COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- After three straight losses on Friday night that saw North Dakota outscored 17-3 in those contests, Head Coach Brad Berry pulled out the black uniforms and his team responded with a 5-2 win over Colorado College from Ed Robson Arena in Colorado Springs, Colo. 

The business suits, now 3-0 on the season, helped the seventh-ranked Fighting Hawks (12-6-0, 7-2-0-0-0-0 NCHC) remain alone at the top of the NCHC standings heading into the final day of the first half of the regular season tomorrow evening. 

A trio of players tallied multiple points to help lead UND, with Chris Jandric, Mark Senden and Riese Gaber all tallying a two-assist night, while five-different goal scorers found the scoresheet to lift the green and white to its eighth straight win over Colorado College (3-9-3, 1-5-1-0-1-0 NCHC). 

Zach Driscoll put together one of his sharpest outings away from Ralph Engelstad Arena, stopping 28-of-30 shots thrown his way. The Apple Valley, Minn., native saved his best work for the final period of regulation, with 14 saves in the frame. 

Penalties and special teams had been the story of the previous struggles on Friday nights, but North Dakota surrendered only three shots on goal in four CC power play attempts for a perfect night on the kill. On the other side, the power play struck twice in its three opportunities to mark the first game with multiple goals on the man advantage since Oct. 30 vs. Penn State. 

After allowing goals in the opening minute both nights last weekend at St. Cloud State, it was Colorado College who found the net early once again just 3:08 into the contest to take a 1-0 lead. 

UND started to settle in after a strong penalty kill near the midway point of the first period, earning more zone time and firing shots toward CC netminder Dominic Basse. The Fighting Hawks finally broke through at the 14:09 mark when Louis Jamernik jumped on a loose puck in the slot and fired through Basse's legs to knot the game at 1-1. 

The green and white weren't content on taking a tied game into the intermission, however, as Matteo Costantini found himself in the right spot to rifle a blocked Gaber shot into the back of the net on the power play with just 1:11 remaining in the first period to give UND a 2-1 lead after one. 

A late penalty by the Tigers in the first period gave UND a chance to ride the momentum of its hot power play into the second period, and the visitors capitalized again. Gaber fired a perfect cross-ice pass to Jake Schmaltz that allowed the freshman to wire home his first goal since Oct. 30 and double the lead to 3-1 just 1:04 into the middle stanza. 

UND showed off its prowess on the defensive side of the puck throughout the second frame, holding the Tigers to just five shots and killing off a pair of penalties to carry a 3-1 lead into the final 20. 

In the third, UND won another battle in front of the net that led to a goal. This time, it was Senden fighting off his defender and dropping a pass from his knees over to Nick Portz. The freshman, who had a handful of chances last week in his hometown of St. Cloud, made no mistake this time for his first-career goal and a 4-1 lead with 14 minutes to play. 

Colorado College pulled it back within two on a tally with just under five minutes to play, but Gavin Hain sealed the deal with his third goal in the last four games, this time an empty-netter, to give UND the 5-2 victory. 

The two teams will close out the series tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m. (CT) on NCHC.tv. 


NOTES: Ashton Calder missed his fourth straight game with an upper-body injury ... Jake Sanderson also missed tonight's game due to an injury ... UND is now 3-0 when wearing the black jerseys this season and 13-2-1 since 2019-20 in the business suits ... Gavin Hain has now scored three goals over his last four games ... The Hawks are now 8-1-0 this season when scoring at least four goals and 49-4-2 since 2018-19 when hitting that mark ... North Dakota struck for multiple power play goals for the first time since Oct. 30 vs. Penn State ... UND has now won 46 straight games when leading after two periods ... The Hawks went 27-17 in the dot ... Louis Jamernik and Connor Ford each won nine draws, with Jamernik going 9-3 ... UND went 2-for-3 on the power play while CC went 0-for-4 ... The Hawks attempted a season-high 34 shots in the first period.