Roses and Thorns: A Hall of Fame Weekend in Smashville

The UND Fighting Hawks fell 6-4 to Penn State in Nashville, but the story of the weekend was the Green and White faithful supporting their team. Photo Credit: Russell Hons

As the seconds ticked down on Saturday night, DDC sat down in his seat at Bridgestone Arena and looked around the rink in silence. The Penn State Nittany Lions had just beaten our University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks 6-4 in front of 14,659 nearly-all green (add in white, black, pink, etc.) fans and DDC was, frankly, just bummed out. At the apex of a wild trip to Nashville where the UND faithful painted the Music City in our colors, the Green and White came up short.

While DDC was definitely disappointed with the loss, there were too many good things to come out of the weekend to call this road trip anything but an absolute blast. 

So, let's take a look at the weekend that was from Nashville, Tennessee and the 2021 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame game. If you're looking for a lot of hockey analysis in this article, fair warning, this isn't DDC's focus on this one. But, if you're looking for a laugh and a good story or four, check it out.

Roses

1) Overall Experience in Nashville

It's really hard to quantify how this whole trip went down because, yes, it was about hockey, but in so many ways, the 6-4 loss became an afterthought. Yes, DDC understands, UND lost and that sucks, but this weekend was just another showcase of what this program is to the college hockey world. The little town of Grand Forks, North Dakota is the pivot point of the sport. Like it or not, no other college hockey fanbase brings the amount of fans to a neutral site like UND did. The sheer numbers of this experience was flat out insanity. 

Whether it was the Wildhorse Saloon, the pregame event in front of Bridgestone, or on every single rooftop bar in Nashville, the Green and White faithful turned out in massive droves. DDC was waiting in line at Hattie B's Hot Chicken on Saturday afternoon and three comments were consistent by passerbys in the nearly hour-long wait -- 1) "Wow, look at the line" (it was wild)... 2) "This line isn't worth it, the chicken isn't that good" (PROPOSTEROUS! BLASPHEMOUS! It was phenomenal and well worth the wait) ... 3) "Where the hell are all of these Sioux/North Dakota fans coming from?"

Personally, this weekend was such a blast for DDC. On Thursday, DDC rode on The Nashville Tractor and it was so damn fun. Partaking in a few adult beverages while chugging up and down the streets around Broadway, which hosts the party bars in Nashville (think third street in Grand Forks times 5.5 million), DDC was floored by the sheer amount of people walking around. Every time one of those clad in green and white saw us, an immediate cheer went up. What a blast. The ride then led to a five-hour, late-night convo with some of college hockey's premier minds (not kidding 😃) on the rooftop of Tootsie's. Just an all-timer night. 

Simply put, the trip to Nashville was incredible. What a terrific showcase of what UND means to the college hockey world and what the Fighting Hawk faithful mean to UND. So happy to have been there.

2) The Atmosphere at Bridgestone Arena

Sea of green. That actually feels like an understatement. An ocean? A galaxy? Whatever, DCC believes you get the picture -- the rink was LOADED with UND fans and my goodness did that place explode when we scored. Take a listen:

Other than Holy Cross knocking off Minnesota in the Ralph, this may be the loudest event DDC has ever experienced. Absolutely awesome -- chills. DDC was so ready for the Hawks to tie this game and this may be his biggest regret from this weekend -- we all missed a chance to hear that roar had we knotted it up late. C'est la vie. 

3) Dayn "Not Ed" Belfour

For comparison sake, Ed is on the left, Dayn the right.
Photo credit: Dallas Morning News

The funniest moment of the weekend for DDC came over two parts and from a non-UND alum. For those not at the arena, throughout the game, the media crew spotlighted on the big screen former UND greats for a quick cheer from the faithful. Dean Blais' waive was great. Evan Trupp's appearance, which saw the former forward chug his beer and pump up the crowd with a "let's f***** go!", was fantastic. Then, what was supposed to be Ed Belfour's moment actually showed Ed's son, former Omaha goaltender Dayn Belfour. 

