College Hockey 2016-17

[TheValleyRaider]

On the road to the Frozen Four in Chicago xthumbsupx

Most of the country gets going this coming week, but there were a few games that counted over the last weekend.

Colgate opened on Saturday night against Army in the brand new Class of 1965 Arena. Couldn't quite give the new place the intro we wanted, as a late goal from the Knights led to a 2-2 tie. Top-ranked BU comes to town next Saturday, which honestly would be a much cooler "first win" than Army ;)

Check out some pics from our new digs here: http://www.gocolgateraiders.com/galleries/?gallery=790

Aside from the new arena, we're in a bit of transition. Lots of scorers graduated from a team that finished well below expectations. I think they can be better, as in maybe get into the top 8 and secure a home ice series. Picked 10th by the media and 11th by the coaches in the ECAC preseason polls.

The Colgate women, meanwhile, are ranked #8 in the country. They opened the rink by sweeping UNH. First NCAA birth to follow this year? Here's to hoping xnodx

The best news though? Hockey is back xbeerchugx

[Laker]

MSU-Mankato Mavericks top University of Regina 5-3 Saturday night.

And on the women's side- Mavs beat RIT for their first weekend sweep since Jan of 2015.

[Laker]

MSU-Mankato Mavericks top University of Regina 5-3 Saturday night.

And on the women's side- Mavs beat RIT for their first weekend sweep since Jan of 2015.

[bulldog10jw]

The way Yale is playing football, I can hardly wait for hockey to start. Unfortunately, our first game is not until the 29th. Meanwhile, Let's Go Mets.

[Catsfan90]

UNH needs to fire their coach, end of story.

[Bizon9]

UND has a good chance to get back to the Frozen Four. Yes they lost a lot but they have key guys coming back including Cam Johnson, Brock Boeser, and Gage Ausmus. Finally the greatest rivalry in college hockey is back as UND goes to Minny for a series in November.

[TheValleyRaider]

Raiders took one on the chin against BU last night, losing 6-1. We actually played decently well at the beginning and end of the game, but that wasn't really going to be enough. On the bright side, we're probably not going to see a team as talented as the Terriers for the rest of the season (unless we make the tournament).

Next week UConn comes to town on Friday. Still chasing win #1 in the Class of '65 arena, though this is definitely going to be a more competitive game.

The #8 women, meanwhile, swept Merrimack to start 4-0 on the season xthumbsupx Big home-and-home coming this weekend against Syracuse

[Laker]

MSU-Mankato men sweep Michigan Tech at home. MSU women get swept at UMD.

And in a side note, the Bemidji State women defeat the defending national champion Gophers 2-0. The Twin Cities media is shocked. Outstate Minnesota never seems to get any credit from those inside the 494 Beltway.

[Bizon9]

UND sweeps Canisius and it wasn't even close. 6-0 and 4-1.

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

Laker: Good series by the Mavs this weekend. Swept #7 St Cloud State at home.

4-0 on the season!

[TheValleyRaider]

Another tie for the Raiders, a nutty 4-4 draw with UConn. The Huskies have some big and talented kids, quite a change from their days in Atlantic Hockey. The move to Hockey East (and playing games in Hartford rather than Storrs) has been good for their program.

Raiders go on the road next week for a pair of games at another Hockey East foe, Merrimack.

[Laker]

Laker: Good series by the Mavs this weekend. Swept #7 St Cloud State at home.

4-0 on the season!

YES! Any win against St. Cloud is a good one. A sweep is icing on the cake. Last year MSU had such a slow start, I'm glad that they are faster out of the gate this year.

On a side note- I took in two football games Saturday- Mav win at Augustana and Wayne State upset at Southwest State. A little hard on the backside but nice weather made it fun.

[TheValleyRaider]

Raiders drop a pair at Merrimack this weekend, 4-3 and 5-2. Both games were tight, and we did well to stick close in both, but sticking close isn't winning, and we're still staring at a big 0 in the win column. Back to Class of '65 Rink for 2 games against Maine. Would really love to find a win before conference play starts.

Good on the Lady Raiders, though, as they rallied to get a win and tie against Syracuse. They start conference play this weekend at Union/RPI. Still unbeaten at 5-0-1 and ranked #6 in the country :)

[Laker]

Both Alaska hockey schools saved- for now.

http://www.uscho.com/2016/10/28/both-alaska-programs-spared-as-cuts-announced-at-fairbanks-anchorage/

[TheValleyRaider]

Both Alaska hockey schools saved- for now.

http://www.uscho.com/2016/10/28/both-alaska-programs-spared-as-cuts-announced-at-fairbanks-anchorage/

Yes, assuming those other program cuts are allowed to stay. It's always tough to see programs like that get cut, but you gotta do what you can budget-wise. I have to think that the hockey programs are good advertising for the schools, especially in the lower 48 states (compared to the school's other programs)

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

Watching the North Dakota - Minnesota game at Marriuci on TV...there are a lot of empty seats.

Indication of how the Gophers have fallen in attendance? Thought it would be a packed house.

[Laker]

Watching the North Dakota - Minnesota game at Marriuci on TV...there are a lot of empty seats.

Indication of how the Gophers have fallen in attendance? Thought it would be a packed house.

I was there last year as they beat Wisconsin. Lots of empty seats for the end of the regular season and the Big Ten title. I don't know what is wrong there.

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

I was there last year as they beat Wisconsin. Lots of empty seats for the end of the regular season and the Big Ten title. I don't know what is wrong there.


xlolx

They just said the game is a sellout.......xlolx

My butt.....empty seats everywhere......That many people decided not to go to the game?.........xeyebrowx

[bulldog10jw]

Yale got off to a fast start, then blew a 2 goal 2nd period lead and lost to Union 5-3. Yale has always been one of those teams that were a lock if they had a lead going into the 3rd period. Not tonight.

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

3-3 in the 3rd for the Gophers/Sioux

All 3 Gophers goals are on the power play.....

4-3 UND now.....UND has some NHL talent on that team...

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

Fun game to watch: UND up 5-4 with under 2 left......Gophers score to tie it up....wow

[Laker]

This really has been a great game- and yes, it was stupid that they haven't played each other in a while.

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

This really has been a great game- and yes, it was stupid that they haven't played each other in a while.


Big 10 arrogance is basically the answer.....xnodx

[Laker]

Big 10 arrogance is basically the answer.....xnodx

I was going to say holier than thou U of M attitude. Probably one of the most exciting tie games that I've watched.

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

I was going to say holier than thou U of M attitude. Probably one of the most exciting tie games that I've watched.


It was a good game. UND will be tough at the end of the year. They always get their groove going at the end of the season. Sounded like a lot of UND fans were there.

Where were the Mavs tonight?

[Laker]

It was a good game. UND will be tough at the end of the year. They always get their groove going at the end of the season. Sounded like a lot of UND fans were there.

Where were the Mavs tonight?

Getting manhandled up at Lake Superior State 5-1. Ouch.

[TheValleyRaider]

Charlie Finn stands on his head all weekend, and the Raiders steal a point from the Harvard/Dartmouth trip. 41 saves in a 1-1 tie in Cambridge and 26 more in a 2-0 loss to Dartmouth. The offense is gonna need to generate more goals, though it's nice to have Finn back after a rough year last season. Paying a visit to Yale and Brown this weekend. Yale is ranked, but Brown is not so good.

The ladies, meanwhile, are still unbeaten in 11 to start the season. They swept RIT in a home-and-home, and are now ranked #5 in the nation. Yale and Brown come to visit this weekend.

[Ivytalk]

Harvard beats Cornell 4-3 at home after 1-1 tie against Gate. Off to Princeton and Quinnipiac next weekend.

[TheValleyRaider]

Weird split for Colgate this weekend. We beat #19 Yale, behind a bunch of saves from Charlie Finn, then lost to Brown the next day. The Brown game was an earlier faceoff, but apparently we looked pretty rough. I'll take the road split, but after beating Yale it could have been so much more. Princeton and Quinnipiac coming to Class of '65 arena next.

2 more wins, meanwhile, for the women, rallying to beat Yale then thumping Brown. The team is 12-0-1 so far, headed to Princeton/Quinnipiac next weekend. They were ranked #5 coming in, while #3 took a loss, so they might jump a spot in tomorrow's poll.

[Laker]

MSU gives up 5 of 6 points this weekend to Bemidji in Mankato. Can't do that when you are chasing them.

[Laker]

Mavs pound the Goofers before a record crowd of over 5,000 in Kato tonight!

[Bizon9]

UND ends their 6 game winless streak by dominating SCSU tonight 4-0. Gersich with the hatty.

[TheValleyRaider]

Another weekend split for Colgate, beating Princeton on Friday night (7th straight win over the Tigers) then losing to Quinnipiac on Saturday afternoon (5th straight loss to the Bobcats). Quiet weekend with Thanksgiving coming up, just one game on Saturday at Providence, but Cornell comes the following Tuesday...

Tough weekend for the ladies, too, as they were swept at Princeton/Quinnipiac. Still 12-2-1 overall, but they'll take a tumble in the rankings. Two games this week at Mercyhurst on Tuesday/Wednesday before the holiday

[Bizon9]

UND dominates SCSU once again in yet another shutout 3-0. The sleeping giant just may have awoken.

