North Dakota vs. UAA/UA: Goal Rush Notes & Links

North Dakota vs. Alaska-Anchorage/Alaska - Brice Alaska Goal Rush Notes & Links

• Gametime: Friday vs UAA 8:05 CDT/Saturday vs. Alaska 10:05 CDT
• Both games will be broadcast on regional radio across the UND Radio Network as well as across the web via UND Insider. Webcasts for the games are available for purchase on a single game basis or as a four game package.
• Series Notes (PDF): North Dakota and Alaska-Anchorage and Alaska
• Brice Alaska Goal Rush Tournament Central
• Brad Schlossman's Friday Morning Reading
• Anchorage Daily News: UAA Brimming With Confidence
• Anchorage Daily News: North Dakota to be Seriously Shorthanded vs. UAA Friday
• Fairbanks Daily News-Miner: North Dakota in Town for Goal Rush
• Fairbanks Daily News-Miner: Seawolves Aim For Third Brice Goal Rush Prize
• Fairbanks Daily News-Miner: Nanooks Vie For Third Goal Rush Crown
• Fairbanks Daily News-Miner: Teams Make Big Trips For Goal Rush
• TOE: Corban Knight is a Center of Attention
• Alaska Nanooks Hockey Blog: A Look at the 2012 Goal Rush
• Senior Danny Kristo, who will not be playing this weekend due to suspension, is the lone active member of the UND Century Club with 109 career points. Corban Knight could join the club with a big night Saturday. Knight, who will be sitting out Friday's game due to suspension, enters the season with 97 career points. Carter Rowney is third on the active list with 46.
• Michael Parks will not play this weekend due to a lower body injury suffered in the exhibition game against Manitoba. As for the full list of suspensions, sitting out Friday's game against Alaska-Anchorage are Kristo, Knight, Rowney, Andrew MacWilliam, and Brendan O'Donnell. Saturday's absentees will be Kristo, Connor Gaarder, Stephane Pattyn, and Andrew Panzarella.
• UND freshman Jordan Schmaltz is a highly-touted offensive defenseman who should see a lot of special teams play. Nick Naumenko's UND record for points by a freshman defenseman is 34, set in 1992-93, and that's a number Schmaltz could approach this season. Naumenko, Jason Herter, and James Patrick all hold the freshman defenseman record for assists with 24, and that's a number Schmaltz could challenge as well.
• Alaska-Anchorage's roster features Hayden Trupp, the younger brother of former Sioux star Evan Trupp.
• A player to watch during Saturday's matchup against Alaska-Fairbanks is Andy Taranto. Taranto, who starred for the Fargo Force in 2008-09, is a senior who has been one of Alaska's top offensive threats throughout his career in Fairbanks.
• USCHO's This Week in the WCHA
• USCHO's Weekend Picks Thursday Edition and Regular Edition
• CHN's Tale of the Tape vs. UAA and Tale of the Tape vs. UA
• CHN's WCHA Power Rankings
• CHN's WCHA 3 Up, 3 Down
• CHN: WCHA's Final Regular Season As We Know It Begins Tonight
• WCHB Weekly WCHA Preview
• WCHA Weekly Press Release
• The Hockey Writer's Combine: Brice Alaska Goal Rush Game Notes
• Sioux Sports Weekend Preview
• Episode 2.03 of Through These Doors:

Fighting Sioux vs. Minnesota-Duluth: Notes & Links

North Dakota vs. Minnesota-Duluth - Series Notes & Links 

• Friday and Saturday 7:07 CST
• Both games will be broadcast on regional radio across the UND Radio Network. As for television, Friday night's game only will be broadcast nationally on CBS Sports Network (Directv channel 613). Each game will also be streamed by B2TV for $8.00/night.
• Lots of good stuff in Brad Schlossman's Friday Morning Reading 
• Kevin Pates' (Duluth News-Tribune): North Dakota Back in Duluth
• Series Notes in PDF: North Dakota and Minnesota-Duluth
• Specialty teams could play a big role this weekend. UMD ranks near the bottom of the league in both power play percentage (10th - 18.6%) and penalty kill (10th - 76.1%) while North Dakota is fifth in the league on the man advantage (20.7%) and first on the kill (85.5%). 
• Danny Kristo is knocking on the door of the Fighting Sioux Century Club. The junior winger has 95 career points. Linemate Corban Knight is next in line with 83.
• UMD's top three scorers Jack Connolly, Travis Oleksuk, and JT Brown have combined for 116 points this season, yet none of them are NHL draft picks. Brown is the reigning WCHA Offensive Player of the Week after scoring five goals, including four on Friday night, in last weekend's series against Alaska-Anchorage. Oleksuk is sitting on 99 career points, and with a strong stretch run Connolly could break the 200 point barrier. The senior center currently has 179 career points.
• The Bulldogs will be looking to get back on track this weekend. Since their 17-game unbeaten streak came to a halt, UMD is 3-3-1 and has been outscored 20-17. They scored 4.29 goals per game and gave up 1.82 during the streak, but the Bulldogs are averaging 2.43 while allowing 2.86 since.
• This week's UND Sports Spotlight for Men's Hockey is Andrew Panzarella:

• USCHO's This Week in the WCHA
• USCHO's Weekend Picks
• CHN's Tale of the Tape
• CHN's WCHA Power Rankings
• INCH's Checking in Around the WCHA
• WCHA Weekly Press Release
• Goon's World Series Notes
• Sioux Sports Series Preview  
• UND Athletic Dept. Travel Blog
• The Ciskie Blog: Bulldogs Better Be Ready For Sioux 
• Episode 14 of Through These Doors: