Bulldogs sweep Gophers again, claim WCHA lead

Where, do we suppose, is the “Taconite Trophy?”

That was the question asked, delicately, of Minnesota coach Don Lucia after the two-time defending champion Gophers had been blitzed 6-1 by Minnesota-Duluth in a stunning Friday night series opener at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center.
“The what?” said Lucia.

“The Taconite Trophy,” it was repeated.

“I’ve never heard of the Taconite Trophy, and I have no idea what it is,” Lucia said.

This is not a case of arrogance, or of anything else. The Taconite Trophy was created somewhere around three decades ago, and it was to go to the winner of the intrastate season series between Minnesota and UMD. There was a time, in the first 38 years since UMD got into the WCHA, that the Bulldogs had the upper hand on the big-city Gophers. In fact, the ‘Dogs had won the series 10 times in those 38 years, although never once in those 10 seasons did they ever sweep all four games.

Since some fantastic league-championship Bulldog teams won the trophy in 1982, ’84 and ’85, they have only held the upper hand on the Gophers once, and that was in the 1992-93 season, proving that while UMD was experiencing the usual ups and downs of any college program, Minnesota had remained a perennial WCHA power, seemingly impervious to the “downs.”

So that means that Lucia needn’t be embarrassed about not knowing about, or the whereabouts of, the Taconite Trophy, because it has been in the hands of the Gophers for 11 straight years – so long that it is never even brought out for debate. In fact, the UMD coaches were as perplexed as Lucia when the subject was brought up, because they had never heard of it, either.

Somebody said it is collecting dust on some shelf in some supply room at the University of Minnesota. But maybe itÂ’s time to find it, dust it off, and UPS it on up I35 to Duluth, because not only did UMD stun the Gophers 6-1 on Friday, but they seconded the notion with a 4-1 victory on Saturday. Raucous crowds of 5,406 and 5,418 filled the DECC for the games, which also were on statewide television.

The sweep also goes into the history books, because UMD, which opened the season winning 4-3 in overtime and 4-2 to sweep Minnesota at Mariucci Arena, thus completed the first four-game season sweep any Bulldog team had ever inflicted over any Gopher team in their 39-year WCHA hockey rivalry. Over those years, Minnesota had swept the Bulldogs seven times, most recently in 1994-95, 1995-96 and 1999-2000 – three times in the last decade. So it’s about time for the ‘Dogs to howl, but there wasn’t much of that.

UMD coach Scott Sandelin remained his usual self, which means that despite being immensely satisfied at what he has built in four seasons at UMD, he is never going to be tossing out a controversial line, or boasting, or showing any emotional outbursts. The only difference in SandelinÂ’s post-game demeanor is that his office between the UMD dressing room and the weight-training facility was jammed with friends and well-wishers.

Aside from demolishing their big-campus rivals, the sweep boosted the Bulldogs into sole possession of first place in the WCHA, because North Dakota split at Colorado College to fall out of the week-old tie with UMD. Yet another impressive layer to UMDÂ’s surge is the extension of the nationÂ’s longest unbeaten streak to 12 games (11-0-1) to claim the top WCHA slot at 16-5-1 (20-8-3 overall).

At the other side of what has become one of the more surprising WCHA races in years, the Gophers – two-time NCAA champions and unanimous preseason pick to win the WCHA – dropped to 11-10-1 in the WCHA, still clinging to the fifth and final home-ice playoff slot behind UMD, North Dakota, St. Cloud State and Wisconsin. The Gophers seem secure in holding that spot, with a three-point edge on Colorado College and only six games remaining. But nobody anticipated the talented and veteran Gophers to be one game over .500 at this point in the season.

Coming into the series in Duluth, Minnesota had made a run up from a shaky start to go 11-1-2 over 14 games. As usual, that had commanded enough attention to obscure UMDÂ’s 9-0-1 run.

In fact, when UMD faced Colorado College on Jan. 16-17, the national ratings showed North Dakota first, Wisconsin fourth, St. Cloud State sixth, Denver seventh, Minnesota eighth, CC 10th, and UMD 12th. That’s a very impressive showing for the WCHA, with seven teams among the nation’s top 12. But UMD, being 12th, was in the same old syndrome – no respect. At that point, UMD had already swept Denver and Minnesota on the road, and was about to sweep CC.

