UND hopes to build off a strong Saturday in Denver

GRAND FORKS — UND left Denver on a positive note.

The Fighting Hawks split with the No. 10 team in the Pairwise rankings.

After losing 4-0 Friday night, UND once again rallied on Saturday. Backed by a strong performance from netminder T.J. Semptimphelter, North Dakota defeated DU 2-1.

UND is in fourth place in the NCHC standings, one point ahead of Denver and seven points behind Omaha, who is on a bye weekend.

If the Fighting Hawks can sweep UMD this weekend, they would be one point out of third place.

Duluth will come to town with revenge on its mind. Last November, UND swept the Bulldogs at Amsoil Arena, winning 7-3 Friday and 4-1 Saturday. 11 goals was the most goals scored in a weekend this year by the Fighting Hawks.

But last November, the Bulldogs did not have one of their star freshmen, Max Plante. Since returning from injury Plante has been a key piece to UMD’s offense. He has 19 points in 15 games played this season (seven goals, 12 assists).

"He brings an added dimension of really good skill and compete,” UND coach Brad Berry said. “He's a guy that's a threat on the ice all the time. It's no different than any other weekend that we play. You know, playing Denver and different teams that we’re currently competing against—all of them have really good players in their lineup too. 

“I think it's about paying attention to when he's on the ice and ensuring that time and space are key elements. We need to avoid giving them too much time and space while also focusing on our puck possession and making them chase us around the ice. Like I said, it's a situation where both teams are loaded with really good players, and at the end of the day, it all comes down to the puck races."

As of late, UND has struggled on Friday nights. It has not won a series opener since December 13th, against St. Cloud State (2-0).

Hot goalie

In his last three starts, T.J. Semptimphelter has been lights out in net. The Marlton, New Jersey product’s save percentage is .945 over that stretch.

"I firmly believe experience is playing a key role right now,” Berry said. “You know what I mean? He's not a young guy; he's someone who's been in a lot of high-pressure games throughout his career. I think it's a situation where he's closing in on his college eligibility while trying to make an impact in each game.

 “He’s feeling good at this point. You can tell, when the puck's on the tape of the opposition in the offensive zone, he's out challenging, focused, and making key saves at important times. Our guys are also doing a better job of blocking shots and defending around him, but he’s still been left in situations where he's had to make huge saves, especially down the stretch in the third periods. That’s what big-time goalies do, and our league is full of great goaltenders."

In UND’s weekly press conference, Semptimphelter commented on what he thinks UND needs to do to be successful.

"You know, when we're playing simple, being very direct, blocking shots, and competing hard, like I said we're a very dangerous team,” Semptimphelter said. “Taking care of the little things is what allows us to succeed as a team. So, we just need to continue doing that. Obviously, Duluth is going to be a strong opponent, so we need to carry that effort into this weekend."

The Fighting Hawks will hope to replicate what they did well last Saturday against Denver.

Game notes 

• Freshman forward Mac Swanson has been performing well in the latter part of the season, netting five points in the last 10 games.

• Through 29 games this season, UND has often taken the lead, holding an advantage in 21 contests. However, they've lost that lead eight times.

• UND will wear the white Nodak jerseys tonight. UND is 0-1-0 with them on.

Injury report

In - Jackson Kunz

DTD - Sacha Boisvert

Doubtful/out - Jayden Perron and Dane Montgomery

ND Ice prediction

Friday: UND 4-2

Saturday UND 5-2