The Official Bulldog Country Season Preview

Finally, it has arrived.

We've been watching youtube highlight videos, reading through old game programs, counting our leftover ticket stubs, and sobbing in front of our computer screens for months, but I have good news...  We're finally within 24 hours of the first puck dropping for UMD in the 2013-14 season.

Season Previews are generally full of random information on what the writer thinks is going to happen and what you, the fan, should expect from this season.  But we all know that I am clueless when it comes to college hockey and especially at making predictions, so this is just your fair warning. :)

So this is how this post is going to go...  I'll start with offense, defense, and finally goaltending strengths and weaknesses with a quick overview of what to expect.  I'll try and include all aspects as well as some history and cool color-pictures, because I'm going to assume your computer monitor isn't black & white.

Graduations & Departures

Forwards

Name	Height	Weight	2012-13 Stats	Reasoning
Mike Seidel	5-10	175	(38) 17-17-34	Graduation
Keegan Flaherty	6-0	195	(33) 3-5-8	Graduation
Jake Hendrickson	5-10	180	(38) 5-3-8	Graduation
Dan DeLisle	6-5	230	(28) 3-2-5	Graduation
Cody Danberg	6-0	190	(35) 2-3-5	Graduation

Defense

Name	Height	Weight	2012-13 Stats	Reasoning
Wade Bergman	5-10	180	(37) 3-14-17	Graduated
Chris Casto	6-2	210	(36) 3-6-9	NHL - Boston
Drew Olson	6-0	200	(38) 1-6-7	Graduated

Incoming Freshmen

Forwards

Name	#	Height	Weight	2012-13 Stats	From
Kyle Osterberg	8	5-8	180	(46) 9-15-24	Omaha (USHL)
Alex Iafallo	14	6-0	180	(50) 20-23-43	Fargo (USHL)
Dominic Toninato	17	6-1	180	(64) 29-41-70	Fargo (USHL)
Sammy Spurrell	28	5-10	180	(41) 22-21-43	Spuce Grove (AJHL)

Defense

Name	#	Height	Weight	2012-13 Stats	From
Dan Molenaar	3	5-11	185	(34) 3-5-8	Sioux City (USHL)
Carson Soucy	4	6-4	190	(51) 6-11-17	Spruce Grove (AJHL)
Willie Raskob	15	5-9	185	(57) 9-40-49	Shattuck-St. Mary's

Key Returners

Name	Year	Pos	2012-13 Stats
Tony Cameranesi	Soph.	F	(38) 14-20-34
Austin Farley	Soph.	F	(36) 16-18-34
Caleb Herbert	Jun.	F	(35) 6-19-25
Andy Welinski	Soph.	D	(38) 4-14-18

Adjustments

Obviously we lose the players noted above, which is actually only 35.5% of UMD's total scoring throughout last season.  The biggest issue with the players that have moved on is that scoring goals wasn't actually their intended jobs.  Now, Obviously Seidel's mission was to bury pucks, but the Dogs lost an entire "grind" line in Flaherty-Hendo-Danberg.  Those guys were able to successfully wear down opponents and give our scoring guys a breather.  Hendo's work ethic was something that I seemed to have noticed game after game.

Taking the biggest hit will be our defensive depth.  Olson and Bergman brought experience to the table, which is important, especially for incoming recruits to see.  They knew what it was like to win a national championship and were hungry for it again.  Olson's ability to skate the puck from end-to-end will be greatly missed, as well as his ability to fly down the ice, which I feel as though was under appreciated.

Casto's departure caught me off-guard to be honest.  I thought Sandelin was doing a great job at molding him into a quality defenseman, and definitely saw progress in his ability to see the ice, but I still believe he left too early.

The good news is we have some new talent coming in that I believe will really make a strong difference.  Scoring wise, most of us know that Dom Toninato, former Duluth East Greyhound, exceeded expectations in the USHL as a member of the Fargo Force alongside teammate Alex Iafallo.  He's also a bigger guy, giving him the ability to play a physical game as well.  I'm curious as to how Sammy Spurrell will play as well.  He put up some good numbers in the AJHL, so I would assume he is capable of making ripples in the NCAA.  Needless to say, putting lines together will be tough.

Defensively, the Bulldogs will count on Molenaar, Soucy, and Raskob to develop as quickly as possible to the pace of college hockey.  I'm interested to see how Raskob is able to play defensively at his height.  Whoever is able to adapt the fastest, will have the best shot at raking up minutes in a shallow defensive pool, but until then, count on upperclassmen to take the reigns.

