Bulldogs enter season with high hopes

DULUTH, MN. (Northern News Now) - The 5th ranked UMD Bulldogs men’s hockey team will drop the puck on the season in just three days, and the hype is starting to sound real.

The Bulldogs will play host to Arizona State, who enters their 8th season as a division one program, this Saturday and Sunday, and it should be a good trial run for this Bulldog team that welcomes a total of 10 freshman this season. Despite a long list of newcomers, UMD head coach Scott Sandelin, who enters his 23rd season as UMD head coach, said something that will get UMD fans very interested in this season.

Sandelin said, “I’m really excited about it, you don’t hear me say that a lot, I am. I really like our young players, I like the attitude around our group right now, I think Luke and Quinn and Tanner have done a really good job as our captains.”

Sandelin should be excited. The Bulldogs will bring back a full list of talented players from last season but the real buzz around this team is the potential of this freshman class. They are led by first round draft pick, Isaac Howard, but the list continues after that with guys like Cole Spicer and Ben Steeves. Things might not be perfect in week one, but down the line, Sandelin expects success.

Sandelin added, “I’ll be patient to some degree but if there are some younger guys that are better and pushing and better during the week of practice and better for two weeks of practice and games, they are going to play and they deserve that opportunity. If some of the older guys aren’t comfortable with it or whoever it is, then that’s their job to go get better and work harder.”

Puck drops on Saturday at 6 p.m. at Amsoil.

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