This was the first weekend of the season man NCHC teams have started conference play. Last weekend, UND and CC kicked off the conference play season. This week, everyone but the Fighting Hawks had a matchup with an NCHC opponent.
SCSU 7-0-0 (2) vs UMD 4-4-2 (8)
The Huskies entered the weekend as the only undefeated team in the NCHC. That would continue as they swept the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs last weekend.
After a scoreless first period Friday, each team netted two goals in the second period to make it 2-2. Two more goals in the third by the Huskies along with an empty net goal to seal it ended the game at 5-2.
With his empty net goal, Jimmy Schuldt scored his fifth goal of the season for the Huskies.
Saturday night was a beat-down. SCSU won 5-0 with goals by five different players. This continues the trend of the Huskies of scoring a lot of goals while giving up few. They have forced 33 goals and only allowed 13.
Bulldog goalie Hunter Shepard was pulled after allowing four goals on 11 shots. Nick Deery relived him and allowed one goal on ten shots.
This weekend will be a heavyweight matchup between SCSU and DU. With Denver scuffling, the Huskies can take a big conference lead with a sweep over the Pioneers. Last season, the Pioneers lead the season series 3-1.
For the Bulldogs, they’ll limp home and gear up for a big conference series with Western Michigan Broncos. The Broncos are coming off a huge sweep of DU. With a 4-4-2 overall record and starting 0-2-0 in the conference, the Bulldogs will have to get it together soon to not fall into a deep hole.
DU 4-1-2 (1) vs WMU 4-3-1
Western Michigan hosted the Denver Pioneers last weekend and shocked the conference with a sweep over the Pioneers.
Friday night was a thriller in Kalamazoo. Heading into the third period the Pioneers held a 4-3 advantage thanks to Henrik Borgström’s hat trick and sixth, seventh and eighth goals of the season. The Broncos tied the game in the third, but a DU goal put the Pioneers ahead 5-4. Two goals in the last two minutes of the game sealed it for the Broncos 6-5.
While the Pioneers have a high-flying offense, so do the Broncos. Dawson DiPietro scored the game-winner and it was his fifth goal of the season and his second of the game. Colt Conrad scored his sixth goal of the season as well for WMU.
The Pioneers struggled on the power play all night as they went 0-8 and failed to take advantage of their many opportunities.
Denver got out to a 3-0 lead Saturday evening, but five unanswered goals by the Broncos in the third period sunk the Broncos hopes of salvaging the series.
The Bronco defense was solid in their 7-4 victory allowing only 19 shots on goal, and only five of them in the third period.
WMU and the Lawson Lunatics will welcome the UMD Bulldogs this weekend to Kalamazoo for a series. The Bulldogs are reeling coming off a sweep at the hands of SCSU.
CC 5-4-0 vs MU 4-3-0
Colorado College had their first NCHC games last weekend in Grand Forks. This weekend, it was the Miami Red Hawks’ turn to play in their first inter-conference games.
Friday’s game was a good one. After surrendering a goal in the second period, the Tigers headed into the third period down 0-1. Two power-play goals powered CC to a 2-1 lead. With less than a minute remaining in the third period, Casey Gilling netted a goal with an extra attacker to tie the game 2-2. Two and a half minutes into overtime, a winner was determined with a goal by Miami’s Josh Melnick.
Following a tight 3-2 victory by the Red Hawks Friday night, the two teams put on a similar performance Saturday as well. The Red Hawks took a lead late in the first period, but CC answered with two goals of their own in the second period, and that’s all they would require for the win, 2-1.
CC’s defense was spectacular allowing only 14 shots on goal and shutting down all six of Miami’s power plays.
The Red Hawks will travel to Grand Forks this weekend to take on the Fighting Hawks. Miami is 2-6 at Ralph Engelstad Arena since joining the NCHC.
Colorado College will return home to Colorado Springs to host the UNO Mavericks. The Tigers are 3-1 at Broadmoor World Arena to start the season.
UND 6-2-1 (4) UW 6-4-0 (7)
The old conference foes rekindled their rivalry last weekend. The Fighting Hawks won a game and tied another in Madison against the Badgers at the Kohl Center.
UW took the early lead Friday evening with a goal seven minutes into the first period. The Hawks quickly scored to tie it, but a goal by Matthew Freytag gave Wisconsin the 2-1 advantage heading into the second period.
After the first period, the game was all UND. An early goal in the second period tied the game 2-2 and a goal halfway through the third period by Nick Jones gave UND the 3-2 lead they would not relinquish.
Peter Thome made his first colligate appearance in net for the Hawks and performed very well. The Freshman was not informed he would be starting until Friday after word came out that Cam Johnson would not play.
Saturday, the Hawks climbed up from a one-goal deficit two times in the third period. A penalty shot made gave the Badgers a 1-0 lead late in the first period. Both goalies would hunker down in the second period not allowing any goals.
The two teams traded goals in the third giving the Badgers a 2-1 lead, but Shane Gersich’s goal with just over five minutes remaining tied the contest 2-2, which would be the final score.
The Hawks return home to face Miami University this weekend, they will look to try and keep up the pace with the SCSU Huskies at the top of the conference.
