UND Hockey Focused Heading into Frozen Faceoff Semifinals
Play Western Michigan in single elimination game Friday night
GRAND FORKS, N.D — North Dakota hockey split their season series with Western Michigan taking both games in Kalamazoo and UNDÂ taking both games in Grand Forks. Friday night will be the fifth game between the rivals will be their final matchup of the hockey year. Win or go home.
“It is a great experience,” head coach Brad Berry said. “St. Patrick’s day weekend, four really good teams from the NCHC battling it out but I think our message was just having a real detailed and hard focus on the things that we have to do to have success and making sure our circle keeps tight as far as you know, enjoying the experience with family and friends but knowing that you’re playing for the guy next to you and you really are there for a reason and its to win another championship and the process is Friday night not looking past Friday and making sure that is the most important thing coming up.”
With a win, UND will advance to take on the winner of the other semi between Denver and Minnesota-Duluth on Saturday. The Friday first mentality is not new.
“Our approach all year has been Friday night and our focus on is what does it take to go 60 minutes and try to win a game and we never really ever focused on Saturday nights through the year,” Berry said. “When that comes then you do but for us its business as usual and knowing that we’re not worried about Duluth or Denver because you have to earn the right to get to Saturday.”
Having played against the Broncos four times this winter, the Fighting Hawks understand the challenge.
“There a well coached team, they’re a very experienced team; they’ve played together for a number of years, they play a fast brand of hockey,” Berry said. They have really high skill level and high compete level and you add all that together and there’s a reason they’re one of the top teams in the country.”
Puck drop is set for 7:37 from the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
