by Jordan McAlpine/CHN Reporter (@jordan_mcalpine)
Four of college hockey’s blue bloods will convene in Las Vegas this week and for the first time in 10 years, North Dakota is back in the Frozen Four.
UND is making its first trip since its 2016 title in Tampa and will compete alongside Denver, Michigan and Wisconsin – a quartet that boasts 33 combined national championships.
UND clinched its trip to Vegas with a pair of shutout wins in Sioux Falls, defeating Merrimack, 3-0, and Quinnipiac, 5-0.
Both wins came in front of a sea of green, and now those passionate fans will head to Vegas to watch UND pursue its ninth national championship. That quest continues Thursday afternoon against Wisconsin.
“There’s been a long history and we love playing against Wisconsin,” said head coach Dane Jackson. “I like to talk about our history and always talk about the guys that came before us and built our program, and some of the battles against Wisconsin are legendary. There’s just been so many good games over the years and two really strong programs that are pretty close to each other and really enjoy playing each other.
“So I think there’s a little bit of extra fire and a rivalry to it. It’s just kind of built in the DNA to know when you’re playing the Denvers, Minnesotas and Wisconsins of the world, you better be ready. Because it’s going to be a battle.”
Jackson’s club has been among the nation’s most consistent teams and finished second in the NPI, earning the top seed in Sioux Falls. UND finished the regular season 25-8-1 and won its seventh Penrose Cup, and the Fighting Hawks are 15-5-1 since the calendar flipped to 2026.
UND’s depth has been a strength all season, as has its goaltending. Their freshmen have made an immediate impact, too, and Jackson was named a finalist for the Spencer Penrose Award.
Now UND will look to cap off its tremendous season with two more wins and a banner.
“I was really happy with our team and I thought we played one of our best games at the biggest moment (last time out), so we’re trying to prepare our guys to do that again,” he said. “If we can really stay focused and dialed in on that and have a good process again, we’ll let the chips fall where they may and be happy with that.”
Spotlight On … Depth and a ‘team-first mentality’
Jackson said it himself during last week’s Frozen Four press conference – “I really strongly believe our lineup is as strong as it’s ever been.”
UND can beat teams in many ways and there’s no shortage of talent, and they’ve gotten contributions from all over the lineup. Eleven different UND skaters have 20 or more points and 15 have five or more goals. They’ve been sound defensively and between the pipes, too.
However, there’s one word constantly used to describe the strength of this year’s club… Depth.
“I think the thing that separates us is how deep our team is,” said sophomore defenseman EJ Emery. “We have four lines that are going all the time and you can throw any line out there and you know something good is going to happen.”
“Our first two lines are immensely talented and then as you go to the bottom with the depth, it’s just guys that know what they’re doing out there and they’re willing to play that role,” added freshman forward Jack Kernan.
That depth and willingness to accept roles have been key, and most nights it’s been a team effort.
UND’s roster features 10 freshmen and 15 newcomers this season, along with a new-look coaching staff. But everyone has bought in.
Jackson praised his group’s ability to push each other and their attitude, and much of UND’s success has depended on a ‘team-first mentality.’
“There’s a real commitment to put the team first and not worry about some of your ice time,” Jackson said. “We have some good players that are playing less and don’t get to play in some certain situations, but guys have focused on what they can do and what role they can bring, and do a good job with that. So I’ve been really impressed with this group about how they’ve accepted roles, bought into roles and perfected roles, and they’ve been good teammates throughout.”
With so many new faces, there was plenty of trust put in UND’s returners early, and that comfort has only grown since.
“Our captains and our seniors all stepped up and helped this team bond over the summer,” Emery said. “They got us all together all the time, and I think that’s a huge thing. Our freshmen are incredible people and I think they’re big leaders on our team as well.”
Defining Moments
Leadership Through Changes
What a difference one year makes.
UND fired Brad Berry last March after 10 seasons at the helm. Multiple players entered the transfer portal, including NCHC Rookie of the Year Sacha Boisvert, Jayden Perron and Owen McLaughlin, and rumors continued to swirl on others.
While some expected or hoped for the change, uncertainty remained around the program. UND named Jackson head coach on March 29, Bryn Chyzyk GM on April 8 and added Matt Smaby to the staff in late May, and they got to work right away.
However, some of the most important moves have proved to be the players that stayed in Grand Forks.
“In this day and age, it’s easy to look and say the grass is greener somewhere else or check which way the wind is blowing and go that way,” Jackson said. “But when things weren’t really looking that great for our program – Guys were leaving and we had the unknown of a new staff. Whether it was Dylan James, Jake Livanavage, Abram Wiebe, Bennett Zmolek, or a lot of other players. They stood up and said I believe in our staff that was here and believe in the program, and our university was going to support us and give us all the resources to build a great team. And it wasn’t easy to do at that point in time, but that’s something I’ll always remember with those guys.”
