As Scott Sandelin said Friday, “The weird year just keeps getting weirder.”
The only program in men’s college hockey to make the round of eight in six straight NCAA Tournaments, UMD advanced Friday without even going to Scheels Arena, when Michigan was forced to withdraw from the tournament. Just crazy stuff, but no one should be surprised anymore.
Now, we’ll get to see if the additional rest is an advantage for the Bulldogs, or if top overall seed North Dakota will be sharper for having played three times since UMD’s last game.
(If I had to guess in advance, I’d say it’s a wash. There’s definitely value in playing, no doubt, but this is a veteran UMD team that understands what’s on the line here, and there’s nothing but respect for a North Dakota team that sure has the look of one on a mission here. I believe the Bulldogs will be ready. And they’d better be.)
A few notes for UMD: Freshman Zach Stejskal starts in goal, just his eighth appearance this season. But Stejskal has won in high-pressure environments before. He was the goalie for Grand Rapids during its 2017 Class AA state championship run, making 45 saves in a double-overtime section final win over Duluth East at a so-packed-the-fire-marshal-had-to-ignore-it Amsoil Arena. He followed that up with wins over Maple Grove, Eden Prairie, and Moorhead in the state tournament, including a dazzling 45-save performance against Eden Prairie in the semifinals.
It’s a big game, but it won’t be foreign to him.
Cole Koepke joins Noah Cates and Nick Swaney on the top line, which needs to start producing five-on-five. In fact, the top line hasn’t been on the ice for a five-on-five goal since Swaney’s hat trick game against St. Cloud on Feb. 27, which was a month ago, yes, but UMD has played three games since, to be fair. Luke Mylymok draws in on the fourth line, which should be more physical with Mylymok on the left wing and Luke Loheit in the middle.
6pm montage on KDAL, 6:30 faceoff. Listen live: http://player.listenlive.co/28881
Lines?
Lines
UMD forwards
Koepke – Cates (Noah) – Swaney
Roth – Cates (Jackson) – Bender
Olson – Jacques – Laderoute
Mylymok – Loheit – Biondi
UMD defense
Kaiser – Roehl
Anderson – Kelley
Cairns – Lellig
Gotz
UMD goalies
Stejskal – Fanti – Patt
North Dakota forwards
Kawaguchi – Adams – Gaber
Mismash – Pinto – Caulfield
Hain – Weatherby – Budy
Blaisdell – Jamernik – Keane
Albrecht
North Dakota defense
Kiersted – Bernard-Docker
Sanderson – Frisch
Kleven – Bast
North Dakota goalies
Scheel – Thome – Feeney
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