MARQUETTE, Mich. — Whoever named the Snow Belt was probably driving through on a random Friday and dealing with constant snow showers blowing off Lake Superior.
Or something like that.
A UMD team ravaged by injuries and illness will try to do something no team in Division I men’s college hockey has done in nearly a month: Successfully “defend” the No. 1 human poll ranking.
Probably the No. 1 comment on my Twitter this week has been related to whatever perceived curse has been placed on the polls recently. Last week’s No. 1, Minnesota State, had to deal with illness and lost last Friday to Lake Superior State. The week before, Michigan was No. 1 until it was swept at home by Notre Dame, losing both games in overtime. The week prior, St. Cloud State took the top spot to Kalamazoo and was promptly swept by a 10-2 aggregate against Western Michigan.
Of course, my smart-aleck response is that jinxes/curses aren’t real because they are not. However, the consternation among the fanbase is completely understandable. We all know what has happened the last three weeks, and we all know what the Bulldogs are dealing with heading into this series.
UMD, of course, is missing junior goalie Ryan Fanti this weekend. Fanti, named Thursday as the Hockey Commissioners Association National Goalie of the Month for November, is in COVID protocols, with an expected return against Denver next weekend. Same story for sophomore Wyatt Kaiser, who will miss his third and fourth straight games this week.
Returning for the Bulldogs in the series opener against NMU are senior forward Casey Gilling, who missed last weekend’s series with illness but has been practicing this week and was deemed good to go by head coach Scott Sandelin on Wednesday, and freshman forward Dominic James, who told us nerds on Wednesday that he jammed his neck taking a faceoff after the fourth UMD goal in last Friday’s game and sat out Saturday. Junior Luke Loheit, listed this week as day to day, will miss a second straight game and seventh in the last eight.
With Fanti out, as already chronicled, it’s start No. 1 for Ben Patt. The fifth-year senior is an extremely popular teammate, and I’m excited to see how the guys play in front of him.
Puck possession will be critical. Northern Michigan averages over four goals per game, but the Wildcats also allow nearly four goals per game. NMU’s power play has been lethal so far at nearly 25 percent, but its penalty kill has been leaky. Northern went 6-1-1 in November, with sweeps of Boston University and Ferris State, a win/tie against Bowling Green, and a split with Michigan Tech. Its last games against a ranked opponent were at the end of October, when NMU went to Mankato and took 4-2 and 7-0 losses against Minnesota State while being outshot 79-33.
Last Friday was one of UMD’s stronger puck possession games of the season, with few lulls and a 37-11 edge in shots on goal. No matter who is in goal, that’s the recipe for the Bulldogs, who aren’t a high-flying team but can be lethal in transition even if it’s not its forte. Make the adversary defend. Wear them down. Pressure pucks. Watch UMD’s defensive zone exits this weekend. It was a problem in Saturday’s game against Alaska, and surely something Sandelin and staff will be watching closely this weekend.
For UMD, Loheit remaining out means Jarrett Lee draws in on the fourth line against his former team. He transferred from Northern Michigan and joined the Bulldogs for the 2020-21 season.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD forward
Cates – Gilling – Laderoute
Roth – Jacques – Bender
Olson – James – Biondi
Almquist – Loney – Lee
UMD defense
Anderson (Matt) – Roehl
Gotz – Kelley
Gallatin – Lellig
Rosenbaum
UMD goalies
Patt – Anderson (Brady)
NMU forwards
Colella – Nardi – Ghantous
Crone – Geschwind – de Mey
Van Unen (Rylan) – Frye – Vanderbeck
Byers – Klee – Keefer
Marritt
NMU defense
Erkkila – Newhouse
Van Unen (Michael) – Cosgrove
Hanson – Vescio
NMU goalies
DiMatteo – Glockner – Kent
