SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Scott Sandelin is no stranger to Xcel Energy Center. His Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs won a national championship in the building in 2011, and again in 2018. The Bulldogs have also won a pair of NCHC Frozen Faceoffs (2017 and 2019) on Xcel Energy Center ice.
Some of Brad Berry’s favorite coaching memories are at the X during the WCHA Final Five. It's also a special place for North Dakota senior captain Mark Senden, who won a high school state championship there with Wayzata in 2016.
David Carle is no stranger to the venue either as he helped guide Denver to the 2018 Frozen Faceoff championship as an assistant and led the Pioneers back there as a head coach in 2019.
It’s those stories and connections that have players, coaches and fans alike excited for this weekend. After a three-year hiatus, the NCHC Frozen Faceoff returns to Minnesota’s capital city.
“I think it’s exciting for everybody,” Sandelin said. “Obviously the last couple years have been tough, but at least last year, we did have a playoff. At least that was something versus the year before where we didn't get to experience anything. Just to get back to St. Paul and have it be kind of a normal playoff format- I think it's a great prelude to the NCAA tournament.”
The last time Sandelin was behind the bench at the X, his Bulldogs won a double-overtime thriller against St. Cloud State. Coincidentally enough, UMD defeated Huskies in overtime last Saturday to punch their ticket to the event.
The UMD lineup looks much different than that 2019 championship game, but one thing remains the same.
“I know our team's excited to get back there,” Sandelin said. “Certainly for some of the younger guys that haven't experienced this tournament, I think it's really important. It'll be a lot of fun to experience it.”
The 2021 Frozen Faceoff was shifted to Grand Forks due to COVID-19 concerns. The year before, the pandemic wiped out the college hockey postseason completely.
When you look at the rosters of the four teams competing this weekend, there’s a lot of youth and a lot of turnover. However, there are a few familiar names from the last time Xcel Energy Center hosted the event. Denver’s Ryan Barrow was a member of that 2018 team and returned in 2019 along with Cole Guttman and Brett Stapley.
Nine members of UMD’s 2019 team remain on the Bulldogs roster as well.
“I think with the past two years we've had, just kind of me and Cole’s message (to the team) is just don't take this for granted,” Barrow said. “You come to Denver to play in tournaments like this and with the last two years, we haven't really got to experience this. So our message was that we have a special group, just don't take it for granted.”
For the fans attending any of the three games this weekend, they won’t want to take it for granted either. If the regular season was any indication, fans will be treated to three excellent games. The four participating teams make up four of the top eight in the most recent USCHO poll.
They also make up four of the top nine teams in the PairWise, guaranteeing all four a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
“We believe this is the best conference in college hockey and certainly the most competitive,” said Western Michigan head coach Pat Ferschweiler. “If you look at the teams that are there this weekend, I think all four of us are ranked in the top eight or so in the country. So this will be as tough or tougher than any regional next weekend.
“If you can win this, you certainly can drive belief in yourselves and belief in the program for sure.”
When you consider that level of competition, some around the sport argue winning this tournament is harder than winning the Frozen Four. Although all four teams have their eyes on making it to Boston next month, the focus is solely on this weekend. It hasn’t been easy getting to this point.
“It doesn't matter what team you play against in the NCHC, it's a battle each and every weekend,” Berry said. “And I think what that does is it makes you battle-tested, hardened and ready.
“It galvanizes you a little bit once you get to the playoffs and I think at the end of the day, if you're fortunate enough to make the national tournament, it's a situation where you went through that gauntlet of teams that you can go back to those past experiences.”
And for Berry, who led his team to a Frozen Faceoff championship on home ice last March and UND's third consecutive Penrose Cup earlier this month, this event is back where it belongs.
“It's always a destination,” Berry said. “I think it provides a venue and an environment for families to kind of circle on their calendar and make it a destination each and every year. Obviously the competition is high-end competition. It's four teams vying for the playoff championship, and it's just a great environment.”
It’s a great environment and it's shaping up to be a great weekend. The NCHC Frozen Faceoff is back in St. Paul.
