Fighting Sioux vs. Russian Red Stars: Notes & Links

North Dakota vs. Russian Red Stars (Exhibition) - Game Notes & Links:

• Saturday 7:07 PM CST
• The games will be broadcast on a variety of media outlets across the region. Here's the standard Broadcast Information.
• Series notes in PDF: North Dakota
• The Russian Red Stars defeated Army and lost to Yale in college exhibition contests last year, and North Dakota's Engelstad Arena is the first stop on this season's US tour.
• Expect North Dakota to do some experimenting with its personnel against the Red Stars.
• After taking on the Fighting Sioux, the Red Stars will travel to Alexandria (Blizzard) and Bismarck (Bobcats) to take on a pair of NAHL squads in what will be the only non-collegiate games of the tour.
• Little is known about the Russian Red Stars. The team is comprised of players who currently play in Russia's Minor Hockey League (MHL), ranging in age from 17-21. Some of the MHL's teams are affiliated with Russia's elite league, the KHL, others are feeder teams for lower-level professional teams, and some have no professional-level affiliation at all. The league has players who have participated in various international competitions (U-17, U-18, etc.), some of whom are NHL draft picks. The league does contain elite-level talent (ISS's #1 ranked 2012 NHL Draft prospect Mikhail Grigorenko played in the league last season), but I would expect that any of the league's world-class talent will be preparing for the World Junior Championships.
• Expect some wide-open, freewheeling hockey out of the Russian team, nothing resembling what we saw last weekend against Nebraska-Omaha. On their North American tour last season the Red Stars allowed 7.4 goals per game.
• Derek Forbort will not be available for the game as he will be taking part in Team USA's World Junior Championship pre-tournament camp beginning Saturday in Camrose, Alberta. Former Sioux head coach Dean Blais will be leading Team USA, and he will be assisted by former Sioux player/assistant coach Scott Sandelin.
• Unavailable due to injury will be Rocco Grimaldi, Corban Knight, and Mario Lamoureux.
• CHN's WCHA Power Rankings
• USCHO's Weekend Picks
• WCHA Weekly Press Release

Recruit Profile: Stefan Matteau (DECOMMITTED)

Photo-USHL.com

Current Team:  US National Team Dev. Program Under-18 Team
Anticipated Arrival at UND:  2012
Position:  Forward
Birthday:  February 23rd, 1994
Hometown:  Chicago, IL
Height:  6'1"
Weight:  209
Shoots:  Left

• Commitment Update: Matteau has announced his intention to join the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the QMJHL next season instead of playing for North Dakota.
• Elite Prospect Profile/Stat Page (2011-12 stats are USHL games only)
• 2011-12 USHL/International/College combined statistics can be found via The Recruits page
• USA Hockey: "Little Stef" Hopes to Follow Dad to the NHL
• USA Hockey: Matteau Brings NHL Bloodlines to Under-17 Team 
• Dan Sallows: Q&A With Stefan Matteau
• The Hockey News: Prep Watch - The Next Matteau
• Notre Dame College/College Hockey 24/7: Matteau Earns NTDP Spot, Drawing College Interest  
• Notre Dame College/GF Herald: Commitment Article
• NHL Entry Draft eligible in 2012.
• He is ranked #4 among USHL 2012 draft-eligible players in the NHL Central Scouting Bureau's Preliminary Rankings.
• He was a member of USA Hockey's undefeated championship winning team at the 2011 Under-18 Four Nations Cup in Monthey, Switzerland. Including the pre-tournament exhibition game, he recorded two goals and two assists in four games.
• The US Hockey Report had this to say about his performance at the 2011 USHL Fall Classic: The biggest surprise for us was the play up front of 6’1”, 209 lb. LW Stefan Matteau who this observer thought was clearly the #1 forward for the US Team. A power forward, he was very tough to contain. He’s really picked his game up a notch over a year ago and it will be interesting to see if he can sustain it throughout the year. If he does, he could very well be a first round pick in June.
• 2010-11: He was a member of the USNTDP Under-17 team. Participating in international, USHL, and collegiate exhibition play, he recorded 18 points (7G, 11A) in 47 games. 
• In February of 2011 he was part of the Under-17 team that went undefeated at the Vlad Dzurilla Tournament in Piestany, Slovakia. In three tournament games he produced one goal and two assists.
• In the 2011 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, he accounted for 6 points (2G, 4A) in 7 games as Team USA earned the tournament's silver medal.
• He was a member of the 2010 Under-17 Four Nations Cup winning team, playing in four games.
• 2009-10: He played on the Telus Cup champion Notre Dame Midget AAA Hounds (Wilcox, SK, Canada), producing 71 points (26G, 45A) in 65 games. 
• He continues a proud tradition of Notre Dame Hounds making their way to North Dakota. Former Sioux Bob Joyce, Jeff Ulmer, Jason Ulmer, Rylan Kaip, Brent Bobyck, and Jason Herter are also Notre Dame alums.
• His father, Stephane, played 13 NHL seasons.

