Category: UND Athletics

In just seven days, UND has moved from facing a bitter rival to squaring off against an unfamiliar opponent.

In the spirit of last week’s trip down memory lane, here’s a glance at all seven hockey games played between UND and the Clarkson Golden Knights…

March 19th and 20th, 1982 (Grand Forks, ND): North Dakota hosts the Golden Knights in the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament. At that time, matchups were two games, total goals. UND beat Clarkson by five goals (5-1, 2-1) to advance to the Frozen Four. With victories over Northeastern (6-2) and Wisconsin (5-2), the Fighting Sioux earned the fourth national championship in program history.

November 6th and 7th, 1998 (Grand Forks, ND): The Green and White swept Clarkson by final scores of 6-2 and 5-1. This edition of North Dakota hockey (32-6-2 overall) was a favorite to win the national championship but fell one game short of the Frozen Four, losing 3-1 to Boston College.

October 29th and 30th, 1999 (Potsdam, NY): In the only two games ever played between the teams in New York, North Dakota won 4-1 and 6-5. At one point in the rematch, the Fighting Sioux led 5-2. This UND team would go on to win the program’s seventh national title just four months later.

January 7th, 2012 (Winnipeg, MAN): In its first-ever destination game, North Dakota came back to defeat Clarkson 3-1 behind two goals from Carter Rowney. UND’s original opponent – the Dean Blais-led Omaha Mavericks – had to cancel due to a scheduling challenge.

Thus far this season, unranked Clarkson (1-3-0) has lost at Canisius by a score of 3-1, split at #5 Penn State (6-4, 2-5), and dropped a road game at RIT (6-2).

With a home-and-home sweep of St. Thomas (6-2, 5-2) and a home split with #12 Minnesota (5-2, 1-5) #8 North Dakota (3-1-0) 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.

Clarkson has been competing at the Division I level for over a century, but two head coaches (and their corresponding periods of success) stand out:

The Len Ceglarski era (1958-1972): Four NCAA tournament appearances, four Frozen Four berths, and three national runner-up finishes (1962, 1966, and 1970). In those three most successful seasons, Ceglarski had a combined head coaching record of 70-14-1 (.829).

The Mark Morris era (1988-2002): Nine NCAA tournament appearances in ten seasons and a Frozen Four berth in 1991. Morris was let go after missing three consecutive national tourneys (2000-02) and starting off the 2002-03 season with three straight defeats.

Since 1999, the Golden Knights have only advanced to the NCAA tourney five times, with a 1-4 record in those games.

Their lone national tournament victory in the past 25 seasons came over St. Cloud State in the 2008 East Regional semifinal. The 2020 tournament was cancelled.

North Dakota has been relevant in every decade, with head coaches Bob May, Barry Thorndycraft, John “Gino” Gasparini, Dean Blais, and Brad Berry all lifting college hockey’s most coveted trophy.

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 games against Clarkson (a member of the ECAC), UND will have four non-conference games remaining on the schedule:

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.

In interconference games so far this season, the Big Ten (24-8-3, .729) and the NCHC (28-13-1, .679) have been leading the charge, with the ECAC (11-15-3, .431) lagging behind. The only NCHC/ECAC matchup so far this season has been RPI vs. Miami, with the RedHawks of the NCHC sweeping their ECAC hosts (5-3, 5-0).

One key area to watch this weekend is the face-off circle. Through four games, the Fighting Hawks have won 51.5% of faceoffs, good for 20th in the country. Clarkson has won just 48.6% (36th). UND freshman phenom Cole Reschny has won 35 of his 54 draws (64.8%), while portal transfer Ellis Rickwood (who played the past three years at Clarkson) has won 60 percent (42 of 70). For the Golden Knights, freshman Connyr Hellyer (25 of 46, 54.3%) has been the most effective, although fellow rookie Mael St-denis (22 of 47, 46.8%) and graduate student Ryan Bottrill (19 of 49, 38.8%) have seen more action in the dot.

To this point in the season, North Dakota has had the better of the specialty teams play. The Green and White have been a combined +2, with five power play goals scored (5 for 17, 29.4%, 4th in the country) and three power play goals allowed (15 of 18, 83.3%, 22nd). Clarkson is a minus-four, with ZERO power play goals scored on fourteen man-advantage opportunities (0.0%, 52nd in the country), and four power play goals allowed (16 for 20, 80.0%, 29th). Both teams have scored and allowed one shorthanded goal through the first four games of the season.

North Dakota’s defensive corps has provided plenty of production from the back end, already notching six goals and adding eight assists in 29 combined games (0.48 points per game).

Clarkson’s blueliners have scored two goals and added five assists in 26 combined games (0.27 points/game), led by senior Tristan Sarsland and freshman Bryce Sookro, who each have two assists in four games played.

For the Fighting Hawks, it’s been two juniors – Jake Livanavage (1-2-3) and Abram Wiebe (1-2-3) – and a freshman (Keaton Verhoeff, with two goals and an assist).

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 Friday night 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.

Last season, Clarkson advanced to the ECAC playoff championship game but could not secure an NCAA tournament bid, falling to Cornell by a final score of 3-1 despite outshooting the Big Red 31-24.

Clarkson Team Profile

Head Coach: J.F. Houle (2nd season at Clarkson, 25-13-3, .616)
National Rankings: NR/NR

This Season: 1-3-0 overall, 0-0-0-0 ECAC
Last Season: 24-12-3 overall, 13-5-2-2 ECAC (2nd of 12 teams)

2025-26 Season Statistics:

Team Offense: 2.75 goals scored/game – 35th of 57 teams
Team Defense: 4.50 goals allowed/game – 51st of 57 teams

Power Play: 0.0% (0 of 14) – 52nd of 57 teams
Penalty Kill: 80.0% (16 of 20) – 29th of 57 teams

Key Players: Graduate F Ryan Bottrill (0-4-4), Freshman F Adrian Misaljevic (2-1-3), Senior F Erik Bargholtz (2-1-3), Junior F Talon Sigurdson (1-1-2), Freshman D Bryce Sookro (0-2-2), Senior D Tristan Sarsland (0-2-2), Sophomore G Shane Soderwall (1-2-0, 3.73 GAA, .892 SV%)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dane Jackson (1st season at North Dakota)
National Rankings: #8/#8

This Season: 3-1-0 overall, 0-0-0-0 NCHC
Last Season: 21-15-2 overall (missed NCAA tournament), 11-8-4-1 NCHC (5th)

2025-26 Season Statistics:

Team Offense: 4.25 goals scored/game – 4th of 57 teams
Team Defense: 2.75 goals allowed/game – 24th of 57 teams

Power Play: 29.4% (5 of 17) – 7th of 57 teams
Penalty Kill: 83.3% (15 of 18) – 22nd of 57 teams

Key Players: Senior F Dylan James (3-2-5), Senior F Ellis Rickwood (1-5-6), Sophomore F Mac Swanson (2-1-3), Senior F Ben Strinden (0-3-3), Sophomore F Cade Littler (1-2-3), Freshman F Cole Reschny (1-2-3), Freshman F Will Zellers (1-2-3), Freshman F Josh Zakreski (1-2-3), Junior D Jake Livanavage (1-2-3), Junior D Abram Wiebe (1-2-3), Freshman D Keaton Verhoeff (2-1-3), Senior G Gibson Homer (3-1-0, 2.52 GAA, .885 SV%)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: January 7th, 2012 (Winnipeg, MAN). In the first-ever “destination game”, North Dakota rallied back from a 1-0 first-period deficit thanks to a pair of goals by Carter Rowney in the middle frame. UND would add a Mark Macmillan insurance goal with 62 seconds remaining before the Golden Knights could pull netminder Paul Karpowich for an extra attacker. Fans of the Green and White may remember this team – led by Brock Nelson, Danny Kristo, Corban Knight, Ben Blood, Dillon Simpson, Aaron Dell, and captain Mario Lamoureux – as the group that pulled off a furious comeback against the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the WCHA Final Five “Timeout Game” at Xcel Energy Center two months later.

Last Meeting in Potsdam: October 30th, 1999. North Dakota built a 5-2 lead and held on for a 6-5 victory. One night earlier, UND defeated Clarkson 4-1. This UND team would go on to win the program’s seventh national title just four months later.

Most Important Meeting: March 19th and 20th, 1982 (Grand Forks, ND). North Dakota hosted the Golden Knights in the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament. At that time, matchups were two games, total goals. UND beat Clarkson by five goals (5-1, 2-1) to advance to the Frozen Four. With victories over Northeastern (6-2) and Wisconsin (5-2), the Fighting Sioux earned the program’s fourth national championship.

All-Time Series: North Dakota is a perfect 7-0-0 against Clarkson in program history. The teams first met in 1982.

