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Dec. 12—GRAND FORKS — UND has been up for all of the challenges it's faced so far this season.
The next challenge is winning without its World Junior guys.
This weekend, leading scorer Cole Reschny and defenseman Keaton Verhoeff are gone with Hockey Canada. In a timely development, center Ellis Rickwood and defensemen Bennett Zmolek and Jayden Jubenvill might be back to take on Omaha at 7:07 p.m. Friday night.
When UND returns from Christmas break, it will also be without defenseman E.J. Emery and forward Will Zellers — if they make Team USA's final roster — for a series against Mercyhurst.
Adding to the complications is that defensemen Jake Livanavage and Abram Wiebe are playing in the Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland, from Dec. 26-31.
Right now, Livanavage and Wiebe are scheduled to land in Grand Forks just a couple of hours before the series opener against Mercyhurst. The Fighting Hawks are preparing to book them on an earlier flight, though, if they don't make the Spengler Cup final.
Either way, UND will be working with fluctuating rosters the next couple of weeks — which is what happens this time of year when you have high-end players on the roster.
"You're happy you have good depth," UND coach Dane Jackson said.
The four players who figure to have a more prominent role this weekend are center Ollie Josephson, center Jack Kernan, defenseman Andrew Strathmann and defenseman Sam Laurila.
The Fighting Hawks (12-4) are playing Omaha (6-8) for the second time this season.
UND swept the Mavericks 7-2 and 4-1 last month in Baxter Arena.
"We know it's a battle with those guys," Jackson said. "We get game-ready for them. We know it's always hard-fought. They have a lot of guys who are strong, hard, two-way players. We model our game like that."
UND used an exceptional goaltending performance by Gibson Homer in that series finale to finish the sweep. Omaha outshot UND 35-24 in that game.
"I thought we played a really good game against them on Saturday," Omaha coach Mike Gabinet said. "So, we have a blueprint on how we need to play to be successful against these guys. I think they're coming off of whatever win in a row; they've obviously been really hot lately. So, it's a good chance to get up there in a tough environment and find a way to get a win on Friday night."
Omaha has been better on the road than at home this season.
The Mavericks are 4-2 on the road and 2-6 in Omaha.
The Mavericks, who have bused to Grand Forks in the past, chartered a plane this time.
"We're excited for it," Omaha forward Luke Woodworth said. "I've heard a lot about their building. You want to play in arenas like that where there's a lot of energy and a lot of hype in the building. So, we're really excited to give our best."
For the second week in a row, UND's opponent is coming off a bye week.
"We've done a lot of video this week," Gabinet said. "Without giving out too much strategy, you have to do certain things in key situations against certain teams."
UND OMA
5 NPI 32
12-4 Rec 6-8
3.8 (5th) Off 2.8 (34th)
2.4 (13th) Def 3.5 (51st)
30.0 (4th) PP 22.2 (22nd)
80.4 (32nd) PK 71.7 (60th)
51.8 (17th) FO 46.9 (54th)
.899 (32nd) SP .897 (37th)
Note: National rank in parentheses. Categories are NPI ranking, record, offense (goals per game), defense (goals against per game), power play percentage, penalty kill percentage, faceoff percentage and team save percentage.
UND — F Josh Zakreski out (lower body), F Cole Reschny out (World Juniors), D Keaton Verhoeff out (World Juniors), F Ellis Rickwood probable (lower), D Bennett Zmolek probable (lower), D Jayden Jubenvill probable (upper)
Omaha — F Jérémy Loranger questionable (undisclosed)
Two of Omaha's three NHL Draft picks missed the first meeting between these teams due to injury — Jérémy Loranger and Brett Hyland. Hyland, a seventh-round pick of the Washington Capitals, has seven points in 10 games to rank among the best on the team in points per game.
Hyland played for the Brandon Wheat Kings, then joined the University of Alberta for one season. He's one of four players from Alberta whom the Mavericks recruited in the offseason. The others are forward Sean Tschigerl, defenseman Aidan de La Gorgendiere and defenseman Marc Lajoie, who scored twice against UND in November.
UND is playing Omaha this weekend, so there's really no other option here. Dylan James has been dominant against the Mavericks during his career. Nine of his 39 collegiate goals have come against the Mavericks. He scored three times in two games against them last month.
His history of scoring on Simon Latkoczy goes back to the 2022 Clark Cup Final and it has continued as they've gone head-to-head throughout their NCAA careers. Depending on playoff matchups, this could be James' final time facing the Mavericks.
