Preview: Minnesota Duluth, UND snug in shut video games – Grand Forks Herald

GRAND FORKS — Minnesota Duluth misplaced 4 consecutive video games on the finish of January.

All of them had been in opposition to National Collegiate Hockey Conference semifinalists — two in opposition to Western Michigan, two in opposition to Denver. All 4 had been one-goal video games. Two had been additional time.

Per week later, the Bulldogs blew a two-goal, third-period result in UND at house.

But Zam Plante scored an additional time purpose to salvage that evening and switch Minnesota Duluth’s fortunes in shut video games.

Minnesota Duluth has not misplaced a one-goal recreation since then.

“I think we learned from that and we’ve been, the last month, more comfortable in games, regardless of the score,” Minnesota Duluth captain Joey Pierce mentioned. “We’ve been able to keep our bench energy where we want it. We’ve been able to stick with games that are 0-0 or 1-0, whether we’re up or down. I think we’ve learned a lot from that.”

Last weekend, Minnesota Duluth beat St. Cloud State on back-to-back nights by scoring an extra-attacker purpose within the remaining minute, then getting a game-winner from Plante.

It put the Bulldogs into the NCHC semifinals for the primary time in 4 years.

Minnesota Duluth takes on UND at 6:07 p.m. Saturday in Ralph Engelstad Arena. The winner advances to play Denver or Western Michigan within the championship recreation on March 21.

“It’s exciting,” UND ahead Cole Reschny mentioned. “Playoff hockey in The Ralph, it doesn’t get much better than that.”

UND has been snug in tight video games this season, too, as evidenced by its third-period numbers.

The Fighting Hawks have outscored their opponents by 39 objectives within the third interval. By comparability, they’ve outscored opponents by 14 in first durations and 7 in second durations.

This is the fifth assembly between the Bulldogs and Fighting Hawks this season. They break up collection in each Grand Forks and Duluth.

“They’re a good team,” Reschny mentioned. “Obviously, that top line has been talked about a lot, and that’s going to be on our minds, and it’s going to be a job that needs to get done. But the biggest part is just playing our game and sticking with what works for us.”

UND		DUL
27-8-1	Rec	22-13-1
2	NPI	8
3.9 (third)	Off	3.2 (seventeenth)
2.3 (eighth)	Def	2.5 (seventeenth)
27.8 (4th)	PP	29.5 (2nd)
82.7 (seventeenth)	PK	88.9 (2nd)
.901 (twenty sixth)	SP	.900 (twenty eighth)
53.8 (4th)	FO	49.4 (thirty sixth)

Note: National rank in parentheses. Categories are report, NPI rating, offense (objectives per recreation), protection (objectives in opposition to per recreation), energy play proportion, penalty kill proportion, group save proportion and faceoff proportion.

UND — None identified

Minnesota Duluth — None identified

Max Plante has been the dominant participant on Minnesota Duluth’s massive high line for a lot of the season, however his older brother, Zam, has been the difference-maker currently. In the final 14 video games, Zam has 11 objectives and 15 factors. Max has three objectives and 11 factors.

Their linemate is Warroad’s Jayson Shaugabay, whose brother, Ryan, scored the additional time winner within the Minnesota Class A state championship recreation final weekend.

“I was out Friday night — I was sick — so I was watching on TV,” Pierce mentioned. “I remember they panned to the bench one time. You saw Zam right there. You could see this look on his face. He was so intense and so in-the-moment. I thought that was pretty special, after seeing that, how he was rewarded.

“All 12 months, these guys have clearly pushed our group. It’s been nice that when Max hasn’t been placing the puck within the web as a lot, Zam was in a position to. It’s fairly particular to be round them. They each clearly care about one another and this group a lot.”

Last 12 months, Cole Reschny was at his finest throughout playoff hockey. He racked up 25 factors in simply 11 playoff video games with the Western Hockey League’s Victoria Royals. Then, he joined Team Canada for the IIHF Under-18 World Championships and put up eight factors in 5 video games.

Reschny enters the NCHC semifinals on a seven-game level streak — and he is doing all of his injury at five-on-five. Reschny has only one power-play level since Christmas.

In the playoffs, generally energy performs dry up and also you want gamers who can rating at even-strength. Reschny is proving he can do this.

“I think it’s just kind of my mindset,” Reschny mentioned of why he thrives within the playoffs. “Obviously, it’s the best time of year, and (I’m) trying to rise to the occasion. I think that’s when I’m at my best is when the stakes get the highest. Obviously, it’s more meaningful hockey. The games are going to be tighter, more tight-checking and closer. I’m just trying to do what I can to help the team and play my best hockey at the biggest time of year.”