Game News and Notes

Through the first four games of the season, twelve different UND players have scored a goal. North Dakota senior forward Tyler Young, who has yet to suit up in an official game for the Fighting Hawks, notched an assist in two games against Clarkson while playing for Merrimack. Young spent his first three seasons with the Warriors before transferring to UND. Fellow senior Ellis Rickwood (1-5-6 in four games with North Dakota) spent his first three seasons at Clarkson, putting up a line of 10-25-35 in 39 games with the Golden Knights last year. Cheel Arena (Potsdam, NY) has an official seating capacity of 3000 with room for up to 800 more if fans choose to stand.

Broadcast Information

Both games will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and also available in Canada on TSN+. All UND men’s hockey games (home and away) can be heard on 96.1 FM and on stations across the UND Sports Network (as well as through the iHeart Radio app). Puck drop is set for 6:00 p.m. Central Time each night.

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

UND should come out of this series with two victories, but it won’t be easy. I expect a much closer game on Saturday night after the Green and White fill the net with pucks in Friday’s opener. Even on the road, North Dakota has too many advantages to drop a game here. UND 6-1, 4-2.

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!

Quite simply, North Dakota vs. Minnesota is a hockey rivalry unlike any other.

Before we dig into this weekend’s matchup, let’s take a trip down memory lane and hear from fans on both sides of the rivalry.

#8 North Dakota (2-0-0) 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.

#13 Minnesota (1-2-1) has advanced to the NCAAs in each of the past five seasons but is stuck on five national titles, the most recent in 2002 and 2003.

More to the point…

The Golden Gophers played from 1947-1973 without a title (26 seasons).

Head coach Herb Brooks led Minnesota to three NCAA championships in a six year stretch (1974, 1976, and 1979).

The Golden Gophers then played from 1979-2001 without a title (22 seasons).

Head coach Don Lucia won back-to-back titles in 2002 and 2003.

This year will mark the 23rd anniversary of Minnesota’s most recent NCAA crown.

North Dakota has been relevant in every decade, with head coaches Bob May, Barry Thorndycraft, John “Gino” Gasparini, Dean Blais, and Brad Berry all lifting college hockey’s most coveted trophy.

Here is a closer look at the thirteen combined national titles won by these two storied programs.

Despite only nine tournament victories since Minnesota’s last title (UND has 22 in that same span), Gophers’ head coach Don Lucia was inexplicably given a two-year extension that was supposed to keep him behind the bench through the 2018-19 campaign. After the Gophers sputtered to a 19-17-2 record eight seasons ago. Lucia was replaced by former St. Cloud State bench boss Bob Motzko.

Motzko, who guided St. Cloud State to the national tournament eight times in his thirteen seasons behind the SCSU bench, only managed an overall NCAA tourney record of 5-8 and one Frozen Four appearance with the Huskies. With the Gophers, his tournament results have been better but ultimately just as disappointing, with a record of 7-5, two Frozen Fours, and an overtime loss to Quinnipiac in the 2023 national title game.

This weekend’s matchup will mark the first of four consecutive seasons in which these two bitter rivals will compete. Minnesota will host North Dakota on October 23rd and 24th, 2026. The 2026-27 (Grand Forks) and 2027-28 (Minneapolis) games have not been scheduled yet.

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 games against Minnesota (a member of the Big Ten), UND will have six non-conference games remaining on the schedule:

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.

Minnesota can no longer lay claim to having a roster made up exclusively of the State of Hockey’s “Pride On Ice”, with two players hailing from Alberta (freshman defenseman Finn McLaughlin is from Canmore and junior netminder Nathan Airey is from Cochrane). Sophomore forward Erik Pahlsson is from Sweden, and three other U.S. states are also represented: Michigan (Luca Di Pasquo), New Jersey (John Whipple), and Pennsylvania (LJ Mooney).

UND boasts two North Dakotans on its roster along with six players from Minnesota.

Last weekend, North Dakota swept St. Thomas (6-2 at home; 5-2 on the road). Minnesota managed just a loss and a tie at home against #9 Boston College. The previous weekend, the Golden Gophers split at home against unranked Michigan Tech.

One key area to watch this weekend is the face-off circle. Through two games, the Fighting Hawks have won 51.3% of faceoffs, while Minnesota clocks in at just 49.4%. Freshman phenom Cole Reschny has won 23 of his 30 draws (76.7%), while portal transfer Ellis Rickwood (who played the past three years at Clarkson) has won 57.1 percent (16 of 28). For the Gophers, portal transfer Tanner Ludtke (who spent the last two seasons at Omaha) has been the most efficient, winning 40 of 72 (55.6%).

To this point in the season, North Dakota has had the better of the specialty teams play. The Green and White have been a combined +2, with four power play goals scored (4 for 6, 66.7%, best in the country) and two power play goals allowed (7 of 9, 77.8%). Minnesota has scored just once on eight man advantage opportunities (12.5%, 40th) and allowed two power play goals on six chances (66.7%) for a minus-1. Neither team has scored or allowed a shorthanded goal to this point of the season.

In this rivalry, both teams have historically had plenty of firepower up front, with scoring from the back end often proving to be the difference. This weekend, the two groups of defensemen are a study in contrast, with Minnesota’s blueliners managing just eight assists in 29 games played (0.28 points per game) while North Dakota’s defensive corps have scored three goals and added seven assists for ten points in just fourteen games played (0.71 points per game).

Leading the way for Minnesota from the back end are senior Luke Mittelstadt (0-4-4) and sophomore Leo Gruba (0-2-2).

For the Fighting Hawks, it’s been two juniors – Jake Livanavage (1-2-3) and Abram Wiebe (1-1-2) – and a freshman (Keaton Verhoeff, with a goal and an assist).

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.

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.

Over the next three weekends, the Gophers are running through the rivalry gauntlet, with upcoming games against Minnesota Duluth (home, October 24 and 25) and Wisconsin (road, October 30 and November 1) on the docket.

Minnesota Team Profile

Head Coach: Bob Motzko (8th season at Minnesota, 162-84-22, .646)
National Rankings: #13/#14

This Season: 1-2-1 overall, 0-0-0-0 Big Ten
Last Season: 25-11-4 (West Regional semifinalist), 14-3-1-6 Big Ten (2nd of 7 teams)

2025-26 Season Statistics:

Team Offense: 3.00 goals scored/game – 29th of 57 teams
Team Defense: 3.30 goals allowed/game – 33rd of 57 teams

Power Play: 12.5% (1 of 8) – 40th of 57 teams
Penalty Kill: 66.7% (4 of 6) – 49th of 57 teams

Key Players: Sophomore F Brodie Ziemer (3-1-4), Senior F Brody Lamb (3-1-4), Junior F Jimmy Clark (0-3-3), Freshman F LJ Mooney (1-2-3), Sophomore F Beckett Hendrickson (1-2-3), Sophomore F Erik Pahlsson (2-0-2), Senior D Luke Mittelstadt (0-4-4), Sophomore D Leo Gruba (0-2-2), Junior G Nathan Airey (1-1-1, 2.29 GAA, .924 SV%)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Dane Jackson (1st season at North Dakota)
National Rankings: #8/#8

This Season: 2-0-0 overall, 0-0-0-0 NCHC
Last Season: 21-15-2 overall (missed NCAA tournament), 11-8-4-1 NCHC (5th)

2025-26 Season Statistics:

Team Offense: 5.50 goals scored/game – 2nd of 57 teams
Team Defense: 2.00 goals allowed/game – 11th of 57 teams

Power Play: 66.7% (4 of 6) – 1st of 57 teams
Penalty Kill: 77.8% (7 of 9) – 39th of 57 teams

Key Players: Senior F Dylan James (1-1-2), Sophomore F Mac Swanson (1-1-2), Senior F Ben Strinden (0-0-2), Sophomore F Cade Littler (1-2-3), Freshman F Cole Reschny (1-2-2), Freshman F Will Zellers (1-1-2), Freshman F Josh Zakreski (1-2-3), Junior D Jake Livanavage (1-2-3), Junior D Abram Wiebe (1-1-2), Freshman D Keaton Verhoeff (1-1-2), Senior G Gibson Homer (2-0-0, 2.00 GAA, .923 SV%)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: October 21, 2023 (Grand Forks, ND). One night after the Gophers blanked their hosts by a final score of 4-0, it was the home team’s turn for victory. Over the first two periods of play, UND outshot Minnesota 24-12 but could manage only a Jayden Perron goal early in the second period. Less than one minute into the final frame, North Dakota’s Jake Livanavage doubled the lead on a goal that proved necessary, as Jakon Nelson later cut the lead in half on his second tally of the season. Minnesota would pull Justen Close with just over a minute remaining but could not find the equalizer.