So, to many, this young man definitely shared a striking resemblance to his father, but when looking at the two side by side, this was clearly not Ed. Dayn rode the waive as the crowd went bananas, from what DDC perceived, as most of the crowd realizing it wasn't Ed, which made it funny, but more so because Dayn went nuts. This young man was waiving his arms, jumping up and down, laughing, pointing at the screen -- just having a ball. This would have been a funny story as is, but got way funnier later. That night at one of the Nashville establishments, DDC ran into the Belfours and he had to ask -- Dayn, what were you thinking when that happened. With a belly laugh that lasted several minutes, Dayn simply said... "I was four seats away and I was just dying laughing. It's as famous as I'll ever be." A heckuva former goaltender in his own right, Dayn Belfour became his father, for just a fleeting moment and soaked it up. It's been a long time since DDC laughed that hard for that long.

Thorns

1) The Game

The only thorn of the weekend (well, other than hangovers and horse throats) comes from, unfortunately, the most important part. After falling behind 2-0 early and giving up three power play goals, throughout the game, North Dakota just didn't get it done. DDC is not one who thought that UND got dominated in this one like many scattered throughout the internet, as that was absolutely not the case. The game on Saturday night was up and down, high-paced, and for the most part, fairly even. DDC would go as far to say that North Dakota controlled play in the second half the game (UND outshot PSU 32-23). But, as has been the case essentially all season, the Hawks lacked cohesion. The Green and White had turnovers, missed passes, and added silly mistakes that cost them goals. This team has really yet to gel and until that happens, UND will be an average team. On the plus, the power play was absolutely clutch in this game, going 3-for-6 overall and buried two massive, late goals in both the first and second period to keep the game close. However, the Green and White just couldn't overcome a the quick, first period hole and were never able to tie the game. Like DDC said earlier, the crowd at Bridgestone Arena was just begging for the tying goal, but North Dakota could not finish when it mattered most.

DDC believes this team is talented and that the pieces are there for this team to make a run at home ice in the NCHC playoffs and eventually at the national championship, but right now, this team just hasn't reached that level. With the NCHC schedule coming heavy, the Hawks need to right the ship. Will this team be a second-half, Hakstol-type squad that comes together down the stretch to make a run? We'll see. Work needs to be done and it frankly needs to happen soon.

Spinning back to a more positive note, this was a fantastic weekend and DDC is glad to have gotten a chance to share his experience with you. Thanks for the read and check back later this week as the hated Denver Pioneers travel to The Forks for UND's first NCHC action of the season.

A Banner Year: DDC's Top 10 Moments of 2015-16

UND captain Gage Ausmus is presented the national championship trophy as the Green and White celebrate
their first title since 2000 after beating Quinnipiac 5-1. (Photo: Shawna Noel Schill, UNDsports.com)

It's been 12 days since the UND men's hockey team rolled Quinnipiac 5-1 in the national championship game to earn title No. 8.

What a 12 days it has been.

DDC's 12 days have been chocked full of celebrations, memories, boasting, smack talking and ultimately, the glory of his team being a top the college hockey mountain, once again.

In these 12 days, we've had some good news with freshman phenom Brock Boeser announcing his intentions to stay for his sophomore year. We've also seen some not so good news, at least for the sake of the Green and White with junior d-men Troy Stecher and Keaton Thompson signing pro contracts. It's sad to see these two men move on, but DDC joins the many UND fans in a heartfelt thank you.

A couple days back, DDC was reminiscing about the amazing year this team had. So, before we talk anymore about who's coming and who's going, let's all take one last look back at a truly banner year for this program.

DDC presents to you over the next handful of posts, his Top 10 moments of the 2015-16 season.

No. 10 -- Hakstol departs, Berry takes over -- May 18, 2015 -- Grand Forks, N.D.

