UMD head coach Scott Sandelin minced few words when talking about Friday’s game with Matt Wellens of the Duluth News Tribune.
“I liked our first 10-12 minutes,” Sandelin told Wellens postgame. “After that, we weren’t a very good hockey team. We weren’t. They were the better team. Knapper got us a tie.”
“Knapper” is freshman goalie Klayton Knapp, who played the best start-to-finish game we’ve seen from a UMD goalie this season (Adam Gajan’s performances against UMass-Lowell Oct. 11 and Western Michigan Nov. 23 are in the team picture) as UMD drew 2-2 with Alaska on Friday before winning a four-round exhibition shootout 1-0.
In two starts this week, against Bemidji State Tuesday and Alaska Friday, Knapp has stopped 60 of 64 shots for a .938 save percentage, raising his season number to .906 and UMD’s to .881, up eight points from where the Bulldogs started the second half this week.
Yes, Knapp is getting a third straight start and fourth in five games. No changes for UMD in this game. Alaska made a few changes, including in goal, where Nicholas Grabko starts for the 16th time in 20 games for the Nanooks.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD forwards
Menghini – James – Bechen
Bentz – Plante (Zam) – Shaugabay
Fischer – Smith – Loney
Perkins – Arnott – Bettens
UMD defense
Pionk – Dubinsky
Gallatin – Pierce
Bast – Hanson
Bodnarchuk
UMD goalies
Knapp – Sandy
Alaska forwards
Kruse – Lawson-Body – Ross
Birnie – Dafoe – Koethe
Platter – Gaffney – Hubbarde
Pecchia – Spak – Johnson
Alaska defense
Sabo – LaMaster
Reed – Rickey
Dick – Cardona
Barlage
Alaska goalies
Grabko – Lehti – Plowman
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