Team Strengths

I couldn't imagine that putting the pucks away will be too much of an issue with this team.  We've seen Caleb Herbert display an amazing amount of scoring ability when he had help from the best in his freshman year.  Hopefully he's able to improve from that point now that the offensive-talent is more abundant.

In practice, Basaraba and Cameranesi were flying down the ice and looking really good moving the puck.  I think our first line would be Basaraba-Cameranesi-Farley to be honest.  Each one of those guys has a high ability to score, but Basaraba brings size and strength to the table, which gives Cameranesi and Farley more room to unload.

On my last offensive note, I anticipate both the captains as well as Justin Crandall to have very impressive years.  Both Basaraba and Krause have an edge to their games, playing physical to open up scoring chances, which often is overlooked.  I believe Crandall has the potential to be a solid college hockey player, as we've seen him pull some "what the hell" stuff in the past.

Defensively theres a couple positives that shine through in a situation that looks gloom (poetic, right?).  We are returning all three goaltenders; two whom have plenty of experience.  Also, Andy Welinski's return is a huge help to blue-line group.  I would imagine he'd lead by example throughout the year, showing the younger players the "UMD way".

Team Weaknesses

Defensively, as we talked about, we're in a scary situation.  This year there will be no "bad teams" or anything of that sort.  If the NCHC brings one thing to the table, it's going to be it's scoring, which will make UMD's blue-line depth a glowing-problem.  In an optimistic view, we still have yet to see any of the recruits play with each other.  The experience that Tim Smith and Derik Johnson bring is valuable too, as they could also be members of our "watch" list.

The goaltending situation isn't exactly the sturdiest spot either.  Both Crandall and McNeely split time last year, and our capable of the job, but consistency is going to be key in this one.  One of the two, hell even three (with Fons), needs to find that consistency if the Dogs have hopes of making it to the Target Center and beyond.

The last weakness I see in this team is puck possession, which most of the time roots itself in the ability of our centermen to win faceoffs.  Hendo was our faceoff weapon last season.  He led the team with 373 wins and 342 losses, which puts him at 52.2%.  The only centers with triple digit attempts besides Hendo was Cameranesi at 44.5% in 668 attempts and Herbert at 52.2% in 466 attempts.

Obviously puck control is going to be key for the Dogs to be able to score goals and keep the puck out of the net.  Losing Hendo has the potential to be devastating if the Dogs are unable to find a consistent centerman who can win faceoffs.  Let's be positive, though.  Cal Decowski, Adam Krause, and Justin Crandall all have experience winning faceoffs, so panic isn't allowed to set in if it proves to be an issue.

Word on the Street

We all know by now that polls mean very little, especially preseason polls, but let's quickly review the few that are out there for UMD sightings...

Poll #1 - NCHC Preseason Poll

Place	Team (1st votes)	Points
1	Miami (7)	115
2	North Dakota (5)	109
3	St. Cloud State (4)	99
4	Denver	66
5	Western Michigan	61
6	Minnesota Duluth	43
7	Colorado College	42
8	Nebraska Omaha	41

So we obviously didn't have too much trouble making this poll.  The NCHC poll is voted on by media members who regularly cover NCHC teams, two per team.

Poll #2 - Preseason USA Today/USA Hockey

Place	Team (1st votes)	Points	Last Poll	Last Record
1	University of Massachusetts Lowell (20)	484	3	28-11-2
2	Miami University (9)	444	6	25-12-5
3	University of Wisconsin (1)	364	13	22-13-7
4	Boston College	359	8	22-12-4
5	University of Minnesota	347	5	26- 9-5
6	University of North Dakota	300	7	22-13-7
7	University of Notre Dame	285	9	25-13-3
8	Yale University (4)	269	1	22-12-3
9	St. Cloud State University	230	4	25-16-1
10	University of Michigan	167	NR	18-19-3
11	Quinnipiac University	135	2	30- 8-5
12	Union College	124	10	22-13-5
13	University of New Hampshire	116	11	20-12-7
14	Minnesota State University	110	12	24-14-3
15	Providence College	103	NR	17-14-7

Poll #3 - USCHO

Place	Team (1st votes)	Points
1	Massachusetts-Lowell (19)	844
2	Miami (14)	837
3	Wisconsin (2)	740
4	Boston College	728
5	Minnesota (1)	660
6	Yale (8)	644
7	North Dakota	636
8	Notre Dame	575
9	St. Cloud State	513
10	Quinnipiac (1)	419
11	Michigan	417
11	Minnesota State	417
13	New Hampshire	354
14	Providence	271
15	Rensselaer	266
16	Union	258
17	Denver	241
18	Western Michigan	117
19	Boston University	113
20	Niagara	94

Technically, if the list ran longer than 20 teams, the Bulldogs would have finished 23rd, receiving 18 voting points.