Minnesota Duluth has gone to additional time six instances within the final 11 video games, together with every of the final three. The Bulldogs and Fighting Hawks have gone to additional time in two of their 4 conferences this season. This matchup has additional time written throughout it. Although UND misplaced each additional time video games to Minnesota Duluth this season, these had been three-on-three. In the playoffs, overtimes are five-on-five.

UND 3, Minnesota Duluth 2, OT

TV: Midco Sports. Jim Erickson play-by-play, Jake Brandt analyst, Taylor Budge and Erik Fabian on the desk.
Stream: NCHChockey.com/television.
Radio: The Fox (96.1 FM). Tim Hennessy play-by-play, Mike LaMoine analyst.

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Scoring
29 Ellis Rickwood, sr, f, 8-26—34
21 Ben Strinden (NSH), sr, f, 15-18—33
17 Cole Reschny (CGY), fr, f, 5-28—33
9 Will Zellers (BOS), fr, f, 18-12—30
26 Dylan James (DET), sr, f, 18-10—28
7 Mac Swanson (PIT), so, f, 11-16—27
25 Abram Wiebe (CGY), jr, d, 5-22—27
4 Jake Livanavage, jr, d, 5-20—25
18 Keaton Verhoeff (2026), fr, d, 6-14—20
8 Ollie Josephson (SEA), fr, f, 6-14—20
15 Jack Kernan, fr, f, 9-10—19
20 Cade Littler (CGY), so, f, 5-8—13
27 Anthony Menghini, jr, f, 5-7—12
19 Cody Croal, so, f, 7-4—11
14 Tyler Young, sr, f, 5-6—11
6 E.J. Emery (NYR), so, d, 3-8—11
13 Sam Laurila (NYI), fr, d, 1-9—10
22 David Klee (SJS), fr, f, 3-3—6
24 Josh Zakreski, fr, f, 3-2—5
16 Andrew Strathmann (CBJ), so, d, 1-4—5
2 Bennett Zmolek, sr, d, 1-3—4
3 Jayden Jubenvill, so, d, 0-2—2
28 Dalton Andrew, so, f, 1-0—1
11 Ian Engel, fr, d, 0-0—0
35 Jan Špunar, fr, g, 0-0—0
31 Gibson Homer, sr, g, 0-0—0
1 Zach Sandy, sr, g, dnp

Goaltending
35 Jan Špunar, fr, 18-3-1, 1.93, .915
31 Gibson Homer, sr, 9-5, 2.71, .889
1 Zach Sandy, sr, dnp

Scoring
10 Max Plante (DET), so, f, 22-25—47
27 Zam Plante (PIT), so, f, 20-25—45
17 Jayson Shaugabay (TBL), so, f, 10-31—41
2 Ty Hanson, so, d, 8-24—32
25 Callum Arnott, so, f, 11-14—25
24 Scout Truman, sr, f, 13-5—18
37 Grayden Siepmann, fr, d, 5-12—17
11 Hunter Anderson, fr, f, 5-11—16
23 Kyle Gaffney, sr, f, 3-11—14
13 Daniel Shlaine, fr, f, 5-5—10
6 Adam Kleber (BUF), so, d, 3-7—10
8 Aaron Pionk (MIN), jr, d, 1-9—10
22 Ryan Zaremba, fr, f, 1-7—8
19 Harper Bentz, so, f, 4-0—4
18 Joey Pierce, sr, d, 3-1—4
16 Blake Bechen, so, f, 0-4—4
5 Brady Cleveland (DET), jr, d, 0-2—2
38 Kyler Kovich, fifth, f, 1-0—1
21 Braden Fischer, jr, f, 1-0—1
39 Trevor Stachowiak, so, f, 0-1—1
30 Adam Gajan (CHI), so, g, 0-1—1
28 Luke Bibby, fr, f, 0-0—0
20 Riley Bodnarchuk, sr, d, 0-0—0
3 Jake Toll, fr, d, 0-0—0
35 Ethan Dahlmeir, so, g, 0-0—0
36 Cole Sheffield, fr, dnp

Goaltending
30 Adam Gajan (CHI), so, 17-11-1, 2.25, .906
35 Ethan Dahlmeir, so, 5-2, 2.33, .910
36 Cole Sheffield, fr, dnp