Thursday Morning Coffee

• The Chicago Blackhawks earned a 4-3 shootout victory over the Minnesota Wild last night in what was a milestone evening for Jonathan Toews. Toews' 2nd period assist was the 300th point of his career, and he later added a regulation goal and the shootout winner on his way to earning the game's 1st Star. Toews, who has won World Junior and Olympic gold, the Stanley Cup, the Conn Smythe Trophy, and is the early favorite for this season's Hart Trophy, has achieved a career's worth of accolades before even turning 24. For a little added perspective on his youthful accomplishments, Chicago's captain is nearly four months younger than Maple Leaf rookie Matt Frattin.
• Earlier this week Toews appeared on WGN Radio's Jonathon Brandmeier show with teammate Daniel Carcillo. While there wasn't much substance to the appearance, there were a few humorous moments, including some insight into teammate Patrick Kane's nickname. The Toews bit begins about a third of the way into the segment.
• Toews made the cut as part of the NHL's Top 10 Shootout Specialists. He wasn't the only former Sioux to qualify, as TJ Oshie was given an honorable mention while Zach Parise topped the list.
• With Albert Pujols and Tony LaRussa recently saying farewell to St. Louis, the Post-Dispatch wants to know who can help fill their void, and TJ Oshie and the St. Louis Blues are part of that mix. 
• Zach Parise and the New Jersey Devils completed a Florida sweep this week to continue their recent surge, and the production of the Devils' top line has been the key to their recent success.
• The Devils are looking to extend their good fortune by welcoming their top centerman back into the fold, as Travis Zajac is still on track to return to the lineup tomorrow. 
• Brad Malone, who has played two games with Colorado, was recently featured in an Avalanche Q&A.
• Chris VandeVelde and Taylor Chorney have both been key components to the Oklahoma City Barons' strong start.
• Hunter Bishop, who has not played this season due to a preseason injury, is helping to make a difference off the ice.
• Sioux goaltender Aaron Dell was named the WCHA's Defensive Player of the Week after his strong weekend against Nebraska-Omaha. Dell got of to a slow start this season, but he is now returning to his All-American form of a year ago. 
• The Fighting Sioux will be making their way to Winnipeg next month, looking to earn a victory north of the 49th Parallel.

Recruit Profile: Charlie Pelnik

Photo-USHL.com

Current Team:  Langley Rivermen (BCHL)
Potential Arrival at UND:  2015/16
Position:  Defense
Birthday:  May 15th, 1995
Hometown:  Cary, NC
Height:  6'4"
Weight:  215
Shoots:  Left


Profiles & Press Clippings:

• BCHL 2013-14: Profile/Stat Page
• USHL 2012-13 Profile/Stat Page
• Shattuck-St. Mary's 2011-12 U-16 Roster/Stats Page
• The Hockey News: The Hot List (Aug 2012)
• Reel Hockey: Scouting Report
• The Cary News: Cary Teen Making Mark In Hockey
• NBC 17: Raleigh Teen Wants To Be First Pro Hockey Player From The Area
• Brad Schlossman UND Blog: Commitment Post 
• Cary Citizen: 15 Year-Old Caryite Commits to Play Hockey at UND
• NHL Entry Draft eligible in 2013

2013-14:

• He will play for the Langley Rivermen (BCHL). 

2012-13:

• Playing for the Fargo Force (USHL), he notched one assist in 24 games in what proved to be an injury plagued season. He also appeared in seven playoff games as the Force advanced to the Clark Cup Finals.

