GRAND FORKS -- When Adam Scheel made the trip to the Ralph Engelstad Arena Saturday morning, his mind was on something other than the opponent, Colorado College.
Scheel had been sick since the end of Friday's game.
The illness didn't stop Scheel from playing. He tallied 22 saves in the Fighting Hawks 3-2 overtime win.
" It was tough," Scheel said. "I mean, it was kind of a battle. Pretty tired but you kind of have to do what you have to do."
His teammates weren't surprised with his display of toughness. It's something they say he's shown since he started his career in Grand Forks.
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" Everybody admires his battle level and the way he came into that game, he wasn't feeling too good," said junior forward Dixon Bowen. "We all look up to that and it pumps us up even."
"He doesn't get to high or too low, he's very composed in the net," head coach Brad Berry said. "He has a lot of confidence with the puck, playing the puck. And when we're up in games or down in games, there's not a variance of panic or nervousness."
His grit will be something UND needs for the upcoming schedule. Sophomore goalie Peter Thome went down in practice last week with an undisclosed injury that will leave him out long-term. That leaves Scheel as the only goalie on the roster with any college experience. Having started 19 games last season for the Penticton Vees, he knows what the workload will look like.
"Nothing changes," Scheel said. " You come to the rink everyday, you work your hardest and try to prepare for the weekend. It's a tough circumstance for Peter being injured but it could be a good opportunity for me."
His coach says it's critical to have someone in the cage to create continuity for the team.
" You want to get it to a level where you're the guy," Berry said. "You're consistently in the net and getting on a run and feeling comfortable with playing you're game."
