KALAMAZOO, Mich. — It all comes down to this. In the final weekend of the regular season, North Dakota (24-7-1, 16-5-1 NCHC) has a chance to take home a cup. The Fighting Hawks travel to Kalamazoo, determined to beat back the Broncos.
Huskies at Home
Last week, UND took on St. Cloud State, taking four of the six points on offer after a disappointing shootout loss in the series opener. The Huskies took just two points from four meetings with North Dakota this season. The loss prevented UND from clinching the Cup, setting the stage for the final weekend.
The Fighting Hawks staged back-to-back rallies in the third period against SCSU, further cementing their dominance in the final frame. This season, UND has a plus-37 goal differential in the third period, leading the NCHC in goals-for. North Dakota has conceded just 16 in the final 20, leading the nation.
Saturday night, the Ralph Engelstad Arena hosted senior night, commemorating six of its upperclassmen. During the game, UND’s seniors performed impressively, raking in the points to push the Hawks over the line.
Associate captains Dylan James (Sr.) and Ben Strinden (Sr.) shared contributions for the home side, picking out passes for a combined three assists. All three came in UND’s first-period onslaught, setting up three goals in a matter of minutes to put the Hawks in a solid position.
Transfer Tyler Young (Sr.) put in North Dakota’s fourth goal, though it proved insufficient to cement a lead. Ellis Rickwood (Sr.) scored to ice the game, moments after assisting Jack Kernan’s game-winning goal.
On the back end, Bennett Zmolek (Gr.) blocked four shots, incurring 16 penalty minutes in the finale. Gibson Homer (Gr.) backstopped the team, saving 22 of 26 shots on target to secure the win.
Junior Abram Wiebe comes into the weekend on a three-game scoring streak, with six points (2-4—6) since the series finale against Miami. The Calgary Flames prospect won his third straight NCHC defenseman of the week honor, the second-ever NCHC blueliner to do so.
Broncos Brief
Pat Ferschweiler’s Western Michigan (23-8-1, 15-6-1 NCHC) has been a quiet force this season, despite winning the NCAA championship last season. Quiet is no bad quality, though. The Broncos can be expected to get out, get results, and head home.
“They’re a sound team,” Dane Jackson said on Wednesday, describing what he sees in Western Michigan. “They play hard, they’re physical. We always know that — especially in their rink — the game is so fast. You really have to manage the puck well, you gotta be ready to compete and battle, and you can see why they were national champions last year.”
Points-scoring has come from all over for WMU this season in a very literal sense. Two transfer students lead the Brown and Gold in goalscoring, Liam Valente (17-13—30) and William Whitelaw (17-12—29).
Valente is in his second year as a Bronco, transferring from Providence before the 2024/25 season. Whitelaw transferred to WMU over the summer, ending his one-season stint at the University of Michigan. Before the 2024/25 campaign, the Columbus Blue Jackets pick played at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Hampton Slukynsky (So.) continues to backstop the Broncos, appearing in every game this season. The Warroad, Minn. native picked up his fourth shutout at Colorado College, bolstering his .916 save percentage. Hampton’s brother, Grant (8-27—35), leads Western in total points and assists.
Penrose Scenarios (Again)
NCHC Commissioner Heather Weems will be in Kalamazoo to present the regular-season trophy. Last season, North Dakota had to witness Western’s celebrations after its season opener at the Lawson. The Broncos clinched the Penrose against UND last year. This season, North Dakota has a little bit more hope for the weekend.
If UND can secure two or more points, it will take home both the Penrose Cup and the No. 1 seed.
If the Hawks only take one point away from the weekend, it remains clear of Western, clinching a share of the Cup. A second Penrose Cup will be in the Magness Arena, as Denver can take home a share of the regular-season title. The No. 1 seed will go to North Dakota in the event of a tie with the Pioneers.
If Western Michigan sweeps North Dakota, it jumps the visitors in the standings to clinch the Cup. The Broncos will at least win a share of the cup as well as the No. 1 seed. The Pios can tie the Broncos as well, but DU does not hold the tiebreaker over Western.
Tomorrow night, UND could be Penrose Cup victors, or it could sit as low as third.
Potent Points
- “It’s a playoff-style game.” Coming up against the Broncos will be a unique challenge for the visitors. Pat Ferschweiler’s squad is sure to test North Dakota — what better time to do so as the postseason looms over the horizon? The Hawks need to come up big in at least one game, a task that will become regular in postseason play.
- “One of the hardest places to play in our league.” UND is set to visit the Lawson Ice Arena for one of, if not the final time, in program history. The 51-year-old rink has hosted WMU hockey since 1974 and is known for a raucous, personal atmosphere.
- Just get one. The Fighting Hawks will look to take away a win from the weekend. The young team has struggled to string together consistent performances with points on the line. They will need to put together a full-60 to take the Cup home.
Personnel Updates
- The Hawks appear to be healthy. Viewers may expect to see some players who have not featured in the lineup take to the ice if the visitors can win the first game, securing the Cup. David Klee (Fr.) may make a return in warmup or the lineup over the weekend, though Dane Jackson provided no insight on his return in the press conference on Wednesday.
The final regular-season series will begin at 6:00 p.m. tonight. Puck drop in the season finale takes place at 5:00 p.m. tomorrow. Both games will be available for streaming on NCHC.tv. As always, a stream will be available for audio listeners on the Fighting Hawks Radio Network via iHeart Radio, the Fighting Hawks website, or on 96.1 FM for local listeners.
Anthony Dillett is a Dakota Student Sports Reporter. He can be reached at [email protected] and on X @adillettgf.