GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- I have a confession to make as I write this column for UND Athletic Communications heading into New Year's Eve.

At a time where many of the college hockey teams across the country are on Christmas break, my eyeballs are spinning from trying to keep up with UND players scattered around Switzerland and Minnesota.

They are competing on teams representing their home countries or a college all-star team in tournaments in the Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland, and in St. Paul and Minneapolis in the World Junior Championships.

UND now prepares to open the second half of the season this weekend situated in first place in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference and rated No. 2 nationally in the NPI as well after a strong first half of the season.

Now comes the challenge of playing with a depleted team this weekend, and fighting the danger of overlooking winless Mercyhurst (0-15-1), ranked 63rd nationally out of the 63 schools with NCAA Division I hockey programs in the NPI.

While without a question UND will be missing some very talented players this weekend, it also creates the opportunity for players who have not played big roles, or played a whole lot at all, to step forward and show their stuff.

Mercyhurst has struggled mightily on the offensive end of the game this season, averaging just over a goal a game, so that alone should work in UND's favor.

While Mercyhurst doesn't come in with strong credentials this season, it serves as an important series for the Fighting Hawks in another sense.

Up on the schedule for UND next weekend is a series at Colorado College, followed by a series in Grand Forks with Denver. The Pioneers are one point behind league-leading UND at this point in a race for the Penrose Cup as league regular-season title.

If either team can sweep that series, it would set the team that can do that in prime position to win the league title.

So while the series this weekend with Mercyhurst doesn't carry with it the excitement of facing a strong opponent, it would seriously put a dent in UND's national ranking should it lose even once against Mercyhurst.

In that sense, one can look at this weekend's series as an important tune-up for the upcoming battle first with Colorado College, then with Denver, traditionally a key rival of the Fighting Hawks.

In the meantime, the hockey fans among us -- like me -- will be following the games being played in Switzerland and Minnesota involving UND players competing for their home countries and collegiate pride in the Spengler Cup and World Junior Championship.

Without a doubt, a sweep of Mercyhurst here this weekend would set UND up for a strong second half of the season, including the giant showdown with Denver.

But first things first. Handle Mercyhurst and Colorado College, and we can talk about the upcoming battle of college hockey giants later.

Go Hawks.

Virg Foss has reported on UND hockey since joining the Grand Forks Herald in 1969. After his retirement from the newspaper in 2005, he has continued to write about UND hockey for UND Athletic Communications. He can be reached at virgfoss@yahoo.com.