MILWAUKEE – Losing sucks, but when it gets you an early game there’s at least a silver lining.
UMD gets the early game by virtue of Air Force falling 3-0 to Wisconsin in the nightcap Thursday.
Now we’ll see if the Bulldogs can bounce back from a tough loss Thursday, a game where I felt UMD played pretty well and probably deserved a better fate than an overtime defeat.
It might start in the faceoff circle. Northeastern went 48-16 on Thursday, and while it didn’t directly lead to any goals, the constant need to battle for puck possession that was lost on the puck drop has to wear on the humans wearing the uniforms.
This isn’t going to be a picnic in that regard. Air Force has a team faceoff percentage of 54.5, tied with Wisconsin for fourth nationally. UMD is sliding down the chart, now 59th at 45.2 percent for the season.
Only change for UMD is on the fourth line, where Luke Johnson draws in for Kyler Kleven.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD forwards
Olson – Biondi – Loheit
Steeves – Smith – Bettens
McMenamin – Loney – Perkins
Menghini – Fischer – Johnson
UMD defense
Pionk – Gotz
Gallatin – Dubinsky
Bast – Pierce
Bodnarchuk
UMD goalies
Stejskal – Thiessen – Sandy
Air Force forwards
Gavin – Cosentino – Brown
Horn – McCormick – Oliphant
Adams – DeCarlo – Schwartz
Marti – Remissong – Ullrick
Digby
Air Force defense
Hedden – Rowe
Brennan – Robinson
Staring – Cunningham
Air Force goalies
Blessing – Clafton – Balboa
