{"id":602513,"date":"2016-12-31T15:23:32","date_gmt":"2016-12-31T20:23:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thesportsdaily.com\/?p=602513"},"modified":"2016-12-31T15:23:32","modified_gmt":"2016-12-31T20:23:32","slug":"und-hockey-much-to-be-thankful-for-in-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesportsdaily.com\/news\/und-hockey-much-to-be-thankful-for-in-2016\/","title":{"rendered":"UND Hockey: Much to Be Thankful for in 2016"},"content":{"rendered":"

As 2016 comes to an end, we will usher in the new year in a matter of hours. As University of North Dakota fans look back at 2016, they will have fond memories of the boys in Green and White winning their 8th NCAA title. UND would go 34-6-4 and steamroll through the NCAA playoffs. Their toughest match in the NCAA playoffs was against fellow NCHC foe, Denver.<\/p>\n

During the offseason, while fans were celebrating UND’s eighth NCAA title, the Hawks would lose nine players from the 2016 championship team (Drake Caggiula, Bryn Chyzyk, Colten St. Clair, Coltyn Sanderson, Nick Schmaltz, Troy Stecher, Paul LaDue, Luke Johnson, and Keaton Thompson). Three of these players are playing in the NHL (Caggiula with Edmonton, Schmaltz with Chicago, and Stecher with Vancouver). A fourth player, LaDue, is close to making his NHL debut, too.<\/p>\n

\"(Photo
UND Skates back to the Bench after a goal. (Photo by Russell Hons Photography)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Through 18 games, UND is (9-6-3, 3-4-1 NCHC). After winning a conference championship and NCAA title last season, UND sits in sixth place in the NCHC standings. While there were many positives in the first half, UND also had their share of negatives, too.<\/p>\n

Currently,\u00a0inconsistency has plagued UND\u2019s special team\u2019s<\/a>.\u00a0UND is ranked 32nd nationally on the power play, 14\/81 (17.3%) and\u00a046th on the penalty kill, 64\/80 (80.0%). Through 18 games,\u00a0UND has already given up four shorthanded goals. (linky<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Last season, UND lost a grand total of six games. So far, this season, through 18 games UND has lost six games. The current players on this team haven\u2019t experienced a long winless streak like they did earlier in the season. At times, UND has looked like one of the best teams in the country. At other times, they’ve looked like a cellar dweller. The Hawks have been very inconsistent<\/a>.<\/p>\n

After the series against Denver, I think head coach Brad Berry said it best. This kind of how their season has gone.<\/p>\n

“We hit a couple of pipes there at the end,\u2019 coach Berry said. \u2018There are no excuses on our part. We have to be better. We have to be sharper.<\/p>\n

“Again, we talk about finishing plays. Those plays start in our end of the rink executing passes and making plays where you get into the other team\u2019s end of the ice. We have to focus on the execution part before we even get into their end.\u201d<\/p>\n

After losing 3-1 to the Western Michigan Broncos, the Christmas break couldn’t have come at a better time. I think that junior defenseman Tucker Poolman stated it best.<\/p>\n

\u201cA couple of weeks off, optimistically, hopefully each guy can go home and think about this, think about why our season has been so up and down and why we lack consistency,\u201d Poolman said. \u201cThis is a long time to think about something like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Who woke up today with the most wins in @NCAAIceHockey<\/a> over the last calendar year? This guy, @itsyaboiiceej<\/a>, with 26. #UNDproud<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/Wly1mnTaCI<\/a><\/p>\n

— North Dakota MHockey (@UNDmhockey) December 25, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n