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Weekend Preview: North Dakota at Omaha

#10/#11 North Dakota (3-3-1) will head to Nebraska this weekend to face Omaha (4-3-1) at Baxter Arena exactly eight months after securing the program’s third-consecutive Penrose Cup with a 5-4 overtime victory on that very same ice.

Before we dig into this weekend’s matchup, let’s take a quick look back at the past few games between the two teams…

On March 4th, 2022, North Dakota built a 4-2 advantage over the first two periods but gave up the lead in the third period, allowing a power play goal at 8:49 and an extra-attacker goal at 19:04. Less than 90 seconds into overtime, UND’s Tyler Kleven scored a 3-on-3 goal to secure yet another league championship for the Fighting Hawks. There was certainly a letdown the following night, as Omaha dispatched the visitors by a final score of 4-1.

One month earlier (Friday, February 4th), UND broke a 1-1 tie with three goals in the second period, including a 5-on-3 tally by Ethan Frisch with seven seconds remaining. In Saturday’s rematch, North Dakota built a 2-0 lead through two periods but could not hold off the Mavs, allowing two third-period goals less than three minutes apart and surrendering a 3-on-3 goal midway through the five-minute overtime session.

Saturday’s rematch marked the first time in 19 games between the teams that the team scoring first did not prevail.

And two seasons ago, the two teams tangled six times over the course of 36 days in the second half of the season, and familiarity bred contempt. To that point, a line brawl erupted in the final minute of the fourth meeting between the squads, a 7-1 North Dakota home victory which secured the Fighting Hawks’ second consecutive league championship and saw Brad Berry’s squad hoist the #PenneRosa for the fourth time in the eight-year history of the NCHC.

Despite the aforementioned Maverick ruffians, Omaha was the biggest surprise in the NCHC two seasons ago. Of course, I expected them to have good results playing at home in the pod (and they did, posting a record of 6-3-1), but I also expected them to regress in the second half. On the contrary, the Mavs went a combined 7-3 against Colorado College (4-0), Denver (2-2), and North Dakota (1-1) over the first ten games of the “normal travel” portion of the schedule, finished with an overall record of 14-11-1, and advanced to the NCAA tournament for the first time since their Frozen Four appearance in 2015. UNO ended its season with two consecutive losses; a 5-4 defeat at the hands of Denver in the opening round of the NCHC Frozen Faceoff and a 7-2 drubbing by #2 Minnesota in the NCAA West Regional (Loveland, CO). The Gophers would be blanked 4-0 in the regional final by #5 Minnesota State.

Omaha’s 2020-2021 campaign was buoyed by excellent results in close games, including four overtime victories, four wins by one goal in regulation, and a ninth in a shootout. The Mavericks’ two victories over UND last season were a 5-4 win on January 30th and a 3-2 overtime victory on March 5th. North Dakota defeated UNO by scores of 6-2, 4-1, 7-1, and 4-2 for a combined scoring margin of 27-14 over the six-game season series.

Omaha did not make the national tournament last season, finishing with a record of 21-17-0.

A half-point per game or better is my benchmark for solid offensive production, and Mike Gabinet’s 2022-2023 squad has eleven active players who meet that threshold, including eight forwards: senior Jack Randl (10-3-13), graduate student Tyler Weiss (2-7-9), sophomore Ty Mueller (2-5-7), graduate student Jake Pivonka (2-4-6), freshman Jacob Guevin (0-5-5), sophomore Cameron Berg (2-3-5), junior Matt Miller (1-3-4), and freshman Tyler Rollwagen (1-2-3 in six games). On defense, the Mavericks are led by sophomore Davis Pennington (0-5-5), freshman Joaquim Lemay (1-3-4), and graduate student Jonny Tychonick (1-3-4).

By that same measure, North Dakota has twelve players at a half point or better, although at least one of those – senior forward Gavin Hain (5-1-6 in 7 games) – will not be in the lineup this weekend due to injury. Leading the way for UND are forwards Riese Gaber (5-3-8), Jackson Blake (4-4-8), Jake Schmaltz (3-2-5), Louis Jamernik V (0-5-5), and Mark Senden (3-2-5) and defensemen Chris Jandric (1-10-11), Ethan Frisch (1-3-4), and Cooper Moore (1-3-4).

UND is tops in the nation in shooting percentage at an astounding 15.1% (26 goals on 172 shots). By comparison, Omaha is 21st in the country at 10.9% (27 goals on 247 shots). The Mavericks average more than six additional shots on goal per game than the FIghting Hawks (30.9 – 24.6) and lead UND in both puck possession statistics (Corsi and Fenwick).

One key area to watch this weekend is the face-off circle. The Fighting Hawks are the nation’s eighth-best team on draws (55.2%), while Omaha clocks in at 52.7% (16th).

For UND, sophomore Jake Schmaltz has been making a living on draws, winning 91 of 153 (59.5%). Junior Louis Jamernik V has been nearly even (66 of 130, 50.8%), while freshman Owen McLaughlin has shown improvement (48 of 89, 53.9%). Sophomore Matteo Costantini has chippied in with 12 wins in 16 opportunities (75.0%).

For Omaha, graduate student Jake Pivonka has taken the majority of important draws, going 69 of 128 (53.9%). Senior captain Nolan Sullivan has had the most success (58 of 104, 55.8%), while sophomore Ty Mueller (59 of 111, 53.2%) has been a steady third option.

To this point in the season, North Dakota has had far the better of the specialty teams play. UND has been a combined +8, with twelve power play goals scored (12 for 35, 34.3%, 2nd in the country) and only four power play goals allowed (19 of 23, 82.6%, 24th). Omaha has posted a +1, with ten power play goals scored (10 of 33, 30.3%, 5th), eight power play goals allowed (28 of 36, 77.8%, 37th), one shorthanded goal scored, and two shorthanded goals allowed.

North Dakota is 11th in the country in scoring offense (3.71 goals scored/game) but just 41st in the country in scoring defense (3.14 goals allowed/game). Omaha is 17th in the country in scoring offense (3.38 goals scored/game) but a more respectable 21st in scoring defense (2.50 goals allowed/game).

North Dakota is strong on the back end this season, with junior Tyler Kleven and senior Ethan Frisch leading the way. A trio of graduate students (Chris Jandric, Ty Farmer, and Ryan Sidorski) match up well with sophomore Brent Johnson and junior Cooper Moore to form a defensive corps not unlike the one that took UND all the way to the national title seven years ago.

Omaha Team Profile

Head Coach: Mike Gabinet (6th season at UNO, 79-89-12, .472)
National Rankings: NR/NR

This Season: 4-3-1 overall
Last Season: 21-17-0 overall, 9-12-2-1 NCHC (6th)

Team Offense: 3.38 goals scored/game – 17th of 62 teams
Team Defense: 2.50 goals allowed/game – 21st of 62 teams

Power Play: 30.3% (10 of 33) – 5th of 62 teams
Penalty Kill: 77.8% (28 of 36) – 37th of 62 teams

Key Players: Senior F Jack Randl (10-3-13), Graduate Student F Tyler Weiss (2-7-9), Sophomore F Ty Mueller (2-5-7), Graduate Student Jake Pivonka (2-4-6), Sophomore F Cameron Berg (2-3-5), Sophomore D Davis Pennington (0-5-5), Freshman D Joaquim Lemay (1-3-4), Graduate Student D Jonny Tychonick (1-3-4), Junior G Jake Kucharski (2-2-1, 1.85 GAA, .913 SV%)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Brad Berry (8th season at UND, 165-80-26, .657)
National Rankings: #10/#11

This Season: 3-3-1 overall, 0-0-0 NCHC
Last Season: 24-14-1 overall (NCAA Regional Semifinalist), 17-6-1 NCHC (t-1st)

2022-23 Season Statistics:

Team Offense: 3.71 goals scored/game – 11th of 62 teams
Team Defense: 3.14 goals allowed/game – 41st of 62 teams

Power Play: 34.3% (12 of 35) – 2nd of 62 teams
Penalty Kill: 82.6% (19 of 23) – 24th of 62 teams

Key Players: Junior F Riese Gaber (5-3-8), Sophomore F Jake Schmaltz (3-2-5), Junior F Louie Jamernik V (0-5-5), Graduate Student Mark Senden (3-2-5), Freshman F Jackson Blake (4-4-8), Graduate Student D Chris Jandric (1-10-11), Senior D Ethan Frisch (1-3-4), Junior D Cooper Moore (1-3-4), Graduate Student G Drew DeRidder (2-2-0, 3.00 GAA, .903 SV%, 1 SO)

By The Numbers:

Last meeting: March 5, 2022 (Omaha, NE). The Mavericks’ Chase Primeau scored twice and added an assist as the homestanding Mavs upended the Fighting Hawks 4-1. One night earlier, North Dakota built a 4-2 lead over the first two periods but gave up the lead in the third period, allowing a power play goal at 8:49 and an extra-attacker goal at 19:04. Less than 90 seconds into overtime, UND’s Tyler Kleven scored a 3-on-3 goal to secure yet another league championship for the Fighting Hawks. There was certainly a letdown the following night, as Omaha dispatched the visitors by a final score of 4-1.

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: North Dakota has won six of the last ten contests between the schools, outscoring the Mavericks 39-26 over that stretch. Three of the last five games have gone to overtime, with two of those going the way of Omaha by identical 3-2 scores.

All-time: UND leads the all-time series 30-17-1 (.635), including a 15-8-0 (.652) record in games played in Omaha. North Dakota owns a record of 25-14-1 (.638) against the Mavericks since both teams joined the NCHC. The teams first met on November 19, 2010.

Game News and Notes

Omaha’s Jack Randl and Denver’s Carter Mazur are tied for the most goals in the nation with ten goals each through eight games. In 2015, both North Dakota and Omaha advanced to the 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. Since joining the WCHA in 2011 (and later the NCHC), the Mavs have never reached the Twin Cities for the second weekend of the conference tournament despite having home ice in three of those eight years. North Dakota’s Brad Berry is 21-11-0 (.656) in his head coaching career against Omaha. In 20 of the past 21 contests in this series, the winning team is the one which scores the first goal.

The Prediction

While North Dakota has been battling Quinnipiac, Minnesota, and Arizona State, Omaha has matched up against Niagara, Lake Superior, Alaska, and Long Island. In the conference opener for both schools, expect tensions to be high. I expect both games to be high scoring, with each side having success on the power play. This feels like a split, although I wouldn’t be surprised if the Fighting Hawks do better than that. UND 4-3, UNO 4-3.

Broadcast Information

Both games this weekend will be broadcast live 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.

Social Media

Keep up with the action live during all UND hockey games by following @UNDmhockey and @UNDInsider on Twitter. Fans can also read the action via Brad Schlossman’s live chat on the Grand Forks Herald website.

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

U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game Preview: UND vs. Arizona State

North Dakota’s first destination game took place ten years ago, as UND hosted Clarkson at Bell MTS Place, home of the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets. The five showcase events that have built up to this Saturday night have almost all gone the way of the Green and White:

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

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

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

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

2021: Bridgestone Arena (Nashville, Tennessee)
Penn State 6, North Dakota 4

This writer was able to witness the last three performances firsthand, and while it is difficult to measure “which team wants it more”, it is clear that the UND hockey program does not take these opportunities for granted.

On Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena (Las Vegas, Nevada), #6/#7 North Dakota (3-2-1) will face off against unranked Arizona State (4-4-0); the two teams have never met on the ice. The Sun Devils have competed at the Division I level in men’s ice hockey as an independent since the 2015-2016 season and have had mixed results across those seven campaigns:

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

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

2020-2022 (three seasons): 46-44-7 (.510)

Greg Powers has been the only head coach in Arizona State Division I men’s hockey history. Powers, a former goaltender from the Sun Devils’ club level (WCHL/ACHA) days, graduated from ASU in 1999 and is a member of the Arizona State Athletic Hall of Fame.

Because last year’s North Dakota – Penn State contest was pushed back one year due to COVID-19, UND fans have the opportunity to travel to a destination game for the second consecutive season this weekend. The Green and White return to Las Vegas but will see an upgrade in facilities (and capacity) by hosting at T-Mobile Arena, home of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights. At Orleans Arena, the announced attendance was a sold-out 7412. T-Mobile has a capacity of 17,500 for ice hockey. North Dakota and Arizona State have never met on the ice.

Since it is difficult to compare teams that have never faced off, we need to look deeply into the won-loss records for both sides this season:

Arizona State (4-4-0):

October 1st: 2-3 (OT) road loss at #19 Minnesota Duluth
October 2nd: 1-4 road loss at #19 Minnesota Duluth
October 7th: 3-0 road win at Bemidji State
October 8th: 4-5 (OT) road loss at Bemidji State
October 14th: 2-0 home win over Colgate
October 15th: 0-4 home loss to Colgate
October 21st: 5-3 home win over Colorado College
October 22nd: 6-1 home win over Colorado College

North Dakota (3-2-1):

October 7th: 6-0 home win over Holy Cross
October 8th: 4-1 home win over Holy Cross
October 14th: 5-5 home tie vs. #7 Quinnipiac
October 15th: 2-6 home loss to #7 Quinnipiac
October 21st: 2-3 (OT) road loss at #1 Minnesota
October 22nd: 5-4 (OT) road win over #1 Minnesota

After this year’s contest, it will be at least several seasons before North Dakota plans another destination game. Cities that have been mentioned in the past are Anaheim, Boston, Chicago, Seattle, or Tampa.

Brad Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald reports that fans traveled to the 2018 Vegas game from 44 states; as of Friday afternoon, he had heard of travelers from 43 different states this time around (and yes, Alaska and Hawaii are represented!). The only states without a pin on the map are Connecticut, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Rhode Island, Vermont, and West Virginia.

After tonight’s “neutral site’” Hall Of Fame Game matchup against Arizona State, three of UND’s four non-conference games during the 2022-2023 campaign will be played at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks:

November 25th: at Bemidji State
November 26th: vs. Bemidji State
January 6th: vs. Lindenwood
January 7th: vs. Lindenwood

UND is tops in the nation in shooting percentage at an astounding 15.3% (24 goals on 157 shots). By comparison, Arizona State is 23rd in the country at 10.6% (23 goals on 218 shots). This means that although ASU generates more shots per game (27.3 to UND’s 26.2), North Dakota has outscored the Sun Devils to this point in the season despite playing in two fewer games. The Fighting Hawks also lead ASU in both Corsi and Fenwick, two key puck possession statistics.

One key area to watch this weekend is the face-off circle. The Fighting Hawks are the nation’s tenth-best team on draws (55.2%), while Minnesota clocks in at just 45.8% (46th).

For UND, sophomore Jake Schmaltz has been making a living on draws, winning 75 of 126 (59.5%). Junior Louis Jamernik V has won 59 of 112 (52.7%), while freshman Owen McLaughlin has been nearly even (40 of 79, 50.6%). Sophomore Matteo Costantini has chippied in with 12 wins in 16 opportunities (75.0%).

For the Sun Devils, senior Robert Mastrosimone has had the most success on faceoffs, winning 58 of 120 (48.3%). After that, it’s been more of a challenge, with sophomore Jack Jensen (41 of 88, 46.6%) and senior Ty Jackson (25 of 64, 39.1%) both struggling.

To this point in the season, North Dakota has had far the better of the specialty teams play. UND has been a combined +9, with eleven power play goals scored (11 for 31, 35.5%, 2nd in the country) and only two power play goals allowed (18 of 20, 90.0%, 7th). Arizona State has posted a-1, with six power play goals scored (6 of 25, 24.0%, 22nd) and seven allowed (25 of 32, 78.1%, 35th). The Fighting Hawks scored four power play goals last weekend on seven man-advantage opportunities at #1 Minnesota.

North Dakota is 5th in the country in scoring offense (4.00 goals scored/game) but just 34th in the country in scoring defense (3.17 goals allowed/game) after allowing eighteen goals over the past two weekends against Quinnipiac and Minnesota. Arizona State is 27th in the country in scoring offense (2.88 goals scored/game) but a more respectable 17th in scoring defense (2.50 goals allowed/game).

