Cameron Berg to fulfill dream by playing at UND
Apr. 1—GRAND FORKS — Cameron Berg grew up in West Fargo.
He and his family often drove to games at Ralph Engelstad Arena.
They annually attended the Western Collegiate Hockey Association Final Five in St. Paul. Berg was at the famous Dave Hakstol Timeout Game, where UND stormed back from down 3-0 to beat rival Minnesota 6-3. He watched UND win three consecutive Broadmoor Trophies from 2010-12.
Berg even wore No. 17 throughout his career as a nod to his favorite player, Jason Gregoire.
"It was my dream school growing up," Berg said. "I came here all the time when I was younger to watch North Dakota play."
Now, he will get to live out that dream.
Berg, who played his first two years of college hockey at Omaha, entered the transfer portal Monday and committed to UND on Saturday during his campus visit.
"It exceeded my expectations, to be honest," Berg said of his visit. "I knew it was nice, but it was just incredible.
"The atmosphere is great. It's professional. Everything they have is to help you get better one way or another. They create a really good environment to hang out at the rink all day."
Berg could be a key piece to the puzzle for UND in 2023-24.
The Fighting Hawks wanted to bolster their center depth with sophomore Matteo Costantini leaving in the transfer portal. They did so in a big way.
Berg, a 6-foot, 195-pound center, is a fourth-round New York Islanders draft pick.
He was one of the highest-scoring players in the transfer portal, tallying 10 goals and 24 points in 37 games last season. He also was solid in the faceoff dot, winning 52.8 percent of draws.
"Before going in (to the transfer portal), I was thinking to myself about what schools I would be interested in," Berg said. "I wanted to stay in the NCHC and North Dakota was definitely No. 1."
Berg, who scored a goal against UND in his last game as a Maverick, said he was able to meet some of the current Fighting Hawks players.
"I got to know some of them," he said. "They're great guys. I'm looking forward to meeting the others. They have some really good players. They're really tough to play against. I've also played against Ludvig Persson, too. He was such a great goalie, I'm excited he's on my side now."
UND added Persson from Miami out of the transfer portal this week to be the No. 1 goalie next season. The Fighting Hawks also picked up a commitment from Alaska captain and defenseman Garrett Pyke.
Berg played youth hockey in West Fargo until he was 12 years old. Then, his family moved to White Bear Lake, Minn.
Berg committed to Omaha as a sophomore in high school, before embarking on a three-year United States Hockey League career. He was known as a gifted goal-scorer in the USHL. In 2020-21, he finished seventh in the league with 27 goals.
In two years with the Mavericks, Berg had 18 goals and 47 points in 74 games.
Berg has two years of eligibility remaining with the Fighting Hawks.
In a
2021 interview
with The Forum, Berg's mother, Dawn, admitted the Omaha-UND games would be tough for the family, whose home was filled with UND stuff.
"It'll be the first time we have to cheer against UND," she said, "but our kid takes the loyalty."
Now, the family won't have to worry about that anymore.
Several family members are still in North Dakota. Berg's grandmother lives at Lake Metigoshe. Others live in West Fargo and Bismarck.
Berg plans to arrive in Grand Forks in the summer to work out with the team and prepare for the 2023-24 season.
"I know the coaching staff is very good at developing players," Berg said. "They have such good resumes. They have the same mindset. The players here are some of the top players in the league and to have a chance to compete against them will help me."
Berg said he has one main goal this season.
"Win," he said. "That's what we're here to do."
