SCSU Assistant Coach R.J. Enga Airs Grievances Following Series with UND

SCSU Player Talks to the Refs During a Break in the Action

When I was a freshman at Upper Iowa University, our football coach told our team, following a painful loss, that we won class and we lost with class. Apparently, St. Cloud assistant coach R.J. Enga hasn't heard those words of advice. 

AUDIO: The Brett Larson Show from last night (12/16) from the @GreenMill

With Huskies assistant coach RJ Enga.

Next show will be Jan. 13. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all Huskies fans. https://t.co/MtmN5P0Dcf

— Jim Erickson (@SCSU_hockey_pbp) December 17, 2024

 

Coach Enga filled in for head coach Brent Larson on the Brent Larson Show with Huskies play-by-play radio announcer Jim Erickson. (You can listen to the whole show, linked in the tweet above.)  If you haven't heard it, check it out. It's interesting. 

Larson wasn't available because he had already left town to be an assistant coach with Team USA for the U20 World Junior Tourney. It was an interesting 40+ minutes. Enga aired his grievances about this past weekend's series. He attacked the linesmen, saying they dropped the pucks closer to the UND centermen, giving them an unfair advantage. The faceoff numbers were tied on Friday night 29-29; on Saturday, UND had the advantage 36-29. 

Whatever.

Enga attacked T.J. Semptimphelter, saying that he showed the ref up for taking his helmet off after being elbowed in the head on Friday night and taking off his helmet during Saturday's game after being elbowed in the head. Granted, the SCSU player was cross-checked into the UND goalie. He also attacked the ref for not making the right call. It sounds like sour grapes. 

After Friday's game, head coach Brad Berry got into a heated conversation with Larson. The video replay showed both coaches shouting obscenities at each other (you could read both men's lips). In the post-game press conference, coach Berry wasn't very pleased with what had transpired on the ice. 

"I'm not happy right now," Berry said. "I'm not going to get myself into trouble here, but that wasn't a great hockey play by them. For it to be a two-minute minor, that's a five-minute major and a game misconduct." 

Here's Enga's quote from the show, referring to Friday's dirty play that 

"If you watch the video, the young man that plays goalie for them, he threw his helmet off, tapping his head and stuff," Enga said on the radio show. "I'm not really sure what was going on with the guy. But when you watch it, it's like a split second, and I thought maybe a skate came up. We've seen some terrible incidents. I thought maybe that was the way he reacted. And then when I kind of saw it, definitely when I saw the video, I'm like, 'What is going on?'

"To me, don't make a mockery of the referees. Don't put them in those situations. Just play an honest, hard game and let's see who comes out on top. That's my opinion."

As I heard Enga's comment, I wondered; are you kidding me? Do we need to review the play in question again? Without beating a dead horse, It was a dirty play by Gavyn Thoreson. How did he expect the UND hockey team to react to Thoreson's antics? 

Here's the hit on T.J. Semptimphelter that irked UND coach Brad Berry tonight. pic.twitter.com/sXhGpKKQag

— Brad Elliott Schlossman (@SchlossmanGF) December 14, 2024

Finally, Enga made a snide comment about Brad Schlossman, who referenced Thoreson's style of play when he was in the USHL. His remarks show that Enga had read Schlossman's Friday Gamer. 

"Thoreson was known as a skilled player and agitator T.J. Semptimphelter the United States Hockey League last year, where he had 87 penalty minutes for the Waterloo Black Hawks, " Schlossman wrote.

I don't see anything wrong with bringing that point up. For those keeping track at home, Thoreson had 103 PIMs in 85 USHL games. It's not out of line to bring that up, especially after he had just run over the opposition's goalie in an attempt to rally his team or take out their goalie. If you don't like it, don't read the opposition's beat writer's analysis. 

Finally, the league could come down on Enga. He could get suspended for making comments about the on-ice officials; he attacked their credibility and integrity. However, it's unlikely based on who the commissioner is. The two teams play in St. Cloud on January 31 and February 1, 2025. This could be an interesting rematch. 

Random Thoughts on the UND Goalie Position

In hockey, the most popular player on a hockey team is the backup goalie.

This season, the University of North Dakota's goalie position has been the subject of much discussion on X and fan message boards. Everyone has an opinion on the matter. It's been an interesting season, and the UND hockey team has faced their fair share of adversity. 

"This has been a tumultuous first half," head coach Brad Berry said. "Up and down, inconsistent. Every season is different, but my biggest positive is that we're going the right way. We still have a long way to go, and the second half is coming up. We have to keep our foot on the gas and know what we've built here. We've got to continue to build and grow."

I keep reading that UND sophomore goalie Hobie Hedquist needs to play, or he'll enter the transfer portal. First, anyone familiar with UND head coach Brad Berry knows he's a team-first coach, meaning no player is more important than the program. Why isn't Hedquist playing more? There could be a variety of reasons. 

My random thoughts on the UND goalie position: has anyone ever considered that T.J. Semptimphelter might be the better goaltender? It's something to think about. Hobie has occasionally let in some weak goals. The goal in game two against Cornell to open the third period comes to mind. I am not saying Hedquist is a bad goalie, not at all. Currently, Semptimphelter may be the better goalie for UND hockey. Based on how the season has gone, there's very little room to experiment with a goalie rotation, especially now that the first half has passed; the coaches need to put together the best lineup to win. If the coaching staff decides to ride a hot goalie, they may do that. 