Arizona State Team Profile

Head Coach: Greg Powers (8th season at ASU, 92-123-16, .433)
National Ranking: NR/NR
This Season: 4-4-0 overall
Last Season:

Team Offense: 2.88 goals scored/game – 27th of 56 teams
Team Defense: 2.50 goals allowed/game – 17th of 56 teams
Power Play: 24.0% (6 of 25) – 22nd of 56 teams
Penalty Kill: 78.1% (25 of 32) – 35th of 56 teams

Key Players: Senior F Lukas Sillinger (1-5-6), Sophomore F Josh Doan (2-4-6), Senior F Robert Mastrosimone (4-2-6), Graduate Student F Demetrios Koumontzis (3-1-4), Sophomore F Jack Jensen (1-3-4), Senior F Ty Jackson (1-3-4), Junior F Ryan O’Reilly (2-2-4), Junior D Tim Lovell (1-4-5), Sophomore D Ethan Szmagaj (0-3-3), Sophomore G TJ Semptimphelter (4-4-0, 2.48 GAA, .933 SV%, 2 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Brad Berry (8th season at UND, 165-79-26, .659)
National Rankings: #6/#7

This Season: 3-2-1 overall, 0-0-0 NCHC
Last Season: 24-14-1 overall (NCAA Regional Semifinalist), 17-6-1 NCHC (t-1st)

2022-23 Season Statistics:

Team Offense: 4.00 goals scored/game – 5th of 56 teams
Team Defense: 3.17 goals allowed/game – 34th of 56 teams

Power Play: 35.5% (11 of 31) – 2nd of 56 teams
Penalty Kill: 90.0% (18 of 20) – 7th of 56 teams

Key Players: Junior F Riese Gaber (5-2-7), Sophomore F Jake Schmaltz (2-2-4), Junior F Louie Jamernik V (0-5-5), Senior F Gavin Hain (4-1-5), Graduate Student Mark Senden (3-2-5), Freshman F Jackson Blake (4-4-8), Graduate Student D Chris Jandric (1-9-10), Senior D Ethan Frisch (1-3-4), Sophomore D Brent Johnson (0-3-3), Junior D Cooper Moore (1-3-4), Graduate Student G Drew DeRidder (2-1-0, 2.97 GAA, .912 SV%, 1 SO)

Game News and Notes

Only two players on UND’s roster played in the 2018 Vegas game: Gavin Hain and Mark Senden. The Fighting Hawks went 2 of 6 on the power play last weekend. North Dakota has outscored opponents 9-4 in the first period this season.

Media Coverage

Tonight’s game can be seen live on Midco Sports or online at NCHC.tv. All UND men’s hockey games, home and away, can be heard on stations across the UND Sports Home of Economy Radio Network as well as through the iHeart Radio app.

Social Media
Keep up with the action live during all UND hockey games by following @UNDmhockey and @UNDInsider on Twitter. Fans can also read the action via Brad Schlossman’s live chat on the Grand Forks Herald website.

The Prediction

Any time two teams meet for the first time, there is a feeling-out process. Expect some tentative play in the first ten minutes or so, with ebbs and flows of momentum throughout the game. As always, goaltending and specialty teams will both play a huge factor in this one, with the “neutral” crowd at T-Mobile Arena providing an edge for the Green and White. North Dakota has a talent advantage and is coming off of a strong weekend at #1 Minnesota. Under the neon lights of Las Vegas, I see the Fighting Hawks rising to the occasion. UND 4, ASU 2.

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

Minnesota Team Profile

Head Coach: Bob Motzko (5th season at Minnesota, 87-51-11, .590)
National Rankings: #1/#1

This Season: 3-1-0 overall, 0-0-0-0 Big Ten
Last Season: 26-13-0 (NCAA Frozen Four participant), 17-4-1-2 Big Ten (1st of 7 teams)

2022-23 Season Statistics:

Team Offense: 4.00 goals scored/game – 7th of 56 teams
Team Defense: 2.00 goals allowed/game – 9th of 56 teams

Power Play: 26.3% (5 of 19) – 21st of 56 teams
Penalty Kill: 84.6% (11 of 13) – 19th of 56 teams

Key Players: Sophomore F Rhett Pitlick (0-5-5), Freshman F Logan Cooley (2-3-5), Freshman F Jimmy Snuggerud (4-0-4), Senior F Jaxon Nelson (1-2-3), Sophomore F Matthew Knies (2-1-3), Senior D Jackson LaCombe (0-4-4), Senior D Ryan Johnson (0-4-4), Junior D Brock Faber (1-2-3), Senior G Justen Close (2-1-0, 1.34 GAA, .941 SV%, 1 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Brad Berry (8th season at UND, 164-78-26, .660)
National Rankings: #7/#7

This Season: 2-1-1 overall, 0-0-0 NCHC
Last Season: 24-14-1 overall (NCAA Regional Semifinalist), 17-6-1 NCHC (t-1st)

2022-23 Season Statistics:

Team Offense: 4.25 goals scored/game – 5th of 56 teams
Team Defense: 3.00 goals allowed/game – 28th of 56 teams

Power Play: 29.2% (7 of 24) – 14th of 56 teams
Penalty Kill: 92.9% (13 of 14) – 5th of 56 teams

Key Players: Junior F Riese Gaber (3-1-4), Sophomore F Jake Schmaltz (1-1-2), Junior F Louie Jamernik V (0-4-4), Senior F Gavin Hain (4-0-4), Graduate Student Mark Senden (1-2-3), Freshman F Jackson Blake (3-3-6), Senior D Ethan Frisch (1-1-2), Sophomore D Brent Johnson (0-3-3), Graduate Student D Chris Jandric (1-6-7), Junior D Cooper Moore (1-2-3), Graduate Student G Drew DeRidder (1-0-0, 2.26 GAA, .912 SV%, 1 SO)

By The Numbers

Last meeting: November 27, 2021 (Grand Forks, ND). One night after falling 5-1 to the visiting Gophers, the homestanding Hawks scored a goal in each period to build a 3-0 lead. Minnesota goals at 7:35 (power play) and 16:30 (extra attacker) of the final frame left the outcome in doubt, but the Maroon and Gold could not find the equalizer in the closing minutes and had to settle for a road split. UND outshot Minnesota 26-13 for the contest and were led offensively by Mark Senden, who assisted on the first North Dakota goal and scored twice to lead the Green and White to victory.

Last meeting in Minneapolis: November 29, 2019. UND built a 3-1 lead through two periods of play and made that lead hold up in a 3-2 victory which secured a rare road sweep of the Gophers for the Fighting Hawks. Eight different players found their way on the scoresheet for the Green and White. North Dakota won Friday’s opener by an eye-popping final score of 9-3.

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: Minnesota leads the all-time series by a seven-game margin, 141-134-15 (.512), including a 75-53-8 (.581) advantage in games played in Minneapolis. The teams first met in 1948.

Last ten: North Dakota has gone 5-4-1 in the last ten meetings between the schools, outscoring Minnesota 30-24 in those games.

Game News and Notes

North Dakota first-year forward Jackson Blake has six points in his first four collegiate games, the first UND freshman to record six points in his first four games since T.J. Oshie (2005-06). The Golden Gophers made the 2022 NCAA Frozen Four, but were trounced by Minnesota State by a final score of 5-1 in the national semifinal. In 2019, UND’s last visit to Minneapolis ended in a sweep for the Fighting Hawks, the first since January 2007. In an effort to alleviate parking concerns, Minnesota fans are asked to park in St. Paul and walk to 3M Arena at Mariucci.

Broadcast Information

Friday’s contest will be broadcast live on Bally Sports North Extra, while Saturday’s rematch will be shown live on Bally Sports North. Both games are also available via webcast at B1G+. 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).

Social Media

The Prediction

Let’s get this out of the way first: Minnesota is ranked higher than North Dakota and is playing at home, but I think both of these games will be close. UND is deep enough up front that having last line change may not matter for Bob Motzko. However, Minnesota still has two advantages: experience on the wider sheet of ice ~~and a raucous home crowd~~. Well, make that one advantage. The last time these two teams tangled in Minneapolis, the crowd was heavily tilted toward the Green and White. It should be 60-40 either way this weekend, with many fans traveling down I-94 and a large North Dakota alumni base in the Twin Cities. I’m looking at a few key factors: faceoffs, goaltending, and the ability to score in bunches. Either one of these teams could ride the wave of momentum to victory, and in a rivalry matchup, whichever team keeps unnecessary penalties to a minimum 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 advantage. UND 4-3, Minnesota 4-2.

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

Weekend Preview: North Dakota at Minnesota

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

#7 North Dakota (2-1-1) is six years removed from its eighth national championship but has made the national tournament in each of the past three seasons and has gone a remarkable 72-25-6 (.728) over that stretch.

#1 Minnesota (3-1-0) has only advanced to the NCAAs twice in the last five seasons (and only seven of the past fourteen) and 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 twentieth 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 five 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.

After this season, there is one series remaining in the current contract between the teams, to be played at Ralph Engelstad Arena (Grand Forks, North Dakota) during the 2023-24 campaign.

The two teams will not play during the 2024-25 regular season, but there is hope that the rivalry will continue in future seasons.

Minnesota can no longer lay claim to having a roster made up exclusively of the State of Hockey’s “Pride On Ice”, with players hailing from Phoenix (Arizona), Irvine (California), Fenton (Michigan), Northville (Michigan), Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania), and Kindersley (Saskatchewan). Future recruits in the pipeline hail from Bethel Park (Pennsylvania), Newburyport (Massachusetts), and Morristown (New Jersey).

So far this season, North Dakota has swept Holy Cross and battled #3 Quinnipiac to a tie and a loss. Minnesota swept Lindenwood and split a home-and-home series with #2 Minnesota State.

After this weekend’s road series at Minnesota, UND’s other non-conference opponents during the 2022-2023 campaign will be Arizona State (Hall Of Fame Game in Las Vegas, “neutral”), Bemidji State (home and home), and Lindenwood (home).

It is abundantly clear that North Dakota will have the puck a lot this season, and the numbers bear that out. Through four games, the Fighting Hawks are fourth in the nation in shots on goal allowed/game (22.8) and are among the country’s leaders in two key puck possession statistics:

Corsi (% of shots taken vs. opponent): 56.1%
Fenwick (% of unblocked shots taken vs. opponent): 55.1%

By comparison, Minnesota is just a shade above the Fighting Hawks in Corsi (57.1%) and Fenwick (55.7%) and is averaging 32.8 shots on goal per game (North Dakota is averaging 29.8/game).

Despite the Golden Gophers’ shot advantage through four games, UND has scored 17 goals to Minnesota’s 16. The difference? More North Dakota shots are going in the net. The Fighting Hawks are scoring on 14.3% of their chances (more than one goal on every seven shots), good for 2nd in the nation. Minnesota has scored on 12.2% of its shots on goal (13th).

One key area to watch this weekend is the face-off circle. The Fighting Hawks are the nation’s third-best team on draws (59.0%), while Minnesota clocks in at just 51.3% (28th).

For UND, sophomore Jake Schmaltz has been making a living on draws, winning 60 of 89 (67.4%). Junior Louis Jamernik V has won 38 of 70 (54.3%), while freshman Owen McLaughlin has been dead even (28 of 56). Sophomore Matteo Costantini has chippied in with 12 wins in 16 opportunities (75.0%).

For the Gophers, senior Jaxon Nelson has had the most success on faceoffs, winning 37 of 65 (56.9%). After that, however, it’s been a challenge, with sophomore Aaron Huglen (29 of 59, 49.2%) and freshmen Logan Cooley (19 of 49, 38.8%) and Garrett Pinoniemi (21 of 41, 51.2%) struggling to keep their heads above water.

To this point in the season, North Dakota has had the better of the specialty teams play. UND has been a combined +6, with seven power play goals scored (7 for 24, 29.2%, 14th in the country) and only one power play goal allowed (13 of 14, 92.9%, 5th). Minnesota has posted a +3, with five power play goals scored (5 of 19, 26.3%, 21st) and two allowed (11 of 13, 84.6%, 19th).

In this rivalry, scoring from the back end has often proved to be the difference. This weekend, the two groups of defensemen have each scored a total of 16 points through four games played. UND is led by graduate student Chris Jandric (1-6-7), sophomore Brent Johnson (0-3-3), and junior Cooper Moore (1-2-3), with senior Ethan Frisch (1-1-2) and graduate student Ty Farmer (0-1-1) also chipping in. Minnesota counters with seniors Jackson LaCombe (0-4-4) and Ryan Johnson (0-4-4), juniors Brock Fabe (1-2-3) and Mike Koster (1-1-2), and freshmen Ryan Chesley (0-2-2) and Luke Middelstadt 0-1-1).

Up front, the Fighting Hawks are led by junior Riese Gaber (3-1-4), senior Gavin Hain (4-0-4), freshman Jackson Blake (3-3-6), junior Louis Jamernik V (0-4-4), and graduate student Mark Senden (1-2-3). The Golden Gophers’ forward leaders include sophomore Rhett Pitlick (0-5-5), freshman Logan Cooley (2-3-5), freshman Jimmy Snuggerud (4-0-4), senior Jaxon Nelson (1-2-3), sophomore Matthew Knies (2-1-3), and freshman Connor Kurth (2-0-2).

North Dakota is 5th in the country in scoring offense (4.25 goals scored/game) but just 28th in the country in scoring defense (3.00 goals allowed/game) after allowing eleven goals last weekend against Quinnipiac. Minnesota is 7th in the country in scoring offense (4.00 goals scored/game) and a more respectable 9th in scoring defense (2.00 goals allowed/game).

I expect Brad Berry to reunite the Mark Senden – Louis Jamernik V – Gavin Hain line for this road series and attempt to play them against the Jaxon Nelson line or the Logan Cooley line as much as possible. The question will be whether that allows Minnesota’s all-freshman line of Connor Kurth, Garrett Pinoniemi, and Brody Lamb more time and space to light the lamp.

UND will also need to watch out for Matthew Knies, Jimmy Snuggerud, Bryce Brodzinski, and Mason Nevers if they hope to find success this weekend.

It will be interesting to see how long it takes the UND coaching staff to try Jackson Blake and Riese Gaber on a line together, perhaps with #1 center Jake Schmaltz. If this is not the case this weekend, we could see Blake skating with Owen McLaughlin and Dylan James while Gaber skates with Schmaltz and Matteo Costantini. That leaves Judd Caulfield on a line with some combination of Ben Strinden, Griffin Ness, or Carson Albrecht.

Minnesota Team Profile

Head Coach: Bob Motzko (5th season at Minnesota, 87-51-11, .590)
National Rankings: #1/#1

This Season: 3-1-0 overall, 0-0-0-0 Big Ten
Last Season: 26-13-0 (NCAA Frozen Four participant), 17-4-1-2 Big Ten (1st of 7 teams)

2022-23 Season Statistics:

Team Offense: 4.00 goals scored/game – 7th of 56 teams
Team Defense: 2.00 goals allowed/game – 9th of 56 teams

Power Play: 26.3% (5 of 19) – 21st of 56 teams
Penalty Kill: 84.6% (11 of 13) – 19th of 56 teams

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Brad Berry (8th season at UND, 164-78-26, .660)
National Rankings: #7/#7

This Season: 2-1-1 overall, 0-0-0 NCHC
Last Season: 24-14-1 overall (NCAA Regional Semifinalist), 17-6-1 NCHC (t-1st)

2022-23 Season Statistics:

Team Offense: 4.25 goals scored/game – 5th of 56 teams
Team Defense: 3.00 goals allowed/game – 28th of 56 teams

Power Play: 29.2% (7 of 24) – 14th of 56 teams
Penalty Kill: 92.9% (13 of 14) – 5th of 56 teams

By The Numbers

All-time: Minnesota leads the all-time series by a seven-game margin, 141-134-15 (.512), including a 75-53-8 (.581) advantage in games played in Minneapolis. The teams first met in 1948.

Last ten: North Dakota has gone 5-4-1 in the last ten meetings between the schools, outscoring Minnesota 30-24 in those games.

