Brian Faison - University of North Dakota

Junior Derrick LaPoint returns as one of UND’s
top defensemen and penalty killers.
LaPoint emerged as a reliable defenseman as
a sophomore last season and had cemented
himself as one of UND’s top penalty killers.
A season-ending injury su� ered in February
derailed LaPoint’s season, but Hakstol expects
him to pick up right where he left o� .
“Derrick is the ultimate defenseman in terms
of e� ciency in all areas of the game,” Hakstol
said. “He also possesses one of the best sticks
in college hockey.”
Much like teammates Marto and LaPoint,
Blood showed marked improvement as the
season went on and ended up leading the
Sioux with a +11 plus/minus rating, a number
that also paced all WCHA rookie defensemen.
“Ben is ready to be a top-3, top-4 defenseman
for us and that’s what we expect out of him,”
Hakstol said of the 6-4, 220-pound Blood.
“We expect him to be a physical leader, a
leader in all defensive situations and bring a
real tone and poise to our blueline.”
Fienhage saw limited playing time amidst a
veteran defensive corps, but Hakstol believes
the 6-3, 215-pound Fienhage is not only
ready, but hungry to step into a signi� cant
role.
New to the fold are three talented freshmen
in Joe Gleason (Edina, Minn.), Andrew
MacWilliam (Calgary, Alberta) and Ryan Hill
(Hermantown, Minn.), each of whom brings a
di� erent skill set to the table.
Gleason, according to Hakstol, possesses
“some of the best skating ability of any
defenseman coming into the league this year.”
MacWilliam, who checks in at 6-foot-2 and
213 pounds, plays with an edge and a physical
presence.
Hill is a solid defensive defenseman who is
constantly pushing himself to improve and
brings what Hakstol describes as a “great level
of character” to the locker room.
With � ve returning veterans and three
talented freshmen, Hakstol likes his blend on
the blueline.
“We have a couple of o� ensive guys that
can bring the puck and bring a real skill level
o� ensively,” Hakstol said, “and we have a
bunch of guys that bring size and physicality.
“What I’m looking for out of the big guys is
a higher level of physicality. We need to be
tougher to play against and we need more of
a mean streak.”
UP FRONT
UND relied on a balanced scoring attack in
2008-09, with 13 players scoring at least 17
points. With the graduation of scoring leader
and 2007 Hobey Baker Award winner Ryan
Duncan, the scoring-by-committee approach
will again be front and center.
“We have a lot of people to do that (provide
scoring) and who will get the opportunity,”
Hakstol said.
One player UND will lean heavily on is
senior assistant captain Chris VandeVelde
(Moorhead Minn.), who elected to return
for a � nal season despite the opportunity to
begin his professional career with the NHL’s
Edmonton Oilers.
Senior forward Chris VandeVelde is UND’s top
returning scorer after reaching career highs in
goals (18) and points (35).
2009-10 SEASON OUTLOOK
2009-10 UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA MEN’S HOCKEY MEDIA GUIDE
Big things are expected from sophomore Ben
Blood, who led UND in plus/minus as a freshman.
The 6-2, 207-pound VandeVelde is poised for
a dominant season after scoring a career-high
18 goals and 35 points last season.
“Chris is one of, if not the top, power forwards
in the country,” Hakstol said. “Chris is coming
back with some real goals individually and
team-wise and I expect to see No. 29 being
driven toward those goals.”
Hakstol added that VandeVelde often turned
in dominant late-season performances
despite playing with a signi� cant injury over
the � nal six weeks of the season.
“Through some tough physical times, he grew
an awful lot as a player down the stretch,”
Hakstol said. “I see a young man who wants to
solidify himself not only in the WCHA, but at
a national level.
“The sky is the limit for Chris.”
To aid VandeVelde in the scoring e� ort,
Hakstol cites the likes of juniors Evan Trupp
(Anchorage, Alaska) and Brad Malone
(Miramichi, New Brunswick), along with
sophomores Jason Gregoire (Winnipeg,
Manitoba), Brett Hextall (Manhattan Beach,
Calif.) and David Toews (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
as players capable of elevating their o� ensive
games.
Trupp scored a career-high 20 points last
season and has shown � ashes of being a
game-breaker.
“Evan can be one of the most dynamic players
in the country,” Hakstol said. “He needs to stay
healthy and raise his consistency level. If he
does that, he’ll be a high-impact player in the
39