Month: January 2025

#16 North Dakota (12-10-1 overall, 5-4-2-1 NCHC) travels to St. Cloud this weekend to face the unranked Huskies (11-13-0 overall, 3-7-1-3 NCHC) in a key league matchup at the National Hockey Center.

UND – currently tied with Denver for fourth place in the NCHC – leads St. Cloud State by six points in the conference standings, with six points up for grabs in this series. When the teams battled in Grand Forks back on December 13th and 14th, the Fighting Hawks took five of six possible points with a 2-0 regulation win and a 4-3 overtime victory.

Since those two losses at North Dakota, SCSU has gone 1-6, with a 2-1 home victory over St. Thomas and six straight conference losses (two each at Duluth, vs. Arizona State, and at Omaha). In those six NCHC defeats, the Huskies were outscored 27-12.

What is going on in St. Cloud?

In a word: goaltending.

Over the first two months of the season, sophomore Isak Posch played every minute between the pipes and gave SCSU nearly flawless goaltending, helping the Huskies win nine games while posting a goals-against average of 1.68, a save percentage of .938, and two shutouts.

Since his injury during warmups back on December 6th, here are the stat lines for St. Cloud’s other two netminders:

Graduate Gavin Enright: 2-7-0, 3.27 GAA, .892 SV%

Freshman James Gray: 0-2-0, 2.98 GAA, .900 SV%

Enright played both games at North Dakota last month (both losses), allowing six goals while making 63 saves.

Two seasons ago, St. Cloud State got the better of the Fighting Hawks, winning four of five games and ending UND’s season in the semifinals of the 2023 NCHC Frozen Faceoff in St. Paul.

During the 2022-23 regular season, SCSU embarrassed North Dakota in St. Cloud, winning both games on the wide sheet by comfortable margins (7-2, 6-3). On Friday night, a disastrous second period saw the Huskies score every which way: at even strength, shorthanded, with the extra attacker on a delayed penalty, and on the ensuing power play. Saturday’s game at the Herb Brooks Center was a different kind of disturbing for fans of the Green and White, as the visitors led 3-0 early in the second period. The Huskies would get on the board just 23 seconds after UND’s third tally, and then it was the Zach Okabe show, as the senior forward scored a natural hat trick in under nine minutes of game action (from the 18:12 mark of the middle frame through the 7:05 mark of the third period). SCSU would add two late goals – including an empty-netter – to make the score look lopsided.

In the rematch in Grand Forks, both games went to overtime, with UND scoring during 3-on-3 play on Friday night before losing in a shootout in Saturday’s finale.

Last season, the two teams tangled only twice, and North Dakota took four of six points on the road, winning Friday’s opener 5-3 before tying the homestanding Huskies 3-3 and losing in a shootout.

Turning our attention to this season…

A half-point per game or better is my benchmark for solid offensive production, and Brett Larson’s squad has just four lineup regulars who meet that threshold through the team’s first 24 games: freshman forward Austin Burnevik (10-10-20), sophomore forward Barrett Hall (4-13-17), sophomore forward Tyson Gross (8-7-15), and sophomore forward Verner Miettinen (3-9-12).

North Dakota bench boss Brad Berry has a healthier lineup than he’s had virtually all season. Senior forward Cameron Berg (6-5-11 in eleven games) has played the last four games after missing five consecutive weekends of action. Berg’s return leaves just senior forward/defenseman Dane Montgomery (day-to-day), senior defenseman Bennett Zmolek (out for the season), and junior goaltender Kaleb Johnson (out long-term) on the sidelines.

North Dakota boasts impressive scoring depth, with nine players at a half-point per game or better. The aforementioned Cameron Berg leads the way in scoring average with his eleven points in eleven games. Other consistent contributors include freshman forward Sacha Boisvert (9-9-18), graduate forward Louis Jamernik V (4-5-9 in seventeen games), junior forward Owen McLaughlin (1-13-14), sophomore forward Jayden Perron (7-6-13), freshman forward Mac Swanson (2-10-12), junior forward Dylan James (7-6-13), sophomore defenseman Jake Livanavage (2-14-16), and sophomore defenseman Abram Wiebe (4-13-17).

Offensively, UND outpaces SCSU by a large margin. To this point of the season, North Dakota has scored 69 goals in 23 games (3.00 goals per game, 25th in the country), while St. Cloud State has managed just 54 in 24 games (2.25, 54th).

The Fighting Hawks are 27th in the nation in shooting percentage at 10.0%. SCSU clocks in at 7.9%, good for 58th in the country. Both teams do an adequate job of getting the puck to the net, with UND averaging 30.1 shots on goal per game (24th) and the Huskies at 28.5 shots on goal per contest (39th).

On the defensive side, UND has only allowed 624 shots on goal this season in 23 games (27.1/game, 17th), while St. Cloud State has allowed 704 in 24 games (29.3, 31st).

Despite being outshot to this point in the season, SCSU is only allowing 2.67 goals per game, a mark good for 30th in the country. UND? 2.87 (35th).

Unfortunately for SCSU, it’s been a whole lot worse since early December:

With Isak Posch: 24 goals allowed in thirteen games (1.85)

Without Isak Posch: 40 goals allowed in eleven games (3.63)

Posch is not expected in the lineup this weekend.

