#6 North Dakota (8-4-0, 4-1-0-1 NCHC) and unranked Bemidji State (9-5-2, 4-0-5-1 CCHA) will play a home-and-home series this weekend, with Friday’s opener at the Sanford Center in Bemidji, Minnesota and the rematch at Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks on Saturday night.
Last season, North Dakota was ranked 14th in the country headed into a similar post-Thanksgiving weekend series with the Beavers. The Fighting Hawks dropped the first game by a final score of 2-1 before settling for a 3-3 tie on home ice. Those non-conference results ultimately doomed UND, which missed the playoffs for the second time in three seasons and moved on from ten-year head coach Brad Berry.
Bemidji State has played the 49th-toughest schedule in the country, with North Dakota’s early-season slate of games ranked as the 15th-toughest in the nation.
UND performed well (3-4 OT, 5-1) against #5 Minnesota Duluth four weeks ago, and those results are buoying its current NCAA Percentage Index ranking (10th). Fans may remember that the NPI has replaced the PairWise as the system used to determine the 16-team field for the national tournament.
By comarison, Bemidji State lost both games of a home-and-home series with the Bulldogs by final scores of 7-3 and 5-1.
Twelve 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 former 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 Bemidji State, Michigan Tech, and Minnesota State find themselves as three of nine programs in the latest version of the CCHA along with Bowling Green, Ferris State, Lake Superior State, Northern Michigan, St. Thomas (fifth season at the Division I level), and Augustana (third season at the Division I level).
Next season, St. Thomas will leave the CCHA to become the tenth member of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC).
The NCHC has been the premier hockey conference since its inception, and particularly over the past ten seasons. The nine teams in the league have gone 571-293-86 (.644) in non-conference action since the start of the 2014-15 season and sent fifteen 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, Denver in 2022 and 2024, and Denver and Western Michigan in 2025 over that nine-year stretch (there was no national tournament in 2020). Conference members North Dakota (2016), Denver (2017, 2022, 2024), Minnesota Duluth (2018, 2019), and Western Michigan (2025) have won seven of the last nine national titles.
So far this season, the NCHC has won nearly seventy percent of its non-conference games (39-18-1) and has four teams (#4 Denver, #5 Minnesota Duluth, #6 North Dakota, and #7 Western Michigan) positioned in the top ten in the latest rankings and the other five teams in the conference all receiving votes. With similar success in the second half of the season, the league could easily send four or even five teams to this year’s NCAA tournament in March.
Bemidji State had a very successful 2020-2021 season, going 16-5-3 overall, making the NCAA tourney, and shocking #4-overall Wisconsin 6-3 before being blanked 4-0 by eventual national champion Massachusetts. UMass also shut out St. Cloud State 5-0 in the title game and outscored their opponents 17-3 in their four tournament games.
The Beavers went 22-10-5 in 2020 and would have made the NCAA tournament. Tom Serratore’s head coaching mark of 38-20-8 (.636) from 2019-2021 was by far the best two-year for BSU since they made the jump from the CHA in 2010.
Since then, however, it has not been smooth sailing. The Beavers have basically played .500 hockey (77-76-14) since their most recent tournament run, with a third-place league finish in 2022 and a fifth-place finish a year later. Two seasons ago, BSU won the regular season title but lost to Michigan Tech in the CCHA tournament championship and failed to make the NCAA tournament. Last year, Tom Serratore’s squad sputtered to an overall record of 15-18-5, the fourth-worst season of his 25-year coaching career behind the Beaver bench.
UND is nine years removed from its eighth national championship but has made the national tournament in just four of the past eight seasons. That track record – and some early playoff exits – led to a coaching change, and Dane Jackson is now leading the charge.
As I mentioned earlier, North Dakota is in a good position to make the NCAA tournament but cannot afford a setback this weekend or against winless Mercyhurst (0-13-0) on January 2nd and 3rd, 2026.
Turning our attention to this weekend’s action…
A half point per game or better is my benchmark for solid offensive production, and BSU head coach Tom Serratore will have eight players in the lineup who meet that mark: senior forward Adam Flammang (6-14-20), junior forward Oliver Peer (10-9-19), junior forward Kasper Magnussen (6-10-16), freshman forward Max Namestikov (4-7-11), graduate forward Relly Funk (5-5-10), junior forward Connor McClennon (7-2-9), senior forward Kirklan Irey (0-8-8), and freshman defenseman Hudson Thornton (2-8-10).