Game News and Notes

Broadcast Information

Social Media

The Prediction

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

Weekend Preview: North Dakota vs. Quinnipiac

In 23 years at the Division I level, Quinnipiac head coach Rand Pecknold has only had ONE losing season (16-18-4 in 2017-2018). The Bobcats have made the last three national tournaments and seven of the past nine, appearing in the championship game in 2013 (losing 4-0 to Yale) and again against UND in 2016. That 5-1 title game loss against North Dakota was just the fourth loss of the season for QU (32-4-7).

Last year, Quinnipiac went 32-7-3 and defeated St. Cloud State 5-4 in the opening round of the NCAA tournament. The Bobcats would fall one game short of the Frozen Four, dropping a 7-4 decision to the Michigan Wolverines.

In the 2021 NCAA West Regional in Loveland, Colorado, QU held a 3-1 lead over Minnesota State with just over five minutes remaining in regulation before the Mavericks brought the game to within one. An extra-attacker goal with 62 seconds remaining sent the game to an extra frame, and Ryan Sandelin won the game for the Mavs just over halfway through the first overtime session.

UND and QU met one other time in the national tournament (at the 2015 West Regional in Fargo, ND). North Dakota downed the Bobcats 4-1 in that tilt, the only time that Quinnipiac has played in the Central Time Zone in the past decade.

Aside from their two tournament clashes, North Dakota and Quinnipiac have faced each other on two other occasions:

An October 2021 series at People’s United Center (Hamden, Connecticut) went down as a split (QU 5-2, UND 3-1) despite the Bobcats outshooting the Fighting Hawks 64-35 on the weekend.

And fifteen years earlier, an October 2006 series in Grand Forks went in the books as a UND sweep. Sioux forwards Ryan Duncan, T.J. Oshie and Jonathan Toews figured heavily in those results.

Before this recent stretch of tournament appearances, the only Quinnipiac showing on the national scene came in 2001-02, when the team (competing in the MAAC and known for the last time as the ‘Braves’) suffered a 6-1 loss to Cornell in the regional semifinal.

It is fairly difficult to compare teams from different conferences, but there are some measurables. The NCHC has been the premier hockey conference since its inception, and particularly over the past eight seasons. The eight teams in the league have gone 401-197-68 (.653) in non-conference action since the start of the 2014-15 season and sent twelve teams to the Frozen Four (UND and Omaha in 2015, UND and Denver in 2016, Denver and Duluth in 2017, Duluth in 2018, Denver and Duluth in 2019, Duluth and St. Cloud State in 2021, Denver in 2022) over that seven-year stretch (there was no national tournament in 2020). Conference members North Dakota (2016), Denver (2017, 2022), and Minnesota Duluth (2018, 2019) have won five of the last six national titles.

Despite all of those accomplishments, the NCHC has not dominated the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference in recent history. Since the 2016 title game, UND and its seven league mates are just 30-19-10 (.593) against the likes of Quinnipiac, Clarkson, St. Lawrence, Union, Colgate, Rensselaer, and the six Ivy League colleges (Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, and Yale).

Last weekend, #3/#3 North Dakota (2-0-0) hosted Holy Cross for a pair at Ralph Engelstad Arena, dispatching the Crusaders by final scores of 6-0 and 4-1.

After this weekend’s home series against Quinnipiac, UND’s other non-conference opponents during the 2022-2023 campaign will be Minnesota (road), Arizona State (Hall Of Fame Game in Las Vegas, “neutral”), Bemidji State (home and home), and Lindenwood (home).

On its opening weekend, #8/#7 Quinnipiac (1-0-1) shut out Boston College in a 4-0 road victory before stumbling to a 2-2 tie against Long Island on home ice.

QU’s out-of-conference games also include Maine, Dartmouth, UMass-Lowell, Connecticut, and a rematch with Long Island.

Through two games, UND has showcased speed, skill in the faceoff circle (66.9%, best in the nation), a solid set of blueliners, and an ability to put the puck in the net, scoring on 18.2% of shots on goal. North Dakota has also won the special teams battle (4 of 15 on the power play and a perfect 8-for-8 on the penalty kill) and received excellent goaltending from grad transfer Drew DeRidder (stopped all 27 shots) and sophomore Jakob Hellsten (stopped 19 of 20 shots) for a team save percentage of .979.

By comparison, Quinnipiac has won 51.0% of faceoffs, scored on just 8.8% of shots on goal, and posted a team save percentage of .944. To their credit, QU has scored on both power play opportunities and killed both shorthanded situations to this point of the season.

The Bobcats lost a ton of scoring from last year’s squad, notably forwards Ty Smilanic (13-10-23), Wyatt Bongiovanni (16-18-34), Oliver Chau (13-20-33), and Guus van Nes (6-11-17) and defensemen Brendan Less 4-16-20 and Griffin Mendel (5-10-15).

Left to shoulder the scoring load up front are graduate student Michael Lombardi (1-0-1), senior Skyler Brind’Amour (0-1-1), and graduate student Ethan de Jong (1-2-3). Graduate students TJ Friedmann (0-1-1) and Zach Metsa (1-1-2) have three of the four points from the Bobcats’ back end this season.

Brind’Amour, the son of Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour, was taken by the Oilers in the sixth round (177th pick) in the 2017 NHL draft. Before his head coaching career began in 2011, father Rod played 1484 NHL games, amassing 452 goals and adding 732 assists to go along with 1100 penalty minutes. Rod Brind’Amour’s crowning achievement as a player was captaining the Hurricanes to the franchise’s first Stanley Cup championship in 2006 (former UND defenseman Mike Commodore was also a member of that title team).

Quinnipiac Team Profile

Head Coach: Rand Pecknold (29th season at QU, 582-333-101, .623)
National Rankings: #8/#7

This Season: 1-0-1 overall, 0-0-0 ECAC
Last Season: 32-7-3 overall (NCAA Regional Finalist), 17-3-1-1 ECAC (1st of 12 teams)

2022-2023 Season Statistics:

Team Offense: 3.00 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 1.00 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 100.0% (2 of 2)
Penalty Kill: 100.0% (2 of 2)

Key Players: Graduate Student F Michael Lombardi (1-0-1), Senior F Skyler Brind’Amour (0-1-1), Graduate Student F Ethan de Jong (1-2-3), Sophomore F Jacob Quillan (0-2-2), Graduate Student D TJ Friedmann (0-1-1), Graduate Student D Zach Metsa (1-1-2), Sophomore G Yaniv Perets (1-0-1, 0.96 GAA, .944 SV%, 1 SO)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Brad Berry (8th season at UND, 164-77-25, .664)
National Rankings: #3/#3

This Season: 2-0-0 overall, 0-0-0 NCHC
Last Season: 24-14-1 overall (NCAA Regional Semifinalist), 17-6-1 NCHC (t-1st)

2022-23 Season Statistics:

Team Offense: 5.00 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 0.50 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 26.7% (4 of 15)
Penalty Kill: 100.0% (8 of 8)

Key Players: Junior F Riese Gaber (1-0-0), Sophomore F Jake Schmaltz (1-0-1), Junior F Louie Jamernik V (0-3-3), Senior F Gavin Hain (3-0-0), Graduate Student Mark Senden (1-2-3), Freshman F Jackson Blake (1-1-2), Senior D Ethan Frisch (1-1-2), Sophomore D Brent Johnson (0-2-2), Graduate Student D Chris Jandric (0-4-4), Graduate Student Drew DeRidder (1-0-0, 0.00 GAA, 1.000 SV%, 1 SO)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: October 23, 2021 (Hamden, CT). The Fighting Hawks scored once in each period to erase an early 1-0 deficit and defeat the homestanding Bobcats 3-1. UND scored a power play goal and a 4-on-4 goal and killed all five QU man advantage opportunities to earn a series split. Quinnipiac outshot North Dakota 36-19 in the rematch and 64-35 on the weekend, taking Game One by a margin of 5-2.

Most Important Meeting: April 9, 2016 (Tampa, FL). Two nights after UND’s late-game heroics against Denver, the Fighting Hawks outlasted the Bobcats 5-1 to claim the program’s eighth national championship. Shane Gersich and Brock Boeser scored first-period goals for North Dakota before Quinnipiac got on the board with a 5-on-3 tally late in the opening frame. After a tight, scoreless second period, Drake Caggiula scored twice in the first four minutes of the third to open up the contest. Autin Poganski potted his tenth of the year midway through the final frame, and the last nine minutes felt like one long, slow coronation for the Green and White.

Six Years Ago: March 27, 2015 (Fargo, ND). North Dakota blocked 28 shots in front of a partisan crowd at Scheels Arena and downed the Bobcats 4-1 to advance to the NCAA West Regional Final, where they would play St. Cloud State. Tucker Poolman, Bryn Chyzyk, Drake Caggiula, and Luke Johnson all scored for UND, who received 29 saves from 2015 Mike Richter Award winner Zane McIntyre. Quinnipiac went 1-for-8 with the man advantage, scoring only an extra-attacker power play goal with less than two minutes remaining.

Fifteen Years Ago: October 7, 2006 (Grand Forks, ND). A late Quinnipiac power play goal got the Bobcats within a goal, but the damage had been done by then. T.J. Oshie assisted on all three Jonathan Toews goals (remarkably, the only hat trick of his Fighting Sioux career) and Ryan Duncan had a three point night (1 g, 2 a) in a 4-2 North Dakota victory. UND blew out the Bobcats 6-1 in Friday’s opener despite only one goal from the Oshie-Toews-Duncan (D.O.T.) line.

All-time Series: The two teams have only squared off six times, with UND going 5-1 in those games while outscoring the Bobcats 24-11.

Game News and Notes

Quinnipiac has competed at the Division I level since the 1999-2000 season; that was the year UND won its seventh national championship. QU grad student Ethan de Jong is the nation’s leading career scorer with 107 points (in 145 career games), and teammate Taniv Perets is the NCAA active career leader with twelve shutouts (in 33 career games). The Bobcats play their home games at People’s United Center (capacity 3,286).

Media Coverage

Both games this weekend will be broadcast live on Midco Sports Network and also available via webcast at NCHC.tv. All UND men’s hockey games, home and away, can be heard on stations across the UND Sports Home of Economy Radio Network as well as through the iHeart Radio app.

Social Media

The Prediction

UND coaches, players, and fans should savor this early-season measuring stick opportunity against a team which should be in the mix at the end of the year. North Dakota will need to win the special teams battle and the goaltending battle if they hope to achieve good results this weekend. Since I can’t see that happening in back-to-back games this early in the season against a quality opponent, I’ve got to go with a split. QU 3-2, UND 4-1.

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

Weekend Preview: North Dakota vs. Holy Cross

It has been ten seasons since North Dakota tangled with Holy Cross, and the Green and White handled the Crusaders 5-2 and 3-2 in a January 2013 home sweep. Holy Cross led Saturday’s game 2-1 after two periods, but UND rallied with two goals in the third period. Sioux senior Corban Knight had six points on the weekend.

That trip to Grand Forks pales in comparison to the 2006 NCAA regional at the Ralph, when Holy Cross upset Minnesota 4-3 in overtime in front of 11,153 pro-purple fans at Ralph Engelstad Arena. The Crusaders held the Golden Gophers scoreless on seven man-advantage opportunities and converted one of their ten power plays, as overtime hero Tyler McGregor also scored on a five-on-three late in the second period to breathe life into the Holy Cross bench and the partisan crowd.

This season, Holy Cross was tabbed to finish in last place in the ten-team Atlantic Hockey conference, while North Dakota is ranked #3 in the country and was picked to finish second in the NCHC, the nation’s toughest conference and winners of five of the past six national titles.

Second-year head coach Bill Riga led Holy Cross to twelve wins last season (12-23-2), a huge improvement over the 4-12-0 mark posted by his predecessor David Berard, who managed a record of 84-116-34 in his seven seasons behind the Crusaders’ bench. Riga was a former Quinnipiac assistant who faced off against UND in the 2016 national title game.

Holy Cross has managed just two NCAA tourney appearances (2004, 2006) in its 56-year history at the Division I level, and both of those tournament runs ended at the hands of North Dakota.

In exhibition action last weekend, North Dakota bested Manitoba 5-1, while Holy Cross upended Boston College 3-2.

UND has only four freshmen on the roster this season (all forwards) and just three seniors, although the Fighting Hawks also have six graduate or fifth-year students.

Holy Cross Team Profile

Head Coach: Bill Riga (2nd season at Holy Cross, 12-23-2, .351)

National Rankings: NR/NR
Last Season: 12-23-2 overall, 7-14-3-2 Atlantic Hockey (10th of 10 teams)

Last Season’s Statistics:

Team Offense: 2.08 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.92 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 18.9% (24 of 127)
Penalty Kill: 81.9% (131 of 160)

Key Players (last season’s statistics):

Junior F Jack Ricketts (10-8-18), Junior F Matt Guerra (7-11-18), Junior F Lucas Thorne (7-10-17), Senior F Grayson Constable (7-1-8), Senior D Nick Hale (4-18-22), Junior F Jake Higgins (1-3-4), Sophomore G Thomas Gale (2-3-0, 3.72 GAA, .891 SV%)

North Dakota Team Profile

Head Coach: Brad Berry (8th season at UND, 162-77-25, .661)

National Rankings: #3/#3
Last Season: 24-14-1 overall (NCAA Regional Semifinalist), 17-6-1 NCHC (t-1st)

Last Season’s Statistics:

Team Offense: 3.05 goals scored/game
Team Defense: 2.59 goals allowed/game
Power Play: 23.1% (33 of 143)
Penalty Kill: 78.6% (121 of 154)

Key Players (last season’s statistics): Junior F Riese Gaber (15-22-37), Sophomore F Jake Schmaltz (8-16-24), Sophomore F Matteo Costantini (8-13-21), Senior F Judd Caulfield (11-9-20), Junior F Louie Jamernik V (9-10-19), Senior D Ethan Frisch (9-6-15), Junior D Tyler Kleven (7-3-10), Graduate Student D Chris Jandric (1-14-15), Graduate Student Drew DeRidder (9-15-1, 2.94 GAA, .918 SV%, 2 SO)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: January 5, 2013 (Grand Forks, ND). Holy Cross led 2-1 after forty minutes of play but could not hold on, as Michael Parks and Danny Kristo potted third-period goals ten minutes apart to give North Dakota a 3-2 victory and the series sweep. UND outshot the Crusaders 37-19 for the game and 78-34 on the weekend.

Most Important Meeting: March 25, 2006 (Grand Forks, ND). One night after Holy Cross shocked the hockey world by downing Minnesota and North Dakota delighted the home fans with a 5-1 defeat of the Michigan Wolverines, the Fighting Sioux and Crusaders met with a trip to the NCAA Frozen Four on the line. UND’s Jonathan Toews scored less than 80 seconds into the contest and North Dakota never trailed, outshooting Holy Cross 32-19 and advancing to the Frozen Four with a 5-2 victory.

All-time Series: UND leads the all-time series 4-0 and has outscored the Crusaders 16-6. The teams first met on March 26, 2004 (NCAA West Regional).

Game News and Notes

The Crusaders play their home games at Hart Recreation Center (capacity 1,400). Last season, Holy Cross was 10-1-1 when scoring three or more goals but a dreadful 2-22-1 when failing to score three. The Crusaders have not faced an NCHC opponent since the last time they played North Dakota (January 2013). UND junior forward Riese Gaber was named to the 2022-2023 Preseason All-CHN First Team.

The Prediction

In the more than twenty years that Ralph Engelstad Arena has been open, we’ve seen many examples of North Dakota taking opponents too lightly as well as opposing teams bringing their best effort to the Ralph. This year’s version of the Green and White should be better defensively, with goaltending the only question mark. I expect a tight contest in Game One, with depth and talent shining through in the rematch. UND 3-2, 4-1.

Broadcast Information

Both games will be broadcast live 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.

Social Media

NCAA Tournament Preview: UND vs. Notre Dame

It’s a battle of the Crossed ND’s in a rare Thursday tilt in the national tournament. #2-seed North Dakota (24-13-1) is matched up with #3-seed Notre Dame (27-11-0) at the NCAA Regional in Albany, New York, with the winner facing either #1-seed Minnesota State (35-5-0) or #4-seed Harvard (21-10-3) with a trip to the Frozen Four on the line.