Two weeks ago, the same ratings prior to the first weekend in February showed North Dakota still first, Minnesota fifth, Wisconsin seventh and UMD eighth. On top of that, Minnesota came into the series boasting the top power play in the country, going 41-for-146 for a blistering .281 percentage. As if all that wasnÂ’t enough to amplify the pivotal nature of the weekend confrontation at the DECC, the pairwise rankings, approximating the NCAA tournament selection process, ranked Minnesota and UMD tied for fourth, behind only North Dakota, Boston College and Maine.

The great thing about all of that is it could be set aside when the puck dropped. And when it dropped, the Bulldogs showed why they have been the most consistent team in the WCHA all season, with quick-countering attackers, balanced on every line with small but aggressive skaters, plus a veteran, rangy defense that was solid throughout, led by Beau Geisler, whose hand injury finally seems healed; and Tim Hambly, who is playing his best and most confident hockey in three years. Neil Petruic, also, played superbly all weekend. And behind them, sophomore goaltender Isaac Reichmuth was near-flawless.

Nick Anderson and Tyler Brosz staked Duluth to a 2-0 lead in the first game, and Barry Tallackson countered for Minnesota with a screened 35-footer to cut it to 2-1. But Gopher scoring star Thomas Vanek, a finesse player who somehow leads the Gophers in penalty minutes this season, charged and blindsided Jesse Unklesbay at the end of the opening period, setting off a brief but intense five-on-five scrap, and earning UMD a four-minute power play.

Geisler skated all the way from the point to the net to score at the end of that power play, then UMD astounded its fans when Brosz scored at 14:44, Evan Schwabe scored at 15:58, and Junior Lessard got his 20th goal of the season at 18:30. Four unanswered goals in the second period, and the 6-1 final was engraved.

The next night, Marco Peluso took center stage, breaking hard across the goal-mouth while blocking a pass ahead and quickly stuffing it past Minnesota goaltender Kellen Briggs for the only goal of the first period. Keith Ballard, MinnesotaÂ’s All-America-class defenseman, scored a disputed goal while being knocked skates-high into the crease at 7:46 of the second period, and the 1-1 tie appeared a probably springboard for rally by a much more intense Gopher team.

But in the last minute of the second period, Hambly and Petruic strung together slick passes and Peluso deftly tipped the puck in from wide right for UMDÂ’s tie-breaker. In the third period, Lessard notched his 21st on a power play, and Luke Stauffacher hit an open net for the 4-1 clincher.

Reichmuth stopped 60 of 62 Minnesota shots for the weekend, the Bulldogs stifled Minnesota’s power play with 0-for-10 futility, while UMD was 3-4 the first game and 3-6 the second. That was the final touch: UMD not only took first place in the WCHA, swept the Gophers for the weekend and the series, finally passed them in all the rankings, and also now has the best power play. The Bulldogs are 31-for-107 in league play for 29.0 percent (to Minnesota’s 28-104 for 26.9), and overall, the ‘Dogs are 42-158 for 26.6 percent (to Minnesota’s 41-156 for 26.3).

There was no gloating, no boasting from the Bulldogs. They all expressed determination to continue their surge next weekend at Colorado College. Then they come home for a monumental showdown against North Dakota, before finishing the regular season at Wisconsin. If the Bulldogs are going to win it, they will have to earn it. But they have a respectful admirer in Lucia, who, after UMD swept the Gophers at the start of the season, said he thought the Bulldogs could win the league title. He hasnÂ’t changed his opinion.

“They were good at the start of the season, and they’re much better now,” said Lucia. “We watched ‘em on video, and we play the top teams from all over the country, so we knew how good UMD was. Reichmuth is very good, and they have a lot of experience, and everybody is playing hard. They can play six defensemen, and if they keep getting that kind of goaltending, they’re in great shape. They’re in first place now, and they control their own destiny.”

Kind words, indeed. NowÂ…about that Taconite TrophyÂ…

Lessard puts hockey, goal-scoring, in perspective

Junior Lessard always looks calm and under control as he patrols right wing for the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs. HeÂ’s tough and competitive working along the boards or for scoring chances, which he puts away efficiently. But when he doesnÂ’t score, he remains unruffled and keeps working hard.

You could say he resembles a shark, the way he cruises with smooth power, seeming to sense where the puck is going to be. You could say that, but the red-headed senior would just as soon avoid any nautical analogies, thank you.

