December
23, 2003
Subway Holiday Classic
Ralph
Engelstad Arena • Grand Forks, N.D.
THE
FIELD
Saturday,
December 27
Brown
vs. Wayne State, 5 p.m. ET
Findlay at North Dakota, 8 p.m. ET
Sunday,
December 28
Third-Place Game, 2 p.m. ET
Championship, 5 p.m. ET
LAST
YEAR
Led
by Brandon Bochenski’s six goals and aided by the
fact that they allowed a total of 27 shots on goal during
the weekend, North Dakota captured the first Subway Holiday
Classic title by beating Brown, 5-2, in a first-round match
and outlasting Bemidji State, 5-4, in the tourney finale.
Josh Siembeda backstopped the Sioux to both victories. In
2001, Siembeda, who’s no longer with UND, joined the
team during the holidays and won his first two college starts,
beating Michigan and Michigan State en route to the Great
Lakes Invitational title.
INTERESTING
HISTORICAL FACT
Sunday’s
North Dakota contest against either Brown or Wayne State
will mark the program’s 2,000th hockey game since
the end of World War II. More specifically, 1946-47 marked
the start of the era when the Sioux played 13 games against
mostly local opponents. The 1947-48 team is considered the
first UND team to play a major college schedule.
WHO
TO WATCH
With
North Dakota forwards Brady Murray, Zach Parise and Drew
Stafford spending the holidays with the U.S. entry at the
World Junior Championships in Finland, fans can focus on
Sioux junior forward Brandon Bochenski. The Blaine, Minn.,
native has 63 career goals in 92 games. There aren’t
many better pure goal scorers in the nation. It’s
also a chance to enjoy UND’s rugged defensive unit,
led by junior Andy Schneider. Schneider, whose NHL rights
are owned by the Pittsburgh Penguins, is one of four draft
picks on the Sioux blue line along with junior Matt Jones
(Phoenix), sophomore Matt Greene (Edmonton) and freshman
Matt Smaby (Tampa Bay). To think that David Hale, now with
the New Jersey Devils, could still be part of this mix is
mind-boggling.
 |
| Yann
Danis leads the nation in goals-against average (1.50)
and save percentage (.953).. |
There
are, of course, three other teams in this tournament. A
Brown-North Dakota title match pitting the host’s
high-octane offensive attack against Bears goaltender Yann
Danis – the nation’s leader in goals-against
average (1.50) and save percentage (.953) – would
be highly entertaining. And don’t forget about freshman
forward Brian Ihnacak. His 15 points in 10 games put him
among the nation’s leading rookie scorers.
Findlay
and Wayne State have had their highs – both defeated
Michigan State on the Spartans’ home ice. But the
Oilers are in the throes of an 0-4-2 skid during which they’ve
scored six goals and the Warriors, last year’s CHA
representative in the NCAA Tournament, are 1-4-0 in their
last five games. Wayne State is young, with just five seniors
on its roster, but freshman forward Jason Baclig, with 11
points in 13 games, provides a glimpse of things to come.
Findlay’s best player is also a freshman – goaltender
Will Hooper has a 2.81 GAA and a .904 save percentage.
HOW
WE SEE IT
Barring
a monster effort from Danis, North Dakota should take the
tournament title for a second straight season. Danis, however,
is a workhorse used to seeing his fair share of shots, so
don’t expect him to be rattled by an offensive barrage
from the opposition. Findlay will be hard pressed to score
against the Sioux, given their current scoring woes and
North Dakota’s puck possession capabilities. Wayne
State, meanwhile, gives up too much to stay with Brown –
the Warriors have allowed three or more goals nine times
this season. Danis won’t squander that kind of cushion.
Not to pick sides, but one has to root for a Brown-North
Dakota final just to see Danis against the nation’s
best offense.