The two fighting squads (Hawks and Irish) have never faced one another in the NCAA tourney, and it has been more than ten years since the teams squared off on the ice. Further back in history, Notre Dame was a member of the WCHA from 1971-1981, posting three winning seasons in ten campaigns. The Fighting Irish have had more success lately, winning the CCHA league title twice in their last seven seasons in that conference before spending four seasons in Hockey East. During that stretch (2013-2017), the Golden Domers made the national tournament three times, with a Frozen Four appearance in 2017.

Notre Dame moved to the Big Ten beginning in 2017-18 and immediately found success, winning the regular season title and playoff championship. That team went 28-9-2 on its way to the national title game, eventually falling 2-1 to Minnesota Duluth at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. That 2018 playoff run was Notre Dame’s last appearance in the Frozen Four.

The Fighting Irish have played ten games against this year’s NCAA tournament field, going 6-4-0 (.600). North Dakota has played nineteen games against the other fifteen teams in the tourney, with a record of 11-7-1 (.605). UND boasts the best record against the field of any team in the NCHC and trails only Minnesota State (9-2-0) and UMass (7-4-1) overall.

Notre Dame went just 3-3 in October (including back-to-back losses at Minnesota) but followed that up with a flawless November, going 6-0 and punctuating that record with consecutive overtime victories at Michigan. Since a 3-1 home defeat at the hands of Niagara on New Year’s Day, the Fighting Irish have gone 15-5 while allowing more than two goals just five times, an average of just 2.20 goals allowed/game.

When North Dakota traveled to Kalamazoo to face Western Michigan in late January, the Fighting Hawks hadn’t won a game since defeating Colorado College on December 11th, 2021.

UND dropped both games against the Broncos by final scores of 4-1 and 2-0, falling to 13th in the Pairwise Rankings.

Despite the two road defeats, there were signs that Brad Berry’s squad had righted the ship…

On Friday night, North Dakota outshot the Broncos 35-23 but were undone by three WMU power play goals and an 0-for-3 performance with the man advantage.

On Saturday night, shots were nearly even, with the decisive goal coming on a shorthanded breakaway in the final minute of the first period (Western Michigan would add a late empty-net goal).

Since those defeats at the hands of the Broncos, UND finished up the regular season by facing St. Cloud State, Omaha, Colorado College, Minnesota Duluth, Western Michigan, and Omaha, collecting 29 of 36 league points to tie Denver for 1st place in the league standings and secure the program’s third-consecutive Penrose Cup.

North Dakota’s impressive second half moved them to 24-13-1 on the season and secured yet another 20-win campaign. Beginning in 1996-97, UND has collected twenty victories or more in 23 of 26 seasons, including last year, when the squad earned 22 wins in just 29 games.

Turning our attention to the tonight’s matchup, I would expect senior goaltender Matthew Galajda (17-7-0, 1.98 GAA, .930 SV%, 2 SO) to get the start in net for the Fighting Irish. The transfer from Cornell split time early in the season with junior Ryan Bischel, but Galajda has gotten the nod in nine straight games after relieving Bischel after one period of play (three goals allowed, two saves) at Wisconsin on February 12th.

Before UND’s December series at Colorado College, fifth-year senior Zach Driscoll had played nearly every meaningful minute between the pipes for North Dakota, going 11-6-0 with a goals-against average of 2.62, a save percentage of .889, and one shutout. Both Driscoll and freshman Jakob Hellsten got a start in Colorado Springs, and each performed admirably (Driscoll made 28 of 30 saves on Friday night, while Hellsten stopped 23 of 24 in the rematch). Each of the netminders also got one start in early January against Cornell, with Driscoll struggling on Friday night (13 saves on 17 shots) before giving way to Hellsten on Saturday (17 saves on 20 shots).

After a bit of a back-and-forth between the two, Zach Driscoll has regained his status as UND’s #1 goaltender. Since taking over for Jacob Hellsten on January 29th against St. Cloud State, Driscoll has gone 10-2-1 with a goals-against average of 1.80, a save percentage of .936 (336 saves, 23 goals allowed), and one shutout. In February, the fifth-year netminder from Apple Valley, Minnesota was awarded three consecutive NCHC Goaltender Of The Week Awards and was named the NCHC Goaltender of the Month.

A half-point per game or better is my benchmark for solid offensive production, and Jeff Jackson’s squad has eleven players who meet that threshold: junior forward Max Ellis (16-12-28), sophomore forward Ryder Rolston (10-17-27), junior forward Trevor Janicke (15-9-24), sophomore forward Landon Slaggert (11-13-24), senior forward Graham Slaggert (11-12-23), sophomore forward Grant Silianoff (5-13-18), junior forward Jesse Lansdell (8-11-19), senior forward Cam Burke (8-11-19), junior forward Solag Bakich (5-12-17), senior defenseman Nick Leivermann (6-20-26), and senior defenseman Spencer Stastney (7-20-27).

Max Ellis was named to the All-Big Ten second team, while Landon Slaggert, Spencer Stastney, and Matthew Galajda were honorable mentions.

By that same offensive measuring stick, North Dakota has ten players at a half point or better, although two of those – senior forward Gavin Hain (6-3-9 in 18 games) and sophomore defenseman Jake Sanderson (8-18-26 in 23 games) – will not be in the lineup this weekend due to injury.

On the plus side, UND got forward Mark Senden (5-12-17) back in the lineup just under a month ago after the senior captain had missed two consecutive series.

Brad Berry can also count on the offensive production of sophomore forward Riese Gaber (15-22-37), senior forward Connor Ford (4-24-28), senior forward Ashton Calder (11-10-21), freshman forward Matteo Costantini (8-13-21), freshman forward Jake Schmaltz (8-16-24), junior forward Judd Caulfield (11-9-20), and sophomore forward Louis Jamernik (9-10-19).

With Sanderson out of the lineup since January 29th, Brad Berry has been relying on a trio of blueliners – junior Ethan Frisch (9-16-15, 119 total shot attempts), graduate student Chris Jandric (1-14-15, 97), and sophomore Tyler Kleven (7-3-10, 165) – to shoulder the offensive load. Frisch has come on after being added to the top power play unit; the third-year d-man from Moorhead, Minnesota has scored a goal in six of his past twelve games and has already surpassed his goal-scoring total from his first two seasons at North Dakota (four goals in 55 games).

Riese Gaber was named to the All-NCHC first team, with Jake Sanderson and Zach Driscoll appearing on the second team. Connor Ford was an honorable mention selection. The National Collegiate Hockey Conference also names an All-Rookie Team; Matteo Costantini and Jakob Hellsten were both selected for that honor.

Last year, North Dakota definitely benefitted from having a number of players stick around for a title run rather than turn pro. And UND’s roster is now feeling the effects of all of those departures happening at once, with fourteen new faces in Green and White this season. Despite bringing in five experienced transfers (forwards Ashton Calder and Connor Ford, defensemen Chris Jandric and Brady Ferner, and goaltender Zach Driscoll), the Fighting Hawks lost their top five scorers (and seven of their top eight) from a season ago: Jordan Kawaguchi, Collin Adams, Shane Pinto, Jasper Weatherby, Matt Kiersted, Grant Mismash, and Jacob Bernard-Docker combined for over 60% of UND’s offense last season (69 of 114 goals and 185 of 308 total points).

In addition to those seven skaters, Brad Berry also lost forwards Jackson Keane and Harrison Blaisdell, defensemen Gabe Bast and Josh Rieger, and goaltenders Adam Scheel and Peter Thome.

Despite losing all of that firepower and scoring depth, North Dakota is still managing 3.11 goals per game; last year, UND scored 3.93 goals/game. A more glaring difference can be found on the defensive side of the puck: after allowing less than two goals per game last year (1.97), the Fighting Hawks are giving up an average of 2.61 per game this season.

UND is scoring on 11.4 percent of its shots on goal, a mark good for 9th in the country. Notre Dame clocks in at 10.2 percent (22nd).

North Dakota made a living with the puck last season (7th and 5th in two key puck possession statistics), and it started in the faceoff circle. In particular, Shane Pinto, Collin Adams, and Jasper Weatherby had UND at #1 in the nation in faceoff percentage (56.2%); this year, the Green and White struggled early but now land at 55.5%, good for 3rd in the nation. The Fighting Irish sit at 53.8 percent (6th).

For UND, Connor Ford (62.4% of faceoffs won) takes nearly every important draw, while Jake Schmaltz (51.8%) has improved over the course of his first college season. Louis Jamernik (56.0has been a steady third option for Brad Berry. Ford’s 572 faceoff wins this season are the most in the country by a wide margin.

Notre Dame head coach Jeff Jackson has three solid experienced options in the faceoff dot: senior Graham Slaggert (52.0%), senior Cam Burke (58.4%), and senior Jake Pivonka (59.9%) have each won over 230 faceoffs this season.

With both teams faring extremely well on draws this season, one would expect the puck possession statistics to be comparable as well, and that’s the case here:

Corsi: North Dakota 51.2% (21st), Notre Dame 51.1% (23rd)
Fenwick: North Dakota 51.7% (21st), Notre Dame 52.5% (18th)

Corsi measures the percentage of shots taken vs. opponents; Fenwick measures the percentage of unblocked shots taken vs. opponents.

North Dakota’s penalty disparity has been a problem all season, as UND averaged nearly a full minor penalty more per game (12.29 – 10.67) in conference play. The Fighting Hawks have had 141 man-advantage situations this season but have been shorthanded 151 times. With 33 power play goals scored, 32 power play goals allowed, four shorthanded goals scored, and three allowed, UND’s specialty teams net is a +2.

Notre Dame is in much better shape in the penalty department, averaging just 9.17 penalty minutes per conference game while seeing their opponents whistled for 11.42. Overall, however, the Fighting Irish have enjoyed just 125 man-advantage situations on the season against 136 shorthanded situations. With 24 power play goals, 13 power play goals against, seven shorthanded goals scored, and zero allowed, Notre Dame sits at a plus-18.

To this point in the season, here is the complete specialty teams ledger:

Notre Dame power play: 24 of 125, 19.2 percent (31st)
Notre Dame penalty kill: 123 of 136, 90.4 percent (2nd)

North Dakota power play: 33 of 141, 23.4 percent (13th)
North Dakota penalty kill: 119 of 151, 78.8 percent (43rd)

UND has put together an impressive tournament resume by playing a tough slate of games all season long; the Fighting Hawks have played the country’s sixth-toughest schedule according to KRACH; Notre Dame’s slate of games currently ranks as the 10th-toughest in all of college hockey.

Notre Dame Team Profile

Head Coach: Jeff Jackson (17th season at Notre Dame, 375-230-66, .608)

National Rankings: #9/#10
Pairwise Ranking: 9th
KRACH Rating: 328.0 (8th)

This Season: 27-11-0 overall, 12-6-5-1 Big Ten (3rd)
Last Season: 14-13-2 overall (NCAA tournament bid), 11-8-3-2 Big Ten (3rd)

Team Offense: 3.32 goals scored/game – 11th of 59 teams
Team Defense: 2.11 goals allowed/game – 6th of 59 teams

Power Play: 19.2% (24 of 125) – 31st of 59 teams
Penalty Kill: 90.4 % (123 of 136) – 2nd of 59 teams

Key Players: Junior F Max Ellis (16-12-28), Sophomore F Ryder Rolston (10-17-27), Junior F Trevor Janicke (15-9-24), Sophomore F Landon Slaggert (11-13-24), Senior F Graham Slaggert (11-12-23), Sophomore F Grant Silianoff (5-13-18), Junior F Jesse Lansdell (8-11-19), Senior F Cam Burke (8-11-19), Junior F Solag Bakich (5-12-17), Senior D Nick Leivermann (6-20-26), Senior D Spencer Stastney (7-20-27), Senior Goaltender Matthew Galajda (17-7-0, 1.98 GAA, .930 SV%, 2 SO)

North Dakota Fighting Hawks

Head Coach: Brad Berry (7th season at UND, 162-76-25, .663)

National Rankings: #7/#8
Pairwise Ranking: 7th
KRACH Rating: 402.1 (6th)

This Season: 24-13-1 overall, 17-6-1 NCHC (t-1st)
Last Season: 22-6-1 overall (NCHC Midwest Regional Finalist), 18-5-1 NCHC (1st)

2021-2022 Season Statistics:

Team Offense: 3.11 goals scored/game – 19th of 59 teams
Team Defense: 2.61 goals allowed/game – 21st of 59 teams

Power Play: 23.4% (33 of 141) – 13th of 59 teams
Penalty Kill: 78.8% (119 of 151) – 43rd of 59 teams

Key players: Sophomore F Riese Gaber (15-22-37), Senior F Connor Ford (4-24-28), Senior F Ashton Calder (11-10-21), Freshman F Jake Schmaltz (8-16-24), Junior F Judd Caulfield (11-9-20), Freshman F Matteo Costantini (8-13-21), Sophomore F Louis Jamernik (9-10-19), Junior D Ethan Frisch (9-6-15), Senior Chris Jandric (1-14-15), Sophomore D Tyler Kleven (7-3-10), Senior G Zach Driscoll (22-10-1, 2.36 GAA, .907 SV%, 2 SO)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: November 24, 2012 (South Bend, IN). One night after the visitors eeked out a 2-1 road victory, it was the homestanding Irish who held serve with a 5-2 win. A shorthanded goal in the middle frame broke a 1-1 tie and gave the Fighting Irish a lead they would never relinquish. There were three goals scored in the final 90 seconds of the hockey game; a North Dakota tally by Rocco Grimaldi was sandwiched between two Jeff Costello markers, including an empty-netter with just 19 seconds remaining.

Most Important Meeting: March 15, 1980. In WCHA playoff action, the Fighting Sioux dispatched with Notre Dame with a 7-4 victory after winning the opener 10-4. UND would go on to win its third national championship two weeks later.

Last Ten: North Dakota has a 5-2-3 (.650) record over the past ten games, outscoring the Fighting Irish 37-24 over that stretch.

All-time Series: The series is tied 17-17-3. The Fighting Irish won 15 of the first 20 meetings between the two teams, but UND has evened the ledger with a mark of 12-2-3 over the past seventeen games.

Game News and Notes

The Fighting Irish appeared in the national championship game in 2008 (falling 4-1 to Boston College) and in 2018 (losing 2-1 to Minnesota Duluth). Three current North Dakota players – forwards Ashton Calder and Connor Ford and defenseman Brady Ferner – have played two games each against Notre Dame in their collegiate careers. Calder and Ford each picked up an assist. Tonight’s game will mark UND’s 34th appearance in the national tournament. Notre Dame is 14-0-0 when leading after one period of play and 21-0-0 when leading after two.

The Prediction

UND survived the gauntlet of conference play and the NCHC playoffs while dealing with injuries and absences up and down the lineup. The second half of the season has forced players into increased roles, and that will bode well for Brad Berry’s squad throughout the tournament. Notre Dame doesn’t give up much defensively, and that might frustrate the Fighting Hawks. I am concerned about specialty teams, particularly the Fighting Irish penalty kill. Both teams would love to play with a lead, and that makes the first period that much more important. Last year’s five-overtime NCAA tourney defeat and last weekend’s less-than-stellar performance at the NCHC Frozen Faceoff are both fresh in the minds of the North Dakota players, and that will be all the motivation the Fighting Hawks need to find a way to advance to tomorrow’s regional final. UND 3-2.

Broadcast Information

Tonight’s regional semifinal can be seen on ESPNU or via webcast by using the Watch ESPN platform. UND men’s hockey games can be heard on stations across the UND Sports Home of Economy Radio Network as well as through the iHeart Radio app.

Social Media

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

NCHC Playoff Preview: UND vs. Colorado College

Author’s note: Today marks my 500th article for SiouxSports.com. When I started this adventure back in September of 2007, I had no idea that I would write for so many years – fifteen seasons and counting! And while I have no intention of stopping or even slowing down, it is important to mark milestones and reflect on the passage of time. And so I say to all of you: thank you for reading!