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

Going to the UND/Michigan State game on Saturday. UND loves their hockey up there.

Family friend just committed to UND as a HS sophomore. He will probably go to the juniors for a couple of years then head to GF. Really cool.

[Bizon9]

Going to the UND/Michigan State game on Saturday. UND loves their hockey up there.

Family friend just committed to UND as a HS sophomore. He will probably go to the juniors for a couple of years then head to GF. Really cool.
Who is the family friend?

[TheValleyRaider]

Raiders go down at Providence, 3-2. Big week coming up, archrival Cornell comes for their annual visit on Tuesday night, then it's a weekend trip to Arizona State. Need to pick up some points this week heading into the holidays.

[POD Knows]

UND ends their 6 game winless streak by dominating SCSU tonight 4-0. Gersich with the hatty.

They started a new streak this weekend

[Ivytalk]

6-2-1 Harvard beats Bentley 5-2 at home before heading to St. Lawrence and Clarkson next weekend for its last pre-exam series.

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

They started a new streak this weekend


Watching them at the Ralph on Saturday, they definitely are not as good as last year....yet.

[Laker]

Watching them at the Ralph on Saturday, they definitely are not as good as last year....yet.

One thing about UND- they often seem to start slow- but really come on in Feb. and March.

[POD Knows]

Watching them at the Ralph on Saturday, they definitely are not as good as last year....yet.

Seems like they always start slow and then pick it up during the year. They seem pretty solid to me and I would expect another run at the Natty. Lots of close games this year.

[Bizon9]

They started a new streak this weekend
Embarrassing to say the least.

[Ivytalk]

Harvard beats St. Lawrence 4-2 on the road! Clarkson tomorrow, then exam break.

[Bizon9]

Very entertaining game tonight between UND and BC at Madison Square Garden. UND needed this and won 4-3.

[Ivytalk]

Harvard gets first "north country" road sweep since 2002 with 7-3 thumping of Clarkson.

[TheValleyRaider]

Tough week for Colgate. They lost to rival Cornell on Tuesday in the usual tight affair, then split a pair of games out at Arizona State. Long layoff now with finals and the holidays coming up, back to action in a tournament up at Dartmouth with UMass-Lowell and Army.

The ladies keep on trucking, 15-2-2 this year. Beat Dartmouth and tied Harvard on the road. They are also off until the new year, currently ranked #7 in the polls and the PWR.

[TheValleyRaider]

Harvard gets first "north country" road sweep since 2002 with 7-3 thumping of Clarkson.

Very impressive, especially given how good both SLU and Clarkson are supposed to be.

I figured Harvard would drop off a bit with Vesey leaving, but they might be the best team in the league...

[TheValleyRaider]

Rough trip to Dartmouth for the holiday tournament, losing 3-2 to Lowell then 4-1 to Army to take an 0-fer to close out the year. Raiders have lost 6 of their last 7, 4-11-4 on the season. This is a young team have a long season. They've shown some fight, and hopefully can string together some more consistent performances in the second half.

Tough start to that second half, though, visiting defending champs Quinnipiac and rapidly rising Princeton next weekend. Any points would be huge.

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

Laker:

I see the Mavs swept Alabama-Huntsville to go 13-7-2 and will probably move up from #19 in the poll today. They have some work to do to try and catch Bemidji in the 2nd half.

[Laker]

Laker:

I see the Mavs swept Alabama-Huntsville to go 13-7-2 and will probably move up from #19 in the poll today. They have some work to do to try and catch Bemidji in the 2nd half.

I was listening on the radio on my way home from the buckets games in Mankato Sat. night. Darn near blew a 3-0 lead in the third but survived a five minute major.

The Beavers clinched a WCHA playoff spot for 2017 on New Year's Eve. Never heard of that before. I don't think that the Mavs can catch them in the regular season but maybe in the playoffs. Those are going to the higher ranked school for home ice this year to improve attendance- not just the first round but evidently throughout.

[TheValleyRaider]

Raiders pick up a point against Princeton after losing to Quinnipiac. 2-5-2 in the League so far. Still in the bottom 4, but just 2 points out of 7th. SLU and Clarkson come to visit this weekend, first home games since the end of November.

[Bizon9]

BU 3 BC 0

[Laker]

BU 3 BC 0

I saw the last two goals on TV. They said that all three were on power plays. BC kept getting shorthanded when they were behind.

[Ivytalk]

Harvard scores 4 unanswered goals in third period to beat Cornell 4-1 at Ithaca. Huge road ECAC win!

[TheValleyRaider]

Raiders split a 4 game homestand. Wins over Clarkson and Dartmouth, losses to SLU and Harvard. Next week, out to the Capital District to face RPI (improving) and Union (top of the league with SLU/Harvard). Still in the bottom 4, but we have games in hand and time to make a move. This is a young team, and they've shown some great fight and improvement this season.

The ladies slowed down over the holidays, but have won 3 of 4, including a win at then-#5 SLU last weekend, and a sweep of Dartmouth/Harvard this weekend. Unranked, but currently 10th in the PWR

[Laker]

The #1 rated team, UMD, beat St. Cloud State in OT to win the North Star College Cup. In the four year run between the five D1 hockey schools in the state, four different schools won the title. Of course- the one school that didn't was MSU-Mankato. Because of poor attendance, this is the last year for the tournament. It was an attempt to copy the success of the Bean Pot but since it was at a neutral site (Xcel where the Wild play) and the tickets were costly it never drew well. I suppose that UMD will keep the cup permanently.

http://www.twincities.com/2017/01/28/north-star-college-cup-minnesota-duluth-tips-st-cloud-state-in-ot-for-title/

[Ivytalk]

Harvard beat Dartmouth on Friday night, 5-2. Game got a little chippy. Next up: first round Beanpot play against Northeastern on Monday night. Harvard hasn't won that tournament since 1993 and hasn't even made the finals since 2008.

[TheValleyRaider]

Rough weekend in the Capital District. Raiders swept by RPI (5-2) and #4/#5 Union (3-1). Currently sitting at 10th place, just 2 points out of 8th and home ice in the first round, with one game in hand over the two teams we're chasing (Dartmouth and Princeton). Also, tonight's loss means we are mathematically eliminated from winning the regular season title.

Big one on Tuesday for that extra game in hand: Cornell in Ithaca. Always a big trip into Lynah. Better dead than red!

[Bizon9]

Big win by UND tonight over St Cloud 2-1 in overtime. Salvage a split.

[TheValleyRaider]

Took it on the chin at Lynah, 4-0 to SUNY-Ithaca. Tough night against a good team. Still 2 points behind Dartmouth for 8th, now with no games in hand

Only 6 left in the regular season, starting with 2 at home against Brown and Yale. Both teams are nearby in the standings, gotta pick up points on home ice

[Ivytalk]

Harvard beat Northeastern 4-3 in the Beanpot opener, setting up a thrilling final against BU next Monday.xthumbsupx

[Ivytalk]

Harvard beat Union 6-2, scoring 2 empty-net goals late. Crimson avenged an earlier 2-1 loss to Union in NY.

[Laker]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C4ZDUBjVUAA6jSV.jpg

[TheValleyRaider]

Our games this weekend got pushed back a day with the blizzard, but Colgate finishes off a home sweep of Brown and Yale (and the first season sweep of Eli since 2006). Right now we're tied with Dartmouth for that last home spot in 8th, but would lose the tiebreaker. Just two points behind Yale in 6th, though. Two more big games next weekend, as the Raiders go to the North Country for Clarkson and St. Lawrence. Can't afford to take another road sweep.

The women swept Brown/Yale on the road this weekend, and hold 4th place by 1 point over Princeton and 2 over Quinnipiac with just one weekend to go. It'll be a tough one, though, as they welcome Clarkson/SLU, who are #1/#2 in the conference standings. Raiders are 9th right now in the PWR, a bubble team for the dance with 3 weekends to go.

[TheValleyRaider]

Goofed on the standings somehow. Still tied with Dartmouth, but for 9th. 1 behind Princeton in 8th, 2 behind Yale in 7th

[Bizon9]

Harvard wins the Beanpot beating BU 6-3 and outshooting them 46-17. Wow.

[Ivytalk]

Harvard wins the Beanpot beating BU 6-3 and outshooting them 46-17. Wow.
First tourney title since '93. Well worth the wait! Harvard's 5-4 win over BU in the '75 Beanpot final still stands as the best college hockey game I ever saw.

[TheValleyRaider]

Way to go Harvard. BU is a pretty good team that just got a pretty good thumping. Crimson are going to be favored to make a deep tourney run

[Laker]

First tourney title since '93. Well worth the wait! Harvard's 5-4 win over BU in the '75 Beanpot final still stands as the best college hockey game I ever saw.

Harvard was in the Frozen Four that year, weren't they? I thought that I watched them on TV.

[bulldog10jw]

Goofed on the standings somehow. Still tied with Dartmouth, but for 9th. 1 behind Princeton in 8th, 2 behind Yale in 7th

Yale plays Harvard and Dartmouth this weekend at home and QU and Princeton next weekend on the road. I was optimistic a month ago, not so much anymore. The wheels have come off.