A Recent Memory: October 22, 2022 (Minneapolis, MN). Near the end of a furious first period that saw the home team put fifteen pucks on net, the scoreboard still showed two zeroes. North Dakota defenseman Tyler Kleven crushed a Gopher, resulting in a five-minute major for contact to the head and a game misconduct. Minnesota’s Matthew Knies scored a power play goal just 48 seconds into the second period, and when Rhett pitlick doubled the lead just eight minutes later, it appeared that the rout was on. Except… Pitlick decided to launch his stick into the crowd. And was assessed a ten-minute misconduct. Between that moment and the end of the second period, the Gophers took 21 more minutes in penalties (to North Dakota’s two), and UND scored three power play goals (along with an even-strength tally by captain Mark Senden). Connor Kurth would get the home team back within one with just 34 seconds remaining in the middle frame. Minnesota freshman forward Jimmy Snuggerud brought his team even early in the third, but Senden capped the night with a game-winning goal just under halfway through the 3-on-3 overtime session. One night earlier, the Gophers came back to win on a late extra-attacker goal at 18:36 of the third period and an overtime winner just 21 seconds into the fourth frame.

What Happens In Vegas: October 27, 2018 (Las Vegas, NV). The “Duel in the Desert” left #5 Minnesota feeling high and dry as #17 North Dakota played the Gophers even through a scoreless opening period before outshooting their guests 25-12 over the final forty minutes of play. UND’s Colton Poolman scored two goals for the Fighting Hawks, while fellow blueliner Hayden Shaw assisted on all three goals in a 3-1 North Dakota victory. Attendance was recorded as 412 Gopher fans and 7000 fans of the Green and White.

Most Important Meeting: March 24, 1979 (Detroit, MI). North Dakota and Minnesota met to decide the national championship, and the Gophers prevailed, 4-3. Neal Broten scored the game-winning goal for the U of M, and Steve Janaszak was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.

All-Time Series: Minnesota leads the all-time series by a six-game margin, 143-137-16 (.510), although North Dakota holds a 74-58-8 (.557) advantage in games played in Grand Forks. The teams first met in 1948.

Last Ten: North Dakota has gone 7-3-0 in the last ten meetings between the schools, outscoring Minnesota 32-25 in those games.

Game News and Notes

Eleven different UND players scored a goal in last weekend’s two-game sweep (6-2, 5-2) over St. Thomas. Since the B1G Hockey Conference was formed following the 2012-2013 season, teams in the NCHC have combined for seven national titles (UND 2016, DU 2017, UMD 2018 and 2019, DU 2022 and 2024, WMU 2025). The B1G? Zero. North Dakota’s 2019 Thanksgiving visit to Minneapolis ended in a sweep for the Fighting Hawks (9-3, 3-2), the first since January 2007. In an effort to alleviate parking concerns, Minnesota fans are asked to park at 3M Arena At Mariucci and walk to the games. 8 > 5.

Broadcast Information

Both games will be broadcast live on Midco Sports Network and are also available via webcast at NCHC.tv. All UND men’s hockey games (home and away) can be heard on 96.1 FM and on stations across the UND Sports Network (as well as through the iHeart Radio app). Puck drop is set for 7:07 p.m. on Friday night and at 6:07 p.m. on Saturday night.

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 are still finding their identity and building toward league play, the second half of the season, and the playoffs. North Dakota will want to roll four lines and use roster depth to their advantage in this series. I’m looking at a few key factors: faceoffs, goaltending, and the ability to score in bunches. In a rivalry matchup like this, it is easy for teams to feed off of the crowd, go over the edge, and take needless penalties. Either one of these teams could ride the wave of momentum to victory, and whichever team does a better job of staying out of the penalty box has the advantage. I know it feels like a cop-out to call a split, but it’s too early in the season for one team to have that much of an edge. Minnesota 4-3, UND 5-2.

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!

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.

#17 North Dakota (21-14-2 overall, 11-8-4-1 NCHC) squares off against #3 Western Michigan (28-7-1 overall, 15-1-4-4 NCHC) in the semifinals of the last-ever NCHC Frozen Faceoff, and UND must get past the Broncos AND win the championship game (against either #6 Denver or #11 Arizona State) on Saturday night to earn an NCAA tournament bid and extend its season.

Earlier this month, the Broncos clinched the program’s first-ever Penrose Cup as NCHC regular season champions; WMU and Denver will make the NCAAs regardless of results this weekend.

Three weeks ago, UND earned a split at Kalamazoo, losing 6-4 on Friday night before rebounding for a 4-3 overtime victory in the rematch.

The Fighting Hawks hosted WMU two months 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.

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). Finishing in first and second place in the NCHC, Western Michigan and the Sun Devils were the two biggest surprises in the conference. DU finished in third place, while the Fighting Hawks ended up in fifth.

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 safe; as mentioned above, both Arizona State (15th) and North Dakota (17th) will need to win two games this weekend to extend their season.

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 (4.06 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: 2.08 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 (13-5-1, 2.03 GAA, .919 SV%, 1 SO) between the pipes. After alternative for much of the season, Slukynsky has started the last six consecutive games.

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 (20-23-43), sophomore forward Grant Slukysnky (8-25-33), sophomore forward Owen Michaels (14-15-29), senior forward Liam Valente (12-16-28), freshman forward Zach Nehring (13-14-27), graduate forward Tim Washe (14-18-32), freshman forward Iiro Hakkarainen (11-14-25), senior forward Matteo Costantini (8-14-22), junior defenseman Samuel Sjolund (3-24-27), and freshman defenseman Joona Vaisanen (4-18-22).

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 have a few more players to work with while fielding a lineup this weekend:

Freshman defenseman E.J. Emery (19:33 per game) played four Saturdays ago after serving a one-game league suspension for fighting; since that time, he has been dealing with a lower-body injury and did not suit up at Western Michigan or in any of the four games against Omaha. Emery traveled with the team and is considered day-to-day.

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.

UND has lost a combined 116 games due to injury this season, with thirteen of 24 skaters missing at least one game.

This weekend, North Dakota will have seven players in the lineup at a half-point per game or better. Cameron Berg leads the way in scoring average with his 21 points in 25 games. Other consistent contributors include junior forward Owen McLaughlin (5-23-28), junior forward Dylan James (14-8-22), freshman forward Sacha Boisvert (16-14-30), sophomore forward Jayden Perron (10-9-19), sophomore defenseman Jake Livanavage (4-24-28), and sophomore defenseman Abram Wiebe (4-20-24).

Here is a quick peek at how North Dakota and Omaha stack up in various categories:

Goals per game: WMU 4.06 (1st of 64 teams); UND 3.19 (17th)

Goals allowed per game: WMU 2.08 (6th); UND 2.89 (31st)

Shooting percentage: WMU 11.6% (5th); UND 11.2% (9th)

Save percentage: WMU .920 (10th); UND .898 (38th)

Shots on goal/game: WMU 35.1 (4th); UND 28.6 (37th)

Shots on goal allowed/game: WMU 25.9 (10th); UND 28.4 (24th)

Power play efficiency: WMU 25.5% (8th); UND 25.9% (6th)

Penalty kill efficiency: WMU 87.1% (4th); UND 76.6% (50th)

Faceoff win percentage: WMU 54.6% (3rd); UND 51.3% (20th)

Corsi: WMU 57.6% (2nd); UND 50.3% (27th)

Fenwick: WMU 58.3% (2nd); UND 50.4% (29th)

Western Michigan Broncos

Head Coach: Pat Ferschweiler (4th season at WMU, 98-50-4, .658)

National Rankings: #3/#3
Pairwise Ranking: 5th
KRACH Ranking: 439.6 (5th)

This Season: 28-7-1 overall, 15-1-4-4 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: 4.06 goals scored/game – 1st of 64 teams
Team Defense: 2.08 goals allowed/game – 6th of 64 teams

Power Play: 25.5% (25 of 98) – 8th of 64 teams
Penalty Kill: 87.1% (81 of 93) – 4th of 64 teams

Key Players: Sophomore F Alex Bump (20-23-43), Sophomore Forward Grant Slukysnky (8-25-33), Graduate F Tim Washe (14-18-32), Sophomore F Owen Michaels (14-15-29), Senior F Liam Valente (12-16-28), Freshman F Zach Nehring (13-14-27), Junior D Samuel Sjolund (3-24-27), Freshman D Joona Vaisanen (4-18-22), Freshman G Hampton Slukynsky (13-5-1, 2.03 GAA, .919 SV%, 1 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Brad Berry (10th season at UND, 227-118-35, .643)

National Rankings: #17/#17
Pairwise Ranking: 17th
KRACH: 193.2 (18th)

This Season: 21-14-2 overall, 11-8-4-1 NCHC (5th of 9 teams)
Last Season: 26-12-2 (NCAA Regional Semifinalist), 14-4-1-5 NCHC (1st)

2024-2025 Season Statistics:

Team Offense: 3.19 goals scored/game – 17th of 64 teams
Team Defense: 2.89 goals allowed/game – 31st of 64 teams

Power Play: 25.9% (26 of 102) – 6th of 64 teams
Penalty Kill: 76.6% (89 of 117) – 50th of 64 teams

Key Players: Freshman F Sacha Boisvert (16-14-30), Junior F Owen McLaughlin (5-23-28), Junior F Dylan James (14-8-22), Freshman F Mac Swanson (2-16-18), Sophomore F Jayden Perron (10-9-19 in 30 games), Senior F Jake Schmaltz (6-10-16), Senior F Cameron Berg (12-9-21 in 25 games), Sophomore D Jake Livanavage (4-24-28), Sophomore D Abram Wiebe (4-20-24), Junior D Caleb MacDonald (3-7-10), Graduate G T.J. Semptimphelter (18-10-2, 2.66 GAA, .908 SV%, 1 SO, 1 post-game scrap)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: March 1, 2025 (Kalamazoo, MI). Western Michigan took a 3-2 lead in the third period thanks to two Ty Hendricks goals just two minutes apart. UND battled back and forced overtime on an extra-attacker tally by Sacha Boisvert with just 36 seconds remaining in the game, and the Fighting Hawks’ Jake Livanavage completed the comeback with a power play marker late in the five-minute overtime session. The Broncos outshot North Dakota 36-18 but were continually stymied by UND netminder T.J. Semptimphelter, who finished with 33 saves.

