North Dakota making 33rd NCAA trip, first since 2017
#14/15 American International (15-3-1) vs #1 North Dakota (21-5-1)
Mar. 26, 2021
SCHEELS Arena, Fargo, N.D.
NCAA Midwest Regional
8:30 PM CT
All-time Series: 1st meeting
RADIO
PxP: Tim Hennessy
Analyst: Steve Olson
Radio: 790 KFGO 104.7 |96.1 FM & Home of Economy Radio Network
Web: FightingHawks.com
ON TAP
North Dakota returns to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017 and the 33rd time overall as it grabs the top overall seed in the 16-team tourney. UND faces American International in the first round in the Midwest Regional that also features second-seeded Michigan and three-seed Minnesota Duluth.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
All UND men’s hockey games, home and away, can be heard on KFGO Fargo 790 AM
104.7 FM and stations across the UND Sports Home of Economy Radio Network. 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.
NOT FAR-TO-GO
The NCAA Regionals return to Fargo’s SCHEELS Arena for the fourth time in the last seven years (2015, 2017, 2019, 2021). Fargo will also host upcoming Regionals in 2023 and 2025 while UND will also host the 2024 Frozen Four in Las Vegas.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
North Dakota was on track to return to the NCAA Tournament last season, going 26-5-4 and carrying the No. 1 ranking in the PairWise before the season shutdown. Following the season, every underclassman decided to return to school to take another run at a national title. UND’s senior class remained intact since their arrival on campus: Collin Adams, Gabe Bast, Jordan Kawaguchi, Matt Kiersted, Grant Mismash, Josh Rieger and Peter Thome (Jackson Keane later joined this group).
ALL-TIME AGAINST AIC
Friday’s meeting will be the first between North Dakota and American International. However, it will not be AIC’s first trip to the state of North Dakota as the Yellow Jackets knocked off No. 1 seed St. Cloud State in the last contested NCAA tournament (2019) in the Fargo regional.
POLL POSITION
Four NCHC teams remain nationally ranked in the newest polls. UND roared back to the top spot in both the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine and USCHO.com polls after winning the NCHC’s Frozen Faceoff last week. St. Cloud State is 7th in both polls while Minnesota Duluth holds down 9th in both polls while Omaha is 12th. WMU and Denver are each receiving votes in the USCHO poll.
ALL-TIME IN THE NCAAs
North Dakota is making its 33rd trip to the national tournament and is 52-26 (.667) in the NCAAs. Under Coach Berry, North Dakota is 4-1, including the school’s eighth national title in 2016.
HAIN PAIN
The Mar. 15 overtime winner by Gavin Hain in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff semifinal was the second of the junior’s career. He also ended a 1-0 win at Western Michigan on Dec. 6, 2019.
OVERTIME TALES
*North Dakota is 3-1-1 in OT this season
*UND is 10-1-6 in its last 17 OT games
*9 of last 16 gms vs SCSU have gone OT
*UND is 17-7-24 in OT under Brad Berry
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 won its first NCHC Frozen Faceoff and became the first school to win both in one season last Tuesday.
Champ Reg. Season Frozen Faceoff
2021 North Dakota 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
ALL-NCHC, ALL UND
The All-NCHC Teams had a heavy North Dakota feel to them as four 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 second team and Collin Adams (F) was an honorable mention.
COUPLE COMEBACKS
UND has benefitted from scoring first this season, winning all 18 games in which its done that. However, UND had to come-from-behind in its last two games to finish off its first NCHC Frozen Faceoff title. Denver led 1-0 until Jasper Weatherby’s goal late in the 3rd to send the semifinal game to OT while SCSU led 2-1 after two periods before a four-goal third period for a 5-3 win in the title game. UND is now 3-5-1 when the other team gets the first goal.
JAKE AND BAKE
Jake Sanderson is on a stretch where he’s recorded a point in five of the last six games. He’s got a goal and seven assists in that timeframe.
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.
NICE WEATHER WE’RE HAVING
Jasper Weatherby scored again in Monday’s NCHC semifinal and he now has nine goals in his last 11 games. He also added an assist on the OT game-winner which gives him 15 points in that span.
DOMINATE THE FINAL TWO FRAMES
Denver led North Dakota, 1-0, Monday and was outshooting the Fighting Hawks, 14-12 through two periods. However, North Dakota peppered Magnus Chrona with 11 shots in the third period and nine more in the overtime to outshoot the Pioneers, 20-4, in the third and overtime combined. The next night in the championship game, UND trailed 2-1, through two periods before a four-goal third with 14 SOGs to win 5-3. UND outshot its opponents, 51-21, in the three games of the Frozen Faceoff.
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.
GOALIE ASSISTS
Adam Scheel picked up his third assist of the season in the Mar. 16 win over SCSU and the sixth of his young career. One more assist this season would give him the school record for goalie assists in a single season and tie current assistant coach Karl Goehring for the career lead with seven. A list of UND goalies with three assists in one season:
Single-season goalie assist leaders
Chris Dickson (89-90) 3
Karl Goehring (98-99) 3
Jordan Parise (05-06) 3
Adam Scheel (20-21) 3
RANK AND FILE
Adam Scheel picked up his 23rd career win over a ranked team with the NCHC Frozen Faceoff title game win over #8 SCSU.
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 19-3-1 with a sparkling 1.81 GAA.
LOUIS, LOUIE, OH BABY!
Freshman Louis Jamernik scored his first collegiate goal Friday in the NCHC Quarterfinals. He became 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 in the NCHC quarterfinals. UND’s 107 goal total leads the conference and ranks fourth in the country. UND’s 3.96 goals per game leads all of NCAA D1.
WELCOME TO THE RALPH
North Dakota has had back-to-back seasons with just one loss at home each year. UND outscored its opponents, 43-14, part of some eye-popping stats that stand out in UND’s home building this season:
*14 different UND scorers
*UND is 8-for-41 on the power play
*Opponents are 3-for-31 on the power play
*North Dakota outscored opponents, 15-1 in the third period
*UND has allowed just 56 SOG at home in the third periods combined over the 10 games.
*Collin Adams had 18 pts (6 G, 12 A)
*Jordan Kawguchi had 15 pts (5 G, 10 A)
*Shane Pinto had 11 pts (7G, 4 A)
*Jake Sanderson was a +13.
*Adam Scheel had a 1.11 GAA, .950 save pct. and an 8-0-0 record
*UND is 27-2-0 at REA the past two seasons.
KAWAHOBEY?
Jordan Kawaguchi has tallied 19 points in his last 13 games to give him 34 on the season. He leads the team in points again this season after seven points in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff.
RIESE’S PIECES
Freshman Riese Gaber was named the NCHC Frozen Faceoff Most Outstanding Player, after tallying two goals and an assist in the championship game vs. St. Cloud State. Gaber recorded four points for the tournament, part of five UND players on the all-tournament team.
2021 Frozen Faceoff All-Tourney Team
F- Collin Adams, UND
F- Gavin Hain, UND
F- Riese Gaber, UND (MOP)
D- Nick Perbix, SCSU
D- Jake Sanderson, UND
G- Adam Scheel, UND
CAPTAIN MORE-GONE
Missing from the All-tournament team was Jordan Kawaguchi, despite a tourney-leading seven points in the Frozen Faceoff. The captain had a career-high four assists in the win over Miami and added three more points in the title game (2G, 1A) for his seven points. Kawaguchi, a Hobey Baker Hat Trick finalist last season, leads the NCHC in scoring with 34 points but is also missing from the finalists list for that award this season.
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 24.6 percent (29/118) efficiency so far this season, second in the NCHC and seventh-best in the nation. UND has a power-play goal in 21 of 27 games this season.
FIFTY EIGHT IN FIFTY NINE
Shane Pinto eclipsed the 50-point plateau in the Jan. series at Omaha and now has 58 career points in 59 games played.
FIRST AND FOREMOST
North Dakota is 18-0-0 when it scores first this season, including the Mar. 12th 6-2 win vs. Miami. Conversely, when the opponent strikes first, UND is 3-5-1.