 2011-12:

• Played for the Shattuck-St. Mary's Under-16 team that advanced to the USA Hockey midget minor national tournament, recording 11 points (3G, 8A) in 44 games.
• In June of 2011 he took part in USA Hockey's Select 16 Development Camp, playing in 5 games. The US Hockey Report ranked him #13 among defenseman: From Carolina Jr. Hurricanes. North Dakota recruit. Quite raw, didn’t have a great week, but there’s a lot to work with here. Fargo’s top pick. Also picked by Plymouth in OHL draft.
• 2011 OHL Draft Scouting Report: a great combination of size skill and grit, good team player who is fearless & is willing to stick up for his teammates, plays a solid defensive game with good positioning and gap control, likes the physical game, makes things miserable for opposing forwards, tough to play against in the corners & in front of his net, good skater for his size with quick acceleration & good mobility, makes good first pass clearing out of the zone, needs to work on his puck handling and can be undisciplined at times....drafted by Fargo of the USHL...committed to North Dakota....rated as a mid to late first rounder but will most likely drop.
  
• In March of 2011 he was invited to take part in the USNTDP Under-17 tryout camp, featuring the 45 best 1995 birth-year players in the United States.

2010-11:

• As a high school sophomore he played for the Carolina Junior Hurricanes Under-16 AAA team that went 30-18-6.
• July of 2010 he participated in the USA Hockey Select 15 Development Camp, going pointless in 5 games. US Hockey Report ranked him as the #7 defenseman at camp: From Carolina Jr. Hurricanes organization. Big, with a bit of nastiness. He wasn't consistent, though, and had at least one day where he struggled to find his game. Plenty of upside here.

Tuesday Morning Coffee

As part of its constant evolution, the blog is going to take a bit of a different approach to sharing the various news stories and links that are currently posted in a somewhat irregular fashion. I am usually able to get Sioux-related news items out via Twitter rather quickly, but sometimes the links to these items are outdated by the time they are included in a blog post. Therefore, I'm going to begin posting such links more frequently in order to get them out in a more timely manner. The links usually accumulate fast enough to warrant a blog post every couple of days or so, and these posts will not take the place of the Series Previews, Weekly Recaps, Recruit Profiles, etc. Also, I welcome any and all feedback, so if you have any suggestions, recommendations, or corrections, feel free to leave a comment as they are always appreciated. So without further rambling, please enjoy your initial cup of the Morning Coffee:

• Jonathan Toews recently appeared on the NHL Network's NHL Live program.
• Toews and the Chicago Blackhawks are off to a very good start this season, and much of the credit can be attributed to the production of The Fantastic Four, all of whom currently rank in the top 15 in the league in points.
• The Blackhawks have been finding ways to win this year even when they have not been at their best.
• Zach Parise had a goal and two assists last night in New Jersey's 5-4 victory in Tampa Bay. It took Parise 21 games to reach the 11 point mark this season, but the production has been ramped up as of late as he has 11 points in his last 8 games. Now that the Devils' top line of Parise, rookie Adam Henrique, and sniper Ilya Kovalchuk is hitting its stride, it will be interesting to see what role Travis Zajac is assigned when he makes his return to the lineup. Zajac could play as early as Friday.
• Parise and TJ Oshie each made the cut for Jeremy Roenick's All-American-Born team. Parise made the first line and Oshie the second. Also of note, 11 of the 12 included by Roenick are former college players.
• Oshie recently sat down with St. Louis' KSDK to answer a few questions regarding the Blues' season thus far.
• Aaron Schneekloth continues to produce for the Colorado Eagles. His 12 goals and 12 power-play points lead all ECHL defensemen.
• Brandon Bochenski notched a hat trick last week for Barys Astana (KHL).
• Jason Gregoire, who has missed a good portion of the St. John's IceCap season due to injury, is one of the native Winnipeggers playing in the Jet organization.
• Current Alabama-Huntsville goaltender Clarke Saunders has confirmed that he intends to transfer to North Dakota, regardless of whether the school is able to save it's fledgling ice hockey program. And due to UAH's initial decision to disband its program, Saunders will be eligible to play immediately. 