Lessard has come to appreciate Lake Superior, the huge and beautiful blue sea that dominates life in Duluth, and a truly terrifying moment last summer in the big lake made him see his senior season and his promising future in the game in an entirely new perspective. Nearly losing your life can have that effect.
“Today, I go down the hill to practice and see the big lake, and I can’t help thinking about what happened,” Lessard said. “You go to practice and some days you might not feel like practicing…But every day, I think how nice it is, and how lucky I am to be here.”

Lessard doesn’t trust much to luck on WCHA rinks. Traditional WCHA powers, like North Dakota, Minnesota, Denver and Colorado College, seem to get more acclaim than his UMD Bulldogs, even though UMD has won six straight games and climbed to second in the WCHA behind only North Dakota. It’s the same for Lessard personally: Brandon Bochenski of North Dakota and Thomas Vanek of Minnesota are well-known as the WCHA’s most explosive and prolific goal-scorers. But Lessard has 18 goals this season – second only to Bochenski’s 20 among the nation’s goal-scorers. And in WCHA games only, he and Vanek are tied with a league-leading 14 goals.

“Maybe we don’t get enough credit, but it will come,” said Lessard, who has scored two hat tricks this season. Last weekend, he notched two goals in a 4-1 victory against Colorado College Saturday, after scoring a big goal to ignite a 4-3 first-game triumph, in UMD’s sixth series sweep this season. Five of the sweeps have come in the WCHA, including two on the road, at Minnesota and at Denver, preceding the sweep of CC – three teams that all were ranked ahead of the Bulldogs going into last weekend.

Finally, UMD rose from 12th to No. 9 in the polls, which themselves were put in perspective when the Pairwise rankings were released showing UMD fourth in the analysis that contributes to the NCAA tournament consideration. Meanwhile, the co-offensive players of the week were Vanek, who had four goals and three assists out of 15 goals the Gophers volleyed in at Minnesota State-Mankato, and North DakotaÂ’s Zach Parise, who got four goals and two assists out of 12 goals his team scored in sweeping at Michigan Tech. Lessard also figured in half of his teamÂ’s goals, scoring three goals and one assist among the eight goals UMD scored in a far tougher series against CC. But he wouldnÂ’t complain.

“Parise and Vanek are really good players, and they deserve the recognition,” Vanek said. “ItÂ’s nice to get the recognition, but if you donÂ’t get it, you still play hard. WeÂ’ve made progress all four years IÂ’ve been here, and the best part of our team is that if my line — with Even Schwabe and Tyler Brosz – doesnÂ’t score, Tim Stapleton or Luke Stauffacher might score on the next line, or T.J. Caig might come through on the line after that. WeÂ’ve got pretty good depth.

“You have to earn respect, and we’re going pretty good. We’ve won six in a row, against pretty good teams, and we’ve got some big games still to go. But we don’t look too far ahead. We’ve got Michigan Tech this weekend, and they beat us once at their place, so we know they’ll come in here playing hard.”

Lessard, who looks bigger than his 6-foot, 195-pound dimensions, is from St. Joseph deBeauce, Quebec, and he took his French accent to the Portage Terriers of the Manitoba Junior League, where he scored 60 goals and 108 points in 1999-2000, and was recruited by former UMD coach Mike Sertich. After getting four goals as a freshman, he scored 17-13—30 as a sophomore, 21-16—37 as a junior, and now has 14-10—24 as a senior, with 14 more league games, and potentially a few more playoff games, remaining.

Last summer, he stayed in Duluth all summer to work out. After a cool start, summer came to Duluth hot and heavy through July and August. Even during a hot summer, Lake Superior is so cold and so deep that there are only a few days when hearty swimmers can venture into it. On one of those days, Schwabe and his girlfriend from Saskatchewan, and Lessard and his friend, Leah Kasper, who plays on UMDÂ’s womenÂ’s team, all went to Park Point, the long, sandy-beached peninsula that extends south from the Aerial Bridge and separates Lake Superior from the Duluth harbor.

“We were going to spend the day at the beach,” Lessard said. “So we all went out into the water. You can go out a long way before it gets deep, and we were out quite a way, but we could still stand on the bottom and the water was about to our shoulders. Suddenly, we weren’t touching the ground any more. Leah called for help, but the current was so strong, the undertow started to sweep us out. We tried to swim, but we kept getting swept farther and farther out.

“Schwabe got out, and when he was able to get back to the beach, he went to some people for help. A guy was there with his family, and he had a wetsuit and flippers, and he had a lot of experience with emergencies. He came out and saved us. He saved all three of us. He got the two girls first, and I was the last one he rescued. I was probably out there two or three minutes altogether, but it seemed a lot longer. I kept trying to swim, and I swallowed a lot of water.

“By the time he got me to shore, I was exhausted. I couldn’t move, and I couldn’t feel any part of my body. Then I started throwing up blood. They took me to the hospital, and I was in there for four or five hours before they decided I was OK.”

The group learned later that a youngster had drowned near where they were. It happened a few minutes earlier, but they didnÂ’t know about it at the time. The tragic day could have been far more tragic if the rescuer had not happened to be in the vicinity, or if Schwabe had been unable to get to the beach to call for help.

It was an experience the personable Lessard will never forget, obviously.

“For the first couple of weeks after it happened, I couldn’t sleep,” Lessard said. “Every time I closed my eyes, all I could see was myself out there in the water.”

Freeze the water, put some boards around it, invite 4,500 people, and throw the puck in the corner – suddenly it’s easy to understand why Lessard can keep his cool and patience.

Lake Superior has enthralled viewers for centuries, but even when it looks placid and smooth, it can rise up without warning and prove its dominance to anyone who doesnÂ’t show it proper respect. At that, the big lake does create an unmistable analogy to Junior Lessard, and his UMD Bulldogs.

Badger women show intentions with split at UMD

A funny thing happened when the Wisconsin womenÂ’s hockey Badgers were about to create a six-skater closing attack last Saturday night: They didnÂ’t need it. The Badgers scored, and scored again, startling Minnesota-Duluth and snatching a 3-2 victory to gain a split that was both important to the WCHA race, and compelling in the intense rivalry between the two.

The whole weekend at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center had not been particularly kind to Wisconsin, which played well Friday night but was shut out 3-0 by the Bulldogs. So, when SaturdayÂ’s rematch got into its final five minutes, and Wisconsin trailed UMD 2-1, coach Mark Johnson knew what he had to do to make one final bid for the equalizer.

“I was just planning how we’d pull our goaltender,” said Johnson, smiling at the irony of being unable to execute his plan.

A Wisconsin penalty expired just as Sara Bauer, who had scored WisconsinÂ’s first goal in the second period, flipped the puck up the right boards. Lindsay Macy alertly sped past retreating UMD defenseman Krista McArthur, won the race to the puck, and passed to the goal-mouth, where Sharon Cole smacked it past UMD goaltender Riitta Schaublin with 4:15 remaining. The Badgers erupted in celebration, although it was only 2-2.

“Macy made a great play on the tying goal, just to get to the puck,” said Johnson, after his freshman winger from Ellendale had turned in the pivotal assist.

Johnson immediately changed tactics, from plotting the removal of his freshman goaltender, Christine Dufour, to trying to make sure his team was refocused on not giving up a counter-attack goal. So many times, over the past four seasons, UMD has been able to score a goal or several goals in the closing minutes to save victory after victory. But times have changed.

With two minutes and one second left, Wisconsin senior Meghan Hunter snared a pass and shot. Schaublin blocked it, but Carla MacLeod converted the rebound, and the Badgers suddenly led 3-2. “Carla was real patient on the rebound,” said Johnson.

The assist by Hunter gave her the all-time Wisconsin career women’s scoring record, with her 6-5—11 ledger this season boosting her to 78 goals, 82 assists and 160 points. That eclipses by one the record held by Kendra Antony, and Hunter, a center from Oil Springs, Ontario, has the rest of the season to raise her standard. Johnson pointed out that Hunter had a spectacular scoring season as a freshman, but every year since then, the overall caliber of the WCHA has prevented her from even more points.

Bauer, a freshman from St. Catharine’s, Ontario, leads the Badgers in scoring with 12 points, on only two goals and 10 assists. It took her two-point Saturday night to get there, because Nikki Burish, Steph Millar, Karen Rickard and Hunter all are tied with 11 points, while MacLeod and Molly Engstrom have 10, and Jackie Friesen – the team goal-scoring leader with 8 – has nine.