North Dakota will have TWELVE players in the lineup this weekend who have met same offensive threshold: senior forward Ben Strinden (7-8-15), freshman forward Will Zellers (7-4-11), senior forward Ellis Rickwood (1-7-8), sophomore forward Mac Swanson (4-6-10), freshman forward Cole Reschny (2-9-11), senior forward Dylan James (6-3-9), freshman forward Ollie Josephson (2-4-6), sophomore forward Cody Croal (3-3-6), senior forward Tyler Young (1-1-2 in four games played), junior defenseman Abram Wiebe (2-7-9), freshman defenseman Keaton Verhoeff (4-4-8), and junior defenseman Jake Livanavage (1-8-9).
UND freshman forward Josh Zakreski (1-2-3 in six games played) was having a promising start to his rookie campaign, but he suffered a lower body injury three weeks ago in practice, had surgery, and is expected to be out long-term.
One key area to watch this weekend is the face-off circle. Through twelve games, the Fighting Hawks have won 52.8% of faceoffs, good for 12th in the country. Through their sixteen games, the Beavers are 38th in the nation (49.2%).
UND freshman phenom Cole Reschny has won 100 of his 174 draws (57.5%), while portal transfer Ellis Rickwood (who played the past three years at Clarkson) has won 62.6 percent (119 of 190). Arizona State will counter with junior Oliver Peer (135 of 257, 52.5%) and graduate Reilly Funk (161 of 331, 48.6%).
In the early part of the 2025-2025 campaign, the Fighting Hawks narrowly outpace the Beavers in two key puck possession statistics:
North Dakota: 11th in both Corsi (55.8%) and Fenwick (56.2%)
Bemidji State: 14th in both Corsi (53.2%) and Fenwick (54.3%)
Corsi measures the share of shot attempts for each team at even strength, while Fenwick measures the share of unblocked shot attempts for each team at even strength.
To this point in the season, the Green and White have had slightly the better of the specialty teams play. North Dakota is a combined +2, with thirteen power play goals scored (13 for 50, 26.0%, 7th) and ten power play goals allowed (32 of 42, 76.2%, 46th). UND has scored two but allowed three shorthanded goals through the first twelve games of the season.
Tom Serratore’s squad is at a +1, with fourteen power play goals scored (14 for 60, 23.3%, 18th in the country) and thirteen power play goals allowed (50 of 63, 79.4%, 35th). BSU has both scored and allowed two shorthanded goals this season.
Through twelve games, the Green and White have blocked 149 shots (12.4 per game), led by Bennett Zmolek with 23 and Jake Livanavage with 15. Bemidji State has blocked 185 shots in its sixteen games (11.6/game), with senior Mitch Wolfe and freshman Hudson Thornton blocking 24 each.
North Dakota’s defensive corps has provided plenty of production from the back end, already notching nine goals and adding 27 assists in 85 combined games (0.42 points per game).
The nine Bemidji State blueliners to play this season have scored ten goals and added twenty assists in 111 conbined games (0.27 points/game). Aside from freshman Hudson Thornton (2-8-10 in sixteen games played), no Beaver defenseman has collected more than four points.
Senior Maxon Vig – son of Mitch Vig (UND 1994-98) has two goals and one assist in his first sixteen games this season.
For the Fighting Hawks, it’s been two juniors – Jake Livanavage (1-8-9) and Abram Wiebe (2-7-9) – and a freshman (Keaton Verhoeff, with four goals and four assists).
Verhoeff is widely expected to go in the top three of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, while Livanavage (4-24-28) and Wiebe (4-20-24) were two of UND’s top four point-getters a season ago.
Sophomore defenseman EJ Emery – a first round pick of the New York Rangers in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft – notched the first two goals of his collegiate career last month in a 5-2 win against Minnesota.
Not only have North Dakota’s defensemen been producing offensively, first-year head coach Dane Jackson has also put together an impressive mix of defenders he can trust in any situation. As a unit, UND’s defensemen have allowed just 22.7 shots on goal per game (3rd in the country).
Fighting Hawks’ graduate netminder Gibson Homer (4-4-0, 2.78 goals-against average, .882 save percentage) started each of the first four games of the season but has split each of the past four weekends with freshman Jan Spunar (4-0-0, 1.26 GAA, .939 SV%, one shutout). I would expect Spunar to get the start in Friday’s opener, and, depending on results, the freshman may earn back-to-back starts for the first time in his collegiate career.
