Alive and well
Drew Stafford is busy trying to keep his roster spot on the best team in the NHL -- the Buffalo Sabres.
Jordan Parise is busy making a name for himself as one of the best rookie goaltenders in the AHL.
But when I caught up with Stafford a couple of weeks ago, he wanted to make one thing clear to fans: "Red Seal Peach is still going strong."
Stafford said in his free time he has been recording guitar tracks, downloading them onto his computer, turning them into .mp3s and sending them to Jordan. They live in different cities, but Stafford said the two talk all the time and they are making progress on their record.
The hit song "Fabian" has been taken off their Web site, but there are a couple of new guitar-only tracks posted. Check them out at http://www.myspace.com/redsealpeach
If you're interested in seeing Stafford's progress on the ice, his first-career NHL goal has been posted on youtube: http://youtube.com/watch?v=ebLbCg5QCIA
Posted by: Schlossman on Thursday, November 30 at 3:41 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Erik Fabian update
At the weekly media gathering this afternoon, coach Dave Hakstol said that senior winger Erik Fabian probably won't play in Friday's exhibition against the U.S. Under-18 team, but he's hopeful that Fabian will return for the Wisconsin series (Dec. 8-9).
"I wouldn't rule him out just yet, but he's doubtful," Hakstol said.
Fabian is practicing with the no-hit jersey this week.
He suffered an upper-body injury Nov. 11 against Alaska Anchorage, but played through the injury for the rest of the game.
Fabian didn't play against Colorado College last weekend, but Hakstol said that Fabian "wanted to get into the lineup and do whatever he had to do Saturday. That's the type of kid he is."
Posted by: Schlossman on Wednesday, November 29 at 3:43 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
New Sioux site
The Forum Communications brethren have teamed up to build a new Sioux sports site. Although it has been launched, it still is a work in progress. At the start there may be a few glitches, but it is far better than the old Sioux sports area we had on the old Web site.
You should be able to get news stories, Q&As, score updates, photo galleries and a link to blog entries from the Herald on the site. From WDAZ, you should be able to get video highlights and interviews. Best of all, it's all in one place.
As I said before, it has just been launched and is still undergoing a few changes. Hopefully you all enjoy.
Posted by: Schlossman on Tuesday, November 28 at 4:21 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Weekend review: Colorado College
UND ended its three-game losing streak and four-game winless streak with one of its best performances of the season Saturday night. Coach Dave Hakstol said he's starting to see some good chemistry on the four lines. The top two lines have played together for several games now and the bottom two were sparkplugs Saturday. Hakstol said he was very pleased with the play of Chris VandeVelde and his line.
Looking back on the weekend:
Offense: A-. The eight-goal weekend blew away what UND did the previous two weeks. Three goals weren't enough to win Friday, but most nights, they should be enough. On Saturday, the Sioux were buzzing almost all night.
Defense: B. The defense struggled moving the puck Friday night, Hakstol said, and didn't have a strong, consistent game. Saturday night, however, the Sioux held Colorado College to 17 shots on goal. You have to go back to the Matt Greene-led D-corps of 2004-05 to find a performance that dominating.
Goaltending: B+. Philippe Lamoureux was solid in his first action in more than a month. Lamoureux probably would like Colorado College's third goal Friday night back -- a shortside goal from the bottom of the circle. But Lamoureux made a fantastic stop on McCulloch minutes earlier, kicking out his leg during a goal-mouth scramble. The lone CC goals on Saturday were tip-ins.
Fourth line: A. When UND marched to the Frozen Four during the past two seasons, the third and fourth lines were big contributors. It's hard enough for teams to have to contain the T.J. Oshie's, Ryan Duncan's and Jonathan Toews'. When guys like Darcy Zajac, Rylan Kaip and VandeVelde are chipping in -- physically and offensively -- this team is tough to slow down.
Atmosphere: C+. The crowds were solid both nights for the students being absent (more than 10,000 each night). That being said, I think everyone missed the band and, of course, the cowbell guy.
Review of the three keys
1. Hold CC's top line players -- Scott McCulloch, Chad Rau and Jimmy Kilpatrick -- to one goal per game. Fail/Pass. Colorado College moved Derek Patrosso to the top line for Kilpatrick this weekend. On Friday night, UND failed on this goal and lost the game. On Saturday night, UND passed and won the game.
2. Don't get beat in the second period. Pass. In one of the big highlights on the weekend, UND corrected its second-period struggles. The Sioux scored in the second each night and held the Tigers without a second-period goal on the weekend.
3. Be on the positive side of the special teams battle. Pass. UND was +1 for the weekend. The Sioux weren't on the positive side Friday night (it was even) and lost. Saturday, the Sioux scored the lone power-play goal and held the Tigers' fourth-ranked power play scoreless.
Posted by: Schlossman on Monday, November 27 at 2:39 PM | Comments (8) | Permalink
Gameday final: UND 5, CC 2
First period
CC 1, UND 0 -- Brandon Polich (Jimmy Kilpatrick, Billy Sweatt) 8:16. Polich, charging hard to the net, tipped Kilpatrick's shot over Lamoureux's left shoulder.
CC 1, UND 1 -- Darcy Zajac (Michael Forney, Brian Lee) 9:35. Forney collided behind the net with a Tiger defenseman and Zaba, who attempted to play the puck. Zajac picked it up and scored on a wrap around as CC defenseman converged on the net.
UND 2, CC 1 -- Chay Genoway (Jonathan Toews, Ryan Duncan) 13:54. Duncan helped set up a scramble in front of the net. Genoway had a chance at it, then Toews, then Genoway scored with his backhand in the slot on his second chance.
UND 3, CC 1 -- Matt Watkins (Chris Porter, Zach Jones) 14:07. Seconds after Genoway's goal, Porter carried the puck in the zone and fired a shot that Zaba stopped with his pad. Watkins picked up the rebound and put it in for a two-goal sioux lead.
Second period
UND 4, CC 1 -- Andrew Kozek (unassisted) :32. Kozek picked off a clearing attempt and scored with his backhand from the slot.
Third period
UND 5, CC 1 -- Taylor Chorney (T.J. Oshie, Brian Lee) 9:29 (pp). Oshie dropped a pass to Chorney, who was pinching in behind Oshie. Chorney beat Zaba high to the glove side.