QUICK DRAW
North Dakota’s centermen have been great in the faceoff dot, currently leading the NCAA with a .561 faceoff win percentage. Shane Pinto’s .618 win percentage is seventh in the country and his 355 wins are fourth-most in NCAA D1.
WHY PINTO? WHY NOT!
New York native Shane Pinto etched another multi-point game in the Feb. 20 Penrose Cup-clinching win over Omaha. This gives him 11 for the season, tied for the fourth-most in the NCAA.
PINTO, SCHEEL GRAB JANUARY ACCOLADES
Sophomore Shane Pinto and junior Adam Scheel were named the NCHC’s Player and Goalie of the Mont, respectively, for January. Pinto tied for the conference lead in goals (6) and points (10) in the month and ended the month with four consecutive multi-point games to give him an NCAA-leading nine on the season. Scheel tied for the national lead in wins for the month with six. He posted a 6-2-0 record with league-leading totals of 1.84 GAA, .929 save percentage and a pair of shutouts.
MOORE PRODUCTION
Cooper Moore was the NCHC Defenseman of the Week after the Omaha series (Jan. 29-30). He followed up scoring his first goal in the opener against Colorado College with a goal and an assist in the series opener at Omaha Friday to give him three points in a four-game stretch. He had just one point in his previous nine games prior to this stretch.
SENDEN EVERYBODY UP
Junior Mark Senden piled up a career-high four assists in the 5-1 win at Denver Jan. 18. He became the first UND player to notch four assists since Jacob Bernard-Docker did so in the 8-1 win last year over Canisius (Oct. 12, 2019). Prior to that, no UND player had done it in eight seasons.
JAMMER TIME
Freshman Louis Jamernik, a new addition at the semester break from Okotoks in the AJHL, notched his first collegiate point, setting up Tyler Kleven’s goal late in the Jan. 17 game at Denver. He added a power-play assist in the Jan. 18 win at Denver and was lauded with the NCHC Rookie of the Week for his efforts.
WORLD BEATERS
North Dakota made its last scheduled trip to Colorado College’s Broadmoor World Arena a memorable one. UND allowed just one goal the entire weekend, marking the lowest goals allowed for a series at World Arena for North Dakota.
REGGIE!
Senior defenseman Josh Rieger has made a nice little career at Denver’s Magness Arena. Last year, he was a late lineup addition and scored his first career goal, the GWG in a 4-1 win on Nov. 16, 2019. In the Monday finale at Denver, he scored a PPG in the closing minute to give him both of his career goals in that building.
JAMERNIK JOINS
The semester break provided an opportunity for North Dakota to bring in a player. With the AJHL on pause, recent signee Louis Jamernik enrolled in the Spring semester and became immediately eligible for the Fighting Hawks. The 5-11 forward has spent the last three seasons in the AJHL with the Okotok Oilers, the same developmental league as UND alums Brad Eidsness, Rhett Gardner, Corban Knight and Derek Rodwell in addition to current Fighting Hawk Jacob Bernard-Docker.
GOLDEN AGAIN
North Dakota once again had a gold medal-winning player at the IIHF World Junior Championships, and this time it was a pair of athletes. Last season, Jacob Bernard Docker’s Team Canada turned the trick. This season, Team USA thwarted a back-to-back effort from the Canadians, taking gold with Jake Sanderson and Tyler Kleven on board for the Americans.
UND has now had 15 gold medalists all-time, including 10 since 2004. North Dakota can boast 25 medalists all-time at the tournament.
FEENEY TIME
Sophomore goaltender Harrison Feeney made his official collegiate debut in the 6-2 win over Miami Dec. 20 in the NCHC pod finale. He played the final 3:33, stopping all three shots he saw, including killing a man-advantage opportunity.
DECEMBER MAN
Jordan Kawguchi earned his third NCHC Player of the Month award after his performance in the Omaha pod. The senior captain tallied a team-high-tying 13 points with five game-winning points. He scored a pair of overtime goals to help North Dakota etch a 7-2-1 record.
100 POINT CLUB
Jordan Kawaguchi became the 86th member of North Dakota’s 100 career point club. His assist in Dec. 16th’s win over St. Cloud State gave him 100 for his career.