[Ivytalk]

Harvard beats Yale 4-2 in New Haven to extend its winning streak to 7. At Brown tomorrow.

[bulldog10jw]

Harvard beats Yale 4-2 in New Haven to extend its winning streak to 7. At Brown tomorrow.

I thought Yale actually played pretty well, but like last week against Colgate took too many penalties. You can't give a good offensive team like Harvard that much of an advantage.

[TheValleyRaider]

Colgate women wrapped up their regular season this afternoon, getting swept over the weekend by Clarkson and SLU. Tough results, but they're two of the country's best.

Colgate finishes 5th in the ECAC. They will go to Quinnipiac for a best 2-of-3 starting next Friday. Both are bubble teams in the PWR, so the loser's season is almost certainly over

[Laker]

Mav men beat Michigan Tech and their hot goal tender last night, and the Mav women beat Bemidji State today. Mavs host Huskies again tonight.

[TheValleyRaider]

Colgate finishes 5th in the ECAC. They will go to Quinnipiac for a best 2-of-3 starting next Friday. Both are bubble teams in the PWR, so the loser's season is almost certainly over

Goofed on the standings again xrolleyesx

Colgate finishes 6th in the league, meaning they get a weekend series against #3, archrival Cornell, in Lynah

[Ivytalk]

Harvard shuts out Brown for the second time this season, this time 6-0 in Providence. 8th straight win for the Crimson.

[Laker]

Mavs sweep Northern Michigan 7-4.

[TheValleyRaider]

Tough trip to the North Country, but that's to be expected. Tough loss Friday night at Clarkson, but a stronger showing at SLU tonight for a tie. The team has showed some signficant improvement since the start of the year in terms of toughness, but still struggling to score.

We're now tied for 9th with Princeton, but hold the tiebreaker after a win and tie against the Tigers. Just one point behind Dartmouth for 8th and home ice. Union and RPI come to Hamilton for the last weekend, while the Big Green host Clarkson/SLU, while Princeton hosts Brown/Yale. Going to be a fight to the finish in the ECAC once again

Union - 31 pts.
Harvard - 30
Cornell - 28
St. Lawrence - 26
Quinnipiac - 23
Clarkson - 21
Yale - 18
Dartmouth - 16
Colgate - 15
Princeton - 15
Rensselaer - 10
Brown - 7

[POD Knows]

Somebody explain to me, like I am a two year old, how UND is still in the hunt for a regional playoff spot with a conference record of well under .500. I don't follow college hockey that closely other than watching a game here and there.

[TheValleyRaider]

Somebody explain to me, like I am a two year old, how UND is still in the hunt for a regional playoff spot with a conference record of well under .500. I don't follow college hockey that closely other than watching a game here and there.

The short answer is that the tournament is picked on a calculated ranking system called the Pairwise Ranking (PWR). Ranking with a brief explanation here: http://www.uscho.com/rankings/pairwise-rankings/d-i-men/

The biggest piece is your RPI ranking, which is heavily weighted by strength-of-schedule. UND plays in a very deep conference, so they've got a pretty solid SOS boost. They are also on the bubble, so if they go out in round 1 of their conference tournament, they'll probably get jumped by a team or two and fall out.

If you want to get really technical, these rankings aren't the real ones the NCAA uses, but they have been perfect for the last decade-plus, so they're as good as the real thing.

There was a rule instituted a few years ago that prevents a team with a losing record overall from getting in, which came because it happened one year (2008, I think?). Other than that, the committee's job is to slot teams in according to the calculated rankings. You can see some of the thought process here: http://www.uscho.com/bracketology/2017/02/15/where-does-your-team-stand-with-less-than-one-month-left-in-regular-season/

[POD Knows]

The short answer is that the tournament is picked on a calculated ranking system called the Pairwise Ranking (PWR). Ranking with a brief explanation here: http://www.uscho.com/rankings/pairwise-rankings/d-i-men/

The biggest piece is your RPI ranking, which is heavily weighted by strength-of-schedule. UND plays in a very deep conference, so they've got a pretty solid SOS boost. They are also on the bubble, so if they go out in round 1 of their conference tournament, they'll probably get jumped by a team or two and fall out.

If you want to get really technical, these rankings aren't the real ones the NCAA uses, but they have been perfect for the last decade-plus, so they're as good as the real thing.

There was a rule instituted a few years ago that prevents a team with a losing record overall from getting in, which came because it happened one year (2008, I think?). Other than that, the committee's job is to slot teams in according to the calculated rankings. You can see some of the thought process here: http://www.uscho.com/bracketology/2017/02/15/where-does-your-team-stand-with-less-than-one-month-left-in-regular-season/

Hey thanks, the last link was good. Is that rule you referenced still in effect about teams with losing records not getting in?

[TheValleyRaider]

Hey thanks, the last link was good. Is that rule you referenced still in effect about teams with losing records not getting in?

As far as I can tell: http://www.uscho.com/faq/ncaa-selection-process/ (scroll to "How are the at-large teams selected?")

This rule would only apply to at-large bids. Each conference gets an automatic bid, and they all give it to their tournament champion. There's no record requirement for those births, but a losing record would almost certainly make you one of the #4 seeds.

[Ivytalk]

Harvard stretches its win streak to 9 with workmanlike 4-1 win over Clarkson at home.

[TheValleyRaider]

Tough day for Colgate. The men lose to Union 4-3 in OT. Had the lead in the 3rd, but couldn't hold it. Heading into the final day, there is one scenario that gives us a home playoff series. Otherwise, it's likely on the road to Dartmouth/Princeton/Yale.
http://www.ecachockey.com/men/championship/20170101_Fan_Guide:

Colgate (15 points, vs Rensselaer) -
Seeded #8 with a win, a Princeton loss, and a Dartmouth loss.
Seeded #9 with a win, a Princeton win or tie, and a Dartmouth loss.
Seeded #9 with a win, a Princeton loss, and a Dartmouth win or tie.
Seeded #10 with a win, a Princeton win or tie, and a Dartmouth win or tie.
Seeded #10 with a loss or a tie.

Meanwhile, the women fell at Cornell 2-1 on a 3rd period penalty shot. Down 1-0 in the series, must win tonight to stay alive. A loss means the series, and most likely the season, is over

[Ivytalk]

Harvard wins 10th in row, 6-3 over St. Lawrence. Strong finish to regular season!xnodx

[TheValleyRaider]

Another tough day for the 'Gate

The women fell 1-0 at Cornell, getting swept in their quarterfinal series. A disappointing end to a season that started with so much promise.

The men lost 3-2 to RPI, meaning we finish 10th in the league, heading on the road for the first round of the playoffs. On the bright side, we'll visit Princeton, after taking 3 of 4 points from the Tigers this year.

And congrats to Harvard on winning the Cleary Cup

Final ECAC Standings
1-Harvard
2-Union
3-Cornell
4-St. Lawrence
5-Quinnipiac
6-Clarkson
7-Princeton
8-Yale
9-Dartmouth
10-Colgate
11-Rensselaer
12-Brown

[Laker]

MSU men win at WCHA champion Bemidji. MSU will be seeded 3rd and host UAF.

MSU women are eliminated in the WCHA playoffs at Wisconsin.

Bemidji women upset the Gophers and will go to a deciding third game.

Gopher men beat Wisconsin to stay in first place. Better dead than red.

[bulldog10jw]

Yale staggers to the finish line with an absolutely brutal February (1-6-1). Somehow the team managed to get home ice in the first round.

Team to watch in the ECAC playoffs is Princeton who turned things around after an awful start.

[SDFS]

The short answer is that the tournament is picked on a calculated ranking system called the Pairwise Ranking (PWR). Ranking with a brief explanation here: http://www.uscho.com/rankings/pairwise-rankings/d-i-men/

The biggest piece is your RPI ranking, which is heavily weighted by strength-of-schedule. UND plays in a very deep conference, so they've got a pretty solid SOS boost. They are also on the bubble, so if they go out in round 1 of their conference tournament, they'll probably get jumped by a team or two and fall out.

If you want to get really technical, these rankings aren't the real ones the NCAA uses, but they have been perfect for the last decade-plus, so they're as good as the real thing.

There was a rule instituted a few years ago that prevents a team with a losing record overall from getting in, which came because it happened one year (2008, I think?). Other than that, the committee's job is to slot teams in according to the calculated rankings. You can see some of the thought process here: http://www.uscho.com/bracketology/2017/02/15/where-does-your-team-stand-with-less-than-one-month-left-in-regular-season/

As noted in the comments above the Pairwise has a very heavy SOS component but it does have a head-to-head component. The reason why UND has such a strong SOS is that the NCHC had a very good nonconference season. They lead all of college hockey with a 48-21-14 record and a .663 winning percentage in nonconference play. In the head to head component of the pairwise, UND at one point had played all the first place teams in the other conferences and had a 7-2-2 record. So, that has also played a key role in UND's ranking.

