Kalamazoo, MI — In a hard-fought game, the Fighting Hawks took the Broncos to overtime in the series finale on Feb. 28, but fell in the final minute of 3-on-3, taking four of the six points on offer.
The night before, UND secured the No. 1 seed for the NCHC playoffs, clinching home ice for the entire tournament. The biggest win of the weekend came when the Hawks hoisted the Penrose Cup for the seventh time in program history.
Rest and Reps
After securing its season-long goal on Friday night, North Dakota’s lineup for the series finale changed to give key players a much-needed rest. Bennett Zmolek (Gr.), Jake Livanavage (Jr.), and Josh Zakreski (Fr.) sat out for the visitors as UND staff prioritized recovery. Head Coach Dane Jackson said that all three should return next week.
David Klee (Fr.) made his return from injury, getting game time in the event he is needed during North Dakota’s playoff push. The winger—who suited up as an extra skater—tied the game at one.
Cade Littler (So.) and Jayden Jubenvill (So.) filled the remaining holes for the Hawks, resulting in a shuffled line chart for the visitors. Littler ended the game at minus one, while Jubenvill ended even at zero.
“Some younger guys were playing, especially on the back end there,” said Dane Jackson. “It was nice to see those guys handle those minutes and do a good job.”
Less than an hour from his hometown of Grand Rapids, Mich., Gibson Homer (Gr.) got the nod in net for UND. The goaltender stopped 28 of 32 against a fiery Bronco team. The loss put a stop to his five-game win streak.
It is possible that Saturday night was the ASU transfer’s last game in green and white, though the postseason always holds surprises. As a Fighting Hawk, Homer has averaged 2.71 goals allowed, posted an .889 save percentage, and won in nine of his 14 appearances.
“They’re hard to play against,” Jackson said. “We went that one back, but then he made some saves that were spectacular as well. Overall, [it was a] strong performance for Gibby.”
Comeback Kings
North Dakota kept up with Western Michigan in all three periods. The Brown and Gold did not hold more than a one-goal lead at any point in the game despite pacing UND by just over 2 shots on goal per period.
Further complicating the series finale, a penalty extravaganza unfolded for the visitors, who spent a considerable amount of time in the box through two periods. North Dakota had to kill three penalties in the first period alone, including one that left it two men down with over half of the opening period to go.
Determined to take something away from the game, UND fought to keep its footing. Matt Smaby’s PK dispatched every effort the Broncos had with a man advantage. When the Hawks got their chances, they had to make them count. North Dakota leveled twice through the first two periods, keeping up with Western Michigan.
After the Broncos scored halfway through the third period, the Hawks’ luck looked to be running out. North Dakota had gone through three power plays without a goal. Then, seconds after UND’s final power play, Cole Reschny scored a leveling goal with less than five minutes remaining in the game, forcing overtime. North Dakota has not lost in regulation since Jan. 17, when the Denver Pioneers visited Grand Forks.
After lining up for 3-on-3 action for the fourth consecutive week, the Hawks had to settle for a point. Liam Valente (Sr.) — who also scored the game opener for the home side — sent a puck into the roof of Gibson Homer’s net, ensuring the Broncos took something away from the weekend.
“I think we take a lot of pride in our game and trying to finish on the right note,” said Cole Reschny, reflecting on his team’s effort. “[We’re] headed into playoffs. It’s a big time of year. We treated it like another big game.”
Returning Home
With the first seed clinched for the NCHC playoffs, North Dakota will begin a home stand this upcoming weekend, as they face Omaha in a best-of-three quarterfinal. The Mavericks have it all to play for, battling to clinch a spot in the NCAA tournament.
Mike Gabinet’s men played both of their series’ against UND in 2025 and have fought Arizona State for the final playoff spot over the past few weeks. Coming into the postseason, the Mavericks have an 8-16-0 conference record.
Puck-drop on the first NCHC quarterfinal at the Ralph Engelstad Arena will be at 7:07 p.m. on Friday and 6:07 p.m. on Saturday (all times Central). Midco Sports will air both games, and a streaming option will be available on NCHC.tv. As always, audio listeners can tune in to 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.