KAWAHOBEY OT
Senior captain Jordan Kawaguchi has now scored a school-record 5 overtime goals in his career following his game-winner just eight seconds in vs. #9 St. Cloud State Dec. 16. Kawaguchi now has 31 game-winning points in his career, including 10 GWG.
Kawaguchi career game-winning points
2020-21 8
2019-20 13*
2018-19 7
2017-18 3
*led NCAA
Overtime winners for Kawaguchi
Dec. 16, 2020 vs St Cloud State
Dec. 4, 2020 vs Denver
Nov. 23, 2019 vs. St Cloud State
Mar. 9, 2019 vs. Omaha
Jan. 12, 2019 vs. Colorado College
PRESEASON ACCOLADES
Jordan Kawaguchi, Matt Kiersted and Jacob Bernard-Docker were all named to the 2020 NCHC Preseason All-Conference Team, making up half of the squad. The trio is part of a stacked lineup returning to UND, looking to build on a 26-win season a year ago.
BLAIS ENSHRINED
Former head coach Dean Blais was named to the 2020 US Hockey Hall of Fame during the offseason. Blais spent 19 seasons at North Dakota, first as an assistant under Gino Gasparini, then later for a decade as the head coach from 1994-2004. As a head coach, the International Falls, Minn., native led UND to two NCAA titles (1997, 2000), seven NCAA tournament appearances, including three Frozen Fours; four Western Collegiate Hockey Association regular-season titles and two WCHA playoff championships. He is a 2018 inductee into the UND Letterwinners Athletics Hall of Fame.
CAPTAIN KAWA
Jordan Kawaguchi was selected as the captain of the 2020-21 team. The returning Hobey Hat Trick finalist goes into his senior season as the leading returning scorer in the country from last season. He’s joined in the leadership group by four other assistant captains: defenseman Matt Kiersted (2nd season), defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker, forward Mark Senden and forward Jasper Weatherby (all 1st season).
NASHVILLE NEXT YEAR
The Coronavirus pandemic wiped out the scheduled October meeting in Nashville with Penn State. That game has been rescheduled for the new date of Saturday, October 30, 2021 at Bridgestone Arena, home of the NHL’s Nashville Predators.
PAIR OF DRAFTEES JOIN
Freshmen Jake Sanderson (5th overall) and Tyler Kleven (44th overall) join UND this season, giving the Fighting Hawks 12 NHL draftees on its roster. There is a strong Ottawa Senators flavor on the team with these two joining Jacob Bernard-Docker (2018- 26th overall) and Shane Pinto (2019- 32nd overall) as fellow Ottawa prospects.
GOOD HOSTS
North Dakota will be the host school for the 2026 NCAA Frozen Four in Las Vegas, Nev., (T-Mobile Arena) and the 2023 and 2025 NCAA Regionals at SCHEELS Arena (Fargo, N.D.), announced in October by the NCAA. This adds to UND’s long resume of hosting NCAA events, including this coming season’s NCAA Midwest Regional in Fargo. North Dakota has previously hosted NCAA Regionals in 2015, 2017 and 2019 at SCHEELS Arena, 2006 at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks and 2018 at Denny Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls, S.D., in the past 15 years.
DRAFTY IN HERE
UND’s roster features 12 NHL draft picks, the most of any NCHC program.
UND’s draft picks include: goaltender Peter Thome (Columbus); defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker, defenseman Tyler Kleven, forward Shane Pinto and Jake Sanderson (Ottawa); forward Gavin Hain (Philadelphia), forward Grant Mismash (Nashville), forward Collin Adams (New York Islanders), and forward Jasper Weatherby (San Jose), Harrison Blaisdell (Winnipeg) and Judd Caulfield (Pittsburgh) and defenseman Cooper Moore (Detroit).
NCHC LEADERS: NHL DRAFT PICKS
Rk. Team Picks
- North Dakota……………………………. 12
- Denver………………………………………………………………. 9
- Minnesota Duluth …………………………………….. 8
- St. Cloud State……………………………………………… 4
- Omaha……………………………………………………………… 3
- Western Michigan …………………………………….. 1
