Rink Report: UND Defense Key in Battling Top-Ranked Denver

Denver Pioneers Lead NCHC in Goals per Game with 4.20

GRAND FORKS, N.D. — North Dakota hockey prepares for its toughest test of the young season this weekend. The Fighting Hawks travel west to take on No. 1 Denver.

This weekend’s series will see the top scoring offense in the conference take on the top defense in the conference. The Pioneers are averaging 4.20 goals per game so far this season. The Fighting Hawks have only surrendered 1.75 goals per game. Something has to give this weekend out at Magness Arena.

“Well I think controlling the puck,” head coach Brad Berry said. “First of all having the puck on your stick and making good decisions is the first thing. Not turning pucks over.”

“If you don’t have the puck then you gotta make sure you’re playing a tight structured game as far as taking time and space away,” he said. “I think it all starts out first with us having the puck and doing the right things with it. Then if we don’t have it, trying to get it back and making sure we check the right way.”

North Dakota brings in the 22nd best offense in the country with 3.00 goals per game.

“I think sometimes the best defense is an offense,” junior forward Rhett Gardner said. “If we can just be simple through the neutral zone and just get pucks deep and try and run them around there end that will take a lot away from them. Obviously our track and holding that blue line will help a lot too.”

Senior captain Austin Poganski agrees with Gardner.

“If we’re playing offense in their zone it is going to be tough for them to make plays and play offense in their own zone,” Poganski said. “If we’re just playing hard and playing good hockey I think it will be tough for them to make anything happen.”

This weeks match up with the top–ranked team is nothing unusual for the UND hockey program. They’ve face the Associated Press No. 1 team in the country ten times since 2008 and they’ve split the match ups right down the middle (4-4-2).