Last Meeting at the NCHC Frozen Faceoff: March 18, 2022 (St. Paul, MN). After Judd Caulfield gave UND an early 1-0 lead, the Broncos stampeded back with three straight goals. North Dakota’s Nick Portz drew the Green and White within one with just seven seconds remaining in the middle frame, but the Fighting Hawks managed just six third-period shots and surrendered an empty-net goal in a 4-2 loss. UND went 0-for-5 on the power play. North Dakota had won the four prior neutral-site games between the two teams.

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 31 of the 47 games (31-15-1, .670). 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 four of those ten games were played in Kalamazoo. The combined score of the last ten contests? Broncos 33, Fighting Hawks 30.

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 nine points in his fourteen career games against WMU while junior forward Owen McLaughlin has ten points in his ten matchups against the Broncos. North Dakota freshman forward Sasha Boisvert was just named NCHC Rookie of the Year, joining Brock Boeser, Shane Pinto, and Jackson Blake as UND’s winners in the twelve-year history of the league.

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. The Fighting Hawks will rely on two advantages tonight: a partisan crowd, and the reality that for this squad, there is no tomorrow. UND will need to get pucks deep, stay out of the penalty box, and get great goaltending to compete tonight. It’s close, but I think Brad Berry’s squad will get the job done and advance to the title game. UND 4-3.

Bonus Prediction

Arizona State will topple the Denver Pioneers, setting up an epic Frozen Faceoff championship between two teams who both need a victory to secure an NCAA tournament berth.

Broadcast Information

Puck drop is set for 7:37 p.m. Central Time on Friday night, with the game broadcast exclusively on CBS Sports Network. 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!

It’s deja vu all over again.

For the second time in three seasons, UND heads down I-29 through South Dakota to Nebraska to face the Mavericks, and, just like in March 2023, the season is on the line for both teams.

On the final weekend of the 2022-2023 regular season, North Dakota swept Omaha (5-4 OT, 2-1). The Fighting Hawks dropped Game One of the playoff series in Omaha by a final score of 2-1 before winning two straight (3-1, 5-2) and advancing to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff in St. Paul, Minnesota.

This time around, #17 North Dakota (19-14-2 overall, 11-8-4-1 NCHC) and #20 Omaha (18-15-1 overall, 13-8-2-1 NCHC) are in the same boat. Both teams must win this weekend’s best-of-three playoff series AND win two games at the NCHC Frozen Faceoff to make the national tournament.

Here are the other three first-round matchups:

8-seed St. Cloud State at 1-seed Western Michigan
7-seed Minnesota Duluth at 2-seed Arizona State
6-seed Colorado College at 3-seed Denver

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). After locking up the top two spots in the league standings, Western Michigan and the Sun Devils have been the two biggest surprises in the conference.

Before this season, only UND, Denver, and St. Cloud State had hoisted the Penrose. In this, the twelfth season of the NCHC, Western Michigan joins that group.

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 (9th) are safe; the rest of the teams in the league will have to 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: 18th
Omaha: 28th
St. Cloud State: 34th
Colorado College: 37th
Minnesota Duluth: 42nd
Miami: 63rd

It is odd that, prior to last weekend, North Dakota and Omaha had not faced each other this season. Last year, the Mavericks got the best of UND, earning eight of twelve league points in the regular season and besting North Dakota in the semifinals of the Frozen Faceoff.

On January 12th and 13th, 2024, UND took four of six league points in a home series against Omaha, falling 5-4 in overtime on Friday night before rebounding for a 3-1 regulation win in Saturday’s rematch. The disappointing thing about the series opener is that North Dakota led 3-1 after the first period. The Mavericks won the middle frame decisively, however, outscoring the homestanding Hawks 3-1. Both teams scored twice with the man advantage. Omaha scored just 34 seconds into the 3-on-3 overtime session to grab the extra league point.

Saturday’s finale was a bit more of a defensive struggle, with Omaha tying the game at one goal apiece just 49 seconds into the third period. UND’s Dylan James scored the game-winner three minutes later, and former Maverick Cameron Berg iced the game with an empty-net goal in the final thirty seconds. North Dakota outshot Omaha 30-23 on Saturday night and 69-47 on the weekend.

Almost exactly one year ago, UND traveled down I-29 to face the Mavericks on the last weekend of the regular season. The homestanding Mavs were clearly the hungrier team in Friday’s opener, as North Dakota was fresh off a Penrose Cup-clinching performance at home just six days earlier. The Fighting Hawks trailed 3-2 headed into the final twenty minutes of game one, and, despite a 14-4 advantage in shots on goal in the third period, could not find the equalizer.

In the rematch, little-used netminder Seth Eisele made 38 saves for Omaha in a 4-1 victory. Ludvig Perrsson was good but not great for UND (21 saves, three goals allowed).

And on March 22, 2024, Omaha defeated North Dakota 6-3 in the NCHC semifinals at Xcel Energy Center (St. Paul, Minnesota). UND drew within one goal with just 24 seconds remaining in the second period but gave up a critical fourth goal to the Mavericks just 78 seconds into period three. Despite a 14-7 shot advantage in the third period, the Fighting Hawks were outscored 3-1 in the final frame.

Turning our attention to this weekend…

A half-point per game or better is my benchmark for solid offensive production, and Mike Gabinet’s squad has just seven players who meet that threshold: graduate forward Sam Stange (15-17-32), graduate forward Brady Risk (13-11-24), senior forward Zach Urdahl (12-10-22), graduate forward Harrison Israels (9-13-22), junior forward Cam Mitchell (8-12-20), sophomore forward Charlie Lurie (4-6-10 in twenty games), and junior defenseman Jacob Guevin (6-13-19).

If those names are unfamiliar to North Dakota fans, it’s because Omaha’s top four point-getters are all transfers. Urdahl transferred from Wisconsin two seasons ago, while Stange left last year. Risk and Israels previously suited up for Alaska, appearing at the Ralph last season with the Nanooks (current UND junior defenseman Caleb MacDonald was their former teammate).

North Dakota bench boss Brad Berry will have a few more players to work with while fielding a lineup this weekend:

Junior defenseman Caleb MacDonald, who left last Saturday’s game with an upper-body injury, has returned to practice and is expected to play this weekend.

Freshman defenseman E.J. Emery (19:33 per game) played three Saturdays ago after serving a one-game league suspension for fighting; since that time, he has been dealing with a lower-body injury and did not suit up at Western Michigan or vs. Omaha. Emery traveled with the team and is considered day-to-day.

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.

UND has lost a combined 114 games due to injury this season, with thirteen of 24 skaters missing at least one game.

This weekend, North Dakota will have seven players in the lineup at a half-point per game or better. Cameron Berg leads the way in scoring average with his 21 points in 23 games. Other consistent contributors include junior forward Owen McLaughlin (5-22-27), junior forward Dylan James (14-8-22), freshman forward Sacha Boisvert (16-12-28), sophomore forward Jayden Perron (9-9-18), sophomore defenseman Jake Livanavage (4-24-28), and sophomore defenseman Abram Wiebe (4-19-23).