UND 5, CC 2 -- Chad Rau (Lee Sweatt, Derek Patrosso) 14:29. Rau scored on a deflection, beating Lamoureux between the pads.
UND's line chart
Chris Porter-Matt Watkins-T.J. Oshie
Ryan Duncan-Jonathan Toews-Chay Genoway
Andrew Kozek-Chris VandeVelde-Brad Miller
Michael Forney-Darcy Zajac-Rylan Kaip
Zach Jones-Taylor Chorney
Joe Finley-Brian Lee
Kyle Radke-Robbie Bina
Philippe Lamoureux
Colorado College's line chart
Scott McCulloch-Chad Rau-Derek Patrosso
Billy Sweatt-Brandon Polich-Jimmy Kilpatrick
Cody Lampl-Scott Thauwald-James Branningan
Addison DeBoer-Braydon Cox-Mike Testwuide
Jack Hillen-Jake Gannon
Lee Sweatt-Nate Prosser
Kris Fredheim-Brandon Straub
Matt Zaba
Posted by: Schlossman on Saturday, November 25 at 6:06 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Gameday final: CC 4, UND 3
First period
CC 1, UND 0 -- Braydon Cox (Jack Hillen, Addison DeBoer) 15:09. Cox beat Lamoureux high to the glove side with a wrist shot from the high slot.
CC 1, UND 1 -- Chay Genoway (Kyle Radke, Matt Watkins) 17:08 (pp). Genoway scored just seconds into a power-play chance, firing a shot past CC goalie Matt Zaba stick side.
Second period
UND 2, CC 1 -- Ryan Duncan (Jonathan Toews, Brian Lee) 14:22 (pp). Duncan put a shot on goal from the low circle and it happened to sneak between the legs of Zaba for another Sioux power-play goal.
Third period
UND 2, CC 2 -- Jack Hillen (Billy Sweatt) 8:51 (pp). Hillen beat Lamoureux stick side with a wrist shot from the top of the right circle. The power-play goal found its way through traffic in front of the net.
CC 3, UND 2 -- Derek Patrosso (Chad Rau, Brandon Straub) 14:20. Patrosso beat Lamoureux on the short side from the bottom of the left circle.
CC 3, UND 3 -- T.J. Oshie (Ryan Duncan, Jonathan Toews) 17:24. Duncan set up Oshie in front of the net. Oshie showed patience, got the goaltender to commit, then beat him five-hole.
CC 4, UND 3 -- Scott McCulloch (Jimmy Kilpatrick, Chad Rau) 19:00. McCulloch directed Kilpatrick's centering pass past Lamoureux with his skate. The play was reviewed and upheld.
UND's line chart
Ryan Duncan-Jonathan Toews-Chay Genoway
Chris Porter-Matt Watkins-T.J. Oshie
Andrew Kozek-Chris VandeVelde-Brad Miller
Ryan Martens-Rylan Kaip-Michael Forney
Zach Jones-Taylor Chorney
Joe Finley-Brian Lee
Kyle Radke-Robbie Bina
Philippe Lamoureux
Scratches: Erik Fabian (upper-body injury), Darcy Zajac, Hunter Bishop and Scott Foyt.
Colorado College's line chart
Scott McCulloch-Chad Rau-Derek Patrosso
Billy Sweatt-Brandon Polich-Jimmy Kilpatrick
Cody Lampl-Scott Thauwald-James Brannigan
Addison DeBoer-Brian McMillin-Braydon Cox
Jack Hillen-Jake Gannon
Brian Connelly-Brandon Straub
Lee Sweatt-Kris Fredheim
Matt Zaba
Posted by: Schlossman on Friday, November 24 at 6:57 PM | Comments (3) | Permalink
Three keys to Colorado College
In attendance tonight will be former UND media relations assistant and former Fargo Forum Sioux hockey writer, Mike Cummings. The last time Cummings made a return appearance, T.J. Oshie notched a hat trick. Oshie certainly would welcome the same this weekend.
As for the three keys:
1. Hold CC's top line -- Scott McCulloch, Jimmy Kilpatrick and Chad Rau -- to one goal per game. This line has dominated for the Tigers early in the season. The three players have combined for about half of CC's goals this season. Holding them down would be big no matter who plays in goal for the Sioux.
2. Don't get beat in the second period. The Sioux have been fine this season in the first and third. The second has killed them. UND doesn't need to win the game in the second -- just don't lose it there.
3. Be on the positive side of the special teams battle. This is an area that heavily favors Colorado College. The Tigers are ranked No. 4 in the country on both the power play and the penalty kill. They are +13 on special teams this season, while UND is -2 (second-worst in the WCHA). If the Sioux take this advantage away from Colorado College, it should lead to a good holiday weekend for UND fans.
Posted by: Schlossman on Friday, November 24 at 12:01 PM | Comments (5) | Permalink
Happy Thanksgiving
Hope everyone has a fantastic Thanksgiving and eats far too much turkey. In honor of the holiday, here are 10 things Sioux hockey fans can be thankful for:
10. Ryan Duncan's knack for burying the puck.
9. UND doesn't have to wait, hope, rally voters and cross its fingers for a new rink.
8. The emergence of Michigan Tech and Alaska Anchorage, making every weekend interesting this season.
7. Brad Miller has become a go-to goal scorer.
6. The coaching staff has recruited well enough to where the Sioux should be WCHA contenders for several years to come.
5. Shattuck-St. Mary's has done a nice job developing players (UND's top four scorers are Shattuck alums).
4. Philippe Lamoureux is healed up and should be ready to go this weekend, if called upon.
3. Erik Fabian's heart, hustle and attitude.
2. Guys like Jonathan Toews, T.J. Oshie, Erik Johnson, Kyle Okposo and Travis Morin staying in school, giving us outstanding talent to watch.
1. Robbie Bina is back on the ice, looking like his old self.
Posted by: Schlossman on Thursday, November 23 at 1:14 AM | Comments (1) | Permalink
Lamoureux should be available
UND coach Dave Hakstol said Wednesday that he expects Philippe Lamoureux to be available for this weekend's series against Colorado College.