UND has also lost the services of one if its goaltenders for the foreseeable future: junior Kaleb Johnson looks to be sidelined for an extended period of time; the team brought in Aleksi Huson to be the third goaltender on the roster. Huson backstopped Shakopee High School last season, serving as team captain while posting a record of 20-5-1 with a goals-against average of 2.13 and a save percentage of .934.

On the team side of things, I’m looking at a few important areas in this matchup…

UND far outpaces St. Cloud State in two key puck possession statistics:

North Dakota: 17th in Corsi (53.0%) and 21st in Fenwick (52.6%)
St. Cloud State: 34th in Corsi (49.8%) and 36th in Fenwick (49.0%)

Corsi measures the share of shot attempts for each team at even strength, while Fenwick measure the share of unblocked shot attempts for each team at even strength.

As always, a key area to watch this weekend is the face-off circle. The Fighting Hawks are the nation’s seventh-best team on draws (54.5%), while the Huskies clock in at 54.8% (6th).

For UND, senior Jake Schmaltz has been the go-to guy in all key situations, winning 249 of 427 (58.3%). Graduate transfer Carter Wilkie (56.5%, 194 of 343) has been a solid second option, and Cameron Berg has won 56.3 percent of his draws (90 of 160) in his eleven games.

For SCSU, three centers have split the majority of the duties. Senior Mason Salquist (246 of 440, 58.6%) has won the most draws, while sophomore Verner Miettinen has had almost identical success (202 of 351, 57.5 percent) and sophomore Tyson Gross (228 of 399, 57.1%) has shown remarkable improvement.

To this point in the season, the two teams are nearly identical in terms of overall specialty teams production, although they have chosen vastly different paths to get there.

North Dakota continues to live and die by the power play, with seventeen man-advantage goals scored in 70 opportunities (24.3%, 11th-best in the country). On the other side of the coin, UND has allowed TWENTY power play goals to opponents (56 of 76, 73.7%, 58th in the country). Add in three shorthanded goals scored and three allowed, and the Fighting Hawks are sitting at minus-3.

The Huskies are sitting at minus-1, but their splits are a bit less extreme. SCSU has scored twelve power play goals this season (12 of 62, 19.4%, 38th) and allowed thirteen (62 of 75, 82.7%, 20th). St. Cloud State has scored two shorthanded goals and allowed two this season.

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 U.S. National Development Team in Ann Arbor.

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

The three freshman forwards listed above have combined for thirteen goals and 21 assists in 66 games played this season, while Emery and Strathmann have totaled a goal and three assists while playing heavy minutes for the Hawks (Emery 20:03, Strathmann 12:06).

According to College Hockey News, North Dakota’s freshman class ranks #4 in the country.

By contrast, St. Cloud State boasts three drafted skaters among its eight-member freshman class, and they all bring quite a bit of size to the lineup:

6-3 200-pound defenseman Colin Ralph: 2024 Round 2 #48 overall to the St. Louis Blues

6-5 205-pound forward Daimon Gardner: 2022 Round 4 #112 overall to the Vancouver Canucks

6-4 200-pound forward Austin Burnevik: 2024 Round 6 #182 overall to the Anaheim Ducks

Burnevik leads the Huskies in scoring with a line of 10-10-20 in 23 games played. Gardner has scored four goals and added three assists in his first twenty collegiate games, while Ralph leads all SCSU blueliners with five assists.

This is a pivotal series, with both league points and Pairwise positioning at play. This weekend marks the first of six consecutive league series to end the regular season, alternating away and home along the way, with the much more difficult matchups away from Ralph Engelstad Arena:

at St. Cloud State (Pairwise 27)

vs. Colorado College (PWR 32)

at Denver (PWR 7)

vs. Minnesota Duluth (PWR 37)

at Western Michigan (PWR 6)

vs. Omaha (PWR 35)

UND is not scheduled to face league foes Arizona State (PWR 14) or Miami (PWR 62) again this season.

St. Cloud State Team Profile

Head Coach: Brett Larson (7th season at SCSU, 134-89-21, .592)

National Rankings: NR/NR
Pairwise Ranking: 27th
KRACH Rating: 116.4 (29th)

This Season: 11-13-0 overall, 3-7-1-3 NCHC (8th of 9 teams)
Last Season: 17-16-5 overall (missed NCAA tournament), 10-6-3-5 NCHC (tied for 3rd)

2024-25 Season Statistics:

Team Offense: 2.25 goals scored/game – 54th of 64 teams
Team Defense: 2.67 goals allowed/game – 30th of 64 teams

Power Play: 19.4% (12 of 62) – 38th of 64 teams
Penalty Kill: 82.7% (62 of 75) – 20th of 64 teams

Key players: Freshman F Austin Burnevik (10-10-20), Sophomore F Barrett Hall (4-13-17), Sophomore F Tyson Gross (8-7-15), Sophomore F Verner Miettinen (3-9-12), Junior F Grant Ahcan (5-6-11), Freshman D Colin Ralph 1-5-6), Senior D Josh Luedtke (2-5-7), Junior D Cooper Wylie (0-3-3), Graduate G Gavin Enright (2-7-0, 3.27 GAA, .892 SV%)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Brad Berry (10th season at UND, 218-114-34, .642)

