Jackson Blake Scores His First NHL Goal -- Coach Berry Weighs In

On Tuesday night, another former UND hockey player scored his first NHL goal. Caroline Hurricanes forward Jackson Blakes's goal helped the Hurricanes defeat the New Jersey 4-2. At the 10:16 mark of the third period, Blake scored the game-winning goal. It didn't take Blake long to score his first NHL goal in his third career game, and 106:18 into his second season. 

Here's what his former coach had to say about his first NHL goal. 

"I gotta be honest; reading what was going on, I don't think they were giving him a great chance to make that Carolina hurricane team, UND head coach Brad Berry said. "I think he was pegged to be in the minors right away and work his way up. That tells you what Jackson Blake is as far as what he did for a body of work here, being relentless, being a guy that was one of our best, if not our best player, every day, coming on the ice and for me as a coach, then it's worth it.

"When you leave North Dakota, which has a lot of things going on here, you want to make sure they have an opportunity for themselves to make the big club instead of toiling in the minors for years. For Jackson Blake, he got there. He has to stay there. He has to continue to earn it to be that everyday NHL player; many of our guys have done that just because they know their humility and what it takes to earn it every day."

Here's what his teammates had to say. 

"Every day I think I just get more comfortable," Blake said after the game during the post-game media scrum. "I'm realizing that I think I belong here in this league, and I've got to show it every night. I think every day is a tryout. I felt comfortable tonight and I think I'm just going to continue to feel that."

"It's awesome. Everyone's going to remember your first goal. Like Roddy said, we might not remember this game, but Blaker will for the rest of his life," Shayne Gostisbehere said. "For him and his family, it's all the hard work everyone put in to help get him to that point. Getting the game-winning goal is pretty cool, too."

Enjoy that first @NHL goal feeling, Jackson Blake!! pic.twitter.com/TdnYdN8xH0

— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) October 16, 2024

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 Inches Closer to Another Penrose Cup with 5-3 Victory over WMU

Friday night's theme: "Our goalie really bailed us out."

Sometimes wins don't come easy. Friday, the University of North Dakota was badly outshot 37-17 but still prevailed with a hard-fought 5-3 win. Senior goalie Ludvig Persson was rock solid in net, stopping 33 of 37 shots (.918); many were grade-A shots. Fighting Hawks blocked 26 shots led by defenseman Bennett Zmolek and Dylan James with five blocked shots each. It was a gritty team effort.

"I gotta give a shout-out to Luddy (Ludvig Persson)," Carson Albrecht said. "He stood on his head, and I don't think we would have won without him."

UND received balanced scoring. Five players scored goals for UND: Owen McLaughlin, Jackson Kunz, Louis Jamernik V, Carson Albrecht, and Cameron Berg. 

Last night, Blake continued his torrid pace with (0g-2a-2pts). Blake sits in fourth 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 (18g-31a-49pts), Boston University Macklin Celebrini (26g-22a-48pts), and Denver University's Jack Devine (22g-26-48pts). Can we say Hobey Baker? (Link to National Scoring Stats) According to Brad Schlossman, with Blake's two assists, he's within one point of the NCHC record for most league points in a season (35). The record is held by former UND forward Brock Boeser (2015-16) and former Denver Pioneer Bobby Brink (2021-22). (Yeah, that Brink.) 

There's a lot on the line on Saturday night. 

"There's a ton of motivation tomorrow to know you can do it on the second last series of the year, at home, on senior night, which is always emotional, Berry said. "(In the past) our guys have done a good job on senior night, they know what's coming, but they block it out till the end of the game. They know the task at hand. That's going to be a salty team coming in tomorrow. They probably thought they deserved a better fate. At the end of the day, that's hockey."

With the 5-3 victory, the UND hockey team inched closer to winning their fourth Penrose Cup in the last five years and their sixth in the previous 11 years. With a win against Western Michigan on Saturday night, UND would clinch at least a share of the Penrose Cup. If UND wins and Denver sweeps SCSU, UND will win the Penrose outright. There are numerous other scenarios still out there. 

"We control our destiny, Jamernik V said. "If we play the right way, everybody will bring it tomorrow because it's senior night. We have to stay focused on the task at hand."

Former UND forward Matteo Costantini returned to the Ralph Engelstad Arena and recorded (1g-1a-2pts). A change of scenery has done Costantini well; he now has (8g-18a-26pts) and is also a plus-20.