Right now UND is ranked 12th in the pairwise which is very much a bubble position. It will be a tight squeeze for UND to get into NCAAs this year. The NCHC is very top heavy this year. Right now if the season ended today. The NCHC would have 3 top seeds (Pairwise Ranking - 1 Denvery, 2 UMD, 4 W. Mich.) UND would be a 4 seed. UND has been owned by those 3 teams this year going 1-8-1. The W. Mich games have been very close. The Denver series was very good. UMD had UND's number when they played and they were clearly the better team.

As noted above, the selection committee does not play a role in selecting the 16 teams or deciding seeds. Top 4 in pairwise are 1, next 4 are 2s and so on. But, they do place teams and decide who is going to travel. It will be interesting to see, but right now with NCHC having 3 of the top seeds and UND hosting in Fargo as a 4 seed. Do they send a 1 seed Harvard to Fargo to play UND? Historically the NCAA has avoided first round interconference match ups or do they send Duluth or Denver.

Here is a nice article that talks more about UND being ranked so high in the pairwise.

http://www.wday.com/sports/4213192-unds-challenging-schedule-boon-pairwise

[TheValleyRaider]

It's all over for the 'Gate, losing the series 2-1 at Princeton. We took Game 1 in OT on Friday, and were 1 second away from a sweep on Saturday. Princeton scored to tie the game, then won in OT. They finished off the series with a 2-1 victory tonight.

Rough year for Colgate, finishing 9-22-6 overall. Key pieces graduate this year. The freshmen this year were a nice bunch, but we have to follow that up with improvement across the board. It will be interesting to see how well the new rink works to draw players in. Colgate under Don Vaughan has rarely been down for long, but they'll need to take a big step forward to at least get a home series, forget challenging for a top 4 bye.

[Laker]

Here are the pairings for the second round of the WCHA.

4 Bowling Green at 1Bemidji
3 MSU-Mankato at 2 Michigan Tech

[bulldog10jw]

Yale won their first round ECAC series 2-0 over Dartmouth. This weekend it's the best two of three against #1 seed Harvard.

[SDFS]

NCHC Conference tournament games are starting:

SCSU @ UND - winner survives and goes the Frozen Faceoff. Loser sits at homefor a long off season.

[Laker]

MSU-Mankato tied 1-1 going into the third up at Michigan Tech.

[Ivytalk]

Harvard took control in the third period and beat Yale, 6-4, in the first game of the best-of-three series.

[Laker]

MSU-Mankato lives to die another day by winning at Michigan Tech 1-0. The deciding game 3 is Sunday.

[Ivytalk]

Third-period magic works again for Harvard in its 4-3 series-clinching win over Yale.

[Laker]

Bowling Green sweeps at regular season champ Bemidji. Winner of tomorrow's game 3 at Michigan Tech with Minnesota State will host the WCHA finals.

[Ivytalk]

Union took its series with Princeton with 4-3 OT win. Cornell-Clarkson and Quinnipiac-St. Lawrence series headed for game 3 today.

[Mike296]

Who do you guys got winning the Women's title this year? My gut pick would be Unanimous #1 ranked Wisconsin but we don't have a great track record in the Frozen Four if Im remembering right.

[Laker]

Who do you guys got winning the Women's title this year? My gut pick would be Unanimous #1 ranked Wisconsin but we don't have a great track record in the Frozen Four if Im remembering right.

I thought that UMD might knock them off, but they lost at home to the Goofers. When I watched UM and UW play I thought that the Badgers were better. Better dead than red but I think UW will win.

[Laker]

Mavs lose game 3 so the WCHA finals are Bowling Green at Michigan Tech. I'll pick the Huskies.

[Bizon9]

UND has awoken from the dead. Swept Miami last weekend and now swept SCSU in the opening round of the NCHC tourney moving them up to 11 in the pairwise. Now have number 1 DU in the Frozen Faceoff at the Target Center Friday.

[POD Knows]

UND has awoken from the dead. Swept Miami last weekend and now swept SCSU in the opening round of the NCHC tourney moving them up to 11 in the pairwise. Now have number 1 DU in the Frozen Faceoff at the Target Center Friday.

What a joke, finish with a losing record in the conference and still alive. Maybe the whole playoff system needs to be looked at.

[Bizon9]

What a joke, finish with a losing record in the conference and still alive. Maybe the whole playoff system needs to be looked at.

Called strength of schedule. Exactly why Penn St is where they are at. Cupcake schedule.

[POD Knows]

Called strength of schedule. Exactly why Penn St is where they are at. Cupcake schedule.

Yea, yea, it was explained to me in a previous post. SOS only matters to UND fans when it comes to hockey, it is a BS stat in all other sports if you listed to them.

[Bizon9]

Yea, yea, it was explained to me in a previous post. SOS only matters to UND fans when it comes to hockey, it is a BS stat in all other sports if you listed to them.

In college hockey that's what they go by. It's called the pairwise. You must be a UND hater. Plenty out there. Elite programs will do that.

I see you are a Bison fan. I am too but also a huge UND fan. Nice to see they are going to the dance for the first time in school history.

[POD Knows]

In college hockey that's what they go by. It's called the pairwise. You must be a UND hater. Plenty out there. Elite programs will do that.

I see you are a Bison fan. I am too but also a huge UND fan. Nice to see they are going to the dance for the first time in school history.

Did you go to school at both colleges? How can you be a fan of both schools sports teams? It is like being a fan of Michigan and OSU at the same, how does that work?

Just to be completely open, I tried to be a UND hockey fan at one time because I like hockey and I like college hockey, plus I dislike the Gophers, so I figured I would give it a try. It didn't stick, my dislike of UND is too ingrained.

They have had a good run this year in a couple sports but that will soon come to an end. Hell, they might win the NCAA College Hockey deal again, the division is pretty watered down.

[Bizon9]

Did you go to school at both colleges? How can you be a fan of both schools sports teams? It is like being a fan of Michigan and OSU at the same, how does that work?

Just to be completely open, I tried to be a UND hockey fan at one time because I like hockey and I like college hockey, plus I dislike the Gophers, so I figured I would give it a try. It didn't stick, my dislike of UND is too ingrained.

They have had a good run this year in a couple sports but that will soon come to an end. Hell, they might win the NCAA College Hockey deal again, the division is pretty watered down.

Didn't go to either school. I'm a fan of any North Dakota college. I'm a fan of my state. I was born in Grand Forks so that's my allegiance to UND. My nephew is the QB for the Eagles. I believe he played for the Bizon. ;)

Not sure what you mean by college hockey being watered down. It's a year where there isn't a clear cut favorite which to me makes it more exciting. Be down at the Target Center this weekend for the Frozen Faceoff. Fun weekend regardless of how it turns out.

[Bisonator]

What a joke, finish with a losing record in the conference and still alive. Maybe the whole playoff system needs to be looked at.
That's because there are only 59 teams and 16 of them make the playoffs. That's right damn near 28% make the playoffs. It's damn near as bad as FBS bowl games.xlolx

[F'N Hawks]

That's because there are only 59 teams and 16 of them make the playoffs. That's right damn near 28% make the playoffs. It's damn near as bad as FBS bowl games.xlolx

20% of FCS teams make the playoffs. Drastically different.

[Bizon9]

20% of FCS teams make the playoffs. Drastically different.
Huge difference. xlolx

Not to mention half the FBS teams are in a bowl game, some with 5-7 records. And obviously not college sports but the NHL and NBA send half their teams to the playoffs. But I guess college hockey just sends to many to the post season. ;)

[POD Knows]

Didn't go to either school. I'm a fan of any North Dakota college. I'm a fan of my state. I was born in Grand Forks so that's my allegiance to UND. My nephew is the QB for the Eagles. I believe he played for the Bizon. ;)

Not sure what you mean by college hockey being watered down. It's a year where there isn't a clear cut favorite which to me makes it more exciting. Be down at the Target Center this weekend for the Frozen Faceoff. Fun weekend regardless of how it turns out.

OK, I know who you are, thanks for the clarification, and I was trolling on the watered down deal. Where I live, we only rarely get UND hockey games and I watch most of them and of the 8 or 9 games I watched, I think they won once or twice. I just wasn't impressed with them or the quality of play as a whole. I watched both UND/Duluth series, the both UND/Western Michigan series and a game against CC. Maybe I am a jinx.

I will vote for UND hockey when they play Minnesota but it is a close call.

[Bizon9]

OK, I know who you are, thanks for the clarification, and I was trolling on the watered down deal. Where I live, we only rarely get UND hockey games and I watch most of them and of the 8 or 9 games I watched, I think they won once or twice. I just wasn't impressed with them or the quality of play as a whole. I watched both UND/Duluth series, the both UND/Western Michigan series and a game against CC. Maybe I am a jinx.

I will vote for UND hockey when they play Minnesota but it is a close call.

UND has had a strange year no doubt. Hard to figure out but they have played much better the last 2 series. With that said the 3 other teams in the Frozen Faceoff, DU, UMD, and Western Michigan, they are 1-8-1 against them this year. The NCHC is one tough conference. That and UND hasn't fared well at the Target Center in this thing going 1-4-1.So everything points to 2 losses but that's why they play the game.

[Bizon9]

Dean Blais has stepped down as head coach at Omaha. End of an era. Blais won national titles at UND in 1997 and 2000. Dean coached Minot High back in 78 and 79 when I played for Jamestown. Got to know him over the years. Great guy who could obviously coach. Wish him all the best in his retirement.