Lamoureux has been bothered by a leg injury he suffered a month ago in practice. He's missed the last six games, which have all been started by freshman Anthony Grieco.
Hakstol said he hasn't decided who will start this weekend.
For more, see Thursday's Herald.
Posted by: Schlossman on Wednesday, November 22 at 3:05 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
North Dakota high school season begins
As promised, I'll touch on area high school hockey from time to time on the blog, too. And since the season is starting on the North Dakota side of the river, here's a quick guide to the season:
1. Expect a rematch for the state championship. After last season's title game, who wouldn't want to see it again? Fargo South and Grand Forks Red River both lost several key players, but have enough to get back to the big game. Both schools seem to get new players to step up for the losses, too.
2. Grafton-Park River will be explosive even without the Campbell cousins. Paul and Thomas Campbell and their 119 points have departed, but the Spoilers should still be solid up front, led by Zach Miller (17-21--38), Tanner Hills (7-20--27) and Tanner Anderson (9-10--19). The Spoilers have potential to end up in the title game, but they must answer the question in goal.
3. Fargo South may not have lost Mr. Hockey. Paul Weisgarber, winner of last season's award, is gone. But goalie Sean Deichert is back and figures to be one of the best players in the state. His save percentage last season was 93 and his goals-against average was 1.23. Deichert put up those numbers in his first season as a starter. Is it even possible to have a better season as a senior?
Keep an eye on...
F -- Alex Simonson, GFC
F -- Eric Meland, RR
F -- Ian Powers, South
F -- Tyler Klein, North
F -- Zach Miller, GPR
D -- Jarrett Galbreath, RR
D -- Ryan LaDouceur, RR
D -- Danny Wurden, South
G -- Sean Deichert, South
Standings projection
1. South
2. Red River
3. Grafton-Park River
4. Devils Lake
5. Central
6. North
7. West Fargo
8. Shanley
9. Wahpeton
Posted by: Schlossman on Tuesday, November 21 at 8:13 PM | Comments (10) | Permalink
Weekend review: Anchorage
There is one big thing I missed in Sunday's story about the team's trip to Anchorage: The ride home.
The day began with a 7 a.m. trip to Anchorage International Airport. It ended at about 1 a.m. at GFK. There was the long flight from Anchorage to Minneapolis (it was dark when we took off and it was dark again when we landed). And there was a four-hour layover, which turned into six because of a delayed flight.
Now it's time to adjust back to Central time and get ready for Colorado College. I can see why the travel gets to be long and why the players don't enjoy it. I'm sure it's even less enjoyable when they don't come away with any points.
Offense: C+. Two goals per game isn't enough, but it wasn't for a lack of effort. UND put considerable pressure on the Seawolves on Saturday, but goalie Nathan Lawson was excellent. Should the Sioux generate the same chances the rest of the season, the offensive production should be fine.
Defense: C. Could have been better, could have been worse. Jonathan Toews said it best after Friday night's game: UND wasn't strong enough deep in its own zone. Twice, Anchorage players carried the puck from the boards to the side of the net without being taken out of the play. They both resulted in goals.
Goaltending: C-. The combined save percentage on the weekend was .839. Anthony Grieco struggled Friday night, allowing two short side stuff-ins. He also left a few rebounds -- one of which resulted in a goal. Grieco bounced back Saturday. He allowed a bad-angle goal to Chad Anderson, but later made up for it by making an unbelievable save on Anderson, diving to his left and gloving a wrist shot. Aaron Walski did a nice job in his college debut, aided by stronger defense. The goaltending needs to be much better, though, in order for UND to make a run.
Seawolf support: C-. The third-ranked team in the nation came to town, but the fans didn't turn out. There were many front-row seats available. When the Seawolves took the ice for warmups, I heard one person cheer.... one! I'll give the fans credit for the "U-A-A" chants that got started to show there was some life in the arena, but that's about it.
Sioux road support: A. There were a lot more Sioux fans there than I had expected. I spotted one in almost every section. Most of them made their way to the open seats on the glass and made noise when UND scored. On Saturday, there was a group of people sitting on the glass with UND No. 22 Canady jerseys on. As he was from Kenai, Alaska, I would assume they were Brian's family members showing their support.
Cab drivers: A. The "A" stands for adventure. Friday's cab ride home from Sullivan Arena provided more suspense than the game. First, the driver yelled at a guy for taking a left turn too slow (the guy was going a good 15 mph), then said "Watch how much more efficient this is." A little nervous, I buckle up and watch him flies around the corner -- all the way into the far right line -- and still, I am not totally convinced we stayed on four wheels. Then, he decides to take a short-cut through a gas station parking lot instead of waiting for a traffic light to turn. As he flies through the parking lot, he hits a patch of ice and destroys a burritos sign. After the incident, he comments on how it was still faster than waiting for the light. Oh well, at least he didn't run out of gas (happened in Madison) or take me 25 miles in the wrong direction (Dayton).
Review of the three keys:
1. Anthony Grieco needs to maintain his save percentage over 90. Fail. It was .818 for the weekend. Grieco was pulled Friday after 22:40 and had his roughest weekend in a Sioux jersey.
2. UND needs to hold the Seawolves off the scoreboard in the first period. Fail/Pass. The Sioux gave up two in the first period Friday, allowing the Seawolves to jumpstart their offense. Saturday, UND held Anchorage off the board in the first, but the Seawolves ended up scoring the first goal of the game.
3. Jonathan Toews and T.J. Oshie need to show the Seawolves why they were first-round draft picks. I forgot that I meant to keep the goals specific. Anyway, Toews averaged a point per game this weekend and Oshie had an assist. They weren't dominating but they certainly weren't absent, either.
Posted by: Schlossman on Monday, November 20 at 4:48 PM | Comments (7) | Permalink
Gameday final: AA 4, UND 2
Live box score:
First period
No scoring.
Second period
1-0 AA -- Nick Lowe (Josh Lunden) 8:06. Lunden dug the puck out from along the left boards in neutral ice and sent Lowe on a clean break away. Lowe beat Grieco high to the glove side with a wrist shot.