 

Goon's Takeaways: UND Shuts Out UMD, 6-0

A week after getting swept in Colorado Springs, the University of North Dakota Hockey team was back at it; this time, the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs stood in the way. 

After scoring three goals the entire weekend against the CC Tigers, UND wasted no time getting on the board. Sixty-five seconds into the game, Jackson Blake scored his 18th goal of the season. UND never relinquished the lead; they scored three in the first period, two in the second, and one more in the third. When the final horn sounded, UND had blown the Bulldogs out 6-0. 

Blake would have a five-point night, a career-high. He was the first UND player to record five points since March 12, 2021, when Collin Adams scored (2g-3a-5pts) against the Miami RedHawks in the first round of the NCHC playoffs. 

Hobey Blaker: Blake should now be in the conversation for the Hobey Baker Memorial award with his (18g-27a-45pts) if he hasn't been previously. He sits in fourth place behind Boston College's Gabe Perreault (15g-35a-50pts), Will Smith (16g-33a-49pts), Boston University Macklin Celebrini (25g-22a-47pts), Denver University Jack Devine (21g-24a-45pts), Boston College Cutter Gauthier (28g-17a-45pts).

With the win, UND improves (21-8-2 and 12-6-1 NCHC). UND is 156-89-11(.617) all-time against the Bulldogs, including an 85-39-3 (.681) record against the Bulldogs in Grand Forks, ND. The Hawks have won six of the last eight games between the two teams, including three straight games. UND has also shutout UMD in two of the previous three games. 

Shortly, UND could have three players with 20 or more goals. Blake has 18 goals, Cameron Berg has 18 goals, and Riese Gaber has 16 goals. 

Junior forward Cameron Berg had his first three-point game of the season. Berg also has eight multi-point games on the season. Berg's two-goal game was the fourth time he had scored two goals. 

Top points getters for UND in game one: Jake Livanavage (0g-2a-2pts), Riese Gaber (1g-1a-2pts), Cameron Berg (2g-1a-3pts), Jackson Blake (1g-4a-5pts). 

UND finished the game with 16 blocked shots, including six by defenseman Bennett Zmolek, who led all players. 

According to UND SID, Alec Johnson, with his two points, UND freshman defenseman Jake Livanavage moved into a tie for second place with former UND defenseman Paul Ladue for most points by a rookie defenseman at UND since the 1999-00 season with 21.

Here are the updated standings after Friday's games. Four teams remain in the hunt for the Penrose Cup. 

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 Rallies, Wins 5-4 in OT

Good teams find ways to win games. On Friday night, it was an adventure that didn't lack excitement. Entering this weekend's series against the RedHawks, some probably thought this series was an easy six points. As we've discovered over the years, you can't take any NCHC team for granted. Any team can win on any given night. That's why UND head coach Brad Berry has called this league the gauntlet. On Friday night, the UND Hockey team flirted with defeat. 

The UND hockey team didn't have their A-game in the first period. They came out a step slow and let the opposition forwards roam in the UND D-zone. The two teams traded goals, by Miami's Thomas Daskas and UND's Jake Livanavage. Lucky for NoDak, the score was only 1-1 after one period of play.  

In the second period, the RedHawks outscored the Fighting Hawks 3-1 and took a 4-2 lead into the third period. 

In the final 20 minutes, UND went to work. They chipped away and fought back, scoring two goals by Logan Britt and Riese Gaber in the final 10.33 to tie the game with just under a minute remaining in regulation. 

At the 1:24 mark of the 3-on-3 overtime, Jackson Blake completed the comeback with his third game-winning overtime goal of the season. That leads UND. 

 

With the win, UND head coach Brad Berry is one win away from his 200th win and its 20th win of the season. Berry's teams have won 20 or more games five times in his nine seasons as the UND head coach.  All-time, Berry is 199-98-33 (.653).

With the comeback win in overtime, UND extended its impressive run without a regulation loss in 20 games, one game shy of tying the program record.

When UND play-by-play announcer Tim Hennesy brought it up during the post-game radio interview, Berry played it off. Rightfully so, Berry is more focused on team goals than personal success. 

With the win, UND improves to 28-8-1 all-time against Miami and 11-4-2 in Oxford, OH.

