#18 North Dakota (17-12-2 overall, 10-6-3-1 NCHC) travels to Kalamazoo to face #4 Western Michigan (23-6-1 overall, 12-1-4-3 NCHC) in a pivotal league matchup for both sides. UND is fighting to stay alive in the Pairwise hunt, while the Broncos could well clinch the program’s first Penrose Cup (NCHC regular season championship) this weekend.
The Fighting Hawks hosted WMU just six weeks ago, and while the home squad had a chance in Friday’s opener, it was all Broncos in the rematch. UND drew a penalty late in regulation in game one, but an interference call just 24 seconds later negated the advantage. Early in the extra frame, Western Michigan scored a power play tally to earn the 3-2 victory. On Saturday night, the game was probably closer than the 5-1 final score, but WMU continually frustrated North Dakota in all three zones.
The Fighting Hawks are currently one point behind third-place Omaha and one point ahead of Denver for fourth place in the NCHC, with six points up for grabs in this series. It is becoming increasingly clear that four of these five teams will earn the coveted home-ice spots for the first round of the NCHC playoffs:
1. Western Michigan (47 points in 20 games played): vs. UND, at Miami
2. Arizona State (44 points in 22 games played): at Omaha, BYE
3. Omaha (38 points in 20 games played): vs. Arizona State, at UND
4. North Dakota (37 points in 20 games played): at WMU, vs. Omaha
5. Denver (36 points in 20 games played): vs. SCSU, vs./at Colorado College
In the NCHC preseason poll, UND was picked to finish in second place (behind Denver), while the Broncos ended up in sixth place (ahead of Duluth, Arizona State, and Miami). Currently in first and second place in the NCHC, Western Michigan and the Sun Devils have been the two biggest surprises in the conference.
The Penrose Cup is expected to be on hand at Lawson Ice Arena this weekend for the series between North Dakota and WMU. The Broncos could clinch at least a share of the title with one regulation victory.
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 532-275-85 (.644) 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.
This year, it appears as though there will be fewer NCAA tournament berths for NCHC teams. The league’s out-of-conference winning percentage was just .586, the worst since the league’s first season (.533 in 2013-14).
Only Western Michigan (5th in the Pairwise) and Denver (10th) are relatively safe; the rest of the teams in the league may have to go on a run or win the Frozen Faceoff to make the field of sixteen.
Here are the current Pairwise rankings for the other seven NCHC programs:
Arizona State: 16th
North Dakota: 19th
Omaha: 28th
Colorado College: 32nd
St. Cloud State: 37th
Minnesota Duluth: 39th
Miami: 63rd
Two seasons ago, UND managed to take five of six league points on the road at Kalamazoo (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 a HIGHER rate this season (3.73 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: 1.93 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 (15-2-0, 2.00 goals-against average, .924 save percentage, one shutout) or freshman Hampton Slukynsky (8-4-1, 1.67 GAA, .939 SV%, 1 SO) 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.
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 23-6-1, Pat Ferschweiler has already led 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 Alex Bump (15-19-34), sophomore forward Grant Slukysnky (5-20-25), sophomore forward Owen Michaels (14-11-25), senior forward Liam Valente (12-12-24), freshman forward Zach Nehring (10-11-21), graduate forward Tim Washe (9-12-21), freshman forward Iiro Hakkarainen (8-10-18), senior forward Matteo Costantini (5-12-17), junior defenseman Samuel Sjolund (2-21-23), and freshman defenseman Joona Vaisanen (3-15-18).
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 will barely be able to field a full lineup this weekend, with several players dealing with injuries:
Sophomore forward Jayden Perron (9-8-17 in 26 games) suffered a lower-body injury three weeks ago against Colorado College and has yet to return to the lineup.
Senior Swiss Army Knife Dane Montgomery (1-5-6 in 22 games) suffered an upper-body injury two weeks ago at Denver and is still out.
Freshman defenseman E.J. Emery (19:33 per game) played last Saturday night after serving a one-game league suspension for fighting; he has been dealing with a lower-body injury.
Emery, Perron, and Montgomery are all considered week-to-week.
Graduate forward and team captain Louis Jamernik V (4-6-9 in 23 games) is day-to-day and questionable for the weekend, although head coach Brad Berry expects him to suit up.
Senior defenseman Bennett Zmolek (out for the season) and junior goaltender Kaleb Johnson (out long-term) remain on the sidelines.
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 plus side, senior forward Cameron Berg (11-7-18 in nineteen games) has played the last twelve games after missing five consecutive weekends of action.
UND has lost a combined 110 games due to injury this season, with thirteen of 24 skaters missing at least one game.
All of these absences mean that North Dakota will have just seven players in the lineup at a half-point per game or better. Cameron Berg leads the way in scoring average with his eighteen points in nineteen games. Other consistent contributors include junior forward Owen McLaughlin (4-18-22), freshman forward Mac Swanson (2-15-17), junior forward Dylan James (11-8-19), freshman forward Sacha Boisvert (12-11-23), sophomore defenseman Jake Livanavage (3-22-25), and sophomore defenseman Abram Wiebe (4-18-22).
Western Michigan has a decided edge in the specialty teams department, with a plus-13 to this point in the season. The Broncos have scored nineteen power play goals and allowed just six while scoring one shorthanded goal and giving up one. North Dakota has scored 23 power play goals but allowed 25 and has a slight 4-3 advantage 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 10.8% of their shots on goal, good for 15th in the country; the Broncos clock in at 10.6% (19th).