[Ivytalk]

Harvard bests Quinnipiac 4-1. Will play winner of Union-Cornell tomorrow in ECAC final.

[Ivytalk]

Harvard will play Cornell in the ECAC finals tonight.

[Laker]

Penn State beats the Goofers in double OT.

Wisconsin tops Ohio State.

Knittany Lyons v Stinkin' Badges today for the BIG title.

[cx500d]

ND Fn hawks beats #1 Denver to earn a NCAA berth.

[dgtw]

20% of FCS teams make the playoffs. Drastically different.

The percentage is higher when you consider three leagues don't participate.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[POD Knows]

20% of FCS teams make the playoffs. Drastically different.

Yep, and there are too many teams in the FCS playoffs as well.

[Bizon9]

UND vs UMD for the NCHC playoff title tonight on CBS Sports Network. UND playing it's best hockey at the right time. They ended Denver's 13 game winning streak and will be going to the NCAA tourney for a 15th straight year, which is the longest streak in college hockey.

[Ivytalk]

Harvard beats Cornell for the third time this season, 4-1, to win the ECAC tournament! Crimson looking awfully good right now. That's 14 straight wins.

[Laker]

Michigan Tech beats Bowling Green in double OT to win the WCHA.

[POD Knows]

UMD beats UND in another apparently meaningless hockey game.

[BisonFan02]

Didn't go to either school. I'm a fan of any North Dakota college. I'm a fan of my state. I was born in Grand Forks so that's my allegiance to UND. My nephew is the QB for the Eagles. I believe he played for the Bizon. ;)

Not sure what you mean by college hockey being watered down. It's a year where there isn't a clear cut favorite which to me makes it more exciting. Be down at the Target Center this weekend for the Frozen Faceoff. Fun weekend regardless of how it turns out.

I could be wrong, but didn't you want that nephew to go to Grand Forks? :D

[Laker]

Penn State just beat Whiskey to win the BIG and go to their first NCAA hockey playoff game.

[SDFS]

UMD beats UND in another apparently meaningless hockey game.

For a guy who says he doesn't follow hockey you sure post about it a lot. And it was a NCHC Frozen Face Off 3 of the top 4 teams in polls heading into the weekend.. It was a very interesting game to watch... UND had a key injury to a defenseman and it looked like UMD was trying to injury UND players the weekend before NCAAs. It was kind of sad to watch. Old school Sioux teams would have been dropping gloves and taking out the trash. New school approach says Todd Anderson will act appropriately and kick players out of the game. But, that never happened.

[POD Knows]

For a guy who says he doesn't follow hockey you sure post about it a lot. And it was a NCHC Frozen Face Off 3 of the top 4 teams in polls heading into the weekend.. It was a very interesting game to watch... UND had a key injury to a defenseman and it looked like UMD was trying to injury UND players the weekend before NCAAs. It was kind of sad to watch. Old school Sioux teams would have been dropping gloves and taking out the trash. New school approach says Todd Anderson will act appropriately and kick players out of the game. But, that never happened.

Hockey is my second favorite sport and probably my favorite sport to watch in person, I had kids involved in youth hockey for quite a awhile and got kind of addicted to it. My post here regarding the UND/UMD game was basically just a play off of the posts I saw on another sports board. It was clearly mentioned that it was a meaningless game and really didn't have much of a bearing on the NCAA tourney.

We weren't able to get the game where I live or I would have watched it, it sounded like the game was pretty chippy according to the information that I was reading but that was just one fan's boards opinion. What does UMD get for winning the NCHC tourney, why they might get to go to Fargo and play on UND's de facto home ice. My issue is less with who is in the NCAA tournament rather, the process involved. UMD, who is 5-0 vs. UND this year, will get placed in the tournament in Fargo, end up playing UND at Fargo, they will lose by a goal. The minimization of the regular season is what bothers me, but I really have no solutions for it other than getting rid of the neutral site events, hold each individual game on the home ice of the higher seed and move forward, sort of like how FCS FB does it.

I know I am probably in the very small minority on this.

[Laker]

Top four seeds and locations have been posted:

Denver- Cincinnati
Harvard-Providence
Minnesota-Manchester, NH
UMD-Fargo

[Laker]

West Regional (Fargo)Minnesota Duluth vs. Ohio StateNorth Dakota vs. Boston University

[Laker]

East Regional (Providence)Harvard vs. ProvidenceAir Force vs. Western Michigan

[Laker]

Midwest Regional (Cincinnati)Denver vs. Michigan TechPenn State vs. Union

[TheValleyRaider]

Cincinnati (Midwest)
Denver vs. Michigan Tech
Union vs. Penn State

Fargo (West)
Minnesota-Duluth vs. Ohio St.
Boston U. vs. North Dakota

Providence (East)
Harvard vs. Providence
Western Michigan vs. Air Force

Manchester (Northeast)
Minnesota vs. Notre Dame
Mass-Lowell vs. Cornell

Frozen Four (Chicago)
Midwest vs. Northeast
West vs. East

[Laker]

USCHO.com‏ @USCHO (https://twitter.com/USCHO) 9m9 minutes ago (https://twitter.com/USCHO/status/843493507226656768)More



Northeast Regional (Manchester)Minnesota vs. Notre DameCornell vs. UMass Lowell

[TheValleyRaider]

First guess at the Frozen Four: Denver, North Dakota, Harvard, Mass-Lowell

[SDFS]

Hockey is my second favorite sport and probably my favorite sport to watch in person, I had kids involved in youth hockey for quite a awhile and got kind of addicted to it. My post here regarding the UND/UMD game was basically just a play off of the posts I saw on another sports board. It was clearly mentioned that it was a meaningless game and really didn't have much of a bearing on the NCAA tourney.

We weren't able to get the game where I live or I would have watched it, it sounded like the game was pretty chippy according to the information that I was reading but that was just one fan's boards opinion. What does UMD get for winning the NCHC tourney, why they might get to go to Fargo and play on UND's de facto home ice. My issue is less with who is in the NCAA tournament rather, the process involved. UMD, who is 5-0 vs. UND this year, will get placed in the tournament in Fargo, end up playing UND at Fargo, they will lose by a goal. The minimization of the regular season is what bothers me, but I really have no solutions for it other than getting rid of the neutral site events, hold each individual game on the home ice of the higher seed and move forward, sort of like how FCS FB does it.

I know I am probably in the very small minority on this.

Here are some hightlights from the game. The refs lost complete control. Turned into a special teams game. In general, if you are the overall number 1 seed they try to protect you. After that you are at the mercy of the committee. I do believe several coaches and programs are in favor of on site games to the higher seeds. But, only 10 schools want that... I don't feel too sorry for UMD. They have been putting money in there pockets for years from the UND and U of M fans. They need to grow the there own fan base. They have a new arena and the attendance is questionable for home games. Maybe the arena is sold out, but it looks really empty on TV.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sfNrH5xeGc&feature=youtu.be

[POD Knows]

Here are some hightlights from the game. The refs lost complete control. Turned into a special teams game. In general, if you are the overall number 1 seed they try to protect you. After that you are at the mercy of the committee. I do believe several coaches and programs are in favor of on site games to the higher seeds. But, only 10 schools want that... I don't feel too sorry for UMD. They have been putting money in there pockets for years from the UND and U of M fans. They need to grow the there own fan base. They have a new arena and the attendance is questionable for home games. Maybe the arena is sold out, but it looks really empty on TV.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sfNrH5xeGc&feature=youtu.be

Hey, see if you can find a replay of the game, I tried to see if somebody had posted the game in it's entirety but couldn't find anything.

[POD Knows]

Here are some hightlights from the game. The refs lost complete control. Turned into a special teams game. In general, if you are the overall number 1 seed they try to protect you. After that you are at the mercy of the committee. I do believe several coaches and programs are in favor of on site games to the higher seeds. But, only 10 schools want that... I don't feel too sorry for UMD. They have been putting money in there pockets for years from the UND and U of M fans. They need to grow the there own fan base. They have a new arena and the attendance is questionable for home games. Maybe the arena is sold out, but it looks really empty on TV.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sfNrH5xeGc&feature=youtu.be

OK, watched the whole thing, other than the deal with the UND goalie, didn't see much. Pretty weak sauce, need to see the whole game.

UND is 0-5 vs. UMD this year, you guys maybe need to step it up.

[SDFS]

OK, watched the whole thing, other than the deal with the UND goalie, didn't see much. Pretty weak sauce, need to see the whole game.

UND is 0-5 vs. UMD this year, you guys maybe need to step it up.

The run on the goalie is as bad as it gets. The Poolman hit was questionable. The rest of the calls were the refs trying to take control of the game. Actually UND played fairly well they gave up the 3 goals in a couple minutes after the injury and the resulting powerplays. They were correctable defensive breakdowns due to replacing Poolman - switching up pairs and a defenseman playing on his weak side. A week of practice should help that out.

UND played the two best teams in hockey straight up. I only have a handful of teams at the top this year: DU, Duluth and Harvard are going to be tough outs this year. Locals in the cities are down on the U. But, they looked OK when UND played them. UND is good enough to win it all. But, I am not sure they are going to pull it out this year. They have been too inconsistent.