What happens if he enters the portal? The coaching staff will recruit more goalies; there will be many available goalies, and the CHL players will be eligible to play NCAA hockey.

Since the 2021-22 season, UND has utilized the transfer portal to recruit a starting goalie.

Post UND's starting goalie, Adam Scheel, here's how the goalie position has played out. UND has used four goalies in four consecutive seasons who weren't initially recruited by UND but finished their college careers at UND. That's the nature of the transfer portal. Here's the list of Portal goalies UND has used since the 2021-22 season. I added Scheel for comparison purposes. 

2018-21; Adam Scheel  (52-18-5 (.726), 1.95 GAA and .915 Save Percentage)

2021-22; Zach Driscoll (22-11-1 (.642), 2.34 GAA, .908 Save Percentage)

2022-23; Drew DeRidder (13-9-4 (.576), 2.53, .899 Save Percentage )

2023-24; Ludvig Persson (22-11-2 (.657), 2.52 GAA, .904 Save Percentage)

2024-25; T.J. Semptimphelter (10-5-1 (.656), 2.56 GAA, .903 Save Percentage)

UND Hockey: Dirty Play to End Friday's Game May Have Inspired Team Saturday

Late in Friday's game, at the 15:48 mark of the third period, Huskies forward Gavyn Thoreson cut across in front of the UND net and tried to dislodge the puck frozen in T.J. Semptimphelter's glove. In the process, he blatantly ran over the UND goalie, making contact with his head. It was a dirty play; there is no justification for that play other than an intent to injure a goalie currently holding a shutout. There was no defending that play. Video by Brad E. Schlossman.

Here's the hit on T.J. Semptimphelter that irked UND coach Brad Berry tonight. pic.twitter.com/sXhGpKKQag

— Brad Elliott Schlossman (@SchlossmanGF) December 14, 2024

For his troubles, Thoreson should have been assessed a five-minute major and game misconduct. It wasn't an accident but a deliberate play. Yes, the officials have a lot of leeway in this instance and have decided not to call a major penalty. 

In the post-game press conference, UND head coach Brad Berry was visibly upset with the play and exchanged pleasantries with SCSU head coach Brent Larson on the player's bench at the end of the game. 

"I'm not happy right now," Berry said. "I'm not going to get myself into trouble here, but that wasn't a great hockey play by them. For it to be a two-minute minor, that's a five-minute major and a game misconduct." 

In the game's waning seconds, UND defenseman Caleb MacDonald viciously cross-checked Thoreson in the back. We can only speculate about the move, but it appears MacDonald was sticking up for his teammate. Yes, yes, yes, I know; Husky fans will say that MacDonald's cross-check wasn't necessary and a dirty play. Maybe, but a message was sent to the Huskies that our team won't be pushed around. 

Caleb MacDonald's retaliation cross-checks on Gavyn Thoreson. Appears MacDonald also said something to Thoreson. pic.twitter.com/zgmhDsJw05

— Brad Elliott Schlossman (@SchlossmanGF) December 14, 2024

Following UND's 4-3 OT win tonight, in the post-game press conference, one of the television media members asked Berry what was said on the bench between the two coaches. 

"Just like we talked about our team in the locker room, I think I'd rather not say," Berry said. He continued. "You find out a lot of things about a lot of people, and you try to take the high road and keep moving on to the next year."

You have to commend Berry for taking the high road. If you follow the hockey code, what's said on the ice stays on the ice. Looking from the outside in, last night's game probably hardened the UND hockey team and helped inspire tonight's gutsy come-from-behind win. The Huskies took the lead three times only to have UND tie the game. UND never gave up. 

Earlier in the season, UND had trouble closing out close games. Over the past two weekends, UND has been tied or behind in two games entering the third period and has found ways to win. That's progress in the right direction. In the final period, UND wore down the Huskies and outshot them 14-9. UND found a way to win in the OT. 

The Hawks close out the first half of the season with an 11-7-1 record. UND has won four in a row and are 6-1-1 in the last eight games. Currently, UND is sitting in second place in the NCHC standings, two points out of first place, with 17 points. 

UND Hockey: Yes, It’s Been a Rough Season

It wouldn't be a lie if I said that the start of the UND hockey team's 2024-25 season has been rocky. After 15 games, the team's overall record is 7-7-1 (.500), 2-2-0 NCHC. UND is 26th in the all-important Pairwise Rankings. The UND fanbase is getting antsy, and they want blood. Perusing the comments on X and a popular fan message board, some in the UND fanbase would like a change at the top. Yes, it's been a rough season. 

 Wait, what? 

Yes, you heard that right. With roughly 20 games remaining in the season, a vocal group of UND hockey fans wants the University of North Dakota to fire Brad Berry. Personally, this writer doesn't feel those sentiments, and for that, I was accused of being a toady for the UND hockey team. Let this season play out before kick dirt on the UND hockey team. No, the UND fanbase is known for being patient. This team is close to breaking out and could go on a second-half run. 

 The Berry File 

You have a coach who has amassed an impressive 213-111-34 (.642) record. His teams have won four of the last five NCHC regular season titles. In their first season with coach Berry, he helped guide UND to their first NCAA title since 2000. A feat former head coach Dave Hakstol couldn't do in 11 seasons with UND. That's neither a slam nor a slight; it's just a fact. 