Brad Berry became UND's
16th head coach in team
history on May 18, 2015.

Let's start at the very beginning. May 18th was quite the day.

Just over a month after UND fell in the national semifinals for the second year in a row, the headlines broke early in the day -- longtime head coach Dave Hakstol signed to become the next head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers in the National Hockey League.

Questions immediately stirred up a nervous fan base who had seen great success over Hakstol's tenure: What does this mean for our recruits? How long will the team be without a coach? And ultimately the biggest question -- Who's next?

Those questions found very quick answers and by the end of the day, UND announced Brad Berry would be promoted from his assistant role and take over as the Green and White's 16th head coach in team history.

A whole new crop of questions came from the hiring. Will UND adopt a new system? Can Berry do the job having never been a head coach? What kind of leader will he be?

Well, the rest, as they say, is truly history.

No. 9 -- The CBS is born -- October 17, 2015, UND vs. BSU, Grand Forks, N.D.

After winning the IceBreaker Invitational in Maine to open the season, the Green and White came home to open their Ralph Engelstad Arena schedule against Bemidji State.

After a 4-4 tie on Friday night, Brad Berry juggled his lines, grouping highly-touted freshman and first-round NHL draft pick Brock Boeser with another first rounder in sophomore Nick Schmaltz and senior alternate captain Drake Caggiula.

And again, the rest, as they say, is history.

Four goals, including a hat trick by Boeser, his first three goals in a UND sweater, five assists and a 5-2 win later and the CBS line was born. Caggiula netted the Green and White's first goal and had two assists. Schmaltz chipped in with two assists.

Oof, that shot (12 seconds in). Boeser showed off his nasty scoring touch in this game and it catapulted this line into college hockey stardom. While this game set the table, it was merely an appetizer for UND fans as this trio became the best line in the country.

Man, DDC is going to miss this line. Don't worry. We'll see plenty more of this now legendary trio later in the countdown.

There's your first installment of DDC's Top 10 moments from the 2015-16 season. Check back soon for moments No. 8 through No. 6 in the countdown. Up next... two sweeps that set the stage for a Frozen Four semifinal, UND's goalie troubles become an afterthought and the Green and White earn back-to-back banners.

Friday Gameday: A Big Fight Feel

It's Rylan Kaip leveling Kyle Turris in the corner.

It's a 2-0 third period deficit in the 2008 Midwest Regional in Madison turning into a 3-2 OT win, sending UND to the Frozen Four on goals by Kaip, Ryan Duncan (PING!) and Andrew Kozek.

It's Dave Hakstol and Mike Eaves arguing on ice.

It's Cary Eades taking on the Wisconsin bench in the infamous Water Bottle Incident.

And for the first time since 2013, it's UND vs. the Wisconsin Badgers from the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks.

There's a big fight feel in the air tonight.

These former WCHA foes left for the NCHC and Big 10 to start the 2013-14 season and have gone in opposite directions. The Green and White have made back-to-back Frozen Fours while Wisconsin has seen unprecedented struggles. 

Excuse the cliche, but you can throw that all out the window this weekend.

It's UND vs. Wisconsin.

Here's what to watch for in DDC's weekly "Who? What? How?" series preview.

Who?

Players to Watch

Wisconsin

Jr. F, Grant Besse 3 goals, 5 assists -- 8 points; Fr. F, Seamus Malone 2g, 5a -- 7pts; Fr. F, Luke Kunin 2g, 4a -- 6pts; Fr. G, Matt Juruski, 2-2-2, 2.84 goals against average, .904 save percentage.

UND

UND Sr. F. Drake Caggiula

Sr. F, Drake Caggiula 2g, 7a -- 9pts; Sr. F, Bryn Chyzyk 5g, 2a -- 7pts; Fr. F, Brock Boeser 5g, 2a -- 7pts (T-2 in NCAA rookie goal scoring); Jr. D, Troy Stecher 2g, 5a -- 7pts; Jr. G, Matt Hyrnkiw, 5-0-1, 1.48 GAA (11th in NCAA), .942 SV PCT (13th in NCAA).