Here is a quick peek at how North Dakota and Omaha stack up in various categories:

Goals per game: Omaha 2.97 (25th of 64 teams); UND 3.20 (16th)

Goals allowed per game: Omaha 2.74 (23rd); UND 2.94 (31st)

Shooting percentage: Omaha 10.4% (20th); UND 11.1% (10th)

Save percentage: Omaha .923 (8th); UND .895 (45th)

Shots on goal/game: Omaha 28.5 (38th); UND 28.8 (34th)

Shots on goal allowed/game: Omaha 35.4 (63rd); UND 28.1 (23rd)

Power play efficiency: Omaha 21.6% (25th); UND 25.5% (7th)

Penalty kill efficiency: Omaha 76.5% (49th); UND 76.1% (51st)

Faceoff win percentage: Omaha 48.8% (38th); UND 51.7% (19th)

Corsi: Omaha 46.0% (55th); UND 50.3% (30th)

Fenwick: Omaha 45.1% (56th); UND 50.4% (28th)

Omaha Team Profile

Head Coach: Mike Gabinet (8th season at UNO, 135-129-19, .511)

National Rankings: #20/NR
Pairwise Ranking: 28th
KRACH Rating: 139.1 (23rd)

This Season: 18-15-1 overall, 13-8-2-1 NCHC (4th)
Last Season: 23-13-4 overall (NCAA Regional Semifinalist), 8-8-8-0 NCHC (5th)

Team Offense: 2.97 goals scored/game – 25th of 64 teams
Team Defense: 2.74 goals allowed/game – 23rd of 64 teams

Power Play: 21.6% (25 of 116)– 25th of 64 teams
Penalty Kill: 76.5% (65 of 85)– 49th of 64 teams

Key Players: Graduate F Sam Stange (15-17-32), Graduate F Brady Risk (13-11-24), Senior F Zach Urdahl (12-10-22), Graduate F Harrison Israels (9-13-22), Junior F Cam Mitchell (8-12-20), Sophomore F Charlie Lurie (4-6-10 in twenty games), Junior D Jacob Guevin (6-13-19), Senior D Dylan Gratton (2-12-14). Junior G Simon Latkoczy (14-14-1, 2.68 GAA, .925 SV%, 1 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Brad Berry (10th season at UND, 225-118-35, .642)

National Rankings: #17/#18
Pairwise Ranking: 18th
KRACH: 173.8 (19th)

This Season: 19-14-2 overall, 11-8-4-1 NCHC (5th of 9 teams)
Last Season: 26-12-2 (NCAA Regional Semifinalist), 14-4-1-5 NCHC (1st)

2024-2025 Season Statistics:

Team Offense: 3.20 goals scored/game – 16th of 64 teams
Team Defense: 2.94 goals allowed/game – 31st of 64 teams

Power Play: 25.5% (26 of 102) – 7th of 64 teams
Penalty Kill: 76.1% (89 of 117) – 51st of 64 teams

Key Players: Freshman F Sacha Boisvert (16-12-28), Junior F Owen McLaughlin (5-22-27), Junior F Dylan James (14-8-22), Freshman F Mac Swanson (2-15-17), Sophomore F Jayden Perron (9-9-18 in 28 games), Senior F Jake Schmaltz (6-9-15), Senior F Cameron Berg (12-9-21 in 23 games), Sophomore D Jake Livanavage (4-24-28), Sophomore D Abram Wiebe (4-19-23), Junior D Caleb MacDonald (3-4-7), Graduate G T.J. Semptimphelter (16-10-2, 2.71 GAA, .905 SV%, 1 SO, 1 post-game scrap)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: March 8, 2025 (Grand Forks, ND). It was an odd game to close the home portion of the North Dakota hockey season, as two late goals (19:25 of the first period and 19:40 of the second period) were too much for UND to overcome. As is so often the case in this rivalry, the Fighting Hawks outshot the visitors 37-26 and led in expected goals (3.1-2.8) but fell behind 4-0 and could not recover. Wisconsin transfer Sam Stange had two goals, two assists, and two penalty minutes for Omaha.

Last Meeting in Omaha: March 9, 2024. UND outshot the homestanding Mavs 39-25 but could manage just a single 5-on-3 goal in falling by a final score of 4-1. Omaha netminder Seth Eisele made 38 of 39 saves in the victory. It was much the same story one night earlier, as a 34-23 advantage in shots on goal resulted in a 3-2 loss for the Green and White. Brad Berry’s squad never led in either game, a very telling statistic when these two teams tangle.

Most Memorable Meeting: The game that UND fans will long remember is the outdoor game played at TD Ameritrade Park (Omaha, Nebraska) on February 9th, 2013. One day after winning a tight 2-1 contest indoors, North Dakota throttled UNO 5-2 on a sunny, melty afternoon. Mavericks netminder John Faulkner was pulled after allowing three goals on five shots in just ten minutes of game action. In my opinion, this hockey weekend solidified the notion that for UND hockey, it’s always a home game.

Last Ten: Omaha has a record of 6-4-0 in the last ten meetings between the teams, including a 6-3 semifinal victory at the 2024 NCHC Frozen Faceoff in St. Paul. Five of the other nine games over this stretch were played in Omaha, with the Fighting Hawks taking two of three games in March 2023 and the Mavericks sweeping a regular-season series in March 2024.

All-Time: UND leads the all-time series 37-23-2 (.613), including a record of 18-11-1 (.617) in Omaha. The teams first met on November 19, 2010.

Game News and Notes

Ten seasons ago, both North Dakota and Omaha advanced to the NCAA Frozen Four but neither team made the championship game. UND fell to Boston University 5-3, while the Mavericks were upended 4-1 by eventual national champion Providence. In team history, the Mavericks have made the national tournament five times (2006, 2011, 2015, 2021, 2024), with a Frozen Four appearance under head coach Dean Blais in 2015. North Dakota’s Brad Berry is 28-17-1 (.620) in his head coaching career against Omaha. In 30 of the past 35 contests in this series, the winning team is the one which scores the first goal. This season, North Dakota is 15-2-0 (.882) when scoring first; Omaha, 14-5-1 (.725). UND has outscored opponents 32-26 in the first period of play this season.

The Prediction

For only the fourth time in the last 25 years, North Dakota is heading on the road for the first round of the league playoffs. Despite last Saturday’s lopsided score, I don’t think that Omaha is as deep or as talented as UND. This will take three games, but the Fighting Hawks will get the job done and advance to St. Paul for the NCHC Frozen Faceoff. UND 4-3, Omaha 4-2, UND 3-2.

Bonus Predictions

Western Michigan over St. Cloud State in two games
Arizona State over Minnesota Duluth in three games
Denver over Colorado College in three games

Broadcast Information

Game times are set for 7:00 p.m. Central Time on Friday and Saturday and 6:00 p.m. Central Time on Sunday (if necessary). The entire series will be broadcast 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!

#18 North Dakota (18-13-2 overall, 10-7-4-1 NCHC) hosts unranked Omaha (17-14-1 overall, 12-7-2-1 NCHC) in the final regular season action of the season. UND currently trails the Mavericks by two points in the conference standings and will need to sweep this weekend (with at least one victory coming in regulation) to guarantee home ice in the first round of the league playoffs, which start next week.

It is situation critical for Brad Berry’s squad. With an at-large NCAA bid nearly impossible, UND will almost certainly need to advance to St. Paul AND win two games at the NCHC Frozen Faceoff to make the national tournament. A first-round league playoff series at home would certainly make that road a bit easier.

Western Michigan and Arizona State have already secured home ice for the league playoffs, and that leaves two spots up for grabs:

1. Western Michigan (51 points in 22 games played): at Miami this weekend
2. Arizona State (47 points in 24 games played): no games scheduled this weekend
3. Omaha (41 points in 22 games played): at UND this weekend
4. North Dakota (39 points in 22 games played): vs. Omaha this weekend
4. Denver (39 points in 22 games played): vs./at Colorado College this weekend

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). After locking up the top two spots in the league standings, Western Michigan and the Sun Devils have been the two biggest surprises in the conference.

Before this season, only UND, Denver, and St. Cloud State had hoisted the Penrose. In this, the twelfth season of the NCHC, Western Michigan joins that group.

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: 15th
North Dakota: 18th
Omaha: 27th
Colorado College: 31st
St. Cloud State: 35th
Minnesota Duluth: 42nd
Miami: 63rd

It is odd that North Dakota and Omaha are facing each other for the first time this season at the very end of the conference schedule. Last year, the Mavericks got the best of UND, earning eight of twelve league points in the regular season and besting North Dakota in the semifinals of the Frozen Faceoff.

On January 12th and 13th, 2024, UND took four of six league points in a home series against Omaha, falling 5-4 in overtime on Friday night before rebounding for a 3-1 regulation win in Saturday’s rematch. The disappointing thing about the series opener is that North Dakota led 3-1 after the first period. The Mavericks won the middle frame decisively, however, outscoring the homestanding Hawks 3-1. Both teams scored twice with the man advantage. Omaha scored just 34 seconds into the 3-on-3 overtime session to grab the extra league point.

Saturday’s finale was a bit more of a defensive struggle, with Omaha tying the game at one goal apiece just 49 seconds into the third period. UND’s Dylan James scored the game-winner three minutes later, and former Maverick Cameron Berg iced the game with an empty-net goal in the final thirty seconds. North Dakota outshot Omaha 30-23 on Saturday night and 69-47 on the weekend.

Almost exactly one year ago, UND traveled down I-29 to face the Mavericks on the last weekend of the regular season. The homestanding Mavs were clearly the hungrier team in Friday’s opener, as North Dakota was fresh off a Penrose Cup-clinching performance at home just six days earlier. The Fighting Hawks trailed 3-2 headed into the final twenty minutes of game one, and, despite a 14-4 advantage in shots on goal in the third period, could not find the equalizer.

In the rematch, little-used netminder Seth Eisele made 38 saves for Omaha in a 4-1 victory. Ludvig Perrsson was good but not great for UND (21 saves, three goals allowed).