 Our fans also wanted Hakstol fired, too. In April 2015, UND fans were unhappy with head coach Dave Hakstol; while still a member of the Hockey Writers, I wrote this. 

It must be the offseason; a vocal minority of North Dakota hockey fans are once again calling for the ouster of head coach Dave Hakstol. This time, some of those same fans want Hakstol to take the whole coaching staff with him. (Link) 

None of that matters anymore. Hakstol was hired as the Philadelphia Flyers head coach, and UND hired Berry to replace Hakstol. Fans are now channeling their anger towards the current head coach. I was reminded that Berry's teams have stumbled in the NCAA playoffs all summer, winning a single game since the magical season of 2015-16. According to the naysayers, conference titles are fine, but that's not UND hockey; winning NCAA titles is the standard. 

During hockey media day back in September, coach Berry was very frank. 

"There’s a focus in the locker room on hanging a ninth green banner. “North Dakota is not for everybody, head coach Brad Berry said. “There’s a lot of pressure here, and within that, you have to make sure that you invest in yourself every day and earn the opportunity to bring it. That’s what I like about our group; they’re buying into how we do things here and are humble, respectful, and hardworking.” 

On getting that ninth green banner: “We’ve done a good job getting to a certain point,” Berry said. “We got to get past that point. That’s on us as coaches and players, working together and building the physical and mental side that can take you to that level. We’ve done a few things to discuss and work on, and we will continue to do that.” 

UND Bitten by the Injury Bug 

This season, UND has been bitten by the injury bug. The Hawks have been without Kaleb Johnson (indefinitely), Bennett Zmolek (indefinitely), Tanner Komzak (Returned against RMU), Cameron Berg (week-to-week), Louis Jammernik V (week-to-week), Andrew Strathmann (Returned this past weekend), Cody Croal (Returned last Saturday night). Wait, hold the phone. Saturday night, at various points of the game, two more players went down to injury. Ben Strinden and Caleb MacDonald both left the game and didn't return. 

Injuries aside, UND's back end is pretty green. Last Saturday, UND dressed four freshmen and two sophomores. The upperclassman from the D-Core, Bennett Zmolek, is out due to injury. 

 Nobody from the UND hockey team is making excuses. Friday, after UND's 2-1 loss to BSU, coach Berry's post-game comments on the radio broadcast were very brief and to the point. The Hawks aren't scoring five-on-five, and it's showing in the box scores. 

"We had a ton of them (Grade A chances)," Berry said. "Then one goes off a guy's leg. You have to get a few more of those. You have to try to keep getting pucks to the net with traffic. There weren't many power plays tonight. Each team had two power plays, so you got to create five-on-five." 

On Friday's 2-1 Loss to BSU. "It was a step in the right direction; I think there's still more to give," Berry said. "We have to keep playing at a high level, and we need a scoring rebound tomorrow night. We're home at the Ralph and must win that game."

Finally, UND has 20 games left in the regular season; maybe we should all take a breath and relax. Cut the guys some slack; they've faced a lot of adversity in 15 games. Some of this adversity is a valuable lesson that will help them adjust to the rigors of the college hockey season. 

UND Hockey: Time to Step off of the Ledge, They're Fine

The University of North Dakota hockey team had a statement game Friday, winning 7-2 over Hockey East Powerhouse Boston University. UND came out of the gate like gangbusters. Ultimately, it wasn't even close in the end, as they scored five goals on 11 shots in the first period. For those who are mathematically challenged, that's a .454 save percentage. I said it last year, and I'll repeat it: Mathieu Caron has looked shaky every time he's played against UND.

I told someone this was one of my top-10 UND hockey games ever. 

What a difference a week makes. After last weekend's split with the Minnesota State Mavericks, some fans were again suggested that UND fire Brad Berry. Three games into the season, and they want Berry gone already. So, after the first period, I tweeted this to X. 

 

It’s 5-0, so do the fans on Sioux Sports still want to fire 🔥 the head coach? 😆🤣

— Eric J. Burton (@goon48) October 26, 2024

Let's at least wait till the end of the season to start the Fire Berry thread. He's not going anywhere, anyway. I've already predicted that the Hawks are going to the Frozen Four this year. 

I mean, seriously, I am kidding, not really. Last night's victory was a dismantling of the Boston University Terriers. It was a beatdown. UND came out determined and looked pissed off. They got in the shooting lanes and gave the Terriers nothing. When the Terriers got an odd-man rush, they recovered, breaking up the opportunities. UND forward Jake Schmaltz on the Hawks's quick start in the first period. 

 "After we got the lead, we didn't get too high, didn't get too low, just kind of machine-like mindset, and that kind of carried in the third but thought we we're ready to play, and we're going to have that same effort tomorrow," Schmaltz said.  

Boston University's Head Coach Said What?

Entering Friday’s game, the Terriers had the 62nd youngest team in college hockey. However, it wasn’t the younger players that Boston University head coach Jay Pandolfo was upset with. His veteran players didn’t answer the call.

“We certainly have a young group,” Pandolfo said. “A lot of these guys are playing in this environment for the first time, but I’m not putting it on the young guys. We have guys who are veteran players for us, who have been in tough environments and have experience, and they did not lead the way for us. Getting some of our young guys the first opportunity to play in this type of game, so I’m not putting it on them, but we had some older guys that have been around that did not help our group.”