What?

Standout Stats

UND brings in the NCAA's eighth-best scoring defense (1.62 goals against per game) and 16th-best scoring offense (3.62 goals scored per game) into this weekend's series.

UND's 6-0-2 mark is their longest unbeaten streak to start a season since 1999-00.

Wisconsin's sweep of Arizona State last weekend was their first series sweep since March 2014 against Penn State.

The Green and White are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games against the Badgers including a 4-3, 5-1 sweep last November in Madison.

How?

How'd they get here?

UND swept Colorado College last weekend 5-2, 2-0 in Colorado Springs. The No. 1 Green and White are unbeaten on the season with a 6-0-2 record.

Wisconsin got a non-conference sweep of Arizona State 5-1, 2-1 at home. In Friday night's win, the Badgers outshot the D-I rookie Sun Devil team 56-19. They carry a 2-3-3 record to Grand Forks.

The Pick

UND celebrates its comeback 3-2 overtime win over Wisconsin in the
2008 Midwest Regional final in Madison. This is easily DDC's favorite
image from that game. J.P. Lamoreux's celebration is flat out epic.

Boy does this series bring the DDC back down memory lane.

Whether it's covering the 2-0 comeback in the 2008 Midwest Regional with one of his best friends while they both had bleach blonde hair (fun story... feel free to ask), a rowdy series in Madison where DDC watched UND clinch a MacNaughton Cup with a dozen of his fraternity brothers or seeing the Green and White end Wisco's season just one week after the Badgers got UND into the tournament, DDC flat out loves watching these two teams play and he has the honor of being in Grand Forks this weekend, to watch it in person.

Outside of the Minnesota Gophers, this is the one team that DDC hates more than any other. Year after year, big game after big game, playoff battle after playoff battle, UND vs. Wisconsin brings an intensity that few other rivalries in college hockey can bring.

Despite where they are in the national standing and their records, DDC expects a game Badgers team this weekend in Grand Forks.

All of the emotion aside, UND is playing better than Wisconsin.

The Green and White are No. 1 in the country, paced by a dynamic scoring punch and a goaltender playing as well as any the country.

The Badgers got their first sweep in 18+ months at the hands of D-I infant Arizona State.

UND is the better team in every phase, this season and while this series could very well end up being a dog fight, stirring up memories of battles of the past, the talent difference between these two teams can't be ignored.

Bring it, Bucky. It's time for a fight.

UND SWEEPS THE BADGERS, 4-2, 5-3

Come back after the series for DDC's recap.

A Quick Look Back To Move Forward

It's been 172 days since the University of North Dakota men's hockey team fell 5-3 to the Boston University Terriers on April 9 in the Frozen Four semifinals in Boston.

172 is also the number of times, give or take a dozen or so, that DDC has thought to put into words his thoughts about the way the season ended.

*Swallows hard*

Nope, still can't do it.

So, in lieu of another nervous sweat and bout of nausea, let's move forward a little bit.

It has been 133 days since May 18 when Dave Hakstol left the University of North Dakota men's hockey team to become the head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League. Simultaneously, it has been 133 days since Brad Berry was elevated from assistant coach to head coach of the Green and White.

133 is also the amount of emotions, thoughts and head-scratches that have been brought to DCC since May 18.

Quite the interesting month, wouldn't you say?

It's Berry's Bench

UND first-year head coach
Brad Berry

While the memories of April 9 may ring in many fans minds longer, May 18 is the date that most affects the 2015-16 incarnation of  UND men's hockey.

Let's get one thing straight... in DDC's opinion, Brad Berry is the right man for this job.

