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All of the rumbling and grumbling and controversy is over, and the new National Collegiate Hockey Conference kicks off play for UMD this weekend when the Bulldogs head West to face Colorado College in their opening series.

The Bulldogs hockey team has given fans a taste of what to expect this season, but after beating Lakehead in a 7-1 exhibition, the Bulldogs edged Michigan Tech 2-1 before being tied by the Huskies 1-1 in a game that wound up with Tech scoring the only two goals in a no-count shootout that followed.

While the UMD men hit the road, the women are home against Minnesota in the biggest women’s series of season, while the football Bulldogs come home to face Minot Saturday, and the UMD No. 2 ranked volleyball team returns home with two matches -- Minnesota State-Moorhead at 7 on Friday and Northern State at 4 p.m. Saturday, immediately following the 1 p.m. football game.

UMD’s men were picked sixth in the eight-team NCHA, while Colorado College was picked seventh. Both, undoubtedly, would like to finish higher than that, and this weekend’s series could go a long way in determining which of the two might have the upper hand.

As observers, we can’t be sure what we’re going to get from the Bulldogs. The completely smothered Tech in the first game, outshooting the Huskies 41-16, but needing a fluke goal from Justin Crandall to escape from AMSOIL Arena with a 2-1 victory. Tony Cameranesi scored in the second period to stake UMD to a 1-0 lead, and it stayed that way until Tech came up with what was not only its best scoring chance of the game, but the tying goal.

Chris Leibinger was in the penalty box as UMD attacked on a 5-on-3 power play. Leibinger came out of the box just in time to join Tanner Kero, who was rushing shorthanded up the right side. Kero threw a soft lob pass across the slot and Leibinger deflected it in, ruining a light but flawless performance by Matt McNeely in goal.

With 2:46 remaining in the third period, Crandall chased the puck down in the right corner. He whirled and flung the puck across the goal-mouth, where it fortuitously hit a defender’s shinpad and the ricochet beat goaltender Pheonix Copley, who made 39 saves in an often-brilliant performance.“It’s not a bad idea to throw it on net,” said Crandall.
  
Uh, Justin...it wasn’t on net. If it didn’t hit anybody, it would have gone on through to the far corner of the rink. “Yeah, but there were enough guys in the crease that something good could happen,” he said. “Tech was gritty, and Copley was awesome -- probably the best player on the ice,” Crandall added.

The next night, Tech coach Mel Pearson sent out a rejuvenated Huskies group, which played much more aggressively, trading rushes and countering every UMD attack with one of their own. The Huskies outshot UMD 26-21, including a startling 7-2 in the third period, which made it understandable that Tech could get the equalizer at 1-1 with six minutes left. The goal, by Mike Neville, came after McNeely had come up with all the required saves, and one or two on that flurry, when Blake Hietala shot from the top of the circle, Max Vallis tried the rebound, and then Neville lunged to knock in a sprawling shot.

“They played harder than we did tonight,” said UMD coach Scott Sandelin, after the second game. “It was a good lesson for us. It’s hard to win two games in any college hockey series, and as far as work goes, I thought they were the better team.”

The NCHC, unlike the men’s WCHA, will use a three-player shootout after tie games are still tied following a 5-minute overtime. So Sandelin got Pearson to agree to try the shootout, just in case. Sure enough, after Tech and UMD stayed tied, it was time for the shootout. Caleb Herbert went first for UMD, but Jamie Phillips stopped him; Tyler Heinonen went for Tech, and beat McNeely.

Next up, Joe Basaraba, who scored UMD’s goal by deflecting a Willie Corrin shot and then stuffing the loose rebound, got a turn, but Phillips stopped him with a bit of acrobatics in the Tech goal. Tanner Kero went for Tech, and scored from the left edge. With two shootout goals to none, the third round was cancelled, and Tech celebrated the 2-1 shootout victory.

“It was good to get that first goal,” said co-captain Basaraba. “But they played better. We can’t afford to take any nights off. We had some good moments, but they worked hard.” Michigan Tech, based on its work ethic, should compete for the championship in the WCHA. For those not keeping score, what was left of the WCHA after Minnesota, Wisconsin, UMD, St. Cloud State, North Dakota, Nebraska-Omaha, Denver, and Colorado College departed to form the NCHA, joined forces with what was left of the CCHA after Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Notre Dame left. The combined WCHA might not have the elite teams of the NCHA or some of the Big Ten, but it should be a very competitive league, and Tech should be in the thick of the title chase with Minnesota State-Mankato.

Meanwhile, nobody knows what will happen in the NCHA race, either, but Sandelin offered some advice to his players after Saturday’s game. “I told them that when you don’t play hard and the other team does, it doesn’t feel very good,” Sandelin said. “I told them to remember that. We’re young enough to have ups and downs, but this could be a good lesson for us.”


GREAT BASEBALL

Is there anything better than watching playoff baseball in the Major Leagues? I keep hoping the league championship series go seven games, just so we can see more baseball. The highlight for me is watching the fabulous starting pitchers for the Detroit Lions. Justin Verlander, Max Scherson and Anibal Sanchez are as good as starting pitching gets, and they offer convincing evidence of how far a team like the Minnesota Twins might be from attaining the heights of the Tigers.

The Tiger starters rarely give up a hit, let alone a run, but they’ve met their match in the Boston Red Sox, who seem to wait patiently to get one run, then try to make it stand up. The St. Louis-Los Angeles series in the National League is almost as good, and it should promise a great World Series.

Meanwhile, on the Minnesota pro sports front, the Twins need two or three capable starting pitchers, Vikings look lost, like a good team without the rudder of a solid quarterback. Thankfully the Wild overcame a tough start, in which they outplayed their first three foes but failed to win any of them, and won their next three.

Remember last spring, when Twin Cities critics ripped the Wild for obtaining Jason Pominville from Buffalo? Then over the summer the same critics, more even, ripped the Wild for obtaining Matt Cooke? Well, in case you didn’t notice, Pominville scored the game-winner in the 2-1 victory in Buffalo, and got the only Wild goal in a 4-1 loss in Toronto. The Wild outshot the Maple Leafs 38-14 in that one. And the leading scorer for the Wild in the early going? None other than Matt Cooke.

Also, it’s great that we have the Minnesota Lynx, who went 7-0 through the playoffs to win the Women’s NBA playoff title.