#5 North Dakota (22-12-1) hosts unranked Colorado College (9-22-3) for an NCHC best-of-three quarterfinal series this weekend (Friday and Saturday; Sunday if necessary) at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks. The winner of this series will advance to next weekend’s NCHC Frozen Faceoff at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota along with the winners of the other three series this weekend (Miami at Denver, Omaha at Western Michigan, and Minnesota Duluth at St. Cloud State).

Colorado College also traveled to Grand Forks to face UND in the first round of the playoffs in 2014, 2015, and 2016. As I’ve written about before, it is difficult to end a team’s season, and tight Saturday night elimination games are to be expected, even after relatively comfortable Friday night victories. In fact, UND’s 2016 sweep (7-1, 5-1) is one of only two playoff series in recent memory that did not feature at least one close contest.

Here are the results from the past three first-round series between North Dakota and Colorado College:

2014: UND 4-2, CC 3-2 (OT), UND 4-3
2015: UND 5-1, UND 3-2
2016: UND 7-1, UND 5-1

CC was also scheduled to face the Fighting Hawks in 2020 before the college hockey season was canceled due to COVID-19. And last season, the Tigers dressed just eleven forwards, five defensemen, and one goalie for their opening-round game against St. Cloud State at Ralph Engelstad Arena. Despite losing a blueliner to a major penalty in the second period, Colorado College took SCSU to the wire, surrendering the game-winning goal with less than four minutes remaining in the contest.

By virtue of its Pairwise Ranking, North Dakota (6th) will make the NCAA tourney regardless of its results in the NCHC playoffs; Colorado College (42nd) would need to win this weekend’s series and win the NCHC playoff championship next weekend to secure a berth in the national tournament.

When the teams squared off at brand-new Robson Arena for a mid-December series in Colorado Springs, the Fighting Hawks secured the road sweep with 5-2 and 4-1 victories. Those games dropped the Tigers to 3-10-3 on the season.

UND held the advantage in all phases, outshooting the Tigers 62-54 and winning 72 of 119 faceoffs (60.5%). North Dakota scored three power play goals on nine attempts and held Colorado College to just a single power play goal in ten man-advantage opportunities.

After that weekend, the Tigers went 4-4-0 against Arizona State, Miami, Denver, and Omaha to close out January, much more respectable results for first-year head coach Kris Mayotte. Mayotte replaced Mike Haviland, who went just 74-177-28 (.315) in his seven seasons behind the Tiger bench, with no regular season or postseason titles and zero NCAA tournament appearances. Haviland had something brewing from 2017-2019, with his teams going 32-37-9 (.468). Things fell off over the past two seasons, however (15-37-5, .307), and it was time for a change.

February and March have not been kind to Mayotte’s squad, however, as the Tigers have just two wins in the past ten games. Both of those victories came in overtime against Miami (4-3, 3-2). In the other eight, CC was outscored 30-11.

Two of those losses came on February 11th and 12th at UND. Colorado College put up a good showing in Friday night’s 3-2 defeat, nearly overcoming a 3-0 first-period deficit and outshooting North Dakota 26-21 for the game. The Fighting Hawks turned the tables in Saturday’s 4-0 triumph, sweeping the regular season series between the two teams by a combined score of 16-5.

When North Dakota traveled to Kalamazoo to face Western Michigan in late January, the Fighting Hawks hadn’t won a game since defeating Colorado College on December 11th, 2021.

UND dropped both games against the Broncos by final scores of 4-1 and 2-0, falling to 13th in the Pairwise Rankings.

Despite the two road defeats, there were signs that Brad Berry’s squad had righted the ship…

On Friday night, North Dakota outshot the Broncos 35-23 but were undone by three WMU power play goals and an 0-for-3 performance with the man advantage.

On Saturday night, shots were nearly even, with the decisive goal coming on a shorthanded breakaway in the final minute of the first period (Western Michigan would add a late empty-net goal).

Since those defeats at the hands of the Broncos, UND has faced St. Cloud State, Omaha, Colorado College, Minnesota Duluth, Western Michigan, and Omaha, collecting 29 of 36 league points to tie Denver for 1st place in the league standings and secure the program’s third-consecutive Penrose Cup.

North Dakota’s impressive second half moved them to 22-11-1 on the season and secured yet another 20-win campaign. Beginning in 1996-97, UND has collected twenty victories or more in 23 of 26 seasons, including last year, when the squad earned 22 wins in just 29 games.

Turning our attention to the matchup this weekend, it’s been a jumble in net for the Tigers. Sophomore Dominic Basse (6-15-2, 3.23 GAA, .888 SV%, 1 SO) has played nearly two-thirds of the minutes between the pipes, but he’s been outplayed recently by junior Matt Vernon (3-7-1, 2.92 GAA, .908 SV%, 1 SO). Vernon only started four games during the first half of the season, but he came on in relief both nights of a January home-and-home series against Denver (stopping 36 of 38), and he’s earned seven of the last twelve starts for the Tigers. Basse started both games in Grand Forks last month (allowing seven goals on 48 shots). Vernon started the next four, but it was Basse in net for last weekend’s home-and-home series with Denver (ten goals allowed on 71 shots).

After a bit of a back-and-forth between the two, Zach Driscoll has regained his status as UND’s #1 goaltender. Since taking over for Jacob Hellsten on January 29th against St. Cloud State, Driscoll has gone 8-1-1 with a goals-against average of 1.84, a save percentage of .938 (270 saves, 18 goals allowed), and one shutout. In February, the fifth-year netminder from Apple Valley, Minnesota was awarded three consecutive NCHC Goaltender Of The Week Awards and was named the NCHC Goaltender of the Month.

A half-point per game or better is my benchmark for solid offensive production, and Kris Mayotte’s squad has just four players who meet that threshold: sophomore forward Logan Will (6-12-18), sophomore forward Matthew Gleason (6-9-15), sophomore forward Hunter McKown (13-7-20), and sophomore forward Tyler Coffey (10-4-14).

McKown, who played on the U.S. National Under-17 and Under-18 Teams before coming to Colorado Springs, has come on strong since being held scoreless against North Dakota in December; the 19-year-old from San Jose, California has ten goals and five assists for fifteen points in his last eighteen games, although UND held him off of the scoresheet in February’s series as well. He scored a total of three goals in 43 games with the USNTDP.

By that same measure, North Dakota has nine players at a half point or better, although at least one of those – senior forward Gavin Hain (6-3-9 in 18 games) – will not be in the lineup this weekend due to injury. Two others – sophomore forward Riese Gaber (14-21-35) and sophomore defenseman Jake Sanderson (7-17-24 in 21 games) are dealing with injuries and will be game-time decisions.

On the plus side, UND got forward Mark Senden (5-11-16) back in the lineup two weekends ago after the senior captain had missed two consecutive series.

Brad Berry can also count on the offensive production of senior forward Connor Ford (4-23-27), senior forward Ashton Calder (11-10-21), freshman forward Matteo Costantini (7-13-20), freshman forward Jake Schmaltz (8-14-22), and sophomore forward Louis Jamernik (9-10-19).

With Sanderson out of the lineup since January 29th, Brad Berry has been relying on a trio of blueliners – junior Ethan Frisch (9-16-15, 107 total shot attempts), graduate student Chris Jandric (1-13-14, 94), and sophomore Tyler Kleven (6-3-9, 155) – to shoulder the offensive load. Frisch has come on after being added to the top power play unit; the third-year d-man from Moorhead, Minnesota has scored a goal in six of his past nine games and has already surpassed his goal-scoring total from his first two seasons at North Dakota (four goals in 55 games).

Despite losing all of that firepower and scoring depth, North Dakota is still managing 3.20 goals per game; last year, UND scored 3.93 goals/game. A more glaring difference can be found on the defensive side of the puck: after allowing less than two goals per game last year (1.97), the Fighting Hawks are giving up an average of 2.66 per game this season.

UND is scoring on 11.6 percent of its shots on goal, a mark good for 8th in the country. Colorado College clocks in at 8.3 percent (46th).

For UND, Connor Ford (62.6% of faceoffs won) takes nearly every important draw, while Jake Schmaltz (51.4%) has improved over the course of his first college season. Louis Jamernik (55.1%) has been a steady third option for Brad Berry. Ford’s 538 faceoff wins this season are the most in the country by a wide margin.

For Colorado College, sophomore Logan Will (50.6%) has spent the most time in the faceoff circle and has had the most success, although freshman Stanley Cooley (45.0%) is not far behind. Junior Noah Prokop (44.1%) and sophomore Jackson Jutting (47.4%) contribute as well.

A disparity in faceoff success often leads to a similar imbalance in puck possession statistics as well, and that’s the case here:

Corsi: UND 50.9% (24th), CC 46.8% (45th)
Fenwick: UND 51.8% (21st), CC 47.2% (43rd)

Corsi measures the percentage of shots taken vs. opponents; Fenwick measures the percentage of unblocked shots taken vs. opponents.

North Dakota’s penalty disparity is becoming problematic, as UND averages nearly a full minor penalty more per game (12.29 – 10.67) in conference play. The Fighting Hawks have had 131 man-advantage situations this season but have been shorthanded 144 times. With 32 power play goals scored, 30 power play goals allowed, four shorthanded goals scored, and three allowed, UND’s specialty teams net is a +3.

CC is in slightly better shape in the penalty department, averaging 12.63 penalty minutes per conference game while seeing their opponents whistled for just 11.58. Overall, however, the Tigers have enjoyed 139 man-advantage situations on the season against 132 shorthanded situations. With 23 power play goals, 37 power play goals against, and five shorthanded goals allowed, Colorado College sits at minus-19.

To this point in the season, here is the complete specialty teams ledger:

Colorado College power play: 23 of 139, 16.5 percent (40th)
Colorado College penalty kill: 95 of 132, 72.0 percent (56th)

North Dakota power play: 32 of 131, 24.4 percent (11th)
North Dakota penalty kill: 114 of 144, 79.2 percent (42nd)

UND has put together an impressive tournament resume by playing a tough slate of games all season long; the Fighting Hawks have played the country’s fourth-toughest schedule according to KRACH; CC’s slate of games currently ranks as the 14th-toughest in all of college hockey.

Colorado College Tigers

Head Coach: Kris Mayotte (1st season at CC, 9-22-3, .309)

National Rankings: NR/NR
Pairwise Ranking: 42nd
KRACH Rating: 66.8 (37th)

This Season: 9-22-3 overall, 6-17-1 NCHC (7th)
Last Season: 4-17-2 overall, 4-16-2 NCHC (t-7th)

2021-2022 Season Statistics:

Team Offense: 2.26 goals scored/game – 47th of 59 teams
Team Defense: 3.29 goals allowed/game – 45th of 59 teams

Power Play: 16.5% (23 of 139) – 40th of 59 teams
Penalty Kill: 72.0% (95 of 132) – 56th of 59 teams

Key players: Sophomore F Logan Will (6-12-18), Sophomore F Hunter McKown (13-7-20), Sophomore F Matthew Gleason (6-9-15), Sophomore F Jordan Biro (5-7-12), Freshman F Stanley Cooley (5-11-16), Sophomore F Danny Weight (1-11-12), Sophomore D Nicklas Andrews (4-10-14), Senior D Bryan Yoon (1-11-12), Junior G Matt Vernon (3-7-1, 2.92 GAA, .908 SV%, 1 SO)

North Dakota Fighting Hawks

Head Coach: Brad Berry (7th season at UND, 160-75-25, .663)

National Rankings: #5/#5
Pairwise Ranking: 6th
KRACH Rating: 406.9 (6th)

This Season: 22-12-1 overall, 17-6-1 NCHC (t-1st)
Last Season: 22-6-1 overall (NCHC Midwest Regional Finalist), 18-5-1 NCHC (1st)

2021-2022 Season Statistics:

Team Offense: 3.20 goals scored/game – 18th of 59 teams
Team Defense: 2.66 goals allowed/game – 23rd of 59 teams

Power Play: 24.4% (32 of 131) – 11th of 59 teams
Penalty Kill: 79.2% (114 of 144) – 42nd of 59 teams

Key players: Sophomore F Riese Gaber (14-21-35), Senior F Connor Ford (4-23-27), Senior F Ashton Calder (11-10-21), Freshman F Jake Schmaltz (8-14-22), Junior F Judd Caulfield (10-7-17), Freshman F Matteo Costantini (7-13-20), Sophomore F Louis Jamernik (9-10-19), Sophomore D Jake Sanderson (7-17-24 in 21 games), Junior D Ethan Frisch (9-6-15), Senior Chris Jandric (1-13-14), Sophomore D Tyler Kleven (6-3-9), Senior G Zach Driscoll (20-9-1, 2.43 GAA, .905 SV%, 2 SO)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: February 12, 2022 (Grand Forks, ND). One night after North Dakota withstood a furious CC comeback to gain a 3-2 home victory, it was smooth sailing for the Fighting Hawks. Four different UND players scored (including Brent Johnson with his first of the season), Riese Gaber collected two assists, and Zach Driscoll made 23 saves for the shutout.

Most Important Meeting: March 27, 1997. UND defeated Colorado College, 6-2, in the Frozen Four Semifinals in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Two nights later, North Dakota downed Boston University, 6-4, to claim its sixth NCAA Championship. North Dakota and Colorado College also met in the 2001 East Regional (Worcester, Mass.), with UND prevailing, 4-1.

All-time Series: UND leads the all-time series, 170-84-11 (.662), including a massive advantage of 109-22-7 (.815) in games played in Grand Forks. The teams first met in 1948; North Dakota’s 170 wins over the Tigers are the most against any single opponent in program history.

Last Ten: North Dakota has swept the last ten meetings between the teams, outscoring CC 39-8 over that span. The Fighting Hawks’ last loss to Colorado College was at CC on March 1, 2019 (1-3).

Game News and Notes

North Dakota head coach Brad Berry is 21-4-1 (.827) in his head coaching career against Colorado College. CC has won two national titles (1950, 1957). Since 1957, the Tigers have appeared in the NCAA tournament thirteen times (most recently in 2011) and advanced to three Frozen Fours (1996, 1997, 2005). Head coaches Scott Owens (1999-2014) and Don Lucia (1993-1999) combined to lead CC to six regular-season titles, twelve NCAA tournament appearances, three Frozen Fours, and one national championship game appearance (1996). Twelve UND players expected to be in the lineup this weekend have scored goals in their careers against Colorado College, and netminder Zach Driscoll is 5-0-0 with a goals against average of 1.75 and a save percentage of .950 in his five career starts against CC. The Tigers are 8-6-2 when leading or tied after one period of play but 1-16-1 when trailing.

The Prediction

UND survived the gauntlet of conference play while dealing with injuries up and down the lineup. This weekend will feature the most complete Fighting Hawks’ squad since before the Christmas break, and that leads to advantages all over the ice for the Green and White. The only question mark is whether Brad Berry’s crew will overlook their opponent after winning ten straight against the Tigers. There’s something about this team, however, and North Dakota will find a way to advance to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff next weekend in St. Paul. I wouldn’t be surprised if these two long-time opponents need a Sunday game to decide the series, but I’ve got the Fighting Hawks in two straight. UND 5-1, 4-2.

Broadcast Information

This weekend’s games will be broadcast live on Midco Sports Network and will also be 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.

Social Media

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

Weekend Preview: UND at Omaha

#4 North Dakota (21-11-1, 16-5-1 NCHC) will head to Nebraska this weekend to face #20 Omaha (20-14-0, 10-12-0 NCHC) at Baxter Arena exactly one month after the two teams tangled in Grand Forks. With one victory in the series (or one Denver loss to Colorado College), UND would claim the program’s third-consecutive Penrose Cup as NCHC regular-season champions.

Before we dig into this weekend’s matchup, let’s take a quick look back at the past few games between the two teams…

On Friday, February 4th, UND broke a 1-1 tie with three goals in the second period, including a 5-on-3 tally by Ethan Frisch with seven seconds remaining. In Saturday’s rematch, North Dakota built a 2-0 lead through two periods but could not hold off the Mavs, allowing two third-period goals less than three minutes apart and surrendering a 3-on-3 goal midway through the five-minute overtime session.

