2021–22 Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs
men's ice hockey season
NCHC Tournament, Champion
NCAA tournament, Regional final
ConferenceT–4th NCHC
Home iceAMSOIL Arena
Rankings
USCHO#5
USA Today#5
Record
Overall22–16–4
Conference10–10–4
Home10–7–2
Road9–8–2
Neutral3–1–0
Coaches and captains
Head coachScott Sandelin
Assistant coachesDerek Plante
Adam Krause
Brant Nicklin
Captain(s)Noah Cates
Alternate captain(s)Louie Roehl
Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs men's ice hockey seasons
« 2020–21 2022–23 »

The 2021–22 Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs men's ice hockey season was the 78th season of play for the program. They represented the University of Minnesota Duluth in the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season and for the 9th season in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC). The Bulldogs were coached by Scott Sandelin, in his 22nd season, and played their home games at AMSOIL Arena.

Season

Fresh off of their 4th consecutive frozen four, Minnesota Duluth entered the season as one of the favorites for the National Championship. Early on, the team lived up to expectations and compiled a 6–2 record by early November with all of their games coming against ranked teams. Leading the way was junior netminder, Ryan Fanti, who had taken over the starting role the year before and seemed to be performing even better. He rang up three consecutive shutouts with the help of a lock-down defense and led the Bulldogs to a #1 ranking by the beginning of December.

Fanti's turn in goal was interrupted when he tested positive for COVID-19 and was forced to sit out a road series against Northern Michigan.[1] With nominal backup Zach Stejskal undergoing treatment for testicular cancer,[2] the team turned to their third goalie, Ben Patt. The redshirt senior's first career starts turned out poorly and he allowed 5 goals in both games. The losses sent UMD tumbling from the top of the national rankings and began a stretch of poor performances from the club.

Duluth got Fanti back in goal the following week and earned a split with Denver but then took a couple of weeks off for the winter break. Upon their return, the Bulldogs faced down the team that had replaced them as the #1 squad, Minnesota State. The Mavericks swept UMD in the home-and-home series, demonstrating that the Bulldogs' biggest weakness was their lack of offensive punch. The week after, the entire program was hit by COVID-19 and a series with St. Cloud State was postponed until later in the season.[3] When the team finally got back into their routine, they were inconsistent and played .500 hockey over the next month.

Though the results weren't sterling, Minnesota Duluth benefitted from their difficult schedule and still remained well within the top-10. However, a sweep at the hands of North Dakota in mid-February put the team in a precarious position. After the losses, UMD's record stood at just 2 games over .500 and a poor performance over the remainder of their season could knock them out of the NCAA tournament. The Bulldogs split their final five games of the season, dropping the team to #10 in the rankings. While their collective heads were still above water, the Bulldogs had little margin for error and would need to defeat St. Cloud State to ensure a place in the national tournament.

NCHC Tournament

Before postseason play even began, Duluth got a leg-up on their competition when St. Cloud's starter, Dávid Hrenák, came down with pneumonia.[4] Fanti did not play at his best but the Bulldogs' offense was able to light up the Huskies' backup and scored 9 goals in two games, their best output all season. Beginning with the semifinals, the defense returned to their early-season form and dominated the rest of the tournament. UMD shut down two of the nations top offenses and captured the program's third NCHC championship. The win pushed Minnesota Duluth up to 6 in the rankings, good enough for a #2 seed in the NCAA tournament.

NCAA tournament

The Bulldogs began their run against Michigan Tech and received a boon early in the game. The Huskies' leading scorer, Brian Halonen, was called for boarding and received a controversial game-misconduct penalty. Without their top offensive threat, Tech was unable to generate much in the way of offensive chances for a majority of the game. UMD scored three unassisted goals in the game, two coming from Kobe Roth, and skated to a comfortable 3–0 victory.

UMD faced down Denver in the quarterfinals and were on the back foot almost from the start of the game. The defense did its best impression of a wall and held the Pioneers back. Duluth managed to score first on just their second shot of the period and looked to be gearing up for a 4th-consecutive shutout. Unfortunately, Fanti's streak was ended a few minutes later after a shot was deflected into the cage. Denver remained the better of the two teams for the balance of the match and stopped Duluth from gaining the lead a second time, despite the Bulldogs receiving a 5-on-3 power play in the second period. In the end it took a crazy series of bounces for the winning goal to be scored but it was Duluth that fell victim to their own mediocre offense.

