UND Rises to No. 2 in USCHO Poll; G Ludvig Perrson Prepares for Miami (OH) Reunion

HAWKS NOW PREPARE FOR THE NCHC HOME OPENER VS. MIAMI (OH).

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (KVRR) —North Dakota hockey has had a great start to their season. The Hawks sit at 7-2-1 and are coming off a sweep last weekend to a then 11th-ranked Minnesota Duluth squad.

UND sits at No. 2 in the recent USCHO Men’s College Hockey Top-25 Poll, including nine first place votes. That ranking is the highest they’ve been in the poll since March of 2021– That year they were the top seed entering the NCAA Tournament.

The Hawks have been successful this year on offense as a top-25 team in the country averaging 3.2 goals per game, but their defense has performed even better. The Hawks are top-5 in scoring defense in the country and the team credits their ability to block shots.

“It helps a lot,” says senior goalie Ludvig Persson. “Obviously, [it] takes away some action and some saves that don’t have to make. They can save a couple of goals because they do that. It shows how much they care and what kind of group of guys we have here [when they are willing] to sacrifice their body to win games.”

The Hawks now prepare for their NCHC home-opener against Miami Ohio. UND split their weekend series with the RedHawks at The Ralph last season, so they know they cannot take them or any opponent in the conference lightly.

“Everybody marks it on their calendars when they come to the Ralph,” said Graduate Student Forward Hunter Johannes. “It’s just a great place to play. So, I think for everybody, not only myself having the perspective of it doesn’t matter who’s on the other side, you have to realize they’re going to be just as good. So, you got to come in and show up.”

It will also be a special game for starting goalie Ludvig Perrson who played three seasons and 82 games with the RedHawks before arriving at UND.

“I’m very excited,” said Perrson. “[It] is gonna be [a] weird kind of situation, but I thought about it a little bit and [I am] kind of trying to see it as a really cool opportunity to share the ice with some of my best buddies–both my team now and my former team. So, it’ll be a really cool experience. A packed Ralph is cool as well. So yeah, I just got to enjoy the moment.”

The battle of the Hawks will commence Friday night at 7:07 P.M. at The Ralph.

Game two of the weekend series will be Saturday at 6:07 P.M.