Rink Report: UND Uses Bye Week to Prepare for Western Michigan

The Fighting Hawks are 0-2 against the Broncos this season

GRAND FORKS, N.D. — UND is feeling rejuvenated after a bye weekend that gave them some time to get healthy and regroup. There is not much time to rest, however, as the team prepares to take on another tough NCHC battle – this time against No. 10 Western Michigan. It’s a game UND knows is going to be challenging, but one they are ready for.

“I think this bye week was very beneficial for us,” sophomore defenseman Matt Kiersted said. “There was a couple of guys that were banged up a little bit and it gave us the rest and recovery to get ready to go for this weekend and the rest of the season.”

“The open week was a chance to, first of all, to get healthy here a little more than we have been,” head coach Brad Berry said. “But also to try to work on some things, to try to score a few more goals and to try to work on some offensive things – not just forwards, but defensemen, and power play – to try to get to where we need to. We didn’t waste a minute of that open week or this week to try to get to where we needed to go. We had a very productive couple weeks here.”

“They are a heavy, fast, strong team and they are not going to give up at all or give us any inch to play hockey,” sophomore forward Jordan Kawaguchi said. “We have to go out there and try to exceed their level of play. It’s going to be a tough weekend for us and we are really looking forward to it, especially after the bye week, to give us that refreshment and the mental state, and if we have a successful weekend this weekend, it could be a huge rally point in our season.”

Some more good news for UND, junior captain Colton Poolman is one hundred percent ready to go this weekend after missing the last series due to injury.