National Rankings: #16/#17
Pairwise Ranking: 26th
KRACH: 148.2 (22nd)

This Season: 12-10-1 overall, 5-4-2-1 NCHC (t-4th of 9 teams)
Last Season: 26-12-2 (NCAA tournament appearance), 14-4-1-5 NCHC (1st)

Team Offense: 3.00 goals scored/game – 25th of 64 teams
Team Defense: 2.87 goals allowed/game – 35th of 64 teams

Power Play: 24.3% (17 of 70) – 11th of 64 teams
Penalty Kill: 73.7% (56 of 76) – 58th of 64 teams

Key Players: Freshman F Sacha Boisvert (9-9-18), Junior F Owen McLaughlin (1-13-14), Junior F Dylan James (7-6-13), Sophomore F Jayden Perron (7-6-13), Freshman F Mac Swanson (2-10-12), Senior F Jake Schmaltz (4-7-11), Senior F Cameron Berg (6-5-11 in eleven games), Sophomore D Jake Livanavage (2-14-16), Sophomore D Abram Wiebe (4-13-17), Junior D Caleb MacDonald (2-3-5), Graduate G T.J. Semptimphelter (10-7-1, 2.80 GAA, .899 SV%, 1 SO)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: December 14, 2024 (Grand Forks, ND). North Dakota’s Jake Schmaltz was the overtime hero for the Green and White, potting the game-winner just over two minutes into the 3-on-3 portion of the contest. UND never led in regulation and needed a third-period tally by Sacha Boisvert knot the game at three and send the game to an extra session. One night earlier, UND won 2-0 behind a 24-save shutout from T.J. Semptimphelter.

Last Meeting in St. Cloud: Saturday, January 20, 2024. One night after Jackson Blake’s three-point night propelled the visitors to a 5-3 victory, it was Cameron Berg who saved the day for the Green and White, potting his twelfth of the season with less than seven minutes remaining in regulation to knot the game at three. After a scoreless five-minute three-on-three session, two of three SCSU shooters scored in the skills competition to give the Huskies a second league point. For the weekend, SCSU outshot UND 72-48 and had to feel like they left some points on the table. Had St. Cloud State swept the visitors, the two teams would have tied for the regular-season league title.

A Recent Memory: March 16, 2021 (Grand Forks, ND). One night before St. Patrick’s Day, North Dakota enjoyed playing for the NCHC playoff title in front of a whole bunch of green. St. Cloud State led 2-1 after two periods, but the Fighting Hawks stormed back with four third-period goals – including three in the span of 122 seconds early in the final frame and an empty-netter to seal the 5-3 victory and the program’s first Frozen Faceoff championship. UND senior Jordan Kawaguchi and freshman Riese Gaber each had two goals and an assist.

Most Important Meeting: NCAA West Regional Final in Fargo, ND (March 28, 2015). North Dakota scored three unassisted goals over the final two periods of the hockey game to defeat St. Cloud State 4-1 in the West Regional Final and advance to the NCAA Frozen Four. Jimmy Murray got the Huskies on the board less than 90 seconds in to the hockey game, but that did nothing to quiet the partisan crowd of 5,307 at SCHEELS Arena. Four different players scored for UND, while Zane McIntyre made 19 stops to earn his 29th and final victory of the season.

All-Time Series: North Dakota leads the all-time series, 83-49-18 (.613), including a slim edge (31-26-9,.538) in games played in St. Cloud. The teams have been squaring off regularly since the 1989-90 season but have only met once in the NCAA tournament (2015).

Last Ten: UND holds a slight 4-3-3 (.550) edge in the last ten games between the schools, although the Huskies hold a scoring advantage of 33-30 in those contests due to a pair of lopsided victories (7-2, 6-3) in St. Cloud in December 2022. North Dakota has only lost once in the last seven games in this series (4-1-2).

Game News and Notes

Since SCSU began competing in the WCHA in 1990, the Huskies have made the national tournament sixteen times, with Frozen Four appearances in 2013 and 2021 (zero titles). Over that same stretch, North Dakota has appeared in the NCAA tourney 24 times, with eleven Frozen Fours and three national championships (1997, 2000, 2016). UND head coach Brad Berry is 17-12-6 (.571) in his head coaching career against the Huskies. North Dakota (2015, 2016, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2024) and St. Cloud State (2014, 2018, and 2019) have combined to win the regular season title in nine of the eleven seasons of the NCHC. The Huskies also won the last WCHA conference title in 2013.

The Prediction

There is no question that this season has been up and down for the Fighting Hawks so far, and Brad Berry’s squad has a tremendous opportunity this weekend to build a Pairwise resume. As was the case last month in Grand Forks, I think that North Dakota is catching the Huskies at the right time, with some question marks in the St. Cloud crease. Unlike past iterations, this year’s version of the Cardinal and Black will not want to run and gun with the Hawks, and I expect both games to be close, tightly-contested affairs. SCSU has been in a tailspin over the past couple of months, and the Fighting Hawks will be rested and ready for this weekend. UND 4-2, 3-2.

