SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — It’s a different game when you’re facing pressure.
UMD found that out Friday night. The Bulldogs didn’t have to make a lot of plays under duress last weekend against Long Island. Players had time and space, and that can mess with even an experienced mind.
We saw on Friday what can happen when a team struggles to make those plays once the pressure arrives. Augustana took advantage of a pair of defensive zone miscues by UMD to score goals 17 seconds apart in the third period. But UMD’s puck management was already questionable. The Bulldogs were getting away with it, leading 2-1 thanks to some big saves by Ethan Dahlmeir and some timely shot blocks.
Zam Plante’s extra-attacker goal got UMD to overtime, but Augustana took advantage of a clean faceoff win and a couple questionable no-calls to win the game. Take a look for yourself.
MEERMAN IN OT! Augustana wins a wild one over No. 5 UMD to open the year!
📺: cchatv.com
Yes, we are of the belief there was a pick by Brett Meerman on Ty Hanson before he makes a beeline to the front of the net, where he appears to make contact with Dahlmeir in the blue paint. The pick wasn’t called, and a UMD challenge for goaltender interference was unsuccessful.
(To be fair, I don’t think anyone on the UMD staff expected to win the challenge, even though the Bulldogs had a legitimate case. We’ve all seen goals taken off the board for less contact than this. But once Augie’s players did the center-ice stick salute and the entire UMD roster outside of Zam Plante left the ice, one could suspectify that it would have taken evidence of a machete being used on Dahlmeir to get the goal taken away.)
But this is also an overtime that started with a clean faceoff loss, and the Bulldogs never touched the puck. After the game, Scott Sandelin fell on the sword in his postgame comments with Matt Wellens ($), saying the trio that started overtime — Jayson Shaugabay, Barrett Hall, and Ty Hanson — looked confused.
“That’s on me,” he told Wellens. “We got to work on that.”
So I’m sure a lot of you irritated about the officiating on Friday. Trust me, I’m sure the UMD staff is as well. There were more picks in that game than a normal day at a sportsbook (including on Augie’s game-tying goal in the third period, along with the one in overtime that helped set up the winner), and not one of them was called. But I’m also somewhat confident that the UMD staff is more focused on what their players can do better in this rematch, which starts with managing the puck better and avoiding the turnovers that plagued them Friday, including the two that led to Augie taking the lead late.
This is a different day. We expect the Bulldogs to be better. Remember, if they’re playing like a polished, finished product now, their season will end early. It’s a long season, and a process to get where this team wants to go.
Lots of changes for UMD, as Sandelin has pushed the button and reunited Plante – Plante – Shaugabay. Sort of. All four lines are different than Friday, with Braden Fischer and Trevor Stachowiak drawing in for Kade Kohanski and Blake Bechen. Aaron Pionk returns for Jake Toll on the blue line, and the defensive pairs are back the way they were for the opener. UMD sticks with its early-season goalie rotation, as well.
Augustana shuffled all four lines and went to seven defensemen instead of 13 forwards.
Carl Axelsson vs Mathis Langevin.
Lines?
Lines.
UMD forwards
Plante (Victor) – Plante (Zam) – Shaugabay
Hall – Arnott – Bentz
Zaremba – Platter – Anderson
Bibby – Fischer – Stachowiak
UMD defense
Hanson – Kleber
Cleveland – Siepmann
Murphy – Pionk
McInnis
UMD goalies
Axelsson – Dahlmeir – Sheffield
Augustana forwards
Meerman – DelGreco – Fletcher
Bohn – Burtch – Bischoff
Langus – Jastrzebski – Bulgakov
Nelson – Marshchanok (Siamion) – Marshchanok (Matsvei)
Augustana defense
Fandel – Hennen (Hayden)
Meritahti – Chakrabarti
Baumgartner – Young
Whiterabbit
Augustana goalies
Langevin – Zol – Nelson
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