November 2021 – Sioux Sports Talk

North Dakota vs. Minnesota: A Hockey Rivalry Unlike Any Other

Which team do you consider North Dakota’s biggest rival?

I have Minnesota at the top of my list, along with Boston College, Boston University, Denver, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Combined, North Dakota and these six rivals have won 46 national titles, while all of the other college hockey teams in existence have won just 27.

And what makes some rivalries so intense? For some of the above-mentioned schools, it’s conference affiliation. Wisconsin joined the WCHA in 1969 and was a part of some of the most intense extra-curricular activities in UND hockey history – the pre-game brawl, the water bottle incident, and the line brawl in Madison.

Denver and UND have been in the same conference since 1951, and the two schools have been battling it out for league titles ever since (DU has 12, North Dakota, 19). Minnesota could make that same claim until the Gophers bolted for the Big Ten (along with UW), creating a scheduling void that few wanted to see (but more on that later). For the Pioneers, the Badgers, the Gophers, and the team formerly known as the Fighting Sioux, familiarity bred contempt.

But why else? Why are Boston College, Boston University, and Michigan on my list? And why has Denver become such a bitter feud while Wisconsin has cooled a bit? It all boils down to tournament time.

Since 1997, UND has met 23 different teams in NCAA tournament action, and of those twenty-three, ten have at one time or another ended North Dakota’s season. The Fighting Sioux avenged a loss to Michigan in 1998 with playoff wins in 2006, 2007, and 2016, but the Wolverines took out one of the most talented North Dakota teams in recent memory at the 2011 Frozen Four in St. Paul. Denver had UND’s number at one point, defeating the Sioux in 2004 and 2005, although the boys from Grand Forks got some revenge in 2011 and again on their 2016 championship run.

Ferris State bounced North Dakota from the 2003 tournament, but the 2014 double overtime regional final in Cincinnati evened the score. Yale twice ended UND’s season (2010 and 2013), and the 2009 overtime loss to New Hampshire was especially heartbreaking, as North Dakota led that game with three seconds remaining in regulation. UND took out Boston University in the 1997 national title game and again in the 2005 tournament, but the Terriers bested UND in the 2015 Frozen Four semis and outlasted North Dakota in the 2017 West Regional (Fargo, ND).

The seven tournament games between Boston College and UND (1999, 2000, 2001, and 2005-2008) are well-documented, with the Eagles holding a commanding 5-2 edge in those contests. North Dakota won its seventh national title with a victory over BC in 2000, and Dave Hakstol earned his only postseason victory over Jerry York in the 2005 East Region final (Worcester, MA).

And last season, conference foe Minnesota Duluth outlasted North Dakota in a five-overtime thriller with a Frozen Four appearance on the line.

Other teams UND has defeated in the NCAAs during that same span include Cornell (1997), Colorado College (1997, 2001), Niagara (2000, 2013), Maine (2000), Michigan State (2001), Holy Cross (2004, 2006), Princeton (2008), Renssalaer (2011), Western Michigan (2012), Northeastern (2016), St. Cloud State (2015), Quinnipiac (2015, 2016), and American International (2021). These rivalries are not as intense as the schools listed above, and it is my opinion that it is because these schools have not ended UND’s season on the biggest stage that they are not regarded as such.

In other words, postseason games against Boston College, Boston University, Denver, and Michigan seem to generate more interest because there is more postseason history, with victories on both sides of the ledger to keep things interesting. Of the others mentioned, Yale and Ferris State have some chance of becoming bigger rivalries down the road, provided the teams continue to meet in the NCAAs. If UND were to meet a conference foe such as Minnesota Duluth (again) or St. Cloud State (for the first time) on the national stage, those games would generate quite a bit of interest as well.

Up until 2008, Wisconsin and North Dakota had not met in the national tournament since the 1982 title game (a UND victory). The Green and White downed the Badgers in the 2008 regional final (Madison, WI) and in the opening round of the 2014 NCAA tournament.

And that leaves us with Minnesota. The 1979 title game between North Dakota and Minnesota, which Minnesota won 4-3, would set off a 25 year span (1980-2004) during which the two schools would not meet in the NCAA tournament. That’s astounding. During that time, Minnesota advanced to the national tournament 20 times (winning titles in 2002 and 2003), and North Dakota advanced to the national tournament 12 times (winning titles in 1980, 1982, 1987, 1997, and 2000), and yet they never played each other.

North Dakota has somewhat atoned for the 1979 title game loss with NCAA victories over Minnesota in 2005 and 2007. The Gophers returned the favor twice in a three-year span, bouncing UND from the 2012 national tournament with a 5-2 victory in the West Regional final in St. Paul and again with less than one second remaining in the 2014 national semifinal.

With four NCAA tournament tilts since 2005, the rivalry has certainly gone to a new level. But the question remains: why, for those 25 years, did the two fan bases continue to circle Sioux/Gopher weekend on their calendars? What was it about these two programs that caused every regular season matchup to feel like a playoff game and every WCHA Final Five tilt to feel like the Super Bowl? And that’s saying nothing about my heart rate during overtime of the 2007 West Regional Final or the 2005 Frozen Four Semifinal.

There are a few schools of thought about why the games between UND and Minnesota are so contentious. The teams recruit many of the same players, and some of that spills over onto the ice. Crowds are at fever pitch before the puck is dropped, and to some extent both teams try to live up to what they think the fans want.

Another way to compare rivalries is to list players and coaches from each team under consideration. In other words, I have no doubt that fans of North Dakota hockey can name head coaches Jerry York (Boston College) and Red Berenson (Michigan). How many other coaches come to mind? Mike Eaves (Wisconsin)? George Gwozdecky of Denver (before he left/was shown the door)?

Which other coaches come to mind?

The ability to name coaches from years past is definitely a measure of how long a school has been a bitter rival. Without looking, I could name former Minnesota coaches Doug Woog, Brad Beutow, Herb Brooks, and Don Lucia. And I’m certain that Gopher fans can easily remember Dean Blais, Gino Gasparini, and Dave Hakstol. The more important the rivalry, the more we pay attention.

Think of all of the goaltenders from years past who have stolen victories or let pucks in from 180 feet: Adam Hauser, Steve DeBus, Alex Kangas, Kellen Briggs, Jeff Frazee, Kent Patterson, and Adam Wilcox. Players who have scored big goals against North Dakota in important games: Brian Bonin, Johnny Pohl, Jordan Leopold, Thomas Vanek, Grant and Ryan Potulny, Phil Kessel, Blake Wheeler, Jacob Cepis, Erik Haula, and Justin Holl.

And it’s important to remember that this works both ways. Fan of the Maroon and Gold still remember which two UND players crushed Kevin Wehrs into the same corner of Ralph Engelstad Arena (Matt Frattin and Brad Malone). Or how much it stung when Zach Parise chose North Dakota. The handshake lines, jersey pulls, more handshake lines, incredible goals, and crucial timeouts become a part of the story, and each game writes a new chapter.