ThatÂ’s the kind of balance Johnson wouldnÂ’t have dared hope for, although he might hope they all had a few more goals. When Johnson took over as coach of the University of Wisconsin womenÂ’s hockey program, he intended to create a strong foundation of fundamentals. Now, halfway through his second season at the helm, the Badgers are already paying dividends.

Johnson isnÂ’t ready to call his Badgers a threat for the WCHA title. Not yet, anyhow. Besides, Minnesota is unbeaten and seems to have a stranglehold on first place. But going into the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center, the Badgers, after one night of frustration, showed enormous quantities of character by swiping that 3-2 victory in the second game.

The result leaves Wisconsin 8-4 in the WCHA, second only to MinnesotaÂ’s 9-0-1 mark, while three-time defending NCAA champion UMD is 5-3, and technically in fourth place behind Minnesota, Wisconsin and Minnesota State-Mankato (5-3-2). Furthermore, Wisconsin is 12-4 overall, also second only to MinnesotaÂ’s 13-0-1 among WCHA members.

The 12-4 record stands as the halfway point for Wisconsin. The Badgers take a holiday break of over a month, returning for a nonconference series against Northeastern Jan. 10-11, then they return to WCHA action the following weekend – against UMD.

UMD and Minnesota have had a personal duel every year since the WCHA started, there are some who anticipate it may come down to that again. Wisconsin will have plenty to say about that, however. There was nothing flukey about the split in Duluth – Wisconsin outshot Minnesota-Duluth 35-19 while being shut out Friday, and outshot the Bulldogs again, 36-27, on Saturday.

“We need a couple of people who can put the puck in the net,” said Johnson, the former Badger men’s scoring champion and son of former Wisconsin coaching legend Bob Johnson. “UMD has Jenny Potter and Caroline Ouellette, and Minnesota has Natalie Darwitz and Krissy Wendell. We don’t have anybody like that, but we are real balanced.
“Comparing the two, Minnesota has got a quick team, and passes real well. I’m not sure they have many weaknesses. Jody Horak has always made it tough for us to score against Minnesota. Both Minnesota and UMD play at a high tempo. You know it’s going to be a fast game.”

UMD and Wisconsin have as intense a rivalry as there is in women’s hockey, dating back to their first season of play, when they met for a wild first series at the Kohl Center in Madison. UMD won big the first night, and won close the second game, which ended with a couple of fights – a shocking climax considering actual bodychecking is illegal in women’s hockey. “I saw the first games,” said Johnson, who was an assistant to men’s coach Jeff Sauer back then.

Maybe WisconsinÂ’s record book doesnÂ’t look that impressive at 6-11-3 against the Bulldogs, but consider that UMD never has lost more than five games in any of its first four WCHA seasons, and it indicates Wisconsin has represented a constant threat against the Bulldogs.

“Sometimes a team plays well against certain other teams,” said Johnson. “I’ve been so impressed watching UMD play, I’d like to watch Shannon Miller run a practice because her teams always skate and stickhandle so well.”

The historical part of Saturday night’s Wisconsin victory might be that, while the Badgers have beaten UMD in the past, this one might have been the first one that was not an upset. The Badgers may not have the individual firepower of Potter and Ouellette, or Darwitz and Wendell, but the Badger balance has earned a solid spot in the national rankings. Minnesota, Dartmouth, Harvard and UMD look like a solid top four in the ratings, but the Badgers have pried that group open to make it a fabulous five.

Mavericks start shocks UMD women, WCHA, NCAA

Jeff Vizenor found himself in a new and unusual position this week. He was being interviewed by telephone, and he had to excuse himself because it was time to go to practice. He did so, but falteringly, and for good reason. ItÂ’s the first time Vizenor, in his third year as head womenÂ’s hockey coach at Minnesota State-Mankato, has ever been threatened with being late for practice by anything resembling media attention.

The Mavericks not only havenÂ’t ever been a womenÂ’s hockey power, they have never before appeared on the radar screen of the media.

But that all changed two weeks ago, when Minnesota State-Mankato stunned three-time defending NCAA champion Minnesota-Duluth – the nation’s No. 1 ranked women’s team going into this season – 3-2 for an opening-night victory that was the biggest upset in school history, then the Mavs claimed a 4-3 second-game triumph that completed the most shocking sweep in the four years of the WCHA-Women’s competition.

Vizenor insists he was not surprised by the opening-game outcome, which sent shock waves all around the WCHA.“The way our team had practiced, I thought, ‘Wow, this is different,’ ” said Vizenor.