What else can you say when you lose 7-2 in the opening game of a series?

“It makes it tough when you don’t win battles and compete all over the ice,” Pandolfo said. “It makes it difficult. That was the issue all night.

Michigan Ends North Dakota Season, 4-3. What Now?

 

Good morning from cloudy Grand Forks, ND. Another UND hockey season has come to an end, and the team has fallen short of the goal of winning an NCAA title. On Friday night, UND was on the wrong end of a 4-3 loss to the Michigan Wolverines. Another year, another first-round exit in the NCAA playoffs. 

What now? 

I am not a negative person; I am puzzled by some of the fans' burn-it-to-the-ground mentality. After missing the NCAA playoffs the year before, UND rebounded during the 2023-24 season, winning the Penrose Trophy and finishing the season with a 26-12-2 record. That tied for the most wins since the 2019-20 season. I know, I know. At UND, we only care about National Championships. 

I am checking in with X this morning; none of that matters. UND is about winning a natty. Winning the conference is nice, but that's not the standard. 

By the numbers 2-7 in the first round of the Frozen Faceoff. That's bound to change with the NCHC tourney going completely to campus during the 2025-26 season. UND has had one NCAA win since 2016, and the win was against AIC. Bruce Ciskie said it best, hockey is about getting the right bounce and having a little luck. Recently, luck has yet to be on UND's side. 

Yes, crazy ass "Fire Berry" bandwagoners, I'm talking to you.

This tournament is luck. Draws, matchups, travel, ice conditions, health, puck luck, officiating, you name it.

The job is to get there, then hope to hell the hockey gods smile on you enough to keep going. https://t.co/j6WLpCRdOs

— Bruce Ciskie (@BruceCiskie) March 30, 2024

UND entered this game with questions. One of their best defensemen, Garrett Pyke, was injured, and there are questions about UND's mental toughness. Last weekend, I told a friend that I thought UND's mental game was a bit soft this season. I saw it against CC and Omaha. They could have handled the adversity better. This season was also a bridge year to the future. But there's hope on the horizon. UND's defense corps will be bolstered next season by adding promising talents of incoming freshmen E.J. Emery and Andrew Strathmann. Add forwards Mac Swanson and Sacha Boisvert, and the future looks bright. 

Yes. There are some questions heading into the offseason. March was an up-and-down month for the green and white; they went 4-4-0 and finished the season losing in the St. Louis Regional.  

During the second half of the season, UND was 12-7-1. Six losses were to Omaha (4) and CC (2). Of course, Michigan was the final loss. 

"It's tough to think about that right now," a somber head coach Brad Berry said in the post-game press conference. Knowing our season has ended, it's spending time with the guys here. But once we get back, we'll have conversations to see what goes on. I know the majority of our guys will be coming back, and we'll carry on with another year."

It's more fun covering a team when they're winning. For me, I look for the silver lining. I've been covering the UND hockey team since the 2011-12 season—for the mathematically challenged like me, that's 12 years. I've seen many players come and go, and I've seen many seasons end in the NCHC playoffs, Frozen Faceoff, or the NCAA tourney. This season's team was a lot of fun to cover. UND replaced eight defensemen and a starting goalie. They added two new forwards and some exciting freshmen. This is an excellent group of young men.

Finally, good luck to outgoing seniors/grad students: Carson Albrecht, Logan Britt, Riese Gaber, Hunter Johannes, Keaton Pehrson,  Ludvig Persson, Garrett Pyke, and Griffin Ness; you all left a mark on the program and wore the UND uniform proudly and smartly. 

UND Crushes Miami, 7-1. Advances to the Frozen Faceoff

There's an old hockey cliche: It's very hard to end a team's season. On Saturday night, the UND hockey team looked like a determined team. They were determined not to play game three. It was pretty straightforward: Lose to the lowly RedHawks, and they'd be back on the ice on Sunday night. Mission accomplished: When the final horn sounded, the Hawks left no doubt as they crushed the Miami RedHawks 7-1 and sent them home looking for answers. 

Seven different players scored goals for UND - at the 13:17 mark of the first period, Riese Gaber scored his 18th goal of the season to give UND a 1-0 lead. Gaber is two short of 20 goals, and if he can reach 20 goals, it will be the first time since the 2005-06 season that three UND players have had 20 or more goals: Drew Stafford, 24; Jonathan Towes, 22; and T.J. Oshie, 24.

The Hawks scored another in the second and five in the third period to blow the game open. It was an impressive win against a bad hockey team. 

In one of the nice stories of the year, graduate forward Hunter Johannes scored the first UND goal of the season at Ralph and the last goal of the season at Ralph. This was a player that wanted to play at UND but didn't get the opportunity. After playing three seasons at AIC, he transferred to Lindenwood College. Due to COVID-19, he benefited from having a fifth year and transferred to UND—his dream school. He's made the most of his opportunity. 

The three stars of the game were 1st star Jackson Blake (1g-2a-3pts), 2nd Star Jackson Kunz (1g-2a-3pts), and third star of the game Hobie Hedquist 28 saves. It was the second multipoint game of Kunz's career and the first three-point game of his career. Kunz has (5g-6a-11pts) in his last 13 games. When asked about having his first three-point game of his career, Kunz was pretty low-key.