After resuming the rivalry in Las Vegas in 2018 (a 3-1 North Dakota victory), the two schools continued the rivalry the following season over Thanksgiving weekend at 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis. The two games felt like a home series for UND, and the Fighting Hawks gave their fans much to be thankful for with a sweep of the Gophers (8-3, 3-2). #6/#5 North Dakota (9-4-0, 5-1-0 NCHC) will host #11/#12 Minnesota (8-6-0, 5-3-0 Big Ten) for a pair of games at Ralph Engelstad Arena this weekend, and the teams are also scheduled to meet in non-conference action in each of the next two seasons (through 2022-23).

This schedule agreement is good for the fans, it’s good for each program, and it’s good for the sport.

It’s also good for the players. It is my opinion that every four-year player at North Dakota and Minnesota should have the experience of playing in this rivalry, both home and away.

Over the years, I have asked the Twitterverse about this rivalry; here are some of the responses:

@AlexBerger_:

2012 Final Five Semifinal UND 6 – Minnesota 3. I was 11 years old, but I vividly remember Corban Knight scoring the 5th goal on the PP and hearing my Grandma yell from the other room “They scored again?!?!?”

@goon48:

The Handshake Game Finley and Wheeler.

@nhaug1129:

Wehrs getting blown up, both times! Also, Bina scoring from 185 feet away.

@SchaumannTanya:

I remember a series back in ‘96 when UND had cancelled classes on Friday due to the extreme cold. Goofs came in with a 19-game unbeaten streak. The Sioux crowd was raucous. Students started chanting, “Warm up DeBus!” when MN’s starting goalie was getting throttled. UND won 8-2.

@uptownjesusRS:

The ‘timeout’ game.

@zambonijabroni:

Bina’s bouncing puck for a goal

Trupp’s baseball swing OT winner

Porter’s wrap-around OT winner

I’ve got UND winning Friday’s opener by a final score of 4-2, with the Gophers managing a 3-3 tie in Saturday’s rematch. What do you think? I’d like to hear your thoughts. Your stories. Your memories of the Sioux/Gopher rivalry. Please leave comments about your favorite games and ones you’d like to forget. It’s your turn. It’s your time. It’s North Dakota and Minnesota on the ice again. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.

As always, thank you for reading. I welcome your questions, comments, and suggestions. Follow me on Twitter (@DBergerHockey) for more information and insight. Here’s to hockey!

Weekend Preview: UND vs. Minnesota Duluth

North Dakota was down 2-0 to Minnesota Duluth with just 101 seconds remaining in the third period of the 2021 NCAA Midwest Regional final at Scheels Arena in Fargo, North Dakota. The Bulldogs had built their lead with two goals just 80 seconds apart early in the final frame on a pair of fluky plays. A partially blocked shot off the stick of Jackson Cates fluttered past Fighting Hawks’ netminder Adam Scheel, and a broken stick at the blue line sent Cole Koepke in alone on a breakaway.

Through the first 25 games of the season, UND had only won one game after allowing the first goal (1-5-1). But after coming back against both Denver and St. Cloud State to claim the program’s first NCHC Frozen Faceoff postseason title, Brad Berry’s squad had to feel like another comeback was possible.

And it was indeed possible. Collin Adams and Jordan Kawaguchi scored extra-attacker goals 44 seconds apart to send the partisan crowd into a frenzy and send the game to overtime. And overtime. And overtime. And overtime.

UMD’s Luke Mylymok scored the game-winner just over two minutes into the FIFTH overtime session; his second goal of the season ended the longest NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey tournament game in history.

One could argue that after over 140 minutes of game action, Duluth had a built-in advantage: the Bulldogs (14-10-2) were scheduled to face Michigan in the regional semifinal, but after the Wolverines withdrew due to a positive COVID-19 test in their hockey program, UMD advanced in a “no contest” and therefore had fresher legs than top overall seed North Dakota (22-5-1).

Adams and Kawaguchi were two of six North Dakota players to finish the season with double digit goal totals. Of those six, only Riese Gaber remains at North Dakota.

Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State both advanced to the 2021 NCAA Frozen Four in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which meant that the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) was represented on college hockey’s biggest stage for the seventh consecutive tourney (every season that the league has existed).

Here are the NCHC teams to appear in the Frozen Four since the NCHC began play in 2013-2014:

2014: North Dakota
2015: North Dakota, Omaha
2016: North Dakota (champion), Denver
2017: Denver (champion), Minnesota Duluth
2018: Minnesota Duluth (champion)
2019: Minnesota Duluth (champion), Denver
2020: No NCAA tournament (COVID-19)
2021: Minnesota Duluth, St. Cloud State

The Bulldogs played ten games at the Division I level in the early 1930s but didn’t really get started until after World War II. Its first 19 seasons after the war were played as an independent before joining the WCHA in 1965. It would take 18 seasons – and a head coach named Mike Sertich – before UMD would make the NCAA tournament, and Sertich would take them there in three consecutive seasons:

1982-1983: National Quarterfinalist
1983-1984: 2nd Place (National Runner-Up)
1984-1985: 3rd Place (Consolation Champion)

In 1984, Duluth was tantalizingly close to winning its first title. The Bulldogs defeated North Dakota 2-1 in overtime (behind a goal by Bill Watson) to advance to the championship game, where they would face Bowling Green in the longest NCAA final in Division I men’s hockey history. Gino Cavallini scored for the Falcons in the fourth overtime session, ending a game that took over 97 minutes of game action to complete.

And, perhaps, fittingly, UMD would find themselves locked in overtime contests in 1985 as well. The Bulldogs took RPI to three overtimes in the national semis before falling 6-5. Back in those days, there was still a third-place game, and so Duluth faced Boston College (which had also played three overtimes in its semifinal) for no reason at all. Of course, that game also went to overtime, with UMD defeating the Eagles 7-6.

After that three-year splash on the national scene, Mike Sertich would manage just one more tournament appearance (1993) over the final fifteen years of his head coaching career before giving way to Scott Sandelin, who has guided the Bulldogs to the NCAAs ten times in his 21 seasons behind the Bulldog bench.

Even though UMD has been a more frequent participant over the past two decades than at any other point in team history, Duluth and North Dakota have only met twice in the national tournament (1984 and 2021). UND had a chance to meet the Bulldogs in the 2011 title game but fell to the Wolverines in the semifinals 2-0 (with an empty-net goal) despite outshooting Michigan 40-20.

Before the Wolverines were forced to withdraw, UMD and Michigan were set to square off in the national tournament for the first time since that overtime thriller in St. Paul.

With three national titles in a nine-year stretch, the Bulldogs could certainly be considered the best team of the 2010s; North Dakota’s eight national titles have been spread out across the decades: 1959, 1963, 1980, 1982, 1987, 1997, 2000, and 2016.

The Wolverines have won nine NCAA titles but only two since 1964, those coming in 1996 and 1998. For that reason, I consider North Dakota (eight titles) and Denver (eight titles) the two best programs in NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey history.