“I was confident in Game 1. I really felt this was our chance, our turn. The reporter who covers our team said he couldn’t come to Friday’s game, and I told him he might really miss something. He didn’t come, but he came Saturday.”

The sweep knocked UMD off the No. 1 perch, and it also elevated Mankato into the national rankings for the first time ever. The Mavericks came off their cloud last weekend, beating North Dakota – a team that will enter the WCHA next season – for 5-2 and 3-2 victories.

A year ago at this time, Mankato was 0-4 and had scored four goals; this year they are 4-0 and have scored 15 goals. That means Minnesota State-Mankato takes a 4-0 season record and the No. 9 rank in the nation to Bemidji this weekend, where the Mavericks could, conceivably, become 6-0.

“I don’t think we’ll be over-confident,” said Vizenor, mentioning another concept heretofore unheard of at the Minnesota River Valley school. “We watched tape on Bemidji, and they’re a team similar to us, so I’m expecting it will be a good WCHA matchup. We’ve matched up with them well over the years.”

However, the Mavericks are obviously not the team they’ve been “over the years.” In Vizenor’s first season at Mankato, the team doubled its victories. Last year, in his second season, they doubled them again, to finish 10-21-3. This is his third year, and the first time the Mavericks have ever been over the .500 mark, let alone 4-0 and ranked nationally.

Nine of the Mavs 15 goals have been scored by an impressive first line, with Melanie Salatino with 6 goals and 1 assist, Devon Nichols 1 goal and 5 assists, and Kate Hainrich 2 goals, 3 assists. Salatino scored four goals in the sweep against North Dakota, when the team played less effectively, but still managed to win, Vizenor said. In the four games, four freshmen have contributed goals, with Shera Vis scoring twice, and Autumn Conway, Alycia Wilson and Cara Hendry 1 each.

But if there is to be a watershed weekend in Mankato women’s hockey history, it clearly was the opening set against UMD. Vizenor said he and his players gained confidence they could spring their first-ever victory over the nation’s most successful women’s program. Mankato had lost 2-0 at the end of the season two years ago in their closest call against the Bulldogs. “But we had Shari Vogt in goal, and the shots were something like 50-15,” Vizenor said.

This time, UMD came without its lost graduation class that included world-class stars Maria Rooth, Hanne Sikio, Erika Holst and several other four-year regulars, as well as coach Shannon Miller. The UMD coach had been smacked with a controversial one-game suspension for improperly contacting a member of the opposing team at the league playoffs in Grand Forks last year, when she allegedly knocked on the wrong door in the teamÂ’s motel late at night. Miller went recruiting, and didnÂ’t come to Mankato for either game, leaving things up to long-time assistant Stacy Wilson and rookie assistant Ira Turunen.

In addition, star players Caroline Ouellette and Krista McArthur were off playing for the Canadian National team, leaving the Bulldogs further short. But nevertheless, history and tradition were still solidly on UMDÂ’s side.

“They were missing some key players, and I have great respect for what Shannon has done as coach,” Vizenor said. “This year, they’ve got a young team, and maybe it was the first time they’ve been in that situation, where they had 10 or11 new kids playing, and in the same boat as our freshmen. Maybe they had growing pains like they’ve never experienced before. Up and down the lineup, we probably had more of a veteran lineup than they did.

“I think, as the week leading up to the series moved on, we were confident they would be games – that we could compete,” Vizenor said. “We believed we could win. For two days, we stayed so well within the game-plan, and everybody did exactly what we asked them to do.”

The secret formula?

“We worked to keep the puck to the outside, and to try to smother anything that came to the middle. We wanted to stay out of the penalty box, and shut down Jenny Potter as much as possible. We put a defensive pair, sophomore Amber Sharrat and freshman Richelle St. Croix, out against her.”

Vizenor credited his assistant coaches, Ruth Ann Kragh and Dan Lichterman, for vital roles in the sweep over UMD. “Being at home, we got the matchups we wanted, and my assistants are responsible for seeing that we get the right lines out at the right time, and they did a great job of making sure we matched up,” he said.

“The shots weren’t bad the first game. We gained power and strength as game went on, and once we won the first game, we knew they’d be focused to come back after us and they shot from everywhere. The second game, we were a little more nervous. But the confidence grew for us, and the best stat of all was that we only trailed for a total of 1:20 the whole series. That was Friday night, when they scored about three minutes in. Then we scored, and we were either tied or winning the rest of the way. We were 5-for-17 on the power play for the two games, and that helped.”

