Back in 2015, UND cruised through the NCAA West Regional at Scheels Arena (Fargo, North Dakota) with a pair of 4-1 victories (vs. Quinnipiac and St. Cloud State). The reward for that accomplishment? A Frozen Four semifinal matchup against Boston University at TD Garden (Boston, Massachusetts). Dave Hakstol, coaching his last college game, saw his team fall behind 2-0 and 4-1 before mounting a late third-period comeback that fell just short (BU’s Jack Eichel potted an empty-net goal with just under twenty seconds remaining to make the final score 5-3).
It was that unfinished business, coupled with a heartbreaking last-second loss to Minnesota in the 2014 national semifinals, that fueled North Dakota’s 2016 title run, the eighth in team history.
In the 2017 tournament, UND welcomed the Terriers to Fargo. Two early third-period goals by BU broke a 1-1 tie, and things were looking grim for the home team. Enter Ludvig Hoff and Christian Wolanin, who potted goals 200 seconds apart late in the final frame to send the game to overtime. The rally came after a nearly 15-minute delay to replace a pane of broken glass caused by a check from UND forward Mike Gornall, who crushed Kiefer Bellows into the second row.
North Dakota had an apparent winning goal by freshman Dixon Bowen disallowed at 3:48 of the first overtime. After a lengthy review, it was determined that the play was offside, even though the video evidence used to make that determination was shot through a potato.
The Terriers advanced to the regional final on a Charlie McAvoy tally 11:38 into the second overtime. The Fighting Hawks outshot Boston University 59-29 in the losing effort. UND went 0-for-6 with the man advantage. Jake Oettinger (now with the Dallas Stars) made 56 saves. North Dakota saw 51 shots blocked by the Terrier defense and hit two posts along the way.
Boston University has changed head coaches twice since that time. David Quinn was replaced following the 2017-18 season, and Albie O’Connell lasted just four seasons, going 58-49-16 (.537) and making just one NCAA tournament appearance (2021).
Jay Pandolfo took over two seasons ago, and found immediate success, leading the Terriers to a 29-11-0 (.725) record, Hockey East regular season and playoff titles, and a Frozen Four appearance in 2023. BU fell to Minnesota 6-2 in the semifinals, with two late empty-net goals making the game appear more lopsided than it was.
Last season, Boston University went 28-10-2 with another appearance in the Frozen Four. BU lost in the national semifinals in heartbreaking fashion, losing to eventual national champion Denver 2-1 in overtime.
And turning our attention to this season…
#7 North Dakota followed up a 5-2 victory over #13 Providence in its home opener with a road split at #18 Minnesota State (3-2, 0-3). Curiously, UND actually played better in Saturday’s loss than in Friday’s victory; in the finale, the Fighting Hawks were done in by 34 blocked shots and a 27-save shutout performance from Mavericks junior netminder Alex Tracy.
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#3 Boston University is undefeated in the 2024-25 campaign (3-0-0), with victories over Holy Cross, Union, and Connecticut. BU has outscored opponents 13-5 and has trailed for less than five minutes of game action to this point in the season. It is worth noting that none of the Terriers three opponents are in the top 30 vote-getters in the USCHO rankings.
One key area to watch this weekend is the face-off circle. The Fighting Hawks are the nation’s 10th-best team on draws (55.3%), while Boston University clocks in at 54.6% (15th).
For UND, senior Jake Schmaltz has been making a living on draws, winning 29 of 44 (65.9%). Graduate forward Louis Jamernik V has been stellar as well (15 of 21; 71.4%). Surprisingly, senior Cameron Berg has struggled to this point in the season, winning just 40.6% of his draws (13 of 32).
For the Terriers, graduate forward Matt Coponi has taken the most draws, winning 27 of 50 (54.0%), while junior Ryan Greene has had the most success (28 of 49, 57.1%). A pair of freshman centermen – Brandon Svoboda (17 of 32, 53.1%) and Kamil Bednarik 17 of 34, 50.0%) – have been solid options as well.
Svoboda and Benarik are two of seven freshmen on this year’s BU roster, one year after the Terriers boasted nine rookies in the lineup.
Despite losing forward Macklin Celebrini (32-32-64 in 38 games; 2024 Hobey Baker Award winner) to the pros after one season, this year’s Terrier team might be even more talented overall.