UND Sweeps Pioneers, 4-2. UND Sits All Alone on Top of the NCHC Standings

After a successful weekend by the hometown team, NoDak Nation is all smiles. The UND hockey dominated all weekend, sweeping their arch-rival, the Denver Pioneers (5-2 W, 4-2W). I would classify this past weekend's series as an ice-bag series. UND was the first team in 2023-24 to beat Denver in back-to-back games. What's more impressive, UND held the Pioneers top line of Mckade Webster, Massimo Rizzo and Jack Devine to a single point all weekend long. 

For the second straight game in a row, UND held DU to less than three goals, the first time that has happened this season. 

I think sophomore forward Owen McLaughlin said best: "They're a really good team, we don't like them."

With UND sweeping DU and Boston College sweeping BU, UND vaults into second place in the all-important Pairwise Rankings. If UND can maintain a top-four spot, that's Huge. With the sweep and Omaha taking four of six points against SCSU, UND is four points ahead of the Huskies and nine points ahead of DU and CC. During the regular season, UND went 3-1-0 against DU and took 10-of-12 points against the Pioneers. UND swept the Pioneers for the first time since November 5-6, 2021 (3-1 W, 4-1 W) in Grand Forks. 

At the 8:35 mark of the third period, the game was tied 2-2 when Pioneers defenseman Sean Behrens was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct. The Hawks would go on the power play and cash in with goals from McLaughlin and Riese Gaber. 

"Let's get one early, and let's get another," Gaber said. 

"This has to be the nail in the coffin," UND head coach Brad Berry said in the post-game press conference after his team went on the game-changing five-minute power play. 

UND had the attack mentality all weekend long. 

"Having that attack mentality, whether you're up in a game, we want to continue to build our lead; whether you're down, you're never out of it, UND head coach Brad Berry said. "Each game presents a different scenario, and you must make the most of it."

 

UND extended its regulation unbeaten streak to 19 games, the third-longest in school history. They can add to that total against the Miami RedHawks in Oxford, OH.

UND's top pointgetter, Jackson Blake, had another great weekend; he recorded a pair of assists to extend his point streak to eight games. Blake now has (16g-18a-34pts). Blake has nine multi-point games and six three-point games. 

Sophomore forward Owen McLaughlin has caught fire and has multiple points in five of his last eight games. He had another three-point game on Saturday night, his fifth of the season. He's tied with Blake with nine multi-point games. McLaughlin now has (9g-19a-28pts). That's good for second on the team in points. McLaughlin has accomplished this impressive point total despite being held pointless in his first four games of the season and a three-game stretch in December where he was held pointless. 

Junior forward Cameron Berg remained hot, scoring a goal for the fifth straight game, giving him 10 points (7g-3a-10pts) in the last nine games.

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 Takes 4 of 6 Points From SCSU With 3-3 Tie

On Saturday, the University of North Dakota hockey team took four of six points against St. Cloud State to vault them to the top of the NCHC standings. In the upcoming weeks, UND has an excellent opportunity to solidify its spot at the top of the NCHC standings. It starts this weekend against the Denver Pioneers. 

UND is on an impressive run; this was another weekend without a regulation loss. UND hasn't lost in regulation since November 3, 2023, at Boston University. That's a 17-game streak. Yes, UND is 2-4-2 in overtime, but the team is working on getting better in the 3-on-3 overtime. Last night, UND possessed the puck for most of the five-minute 3-on-3 overtime. 

"We're the only NCHC team that hasn't lost in regulation," UND head coach Brad Berry said. "We haven't lost in regulation since early November. That tells me a lot." 

 It's still a work in progress, but UND is focused on closing out games in regulation. 

"We've got to do a better job of closing the game in 60 minutes to win games," Berry said. "When we're trailing in games, we find a way to get points. That's a huge deal, coming out of here with the series win, knowing we don't play them again until the playoffs. It's the resiliency of our group." 

A few weeks ago, I told Virg foss that freshman forward Jayden Perron is about to break out. After making this bold prediction, Perron went pointless in four games. Perron ended his four-game pointless streak on Saturday by recording two assists for his first-ever multi-point game. 

Saturday, SCSU outshot UND 35-27; this was the first time this season that UND has been outshot in both games in a series. Speaking of shots. Against the Huskies, UND goalie Ludvig Persson was on top of his game. In both games combined, he stopped 66 of 72 shots for a .916 save percentage. On Saturday, Persson finished with 32 saves and improved his record to 13-6-2 (2.40 GAA and a .905 save percentage).  