Departures

Player Position Nationality Cause
Matthew CairnsDefenseman CanadaGraduation (signed with Rochester Americans)
Jackson CatesForward United StatesSigned professional contract (Philadelphia Flyers)
Cole KoepkeForward United StatesSigned professional contract (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Brady MeyerForward United StatesLeft Program (retired)
Nick SwaneyForward United StatesGraduation (signed with Minnesota Wild)

Recruiting

Player Position Nationality Age Notes
Will FrancisDefenseman United States20Saint Paul, MN; selected 163rd overall in 2019
Owen GallatinDefenseman United States19Hugo, MN
Casey GillingForward United States23Gaylord, MI; graduate transfer from Miami
Dominic JamesForward United States19Plymouth, MI
Kyler KlevenForward United States20Moorhead, MN
Carter LoneyForward United States19Columbus, OH

Roster

As of August 19, 2021.[5]

No. S/P/C Player Class Pos Height Weight DoB Hometown Previous team NHL rights
2 Minnesota Darian Gotz Sophomore D 5' 11" (1.8 m) 189 lb (86 kg) 2000-10-19 Hermantown, Minnesota Cedar Rapids (USHL) —
3 Minnesota Matt Anderson Graduate D 6' 0" (1.83 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1999-04-11 Shakopee, Minnesota Holy Family (USHS–MN) —
5 Minnesota Wyatt Kaiser Sophomore D 6' 0" (1.83 m) 173 lb (78 kg) 2002-07-31 Ham Lake, Minnesota Andover (USHS–MN) CHI, 81st overall 2020
6 Minnesota Louie Roehl (A) Graduate D 5' 10" (1.78 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1998-04-09 Eden Prairie, Minnesota Minnesota Wilderness (NAHL) —
7 Minnesota Blake Biondi Sophomore F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 181 lb (82 kg) 2002-04-24 Hermantown, Minnesota Hermantown (USHS–MN) MTL, 109th overall 2020
8 Iowa Hunter Lellig Senior D 6' 2" (1.88 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1999-02-08 Waterloo, Iowa Waterloo (USHL) —
10 Minnesota Kobe Roth Graduate F 5' 9" (1.75 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1997-01-11 Warroad, Minnesota Des Moines (USHL) —
11 Minnesota Koby Bender Graduate F 6' 1" (1.85 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1997-07-15 Cloquet, Minnesota Muskegon (USHL) —
12 Minnesota Ben Almquist Junior F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1999-10-01 Victoria, Minnesota Austin (NAHL) —
13 Alberta Tanner Laderoute Senior F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1997-06-04 Edmonton, Alberta Okotoks (AJHL) —
15 Alberta Quinn Olson Junior F 5' 11" (1.8 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 2001-05-09 Calgary, Alberta Okotoks (AJHL) BOS, 92nd overall 2019
16 Minnesota Luke Loheit Junior F 6' 1" (1.85 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 2000-07-26 Minnetonka, Minnesota Penticton (BCHL) OTT, 194th overall 2018
17 Michigan Dominic James Freshman F 5' 11" (1.8 m) 166 lb (75 kg) 2002-07-03 Plymouth, Michigan Lincoln (USHL) —
18 Minnesota Jesse Jacques Senior F 6' 1" (1.85 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1998-09-10 Hermantown, Minnesota Green Bay (USHL) —
19 Minnesota Jarrett Lee Senior F 5' 10" (1.78 m) 154 lb (70 kg) 1999-06-04 Hibbing, Minnesota Green Bay (USHL) —
20 Minnesota Owen Gallatin Freshman D 5' 8" (1.73 m) 171 lb (78 kg) 2002-06-17 White Bear Lake, Minnesota Fargo (USHL) —
21 Minnesota Noah Cates (C) Senior F 6' 2" (1.88 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1999-02-05 Stillwater, Minnesota Omaha (USHL) PHI, 137th overall 2017
22 Minnesota Kyler Kleven Freshman F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 2000-10-12 Moorhead, Minnesota Waterloo (USHL) —
23 Minnesota Will Francis Freshman D 6' 5" (1.96 m) 211 lb (96 kg) 2000-11-16 St. Paul, Minnesota Cedar Rapids (USHL) ANA, 163rd overall 2019
24 Idaho Luke Mylymok Sophomore F 5' 11" (1.8 m) 183 lb (83 kg) 2001-09-29 Boise, Idaho Salmon Arm (BCHL) —
25 Minnesota Connor Kelley Sophomore D 6' 1" (1.85 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 2002-01-30 Maple Grove, Minnesota USNTDP (USHL) CHI, 204th overall 2021
27 California Jake Rosenbaum Senior D 6' 0" (1.83 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1997-03-28 Trabuco Canyon, California Minot (NAHL) —
33 Ohio Carter Loney Freshman F 5' 10" (1.78 m) 161 lb (73 kg) 2002-08-02 Columbus, Ohio Sioux City (USHL) —
35 Minnesota Zach Stejskal Sophomore G 6' 4" (1.93 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1999-12-20 Cohasset, Minnesota Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (NAHL) —
36 Ontario Ben Patt Senior (RS) G 5' 11" (1.8 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1996-05-19 Brampton, Ontario Notre Dame (SJHL) —
37 Michigan Casey Gilling Graduate F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1998-03-25 Gaylord, Michigan Miami (NCHC) —
39 Ontario Ryan Fanti Junior G 6' 3" (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1999-10-03 Thunder Bay, Ontario Minnesota Wilderness (NAHL) —