Puppy Fast Facts

Scott Sandelin's overall record at UMD is 231-229-63 and is currently in his 14th year of coaching the Bulldogs.

Assistant coach Derek Plante was the WCHA's player of the year as a member of the UMD Bulldogs in the 1992-93 season.

UMD freshmen tallied 37.4% of Bulldog scoring last year, putting that class in the top five scoring classes in the country.

This will be UMD's 70th hockey season to date.

UMD will return 4 of 5 power play members from last year's unit, which posted a 23.4% by the end of last season.

This year's roster contains seven NHL draft picks.

Both Austin Farley and Tony Cameranesi finished with 34 points last season, leading the team.

Of the 26 Bulldogs rostered, 18 of them played on a United States Hockey League (USHL) junior team.

20 players on this year's roster grew up in Minnesota.

The Bulldogs play in Amsoil Arena, which has a capacity of 6,726 and contains a sheet of NHL-sized ice (85x200)

Minnesota Duluth will be on the CBS Sports Network while playing at Colorado College on Friday, October 18th and hosting Western Michigan on Friday, December 14th.

The puck drops tonight.  7:07pm CDT.  Be there.

.....

Questions?  Comments?  Ask Below!

Enjoy.

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Saturday October 5th, The University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs held their first practice at Amsoil Arena for the upcoming 2013-14 NCAA Ice Hockey season.

It was all smiles on the ice and everyone looked to be happy that the new season is finally upon us!

Enjoy the pictures.  Season Preview will be up later.

Enjoy.

Questions?  Comments?  Ask Below!

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As the talent levels of younger skaters increases year after year, the number of hockey players in Minnesota that leave for other leagues seems to increase as well.

Austin Poganski - Photo: Tri-City Storm

Here's a look at Minnesota High School athletes that have left the MSHSL to play in other various leagues across North America.

Year	Pos	Player	Prep Team	New Team	League	College
Sr	G	Chase Perry	Andover	Wenatchee	NAHL
Sr	D	Brandon Smith	Apple Valley	Gatineau	QMJHL
Sr	D	Teemu Kivihalme	Burnsville	Fargo	USHL	Colorado College
Sr	F	Westin Michaud	Cloquet	Corpus Christi	NAHL
Sr	F	Karson Kuhlman	Cloquet	Dubuque	USHL	Minnesota Duluth
Sr	D	Hunter Warner	Eden Prairie	Waterloo	USHL	Minnesota State
Sr	F	Connor Hurley	Edina	Muskegon	USHL	Notre Dame
Sr	D	Blake Hillman	Elk River	Dubuque	USHL
Sr	D	Neal Pionk	Hermantown	SiouxCity	USHL	Minnesota Duluth
Sr	D	Alex Fredberg	Irondale	MN Wilderness	NAHL
Sr	F	Jack Ramsey	Minnetonka	Penticton	BCHL	Minnesota
Sr	F	Aaron Herdt	Moorhead	Fargo	USHL
Sr	D	Logan Von Ruden	Northfield	MN Magicians	NAHL
Sr	D	Michael Bigelbach	Red Wing	Minot	NAHL
Sr	F	Austin Poganski	St. Cloud Cathedral	Tri-City	USHL	North Dakota
Sr	D	Matt Brettingen	St. Cloud Tech	Aberdeen	NAHL
Sr	D	Jack Dougherty	St. Thomas	NTDP	USA
So	F	Jesse Gabriel	Eagan	Brandon	WHL
Jr	F	Mike Sauer	Bemidji	Brookings	NAHL
Jr	F	Dylan Michaud	Cloquet	Omaha	AAA
Jr	G	Jake Kielly	Eden Prairie	Victory Honda	AAA
Jr	F	Shane Gersich	Holy Family	NTDP	USA	North Dakota
Jr	F	David Brumm	Maple Grove	Omaha	AAA
Jr	D	Nick Heid	Spring Lake Park	Omaha	AAA
Jr	G	Darion Hanson	St. Francis	Omaha	AAA
Jr	D	Hayden Shaw	Woodbury	Waterloo	USHL

If you note anything, please comment below and make me aware so I can update my database.

