UND versus US Under 18 Exhibition Matchup 11/21!

[Und Princess]

Good Afternoon!!! I hope you're having a fantastic Wednesday! I want to start this week's Game Week Thread vs US U18 and I just dropped my newest blog regarding this week's Polls and Player Honors!!! My Pregame and Score Prediction blog will be up Friday!

Who will be in the net on Friday? Who will Score the first goal of the game? We will find out Friday. 

https://ftstspotlight.blogspot.com/2025/11/hump-day-hockey-player-praise-and.html?m=1

Have a Fantastic Evening!

Und Princess 

[brianvf]

9 minutes ago, Und Princess said:

Who will be in the net on Friday? Who will Score the first goal of the game? We will find out Friday. 

In net?  I'd bet Homer, Spoons, and Sandy.
First goal?  Safe money is on Strinden.

[siouxfaninseattle]

From what Jax said in his presser, it sounds like Sandy will play but probably all three will play. 

[Oxbow6]

Wyatt Cullen is 4 games into his u18 season after a hip injury. Gopher committ. Matt's middle son.

[TwamleyShuffle]

Get out of the game without any new injuries and I’ll consider it a win

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

3 hours ago, Oxbow6 said:

Wyatt Cullen is 4 games into his u18 season after a hip injury. Gopher committ. Matt's middle son.

[brianvf]

Trying to get healthy:

https://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/und-hockey/und-may-sit-out-some-players-for-u-s-under-18-exhibition

Quote

"We want to get healthy for one," the UND head coach said. "We want to get some guys some rest and recovery this week. Guys have been going hard."

UND played without three injured forwards last Saturday. Center Ellis Rickwood, center-winger Jack Kernan and winger Josh Zakreski all missed the series finale against Arizona State. While Zakreski won't be back anytime soon, the Fighting Hawks are hoping Rickwood and Kernan won't be gone for long.

Quote

The game could be good practice for UND's nonconference series against Mercyhurst on Jan. 2-3. The Fighting Hawks could be missing a number of players due to the World Junior Championship.

Cole Reschny, Keaton Verhoeff and Ollie Josephson are candidates to play for Team Canada. E.J. Emery, Mac Swanson, Will Zellers and Sam Laurila are candidates for the Americans.

Defensemen Abram Wiebe and Jake Livanavage are expected to fly back into Grand Forks on Jan. 2 from the Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland.

 

[nascar99]

The u18 NTDP has been bad this year for the most part. Interested to see what this exhibition looks like

[Wilbur]

Carrithers isn't committed anywhere just yet.  Wonder if he's on our radar of guys.  I know you've got Heil next year and Spunar a young guy as well.  

Then there is the fact that none of these U18 kids think they are worthy of a year in the USHL after they age out of NTDP, so probably not in the market for another goalie. 

[atxsioux]

4 minutes ago, Wilbur said:

Carrithers isn't committed anywhere just yet.  Wonder if he's on our radar of guys.  I know you've got Heil next year and Spunar a young guy as well.  

Then there is the fact that none of these U18 kids think they are worthy of a year in the USHL after they age out of NTDP, so probably not in the market for another goalie. 

Based on the US NTDP (u-18s at least) being down at the moment quite a few of them likely need a year of JRs before heading to college. Obviously in reality that’s not gona happen for many of them

[nascar99]

2 hours ago, atxsioux said:

Based on the US NTDP (u-18s at least) being down at the moment quite a few of them likely need a year of JR before heading to college. Obviously in reality that’s not gona happen for many of them

Would expect 5-6 of them to be in junior next year. They just aren't ready for the NCAA yet

[Wilbur]

4 hours ago, atxsioux said:

Based on the US NTDP (u-18s at least) being down at the moment quite a few of them likely need a year of JRs before heading to college. Obviously in reality that’s not gona happen for many of them

Exactly, and unfortunately in the transfer portal world they'll just find a school that will let them come in right away and struggle through the first year.  

[AlphaMikeFoxtrot]

17 minutes ago, Wilbur said:

Exactly, and unfortunately in the transfer portal world they'll just find a school that will let them come in right away and struggle through the first year.  

In the CHL world their advisors better remind them that there are way more players than spots now.

[mygarske]

18 hours ago, TwamleyShuffle said:

Get out of the game without any new injuries and I’ll consider it a win

Amen! Give the top lines a period, maybe half of the second, then put them in bubble wrap & let the other lines get a ton of ice time. 

[sioux rube]

 

[The Sicatoka]

So ... @Oxbow6 and @Blackheart as third D pair ... check, got it. 

[Und Princess]

Good Morning and Happy Gameday Folks!!! I hope you have a fantastic and enjoyable day!!! I have my pregame and Score Prediction blog up! I moved the Player Feature to my Thursday Blog starting this week. 

https://ftstspotlight.blogspot.com/2025/11/its-game-day-get-ready-for-hockey.html?m=1

Sincerely Und Princess 

[siouxfaninseattle]

1 hour ago, Und Princess said:

Good Morning and Happy Gameday Folks!!! I hope you have a fantastic and enjoyable day!!! I have my pregame and Score Prediction blog up! I moved the Player Feature to my Thursday Blog starting this week. 

https://ftstspotlight.blogspot.com/2025/11/its-game-day-get-ready-for-hockey.html?m=1

Sincerely Und Princess 

I like your optimism Your Highness, but I see a 3-2 win for UND.

[nascar99]

2 hours ago, siouxfaninseattle said:

I like your optimism Your Highness, but I see a 3-2 win for UND.

5-3 UND is my guess

[scpa0305]

On 11/20/2025 at 11:44 AM, nascar99 said:

Would expect 5-6 of them to be in junior next year. They just aren't ready for the NCAA yet

Agreed, worst u18 in a long time.

[The Sicatoka]

4 hours ago, The Sicatoka said:

So ... @Oxbow6 and @Blackheart as third D pair ... check, got it. 

BREAKING - @Und Princess shows up as 4th line RW on tonight's line-up and we know 4th line RW's job: knock people around and muck it up in the corners, old time hockey. 

[nascar99]

1 minute ago, scpa0305 said:

Agreed, worst u18 in a long time.

At the time, the 2002s were really underwhelming back in 2019-20. At least that produced Sanderson, Beniers, Faber, and Kleven to a lesser degree.

Not sure how many solid NHLers the 2008s will produce.