Standings

2021–22 National Collegiate Hockey Conference Standings
Conference record Overall record
GP W L T OTW OTL 3/SW PTS GF GA GP W L T GF GA
#1 Denver †24186010053985541319117593
#9 North Dakota †241761111537858392414111999
#6 Western Michigan2414911014384683926121138101
#11 St. Cloud State2410104121368469371815413397
#5 Minnesota Duluth *2410104112366156422216410993
Omaha24111302103265743821170123102
Colorado College24617121018488736924379116
Miami244191031175410536727294153
Championship: March 19, 2022
† indicates conference regular season champion (Penrose Cup)
* indicates conference tournament champion (Frozen Faceoff Championship Trophy)
Rankings: USCHO.com Top 20 Poll

Schedule and results

DateTimeOpponent#Rank#SiteTVDecisionResultAttendanceRecord
Exhibition
October 3 1:00 PM at #11 Wisconsin* #6 Kohl Center • Madison, WI (Exhibition)    W 4–2   
Regular season
October 8 7:07 PM at #15 Bemidji State* #5 Sanford Center • Bemidji, Minnesota  Stejskal W 4–2  3,436 1–0–0
October 9 7:07 PM #15 Bemidji State* #5 AMSOIL Arena • Duluth, MinnesotaMy9 Fanti W 2–1  5,374 2–0–0
Ice Breaker Tournament
October 15 7:35 PM #3 Michigan* #5 AMSOIL Arena • Duluth, Minnesota (Ice Breaker Semifinal)  Stejskal L 1–5  5,940 2–1–0
October 16 7:37 PM #10 Providence* #5 AMSOIL Arena • Duluth, Minnesota (Ice Breaker Consolation)  Fanti W 3–2  5,738 3–1–0
Regular season
October 22 7:00 PM at #4 Minnesota* #5 3M Arena at Mariucci • Minneapolis, MinnesotaBSN Fanti W 5–3  9,016 4–1–0
October 23 7:07 PM #4 Minnesota* #5 AMSOIL Arena • Duluth, Minnesota  Fanti W 2–1  7,596 5–1–0
November 5 6:05 PM at #10 Western Michigan #4 Lawson Arena • Kalamazoo, Michigan  Fanti L 3–4  3,569 5–2–0 (0–1–0)
November 6 6:05 PM at #10 Western Michigan #4 Lawson Arena • Kalamazoo, Michigan  Fanti W 3–0  3,781 6–2–0 (1–1–0)
November 12 7:07 PM Colorado College #4 AMSOIL Arena • Duluth, MinnesotaATTRM Fanti W 5–0  5,985 7–2–0 (2–1–0)
November 13 7:07 PM Colorado College #4 AMSOIL Arena • Duluth, Minnesota  Fanti T 0–0 SOW 6,435 7–2–1 (2–1–1)
November 19 7:07 PM at #6 North Dakota #4 Ralph Engelstad Arena • Grand Forks, North Dakota  Fanti W 4–1  11,686 8–2–1 (3–1–1)
November 20 6:07 PM at #6 North Dakota #4 Ralph Engelstad Arena • Grand Forks, North Dakota  Fanti L 1–2  11,858 8–3–1 (3–2–1)
November 26 7:07 PM Alaska* #2 AMSOIL Arena • Duluth, Minnesota  Fanti W 5–1  5,012 9–3–1
November 27 7:07 PM Alaska* #2 AMSOIL Arena • Duluth, Minnesota  Fanti W 1–0 OT 4,786 10–3–1
December 3 6:37 PM at Northern Michigan* #1 Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan  Patt L 4–5  2,960 10–4–1
December 4 6:37 PM at Northern Michigan* #1 Berry Events Center • Marquette, Michigan  Patt L 2–5  3,414 10–5–1
December 10 7:07 PM #11 Denver #5 AMSOIL Arena • Duluth, Minnesota  Fanti L 0–5  5,492 10–6–1 (3–3–1)
December 11 7:07 PM #11 Denver #5 AMSOIL Arena • Duluth, Minnesota  Fanti W 6–2  5,558 11–6–1 (4–3–1)
