UND Hockey Set for Top-10 Clash at The Ralph

NORTH DAKOTA (4-2) HOSTS MINNESOTA-DULUTH (7-1) FRIDAY AND SATURDAY.

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (KVRR) –It is a top-10 clash at The Ralph Engelstad Arena this weekend. #8 North Dakota hosts #10 Minnesota-Duluth, a Bulldogs team that looks as dangerous as they’ve been in years. UND knows this isn’t a warm up to conference play – this is a test right out of the gate.

At 4-2 through the non-conference schedule so far, North Dakota has shown flashes of high end potential, but also some growing pains with a young roster still finding consistency. Head Coach Dane Jackson said, like any team, he wishes it was a perfect 6-0 start entering this weekend, but some lulls were expected with such a young roster.

“The kind of the performances that we’ve had that have been really good, you’re happy with. I would have probably said [at the start of the year], I’m sure there’s gonna be a couple games along the way that we just weren’t at our best. I think the positive part is that when we’ve played our best game, it’s been real strong. Our goal is to say, how can we continually build our practice, our meetings and our workouts so that we’re achieving that level all the time, so that when we’re playing all of our big games, we’re playing our best game. Even when you’re playing your best game, you’re gonna lose some, but you can live with that.”

UND has had Duluth’s number in recent history, eight straight wins, but this Bulldogs team has high end talent. It’s a very familiar top line to fans of hockey in the region, Max and Zam Plante, the latter playing his junior hockey with the Fargo Force, plus Warroad’s Jason Shaugabay. Each member of the trio ranks in the top-10 in the entire country in points, and it’s a squad that doesn’t just rely on offense – Goaltender Adam Gajan is top-5 in the country goals allowed and top-10 in save percentage.

“Just being smart and having good gaps,” said junior defenseman Abram Wiebe. “That’s something that [assistant coach] Dillon Simpson is kind of always preaching. When you break out a puck, just be able to get up the ice and get a good gap. I think with the teams like this that are good at transitioning, and you got guys that are very fast, you want to have a have a good gap. So, I think it’s important for us in that aspect of the game, and then also just breaking out pucks and giving our forwards good outlets just to get to the offensive zone as well.”

Duluth (7-1) is coming off a road sweep against Minnesota. North Dakota (4-2) coming off a road split vs. Clarkson.

Game one of the weekend series: Friday night, 7:07 P.M. Game two, Saturday at 6:07 P.M.