UMD men’s hockey: Bulldogs ready to introduce new generation to Xcel Energy Center

DULUTH — For Minnesota Duluth fifth-year seniors such as Matt Anderson and Louie Roehl, Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul was like a second home to them and their teammates.

Anderson, Roehl and the Bulldogs played four games there during the 2017-18 season between the NCHC Frozen Faceoff and NCAA Frozen Four, and two more during their sophomore season at the Frozen Faceoff.

They came away with two titles during those three trips, beating Notre Dame for a national championship in 2018 and topping St. Cloud State in double overtime in 2019 for a NCHC postseason title.

“It's always fun to get down to St. Paul. Obviously we’ve won a couple championships there, the team has in the past,” said Anderson, who is especially a fan of the team meals at Bennett’s Chop & Railhouse — also the site of the national championship postgame celebration in 2018. “It’s just a really good time down there, good atmosphere at the X. I’m definitely looking forward to it and it’ll be really fun for these younger guys, so I’m glad we got down there.”

Those “younger guys” include the Bulldogs' entire freshmen, sophomore and junior classes, as the COVID-19 pandemic has kept the Bulldogs and the entire NCHC away from Xcel Energy Center for two full seasons.

Now UMD and the league are back this weekend for the first time since 2019, with the Bulldogs taking on regular season co-champion Denver at 4:07 p.m. Friday, followed by co-regular season champion North Dakota vs. Western Michigan at 7:37 p.m. Friday. The winners meet at 7:38 p.m. Saturday for the NCHC postseason title.

Like Anderson, Roehl is excited for his 18 teammates who haven’t played yet at Xcel during their college careers.

“Down in St. Paul, it’s always fun with the guys,” said Roehl, who also played in the state tournament there with Eden Prairie. “The pregame skates, the pregame meals, it’s always a blast. It will be fun to experience it with the younger guys.”

UMD’s last game at Xcel was the 2019 NCHC Frozen Faceoff championship, when it beat the Huskies 3-2 in double OT. Nick Swaney scored 7:39 into the second overtime that night, getting assists from Tanner Laderoute and Jesse Jacques.

“I remember, ‘Thank God Nick Swaney scored,’ because neither team wanted to keep playing,” said Bulldogs coach Scott Sandelin when asked what stood out to him about that night. “You always worry about injuries and stuff like that. It was great that it ended. Obviously we were excited it went our way. It was an unbelievable game. It probably could have kept going, but I’m glad it ended for both teams to get it over with and move on.”

Sandelin’s most recent game at Xcel is not among his most memorable moments. Those would be winning national championships there in 2011 and 2018, with that first title in 2011 standing out the most.

He also cherishes being able to watch his son, Ryan, win a state championship there with Hermantown.

The NCHC moved its Frozen Faceoff weekend from Target Center to Xcel Energy Center in 2018 after the Big Ten and WCHA stopped holding their conference championship weekends there.

While his success there does impact his affection for the building, he said it’s also a “tremendous” hockey venue and the people that work there are “awesome.”

“It’s a fun place to play,” Sandelin said. “:We have some past history going back to the old WCHA and having (the conference tournament) in St. Paul, too. I think that resonates with a lot of us that experienced that.”

It’s fitting that the last team the Bulldogs beat at Xcel Energy Center was also the team it had to beat to get back to the building for the first time in three years.

After not winning back-to-back games in December, January and February, the Bulldogs swept St. Cloud State in the NCHC quarterfinals last Friday and Saturday in St. Cloud, winning Game 1 convincingly by a 5-2 margin before having to come from behind twice to win in overtime on Saturday 4-3.

It was the Bulldogs' first sweep since Thanksgiving, and Sandelin couldn’t quite explain why.

“For some reason, our team felt different,” he said.

Sandelin said it could be the fact that the Bulldogs have been healthy now for consecutive weeks for the first time all season.

Or maybe it’s just because the Bulldogs have reached the postseason?

Going back to the start of UMD’s run of four straight Frozen Four runs in 2016-17, Sandelin’s Bulldogs are 25-5 in the postseason — NCHC and NCAA.

Anderson — a two-time national champion and one-time Frozen Faceoff champ — said a big part of the Bulldogs' postseason success is how Sandelin prepares the team for the postseason. The coach knows how to put it in perspective to his players.

“He’s talked about how maybe you didn’t have a great season this year, but now it’s a new season and this is the time when you can flip that around,” Anderson said. “Or if you’re having a good season this year, keep it going. The postseason is super fun, it’s always fun to get down to the X and then we’re obviously always looking to make the (NCAA) tournament. It’s a good time for sure.”

Another big piece to the Bulldogs' past postseason success has been the play of its captain. UMD saw clutch performances by senior captain Karson Kuhlman back in 2018 and senior captain Parker Mackay in 2019.

Last weekend in St. Cloud, it was time for senior wing Noah Cates to earn the nickname “Captain Clutch.”

Cates had a goal and assisted fifth-year senior wing Koby Bender on two of his three hat trick goals Friday, and then scored twice Saturday — including the game-winner in OT — to send the Bulldogs to the Frozen Faceoff.

“He definitely found another gear,” Anderson said. “He was on another level — a man against boys this weekend for sure. Hopefully he can keep that going and we can keep the team rolling.”

The three goals and two assists by Cates in the NCHC quarterfinals were his first points since returning from his time with Team USA at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing. He was held without a point in his first five games back after posting eight goals and 11 assists in his first 26 games.

Like UMD women’s goaltender Emma Soderberg, who played for Sweden in the Olympics, Sandelin said Cates required some extra time to recover from the jet lag and 14-hour time difference between Beijing and Duluth.

Sandelin said last weekend was the first time Cates had looked like his normal self again, and the captain was critical to the sweep of St. Cloud State.

“That was probably his best weekend of the year. He was a dominant player,” Sandelin said. "I’ve said this so many times. He epitomizes our program. He’s competitive, he’s hard nosed, he does a lot of the little things in a game that don’t always get noticed. He’s not going to blow you away with his speed — not that he’s slow. There are certain things he does day in and day out. His compete level, his want to win, his want to be successful is a great example for our guys, and he brings that every day. It’s not just in the games. It’s every day at practice.”