1-1 -- Ryan Duncan (Taylor Chorney, Jonathan Toews) 11:04 (pp). UND scores on a crisp passing play that results in an easy goal for Duncan.
2-1 UND -- Ryan Duncan (Brad Miller) 13:37. Miller fed Duncan on a cross-ice pass. Duncan beat Lawson high to the glove side to answer Donovan's question earlier this week.
2-2 -- Chad Anderson 15:43. Anderson scores from a bad angle to tie the game. He attempted to center a pass from behind the net, but it hit Grieco and trickled in.
Third period
3-2 AA -- Justin Bourne (Chad Anderson, Paul Crowder) 5:03 (pp). Bourne's blast from the top of the left circle beat Grieco high for 5-on-3 power-play goal.
4-2 AA -- Kevin Clark (Paul Crowder, Josh Lunden) 7:34. Anchorage adds to its lead on a scramble in front of the net.
UND's line chart
Chris Porter-Matt Watkins-T.J. Oshie
Ryan Duncan-Jonathan Toews-Chay Genoway
Erik Fabian-Rylan Kaip-Andrew Kozek
Chris VandeVelde-Darcy Zajac-Brad Miller
Zach Jones-Taylor Chorney
Joe Finley-Brian Lee
Kyle Radke-Robbie Bina
Anthony Grieco
Anchorage's line chart
Merit Waldrop-Paul Crowder-Justin Bourne
Chris Tarkir-Charlie Kronschnabel-Nick Lowe
Josh Lunden-Jay Beagle-Kevin Clark
Adam Corrin-Peter Cartwright-Jared Tuton
Luke Beaverson-Mat Robinson
Nils Backstrom-Mark Smith
Shane Lovdahl-Chad Anderson
Nathan Lawson
Posted by: Schlossman on Saturday, November 18 at 8:58 PM | Comments (7) | Permalink
Gameday final: AA 6, UND 2
I have a few leftover postgame comments:
Jonathan Toews
On Aaron Walski's play: "It's tough when you don't play a game for a long time. He did a good job. We're not pointing any fingers, though. We need to help our goaltenders out a little more. Tonight, we didn't do that."
On Anchorage's back-to-back goals to start the second: "We tried to stay positive on the bench. The game wasn't over when they had that flurry in the second. We had some power plays... that's another thing... we've got to be better on the power play tomorrow night."
Dave Hakstol
On whether Grieco might want some: "It's a team game. We have to play a more complete game as a team."
On whether this game felt like last year's 5-3 Friday night loss in Anchorage: "I couldn't compare it to that, but this loss hurts."
On whether the team got frustrated: "I don't think frustrating was the issue. I thought we continually tried to battle back and come back, we just couldn't finish on a play. Our power play, we had two or three good opportunities and we weren't able to find the back of the net. Give credit to them. They have good players and they did a good job. We have to be much more complete through 60 minutes tomorrow night."
Updates and comments:
The weather outside is very North Dakota-ish temperature-wise. Not a lot of wind, though... People have started to enter the arena and the first fan I saw had a Sioux hat on... Erik Fabian and Chris VandeVelde are healthy scratches.... In this week's Q&A with Hunter Bishop (which you can access by clicking on the link at the right side of the page), he said Scott Gomez was probably the most famous Alaskan among residents. After being here for a day, I don't doubt it. He's currently injured, yet I've overheard three different people talk about him. There's also a Gomez jersey up in the arena, and a cutout of him above one of the scoreboards. Not bad for someone who never played at UAA....
Sullivan Arena may not be Ralph Engelstad Arena, but I've got to give the place props for its pregame music. As the teams warm up they are blaring some 36 Crazyfists -- a sweet Alaskan band. Had Jordan Parise or Drew Stafford still been around (both 36 Crazyfists fans), the Seawolves would be in trouble.
First: It's safe to say that seats in Sullivan Arena are not difficult to come back. In fact, it's safe to say that seats on the glass are not difficult to come by.... Officials announced Taylor Chorney as scoring UND's second goal, but you could clearly hear it was tipped in front, where Toews was standing. When he went back to the bench, teammates were patting Toews on the helmet.
Second: The official scorer said he will check UND's second goal during the second intermission to see if it will be changed to Toews... After Anchorage scores its third straight goal, Anthony Grieco is out and Aaron Walski is in for the first time in his career.
Third: Walski is pulled with 5:11 left with UND on the power play.
Live box score:
First period
1-0 UND -- Matt Watkins (Chris Porter, T.J. Oshie) 3:38. Seawolves goalie Nathan Lawson made the save on Chris Porter's shot from the right circle. But Watkins, who got dumped in the slot, was able to push the rebound past Lawson.
1-1 -- Josh Lunden (Kevin Clark) 5:31. During a 3-on-2 rush, Lunden ripped a wrist shot past Grieco from the left circle. Lunden beat Grieco high to the glove side to even the game.
2-1 UND -- Jonathan Toews (Taylor Chorney, Ryan Duncan) 9:49. UND took the Shattuck play out of its playbook. Chay Genoway cycled the puck to Duncan, who passed it to Chorney, who fired a shot from the blue line only to be tipped in by Toews.
2-2 -- Chris Tarkir (Nick Lowe, Chad Anderson) 14:10. Grieco stopped Nick Lowe's attempt from the wing, but left the rebound on top of the crease. Tarkir skated in and knocked the puck in for his first goal of the season.
Second period
3-2 AA -- Paul Crowder (Justin Bourne) :34 (pp). Crowder carried the puck from behind the net and jammed it past Grieco short side. Probably one that Grieco would like to have back.
4-2 AA -- Josh Lunden (Mark Smith) 2:40. Like Crowder, Lunden carried the puck from behind the to the side and was able to fight off a check and jam it in. Grieco out, Walski in.
5-2 AA -- Justin Bourne (Paul Crowder, Chad Anderson) 18:16 (pp). Bourne scored on a rebound from the slot, beating Walski high to the glove side.
Third period
6-2 AA -- Jay Beagle (Nick Lowe) 19:16 (en). Beagle adds an empty-netter.