Turning the page to this season, #4 Duluth (7-2-1 overall, 2-1-1 NCHC) has 12 seniors and grad students on this year’s roster; North Dakota? Only five. And that’s all thanks to the transfer portal, which allowed Brad Berry to bring in senior forwards Ashton Calder and Connor Ford and senior netminder Zach Driscoll. Forwards Gavin Hain and Mark Senden are the only two current UND seniors who were on last year’s roster.

A half-point per game or better is my benchmark for solid offensive production, and Scott Sandelin’s squad has eight regulars in the lineup who meet that threshold: sophomore forward Blake Biondi (4-4-8), senior forward Noah Cates (3-5-8), junior forward Quinn Olson (2-5-7), senior forward Tanner Laderoute (5-1-6), senior forward Casey Gilling (2-4-6), graduate forward Kobe Roth (1-5-6), senior forward Koby Bender (2-3-5), and sophomore defenseman Wyatt Kaiser (1-4-5).

By that same measure, #6 North Dakota (8-3-0 overall, 4-0-0 NCHC) has nine players at a half point or better per game and FOUR averaging a point per game or better: sophomore forward Riese Gaber (6-7-13), sophomore defenseman Jake Sanderson (6-9-15), senior forward Ashton Calder (7-6-13), and senior forward Connor Ford (1-9-10). Other offensive contributors include freshman forward Jake Schmaltz (4-5-9), junior forward Judd Caulfield (3-5-8), freshman forward Matteo Costantini (4-5-9), sophomore forward Louis Jamernik (3-3-6), and junior defenseman Ethan Frisch (2-4-6).

After sputtering to records of 17-13-10 (.550) and 18-17-2 (.514) and missing the NCAA tournament in consecutive seasons, UND head coach Brad Berry got his team on the right track over the past two seasons, winning the program’s third and fourth Penrose Cup as NCHC champions and collecting an overall record of 48-11-5 (.789) during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 seasons.

Last year, North Dakota definitely benefitted from having a number of players stick around for a title run rather than turn pro. And UND’s roster is now feeling the effects of all of those departures happening at once, with fourteen new faces in Green and White this season. Despite bringing in five experienced transfers (forwards Ashton Calder and Connor Ford, defensemen Chris Jandric and Brady Ferner, and goaltender Zach Driscoll), the Fighting Hawks lost their top five scorers (and seven of their top eight) from a season ago: Jordan Kawaguchi, Collin Adams, Shane Pinto, Jasper Weatherby, Matt Kiersted, Grant Mismash, and Jacob Bernard-Docker combined for over 60% of UND’s offense last season (69 of 114 goals and 185 of 308 total points).

In addition to those seven skaters, Brad Berry also lost forwards Jackson Keane and Harrison Blaisdell, defensemen Gabe Bast and Josh Rieger, and goaltenders Adam Scheel and Peter Thome.

Despite losing all of that firepower and scoring depth, the offensive numbers appear to be fine on the surface. UND is averaging 3.82 goals per game through its first eleven contests; last year, North Dakota scored 3.93 goals/game. However, there are two key differences between this year’s team and last year’s to this point of the season:

North Dakota made a living with the puck last season (7th and 5th in two key puck possession statistics), and it started in the faceoff circle. In particular, Shane Pinto, Collin Adams, and Jasper Weatherby had UND at #1 in the nation in faceoff percentage (56.2%); this year, the Green and White clock in at #12 (53.2%).

The other glaring statistic surrounding this year’s squad is that opponents are averaging 2.56 goals per game; last season, UND held the opposition under two goals per contest (1.94).

After experiencing slow starts against Bemidji State, Quinnipiac, and Penn State, UND got back to its game over the past two weekends against Denver and Miami:

The Fighting Hawks scored twice early against DU in the second period to build a 2-0 lead on Friday night and held on to win 3-1, following up that effort with their most complete period of the season in Saturday’s opening frame. Brad Berry’s squad jumped out to a 2-0 lead after eleven minutes, survived a strong Denver second period, and completed the sweep with two goals in the third.

In the two-game series against the Pios, North Dakota led for nearly ninety minutes of game action and never trailed. And last weekend on the road at Miami, the Fighting Hawks scored the first goal of each game, extended leads, never trailed, and led on the scoreboard for 85 game minutes.

This is the recipe for success for this year’s squad – keep games close and settle in rather than having to chase the game.

In its three losses (vs. Bemidji State, at Quinnipiac, vs. Penn State), North Dakota trailed each opponent by multiple goals at various points in the contest. BSU scored two goals in the opening 90 seconds and led until UND tied it with 38 seconds remaining, QU scored four consecutive goals to build a 4-1 lead midway through the third period, and PSU built a 2-0 lead through the first thirteen minutes of the opening frame in Nashville. In those three losses, the Fighting Hawks led for a TOTAL of five minutes and seven seconds.

The Fighting Hawks will need to do a better job of keeping games close early if they expect to complete for a top-half finish in the NCHC. To be fair, UND has played better in second periods this season – outshooting opponents 114-76 while scoring fifteen goals and allowing just seven – but when they’ve struggled out of the gate, they have often been behind and chasing the scoreboard by that point.

Why is it important to bring all of this up as UND enters a three-week gauntlet against #4 Duluth, #2 St. Cloud State, and #7 Minnesota? Because the stronger competition will expose these areas even as Brad Berry’s team develops some chemistry. Splits are very possible on home ice, something that has been nearly unheard of over the past two seasons (North Dakota went 27-2-0 over the past two seasons at the Ralph). An overall record of 45-10-5 (.792) over the past two seasons has certainly raised the already-high bar for the UND faithful, but fans should temper expectations and expect close, frustrating contests until January and beyond. Even with North Dakota’s 4-0 start in league play (the first since 2015-2016), this team is still finding its identity and will be a much tougher opponent in the second half of the season.

On the plus side, UND is taking advantage of scoring opportunities when they present themselves, lighting the lamp on 13.9% of shots on goal (good for 2nd in the country). Minnesota Duluth is in 32nd place in that category at 9.7%.

Duluth’s only two losses this season were a 5-1 home shellacking at the hands of #1 Michigan and a 4-3 road loss at #13 Western Michigan. UMD rebounded the following night with a 3-0 victory, and outscored Colorado College 5-0 last weekend. The only trouble with the CC result was that all five goals were scored in Friday’s opener; the teams skated to a snoozefest of a 0-0 tie on Saturday. The Bulldogs also have a home-and-home sweep of Minnesota to their credit this year (5-3, 2-1).

Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs

Head Coach: Scott Sandelin (21st season at UMD, 413-334-92, .547)
National Rankings: #4/#4

This Season: 7-2-1 overall, 2-1-1 NCHC (3rd)
Last Season: 15-11-2 overall, 13-9-2-0 NCHC (3rd)

2021-2022 Season Statistics:

Team Offense: 2.80 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 1.80 goals allowed/game

Power Play: 17.1% (6 of 35
Penalty Kill: 86.5% (32 of 37)

Key players: Sophomore FBlake Biondi (4-4-8), enior F Noah Cates (3-5-8), Junior F Quinn Olson (2-5-7), enior F Tanner Laderoute (5-1-6), Senior F Casey Gilling (2-4-6), Graduate F Kobe Roth (1-5-6), Senior F Koby Bender (2-3-5), Sophomore D Wyatt Kaiser (1-4-5), Freshman D Owen Gallatin (2-2-4), Junior G Ryan Fanti (6-1-1, 1.36 GAA, .946 SV%, 3 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Brad Berry (7th season at UND ; 146-66-24, .669)
National Ranking: #6/#6
This Season: 8-3-0 overall, 4-0-0 NCHC (1st)
Last Season: 22-6-1 overall (NCAA Regional Finalist), 18-5-1 NCHC (1st)

Team Offense: 3.82 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.55 goals allowed/game

Power Play: 28.2% (11 of 39)
Penalty Kill: 80.0% (36 of 45)

Key Players: Sophomore F Riese Gaber (6-7-13), Senior F Ashton Calder (7-6-13), Freshman F Jake Schmaltz (4-5-9), Junior F Judd Caulfield (3-5-8), Senior F Connor Ford (1-9-10), Sophomore F Louis Jamernik (3-3-6), Freshman F Matteo Costantini (4-5-9), Sophomore D Jake Sanderson (6-9-15), Sophomore D Tyler Kleven (3-2-5), Junior D Ethan Frisch (2-4-6), Senior G Zach Driscoll (8-3-0, 2.38 GAA, .896 SV%, 1 SO)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: March 27, 2021 (Fargo, ND). Minnesota Duluth outlasted North Dakota 3-2 in five overtimes to advance to the NCAA Frozen Four. UND scored two extra-attacker goals in the final two minutes of regulation to send the game long into the night. The three goaltenders involved in the contest combined to make 114 saves.

Last Meeting in Grand Forks: February 23, 2019. One night after a three-goal first period allowed North Dakota to cruise to a 4-1 victory, it was a two-goal second period that propelled the Bulldogs to a 3-2 win and a series split. The game-winning goal was scored on a 5×3 after UND’s Jackson Keane and Rhett Gardner took penalties 29 seconds apart. The teams combined for just 33 shots on goal in a tight-checking affair.

The Meeting That Never Was: Both teams advanced to the 2011 NCAA Frozen Four at Xcel Energy Center (St. Paul, Minnesota). UND could not get past Michigan, falling 2-0 despite outshooting the Wolverines 40-20. In the other national semifinal, Minnesota-Duluth defeated Notre Dame 4-3 and rode that momentum to the title game. The Bulldogs took the Wolverines to overtime before senior forward Kyle Schmidt scored the game winner and earned UMD their first national championship. North Dakota won two of the three games against Duluth that season, outscoring Scott Sandelin’s team 11-5.

All-time Series: UND leads the all-time series, 149-87-11 (.626). The teams first met in 1954, with North Dakota winning the first ten games between the schools by a combined score of 72-16. UMD’s first win over the Fighting Sioux (a 3-2 road victory on December 18th, 1959) did not sit well with the defending national champions. UND defeated Duluth 13-2 the following night.

Last Ten: North Dakota is 5-4-1 (.550) in the last ten games between the teams, although the Bulldogs have outscored the Hawks 26-25 over that stretch thanks to two five-goal performances in Duluth back in 2018 and a 7-4 home victory back in January of last year. Only two of the past ten UND-UMD games were played in Grand Forks.

Game News and Notes

Both head coaches this weekend are alumni of the University of North Dakota; Brad Berry (1983-86) and Scott Sandelin (1982-86) both played for UND under John “Gino” Gasparini. No current UND player has more than one career goal against the Bulldogs. According to KRACH, Minnesota Duluth has played the toughest schedule in the country to this point in the season; North Dakota’s schedule ranks 10th. These two teams will also tangle on February 18th and 19th in Duluth.

The Prediction

Both teams are playing very well right now, although Duluth appears to have an edge in experience and in net. The Fighting Hawks have a few things going for them as well: a more talented group of defensemen, the home crowd, and last line change. Brad Berry will match up his shutdown line of Gavin Hain, Louis Jamernik, and Mark Senden against Scott Sandelin’s skilled forwards, and that should keep both games close. With all of the growing pains that this year’s version of the Green and White have gone through, a split would be an excellent result, and that’s what I’ve got: UMD 3-2, UND 3-1.

Broadcast Information

Both games this weekend will be broadcast live on Midco Sports Network and also available online at NCHC.tv. Friday’s opener can also be seen on TSN in Canada. All UND men’s hockey games can be heard on stations across the UND Sports Home of Economy Radio Network as well as through the iHeart Radio app.

Social Media

Keep up with the action live during all UND hockey games by following @UNDmhockey and @UNDInsider on Twitter. Fans can also read the action via Brad Schlossman’s live chat on the Grand Forks Herald website.

As always, thank you for reading. I welcome your questions, comments, and suggestions. Follow me on Twitter (@DBergerHockey) for more information and insight. Here’s to hockey!

Weekend Preview: North Dakota at Miami

The Miami RedHawks only faced North Dakota three times last season, but that was more than enough for Chris Bergeron’s squad.

Way back on December 2nd, 2020, the two teams met in Omaha in the first pod game for either side. North Dakota blanked Miami 2-0 and put 39 shots on goal.

And in the rematch on December 20th – the final game of the Omaha pod – the RedHawks managed to score twice but allowed six North Dakota goals on 39 shots.

Miami put a total of 42 shots on frame over the course of those six periods of hockey.

After those two December tilts, the teams were not scheduled to face each other in the second half of the season. As fate would have it, however, top-seeded UND (18-5-1) drew last-place Miami (5-17-2) in the first round of the modified NCHC Frozen Faceoff. There was little drama in the contest, as the Fighting Hawks scored three goals in the first six minutes of the hockey game and cruised to a 6-2 victory, outshooting MU 46-28.

In the season series, North Dakota outscored Miami 14-4 while holding a 124-70 advantage in shots on goal.

Unfortunately for the RedHawks, that was the case all of last season, as Chris Bergeron’s squad only scored 48 goals all year (1.92 goals/game) while allowing 89 and were outshot 885-587. Goaltending kept things close, but Miami scored more than two goals in a game just seven times last year (in 25 games played).

Sophomore goaltender Ludvig Persson was a bright spot for Miami last season (5-11-2, 2.62, .925, 2 SO), but he has come down to earth in his first seven appearances this year, going just 2-4-1 with a goals-against average of 3.29 and a save percentage of .892.

Miami is scoring at a better pace this season (2.88 goals per game) and has scored more than two goals in four of eight games this year. The issue has been that MU is allowing 3.5 goals per contest and has not held an opponent under two goals all season.

Over the first eight seasons of the NCHC, Miami has averaged worse than a sixth-place finish (8th, 2nd, 5th, 7th, 8th, 8th, 7th, 8th), with a combined league record of 55-117-20 (.339).

