No. 6 UND Set to Open Regular Season Hosting No. 13 Providence

UND OPENS SEASON WITH U.S. HOCKEY HALL OF GAME GAME.

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (KVRR) –On Saturday, October 12,  6th-ranked North Dakota will welcome in 13th-ranked providence to open the regular season.

UND played their lone exhibition game this past Saturday and lost to Augustana 4-1. The team returned to the ice this week to correct those mistakes and know they have to be on their game to begin the season with a win.

“It was not our best,” said head coach Brad Berry. “Knowing that, it was a very workman-like, professional… knowing it was going to be a tough Monday and Tuesday, and it was. The most important thing is making sure that there’s urgency in our game throughout the week.”

While Providence presents a tough opponent for UND, it’s just the first of seven straight games against a ranked opponent to open the season. Starting the season strong is the goal for every program, and with a tough schedule to begin the year for NoDak, it’s no different.

“Yeah, it’s definitely huge,” said junior forward Ben Strinden. “You want to start with a win and I think it’s great that we don’t start our season with lower-end match up. We come out hot with the hard match ups because at the end of the day, we’re in the best conference in the nation. It’s going to be a battle every night, no matter what team you’re facing. So, it’s huge that we come out and get a win for sure.”

Puck drop is set for 6:07 P.M. at the Ralph Engelstad Arena on Saturday, October 12. It’ll also be the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame game. Head coach Brad Berry said that there’s going to be plenty of North Dakota hockey alumni in the building, so they’ll look to give them all a win to see.