UND is coming off of a pair of wins where its opponent had an advantage in expected goals. It is playing without two key players. The student body will largely be gone on Christmas break. And the players know their break is 48 hours away. Is this a trap weekend or can this squad stay dialed in?
Friday: Omaha 3, UND 2
Saturday: UND 4, Omaha 1
TV: Midco Sports (GF Ch. 27/622 HD). Alex Heinert play-by-play, Jim Scanlan analyst, Taylor Budge and Dean Barsness at the desk.
Stream: NCHChockey.com/tv.
Radio: The Fox (96.1 FM). Tim Hennessy play-by-play, Mike LaMoine analyst.
GFH:
Q&A with UND forward Jack Kernan
GFH:
Cole Reschny, Keaton Verhoeff react to Hockey Canada call
GFH:
Andrew Strathmann earning time in defensive situations
GFH:
Former UND star Zach Parise inducted into U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame
GFH:
UND's injured players trending in the right direction
GFH:
Will Zellers added to USA's preliminary World Junior roster
GFH:
Red River's Carter Sproule to join UConn after Christmas break
The Athletic:
Corey Pronman drops latest draft rankings
Scoring
17 Cole Reschny (CGY), fr, f, 2-16—18
21 Ben Strinden (NSH), sr, f, 9-8—17
9 Will Zellers (BOS), fr, f, 10-5—15
7 Mac Swanson (PIT), so, f, 4-9—13
4 Jake Livanavage, jr, d, 3-10—13
26 Dylan James (DET), sr, f, 8-3—11
18 Keaton Verhoeff (2026), fr, d, 4-7—11
25 Abram Wiebe (VGK), jr, d, 2-9—11
8 Ollie Josephson (SEA), fr, f, 3-7—10
20 Cade Littler (CGY), so, f, 4-4—8
29 Ellis Rickwood, sr, f, 1-7—8
19 Cody Croal, so, f, 4-3—7
6 E.J. Emery (NYR), so, d, 2-2—4
15 Jack Kernan, fr, f, 1-3—4
22 David Klee (SJS), fr, f, 1-2—3
14 Tyler Young, sr, f, 1-2—3
24 Josh Zakreski, fr, f, 1-2—3
27 Anthony Menghini, jr, f, 1-1—2
13 Sam Laurila (NYI), fr, d, 0-2—2
2 Bennett Zmolek, sr, d, 0-2—2
16 Andrew Strathmann (CBJ), so, d, 0-1—1
3 Jayden Jubenvill, so, d, 0-1—1
28 Dalton Andrew, so, f, 0-0—0
11 Ian Engel, fr, d, 0-0—0
31 Gibson Homer, sr, g, 0-0—0
35 Jan Špunar, fr, g, 0-0—0
1 Zach Sandy, sr, g, dnp
Goaltending
31 Gibson Homer, sr, g, 4-4, 2.78, .882
35 Jan Špunar, fr, g, 8-0, 1.75, .929
1 Zach Sandy, sr, dnp
Scoring
12 Luke Woodworth, fr, f, 3-7—10
23 Maxime Pellerin, so, f, 6-3—9
19 Sean Tschigerl (ANA), so, f, 3-6—9
7 Griffin Ludtke, sr, d, 0-9—9
72 Marcus Nguyen, fr, f, 3-5—8
71 Brett Hyland (WSH), so, f, 2-5—7
22 Aidan de La Gorgendiere, so, d, 2-5—7
24 Marc Lajoie, so, d, 4-2—6
21 Tyler Rollwagen, sr, f, 3-2—5
18 Myles Hilman, so, f, 3-1—4
10 Jacob Guévin, sr, d, 2-2—4
13 Jacob Slipec, sr, f, 2-2—4
38 Trevor Wong, so, f, 0-4—4
8 Marcus Broberg, so, d, 1-2—3
44 Spencer Sova, fr, d, 1-2—3
25 Cam Mitchell, sr, f, 1-2—3
86 Jérémy Loranger (CBJ), fr, f, 0-3—3
11 Samuel Huo, sr, f, 1-1—2
27 Joel Plante, fr, f, 1-1—2
9 Cameron Briere, fr, f, 1-1—2
5 Joe Gramer, so, d, 0-1—1
26 Chase LaPinta, so, f, 0-1—1
30 Simon Latkoczy, sr, g, 0-0—0
73 Dawson Cowan, fr, g, 0-0—0
3 Hunter McInnes, fr, d, dnp
1 Will Craig, jr, g, dnp
Goaltending
30 Simon Latkoczy, sr, 4-7, 3.57, .894
73 Dawson Cowan, fr, 2-1, 2.35, .932
1 Will Craig, jr, dnp
Continue reading...
