Time is winding down for the University of North Dakota. UND, 12-10-1, is in fourth place with a 7-5-0 conference record, with 12 conference games remaining. However, if UND wants to be in the mix for its ninth NCAA title, they must go on an impressive run. The chances of that happening are getting slimmer by the game. UND sits at 25th in the all-important Pairwise Rankings and will need to get to at least 13 or 14 to be guaranteed a spot in the final 16 spots of the NCAA tourney. Or they can win the conference tourney, which has happened only once in their 11 previous NCHC seasons.
How did we get here? UND started the season suffering a rash of injuries and lost approximately 80 games due to injury. They struggled early in their schedule, going 5-6-1 in conference games. Denver and Cornell also swept them during November. The Hawks entered December with little room for error.
On Saturday, the Western Michigan Broncos put their finishing touches on an impressive conference sweep of the University of North Dakota (3-2 OT, 5-1). It was not a good weekend for the UND hockey team. After going 7-2-1 in their previous 10 games, UND had high hopes of extending that streak.
It wasn’t meant to be.
The Fighting Hawks and Broncos played in a hard-fought game and managed to end with a 2-2 regulation tie on Friday. At 17:58 of the third period, UND drew a power play. Twenty-four seconds later, Jackson Kunz took an untimely, undisciplined penalty. The two teams would go to overtime, and the Broncos untied the game 14 seconds into the overtime period, giving them a 3-2 win. In game one of the series, WMU and UND played an evenly balanced game. The shots were 34-31 WMU.
Saturday was another story; UND came out of the gates and played well for the game’s first five minutes. Then the wheels came off. The Broncos scored two goals in the first, two in the second, and one in the third. When it was all said and done, UND looked disinterested, tired, and outclassed. It was not a good night. UND was outshot 37-24, and when the Hawks put a shot on the net, it was a logo killer or quickly stopped. Expectations were higher for this past weekend after watching the split series with the Arizona Sun Devils.
UND Fans are Unhappy
Following Saturday’s game, after UND was swept. Fans took to X.com to explain their displeasure with their favorite hockey team’s effort, many calling for UND Athletic Director Bill Chaves to fire head coach Brad Berry. Someone even started a change.org petition to fire Berry. So far, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of steam attached to it.
Fire Brad Berry – Sign the Petition! https://t.co/fzka3UttOA via @Change
— Ron Baldinger (@RonBaldinger64) January 19, 2025
I don’t like to play into the negative energy, and I am not calling for the head coach, Brad Berry, to be fired, but some things need to be addressed if UND is to make the NCAA playoffs. The chances look slimmer with each passing game. Fans are getting antsy, and I am constantly reminded that UND has won a single NCAA playoff game (the AIC game) since the magical season of 2015-16. I’ve spent more time talking to people about the status of the UND hockey team this season than any other. The fan base is not happy, and they want blood. The noise will only get louder if this team fails to make the NCAA tourney.
How do they right the ship?
The post-game press conference on Saturday night was tough. Head coach Brad Berry was visibly upset and probably didn’t want to be there—honestly, I don’t blame him. The players were also visibly upset and didn’t seem eager to answer many questions from the media.
“Hard conversations, honest conversations, and look in the mirror,” Louis Jamernik V said. “We have the personnel. We have a great group. We’ve got to want it every single shift. It doesn’t just happen showing up on a Friday night. It starts on a Monday.”
The coaches and players agree. They have two weeks to right the ship, and it starts on Monday in practice.
“We’re going to have hard, productive practices to ensure we’re ready for St. Cloud,” head coach Brad Berry said.
One comment from Jamernik caught my attention.
Something Seems Off
I looked at the numbers today, and a few things stuck out. Saturday, Dylan James had a four-game point streak snapped (2g-4a—6pts). James has been playing well and seems to be one of the few players playing consistently on a game-to-game basis.
After scoring nine of his 18 points (5g-4a—9pts) in nine games, freshman phenom Sacha Boisvert has cooled off. He has one point in the last four games (1g-0a—1pts). UND needs him to get hot if they want to go on a run.
After scoring 39 points (13g-26a—39pts) in his sophomore season, the junior from Phoenix, AZ, has had a rough season. In 23 games, McLaughlin has scored (1g-13a—14pts). Some have suggested his numbers last season were built on Jackson Blake’s offensive prowess.
Senior forward Carter Wilkie came to UND as a highly regarded scoring forward. In 117 games with RIT, Wilkie scored (43g-68a—111pts); he was also +33. Although his statistics were logged against Atlantic Hockey teams, you’d expect him to produce more than six points (4g-2a—6) this season. That hasn’t happened. He has 12-14 games to change course.
Last season, after Michigan ended UND’s season, I told a friend that I thought UND’s mental game was a bit soft. I am seeing some of the same trends again this season. I don’t know how they get past this. It’s almost as if the noise from the fans is getting to them.
A Deep Dive into the Numbers
Statistically, the Hawks have a lot of room for improvement. They’re doing pretty well in goal scoring and offense but struggling defensively and goaltending. UND’s penalty kill is a mess. Western went 3-for-4 (75%) on their power play opportunities this weekend. That has to improve if UND is going to turn things around. They also need to cut down on the number of undisciplined penalties. UND will need to improve in all three zones on the ice if they want to be in the mix at the end of the season. So far this season, I’ve seen a lot of blind passes to no one. We’ve seen players take penalties that kill momentum and take the wind out of their sails.
“I think our structure is great,” Jamernik said. “Jax (Dane Jackson) does a great job talking about the right things. We have the right system in place. The details are biting us right now.”
Right now, the PK isn’t getting it done for UND. Something has to change, or they won’t make it out of the first round of the NCHC playoffs. I went through and posted some of the national and conference numbers. There’s room for improvement, but not all is lost.
Goal Scoring 23rd
NCHC Goal Scoring 3rd
Goals Against 27th
Goals Against Average NCHC 2.84
Goals Allowed Per Game 3rd
Save Percentage 47th
Save Percentage NCHC .894 7th
Power Play 14th (24.3 %)
Power Play NCHC 4th
Penalty Kill 58th (73.7 %)
Penalty Kill NCHC 9th (73.7 %)
Shorthanded Goals Tied 11th 3
Shorthanded Goals NCHC 3rd
Faceoffs 54.5 tied 6th
Faceoffs NCHC 4th