UND's line chart
Chris Porter-Matt Watkins-T.J. Oshie
Ryan Duncan-Jonathan Toews-Chay Genoway
Andrew Kozek-Ryan Martens-Rylan Kaip
Hunter Bishop-Darcy Zajac-Brad Miller
Zach Jones-Taylor Chorney
Joe Finley-Brian Lee
Kyle Radke-Robbie Bina
Anthony Grieco
Scratched: Erik Fabian (healthy), Chris VandeVelde (healthy).
Alaska Anchorage's line chart
Merit Waldrop-Paul Crowder-Justin Bourne
Chris Tarkir-Charlie Kronschnabel-Nick Lowe
Josh Lunden-Jay Beagle-Kevin Clark
Adam Corrin-Peter Cartwright-Jared Tuton
Luke Beaverson-Mat Robinson
Nils Backstrom-Mark Smith
Shane Lovdahl-Chad Anderson
Nathan Lawson
Posted by: Schlossman on Friday, November 17 at 9:17 PM | Comments (17) | Permalink
Update on recruits
Omaha Lancers forward Brett Bruneteau gave UND a verbal commitment to attend school beginning in either 2007 or 2008.
Since Bruneteau is in Sioux Falls and I am in Alaska, I have been unable to get a hold of him since the commitment, so check back in a couple of days to hear from him. He did have a quote in a press release done by Omaha: "They have a great reputation of moving guys to the next level," said Bruneteau, an Omaha, Neb., native. "Year in and year out they are competing for the national championship. It was just the best fit for me."
Tonight's USHL game should be a matchup of note for Sioux fans -- recruits Bruneteau and Jake Marto going against Brad Malone.
Also something to note for Sioux fans -- while UND is in his hometown, recruit Evan Trupp will play his first game of the season for the Penticton Vees (BCHL) tonight. Trupp had shoulder surgery this summer and has been practicing with the team all season. He recently was cleared for contact and finally will get game action.
Trupp is expected to be one of the most explosive forwards in the BCHL this season. Penticton coach Bruno Campese has said that Trupp, a small forward, has worked hard on improving his strength and has looked great in practice.
Posted by: Schlossman on Friday, November 17 at 6:09 PM | Comments (1) | Permalink
Three keys to Anchorage
The two week wait for a game finally is over. Stay up late, listen to the games on the radio and follow live blog updates from Anchorage.
Upon arriving last night, I grabbed a copy of the Anchorage Daily News and was surprised to see a former Sioux hockey player looking back at me. The Daily News was wrapped in a team poster of the Alaska Aces (ECHL) hockey team and included in the photo was Chris Fournier.
Fournier played for UND in 2001-02, then transferred to Alaska Anchorage, where he lasted just one season. He now is a member of the Aces, but has yet to play a game.
There are a couple of players in this series with connections to both teams. Sioux forward Shea Hamilton transferred from Anchorage after last season. He will be eligible next fall. And Seawolves defenseman Luke Beaverson was one time a UND recruit. He is a sophomore now. As for the three keys:
1. Anthony Grieco needs to maintain his save percentage over 90. Anchorage coach Dave Shyiak was quoted in the Daily News today saying that the Seawolves need to get after the young goaltender. Should Grieco continue making routine stops, he should be all right. Last season, Philippe Lamoureux got his first career shutout against the Seawolves while Jordan Parise was left home with an injury. Can Grieco get his first career shutout this season while Lamoureux is left home with an injury?
2. UND needs to hold the Seawolves off the scoreboard in the first period. Sioux players have said that Sullivan Arena can get pretty loud when things are going well for the home team. Last season, when Anchorage knocked off UND, it scored twice in the first period. The next night, UND held the Seawolves off the board in the first and subsequently, the entire game.
3. Jonathan Toews and T.J. Oshie need to show the Seawolves why they were first-round draft picks. Most people expected them to be 1-2 in scoring for the Sioux. Right now, they are 5-6. Injuries have played a role in "holding" Toews to a point per game and Oshie to eight in 10 games. Both players have been solid all season, but this weekend it is time for them to be dominating.
Posted by: Schlossman on Friday, November 17 at 2:54 PM | Comments (3) | Permalink
Weekend coverage
Tomorrow morning I'll begin the 15-hour trek to Anchorage, Alaska.
I'm told this is the first time the Herald has sent someone to Alaska in a long time. I'm sure most fans haven't ever been there, either. So tell please me, what things do you want to know about Anchorage? What questions do you want to ask the players or coaches about the trip/venue/time difference/anything to do with playing in Alaska?
I'll be doing blogging up there and writing a story for Sunday's paper. Any questions you have (submit either in comments or e-mail), I'll do my best to get answered in the story or on the blog.
I plan to keep the live scoring updates on the blog, too. Also, since these games will not be televised, if you have a question during the games, feel free to submit it in the comments section and I'll try to answer it promptly. Mike McFeely has done this on his blog during Bison football games and it seems to be a hit. Because of the time difference, I'll have to submit one story before the game is over and another when the buzzer sounds, so I will be very busy writing... but I will still try to answer any questions during the game when I have time.
For a full game recap, including quotes from players and coach Dave Hakstol, read the online version after the game.
Posted by: Schlossman on Wednesday, November 15 at 5:50 PM | Comments (16) | Permalink
Lamoureux won't travel
Goaltender Philippe Lamoureux won't be making the trip to Anchorage, coach Dave Hakstol said Tuesday.
Lamoureux has been sidelined with a leg injury.
Hakstol said he is "95 percent sure" that forward Rylan Kaip will make the trip. Kaip has been bothered by a lower-body injury and was held out for the last three games. He has practiced with the team this week, though.
For more information check out tomorrow's Herald.
In other news, UND has put out a release on the letter of intent signings. The five who were expected to sign did so. Check it out here.
Posted by: Schlossman on Tuesday, November 14 at 3:00 PM | Comments (7) | Permalink
Monday update (late)
More info will follow this afternoon. Check back around 3-3:30 p.m.
Here's Monday's injury update: Phil Lamoureux didn't practice with the team Monday but he did put on his gear, skate and do exercises on his own. Rylan Kaip did practice with the team. No word on who will make the trip to Anchorage yet. The team leaves Wednesday, so a decision will be made sometime today.
Other news:
The Buffalo News did a nice feature on Drew Stafford. Find it here.