"I don't like talking about myself too much," Kunz said. "You're playing with good players, making one pass, and you don't know what they will do with it. I'm lucky to be able to be out there with the guys we have."

It didn't matter what the RedHawks game plan was; the Fighting Hawks had an answer for everything they tried. When a shot got through, the defense either blocked it, or freshman goalie Hobie Hedquist saved it. 

"We had the puck on our stick," Miami head coach Chris Bergeron said. "(We) don't do what we're asking them to do; we turn the puck over to the wrong guy, and it's one zero." 

This past weekend, UND's starting goalie was out with an undisclosed issue (injury or illness). During Saturday's post-game press conference, Brad Schlossman asked UND head coach Brad Berry for an update on his starting goalie. It was Mum's the word. 

"We're not going to divulge very much information because it's the playoffs," Berry said. "As the week progresses, we'll share more information, but right now, it's undisclosed." 

No matter what the issue was, UND didn't need Persson. The rookie phenom stopped 51 of 53 shots (.962). During the first period of Saturday's game, Hedquist was tested early and made quite a few difficult stops. 

Hedquist's play caught the eye of the Miami coach.

"For a guy who hasn't played much, he hasn't lost yet; he's 5-0 over 90 save percentage," Bergeron said. "They don't have bad players here. Whether he's played a bunch or not that much, he's proven he's a good player."

During the post-game press conference, I asked Coach Berry if he was tempted to ride a hot goalie and start him on Friday at the Frozen Faceoff. 

"Yeah, everything's on the table, Berry said. "You've known us long enough that we will put a lineup together that gives us a chance to win. We have two very good goaltenders. Hobie proved himself now, and Ludvig proved himself in the past. We will go through the week here. We'll keep moving forward. It's nice to know guys get to come in and contribute."

Omaha Outworks North Dakota, 3-2

It was a weird night in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. All the home teams won, and not a single road team broke through. On Friday, the University of North Dakota hockey team appeared to suffer from the Penrose Cup hangover. UND came out a step slow and chased the game for 50 minutes. The Hawks didn't play badly; Omaha just played better. They made a push in the third period, but it wasn't enough. 

"We didn't start on time." head coach Brad Berry said. "That was a desperate team. They were sharper than we were in the first two periods. We played with some desperation in the third, but in this league, you got to play three periods." 

"We knew they were going to be a hungry team, UND captain Riese Gaber said. "They came out hungry. That was a difference. We had a good third period, but we got outworked in the first half of the game. That ended up being the deciding factor." 

"They were the hungrier team," Louis Jamernik V said. "It's such a mental game. We did a good job preparing all week and doing the right things. It just comes down to who wants it more. They won the puck battles and puck races, especially in that first half. We didn't give up. I thought our third period was pretty good. We were 14 and 4 for shots. It shows when we're playing desperate hockey, we can dominate."

"I thought our game, all three periods, was very good' Omaha head coach Mike Gabinet said, "Guys played extremely well." 

It wasn't all negatives for UND. Sophomore forward Jackson Blake set the NCHC's conference scoring record with an assist in the first period, his 36th conference point of the season. He broke the record held by former UND forward Brock Boeser (2015-16) and DU forward Bobby Brink (2021-22). 

Junior forward Cameron Berg scored his 20th goal of the season, becoming the second player since Shane Gersich, 21 goals in 2016-17 to reach 20. Looking at the player stats for the UND hockey team, the Hawks could have three players with 20 or more goals.

Even with the loss, UND remains at No. 3 in the Pairwise Rankings. 

Special teams play: UND went 1-for-4 on the power play. UND's penalty kill remained hot; the Hawks have now killed 14 straight penalties since Feb. 16, 2024. 

  

The Penrose Cup Returns to Grand Forks; UND sweeps WMU with a 3-0 Win

When I walked into Ralph Engelstad Arena on hockey media day back in September, I could feel the energy and a buzz in the building. I picked up a vibe as I interviewed some new players. I had a feeling. As I started watching this team play, they started racking up wins. I told Virg Foss that this team had a chance to do good things. I even compared them to the 2016 team. As the final horn sounded on Saturday's game, UND won 3-0. The Hawks clinched the series against the Broncos and the Penrose Cup outright. 

Even more impressive is that this is UND's fourth Penrose Cup in the last five seasons and UND's sixth in the previous 11 seasons. This is one goal on the list of things that UND wants to do. UND is looking to check more boxes. 

"We have a winning culture," Hunter Johannes said. "We're going to get back to work; we want to bring this town, these fans, and our families what we deserve. We're going to come in and work every day for it."

Defensively, it was a solid team effort. UND goalie Ludvig Persson was solid in net, stopping 35 of 35 shots. When Persson wasn't making saves, the players in front of him blocked 26 shots. For the weekend, UND blocked 52 shots. Persson was named the game's number-one star. The Hindås, Sweden native, appears to have found another gear. 

Before coming to UND, Persson had been on Miami teams that were cellar dwellers at the bottom of the NCHC standings. During Persson's prior three seasons, the RedHawks had never won more than eight games. If you add up all three season's wins, the RedHawks won 20 games; this season, UND is 24-8-2. Saturday, Persson recorded his fifth shutout of the season. In three previous seasons, he had a combined total of five shutouts. Persson is (21-8-2, 2.44 GAA and a .908 save percentage). 