And on March 22, 2024, Omaha defeated North Dakota 6-3 in the NCHC semifinals at Xcel Energy Center (St. Paul, Minnesota). UND drew within one goal with just 24 seconds remaining in the second period but gave up a critical fourth goal to the Mavericks just 78 seconds into period three. Despite a 14-7 shot advantage in the third period, the Fighting Hawks were outscored 3-1 in the final frame.

Turning our attention to this season…

A half-point per game or better is my benchmark for solid offensive production, and Mike Gabinet’s squad has just seven players who meet that threshold: graduate forward Sam Stange (13-15-28), graduate forward Brady Risk (12-10-22), senior forward Zach Urdahl (12-8-20), graduate forward Harrison Israels (7-12-19), junior forward Cam Mitchell (7-11-18), sophomore forward Charlie Lurie (4-6-10 in twenty games), and junior defenseman Jacob Guevin (6-13-19).

If those names are unfamiliar to North Dakota fans, it’s because Omaha’s top four point getters are all transfers. Urdahl transferred from Wisconsin two seasons ago, while Stange left last year. Risk and Israels previously suited up for Alaska, appearing at the Ralph last season with the Nanooks (current UND junior defenseman Caleb MacDonald was their former teammate).

Israels has been out of the lineup since February 15th, while sophomore Tanner Ludtke has not played since November 16th. Ludtke had 28 points in forty games as a freshman last season.

Those two forwards are considered questionable for this weekend, as is Omaha junior netminder Simon Latkoczy (13-13-1, 2.69 GAA, .925 SV%, 1 SO). If Latkoczy isn’t able to suit up, the Mavericks will turn to freshman Kevin Reidler (4-1-0, 3.20 GAA, .920 SV%).

North Dakota bench boss Brad Berry will have a few more players to work with while fielding a lineup this weekend:

It appears as though sophomore forward Jayden Perron (9-8-17 in 26 games) will play his first game in four weeks after suffering a lower-body injury against Colorado College.

Senior Swiss Army Knife Dane Montgomery (1-5-6 in 22 games) suffered an upper-body injury three weeks ago at Denver but is expected to play this weekend.

Freshman defenseman E.J. Emery (19:33 per game) played two Saturdays ago after serving a one-game league suspension for fighting; since that time, he has been dealing with a lower-body injury and did not suit up at Western Michigan last weekend. Emery will miss this series as well.

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.

UND has lost a combined 112 games due to injury this season, with thirteen of 24 skaters missing at least one game.

If Perron is able to suit up, North Dakota will have eight players in the lineup at a half-point per game or better. Cameron Berg leads the way in scoring average with his nineteen points in 21 games. Other consistent contributors include junior forward Owen McLaughlin (4-21-25), freshman forward Mac Swanson (2-15-17), junior forward Dylan James (13-8-21), freshman forward Sacha Boisvert (14-11-25), sophomore forward Jayden Perron (9-8-17), sophomore defenseman Jake Livanavage (4-22-26), and sophomore defenseman Abram Wiebe (4-18-22).

Here is a quick peek at how North Dakota and Omaha stack up in various categories:

Goals per game: Omaha 2.91 (26th of 64 teams); UND 3.21 (16th)

Goals allowed per game: Omaha 2.72 (25th); UND 2.88 (32nd)

Shooting percentage: Omaha 10.2% (24th); UND 11.2% (8th)

Save percentage: Omaha .924 (6th); UND .898 (40th)

Shots on goal/game: Omaha 28.6 (37th); UND 28.7 (36th)

Shots on goal allowed/game: Omaha 35.6 (63rd); UND 28.2 (24th)

Power play efficiency: Omaha 21.1% (26th); UND 25.3% (10th)

Penalty kill efficiency: Omaha 76.8% (46th); UND 76.5% (49th)

Faceoff win percentage: Omaha 53.7% (9th); UND 51.2% (20th)

Corsi: Omaha 46.0% (55th); UND 50.1% (31st)

Fenwick: Omaha 45.2% (57th); UND 50.1% (30th)

Omaha Team Profile

Head Coach: Mike Gabinet (8th season at UNO, 134-128-19, .511)

National Rankings: NR/NR
Pairwise Ranking: 28th
KRACH Rating: 140.8 (23rd)

This Season: 17-4-1 overall, 12-7-2-1 NCHC (3rd)
Last Season: 23-13-4 overall (NCAA Regional Semifinalist), 8-8-8-0 NCHC (5th)

Team Offense: 2.91 goals scored/game – 26th of 64 teams
Team Defense: 2.72 goals allowed/game – 25th of 64 teams

Power Play: 21.1% (24 of 114)– 26th of 64 teams
Penalty Kill: 76.8% (63 of 82)– 46th of 64 teams

Key Players: Graduate F Sam Stange (13-15-28), Graduate F Brady Risk (12-10-22), Senior F Zach Urdahl (12-8-20), Graduate F Harrison Israels (7-12-19), Junior F Cam Mitchell (7-11-18), Sophomore F Charlie Lurie (4-6-10 in twenty games), Junior D Jacob Guevin (6-13-19), Senior D Dylan Gratton (2-12-14). Junior G Simon Latkoczy (13-13-1, 2.69 GAA, .925 SV%, 1 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Brad Berry (10th season at UND, 224-117-35, .642)

National Rankings: #18/#18
Pairwise Ranking: 18th
KRACH: 175.9 (18th)

This Season: 18-13-2 overall, 10-7-4-1 NCHC (4th of 9 teams)
Last Season: 26-12-2 (NCAA Regional Semifinalist), 14-4-1-5 NCHC (1st)

2024-2025 Season Statistics:

Team Offense: 3.21 goals scored/game – 16th of 64 teams
Team Defense: 2.88 goals allowed/game – 32nd of 64 teams

Power Play: 25.3% (25 of 99) – 10th of 64 teams
Penalty Kill: 76.5% (88 of 115) – 49th of 64 teams

Key Players: Freshman F Sacha Boisvert (14-11-25), Junior F Owen McLaughlin (4-21-25), Junior F Dylan James (13-8-21), Freshman F Mac Swanson (2-15-17), Sophomore F Jayden Perron (9-8-17 in 26 games), Senior F Jake Schmaltz (6-9-15), Senior F Cameron Berg (11-8-19 in 21 games), Sophomore D Jake Livanavage (4-22-26), Sophomore D Abram Wiebe (4-18-22), Junior D Caleb MacDonald (3-4-7), Graduate G T.J. Semptimphelter (15-9-2, 2.66 GAA, .907 SV%, 1 SO, 1 post-game scrap)

By The Numbers:

Last Meeting: March 22, 2024 (St. Paul, MN). Omaha defeated North Dakota 6-3 in the NCHC semifinals at Xcel Energy Center. UND drew within one goal with just 24 seconds remaining in the second period but gave up a critical fourth goal to the Mavericks just 78 seconds into period three. Despite a 14-7 shot advantage in the third period, the Fighting Hawks were outscored 3-1 in the final frame.

Last Meeting in Grand Forks: January 13, 2024 (Grand Forks, ND). In a tight defensive game, Omaha tied things at one goal apiece just 49 seconds into the third period. UND’s Dylan James scored the game-winner three minutes later, and former Maverick Cameron Berg iced the game with an empty-net goal in the final thirty seconds. One night earlier, North Dakota fans saw a 3-1 first period lead evaporate in a disastrous middle frame that saw the Mavericks outscore the homestanding Hawks 3-1. Omaha scored just 34 seconds into the 3-on-3 overtime session to grab the extra league point. North Dakota outshot Omaha 69-47 on the weekend.

Most memorable meeting: The game that UND fans will long remember is the outdoor game played at TD Ameritrade Park (Omaha, Nebraska) on February 9th, 2013. One day after winning a tight 2-1 contest indoors, North Dakota throttled UNO 5-2 on a sunny, melty afternoon. Mavericks netminder John Faulkner was pulled after allowing three goals on five shots in just ten minutes of game action. In my opinion, this hockey weekend solidified the notion that for UND hockey, it’s always a home game.

Last ten: Each team has won five of the last ten contests, and the combined scoreboard is tied at 29 goals apiece in that stretch. Only four of the last ten games were played in Grand Forks.

All-time: UND leads the all-time series 36-22-2 (.617), including a record of 31-19-2 (.615) against the Mavericks since both teams joined the NCHC and an overall home record of 18-10-1 (.638). The teams first met on November 19, 2010.

Game News and Notes

Ten seasons ago, both North Dakota and Omaha advanced to the NCAA Frozen Four but neither team made the championship game. UND fell to Boston University 5-3, while the Mavericks were upended 4-1 by eventual national champion Providence. In team history, the Mavericks have made the national tournament five times (2006, 2011, 2015, 2021, 2024), with a Frozen Four appearance under head coach Dean Blais in 2015. North Dakota’s Brad Berry is 27-16-1 (.625) in his head coaching career against Omaha. In 28 of the past 33 contests in this series, the winning team is the one which scores the first goal. This season, North Dakota is 14-2-0 (.875) when scoring first; Omaha, 13-5-1 (.711). UND has outscored opponents 31-24 in the first period of play this season.