Broadcast Information

Both games this weekend will be broadcast live on Midco Sports Two and also available via webcast at NCHC.tv. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Central Time on Friday, with a 6:00 p.m. start time on Saturday night. 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!

#14 North Dakota (12-8-1 overall, 5-3-2-0 NCHC) hosts #4 Western Michigan (13-4-1 overall, 5-0-1-2 NCHC) in the first meeting between the two teams this season. UND will make a return trip to Kalamazoo for games on February 28th and March 1st in a series that may well determine the 2025 Penrose Cup champions.

The Broncos and Fighting Hawks are two of three teams tied for first place (19 points each) in the league standings, although WMU has played two fewer conference games than UND and Arizona State. Denver and Omaha sit two points back with 17 points.

Two seasons ago, UND managed to take five of six league points on the road (2-2 tie/shootout win; 3-0 win), but the Broncos swept the Fighting Hawks at Ralph Engelstad Arena (4-0, 7-6) to take the season series.

Last year, in the only series between the teams, North Dakota swept Western Michigan at home (5-3, 3-0) to capture the program’s sixth Penrose Cup. In the eleven completed seasons of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, only UND, Denver, and St. Cloud State have hoisted the Penrose.

Fourth-year head coach Pat Ferschweiler (WMU ’93) recently earned a contract extension that will keep him behind the Broncos’ bench through April 2030. Ferschweiler, who had previously been the WMU associate head coach under Andy Murray, also spent four seasons as an assistant coach for the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings.

In his rookie campaign three seasons ago, Ferschweiler went 26-12-1 and brought his team within one game of the Frozen Four, falling to Minnesota in the regional final. In September of 2022, the Western Michigan bench boss was extended through the 2025-26 season. Two seasons ago, he led the Broncos to a 2nd-place finish in the NCHC, an overall record of 23-15-1, and another NCAA tournament appearance. Last season, Ferschweiler once again led his team to the NCAA tourney with an overall mark of 21-16-1.

This year might turn out to be Ferschweiler’s best behind the bench.

After losing seven of his top nine point producers – forwards Luke Grainger (14-34-48 last season), Dylan Wendt (23-21-44), Sam Colangelo (24-19-43), Chad Hillebrand (7-19-26), and Ethan Phillips (9-14-23) and defensemen Zak Galambos (9-12-21) and Carter Berger (4-16-20) – Ferschweiler has his team scoring at almost the same rate this season (3.33 goals scored per game in 2024-25; 3.58 in 2023-24).

And the scary part is that this year’s version of the Broncos is much better defensively than any we’ve seen in the Ferschweiler era:

2024-25: 1.89 goals allowed/game
2023-24: 2.55 goals allowed/game
2022-23: 2.62 goals allowed/game
2021-22: 2.59 goals allowed/game

Western Michigan has the luxury of starting either graduate netminder Cameron Rowe (10-1-0, 1.82 goals-against average, .931 save percentage,) or freshman Hampton Slukynsky (3-3-1, 1.84 GAA, .941 SV%) between the pipes.

Rowe played two seasons at Wisconsin before transferring to WMU, winning just two of his ten starts in his final season with the Badgers with a 4.30 GAA and a save percentage of just .861.

Slukynsky was slated to attend Northern Michigan University before head coach Ryan Potulny departed the program to become the head coach of the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL). Slukynsky got out of his NLI and chose to attend WMU along with his brother Grant Slukysnky, who entered the portal after playing one season (6-3-9 in 34 games) under Potulny.

The NCHC has been the premier hockey conference since its inception, and particularly over the past ten seasons. The eight teams in the league have gone 547-286-87 (.642) in non-conference action since the start of the 2014-15 season and sent thirteen 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, and Denver in both 2022 and 2024) over that nine-year stretch (there was no national tournament in 2020). Conference members North Dakota (2016), Denver (2017, 2022, 2024), and Minnesota Duluth (2018, 2019) have won six of the last eight national titles.

In the Division I era (since 1975), the Broncos have had sixteen twenty-win seasons, with nine of those coming between 1984 and 1996 under head coach Bill Wilkinson. At 13-4-1, Pat Ferschweiler will almost certainly lead his team to twenty victories for the fourth consecutive year.

In the first round of last season’s NCAA tournament, Western Michigan led Michigan State 4-2 heading into the third period. The Spartans pulled within one with eleven minutes remaining and scored an extra-attacker goal with just 55 ticks on the clock. MSU scored less than nine minutes into the first overtime period to complete the comeback.

Turning our attention to this weekend’s matchup, a half-point per game or better is my benchmark for solid offensive production, and the Broncos boast TEN lineup regulars who meet that threshold: sophomore forward Grant Slukysnky (4-11-15), graduate forward Tim Washe (8-7-15), sophomore forward Alex Bump (5-10-15), sophomore forward Owen Michaels (9-5-14), senior forward Liam Valente (7-7-14), freshman forward Zach Nehring (5-7-12), freshman forward Iiro Hakkarainen (3-7-10), senior forward Matteo Costantini (4-4-8), junior forward Ethan Wolthers (2-2-4 in eight games played), and junior defenseman Samuel Sjolund (0-11-11).

