'I don't know if there's anything that matches it in college hockey,' Berry says of UND-Minnesota rivalry
Oct. 20—MINNEAPOLIS — Mark Senden is the two-year captain of the UND hockey team, and he says his family members in the Twin Cities are supportive of him. Even uncle Stuart.
But he knows he won't see Stuart wearing kelly green and white to 3M Arena at Mariucci this weekend.
"He's very happy for me and supportive, but he says these are the only two games all year where he can't wear UND stuff," Senden said. "He'll be wearing his Gopher stuff, unfortunately."
When it comes to the North Dakota-Minnesota hockey rivalry, passions run deep.
Stuart played four years at Minnesota, which will host Mark and the Fighting Hawks at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday in a battle of two top-10 teams.
"I don't know if there's anything that matches it in college hockey," UND coach Brad Berry said. "It's one of the most historic rivalries in the game. It's something that we're doing every year, playing each other, which is awesome."
Minnesota coach Bob Motzko said this is a weekend he doesn't need to give any pump-up speeches to his players.
"The green team, they come," Motzko said. "They'll be here. They'll show up."
Motzko said he and assistant coach Steve Miller joked that they haven't had to watch video on UND in years.
"Same North Dakota team," he said. "They just flip jerseys. It's the same North Dakota team. They happened to lose a game (Saturday), so they're going to be a little more ornery. Their bread and butter is how hard they play and how they forecheck."
The North Dakota-Minnesota rivalry took a new course in 2013, when the teams split into different leagues.
Multiple matchups per season were no longer guaranteed and the rivalry took a hiatus for a few years. But it returned in 2016-17, and they've played every year since then — outside of the pandemic-altered 2021-22, when nonconference games were wiped out.
"The guys that have played in those series know how intense and how fast and how physical those series are," Berry said. "The new guys coming in are learning about it from the older guys. I know both sides are very excited to play this series."
Last season, UND and Minnesota split a two-game series in Ralph Engelstad Arena.
"They play a hard forechecking game," Minnesota captain Brock Faber said. "They play fast. They play physical. They play hard and heavy. If you watch them 10 years ago and if you watch them now, it's the same. It's their DNA that they've been so successful with. It's going to be a great matchup and it's going to be a lot of fun, for sure."
There are a lot of players in this series who had relatives compete in it.
Minnesota forward Jimmy Snuggerud's father, Dave, captained the Gophers in the 1980s. UND forward Jackson Blake's father, Jason, played for UND in the 1990s. Fighting Hawks forward Jake Schmaltz's older cousin, Jordan, played defense for UND during the final meeting as Western Collegiate Hockey Association members in the 2010s.
And, of course, there's Senden.
"There's a lot of tradition and a lot of history between us and the Gophers," Senden said. "Growing up, my uncle played for the Gophers, so there's a little bit more there to me playing this team. There's a little more family rivalry going into it, I'd say. It's a lot of fun."
Even for those with no family history, it's a series the players wait for.
"Whenever it's North Dakota week, that's something you dream of as a kid," Faber said. "All of us dream of being Gopher hockey players, and we're here, and the games you think of are the Gophers beating North Dakota. There's been a different type of intensity this week. We're really looking forward to getting this place rocking on Friday and Saturday night."
The teams are scheduled to play a two-game series in Grand Forks next season on Oct. 20-21.
They will not play in the regular season in 2024-25, but both Berry and Motzko indicated they're working toward signing a future agreement to keep the rivalry going.
"We know how storied it is and we want to keep the tradition going," Berry said. "Even moreso, it's for the fans. The fans absolutely love it. I know our fans look forward to it. They circle it on their calendar whether it's in Grand Forks or in Minneapolis, and going down there and traveling. And I know their fan base does as well. Sometimes, you get into a league where there isn't always an intense rivalry. This is one that's been there for a long, long time."
When: 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Where: 3M Arena at Mariucci.
Records: UND 2-1-1, Minnesota 3-1.
TV: Bally Sports North Extra (GF Ch. 339, 639 HD) on Friday; Bally Sports North (GF Ch. 28/623 HD) on Saturday.
Radio: The Fox (96.1 FM) on Friday, Cat Country (100.3) on Saturday.
Stream: Big Ten Plus.
