(UND Athletics/Russell Hons)
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (UND Athletics)– Freshman forward Sacha Boisvert struck 1:50 into the contest and sophomore goaltender Hobie Hedquist stopped all 20 shots to pace No. 12/14 North Dakota to a 1-0 win over Robert Morris on Saturday night from Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, N.D.
Hedquist was dialed throughout the entire contest, finishing with 20 saves to record his first shutout as a collegiate player and improve to 1-2-0 on the season. Boisvert also potted a goal for the third straight game and now moves into a tie for the team lead with five goals.
Much like last night, North Dakota struck early, as Boisvert saw his backhander deflect off bodies in front and into the net to give the Fighting Hawks a 1-0 lead just 1:50 into the game. UND kept up the pressure over the opening 20 minutes, firing a game-best 12 shots on goal in the frame, but carried the 1-0 lead into the opening intermission.
It was a more back-and-forth period in the second, with both sides getting chances on the power play. The shorthanded squad looked more dangerous on each chance, however, with Robert Morris (4-5-2) killing off a major early in the period before UND’s Jake Schmaltz nearly extended the lead to 2-0 with a shorthanded breakaway, but neither side could put another dent into the scoreboard after 40 minutes.
After blowing a pair of leads in the third period on Friday, Hedquist and the defense held strong in the finale, with the goaltender finishing with six saves and UND blocking seven shots to close out the 1-0 victory and the series sweep.
North Dakota will close out nonconference play next weekend with a home-and-home series with Bemidji State beginning on Friday at 7:07 p.m. from the Sanford Center in Bemidji, Minn.
Postgame Notes
- UND improves to 4-0-0 all-time against Robert Morris
- The Hawks are also 36-2-0 in program history against Atlantic Hockey teams and 29-0-0 at home
- UND notched its second sweep of the season and second in the last three weeks
- North Dakota was limited to only 18 healthy skaters once again
- Sacha Boisvert now has goals in three straight games and is tied for the team lead with five overall
- Ben Strinden notched an assist to give him six points in his last six games
- Hobie Hedquist finished with 20 saves to record his first-career shutout
- Hedquist is now 6-0-0 with a .937 save percentage in his career at home
- UND has scored first in five of the last six contests and is 6-1-0 when scoring first this season
- Robert Morris finished 0-for-4 on the power play while UND was 0-for-2
- The win was the first time UND has been victorious without scoring a power play goal
- UND also did not allow a power play goal for the first time since Nov. 2 at Cornell
- North Dakota finished with a 29-10 advantage in the dot, with Jake Schmaltz going 13-2 to lead everyone
How It Happened
First Period
01:50 | UND – Sacha Boisvert (5) from Dylan James (2) and Ben Strinden (3)
Second Period
No scoring
Third Period
No scoring
Game Recap: Men’s Hockey | | Alec Stocker Johnson, FightingHawks.com
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