After three weeks away from the Ralph Engelstad Arena and a disappointing weekend in Colorado Springs, the University of North Dakota hockey team was excited to not only get back home but to get back to playing their best hockey.   

“We played our game tonight,” Jackson Blake said. “Last weekend, we definitely didn’t and we just stuck to what the coaches teach us and what we’re supposed to do.”   

The University of North Dakota defeated the University of Minnesota Duluth 6-0 on Friday, Feb. 23. It is their third victory of the season and Ludvig Persson’s second shutout against UMD.   

The game started off explosively, with UMD taking a penalty only 24 seconds into the first period. Despite UMD having the top-ranked penalty kill in the NCHC, Blake opened the scoring up one minute and five seconds into the game on a power-play goal from the dot.   

Blake gave a lot of credit to Jake Livanavage and Jackson Kunz for his opening powerplay goal.   

“Liver [Livanavage], I’ve said this multiple times before, he does a heck of a job of dragging that guy out and Kunzy [Kunz]  in front. Big boy… the goalie can’t see a thing,” Blake said. “So I just got to pick my spot.”   

But that was not the end of the scoring for UND in the first. Jayden Perron scored his ninth goal of the year on a breakaway chance, and Riese Gaber, assisted by Blake, scored from the face-off dot to make it 3-0 with just 40 seconds left in the first.   

Beyond just the scoring explosion, UND also killed off a penalty, defeating UMD’s NCHC top-ranked power play and holding UMD to only five shots in the first period.   

The stifling defense was the result of a full team effort, according to assistant captain and defenseman, Keaton Pehrson.   

“It was a whole team effort; the forwards were great blocking shots and D were good,” he said. “We didn’t overhandle the puck, and we got out of our zone quick, which was awesome.”   

UND’s dominance continued into the second. Seven minutes and 40 seconds into the second period, Duluth would take another penalty, and UND once again capitalized; this time, it was Cameron Berg for his 18th goal, assisted by Blake.   

Last weekend against Colorado College, UND lost the special team battle, but tonight, one of the key differences was UND’s ability to contain Duluth’s power play and subvert their penalty kill.   

“We always talked about the special teams being the difference. They had a really good power play and a really good penalty kill; we do as well,” Berry said.  “We won the special teams battle tonight, which was huge.”   

Berg scored again off a great pass from Blake to give Berg his third point of the night and Blake his fourth. It was Blake’s eighth game with three or more points.   

UND started off the third with a minute and 45 seconds on the power play after a scrum to end the second, which sent Blake and UMD’s top scorer, Ben Steeves, to the box. UND did not score on this opportunity. However, that did not shake UND’s momentum.   

Owen McLaughlin would pot UND’s sixth goal of the night off an assist from Blake, giving Blake his fifth point of the night. Blake, with one goal and four assists, was the first UND player to have a five-point game since Collin Adams in 2021.  

“Jackson is just a guy that’s relentless. He competes extremely hard. He wants to be on the ice. He wants to be a difference maker, and it’s a big deal,” Berry said. “ He’s only a sophomore but he plays like he’s a senior.”   

While Duluth made a push in the third, UND held strong, and Persson stood tall, making fantastic saves while the defense blocked shots and cleared rebound chances to secure the shutout.   

UND closed out the game with a 6-0 win, giving Persson a 17 save shutout, which is his fourth shutout of the season.    

It was a great bounce-back game for the netminder after allowing 10 goals in two games against Colorado College. Persson took confidence from the game but also acknowledged there was another game to be played.   

“Obviously a good feeling but it’s a new day tomorrow,” Persson said. “Bring the positives and just keep working tomorrow.”  

He credited the defense in front of him for the support they gave him in the shutout. 

“They did a great job tonight,” Persson said. “I could see pucks and we just gotta do it again tomorrow; it’s not an easy job to box out guys and do big things like that, but they did a great job tonight.” 

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