December 30 7:07 PM at #1 Minnesota State* #6 Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center • Mankato, MinnesotaCCMk–14 Fanti L 1–2 OT 5,117 11–7–1
January 1 7:07 PM #1 Minnesota State* #6 AMSOIL Arena • Duluth, MinnesotaMy9 Fanti L 0–3  5,878 11–8–1
January 14 7:07 PM Miami #7 AMSOIL Arena • Duluth, Minnesota  Fanti W 4–1  5,324 12–8–1 (5–3–1)
January 15 7:07 PM Miami #7 AMSOIL Arena • Duluth, Minnesota  Fanti T 2–2 SOL 5,827 12–8–2 (5–3–2)
January 21 7:07 PM at #16 Omaha #7 Baxter Arena • Omaha, Nebraska  Fanti W 5–1  4,348 13–8–2 (6–3–2)
January 22 6:07 PM at #16 Omaha #7 Baxter Arena • Omaha, Nebraska  Fanti L 1–5  4,702 13–9–2 (6–4–2)
January 28 7:07 PM #3 Western Michigan #7 AMSOIL Arena • Duluth, Minnesota  Fanti W 5–4  5,479 14–9–2 (7–4–2)
January 29 7:07 PM #3 Western Michigan #7 AMSOIL Arena • Duluth, Minnesota  Fanti L 2–3 OT 6,296 14–10–2 (7–5–2)
February 8 6:00 PM at #10 St. Cloud State #6 Herb Brooks National Hockey Center • St. Cloud, Minnesota  Fanti T 2–2 SOL 3,842 14–10–3 (7–5–3)
February 11 8:00 PM at #3 Denver #6 Magness Arena • Denver, Colorado  Fanti L 3–5  5,572 14–11–3 (7–6–3)
February 12 7:00 PM at #3 Denver #6 Magness Arena • Denver, Colorado  Stejskal W 3–2  5,984 15–11–3 (8–6–3)
February 18 8:00 PM #9 North Dakota #7 AMSOIL Arena • Duluth, MinnesotaCBSSN Fanti L 3–4  6,453 15–12–3 (8–7–3)
February 19 7:07 PM #9 North Dakota #7 AMSOIL Arena • Duluth, Minnesota  Stejskal L 2–3  7,206 15–13–3 (8–8–3)
February 22 6:00 PM at #11 St. Cloud State #8 Herb Brooks National Hockey Center • St. Cloud, Minnesota  Fanti T 1–1 SOW 4,230 15–13–4 (8–8–4)
February 25 6:00 PM at Miami #8 Steve Cady Arena • Oxford, Ohio  Fanti W 3–1  2,756 16–13–4 (9–8–4)
February 26 4:00 PM at Miami #8 Steve Cady Arena • Oxford, Ohio  Fanti L 0–4  2,862 16–14–4 (9–9–4)
March 4 7:30 PM #10 St. Cloud State #11 AMSOIL Arena • Duluth, MinnesotaCBSSN Fanti W 3–2  5,582 17–14–4 (10–9–4)
March 5 7:07 PM #10 St. Cloud State #11 AMSOIL Arena • Duluth, Minnesota  Fanti L 0–2  5,791 17–15–4 (10–10–4)
NCHC Tournament
March 11 7:07 PM at #9 St. Cloud State* #10 Herb Brooks National Hockey Center • St. Cloud, Minnesota (Quarterfinal Game 1)  Fanti W 5–2  2,594 18–15–4
March 12 6:07 PM at #9 St. Cloud State* #10 Herb Brooks National Hockey Center • St. Cloud, Minnesota (Quarterfinal Game 2)  Fanti W 4–3 OT 3,227 19–15–4
March 18 4:07 PM vs. #3 Denver* #8 Xcel Energy Center • Saint Paul, Minnesota (Semifinal)CBSSN Fanti W 2–0  10,253 20–15–4
March 19 7:37 PM vs. #7 Western Michigan* #8 Xcel Energy Center • Saint Paul, Minnesota (Championship)CBSSN Fanti W 3–0  7,814 21–15–4
NCAA tournament
March 24 2:00 PM vs. #14 Michigan Tech* #6 Budweiser Events Center • Loveland, Colorado (West Regional semifinal)ESPNU Fanti W 3–0  3,138 22–15–4
March 26 3:00 PM vs. #3 Denver* #6 Budweiser Events Center • Loveland, Colorado (West Regional final)ESPNU Fanti L 1–2  4,812 22–16–4
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from USCHO.com Poll. All times are in Central Time.
Source:[6]

