Ralph Engelstad Arena (Grand Forks, ND) will be buzzing on Friday night, as #10 North Dakota hosts #19 St. Thomas in an early test for both schools. This will mark the first-ever matchup between future league rivals.
In a rare home-and-home series with a day off in between, the Tommies will turn around and host UND on Sunday evening at Grand Casino Arena (formerly Xcel Energy Center, the ex-X if you will). The series finale in St. Paul – just six miles east of the campus of St. Thomas – will mark the last time that these two teams will square off in non-conference action (unless, of course, they meet in the national tournament).
That last statement is true because the Tommies are set to become the tenth member of the NCHC beginning with the 2026-2027 season.
Non-conference games are critical in determining the sixteen teams for the NCAA tournament, and this weekend is North Dakota’s first opportunity to bolster their resume. After these two games against St. Thomas (currently a member of the CCHA), UND will have eight non-conference games remaining on the schedule:
October 17-18: vs. Minnesota (Big Ten)
October 24-25: at Clarkson (ECAC)
November 28-29: at/vs. Bemidji State (CCHA)
January 2-3: vs. Mercyhurst (Atlantic Hockey)
The Fighting Hawks will also play a second exhibition game – against the U.S. Under-18 Team – on November 21st. UND opened the season with a 7-0 exhibition victory over the University of Manitoba Bisons.
St. Thomas features several names familiar to fans of the Green and White…
Junior defenseman Mason Poolman is the son of North Dakota athletic trainer Mark Poolman. In his first two seasons with the Tommies, Poolman has appeared in 62 games, with six goals and thirteen assists.
Freshman defenseman Bauer Berry is the son of former UND head coach Brad Berry. Berry was a seventh-round draft pick of the Edmonton Oilers in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.
On the bench, Karl Goehring is now an assistant coach with the Tommies. And behind the scenes, Lee Goren, the Most Outstanding Player on UND’s 2000 championship team, is working with hockey operations.
One more familiar face? The head coach of the St. Thomas Tommies is none other than Rico Blasi, who was behind the Miami RedHawks bench for twenty seasons (1999-2019). Blasi is now in his fifth season with St. Thomas, sputtering to a combined record of 29-75-5 (.289) over his first three campaigns in St. Paul before posting a mark of 19-14-5 (.566) last season.
After four seasons in limbo at the Division I level, St. Thomas is now eligible for NCAA post-season play.
In last Saturday’s 7-0 exhibition victory over Manitoba, the Fighting Hawks displayed tenacity, grit, and a desire to get to the net with urgency and a purpose. The power play breakout was also new and improved, and, given North Dakota’s overall skill and team speed, fans should expect plenty of man advantage opportunities this season.
St. Thomas Team Profile
Head Coach: Enrico Blasi (5th season at St. Thomas, 49-89-10, .365)
Last Season: 19-14-5 overall (missed NCAA tournament), 12-8-2-4 CCHA (3rd)
Key Returning Players (2024-2025 season statistics): Senior F Lucas Wahlin (17-24-41), Senior F Jake Braccini (9-10-19), Sophomore F Casy Laylin (4-7-11), Senior F Luc Laylin (4-6-10), Junior D Chase Cheslock (1-13-14), Junior D Mason Poolman (4-7-11)
Potential Impact Additions: Freshman F Nathan Pilling, Junior F Charlie Schoen, Graduate F Alex Gaffney, Freshman F Lucas Van Vliet, Junior D Nick Williams, Freshman D Bauer Berry, G Carson Musser
North Dakota Team Profile
Head Coach: Dane Jackson (1st season at North Dakota)
Last Season: 21-15-2 overall (missed NCAA tournament), 11-8-4-1 NCHC (5th)
Key Returning Players (2024-2025 season statistics): Senior F Dylan James (14-8-22), Sophomore F Mac Swanson (2-16-18), Senior F Ben Strinden (8-8-16), Sophomore F Cade Littler (7-2-9), Junior D Jake Livanavage (4-24-28), Junior D Abram Wiebe (4-20-24), Graduate D Bennett Zmolek (0-8-8 in 2023-2024)
Potential Impact Additions: Freshman F Cole Reschny, Freshman F Will Zellers, Senior F Ellis Rickwood, Freshman F David Klee, Junior F Anthony Menghini, Freshman F Jack Kernan, Freshman D Keaton Verhoeff, Freshman D Sam Laurila, Senior G Homer Gibson
Game News and Notes
UND graduate defenseman Bennett Zmolek faced STU four times in two seasons at Minnesota State, notching one goal and adding three assists. Saturday’s game will be the first official game of the 2025-2026 season for North Dakota, while St. Thomas posted a 4-3 opening night road victory over the St. Cloud State University Huskies. That game was tied 3-3 before SCSU’s Daimon Gardner was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct for contact to the head with just 5:57 remaining in the hockey game. The Tommies scored a power play goal 62 seconds later and held on despite SCSU skating for nearly a minute with an extra attacker. In the victory, STU won just 30 of 71 faceoffs (42.3%).
The Prediction
Despite what we saw in last Saturday’s exhibition game, I have a feeling that both of these games will be closer. The edge goes to North Dakota due to veteran goaltending and a stout defensive corps. but special teams could play a factor. I’ve got new bench boss Dane Jackson picking up his first two official victories of the season. UND 5-2, 4-1.
Broadcast Information
Friday’s opener will be broadcast live on Midco Sports and also available online at NCHC.tv. Sunday’s rematch will be carried exclusively on CCHA.tv. All UND men’s hockey games can be heard on stations across the Fighting Hawks Radio Network as well as through the iHeart Radio app. Puck drop is set for 7:07 p.m. Central Time on Friday and 5:07 p.m. Central on Sunday.
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 thoughts, comments, and suggestions.