#3 MINNESOTA DULUTH vs. #4 NORTH DAKOTA
Dec. 19, 2020
Baxter Arena
12:05 p.m. CT
MIAMI vs. #4 NORTH DAKOTA
Dec. 20, 2020
Baxter Arena
8:05 p.m. CT
RADIO
PxP: Tim Hennessy
Radio: 790 AM (Fargo) & Home of Economy Radio Network
Web: FightingHawks.com
ON TAP
North Dakota gets Minnesota Duluth for a Saturday noon showdown before ending the NCHC pod Sunday with an evening tilt with Miami. UND is fresh off a 4-3 overtime win over St. Cloud State Wednesday, its third OT game in the pod and its second OT win.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Longtime broadcaster Tim Hennessy, in his 42nd season as the voice of UND men’s hockey, calls the action while Steve Olson will provide color analysis when the season resumes regular series play.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow the action live by following @UNDmhockey and @UNDInsider on Twitter. Fans can also read the action via live chat at GrandForksHerald.com with beat writer Brad Schlossman.
POLL POSITION
Five NCHC teams are again ranked in this week’s USCHO.com poll with four in the top 10. Minnesota Duluth moved to third with UND at fourth and Denver at eight and St. Cloud State cracking the Top 10 at nine. Omaha moved up a spot to 17th in the poll.
LAST TIME AGAINST THE BULLDOGS
North Dakota led 2-1 late in the third period but Cole Koepke’s goal with 3:25 left in regulation gave UMD a tie with UND on Dec. 10. Nick Swaney’s shootout conversion gave the Bulldogs the extra league point.
SERIES HISTORY WITH MINNESOTA DULUTH
North Dakota leads the all-time series with Minnesota Duluth, with a 148-86-11 mark.
PAIR OF FRESHMEN D OFF WITH TEAM USA
Jake Sanderson and Tyler Kleven were both named to the 25-man roster for the US National Junior Team that will travel to Edmonton, Alberta for the 2021 IIHF World Junior Tournament, Dec. 25-Jan. 2.
NCHCPOD HONORS, WEEK TWO
UND took its second consecutive NCHC Defenseman of the Week award as senior Matt Kiersted’s five-point week took top billing. He was joined by co-Rookie of the Week Riese Gaber, who collected three goals and an assist on the week to share the honor with Denver’s Carter Savoie.
NCHCPOD HONORS, WEEK ONE
Shane Pinto (Forward of the Week) and Ethan Frisch (Defenseman of the Week) picked up the first weekly honors for North Dakota after their play helped UND to a 3-0-0 start in the pod. Pinto tallied a team-best five points with a pair of goals and three assists while Frisch had three points (G, 2A) and led the team with a +5 rating and 5 blocks. It was the second weekly award for Pinto in his career after being named the Rookie of the Week on Feb 3 last season while it marked the first for Frisch.
SPREADING IT OUT
North Dakota’s 31 goals have come from 15 different players. Mark Senden’s goal in the 4-3 win over St. Cloud State was the 15th different player to score in UND’s first eight games. Riese Gaber leads the team with five goals, one shy of the NCAA lead.
JORDAN JAMMING ALONG
Jordan Kawaguchi has a point in all eight games in the NCHC pod, the only player to be able to make that claim. He has been in on all five game-winners for North Dakota as well, setting up the winners against Miami (Dec. 2) and both Western Michigan wins (Dec. 6, Dec. 13) while scoring the overtime clinchers vs. Denver (Dec. 4) and St. Cloud State (Dec. 16).
100 POINT CLUB
Jordan Kawaguchi became the 86th member of North Dakota’s 100 career point club. His assist and goal in Wednesday’s win over St. Cloud State gave him 101 for his career.
COMIN’ FOR YA, COACH
Kawaguchi has a few former players now on the coaching staff in his sights on UND’s all-time scoring list:
PLAYER YRS G A PT
- Dane Jackson 88-92 59 44 103
- Ed Thomlinson 57-60 49 53 102
Jason Ulmer 96-00 33 69 102
Rob Mihulka 75-79 40 62 102
Jason Notermann 99-03 40 62 102
- Dennis Hextall 64-66 36 65 101
Kevin Hoogsteen 99-03 43 58 101
Jordan Kawaguchi 17-pres 33 68 101
OT WINNERS
Jordan Kawaguchi’s OT winner Dec. 16 vs. St. Cloud State just 8 seconds into the extra frame marked his fifth career OT GWG. Dating back to 1966 (since records are immediately available on this stat), no other UND player has more than three OT winners in his career.
UND players with multiple OT winners (since 1966)
Jordan Kawaguchi 5
Greg Johnson 3
Justin Duberman 2
Bob Duncan 2
- Bochenski 2
Darcy Zajac 2
Dean Barsness 2
Drake Caggiula 2
Drew Stafford 2
Glen White 2
Lee Goren 2
Matt Frattin 2
Phil Sykes 2
Roger Bamburak 2
HE’S A WINNER
Jordan Kawaguchi paced the NCAA in game-winning points last season with 13. Already this year, he’s been in on ALL FIVE game-winning goals with three assists and a pair of OT goals.
QUICK DRAW
North Dakota’s centermen have been great in the faceoff dot, currently third in the NCAA in faceoff win percentage (.592). Shane Pinto’s .667 win percentage is among the leaders in the country and his 132 draws won are the most in NCAA D1. Jasper Weatherby is close behind at .597, fourth-best in the NCHC.