Saturday’s rematch marked the first time in 19 games between the teams that the team scoring first did not prevail.

Last season, the two teams tangled six times over the course of 36 days in the second half of the season, and familiarity bred contempt. To that point, a line brawl erupted in the final minute of the fourth meeting between the squads, a 7-1 North Dakota home victory which secured the Fighting Hawks’ second consecutive league championship and saw Brad Berry’s squad hoist the #PenneRosa for the fourth time in the eight-year history of the NCHC.

The Saturday melee in Grand Forks started with Omaha sophomore forward Joey Abate slashing UND’s Louis Jamernik on the wrist instead of attempting to win the faceoff. Jamernik responded with a cross-check, and the royal rumble was on. Not surprisingly, Abate did the same thing late in Friday’s game with North Dakota leading 4-1 and less than two minutes on the clock. Fittingly, Abate led the NCAA in penalty minutes last season (63) after compiling 117 penalty minutes in his lone season in the NAHL and 246 in his final two seasons in the USHL.

This season, it’s Abate’s teammate – senior forward Kevin Conley – who leads the team in sin bin time (71 minutes; 8th-most in the country). UND’s Tyler Kleven is 7th in the nation with 72 minutes in penalties.

Despite the aforementioned Maverick ruffians, Omaha was the biggest surprise in the NCHC last season. Of course, I expected them to have good results playing at home in the pod (and they did, posting a record of 6-3-1), but I also expected them to regress in the second half. On the contrary, the Mavs went a combined 7-3 against Colorado College (4-0), Denver (2-2), and North Dakota (1-1) over the first ten games of the “normal travel” portion of the schedule, finished with an overall record of 14-11-1, and advanced to the NCAA tournament for the first time since their Frozen Four appearance in 2015. UNO ended its season with two consecutive losses; a 5-4 defeat at the hands of Denver in the opening round of the NCHC Frozen Faceoff and a 7-2 drubbing by #2 Minnesota in the NCAA West Regional (Loveland, CO). The Gophers would be blanked 4-0 in the regional final by #5 Minnesota State.

Omaha is 6-4 in one-goal games this season; the Fighting Hawks are 8-3.

Turning back the clock a bit more: After a trip to the Frozen Four in 2015, Dean Blais could only manage a mark of 35-34-6 over his final two seasons behind the Omaha bench. He was replaced by Mike Gabinet (Omaha ’04), and Gabinet finished up his rookie campaign with an eerily similar record of 17-17-2.

Maverick fans were certainly hopeful that improvement was coming three seasons ago, but Omaha struggled out of the gate with a record of 0-6-1. Things leveled off a bit after that, with a record of 6-4-1 to close out 2018. Once the calendar year turned, however, Gabinet was only able to lead his team to three more wins (the last coming on February 8th) and a season record of 9-24-3. UNO fans had to have been a bit more pleased the following year, as the 2019-20 version of the Mavs collected fourteen victories (14-17-5).

And after a 14-11-1 campaign and an NCAA tourney berth last season, Gabinet’s squad has already collected twenty victories this season. Despite the winning record, Omaha finds itself in 21st place in the all-important Pairwise rankings. The Mavericks fared well out-of-conference (10-2-0) but only have ten wins in conference play (10-12-0). In particular, three losses to Miami and two losses to Colorado College – along with non-conference splits with Lake Superior and St. Lawrence – have UNO currently on the outside of the NCAA tournament field.

When North Dakota traveled to Kalamazoo to face Western Michigan in late January, the Fighting Hawks hadn’t won a game since December 11th, 2021.

UND dropped both games against the Broncos by final scores of 4-1 and 2-0, falling to 13th in the Pairwise Rankings.

Despite the two road defeats, there were signs that Brad Berry’s squad had righted the ship…

On Friday night, North Dakota outshot the Broncos 35-23 but were undone by three WMU power play goals and an 0-for-3 performance with the man advantage.

On Saturday night, shots were nearly even, with the decisive goal coming on a shorthanded breakaway in the final minute of the first period (Western Michigan would add a late empty-net goal).

Since those defeats at the hands of the Broncos, UND has faced St. Cloud State, Omaha, Colorado College, Minnesota Duluth, and Western Michigan, winning each weekend series and effectively going 9-1 over that stretch (27 of 30 league points) to leapfrog Denver for 1st place in the league standings.

Four weeks ago, I mentioned that it would be an uphill climb for UND to catch Denver in this year’s race for the league title despite being only three points behind with ten games to play.

With two NCHC games remaining, UND now leads Denver by four points in the race for the Penrose Cup. The Pioneers have a home-and-home series with the Colorado College Tigers this weekend (at CC Friday, at DU Saturday).

With sweeps over the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs (road) and the Western Michigan Broncos (home), UND has moved up to #5 in the all-important Pairwise Rankings, secured home ice for the first round of the NCHC playoffs, guaranteed no worse than a second-place finish in the conference standings, and locked up an NCAA tournament appearance.

UND has put together an impressive tournament resume by playing a tough slate of games all season long; the Fighting Hawks have played the country’s sixth-toughest schedule according to KRACH; Omaha’s slate of games currently ranks as the 18th-toughest in all of college hockey.

North Dakota’s sweep vs. Western Michigan moved them to 21-11-1 on the season and secured yet another 20-win campaign. Beginning in 1996-97, UND has collected twenty victories or more in 23 of 26 seasons, including last year, when the squad earned 22 wins in just 29 games.

Turning our attention to this weekend’s matchup, junior netminder Isaiah Saville (15-12-0, 2.47 GAA, .908 SV%, 4 SO) has been spectacular in net for the Mavs. Fellow third-year netminder Austin Roden has appeared in nine games (5-2-0. 2.21 GAA, .927 SV%). Roden made a third-period relief appearance on Friday, November 12th at St. Cloud State, started the following night, and made 43 of 45 saves in a 3-2 overtime victory over the Huskies. In the first half o the season, Roden only squared off against one other NCHC opponent, stopping 28 of 31 in a home loss to Colorado College on December 4th.

In February, however, Roden appeared in three league games, relieving Saville in Friday’s opener at North Dakota and splitting starts against St. Cloud State (win) and Denver (loss). Saville was not at his best through the first five weeks of the 2022 league schedule (33 goals in ten games), but he put together solid performances in victories against SCSU (28 of 29 saves) and DU (31 of 32 saves).

After a bit of a back-and-forth between the two, Zach Driscoll has regained his status as UND’s #1 goaltender. Since taking over for Jacob Hellsten on January 29th against St. Cloud State, Driscoll has gone 7-1-1 with a goals-against average of 1.59, a save percentage of .946 (244 saves, 14 goals allowed), and one shutout. In February, the fifth-year netminder from Apple Valley, Minnesota was awarded three consecutive NCHC Goaltender Of The Week Awards and was named the NCHC Goaltender of the Month.

A half-point per game or better is my benchmark for solid offensive production, and Mike Gabinet’s squad has nine active players who meet that threshold, including two first-year forwards: Cameron Berg (7-13-20) and Ty Mueller (8-4-12 in 20 games). Others chipping in offensively include senior forward Taylor Ward (17-18-35), senior forward Brandon McManus (9-19-28), senior forward Taylor Weiss (8-21-29), senior forward Chase Primeau (7-12-19), senior forward Kevin Conley (8-10-18), junior forward Jack Randl (7-10-17), and junior defenseman Brandon Scanlin (6-25-31).

By that same measure, North Dakota also has nine players at a half point or better, although at least two of those – sophomore defenseman Jake Sanderson (7-17-24 in 21 games) and senior forward Gavin Hain (6-3-9 in 18 games) – will not be in the lineup this weekend due to injury. Two others- sophomore forward Riese Gaber (14-21-35) and junior defenseman Ethan Frisch (9-6-15) are dealing with an injuries and will be game-time decisions.

UND got forward Mark Senden (5-11-16) back in the lineup last weekend after the senior captain had missed two consecutive series.

Brad Berry can also count on the offensive production of senior forward Connor Ford (4-20-24), senior forward Ashton Calder (11-8-19), freshman forward Matteo Costantini (7-12-19), freshman forward Jake Schmaltz (6-13-19), and sophomore forward Louis Jamernik (9-10-19).

With Sanderson out of the lineup, Brad Berry will rely on a trio of blueliners – junior Ethan Frisch (9-16-15, 107 total shot attempts), graduate student Chris Jandric (1-12-13, 87), and sophomore Tyler Kleven (5-3-8, 145) – to shoulder the offensive load. Frisch has come on after being added to the top power play unit; the third-year d-man from Moorhead, Minnesota has scored a goal in six of his past nine games and has already surpassed his goal-scoring total from his first two seasons at North Dakota (four goals in 55 games).

Despite losing all of that firepower and scoring depth, North Dakota is still managing 3.21 goals per game; last year, UND scored 3.93 goals/game. A more glaring difference can be found on the defensive side of the puck: after allowing less than two goals per game last year (1.97), the Fighting Hawks are giving up an average of 2.58 per game this season.

UND is scoring on 11.8 percent of its shots on goal, a mark good for 5th in the country. Omaha clocks in close behind at 11.2 percent (12th).

North Dakota made a living with the puck last season (7th and 5th in two key puck possession statistics), and it started in the faceoff circle. In particular, Shane Pinto, Collin Adams, and Jasper Weatherby had UND at #1 in the nation in faceoff percentage (56.2%); this year, the Green and White struggled early but now land at 55.2%, good for 3rd in the nation. Omaha sits at 51.1 percent (19th).

For UND, Connor Ford (61.8% of faceoffs won) takes nearly every important draw, while Jake Schmaltz (52.1%) has improved over the course of his first college season. Louis Jamernik (54.4%) has been a steady third option for Brad Berry.

For the Mavericks, it’s junior Nolan Sullivan (59.3%) and senior Chayse Primeau (49.0%) leading the way, with freshman Cameron Berg (54.3%) chipping in as well.

With both squads faring extremely well on draws, it is no surprise that the teams find themselves neck-and-neck nationally in two key puck possession statistics:

Corsi: UND 51.2% (24th), Omaha 50.8% (25th)
Fenwick: UND 51.9% (21st), Omaha 50.9% (27th)

Corsi measures the percentage of shots taken vs. opponents; Fenwick measures the percentage of unblocked shots taken vs. opponents.

North Dakota’s penalty disparity is becoming problematic, as UND averages nearly a full minor penalty more per game (11.82 – 10.59) in conference play. The Fighting Hawks have had 119 man-advantage situations this season but have been shorthanded 133 times. With 29 power play goals scored, 28 power play goals allowed, four shorthanded goals scored, and three allowed, UND’s specialty teams net is a +2.

Omaha is in better shape in the penalty department, averaging just 14.00 penalty minutes per conference game while seeing their opponents whistled for 14.35. This has led to 170 man-advantage situations on the season against 166 shorthanded situations for the Mavericks. With 43 power play goals, 29 power play goals against, and a 3-2 advantage in shorthanded goals, UNO sits at +15.

To this point in the season, here is the complete specialty teams ledger:

Omaha power play: 43 of 170, 25.3 percent (7th)
Omaha penalty kill: 137 of 166, 84.1 percent (28th)

North Dakota power play: 29 of 119, 24.4 percent (11th)
North Dakota penalty kill: 105 of 133, 78.9 percent (43rd)

This weekend will close out the NCHC regular season, with first-round matchups in the league playoffs yet to be determined. North Dakota will finish in first or second place in the standings; while Omaha could finish in fifth or sixth place. UND will face either Miami or Colorado College in a best-of-three series next weekend in Grand Forks; the games will be played on March 11th, March 12th, and March 13th (if necessary).

Omaha Mavericks

Head Coach: Mike Gabinet (5th season at UNO, 74-83-11, .473)

National Rankings: #20
Pairwise Ranking: 21st
KRACH Rating: 175.1 (16th)

This Season: 20-14-0 overall, 10-12-0 NCHC (6th)
Last Season: 14-11-1 overall (NCAA West Regional semifinalist), 10-9-5 NCHC (4th)

Team Offense: 3.21 goals scored/game – 19th of 59 teams
Team Defense: 2.56 goals allowed/game – 20th of 59 teams

Power Play: 25.3% (43 of 170) – 7th of 59 teams
Penalty Kill: 84.1% (137 of 166) – 28th of 59 teams

Key Players: Senior F Taylor Ward (17-18-35), Senior F Brandon McManus (9-19-28), Senior F Taylor Weiss (8-21-29), Senior F Chase Primeau (7-12-19), Freshman F Cameron Berg (7-13-20), Freshman F Ty Mueller (8-4-12 in 20 games), Senior F Kevin Conley (8-10-18), Junior F Jack Randl (7-10-17), Junior D Brandon Scanlin (6-25-31), Junior G Isaiah Saville (15-12-0, 2.47 GAA, .908 SV%, 4 SO)

North Dakota Fighting Hawks

Head Coach: Brad Berry (7th season at UND, 159-74-25, .665)

National Rankings: #4
Pairwise Ranking: 5th
KRACH Rating: 448.0 (5th)

This Season: 21-11-1 overall, 16-5-1 NCHC (1st)
Last Season: 22-6-1 overall (NCHC Midwest Regional Finalist), 18-5-1 NCHC (1st)

2021-2022 Season Statistics:

Team Offense: 3.21goals scored/game – 19th of 59 teams
Team Defense: 2.58 goals allowed/game – 21st of 59 teams

Power Play: 24.4% (29 of 119) – 11th of 59 teams
Penalty Kill: 78.9% (105 of 133) – 43rd of 59 teams

Key players: Sophomore F Riese Gaber (14-21-35), Senior F Connor Ford (4-20-24), Senior F Ashton Calder (11-8-19), Freshman F Jake Schmaltz (6-13-19), Junior F Judd Caulfield (9-7-16), Freshman F Matteo Costantini (7-12-19), Sophomore F Louis Jamernik (9-10-19), Junior D Ethan Frisch (9-6-15), Senior Chris Jandric (1-12-13), Sophomore D Tyler Kleven (5-3-8), Senior G Zach Driscoll (19-9-1, 2.37 GAA, .907 SV%, 2 SO)

By The Numbers:

Last meeting: February 5, 2022 (Grand Forks, ND). North Dakota built a two-goal lead through the first forty minutes of action but couldn’t make it hold up, surrendering two third-period goals less than three minutes apart to send the game to overtime. Omaha’s Brannon McManus ended the contest halfway through the five-minute 3-on-3 session. One night earlier, the teams were tied after one period, but UND erupted for three goals in the middle frame, including a 5-on-3 tally with just seven seconds remaining. The Mavericks outshot the Fighting Hawks 9-4 in the third period but could not put a second goal past Zach Driscoll, who finished with 26 saves.

Last meeting in Omaha: February 26, 2021. The two teams met in Omaha just six days after UND’s 7-1 drubbing in Grand Forks, and the Fighting Hawks picked up right where they left off, dispatching the homestanding Mavericks 4-2. North Dakota led 2-1 with three minutes remaining before UNO’s Jack Randl evened the score. Jasper Weatherby scored on the power play with less than eighty seconds left to give the visitors the lead, and a shorthanded empty-netter from Judd Caulfield iced the game. North Dakota was assessed just ten minutes in penalties, while Omaha was whistled for twenty, including fourteen minutes in the third period alone. The Fighting Hawks scored three power play goals and held the Mavs scoreless on four man-advantage opportunities.

Last ten: North Dakota has won six of the last ten contests between the schools, outscoring the Mavericks 39-22 over that stretch. Two of the last ten games have gone to overtime, and both went the way of Omaha by identical 3-2 scores.

All-time: UND leads the all-time series 29-16-1 (.641), including a 14-7-0 (.667) record in games played in Grand Forks. North Dakota owns a record of 24-13-1 (.645) against the Mavericks since both teams joined the NCHC. The teams first met on November 19, 2010.

Game News and Notes

In 2015, both North Dakota and Omaha advanced to the 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. Since joining the WCHA in 2011 (and later the NCHC), the Mavs have never reached the Twin Cities for the second weekend of the conference tournament despite having home ice in three of those eight years. North Dakota’s Brad Berry is 20-10-0 (.667) in his head coaching career against Omaha. In 18 of the past 19 contests in this series, the winning team is the one which scores the first goal.

