UND Hockey Fans: No Other Fans Like Them

We begin with UND’s latest attempt to nab a national title at the Frozen Four.

North Dakota has a loyal, dedicated and a very passionate fan base.

We were inside Amalie Arena before and they are making some noise for their North Dakota Fighting Hawks.

It almost seems like a one-sided crowd.

But before this national semi-final, we had the chance to meet two unique UND fans by the names of Danny and Rob.

Their story, and how they met, is courtesy of North Dakota Hockey.

Danny Cooper is a unique UND fan, as is Rob Flaherty.

Danny’s originally from West Germany and Rob, Boston…but a past Frozen Four actually brought these two stories together.

“I met Rob probably about 10 years ago.  Probably in Columbus…could have been ’04 maybe.  I think he has a picture…oh yeah, at the Frozen Four.  When I went to Boston last year, saw them, so everybody is just friends with each other.  We are a family,” said Cooper.

Family is the absolute best word you can use to describe North Dakota Fans.

They come from far and wide, but for Flaherty, his Northeast background made it tough to don the green and white.

But his girlfriend, who happens to be a Hankinson native, turned that around pretty quick.

“My family is a Boston University family…full on.  She has converted me and it is just a fun time in the Flaherty family being able to talk college hockey.  I love watching the Sioux.  She brought me to my first Sioux game at the Ralph and from there on, I had been a Sioux fan,” said Flaherty.

Every year, North Dakota makes it to the Frozen Four, it seems like this loyal fanbase expands.

North Dakota has played in Philadelphia, Boston and now Tampa the last three years when it comes to the Frozen Four…and no matter where they go in the future, UND fans will make the trip.

“We just love the fans, love everything about it, love this…this is what it is all about.  It’s just a lot of fun,” said Flaherty.

“At UND, if they played on the moon, you would get a thousand fans there.  Look it up!”

Now it’s because of those fans that UND can kind of get some momentum behind them and that’s exactly the case right now.