On February 16-17, 2024, the Colorado College Tigers swept UND by a combined score of 13-3. Since that weekend, UND has rebounded, going 4-0, outscoring the opposition 18-5, and recording two shutouts. UND goalie Ludvig Persson played a big part in that. This past weekend, Persson stopped 69-of-72 shots for the weekend. That's a .958 save percentage.

What went through Persson's mind as he was handed the Penrose Cup? 

"Lots of thoughts going through your mind," Persson said. "It's been a journey to get there. A lot of emotions. It's a long journey to get here. I'm going to take it all in. Just enjoy the moment. I am just happy."

Jackson Blake is on a five-game point streak and scored (2g-9a-11pts) during that streak. Last night, he scored his 19th goal and 50th point of the season. He's now tied with Brock Boeser and Bobby Brink for the NCHC record for most conference points in a season. Blake is the first UND player since Brock Boeser to score 50 or more points. 

Currently, Blake is tied for third place in the national scoring race behind Boston College's Will Smith (17g-37a-54pts), Cutter Gauthier (31g-20a-51pts), Gabe Perreault (15g-35a-50pts), Blake (19g-31a-50pts), Boston University Macklin Celebrini (26g-22a-48pts), and Denver University's Jack Devine (24g-25-49pts).  (Link to National Scoring Stats) 

 

Goon's Takeaways: UND Sweeps Miami with 4-1 Win

Things don't always come easily for the University of North Dakota hockey team. Entering the weekend, this looked like a series in which UND would dominate from the drop of the first puck to the final whistle. It was Miami; they had won a single NCHC conference game and were 1-12-1 in conference play. Some in NoDak Nation wondered if this could be a trap series. 

When the final horn sounded, UND had completed the sweep of the RedHawks with a 4-1 win. While it wasn't a dominating series win, UND took 11 of 12 points in the season series. More importantly, it was the second series in a row where UND had closed out an opponent, winning the season series. 

It was a series in which UND graduate defenseman Logan Britt had a great weekend on the score sheet. On Saturday, he scored two goals to lead UND. Britt scored three goals on the weekend to push his goal total to five, a career-high. It was also the first time in his career that Britt had scored a pair of goals.  

Saturday was a bounce-back game for senior goalie Ludvig Persson. After letting in four goals the night before, Ludvig Persson was stellar between the pipes, stopping 33 of 34 shots (.970).

  

Earlier this week, I listened to the UND hockey podcast, and Brad, Eli, and Feldy talked about statistics. This season's UND hockey is a stats geek's dream. There are so many positive stories to run on. Below are some storylines from this weekend's series against the Miami RedHawks. 

Saturday's game against the RedHawks was a parade to the penalty box for UND. They played an undisciplined game and took an excessive amount of penalties; UND entered the game, averaging 6 minutes a game in penalties minutes. Saturday, UND was assessed eight minor penalties for 16 penalty minutes. After Saturday's game, UND is still ranked 4th least penalized team in the nation. I am sure UND will want to clean that up before the playoffs. 

Forward Jackson Blake extended his point streak to 10 straight games (6g-11a-17pts). Moreover, Blake has scored 13 points in his last six games (5g-8a-13pts). He also has 10 multi-point games. In 28 games, he's scored (17g-22a-39pts). 

Cameron Berg is having a career year. Saturday, he pushed his career-long point streak to seven, where he's scored (6g-4a-10pts). Berg has eight goals in the last 10 games. In 28 games, he's scored (15g-14a-29pts).

UND head coach Brad Berry recorded his 200 win behind the UND bench. Berry's team also improved to 20-6-1 and 11-4-1 NCHC.

"The guys gave me a puck today in the locker room," Berry said. It was pretty emotional. I've been here for a while and told them this isn't just me. It was the players in the locker room- the players that came before them - an amazing coaching and support staff. We have a great staff here. It's a team award, but I told them I'll hand this puck in right now and trade it for championships and banners."

With Saturday's win, UND tied the program record for the longest regulation unbeaten streak, reaching 21 games. UND has not lost a game in regulation since November 3, 2023 (against BU, 3-2 loss). In 2024, UND improved to 8-1-1 (.850).

Since moving to the NCHC, UND has owned the RedHawks. After Saturday's win, UND is 29-8-1 (.776) all-time against the RedHawks and 12-4-2 in Oxford, OH. 

Goon's Takeaways: UND Races Past DU, 5-2

Walking into Ralph Engelstad Arena Friday night, you could feel the energy; there was a buzz. During the warmups, it got louder. The DU vs. UND series is one of the matchups the fans and players circle on their calendars. When the final horn sounded, UND fans would leave Ralph happy. Here are my takeaways from Friday's convincing 5-2 win. 

On Friday night, it was about the details. UND played a solid defensive game and held the Pioneers to two shots on goal during the first period. In the second period, UND was outshot 10-9 but outscored the Pioneers 3-1. 

After dominating Denver in the first period, halfway through the second, Dylan James and the little-used Griffin Ness gave UND a 2-0 lead. A minute and 37 seconds later, Pioneers Defenseman Zeev Buium got the Pioneers on the board. At the 17:10 mark of the second period, the Hawks got their first and only power play goal with a snipe from Jackson Blake. 

At the 14:42 mark of the third period, the Pioneers would cut UND's lead to one with a goal from junior forward Aidan Thompson. That was all the closer the Pioneers would get; UND would score two empty net goals (Cameron Berg and Ben Strinden) to give UND a 5-2 win. 

