Špunar Ready for Vegas Spotlight: North Dakota A Win Away from NCAA Championship Game
LAS VEGAS (KVRR) – North Dakota hockey enters the Frozen Four with an impressive 29-9-1 record, now just one win away from a 30-win season—a milestone the program hasn’t reached since 2016. That year also marked the last time North Dakota captured a national championship, a moment senior forward Ben Strinden remembers well.
“Yeah, I went with my family, my cousins. I mean, it was awesome,” Strinden said. “The most fun games I’ve ever been to. UND fans just travel so great—so seeing that personally in 2016, it was incredible. Sometimes you’ve just got to pinch yourself, and for sure I’m doing that. I’m trying to take it all in and ultimately just go play as hard as I can.”
While the program looks to recreate past glory, this year’s Frozen Four brings a unique twist. For the first time ever, every starting goaltender remaining in the tournament is a freshman. North Dakota’s Jan Špunar has been a standout among them, entering the semifinal after recording back-to-back shutouts in the Sioux Falls Regional.
The NCHC Goaltender of the Year admits the Las Vegas stage is a big change from his roots—but he’s embracing the moment.
“Oh, I’m excited,” Špunar said. “Yeah, it’s a little bit too much for me, I would say—the Vegas, all the strip and stuff. For me, who is coming from a small town in the Czech Republic that is 900 years old, it’s just really different. It’s going to be a home game for us, pretty much. I expect at least 12,000–13,000 people from Grand Forks, so I’m excited.”
The buzz surrounding this semifinal has centered heavily on the renewal of a historic rivalry between North Dakota and the Wisconsin Badgers.
Head coach Dane Jackson made sure his team understood the significance.
“We showed a little video of Cary Eades chatting with the guys from Wisconsin in their bench,” Jackson said. “Talked a lot about our traditional rivals we had in the old WCHA and how many battles we had. A lot of respect for their program. They always were tough, physical, really well-coached teams. I think they’re one of the few teams in college hockey that we have a losing record against. We’ll work to try to get one more win on the board for our club on Thursday.”
On the other side, Wisconsin head coach Mike Hastings knows exactly what kind of game to expect when two familiar foes meet again on a stage this big.
“When you play somebody that many times, that many meaningful games—it’s the same thing that’s going to happen tomorrow,” Hastings said. “We’ll keep the water bottles on the bench, and I know both teams are going to try and represent their university so that they can be proud. Maybe that game gets played all over again tomorrow. I don’t know.”
With history, momentum, and a national title within reach, Thursday’s matchup promises to be another memorable chapter in one of college hockey’s most enduring rivalries.
Puck drop is 2 P.M. in Las Vegas (4 P.M. CT).
Follow along with KVRR for updates and postgame content from the game.
