GameCenter final: UND 6, Minnesota Duluth 0
Feb. 23—GRAND FORKS — Jackson Blake racked up a five-point game as UND blew out Minnesota Duluth 6-0 in the series opener. Blake had a goal and four assists for UND's first five-point night since Collin Adams in the 2021 NCHC playoffs against Miami.
First star: Jackson Blake, UND, 1 goal, 5 points.
Second star: Cameron Berg, UND, 2 goals, 3 points.
Third star: Ludvig Persson, UND, 17-save shutout.
UND 1, Minnesota Duluth 0 — Jackson Blake 18 (Jake Livanavage, Cameron Berg) 1:05 (pp). Berg draws a penalty on the first shift of the game and UND converts. Blake has the puck high on the right side, walks it into the circle and snipes one through a Jackson Kunz screen.
UND 2, Minnesota Duluth 0 — Jayden Perron 9 (Riese Gaber) 4:04. Gaber wins a battle along the wall just inside the defensive blue line, then pushes the puck up to Perron, who catches the Bulldogs in a line change. Perron skates in alone and snipes one just inside the post, beating Zach Stejskal on the glove side. It breaks a 10-game goal drought for Perron.
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Top !#UNDproud — #LGH pic.twitter.com/KQFnUG2MgA
— North Dakota Hockey (@UNDmhockey) February 24, 2024
UND 3, Minnesota Duluth 0 — Riese Gaber 16 (Jackson Blake, Logan Britt) 19:20. UND scores in transition in the final minute of the period. Britt makes a nice pass to send UND into the offensive zone, then Blake leaves one for Gaber in the circle. The captain snipes it for his 16th of the season.
Can't leave him alone like that!#UNDproud — #LGH pic.twitter.com/HiKo9ecPSW
— North Dakota Hockey (@UNDmhockey) February 24, 2024
Second period
UND 4, Minnesota Duluth 0 — Cameron Berg 17 (Jackson Blake, Jake Livanavage) 7:56 (pp). UND moves to 2-for-2 on the power paly on the night. Blake gets the puck on the right flank, attracts all the attention, then slips a pass to Berg in the left circle. Berg snaps it past Stejskal to make it 4-0.
We have at home!#UNDproud — #LGH pic.twitter.com/t1IbfZdS9P
— North Dakota Hockey (@UNDmhockey) February 24, 2024
UND 5, Minnesota Duluth 0 — Cameron Berg 18 (Jackson Blake) 13:29. Blake makes a terrific play to tally his fourth point of the night. Blake picks off a pass by Minnesota Duluth's Quinn Olson in the defensive zone, walks around a Bulldog defender and flips a pass for Berg, who finishes it.
This is just awesome. #UNDproud — #LGH — #HobeyBlaker pic.twitter.com/4VavmYCKQ9
— North Dakota Hockey (@UNDmhockey) February 24, 2024
Third period
UND 6, Minnesota Duluth 0 — Owen McLaughlin 10 (Jackson Kunz, Jackson Blake) 4:33. UND tacks on another one in the third as Kunz enters the zone on the right side, leaves a drop pass for McLaughlin and drives the net. McLaughlin fires it stick side on Stejskal for his 10th of the season. Blake picks up another assist, his fifth of the game. It's UND's first five-point game since Collin Adams in the 2021 NCHC quarterfinal game against Miami in The Ralph.
McLaughlin makes it six and a casual five-point night from #HobeyBlaker#UNDproud — #LGH pic.twitter.com/D5BuJmhOaY
— North Dakota Hockey (@UNDmhockey) February 24, 2024
UND's lines
Forwards
18 Jayden Perron—14 Cameron Berg—17 Riese Gaber
29 Jackson Kunz—22 Owen McLaughlin—9 Jackson Blake
26 Dylan James—8 Jake Schmaltz—27 Louis Jamernik V
13 Carson Albrecht—11 Griffin Ness—21 Ben Strinden
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Defensemen
7 Garrett Pyke—25 Abram Wiebe
4 Jake Livanavage—20 Keaton Pehrson
6 Logan Britt—2 Bennett Zmolek
15 Nate Benoit
Goaltenders
32 Ludvig Persson
30 Hobie Hedquist
1 Kaleb Johnson
Not in lineup: F Hunter Johannes (lower body), F Dane Montgomery, D Tanner Komzak
Minnesota Duluth's lines
Forwards
15 Quinn Olson—16 Luke Loheit—27 Blake Biondi
6 Ben Steeves—12 Jack Smith—33 Carter Loney
26 Anthony Menghini—34 Matthew Perkins—22 Kyler Kleven
37 Luke Johnson—21 Braden Fischer—24 Kyle Bettens
Defensemen
8 Aaron Pionk—2 Darian Gotz
20 Owen Gallatin—28 Aiden Dubinsky
38 Luke Bast—18 Joey Pierce
19 Riley Bodnarchuk
Goaltenders
35 Zach Stejskal
36 Matthew Thiessen
Not in lineup: F Dominic James (lower body), F Connor McMenamin (undisclosed), F Cole Spicer (ineligible), D Will Francis (cancer treatment), G Zach Sandy
Officials
Referees — Ryan Hersey and Anthony Vikhter
Linesmen — Tyler Liffrig and Kyle Stephens
Supervisor — Mike Schmitt
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Pregame notes
Hunter Johannes practiced this week for UND, but is unable to go in the series opener. . . Keaton Pehrson is in the lineup after missing the last two periods Saturday night with an injury. . . Forward Dane Montgomery and defenseman Tanner Komzak are healthy scratches. . . Minnesota Duluth is without forward Connor McMenamin, who was listed as probable earlier in the week. . . The Bulldogs are putting their top three scoring forwards, outside of Ben Steeves, on the same line, making UND decide which unit to use its checking line against. . . UND is 6-1 in the last seven against Minnesota Duluth. . . The Bulldogs have lost the last 11 games in which Ben Steeves does not score a goal.