Details: How good was UND's defense? Denver is the top offensive team in the country, and they're averaging 5.1 goals per game. For comparison sake, UND is the fifth ranked team in goals scored. Entering Friday's game, the Pioneers had scored at least three goals per game. UND's defense held the Pioneer's high-flying offense to two goals and Massimo Rizzo and Jack Devine without a point. 

"We know they're a good rush team," head coach Brad Berry said. "They jump four or five guys at that time. Puck management is one thing, and making sure that you close on guys quicker. When we give that team a little room, they can make plays, and our guys did a good job from start to finish, taking time and space away." 

Friday, against the Pioneers, UND played its best defensive game of the year. 

"I thought it was a really good 60 minutes, probably one of our better ones of the year," UND graduate defenseman Keaton Pehrson said.

   

With the 5-2 win, UND sits alone in first place in the NCHC standings with 29 points. With their 7-6 loss to the Omaha Mavericks, St. Cloud State is in second place, 2 points behind. Denver is third with 23 points. If UND could win the series finale, they would be nine points ahead of the Pioneers.

What else can we say about sophomore forward Jackson Blake? This week, UND announced he was a Hobey Baker Memorial Award candidate. He's the team's leading scorer (16g-16a-32pts) and a plus-three. Last night, he added a goal and an assist for his eighth multi-point game of the season, which leads UND. Blake extended his point streak to seven games and has scored in three straight. Finally, Blake has been very successful against the Pioneers. He has scored 11 points (3g-8a-11pts) in seven career games.

Junior forward Cameron Berg has been on a roll. He's scored (13g-12a-25pts) and is tied for second in points with Owen McLaughlin. With his two points (1g-1a-2pts), he now has seven multi-point games. Like his teammate Blake, Berg has had some success against the Pioneers; after last night's two-point game, he now has 10 points (5g-5a-10pts) in nine career games. Finally, West Fargo Native Berg has six goals and two assists in his last seven games. 

With the 5-2 win, UND improves to 158-135-16 (.547) all-time against Denver. UND holds a 93-46-10 advantage on home ice. In recent years, this series has been pretty even; UND is 8-7 in the last 15 games against the Pioneers. After losing four straight games last season, UND has won two of the previous three meetings between the two foes.

The UND hockey team has gone 18 straight games without losing in regulation. Their last regulation loss was on Nov 3, 2023, when UND lost to BU 3-2. 

Goon's Takeaways: UND Beats SCSU, 5-3

Last season, the University of North Dakota hockey team didn't do very well against the St. Cloud State Huskies. In five games against UND, the Huskies dominated the Hawks 3-1-1 and ended their season. UND looked to right the ship on Friday against SCSU. Revenge was on the UND player's minds. 

This week in practice, the UND players kept that in the back of their minds as they traveled to St. Cloud to take on the Huskies. 

"I didn't have to talk about it during the week," head coach Brad Berry said. "I mentioned it once, and it kept coming back in conversations as a group. That's always a tough pill to swallow; when your season gets ended by the team you're playing, there's a little revenge there. The biggest thing for us, we got to stay hungry. We won a game tonight. There can't be any complacency. We got to make sure we're hungry, and we come out hard, just like we did this evening." 

"The first period gave us momentum throughout the game," Blake said. "There will be ups and downs, but we stayed with it and played well tonight."

The players know the importance of this series. It's the only regular season series between the two teams, and the importance of getting a good start and winning in regulation wasn't lost on the UND players. UND would race to a 2-0 lead in the first period with goals from Jackson Blake and Garrett Pyke.

SCSU and UND would exchange goals in the second period. In the back of their minds, UND fans had to wonder if the Hawks could hang on to the lead. In the third period, UND and SCSU scored two more goals, and when the final horn sounded, UND ended the night on top, winning the game 5-3. 

With the win, UND vaulted into first place in the NCHC standings. 

 "You want to be up there -- you don't want to be chasing," Jake Livanavage said. "Now we're in first place. We've earned it. We had a good first half. We just got to keep it rolling."

Embed below are the highlights from last night's game. It was one of the better games of the 2023-24 season. 

Here are some things that stuck out for me during Friday's game. 

UND goalie Ludvig Persson finished with a season-high 34 saves to improve to 13-6-1. After not being 100 percent a week prior, in game one against the Huskies, Persson was on top of his game, making 14 saves on 15 shots in the second period. In 20 games this season, Ludvig has a 2.38 GAA and a .904 save percentage. He also has three shutouts.

"Ludvig (Persson) was outstanding tonight," Berry said. "When he was called upon, he made some huge saves for us." 

Sophomore forward Jackson Blake had another multi-point game, his seventh of the season. That was also his sixth three-point game of the season. Blake has hit the 30-goal threshold for his career with his two-goal game. 

With his two-point game (two assists), sophomore forward Owen McLaughlin extended his point streak to five straight games. McLaughlin has scored four goals and six assists for 10 points in those five games. In 22 games, he's scored (8g-17a--25pts), and he's also plus-six. 

Junior forward Cameron Berg continued his torrid pace. He has points in 12 of his last 15 games, including 10 goals. Last night, Berg scored his 11th goal of the season, a career-high. In 23 games, Berg has scored (11g-11a--22pts), and he's also a plus-10.