By comparison, North Dakota has finished 2nd, 1st, 1st, 4th, 4th, 5th, 1st, and 1st for an average finish somewhere between 2nd and 3rd place and a combined league record of 116-61-15 (.643). No other league member has collected as many conference wins as UND.

When the National Collegiate Hockey Conference was formed, Miami appeared positioned to be a dominant program. Prior to the 2013-14 season (their inaugural campaign in the NCHC), the RedHawks had made eight consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, with consecutive Frozen Four bids in 2009 (2nd) and 2010 (3rd). Since joining the NCHC, Miami has just one NCAA tournament appearance (2015), and that ended quickly with a first-round loss to eventual national champion Providence.

Long-tenured head coach Enrico Blasi was fired after posting a fourth consecutive losing season in 2018-2019. Over that stretch of time, the RedHawks were 47-81-19 (.384). There is reason for optimism in Oxford, however, with new bench boss Chris Bergeron taking over the program after leading Bowling Green to six consecutive winning seasons, five consecutive years with twenty or more victories, and an NCAA tournament appearance in 2018-2019.

Incidentally, Bergeron recruited current UND grad transfer Connor Ford to Bowling Green; Ford scored 53 goals and added 61 assists for 114 points in his four seasons (148 games) with the Falcons.

Eight full seasons have come and gone since the college hockey landscape changed forever. With Minnesota and Wisconsin departing the Western Collegiate Hockey Association for the Big Ten after the 2012-13 season, several other conference schools and two members of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association created the National Collegiate Hockey Conference and left Alaska Anchorage, Bemidji State, Michigan Tech, and Minnesota State behind in a watered-down WCHA. And now, the WCHA is no more, and the CCHA has re-formed for the 2021-2022 campaign.

The NCHC has been the premier hockey conference since its inception, and particularly over the past five seasons. The eight teams in the league have gone 385-199-80 (.640) in non-conference action since the start of the 2014-15 season and sent eleven teams to the Frozen Four (UND and Omaha in 2015, UND and Denver in 2016, Denver and Duluth in 2017, Duluth in 2018, Denver and Duluth in 2019, Duluth and St. Cloud State in 2021) over that seven-year stretch (there was no national tournament in 2020). Conference members North Dakota (2016), Denver (2017), and Minnesota Duluth (2018, 2019) have won four of the last five national titles.

Despite losing all of that firepower and scoring depth, the offensive numbers appear to be fine on the surface. UND is averaging 3.67 goals per game through its first nine contests; last year, North Dakota scored 3.93 goals/game. There is one concerning metric, however: in my opinion, the Fighting Hawks have been relying too heavily on the power play (10 of 33 goals this season, 30.3% of the team’s offensive production) and not generating enough chances at even strength. Last year, the power play units were effective but not essential, accounting for 29 of UND’s 114 goals scored (25.4%).

This is concerning for multiple reasons, not the least of which is the fact that Brad Berry’s squad will not have the puck enough this season to draw the number of power plays required to win in this fashion. Through nine games, UND has had 31 man advantage opportunities (3.4/game) while finding themselves shorthanded 37 times (4.1/game) and allowing six power play goals. Last year, the Green and White averaged 4.3 power plays per game while finding themselves shorthanded exactly four times per contest. Coupled with four shorthanded goals, this led to a +17 specialty teams margin last season. This year, North Dakota sits at +3 through nine games and now finds itself in the gauntlet of the NCHC schedule.

And to drill down on this point a bit further, why will UND not enjoy a power play quantity advantage over opponents this season? Quite simply, they will not possess the puck enough. The team chasing the puck will hook, hold, obstruct, interfere, and trip opponents in order to regain possession or prevent scoring chances. North Dakota made a living with the puck last season (7th and 5th in two key puck possession statistics), and it started in the faceoff circle. In particular, Shane Pinto, Collin Adams, and Jasper Weatherby had UND at #1 in the nation in faceoff percentage (56.2%); this year, the Green and White clock in at #19 (52.1%).

Having the puck most of the time also led to a 33-26 shot advantage last season; this year, it’s nearly dead even at 26-24. With top-end talent and puck possession, UND scored nearly four goals per game last year while allowing less than two (1.94); the most glaring statistic with this year’s squad is that opponents are averaging 2.56 goals per game.

After experiencing slow starts against Bemidji State, Quinnipiac, and Penn State, UND got back to its game against Denver last weekend. The Fighting Hawks scored twice early in the second period to build a 2-0 lead on Friday night and held on to win 3-1, following up that effort with their most complete period of the season in Saturday’s opening frame. Brad Berry’s squad jumped out to a 2-0 lead after eleven minutes, survived a strong DU second period, and completed the sweep with two goals in the third.

In the two-game series, North Dakota led for nearly ninety minutes of game action and never trailed. This is the recipe for success for this year’s squad – keep games close and settle in rather than having to chase the game.

The Fighting Hawks will need to do a better job of keeping games close early if they expect to complete for a top-half finish in the NCHC. To be fair, UND has played better in second periods this season – outshooting opponents 92-61 while scoring thirteen goals and allowing just six – but when they’ve struggled out of the gate, they have often been behind and chasing the scoreboard by that point.

Why is it important to bring all of this up as UND enters league play? Because the stronger competition will expose these areas even as Brad Berry’s team develops some chemistry. Splits are very possible on home ice, something that has been nearly unheard of over the past two seasons (North Dakota went 27-2-0 over the past two seasons at the Ralph). An overall record of 45-10-5 (.792) over the past two seasons has certainly raised the already-high bar for the UND faithful, but fans should temper expectations and expect close, frustrating contests until January and beyond. Even with North Dakota’s home sweep of Denver last weekend, this team is still finding its identity and will be a much tougher opponent in the second half of the season.

A half-point per game or better is my benchmark for solid offensive production, and Chris Bergeron’s squad has ten players who meet that threshold: junior forward Joe Cassetti (3-2-5), senior forward Matt Barry (2-3-5), freshman forward Chase Gresock (3-2-5), junior forward Ryan Savage (3-1-4), freshman forward Red Savage (0-4-4), sophomore forward Thomas Daskas (2-2-4), senior forward Michael Regush (1-3-4), senior defenseman Derek Daschke (2-3-5), junior defenseman Alec Capstick (1-2-3), and junior defenseman Jack Clement (1-3-4).

By that same measure, Brad Berry has nine players at a half point or better per game and three averaging a point per game or better: sophomore forward Riese Gaber (4-7-11), sophomore defenseman Jake Sanderson (3-6-9), and senior forward Ashton Calder (5-4-9). Other offensive contributors include freshman forward Jake Schmaltz (4-4-8), junior forward Judd Caulfield (3-5-8), freshman forward Matteo Costantini (3-4-7), senior forward Connor Ford (1-5-6), sophomore forward Louis Jamernik (3-3-6), and junior defenseman Ethan Frisch.

On the plus side, UND is taking advantage of scoring opportunities when they present themselves, lighting the lamp on 14.1% of shots on goal (good for 3rd in the country). Miami is in 12th place in that category at 11.9%.

