UND’s Berry Gets Extension; Team Hungry To Win Penrose

Can claim NCHC with win over Omaha Friday

GARND FORKS, N.D — If playing for a third straight Penrose Cup wasn’t already enough going on for North Dakota hockey this weekend how about adding on some years and keeping the coach around for a little while longer.

Brad Berry agreed to an extension to stay in Grand Forks through the 2025-26 season keeping him as the highest paid state employee.

On the ice, his team can taste the history on the line. No team in the history of the NCHC has won three regular season titles in a row and in a year where 14 new skaters joined the roster everyone wants a piece of it by beating Omaha on the road.

“Some of the younger guys are talking to the older guys here a little bit about how it felt to hoist the cup or how it feel to be part of something special and remember for the rest of your life,” Berry said. “That’s exciting to see but I know its going to be extremely tough because Omaha plays a really good game with good special teams. Play very well in the home rink. Our guys know we’ll have to put our lives again on the line this week in order to win a game down there.”

“All of us guys who transferred especially from the old WCHA, were excited,” forward Ashton Calder said. “In that old conference, Minnesota State has had it for the last five years or so and it always seem liked ‘Hey its going to be Mankato this year’ but this year its our turn and makes us want to get it even more because we haven’t had a regular season championship yet.”

UND split the last series with the Mavs at the Ralph.