Listening back to the postgame media availability from Friday, you can sense the frustration with both senior captain Tanner Laderoute and coach Scott Sandelin. Laderoute was miffed his team allowed Friday’s series opener to be more of a track meet than UMD would prefer. Sandelin was lamenting a number of things that have popped up a couple times so far, including a tendency to be too loose defensively and not engaged enough in battles.
(The example Sandelin brought up Friday was the Badgers’ empty-net goal late, but there were other instances, for sure.)
Coaches are always looking for more, but the frustration comes from the fact that the same issues have kept creeping into UMD’s game over the first three weekends of the season.
That all being said, this is a chance for a bit of redemption and to show improvement as league play continues to quickly approach. More than anything, the Bulldogs need to show progress defensively and take some steps at the other end of the ice.
Possession has been lacking for UMD. The Corsi numbers through five games show UMD — which has prided itself in recent years on being a good possession team — near the middle of Division I. The overall number (52.1) is up slightly from last season, but way, way down from the Bulldogs’ 2018-19 title-winning team (58.8). Even strength shots on goal through five games are 121-106 for UMD, but that stat is 63-49 to the adversaries over this three-game losing streak.
Add in that UMD has not scored an even-strength goal in 204:40 coming in, and you can understand why “offensive zone possession” is sure to be a point of emphasis for this rematch.
To make the degree of difficulty higher, UMD is without standout defenseman Wyatt Kaiser for this game. The NCHC indeed suspended Kaiser for the game as a result of his high stick to the head/face of Wisconsin forward Jack Gornick in the third period Friday.
Here's what Wyatt Kaiser got suspended for. Good use of the challenge by Wisconsin on this one. pic.twitter.com/2XLGy0wlBk
— Chris Dilks (@ChrisDilks) October 22, 2022
There is no argument here. Kaiser simply can’t do what he did, and it’s a correct move by the conference to park him for a night as a result. I’m not even sure you can make the “Well, this only is happening now because it’s October and everyone wants to send a message” argument. This is likely (and arguably should be) supplemental discipline if it happens in the NCAA Tournament.
As a result, UMD will dress its seven healthy defensemen for at least the warmup. The Bulldogs have 20 in the warmup because of (I presume) an injury, which means one player will be scratched pregame. Wisconsin also has 20 players warming up and will scratch one. You know the (Twitter) drill.
There are some changes up front, plus in the back end with the Kaiser suspension.
Matthew Thiessen draws the start in goal for Zach Stejskal.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD forwards
Olson – James – Biondi
Howard – Loney – Loheit
Mylymok – Spicer – Laderoute
Steeves – Jacques – Bettens
Johnson
UMD defense
Gallatin – Gotz
Daschke – Pierce
Bodnarchuk – Francis
Dubinsky
UMD goalies
Thiessen – Stejskal – Sandy
Wisconsin forwards
Lucius – Caufield – De St. Phalle
Bantle – Stramel – Gorniak
Smilanic – Mersch – Urdahl
Brown – Lindmark – Stange
Horbach
Wisconsin defense
Vorlicky – Ceulemans
La Master – Kehrer
Laatsch – Dexheimer
Donovan
Wisconsin goalies
Moe – McClellan – Garrity
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