Sports

Sweep by UND leaves Jacks frustrated

By Matthew Semisch

12/09/2014

For Dakota College at Bottineau’s (DCB) hockey team, upcoming games against in-state rivals Williston State and Minot State will serve as measuring sticks. Win or lose, the Lumberjacks will use those games to see where they are as a team.

After the University of North Dakota’s club team handed DCB a pair of losses last weekend, though, it became clear that plenty of work still needs to be done.

The Jacks knew UND was beatable. UND’s first-year club team recently dropped a 5-3 decision to DCB in Grand Forks on Nov. 23.

When the teams met again last weekend, something on DCB’s end was missing. UND won 4-3 on Saturday night and 5-1 on Sunday afternoon, and Jacks head coach Travis Rybchinski felt his team lacked the required effort in both games.

“I thought they played a lot harder than us, and that was the difference,” Rybchinski said. “For some reason, we didn’t work very hard this weekend, and I’m surprised because we had a great week of practice. 

“Come game-time, I think we were scared and timid a little bit, and we didn’t want to work for it, and UND worked hard and the proof is there in two wins for them. 

“Like I tell our guys, if we don’t work hard, we’re not a very good team,” he continued. “We need everyone working and not just four or five or the six guys on the ice but all 20 guys we have working all the time.”

The Jacks had the upper hand in both games but couldn’t parlay that into victories. 

A Jake Ocken goal with 1:26 left to play gave UND a 4-3 win on Saturday. On Sunday, DCB dominated much of the rematch’s second period despite being down 2-1, but two UND goals 14 seconds apart blew the game wide open.

Also maddening last weekend was DCB’s play on special teams. The Jacks scored one power play goal in each game against UND, but they also conceded two power play goals in each game of the series.

DCB (4-8-0) will welcome Minot State to the Bottineau Community Arena on Tuesday, with the game starting at 7:30 p.m. The Jacks will then return the favor in Minot on Friday night before playing UND again in Grand Forks on Saturday.

First thing’s first, though, and Rybchinski is hoping to see improvements from his team on Tuesday against MSU.

“Every time we put on the jersey, it’s an important game,” he said, “and we always play teams that will challenge us, but Minot’s had a really good run here the past five years, and they’ll be fast and strong.

“Hopefully we’ll come into Tuesday ready to go.”