Enjoy!

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I've had the luxury, and yes I really do mean luxury, of watching the Upper Midwest Elite Hockey League games for the past few weekends.  It's been hockey, hockey, and more hockey, like it's suppose to be.

Don't let the post-title mislead you, these players are by no means the best of the Elite League, as there are plenty of players who are talented enough to play college hockey.  These players are those who have already made commitments based on their talents.

Obviously I've covered more teams than others, but in the end I've seen them all a few times at least.  During this time, I've taken some notes and watched a lot of kids skate.  My findings, which I will try to keep optimistic, will be listed below.  I'll review the college-committed players for each team, supplemented with some scouting insight from Over The Boards, and photography that I took with my new baby.

Quick "BTW"...  If you haven't had a chance to watch an Elite League game, I would highly recommend it.  This weekend there will be games in Duluth, if you're interested, at MARS Arena.  Check out HSEliteHockey.com for more information.

Trust me, there's a reason scouts from all over the midwest flock to the Elite rinks on weekends.  Some great hockey to be seen!

Let's get down to business.

NCHC Recruits

Colt Conrad - Shattuck-St. Mary's - Western Michigan

I haven't had as much time to watch SSM, but the Western Michigan recruit seems to be holding his own quite nicely.  The junior forward has tallied 5 points in Shattuck's six games in the Elite League.

Joey Anderson - Team Northeast - Minnesota Duluth

Joey Anderson is the only freshman playing in the Upper Midwest High School Elite Hockey League.  It would seem as though the '98 born forward would have hopes of just keeping up with the Midwest's top talent, but thats far from the truth.  Anderson has buried eight goals and assisted on six others for 14 points in just 12 games for Team Northeast.  The future looks bright for the 5-10, Hill-Murray youngin'.

Luc Snuggerud - Team Southeast - Nebraska Omaha

Easily one of the best players this year.  Snuggerud is constantly on the ice, or though it seems, and always playing his part.  At 6-1 180lbs, the defenseman is able to hold his line and play the physical game he wants, but also displays the ability to know when to back off.  He can take the puck up the ice with ease and his passes are crisp.  UNO will benefit greatly from this kid.

Steven Spinner - Team Southeast - Nebraska Omaha

Spinner is gonna be one of the quickest guys on the ice, guaranteed.  He's quick to get from point A to B, and is willing to play a physical game to do so.  Spinner's best quality is his ability to mask his intentions.  The Eden Prairie senior can make defenders look clueless when predicting his moves; also works extremely well with teammate Snuggerud.

Big Ten Recruits

Ryan Lindgren - Shattuck-St. Mary's - Minnesota

Lindgren is young, a '98 defenseman who is visibly deveoping and improving his game week and week.  The future gopher seems conservative, but isn't afraid to cruise the rink.  In six games, Lindgren has earned one assist.

Ryan Norman - Shattuck-St. Mary's - Minnesota

The junior forward is bound to be successful.  I had limited time watching him during the Elite League games, but you can tell he's got a mind for finding the back of the net.  Norman has seven points in six games so far in the Elite League competition

Rem Pitlick - Shattuck-St. Mary's - Minnesota

To be honest, I didn't know what to expect from the 5-5 forward, but what I saw, only verified why he's committed to a college hockey school.  Pitlick, son of former gopher and NHL'er Lance Pitlick, proves every shift what he's capable of.

“He has a quick release and a good shot, and a ton of hockey sense, which has clearly developed from a few years of ducking and finding open ice by necessity.  Reads and reacts to plays quickly and isn’t afraid to jump a skater.” - OTB - Rem Pitlick

Brock Boeser - Team Southeast - Wisconsin

Boeser is everywhere.  That's the best way to describe him, because he's constantly making an impact on the game.  The junior forward is almost 6 feet tall and uses all 188 pounds of himself to do whatever he can to benefit the team.  It's also no secret he can accelerate easily, making him adaptable to whatever may be happening on the ice.

