UND/Denver to tangle for seventh time this season in Monday’s NCHC Semis
Denver at North Dakota
Mar. 15, 2021
NCHC Semifinals
Ralph Engelstad Arena
8:06 PM CT Friday
All-time Series: UND leads, 153-130-16 (.538)
This season: UND leads, 4-2
TV
PxP: Rob Carlin
Analyst: Dave Starman
Rinkside: Shireen Starman
TV: CBS Sports Network
Web: CBSSN app
RADIO
PxP: Tim Hennessy
Analyst: Steve Olson
Radio: 96.1 FM (Flagship) & Home of Economy Radio Network
Web: FightingHawks.com
ON TAP
North Dakota gets fifth-seed Denver in the NCHC Semifinals Monday evening at Ralph Engelstad Arena. UND defeated Miami, 6-2, Friday in the quarterfinals while the Pioneers took out fourth-seed Omaha, 5-4, Saturday.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
All UND men’s hockey games, home and away, can be heard on stations across the UND Sports Home of Economy Radio Network, as well as through the iHeart Radio app. The flagship station for the network is 96.1 FM (The Fox). Longtime broadcaster Tim Hennessy, in his 41st season as the voice of UND men’s hockey, calls the action while Steve Olson provides color analysis.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow the action by following @UNDmhockey and @UNDInsider on Twitter. Fans can also read the action via live chat at GrandForksHerald.com with beat writer Brad Schlossman.
FROZEN FACEOFF MOVING TO GRAND FORKS
Ralph Engelstad Arena will serve as the host venue for the entire NCHC postseason tournament this year, announced Feb. 8. The tournament will be shifted to a single-elimination championship with all eight teams competing for the league’s autobid into the NCAA Tournament. The quarterfinals begin Mar. 12-13 with the semifinals on Mar. 15 and the title game on Mar. 16. There will not be a third-place game this season.
ALL-TIME AGAINST DENVER
North Dakota is 153-130-16 all-time against the Pioneers and is 4-2-0 this season against DU. UND is 13-10-6 in the last six seasons vs Denver under Coach Brad Berry.
POLL POSITION
Four NCHC teams remain nationally ranked in the newest polls. UND slipped to No. 2 in both the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine and USCHO.com polls. St. Cloud State is 6th/8th, Minnesota Duluth holds down 9th in both polls while Omaha is 11/12th. WMU and Denver are each receiving votes in the USCHO poll.
FARE THEE WELL, BAXTER
North Dakota made three trips to Baxter Arena in Omaha this season. UND was 7-2-1 in the NCHC pod and then split its first series with Omaha (Jan 29-30) before last Friday’s 4-2 win. UND is 9-3-1 (.792) in Baxter this season while Omaha is 10-6-1 (.618) in their home rink.
NCHC TOURNEY AT HOME
North Dakota is 11-1 at home in NCHC Tournament games (quarterfinals in previous years). Head coach Brad Berry is 7-0 in NCHC tournament games at REA.
ALL-NCHC, ALL UND
The All-NCHC Teams had a heavy North Dakota feel to them as four Fighting Hawks were on the first team, part of six UND players honored. Jordan Kawaguchi (F), Matt Kiersted (D), Shane Pinto (F) and Adam Scheel (G) were part of a league-high-tying first team while Jacob Bernard-Docker (D) was a second team selection and Collin Adams (F) was part of the honorable mentions.
COLLIN CARD
Senior Collin Adams became the first UND player with five points in a game with his two-goal, three-assist performance in the 6-2 win over Miami in the NCHC Quarterfinals. Adams scored just 14 seconds into the game, helping UND got on the board first, winning its 18th game of the year after scoring first.
KAWABUNGA!
Jordan Kawaguchi also tallied a career high with four assists in the win over Miami in the NCHC Quarterfinals. He now leads the team in points with 31 and his 24 assists pace the NCHC and are third-most in the NCAA.
LOUIS, LOUIE, OH BABY!
Freshman Louis Jamernik scored his first collegiate goal Friday in the NCHC Quarterfinals. He becomes the 20th different UND player to score this season.
CENTURY CLUB
North Dakota scored its 100th goal of the season in the 6-2 win over Miami Friday. That goal total leads the conference and ranks third in the country. UND’s 4.00 goals per game leads all of NCAA D1.
WEATHERBEAST
Jasper Weatherby was named the NCHC Player of the Month in February, registering points in all five games of the month, part of an eight-game point streak. He tallied 10 points (6-4–10) in five February games.
POWER PLAY PROFICIENCY
North Dakota’s power play has operated at a 24.1 percent (27/112) efficiency so far this season, second in the NCHC and seventh-best in the nation. UND has a power-play goal in 20 of 25 games this season.
FIFTY SIX IN FIFTY SEVEN
Shane Pinto eclipsed the 50-point plateau in the Jan. series at Omaha and now has 56 career points in 57 games played.
FIRST AND FOREMOST
North Dakota is 18-0-0 when it scores first this season, including Friday’s 6-2 win vs. Miami. Conversely, when the opponent strikes first, UND is 1-5-1.
QUICK DRAW
North Dakota’s centermen have been great in the faceoff dot, currently leading the NCAA with a .557 faceoff win percentage. Shane Pinto’s .621 win percentage is seventh in the country and his 324 wins are fifth-most in NCAA D1.
NCHC HISTORY LESSON
North Dakota secured its fourth Penrose Cup this season and has now won it in back-to-back seasons twice. UND has as many regular season NCHC championships as the rest of the league combined. North Dakota is aiming to win its first NCHC Frozen Faceoff and become the first school to win both in one season.
Champ Reg. Season Frozen Faceoff
2021 North Dakota ?
2020 North Dakota —
2019 St. Cloud State Minn. Duluth
2018 St. Cloud State Denver
2017 Denver Minn. Duluth
2016 North Dakota St. Cloud State
2015 North Dakota Miami
2014 St. Cloud State Denver
THAT’S WHAT SCHEEL SAID
Adam Scheel’s career 2.00 goals against average currently ranks at the top of UND’s record books for lowest GAA in a career. He sits well in front of leaders Cam Johnson and Zane McIntyre (2.10). His save percentage (.914) is tied for fifth in the UND record books.
HE’S ON QUITE THE STRETCH
Adam Scheel picked up his second straight NCHC Goalie of the Month after a perfect February. In the month, Scheel went 4-0-0 with an NCAA-best 1.01 GAA and .960 save percentage.
SCHEEL SHUTOUTS
Adam Scheel picked up his fourth shutout of the season and his seventh of his career in the 3-0 win over Denver Feb. 12. The junior netminder made 24 saves in the win. For the season, Scheel is 17-3-1 with a sparkling 1.84 GAA.
Date Opponent Score Saves
2/12/21 DENVER 3-0 24 saves
1/24/21 COLO. COLLEGE 5-0 15 saves
1/10/21 at Colo. College 3-0 27 saves
12/2/20 vs. Miami 2-0 19 saves
12/6/19 at Western Mich. 1-0 (ot) 41 saves
10/11/19 CANISIUS 5-0 11 saves
11/2/18 WISCONSIN 5-0 24 saves
I’LL HAVE WHAT SCHEEL’S HAVING
Adam Scheel has allowed one goal seven times and posted four shutouts this season, giving him half of his starts (11-of-22) where the opposition has one goal or fewer. In his career, Scheel has now either shutout an opponent or only allowed one goal in nearly half of his appearances (34 of 74 appearances).
