We back!
After a brief quarantine-related pause, UMD returns and opens a two-game series against resurgent Western Michigan. The Broncos have found something in freshman goalie Alex Aslanidis, who is 3-0-1 in four starts, coinciding with Western’s current strong form.
With Aslanidis gaining the trust of his coaches and teammates in goal, Western has — for a lack of a better way of saying it — looked like Western as of late. The Broncos are an aggressive team, one that likes to “go north,” as UMD coach Scott Sandelin terms it. They’ll stretch opposing defenses and force them to account for players all over the rink. It’s a style that’s burned UMD a few times over the years. Against this team, you can dominate puck possession and offensive zone time, but one mistake and Western Michigan has a (probably talented) forward streaking in on your goalie all by himself.
It’s a good test for a UMD team that’s cleaned up a lot of things in its own zone since the early portion of play in the NCHC Pod.
A few changes for UMD. Most notably, Jesse Jacques and Jackson Cates switch places on the line chart, with Jacques taking over the second line and the elder Cates the third. Ben Almquist draws in as the fourth line center, just his second game this season and first as a full-time center. Blake Biondi and Luke Mylymok draw out for this game, allowing Luke Loheit — who is part of the Bulldogs’ penalty kill — to stay on the fourth line and move to wing, and Jarrett Lee to play as well.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD forwards
Olson – Cates (Noah) – Swaney
Koepke – Jacques – Laderoute
Roth – Cates (Jackson) – Bender
Lee – Almquist – Loheit
UMD defense
Kaiser – Roehl
Anderson – Lellig
Cairns – Kelley
Rosenbaum
UMD goalies
Fanti – Stejskal – Patt
Western Michigan forwards
Hillebrand – Washe (Tim) – Larkin
Frank – Worrad – Gallant
Glover – Van Os – Rome
Passolt – Washe (Paul) – Grainger
Western Michigan defense
Fiedler – Joyaux
Hilsendager – Brickey
Fulp – Attard
Bennett
Western Michigan goalies
Cain – Hawryluk – Aslanidis
(NOTE: Western Michigan’s goalies are listed numerically on the chart. We expect Aslanidis to start.)