Denver vs. Minnesota Duluth, 4:07 p.m. Friday
Denver (27-8-1)
The top seed in this year’s field, Denver finished the regular season atop the NCHC standings. The Pioneers have also previously won two Frozen Faceoff championships (2014 and 2018).
Last weekend the Pioneers swept Miami in the NCHC quarterfinal, 5-2 and 5-1, and the offense and depth that have them ranked amongst the top scoring teams in the country were on full display.
“I think our depth is pretty special,” Barrow said. “You look at guys like (Bobby Brink) and (Cole Guttman), but then even a guy like Brett Stapley centering our third line and he has over 40 points. I think it's pretty special what we have going.”
Brink leads the country with 55 points and Guttman, Stapley and Carter Savoie all have over 40. DU’s freshmen class has been spectacular too.
Everyone on the Pioneers’ roster wants to do something special, but there’s even more motivation for the upperclassmen who went through a disappointing 2020-21 season. However, David Carle’s team doesn’t feel any extra pressure being the top seed.
“We're excited for the opportunity to compete in it and I wouldn't say there's any added pressure,” Carle said. “We’re approaching a week like I'm sure everybody, the same exact way that you do throughout the year, and getting ready for a really good Duluth team.”
Minnesota Duluth (19-15-4)
There’s no denying Sandelin-coached teams find a way to turn it on at this point in the season, which is part of the reason why UMD was the only road team to win last weekend (and just the third since 2015).
The UMD offense has been inconsistent at times and the injuries have mounted up, but the Bulldogs played some of their best hockey of the season last weekend in St. Cloud.
“I really liked last weekend and for some reason, our team felt different,” Sandelin said. “Maybe because we've had our full team for two or three weeks where we haven't had that during the year. I don't know. I wish I had the answer, but I really liked how we played.”
Throughout the season, NCHC First-Team selection Ryan Fanti has simply been UMD’s MVP. The junior goaltender was good again in the sweep of the Huskies. Sandelin said Noah Cates, who scored the overtime winner in game two, had his best weekend of the season as well. They’ll need everyone going Friday afternoon against the Pioneers.
“That’s kind of what it is at this time of the year,” Sandelin said. “You've got to survive and advance.”
North Dakota vs. Western Michigan, 7:37 p.m. Friday
North Dakota (24-12-1)
The No. 2 seed and the defending Frozen Faceoff champs, the Fighting Hawks swept Colorado College last weekend and were on a roll throughout the second half.
“We're just taking it one game at a time,” Senden said. “You focus on the next game at hand and that's Friday against Western. That's all we have on our mind right now is winning that Friday night game.”
A team that has dealt with countless injuries, the key throughout the 2021-22 season has been their next man up mentality. UND continued to find a way to win and closed out the regular season on a 9-2-1 run.
Berry said the cohesiveness and mental strength of his team have really impressed, but he also knows how much his group believes in each other.
“For us, and it's probably like this for the other programs as well, it's trying to continue your momentum into the playoffs,” Berry said. “Meaning that you have to win two games on the weekend to keep advancing in the regionals and in the Frozen Four to ultimately win (a national championship).”
Western Michigan (24-10-1)
One of the most consistent teams in the conference this year, the Broncos will make their first Frozen Faceoff appearance since 2017. The third seed in the field, Western Michigan swept Omaha last weekend, 4-2 and 5-4 in overtime on Saturday.
One of the oldest and biggest teams in the conference, the veterans have led the way all year.
“We take a lot of pride in leading this team and trying to set a great example every day,” said fifth-year forward Josh Passolt. “I think we've all learned over our career that it doesn't help to try to predict the future and if you can just stay in the moment, you’ll be a lot better off for sure.”
That stay in the moment mindset has paid off and that’s why nobody is looking ahead past this weekend. The Broncos feel they belong on this stage and they’re focused on proving that against UND. Just as they’ve done all season, they’ll need their top players to step up once again.
“To really win at a high level, your best players have to be your best players on a nightly basis,” Ferschweiler said. “The maturity that our guys have shown, especially our upperclassmen, to show up every day- It’s given us consistency and allows real maturity of play through the season. We've leaned on those guys all year long and we're going to lean on them for the rest of the season.”
--#NCHChockey--