Four of the seven freshmen are drafted:
Forward Cole Eiserman: 2024 Round 1 #20 to the New York Islanders.
Defenseman Cole Hutson: 2024 Round 2 #43 overall to the Washington Capitals.
Forward Kamil Bednarik: 2024 Round 2 #61 overall to the New York Islanders.
Eiserman, Hutson, and Bednarik all played for the U.S. National Development Team in Ann Arbor in each of the past two seasons.
Forward Brandon Svoboda: 2023 Round 3 #71 overall to the San Jose Sharks
Svoboda played for the Fargo Force last season.
Through three games this season, those four drafted players have accounted for six goals and three assists, led by Cole Eiserman, who has scored four goals on 13 shots. Three of his goals have come on the power play.
North Dakota has five drafted skaters among its eight first-year players, including a pair of highly-touted recruits:
Forward Sacha Boisvert: 2024 Round 1 #18 overall to the Chicago Blackhawks
Boisvert last played with the Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL).
Defenseman E.J. Emery: 2024 Round 1 #30 overall to the New York Rangers
Emery spent the last two seasons with the USNDT in Ann Arbor, where he was a teammate of current Boston University players Cole Eiserman, Cole Hutson, and Kamil Bednarik.
Other North Dakota freshmen who were drafted by NHL teams over the past three years include:
Defenseman Andrew Strathmann: 2023 Round 4 #98 overall to the Columbus Blue Jackets
Forward Mac Swanson: 2024 Round 7 #207 to the Pittsburgh Penguins
Forward Cade Littler: 2022 Round 7 #219 overall to the Calgary Flames
For North Dakota, the goal is simple: take another step in the national tournament. There is reason for optimism in Grand Forks, with an experienced d-corps, plenty of returning grit and skill, and a crop of freshmen with a tremendous amount of upside.
Non-conference games are critical in determining the sixteen teams for the NCAA tournament, and this weekend is North Dakota’s next opportunity to bolster their resume. After these two home games against Boston University (a member of Hockey East) UND has six non-conference games remaining this season:
November 1-2: at #8 Cornell (ECAC)
November 22-23: vs. Robert Morris (AHA)
November 29-30: at/vs. Bemidji State (CCHA)
So far this season, UND is 1-0 against Hockey East and 1-1 against the CCHA. A split or better this weekend would be an excellent result for North Dakota, as they would then have a winning record against the second-strongest conference in the country.
The Fighting Hawks will not play a non-conference game over the final four months of the season, with only a January 4th exhibition game against Manitoba on the schedule.
Boston University Team Profile
Head Coach: Jay Pandolfo (3rd season at BU, 60-21-2, .735)
National Rankings: #3/#3
This Season: 3-0-0 overall, 1-0-0-0 Hockey East (1st)
Last Season: 28-10-2 overall (NCAA Frozen Four semifinalist), 17-3-2-2 Hockey East (2nd)
2024-2025 Season Statistics:
Team Offense: 4.33 goals scored/game – 8th of 63 teams
Team Defense: 1.67 goals allowed/game – 9th of 63 teams
Power Play: 30.8% (4 of 13) – 7th of 58 teams
Penalty Kill: 91.7% (11 of 12) – 15th of 58 teams
Key Players: Sophomore F Shane Lachance (1-4-5), Freshman F Cole Eiserman (4-0-0), Junior F Ryan Greene (2-2-4), Junior F Quinn Hutson (0-4-4), Sophomore F Jack Harvey (1-2-3), Freshman F Alex Zetterberg (2-1-3), Sophomore D Tom Willander (1-2-3), Freshman D Cole Hutson (1-1-2), Senior G Caron Mathieu (3-0-0, 1.67 GAA, .947 SV%)
North Dakota Team Profile
Head Coach: Brad Berry (10th season at UND, 208-105-33, .649)
National Rankings: #7/#7
This Season: 2-1-0 overall, 0-0-0 NCHC
Last Season: 26-12-2 (NCAA tournament appearance), 14-4-1-5 NCHC (1st)
Team Offense: 2.67 goals scored/game – 29th of 58 teams
Team Defense: 2.33 goals allowed/game – 20th of 58 teams
Power Play: 42.9% (3 of 7) – 7th of 58 teams
Penalty Kill: 83.3% (5 of 6) – 32nd of 58 teams
Key Players: Junior F Owen McLaughlin (0-2-2), Senior F Cameron Berg (2-2-4), Junior F Dylan James (2-0-2), Sophomore F Jayden Perron (1-0-1), Graduate F Louis Jamernik V (1-1-2), Freshman F Sacha Boisvert (1-3-4), Freshman F Mac Swanson (0-0-0), Sophomore D Jake Livanavage (0-1-1), Sophomore D Abram Wiebe (0-2-2), Freshman D E.J. Emery (0-1-1), Freshman D Andrew Strathmann (0-1-1), Graduate G T.J. Semptimphelter (2-0-0. 2.00 GAA, .918 SV%)
By The Numbers
Last Meeting: November 4, 2023 (Boston, MA). The two teams battled to a 4-4 draw in regulation time, with UND forward Jackson Blake potting the game-winner twenty seconds into overtime. BU had drawn even with less than three minutes remaining in the third period. One night earlier, Boston University emerged victorious by a final score of 3-2. This writer watched both of those games on Kaanapali Beach in Maui.