Hainrich scored both her goals in the second game, giving that line five of the team’s seven goals in the series, while Vogt held the fortress in goal – earning league defensive player of the week honors – and the Mavericks struck again.

“I guess some people might say the games could have been the biggest upsets in the league’s history,” Vizenor allowed. “But the gaps continue to close. There are more players around who will be good players, and maybe there aren’t as many Maria Rooths, or Jenny Potters or Caroline Ouellettes out there. The WCHA has been blessed with incredible players, but the gap is closing.”

And if Minnesota State-Mankato is responsible for closing a major part of that gap, Vizenor is not about to translate that, or the team’s 4-0 record, or its No. 9 ranking, into a favorite’s role against Bemidji State – a team that was shut out twice by UMD last weekend.

“We’re still going in as underdog,” Vizenor said. “…We’ve made up some new rankings this week.”

(John Gilbert has covered the WomenÂ’s WCHA since its inception. He can be contacted by e-mail at sports@jwgilbert.com.)

Sioux preview double ‘Parise factor’ to beat UMD 3-2

GRAND FORKS, N.D.—Sometimes the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame game is just a nice way to give two teams the chance to work out the practice kinks before getting serious about the season. But this year, the game took on a more significant tone, because North Dakota and Minnesota-Duluth are not only great rivals, but figured by most to be top contenders to preseason pick Minnesota during the WCHA season.

The game at Ralph Engelstad Arena figured to be North DakotaÂ’s high-scoring offense ignited by sophomore center Zach Parise and high-scoring winger Brandon Bochenski against UMDÂ’s pestering defensive concept, built around sophomore goaltender Isaac Reichmuth.

So how did it work out? North Dakota rallied for the last two goals to win 3-2, and it was no surprise that the first Fighting Sioux player into the interview room was named Parise. The surprise was it was not Zach Parise, a prime threat to win the WCHA scoring championship, but Jordan Parise, ZachÂ’s older brother in real life, but his younger brother scholastically.

Zach did his thing, to be sure, with a magnificent 2-on-1 set-up to Bochenski – the other guy most likely to win the scoring title – to gain a 2-2 tie, leaving it up to freshman Drew Stafford to score the game-winner, with 3:43 remaining.

But at several points, North DakotaÂ’s chances were up to Jordan Parise, North DakotaÂ’s freshman goaltending prospect. His biggest test was a toe save on Nick AndersonÂ’s second-period breakaway, and nine of his 20 saves came in the third period.

“All the freshmen stepped up,” said Jordan Parise, deferring any praise. But he also affirmed that the Sioux goaltending picture must include the rookie whose only nickname so far is “JP,” after his famous, former NHL-playing dad.

The crowd was announced at 10,399, although there were a lot of empty seats on the evening following a huge, last-second 29-28 football victory for North Dakota over St. Cloud State, after the Sioux trailed 28-3 at halftime. Compared to North DakotaÂ’s upset of previously unbeaten St. Cloud, the hockey victory was not really an upset and was only an exhibition, but it was at least as hard-fought — literally.

Several after the whistle scraps led to only two disqualifications among several potential DQs, as Mike Prpich of the Sioux and Marco Peluso of UMD sparred in a battle common to pro hockey but rare in college. They skated away from everyone, casting aside sticks, gloves, and face-masked helmets before a free-swinging tussle that drew an ovation from the crowd. “Not that I condone fighting,” said North Dakota coach Dean Blais, “but that WAS a good one.”

Both teams fought hard to score, too. Reichmuth stood firm with 24 of his 31 saves in the first two periods for UMD, while Jordan Parise had less work, with 12 of his 20 saves in the third period. Parise got the UND call, after returning veteran Jake Brandt was suspended for a game for a misdemeanor violation regarding stolen pull-tabs in his hometown of Roseau, Minn.

“Jordan Parise made two saves right at the start, then on that breakaway, he gave us a chance to win the game,” said Blais. “Reichmuth played good for them, but you expect that, because he’s proven he’s one of the best in the league.”