Both teams have had goaltending struggles to this point in the season, with Miami (a team save percentage of .888) and North Dakota (.895) ranking in the bottom half of all men’s Division I hockey teams in that statistic. To be fair, Zach Driscoll (6-3-0, 2.35 GAA, .904 SV%, 1 SO), who has played every minute in net for UND, rebounded from a subpar performance in Nashville (five goals allowed on 22 shots) to make 43 of 45 saves last weekend against Denver (one goal allowed each night).

For Miami, sophomore Ludvig Persson (2-4-1, 3.29 GAA, .892 SV%) has played the majority of minutes between the pipes, with junior Logan Neaton (0-1-0, 2.99 GAA, .907%) appearing in two games. Persson is the reigning NCHC Rookie of the Year.

After this weekend, #7/#7 North Dakota (6-3-0) will face three consecutive ranked opponents, all from the state of Minnesota:

November 19th and 20th: vs. #4/#4 Minnesota Duluth (6-2-0)
November 26th and 27th: vs. #6/#8 Minnesota (6-4-0)
December 3rd and 4th: at #1/#1 St. Cloud State (8-2-0)

Miami RedHawks

Head Coach: Chris Bergeron (3rd season at Miami, 15-44-8, .284)
National Rankings: NR/NR

This Season: 2-5-1 overall, 1-1-0 NCHC (t-3rd)
Last Season: 5-18-2 overall, 5-17-2 NCHC (8th)

Team Offense: 2.71 goals scored/game – 29th of 59 teams
Team Defense: 3.57 goals allowed/game – 50th of 59 teams
Power Play: 16.1% (5 of 31) – 33rd of 59 teams
Penalty Kill: 78.3% (18 of 23) – 43rd of 59 teams

Key players: Junior F Joe Cassetti (3-2-5), Senior F Matt Barry (2-3-5), Freshman F Chase Gresock (3-2-5), Junior F Ryan Savage (3-1-4), Freshman F Red Savage (0-4-4), Sophomore F Thomas Daskas (2-2-4), Senior F Michael Regush (1-3-4), Senior D Derek Daschke (2-3-5), Junior D Alec Capstick (1-2-3), Junior D Jack Clement (1-3-4), Sophomore G Ludvig Persson (2-4-1, 3.29 GAA, .892 SV%)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Brad Berry (7th season at UND ; 144-66-24, .667)
National Ranking: #7/#7
This Season: 6-3-0 overall, 2-0-0 NCHC (1st)
Last Season: 22-6-1 overall (NCAA Regional Finalist), 18-5-1 NCHC (1st)

Team Offense: 3.67 goals scored/game – 9th of 59 teams
Team Defense: 2.56 goals allowed/game – 27th of 59 teams
Power Play: 30.3% (10 of 33) – 6th of 59 teams
Penalty Kill: 84.6% (33 of 39) – 29th of 59 teams

Key Players: Sophomore F Riese Gaber (4-7-11), Senior F Ashton Calder (5-4-9), Freshman F Jake Schmaltz (4-4-8), Junior F Judd Caulfield (3-5-8), Senior F Connor Ford (1-5-6), Sophomore F Louis Jamernik (3-3-6), Freshman F Matteo Costantini (3-4-7), Sophomore D Jake Sanderson (3-6-9), Sophomore D Tyler Kleven (2-1-3), Junior D Ethan Frisch (2-3-5), Senior G Zach Driscoll (6-3-0, 2.35 GAA, .904 SV%, 1 SO)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: March 12, 2021 (Grand Forks, ND). Top-seeded UND (18-5-1) drew last-place Miami (5-17-2) in the first round of the modified NCHC Frozen Faceoff. There was little drama in the contest, as the Fighting Hawks scored three goals in the first six minutes of the hockey game (including two by Collin Adams and cruised to a 6-2 victory, outshooting MU 46-28. Over the next four days, North Dakota would defeat Denver 2-1 (OT) and St. Cloud State 5-3 to claim the program’s first NCHC postseason tournament title.

Last Meeting in Miami: January 18, 2020. One night after the teams skated to a 4-4 tie, North Dakota exploded with three goals in the third period to escape with a 5-3 road victory. Miami had taken a 3-2 lead on a power play goal with just fifty seonds remaining in the middle frame. UND’s Cole Smith potted the game-winner with just 64 ticks on the clock, and Westin Michaud added an empty net goal 37 seconds later to ice the contest. The Fighting Hawks outshot the RedHawks 36-22 for the game and 73-38 in the series.

Most Important Meeting: March 6, 2015 (Oxford, OH). North Dakota claimed the Penrose Cup with a 2-1 road victory over Miami. UND fell flat the following night, losing 6-3 in the final game of the regular season.

Last Ten: UND has picked up seven wins and two ties (7-1-2, .800) in the past ten contests between the teams, outscoring Miami 42-22 over that stretch of games. The RedHawks have not beaten North Dakota since November 10, 2018, a 3-2 home victory.

All-time Series: North Dakota leads the all-time series 20-7-4 (.710), including a 6-4-2 (.583) record in games played in Oxford, Ohio. The teams first played in 1999 (Badger Showdown, Milwaukee, WI).

Game News and Notes

In his three games against Miami last season, sophomore forward Riese Gaber scored four goals and added an assist. In this year’s unbalanced schedule, this will be the last time that the two teams tangle in the regular season. Friday’s opener will be MU’s second home game of the season. Green Hawks are preferable to RedHawks.

The Prediction

I don’t expect this to be easy for North Dakota, as Brad Berry will not have the benefit of last line change to contain Miami’s top two lines of Fletcher-Regush-Ryan Savage and Gresock-Red Savage-Barry. Those six players have accounted for 23 of MU’s 34 points from forwards this season. I expect some bumps in the road early in Friday’s contest, and I am also interested to see how Saturday’s afternoon start affects both teams. I think that the Fighting Hawks have grown over the past three weekends and will outscore the home team in this series; it’s really a matter of whether Miami can keep one close and win late. UND 3-2, 5-1.

Broadcast Information

Both games this weekend will be available online at NCHC.tv; puck drop is set for 6:05 Central Time on Friday and 4:05 Central Time on Saturday. All UND men’s hockey games can be heard on stations across the UND Sports Home of Economy Radio Network as well as through the iHeart Radio app.

Social Media

As always, thank you for reading. I welcome your questions, comments, and suggestions. Follow me on Twitter (@DBergerHockey) for more information and insight. Here’s to hockey!

Weekend Preview: UND vs. Denver

In last season’s NCHC Frozen Faceoff semifinals (held at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks), North Dakota needed overtime to outlast a gutsy performance by a Pios squad that had been decimated by COVID-19. DU dressed only nine forwards for the contest but led 1-0 with under 90 seconds remaining. With the goalie pulled, the Fighting Hawks’ Shane Pinto blasted a shot on net that hit Jasper Weatherby on the way in to send the game to overtime. It took over eight minutes of extra time before Gavin Hain sent the home crowd into a frenzy with a blast of his own that sent the Green and White into the championship game; Denver had just killed Antti Tuomisto’s boarding minor but could not clear the zone. UND outshot the weary Pioneers 20-4 in the third period and overtime.