Scoring statistics

Name Position Games Goals Assists Points PIM
Kobe RothF421613292
Blake BiondiC4217112816
Koby BenderC/RW427192614
Quinn OlsonC/LW426192541
Noah CatesLW3711132419
Casey GillingC408142214
Wyatt KaiserD342171946
Dominic JamesC/LW396121812
Owen GallatinD422151722
Tanner LaderouteF381031310
Jesse JacquesF42741116
Connor KelleyD39291120
Darian GotzD42281034
Carter LoneyC4236917
Matt AndersonD4225731
Luke LoheitRW3424634
Hunter LelligD411566
Ben AlmquistF182354
Kyler KlevenC272026
Luke MylymokC/W101124
Louis RoehlD3802244
Jarrett LeeF90114
Ben PattG30002
Will FrancisD50002
Zach StejskalG50000
Jake RosenbaumD70000
Ryan FantiG370000
Total109184293420

[7]

Goaltending statistics

Name Games Minutes Wins Losses Ties Goals Against Saves Shut Outs SV % GAA
Ryan Fanti37220120124678757.9291.83
Zach Stejskal521922012880.8803.29
Ben Patt31180208560.8754.07
Empty Net-18---6----
Total422556221649310197.9162.18

Rankings

Poll Week
Pre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 (Final)
USCHO.com 6 (1) 5 5 (1) 5 4 (3) 4 (3) 4 (1) 4 2 (5) 1 (33) 5 (1) 6 8 7 7 7 6 6 7 8 11 10 8 6 - 5
USA Today 6 5 5 5 4 (5) 3 (2) 4 (1) 4 (2) 2 (3) 1 (22) 5 (3) 5 8 7 7 7 7 6 7 9 10 10 8 3 6 5

Note: USCHO did not release a poll in week 24.[8]

Awards and honors

Player Award Ref
Ryan Fanti AHCA West Second Team All-American [9]
Ryan Fanti NCHC Goaltender of the Year [10]
Ryan Fanti Frozen Faceoff MVP [10]
Ryan Fanti NCHC First Team [11]
Ryan Fanti Frozen Faceoff All-Tournament Team [12]
Wyatt Kaiser
Dominic James
Blake Biondi

Players drafted into the NHL

2022 NHL Entry Draft

Round Pick Player NHL team
131Isaac Howard†Tampa Bay Lightning
5150Zam Plante†Pittsburgh Penguins
6173Dominic JamesChicago Blackhawks

† incoming freshman [13]

References

  1. ↑ "UMD's Ben Patt to Make First Career Start as Ryan Fanti Enters COVID Protocols". FOX 21. December 1, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  2. ↑ "UMD goaltender Zach Stejskal reveals cancer diagnosis". KEYC News Now. November 23, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  3. ↑ "St. Cloud State and Minnesota Duluth Men's Hockey Series Postponed". SC Times. January 5, 2022. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  4. ↑ "SCSU goalie David Hrenak signs with the Los Angeles Kings". The Rink Live. March 29, 2022. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  5. ↑ "2020–21 Men's Hockey Roster". University of Minnesota–Duluth Bulldogs. Retrieved September 1, 2017.
  6. ↑ "Minnesota Duluth 2021-22 Team Schedule". College Hockey Inc. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  7. ↑ "Univ. of Minnesota-Duluth 2021-2022 Skater Stats". Elite Prospects. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  8. ↑ "USCHO Division I Men's Poll". USCHO.com. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  9. ↑ "Four players return to 2021-22 Division I men's All-American teams, led by three-time pick Dryden McKay". USCHO.com. April 8, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  10. 1 2 "Denver's Brink earns Player of the Year; UND's Berry wins third straight Coach of the Year". nchchockey.com. March 17, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Five Different Teams Represented on All-NCHC First Team". NCHC. March 9, 2022. Archived from the original on March 12, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  12. ↑ "UMD Blanks WMU to Capture 2022 Frozen Faceoff Title". NCHC. March 19, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
  13. ↑ "NCAA player rankings, selections in 2022 NHL Draft". USCHO.com. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
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