Ludvig Persson set to return to Oxford
Jan. 31—GRAND FORKS — Ludvig Persson's first stop in Oxford, Ohio, this weekend will be a place he's never been.
After the UND hockey teams pulls into town, he'll carry his gear off the bus and into the visitor's dressing room at Goggin Ice Center.
"I don't even know what it looks like on the other side," said Persson, who spent three years as the starting goaltender for Miami University before transferring to UND this summer. "But it will be a lot of fun. The rink is nice. I'm excited."
At some point, Persson will wander down to Graeter's Ice Cream along High Street, the brick-lined road in Uptown. It was a favorite of his during his RedHawks days.
Then, at 6:05 p.m. Friday and Saturday, he'll go against his old squad in his old building as the Fighting Hawks take on the RedHawks in a National Collegiate Hockey Conference series.
"I have a lot of good memories from there," Persson said Wednesday. "I had three awesome years. I'm really happy I'm here now, but it will be fun to see a lot of friends and to be back in that environment."
Persson was a bright spot for a Miami team that struggled mightily during his three seasons in Oxford.
He posted a .925 save percentage as a rookie, despite only winning five of 18 games. As a sophomore and junior his save percentage slipped to .894 and .891 as he won six and eight games.
Miami finished last place all three seasons.
Persson entered the transfer portal last spring. UND, needing a starting goaltender, recruited him as its top choice. He committed after visiting Grand Forks and arrived in town in July.
"We've worked really hard together from the beginning," Persson said. "We were here early in the summer and we built really good chemistry all the way from defense up to the offense. The coaches have been doing a great job with all the pre-scout they've been doing and preparing us for every weekend. It's been great so far. We're having a lot of fun, which is very important to maintain that momentum."
The wins have finally come for Persson.
He has 15 this season, which is one more than he had the last two years combined. He's backstopped UND to the No. 2 national ranking and a four-point lead atop the NCHC standings.
"It builds momentum, for sure," Persson said of the team's 14-game NCHC point streak. "It gives a lot of confidence. I love winning and that's what we work for every day. It's just awesome to be on the ice with these guys. I think we really work well as a group."
This won't be the first time Persson has played against his old team.
UND and Miami played in Ralph Engelstad Arena in November. The Fighting Hawks swept the series 6-4 and 5-1.
"Obviously, it was a little different to see a lot of old teammates out there," Persson said. "It was really fun to share the ice again. We got two wins. I was really happy about that, so it was a good experience."
The Fighting Hawks are bringing momentum to Oxford.
They swept Denver last weekend 5-2 and 4-2 and haven't lost a regulation game since Nov. 3 at Boston University.
"We've built something special here," Persson said. "We had a really good weekend this last weekend, but good teams are teams that stay consistent, so we have to do that. It's a business trip. We're going for two wins, for sure."
Persson's teammates said they're looking forward to the weekend as well.
"Any time any of the guys play against their old team, it stokes a little fire in your stomach, especially for him being a goalie," rookie defenseman Jake Livanavage said. "He did such great things there for that program and I'm just glad he's on our side."
When: 6:05 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Where: Goggin Ice Center, Oxford, Ohio.
TV: None.
Radio: The Fox (96.1 FM).
Stream: NCHChockey.com.
