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Apr. 25—GRAND FORKS — UND has landed a top uncommitted goaltender in the United States Hockey League.
USHL Goalie of the Year finalist Jan Špunar of the Dubuque Fighting Saints is headed to UND this fall.
Špunar posted a 24-15 record with a .907 save percentage during the regular season. He finished fifth in the USHL in save percentage and fourth in saves above expectation.
The 6-foot-3 goaltender from Olomouc, Czechia, has missed Dubuque's playoff games due to an injury.
Špunar previously played two seasons for the Portland Winterhawks in the Western Hockey League. Due to a recent NCAA rules change, Canadian major junior players are eligible for college hockey.
Špunar, who turns 21 next month, is one of three finalists for USHL Goalie of the Year. The other finalists are St. Cloud State commit Yan Shostak of the Lincoln Stars and Michigan State commit Melvin Strahl of the Youngstown Phantoms.
Four previous UND recruits have won that honor — Zane McIntyre, Jean-Philippe Lamoureux, Karl Goehring and Aaron Vickar.
UND began recruiting Špunar a couple of months ago when Brad Berry was the head coach and Goehring coached the goaltenders. The recruitment continued under new coach Dane Jackson and general manager Bryn Chyzyk. Assistant Dillon Simpson was on both staffs.
Špunar will join 6-foot-6 Gibson Homer, an Arizona State transfer, as UND's top two goaltenders for the 2025-26 season.
Špunar's addition signals that sophomore Hobie Hedquist will not return in 2025-26. Hedquist has not yet entered the NCAA transfer portal, but the expectation is that he will enter by the May 13 closing date.
UND's staff gave committed recruit Caleb Heil the option to come to UND this fall or return to USHL Madison for one more season and play a significant number of games. Heil, a 6-foot-2 netminder from Victoria, Minn., chose to play one more year of juniors, polish his game and come to UND in 2026.
UND is closing in on landing Fargo's Zach Sandy as the team's third goaltender.
Sandy spent three seasons at Minnesota Duluth, where he played in six games. Sandy will likely be able to redshirt one of those seasons and have two years of eligibility left. Sandy starred at Fargo South-Shanley before playing juniors.
Continue reading...
USHL Goalie of the Year finalist Jan Špunar of the Dubuque Fighting Saints is headed to UND this fall.
Špunar posted a 24-15 record with a .907 save percentage during the regular season. He finished fifth in the USHL in save percentage and fourth in saves above expectation.
The 6-foot-3 goaltender from Olomouc, Czechia, has missed Dubuque's playoff games due to an injury.
Špunar previously played two seasons for the Portland Winterhawks in the Western Hockey League. Due to a recent NCAA rules change, Canadian major junior players are eligible for college hockey.
Špunar, who turns 21 next month, is one of three finalists for USHL Goalie of the Year. The other finalists are St. Cloud State commit Yan Shostak of the Lincoln Stars and Michigan State commit Melvin Strahl of the Youngstown Phantoms.
Four previous UND recruits have won that honor — Zane McIntyre, Jean-Philippe Lamoureux, Karl Goehring and Aaron Vickar.
UND began recruiting Špunar a couple of months ago when Brad Berry was the head coach and Goehring coached the goaltenders. The recruitment continued under new coach Dane Jackson and general manager Bryn Chyzyk. Assistant Dillon Simpson was on both staffs.
Špunar will join 6-foot-6 Gibson Homer, an Arizona State transfer, as UND's top two goaltenders for the 2025-26 season.
Špunar's addition signals that sophomore Hobie Hedquist will not return in 2025-26. Hedquist has not yet entered the NCAA transfer portal, but the expectation is that he will enter by the May 13 closing date.
UND's staff gave committed recruit Caleb Heil the option to come to UND this fall or return to USHL Madison for one more season and play a significant number of games. Heil, a 6-foot-2 netminder from Victoria, Minn., chose to play one more year of juniors, polish his game and come to UND in 2026.
UND is closing in on landing Fargo's Zach Sandy as the team's third goaltender.
Sandy spent three seasons at Minnesota Duluth, where he played in six games. Sandy will likely be able to redshirt one of those seasons and have two years of eligibility left. Sandy starred at Fargo South-Shanley before playing juniors.
Continue reading...
