Captain Riese Gaber felt that the two losses to Colorado College were a good wake-up call to the number one ranked University of North Dakota.  

“It’s a good reality check right now,” Gaber said. “We know no weekend is easy. We know that to continue, know that coming in it just comes down to wanting it more, just working harder.”   

The top ranked University of North Dakota was swept by the unranked Colorado College Tigers the weekend of Dec 8 and 9, 3-2 in overtime in both games, putting UND on a three game OT losing streak to end the first half of the season.  

On Friday, Dec 8, UND started the first period with possession, holding the zone and getting multiple scoring opportunities. However, Colorado College’s goalie, Kaiden Mbereko, who started for the United States’ World Junior Hockey team last year, was able to make the saves and keep UND off the scoreboard for the first eight minutes of the game. Then Dylan James, using his speed down the side, scored five hole to give the University of North Dakota the lead.  

Louis Jamernik V had high praise for James, his line mate’s, speed and skill.  

“That guy can fly like the wind. He’s got National League speed already and he is just going to continue to develop,” Jamernik said. “I love playing with him.”  

UND has scored first in 14 of 16 previous games and had a record of 11-2-1 when opening scoring. UND continued to generate high quality chances, but they were unable to increase the lead. The score after the first was 1-0 with a 9-6 shot count in favor of UND.  

Colorado College increased the shot chances to start the second putting on the pressure to try and tie UND. However, Jamernik scored nine minutes into the period to put UND up 2-0.  

It was the second goal of the night to come from the James, Schmaltz, and Jamernik line. Jamernik explained what made their line so productive in Friday night’s game.  

“We’re just consistent and predictable to each other,” Jamernik said. “And that’s what the coaches need from us, consistency and reliability.”  

The Tigers did not let that stop them; Noah Laba would score the Tigers first goal of the series off a net front deflection, but CCs scoring didn’t end there.Afterr surrendering a power play to UND, Hunter Johannes went to the box for cross checking resulting in 4-on-4 play and a Colorado College powerplay. Max Burkholder scored on that powerplay to tie the game going into the third period. In the second, the Tigers outshot UND 16-13.  

Assistant Captain Jake Schmaltz felt the team did not show their best play for the first two periods of game one.  

“I just don’t think we’re ready to go in the first and second period,” Schmaltz said. “Then we were just kind of soft, just kind of chasing. It was not our best effort.”  

In the third, UND held Colorado to zero shots on goal. However, despite a few high danger chances, UND could not use that defensive dominance to their advantage and regain the lead to win in regulation. The game went to overtime with a score of 2-2 and a shot count of 34-22 UND. 

The biggest change for UND in the third was their desperation, according to Jamernik.  

“It’s that desperation,” he said. “You know, your ears perked up and went “right well, we’re not winning this game as a tie game, you got to do something” and then the urgency kicked in and we started to take over.”  

Noah Laba scored his second goal of the night and the game winner for Colorado just 35 seconds into overtime off another turnover. Colorado took the two points with their 3-2 overtime win.  

Coach Brad Berry was displeased with the team’s performance, especially the number of turnovers surrendered by the top six.  

“You have to play a harder game,” Berry said. “And I understand, you know, you guys can still make plays and different things. But at the end of the day when the game presents itself, there’s not a lot of time and space and turnovers become a big factor. 

To start Saturday’s game, Brad Berry decided to start the James, Jake Schmaltz, and Jamernik line and played with the line combos, switching Berg and Mclaughlin as centers and moving Strinden to center again. It was an adjustment made after the top two lines struggled to generate scoring and had multiple turnovers, which resulted in chances for Colorado College.   

For the first time since game one of the Bemidji series, UND did not open scoring. With 1:51 into the first period, Colorado College’s captain Logan Will scored the first goal of the game for the Tigers giving them an early 1-0 game. Despite registering 10 shots on goal in the period, UND was unable to answer back. The Hawks received a chance on the manned advantage with a minute and a half left in the first period. One minute and thirty seconds into that UND powerplay, Louis Jamernik V took a penalty for tripping resulting in the final thirty seconds of the period being played 4-on-4. The score at the end of the first was 1-0 CC with a shot count of 10-5 in favor of UND.  

The second period started with thirty more seconds of 4-on-4 play, followed by CC receiving one minute and thirty seconds on the powerplay from Jamernik’s late first period tripping penalty. Neither team could convert during the 4-on-4 or powerplay time. Both teams exchanged chances, but neither found any success. Then, Will of CC took a hooking penalty, giving UND another chance on the power play. On the power play, Cameron Berg took a shot from the dot which Jackson Kunz deflected home to tie the Tigers at 1. 

However, Colorado would fire right back ten seconds after Kunz’s goal to regain the lead. UND challenged the goal for goaltender interference, but the call on the ice stood. Shortly after, Ryan Beck of CC took a hooking penalty, giving UND their second powerplay opportunity of the second; CC was able to kill the penalty.  

Pyke would tie the game for UND with just over a minute left in the second with a shot from the blue line through heavy net front traffic. After the tying goal, UND pressed for the final minute of the second looking for the lead going into the third. Tyler Coffey of CC took a penalty for unsportsmanlike behavior with only 24 seconds left in the second. The second period ended with the same score as it did Friday night, 2-2. The shots in the second were 11-9 in favor of Colorado College.  

UND started the third period with over one minute and thirty seconds on the power play, but they were unable to convert. The Hawks tried to keep up the pace and continued to pressure CC in the offensive zone. Colorado College and North Dakota exchanged chances, but the score and shot count stayed even 2-2 with a 20-20 shot count. Then at 12:36 in the third, Riese Gaber took a penalty for tripping putting Colorado College on the power play. UND was able to successfully kill the penalty. The penalty kill led to positive momentum for the UND; the Hawks maintained zone time and put some pressure on. Neither team scored, and the game again went into overtime with a 2-2 score and a shot count 7-4 CC for a final shot count of 23-23.  

UND lost the opening face off in 3-on-3 overtime, but CC was unable to utilize the opportunity. Jamernik had two good chances for the Hawks, but Mbereko made both saves. Colorado College would have a chance, but it went wide. Then after another turnover by UND in the offensive zone, Gleb Veremyev came streaking in to score Colorado’s second overtime game winner of the weekend.  

While Coach Berry thought the play was better for UND in this game, he identified their poor performance in the face-off dot as a cause for concern.  

“Only 34%, that is not very good. And again, when you talk about energy, we spend a lot of time chasing the puck trying to get it back,” Berry said. “And it’s not all on the center men, the wingers are a part of that too. There are pucks that are just lying in and behind, and you have to get those pucks back for possession. I think that all comes into the compete level, you know, doing whatever it takes to win that draw.”  

Despite the three-game overtime losing streak to end the first half, Berry and the team feel like the first half of this season was a success especially with the number of new players that entered the roster this year.  

However, Gaber feels like there are lessons to learn in these past three losses that will help the team in the back half of the season.  

“It’s a good time to look at ourselves in the mirror and ask yourself what the team needs from you and how you can do better,” Gaber said.  

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