UMD Men’s Hockey: Bulldogs get better, just in time for hot Denver

The ice had become a little more congested as a wave of healthy bodies returned from injury and illness, and just in time for Friday and Saturday at 7:07 pm for the NCHC matches against the Pioneers. It’s UMD’s last series before the two-week holiday break.

“It definitely helps to see the boys return,” Cates said. “They’re also a little calmer after free, which adds a little jump to them and our lineup.”

Second-year defender Wyatt Kaiser (illness), fresh defender Will Francis (illness), junior goalkeeper Ryan Fantin (illness) and junior winger Luke Loheit (injury) are expected to be available this weekend after this week’s practice.

Coach Scott Sandelin classified fifth-year-old Louie Roehl as “daily” this week after receiving an injury late last Friday’s match in Northern Michigan, while second-year goalkeeper Zach Stejskal (illness) and second-year winger Luke Mylymok (injury) remain out in the long run.

Kaiser have missed the last four games, while Loheit has been out of three because he failed to make the home game against Alaska on Nov. 26. Francis and Fanti both missed last weekend’s series in Northern Michigan.

The Bulldogs have played the last two Saturdays without healthy scratches in the lineup. They had two spare hulls involved in the Thanksgiving weekend series with Nanooks and just one before Marquette’s loss last week.

UMD took just one rule win in nonconference games in the last two weeks, beating Nanooks at home 5-1 and 1-0 in OT, followed by 5-4 and 5-3 losses last week in Northern Michigan.

“We’ve been dealing with it since the Minnesota series. Basically, we haven’t had a full number of players all year,” Sandelin said of the injuries and illnesses. “It’s part of the game, isn’t it?” Obviously it’s going to be hard, but again, like I said, I’m not here to come up with excuses. You have to find ways. You ask your children, some men, to step out and play. Maybe it’s a different role or to elevate their play. ”

The opportunity arises

Cates said it can be mentally tough for players when teammates ’health is in the air every week, but it also opens the door for others to practice and play new roles in games.

Both Cates and Sandelin highlighted sophomore Darian Gotz as a player who has seized the opportunity recently. A native of Hermantown played 19 games a year ago and started the first nine of this season as the seventh defender.

Gotz jumped into the top six when sophomore Connor Kelley skipped three NCHC games in November and stayed there for the last four when Kaiser was away. However, it was the start of the NCHC game in Western Michigan that Gotz was really starting to emerge.

Minnesota Duluth defender Darian Gotz (2) will control the puck against Colorado College on Saturday, November 13, 2021 at Amsoil Arena in Duluth. Clint Austin / File / Duluth News Tribune

In the last 10 games, Gotz has blocked 19 shots and fed 17 reels into the net. This last number, shots on goal, has not gone unnoticed by the UMD captain.

“He gets the shots through and he’s simple,” Cates said. “He gets the puck from the ice for the attackers. It’s so important to the young defenders. I think it’s hard for them to be simple and not do anything too spectacular, but he’s proud of it and just doing a simple play.

Cates also mentioned junior striker Ben Almquist as a player who has risen during injuries and illnesses.

No names immediately came to Sandelin’s mind, just that “some guys have had everything well.”

“Some guys still have to continue playing,” Sandelin said. “And if we don’t get it, we’re not going to be a very good hockey team because we’re not a team that can take passengers.”

Having played just 16 matches in the 2021-22 season, 11 Bulldogs have missed a total of 53 due to injury or illness.

However, Sandelin said the lack of continuity in the line-up is not an excuse for recent struggles. Bulldogs need to find a way to cope with it.

“That’s when you want the other guys to get up,” Sandelin said. “There have been opportunities. I can go back to when (Cates) was kicked out of Michigan. You’re looking for friends to improve the game and fill its void. Probably more disappointing than the 5-1 loss was that we didn’t have men to get up and fill that void and carry a little more weight.

“You lose players in games. I hope you don’t, but you go through those situations. It’s no different. When you’re missing some key friends, it’s an opportunity for other friends to play and then an opportunity for other friends to step up and do a little more. I hope to see that, but I don’t “I haven’t seen it much or enough yet. Let’s see how it goes this weekend.”

Patrol of the Pioneers

Denver striker Carter Savoie (8) will celebrate his goal against St. Cloud State in the second round on Sunday, December 20, 2020 at the Baxter Arena at the NCHC Pod in Omaha. Tyler Schank / File / The Rink Live

It’s been almost a year since UMD and Denver last saw each other at the NCHC Pod in Omaha, where the Pioneers lost twice to the Bulldogs on their way to a disappointing 10-13-1 season.

The DU is okay again this season, finishing 11th in the country at 10-4 and finishing third in the NCHC with 12 points 4-2. These two league losses came in North Dakota on 5-6. November, when they were held in one goal in each game. Since then, Denver have won six consecutive matches against Western Michigan, Miami and Arizona State, scoring an average of 5.67 goals per game.

Sandelin said Denver is a dangerous team that is painful to play against.

“We don’t have time to pity ourselves,” said Sanelin, whose team is ranked 5th in the country 10-5-1 after two Northern defeats. UMD is a point away from Denver in the NCHC in the fifth 3-2-1. “We have one of the best offensive teams in the country and in our league coming here, and they’re hot right now.”

Second-year striker Carter Savoie, named to Canada’s World Juniors, leads Pioneer in points (22) and goals (12). He is one of five Pioneers in six-point points and currently second in the NCAA and NCHC in goals per game (0.86).