Matteo Costantini spent his first two seasons at North Dakota (10-14-24 in 60 games played) before transferring to Western Michigan. After amassing 21 points in a brilliant freshman campaign, the fifth-round draft pick of the Buffalo Sabres only managed three points in a disappointing sophomore season. Costantini was not in the UND lineup for the final six games of 2022-2023.

Liam Valente spent his last two seasons at Providence, scoring seven goals and adding thirteen assists in 59 games played.

North Dakota bench boss Brad Berry has a healthier lineup than he’s had virtually all season. Senior forward Cameron Berg (5-5-10 in nine games) returned to the lineup last weekend at Arizona State after missing ten straight games.Berg’s return leaves just senior defenseman Bennett Zmolek and junior goaltender Kaleb Johnson on the sidelines. Zmolek is out for the season, while Johnson is out long-term.

North Dakota also boasts impressive scoring depth, with ten players at a half-point per game or better. The aforementioned Cameron Berg leads the way in scoring average with his ten points in nine games. Other consistent contributors include freshman forward Sacha Boisvert (9-9-18), graduate forward Louis Jamernik V (4-5-9 in fifteen games), junior forward Owen McLaughlin (1-12-13), sophomore forward Jayden Perron (7-6-13), freshman forward Mac Swanson (2-9-11), junior forward Dylan James (6-6-12), senior forward Jake Schmaltz (4-7-11), sophomore defenseman Jake Livanavage (2-14-16), and sophomore defenseman Abram Wiebe (4-12-16).

Western Michigan has a decided edge in the specialty teams department, with a plus-7 to this point in the season. The Broncos have scored eleven power play goals and allowed just four while scoring one shorthanded goal and giving up one. North Dakota has scored and allowed seventeen power play goals and is even in the shorthanded tallies ledger (3-3).

The other underlying metrics seem to be a toss-up or slightly in favor of Western Michigan.

The Fighting Hawks are scoring on 10.4% of their shots on goal, good for 18th in the country; the Broncos clock in at 10.1% (22nd).

For the first time in recent memory, UND will square off against a team with better faceoff statistics. Western Michigan has won 55.9% of draws this season (2nd-best in the nation), while North Dakota is just behind at 54.7% (3rd). On the plus side, UND recently saw Cameron Berg return to the lineup; the senior center had won 60 of his 100 faceoffs before being injured and followed that up by winning slightly less than half (14 of 29) in his first weekend back.

Puck possession statistics are a mixed bag as well:

Corsi: North Dakota 54.0 (15th); Western Michigan 52.8 (20th)
Fenwick: North Dakota 53.5 (27th); Western Michigan 54.1 (14th)

Corsi measures the share of shot attempts for each team at even strength, while Fenwick measure the share of unblocked shot attempts for each team at even strength.

If North Dakota has an area to clean up, it is the penalty kill. UND has allowed seventeen power play goals through the first 21 games of this season and has a success rate of just 76.4% when shorthanded; that mark ranks in the bottom quarter in the country (49th of 64 teams). Last season, the Fighting Hawks allowed just nineteen power play goals all season (40 games).

This is a pivotal series, with both league points and Pairwise positioning at play. After this weekend, UND will be off next weekend before competing in six consecutive league series to end the regular season, alternating away and home along the way, with the much more difficult matchups away from Ralph Engelstad Arena:

at St. Cloud State (Pairwise 17)

vs. Colorado College (PWR 34)

at Denver (PWR 6)

vs. Minnesota Duluth (PWR 33)

at Western Michigan (PWR 7)

vs. Omaha (PWR 42)

UND is not scheduled to face league foes Arizona State (PWR 14) or Miami (PWR 61) again this season.

Western Michigan Broncos

Head Coach: Pat Ferschweiler (4th season at WMU, 83-47-4, .634)

National Rankings: #4/#5
Pairwise Ranking: 7th
KRACH Ranking: 460.0 (6th)

This Season: 13-4-1 overall, 5-0-1-2 NCHC (1st of 9 teams)
Last Season: 21-16-1 overall (NCAA Midwest Regional Semifinalist), 10-8-1-5 NCHC (6th of 9 teams)

2024-2025 Season Statistics:

Team Offense: 3.33 goals scored/game – 8th of 64 teams
Team Defense: 1.89 goals allowed/game – 3rd of 64 teams

Power Play: 23.4% (11 of 47) – 17th of 64 teams
Penalty Kill: 91.5% (43 of 47) – 2nd of 64 teams

Key Players: Sophomore Forward Grant Slukysnky (4-11-15), Graduate F Tim Washe (8-7-15), Sophomore F Alex Bump (5-10-15), Sophomore F Owen Michaels (9-5-14), Senior F Liam Valente (7-7-14), Freshman F Zach Nehring (5-7-12), Junior D Samuel Sjolund (0-11-11), Freshman D Joona Vaisanen (1-7-8), Graduate G Cameron Rowe (10-1-1, 1.82 GAA, .931 SV%)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Brad Berry (10th season at UND, 218-112-34, .646)

National Rankings: #14/#16
Pairwise Ranking: 20th
KRACH: 175.8 (19th)

This Season: 12-8-1 overall, 5-3-2-0 NCHC (t-2nd of 9 teams)
Last Season: 26-12-2 (NCAA tournament appearance), 14-4-1-5 NCHC (1st)

