SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — North Dakota is in the Frozen Four for the first time since 2016. The game that punched the Hawks’ ticket to Las Vegas was a rematch of the National Championship game that same year, one that ended with a new green banner in the rafters at home.
A common thread between the two teams? Members of North Dakota’s coaching staff.
One Year Makes All the Difference
One year ago, North Dakota announced that Dane Jackson had become the seventeenth head coach in UND Hockey history.
The move proved unpopular at first, with many fans doubting the job that Brad Berry’s long-time associate would be able to do in the driver’s seat. Despite the noise, Jackson set right to work. He had a lot of work to do.
In the weeks following UND’s Frozen Faceoff exit, the Fighting Hawks were faced with the possibility that key players might seek transfer portal exits. Others had NHL deals calling.
Jayden Perron was the first to leave, headed for Ann Arbor. Days later, 32-point forward Sacha Boisvert made his departure, accompanied by Owen McLaughlin to Boston University.
“I remember talking to our players,” reflected Dane Jackson. “[I was] saying, ‘Hey, this is a moment in your life, not just as a hockey player, but as a person, and you have choices to stick with what you believe in, or you can go with which way the wind is blowing.’”
Several players, however, chose to stay in Grand Forks. Notably, Dylan James (Sr.) and Jake Livanavage (Jr.) turned down opportunities to leave, creating a strong core for the team ahead.
“Those guys were two key players, star players, and great people,” Dane Jackson said. “Those guys believed in our staff, they believed in our university…I think their character showed in a critical moment.”
Dream Team
Tasked with bringing in players to complete the team, Jackson called upon another member of the 2016 National Championship-winning team. Bryn Chyzyk joined as the program’s first-ever general manager.
Chyzyk had work ahead to build a roster. Having lost three players to the portal, North Dakota was down to 12 returning players.
Over the summer, ten freshman and four transfers made their way to Grand Forks, making up the rest of the lineup.
“We talked about some adversity and times we went through building our roster,” said Jackson, describing a moment the coaching staff had after the game. “We had our set of beliefs about what our culture was and what we wanted to do, and we stuck to it…
“Bryn Chyzyk, Matt Smaby, and Dillon Simpson are really sharp guys and hard workers. We put a lot of time and effort into getting the right people…We brought people in here that were selfless, hardworking, disciplined, focused, [and] driven guys.
“[I] thought we could become a good team this year, [but] I didn’t think it would come together that quickly in this season.”
Out of the Desert
Dane Jackson’s Fighting Hawks continued the legacy of Fighting Hawks and Fighting Sioux teams before them with a solid regular season, capturing the Penrose Cup for the seventh time in program history.
Despite the regular season success, UND lost to Minnesota Duluth in the NCHC postseason, falling short of the Championship game. In its history, North Dakota has only won the National Cup once, during the 2020/21 campaign.
On Saturday night, UND punched its ticket to the Frozen Four, something the program failed to do in the past decade.
“[It’s] super exciting,” Dane Jackson told the media. “We put in a ton of work, and time, and effort. We know we get measured at these big games at the end of the year, and it’s tough because it’s all game sevens. We’ve won a lot of Penrose Cups and done a lot of good things, but we know at North Dakota, you get measured by reaching the Frozen Four and the green banners that you put up.”
As the Fighting Hawks go into their final days to prepare for their trip to the Frozen Four, the 2016 team still springs fresh to mind for Coach Jackson. He says he sees some parallels with his current team.
“I think we have a bit of that feel in this group,” said Jackson. “Just how we care about each other and how we have fun together, and how we have a belief in what we’re doing. Obviously, we’ve got a lot of work to do, but we’ll put in that work and continue to battle to get better here for another 10 days before we get to play again.”
Only time will tell if, after ten years, North Dakota can do it again.
Anthony Dillett is a Dakota Student Sports Reporter. He can be reached at [email protected] and on X @adillettgf.