If you get a chance watch the BU/UND game on espn2 Friday. It should be a good/skilled game.. I think it will have 6 1st round draft choices playing in it.

[POD Knows]

The run on the goalie is as bad as it gets. The Poolman hit was questionable. The rest of the calls were the refs trying to take control of the game. Actually UND played fairly well they gave up the 3 goals in a couple minutes after the injury and the resulting powerplays. They were correctable defensive breakdowns due to replacing Poolman - switching up pairs and a defenseman playing on his weak side. A week of practice should help that out.

UND played the two best teams in hockey straight up. I only have a handful of teams at the top this year: DU, Duluth and Harvard are going to be tough outs this year. Locals in the cities are down on the U. But, they looked OK when UND played them. UND is good enough to win it all. But, I am not sure they are going to pull it out this year. They have been too inconsistent.

If you get a chance watch the BU/UND game on espn2 Friday. It should be a good/skilled game.. I think it will have 6 1st round draft choices playing in it.

Yea, I am going to try and catch the game, I am on business in Illinois but should get back Friday morning. UND has a major recruiting and geographic advantage that places like UMD, Denver and the like in their conference don't have, why in the hell would anybody from western Canada or the like go to anywhere but UND, you got the best facility in the US, and it isn't even close, the best access to some of the best players in the country, the fact that UND doesn't win this ****er every year is a mystery to me.

[SDFS]

Yea, I am going to try and catch the game, I am on business in Illinois but should get back Friday morning. UND has a major recruiting and geographic advantage that places like UMD, Denver and the like in their conference don't have, why in the hell would anybody from western Canada or the like go to anywhere but UND, you got the best facility in the US, and it isn't even close, the best access to some of the best players in the country, the fact that UND doesn't win this ****er every year is a mystery to me.

Dude it's hockey... plus the Dub has hurt UND on a number of top end recruits. Hard for kids to walk away from money and you still have many in the NHL downplaying the college route for there own interests. Plus, how many kids really want to go to school to make it the pros. How many HS players would go the college route if the NFL/NBA backed a different route.

[POD Knows]

Dude it's hockey... plus the Dub has hurt UND on a number of top end recruits. Hard for kids to walk away from money and you still have many in the NHL downplaying the college route for there own interests. Plus, how many kids really want to go to school to make it the pros. How many HS players would go the college route if the NFL/NBA backed a different route.

You just defined why COLLEGE hockey is BS. Thank you. It is pretty much like Men's BB at the highest level. That is why I have lost interest in both.

[Bizon9]

Hockey is my second favorite sport and probably my favorite sport to watch in person, I had kids involved in youth hockey for quite a awhile and got kind of addicted to it. My post here regarding the UND/UMD game was basically just a play off of the posts I saw on another sports board. It was clearly mentioned that it was a meaningless game and really didn't have much of a bearing on the NCAA tourney.

We weren't able to get the game where I live or I would have watched it, it sounded like the game was pretty chippy according to the information that I was reading but that was just one fan's boards opinion. What does UMD get for winning the NCHC tourney, why they might get to go to Fargo and play on UND's de facto home ice. My issue is less with who is in the NCAA tournament rather, the process involved. UMD, who is 5-0 vs. UND this year, will get placed in the tournament in Fargo, end up playing UND at Fargo, they will lose by a goal. The minimization of the regular season is what bothers me, but I really have no solutions for it other than getting rid of the neutral site events, hold each individual game on the home ice of the higher seed and move forward, sort of like how FCS FB does it.

I know I am probably in the very small minority on this.
Whoever said it was a meaningless game is clueless. They sure played like it was meaningless. Oh nevermind. UMD was out to injure. Lost some respect for Sandelin. Yes UND teams in the past were known to be on the cheap side but the game has changed from those days as has UND. Hope they get another shot at them Saturday. Poolman was the defenseman that got hurt from being boarded. No call. He had no way to protect himself as he was wrapped up by defender. Same play is when Johnson got plowed over in the net. Now that was called but the guy should of been kicked out. Todd Anderson should never ref another game in his life. He sucks and bad calls went both ways.

[SDFS]

You just defined why COLLEGE hockey is BS. Thank you. It is pretty much like Men's BB at the highest level. That is why I have lost interest in both.

You are free to your opinion. Not sure why you say COLLEGE hockey is BS. Despite losing out on high end recruits to the Dub. UND has been very successful. The programs at REA and local schools has help the GF/Fargo area produce a large number of Div I hockey talent. Last years National Championship team had local kids, high picks and direct to the NHL talent:

Local kids off UND roster last year:
Keaton Thompson– ND – 3rd Round NHL draft – playing in NHLPaul LaDue GF –6th round NHL draft – playing in the NHL.

Luke Johnson GF– 5th round NHL draft pick – playing in AHL at this point.

FA developed at UND going directly NHL

Troy Stecher –FA – playing in the NHL
Drake Caggiula –FA – playing in NHL

1st Round picks directly to NHL off of last years team:

Nick Schmaltz –dad UND football alum – 1st round NHL draft – playing in NHL

Local players still on the roster:

Poolman's –Colton and Tucker – E. GF
Casey Johnson –GF
Zach Yon –Roseau
Dixon Bowen – EGF
Johnny Simonson– GF
Gage Ausmus – EGF

After losing all that talent (5 players currently in the NHL off of last years team) UND is still in the NCAA tournament and pushed the top 2 teams (1-1) in nation last weekend at a neutral site. What's not to like? If you like high end hockey UND has had it - plus a ton a locally developed talent.

Like I said, the 1st round game between UND and BU in the NCAAs has 6 1st round picks. It should be a great game - I don't think the NHL scouts in attendance will think this game is a joke..

Clayton Keller (No. 7 to Arizona),
McAvoy (No. 14 to Boston),
Dante Fabbro (No. 17 to Nashville),
Kieffer Bellows (No. 19)

Brock Boeser (No. 23)
Tyson Jost (No. 10)

[Bizon9]

There will be 7 NHL first-round draft picks playing in Fargo regional this weekend (Jost, Boeser, Keller, McAvoy, Bellows, Fabbro, Tufte).

[SDFS]

There will be 7 NHL first-round draft picks playing in Fargo regional this weekend (Jost, Boeser, Keller, McAvoy, Bellows, Fabbro, Tufte).

The atmosphere at the West Regional is going to be off the charts nuts. If UND gets past BU and the Regional Final is UND/UMD it is going to be crazy. One my best sports memories is the West Regional at the Ralph. UofMin/UofMich/UND plus Holy Cross all in one regional. That place was crazy. I was sitting next to the press box that had the Michigan coaches watching HC vs Min. The Michigan coaches were just shaking there heads and laughing at the atmosphere of that game. After that game, the Michigan coaches knew they were in trouble. A year or two later, the NCAA instituted a no home ice policy for hosting NCAA regionals. Minnesota, Notre Dame, Wisconsin and Michigan did not want to go through Grand Forks again. Really too bad..

[Bizon9]

The atmosphere at the West Regional is going to be off the charts nuts. If UND gets past BU and the Regional Final is UND/UMD it is going to be crazy. One my best sports memories is the West Regional at the Ralph. UofMin/UofMich/UND plus Holy Cross all in one regional. That place was crazy. I was sitting next to the press box that had the Michigan coaches watching HC vs Min. The Michigan coaches were just shaking there heads and laughing at the atmosphere of that game. After that game, the Michigan coaches knew they were in trouble. A year or two later, the NCAA instituted a no home ice policy for hosting NCAA regionals. Minnesota, Notre Dame, Wisconsin and Michigan did not want to go through Grand Forks again. Really too bad..
I was at Scheels Arena for the last West Regional. BU is in for a rude awakening when they step on that ice Friday at 2.

[SDFS]

I was at Scheels Arena for the last West Regional. BU is in for a rude awakening when they step on that ice Friday at 2.

I think BU has seen it before with the Bean Pot. Now OSU on the other hand. They are going to be shocked because it will be the loudest crowd they have ever had for hockey game.

[POD Knows]

I was at Scheels Arena for the last West Regional. BU is in for a rude awakening when they step on that ice Friday at 2.

Yea, it is nice to get a home game you didn't earn. Sorry, but it is too easy.

[POD Knows]

You are free to your opinion. Not sure why you say COLLEGE hockey is BS. Despite losing out on high end recruits to the Dub. UND has been very successful. The programs at REA and local schools has help the GF/Fargo area produce a large number of Div I hockey talent. Last years National Championship team had local kids, high picks and direct to the NHL talent:

Local kids off UND roster last year:
Keaton Thompson– ND – 3rd Round NHL draft – playing in NHLPaul LaDue GF –6th round NHL draft – playing in the NHL.

Luke Johnson GF– 5th round NHL draft pick – playing in AHL at this point.