Recruit Profile: Keaton Thompson

Photo-USHL.com

Previous Team:  US National Team Dev. Program Under-18 Team
Arrival at UND:  Fall 2013
Position: Defense
Birthday:  September 14th, 1995
Hometown:  Devils Lake, ND
Height:  6'0"
Weight:  185
Shoots:  Left


Profiles & Press Clippings:

• USA Hockey NTDP 2012-13 Profile/Stat Page
• Elite Prospects Profile/Stat Page
• Brad Schlossman UND Hockey: Commitment Post 
• Slightly Chilled: Homeward Bound
• Ranked #53 among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting's 2013 Draft Prospect Final Rankings.
• 2013 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

2012-13:

• He played for the USA Hockey NTDP Under-18 Team, producing 20 points (4G, 16A) and a +18 rating in 67 games.
• In April he helped Team USA earn silver at the Under-18 World Championships in Sochi, Russia. In seven tournament games he recorded one assist.
• In February he & Team USA participated in the 2013 Under-18 Five Nations Tournament in Jonkoping, Sweden. He recorded one assist in four games as Team USA finished the tournament with a 2-2 record.
• In November he played on Team USA's gold-medal winning team at the 2012 Under-18 Four Nations Tournament in Ann Arbor, MI. He recorded one assist in four tournament games as Team USA finished with a 3-1 record.
• Along with fellow UND recruits Luke Johnson & Gage Ausmus, he participated in the CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game September 29 in Buffalo, NY.

2011-12:

• He played for the USNTDP's Under-17 team, producing 22 points (5G, 17A) in 51 games.
• Played on Team USA's undefeated gold medal winning team at the 2011 Under-17 Four Nations Cup and had one goal and two assists in four games.
• In June of 2011 he attended USA Hockey's Select 16 Development Camp, earning All-Star honors. The US Hockey Report ranked him as the #6 defenseman at camp after recording two assists in five games: From Devils Lake HS. Joining NTDP. Good defensively, nice outlet passes, and judiciously picks his spots to join the rush.

2010-11:

• He earned All-Conference and All-State honors as a freshman at Devils Lake (ND-HS), playing in 24 games while leading the state in points by a defenseman with 38 (9G, 29A). Prior to the high school season, he participated in the Upper Midwest Elite League, recording one assist in 16 games for the Great Plains team. After the high school season, he joined the USHL's Fargo Force and played in 13 games.
• In July of 2010 he attended the USA Hockey Select 15 Development Camp, where he produced three assists in five games. The US Hockey Report ranked him as the #6 defenseman at camp: 9/14/95 birthdate from Devils Lake HS in North Dakota. Nice smooth skater. Nice flat passes. Keeps it simple. A lot of upside.

2009-10:

• As an 8th grader at Devils Lake High School he accounted for 18 points (7G, 11A) in 24 games.
• July of 2009 saw him take part in the USA Hockey Select 14 Development Camp, tallying 2 assists in 5 games on his way to being rated as one of US Hockey Report's Top 10 defensemen.

Week 10 Recap: Sioux & Mavs Split

In the final series of the first half of the WCHA season, relatively new foes battled like bitter, traditional rivals in what was a slug-fest of a series. Nebraska-Omaha came to Grand Forks in what will be the only series of the regular season between the two teams, and after 120+ minutes of physically taxing hockey, each team limped away with two conference points. Friday night saw the teams battle to a 1-1 deadlock through regulation, with the Mavericks ultimately getting the 2-1 overtime victory. Saturday night was even more of a defensive and goaltending dominated affair that saw North Dakota goaltender Aaron Dell lead his team to a 1-0 shutout victory. Here are a few thoughts:

• The lack of scoring wasn't indicative of poor play or a lack of offensive skill, but more a result of the defensive style of play each team chose to employ. Both teams did a very nice job limiting each other's ability to enter the offensive zone with possession, and that really led to a lack of flow each night. The chances seemed to come in spurts for each team, with neither really able to generate sustained offensive pressure.
• There are several worthy candidates (Schultz, Schmidt, Sova), but Aaron Dell is very much deserving of WCHA Defensive Player of the Week honors when the weekly award winners are announced Tuesday afternoon. On the weekend he posted a tidy 0.99 GAA to go along with a 0.966 Save %, and his positioning and rebound control were superb all weekend.
• Both teams were very physical over the weekend, with North Dakota being led by Andrew MacWilliam. He delivered several controlled yet punishing hits and visited the penalty box only after scuffling with Tony Turgeon at the end of Saturday's first period. In the third period Saturday he also made a very nice play to break up a Maverick scoring opportunity with a well-timed slide that came only after one of the referees interfered with MacWilliam in the high-slot area.
• On defense in general the Fighting Sioux did a great job of playing the body, neutralizing a number of potential Maverick opportunities by forcing the play to the boards. Very active sticks also deflected a number of passing attempts and shots. Besides MacWilliam, the defensemen that stood out to me were Nick Mattson and Derek Forbort.
• There may have been a bit of a lapse in the overtime loss that allowed the Mavericks to score the game winner, but the pass that Matt White made to send Ryan Walters in alone on Dell had to be perfect, and it was. It was about as nice of a rink-wide breakout pass as you'll ever see, allowing Walters to enter the zone at full speed, who made a nice move to get the puck up and over Dell's left pad. And who knows, if that play had taken place in regulation the two extra bodies on the ice might very well have taken away the space needed to effectively execute it.
• It was nice to see that freshman Connor Gaarder was awarded the Hard Hat Saturday night. He was very active all weekend, and even earned some power play time Saturday night. 
• The Mavericks came out looking to hit somebody this weekend and Danny Kristo appeared to be one of the main targets, but to his credit he took the hits and kept bouncing back. He further showed his resolve Saturday night by coming out of the lockerrom to start the third period primed to take the game over, and within a minute he had converted a tremendous individual effort into what turned out to be the game's only goal.
• The Sioux were forced to shuffle the lineup a bit Saturday after Corban Knight suffered a lower-body injury the night before. Captain Mario Lamoureux, who did not play Friday, rejoined the lineup Saturday and gave a much-needed tougher-than-nails effort. It was a big win Saturday in that it kept North Dakota right in the thick of the race for playoff home-ice, and it was accomplished with guys playing hurt, playing out of position, and playing expanded roles.
• The mid-season holiday break couldn't come at a better time for the Sioux, as the next four weeks contain just three regular season games. The break in action will hopefully allow the likes of Knight and Lamoureux to heal up a bit and return to full strength sooner rather than later. Also, with a month before the next conference series, we should know more on the health status of Rocco Grimaldi. Conference play resumes when Minnesota pays a visit to Engelstad Arena January 13-14, and that series marks the 8th week of Grimaldi's original 6-8 week injury diagnosis.   

Recruit Profile: Nick Schmaltz

Photo-USHL.com

Current Team:  Green Bay Gamblers (USHL)
Anticipated Arrival at UND:  2014
Position: Forward
Birthday:  February 23rd, 1996
Hometown:  Verona, WI
Height:  6'1"
Weight:  172
Shoots:  Right


Profiles & Press Clippings:

• USHL 2013-14 Profile/Stat Page
• Elite Prospects Profile/Stat Page
• Brad Schlossman UND Hockey: Commitment Post
• The Scouting Report: Milano, Schmaltz Highlight AAPG (Sep 2013)
• 2013 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup: Feature Article (Aug 2013)
• The Scouting Report: Nick Schmaltz Aims To Follow In Brother's Footsteps (July 2013)
• He is the younger brother of current North Dakota defenseman Jordan Schmaltz.
• His father, Mike, and two uncles, Marc and Monte, are former Fighting Sioux football players. 
• He is widely considered to be one of the top 1996 birth year players in North America.
• NHL Entry Draft eligible in 2014

2013-14:

• He will be playing with the Green Bay Gamblers (USHL).
• He participated in the 2013 All-American Prospects Game as one of the top American-born prospects eligible for the 2014 NHL Draft.
• In September he was listed as an A skater on the NHL Central Scouting Service's Preliminary Watchlist for the 2014 NHL Draft.
• In August he was a member of the USA Hockey Under-18 Select team that took part in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup.
• In July he took part in USA hockey's Select 17 Development Camp, earning All-Star honors after notching a goal and two assists in six games. His camp performance was rewarded with an invite to the USA Hockey Under-18 Select Team.

2012-13:

• Spent the season with the Green Bay Gamblers (USHL), recording 52 points (18G, 34A) in 64 games while earning USHL All-Rookie Team honors as the top point producing 1996-born player in the USHL. In four postseason games he logged one goal and one assist.

