Game 6: Wisconsin at UMD

After a decent start Friday, UMD ended up falling 2-0 at home to Wisconsin.

As expected, the lineup is a tad bit different for Saturday's rematch. The Bulldogs can ill afford to drop two straight at home to open the conference season for a second straight year, and they can ill afford to keep playing the way they played for a good chunk of Friday.

If this setup doesn't work, I'm sure the

Read More

Saturday Hockey Notes and Thoughts: Badgers Keep it Simple to Beat UMD

Friday night looked like the home opener against Ohio State for a little bit, minus the frantic goal-scoring.

The game between UMD and Wisconsin started with a great pace. Both teams were flying up and down the rink, and there were scoring chances to be had. Wisconsin had a couple good opportunities blocked, and UMD was able to generate a superb flurry that started on a shot by defenseman Tim

Read More

Game 5: Wisconsin at UMD

Someone asked me on Friday if I'm going to miss the UMD-Wisconsin rivalry.

A bit, I guess.

In my seven-plus years of calling games, it hasn't been that nasty (outside of Patrick Johnson breaking Jason Garrison's leg a few years ago, and then John Ramage trying to behead Chad Huttel at the end of a bad night -- for UMD -- a couple years back at the DECC). These two teams aren't as compatible in

Read More

UMD Tries to Badger Visitors in Final WCHA Opener

History will be made at the end of this, the final of 48 seasons for UMD in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.

The 2-2 Bulldogs host the 0-2 Wisconsin Badgers this weekend at Amsoil Arena, opening the last league schedule before many longtime WCHA members go their separate ways.

Outside of a ceremony commemorating the 1992-93 UMD team that won the school's last MacNaughton Cup

Read More

UMD Hockey Commemorates 1993 MacNaughton Cup Team's 20th Anniversary

This weekend marks another opportunity for the UMD men's hockey program to celebrate its rich history.

20 years ago, Duluth was invigorated by the Bulldogs, as veteran coach Mike Sertich and locally-raised star Derek Plante led UMD to its second -- and most recent -- MacNaughton Cup championship.

The legendary trophy awarded to the WCHA regular-season champion has been handed out annually since

Read More

BlogPoll Ballot: October 22

Here is this week's ballot:






The Ciskie Blog Ballot - Week 8

Rank Team Delta
1 Alabama Crimson Tide --
2 Kansas St. Wildcats 3
3 Oregon Ducks -1
4 Florida Gators -1

Read More

Game 4: UMD at Notre Dame

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- For the second straight weekend to start the season, it's UMD trying to pull off a sweep in Game 2 of a series.

Didn't go so well last time, and if you talk to UMD coach Scott Sandelin about it, he seems to think it was largely a self-inflicted defeat. Not mistakes so much, mind you, but just not a crisp performance, and certainly not play that was up to Friday's standards.

Read More

(Friday?) Hockey Notes and Thoughts: UMD Grinds Out Road Win

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Sometimes, you have to win ugly. For starters, it beats the hell out of losing pretty, or losing any other way. It also counts just the same as any other kind of win does.

UMD did that on Thursday night, grinding out a tough 3-1 win over Notre Dame.

Bulldog head coach Scott Sandelin noted -- and most observers would have to agree -- that UMD had a few passengers in

Read More

Game 3: UMD at Notre Dame

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Thursday nigh hockey?

It's weird. I keep thinking it's Friday.

Either way, hockey is near.

Thursday was "Tour The Awesome Notre Dame Campus" day for me. Check twitter.com/bruceciskie for pictures.

Lines?

Lines.

UMD
Crandall (Justin) - Herbert - Seidel
Danberg - Hendrickson - Flaherty
Farley - Camaranesi - Basaraba
DeLisle - Decowski - Krause

Bergman - Casto
Olson -

Read More

Bulldogs Make First Roadie of Season

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Last weekend wasn't bad.

It's tough to get a real gauge of what we saw from UMD last week against Ohio State, but I keep going back to this sentiment.

I saw a lot more things I liked than things I didn't like, and it has to be considered a good starting point for this Bulldog team that was chalk full of uncertainty entering the season.

With all that being said, however, UMD

Read More

BlogPoll: This Week's Ballot

This week's ballot looks as follows:






The Ciskie Blog Ballot - Week 7

Rank Team Delta
1 Alabama Crimson Tide --
2 Oregon Ducks --
3 Florida Gators --
4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Read More

Game 2: Ohio State at UMD

According to last year's UMD media guide, Friday's 6-2 win over Ohio State marks UMD's most lopsided season-opening victory since a 12-4 win over U.S. International to kick off the 1985-86 season.