FA developed at UND going directly NHL

Troy Stecher –FA – playing in the NHL
Drake Caggiula –FA – playing in NHL

1st Round picks directly to NHL off of last years team:

Nick Schmaltz –dad UND football alum – 1st round NHL draft – playing in NHL

Local players still on the roster:

Poolman's –Colton and Tucker – E. GF
Casey Johnson –GF
Zach Yon –Roseau
Dixon Bowen – EGF
Johnny Simonson– GF
Gage Ausmus – EGF

After losing all that talent (5 players currently in the NHL off of last years team) UND is still in the NCAA tournament and pushed the top 2 teams (1-1) in nation last weekend at a neutral site. What's not to like? If you like high end hockey UND has had it - plus a ton a locally developed talent.

Like I said, the 1st round game between UND and BU in the NCAAs has 6 1st round picks. It should be a great game - I don't think the NHL scouts in attendance will think this game is a joke..

Clayton Keller (No. 7 to Arizona),
McAvoy (No. 14 to Boston),
Dante Fabbro (No. 17 to Nashville),
Kieffer Bellows (No. 19)

Brock Boeser (No. 23)
Tyson Jost (No. 10)

I was just trolling, it is clear that great talent has came thought UND and other college hockey programs, how many of these great players have degrees, my reference to college hockey and Men's BB at the highest level is the fact that a lot of these guys are just taking a pit stop before the higher level, it has very little to do with "college" life or university for that matter, they are just in a transition, they aren't really student athletes, they are athletes that choose a play to get a free ride for a couple years. It is what it is.

[nodak651]

I was just trolling, it is clear that great talent has came thought UND and other college hockey programs, how many of these great players have degrees, my reference to college hockey and Men's BB at the highest level is the fact that a lot of these guys are just taking a pit stop before the higher level, it has very little to do with "college" life or university for that matter, they are just in a transition, they aren't really student athletes, they are athletes that choose a play to get a free ride for a couple years. It is what it is.

WRONG!!!!


Hockey has the highest, or second highest apr of any NCAA sport. Many finish college after they graduate. Grimaldi, for example. There are tons more.

[POD Knows]

WRONG!!!!


Hockey has the highest, or second highest apr of any NCAA sport. Many finish college after they graduate. Grimaldi, for example. There are tons more.
I won't disagree, I don't follow what they do after one or two years of
college hockey. What is the actual graduation rate at UND it could be 90% for all I know.

[Laker]

This doesn't happen every day- but since the Goofers are playing Notre Dame- I have to pull for them today.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C7sUQa0UwAAMnaL.jpg

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

North Dakota comes back from down 3-1 to win 4-3 in OT against Boston U! Helluva game in Fargo!!

....errr nevermind!! No goal after review! Wow!

[POD Knows]

North Dakota comes back from down 3-1 to win 4-3 in OT against Boston U! Helluva game in Fargo!!

They are reviewing that goal,

[POD Knows]

OMFG, they overturned the goal, guy was offside I guess, wow.

[Grizalltheway]

Haha. Poor Sue.

[TheValleyRaider]

Overturning an OT goal, then UND's goalie nearly misplayed the puck into a BU goal. That would have been something...

[POD Knows]

BU looks like they are skating in cement.

[TheValleyRaider]

Harvard just finished off Providence. First NCAA tournament win since 1994

[TheValleyRaider]

Double OT? Double OT xnodx

[POD Knows]

UND goes down 4-3 in 2 OT's. The better team didn't win that game.

[cx500d]

F'N Sioux.....


UND goes down 4-3 in 2 OT's. The better didn't win that game.

[SDFS]

UND goes down 4-3 in 2 OT's. The better team didn't win that game.

Great game and that happens many times in hockey... The loss of Poolman last weekend really hurt. He would have been nice to have. I will take anyone in the field other than UMD ....... and of course U of Min.

I guess it's welcome to the offseason... when does football start?

[Ivytalk]

Harvard keeps getting it done, blanking Providence 3-0 in Providence. The Crimson play Air Force tomorrow in East regional final. 15 straight wins!

[POD Knows]

Great game and that happens many times in hockey... The loss of Poolman last weekend really hurt. He would have been nice to have. I will take anyone in the field other than UMD ....... and of course U of Min.

I guess it's welcome to the offseason... when does football start?

If you count the spring game as the start of the season, it starts pretty soon, and summers go by really fast so it seems like it is only about a month or two before actual season starts. Going to buy my season tickets in the next few days. You guys should be pretty good this year as well.

[Laker]

Listened to the end of the UND-BU game on the radio on my way to a banquet. Announcers sounded stunned. Got back in time to watch the OT to see UMD survive Ohio State. Duluth goalie made some tremendous saves.

As much as it pains me- I have to pull for the Goofers today against Notre Dame.

[POD Knows]

Listened to the end of the UND-BU game on the radio on my way to a banquet. Announcers sounded stunned. Got back in time to watch the OT to see UMD survive Ohio State. Duluth goalie made some tremendous saves.

As much as it pains me- I have to pull for the Goofers today against Notre Dame.

Read on SS site that BU had 51 blocked shots in the game against UND, 51!! One guy for BU had 17 blocked shots alone, I didn't think that was even possible. UND doubles up BU on shots on goal, wins about 65% of the face offs, has a +4 or +5 on power play differentials and still loses. Hockey is weird. More so than any other sport, it is a crap shoot.

[Laker]

Read on SS site that BU had 51 blocked shots in the game against UND, 51!! One guy for BU had 17 blocked shots alone, I didn't think that was even possible. UND doubles up BU on shots on goal, wins about 65% of the face offs, has a +4 or +5 on power play differentials and still loses. Hockey is weird. More so than any other sport, it is a crap shoot.

One thing that they always talk about in the Stanley Cup playoffs- a goal tender can stand on his head and stop shots- he can dominate a series. Last night I couldn't believe the shots that the UMD tender was stopping- neither could the Bucknuts. You could see the frustration. UND had SO many shots yesterday- but incredibly they still lost, even with that huge crowd pulling for them. The shots of the "crowd" at the UMD game made it look like the place was under quarrentine.

[TheValleyRaider]

Lowell up 2-0 on Cornell, late 2nd. Both teams have had a goal disallowed so far (feels like that's happening a lot this year)

Denver leading Michigan Tech 4-0 after 1st. At least one goal was a big redirection off the MTU defender's stick. When it's not your day...

[bulldog10jw]

UND goes down 4-3 in 2 OT's. The better team didn't win that game.

The better goaltender did.

[bulldog10jw]

Harvard keeps getting it done, blanking Providence 3-0 in Providence. The Crimson play Air Force tomorrow in East regional final. 15 straight wins!

Harvard will breeze into the Frozen Four. Not sure I see anyone out there that can beat them. The only negative I see is that winning streaks do not last forever. But it could last 3 more games.

[Bisonator]

Not a Fawker fan in the least but UND got screwed IMO. They should have won in the first OT. How can they possibly determine that off sides conclusively and how far back will they go to determine a missed infraction? It took them 5 minutes to come to that conclusion obviously it wasn't that obvious an infraction. Even if it was off sides it had no bearing on the goal. Ridiculous!

[SDFS]

Harvard will breeze into the Frozen Four. Not sure I see anyone out there that can beat them. The only negative I see is that winning streaks do not last forever. But it could last 3 more games.

Well, my Frozen Four bracket is Duluth/Harvard and UMass/Denver

Harvard/Denver in the final with Denver winning it all. Harvard is good and that would be a great final.

[SDFS]

Read on SS site that BU had 51 blocked shots in the game against UND, 51!! One guy for BU had 17 blocked shots alone, I didn't think that was even possible. UND doubles up BU on shots on goal, wins about 65% of the face offs, has a +4 or +5 on power play differentials and still loses. Hockey is weird. More so than any other sport, it is a crap shoot.

Couple of pipes and a hot goalie.... Plus BU has high-end talent if you are a step slow covering the backdoor. They will see it and they will make you pay. Again, hated to see UND lose but it was compelling sport at it's best (great talent, up and down the ice action, broken glass, late comeback, OT, controversy - overturned game winner, more OT, game winner on a nice play - what more do you want..) Great game by both teams.

PS - Another UND player made his NHL debut this afternoon - Brock scored a goal in his first NHL game.

[bulldog10jw]

Well, my Frozen Four bracket is Duluth/Harvard and UMass/Denver

Harvard/Denver in the final with Denver winning it all. Harvard is go.. that would be a good final.

UMass/Lowell has been knocking on the door for a few years now. They will be a tough out.

[POD Knows]

Couple of pipes and a hot goalie.... Plus BU has high-end talent if you are a step slow covering the backdoor. They will see it and they will make you pay. Again, hated to see UND lose but it was compelling sport at it's best (great talent, up and down the ice action, broken glass, late comeback, OT, controversy - overturned game winner, more OT, game winner on a nice play - what more do you want..) Great game by both teams.

PS - Another UND player made his NHL debut this afternoon - Brock scored a goal in his first NHL game.

No ****, he is a baller. Good for him.

[Ivytalk]

Harvard hangs on to beat Air Force, 3-2. On to the Crimson's first Frozen Four since 1994! Next up: Minnesota-Duluth.

[F'N Hawks]

The better goaltender did.

He wasn't the reason they won. He left a ton of rebounds that somehow kept getting blocked.

[Laker]

UMass/Lowell has been knocking on the door for a few years now. They will be a tough out.

