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UMD's Joey Anderson (13) tried to pass rink-wide but the puck hit North Dakota defenseman Hayden Shaw and glanced through goalie Cam Johnson for the game-winning goal with 51 seconds remaining. Photo credit: John Gilbert

This UMD men’s hockey team might be its best ever. The Bulldogs, of course, will have to play their absolute best from here on out in order to win the West Regional and get a crack at the Frozen Four two weeks from now in Chicago.

At the same time, the Bulldogs had to be at their best last weekend at Target Center in Minneapolis in order to win the National Collegiate Hockey Conference playoff title at the Frozen Faceoff. And they were, subduing North Dakota 4-3 with a goal in the final minute. 

All-tournament forwards Alex Iafallo (14) and Dom Toninato (19) came at Anderson to celebrate. Photo credit: John Gilbert

It was the  pinnacle for an outstanding season by a UMD team that has proven to have no weaknesses — scoring, defense, goaltending, puck-handling, playmaking, toughness. You name it, this team has it.

The Dogs had to prove themselves in the toughest circumstances, after putting down a tough Western Michigan outfit 5-2 in the semifinals. That came while North Dakota — the preseason favorite that underachieved for much of the season but has hit its stride now — upset No. 1 seed and top-ranked Denver in a 1-0 classic. So instead of a showdown between the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country, the playoff final instead came down to UMD against UND in a classic pairing of two long-time rivals.

The three linemates celebrated the goal that gave UMD its first Frozen Faceoff tournament championship. Photo credit: John Gilbert

It was a final that was a classic in every way, even though referees Todd Anderson and Geno Binda seemed to think that calling everything tightly would equate to keeping the rivals under control. It proved to be the opposite, with the ragged short-handed situations leading to more frustration and less control.

For example, UMD was harnessed with playing two men short three different times in the game, and North Dakota scored on two of them. UMD coach Scott Sandelin said he had never experienced a game like that. “I know we’ve had times we were two men short twice, but I can’t ever remember three times,” he said. “In fact, it seemed like four or five times.”

UMD goalie Hunter Miska was down and out, but defensemen Nick Wolff (5) and Willie Raskob hustled to the crease to cover. Photo credit: John Gilbert

Whenever I watch a hockey game, I always hope the outcome doesn’t hinge on a power-play goal, for or against. In this case, I’ll make an exception. If there was ever a time when fate, irony and puck-luck all came together for a final power-play goal, it was after the Bulldogs had played heroically to withstand most of three two-man shortages — despite being scored on during two of them, and that all three of North Dakota’s goals came on power plays — then UMD got its only two-man power play just in time for Joey Anderson to score the game-winner at 19:09.

UMD freshman goalie Hunter Miska dived to try to prevent North Dakota freshman center Tyson Jost from converting on on one of 10 UND power plays. Photo credit: John Gilbert

The winning goal came on a set play that went awry, as Neal Pionk on right point exchanged passes with Adam Johnson on left point, while the forwards set up with Dominic Toninato at the crease, Anderson deep on the left, and Alex Iafallo deep on the right. Johnson moved the puck to Anderson, and as he explained it, “Dom is supposed to move the ‘D’ out, and I pass across to Alex, back-door.”

It didn’t work perfectly because Anderson’s pass hit defenseman Hayden Shaw’s skate and the ricochet went right through goaltender Cam Johnson’s legs for the critical goal.

At the other end, freshman goaltender Hunter Miska stood tall while North Dakota outshot UMD 35-23, mainly because of a 16-4 first period, when UMD was hit with the first three penalties, and then got its first two-man shortage. “It was nice to get out of that first period only down 1-0,” said Sandelin.

Brock Boeser got the goal for UND, but when the second period started, UMD took over the game. Toninato circled the net and came out on the right side just as the rebound of an Anderson shot landed in front of him. Toninato’s 15th goal of his senior season tied the game 1-1 at 1:30.

Next shift, freshman Riley Tufte rushed up the right side and snapped a shot from the circle that caught the far edge at 1:47. Next shift, North Dakota took a penalty and UMD got its first power play of the game, with Adam Johnson skating in from the right point and drilling a screened shot at 2:28. In a burst of 58 seconds, UMD had scored three sudden goals, silencing the mostly green-clad fans whose choice of jerseys indicated a lack of awareness that the Fighting Hawks are no longer the Fighting Sioux.

But they played like the Fighting Sioux of old. While Boeser is one of the most dangerous forwards in the country, UND has a freshman from Alberta named Tyson Jost who might be the slipperiest centerman I’ve seen all season. Jost, who assisted on Boeser’s 16th goal in the first period, scored his 16th on the second UND 2-man power play midway through the second period when he hammered in a one-timer from deep on the right after a slick pass from Trevor Olson deep on the left.

The game stayed 3-2 until 2:46 remained, and then, with UND on its third 5-on-3 skater advantage, Jost, deep on the right again, passed across the goal-mouth to Olson, deep on the left again, and Olson hammered in the 3-3 equalizer. Olson is the former Duluth East winger, who played on the Greyhounds top line with Toninato, and Nebraska-Omaha’s Jake Randolph. Quite a line. But there was no time for any pleasantries on the Target Center ice, and the game hurtled on for overtime.

Iafallo, who was in the penalty box during Olson’s goal -- UMD had 15 of 27 penalties in the game -- was out of the box and in position deep on the right after what appeared, on paper, to be a “make up” call to at least give UMD one 2-man power play. Sure enough, Fighting Hawks penalties at 18:08 and 18:22 — for interference and holding yet — set the stage for Anderson’s game winner.

The tournament was a stirring, emotional high for both teams, and the all-tournament team showed it. The forwards were Iafallo, Toninato, and Jost — who has assisted on the goal in UND’s 1-0 victory over Denver, and added a goal and two assists on UND’s three goals against UMD — while the defensemen were Tucker Poolman of UND and Neal Pionk of UMD. The goaltender was Hunter Miska. Appropriately, the team was comprised of brilliant offensive players who doubled as brilliant defensively. Not only were Miska and Pionk stout on the penalty kills, so were Iafallo and Toninato. And Iafallo, who had a goal and three assists in the two games, was named tournament most valuable player.

All of that, of course, was something the Bulldogs will remember for the rest of their lives. Except, they one-upped themselves on Sunday when they were named the No. 1 seed at the NCAA’s West Regional, which just happens to be in Fargo, Friday and Saturday, and which also includes North Dakota as the host school.

North Dakota must get past Boston University at 2 p.m., and then UMD faces Ohio State — coached by former UMD assistant Steve Rohlik — at 5:30. If UMD and UND both win, sure enough, they will play each other again in Saturday’s region final for the right to go to the Frozen Four in Chicago in two weeks. That bothers me, because UMD has been nothing short of brilliant in sweeping North Dakota at AMSOIL Arena, and again in Grand Forks, and then at Target Center. Five games this season and five UMD victories. The nagging question is when two teams are such intense rivals and so close, how may times can UMD keep beating the Fighting Hawks? And is it fair for the NCAA selection committee, in its zeal to avoid having the NCHC dominate all the way to the Frozen Four, to make the Bulldogs even attempt it?