*****
Derrick LaPoint's scoring streak finally was snapped Saturday night.
*****
The early signing period closes Wednesday. Once UND gets all of the letters back (and once they have time to put out a release), there will be something on the Sioux Web site. Five players are expected to sign. They are LaPoint, Jake Marto, Evan Trupp, Brad Malone and Brett Hextall. The only new signees in that group are Malone and Hextall. Once the letter of intent is in hand, coach Dave Hakstol will be allowed to comment on the recruits. UND also has verbals from 16-year-olds Danny Kristo and Michael Cichy, but I believe they are too young to sign.
*****
About a month ago, Penticton Vees coach Bruno Campese said that Trupp's target date to return from his shoulder injury was Nov. 17 (which is Friday). I'll see if I can get a hold of Campese this week and find out if Trupp is scheduled to play his first game Friday. Oddly enough, the Sioux will be in his hometown (Anchorage) while he's returning.
Posted by: Schlossman on Tuesday, November 14 at 3:55 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink
LaPoint off to huge start
UND recruit Derrick LaPoint proved himself in Wisconsin high school hockey, earning the state's player of the year honors. But that didn't mean much to many observers.
Originally projected as a high second-round draft pick, LaPoint fell to the fourth round in June's NHL draft. The biggest mystery surrounding LaPoint was the level of competition. Wisconsin high school hockey isn't a hotbed for NHL scouts and questions were raised whether LaPoint could compete at a higher level.
After a month in the USHL, LaPoint is answering all questions. The defenseman is off to a huge start, earning the league's defensive player of the week honor in two of the four weeks. He leads his team in scoring (yes, as a defenseman) with 14 points in nine games. He ranks fifth in the entire league in scoring with his five goals and nine assists.
LaPoint hasn't been held pointless in a single game this season.
I caught up with LaPoint this week to talk about his big start.
GFH: You must be enjoying the USHL so far this season.
LaPoint: Yeah, it's going really well and I'm really enjoying myself.
GFH: Are you surprised you've been able to contribute so much so early?
LaPoint: I wasn't sure what was going to happen. Right away I got started in Cedar Rapids -- I got a shorthanded breakaway goal and that broke all the tension and stuff right there. I felt confident right away and things have been happening for me. I'm just going with everything.
GFH: What happened Friday night? The original box score said you didn't have any points, now they've added two assists to you.
LaPoint: There was a mix-up between the officials and the Pointstreak guys as to who was giving assists. If you noticed on the box score, all of our goals were unassisted. The officials said it wasn't their job to give out assists -- that it was the guys upstairs who were supposed to do it. But those guys said that has never been the case. The league went through the gametape and added assists. Hopefully I'll be able to keep the point streak going.
GFH: Do you think people were hesitant about your abilities because you came out of Wisconsin high school hockey?
LaPoint: People questioned what I would be able to do in a higher level. A couple of pro scouts said they weren't really sure if I was going to be able to put up numbers and that's what really set me back coming right out of high school. Now, I'm able to step into a role (in the USHL), and I've been able to put up points. That shows I still have what I did in high school.
GFH: Have you heard feedback from the Florida Panthers (team that drafted LaPoint) or UND?
LaPoint: Yeah, Florida said they are very excited for what I've been doing. They talked about sending their Director of Player Development here to work on some stuff with me. Coach (Dave) Hakstol and I had a really nice chat last week and I e-mail coach (Cary) Eades. Hakstol said he is impressed with the way I've adjusted into the pace of the league. They, too, had that question mark of how long it would take for me to develop into it. Hakstol said it took about two shifts. That always makes me happy to hear that.
GFH: What will you be looking to improve the rest of the season?
LaPoint: The biggest thing for me is to work on getting bigger and stronger and fill out my frame. I'm constantly working hard at that, and I'm working on stuff like foot speed and agility. Everything has to improve when you get to a higher level.
Posted by: Schlossman on Thursday, November 09 at 4:55 PM | Comments (8) | Permalink
Signing period opens
College hockey's early signing period opens today and runs for a week.
The Sioux are expected to sign Brad Malone and Brett Hextall. Three players -- Evan Trupp, Derrick LaPoint and Jake Marto will re-sign with the Sioux.
I know Danny Kristo (sophomore) is too young to sign a National Letter of Intent. I'm not sure about Michael Cichy (junior, but same birth year as Kristo).
Once signed, UND coach Dave Hakstol will be able to comment on the prospects.
Posted by: Schlossman on Wednesday, November 08 at 10:05 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Zajac earns spot
It appears Travis Zajac is in the NHL to stay.
The New Jersey Devils have told Zajac to look for an apartment/condo, which means they intend for him to stay in the NHL for good.
Zajac surprised many by making the New Jersey Devils' roster out of camp. He's been living out of a hotel, like most players who are on the border of the NHL and AHL and may change teams and cities frequently.
For more on former Sioux players in the pros, check Sunday's paper.
Posted by: Schlossman on Wednesday, November 08 at 9:51 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Notes from the pros
UPDATE: How about this for a UND-pro connection -- On national television tonight, Travis Zajac scored a power-play goal for New Jersey. It was assisted by Zach Parise while Mike Commodore was in the penalty box for Carolina.
*****
It didn't take Drew Stafford long to reach the NHL record books. I got this from the Buffalo Sabres media relations office this morning:
Stafford became the second player in NHL history to pick up his first career point in overtime of his debut. Stafford, who plays forward for Buffalo, set up Daniel Briere's game-winning goal Sunday. The only other player to accomplish the feat is Tim Sweeney, who did it with Calgary on Oct. 4, 1990.
*****
Stafford's Red Seal Peach bandmate also had a good weekend. Jordan Parise picked up his first professional win by stopping 44 of 46 shots for the Lowell Devils. Parise now is 1-1 with a .897 save percentage and 4.00 goals-against average. He gave up six goals in his pro debut.
*****
Zach Parise and Travis Zajac always said they prided themselves on being good two-way players. It appears they are carrying that over to the NHL. Here are the plus/minus leaders for the New Jersey Devils:
Zach Parise +5
Travis Zajac +3
Scott Gomez +2
Johnny Oduya +2
Brian Gionta +1
Other notables: Jamie Langenbrunner -4, Brian Rafalski -4, Patrik Elias -6, and John Madden, known as one of the best defensive forwards in the NHL, -5.