For the first time in recent memory, UND will square off against a team with better faceoff statistics. Western Michigan has won 54.5% of draws this season (9th-best in the nation), while North Dakota is at 51.8% (19th).
Puck possession statistics favor the Broncos as well:
Corsi: Western Michigan 56.1 (7th), North Dakota 50.9 (27th)
Fenwick: Western Michigan 56.9 (6th), North Dakota 50.9 (28th)
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 25 power play goals through the first 31 games of this season and has a success rate of just 76.9% when shorthanded; that mark ranks in the bottom quarter in the country (47th of 64 teams). Last season, the Fighting Hawks allowed just nineteen power play goals all season (40 games).
UND will hope to at least keep pace with Omaha this weekend so that next weekend’s home series against the Mavs will determine home ice for the playoffs. This weekend, the unranked Mavericks host #12 Arizona State.
Western Michigan Broncos
Head Coach: Pat Ferschweiler (4th season at WMU, 93-49-4, .651)
National Rankings: #4/#4
Pairwise Ranking: 5th
KRACH Ranking: 425.9 (5th)
This Season: 23-6-1 overall, 12-1-4-3 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: 3.73 goals scored/game – 3rd of 64 teams
Team Defense: 1.93 goals allowed/game – 4th of 64 teams
Power Play: 25.3% (19 of 75) – 9th of 64 teams
Penalty Kill: 91.7% (66 of 72) – 1st of 64 teams
Key Players: Sophomore F Alex Bump (15-19-34), Sophomore Forward Grant Slukysnky (5-20-25), Graduate F Tim Washe (9-12-21), Sophomore F Owen Michaels (14-11-25), Senior F Liam Valente (12-12-24), Freshman F Zach Nehring (10-11-21), Junior D Samuel Sjolund (2-21-23), Freshman D Joona Vaisanen (3-15-18), Graduate G Cameron Rowe (15-2-0, 2.00 GAA, .924 SV%, 1 SO)
North Dakota Team Profile
Head Coach: Brad Berry (10th season at UND, 223-116-35, .643)
National Rankings: #18/#18
Pairwise Ranking: 19th
KRACH: 177.2 (18th)
This Season: 17-12-2 overall, 10-6-3-1 NCHC (4th of 9 teams)
Last Season: 26-12-2 (NCAA tournament appearance), 14-4-1-5 NCHC (1st)
2024-2025 Season Statistics:
Team Offense: 3.16 goals scored/game – 19th of 64 teams
Team Defense: 2.77 goals allowed/game – 30th of 64 teams
Power Play: 25.3% (23 of 91) – 10th of 64 teams
Penalty Kill: 76.9% (83 of 108) – 46th of 64 teams
Key Players: Freshman F Sacha Boisvert (12-11-23), Junior F Owen McLaughlin (4-18-22), Junior F Dylan James (11-8-19), Freshman F Mac Swanson (2-15-17), Senior F Jake Schmaltz (5-7-12), Senior F Cameron Berg (11-7-18 in nineteen games), Sophomore D Jake Livanavage (3-22-25), Sophomore D Abram Wiebe (4-18-22), Junior D Caleb MacDonald (3-4-7), Graduate G T.J. Semptimphelter (14-8-2, 2.54 GAA, .909 SV%, 1 SO, 1 post-game scrap)
By The Numbers
Last Meeting: January 18, 2025 (Grand Forks, ND). Western Michigan continually frustrated North Dakota in all three zones in the 5-1 victory. Alex Bump led the way for the Broncos with two goals and an assist, while freshman netminder Hampton Slukynsky made 24 saves. The home squad had a chance in Friday’s opener, as UND earned a power play late in regulation in a tie hockey game. An interference call just 24 seconds later negated the advantage, and early in the extra frame, Western Michigan scored a power play tally to earn the 3-2 victory.
Last Meeting In Kalamazoo: December 10, 2022. North Dakota opened the scoring with a first-period Judd Caulfield power play goal, withstood a furious Western Michigan second period, and then turned the tables with a two-goal third period to blank the homestanding Broncos. UND netminder Drew DeRidder turned aside all 25 WMU shots, including six off the stick of Jason Pollin. In Friday’s opener, the two teams tied at two goals apiece before freshman Owen McLaughlin scored in the fifth round of the shootout to earn an extra point for the Green and White.
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 45 games (30-14-1, .678), including twelve of the eighteen games played in Kalamazoo. 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: Western Michigan has a slight 5-4-1 (.550) advantage in the last ten meetings between the two teams, even though only two of those ten games were played in Kalamazoo. The combined score of the last ten contests? Broncos 30, Fighting Hawks 29.
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. UND senior forward Cameron Berg has four goals and eight points in his twelve career games against WMU while junior forward Owen McLaughlin has seven points in his eight matchups against the Broncos.
The Prediction
This is as plainly as I can put it: Western Michigan is the best team North Dakota has faced this year. The Broncos have everything it takes to make a deep NCAA tournament run, and they don’t have a weakness. UND will need to get pucks deep, stay out of the penalty box, and get great goaltending to compete this weekend. Fans of the Fighting Hawks should be cheering for a split at best, and it could well work out that way, with the home team clinching the Penrose Cup on Friday night before suffering a bit of a letdown in the rematch. WMU 4-2, UND 3-2.
Broadcast Information
Game times are set for 6:00 p.m. Central Time on Friday and 5:00 p.m. Central Time on Saturday. Both games will 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!