The former assistant coach has had success at every level and that means EVERY level. The speedy hiring of Berry limited the shock waves which could have shaken the core of UND down to recruitment and even early departures.

If UND had put any delay in elevating Berry to the head job, instability could have caused recruits to bolt and/or made UND's current roster doubt the direction of the program.

The Green and White brass did the right thing. Keeping on the path of a team that has made back-to-back Frozen Fours and is the defending Penrose Cup champion of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference keeps things going in the right direction.

That being said, Berry steps directly into the spotlight and replaces a legend at UND. You can say whatever you'd like about Dave Hakstol not winning a national championship, but any sane fan of the Green and White knows that Hakstol was the real deal. We've all heard the stats to back that up. The fact that he's now coaching in the NHL shows Hakstol's prowess. It's an extremely rare feat to make the jump from the NCAA ranks to the head spot on a NHL squad.

So, for the first time since 2005, there will be a new head man behind the bench for UND. That alone causes uneasiness for this blogger.

Pair that with the loss of seven seniors, and three others (two, all-world goaltender Zane McIntyre and talented defenseman Jordan Schmaltz, to the pros and one to the budding Arizona State program in Wade Murphy), and you have questions that need to be answered.

Jr. D, Gage Ausmus
was named UND's captain
for the 2015-16 season.

Who's Back?

Despite the losses, UND returns a deep defensive corps, avoiding potential early departures of Troy Stecher, Paul LaDue, Keaton Thompson and Tucker Poolman, all of whom were offered professional contracts over the summer. Gage Ausmus also returns and will captain this year's team.

On the front end, the Green and White return last season's leading goal scorer Drake Caggiula and play-making centerman Nick Schmaltz, softening the blow of the loss of many productive seniors from last year's squad.

Who's Here?

Forward Brock Boeser, a first-round NHL draft pick
Vancouver, looks to make an immediate impact at UND.

Looking to replace the 10 players that left the UND program, the Green and White bring in a group of 10 freshmen that will look to make an immediate impact.

Leading the charge in that potential impact is forward Brock Boeser, a first-round draft pick of the Vancouver Canucks (23rd overall), and goaltender Matej Tomek, a third-round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers (90th overall).

Boeser, the Burnsville, Minn., native has lit up every level of hockey on his way to Grand Forks and looks to have a much-needed scoring touch for North Dakota.

Tomek, from Slovakia, will push returning goalies Cam Johnson and Matt Hrynkiw right out of the gate and could quickly be the man to fill the gaping hole left by McIntyre in the UND net.

The rest of the class includes talented scorers Chris Wilkie, Shane Gersich and Joel Janatuinen, all of which had 50+ points last year in the USHL. On the blue line, Christian Wolanin had a stellar 41-point year and Hayden Shaw earned first-team honors last season, both in the USHL.

Any Questions?

So, with returning players and impact rookies, the questions seem to be answered, right? Well, only time will tell. We'll get a first glimpse this Saturday as UND takes on Manitoba in an exhibition tussle.

Come back later this week for a look at the rest of the NCHC and a peek at his Top 10 across the country. DDC will reveal his picks for preseason conference honors and where the teams in the country's best conference are coming into this year.

It's good to be back. It's almost time for hockey.

Friday Gameday: Moving On

“Disappointing.” “Unacceptable.” “Embarrassing.”

These were just some of the words uttered around fan circles after UND’s 5-1 drubbing at the hands of Bemidji State this past Friday as the Beavers looked more like the No. 2 team in the country, dominating North Dakota in every facet in Grand Forks.

UND coach Dave Hakstol said after the loss: “We got outcompeted. They were a focused, hungry team. We were not tonight. Bottom line, that’s on me.”

But, as the home-and-home series turned to Bemidji on Saturday, UND got back to what brought them to the verge of a national title game last season; lockdown defense and timely scoring, and North Dakota got an important 2-1 win and a non-conference split.