Last Meeting in Grand Forks: November 3, 2012. The visiting Terriers handled the home team 4-2 in this one by outscoring North Dakota 3-0 in the third period. All three of those tallies came in the final six minutes of the hockey game. UND won the opener by the same score behind a hat trick from Conner Gaarder.
Last Meeting in North Dakota: March 24, 2017 (Fargo). In the first round of the NCAA tournament, UND welcomed the Terriers into a hostile environment at Scheels Arena. Two early third-period goals by BU broke a 1-1 tie, and things were looking grim for the “home” team. Enter Ludvig Hoff and Christian Wolanin, who potted goals 200 seconds apart late in the final frame to send the game to overtime. North Dakota had an apparent winning goal by freshman Dixon Bowen disallowed at 3:48 of the first overtime. After a lengthy review, it was determined that the play was offside, even though the video evidence used to make that determination was shot through a potato. The Terriers advanced to the regional final on a Charlie McAvoy tally 11:38 into the second overtime. The Fighting Hawks outshot Boston University 59-29 in the losing effort. UND went 0-for-6 with the man advantage. Jake Oettinger (now with the Dallas Stars) made 56 saves. North Dakota saw 51 shots blocked by the Terrier defense and hit two posts along the way.
Most Important Meeting: March 29, 1997 (Milwaukee, WI). North Dakota scored five goals in the second period and went on to defeat Boston University 6-4 for the 1997 NCAA championship (the program’s 6th). David Hoogsteen scored two goals for the Fighting Sioux, including a back-breaking tally with six seconds remaining in the middle frame.
All-time record: North Dakota leads the all-time series, 13-12-2 (.519), including a 6-1-1 (.813) mark in games played in Grand Forks. When the newly-formed Hockey East began play in 1984-1985, it created a five-year interlocking schedule with the WCHA. During that time, Boston University and North Dakota met 7 times, with John “Gino” Gasparini’s Fighting Sioux squad going 6-1-0 against Jack Parker’s Terriers. The teams first met in 1981.
Last Ten: Boston University has had the better of it lately, going 6-3-1 (.650) over the last ten games between the teams and outscoring UND 33-28 over that stretch.
Game News and Notes
The Terriers play their home games on a hybrid sheet of ice at Agannis Arena; the playing surface is 90 feet wide, five feet wider than NHL rinks but not as wide as the Olympic ice sheets (100 feet wide). Eight Boston University players hail from the state of Massaschusetts; five UND players are from North Dakota.
Broadcast Information
Both games this weekend will be broadcast live on Midco Sports and available online via NCHC.tv. All UND men’s hockey games, home and away, can be heard on stations across the UND Sports Home of Economy Radio Network as well as through the iHeart Radio app. Game times are 7:07 p.m. on Friday and 6:07 p.m. on Saturday.
The Prediction
Boston University doesn’t appear to have a weakness, although they haven’t faced the same level of competition as North Dakota has to this point in the season. It is also interesting to me that BU has not really been tested this year, trailing for less than five minutes of game action through their first three games. After being shut out last Saturday night at Minnesota State (despite having the better of the play), UND will be hungry for a goal in the opening period. If that happens, watch out, because the floodgates could open. I’ve got a home victory in the opener, with the talented Terriers proving to be too much to handle in Saturday’s finale. UND 5-3, BU 5-2.
As always, thank you for reading. I welcome your thoughts, comments, and suggestions.