TEMPE, Ariz. -- UMD coach Scott Sandelin was asked about his young players' experience they've had winning in junior hockey. He pointed out a key difference, in that junior hockey playoffs are typically best of five. "You can get away with a bad game in a best of five," he said. UMD didn't play a poor game Fr...

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Friday night's playoff series opener at Mullett Arena was UMD's entire season wrapped into one game. Meanwhile, more than 2,000 miles and 34 hours of driving away, the UMD women find themselves one win away from a return to the Frozen Four. 9 THOUGHTS 1. "It was just so much fun to watch." Fir...

TEMPE, Ariz. -- It always feels like a sprint, even though the college men's hockey calendar is basically the longest of any college sport (I think baseball might be close). Either way, 34 down, and no more than two more are guaranteed for either of these teams. As noted this week, only Western Michigan and Denver out ...

TEMPE, Ariz. -- The NCHC announced its all-conference teams this week, as is custom in the week leading up to the start of the conference playoffs. Normally, I will post the teams and provide some commentary on how I would have voted. This year, there is no hypothetical. I was one of the 18 chosen voters -- nine coache...

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Before we get into talking about hockey, we have lost a couple major figures surrounding UMD hockey recently. Longtime UMD hockey supporter Dave Carlson died recently. When I first got this job back in 2005, I was told that Dave would appreciate my help soliciting people for his annual Bulldog Club bus ...

ST. CLOUD, Minn. -- One more in this regular season. Friday's overtime loss was not great in a lot of ways. UMD played a fairly strong game for most of the 60 minutes of regulation time, but some mistakes did the Bulldogs in after largely controlling play. Then a questionable slashing penalty on Ty Hanson led to Cooper...

ST. CLOUD, Minn. -- Scott Sandelin was about as subtle as a right cross to the kisser when asked about last weekend's home series against Miami. "We weren't very good," he said. "They (Miami) wanted to win. They wanted to win more than we did, it seemed like. I thought, if we play like that, we'll be don...

It's Senior Night for UMD, but the Bulldogs continue to ride their strong freshman class to the successes found in this season. On Friday, it was freshman Ty Hanson getting the puck to the net for sophomore Braden Fischer to score in the first period. Then freshman Max Plante found freshman Callum Arnott down low on th...

As UMD senior Joe Molenaar said this week, this is the NCHC. There are no easy weekends. Even when playing a team that has not won in 34 straight conference games (0-33-1). Miami gave Denver fits at times last weekend in Oxford, and the RedHawks scored three late goals two Saturdays ago in Colorado Springs before getti...

For the UMD men, it's a bittersweet final home weekend with Miami in town. For the women, it's the start of the most wonderful time of year, the playoffs. Here, it's nine more rambling thoughts. 9 THOUGHTS 1. "It's go time." UMD sophomore goalie Eve Gascon smiled when it was mentioned to her that it's playoff...

GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- An early hole proved too much to dig out of for UMD on Friday night, as North Dakota took a 1-0 lead inside of two minutes elapsed, added to it at the end of the first period, and played opportunistic hockey to beat UMD 4-2 here at Ralph Engelstad Arena. UMD got goals from Joe Molenaar and Blake Be...

GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- I can report that Ralph Engelstad Arena once again smells like mini donuts. Cruel and unusual punishment for someone who can't eat cinnamon, I argue. Anyway, UMD has three series left in the regular season, with two of them coming against the Bulldogs' closest league rivals. First it's here to face...

Big weekend series ahead for the UMD women to finish up the regular season. The UMD men look to take another step forward in a tough venue. Meanwhile, a cool story has been authored over the bridge, and the writers hope the best chapter has yet to be penned. It's go time. 9 THOUGHTS 1. "The longest we've ever been...

For the Bulldogs, Friday's win was needed. There was a clear commitment to playing better defensively, and while the Sun Devils are probably lamenting a few Grade-A chances where pucks were whiffed on or shanked, or a pass was off-target, but UMD can feel the same way, especially about the latter half of the third peri...

UMD is now 5-5-1 since break after getting swept last weekend in Omaha. Not bad, not great. While Scott Sandelin has said a couple times this week that he felt his team deserved a better fate in Omaha (at least to some extent), UMD has to be much better defensively against a potent Arizona State attack than it was last...

International hockey is the flavor of the moment. While the NHL season goes on pause for the 4 Nations Faceoff, the PWHL is back after a pause for the latest unnecessary Rivalry Series, and two UMD women's standout defenders have returned from helping their respective countries qualify for the 2026 Olympics. Doublehead...

OMAHA, Neb. -- A pretty even game through two periods turned on a five-minute stretch to start the third period Friday night. Well, to be fair, a stretch of 5:01 to start the third period. 13 seconds into the third, Zac Urdahl scored short-side from a sharp-ish angle on the right wing to give Omaha a 2-1 lead. It was a...

OMAHA, Neb. -- It's "Country and Cowbells Night" here in Omaha. Join us and see if we survive with our ears fully intact. On the ice, UMD returns from a bye to battle Omaha. Like I said in the preview, byes are weird. They aren't necessarily as helpful as one might think. Jan. 17, Western Michigan returned fr...

OMAHA, Neb. -- Bye weeks are weird. Everyone thinks it's a great chance for a team to get healthy and reset, and to work on a few things. "I've done this a long time," UMD men's head coach Scott Sandelin said this week, as his team prepares to return from a bye to battle Omaha. "I always thought bye week...

A rousing win for UMD on Friday night. And maybe the kind of game that wakes up a fanbase that's, to be blunt, not come out in droves since the team stumbled out of the gates to start the season. Had nearly 6,000 paid for Friday, and most of the folks who showed up were more than engaged with the happenings on the ice....