UMD’s Sandelin Sounds Off on Men’s Hockey Season

Bulldogs failed to reach NCAA Tournament

DULUTH, Minn.- The NCAA Men’s Hockey Frozen Four is now set, but UMD has been out of the picture for over two weeks following their elimination in the NCHC Tournament.

On Monday, Bulldogs Head Coach Scott Sandelin addressed the media to share his thoughts on the 2023-24 season.

“We weren’t as good a team as maybe we wanted to be,” said Sandelin, whose Bulldogs went 12-20-5 in the 2023-24 season.  “I mean, I could go back to all the teams that we did win championships with…You see it and feel it and this, I didn’t really get that feel, just because of the way the year went.”

In the time since UMD’s season ended, three of their players have entered the transfer portal, which has ultimately changed the way how many college hockey teams operate. However, Sandelin says it’s getting out of hand. “It’s asinine. I’m sorry. It’s asinine. Are we going to use it? Yeah, it’s there. You’re going to have to use it. We’ll use it accordingly, and everyone’s going to do what they need to do, but the stuff that’s going on behind the scenes…This is the stuff that’s not right. It’s not right.”

With fifth-year players like Luke Loheit out of eligibility — and Ben Steeves signing with the Florida Panthers — the Bulldogs will call on some of their younger players to have bigger roles next season.

“I’m super excited about the guys we have coming back,” says Sandelin. “I’m super excited about the kids we have coming in for the next year and year plus, two years. I do feel we have some guys that can come in and I’m not going to say they’re going to score 24 or 45 goals over two years, but they could. But we’ve got some good players. It’s exciting.”

Coach Sandelin mentioned Matthew Perkins, Owen Gallatin and Goaltender Zack Sandy among the players he’s excited