The Prediction

I’ve had a good feeling about this matchup all week. North Dakota is as healthy as it has been all season, and goaltending has been a major factor in the team’s recent success. Omaha has more question marks right now – particularly in net – and doesn’t appear to be as deep as the home team. I think that both games will be close contests, with the Fighting Hawks treating the home fans to an overtime thriller on Saturday night to secure home ice. UND 4-2, 3-2 (OT).

Broadcast Information

Game times are set for 6:36 p.m. Central Time on Friday and 6:07 p.m. Central Time on Saturday. Friday’s opener will be available exclusively on CBS Sports Network, with Saturday’s rematch broadcast on Midco Sports 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!

#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!

#17 North Dakota (15-12-2 overall, 8-6-3-1 NCHC) hosts unranked Minnesota Duluth (11-15-2 overall, 6-9-1-2 NCHC) in a pivotal conference series this weekend at Ralph Engelstad Arena.

The Fighting Hawks are currently one point ahead of Denver for fourth place in the NCHC, with six points up for grabs in this series. The next-closest team – Colorado College – trails DU by one point and has played two more games than either UND or Denver. North Dakota is nine points ahead of 7th-place Duluth.

This weekend, Denver is at 9th-place Miami, while Colorado College is at 8th-place St. Cloud State.

In the NCHC preseason poll, UND was picked to finish in second place (behind Denver), while the Bulldogs ended up in seventh place (ahead of only Arizona State and Miami). Currently in second place in the NCHC, the Sun Devils have been the biggest surprise in the conference.

Minnesota Duluth hosted Arizona State last weekend, winning 3-2 in overtime on Friday night before skating to a 3-3 tie (shootout loss) in Saturday’s rematch.

The Penrose Cup is expected to be in Tempe, Arizona this weekend in case league-leading Western Michigan sweeps ASU. If that happens, the trophy would be presented to the Broncos at Mullett Arena on Saturday night. If not, it will be on hand at Lawson Ice Arena next weekend for the series between North Dakota and WMU.

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: 15th
North Dakota: 19th
Omaha: 30th
Colorado College: 34th
St. Cloud State: 36th
Minnesota Duluth: 40th
Miami: 63rd

The Bulldogs played ten games at the Division I level in the early 1930s but didn’t really get started until after World War II. Its first nineteen seasons after the war were played as an independent before joining the WCHA in 1965. It would take eighteen seasons – and a head coach named Mike Sertich – before UMD would make the NCAA tournament, and Sertich would take them there in three consecutive seasons:

1982-1983: National Quarterfinalist
1983-1984: 2nd Place (National Runner-Up)
1984-1985: 3rd Place (Consolation Champion)

In 1984, Duluth was tantalizingly close to winning its first title. The Bulldogs defeated North Dakota 2-1 in overtime (behind a goal by Bill Watson) to advance to the championship game, where they would face Bowling Green in the longest NCAA final in Division I men’s hockey history. Gino Cavallini scored for the Falcons in the fourth overtime session, ending a game that took over 97 minutes of game action to complete.

And, perhaps, fittingly, UMD would find themselves locked in overtime contests in 1985 as well. The Bulldogs took RPI to three overtimes in the national semis before falling 6-5. Back in those days, there was still a third-place game, and so Duluth faced Boston College (which had also played three overtimes in its semifinal) for no reason at all. Of course, that game also went to overtime, with UMD defeating the Eagles 7-6.

After that three-year splash on the national scene, Mike Sertich would manage just one more tournament appearance (1993) over the final fifteen years of his head coaching career before giving way to Scott Sandelin, who has guided the Bulldogs to the NCAAs eleven times in his 24 completed seasons behind the Bulldog bench. It is worth noting, however, that Duluth has had two consecutive losing seasons (28-40-6) overall and has missed the last two NCAA tourneys.

Even though UMD has been a more frequent participant over the past two decades than at any other point in team history, Duluth and North Dakota have only met twice in the national tournament (1984 and 2021). UND had a chance to meet the Bulldogs in the 2011 title game but fell to the Wolverines in the semifinals 2-0 (with an empty-net goal) despite outshooting Michigan 40-20.

Before the Wolverines were forced to withdraw from the 2021 tournament, UMD and Michigan were set to square off in the national tournament for the first time since that overtime thriller in St. Paul.

North Dakota was down 2-0 to Minnesota Duluth with just 101 seconds remaining in the third period of the 2021 NCAA Midwest Regional final at Scheels Arena in Fargo, North Dakota. The Bulldogs had built their lead with two goals just 80 seconds apart early in the final frame on a pair of fluky plays. A partially blocked shot off the stick of Jackson Cates fluttered past Fighting Hawks’ netminder Adam Scheel, and a broken stick at the blue line sent Cole Koepke in alone on a breakaway. UND scored two extra-attacker goals in the final two minutes of regulation to send the game long into the night. Minnesota Duluth outlasted North Dakota 3-2 in five overtimes to advance to the NCAA Frozen Four. The three goaltenders involved in the contest combined to make 114 saves.

With three national titles in a nine-year stretch, the Bulldogs could certainly be considered the best team of the 2010s; North Dakota’s eight national titles have been spread out across the decades: 1959, 1963, 1980, 1982, 1987, 1997, 2000, and 2016.

The Wolverines have won nine NCAA titles but only two since 1964, those coming in 1996 and 1998. For that reason, I consider North Dakota (eight titles) and Denver (ten titles) the two best programs in NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey history.

And turning our attention to this season…

So much has changed since these two teams tangled at the DECC in the league opener for both sides.

On November 8th and 9th, UND traveled to Duluth and swept the homestanding Bulldogs 7-3 and 4-1. North Dakota chased highly-touted netminder Adam Gajan on two consecutive nights after scoring five goals on twenty shots in 34:18 of game action in the opener and besting that with two goals on eight shots in 5:38 on night two.

Gajan, a freshman from Poprad, Slovakia, was a second-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2023 NHL Draft. He has appeared in just one game since November 23rd, a loss at Omaha during which he stopped just 24 of 29 shots.

Fellow first-year goalie Klayton Knapp – from Sylvania, Ohio – has taken the reigns between the pipes for UMD. Knapp is 6-5-2 this season with a goals-against average of 2.41, a save percentage of .915, and one shutout.

Both teams have been battling injuries and illnesses all season; here is the full report from each side:

Minnesota Duluth

The Bulldogs will feature several faces who were not in the lineup the last time these two teams squared off, most notably freshman forward Max Plante (7-12-19 in fifteen games), senior forward Dominic James (11-12-23), and junior forward Jack Smith (2-5-7).

Freshman forward Trevor Stachowiak and freshman goaltender Adam Gajan are both out of the lineup with lower-body injuries. Junior netminder Zach Sandy (0-2-0, 3.42 GAA, .859 SV%) will serve as the backup to Klayton Knapp.

Senior defenseman Will Francis remains sidelined with a second leukemia relapse; all of us at SiouxSports.com wish Will and his family all our best. No one fights alone.

North Dakota

Senior forward Jackson Kunz (7-3-10 in 27 games) has recovered from illness and was a full practice participant this week.

Freshman forward Sacha Boisvert (9-11-20 in 28 games) suffered an undisclosed injury but has been skating this week; he is considered day-to-day.

Freshman defenseman E.J. Emery (19:38 minutes per game) is suspended for the first game of this series due to a fight at the end of last Saturday’s 3-1 victory at Denver; his scrapping partner (DU’s Zeev Buium) was also suspended for one game. Emery is eligible to return for the series finale but is questionable with an undisclosed injury.

Sophomore forward Jayden Perron (9-8-17 in 26 games) suffered a lower-body injury two 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 last Friday night at Denver and is still out.

Senior defenseman Bennett Zmolek (out for the season) and junior goaltender Kaleb Johnson (out long-term) remain on the sidelines.

On the plus side, senior forward Cameron Berg (9-7-16 in seventeen games) has played the last ten games after missing five consecutive weekends of action.

Junior goaltender 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.

Minnesota Duluth brought in eleven freshmen this season, including two defensemen and two goaltenders. Head coach Scott Sandelin is hoping to turn things around after a dreadful 12-20-5 season (5-11-5-3 in the NCHC) a year ago.

Nearly half of the Bulldogs’ goals this season have come from those eleven rookies, led by forwards Jayson Shaugabay (nine), Max Plante (seven in fifteen games), Zam Plante (five), Callum Arnott (five) and Blake Bechen and defenseman Ty Hanson (four).

Only five Bulldogs have scored more than a half point per game: freshman forward Max Plante (7-12-19 in fifteen games), senior forward Dominic James (11-12-23), freshman forward Jayson Shaugabay (9-13-22), freshman forward Zam Plante (5-11-16), and sophomore defenseman Aaron Pionk (3-19-22).