*****
Brandon Bochenski leads the Norfolk Admirals (AHL) in goals (8) and points per game (1.40).
*****
Colby Genoway is second in scoring for the Portland Pirates (AHL) with 11 points in 12 games.
Posted by: Schlossman on Monday, November 06 at 11:52 PM | Comments (1) | Permalink
Weekend review: St. Cloud State
UND moved up to No. 5 in the USCHO.com poll after taking three of four points from St. Cloud State. The Sioux trail Maine, Minnesota, Boston College and Miami. Looking back on the weekend:
Offense: B-. Credit the Sioux offense for generating a ton of shots and many chances. The only problem was they had trouble finishing late Saturday. The offense averaged 2.5 goals per game during the weekend. That's not bad, but the Sioux sure wouldn't have minded getting one more.
Defense: A. The Sioux held St. Cloud State's top line of Andreas Nodl, Nate Dey and Andrew Gordon off the scoreboard. The high-powered trio didn't even tally an assist and they were a combined minus-four on the weekend. Coming into the weekend, that line was averaging a point and a half per game -- that's what the entire team averaged against UND.
Goaltending: A. Making his third and fourth career starts, Anthony Grieco had a .946 save percentage and 1.50 goals-against average for the weekend. Both goals he gave up Saturday night came right in front of the net. Friday's goal, he might want another shot at, although it came on a rush and was a great shot. Grieco also stole a few great scoring chances. It's hard to ask for much more than what he did this weekend.
Entertainment value: A. Saturday's game ended in a tie, but it was one of the more entertaining games I've seen. The play was up-and-down. There were great scoring chances. There were great plays both offensively and defensively. Hopefully, the series in St. Cloud to close out the regular season is just as entertaining.
Stat of the weekend: 30. That's how many shots St. Cloud State blocked Saturday night, including 24 in the first two periods.
Quote of the weekend: Dave Hakstol on two UND defensemen (Chay Genoway, who was playing defense at the time and Robbie Bina) leading the rush for the first goal Saturday night. "We worked on that in practice on Tuesday. When you're having trouble scoring goals, you'll try new things."
Review of the three keys:
1. Score in the first period. Fail/Pass. UND didn't score in the first period Friday, but the Sioux got the first goal of the game 2:13 into the second. On Saturday, UND's first period goal was only an equalizer. Neither ended up rattling St. Cloud State goaltender Bobby Goepfert, who was sharp all weekend.
2. Kill 85 percent of St. Cloud State's power plays. Pass. This was a big key for the Sioux one week after Mankato torched UND on the power play. The Sioux shut down the Huskies' power play all weekend, killing 11 of 12 (91.7 percent) chances. This played a large role in UND getting three WCHA points.
3. Either Matt Watkins or Andrew Kozek needs to get on the scoresheet each night. Fail. This didn't happen either night. Chris Porter ended up making up the difference, however. Porter scored the game-winning goal Friday and the game-tying goal Saturday. Watkins made his presence felt in the faceoff circle Friday, where he went 13-3.
Posted by: Schlossman on Monday, November 06 at 2:43 PM | Comments (6) | Permalink
Gameday final: SCSU 2, UND 2, OT
Postgame:
Usually people think of tie games as boring, but this one was very entertaining. Very high paced, lots of scoring chances -- so many that it's kind of amazing it did end in a tie. Credit the goaltenders, I guess. In my opinion, referee Bill Mason made the correct call on disallowing Toews' goal and also not giving Porter the penalty shot. They did, however, completely blow the fact that there were still five St. Cloud State players on the ice after the minor penalty was called.
Chris Porter and coach Dave Hakstol both briefly commented on the wild ending in their interviews (neither objected to the minor penalty call). Check them out below. I'm told that you need to be a little bit patient and wait for the audio file to download, then play. It will play, just be patient. Right now they are .wav files, so the file sizes are a bit larger and it takes a bit longer to load. Next time, I'll try to condense them to .mp3s.
St. Cloud State coach Bob Motzko [1:49]
UND captain Chris Porter [1:27]
UND defenseman Robbie Bina [1:04]
First period
SCSU 1, UND 0 -- Ryan Lasch (Dan Kronick, John Swanson) 10:40 (pp). Lasch, stationed to the side of the net, took a pass from Dan Kronick, who was in the corner and tipped the puck past Anthony Grieco for the Huskies' first power-play goal of the weekend.
SCSU 1, UND 1 -- Robbie Bina (Chay Genoway, Chris Porter) 13:51. Genoway found Bina pinching in on a rush. Bina knocked the puck over Bobby Goepfert's stacked pads.
SCSU 2, UND 1 -- Dan Kronick (Ryan Lasch) 14:38. St. Cloud State answered quickly when Lasch found Kronick cutting to the net. Lasch, behind the net, hit Kronick who fought his way through traffic to give the Huskies the lead.
Second period
SCSU 2, UND 2 -- Chris Porter (Taylor Chorney, Chay Genoway) 10:24 (pp). Chorney's shot from the point got knocked down by traffic in front of the net, but Porter collected the loose puck and beat Goepfert on the glove side
Third period
No scoring.
Overtime
No scoring.
UND's line chart
Ryan Duncan-Jonathan Toews-T.J. Oshie
Chris Porter-Matt Watkins-Brad Miller
Chay Genoway-Ryan Martens-Andrew Kozek
Erik Fabian-Darcy Zajac-Michael Forney
Joe Finley-Brian Lee
Taylor Chorney-Kyle Radke
Zach Jones-Robbie Bina
Anthony Grieco
SCSU's line chart
Andreas Nodl-Nate Dey-Andrew Gordon
John Swanson-Nate Raduns-Ryan Lasch
Aaron Brocklehurst-Michael Olson-Gary Houseman
Dan Kronick-Marty Mjelleli-Jon Ammerman
Justin Fletcher-Matt Stephenson
Casey Borer-Garrett Raboin
Grant Clafton-Chris Anderson
Bobby Goepfert
Posted by: Schlossman on Saturday, November 04 at 6:24 PM | Comments (294) | Permalink
Gameday final: UND 3, SCSU 1
Postgame:
Last week, after Saturday night's Mankato game, I posted the transcript of Dave Hakstol's postgame interview. I'm going to try something different tonight. I'll post the audio files of the interviews instead of the typed-out transcripts. Let me know which you like better.
