt]

13 hours ago, siouxfaninseattle said:

The way UMD played tonight we should take two.

The way Western played last night, we should sweep them as well, but I don’t know that you can keep the Plante line off the scoresheet every game, and they weren’t even all together the whole game.

Duluth’s backs will be against the wall, and the way they complained about missed calls, including the game winner in overtime against Denver which apparently Carle agreed with, I have no doubt we will need to kill more than our fair share of penalties.

We have had our problems with very good power play units, so hopefully we know we increase our chances a lot by limiting dumb penalties.  Duluth plays great defense, so even with Gajan being gone, goals will be at a premium.  Hopefully, getting to 3 goals will be enough with Jan, but Duluth knows this weekend could determine how the rest of their season goes, and I have no doubt Sandelin will have them ready.

[brianvf]

1 hour ago, ND_Texan said:

Agree. Denver bottled UMD up at center ice all night long and kept the Plante line in check along the boards once inside the O zone. If not for Gajon the score could have been easily been 5-0. DU's goalie had an easy night.

This will be crucial for us this weekend.
When we played UMD at home, we succeeded one night (and won) and didn't the other night (and lost).
Plus UMD will have last line change so you know they'll be putting the Plante line out there every other shift to try to get matchups.

28 minutes ago, tnt said:

We have had our problems with very good power play units, so hopefully we know we increase our chances a lot by limiting dumb penalties.  Duluth plays great defense, so even with Gajan being gone, goals will be at a premium.  Hopefully, getting to 3 goals will be enough with Jan, but Duluth knows this weekend could determine how the rest of their season goes, and I have no doubt Sandelin will have them ready.

The PK needs to be better for us, for sure.  Our PK was doing great there for awhile and now has struggled a bit over the last few weekends.
Need to cover that bumper spot better.  ASU used it a couple times with success against us, and UMD puts the better Plante there (he also scored against us on the PP from that position earlier this year).

[Sioux90]

21 hours ago, fightingsioux4life said:

I think Denver has way more to worry about considering they lost to Lindenwood earlier this year. We didn't have a "Canisius" moment this year (thank God).

I guess I just don't see this team losing to the likes of St. Cloud and Miami at home. If we sweep our two remaining home series and split our two remaining road series, I think we'll be just fine.

That's not "pandering", that's an educated guess.

Fair enough. I’m hoping and expecting to be top four come tourney time, just like everyone else.

[Sioux90]

18 hours ago, RedFrog said:

With this logic, would wins also not provide a bigger boost?  I get it, sitting at #3, there isn't much room to move up but we can separate a little bit. 

I’m just going by how the NPI works. The schedule hasn’t been as strong as years past. What do I know…

[thUNDer]

23 minutes ago, Sioux90 said:

I’m just going by how the NPI works. The schedule hasn’t been as strong as years past. What do I know…

You know what obfuscate means 😏

[nascar99]

Is Zmolek eligible to apply for a 2nd medical redshirt (played 1 game last season)? Wondering if he'd wanna play a 5th year or if he'll be done after this season

[brianvf]

39 minutes ago, nascar99 said:

Is Zmolek eligible to apply for a 2nd medical redshirt (played 1 game last season)? Wondering if he'd wanna play a 5th year or if he'll be done after this season

He is eligible.  Not sure if he'll elect to apply for it or not.

[Blackheart]

51 minutes ago, nascar99 said:

Is Zmolek eligible to apply for a 2nd medical redshirt (played 1 game last season)? Wondering if he'd wanna play a 5th year or if he'll be done after this season

He would probably still be 5 years younger than Miami Hurricanes qb Carson Beck.

[The Sicatoka]

The combinations of either
points earned by UND and/or not earned by other team
that gets UND an outright Penrose (and home league playoff games),
call it "magic number" by opponent: 

DU 16
WMU 18 <-- huge series; a single UND win is 3 pts and 3 not earned by WMU
UMD 7 <-- a split here would put the magic number to 1
Miami 9
SCSU 1
ASU 6
CC 6
UNO -1  <-- they've lost enough points already that they can't get past UND to first place

 

Magic Number = 73 - (UND pts) - (pts not earned by other team)

Why 73? 24 games = 72 pts available. Using 73 is outright, no standings ties

[SIOUXFAN97]

16 minutes ago, Blackheart said:

He would probably still be 5 years younger than Miami Hurricanes qb Carson Beck.

same beck that didn't go to school for his last couple of years? .....crazy

[nascar99]

23 minutes ago, Blackheart said:

He would probably still be 5 years younger than Miami Hurricanes qb Carson Beck.

They're actually both 2002s lol

[Blackheart]

22 minutes ago, SIOUXFAN97 said:

same beck that didn't go to school for his last couple of years? .....crazy

Oh, that’s right…he WAS a student athlete.

[Goon]

I know everyone loves the xG’s UND is scoring above its expected goals. 

 

[Dustin]

Current NPI would put us in the Denver-hosted regional, however, there's a first round problem in spots 7-10, with 3 ECAC teams, potentially shaking up the straight NPI formula with (a) swap(s) that could affect where those teams get sent.  Obviously too early to worry or speculate, just interesting.

(3) UND vs. (14) Wisconsin

(6) Providence vs (11) Denver

[brianvf]

Tough regional right there.

[nodakgirl93]

10 minutes ago, Dustin said:

Current NPI would put us in the Denver-hosted regional, however, there's a first round problem in spots 7-10, with 3 ECAC teams, potentially shaking up the straight NPI formula with (a) swap(s) that could affect where those teams get sent.  Obviously too early to worry or speculate, just interesting.

(3) UND vs. (14) Wisconsin

(6) Providence vs (11) Denver

3-6-11-14 is one of the four initial pods but the committee does like to adjust for attendance and to avoid flights.