Team Offense: 3.14 goals scored/game – 20th of 64 teams
Team Defense: 2.76 goals allowed/game – 34th of 64 teams

Power Play: 25.8% (17 of 66) – 8th of 64 teams
Penalty Kill: 76.4% (55 of 72) – 49th of 64 teams

Key Players: Freshman F Sacha Boisvert (8-9-17), Junior F Owen McLaughlin (1-12-13), Junior F Dylan James (5-5-10), Sophomore F Jayden Perron (6-6-12), Freshman F Mac Swanson (2-9-11), Senior F Jake Schmaltz (3-6-9), Senior F Cameron Berg (4-4-8 in seven games), Sophomore D Jake Livanavage (2-12-14), Sophomore D Abram Wiebe (4-10-14), Junior D Caleb MacDonald (2-3-5), Graduate G T.J. Semptimphelter (10-5-1, 2.56 GAA, .903 SV%, 1 SO)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: March 1, 2024 (Grand Forks, ND). North Dakota’s Ludvig Persson posted a 35-save shutout as the Fighting Hawks won 3-0 to secure the program’s sixth Penrose Cup. One night earlier, UND won 5-3 by surviving a furious third-period comeback that saw the Broncos outshoot their hosts 11-2. For the weekend, Western Michigan was swept despite a 72-44 combined advantage in shots on goal. In the two-game series, North Dakota’s Owen McLaughlin and Louis Jamernik V scored two goals apiece while Jackson Blake and Abram Wiebe each produced three points.

Most Important Meeting: March 24, 2012 (St. Paul, MN). North Dakota upended Western Michigan 3-1 in the NCAA West Regional semifinal. Brock Nelson had two points, including an empty net goal with 25 seconds remaining that sent UND to the regional finals against Minnesota. Aaron Dell made 24 saves for the Green and White. The Broncos, who have played at the Division I level since 1975-76, have nine NCAA tournament appearances.

A Trip Down Memory Lane: Saturday, March 22, 2014 (Minneapolis, MN). North Dakota faced a must-win situation in the 3rd place game at the inaugural NCHC Frozen Faceoff, and did not disappoint the partisan crowd. The Green and White rolled to a 5-0 victory behind two first-period goals from Conner Gaarder. UND netminder Zane Gothberg made 25 saves for the shutout, and Dave Hakstol’s crew played the waiting game for several more hours before discovering that they had indeed made the NCAA tournament for the twelfth consecutive season.

All-Time Series: In the short history between the schools, UND has won 30 of the 43 games (30-12-1, .709), including fourteen of the twenty games played in Grand Forks. Before the 2016-17 season in which Western Michigan won three of the four meetings, WMU’s lone victory over North Dakota was a 2-1 road win on March 8th, 2014. The teams first met in 1997.

Last Ten: North Dakota has a slight 5-4-1 (.550) advantage in the last ten meetings between the two teams, although only three of those ten games were played in Kalamazoo. Before the Broncos’ home sweep of North Dakota in January 2022, UND had swept the previous six with a scoring margin of 28-10.

Game News and Notes

Western Michigan moved up to the Division I ranks beginning with the 1975-76 season and has advanced to the NCAA tournament nine times. The Broncos have made the NCAA tourney four times (2017, 2022, 2023, 2024) in their first eleven seasons in the NCHC after advancing to the national tournament twice (2011, 2012) in the last three seasons in the now-defunct CCHA.

The Prediction

It will be interesting to see how much of an impact last Saturday’s comeback and overtime victory at Arizona State will make in the UND locker room. Equally interesting is the fact that UND played more than six periods of hockey last weekend, while the Broncos were off. It’s the classic rest vs. rust debate, and I give the early edge on Friday night to the Fighting Hawks. As the weekend progresses, however, fatigue may set in, particularly if Brad Berry shortens up the bench in a tight game. North Dakota hockey fans should be hopeful for a split, but it might be worse than that for the Green and White. UND 3-2, WMU 4-1.

Broadcast Information

Game times are set for 7:07 p.m. Central Time on Friday and 6:07 p.m. Central Time on Saturday. Both games will be broadcast live on Midco Sports Network and also available via 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.

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

#14 North Dakota (11-7-1 overall, 5-2-1-0 NCHC) travels to Tempe, Arizona this weekend to square off against #16 Arizona State (10-7-1 overall, 4-2-1-1 NCHC), the newest member of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. This key league series will mark just the second and third times that the two teams have ever met on the ice.

On October 29th, 2022, UND and ASU battled at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, with the Sun Devils coming back from a 2-0 deficit and prevailing by a final score of 3-2. Current UND netminder T.J. Semptimphelter was the winning goaltender for Arizona State in that contest; he only had to make thirteen saves to secure the victory.

That loss was the second straight destination-game defeat for the Green and White, as they also lost 6-4 to Penn State at Bridgestone Arena (Nashville, Tennessee) on October 30th, 2021.

Prior to those two losses, North Dakota had won four straight showcase events:

2012: Bell MTS Place (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
North Dakota 3, Clarkson 1

2013: T.D. Ameritrade Park (Omaha, Nebraska)
North Dakota 5, Omaha 2

2016: Madison Square Garden (New York City)
North Dakota 4, Boston College 3

2018: Orleans Arena (Las Vegas, Nevada)
North Dakota 3, Minnesota 1

UND’s next destination game has been scheduled for Saturday, October 31st, 2026 in Austin, Texas; the opponent for that contest will be Michigan State.