I hope so. Goofers jump out to to a 2-0 lead, then seemed to fall asleep and allowed Notre Dame back in. I can't see how you can play so nonchalant in a playoff game, but they did. I hope that Lowell can get to the Frozen Four.

[SDFS]

More so than any other sport, it is a crap shoot.

I thought that this was interesting read. Talks about the abundance of talent at the college level in the US.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/23/sports/hockey/ncaa-college-teams.html

[SDFS]

If you count the spring game as the start of the season, it starts pretty soon, and summers go by really fast so it seems like it is only about a month or two before actual season starts. Going to buy my season tickets in the next few days. You guys should be pretty good this year as well.

I should be getting my season tickets in a couple of weeks. Spring Game is OK.. But, it start for me when they report for fall camp.. Happy off season.

[POD Knows]

I should be getting my season tickets in a couple of weeks. Spring Game is OK.. But, it start for me when they report for fall camp.. Happy off season.NDSU does a nice job with the spring game, it is decent event, there is tailgating and this years there is a tailgating expo and a bunch of other stuff, auctions and stuff like that.

[POD Knows]

I thought that this was interesting read. Talks about the abundance of talent at the college level in the US.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/23/sports/hockey/ncaa-college-teams.html

Title IX is a killer for college hockey expansion, it is a tough sport to cash flow on the men's side and then you might have to add a women's sport which would be a cash drain as well.

[344Johnson]

The real UND makes the Frozen 4 as a #4 seed.

Chicago is really close to South Bend. Would be nice to see a large contingent of Irish fans present.

[SDFS]

The real UND makes the Frozen 4 as a #4 seed.

Chicago is really close to South Bend. Would be nice to see a large contingent of Irish fans present.

Hoiy **** are you leading the SS pick'm challenge - because I am sure you are the only UND homer on that board.

[Bizon9]

Had UMD over Denver for the national championship 4-3 before the tourney started and I'm sticking with it.

[344Johnson]

Hoiy **** are you leading the SS pick'm challenge - because I am sure you are the only UND homer on that board.

Yes, I am leading. Very proud of myself.

[bulldog10jw]

Harvard-Denver final.

[SDFS]

Yes, I am leading. Very proud of myself.

Holy **** - go get'm.... I got 3 of the remaining 4. If UND goes down.. I will pass you.. I have DU wining it all

[Laker]

UND to cut women's hockey- and probably swimming & diving.

http://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/4242553-und-cuts-womens-hockey

[POD Knows]

UND to cut women's hockey- and probably swimming & diving.

http://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/4242553-und-cuts-womens-hockey
It is about time.

[F'N Hawks]

The other three Dakota's just let out a...."*****".

[POD Knows]

The other three Dakota's just let out a...."*****".
Why?

[Thumper 76]

The other three Dakota's just let out a...."*****".

No. Just no.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[F'N Hawks]

Why?

Because they loved the noose around UNDs neck with WH. Financially killed them.

[POD Knows]

Because they loved the noose around UNDs neck with WH. Financially killed them.

Oh, OK, hell, I would rather you guys be a full financial strength when we give you your respective beatings. :)

[Bizon9]

With UND's Jost making his pro debut tonight there will be 22 former UND players currently playing in the NHL which is a school record. Impressive to say the least.

[Gil Dobie]

UND to cut women's hockey- and probably swimming & diving.

http://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/4242553-und-cuts-womens-hockey

That's too bad. UND should have done more to keep the women's program.

[POD Knows]

That's too bad. UND should have done more to keep the women's program.

Why, so they could continue to bleed money in order to make 100 people happy, they already had too many women's schollies, time to level the Title IX playing field.

[tribe_pride]

They get a lot of time between regionals and the Frozen Four. Not until April 6. That's insane.

[344Johnson]

They get a lot of time between regionals and the Frozen Four. Not until April 6. That's insane.

I'll let you guess why they do that....hint...it's two words and the second word is Madness.

[Ivytalk]

I'll let you guess why they do that....hint...it's two words and the second word is Madness.
And Chicago should be thawed out by then.

[SDFS]

That's too bad. UND should have done more to keep the women's program.


In recent history UND has made the following adjustments:

Men's sports:

Add: Tennis - this was required to join the Big Sky - core sport. NOTE: No scholarships
Drop: Wrestling, Baseball, Swimming/Divingand Golf. NOTE: Golf is off the books because it is required to be self-funded or it will be dropped.

Women's sports:

Add: Soccer, Softball, W. Hockey and W. Tennis
Drop: Swimming/Divingand W. Hockey

UND might have been one of a handful of schools that was tilted too heavy toward women on the Title IX balance sheet. All building and many other costs were all allocated to the men's side for hockey. UND was reporting that men's hockey was a net cost for UND athletics. I would say that UND was doing everything possible to hide the balance between women's and men's sports.

It was simply a business decision driven by the required funding cuts by the State and the economic world of moving to Division I athletics. You need to put your resources toward sports that provide some type of return and minimize the costs associated with sports that do not provide a return. If they had 2,000 to 4,000 paying customers my guess is that UND would not have cut W. Hockey.

[tribe_pride]

I'll let you guess why they do that....hint...it's two words and the second word is Madness.

Understood. Just sucks for those teams to get so much time off.

[Laker]

So- is someone going to step up and kick in millions of dollars or is this just talk? My guess is that second one.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C8hhOxvUwAAokL4.jpg

[F'N Hawks]

They think that a Twitter campaign saying "reinstate us" is going to gain some traction.

[Laker]

MSU-Mankato is offering Coach Hastings a ten year contract. They are worried that he will go to UNO to replace Dean Blais.

http://msumavericks.com/news/2017/3/28/mens-hockey-minnesota-state-renegotiating-hastings-contract-10-year-term-offered.aspx

[Laker]

Frozen 4 semi, end of 1st period.

UMD 1, Hah-vard 1.

Crimson score first on their third power play- UMD's fourth line counters late.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

Minnesota-Duluth wins in a thriller!! They scored with about 26 seconds then withstood a wild flurry (hit the cross bar twice) by Harvard! What a game!

[Laker]

Wow- what a game! Twice Harvard shots hit the crossbar in the closing seconds. Two really evenly matched teams.

Glad to see the Bulldogs advance. I liked the Lift Bridge emblems on their shoulders with the UMD underneath.

[Ivytalk]

Well, crap.

[Laker]

Denver scores twice in the first while making sure that Bjork is covered the entire time- unlike the Gophers........

2-0 end of the first.

[Laker]

5-0 Denver at the end of two.

Time to go to bed.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

5-0 Denver at the end of two.

Time to go to bed.

Denver is scary good! MN-Duluth is going to have their hands full!

[SDFS]

Denver is scary good! MN-Duluth is going to have their hands full!

Denver is very good... it all comes down to how the game is called. Duluth wants power plays - they clutch, grab and dive all over the place.

[bulldog10jw]

Well, crap.

H deserved better.

[bulldog10jw]

Denver is very good... it all comes down to how the game is called. Duluth wants power plays - they clutch, grab and dive all over the place.

Denver is very good, but ND was the weakest of the 4 teams.

[Laker]

0-0 at the end of one period.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

Denver is up 3-1 late in the 2nd period

Minnesota-Duluth is playing tough, physical hockey but it hasn't been enough so far. They're certainly more prepared than ND was...

[Laker]

Denver is up 3-1 late in the 2nd period

Minnesota-Duluth is playing tough, physical hockey but it hasn't been enough so far. They're certainly more prepared than ND was...

Nice goal on a power play, but UMD can't afford to give a guy a hat trick...... in one period!

[cx500d]

We shall see if they are "built to come from behind," but they are doing a good job at getting behind.


Nice goal on a power play, but UMD can't afford to give a guy a hat trick...... in one period!

[Laker]

Nasty, nasty injury to the Derrick Hammond, Denver player- something must be broken.

My niece broke her ankle twice going into the boards- once in high school, once in college. This looks very serious.

[cx500d]

Denver hasn't been doing anything except the one steal the 3rd period. They could piss this away yet.

[Laker]

3-2. Still four minutes to play.

[cx500d]

Denver wins. I think all but a few seconds was played in front of the Denver net the last period....They lucked out.

[Laker]

FINAL- Denver wins it's 8th national title by 3-2

[SDFS]

Denver had a nice season - I am happy they won a Championship. The NCHC has won the last two titles and the conference appears to be surviving in a world with the Big Ten. But, I think that it is only a matter of time before the Big Ten takes off. Hard to complete with resources, exposure and brand.

It would be good for the NCHC to get both the Pios and Bulldog fan bases going for NCHC tournament.

[Laker]

Northern Arizona to get a new rink.

http://azrubberhockey.com/nau-will-see-dream-realized-with-new-on-campus-rink-in-2018/

[Laker]

Article talks about UND women dropping hockey and other schools trying to save money and cut costs. Well, don't have the WCHA meetings in Florida would be my first suggestion.

http://www.startribune.com/north-dakota-s-decision-to-drop-women-s-hockey-a-major-blow-to-the-sport/420960063/

[Laker]

Arizona State cuts off negotiations with the WCHA:

http://www.collegehockeynews.com/news/2017/06/22_Arizona-State-Withdraws-From.php