#kyleschmidt

                              (Former Senior F Kyle Schmidt shares a hug with Head Coach Scott Sandelin after their 3-2 OT victory over Michigan in the Frozen Four Championship game.)

  You're probably thinking, "Can Minnesota-Duluth repeat their unbelievable championship run last season by upsetting powerhouse Michigan in OT 3-2, to win the 2011 Frozen Four in St. Paul, MN?" Well...maybe.

  For those of you who are not familiar with the school, Minnesota-Duluth (15-8-5) is out of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) and finished 4th in the conference. The Bulldogs will be losing 5 seniors, including former Senior forward Kyle Schmidt, who scored the game winner against Michigan in the championship game. Schmidt acummulated 22 points (11G, 11A) in 35 appearances. However, he was not the most impressive player on this Bulldog squad.

  Junior F Jack Connolly led the team with 59 points (18G, 41A) in just 42 appearances. The 5'8, 160 pound center will return for his senior year at Duluth and will be the Bulldog captain. Just this past Saturday, Connolly played in the Minnesota Wild's development camp scrimmage in St. Paul with fellow teammates Freshmen F J.T. Brown, former Senior F Justin Fontaine and incoming Freshmen D Derik Johnson. Without a doubt, Jack Connolly should be one of the top college prospects in next year's draft. To find out more about Connolly, check out his blog on the UMD Bulldogs site.

  Goaltending is one of the biggest keys to success for any squad and Duluth has done a fantastic job with recruiting. Junior Kenny Reiter and Freshman Aaron Crandall have both been huge role players for their defensive support. Reiter (16-7-5) has a .914% Save average and a 2.30% Goals Allowed Average. As for the backup Crandall (10-3-1), he has a .894% Save Average and a 2.79% Goals Allowed Average. Not too shabby for a Freshmen backup. Both will return to Duluth next season and expect big things from both goalies.

  The biggest surprise I found from this squad is that 5 of the 6 players returning next season are underclassmen that have been drafted already. Freshmen D Justin Faulk was selected 32nd overall by Carolina in 2007, Sophomores D Dylan Olsen and F Dan DeLisle were selected 28th and 89th overall by Chicago in 2009, Freshmen F Joe Basaraba was selected 69th overall by Florida in 2010, Sophomore D Drew Olsen was selected 118th overal by Columbus in 2009 and Freshmen F Max Tardy was selected 202nd overall by St. Louis in 2010. The only upperclassmen that has been drafted was Junior Scott Kishel, who was drafted 192nd overal by Montreal in 2007.

  So, can Minnesota-Duluth repeat last season's championship run? Possibly. The Bulldogs have a lot of young, fresh talent and I believe they will make a run for it again. The biggest challenge they will have this season is facing North Dakota, Minnesota and Colorado College at home but the rest of their schedule looks fairly manageable (You can view the 2011-12 schedule here). Also, the Bulldogs will be joining the NCAA's newest hockey conference, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC), which will begin play during the 2013-14 season. I believe Duluth is on the road to success and give them a few years and they will become a real strong offensive and defensive team. I'm thrilled to see how this season will go for the dogs.