If Boisvert (9-11-20) is able to suit up this weekend, North Dakota will have seven players in the lineup at a half-point per game or better. Cameron Berg leads the way in scoring average with his sixteen points in seventeen games. Other consistent contributors include junior forward Owen McLaughlin (3-14-17), freshman forward Mac Swanson (2-14-16), junior forward Dylan James (11-8-19), sophomore defenseman Jake Livanavage (3-19-22), and sophomore defenseman Abram Wiebe (4-15-19).

Surprisingly, the Bulldogs outpace UND in two key puck possession statistics:

Minnesota Duluth: 21st in Corsi (52.4%) and 18th in Fenwick (53.1%)
North Dakota: 26th in Corsi (51.1%) and 27th in Fenwick (51.0%)

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 19th-best team on draws (52.0%), while UMD clocks in at 49.0% (39th).

For UND, senior Jake Schmaltz has been making a living on draws, winning 282 of 511 (55.2%). Graduate Carter Wilkie (239 of 430; 55.6%) has been more than capable, while senior Cameron Berg has won 143 of 279 (51.3%) in limited action.

Duluth will counter with a combination of senior Dominic James (293 of 551, 53.2%), freshman Zam Plante (184 of 335, 54.9%), and junior Jack Smith (147 of 327, 45.0%). Plante has a unique style on faceoffs that must be seen to be appreciated.

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 fourteen goals and 27 assists in 83 games played this season, while Emery and Strathmann have totaled a goal and three assists while playing heavy minutes for the Hawks (Emery 19:38, Strathmann 12:18).

Minnesota Duluth boasts five draft picks among its eleven-member freshman class:

Forward Max Plante: 2024 Round 2 #47 overall to the Detroit Red Wings

Plante spent the last two seasons as E.J. Emery’s teammate with the U.S. National Development Team in Ann Arbor.

Forward Jayson Shaugabay: 2023 Round 4 #115 overall to the Tampa Bay Lightning

Shaugabay, a Warroad native, won the 2023 Minnesota Mr. Hockey award.

Forward Zam Plante: 2022 Round 5 #150 overall to the Pittsburgh Penguins

Zam, who at twenty years of age is the older brother of Max, is finally healthy after dealing with a shoulder injury. Last season, he was a Fargo Force teammate of current UND freshman Mac Swanson.

Defenseman Adam Kleber: 2024 Round 2 #42 overall to the Buffalo Sabres

Kleber is listed at 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds.

Goaltender Adam Gajan: 2023 Round 2 #35 overall to the Chicago Blackhawks

Gajan competed in the 2023 and 2024 World Junior U-20 Championships for his native Slovakia and has been the UMD goaltender of record for all but one game this season (3-3-0, 3.19 GAA, .899 SV%).

Overall, Duluth’s recruiting class was ranked first in the nation by College Hockey News, while North Dakota’s crop of freshmen came in fourth. The two classes sandwiched in between belong to Boston College and Boston University. Incidentally, Western Michigan came in fifth, Denver was slotted in tenth, and Colorado College was picked eleventh.

This is a pivotal series for North Dakota, with both league points and Pairwise positioning at play. UND (currently 19th in the Pairwise) has three weekends of league action remaining in the regular season, with its most difficult remaining matchup away from Ralph Engelstad Arena:

vs. Minnesota Duluth (PWR 40)

at Western Michigan (PWR 5)

vs. Omaha (PWR 30)

Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs

Head Coach: Scott Sandelin (25th season at UMD, 467-403-102, .533)

National Rankings: NR/NR
Pairwise Ranking: 40th
KRACH: 109.2 (31st)

This Season: 11-15-2 overall, 6-9-1-2 NCHC (7th of 9 teams)
Last Season: 12-20-5 overall (missed NCAA tournament), 5-11-5-3 NCHC (7th of 8 teams)

2024-2025 Season Statistics:

Team Offense: 2.82 goals scored/game – 34th of 64 teams
Team Defense: 3.18 goals allowed/game – 50th of 64 teams

Power Play: 21.8% (22 of 101) – 26th of 64 teams
Penalty Kill: 74.4% (64 of 86) – 54th of 64 teams

Key players: Senior F Dominic James (11-12-23), Freshman F Jayson Shaugabay (9-13-22), Freshman F Max Plante (7-12-19 in fifteen games), Freshman F Zam Plante (5-11-16), Sophomore D Aaron Pionk (3-19-22), Senior D Owen Gallatin (4-9-13), Freshman G Klayton Knapp (6-5-2, 2.41 GAA, .915 SV%)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Brad Berry (10th season at UND, 221-116-35, .641)

National Rankings: #17/#18
Pairwise Ranking: 19th
KRACH: 157.6 (19th)

This Season: 15-12-2 overall, 8-6-3-1 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: 3.03 goals scored/game – 25th of 64 teams
Team Defense: 2.86 goals allowed/game – 33rd of 64 teams

Power Play: 22.9% (19 of 83) – 18th of 64 teams
Penalty Kill: 76.0% (76 of 100) – 51st of 64 teams

Key Players: Freshman F Sacha Boisvert (9-11-20), Junior F Owen McLaughlin (3-14-17), Junior F Dylan James (11-8-19), Freshman F Mac Swanson (2-14-16), Senior F Jake Schmaltz (4-7-11), Senior F Cameron Berg (9-7-16 in seventeen games), Sophomore D Jake Livanavage (3-19-22), Sophomore D Abram Wiebe (4-15-19), Junior D Caleb MacDonald (3-4-7), Graduate G T.J. Semptimphelter (12-8-2, 2.64 GAA, .905 SV%, 1 SO, 1 post-game scrap)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: November 9, 2024 (Duluth, Minnesota). The Fighting Hawks chased highly-touted freshman netminder Adam Gajan for the second consecutive night, but this time it took less than six minutes. UND won 4-1 and combined to outscore the Bulldogs 11-4 in the two-game road sweep.

Last Meeting in Grand Forks: February 24, 2024. UND gave our daughter Ashley a terrific birthday present, completing the weekend sweep with a 4-2 victory. Sophomore forward Dylan James broke a 2-2 third-period tie with a pair of goals. In Friday’s opener, North Dakota crushed UMD 6-0 behind a goal and four assists from sophomore forward Jackson Blake.

Most Important Meeting: March 27, 2021 (Fargo, ND). North Dakota was down 2-0 to Minnesota Duluth with just 101 seconds remaining in the third period of the 2021 NCAA Midwest Regional final at Scheels Arena in Fargo, North Dakota. The Bulldogs had built their lead with two goals just 80 seconds apart early in the final frame on a pair of fluky plays. A partially blocked shot off the stick of Jackson Cates fluttered past Fighting Hawks’ netminder Adam Scheel, and a broken stick at the blue line sent Cole Koepke in alone on a breakaway. UND scored two extra-attacker goals in the final two minutes of regulation to send the game long into the night. Minnesota Duluth outlasted North Dakota 3-2 in five overtimes to advance to the NCAA Frozen Four. The three goaltenders involved in the contest combined to make 114 saves.

The Meeting That Never Was: Both teams advanced to the 2011 NCAA Frozen Four at Xcel Energy Center (St. Paul, Minnesota). UND could not get past Michigan, falling 2-0 despite outshooting the Wolverines 40-20. In the other national semifinal, Minnesota-Duluth defeated Notre Dame 4-3 and rode that momentum to the title game. The Bulldogs took the Wolverines to overtime before senior forward Kyle Schmidt scored the game winner and earned UMD their first national championship. North Dakota won two of the three games against Duluth that season, outscoring Scott Sandelin’s team 11-5.

All-time Series: UND leads the all-time series, 159-89-11 (.635), including an 86-39-3 (.684) advantage in games played in Grand Forks. The teams first met in 1954, with North Dakota winning the first ten games between the schools by a combined score of 72-16. UMD’s first win over the Fighting Sioux (a 3-2 road victory on December 18th, 1959) did not sit well with the defending national champions. UND defeated Duluth 13-2 the following night.

Last Ten: North Dakota is 9-1-0 (.900) in the last ten games between the teams, including six victories in a row. The combined score of the last ten contests is 39-17 in favor of the Fighting Hawks. Minnesota Duluth’s last win over UND was January 21st, 2023. Only four of the last ten games in this series were played in Grand Forks.

Game News and Notes

Both head coaches this weekend are alumni of the University of North Dakota; Brad Berry (1983-86) and Scott Sandelin (1982-86) both played for UND under John “Gino” Gasparini. Due to the pandemic and other scheduling factors, the Bulldogs have only visited Ralph Engelstad Arena twice in the last five years (UND is 3-1 in those games).

The Prediction

I expect a fast, physical weekend of hockey out of this matchup, with plenty of talent on display. An early lead would be beneficial for UND, as they seem to play with much more purpose and poise when they aren’t chasing the game. Of course, goaltending and specialty teams are always a factor, and the Bulldogs are one of the few teams in the country with a worse penalty kill than the Fighting Hawks. I expect a tougher matchup on Friday night, with the home team rolling in the rematch. UND 3-2, 4-2.

Broadcast Information

Both games this weekend will be broadcast on Midco Sports and also available online at NCHC.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 6:07 p.m. Central on Saturday.

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.