The Prediction

North Dakota is on a mission to claim the program’s third-consecutive Penrose Cup, and I don’t see anything standing in their way. UND has battled through illness, injuries, and depleted lineups and has emerged on the other side unfazed and battle-tested. If anything can derail the Fighting Hawks, it would be a specialty teams battle, as Brad Berry would prefer to see his squad play the majority of the contest at even strength. Omaha’s Isaiah Saville is definitely capable of stealing a game between the pipes, but I don’t see that happening until Saturday night – after North Dakota hoists the #PennaRosa on Friday. UND 4-1, UNO 4-2.

Broadcast Information

Both games this weekend will be 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.

Social Media

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

Weekend Preview: UND vs. Western Michigan

When North Dakota traveled to Kalamazoo to face Western Michigan in late January, the Fighting Hawks hadn’t won a game since December 11th, 2021.

UND dropped both games against the Broncos by final scores of 4-1 and 2-0, falling to 13th in the Pairwise Rankings.

Despite the two road defeats, there were signs that Brad Berry’s squad had righted the ship…

On Friday night, North Dakota outshot the Broncos 35-23 but were undone by three WMU power play goals and an 0-for-3 performance with the man advantage.

On Saturday night, shots were nearly even, with the decisive goal coming on a shorthanded breakaway in the final minute of the first period (Western Michigan would add a late empty-net goal).

Since those defeats at the hands of the Broncos, UND has faced St. Cloud State, Omaha, Colorado College, and Minnesota Duluth, winning each weekend series and effectively going 7-1 over that stretch (21 of 24 league points) to leapfrog Denver for 1st place in the league standings.

Three weeks ago, I mentioned that it would be an uphill climb for UND to catch Denver in this year’s race for the league title despite being only three points behind with ten games to play.

With four NCHC games remaining, UND now leads Denver by one point in the race for the Penrose Cup. It’s probably still Denver’s title to lose, with the following schedules over the past two weekends:

North Dakota: vs. Western Michigan, at Omaha

Denver: at Omaha, at/vs. Colorado College (home and home series)

With last weekend’s road sweep over the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs, UND also moved up to #6 in the all-important Pairwise Rankings, secured home ice for the first round of the NCHC playoffs, and guaranteed no worse than a third-place finish in the conference standings. North Dakota is currently eight points clear of Western Michigan, so a split this weekend would lock up a top-two finish for the Fighting Hawks.

Both Western Michigan and UND have put together impressive tournament resumes by playing a tough slate of games all season long; WMU has played the country’s fourth-toughest schedule according to KRACH; North Dakota’s slate of games currently ranks as the sixth-toughest in all of college hockey.

This weekend, it’ll be #7 North Dakota (19-11-1, 14-5-1 NCHC) hosting #6 Western Michigan (20-8-1, 12-7-1 NCHC) at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks.

First-year head coach Pat Ferschweiler (WMU ’93) has his team playing at an extremely high level, with the Broncos exhibiting plenty of offense, outstanding specialty teams, and excellent goaltending. 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.

At 4th in the Pairwise and with a non-conference record of 8-1-0, Western Michigan is in line to make the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2017 and just the fourth time since 1996. WMU’s eight losses on the season have come against Michigan (1st), Denver (3rd, three times), Minnesota Duluth (8th, twice), St. Cloud State (10th), and Omaha (23rd).

In the Division I era (since 1975), the Broncos have had fifteen twenty-win seasons, most recently in 2018-19 (21-15-1).

North Dakota’s sweep at Minnesota Duluth moved them to 19-11-1 on the season and within one victory of another 20-win campaign. Beginning in 1996-97, UND has collected twenty victories or more in 22 of 25 seasons, including last year, when the squad earned 22 wins in just 29 games.

Turning our attention to this weekend’s action, junior netminder Brandon Bussi has played extremely well for the Broncos this season, notching twenty wins against just eight defeats. After enduring a three-game losing streak from November 6th-13th (vs. UMD, at Denver x 2), Bussi went 8-1 with a goals-against average of 1.70 and a save percentage of .940 leading into the home weekend against North Dakota. During that stretch, his only defeat was a 1-0 home loss to Omaha in which he made 25 of 26 saves. And against the Fighting Hawks, Bussi was at his best, allowing just a single goal on the weekend while making 58 saves. He has come back down to earth over the past four weeks, however, allowing at least two goals in each game and surrendering a total of 29 goals.

The 6’5”, 210-pounder from Sound Beach, New York only appeared in four games last season, suffering a severe injury just eight minutes into the team’s first game of the season in the Omaha pod. Bussi, who went 18-12-4 with a goals-against average of 2.65 and a save percentage of .910. as a freshman in 2019-2020, managed to appear in the final three games of last season.

Before UND’s last series at Colorado College, fifth-year senior Zach Driscoll had played nearly every meaningful minute between the pipes for North Dakota, going 11-6-0 with a goals-against average of 2.62, a save percentage of .889, and one shutout. Both Driscoll and freshman Jakob Hellsten got a start in Colorado Springs, and each performed admirably (Driscoll made 28 of 30 saves on Friday night, while Hellsten stopped 23 of 24 in the rematch). Each of the netminders also got one start in early January against Cornell, with Driscoll struggling on Friday night (13 saves on 17 shots) before giving way to Hellsten on Saturday (17 saves on 20 shots).

After a bit of a back-and-forth between the two, Zach Driscoll has regained his status as UND’s #1 goaltender. Since taking over for Jacob Hellsten on January 29th against St. Cloud State, Driscoll has gone 5-1-1 with a goals-against average of 1.62, a save percentage of .945 (189 saves, 11 goals allowed), and three consecutive NCHC Goaltender Of The Week Awards.

A half-point per game or better is my benchmark for solid offensive production, and Pat Ferschweiler’s squad has ten players who meet that threshold: senior forward Drew Worrad (6-32-38), senior forward Ethen Frank (23-10-33), senior forward Cole Gallant (8-15-23), junior forward Jason Polin (7-16-23), senior forward Paul Washe (8-5-13), sophomore forward Ty Glover (6-10-16), senior forward Josh Passolt (7-16-23), freshman forward Max Sasson (7-10-17), senior defenseman Michael Joyaux (7-21-28), and junior defenseman Ronnie Attard (11-19-30).

Josh Passolt had a three-point effort on Friday night against North Dakota but was held scoreless in the rematch. Since that series, the senior from Hayward, Wisconsin has scored four goals and added six assists in the past eight games.

By that same measure, North Dakota has nine players at a half point or better, although at least two of those – sophomore defenseman Jake Sanderson (7-17-24 in 21 games) and senior forward Gavin Hain (6-3-9 in 18 games) – will not be in the lineup this weekend due to injury. Two others- sophomore forward Riese Gaber (14-21-35) and senior forward Mark Senden (injury, 5-10-15) – are also dealing with injury and will be game-time decisions.

On the plus side, Brad Berry can count on the offensive production of senior forward Connor Ford (4-18-22), senior forward Ashton Calder (10-8-18), freshman forward Matteo Costantini (6-11-17), freshman forward Jake Schmaltz (6-12-18), and sophomore forward Louis Jamernik (8-9-17).

With Sanderson out of the lineup, Brad Berry will rely on a trio of blueliners – junior Ethan Frisch (9-16-15, 106 total shot attempts), graduate student Chris Jandric (1-11-12, 80), and sophomore Tyler Kleven (5-3-8, 136) – to shoulder the offensive load. Frisch has come on after being added to the top power play unit; the third-year d-man from Moorhead, Minnesota has scored a goal in six of his past eight games and has already surpassed his goal-scoring total from his first two seasons at North Dakota (four goals in 55 games).

Despite losing all of that firepower and scoring depth, North Dakota is still managing 3.19 goals per game; last year, UND scored 3.93 goals/game. A more glaring difference can be found on the defensive side of the puck: after allowing less than two goals per game last year (1.97), the Fighting Hawks are giving up an average of 2.65 per game this season.

UND is scoring on 11.6 percent of its shots on goal, a mark good for 9th in the country. Western Michigan clocks in at a remarkable 12.2 percent (3rd).

North Dakota made a living with the puck last season (7th and 5th in two key puck possession statistics), and it started in the faceoff circle. In particular, Shane Pinto, Collin Adams, and Jasper Weatherby had UND at #1 in the nation in faceoff percentage (56.2%); this year, the Green and White struggled early but now land at 55.0%, good for 4th in the nation. Western Michigan sits at 51.0 percent (16th).

For UND, Connor Ford (61.7% of faceoffs won) takes nearly every important draw, while Jake Schmaltz (51.8%) has improved over the course of his first college season. Louis Jamernik (54.4%) has been a steady third option for Brad Berry.

For the Broncos, it’s senior Drew Worrad (55.5%) and fifth-year senior Paul Washe (55.0%) leading the way, with underclassmen Max Sasson (41.9%), Tim Washe (50.5%), and Luke Grainger (48.1%) chipping in as well.

With both squads faring extremely well on draws, it is no surprise that each team finds itself in the upper third nationally in two key puck possession statistics:

Corsi: UND 51.6% (21st), Western Michigan 53.3% (13th)
Fenwick: UND 52.2% (18th), Western Michigan 53.2% (14th)

Corsi measures the percentage of shots taken vs. opponents; Fenwick measures the percentage of unblocked shots taken vs. opponents.

North Dakota’s penalty disparity is becoming problematic, as UND averages a full minor penalty more per game (12.20 – 10.20) in conference play. The Fighting Hawks have had 111 man-advantage situations this season but have been shorthanded 125 times. With 27 power play goals scored, 27 power play goals allowed, and three shorthanded goals scored, and three allowed, UND’s specialty teams net is exactly even.

Western Michigan is in better shape in the penalty department, averaging just 10.50 penalty minutes per game while seeing their opponents whistled for 12.20. This has led to 130 man-advantage situations and just 126 shorthanded situations for the Broncos. With 37 power play goals, 20 power play goals against, and a 5-3 advantage in shorthanded goals, WMU sits at +19.

To this point in the season, here is the complete specialty teams ledger:

Western Michigan power play: 37 of 130, 26.8 percent (4th)
Western Michigan penalty kill: 106 of 126, 84.1 percent (18th)

North Dakota power play: 27 of 111, 24.3 percent (10th)
North Dakota penalty kill: 98 of 125, 78.4 percent (44th)

After this weekend, the Broncos will host the Miami RedHawks to close out the NCHC regular season, while North Dakota will travel to Omaha to face the Mavericks.

Western Michigan Broncos

Head Coach: Pat Ferschweiler (1st season at WMU, 20-8-1, .707)

National Rankings: #6/#6
Pairwise Ranking: 4th
KRACH Ranking: 4th

This Season: 20-8-1 overall, 12-7-1 NCHC (3rd)
Last Season: 10-12-3 overall (missed NCAA tournament), 9-11-2-2 NCHC (6th)

2021-2022 Season Statistics:

Team Offense: 3.86 goals scored/game – 4th of 59 teams
Team Defense: 2.62 goals allowed/game – 24th of 59 teams

Power Play: 26.8% (37 of 130) – 4th of 59 teams
Penalty Kill: 84.1% (106 of 126) – 18th of 59 teams

Key Players: Senior F Drew Worrad (6-32-3), Senior F Ethen Frank (23-10-33), Senior F Cole Gallant (8-15-23), Junior F Jason Polin (13-9-22), Senior F Paul Washe (8-5-13), Senior D Michael Joyaux (7-21-28), Junior D Ronnie Attard (11-19-30), Junior G Brandon Bussi (20-8-1, 2.60 GAA, .913 SV%, 3 SO)

North Dakota Fighting Hawks

Head Coach: Brad Berry (7th season at UND, 157-74-25, .662)

National Rankings: #7/#7
Pairwise Ranking: 6th
KRACH Ranking: 6th

This Season: 19-11-1 overall, 14-5-1 NCHC (1st)
Last Season: 22-6-1 overall (NCHC Midwest Regional Finalist), 18-5-1 NCHC (1st)

2021-2022 Season Statistics:

Team Offense: 3.19 goals scored/game – 18th of 59 teams
Team Defense: 2.65goals allowed/game – 25th of 59 teams

Power Play: 24.3% (27 of 111) – 10th of 59 teams
Penalty Kill: 78.4% (98 of 125) – 44th of 59 teams

Key players: Sophomore F Riese Gaber (14-21-35), Senior F Connor Ford (4-18-22), Senior F Ashton Calder (10-8-18), Freshman F Jake Schmaltz (6-12-18), Junior F Judd Caulfield (7-6-13), Freshman F Matteo Costantini (6-11-17), Sophomore F Louis Jamernik (8-9-17), Junior D Ethan Frisch (9-6-15), Senior Chris Jandric (1-11-12), Sophomore D Tyler Kleven (5-3-8), Senior G Zach Driscoll (17-9-1, 2.44 GAA, .903 SV%, 2 SO)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: January 22, 2022 (Kalamazoo, MI). WMU’s Max Sasson scored on a shorthanded breakway at the 19:14 mark of the first period, and the Broncos would make that hold up for a 2-0 (EN) victory. One night earlier, North Dakota outshot Western Michigan 35-23 but were undone by three power play goals and an ineffective power play of their own (0-for-3).

Last Meeting in Grand Forks: February 29, 2020. One first-period goal for each side would be all of the scoring until the overtime session, at which point UND’s Shane Pinto took over and made the final score 2-1. In Friday’s opener, North Dakota scored twice in the middle frame (Judd Caulfield and Matt Kiersted) and traded third-period goals with the Broncos for a 3-1 victory.

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 six 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 25 of the 34 games (25-9-0, .735), including 10 of the 14 games played in Grand Forks. Before the 2016-17 season in which Western Michigan won three of the four meetings, WMU’s lone victory over North Dakota was a 2-1 road win on March 8th, 2014. The teams first met in 1997.

Last Ten: North Dakota has won seven of the last ten meetings between the two teams, outscoring the Broncos 36-21 over that stretch of games. Before the Broncos’ home sweep of North Dakota last month, UND had swept the previous six with a scoring margin of 28-10.

Game News and Notes

Western Michigan moved up to the Division I ranks beginning with the 1975-76 season and has advanced to the NCAA tournament six times. The Broncos have made the NCAA tourney once (2017) in their first eight seasons in the NCHC after advancing to the national tournament twice (2011, 2012) in the last three seasons in the now-defunct CCHA. The Broncos are 14-0-0 when leading after two periods of play but just 6-8-1 when trailing or tied. Western Michigan has outscored opponents 42-20 in third periods this season.

The Prediction

So many things have changed since these two teams tangled last month. North Dakota finally has a #1 goaltender and are finding contributions up and down the lineup. With last line change, head coach Brad Berry will be able to dictate matchups and deploy the lines of Carson Albrecht – Griffin Ness – Nick Portz and Jackson Kunz – Louis Jamernik – Dane Montgomery against WMU’s top two lines. A sweep is too much to ask this weekend, but I definitely think that North Dakota will take the opener and make things difficult in the rematch. UND 4-2, WMU 3-2.

Broadcast Information

Friday’s opener will be available exclusively on CBS Sports Network, with Saturday’s rematch broadcast live on Midco Sports Network and 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.

Social Media

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

Weekend Preview: UND at Minnesota Duluth

#9 North Dakota (17-11-1) travels to AMSOIL Arena this weekend to take on #7 Minnesota Duluth (15-11-3) for a pair of NCHC contests. When the teams squared off in Grand Forks back on November 19th and 20th, the Bulldogs won Friday’s opener 4-1 but were unable to complete the sweep, as UND broke a 1-1 tie five minutes into the third period and held on for a 2-1 victory. The Fighting Hawks held the advantage in the faceoff circle all weekend, winning 68 of 115 faceoffs (59.1%). In game one, UMD went 1-for-6 with the man advantage and held UND scoreless on six power plays. In the rematch, it was North Dakota scoring on the power play and holding the Bulldogs without a power play goal.

And turning back the clock to March 27th, 2021, 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.