North Dakota played a much grittier game on Saturday night, getting to the front of the net and generating chances, and that play showed through. Senior captain Stephane Pattyn’s short-handed goal in the second period provided enough cushion for junior netminder Zane McIntyre’s steady 28-save effort in the win.

After Saturday night’s game, fan circles seemed relived and another term was often thrown out. It was time to simply “move on.”

Move on No. 3 UND does, right into NCHC play with this weekend’s series (8:30 p.m. CT Friday, 8 p.m. CT Saturday) against Colorado College in Colorado Springs.

The Tigers got a sweep last weekend at the hands of lowly Alabama-Huntsville 3-2 and 4-3, but it took some late-game heroics. Senior captain Peter Stoykewych netted the game-winning goal with 5:26 to go to seal the sweep against a Charger team that went 2-34-1 last year.

A sweep is a sweep, regardless of the opponent, however.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Colorado College is led by a solid defensive corps. Along with Stoykewych, the blueline is anchored by all-NCHC preseason pick, sophomore Jaccob Slavin. Slavin had a dynamic freshman campaign with a 20-point (5g, 20a) year.

Offensively, the Tigers look to continue to improve from last year’s paltry 56th ranked scoring after a 7-goal weekend against UAH.

Upfront, a pair of sophomores, Alex Roos and Sam Rothstein, look to provide CC’s scoring.

LOOKING FOR A TENDY

Expect to see a pair of goaltenders this weekend for the Tigers as CC tries to find a steady replacement for longtime netminder Josh Thorimbert, who graduated after last season.

Junior Tyler Marble got both wins last week, winning Friday night’s matchup and replacing a shaky freshman Chase Perry last Saturday night that saw the rookie get the hook after allowing three goals on nine shots through two periods.

THE PICK

Last Saturday night, UND got back to what made them successful last season and shutdown a game BSU team that was looking for an early-season sweep. DDC sees this continue this weekend in the Rocky Mountains.

The big ice sheet and elevation in Colorado Springs always seems to give UND trouble, but expect to see North Dakota clamp down on defense again against a team that hasn’t proven it has the offensive guns as of yet to keep up with solid defense. The extra space should provide a group of speedy forwards in junior Drake Caggiula, freshman Nick Schmaltz and sophomore Luke Johnson plenty of scoring opportunities. Pairing that with the play-making ability of d-men junior Jordan Schmaltz, sophomore Paul LaDue and senior Nick Mattson, UND’s talent will open up the transition game and pot some goals.

UND SWEEPS 5-2, 3-0.

The Rivalry Renews -- DDC's Frozen Four Semifinals Predictions

Alright, enough with the prognosticating, the analysis, the "my-team-is-better-than-your team", the nonsense, the memories and the tomfoolery.

It's finally game day.

DDC's little one is certainly ready for tonight. She'll be decked out in her "business suit" today.

After an exhausting 11 days of trudging through stats, comparisons and every angle of the rivalry, UND and Minnesota will finally face off  at 7:30 CST from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia at the 2014 Frozen Four.

Thank God.

DDC has refused to make a prediction for this game during the longest 11 days that he can remember, because he's seen this rivalry bring out the best in both teams too many times.

Cliches are beloved by sports fans and this one is especially perfect for Thursday's game. "When these two teams get together, you can throw out the record books."

On paper, the general consensus from most covering this match up gives the nod to the Gophers. UND head coach Dave Hakstol noted early this week that Minnesota has "earned the No. 1 seed" and has played into the being the favorite. DDC agrees. Minnesota has been a dominant team for long stretches this season.

One thing Minnesota hasn't seen yet this season, in DDC's opinion, is a team that is similar to its own, up and down the lineup. The Gophers pride themselves on depth up front, as does UND; the Gophers herald a fast and skilled, puck-moving defensive corps, so does North Dakota; Minnesota has a talented sophomore goaltender, so do the Sioux.

