UND Falls in Frozen Faceoff Semifinals; Eyes NCAA Tournament

North Dakota faced a disappointing loss in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff Semifinals, falling 5-1 to Minnesota Duluth. This match occurred on March 25, 2023, at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, North Dakota. With this defeat, the Fighting Hawks (27-9-1) are now preparing for the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

Fighting Hawks’ Performance

This season marks a significant turnaround for North Dakota, as they are likely to be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2020-21 season. However, they have struggled in the Frozen Faceoff Semifinals, having lost five consecutive matches and recording a 2-9-0 record in this event since 2013-14. Notably, this loss also snapped an impressive 18-game postseason home winning streak.

Game Highlights

• First Period:
  • 02:14 – UMD: Callum Arnott scored with an assist from Joey Pierce.
  • 07:16 – UMD: Max Plante added another goal assisted by Ty Hanson.
• Second Period:
  • 01:26 – UMD: Jayson Shaugabay scored, assisted by Arnott and Luke Bibby.
• Third Period:
  • 01:59 – UND: Dylan James reduced the deficit with a goal assisted by Cole Reschny and EJ Emery.
  • 08:09 – UMD: Harper Bentz scored, assisted by Adam Kleber and Zam Plante.
  • 12:49 – UMD: Kyle Gaffney capped the scoring, assisted by Bibby and Riley Bodnarchuk.

Dylan James, who scored North Dakota’s lone goal, leads the team with 19 goals this season. Cole Reschny maintained his point streak, extending it to eight games, while EJ Emery increased his point streak to three games with an assist.

Looking Ahead

North Dakota will find out their NCAA Tournament seeding and placement on March 22. As they anticipate this important news, they will aim to regroup and learn from the recent semifinal loss.

Statistical Overview

As the Fighting Hawks prepare for the NCAA Tournament, they will reflect on their recent semifinals performance to ensure they are ready to compete at the highest level.