Click to download these postgame interviews:
St. Cloud State coach Bob Motzko [1:28]
UND goalie Anthony Grieco [1:37]
UND captain Chris Porter [1:47]
First period
No scoring.
Second period
1-0 UND -- Taylor Chorney (Brian Lee, Jonthan Toews) 2:13 (pp). Toews won the face off to Lee, who passed it to his defensive partner, Chorney. Chorney took a slap shot at the top of the left circle and it got through traffic for a power-play goal.
1-1 -- Ryan Lasch (unassisted) 14:08. After a turnover, Lasch led the Huskies in the zone on a 3-on-1. Lasch took the shot himself from the right wing and beat Anthony Grieco on the short side.
Third period
2-1 UND -- Chris Porter (unassisted) :28. Porter's slap shot from the top of the left circle appeared to knuckle on Goepfert, bouncing off the ice and over his pad.
3-1 UND -- T.J. Oshie (Jonathan Toews, Ryan Duncan) 13:05. Toews fed Oshie from behind the net. Oshie put the puck between Goepfert's pads for a two-goal lead.
UND's line chart
Ryan Duncan-Jonathan Toews-Matt Watkins
Chris Porter-T.J. Oshie-Brad Miller
Chay Genoway-Ryan Martens-Andrew Kozek
Erik Fabian-Chris VandeVelde-Darcy Zajac
Joe Finley-Brian Lee
Taylor Chorney-Kyle Radke
Zach Jones-Robbie Bina
Anthony Grieco
SCSU's line chart
Andreas Nodl-Nate Dey-Andrew Gordon
John Swanson-Nate Raduns-Ryan Lasch
Aaron Brocklehurt-Michael Olson-Gary Houseman
Dan Kronick-Marty Mjelleli-A.J. Gale
Justin Fletcher-Matt Stphenson
Casey Borer-Garrett Raboin
David Carlisle-Chris Anderson
Bobby Goepfert
Posted by: Schlossman on Friday, November 03 at 7:04 PM | Comments (14) | Permalink
Three keys to St. Cloud State
It took me about a half a period to figure out the key to beating St. Cloud State last season. The speed that the Huskies' top line played with was very impressive. They were making plays all over the ice and creating several scoring chances. I was convinced that if UND was able to slow down those guys, the Sioux would have no problem taking care of the Huskies.
Boy was I wrong.
Instead, it was fourth-liner John Swanson who scored the game-tying goal in the third period that day. And fellow fourth-liner Nate Raduns who won it. The next night SCSU's top line scored twice and the Huskies lost.
Later in the season, when the teams met in Ralph Engelstad Arena, the Huskies swept the two-game series with a pair of 2-1 wins. The game-winning goals came from often-scratched forward Marty Mjelleli and defenseman Matt Stephenson, who hadn't scored a goal in his two years in college.
So, I will not say that holding down Andreas Nodl, Andrew Gordon and Co. is the key this series. Here's what I think is:
1. Score in the first period. Goalie Bobby Goepfert's numbers since being named the first-team all-WCHA goalie aren't... well... all-WCHA caliber. He's 2-3 with a 4.40 GAA and .865 save percentage. UND scored five times on him during the Final Five last season. Get an early one, and he may start to wonder what's going on. Freshman Jase Weslosky has a road start under his belt, but his team staked him to a 3-0 first-period lead in that game. It's always easier to play with the lead.
2. Kill 85 percent of St. Cloud State's power plays. Last week, the Sioux power play entered the weekend reeling and it left Mankato sizzling. This week, it's the penalty kill that enters reeling. Mankato scored five power-play goals against UND last weekend and the Sioux are facing a St. Cloud State that has scored half of its goals this season with the extra man.
3. Either Matt Watkins and Andrew Kozek needs to get on the scoresheet each night. The Huskies have enough to worry about with Ryan Duncan, T.J. Oshie and Jonathan Toews, who is returning from injury. When Watkins and Kozek start adding offense, it becomes a monster headache for opponents.
Posted by: Schlossman on Friday, November 03 at 2:26 AM | Comments (9) | Permalink
Thursday's update
Yellow jersey gone, green jersey on.
Jonathan Toews shed the no-hit jersey and practiced with contact today. Expect to see him on the ice this weekend.
It's very unlikely that Philippe Lamoureux will play this weekend, but he did make a brief on-ice appearance with his pads and blockers on to do some exercises as practice ended.
Coach Dave Hakstol said yesterday that he doesn't expect Rylan Kaip to play tomorrow.
A couple of things to look for:
When Toews got injured, T.J. Oshie moved to center and Hakstol has praised his play in the last three games. Don't be surprised if Toews and Oshie center different lines tomorrow.
Also, Chay Genoway excelled last weekend, totalling four points and his first college goal. He'll likely play up front again and I'd expect him to man the point on one of the power play units, as he did a great job against Mankato.
Posted by: Schlossman on Thursday, November 02 at 5:04 PM | Comments (10) | Permalink
Wednesday practice report
Your Wednesday injury update:
Philippe Lamoureux didn't practice Wednesday. He's listed as day-to-day. Without getting any ice time in practice so far this week, I doubt we'll see him this weekend.
Rylan Kaip also didn't practice and is listed as day-to-day. Coach Dave Hakstol said Kaip probably won't be ready to go by Friday.
Jonathan Toews again practiced with the yellow no-hit jersey. He's also day-to-day.
And for the big news from practice this week....
T.J. Oshie has crafted himself an outstanding mullet. It could be in the running for the mulletsgalore.com's mullet of the week. He even cut "steps" into the sides. Excellent work, T.J. In light of this development, Oshie will no doubt have a huge weekend.
Thanks to facebook... and Chuck Schwartz for pointing it out... you can view the mullet here and here.
Posted by: Schlossman on Wednesday, November 01 at 4:20 PM | Comments (14) | Permalink
