How junior hockey experience prepared Abram Wiebe and Jake Livanavage for their rookie seasons

Oct. 13—GRAND FORKS — Abram Wiebe had a decision to make a year ago.

He had the option to come to UND or to return to Chilliwack in the British Columbia Hockey League for one more year of seasoning.

"I made the big decision to go back," Wiebe said. "I knew I had to make that decision. I wanted to come into college over-prepared. I've seen a lot of guys come into college way too early and it's definitely not a good thing for their game.

"Going back to Chilliwack, I knew I was going to be the go-to guy and I took that opportunity to work on my defensive game, my stick positioning and my speed. I let the offense come with it. I'm glad I took that opportunity to grow. It worked out. I had a really good season."

Wiebe ended up winning the Campbell Blair Trophy as the BCHL's best defenseman.

Only two UND recruits have won that award — Troy Stecher in 2013 and Travis Roche 1998. Both Stecher and Roche were top players on NCAA national championship-winning teams at UND. Both went on to play in the NHL.

"I'm just excited to take the next step and play at North Dakota here," Wiebe said. "I'm pumped."

Half of UND's defensive corps this season will be freshmen, but they're all coming with three years of junior hockey experience.

The headliners of the group are Wiebe and Jake Livanavage, who played for the Chicago Steel in the United States Hockey League.

"College hockey is a big step from junior hockey, but what I'm seeing out of those guys so far is they have a desire to learn and get better," UND coach Brad Berry said. "They're playing at a fast pace and playing at a level where it looks like they're acclimated to college hockey. They haven't played a game yet, but playing against guys who are returners and transfers, they're making an impact each and every day in practice."

Wiebe credited the older players for helping his transition to college.

"It's been an unbelievable experience so far," Wiebe said. "The first thing I noticed is that everyone is so welcoming. For me, being a little uncomfortable and not knowing anyone, and being invited out with some older guys, it relaxes me a little bit.

"Another thing I've noticed is we're a really close group. We've jelled really fast and that's something the juniors and seniors wanted to focus on. . . welcoming 14 new guys in. That was a really important thing. I'm just so fortunate to be able to come to The Ralph every day and play the game I love."

Wiebe tallied 53 points in 54 games last season, ranking second among all BCHL defensemen.

"He has very good feet," Berry said. "He defends very well. He's assertive in his play. He covers a lot of ice. He's a guy who can provide offense off the rush. He's very smart in the offensive zone. He defends well with good gaps. He has a good stick, a big body and he's rangy. It bodes well for us. That's something we were lacking a little last year on the back end. We had some guys with size like Tyler Kleven, but he's a young guy who provides a strong two-way game."

Livanavage tallied 36 points in 48 games last season for Chicago, ranking third among USHL defensemen in points per game.

"He's very dynamic with his pace of play," Berry said. "He's a guy who plays like he's played college hockey before. He won a championship in Chicago. He plays with a ton of confidence. He's assertive with the puck and he's not afraid to get his nose in there, go into piles, and a lot of times, he comes out with the puck because of his quickness and agility."

Berry said the experience of Wiebe and Livanavage could lead to larger roles than most freshman defensemen.

"You don't see the glaring errors," Berry said. "You don't see the wide-eyed freshman look. You don't see them being behind. They've done a good job so far in practices and camp."

The next step is a game.

UND opens the regular season Oct. 13 against Army in the Ice Breaker Tournament in Ralph Engelstad Arena. The following night, the Fighting Hawks host Wisconsin.

Then, it's a two-game home series against last year's NCAA national runner-up Minnesota.

"It's been a lot of fun so far," Livanavage said. "The guys are getting closer with everybody. We're getting to know how North Dakota hockey is and I'm just trying to find my way. I want to contribute the best way I can. At the end of the day, team success is what's going to be the goal."