SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — In a rematch of the 2016 National Championship, North Dakota emerged victorious, defeating the Quinnipiac Bobcats 5-0. UND dominated the game, putting up five to demolish any remaining doubt in the Hawks.
Sealed Early
North Dakota scored three goals in six minutes to rocket into the lead of the game. At that point, just 12 minutes into the game, it seemed over for Quinnipiac.
Jack Kernan (Fr.) rocketed the puck through the legs of Dylan Silverstien (Jr.) six minutes in, spurring the green and white crowd onto its feet. The next goal for UND came two minutes later, when Cody Croal (So.) got his third goal of the weekend. Minutes later, Jack Kernan added another goal, propelling North Dakota to a three-goal cushion.
“I thought Kern did a great job getting to middle ice,” said Abram Wiebe (Jr.), who helped create the goal. “Obviously [it was] a great shot.”
The Bobcats struggled to mount any opposition to the UND charge, failing to score on a power play opportunity in between North Dakota’s second and third goals. Junior goaltender Matej Marino entered the game as Rand Pecknold looked to turn things around for his side.
Two in Two
Unfortunately, the Bobcats’ night would not get any better.
Dylan James (Sr.) continued his spectacular postseason run of form, scoring four minutes into the second stanza. The forward scored a goal in both NCAA Regional games, bringing his goal-scoring streak to four games running.
After the goal, Quinnipiac started to establish some offense, but was held up by Jan Špunar, who stood resolute in the North Dakota net.
“It’s just perplexing,” reflected Rand Pecknold. “We were so awesome on Thursday [against Providence], confident, passionate.”
Halfway through the period, Cole Reschny (Fr.) went five-hole on Matej Marino, picking up the Hawks’ final goal of the game, dampening the Bobcats’ comeback efforts.
Both sides turned physical in the third period as North Dakota faced a team fighting for survival. All efforts for the Bobcats — on the man-advantage or at full strength — proved unsuccessful, unable to find a way past Jan Špunar.
Another Spoony Shutout
For the second consecutive game, Jan Špunar kept a clean sheet. After the game, the goaltender was all smiles, giving characteristic answers in the press conference.
“It was awesome,” Špunar said, reflecting on how he felt after the game. “I was happy it’s over. It was [a] long third period, and now we are just excited to go to Vegas.”
The freshman was named to the all-tournament team and was voted the regional MVP for his efforts in both games. In his shutouts, Špunar made 31 and 22 saves, respectively. When asked about his MVP honors, he laughed, quipping that he “didn’t even know that.”
For the Czech, a big part of what made his performances stick this weekend was his teammates.
“My team. They did an awesome job in front of me,” said the freshman when he was asked what clicked for him in the regional. “It was super easy.”
NCAA Sioux Falls Region All-Tournament Team
- F Cody Croal, North Dakota
- F Jack Kernan, North Dakota
- F Dylan James, North Dakota
- D Abram Wiebe, North Dakota
- D Elliott Groenewold, Quinnipiac
- G Jan Špunar, North Dakota
- MVP: Jan Špunar, North Dakota
Quick Words from the Winners
- Abram Wiebe, on the team’s performance: “I think it was one of our best games of the year. I thought we just came out and played to our identity for the full 60.”
- Dane Jackson, on his staff’s preparation for the game: “We watched a lot of video on them, we talked to some people who had played against them more often, and when we’d watched as a staff, we just saw a really skilled, fast, excellent transition team…We spent a lot of time talking about puck management, short-pass support, [and] pre-puck awareness.”
- Jan Špunar, on his excitement for Las Vegas: “I’ve never been there…I’m not a big gambler…but I’m excited.”
Up Next
North Dakota will travel to Las Vegas, N.V., after Easter weekend. The Wisconsin Badgers await the Fighting Hawks in the Frozen Four. UND has not faced the Badgers since 2023, when the two teams met in the final of the Ice Breaker Tournament. The Hawks have won eight of their last ten (8-1-1) against the Badgers, including an NCAA Regional Semifinal game in 2014.
While puck drop times are still to be announced, all games in Las Vegas will be televised on ESPN2. For those with a subscription, ESPN+ will also feature Frozen Four games. As always, audio listeners can tune in to the call on the Fighting Hawks Radio Network via iHeartRadio, the Fighting Hawks website, or 96.1 FM (The Fox) for local listeners.
Anthony Dillett is a Dakota Student Sports Reporter. He can be reached at [email protected] and on X @adillettgf.