With the playoff victory, North Dakota moved to 20-5-1 on the season; David Carle’s squad saw its season end at 10-13-1, the first time DU failed to advance to the NCAA tournament since 2007. Last year was the first losing campaign for DU since the 1999-2000 team went 16-23-2. UND won five of the seven meetings between the teams last season, outscoring the Pios 22-14. North Dakota allowed ten goals in the first three meetings with a record of 1-2; since their loss in game one at Denver on January 17th, the Fighting Hawks notched four consecutive victories over DU (15 goals for, 4 goals against). That mid-January defeat was definitely a wakeup call for Brady Berry’s squad; from that point until the end of the season, the Green and White went 13-3 outscoring opponents 69-28.

In the NCHC, it is clear that Denver/North Dakota is at the top of the league rivalries. The teams have played 34 times during the first seven seasons of the new conference, but the feud goes all the way back to Geoff Paukovitch’ illegal check on Sioux forward Robbie Bina during the 2005 WCHA Final Five.

Since that 2005 Final Five contest (a Denver victory), the two teams have met thirteen times in tournament play. Denver won the 2005 NCAA title with a victory over North Dakota and claimed a 2008 WCHA Final Five win as well. UND has earned six victories and a tie in the last ten playoff games between the schools, including three consecutive victories in the WCHA Final Five (2010-2012), the 2011 NCAA Midwest Regional final which sent the Fighting Sioux to the Frozen Four, 2016’s thrilling Frozen Four semifinal (a 4-2 UND victory) in Tampa, Florida, and the 2017 NCHC Frozen Faceoff semifinal in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Denver turned the tables by dispatching North Dakota in the first round of the league playoffs at Magness Arena to end the Fighting Hawks’ 2018-2019 campaign.

(It is impossible to bring up the Paukovitch/Bina incident without also writing that Brad Malone‘s check on Denver’s Jesse Martin during an October 2010 contest at Ralph Engelstad Arena fractured three of Martin’s vertebrae and ended the hockey career of the Atlanta Thrashers’ draft pick.)

And last season was no different, with the teams combining for 187 penalty minutes in six regular season games (the NCHC semifinal game featured just four minor penalties). The last contest between the squads in Denver saw a DU goaltender run over with nine minutes remaining, which ignited tempers further. That spilled over to the series in Grand Forks in February, with the Pioneers “winning” the penalty minute battle 54-29. North Dakota won the specialty teams battle, scoring two goals on ten man advantage opportunities and blanking DU on its ten power play chances.

In Saturday’s series finale, North Dakota led on the scoreboard 5-2 thanks to two goals by Jasper Weatherby and 18 saves from Peter Thome, who started in place of injured netminder Adam Scheel. And how was Scheel injured, you might ask? Denver’s Kohen Olischefski ran Scheel from behind late in Friday’s 3-0 UND victory. Olischefski was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct for goaltender interference and was issued an additional one-game suspension by the league office.

Despite losing all of that firepower and scoring depth, the offensive numbers appear to be fine on the surface. UND is averaging 3.71 goals per game through its first seven contests; last year, North Dakota scored 3.93 goals/game. There is one concerning metric, however: in my opinion, the Fighting Hawks are relying too heavily on the power play (8 of 26 goals this season, 30.8% of the team’s offensive production) and not generating enough chances at even strength. Last year, the power play units were effective but not essential, accounting for 29 of UND’s 114 goals scored (25.4%).

This is concerning for multiple reasons, not the least of which is the fact that Brad Berry’s squad will not have the puck enough this season to draw the number of power plays required to win in this fashion. Through seven games, UND has had 26 man advantage opportunities (3.7/game) while finding themselves shorthanded 32 times (4.6/game) and allowing six power play goals. Last year, the Green and White averaged 4.3 power plays per game while finding themselves shorthanded exactly four times per contest. Coupled with four shorthanded goals, this led to a +17 specialty teams margin last season. This year, North Dakota sits at +2 through seven games and now enters league play against arguably stronger competition.

Having the puck most of the time also led to a 33-26 shot advantage last season; this year, it’s nearly dead even at 26-25. With top-end talent and puck possession, UND scored nearly four goals per game last year while allowing less than two (1.94); the most glaring statistic with this year’s squad is that opponents are averaging three goals per game.

This season, it’s Denver who has been dominating puck possession, sitting at #2 in the country in both Corsi and Fenwick (63.6% in each category), while North Dakota clocks in at 18th and 20th. UND fans who watched the series at Quinnipiac should expect something very similar against the Pioneers; QU played the same puck possession game to near perfection against the Fighting Hawks.

UND has been plagued by slow starts this season, allowing the first goal in four of seven contests. In two of those games, North Dakota found itself down 2-0 in short order. Brad Berry’s squad has experienced three distinct game types so far this season:

North Dakota won with relative ease against Niagara, scoring the first goal at 3:01 of the first period on Friday night and at the 1:09 mark of the opening frame on Saturday night. On the weekend, UND never trailed, was tied for just 4:10, and led for almost 116 of the 120 minutes of the series.

In two tightly contested victories (at Bemidji State, at Quinnipiac), the Fighting Hawks led for over 67 minutes, were tied for 33 minutes, and trailed just nineteen minutes combined over the two contests. More importantly, UND never trailed by more than a single goal in either game. This is the recipe for success for this year’s squad – keep games close and settle in rather than having to chase the game.

The Fighting Hawks will need to do a better job of keeping games close early if they expect to complete for a top-half finish in the NCHC. To be fair, UND has played better in second periods this season – outshooting opponents 76-46 while scoring eleven goals and allowing just four – but they’ve far too often been behind and chasing the scoreboard by that point.

Turning our attention to this weekend’s matchup, a half-point per game or better is my benchmark for solid offensive production, and David Carle’s squad has fourteen active players who meet that threshold and SEVEN averaging a point per game or better: sophomore forward Carter Savoie (6-6-12), junior forward Bobby Brink (3-6-9), senior forward Cole Guttman (3-6-9), freshman forward Massimo Rizzo (5-3-8), junior defenseman Justin Lee (1-3-4 in three games), freshman defenseman Sean Behrens (0-7-7), and senior forward Brett Stapley (1-5-6). Rizzo was a former North Dakota recruit.

By that same measure, Brad Berry has nine players at a half point or better per game and four averaging a point per game or better: sophomore forward Riese Gaber (3-6-9), sophomore defenseman Jake Sanderson (3-5-8), freshman forward Jake Schmaltz (4-4-8), and senior forward Ashton Calder (4-3-7).

On the plus side, UND is taking advantage of scoring opportunities when they present themselves, lighting the lamp on 14.2% of shots on goal. Denver sits a ways back at 11.8%. The issue for North Dakota is that they are not generating enough shot attempts. DU is putting over 42 shots on net per game, scoring an average of five goals per contest. Remarkably, the Pioneers are allowing less than 25 shots on goal per game.

