North Dakota
Thiessen steps up, but Bulldogs shut out by North Dakota
DULUTH — Minnesota Duluth fifth-year senior goaltender Matthew Thiessen made 37 saves on 39 shots, but got no offensive support in front of him as fourth-ranked North Dakota finished off an NCHC-opening series sweep of the No. 18 Bulldogs with a 2-0 victory on Saturday at Amsoil Arena in Duluth.
The Bulldogs (3-5-3 overall, 0-2 NCHC) were swept to open NCHC play for the first time since losing two at St. Cloud State on Nov. 3-4, 2017, while their winless streak was extended to six games (0-5-1) following a five-game unbeaten streak (3-0-2) to start the year.
“He was phenomenal,” Bulldogs coach Scott Sandelin said of Thiessen, who was making his third-straight start for UMD. “It could have been 3-nothing in the first period. The saves he made were ESPN-highlight-reel phenomenal. He had a great weekend for us. I’m sorry we didn’t get him the win.”
The closest UMD came to scoring against North Dakota (7-2-1, 2-0) on Saturday was in the opening five minutes of the third period when a shot by senior defenseman Darian Gotz was redirected to the inside of the right post, but not across the goal line. The potential goal was unofficially reviewed in the press box.
It was one of two looks at the video monitors that went against UMD and Gotz in the third period on Saturday.
The second came with 4:06 remaining in regulation when Gotz was given a controversial major penalty and game misconduct following a video review of the contact he and North Dakota fifth-year senior wing Hunter Johannes made chasing a puck into the corner. No penalty was initially called, but Johannes was slow to get up on the play after he went into the boards, and North Dakota was able to successfully lobby for a video review.
The explanation given to the News Tribune by the NCHC was Gotz’s elbow extended and made contact with the chin of Johannes. Sandelin said he was told by the officials the review was “definitive.”
UMD senior wing Blake Biondi said the major penalty killed any chance UMD had of coming back at the end.
“We had chances, we were going there in the third a little bit more,” Biondi said. “We had some offensive zone time and then … whatever, I don’t know. I didn’t see a great angle on it.”
The major penalty derailed what had been a bounce-back period for UMD, which initially came out strong on Saturday night with three scoring chances in the opening 90 seconds. The Bulldogs outshot the Hawks 15-12 in the first period — it took them two periods to get 15 shots on goal in Friday’s loss — and 10-7 for the first 15:54 of the third period.
It was the second period, however, that put the Bulldogs in the position of needing a late comeback in the third. UMD went without a shot on goal for the opening 11:31 of the second period and had just two shot attempts until freshman defenseman Aaron Pionk finally got a puck on goal.
“Our second periods haven’t been very good,” Sandelin said. “You can’t win in this league taking a period off. It’s tough enough if you take five minutes off or 10 minutes off, but not a whole period. We got to get back to work and stick together. It’s the first two games. We have 22 more in the league and we got to find ways to win some games here.”
The Bulldogs generated just five shots on goal via eight attempts in the second period, despite that being the only period in which UMD got a power play. It was a 69-second advantage at the start of the second.
Much of UMD’s offense this season has come via the power play, which is at 35.7 percent through 11 games. Of UMD’s 34 goals scored this year, 15 have come on the power play, one was shorthanded and one into an empty net.
North Dakota had five power plays spanning 10:27. The Hawks generated 12 shots on goal off the advantages, but scored on just its first of the night early in the first period.
“It’s always tough to come in here and win a game, let alone two,” North Dakota coach Brad Berry said. “I thought our guys did a good job. We knew there was going to be a push early by them and they put a lot of pucks on the net. They had a mindset there. I thought we withstood the barrage there and got better as the first period went on.”
North Dakota senior goaltender Ludvig Persson made 30 saves for just his second shutout in 12 games against UMD dating back to his time at Miami.
North Dakota took a 1-0 lead 7:38 into the game after senior wing Louis Jamernick flipped a puck up and into the home net on the power play for his second goal of the weekend. That advantage was extended to 2-0 three minutes into the second via a highlight-reel pass by sophomore wing Jackson Blake to senior wing Riese Gaber.
The Hawks probably should’ve beat the Bulldogs by more than two goals Saturday, however, Thiessen kept his team in the game from the very start.
across his crease —
similar to the one he made last Saturday in overtime against Minnesota
— in the opening minutes to keep the game scoreless.
“I’ve been feeling pretty good in the net,” said Thiessen, whose team hits the road to St. Cloud State next weekend for another NCHC series. “The outcomes aren’t what we want them to be so far, and at the end of the day, that’s that’s everything that matters. We want to get that team win. No matter what, if my number’s called, I’m going to be ready to go in there and try to compete and give our team a chance to win every single night. Hopefully we can look forward to next weekend and go out there and hopefully get a couple of wins.”
Saturday’s game was UMD’s annual Military Appreciation Night. The Minnesota Warriors played a game earlier in the day at Amsoil Arena in the afternoon and took part in a pregame flag ceremony.
- Sophomore wing Kyle Bettens, who has two goals and two assists, was a healthy scratch for the Bulldogs on Saturday after appearing in the first 10 games. Junior wing Kyler Kleven took his spot in
a lineup that Sandelin shook up
following Friday’s loss.
