Wellens column: What do we expect of Sandelin's 2024-25 Bulldogs?
Minnesota Duluth head coach Scott Sandelin was feisty with local media on Wednesday at Amsoil Arena during his weekly press conference. The Bulldogs were a day away from hitting the road to take on Miami in Oxford, Ohio.
UMD is off to a 3-6 start this season and was swept by North Dakota at home to open NCHC play last weekend. KBJR's Alexis Bass had the honor of tossing out the first question to Sandelin. It was a pretty basic one asking the coach to reflect on last week's series.
A little over a minute into a lengthy answer to Bass' question, Sandelin turned things around and started asking the questions of reporters.
"I don't know what everyone is expecting. Maybe I should ask you guys," Sandelin said. "What do you expect? What do you guys expect from this group?"
Bass tried to toss out another question, but Sandelin wasn't letting the press conference continue until someone answered his question.
"Answer the question," Sandelin said. "What are your expectations for this group?"
Longtime hockey scribe John Gilbert spoke up, "More goals scored than goals against."
I tried to add mine, but Sandelin was satisfied someone answered him and moved on.
"It's not an easy thing to answer, is it?" Sandelin said. "Put yourself in our shoes."
I wanted to say "growth" on Wednesday, but the more I thought about Sandelin's question that afternoon, the more I didn't like my answer.
What do I expect of a hockey team that includes 12 newcomers, including 11 freshmen?
I expect the unexpected.
That's what I learned in 2017-18 when Sandelin brought in 10 freshmen. What everyone remembers about that team — and rightfully so — is the final result. They won an NCAA championship.
What everyone seems to forget about that team, however, is how much it struggled during the first half.
The Bulldogs in 2017-18 were under .500 at Christmas, having started 8-9-2. They were second-to-last in the NCHC at 3-7. Had they not followed up a 7-5 loss on Dec. 8 at Omaha with a 6-2 win over the Mavericks on Dec. 9, the Bulldogs would have been dead last.
At Christmas, UMD ranked last in the league in scoring offense with just 2.68 goals per game scored. The penalty kill was also at the bottom of the NCHC at 76.5% and with a power play that had only converted on 13 of 77 chances, UMD was minus-6 on special teams. That was also the worst in the NCHC.
Of course, UMD turned things around quite well in 2017-18, though there were still rough patches in the second half.
Again, people tend to forget about those.
UMD lost four of five games between Jan. 23 and Feb. 3. The Bulldogs nearly played their way out of the NCAA tournament with losses to Denver and North Dakota at the NCHC Frozen Faceoff in St. Paul.
Four wins in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and in St. Paul completely reshaped everyone's perception of that season forever.
None of us should expect the 2024-25 Bulldogs to do what the 2017-18 team did, and I hate to compare any team in college hockey to those Bulldogs. There's a reason the News Tribune put out a book in their honor. That team is the exception to the rule.
Case in point: the 2022-23 Bulldogs.
Sandelin brought in 10 freshmen that season — four are no longer with the program — and the team finished 16-20-1, missing the NCAA tournament. Those Bulldogs went 10-14 in the NCHC to finish tied for fifth in the league.
Who knows where the 2024-25 Bulldogs will land. If I had a guess, they'll fall somewhere in between. Or not.
Any team in any sport at any level needs time to gel with this many newcomers. It needs time to find its identity.
Sandelin said Wednesday he still believes in this team. It's full of players who want to win. They need to find ways to get better, without focusing entirely on the results.
"I'm excited about this group. I'm excited to see this group grow," Sandelin said. "If you watch the games, there's a lot of things to get excited about. If you look at the results, you're pissed off, just like we are."
I'd advise the team — players and coaches — to tune out the portion of the UMD fanbase whose expectations have swelled to unhealthy levels after back-to-back NCAA titles. Some of them may still be relatively new to Bulldog hockey.
As for the media expectations, I can't speak for all reporters, but our expectations are simple: Arrive on time to scheduled interviews and please avoid overtime games.
