Before this series, I offered up the results of some research I did (my own research, you could say) on how NCHC teams performed at home and on the road in the conference’s first seven seasons (last year excepted).
Read that piece here, if you haven’t yet.
While I spent a lot of time in the preview discussing what makes Western Michigan such a good home team, the other really interesting result from this involved UMD. The Bulldogs were the only NCHC team to win more road games (48) than home games (45) between 2013-2020.
I asked UMD coach Scott Sandelin about this fact, to get his thoughts on why his team is seemingly capable of playing “its” game in any building, because that isn’t easy.
“I don’t know,” Sandelin said. “We talk a whole lot over the beginning of the year that if you want to be an upper echelon team, you’ve got to win on the road. We’ve been a pretty good road team, knock on wood, but you have to win games on the road, whether they’re splits, or you get lucky with two each week. And sometimes, it’s nice to be on the road. I think you can simplify your game and maybe you’re not trying to put on the show (for the home fans).”
No matter what the secret is, and Sandelin wasn’t giving it up if there was one, UMD crafted another tremendous road effort in Kalamazoo on Saturday, blanking Western Michigan 3-0 behind 35 saves (18 in the third period) from junior goalie Ryan Fanti and two goals from Tanner Laderoute. The series ends in a split after Western won 4-3 Friday.
UMD had some control from the outset. The Bulldogs were much more composed in their own zone, and they were able to crank up the pressure on Western Michigan. UMD used a couple power plays and that pressure to get 19 shots on goal in the first, but Brandon Bussi stopped 18 of them. The Bulldogs took the lead before the midpoint on the first, when Ben Almquist found a loose puck near the left circle and popped it in after a Darian Gotz point shot. It was another goal that UMD’s fourth line made happen, its third goal of the weekend.
Louie Roehl took a rather bizarre five-minute major late in the first, but the Bulldogs held Western to one shot in the power play, which carried into the second period. Tremendous kill by the Bulldogs.
Here is the Roehl penalty, currently under review. #UMDmHky pic.twitter.com/Mjbf9ecSa4
— UMD Hockey gifs (@UMDHockeygifs) November 6, 2021
Look, the officials have a hard job. But I don’t understand how you can look at this replay and assess a major penalty for slashing. Roehl is trying to play the puck, and it’s the body contact between Roehl and Ethen Frank that sends Frank awkwardly into the wall (he was a bit slow to get up, but did not miss a shift, thankfully). Yeah, you can argue there’s a slash, but is that really a major? So maybe it was justice that UMD picked up a very effective kill.
Western’s next power play produced the game’s only special teams goal.
For UMD.
After Carter Loney made a great play at the UMD line to force a clear, Laderoute found it and wired a quick shot by Bussi for a 2-0 lead.
GOAL!! Laderoute @tannerladeroute with the shorty to make it 2-0 UMD in the 2nd! #UMDmHky pic.twitter.com/WjExlkj2CW
— UMD Hockey gifs (@UMDHockeygifs) November 7, 2021
Laderoute added his third of the weekend in the third, and Fanti made it all stand up. He was brilliant at times, like his stop on Paul Washe after the Western faceoff machine split the UMD defense and created himself a partial breakaway.
Western poured on the pressure late, pulling Bussi for most of the game’s last four minutes and generating ten total shots on goal in the last 5:10 of the game. Fanti stopped them all, picking up his first collegiate shutout and the first shutout by a UMD goalie since Hunter Shepard blanked Colorado College 5-0 on Nov. 23, 2019, the last of his 17 career shutouts. It’s the first shutout by a UMD goalie not named Hunter Shepard since Nick Deery’s 27 save blanking of Bemidji State in the infamous 0-0 draw on Oct. 14, 2017. Shepard’s 117-start streak started the following weekend.
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There were some very good performances by UMD on Saturday. It was a quality team win against a very good opponent.
Laderoute was tremendous, especially on the penalty kill. His nonstop motor was a huge asset, and it was great to see him finish a couple big goals in this game. When players of his character are getting rewarded, it’s hard not to feel really good for them.
Loney had a great night, one of his best so far, and most everything we’ve seen from him through eight games has been pretty dang good. Loney is the fourth-line center at the moment, but the fact we’re seeing more of him on the penalty kill, and Sandelin is far from afraid to use that fourth line in any situation, is a good sign. UMD’s depth struggled at times last season, to the point that the Bulldogs were using three forward lines in a lot of situations down the stretch. That won’t be happening on the current trajectory. Loney is one of the guys who is pushing those on “higher” lines for their spot, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he forced his way up the lineup before too long. If it doesn’t happen, that too would likely be a great sign, because it’ll mean no one merits moving down.
Darian Gotz blocked four shots and assisted on Almquist’s goal. The Dominic James line — after a bit of a quiet night — combined for eight shots on goal, even though they didn’t cash in. UMD’s defense was mobile and active, but the team as a whole did a better job tracking back to provide pressure and limit WMU’s transition game, which burned the Bulldogs a couple times on Friday.
UMD was better on faceoffs, going 21-30 after a 36-14 whipping on Friday (Sandelin echoed my blog sentiments from the first game, saying the numbers were “a little skewed” after he watched the game back). Not perfect at all, but vastly improved for sure.
The power play had looks, generating eight shots in four chances. UMD won the special teams game, though it took Laderoute’s shorty to make that happen. It’s just strange to see the power play struggling to score, but it felt like progress was made as a whole for the weekend, and it’s still a process.
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Couple shoutouts before I fly home (literally).
St. Scholastica senior forward Rachel Anderson had a three-point day as the Saints finished a weekend sweep at Stevens Point with a 6-3 win Saturday afternoon. Anderson’s third point was her second assist of the day, giving her 75 career assists and establishing a new CSS career record.
The Saints’ men upset No. 6 UW-Stevens Point 2-1 Saturday night at Mars Lakeview, behind 47 saves from sophomore goalie Jack Bostedt. Interim coach Dave Williams has the Saints off to a 3-1 start.
The UMD football team walloped Augustana 41-15 Saturday at Malosky Stadium, behind three Garrett Olson touchdown passes and two interception return touchdowns by the UMD defense. The Bulldogs host Northern State next weekend, with a trip to the Division II national tournament likely on the line.
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UMD returns home next weekend to face Colorado College. The Tigers were swept by St. Cloud State, losing 3-2 (OT) Friday and 4-1 Saturday, so SCSU got five of six points on the weekend at Ed Robson Arena.
This will be the only meeting of the regular season between these teams. The Bulldogs will not see CC’s new digs until next season (grr). In case you’re wondering, Omaha is the team that won’t visit Duluth this season.
The Tigers have a young team under first year head coach Kris Mayotte. Progress may not be, at least in these early stages, measured by wins and losses. Colorado College gave St. Cloud State all it could handle on Friday, so UMD best be ready to get pushed. Heck, we all know there are no weekends off in this conference.
More later this week. 6:30pm pregames Friday and Saturday on KDAL.
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