GRAND FORKS, N.D. — (UND ATHLETICS) Senior forward Mark Senden has been named the 2021-22 University of North Dakota hockey captain in a vote by his peers on Thursday. Joining him in the leadership group are fellow senior and now two-time assistant captain Jasper Weatherby, senior forward Gavin Hain, junior defenseman Ethan Frisch and sophomore defenseman Jake Sanderson, who will all be assistant captains.
Senden has been a leader at every level, captaining the Fargo Force to a USHL Clark Cup title as well as Wayzata to a Minnesota Class 2A state championship as a prep. Often tasked with shutting down the opponent’s top line, Senden enters his senior season with a +30 rating and 39 career points. The Medina, Minn., native matched his career-high for offensive output last season, striking for 14 points on three goals and 11 helpers. Despite being known as a defensive-minded forward, Senden has the knack for providing offense in the big moments, as the Fighting Hawks were 10-0-0 last season when he found the scoresheet and 25-3 over his career when he tallies at least a point.
The senior has missed only four games in his career, appearing in 97 since joining UND, and was the team’s co-winner of the Cliff “Fido” Purpur Award for the player who demonstrates hard work, determination and being a creator of excitement on the ice.
Weatherby appeared in all 29 games last season for the Hawks and exploded with a career-high 24 points. His 14 goals were tied for second on the team and a trio of those tallies came as game winners. The Ashland, Ore., native was crucial down the stretch run, striking for 11 goals over the final 13 games of the season to help UND become the first team to win both the NCHC Penrose Cup (regular season) and NCHC Frozen Faceoff title. A stalwart in the faceoff dot, the senior enters 2021-22 ranked sixth all-time at UND with a .578 winning percentage in the circle.
He is a two-time assistant captain and was named the recipient of the team’s unsung hero award last season. A fourth round pick by the NHL’s San Jose Sharks in the 2018 draft, the Ashland, Ore., native previously was a BCHL Most Valuable Player, leading his Wenatchee Wild to a league championship.
Hain duplicated his point total from his freshman season in 2020-21, scoring six goal and potting a trio of assists for nine points. Much like Senden, the Grand Rapids, Minn., native helped UND finish 9-0 when he notched a point, including an overtime winner against Denver in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff Semifinal and the game-tying goal against St. Cloud State in the title game to earn all-tournament team honors.
He captained Grand Rapids to a Minnesota Class 2A state championship in 2016-17 and is a sixth round pick by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2018.
Frisch was rocksteady along the blue line for the second straight season in 2020-21, doubling his point total from his rookie season to 10. His three goals and seven assists were both career highs, while his +17 rating was tied for second among defenseman. UND is 11-2 when he finds the scoresheet over his career and is a +26 when he is on the ice.
He is a two-time AHCA All-America Scholar, NCHC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete and member of the NCHC All-Academic Team.
Sanderson put together one of the top seasons by a rookie defenseman in program history, earning All-NCHC Rookie Team honors with 15 points in 22 games. The Whitefish, Mont., native captured goal at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships with Team USA and took his game to another level after returning to UND in January. Sanderson potted 12 of his 15 points in the final two months of the season, including ending the year with points in seven of the final nine contests. After notching an assist in UND’s win over American International in the NCAA Tournament, Sanderson exploded for a game-high eight shots on goal in a five-overtime classic against Minnesota Duluth a day later.
He led all defenseman with a +20 rating and was selected in the first round (fifth overall) by the Ottawa Senators in last season’s NHL Entry Draft, the highest-drafted player in NCHC history. Sanderson also becomes the first sophomore-or-younger assistant captain since Brock Boeser in 2016-17 and youngest defenseman to earn the honor since Ian Kidd in 1986-87.
