Future UND defensemen E.J. Emery, Sam Laurila get first Ralph Engelstad Arena experience
Dec. 30—GRAND FORKS — In the first period, UND's Dylan James, one of the fastest forwards in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, had speed up the left side.
Glued to him was U.S. Under-18 Team defenseman E.J. Emery, who finished James in the corner with a check.
It's not something most players at Emery's level could do to a speedy forward, but the UND commit showed his size and athleticism, which are making him a top prospect.
"You look for guys that are mobile and can skate," UND coach Brad Berry said. "He has great athleticism. He can defend very well. He's got a long reach with a stick, and he's very smart player."
Saturday's exhibition was Emery and UND commit Sam Laurila's first time playing in Ralph Engelstad Arena. Emery is expected to come to UND next season. Laurila will come in either 2024 or 2025.
Laurila, who is from Moorhead, grew up attending games at The Ralph.
"It's pretty special to play in my future barn," he said after his team's 4-3 overtime win in the exhibition.
Emery and Laurila said their team started slow in the first period but gained momentum as the game continued.
"We battled," Laurila said. "We hung around."
Emery added: "I thought we were pretty shaky in the first period. But we picked up our game each period and came up with the winner."
Emery played tough defensively the entire game, despite playing some future teammates.
"I tried to play them as hard as I could," he said. "Not really thinking too much about them as future teammates, but the opponent."
The U.S. Under-18 Team's stop at UND is its first in a series of games against NCAA teams.
On Monday, Jan. 1, the Americans play Minnesota. The following weekend, Jan. 5 and 6, they face Michigan State and Michigan.
"They were good. I thought they defended well," Berry said of Emery and Laurila. "They're getting a lot of experience, too, as they go here. They're playing a lot of NCAA teams, a lot of USHL teams. Their growth and development over the last couple of years has been really good."
At the end of the game in the handshake line, Berry had an extended conversation with Emery.
"He said I played good," Emery said, "and he's excited to have me next year."