Through the first 25 games of the season, UND had only won one game after allowing the first goal (1-5-1). But after coming back against both Denver and St. Cloud State to claim the program’s first NCHC Frozen Faceoff postseason title, Brad Berry’s squad had to feel like another comeback was possible.

And it was indeed possible. Collin Adams and Jordan Kawaguchi scored extra-attacker goals 44 seconds apart to send the partisan crowd into a frenzy and send the game to overtime. And overtime. And overtime. And overtime.

UMD’s Luke Mylymok scored the game-winner just over two minutes into the FIFTH overtime session; his second goal of the season ended the longest NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey tournament game in history.

One could argue that after over 140 minutes of game action, Duluth had a built-in advantage: the Bulldogs (14-10-2) were scheduled to face Michigan in the regional semifinal, but after the Wolverines withdrew due to a positive COVID-19 test in their hockey program, UMD advanced in a “no contest” and therefore had fresher legs than top overall seed North Dakota (22-5-1).

Adams and Kawaguchi were two of six North Dakota players to finish the season with double digit goal totals. Of those six, only Riese Gaber remains at North Dakota.

Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State both advanced to the 2021 NCAA Frozen Four in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which meant that the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) was represented on college hockey’s biggest stage for the seventh consecutive tourney (every season that the league has existed).

Here are the NCHC teams to appear in the Frozen Four since the NCHC began play in 2013-2014:

2014: North Dakota
2015: North Dakota, Omaha
2016: North Dakota (champion), Denver
2017: Denver (champion), Minnesota Duluth
2018: Minnesota Duluth (champion)
2019: Minnesota Duluth (champion), Denver
2020: No NCAA tournament (COVID-19)
2021: Minnesota Duluth, St. Cloud State

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 19 seasons after the war were played as an independent before joining the WCHA in 1965. It would take 18 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 ten times in his 21 seasons behind the Bulldog bench.

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, UMD and Michigan were set to square off in the national tournament for the first time since that overtime thriller in St. Paul.

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 (eight titles) the two best programs in NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey history.

Turning the page to this season, Duluth has 12 seniors and grad students on their roster; North Dakota? Only six. And that’s all thanks to the transfer portal, which allowed Brad Berry to bring in senior forwards Ashton Calder and Connor Ford, a graduate transfer on defense (Chris Jandric), and senior netminder Zach Driscoll. Forwards Gavin Hain and Mark Senden are the only two current UND seniors who were on last year’s roster, and they are both dealing with injuries. Hain will not play this weekend in Duluth, while Senden is considered probable to make his way into the lineup.

Two weeks ago, I mentioned that it would be an uphill climb for UND to catch Denver in this year’s race for the league title despite being only three points behind with ten games to play.

North Dakota has tightened the race over the past three weekends, collecting fifteen of eighteen possible league points against St. Cloud State (7-1 win, 3-3 tie with a shootout victory), Omaha (4-1 win, 2-3 overtime loss), and Colorado College (3-2 win, 4-0 win). With six NCHC games remaining, UND now trails Denver by just two points in the race for the Penrose Cup. The Fighting Hawks are currently five points clear of Western Michigan and ten points better than Duluth in the fight for second place (it is worth noting, however, that Duluth has one extra game remaining on its schedule due to COVID-19 rescheduling). North Dakota will host WMU next weekend before traveling to Omaha to close out the regular season.

By effectively going 5-1 over their past six games, the Fighting Hawks have moved to #11 in the all-important Pairwise rankings. As I have been saying since January, good results each weekend may not move the Pairwise needle much in the moment, but they will help the team’s resume in the long run.

North Dakota’s four January losses (two vs. PWR 25 Cornell, two at PWR 4 Western Michigan) continue to loom large on the national scene. For the moment, UND is being held up by early-season victories over Quinnipiac (6th) Denver (3rd, twice), Minnesota Duluth (7th), Minnesota (5th), and St. Cloud State (8th). In the first half of the season, UND split its series with Quinnipiac, Duluth, Minnesota, and St. Cloud State and lost to Bemidji State (26th) and Penn State (24th).

Duluth has put together its impressive tournament resume by playing the country’s toughest schedule according to KRACH; North Dakota’s slate of games currently ranks as the sixth-toughest in all of college hockey.

Junior netminder Ryan Fanti has played nearly 85 percent of the minutes in goal for the Bulldogs, going 13-8-3 with a goals-against average of 1.91, a save percentage of .922, and four shutouts. Sophomore Zach Stejskal appeared in two games back in October before receiving a cancer diagnosis; he returned to the crease last Friday night at Denver, appearing in relief after Fanti was unable to return to the ice for the start of the second period due to illness. Stejskal turned away 20 of 22 shots to earn the road victory over the Pioneers.

Nearly a month ago, Driscoll again got the Friday start at Western Michigan, allowing four goals on 23 shots. Hellsten looked better in the rematch, allowing only a late first-period shorthanded goal while making 24 saves. That allowed Brad Berry to start Hellsten against St. Cloud State, and the freshman played brilliantly on Friday night, allowing just one goal on twenty shots. Saturday was a different story, however, and he was pulled after allowing three goals in the first period. It should be noted, however, that one was a power-play tally and the other two were breakaways – one shorthanded and one just as a penalty expired.

Driscoll righted the ship in that Saturday contest, making 20 of 20 saves as North Dakota clawed back and forced overtime. After a scoreless three-on-three session, Driscoll stopped all four attempts in the shootout as the Fighting Hawks secured the extra league point.

Since then, it’s been Driscoll’s crease, and he’s responded. Over the past five games, he’s gone 3-1-1 with a goals-against average of 1.25, a save percentage of .952, and one shutout.

A half-point per game or better is my benchmark for solid offensive production, and Scott Sandelin’s squad has six regulars in the lineup who meet that threshold: sophomore forward Blake Biondi (12-10-22), senior forward Noah Cates (8-11-19), junior forward Quinn Olson (6-15-21), senior forward Casey Gilling (7-12-19), graduate forward Kobe Roth (9-10-19), and senior forward Koby Bender (4-11-15). Freshman forward Dominic James (3-9-12), freshman defenseman Owen Gallatin (2-12-14), and sophomore defenseman Wyatt Kaiser (1-10-11) nearly meet that same offensive threshold.

Noah Cates is doubtful to make an appearance this weekend after finishing up with the U.S. Olympic Team in Beijing, China. Head coach Scott Sandelin will get Dominic James back this weekend; James missed last weekend’s games at Denver with an injury.

By that same measure, North Dakota has nine players at a half point or better, although at least two of those – sophomore defenseman Jake Sanderson (Olympics, 7-17-24 in 21 games) and senior forward Gavin Hain (injury, 6-3-9 in 18 games) – will not be in the lineup this weekend, while a third – senior forward Mark Senden (injury, 5-10-15) – will be a game-time decision. Brad Berry will have the services of sophomore forward Riese Gaber (14-20-34), senior forward Connor Ford (4-18-22), senior forward Ashton Calder (10-8-18), freshman forward Matteo Costantini (6-10-16) and freshman forward Jake Schmaltz (6-10-16). Sophomore forward Louis Jamernik (7-8-15) will also return to the lineup after missing last weekend’s games against Colorado College.

With Sanderson out of the lineup, Brad Berry will rely on a trio of blueliners – junior Ethan Frisch (8-6-14, 96 total shot attempts), graduate student Chris Jandric (1-10-11, 75), and sophomore Tyler Kleven (4-3-7, 126) – to shoulder the offensive load. Frisch has come on after being added to the top power play unit; the third-year d-man from Moorhead, Minnesota has scored a goal in five of his past six games and has already surpassed his goal-scoring total from his first two seasons at North Dakota (four goals in 55 games).

After sputtering to records of 17-13-10 (.550) and 18-17-2 (.514) and missing the NCAA tournament in consecutive seasons, UND head coach Brad Berry got his team on the right track over the past two seasons, winning the program’s third and fourth Penrose Cup as NCHC champions and collecting an overall record of 48-11-5 (.789) during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 seasons.

Despite losing all of that firepower and scoring depth, North Dakota is still managing 3.17 goals per game; last year, UND scored 3.93 goals/game. A more glaring difference can be found on the defensive side of the puck: after allowing less than two goals per game last year (1.97), the Fighting Hawks are giving up an average of 2.66 per game this season.

UND is scoring on 11.5 percent of its shots on goal, a mark good for 10th in the country. Minnesota Duluth clocks in at 9.3 percent (38th).

North Dakota made a living with the puck last season (7th and 5th in two key puck possession statistics), and it started in the faceoff circle. In particular, Shane Pinto, Collin Adams, and Jasper Weatherby had UND at #1 in the nation in faceoff percentage (56.2%); this year, the Green and White struggled early but now land at 54.9%, good for 4th in the nation. Minnesota Duluth sits at 44.9 percent, the second-worst mark in the country.

For UND, Connor Ford (61.9% of faceoffs won) takes nearly every important draw, while Jake Schmaltz (52.2%) has improved over the course of his first college season. Louis Jamernik (53.6%) has been a steady third option for Brad Berry.

For Duluth, senior Casey Gilling (47.6%) has spent the most time in the faceoff circle and has had the most success, although freshman Dominic James (47.3%) and senior Jesse Jacques (47.6%) are not far behind. Remarkably, freshman Carter Loney has taken 333 draws this season despite clocking in at under forty percent (38.2%).

A disparity in faceoff success often leads to a similar imbalance in puck possession statistics as well, and that’s the case here:

Corsi: UND 52.0% (18th), Duluth 49.2% (33rd)
Fenwick: UND 52.7% (16th), Duluth 50.5% (28th)

Corsi measures the percentage of shots taken vs. opponents; Fenwick measures the percentage of unblocked shots taken vs. opponents.

North Dakota’s penalty disparity is becoming problematic, as UND averages more than a full minor penalty more per game (12.78– 10.44) in conference play than its opponents. The Fighting Hawks have had 104 man-advantage situations this season but have been shorthanded 120 times. With 24 power play goals scored, 26 power play goals allowed, two shorthanded goals scored, and two shorthanded goals allowed, UND’s specialty teams net is at minus-2.

UMD is in better shape in the penalty department, averaging 11.12 penalty minutes per conference game while seeing their opponents whistled for 11.29. Overall, however, the Bulldogs have enjoyed just 102 man-advantage situations on the season against 112 shorthanded situations. With 17 power play goals, 18 power play goals against, two shorthanded goals scored, and FIVE shorthanded goals allowed, Minnesota-Duluth sits at minus-4.

To this point in the season, here is the complete specialty teams ledger:

Minnesota Duluth power play: 17 of 102, 16.7 percent (41st)
Minnesota Duluth penalty kill: 94 of 112, 83.9 percent (21st)

North Dakota power play: 24 of 104, 23.1 percent (13th)
North Dakota penalty kill: 94 of 120, 78.3 percent (46th)

After this weekend, the Bulldogs will head to St. Cloud State for a rare Tuesday tilt before traveling to Miami for a pair of games. UMD will close out the season at home against SCSU on March 4th and 5th.

Over the two weekends of the regular season, the Fighting Hawks will host the Western Michigan Broncos and travel to Omaha to face the Mavericks.

Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs

Head Coach: Scott Sandelin (21st season at UMD, 421-343-94, .545)

National Rankings: #7/#7
Pairwise Ranking: 7th
KRACH Ranking: 8th

This Season: 15-11-3 overall, 8-6-3 NCHC (4th)
Last Season: 15-11-2 overall (NCAA National Semifinalist), 13-9-2-0 NCHC (3rd)

2021-2022 Season Statistics:

Team Offense: 2.72 goals scored/game – 34th of 59 teams
Team Defense: 2.38 goals allowed/game – 14th of 59 teams

Power Play: 16.7% (17 of 102) – 41st of 59 teams
Penalty Kill: 83.9% (94 of 112) – 21st of 59 teams

Key players: Sophomore FBlake Biondi (12-10-22), Senior F Noah Cates (8-11-19), Junior F Quinn Olson (6-15-21), Senior F Casey Gilling (7-12-19), Graduate F Kobe Roth (9-10-19), Senior F Koby Bender (4-11-15), Sophomore D Wyatt Kaiser (1-10-11), Freshman D Owen Gallatin (2-12-14), Junior G Ryan Fanti (13-8-3, 1.91 GAA, .922 SV%, 4 SO)

North Dakota Fighting Hawks

Head Coach: Brad Berry (7th season at UND, 155-74-25, .659)

National Rankings: #9/#10
Pairwise Ranking: 11th
KRACH Ranking: 9th

This Season: 17-11-1 overall, 12-5-1 NCHC (2nd)
Last Season: 22-6-1 overall (NCHC Midwest Regional Finalist), 18-5-1 NCHC (1st)

2021-2022 Season Statistics:

Team Offense: 3.17 goals scored/game – 21st of 59 teams
Team Defense: 2.66 goals allowed/game – 25th of 59 teams

Power Play: 23.1% (24 of 104) – 13th of 59 teams
Penalty Kill: 78.3% (94 of 120) – 46th of 59 teams

Key players: Sophomore F Riese Gaber (14-20-34), Senior F Connor Ford (4-18-22), Senior F Ashton Calder (10-8-18), Freshman F Jake Schmaltz (6-10-16), Junior F Judd Caulfield (7-5-12), Freshman F Matteo Costantini (6-10-16), Sophomore F Louis Jamernik (7-8-15), Junior D Ethan Frisch (8-6-14), Senior Chris Jandric (1-10-11), Sophomore D Tyler Kleven (4-3-7), Senior G Zach Driscoll (15-9-1, 2.44 GAA, .899 SV%, 2 SO)

By The Numbers

Last Meeting: November 20, 2021 (Grand Forks, ND). North Dakota’s Brendan Budy broke a 1-1 tie at the 5:05 mark of the third period and UND hung on for the 2-1 victory. The Fighting Hawks scored a power play goal in the first period (Ethan Frisch) and held the Bulldogs scoreless with the man-advantage. Duluth won Friday’s opener 4-1 behind two goals from Casey Gilling and an empty-net goal with just under two minutes remaining in the game.

Last Meeting in Duluth: January 25, 2020. One night after Duluth thumped UND 7-4 by scoring five unanswered goals in the second and third periods, the Fighting Hawks responded with two third-period goals (Matt Kiersted, Jonny Tychonick) just 94 seconds apart to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 road victory. UMD’s Jarod Hilderman made Duluth’s comeback attempt more difficult by committing a tripping penalty with under five minutes remaining in the hockey game.

Most Important Meeting: March 27, 2021 (Fargo, ND). Minnesota Duluth outlasted North Dakota 3-2 in five overtimes to advance to the NCAA Frozen Four. UND scored two extra-attacker goals in the final two minutes of regulation to send the game long into the night. 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, 150-88-11 (.624). 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 5-4-1 (.550) in the last ten games between the teams, although the Bulldogs have outscored the Hawks 25-24 over that stretch thanks to a 7-4 home victory and a 4-1 road win in the past calendar year. Only three of the past ten UND-UMD games were played in Duluth.

Game News and Notes

Duluth went 10-3-1 in October and November but has gone just 5-8-2 since that time. No UND player expected to be in the lineup this weekend has more than one career goal against the Bulldogs. Friday’s series opener will be the 250th all-time meeting between the two storied programs. 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, whose wife Kathleen (“Tootsie”) died unexpectedly on Wednesday of this week. Tootsie was inducted into the Grand Forks Public School Teachers’ Hall Of Fame in 2016.

The Prediction

Both teams will be without several players this weekend, with the status of injured players and Olympic returnees still up in the air. There is also a non-COVID illness going through the UMD locker room, which may affect head coach Scott Sandelin’s ability to field a full and healthy lineup. I expect the teams to play it a bit closer to the vest, particularly early on Friday. With both goaltenders playing well, specialty teams will be key. The Fighting Hawks should have the puck the majority of the time, and that may lead to an extra power play or two. If North Dakota can find success with the man advantage, a better result than a split is possible. As it is, though, that’s what I’ve got. UND 3-2, UMD 4-3.

Broadcast Information

Friday’s opener will be available exclusively on CBS Sports Network, with Saturday’s rematch broadcast live by My9Sports out of Duluth and carried on Midco Sports Network and 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.

Social Media

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