(That doesn't count exhibitions, since exhibition games don't count in the standings.)

The previous mark under Scott Sandelin was a 5-2 victory over Nebraska-Omaha in the 2002 Maverick Stampede.

This

Read More

Saturday Hockey Notes and Thoughts: Well, That Was A Good Start

UMD head coach Scott Sandelin looks at Opening Night as a starting point.

He has to like the point his players gave him to start from Friday.

UMD overwhelmed Ohio State 6-2 at Amsoil Arena, using dynamic freshmen, experienced skill players, and plenty of snarl to frustrate the young but capable Buckeyes for most of the evening.

In my slew of season preview materials, I mentioned a few keys to

Read More

Game 1: Ohio State at UMD

Here we go.

Time to kick off the 2012-13 UMD men's hockey season. It's nice to see Steve Rohlik again, as the man who helped build this program as an assistant coach for a decade at UMD is now working with old college teammate Mark Osiecki at Ohio State.

Rohlik got a bit emotional reminiscing before the morning skate Friday, and he joked his daughters will probably be cheering for UMD in this

Read More

UMD Starts Anew, Hopes Not To Start Over

It's one thing to have to rebuild.

After UMD made the 2004 NCAA Frozen Four, UMD was never able to put it together in the 2004-2005 season. A slew of freshmen -- 11 of them -- came on board for the 05-06 campaign, one that saw only 11 wins as UMD tried to rebuild its talent base.

Three years later, UMD was back in the NCAA hunt. The WCHA playoff champions rode the hot stick of senior center

Read More

2012-13 UMD Hockey Preview: Forwards

For being 5-8 and 160 pounds, Jack Connolly casts one hell of a shadow.

After four years, three All-American honors, three NCAA Tournament appearances, a national championship, a Hobey Baker Award, and 197 career points, Connolly has taken his talents to Sweden to play professionally in the Swedish Elite League.

On the surface, Connolly's departure -- coupled with the losses of offensive stars

Read More

2012-13 UMD Hockey Preview: Defensemen

When Justin Faulk and Mike Montgomery -- among others -- departed from UMD after helping the Bulldogs to the 2011 NCAA title, they left some question marks behind.

UMD had bodies on defense last season, but no one knew going in how it was going to play out. While there were some bright spots, the Bulldogs also had their share of struggles against forecheck pressure at times, and the defense had

Read More

2012-13 UMD Hockey Preview: Goalies

Replacing an All-American who practically carried a No. 7 seed to a league championship and NCAA berth wasn't going to be easy.

And Kenny Reiter wasn't expected to be the guy carrying the torch.

Indeed he was, though. Reiter, of Pittsburgh, came in to UMD out of the North American Hockey League -- regarded as the second-best junior league in the country behind the USHL -- and he sat for his

Read More

Packers Apparently Paranoid As Well As Not Very Good Right Now

I think it's safe to say frustration is setting in for the Green Bay Packers.

I don't think that's necessarily a good thing, but only time will tell for certain.

Sometimes, the news reports on NFL teams on Wednesdays can be a little scarce. Teams typically give Tuesdays off to the players, with Wednesday being the first day of practice ahead of a Sunday game.

This time around, the Packers

Read More

BlogPoll: Week 7 Ballot

Here you go:






The Ciskie Blog Ballot - Week 6

Rank Team Delta
1 Alabama Crimson Tide --
2 Oregon Ducks 1
3 Florida Gators 7
4 South Carolina Gamecocks 3

Read More

Nic Kerdiles Ineligible For Now

College hockey season is underway, as evidenced by tweets I saw from people relaying actual scores over the weekend.

UMD opens Friday at home against Ohio State, which means I finally have some content for this blog.

There is a potential controversy brewing down the road at Wisconsin. The Badgers played an exhibition game Saturday, whipping the US Under 18 Team 5-0 at the Kohl Center. UW has a

Read More

UMD Hockey Loading for Future

The 2011-12 UMD men's hockey season saw perhaps the most decorated senior class in school history depart.

A group that included goalie Kenny Reiter, defensemen Brady Lamb and Scott Kishel, and forwards Jack Connolly, Travis Oleksuk, and David Grun ushered in a beautiful new arena (the still-a-gem Amsoil Arena), won a national championship, were a part of four straight 20-plus win seasons, and

Read More

BlogPoll: Week 5 Ballot

After some crazy games and very little defense, here is this week's ballot:






The Ciskie Blog Ballot - Week 5

Rank Team Delta
1 Alabama Crimson Tide --
2 Florida St. Seminoles --
3 Oregon Ducks 3

Read More