Preview: No. 5 UND at No. 20 Minnesota State – Grand Forks Herald

MANKATO, Minn. – The last time UND visited Mankato was October 2019.

UND was coming off a 2018-19 season in which it routinely outscored its opponents by large margins but struggled to score and turn them into wins.

The Fighting Hawks defeated Canisius to start the 2019-20 season and then came to Mankato. They tied 4-4 on Friday night and lost 2-1 on Saturday in two games so good that it felt like we'd see another matchup in April – if UND could finally find a way converting good performances into victories.

This is what happened next.

After being eliminated from Mankato, UND did not lose another game in the first half of the season.

The Fighting Hawks defeated Bemidji State, Michigan Tech, Miami, Denver, St. Cloud State, Minnesota and Western Michigan with a record of 12-0-1. The unbeaten streak lasted into January and finally ended after 15 games.

UND won the Penrose Cup as NCHC champions, but we never found out if there would be another matchup between UND and Minnesota State in the Frozen Four. The coronavirus pandemic wiped out the season right as the playoffs began.

The Fighting Hawks return for the first time in five years to face the Mavericks, who jumped into the national rankings after opening the season with a win over Michigan at Yost Arena.

National rank in brackets. Categories include record, offense (goals per game), defense (opponent goals per game), power play percentage, penalty kill percentage, faceoff percentage and team save percentage.

State of Minnesota — F Kaden Bohlsen (doubtful, undisclosed)
AND — D Bennett Zmolek (questionable, undisclosed)

Minnesota State received a huge boost offensively when Rhett Pitlick transferred from the University of Minnesota deep in the fall. Pitlick is a highly skilled forward who led the Gophers with 36 points in 39 games a year ago. The fifth-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens scored two goals for the Mavericks.

UND's most dominant line in the US Hockey Hall of Fame Game was Jake Schmaltz, Louis Jamernik V and Cody Croal. They created several first-class scoring opportunities. None of them went in, but if they pick up where they left off last Saturday, it's bound to happen. Goals from the top line can happen in this series, and Schmaltz's team has proven they can get there.

The last time UND triumphed in Mankato was in December 2010 in a Friday-Sunday series. Saturday's game was postponed due to a severe snowstorm – the same one that brought down the Metrodome in the Twin Cities. UND has since played two series in Mankato – 2013 and 2019.

AND 3, Minnesota State 2, OT
AND 4, Minnesota State 3

Rating
26 Dylan James (DET), jr, f, 2-0-2
14 Cameron Berg (NYI), sr, w, 1-1—2
9 Sacha Boisvert (CHI), fr, f, 1-1—2
25 Abram Wiebe (VGK), so, d, 0-2-2
18 Jayden Perron (CAR), so, f, 1-0-1
22 Owen McLaughlin (PHI), Jr., 0-1-1
6 EJ Emery (NYR), fr, d, 0-1-1
16 Andrew Strathmann (CBJ), fr, d, 0-1-1
2 Bennett Zmolek, Jr., d, 0-1-1
19 Cody Croal, fr, f, 0-1-1
8 Jake Schmaltz (BOS), sr, f, 0-0-0
27 Louis Jamernik V, 5., f, 0-0-0
7 Mac Swanson (PIT), fr, f, 0-0-0
21 Ben Strinden (NSH), jr, w, 0-0-0
29 Jackson Kunz (VAN), sr, w, 0-0-0
4 Jake Livanavage, so, d, 0-0-0
13 Caleb MacDonald, so, d, 0-0-0
15 Carter Wilkie, sr, f, 0-0-0
35 TJ Semptimphelter, sr, g, 0-0-0
5 Dane Montgomery, jr, f, dnp
20 Cade Littler (CGY), fr, f, dnp
28 Dalton Andrew, fr, f, dnp
10 Tanner Komzak, so, d, dnp
3 Jayden Jubenvill, fr, d, dnp
30 Hobie Hedquist, also, g, dnp
1 Kaleb Johnson, jr, g, dnp
goalkeeper
35 TJ Semptimphelter, sr, 1-0, 2.00, .917
30 Hobie Hedquist, so dnp
1 Kaleb Johnson, Jr., dnp

Rating
28 Brian Carrabes, sr, w, 2-1-3
17 Luke Ashton (CBJ), fr, d, 1-2–3
72 Rhett Pitlick (MTL), sr, f, 2-0-2
9 Luigi Benincasa, so, f, 2-0-2
4 Brett Moravec, so, f, 1-1-2
7 Luc Wilson, jr, f, 0-2-2
24 Zach Krajnik, sr, f, 0-2-2
19 Will Hillman, sr, f, 0-2-2
13 Jordan Power, 5th, f, 0-2-2
15 Adam Eisele, jr, f, 1-0-1
25 Brenden Olson, sr, f, 1-0-1
10 Evan Murr, so, d, 0-1-1
12 Josh Groll, 5th, f, 0-1-1
8 Campbell Cichosz, Jr., d, 0-1-1
26 Kaden Bohlsen, 5th, f, 0-1-1
18 Jakob Stender, so, fd, 0-0-0
5 Mason Wheeler, Jr., d, 0-0-0
39 Ralfs Bergmanis, jr., d, 0-0-0
22 Steven Bellini, sr, d, 0-0-0
16 Jacob Bonkowski, fr, f, 0-0-0
23 Cade Alami, sr, d, 0-0-0
11 Tyler Haskins, jr, f, 0-0-0
33 Alex Tracy, jr, g, 0-0-0
14 Kade Nielsen, so, f, dnp
21 Fin Williams, jr, f, dnp
27 Sam Rice, fr, f, dnp
30 Eli powder, fr, g, dnp
31 Matthew Syverson, so, g, dnp
32 Andrew Miller, sr, g, dnp
goalkeeper
33 Alex Tracy, Jr., 2-2, 1.52, .933
30 Eli powder, fr, dnp
31 Matthew Syverson, also dnp
32 Andrew Miller, sr, dnp

NCHC non-conference
St. Cloud State at Michigan, 6 p.m
Arizona State at Providence, 6 p.m
Minnesota at Minnesota Duluth, 7 p.m
Augustana at Omaha, 7:07 p.m
Northeast in Denver, 8 p.m

Other
Mercyhurst at Union, 6 p.m
Sacred Heart at UMass, 6 p.m
Niagara at RPI, 6 p.m
American International at Boston College, 6 p.m
Quinnipiac, Maine, 6 p.m
New Hampshire at Merrimack, 6 p.m
UConn at Boston University, 6 p.m
Long Island at Bentley, 6 p.m
Ferris State at St. Lawrence, 6 p.m
Alaska at Notre Dame, 6:05 p.m
Alaska Anchorage in northern Michigan, 6:07 p.m
Stonehill at Lake Superior State, 6:07 p.m
Colgate at UMass, 6:15 p.m
Ohio State at Wisconsin, 7 p.m
Lindenwood at Air Force, 8:05 p.m