“Grinding Is the Fun Part”: NoDak Locked Into Frozen Four Preparation
GRAND FORKS (KVRR) – The countdown is on for North Dakota hockey.
In less than a week, North Dakota will take the ice against Wisconsin in Las Vegas, with a trip to the national championship on the line.
North Dakota enters the NCAA Frozen Four riding a wave of momentum after a dominant performance in the Sioux Falls Regional. NoDak outscored its opponents 8-0, fueled by standout goaltending from Jan Špunar and a balanced offensive attack—particularly from the third line.
Cody Croal, Tyler Young and Jack Kernan combined for five of the team’s eight goals over the weekend. Kernan stepped into a key role at center, replacing freshman forward Ollie Josephson, who was sidelined with an injury suffered during the NCHC semifinals.
Now, all eyes are on Josephson’s status.
Head coach Dane Jackson provided an update earlier this week.
“Yeah, he’s been skating with our guys for the last couple days,” Jackson said. “He’s been in practice doing most of the drills, not all of them, but most of them. He’s coming along pretty well.”
If Josephson is cleared to play, it presents a tough decision for the coaching staff: How to adjust a lineup that found strong chemistry and success in Sioux Falls. Kernan, who centered that third line, earned all-tournament honors after scoring twice in the regional final against Quinnipiac.
“It’ll depend on what level Ollie’s at,” Jackson said. “If he’s 100%, there’s still going to be some rust… so we’re working through that and kind of seeing where he’s at—whether he can play, and what level of recovery he’s at.”
Despite the lineup questions, the focus remains simple: bringing home the program’s first national title since 2016—and ninth overall.
For the players, the moment is about more than just wins.
“I think just the work,” Kernan said. “That win was awesome to get to the Frozen Four, but it just means we get to stay together for another 10 days. Being in the room, practicing—it doesn’t get a lot better than that.”
Sophomore forward EJ Emery echoed that sentiment.
“Grinding and putting in that work is the fun part,” Emery said. “We realize what we’ve done and how much work we’ve put in. It’s been a blast… and these next couple days going into Vegas, spending that time we have left together—it’s going to be a blast.”
Jackson’s message to his team is clear: focus on the process.
“Just trying to play our best game again,” he said. “When you lose in these big games, if you’ve played well, it’s easier to live with. I thought we played one of our best games at the biggest moment, and we’re trying to prepare our guys to do that again.”
The Fighting Hawks now look to carry that same level of play onto the biggest stage in college hockey.
North Dakota and Wisconsin drop the puck Thursday at T-Mobile Arena at 2 p.m. PT (4 p.m. CT). Denver and Michigan will follow at 5:30 p.m. PT (7:30 p.m. CT). The winners will meet Saturday for the national championship at 2:30 p.m. PT (4:30 p.m. CT).
Stay tuned to KVRR throughout the week for on-site coverage from Las Vegas.
