UND Hockey Returns Home For First Series Since February Of 2020

Fighting Hawks host Colorado College for a two-game series

GRAND FORKS, N.D. — The last memory North Dakota hockey fans have of Ralph Engelstad Arena is Shane Pinto scoring an overtime winner to beat Western Michigan. That was February 29th of 2020. Saturday is the first time back on home ice.

The Fighting Hawks are riding a lot of momentum heading into its series with Colorado College.

Against Denver, the Hawks were able to turn a 4-1 loss in game one into a 5-1 win in game two.

UND took both games the series prior in Colorado Springs two weeks ago.

To keep having positive results, head coach Brad Berry says that success on the road has to carry over.

“One of the things I know is from coaching and playing in the NHL is sometimes when you’re gone along time that sometimes when you go home, you let off the gas a little bit. We can’t do that,” Berry said. “Knowing that OK were playing at home, in our home building, we have some fans, that’s good. Yeah it’s great but we have to our thing as far as having that road mentality coming home here.”

“There’s a lot of excitement around it. There is a lot of excitement it since the start of the year getting that first game in the Ralph,” defensemen Josh Reiger said. Now that it’s here this weekend, it’s going to be though to compose ourselves. I know we just want to come back here and play in front of our fans. Were just looking forward to it.”

“Its going to be different,” forward Judd Caulfield said. “It’s a little weird playing in front of the fake crowd noise but it’ll be fun to actually have cheers when there’s goals or big hits.”

Capacity at the Ralph is expected to be around 2700 fans based off state guidelines.