You asked me a while back about ND's hockey team. I've made the effort to drag the baby in with me and catch 3 of their games on TV here over the past few weeks. They play well at speed. They are deep in goal scorers. In fact, I'd say they have 3 solid scoring lines. They have a chance in post season just like everyone else, but they'll have to score. I don't see this team winning a lot of 1-0 games, despite having a very good goaltender. The downside is that they are physical at speed, but they aren't very physical. When the play slows down, you can see them trying to kick the action back up to open space and off the boards. That's problematic because a grinder team can upset them by making them play dump and chase if they fall behind early in a game. They also lack of blue line quarterback on defense. They aren't bad, but they don't have that guy who controls the point on power play and anchors the line to stand up at the blue line by taking the body or causing the counter. It seems they have more bodies on defense, and lots of talent up front. The difference in ND hockey now compared to when I last attended a game (maybe early 2000s) is unreal. That's a legit playoff team. I caught about 2/3 of the Denver and North Dakota game tonight before my meds knocked me out. Those are both 2 way teams that can beat you many ways. Both of those teams would/could be teams that make a run come tournament time.
Corey, if you get up to ND sometime, you should make it point to tour the hockey arena.I did about a year ago. It is very, very nice. I believe the seating capacity is about 5,000. Like the football stadium and basketball arena, there's not a bad seat in the house.
I'd respond to you Corey, but my knowledge of Hockey and what makes a good team is limited to who wins! But it's good to get a perspective from somebody who actually follows the game and understands it!
From what I read, how good we are will be tested the next 2 weeks with a road series with Providence and then finishing the regular season at home with Boston University. College Hockey is so weird, in the sense that the powers aren't necessarily the big schools. Providence is the defending Nat'l Champion, and Union College in NY was the 2014 Nat'l Champion, Yale won in 2013. ...not exactly a Div 1 line up in any other sport that you'd figure to be powers. North Dakota, Denver, Boston Univ, Quinipac, Ferris State, all might be considered Hockey powers. Minnesota sure they are a big state school and a hockey power in the past, Wisconsin, Michigan all have rich hockey history. But small schools can do very well apparently if they can get enough Canadians over the border. Could you imagine if Mexico played Hockey!
Mexico won the DIII U22 World Championship and I'm not sure if I should be embarrassed by knowing that or not. You're right in that the size of the schol has nothing to do with the strength of the program. As for the upcoming series against Providence and BU, those are always tough matchups. Both of those teams will beat on you physical and are always fast. BU's lineup normally reads like an Irish phonebook. Lots of O's, Fitz, Mc, Mac and more than a few kids from Charlestown. This year, their best player is a half black kid named Greenwood who is a freshman. They have a kid from Escondido, California. Now the Providence Friars, that's a team full of Italian and Irish kids. They are what they usually are, but interestingly enough, they too have a California kid on their roster....and get this, A TEXAN.
I see the Frozen Four is Quinnipac, BC, Denver and North Dakota. BC and North Dakota are perennial Frozen Four teams. It'll be held in sunny Tampa this year. I see that North Dakota is no longer the Fighting Sioux, but now the less offensive Fighting Hawks. I wonder how this has improved the mental health of the Native Americans in North Dakota, those Seminoles in Fla have hospitals and free education from Casino's. That's what they should have fought for, money.