Goon's Takeaways: DU Beats UND 3-2 in OT to Get the Series Split

When the weekend started, many in NoDak would have agreed that a series split with Denver (7-5 W, 3-2 OT L) would've been an acceptable result. The Hawks hadn't swept in Denver for 20 years, and taking 4-of-6 points would be a great result, considering that point. 

Not so fast. The loss ended an eight-game winning streak by UND. In the post-game press conference, the UND players weren't satisfied with taking 4-of-6 points. 

 "They weren't too happy about last night, so we knew they were going to bring it and there were going to be some emotions out there tonight," UND defenseman Keaton Pehrson told the media following Saturday's game. "We expected that."

If you didn't see Saturday's game, no problem; the highlights are embedded in the YouTube video below.

 

Here are some of the things that stuck out for me this weekend. After watching both games,  I think it was a good hockey weekend for UND. Obviously, a much better for UND would have been a sweep, but that is a very tall task. You could see the guys were a little tired at the end of the second and third periods. 

The players UND acquired through the NCAA Transfer Portal have paid big dividends through the first half of the season. It's not an understatement to say that junior forward Cameron Berg had a big weekend for UND against the Pioneers. Berg scored three goals on the weekend and five goals in his last four games. That translates to seven points during those four games (4g-3a--7pts). He also has five multi-point games. In 16 games, Berg has scored (7g-9a--16-pts), he's also a plus-seven. Four of Berg's 7 goals have come on the power play. Berg is second in the NCHC in faceoff wins 169-101 (.626). 

Another NCAA Transfer Portal acquisition, Hunter Johannes, has scored (7g-5a--12pts) in 16 games. He is a plus-10. Until Saturday night, he hadn't scored a goal on the road. He finally broke through at the 3:08 mark of the third period.  

Sophomore forward Jackson Blake is on fire. He is on a seven-game scoring streak (5g-7a--12pts). In 16 games, Blake has scored (11g-11a--22pts), which leads UND. He is a plus-six. Blake is tied for fourth in the NCHC in points with 22.  

UND closes out the 2023 part of the schedule this weekend against Colorado College. They play the next six games at home (seven if you count the exhibition game against the U18 team). UND has 20 regular season games, 12 at home and eight on the road. UND is 8-1-1 at home and 4-2 on the road. 

They Said what?

With Nick back at the helm at Let's Go DU. Much better. 

The Grand Forks Herald: UND Drops Series Finale in Overtime

UND head coach Brad Berry; 'Sweep or Workout'

The UND hockey team is a storied program, and a very high standard has been set. Fans expect conference and national championships. The UND coaching staff has set a very high standard for their players. Weekend home series are expected to end in sweeps, when they don’t sweep there’s a consequence.

“We have a thing here where we do post-game workouts, coach Berry said. “If we don’t sweep, you get swept, you only win one game – you have to do a workout. If you sweep you don’t have to do a workout. it. At the end of the day, I said to the guys, the standard is the standard, we’re going to get in the weight room, and we’re going to work out.”

While a win and a tie against a top opponent is a good weekend; however, it’s not the standard at UND. Following this weekend’s win and a tie, the Hawks were back in the weight room doing a workout.

“They’re in there right now,” Berry said. We didn’t lose this weekend. We won and we tied. We always talk about the standard is the standard and the standard is sweep. You don’t have to work out. I think there was disappointment. I asked the guys I opened it up to them. The guys said they’re teed off. They’re disappointed. That’s good. I think that’s great. It was a lost opportunity that we didn’t, didn’t get the closeout for a sweep this weekend. That tells you that the guys are thinking about the standard or want to get to that standard. I think that’s good to have that kind of teed-off mentality and know that we didn’t get two wins instead of a win and a tie.

 

UND Graduate Forward Hunter Johannes is Turning Heads

This season, if you have watched the UND hockey team play, you will have noticed number 28, Graduate Forward Hunter Johannes. After five games, Johannes is UND's leading goal scorer. He scored UND's first goal of the season, a shorthanded goal. Two of his four goals are shorthanded goals, that also leads UND.  Are you noticing a theme here? Johannes is finding ways to get it done. 

Friday night, entering the second period, UND held a comfortable 4-0 lead over Minnesota State.  At the 9:55 mark of the second period, Johannes would score his fourth goal of the year, to give UND an even more comfortable 5-0 lead. 

This guy just loves scoring goals! #UNDproud | #LGH pic.twitter.com/nQ8qqYwjj5

— North Dakota Hockey (@UNDmhockey) October 28, 2023

                  

In the post-game press conference, I asked UND head coach Brad Berry if he expected Johannes to be leading the team in goals after five games? 

"Probably didn't think it early on, Berry said. "When he came in here (last January) ... he played at Lindenwood.  He scored against all of the good teams. He scored against us, Denver, Minnesota. He scored against a lot of good teams. So, it's not surprising. The other thing that's not surprising is his work ethic and how he plays so fast.  He makes other teams turn pucks over and he is powerful. When you put all that together, recipe for having a good start."

Johannes works hard in practice and in the weight room. His efforts have shown up in the box scores as goals. That's a good way to stay in the lineup. 

"He's a worker in the weight room," Berry said. "I think he was a guy growing up that never got a lot of accolades or a lot of attention. He's out to prove to people that he can play and that he's doing a good job."