UND Hockey Preps for Postseason Play

Host Colorado College in a best-of-three series in NCHC Quarterfinals

GRAND FORKS, N.D — After clinching a share of the NCHC regular season title and a third straight Penrose Cup, North Dakota hockey turns their focus to the postseason and the Frozen Faceoff quarterfinals starting this weekend.

UND is the two seed and hosts a best of three series with the seven seed Colorado college. Some key pieces return to the line-up with captains Mark Senden, Ethan Frisch and Jake Sanderson (probable) coming back from lower body injuries.

UND has faced C.C. four times winning all four and outscoring them, 16-5, however when it comes to an elimination format, you throw all regular season success out the window.

“Its a team that has been building and growing all year. They’ve done a good job there of putting the team together,” head coach Brad Berry said. “Defining their roles and playing the way they want to play. It’s a situation now where there is desperation and urgency from that team as well as everyone else still playing playoffs. Knowing that you want to keep playing the game of hockey here.”

“It’s not that fun watching,” Frisch said. “The guys have been playing great but being up in the stands, you like to be down on the ice especially in critical games like this past weekend.”

“We’ve been working ever since we got here in the summer for this so we’re really excited to have some guys back,” the NCHC freshman of the week Jake Schmaltz said. “We know we’ll be playing for them but were all just really excited to get out there and try to win some hockey games.”

Friday’s puck drop is scheduled for 7:07 while Saturday’s is for 6:07.