Prior to this year, the Sun Devils competed at the Division I level in men’s ice hockey as an independent for nine seasons, with mixed results:

2015-2018 (three seasons): 21-62-8 (.275)

2018-2020 (two seasons): 43-24-4 (.634) and two NCAA tournament bids

2020-2023 (three seasons): 42-54-4 (.440)

2023-2024 (one season): 24-8-6 (.711)

In the fall of 2022, ASU moved from Oceanside Ice Arena to Mullett Arena, a beautiful 5,000 seat rink on the Arizona State University Campus. Mullett, also known as “The Party Barn”, served as a temporary home for the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes before that team’s hockey assets (players, staff, and draft picks) were transferred to the Utah Hockey Club, an expansion franchise based in Salt Lake City.

Turning our attention to this weekend’s games, North Dakota bench boss Brad Berry has a healthier lineup than he’s had virtually all season. Senior forward Cameron Berg (4-4-8 in seven games) is expected to play this weekend, and that leaves just senior defenseman Bennett Zmolek and junior goaltender Kaleb Johnson on the sidelines. Zmolek is out for the season, while Johnson is out long-term.

For Arizona State, junior transfer Cruz Lucius may make his first appearance of the season. Lucius scored 34 points in each of his two seasons with the Wisconsin Badgers before entering the portal.

As I’ve stated many times before, a half-point per game or better is my benchmark for solid offensive production, and the Sun Devils have nine players who meet or exceed that threshold, including two averaging a point per game or better: senior forward Bennett Schimek (7-11-18) and graduate defenseman Noah Beck (3-15-18). Other solid offensive contributors include graduate forward Ryan Kirwan (11-5-16), graduate forward Artem Shlaine (5-5-10), sophomore forward Kyle Smolen (4-10-14), graduate forward Dylan Jackson (5-7-12), graduate forward Lukas Sillinger (1-11-12), graduate forward Ty Jackson (4-7-11), and freshman forward Cullen Potter (6-4-10).

Two seasons ago, Sillinger scored the game-tying goal against UND in Las Vegas and also assisted on the game-winner.

*UPDATE* It has been reported that both Dylan and Ty Jackson will miss this weekend’s series.

In addition to six freshman, Arizona State head coach Greg Powers brought in six players through the transfer portal. Four of the six ASU freshmen are defensemen, including three who have seen significant playing time.

North Dakota boasts similar scoring depth, with nine players at a half-point per game or better. The aforementioned Cameron Berg leads the way in scoring average with his eight points in seven games. Other consistent contributors include freshman forward Sacha Boisvert (8-9-17), graduate forward Louis Jamernik V (4-5-9 in thirteen games), junior forward Owen McLaughlin (1-12-13), sophomore forward Jayden Perron (6-6-12), freshman forward Mac Swanson (2-9-11), junior forward Dylan James (5-5-10), sophomore defenseman Jake Livanavage (2-12-14), and sophomore defenseman Abram Wiebe (4-10-14).

Despite being the younger team overall, UND will definitely have a size advantage in this series. On average, North Dakota players are more than an inch taller and more than ten pounds heavier (the Fighting Hawks are the nation’s fourth-heaviest team; ASU, the seventh-lightest).

In terms of specialty teams, both squads are a plus-2 to this point in the season. Arizona State has scored eleven power play goals and allowed ten while scoring three shorthanded goals and giving up two. North Dakota has a 16-14 edge in power play goals scored and is even in the shorthanded tallies ledger (2-2).

So far this season, Arizona State has outscored opponents 58-44 while playing the 21st-most difficult schedule in the country (according to KRACH). North Dakota has enjoyed a scoring margin of 61-51 while facing the 17th-toughest slate of opponents.

The other underlying metrics seem to favor UND. The Fighting Hawks are scoring on 10.7% of their shots on goal, good for 13th in the country; the Sun Devils clock in at 9.7% (32nd).

Faceoffs and puck possession metrics also favor the Green and White:

UND has won 54.6% of draws this season (5th-best in the nation) and now sees Cameron Berg return to the lineup; the senior center won 60 of his 100 faceoffs before being injured. ASU has won just 49.6% (38th).

Corsi: North Dakota 53.6 (15th); Arizona State 52.2 (25th)
Fenwick: North Dakota 53.2 (20th); Arizona State 53.0 (23rd)

Corsi measures the share of shot attempts for each team at even strength, while Fenwick measure the share of unblocked shot attempts for each team at even strength.

If North Dakota has an area to clean up, it is the penalty kill. UND has allowed fourteen power play goals through the first nineteen games of this season and has a success rate of just 77.8% when shorthanded; that mark ranks in the bottom third in the country (42nd of 64 teams). Last season, the Fighting Hawks allowed just nineteen power play goals all season (40 games).

In terms of common opponents, both of these teams have faced #5 Providence, #6 Denver, #18 Cornell, and unranked Minnesota Duluth and Robert Morris this season.