Tommy Novak - Team Southeast - Minnesota

May just be the most lethal weapon on the ice as soon as he steps foot onto it.  Hell, he can probably hit the net while standing in the parking lot.  Comes off as almost lazy, but with a flip of a swift can change his pace.  I use the term "lethal" because of his shot, which tends to find spaces that may not even exist, but the puck still finds the back of the net, in a quick manner.

Matthew Berkovitz - Team Wisconsin - Wisconsin

Berkovitz is a member of one of the best defenses in the Elite League.  At 6-1, he is plenty capable of taking on anybody who decides to try and get by him and has the ability to understand when to stand up to the threat or play it.  Extremely smart and smooth, has silently scored 2 goals and has 8 assists in Team Wisconsin's 12 games.

Matthew Freytag - Team Northwest - Wisconsin

Freytag, a Wayzata, MN junior, hasn't played as much as (only 6 games), but has still made an impact on the ice by scoring two goals.

"Freytag is a well-rounded offensive threat who is constantly in the mix. He’s got the build to take a beating driving the net but his heavy shot, uncanny understanding of where to position himself and when to release make us think he projects more like a sniper than a power forward. - OTB - Matthew Freytag"

WCHA Recruits

Mitch Reinke - Team Northeast - Michigan Tech

The Stillwater senior is making his presence felt in the Elite League this year.  Stand just under 5-10, he's not your typical blue-liner, but has a variety of skills that make up for what he lacks in size.  Due to his ability to sauce the puck in quickest, and smoothest way possible, Reinke has assisted on 10 goals for 11 points this season.

Travis Brown - Team Northwest - Michigan Tech

Brown is not your typical defenseman.  Although he may not be a main contender for points at the end of the season, what the 6-1, 201 pound Rogers senior will do, is claim the puck, whenever it is near.  He is very capable of using his body, thus coming out of the corner with the puck most of the time.

Jason Krych - Team Northwest - Minnesota State

The Totino-Grace junior may not be as tall as the forwards bull-rushing towards him, but he will put up more of a fight.  Krych does a great job at not only protecting his own goaltender, but also protecting the whole defensive zone.  Anytime the puck enters, Krych will be the first to it and the one to break it out in a very timely fashion.

Hockey East Recruits

Clayton Keller - Shattuck-St. Mary's - Boston University

Keller is only a sophomore at SSM, but making an impact already.  In only six games, Keller has tallied both three goals and assists for six points.  Unfortunately, those were the only notes I was able to take.

Dylan Malmquist - Team Southwest - Notre Dame

With his recent committment to Notre Dame, Malmquist left the list of Minnesota's top prospects and increased the pipeline size between Edina and Notre Dame.  Although young, Malmquist has an incrediable amount of potential.  He's a natural goal scorer with a great hockey sense.  With Team Southwest, Malmquist has scored four goals and tallied seven assists in eleven games.

Jake Wahlin - Team Northeast - University of Massachusetts

Jake Wahlin has an knack for finding the back of the net, seemingly whenever he wants.  The White Bear Lake junior will eventually join his brother at U. Mass, but until then, plan on him tearing up hockey rinks across Minnesota.  During the Elite League season, Wahlin had a 5-game goal streak which puts his total goals at nine and points at 16 in the 13 games.

Atlantic Hockey

Seamus Donohue - Team Northeast - Air Force

Donohue, a junior at St. Thomas Academy, has scored seven points in the nine games he has taken part in.  At 5-11, he isn't the biggest guy in the lineup, but will stand up to anybody who tries to rush.

"Donohue has really come on strong as of late. His decision-making was a question mark for us last season and that has become less of a concern for us, specifically in his own end. Donohue is a creative, resourceful blue liner who can usually get the puck out of his zone and onto someone’s tape with efficient, non-telegraphed passes." - OTB - Seamus Donohue

Each player on this list has their own specific player page on HS Elite Hockey.  On these pages you can view highlight videos that pertain to each player, which is a cool application that has been incorporated this year.

To catch the action live, follow along on the website, or follow @HSEliteHockey on twitter for instant highlights, just minutes after they happen!

Special thanks to Over The Boards for allowing the use of their professional scouting quotes.

Questions?  Comments?  Ask Below!

Enjoy.

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WELCOME BACK COLLEGE HOCKEY FANS

Now that hockey has started across North America and a few games have been played, let's take a look at where the future Bulldogs are playing and how they've faired in the first few games of the season.

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