Bemidji State Team Profile
Head Coach: Tom Serratore (25th season at BSU, 412-383-106, .516)
National Rankings: NR/NR
NPI Ranking: 24th
KRACH Rating: 102.0 (36th)
This Season: 9-5-2 overall, 4-0-5-1 CCHA (1st)
Last Season: 15-18-5 overall (missed NCAA tournament), 7-11-7-1 CCHA (t-6th)
Team Offense: 3.50 goals scored/game – 16th of 63 teams
Team Defense: 2.56 goals allowed/game – 19th of 63 teams
Power Play: 23.3% (14 of 60) – 18th of 63 teams
Penalty Kill: 79.4% (50 of 63) – 35th of 63 teams
Key Players: : Senior F Adam Flammang (6-14-20), Junior F Oliver Peer (10-9-19), Junior F Kasper Magnussen (6-10-16), Freshman F Max Namestikov (4-7-11), Graduate F Relly Funk (5-5-10), Junior F Connor McClennon (7-2-9), Senior F Kirklan Irey (0-8-8), Freshman D Hudson Thornton (2-8-10), Senior D Mitch Wolfe (2-2-4), Junior G Raythan Robbins (5-1-2, 2.08 GAA, .909 SV%, 1 SO)
North Dakota Team Profile
Head Coach: Dane Jackson (1st season at North Dakota, 8-4-0, .667)
National Rankings: #6/#6
NPI Ranking: 10th
KRACH: 306.9 (9th)
This Season: 8-4-0 overall, 4-1-0-1 NCHC (2nd)
Last Season: 21-15-2 overall (missed NCAA tournament), 11-8-4-1 NCHC (5th)
2025-26 Season Statistics:
Team Offense: 3.83 goals scored/game – 8th of 63 teams
Team Defense: 2.50 goals allowed/game – 15th of 63 teams
Power Play: 26.0% (13 of 50) – 7th of 63 teams
Penalty Kill: 76.2% (32 of 42) – 46th of 63 teams
Key Players: Senior F Ben Strinden (7-8-15), Freshman F Cole Reschny (2-9-11), Freshman F Will Zellers (7-4-11), Senior F Dylan James (6-3-9), Sophomore F Mac Swanson (4-6-10), Freshman F Ollie Josephson (2-4-6), Senior F Ellis Rickwood (1-7-8), Junior D Jake Livanavage (1-8-9), Junior D Abram Wiebe (2-7-9), Freshman D Keaton Verhoeff (4-4-8), Freshman G Jan Spunar (4-0-0, 1.26 GAA, .929 SV%, 1 SO)
By The Numbers
Last Meeting: November 30, 2024 (Grand Forks, ND). Hobie Hedquist allowed three goals on eight shots in just over one period of play before giving way to T.J. Semptimphelter. North Dakota tied the game at 3-3 early in the second period, but neither team could light the lamp after that point.
Last Meeting in Bemidji: November 29. 2024. BSU scored late in period two and added a second tally nearly halfway through the final frame. North Dakota’s Sacha Boisvert netted an extra attacker goal at 16:27 but could not draw even despite putting seventeen shots on goal in the third period. For the game, UND outshot the Beavers 35-22.
Most Important Meeting: October 15, 2010 (Bemidji, MN). In the first game played at the BREC, North Dakota spotted BSU the opening goal less than two minutes into the contest and then steamrolled the Beavers 5-2. The Fighting Sioux outshot their fellow Green-and-Whiters 38-14.
Last Ten: North Dakota is 6-2-2 (.700) in the last ten meetings between the teams, outscoring the Beavers 32-21 over that stretch of games. Seven of the last ten tilts have been decided by a goal or less, with UND having slightly the better of it in the close games (3-2-2).
All-time Series: UND leads the all-time series, 37-6-8 (.804), including a record of 26-3-5 (.838) in games played in Grand Forks. Four of BSU’s six wins over North Dakota have come in the past eleven years (October 2014, October 2018, October 2021, and Novembr 2024). Bemidji’s other victories over UND came in 1970 and 2011.
Game News and Notes
BSU has competed at the Division I level since the 1999-00 season and has made the NCAA tournament five times (2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, and 2021), with a Frozen Four appearance in 2009. Sixteen of the past 22 games between these two teams have been decided by one goal or less.
Broadcast Information
Friday’s opener will be available via webcast at CCHA.TV. Saturday’s rematch will be broadcast live on Midco Sports Network and also available via webcast at NCHC.tv. Puck drop is set for 7:37 p.m. Central Time on Friday and 6:07 p.m. 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.
On A Personal Note
I have participated in Movember for the past thirteen years and have proudly raised over $43,000 to help change the face of men’s health. Will you join me and support the cause? Please visit my Movember fundraising page to learn more and to donate. Thank you!
The Prediction
Despite series history, this year’s North Dakota squad is built differently, with scoring depth, excellent goaltending, and a defensive corps capable of taking over games. Friday’s road test will be the tougher of the two, but I’ve got the Fighting Hawks earning two victories this weekend. UND 4-2, 5-1.
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!