2017-2018 Memorable Moment #9: Announcing the UND Transfers

I'm counting down the memorable moments of the 2017-2018 Mercyhurst Lakers Hockey season. Moment #10 is here, Moment #9 is below.

On August 4^th, 2017, Mercyhurst announced that Kennedy Blair, Emma Nuutinen, and Vilma Tanskanen were transferring to Mercyhurst from the University of North Dakota, in the wake of UND cutting their women’s hockey program. The transfer had been reported previously, but not by Mercyhurst.

UND’s program cut was announced on March 29, 2017 and although sadness was my first reaction, soon after I hoped Mercyhurst would benefit by getting some talented transfers. Perhaps I am hardened to the reality of program cuts. The CHA has experienced program cuts three times in its sixteen seasons with the demise of Division I hockey at the University of Findlay (Ohio) in 2003, Wayne State University (Michigan) in 2011, and Niagara University (New York) in 2012. Findlay and Wayne State cut both their men’s and women’s hockey programs; Niagara, like University of North Dakota cut only the women’s program.

After the Wayne State and Niagara cuts, Mercyhurst welcomed transfers who left a legacy. Gina Buquet (junior) and Jill Szandzik (senior) transferred from Wayne State. Kaleigh Chippy (junior), Jenna Hendrikx (senior) and Kelsey Welch (senior) transferred from Niagara. All of those players except Szandzik (2012 graduate) helped Mercyhurst to the Frozen Four in 2013. My hope last spring was that history would repeat itself and Mercyhurst could once again become home to talented student-athletes in need of a transfer.

History repeated itself.

Mercyhurst gained two Finnish Olympians at forward, and a goalie with four years of eligibility in the transfer. Brad Schlossman of theGrand Forks Herald wrote that Mercyhurst’s program would have the second greatest benefit from UND transfer players.  He was right that Mercyhurst would benefit. Here’s some of what Blair, Nuutinen and Tanskanen accomplished in their first year at Mercyhurst:

Transfer Kennedy Blair, a red shirt freshman from Bismarck, North Dakota immediately contested for the starting goaltender job. She got the start in Mercyhurst’s first game of the season vs Wisconsin. Mercyhurst fell 4-0 to the number two team in the country that night, and Blair gave up 4 goals on 31 shots. Not a win, but a respectable first ever start versus a top ranked team. Goaltenders Sarah McDonnell (junior) and Blair split weekends until February 16th at which point Blair played out the season as starting goalie for the Lakers.

Blair’s first win was October 14th versus the Lindenwood Lions, and a huge win came December 1^st, with a 31 save shut out at 9^th ranked Robert Morris. Blair’s season ended with a 2-1 overtime loss to eventual national champion Clarkson in the NCAA tournament, a game in which she made 30 saves. With an 11-8-1 record, the freshman netminder had a goals against average of 1.57 (7^th in NCAA), save percentage of .934 (tied 8^th in NCAA, and highest by a Mercyhurst starter since All American Desi Clark in 2004-2005 noted Arlan Marttila of USCHO). Blair was the CHA goaltender of the year and a member of the CHA all rookie team. With Kennedy Blair in net, the future is bright for Mercyhurst.

Transfer Vilma Tanskanen, a junior forward from Vantaa, Finland, is a 2014 Olympian, and was second in points for Mercyhurst with a 14-13-27 stat line in 33 games. I admire Tanskanen’s discipline to get to an open spot in the offensive zone and trust that her teammates will get her the puck. When she gets the puck, she plays with her head up, and doesn’t shoot blindly into the goalie. She’ll make a move if necessary, or quickly make a shot attempt if there’s a scoring chance.

Below, look at Tankskanen (jersey #14) in front of the net in OT banging her stick on the ice, signaling she wants the puck. That play ended with a Nuutinen goal (jersey #20), but Tanskanen’s 14 goals on the season were tied for first on the team. The discipline to get open and stay open, the confidence to want the puck and the skill to find an open shot – all attributes that make Tanskanen an asset to this Laker team.

🚨 GAME OVER! 🚨@nuutinenn ENDS IT IN OVERTIME! 🍀🍀🍀 pic.twitter.com/YMlvN2k8Wj

— Mercyhurst W. Hockey (@HurstWHockey) March 2, 2018

Lastly, Tanskanen plays unintimidated. Not every skill player can do that. This was on display the first game I saw her, in the season opener vs Wisconsin. She was a Mercyhurst player that stuck out in a good way versus a highly ranked opponent. She doesn’t throw pucks away, will try moves on talented defenders, and plays physically tough against any opponent.
  

At the amateur level where there are rankings and narratives about which team is supposed to be better and which team is supposed to just lay down and take a beating, the ability to play unintimidated versus any opponent is an immense asset. Teams need players like that to get marquee wins that will elevate a program, or just to avoid getting beat down on the days they are outmatched on paper. During award season, it was no surprise Tanskanen named to the CHA All Conference First Team.

The third and final transfer is Emma Nuutinen, a sophomore forward also from Vantaa, Finland. A 2014 and 2018 Olympian, Nuutinen’s skill was evident in every game. Like Tanskanen she plays unintimidated, likes to possess the puck and will attempt to dangle around anyone. Nuutinen does not lose confidence no matter what happens. After a slow start to her season her persistence paid off, scoring numerous key goals for Mercyhurst resulting in an 8-5-13 stat line.

Nuutinen’s third goal of the season was a big one – an overtime winner vs Syracuse on December 9. It would not be her last big goal of the season, or even her last overtime winner. Nuutinen scored in OT versus Syracuse in the CHA semi-final and had a three-point game in the CHA final versus Robert Morris. I’m not sure Mercyhurst would be CHA conference tournament champions without Emma Nuutinen. Media must agree; after not winning a CHA regular season award Nuutinen was named MVP of the Tournament (there’s that persistence again). She was arguably Mercyhurst’s best player versus Clarkson in the NCAA quarterfinal, where she got an assist and also basically never got off the ice.

Nuutinen missed 14 Mercyhurst games while playing with Team Finland. She still finished the season ninth on the team in points, with 13 points in 23 games played, and was fourth on the team in points per game, with 0.57. With fewer Team Finland commitments next year, Mercyhurst can expect an even greater impact from Nuutinen.

The impressive hockey season from each of Blair, Tanskanen and Nuutinen, makes the August 4^th, 2017 announcement of their transfer to Mercyhurst, Memorable Moment #9 of 2017-2018.