Miami (2-3-2, 0-0-0 NCHC) at #10 North Dakota (5-1-1, 0-0-0 NCHC)
Nov. 8-9, 2019
Grand Forks, N.D.
Ralph Englestad Arena (11,643)
Friday: 7:37 pm
Saturday: 7:07 pm
Series: UND leads, 14-7-3 (.646)
Last series: Nov. 9-10, 2018 in Oxford, Ohio
UND 3-1, Miami 3-2
 
TV
PxP: Alex Heinert
Analyst: Jake Brandt
TV: Midco SportsNet
Web: nchc.tv
 
RADIO
PxP: Tim Hennessy
Analyst: Steve Olson
Radio: 96.1 FM (Flagship) & Home of Economy Radio  Network
Web: FightingHawks.com 
 
THIS WEEK
North Dakota finishes off its five-game homestand and opens National Collegiate Hockey Conference play when it welcomes Miami to the Ralph Engelstad Arena Friday and Saturday evening.
 
ABOUT LAST WEEK
Jordan Kawaguchi scored in the third period to break the tie and Gavin Hain added an empty-netter as North Dakota topped Michigan Tech, 3-1, Saturday evening in the US Hockey Hall of Fame game to extend UND home winning streak to seven, dating back to last season.
 
BROADCAST INFORMATION
This series will be telecast live on Midco Sports Network, the primary TV home of North Dakota hockey. Alex Heinert does the play-by-play, with former UND goalie Jake Brandt handling the color analysis with Katie Hale as the rinkside reporter. The series will also be available via streaming at NCHC.tv.
 
All UND men's hockey games, home and away, can be heard on stations across the UND Sports Home of Economy Radio Network, as well as through the iHeart Radio app. The flagship station for the network is 96.1 FM (The Fox). Longtime broadcaster Tim Hennessy, in his 41st season as the voice of UND men's hockey, calls the action while Steve Olson provides color analysis.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow along with the action live during all UND hockey games by following @UNDmhockey and @UNDInsider on Twitter. Fans can also read the action via live chat via the Grand Forks Herald's UND hockey beat writer Brad Schlossman's blog.
 
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets information can be found at the UND Box Office at Ralph Engelstad Arena or online at FightingHawks.com/tickets.
 
YOU'LL GET NOTHING AND LIKE IT
Adam Scheel leads the NCAA in goals against average heading into this week with his stellar 1.42 GAA. Scheel has allowed one goal or fewer in five of the seven games this season, including three consecutive wins with just one goal allowed.
 
HAVE A KAW, MAN
Jordan Kawaguchi has scored goals in the third period in each of the last two weekends to help North Dakota extend its home winning streak. Against Bemidji State Friday, he tied the game in the latter stages of the final frame Saturday and last week against Michigan Tech he had the game-winner in the middle of the final period.
 
NINE TIMES? NINNNNE TIMES
Kawaguchi has made a habit of scoring late as nine of his last 13 goals have come in the third period or overtime. Last season, Kawaguchi scored four third-period tallies and had two more overtime winners among his team-leading 10 goals.
 
POOLY BULLY
Colton Poolman missed just his third career game after sitting out the US Hockey Hall of Fame game against Michigan Tech. His only other missed series was the Denver trip last season in the regular season. Poolman has played in 121 of 124 games in his career. 
 
HITHER AND YON
Senior Zach Yon was able to return to the lineup for the first time all season in the win over Michigan Tech Nov. 2. Yon had missed the first six games due to injury.
 
VARSITY BLUE-LINERS
Both Gabe Bast and Colton Poolman were scratched from last Saturday's lineup vs Michigan Tech, but the blueliners held firm, allowing just one goal in the win. Josh Rieger has seen his first ice time of the season in these last two games, both wins (4-1, 3-1).
 
HERE COME THE FIVE-OHS
North Dakota improved to 5-0 at home this season and ran its home winning streak to seven straight with the win over Michigan Tech last Saturday. This run is already tied for the fourth-longest winning streak in the history of the Ralph Engelstad Arena (since 2001):
 
DATES                  Consecutive wins
1/23/16 - 10/22/17                    12
1/11/08 - 2/24/08                        8
1/22/11 - 10/7/11                        8
3/8/19 - current                         7
11/7/15 - 1/2/16                          7
11/30/13 - 2/7/14                        7
11/30/02 - 12/28/02                    7
3/2/02 - 11/23/02                        7
 
SHOTS THROUGH THE HEART
North Dakota tops the country in fewest shots on goals allowed per game at 17.29 per contest. That total is three full shots fewer than the second-best team (UMass - 20.29 SOG/game). Conversely, UND has generated 31.29 SOG/game, making its +14.0 differential the second-highest ratio in the NCAA.
 
A FEW GOOD MEN
UND has allowed just 10 goals this season through seven games, the fewest of teams that have played at least three games.
 
YOU'RE KILLIN' ME SMALLS
North Dakota's penalty kill has been near-perfect, allowing just one goal in 21 opponent man-advantage opportunities. UND's .952 kill percentage is third-best in the NCAA among schools that have played at least three games this season. UND is among just four schools that have allowed just one power play goal all season (among schools that have played at least three games).
 
SIXTEEN CANDLES
Matt Kiersted and Gavin Hain each scored in the win over Michigan Tech, giving UND 16 different goal scorers already this season through just seven games.
 
SPREADING THE WEALTH
UND's five game-winning goals have all come from different goal-scorers. Jordan Kawaguchi collected his fourth career GWG in Saturday's win over Michigan Tech.
 
DID I HEAR A NINER IN THERE?
Collin Adams paces the Fighting Hawks with a +9 plus/minus rating this season. In his first two seasons at UND, Adams was a combined -17, but has had a resurgent junior season that has seen him collect five points (1-4--5), including the GWG against Canisius (Oct. 12).
 
WEATHERING THE STORM
Jasper Weatherby has seen his role expand in the faceoff circle this season with the graduation of Rhett Gardner and Nick Jones, who handled a bulk of the faceoffs last year. In his expanded role, Weatherby has won 61.3 of his faceoffs this season (2nd-best in school history since the stat has been tracked) to up his career percentage to 57.7 (5th-best).
 
HERE'S JONNY
Sophomore Jonny Tychonick scored his first career goal in the 4-1 win over Bemidji State Oct. 26. He is already halfway to his point total from last season (0-4--4).
 
APPLE A DAY (NEARLY) AND DOCKER
Jacob Bernard-Docker has a team-leading six assists this season through seven games. The sophomore enjoyed a four-assist game in the Oct. 12 win over Canisius.
 
POLL POSITION
UND vaulted up four spots, cracking the top 10 in both national polls this week. UND moved from 14 to 10 in both the USCHO.com poll and in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll. It is UND's first time back in the top 10 since Feb., 2018. 
 
STRONG NCHC FLAVOR IN THE POLLS
Six of the eight NCHC teams are ranked or receiving votes in the USCHO.com poll this week. Denver took over the top spot four weeks ago with two-time defending national champion Minnesota Duluth now in seventh. North Dakota moved up to 10 with Omaha making its first appearance at 20. St. Cloud State and Western Michigan are both receiving votes.
 
  
**Full PDF notes can be found here**