Brad Berry says the team’s approach for beginning NCHC play is simple, take it one game at a time. 

“A game at a time, a period at a time, shift at a time, really breaking it down,” Berry said. “It’s always a journey, 24 games of a gauntlet of a grind and it starts this weekend.”

The University of North Dakota swept University of Minnesota Duluth in its first weekend of NCHC play in Amsoil arena. UND beat UMD 4-2 on Friday night and shut them out 2-0 on Saturday night. It is the first time that UND has swept UMD in Duluth since the 1960s.  

The first period on Friday, Nov 10 was explosive for UND. Freshman forward Jayden Perron opened the scoring for UND nine minutes into the first period and the scoring did not end there. Logan Britt and Louis Jamernik V would also score, boosting the Hawks lead to 3 goals headed into intermission. Even though Jackson Blake would take a hooking penalty, the UND penalty kill, and goal tender Ludvig Persson were able to hold strong and prevent the UMD powerplay, which is operating at a stellar 35% conversion rate, from getting on the board. The score at the end of the first was 3-0 with a shot count of 12-7 in favor of the Hawks. 

In the second period, Duluth would get on the board. UND defensemen Garrett Pyke took a tripping penalty and on the subsequent power play, Duluth was able to convert. Luke Loheit scored Duluth’s first goal at 12:13 into the period to make it 3-1. UND also had another chance on the manned advantage but could not convert. The shot count to end the second was 16-8 in favor of UND. 

UMD would cut the lead down to one point at 14:44 in the third period, Anthony Menghini would pot the second goal for the Bulldogs. The period would continue in that tight race despite multiple power play opportunities for both teams. Then with two minutes left in the third, Aaron Pionk took a penalty for tripping. Cameron Berg was able to score on that last minute power play to restore the two-point lead and give UND the 4-2 lead.  

The shot count at the end of the third period was 9-7 in favor of UND with a final shot count of 37-22. It was a solid first night win born from a strong start.  

It was another explosive start Saturday, Nov 11 for the Fighting Hawks; Jamernik V scored at 7:38 into the first on a power play. UND would get another chance on the manned advantage in the first when Loheit of UMD took a penalty for boarding but could not convert again. UMD would also get a chance on the power play in the first, but they also failed to convert. The score was 1-0 UND at the end of the first but with the Bulldogs outshooting UND 15-12.  

Just three minutes into the second, Riese Gaber would score UND’s second and final goal for the night. Both UND and UMD had chances on the powerplay but neither could capitalize. The shot count was 18-5 in favor of UND.  

The third was more of the same; UND would get another chance on the powerplay 11:15 into the period but still could not score. Then in the final five minutes of the third period. UMD’s Darian Gotz hit Hunter Johannes with head contact. Gotz received a game misconduct and a five-minute major and UND received five minutes on the manned advantage up 2-0 with only five minutes left in the game. No extra goal would come from the major, but UND still finished 2-0 to win the game. The shot count to end the third was 10-9 in favor of UMD but with a final count of 39-30 UND. 

It was an impressive performance from Persson and the UND team to make UND undefeated in their first weekend of conference play. The Fighting Hawks return to Grand Forks to play another division opponent and the former team of Persson, University of Miami Ohio.  

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