The next challenge is winning without its World Junior guys.
This weekend, leading scorer Cole Reschny and defenseman Keaton Verhoeff are gone with Hockey Canada. In a timely development, center Ellis Rickwood and defensemen Bennett Zmolek and Jayden Jubenvill might be back to take on Omaha at 7:07 p.m. Friday night.
When UND returns from Christmas break, it will also be without defenseman E.J. Emery and forward Will Zellers — if they make Team USA's final roster — for a series against Mercyhurst.
Adding to the complications is that defensemen Jake Livanavage and Abram Wiebe are playing in the Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland, from Dec. 26-31.
Right now, Livanavage and Wiebe are scheduled to land in Grand Forks just a couple of hours before the series opener against Mercyhurst. The Fighting Hawks are preparing to book them on an earlier flight, though, if they don't make the Spengler Cup final.
Either way, UND will be working with fluctuating rosters the next couple of weeks — which is what happens this time of year when you have high-end players on the roster.
"You're happy you have good depth," UND coach Dane Jackson said.
The four players who figure to have a more prominent role this weekend are center Ollie Josephson, center Jack Kernan, defenseman Andrew Strathmann and defenseman Sam Laurila.
The Fighting Hawks (12-4) are playing Omaha (6-8) for the second time this season.
UND swept the Mavericks 7-2 and 4-1 last month in Baxter Arena.
"We know it's a battle with those guys," Jackson said. "We get game-ready for them. We know it's always hard-fought. They have a lot of guys who are strong, hard, two-way players. We model our game like that."
UND used an exceptional goaltending performance by Gibson Homer in that series finale to finish the sweep. Omaha outshot UND 35-24 in that game.
"I thought we played a really good game against them on Saturday," Omaha coach Mike Gabinet said. "So, we have a blueprint on how we need to play to be successful against these guys. I think they're coming off of whatever win in a row; they've obviously been really hot lately. So, it's a good chance to get up there in a tough environment and find a way to get a win on Friday night."
Omaha has been better on the road than at home this season.
The Mavericks are 4-2 on the road and 2-6 in Omaha.
The Mavericks, who have bused to Grand Forks in the past, chartered a plane this time.
"We're excited for it," Omaha forward Luke Woodworth said. "I've heard a lot about their building. You want to play in arenas like that where there's a lot of energy and a lot of hype in the building. So, we're really excited to give our best."
For the second week in a row, UND's opponent is coming off a bye week.
"We've done a lot of video this week," Gabinet said. "Without giving out too much strategy, you have to do certain things in key situations against certain teams."
UND OMA
5 NPI 32
12-4 Rec 6-8
3.8 (5th) Off 2.8 (34th)
2.4 (13th) Def 3.5 (51st)
30.0 (4th) PP 22.2 (22nd)
80.4 (32nd) PK 71.7 (60th)
51.8 (17th) FO 46.9 (54th)
.899 (32nd) SP .897 (37th)
Note: National rank in parentheses. Categories are NPI ranking, record, offense (goals per game), defense (goals against per game), power play percentage, penalty kill percentage, faceoff percentage and team save percentage.
UND — F Josh Zakreski out (lower body), F Cole Reschny out (World Juniors), D Keaton Verhoeff out (World Juniors), F Ellis Rickwood probable (lower), D Bennett Zmolek probable (lower), D Jayden Jubenvill probable (upper)
Omaha — F Jérémy Loranger questionable (undisclosed)
Two of Omaha's three NHL Draft picks missed the first meeting between these teams due to injury — Jérémy Loranger and Brett Hyland. Hyland, a seventh-round pick of the Washington Capitals, has seven points in 10 games to rank among the best on the team in points per game.
Hyland played for the Brandon Wheat Kings, then joined the University of Alberta for one season. He's one of four players from Alberta whom the Mavericks recruited in the offseason. The others are forward Sean Tschigerl, defenseman Aidan de La Gorgendiere and defenseman Marc Lajoie, who scored twice against UND in November.
UND is playing Omaha this weekend, so there's really no other option here. Dylan James has been dominant against the Mavericks during his career. Nine of his 39 collegiate goals have come against the Mavericks. He scored three times in two games against them last month.
His history of scoring on Simon Latkoczy goes back to the 2022 Clark Cup Final and it has continued as they've gone head-to-head throughout their NCAA careers. Depending on playoff matchups, this could be James' final time facing the Mavericks.
UND is coming off of a pair of wins where its opponent had an advantage in expected goals. It is playing without two key players. The student body will largely be gone on Christmas break. And the players know their break is 48 hours away. Is this a trap weekend or can this squad stay dialed in?
