These COVID pauses are not easy. Players who test positive are isolated. They can’t do much of anything physical. In an interview you’ll hear Saturday night, UMD captain Noah Cates said he basically went to a family cabin and hung out by himself. Called it a “mental break.”
Before Friday’s game against Miami, which UMD won 4-1 thanks to a three-goal third period, head coach Scott Sandelin said it was an interesting week at the facility. Some players were able to skate on Monday, but other players who tested positive the previous week couldn’t return until Wednesday. Sandelin opted to switch up two of the Bulldogs’ top three lines, and both power play units were changed up. Depending on when players were able to return to the rink, practice time for new units was a bit limited.
Even if things hadn’t been switched up, some rust had to be expected. Miami, after all, played three times since UMD’s last game, which was on Jan. 1. And UMD was rusty at times early in this game. The Bulldogs, however, did a fine job taking care of their own zone first. Of Miami’s six shots in the first period, only two of them came at even strength. The RedHawks got a few chances during the game, and there are still things UMD will want to clean up, but this was a much more composed game, and a night where UMD did a better job exiting its zone.
As the game wore on, the Bulldogs were able to establish a forecheck and generate some pressure of their own. It didn’t immediately pay off, but Blake Biondi got loose on the backdoor late in the second, chipping home a great feed by Darian Gotz for a 1-0 lead. Facing his former team, graduate transfer Casey Gilling scored early in the second, using a nice forehand-backhand move to finish off Kobe Roth’s pass. That had to feel good for Gilling. He played 131 games at Miami, and it was a program in transition throughout his time there. Now he’s playing at UMD, but still has players on the other side he knows very well. Gilling had a strong game, and it was nice to see him rewarded with a goal.
Miami closed to within 2-1 two minutes after Gilling’s tally, but the Bulldogs got a big penalty kill, then a Koby Bender power play goal to restore the two-goal advantage. Another forward who had a very strong game Friday, junior Quinn Olson, capped the scoring less than two minutes after Bender’s marker. Olson, who was UMD’s best player in the Jan. 1 loss to Minnesota State, led the team with five shots and was active from the hop Friday. In a game where it felt like some of the Bulldogs took a bit of time to find their legs and get into a rhythm, Olson was a beast from the start, winning races and battles and generating scoring chances.
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When a team struggles to get into a rhythm as UMD did for a time on Friday, sometimes it takes the goaltender to bail everyone else out. While Ryan Fanti didn’t necessarily have to save the proverbial bacon on Friday, he was sharp throughout the game, another in a series of strong performances. Since Fanti struggled in a 5-0 loss to Denver on Dec. 10, he now has stopped 101 of 108 shots (.935 save percentage) over the last four games. He’s gotten ten goals of offensive support in two wins, and one goal combined in two losses. Goes back to Sandelin’s comments about needing more offensive consistency.
So, yeah, the next challenge for UMD will be building off its three-goal third period on Saturday night in the rematch. The Bulldogs were able to wear down Miami as Friday wore on, and you can expect a similar plan to close out the series.
The reconfigured lines — Gilling centering Noah Cates and Kobe Roth, and Jesse Jacques between Bender and Tanner Laderoute — got better as the game wore on, and they contributed large gobs of offensive zone time in the third period. UMD had Miami chasing, both the puck and the score, and that’s when this team is at its best.
The blemish? Matt Anderson was whistled for a hard hit on Miami’s Joe Cassetti with 30 seconds left in the game. A quick review led to a major and game misconduct for interference, and while Anderson is technically eligible to play Saturday, we’ll have to wait and see what the league has to say about it. It didn’t appear the check targeted the head, which should help Anderson’s case should one be needed.
If Anderson doesn’t face the wrath of supplemental discipline, Sandelin potentially has the luxury of not having to make any changes in the lineup. UMD has not fielded the same lineup for consecutive games once this season, and of the 10 previous weekends, only two of them didn’t involve changes due to injury or illness.
Hold your breath, I suppose.
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After an 8-2 win over Bemidji State on Friday, the UMD women will kick off Saturday’s doubleheader at 3pm (coverage at 2:45 on KDAL). Naomi Rogge, Anna Klein, and Katie Davis each scored twice for UMD on Friday, with Elizabeth Giguere (one goal, two assists) and Klein (two goals, one assist) posting three points each.
6:30pm for the men’s pregame. Watch Twitter @BruceCiskie for live coverage of the women’s game, and I’ll be back here with the men’s lines around 5pm.
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