DENVER — The score line reads 6-2, but it really wasn’t a 6-2 game, if we’re being honest.
That said, how many times do we get away with saying that in one season?
Friday night got away from the Bulldogs, as Denver scored thrice in the third to turn a 3-2 game into a 6-2 final at Magness Arena.
How, you might ask, did this game turn into a laugher that — for the second time this season — saw a UMD adversary insert its third goalie who rarely or never plays into a game late?
8 THOUGHTS
1. You can’t say the Bulldogs didn’t have chances at key moments. 90 seconds after Luke Loheit scored off a rebound to give UMD a 2-1 lead, Mike Benning took a slashing minor to put the Bulldogs on their first power play of the game. Three shots for UMD over those two minutes on what wasn’t a bad power play by any stretch, but no goals. 26 seconds after Benning’s penalty ended, Wyatt Kaiser took a hooking penalty, his second penalty of the night.
With 18 seconds left in it, Carter Mazur swung around the back of the UMD net and sent a pass up the slot to Benning, who one-timed the puck by Zach Stejskal to draw the game level.
Just over two minutes later, Denver goalie Magnus Chrona made a couple big stops, including one on Luke Mylymok, who stole a strange pass from Shai Buium (perhaps Buium momentarily forgot which team he plays for, because he threw it right. to. Mylymok). Puck goes the other way, and Jack Devine has a partial breakaway where he appears to catch Stejskal off his angle to give DU its first lead at 3-2.
2. It’s arguable that the key moment in this game was when Casey Dornbach clipped Dominic James during a rush attempt. Nothing was called at the time, but at the next whistle, one of the linesmen reported to the referees and a review was originated without a coaches challenge used by UMD.
DU called for head contact- 5 min major, Took about 5 minutes just for the review #UMDmHky pic.twitter.com/N6ImWnFsxW
— UMD Hockey gifs (@UMDHockeygifs) February 18, 2023
(It actually took 3:15 on this review, still I think our longest so far this season.)
This one is weird, because you see two angles in the above clip, and that’s what we got on the Altitude broadcast. But I have to think there were more than two cameras shooting this game, which was televised regionally. Maybe there was more evidence that led officials to call this a major, because one camera angle seen here makes it look like it wasn’t much of a headshot by Dornbach.
The other angle, however, makes it look like a blatant check to the head, and I have to trust the officials got this right in the end.
Anyway, UMD got a five minute power play, wasted the first 1:42 of it before the second period ended, and then took a minor penalty of its own 34 seconds into the third period. The Bulldogs got a short-handed goal to open the scoring and managed to lose the special teams game 2-1 despite having a five-minute power play.
Been that kind of year.
3. But that was probably not the key moment. No, instead I would argue that the golden chances UMD had already squandered to build on a lead were the key moment in the game. That’s where it turned. Kaiser’s penalty leading to the tying goal, and the play DU made to spring Devine for his partial break that gave the Pioneers the lead, those were only key plays because UMD had missed on its chance to potentially put this thing away.
And once Denver was let back in the game, Denver did not let up, which is what Denver does.
This has been a story of the season. When gifted with leads, UMD hasn’t done what needed to be done to extend them often enough. Puts a lot of pressure on the defense and goaltending to be spot on, which they have unfortunately not been often enough.
Chrona made some massive saves, and UMD couldn’t get that from Stejskal, who made a couple nice saves in the first period and was beaten on a couple no-doubters along the way (he probably wants Devine’s first goal back, however).
UMD coach Scott Sandelin said it again Wednesday, that his team has to commit to being better defensively. That did not happen Friday night.
4. UMD’s freshmen continue to impress. The line of Jack Smith, Isaac Howard, and Luke Johnson generated push offensively nearly every time they were on the ice together. Smith got hogtied by Mazur on a third period chance that led to Mazur taking a penalty and saving a goal to do it. Didn’t matter, UMD sleepwalked through the first minute of the power play and couldn’t take advantage of better organization and good zone time in the second minute, thanks in part to Chrona making a couple ten-bell stops.
Kyle Bettens was a physical force, and that line with Carter Loney and Quinn Olson was pretty good again. Bettens is going to be a really, really good player and a beast for adversaries to handle at the rate he’s improving.