2011-12:

• He began the 2011-12 season playing for the Chicago Mission U-16 Midget Minor team until an 11 game stint with the Green Bay Gamblers (USHL). He then rejoined his Chicago Mission club, which advanced to the USA Hockey Midget Minor national tournament. In the 25 games for which stats are available, he produced 46 points (23G, 23A) for Chicago Mission. In his 11 games with Green Bay he registered a goal and three assists to go along with a +7 rating.
• He competed for USA Hockey's Under-16 Select team at the 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games January 13-22 in Innsbruck, Austria. He tied for the team lead with six points (2G, 4A) in six games.
• He participated in USA Hockey's 2011 Select 15 Development Camp and was the second leading scorer, tallying 12 points (3G, 9A) in 5 games. The US Hockey Report analysis: Center has soft hands, sees the ice very well. Gets open, and finds the open man. He’s the brother of North Dakota recruit Jordan Schmaltz. From Verona, Wisc. and Chicago Mission U16.

2010-12:

• He led the 2010 USA Hockey Select 14 Camp with 10 points (1G, 9A) in 5 games. US Hockey Report: Showed nice hands and a touch with the puck.
• From the fall of 2007 to the spring of 2011 he played for the Chicago Mission youth hockey program. In 115 Tier 1 Elite games with Chicago, he accounted for 190 points (91G, 99A) and 66 penalty minutes.

Team USA in Fargo, Malone Debuts, Oshie Evolving, Etc.

I took a rare night off from the Fighting Sioux home hockey schedule in order to take a look at 2012 incoming recruits Stefan Matteau, Miles Koules, and Zane Gothberg. Matteau and Koules play for the USNTDP's Under-18 team and were in Fargo to take on Gothberg and the Force. Here are a few observations:

• Koules centered a line featuring Matteau on his left wing and BC recruit Frankie Vatrano on his right. 
• The highly-skilled Team USA dictated play for much of the game, but Gothberg was outstanding. He stopped 35 of 38 shots and was very good in the shootout. He was tracking the puck very well, played with a lot of confidence, and earned the game's 1st Star. He's been a bit inconsistent this year for the Force, but that could be attributed to the Force as a whole being inconsistent.
• Matteau comes as advertised. He's not at all afraid of the physical side of the game, and he uses his size (6'1" 209 lbs.) effectively. He scored a goal on which he out-muscled a Force player behind the net, eventually working the puck to teammate Thomas Di Pauli. Gothberg made the initial save on Di Pauli's shot, but Matteau had worked his way into position in front of the net and was able to deposit the loose change. He's also a solid skater (at one point impressively and nimbly hurdling a downed Force player at center ice), he has a nice, quick wrist shot that he displayed on his shootout goal, and he was solid on the backcheck. There has been talk of Matteau potentially taking the CHL route rather than playing collegiately, but if he does indeed make his way to North Dakota next fall he will be an immediate impact player as a solid two-way power forward.
• Koules didn't find the scoresheet, but he has a nice nose for the puck. He, like most of Team USA, is a very solid passer, has very solid offensive instincts, and is a good, agile skater that accelerates very well. He's also good on the forecheck. Looking at his season as a whole, it's a bit surprising that he has just two goals in 24 games. That being said, he does lead the Under-18ers is assists, so perhaps he is developing into more of a playmaking centerman than the goal scorer he has been in the past.
• Though speculation has U-18 defenseman Seth Jones eventually jumping to the CHL, North Dakota is said to be in the mix if he were to opt for the college route. He's earned nothing but rave reviews from every corner of the hockey world, and after watching him live he certainly lives up to the expectations. He's very poised and quarterbacks the powerplay like he invented it. He skates well, passes well, blocks shots, logs heavy minutes, and anticipates the action very well rather than reacting to it. He's an elite defender who will go very early in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.
• Michigan recruit Jacob Trouba was also impressive. He jumps into the play very well and is a very good all-around defenseman. Others who stood out on Team USA were Kyle Osterberg (Minnesota-Duluth recruit), Thomas Di Pauli (Notre Dame), Matthew Lane (Boston University), and Nicolas Kerdiles (Wisconsin), while Austin Farley (Minnesota-Duluth), Brian Cooper (Nebraska-Omaha), and Justin Wade (Notre Dame) impressed for the Force.
• Somehow, I managed to survive the game and the shuttle ride back home without hearing any news on the Sioux-Maverick game. I went off the grid and was able to watch North Dakota and UNO in its entirety following the USHL action.

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Brad Malone made his NHL debut last night for the Colorado Avalanche, becoming the 13th Fighting Sioux alumni to skate in the NHL this season. He logged 10:12 of ice time while centering the fourth line in the 4-1 loss to Edmonton. All Things Avs has a bit more on his debut.