What can we say about sophomore forward Jackson Blake? He continued his magical season with another solid weekend and extended his point streak to six games with his goal in the first period. He's scored (4g-4a--8pts) during that six-game streak. Blake has (15g-15a--30pts) for the season, and he's a plus-four.

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

Goon's Takeaways: UND Sweeps BSU 5-0

On Saturday night, the University of North Dakota hockey team beat the Bemidji State Beavers 5-0 to win their seventh game in a row. They also completed their third sweep in a row to improve to 11-2-1 (.821), (4-0-0 NCHC). Next weekend, the Fighting Hawks travel to Denver to take on the Pioneers. 

Barring any unforeseen events, UND will remain the No. 1 ranked team in the nation. Not that it matters. While it's probably too early, UND is ranked 6th in the Pairwise Rankings. No, I will not be doing any silly Bracketology posts. UND has played 10 non-conference games this season and has a 7-2-1 (.750) record. 

Sophomore forward Dane Montgomery scored his first goal of the year. Assists Griffin Ness and Bennett Zmolek. That was Montgomery's second career goal and first one at Ralph Engelstad Arena. On the lineup sheet, Montgomery was listed as the extra forward, but he ended up playing instead of freshman forward Michael Emerson.

First in the Ralph for Dane! #UNDproud | #LGH pic.twitter.com/QeqEtzv6H0

— North Dakota Hockey (@UNDmhockey) November 26, 2023

Ludvig Persson was fantastic in the net and made this beautiful save in the first period. Perrson would end the night with a 29-save shutout, his third of the season. Perrson is 11-2-1 with a 1.85 GAA and a .924 save percentage. Persson's three shutouts are tied with Dominic Basse and Freddie Halyk.  

Ludvig with the quick moves!#UNDproud | #LGH pic.twitter.com/9c5Kddq9bO

— North Dakota Hockey (@UNDmhockey) November 26, 2023

At the 5:13 mark of the second period, UND would finally score on the power play with this goal by Jackson Blake. Assists Jake Livanavage and Cameron Berg. That was Blake's 10th goal of the season. 

The banks are open late on Saturday in Grand Forks!#UNDproud | #LGH pic.twitter.com/ZShLbeyVHB

— North Dakota Hockey (@UNDmhockey) November 26, 2023

UND forward Ben Strinden would score an unassisted goal to give UND a 3-0 lead.

Pretty pretty for Ben Strindy! #UNDproud | #LGH pic.twitter.com/2fqs3KJcs3

— North Dakota Hockey (@UNDmhockey) November 26, 2023

One minute later, Jackson Kunz would score his first goal of the season to give UND a 4-0 lead. Assists Logan Britt, Ludvig Persson. That was Persson's first point of his collegiate career.

Kunz rips home his own rebound!#UNDproud | #LGH pic.twitter.com/MuLSfNStDv

— North Dakota Hockey (@UNDmhockey) November 26, 2023

Defenseman Garrett Pyke would score his first goal in a UND uniform assists Riese Gaber, and Jackson Blake. 

Pyke with his first in the green and white!#UNDproud | #LGH pic.twitter.com/97Quzlkenl

— North Dakota Hockey (@UNDmhockey) November 26, 2023

• Jackson Blake has made a huge impact in his short time at UND. In 52 games, he's scored (25g-33a--58pts), and he's also a plus-seven. Seven of his 25 goals have been scored on the power play. 
• Blake has five multi-point games that leads UND. Riese Gaber has four. 
• Gaber (7g-6a--13pts) was held to one point on the weekend. 
• UND has a record of 37-5-7 all-time against Bemidji State., The Hawks are 26-3-4 against the Beavers in Grand Forks. 
• UND has won seven straight games for the first time since 2021-22. This is also the best start for UND since the 2019-20 season. 

Goon's Takeaways: UND Sweeps Miami with 5-1

The University of North Dakota Hockey team completed the weekend sweep of the Miami University RedHawks with a 5-1 victory. Here's my rundown from the two-game conference sweep. With the 4-0-0 start in conference play, UND is sitting in second place in the NCHC standings. UND is currently on a five-game winning streak outscoring their opponents 22-11. 