Both teams have had goaltending struggles to this point in the season, with Denver (a team save percentage of .878) and North Dakota (.880) ranking in the bottom quarter of all men’s Division I hockey teams in that statistic.

Zach Driscoll (4-3-0, 2.74 GAA, .890 SV%, 1 SO) has played every minute in net for UND, while junior Magnus Chrona (3-1-0, 3.12 GAA, .868 SV%) and freshman Matt Davis (1-1-0, 2.36 GAA, .911 SV%, 1 SO) have split time for the Pios.

Denver Pioneers

Head Coach: David Carle (4th season at DU, 59-36-12, .607)
National Rankings: #11/#13

This Season: 4-2-0 overall, 0-0-0 NCHC
Last Season: 10-13-1 overall, 9-12-1 NCHC (5th)

Team Offense: 5.00 goals scored/game – 2nd of 59 teams
Team Defense: 3.00 goals allowed/game – 36th of 59 teams
Power Play: 27.6% (8 of 29) – 9th of 59 teams
Penalty Kill: 57.7% (15 of 26) – 57th of 59 teams

Key players: Sophomore F Carter Savoie (6-6-12), Junior F Bobby Brink (3-6-9), Senior F Cole Guttman (3-6-9), Freshman F Massimo Rizzo (5-3-8), Senior F Brett Stapley (1-5-6), Junior D Justin Lee (1-3-4 in three games), Freshman D Sean Behrens (0-7-7), Freshman G Matt Davis (1-1-0, 2.36 GAA, .911 SV%, 1 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Brad Berry (7th season at UND ; 142-66-24, .664)
National Ranking: #8/#10
This Season: 4-3-0 overall, 0-0-0 NCHC
Last Season: 22-6-1 overall (NCAA Regional Finalist), 18-5-1 NCHC (1st)

Team Offense: 3.71 goals scored/game – 11th of 59 teams
Team Defense: 3.00 goals allowed/game – 26th of 59 teams
Power Play: 32.1% (9 of 28) – 5th of 59 teams
Penalty Kill: 82.4% (28 of 34) – 33rd of 59 teams

Key Players: Sophomore F Riese Gaber (3-6-9), Senior F Ashton Calder (4-3-7), Freshman F Jake Schmaltz (4-4-8), Junior F Judd Caulfield (3-3-6), Senior F Connor Ford (1-5-6), Sophomore F Louis Jamernik (1-3-4), Sophomore D Jake Sanderson (3-5-8), Sophomore D Tyler Kleven (1-1-2), Junior D Ethan Frisch (2-2-4), Senior G Zach Driscoll (4-3-0, 2.74 GAA, .890 SV%, 1 SO)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: March 15, 2021 (Grand Forks, ND). A Denver Pioneers squad with just nine forwards due to COVID-19 protocols almost outlasted a deep and highly skilled North Dakota team in front of 2500 fans on a rare Monday showdown at Ralph Engelstad Arena. Carter Savoie scored a power play goal in the second period that nearly held up as the game-winner, but UND’s Shane Pinto had other plans: his rocket from the faceoff circle went past Magnus Chrona off of Jasper Weatherby and sent the game to overtime. Six seconds after a Fighting Hawks’ power play expired, Gavin Hain won it for North Dakota. UND outshot the Pios 32-18.

A Recent Memory: April 7, 2016 (Tampa, Florida). In the semifinals of the NCAA Frozen Four, the two league rivals squared off in a tightly-contested matchup. Senior forward Drake Caggiula scored twice early in the middle frame to stake UND to a 2-0 lead, but the Pioneers battled back with a pair of third period goals. The CBS line came through when it mattered most, with Nick Schmaltz scoring the game winner off of a faceoff win with 57 seconds remaining in the hockey game. North Dakota blocked 27 Denver shot attempts and goaltender Cam Johnson made 21 saves for the Fighting Hawks, who won the program’s eighth national title on the same sheet of ice two nights later.

Most Important Meeting: It’s hard to pick just one game, as the two teams have played four times for the national title. Denver defeated UND for the national championship in 1958, 1968, and 2005, while the Sioux downed the Pioneers in 1963. But the game that stands out in recent memory as “the one that got away” was DU’s 1-0 victory over the Fighting Sioux in the 2004 NCAA West Regional final (Colorado Springs, CO). That North Dakota team went 30-8-4 on the season (Dean Blais’ last behind the UND bench) and featured one of the deepest rosters in the past twenty years: Brandon Bochenski, Zach Parise, Brady Murray, Colby Genoway, Drew Stafford and David Lundbohm up front; Nick Fuher, Matt Jones, Matt Greene, and Ryan Hale on defense; and a couple of goaltending stalwarts in Jordan Parise and Jake Brandt.

Last Ten Games: North Dakota won the last three meetings of the 2019-2020 season, outscoring the Pios 13-3 in the process. Splits in the Omaha pod and in Denver plus a February home sweep and the aforementioned NCHC playoff semifinal give the Fighting Hawks an 8-2-0 (.800) advantage over the last ten games. UND has outscored DU 35-17 over that stretch, including a 19-5 scoreboard advantage in five home victories.

All-time Series: UND leads the all-time series, 154-130-16 (.540), with a considerable edge of 90-44-10 (.660) in games played in Grand Forks. The teams first met in 1950, with North Dakota prevailing 18-3 in Denver. The 300 games played between the schools is the most among all of UND’s opponents.

Game News and Notes

Through six games, Denver has allowed eleven power play goals to opponents. UND captain Mark Senden has faced Denver 17 times in his collegiate career, with one goal and six assists in those contests. Senden scored the first goal in North Dakota’s Saturday night victory over Quinnipiac two weeks ago; the Fighting Hawks are now 14-2-0 when Senden scores a goal. Nine of Denver head coach David Carle’s 36 head coaching losses have come against UND. Last season, the Fighting Hawks won the Penrose Cup as NCHC regular season champions for the fourth time in the eight-year history of the league; the Pioneers have captured the Penrose only once (2016-2017). Since seven of Michigan’s nine titles were earned by 1964, I consider Denver (eight titles) and North Dakota (eight titles) to be the top two men’s college hockey programs of all time.

The Prediction

For the first time in a long time, Denver appears to hold the roster advantage. It will be interesting to see how this next chapter in the rivalry plays out. I expect North Dakota to trail for large stretches of this series as they have against tough opponents to this point in the season. The difference may just come down to goaltending, but I have a feeling that there will be plenty of goals scored at the Ralph this weekend. DU 5-3, UND 4-3.

Broadcast Information

Both games this weekend will be broadcast live on Midco Sports Network and also available via high-definition webcast at NCHC.tv. All UND men’s hockey games can be heard on stations across the UND Sports Home of Economy Radio Network as well as through the iHeart Radio app.

Social Media

As always, thank you for reading. I welcome your questions, comments, and suggestions. Follow me on Twitter (@DBergerHockey) for more information and insight. Here’s to hockey!