Not only have those four provided valuable leadership and experience, they’ve also been among UND’s top performers.
In addition to the transfer portal, which yielded UND Ellis Rickwood, Anthony Menghini and Gibson Homer, UND has also benefitted from a talented freshmen class, four of which came from the CHL.
“If you look at our (CHL) players with (Keaton) Verhoeff and (Cole) Reschny, (Josh) Zakreski and (Ollie) Josephson – those guys have all played critical roles for us,” Jackson said. “They were ready for big roles. They’re mature players, they’re sharp young guys. So to be able to find that level of players and be able to get them at that late date, I think that would normally be extremely hard to do. So that was a big advantage for us.”
Early Bump In The Road
Even with all of UND’s success, it hasn’t been a perfectly smooth ride. After a season-opening sweep of St. Thomas, UND earned a 5-2 win over Minnesota in Grand Forks. They out-scored the Tommies and Gophers 16-6 over those three contests and came out of the gates strong.
UND dropped the finale to Minnesota, 5-2, and lost at Clarkson, 5-1, before clinging to a 1-0 win at Clarkson. Verhoeff scored UND’s lone goal and Jan Špunar made 17 saves in his NCAA debut. Yet the Fighting Hawks dropped their next contest – an overtime loss to Minnesota Duluth on Halloween.
However, UND has lost just six of its 32 games since, and those Minnesota and Clarkson games remain UND’s lone set of back-to-back losses.
Second-Half Success
UND entered the Christmas break with a 10-1-0 stretch and sat atop the NCHC standings — the place they wanted to finish the season.
UND played its first game out of the break without WJC participants Will Zellers, Reschny and Verhoeff, but earned a 2-0 win over Mercyhurst en route to another sweep, using that team-first and next-man-up mentality.
They haven’t slowed down either.
UND defeated Denver in January, 5-0, earned four points in Duluth with a third-period comeback and a Saturday win, and swept a hot Miami team along the way. They closed out the regular season with four points in Kalamazoo, clinching the Penrose in the process.
Jackson’s club dealt with injury and illness throughout the stretch too, which carried into the postseason. They opened the playoffs without Zellers, Ben Strinden and David Klee, yet UND still swept Omaha with 5-1 and 5-3 wins.
Even after an early exit in the NCHC Semifinals — a 5-1 loss to UMD — the group got back to work and came to play in Sioux Falls. They’re heading to Vegas determined.
“After a disappointing game against Duluth, we did a really good job of resetting and kind of refocusing, and getting back to the work,” Jackson said. “That’ll be no different here this stretch with us trying to get our feet on the ground, stay humble and stay focused on the task at hand.”
Players To Watch
Jack Kernan, Fr., Forward
Kernan blossomed in Sioux Falls, scoring twice in the win over Quinnipiac. With freshman Oillie Josephson injured, Kernan took advantage of an elevated opportunity, centering Cody Croal and Tyler Young on UND’s third line.
Kernan has 21 points (11-10-21) through 35 games this season and has paired that with a dependable two-way game. He’ll look to stay hot in Vegas.
“He’s been behind some good players and Jack had a bit of a start that was a little bit inconsistent I would say, but as the season’s gone on he’s just played better and better,” Jackson said. “He skates so well, he’s got a really strong stick. I think he has good sense, and he just plays fast, he plays hard and he plays direct. And I think at this time of year with playoff hockey, those are effective attributes.”
Cole Reschny, Fr., Forward
Reschny has shown why he was the 18th overall pick (Calgary) in last summer’s NHL Draft and was recently named the NCHC Rookie of the Year.
The freshman ranks second on UND with 35 points, owns a plus-13 rating and he’s been one of UND’s top faceoff options. He continues to round out his two-way game and remains a threat with the puck, as Reschny scored against Quinnipiac last time out. Reschny has points in nine of his last 10 games.
Jan Špunar, Fr., Goaltender
UND had Špunar penciled in as its No. 2 goaltender heading into the season, and the Czechia native didn’t play in any of UND’s first five games. However, he quickly made up for lost time, as Špunar opened his NCAA career with a torrid stretch and has been among the nation’s top goaltenders.
Špunar is 20-4-1 and carries a .917 save percentage and 1.90 GAA into Vegas. After two strong seasons with Portland (WHL) and a year in Dubuque (USHL), Špunar has continued to grow and impress with his preparation and professionalism, and certainly his play.
“He’s taken a huge step,” Jackson said. “We believed that he was a good goalie and he could definitely do the job, but the meteoric rise he’s had and how well he’s played this quickly is definitely surprising, but we feel very fortunate to have him.”