Arizona State lost twice at Providence (1-4, 1-2), won twice at Denver (3-2, 5-2), swept Duluth at home (5-3, 3-2 OT), and defeated both Robert Morris (7-3) and Cornell (4-0) at home.

North Dakota beat Providence 5-2 in its home opener before getting swept on the road at Cornell (1-4, 3-5). UND swept at Duluth (7-3, 4-1) and dropped two home games to Denver (2-5, 2-3) before a home sweep of Robert Morris (4-3 OT, 1-0).

If you’re keeping score at home, ASU’s combined record against those five teams is 6-2, while UND’s is 5-4.

This is a pivotal series, with both league points and Pairwise positioning at play. Arizona State currently sits in third place in the NCHC standings, just two points behind North Dakota (Western Michigan is in first place, two points ahead of UND). The WMU Broncos are off this weekend but will face off against the Fighting Hawks at Ralph Engelstad Arena next weekend (January 17th and 18th).

The Sun Devils are not scheduled for a return series in Grand Forks this season.

Arizona State Team Profile

Head Coach: Greg Powers (10th season at ASU, 140-155-23, .476)

National Ranking: #16/#15
Pairwise Ranking: 16th
KRACH: 16th (204.5)

This Season: 10-7-1 overall, 4-2-1-1 NCHC (3rd of 9 teams)
Last Season: 24-8-6 overall (missed NCAA tournament)

Team Offense: 3.22 goals scored/game – 16th of 64 teams
Team Defense: 2.44 goals allowed/game – 20th of 64 teams

Power Play: 20.8% (11 of 53) – 28th of 64 teams
Penalty Kill: 80.0% (40 of 50) – 32nd of 64 teams

Key Players: Senior F Bennett Schimek (7-11-18), Graduate F Ryan Kirwan (11-5-16), Graduate F Artem Shlaine (5-5-10), Sophomore F Kyle Smolen (4-10-14), Graduate F Dylan Jackson (5-7-12), Graduate F Lukas Sillinger (1-11-12), Graduate F Ty Jackson (4-7-11), Freshman F Cullen Potter (6-4-10), Graduate D Noah Beck (3-15-18), Freshman D Sam Court (2-5-7), Senior G Luke Pavicich (7-4-0, 2.36 GAA, .916 SV%), Junior G Gibson Homer (3-3-1, 2.01 GAA, .927 SV%, 2 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Brad Berry (10th season at UND, 217-111-34, .646)

National Rankings: #14/#17
Pairwise Ranking: 20th
KRACH: 17th (198.2)

This Season: 11-7-1 overall, 5-2-1-0 NCHC (2nd of 9 teams)
Last Season: 26-12-2 (NCAA tournament appearance), 14-4-1-5 NCHC (1st)

Team Offense: 3.21 goals scored/game – 19th of 64 teams
Team Defense: 2.68 goals allowed/game – 29th of 64 teams

Power Play: 27.6% (16 of 58) – 3rd of 64 teams
Penalty Kill: 77.8% (49 of 63) – 42nd of 64 teams

Key Players: Freshman F Sacha Boisvert (8-9-17), Junior F Owen McLaughlin (1-12-13), Junior F Dylan James (5-5-10), Sophomore F Jayden Perron (6-6-12), Freshman F Mac Swanson (2-9-11), Senior F Jake Schmaltz (3-6-9), Senior F Cameron Berg (4-4-8 in seven games), Sophomore D Jake Livanavage (2-12-14), Sophomore D Abram Wiebe (4-10-14), Junior D Caleb MacDonald (2-3-5), Graduate G T.J. Semptimphelter (10-5-1, 2.56 GAA, .903 SV%, 1 SO)

Game News and Notes

UND is 6-1-1 in its last eight games, outscoring opponents 24-17 over that stretch. Arizona State has won seven games in a row. In 2023-24, Arizona State played its last season as an independent. Despite a record of 24-8-6, the Sun Devils finished in 20th in the Pairwise and missed the NCAA tournament. Greg Powers has been the only head coach in Arizona State Division I men’s hockey history. Powers, a former goaltender from the Sun Devils’ club level (WCHL/ACHA) days, graduated from ASU in 1999 and is a member of the Arizona State Athletic Hall of Fame.

Media Coverage

Friday’s game (9:06 p.m. Central Time) will be broadcast live on CBS Sports Network, while Saturday’s rematch (6:05 p.m.) will be available on Midco Sports and via webcast at NCHC.tv. (Friday’s game will not be available on NCHC.tv due to conference broadcasting rights.) 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.

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.

The Prediction

Both teams ended the first half on a high note, and Arizona State picked up right where they left off with an impressive pair of victories over Robert Morris and Cornell to ring in the new year. When two teams without a lot of history get together, there’s usually a bit of a feeling-out period before both teams ramp up their compete levels, and that’s what I’m expecting in the first period of Friday’s opener. I am also very curious to see how these games will be officiated. North Dakota is at its best when it can finish every check and yet stay at even strength. If the Fighting Hawks can roll four lines all weekend, they can earn more than a split out of this series. At some point, though, we will most likely see a parade to the penalty box, and that favors the Sun Devils. I like the home team tonight, with the Fighting Hawks earning the split in tomorrow’s rematch. ASU 3-2, UND 4-2.

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!