Get the drift? These two teams are very equal. Throw in a rivalry game for a chance to play for a national championship and this game is nearly a toss up.

This is why DDC has had a tough time picking this game.

So, what is going to be the difference maker?

The last time UND made the Frozen Four in 2011, they expected to win a national championship. It's Minnesota's time in the spotlight, this year.

Will this cause Minnesota to be tight in this one? DDC think so. Pressure is the beast that no one likes to carry. It's hard to be the team that's "supposed to win."

North Dakota wasn't supposed to be in this position. They showed a loose style of play in their last three games (5-0 win over WMU in the NCHC third place game included). DDC thinks this is the difference maker.

UND plays with a large chip on their shoulder, sticks the pedal to the medal and stymies a potent Minnesota attack. That, and Gothberg plays the way he did against Ferris State.

UND 3, Minnesota 1

BC and Union face off in the early game at 4 pm CST in what should be a dandy. In a change from UND/Minnesota, these two teams are the opposite of each other in it's two opposite teams battling in this one. It'll be BC's offense, led by Hobey Baker winner elect, Johnny Gaudreau versus the stout Union defense led by Hobey Finalist Shane Gostisbehere. 

DDC called UND vs. Union at the start of the tournament. Why stop now? Union will have it's hands full with BC, of course, but DDC likes their 'D' and hates BC's depth. Union slows, not shuts down, but slows, the top line of Johnny Hockey and Kevin Hayes and moves on to Saturday.

Union 4, BC 3 

DDC's Top 10 Moments in the UND/Minnesota Rivalry -- No. 3 -- The Timeout -- Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minn., March 16, 2012.

Just three days left until Thursday.... Three. More. Days.

With that, thanks for coming back to the countdown of the Top 10 moments in the UND/Minnesota rivalry.

No. 3 simply needs two words to be remembered: The Timeout.

DDC could not find much on the web in terms of highlights from the game, but "Through These Doors" did an excellent job in summation. The good stuff starts at 7:15.

No. 3 -- The Timeout -- Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minn., March 16, 2012.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Q2C8cArVXI

Trailing 3-0 in the semifinals of the 2012 WCHA Final Five, UND was gassed after a long shift and with 5:53 left in the second, Sioux head coach Dave Hakstol took his timeout.

Six goals and 26 minutes later, UND had one of the most memorable moments in the rivalry's history under their belt with a 6-3 win.

A Derek Forbort goal to make it 3-1 just 50 seconds after the timeout, gave UND life. Then, goals by Michael Parks and Brock Nelson just 30 seconds apart in the third, tied the game at three and the 'X' went nuts. DDC again remembers how loud the arena was and remembers watching stunned Gopher fans, that just 20 or so minutes earlier, were up, cheering and taunting, slouching in their seats with mouths agape.

Senior captain Mario Lamoureux gave UND the lead just 3:41 later and North Dakota never turned back. Corban Knight and Lamoureux netted the Sioux two more goals and the rout was on as UND outshot the Gophers 17-2 in the third period.

What a game. The power of crowd gathered at the affectionately-named "Ralph Engelstad East" was absolutely rocking. An amazing moment.

Just two more moments left. Tomorrow's No. 2 moment? We'll put it this way ... it was controversial and blew up the message boards. Not the only thing to be "blown up" in this moment, either.

A Birthday and a Berth?

It’s a big weekend on multiple fronts.

For the No. 10 UND men’s hockey team, it’s a trip down I-94 to take on the No. 5 St. Cloud State Huskies with the two teams deadlocked for 1^st place in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference with four games left in the regular season.

For the namesake of Daddy Dump and Chase, it’s his daughter’s first birthday.

You can cut the tension with a cake knife.

“I think you always know the reality of your situation and then you focus on short term things,” said UND head coach Dave Hakstol at his weekly press conference on Wednesday. “We need to take care of business today and have a good practice and work hard to prepare for the game on Friday. Nothing else really matters.”