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Prior to the St. Louis Blues relieving Davis Payne of his head coaching duties in favor of Ken Hitchcock, TJ Oshie was averaging 1.46 shot attempts per game. Since Hitchcock has taken over, Oshie's shots per game have doubled to 2.93 and he has routinely been among the best players on the ice. Hitchcock attributes the turnaround to an adjustment in playing style. Rather than playing an east-west game, Oshie is becoming a north-south player who is maturing before our very eyes.

Other Notes:

• I forgot to mention this earlier, but Alabama-Huntsville goaltender Clarke Saunders recently stated he was planning to transfer to North Dakota after the season due to UAH's adminstrative decision to discontinue Division I ice hockey. That situation, however, has been thrown into a state of flux due to the recent about-face on the part of UAH. The school is now planning on doing whatever it can to keep the program solvent, and they have begun the process of scheduling games for the 2012-13 season. Nothing is certain, and where this leaves Saunders is unknown at this point, but if the Chargers do indeed receive a reprieve he would have to sit out a year under NCAA transfer rules if he opted to leave Hunstville. Saunders, a sophomore with a 3.30 GAA and .918 save percentage in 15 games this season, would join Zane Gothberg as incoming 2012 goaltenders.
• Former 'Hawk Jeremy Roenick recently commented on the Hart Trophy-caliber season Chicago captain Jonathan Toews is having, including stating that Toews is very motivated by last season's Stanley Cup hangover. If you so desire, watch the entire interview.
• Recruit Nick Schmaltz scored his first career USHL last night in the Green Bay Gamblers 6-5 overtime win against Cedar Rapids. Assisting on the goal was big brother and fellow Sioux recruit Jordan Schmaltz. The 15 year-old Nick later added an assist and has now played in 8 USHL games, accounting for two points (1G, 1A) and a +5 rating.

Fighting Sioux vs. Nebraska-Omaha: Notes & Links

North Dakota vs. Nebraska-Omaha - Series Notes & Links:

• Friday 7:37 CST/Saturday 7:07 CST
• The games will be broadcast on a variety of media outlets across the region. Here's the standard Broadcast Information.
• Series Notes in PDF: North Dakota and Nebraska-Omaha
• Most everyone is well aware of the obvious UND connection with Nebraska-Omaha head coach Dean Blais. But through Blais' recruiting, that connection is even stronger this year as the Mavericks' roster features the sons of three former Fighting Sioux standouts.
• UND's top centerman Corban Knight doesn't do it with a lot of flash, but he is once again having a tremendous season.
• UND's back-to-back series sweeps are the direct result of the red-hot production from Brock Nelson, Knight, and Danny Kristo, and the Mavericks are well aware that they will have to account for the Knightline.
• Nebraska-Omaha is coming off a non-conference series split with Alabama-Huntsville, and following the Mavericks' Friday night loss head coach Dean Blais said he was "embarrassed" by his team's performance.
• Matthew Semisch of Radio Free Omaha put together a nice Q&A with GF Herald beat writer Brad Schlossman.
• Last weekend the Fighting Sioux put together another great team effort, which paved the way to WCHA individual recognition for the second consecutive week. Brock Nelson has earned back-to-back Offensive Player of the Week honors after recording 5 points (4G, 1A) against Alaska-Anchorage. Meanwhile, freshman Brendan O'Donnell earned Rookie of the Week honors after his two goal performance in the far north.
• Derek Forbort was named to Team USA's World Junior Championship preliminary roster Monday afternoon, and joining him at the Team USA camp later this month will be UNO's Josh Archibald. Mav's coach Dean Blais will be Team USA's head coach.
• Brad Schlossman put together a list of nicknames for this year's Fighting Sioux players. Also from his blog is the Friday Morning Reading.
• Sioux freshman Connor Gaarder is the subject of this week's GF Herald Four Questions.
• Zach Parise discusses North Dakota's predisposition to second half surges in USCHO's This Week in the WCHA.
• Andrew MacWilliam, who was recently featured by UND Sports Spotlight, says he was a better football player than he was a hockey player:

• USCHO's Weekend Picks
• CHN's WCHA Power Rankings
• CHN's Tale of the Tape
• WCHA Weekly Press Release
• Inside Hockey Series Preview