The captain Riese Gaber would get UND on the board first with this beautiful goal at the 8:27 mark of the first period. Assists Garrett Pyke and Louis Jamernik V. That was goal number six on the year for Gaber. In the post-game press conference, Riese Gaber could barely speak and it was later revealed by head coach Brad Berry that he was under the weather. His linemate, Owen McLaughlin sat out Saturday night's game with an illness. 

No. 6 for the captain! #UNDproud | #LGH pic.twitter.com/hfNZ6bRVit

— North Dakota Hockey (@UNDmhockey) November 19, 2023

Just a short 2:29 later, the RedHawks would answer the Hawks goal with a goal from PJ Fletcher. Miami forward Max Dukovac with the lone assist. That was all of the scoring for Miami, Ludvig Persson would stand strong in the net and lead UND to a 5-1 Victory. (This past weekend, Miami didn't post their goal videos on their X page.)

Miami evening the score didn't deter UND's scoring. The Hawks seemed to find another gear and went to work. At the 14:52 mark of the first period, UND forward Griffin Ness scored his first goal of the year with the help of RedHawks forward John Waldron who deflected Ness's shot into his own net. That would prove to be the game-winning goal. Jackson Kunz, and Dane Montgomery would get the assists. That was Montgomery's first point of the year. 

After Ness's goal, I tweeted this out: For some reason, I thought of the song, "I get by with a little help from my friends" seemed appropriate. Griffin Ness scores his first goal of the year.

First of the year for ol' Nessy!#UNDproud | #LGH pic.twitter.com/JabtepS9NA

— North Dakota Hockey (@UNDmhockey) November 19, 2023

Gaber would score his second goal of the game with a beautiful breakaway goal to pad UND's lead. For those keeping track at home, that was goal number seven on the year. Gaber now has (7g-5a--12pts) on the season, with his two makers on Saturday, Gaber now has (53g-54a--107pts) for his career.

Whoop! #UNDproud | #LGH pic.twitter.com/oNlQkX9os2

— North Dakota Hockey (@UNDmhockey) November 19, 2023

Not to be outdone, Jackson Blake would score his 8th goal of the year 4.4 seconds remaining in the first period. Blake would also draw a penalty on the play. It was similar to Gaber's goal. Blake would pick up a loose puck off a RedHawk's turnover in the neutral zone and break in score on the RedHawks goalie Logan Neaton.

We promise you this isn't the same replay as the previous goal. #UNDproud | #LGH pic.twitter.com/a0cr0uQZzb

— North Dakota Hockey (@UNDmhockey) November 19, 2023

There was not scoring in the second period and Miami would make a push. The RedHawks outshot the Hawks 8-3. UND goalie Ludvig Persson was stellar between the pipes stopping grade A chances. Exhibit A, Persson stones Matthew Barbolini to preserve UND's 4-1 lead.

Oh my, Ludvig! #UNDproud | #LGH pic.twitter.com/yw6cO3czuE

— North Dakota Hockey (@UNDmhockey) November 19, 2023

Persson's teammates might want to take him out for supper after the game. He was stellar. He's stopped 21-of-22 shots, and a few of them were tough saves. Jaden Perron would score the Hawks fifth goal of the game with a beautiful shot from the slot.

Labeled. #UNDproud | #LGH pic.twitter.com/FtVGLRgUEr

— North Dakota Hockey (@UNDmhockey) November 19, 2023

 I know it's early, and I don't want to get ahead of myself, but I think Virg Foss is onto something. This team is very good, and has all the pieces to go deep into the NCAA playoffs. Yes, anything can happen in a one-and-done tourney. This team is significantly better than last year's team. Defense and goaltending are noticeably better. The forward group is better with the additions of Cameron Berg, Hunter Johannes, and Jayden Perron. This "could' end up being a special year.  

Virg Foss; "I'll stop short of predicting a league and NCAA title for this team at this point in the season. I do believe the ingredients are there on this team to reach such lofty goals."
I would concur. https://t.co/LtKx3JrwjF

— Eric J. Burton (@goon48) November 18, 2023

Earlier today, I tweeted that senior forward Carson Albrecht had gone 37 games without being penalized. Looking at the stats, he hadn't been assessed a penalty since March 12, 2022. On Saturday, Albrecht was assessed two minor penalties. I may want to hold off praising players for individual efforts in the future.

Carson Albrecht just got his first penalty, a 2-minute minor, since March 12, 2022. That's a span of 37 games.

— Eric J. Burton (@goon48) November 19, 2023