Friday: Omaha 3, UND 2
Saturday: UND 4, Omaha 1
TV: Midco Sports (GF Ch. 27/622 HD). Alex Heinert play-by-play, Jim Scanlan analyst, Taylor Budge and Dean Barsness at the desk.
Stream: NCHChockey.com/tv.
Radio: The Fox (96.1 FM). Tim Hennessy play-by-play, Mike LaMoine analyst.
GFH:
Q&A with UND forward Jack Kernan
GFH:
Cole Reschny, Keaton Verhoeff react to Hockey Canada call
GFH:
Andrew Strathmann earning time in defensive situations
GFH:
Former UND star Zach Parise inducted into U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame
GFH:
UND's injured players trending in the right direction
GFH:
Will Zellers added to USA's preliminary World Junior roster
GFH:
Red River's Carter Sproule to join UConn after Christmas break
The Athletic:
Corey Pronman drops latest draft rankings
Scoring
17 Cole Reschny (CGY), fr, f, 2-16—18
21 Ben Strinden (NSH), sr, f, 9-8—17
9 Will Zellers (BOS), fr, f, 10-5—15
7 Mac Swanson (PIT), so, f, 4-9—13
4 Jake Livanavage, jr, d, 3-10—13
26 Dylan James (DET), sr, f, 8-3—11
18 Keaton Verhoeff (2026), fr, d, 4-7—11
25 Abram Wiebe (VGK), jr, d, 2-9—11
8 Ollie Josephson (SEA), fr, f, 3-7—10
20 Cade Littler (CGY), so, f, 4-4—8
29 Ellis Rickwood, sr, f, 1-7—8
19 Cody Croal, so, f, 4-3—7
6 E.J. Emery (NYR), so, d, 2-2—4
15 Jack Kernan, fr, f, 1-3—4
22 David Klee (SJS), fr, f, 1-2—3
14 Tyler Young, sr, f, 1-2—3
24 Josh Zakreski, fr, f, 1-2—3
27 Anthony Menghini, jr, f, 1-1—2
13 Sam Laurila (NYI), fr, d, 0-2—2
2 Bennett Zmolek, sr, d, 0-2—2
16 Andrew Strathmann (CBJ), so, d, 0-1—1
3 Jayden Jubenvill, so, d, 0-1—1
28 Dalton Andrew, so, f, 0-0—0
11 Ian Engel, fr, d, 0-0—0
31 Gibson Homer, sr, g, 0-0—0
35 Jan Špunar, fr, g, 0-0—0
1 Zach Sandy, sr, g, dnp
Goaltending
31 Gibson Homer, sr, g, 4-4, 2.78, .882
35 Jan Špunar, fr, g, 8-0, 1.75, .929
1 Zach Sandy, sr, dnp
Scoring
12 Luke Woodworth, fr, f, 3-7—10
23 Maxime Pellerin, so, f, 6-3—9
19 Sean Tschigerl (ANA), so, f, 3-6—9
7 Griffin Ludtke, sr, d, 0-9—9
72 Marcus Nguyen, fr, f, 3-5—8
71 Brett Hyland (WSH), so, f, 2-5—7
22 Aidan de La Gorgendiere, so, d, 2-5—7
24 Marc Lajoie, so, d, 4-2—6
21 Tyler Rollwagen, sr, f, 3-2—5
18 Myles Hilman, so, f, 3-1—4
10 Jacob Guévin, sr, d, 2-2—4
13 Jacob Slipec, sr, f, 2-2—4
38 Trevor Wong, so, f, 0-4—4
8 Marcus Broberg, so, d, 1-2—3
44 Spencer Sova, fr, d, 1-2—3
25 Cam Mitchell, sr, f, 1-2—3
86 Jérémy Loranger (CBJ), fr, f, 0-3—3
11 Samuel Huo, sr, f, 1-1—2
27 Joel Plante, fr, f, 1-1—2
9 Cameron Briere, fr, f, 1-1—2
5 Joe Gramer, so, d, 0-1—1
26 Chase LaPinta, so, f, 0-1—1
30 Simon Latkoczy, sr, g, 0-0—0
73 Dawson Cowan, fr, g, 0-0—0
3 Hunter McInnes, fr, d, dnp
1 Will Craig, jr, g, dnp
Goaltending
30 Simon Latkoczy, sr, 4-7, 3.57, .894
73 Dawson Cowan, fr, 2-1, 2.35, .932
1 Will Craig, jr, dnp
Continue reading...