This weekend features two teams that are playing well down the stretch, as their spot at the top of the NCHC standings would suggest.

The Huskies, (12-5-3 conf., 18-7-5 overall)  6-3-1 in their last ten games, are coming off a split last weekend against Miami in Oxford, Ohio, dropping Friday night’s contest 4-3 before a 3-0 Saturday victory.

North Dakota (13-7-0 conf, 18-9-3 overall) comes in as one of the hottest teams in the country. After sweeping Minnesota Duluth 3-0 and 6-2 last weekend, UND has rattled off a 14-2-1 run since a Nov. 29 loss to St. Lawrence at home. In that span, UND has given up more than two goals only three times; two of those were losses.

The two teams met last on Nov. 1-2 at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks and the Huskies swept UND, becoming the first team to sweep the Green and White at home since 2010.

That didn’t sit well with UND.

“I think we’re excited. Them sweeping us at home back in the beginning of the year is something that is still fresh in our minds,” said UND sophomore forward Rocco Grimaldi to the media. “It’s playoff hockey. It kind of starts right now. But more importantly, we are just trying to get back at them for what they did to us at home. It’s going to be a good series.”

LOOKING FOR A BERTH

With a sweep, either team would be in the driver’s seat for a NCHC regular season title and name on the top line of the Penrose Trophy as the league’s inaugural champion. Two wins for either team would almost assure either a berth in the NCAA tournament, as well.

Although there is certainly a lot on the line this weekend, UND realizes that they can only control their own play this weekend.

“It’s a big time of the year, big picture and small picture,” said UND senior captain Dillon Simpson, the NCHC’s leading defenseman scorer. “The excitement is there, the intensity is there, but we just got to go play our best hockey.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

St. Cloud has a healthy scoring punch that is the 3^rd best in the country with a 3.63 goals per game average. They also sport the 4^th best power play in the NCAA, clipping at 25.2%.

Senior goaltender Ryan Faragher is 6-3-1 lifetime against UND and has some pretty eye-popping numbers. In his 10 career games against the Green and White, Fargher carries a 1.80 goals against average and a whopping .938 save percentage. 

Nic Dowd, Sr. F – 18g, 15a – 33 pts, 12g, 10a – 22pts conf (2^nd in conference goals, 3^rd in points)
Jonny Brodzinski, So. F – 16g, 17a – 33 pts
Ethan Prow, So. D – 4g, 15a – 19 pts
Kevin Gravel, Sr. D – 4g, 12a – 16 pts

Ryan Faragher, Sr. G -- 16-6-4, .910 sv pct, 2.62 GAA, 1 SO

North Dakota features a balanced attack in which 11 players have scored 10 or more points this season, including four defensemen. Simpson leads the NCHC in defensemen scoring with 18 points in conference play and his 10 points on the power play also leads the league.

Rocco Grimaldi, So. F – 12g, 17a – 29 pts
Michael Parks, Jr. F – 10g, 16a – 26 pts
Dillon Simmer, Sr. D – 7g, 13a – 20pts
Jordan Schmaltz, So. D – 4g, 15a – 19 pts

Zane Gothberg, So. G – 13-5-3, 2.12 GAA, .922 sv pct, 1 SO

Clarke Saunders, Sr. G – 5-4-0, 3.22 GAA, .905 sv pt

PREDICTIONS

Emma will take down her birthday cake and it won’t even be close. The birthday girl devours her first big-girl confection, EMMA JEAN –1, CAKE – 0

The series in St. Cloud will be much closer. One stat that I think may prove large this weekend: The Huskies are 51st nationally in penalty kill. Although UND has looked dreadful with the extra man at times this season, a few personnel and system tweaks have them 7 for their last 21 on the power play. I think that makes up the difference. Couple that with the stout play goaltender Zane Gothberg has been showing recently and UND SWEEPS – 4-2, 3-2.