But James’ line was hit and miss throughout the game, including a sloppy shift that led to Devine’s second goal of the game, a third-period tally that gave DU a 4-2 lead. On the other hand, James had a breakaway chance that they worked to set up (I believe he’s 0-for-3 on breakaways against Denver this season, which seems unfathomable). And the back line struggles were a thing we already discussed.
5. So, about the forward lines. I’m not sure what Sandelin is going to end up doing with his lines, but I’m confident they won’t stay this way the rest of the season. But who does he break up to make the changes? If UMD is to try a different “top” line, it means a different line will change as well.
I sense that the veteran coach isn’t thrilled with all four combinations. And how can he be? Friday was the first time since Dec. 3 that James, Steeves, and Loheit combined for a goal (I mean they all got on the scoresheet for the same goal).
The veteran line of Jesse Jacques, Tanner Laderoute, and Mylymok had a fine game (Jacques and Laderoute combined for a beauty of a short-handed goal in the first). But they aren’t going to make or break UMD’s chances most nights.
Can Sandelin break up the freshmen? Does he move Bettens to the James line? We’ll find out down the stretch here. The Bulldogs are likely destined to finish under .500, barring something really unforeseen, so I do expect that we’ll see more and more of the young guys who are the future of the program.
6. Denver’s slim chances to clinch the Penrose Cup this weekend dissipated rather quickly on Friday. Jason Polin scored twice for Western Michigan in a 4-1 home win over Colorado College. Omaha dispatched Miami 3-1, thanks to 29 saves from Simon Latkoczy. The Broncos and Mavericks stay eight points back of Denver, and WMU gets the Pioneers next weekend in Kalamazoo.
Wild game in Grand Forks, where Jami Krannila’s brace helped stake St. Cloud State to a 3-1 lead on North Dakota. But Jake Schmaltz got one early in the third, and Riese Gaber scored an extra-attacker equalizer with 1:27 left before adding the overtime winner.
With SCSU losing in overtime, the Huskies drop to fourth. UND taking two points allows the Fighting Hawks to tie UMD and CC for fifth, and UND currently has that tiebreaker, followed by UMD. Western owns the tiebreaker over Omaha for second.
Lots of hockey left to play, but UMD is currently set to head to Omaha for a first round series, while Colorado plays at WMU and UND heads to St. Cloud.
But don’t book a non-refundable hotel room just yet. There’s still a long way to go.
7. More history for the UMD women in Friday’s 6-0 win over Bemidji State. Emma Soderberg made 12 saves for her 21st career shutout, passing Kayla Black for UMD’s all-time career record. Soderberg’s tenth shutout this season ties Black’s single-season mark, and there’s still time for Soderberg to establish a new record there as well. And Friday was the 12th shutout of the season for UMD, tying the team single-season record.
As Matt Wellens points out, all 21 shutouts have come since Soderberg took over as UMD’s starting goalie during the shortended 2020-21 COVID year. That means they’ve actually come in 73 starts, or a shutout every 3.48 starts.
That’s insane.
Naomi Rogge (two goals, one assist) and Gabbie Hughes (three assists) each had three point games, as UMD scored five in the second, including three on a five-minute major that followed a coaches’ challenge by UMD of a Bemidji State minor.
We’ll see if Soderberg gets a shot at the single-season record in Saturday’s 2pm rematch, or if UMD rests her ahead of a first round playoff series at Amsoil Arena next weekend.
8. Finally, history was made Friday in Minneapolis, where the St. Scholastica men’s hockey team clinched the MIAC regular season title with a 5-5 tie and shootout win against Augsburg. CSS is in its second year of MIAC competition in all sports, and this title is the first league championship won by any St. Scholastica team in its new league.
It’s CSS’ first league championship in men’s hockey since 1975. St. Scholastica will finish the regular season Saturday night at Mars Lakeview Arena against Augsburg at 7pm.
Second year coach Dave Williams has done a tremendous job in a short amount of time. Kudos to the entire program.
We’ll hit the air at 6:30pm Saturday from Denver. Back pregame with the lines.