North Dakota 2, Minnesota Duluth 0
North Dakota 1-1-0—2
Minnesota Duluth 0-0-0—0
First period
1. ND, Louis Jamernik (Riese Gaber, Owen McLaughlin), 7:38 (pp)
Second period
2. ND, Gaber (Jackson Blake, McLaughlin), 3:05
Third period
No scoring.
Saves — Ludvig Persson, ND, 30; Matthew Thiessen, UMD, 37.
Power plays — ND 1-5; UMD 0-1. Penalties — ND 2-4; UMD 7-25.
North Dakota
Vote 'yes' on North Dakota Measure 1, but 'no' on Measure 3
Two statewide measures on North Dakota’s upcoming ballot offer residents a chance to make a difference in the future of the state — one is based on new economics, the other on new social norms and courtesies.
Measure 1 seeks to make changes to how the state Constitution defines institutions in Grafton, Devils Lake and Jamestown. Measure 3 seeks to decrease the funding that can be expended from the Legacy Fund during a single biennium.
Here’s a look at each:
Although a simple majority vote in the Legislature is required to place a proposed constitutional amendment before the voters, Senate Concurrent Resolution 4001 passed without a single “no” vote during the last legislative session.
The real surprise isn’t that the proposal was unanimously passed, but rather that it’s taken this long. Specifically, the measure seeks to change the official name of the state institutions to be more in line with societal evolution that has taken place over the decades. It would change the State School for the Deaf and Dumb in Devils Lake to the State School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing; the State Hospital for the Insane in Jamestown to the State Hospital for Individuals With Mental Illness; and the Institution for the Feeble Minded in Grafton to a “facility for individuals with developmental disabilities.” The latter already has been called the Life Skills and Transition Center, but Measure 1 will make it official.
We urge a “yes” vote on Measure 1, and may this be the last time those phrases are used in print.
A statewide vote in 2010 established the Legacy Fund, a piggy bank for the people that collects 30% of tax revenue from oil and natural gas extraction in the state. In its first 13 years, the fund grew past $9 billion.
Now, a constitutional amendment seeks to decrease the amount of principal available for spending each biennium, from 15% to 5% of the total. The amendment would provide for distribution from the Legacy Fund to a Legacy earnings fund, rather than have the accrued earnings be sent to the state’s general fund, as currently happens.
We don’t like the proposal. Why put constraints on future spending, especially if some sort of tragedy or emergency occurs?
And what about the next great idea — one we cannot fathom today but one that might require a large and expedient expenditure to push it to fruition?
Measure 3 seems like an idea not to spend money. We believe North Dakotans should embrace the state’s prosperity. The Legacy Fund was established to provide a better future for the state, and it’s time to start thinking about what that future will look like.
Vote no on Measure 3.
This Forum Communications Co. editorial represents the views of Forum Communications Co., this newspaper’s parent company. It was written by the FCC Editorial Advisory Board.
North Dakota
ORLP Program awards North Dakota a grant of nearly $4.5 million for development projects
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (KFYR) – A grant of nearly $4.5 million from the National Park Service is giving the City of Grand Forks a chance to begin one of its projects that will create more recreational activities in the area.
Thanks to the funding the state received from this grant, the City of Grand Forks is being provided with $3,489,750 to cover phase one of a three-phased masterplan to enhance the Grand Forks Downtown Gateway and Greenway.
“This funding was available, and we met with the North Dakota Parks and Recreation, with Char, and said ‘Is there any chance at all that our project would qualify for funding?’” said Kim Greendahl, Greenway specialist for the city of Grand Forks.
This is the first time the state of North Dakota has qualified for this grant since the beginning of the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program in 2014.
This year, the program awarded the largest grant investment in its history, giving nearly $254 million in 24 states. To qualify, communities needed to have populations of 30,000 or more.
“Before, the requirements were more stringent; populations of 50,000, so a lot of the cities in North Dakota didn’t qualify, but this year it was opened up to multiple cities,” said Char Langehaug, grants coordinator for the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department.
Residents and visitors of Grand Forks can expect phase one to bring a playground area and outdoor learning space, a picnic shelter and a nature promenade. Phase two and three will bring people closer to the water and the addition of a pedestrian bridge.
“The community has really gotten behind this project and it’s exciting, lots of outdoor recreation whilst still being in a flood plain,” said Greendahl.
The City of Grand Forks says it predicts the construction of phase one will officially begin in 2026.
One million dollars of the funds given to North Dakota will be used to enhance the Turtle Mountain Family Recreation Area.
Copyright 2024 KFYR. All rights reserved.
North Dakota
Special welcome home for North Dakota Vietnam veteran
BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – A New Salem veteran got a long overdue welcome home Friday afternoon.
Randy Christian served in the U.S. Army from 1969-71. He was stationed in Germany and Vietnam. Christian was one of more than 100 veterans from western North Dakota who traveled to Washington, D.C. on the Western North Dakota Honor Flight earlier this week.
He had a medical emergency while in D.C. and ended up in the hospital. He was discharged from the hospital on Thursday and arrived home to cheers and applause from people gathered at the airport.
“It was unbelievable, and when this did happen, the two people that were with me, I will never forget them. They were honest, they did everything for me. They wouldn’t let me do a thing,” said Christian.
Jody Kerzman was on the Honor Flight and for the next several weeks she will share a number of the veterans’ stories, including Christian’s.
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Copyright 2024 KFYR. All rights reserved.
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