What can Ludvig Persson learn from past UND goalie transfers?
Oct. 11—GRAND FORKS — It hasn't been easy for Ludvig Persson.
In his three years at Miami University, the RedHawks finished last, last and last in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.
He often went long stretches without winning.
Last season, Miami won once after Jan. 1. Persson needed to stop 50 of 51 shots that night against Minnesota Duluth to get the victory.
"I put a lot of pressure on myself and obviously, it was tough at moments," Persson said. "But at the end of the day, looking back at it, facing adversity makes you grow as a person. I'm really grateful for that and I kind of appreciate that now. Obviously, it was tough in the moment. But I think trying to learn from that is going to give me more success in the future and appreciate winning more."
Persson hopes to experience the feeling of victory a lot more this season.
He entered the transfer portal in March and settled on UND after making a campus visit.
"It's been great," Persson said. "The guys are great. The coaching staff is great. Obviously, the facilities are great. I can't complain about anything. I'm just privileged to be here and I'm trying to make the most out of every day I'm here."
Persson figures to be UND's No. 1 goalie from the start this season. His backups are freshman Hobie Hedquist and redshirt sophomore Kaleb Johnson.
"He kind of reminds me a little bit of Zane McIntyre as far as his preparation and mindset," UND coach Brad Berry said of Persson. "One of the things we really want to stress is, given we have two new goaltenders, is to give them a chance to get their feet on the ground by being strong defensively in front of them."
Persson will be the third-straight transfer to take the net for the Fighting Hawks.
In 2021-22, it was Zach Driscoll from Bemidji State.
In 2022-23, it was Drew DeRidder from Michigan State.
It took both Driscoll and DeRidder a while to find their stride — and for the team to defend well in front of them.
Driscoll had an .884 save percentage in mid-January when he caught fire. He posted a .935 over the final two months of the season, led the Fighting Hawks to the Penrose Cup as NCHC champions, was selected as all-conference and helped UND earn an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament.
DeRidder's save percentage hovered around .900 early in the season. He posted a .913 over the last three months.
"When you're playing well, there are a lot of people telling you how good you are," Driscoll said. "When you're not, starting for North Dakota can be a lot of pressure. That was probably one of the biggest adjustments I had. There are a lot of outside pressures. For me, it was making sure to focus on my job every night, focus on what's inside the locker room and really just enjoy it.
"I don't know if I'll ever have that experience of playing in front of that many people ever again. I had to make the switch from being nervous and anxious that if I don't play well people are going to hate me to enjoying it. We are there for a reason. The coaching staff trusts us. I was playing with that mindset."
Driscoll said one thing that helped his adjustment was coming to campus in July, meeting the team and being around them.
Persson did that as well — something that's extra important for him considering none of his eight defensemen have played a game at UND, either.
"It wouldn't make a difference if every single guy played here last year," Persson said, "because it would still be new for me, anyway. It's a process, but I think it's been great so far. You've got to try to learn every single day and pay attention to details. You're going to have things that happen in games where you have to talk about it after. It's a lot of new stuff, but it's a great thing. You learn every day."
Getting off to a fast start will be key for UND.
Last season's slow start cost the Fighting Hawks a trip to the NCAA tournament. UND played well enough in the second half to make it — the Fighting Hawks went 12-6-2 down the stretch — but the first-half hole was too deep.
UND does not ease into the schedule this season.
It will play two-game series against No. 1 Boston University and No. 3 Minnesota in the first month. UND also plays Army, Wisconsin and Minnesota State-Mankato.
"It's really exciting to have a lot of really good opponents coming into the building and trying to set a high bar right away and go from there," Persson said. "But you can't really get ahead of yourself. You have to stay present and take one day at a time. You have to make the most out of every day and pay attention to the details."
What advice would Driscoll have for Persson?
"Enjoy it," Driscoll said. "To this day, whenever someone asks, I tell them I played for the University of North Dakota. That's something I'm really proud to say. I wouldn't trade that year I had at UND for anything. There's a lot of pressure on that position, but when you step out in The Ralph for the first time, it's pretty easy to smile, have fun and enjoy it."
Zach Driscoll, 2021-22
First 20 games: .884 save percentage
Last 14 games: .935 save percentage
Drew DeRidder, 2022-23
First 11 games: .900 save percentage
Last 19 games: .913 save percentage