Reichmuth was primarily responsible for harnessing the big Sioux line of Zach Parise centering freshman Brady Murray and Bochenski, which contributed 13 missiles to North DakotaÂ’s 34-22 shot advantage. He also blanked all eight North Dakota power plays, while UMD went 1-for-6.
For good measure, UMD opened the scoring when Tim Stapleton glanced one in off the far pipe for a shorthanded goal five minutes into the game, meaning the Bulldogs outscored the Sioux 1-0 during the eight Sioux power plays.

Nick Fuher tied it 1-1 when he mishit a 4-on-4 set-up from Colby Geneway and the change-up fooled Reichmuth midway through the first period. Then the teams battled at 1-1 until early in the third.

Junior Lessard put away a Tyler Brosz power-play feed for a 2-1 UMD lead to open the third, but the big Sioux line regained the tie when Parise got the puck from Murray, and ducked up the left boards for a 2-on-1. Parise, who had faked a pass to Bochenski before shooting one off the crossbar on a second-period 2-on-1, learned the easier route to a point by moving in for a shot, then passing across the crease, where Bochenski chipped in a deflection at the right edge.

Bochenski, who scored 35 goals last season, has the resident best Sioux scoring hands, but he might have an understudy in Stafford, whose game-winner came 10 minutes later, when he shot quickly in traffic from point-blank range after Quinn Fyling’s pass out from behind the net. “He’s got great hands,” said Blais. “Stafford might still be 17, or else he just turned 18, but he’s got great hands, and we need some guys who can finish.”

The finish was not pleasing to UMD coach Scott Sandelin, but he shrugged it off. “It was just like I expected,” he said. “Some good, some bad, and it got a little sloppy defensively out there. But there was a lot of intensity, and there’s going to be a lot of these games – just like last year.”

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• About the Author

  John Gilbert is a lifetime Minnesotan and career journalist, specializing in cars and sports during and since spending 30 years at the Minneapolis Tribune, now the Star Tribune. More recently, he has continued translating the high-tech world of autos and sharing his passionate insights as a freelance writer/photographer/broadcaster. A member of the prestigious North American Car and Truck of the Year jury since 1993. John can be heard Monday-Friday from 9-11am on 610 KDAL(www.kdal610.com) on the "John Gilbert Show," and writes a column in the Duluth Reader.
  
  For those who want to keep up with John Gilbert's view of sports, mainly hockey with a Minnesota slant, click on the following:
  
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• Exhaust Notes:

  PADDLING
  More and more cars are offering steering-wheel paddles to allow drivers manual control over automatic or CVT transmissions. A good idea might be to standardize them. Most allow upshifting by pulling on the right-side paddle and downshifting with the left. But a recent road-test of the new Porsche Panamera, the paddles for the slick PDK direct-sequential gearbox were counter-intuitive -- both the right or left thumb paddles could upshift or downshift, but pushing on either one would upshift, and pulling back on either paddle downshifted. I enjoy using paddles, but I spent the full week trying not to downshift when I wanted to upshift. A little simple standardization would alleviate the problem.
  
  

  SPEAKING OF PADDLES
  The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution has the best paddle system, and Infiniti has made the best mainstream copy of that system for the new Q50, and other sporty models. And why not? It's simply the best. In both, the paddles are long, slender magnesium strips, affixed to the steering column rather than the steering wheel. Pull on the right paddle and upshift, pull on the left and downshift. The beauty is that while needing to upshift in a tight curve might cause a driver to lose the steering wheel paddle for an instant, but having the paddles long, and fixed, means no matter how hard the steering wheel is cranked, reaching anywhere on the right puts the upshift paddle on your fingertips.
  
  

  TIRES MAKE CONTACT
  Even in snow-country, a few stubborn old-school drivers want to stick with rear-wheel drive, but the vast majority realize the clear superiority of front-wheel drive. Going to all-wheel drive, naturally, is the all-out best. But the majority of drivers facing icy roadways complain about traction for going, stopping and steering with all configurations. They overlook the simple but total influence of having the right tires can make. There are several companies that make good all-season or snow tires, but there are precious few that are exceptional. The Bridgestone Blizzak continues to be the best=known and most popular, but in places like Duluth, MN., where scaling 10-12 blocks of 20-30 degree hills is a daily challenge, my favorite is the Nokian WR. Made without compromising tread compound, the Nokians maintain their flexibility no matter how cold it gets, so they stick, even on icy streets, and can turn a skittish car into a winter-beater.