BURLINGTON, Vt. – Through the first three weeks of the season, North Dakota has faced injuries to its top two goaltenders, a trio of regular forwards, and having to play five of its six games away from home.

No matter.

Following a 5-2 win and series sweep at Vermont on Saturday night, first-year head coach Brad Berry has his team off to a 4-0-2 to start, the first time UND has gone undefeated through its opening six games since freshman Zach Parise and teammates started 5-0-1 in 2002-03.

Tonight, five different players scored a goal and junior Matt Hrynkiw, making his third straight start, turned aside 27 saves in another tidy goaltending performance.

“A lot of guys are stepping up with the injuries. Our team has always been resilient,” said senior Bryn Chyzyk, who hammered home a Luke Johnson centering feed in the third period for a 4-2 lead and his team-leading fifth goal of the year.

“We play a hard game so we're going to have injuries. Guys always have to step up and we'll always find a way. I don't think injuries are going to slow this team.”

They didn't tonight. Top-ranked UND gathered itself after a somewhat sloppy opening 40 minutes to outshoot the host Catamounts 15-3 over the final 20 minutes.

Junior defenseman Troy Stecher, who concluded the scoring with 5:20 left in the third, echoed Chyzyk's summation of the team's first three weeks.

“It's a mentality. It's the next man up,” said Stecher. “You can't dwell on injuries, it's part of the game. You're just looking for players to step in. Everyone who is here is a good hockey player and everyone supports each other.”

UND got off to another quick start, opening the scoring less than four minutes into the game on a Drake Caggiula goal. UVM's Jarrid Privitera and UND freshman Brock Boeser traded goals later in the frame to make it a 2-1 lead after the first period.

Boeser's was a breakaway goal, his fourth of the season, after a nifty steal and head-man pass out of the defensive zone.

The Catamounts dictated play for much of the second period, outshooting UND 14-7. Privitera scored his second goal of the game midway through the period, but freshman Christian Wolanin answered just 24 seconds later with his first collegiate goal. His deflection of a Tucker Poolman point shot enabled UND to head into the second intermission leading 3-2.

“I didn't think we played our best for the first 40 (minutes),” said Chyzyk. “Matt Hrynkiw really helped us out, especially in the second period when they had some strong pushes. I thought the third period was the best period of the weekend and it felt good to get the two wins.”

Eight days after allowing a 4-2 lead at Bemidji State turn into a 4-4 tie, UND put forth a dominant third period and secured the sweep in the program's first-ever trip to Vermont.

“The first two periods, they gave us a big push, which we expected,” said Berry. “It was a gritty road game. Second period, we got away from our game a little bit. They played in our end most of the period and matt Hrynkiw had to make some saves for us.”

Berry likes how his team has handled adversity, not only tonight but throughout the young season.

“It's just a team-first mentality,” said Berry. “Guys who are normally offensive guys giving up their body to block shots late in the game – it tells you a little bit about the team-first mentality. It's the whole team doing that. Whatever roles guys are given, they take it and play it to their fullest. It says a lot about their compete level.”

Chyzyk added that playing on the road is a challenge readily accepted by his teammates.

“The guys like staying in the hotel. Lots of team bonding and stuff like that. And we always have UND fans there, too. We like the road,” said Chyzyk.

UND now returns home and begins preparation for the start of the NCHC schedule, which kicks off next weekend at Colorado College.