UND uses five-goal period to beat Alaska in series opener
Jan. 5—GRAND FORKS — UND opened the second half with a new look.
Coach Brad Berry juggled all the forward lines after the Fighting Hawks managed just four even-strength goals in the last three games before Christmas break.
He sent rookie goaltender Hobie Hedquist out for his first start after senior Ludvig Persson woke up with an illness Friday morning.
It took a little bit for it to click, but when it did, UND looked like the potent team we saw much of the first half.
The Fighting Hawks erupted for five goals in the second period — their first five-goal period in more than four years — to beat Alaska 6-4 in the series opener in front of 11,190 in Ralph Engelstad Arena.
Owen McLaughlin and Riese Gaber each had two-goal, three-point nights. Louis Jamernik V and Cameron Berg added goals, while defenseman Garrett Pyke tallied two assists against the team he captained last year.
Hedquist stopped 23 shots, including 11 in the first.
"It was good to get back on track," McLaughlin said. "I don't think we played great in the first or really in the third, but we had a really good second period. Fortunately, that was enough. But hopefully, we can play good for the full 60 (minutes) and all three periods tomorrow."
The goal barrage was unexpected.
Alaska hadn't allowed more than three goals in a game in two months. It hadn't allowed more than four since opening weekend against Denver.
But UND did that in 15 minutes and 10 seconds during the second period.
McLaughlin started the avalanche with a shot from the circle on the power play at 2:50. Gaber followed with a backhand from the top of the crease at 6:20.
Then, Jamernik V, Berg and McLaughlin tacked on three goals in the span of 2:02 late in the frame. The last one chased starting goaltender Pierce Charleson, a transfer from Michigan State, who had a .915 save percentage entering the series.
"I think it was just playing with some urgency and winning some puck races and puck battles, which they were doing in the first," UND coach Brad Berry said. "We forced them into some situations where they turned some pucks over and we capitalized in the offensive zone."
The last time UND scored five goals in a period was Oct. 12, 2019, against Canisius in Ralph Engelstad Arena.
"Any time you can get five or six, you deserve to win," McLaughlin said. "Fortunately, we did that and we were able to close this one out."
The new line combinations mostly clicked.
The top line of Berg, Gaber and Hunter Johannes had three goals and five points.
The second line of McLaughlin, Jackson Blake and Dylan James had two goals and five points.
The third line of Jamernik V, Jayden Perron and Jake Schmaltz had a goal and an assist.
The fourth line of Ben Strinden, Jackson Kunz and Carson Albrecht was held off the scoresheet.
"I thought there was synergy there," Berry said of the new line combinations. "It's probably going to be a little bit of a work in progress to keep going and building up a body of work. But I liked what I saw tonight from a lot. I'll do some video tonight to kind of reinforce that. It created some freshness."
UND will aim for a series sweep at 6:07 p.m. Saturday.
The Fighting Hawks, who only had eight previous meetings with the Nanooks before Friday night, last swept them in November 1991.
"We're going to have to start the way we did in the second period," Berry said. "We're going to have to start on time. There's going to be a team there that's going to be in their hotel watching video and making adjustments to what they have to do. We have to make sure we bring it early in the game, because there will be a push."