Chances to play the top-ranked team in the country don't come around too often.
But 10th-ranked Union has two such chances this weekend with a pair of games at top-ranked St. Cloud State. The series gets underway at 8:37 p.m. ET Friday before concluding at 8:07 p.m. ET Saturday.
The Dutchmen (11-3-2) enter the series winners of eight in a row, one shy of matching their high as a Division I program set in 2010-11. St. Cloud State (11-1-2) has been nearly as hot, going 6-0-1 over its last seven games.
Some news and notes:
Your eyes aren't deceiving you
If it looks like Union is skating on a bigger surface at St. Cloud State this weekend, it's not your imagination.
The Huskies are one of only eight Division I teams who play home games on an Olympic-sized sheet of ice, which measures 200x100. That's 15 feet wider than the North American standard surface in place at Messa Rink.
The only other Division I schools that skate on an Olympic-sized sheet are Northern Michigan, Alaska-Fairbanks, Colorado College, Minnesota, Alaska-Anchorage, Minnesota State, and New Hampshire.
“[Playing on big ice] is basically two games,” Union head coach Rick Bennett said after Tuesday's practice. “There's a game within a game. There's outside the dots and there's inside the dots. You have to learn to get inside those dots.”
The Dutchmen haven't played a game on an Olympic-sized surface since a 2-1 loss at Colorado College on December 31, 2011.
The only other Division I schools that skate on an Olympic-sized sheet are Northern Michigan, Alaska-Fairbanks, Colorado College, Minnesota, Alaska-Anchorage, Minnesota State, and New Hampshire.
“[Playing on big ice] is basically two games,” Union head coach Rick Bennett said after Tuesday's practice. “There's a game within a game. There's outside the dots and there's inside the dots. You have to learn to get inside those dots.”
The Dutchmen haven't played a game on an Olympic-sized surface since a 2-1 loss at Colorado College on December 31, 2011.
One Union player with more recent experience on Olympic-sized ice is junior defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, who played on the wider surface with Team USA during last year's World Junior Championships in Ufa, Russia.
He thought the big ice had its pros and cons.
“It helps a lot. There's a lot more room to move out there. With more room you can make a lot more indirect passes. But it can work against you systems wise," he said. "Just know where you are at your surroundings, stay in your dots as a defenseman, and in your lanes as a forward."
Gostisbehere said the wider surface wasn't much of an adjustment for him. Bennett wasn't especially concerned about it, either.
"I think it will be a learning process for us, but over time, we'll be okay," Bennett said.
Union will experience the bigger ice at least two additional times this season. The Dutchmen play two games at New Hampshire in January and would see it again if they make it to Lake Placid's Herb Brooks Arena, site of the ECAC Hockey tournament's final four in March.
Though it's fair to wonder if Bennett scheduled four big ice games with eyes on Lake Placid, the third-year bench boss said that wasn't the case.
He said the games were already in place before the league announced in August 2012 that the tournament would return to the village for at least three years starting this season.
Busy schedule
Unlike the Huskies, who have been off since last weekend's road sweep of Minnesota-Duluth, the Dutchmen have had little time to rest up.
In addition to home wins over Princeton and Quinnipiac last weekend, the Dutchmen also had a game Wednesday, a 3-2 come-from-behind home win against Dartmouth. Within hours, they were on a plane to St. Cloud State, nearly 1,300 miles away from campus.
"We’re hockey players," freshman forward Michael Pontarelli said after Wednesday's game. "We want to play as much as we can. It’s going to be pretty cool playing the No. 1 team in the country. We’re pumped.”
Bennett looks at the weekend as a good challenge.
“We know they’re ranked No. 1," he said. "I think it’s going to be a good test for our program, especially after so many games here. But you know what? This is why they came here. They came here for school, and they came here to play hockey. That’s exactly what we’re doing.”
Scouting the Huskies
They are one three teams to rank in the top 10 in both team offense (7th, 3.71 goals per game) and team defense (1st, 1.71 goals allowed per game). Providence and Minnesota are the other two teams in the top 10 in both categories.
While the Huksies don't have any point producers near the top of the national chart, they have a deep offensive attack. Seven players have at least 10 points, led by forwards Johnny Brodzinski (7-7--14), Nic Dowd (9-4--13), and David Morley (4-9--13).
Goaltender Ryan Faragher is one reason the Huskies haven't allowed many goals. He has a 1.87 GAA and a .927 save percentage in 12 starts. The junior has been a steady force in net, not allowing more than three goals in a game this season.
Special teams have been more middle of the road. The Huskies power play unit ranks 33rd in the country at 18.97% while their penalty killers are tied for 17th-best at 84.4%.
"That's the reason it is set up like this," Bennett said. "Maybe Mat Bodie's parents can come see him play, Sam Coatta's, and a few others."
Carr on ECAC Hockey radio show
Senior forward Daniel Carr was on this week's ECAC Hockey radio show.
Carr's segment can be heard here.
Hometown feel
One plus to playing a game so far away from campus is that it gives some families a more convenient chance to see their sons play college hockey.
Carr on ECAC Hockey radio show
Senior forward Daniel Carr was on this week's ECAC Hockey radio show.
Carr's segment can be heard here.
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