UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA — The University of North Dakota hockey players know the significance of the two-game series against the rival Minnesota Golden Gophers just as well as the most seasoned fans 

“It’s circled on everybody’s calendars every year and… it’s going to be huge weekend,” Assistant Captain Louis Jamernik V said. “There’s a lot of history and tradition behind it, and that’s one of the big pillars of this program.”

The Gophers are coming to Grand Forks for a two-game series against the Fighting Hawks on Oct. 20 and 21. The historic rivalry is drawing excitement and crowds. The Ralph Engelstad Arena is sold out on both nights and the only available tickets start at $100.  

“Even my teachers are talking about it in class,” Jamernik said. “So, everybody cares about it.”  

The Gophers are headed into this series ranked number one in the national polls and despite losing key players Matthew Knies, Logan Cooley, Brock Faber, and Jackson LaCombe, they still have skilled players, especially Jimmy Snuggerud, a sophomore who put up 50 points last season.

“I always expect the series to be hard heavy shut down hockey,” Captain Riese Gaber said. “Obviously there is a lot of skill but… one thing we really try to do is emphasize our hard skill… there’s top lines and good players on every team. We just got to be ready.”  

Part of that skill, past Snuggerud, is Minnesota’s second line which generated 13 points in two games against St. Thomas.  

Coach Brad Berry said the key to shutting them down is making sure players are aware when that line is on the ice in addition to, “Knowing what it is… as far as your assignments and your roles and being aware of their tendencies,”

But mostly, UND is focused on themselves, working on sticking to the team identity and style of play.  

“I think the biggest thing is habits and details and playing fast with the puck,” Jamernik said. “That’s our game fast and hard, hard skill and if we just out compete them and we’ll get to that.”  

Amongst the hype, Gaber is trying to approach these games like any other.  

“It’s just another weekend. We just have to stick to our game to what we do best and what makes us successful,” he said. “Got to treat it that way.”  

 It is a strategy and mentality UND hopes will prevent them from spending too much time in the penalty box. Coach Berry called it a “next play mentality.”  

 “We’re all excited to play this series. But when a play happens, we have to be concerned about the next play,” he said. “Keeping your emotions in check, playing from whistle to whistle and making sure that there’s a really strong focus on that next play.”

14 UND players will be playing in this rivalry for the first time and leadership is preparing them for what to expect.  

“Some guys have played this series over the last couple of years and [we are] relying on those guys as far as telling the new guys what that looks like,” Berry said. “Then obviously, just getting ahead of it… preparing our guys the best that they can to set them up for success on Friday.”  

Berry, Gaber, and Jamernik said that they aren’t focused on the polls and rankings outside of the pairwise, especially this early in the season. For them, beating the number one team in the nation is just a benefit to beating the Gophers.  

“It’s more of the rivalry component to it and not so much one and five,” Jamernik said. “But yeah, we want to prove that we can be the best team in the country.”  

Maeve Hushman is a Dakota Student Sports Reporter. She can be reached at [email protected].