GRAND FORKS, N.D.  -- This weekend marks a rare time in the hockey schedule for the UND Fighting Hawks hockey team when it will seem like it is playing a home game some 1,800 miles away from Grand Forks.

But without much doubt that is what it will be like Friday and Saturday nights when the Fighting Hawks, ranked No. 3 in the all-important NPI national ranks, take on Arizona State in Phoenix.

Arizona is a popular winter escape for many North Dakotans and followers of UND hockey around the Upper Midwest. There are fans who spend the winter in the warmer climate, and others who take a winter break and leave our frozen tundra to use this series as an an excuse for a short winter break.

So for those of us stuck back here in the bitter cold in North Dakota this weekend and can watch the series on TV or listen to the call on radio, you'll see a huge turnout of UND fans on TV, or hear them loud and proud on radio.

So it is indeed wise scheduling by UND and the NCHC to book this conference series in the middle of the winter. The trip will guarantee that a large turnout of fans wearing green and white will be there to stand up and cheer for North Dakota.

It is not a series UND can take lightly. Arizona State is not a main challenger at this point for first place in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, a position currently held by the Fighting Hawks with 10 league games remaining.

UND would ideally like to be in the top four of the NPI rankings when the regular season ends. It would then earn a No. 1 seed in one of the four NCAA regionals, likely the one in Sioux Falls, the closest regional site for UND and its fans.

UND will need to be road warriors to finish strong. The Hawks play six of their final 10 games on the road, including trips to Minnesota Duluth and Western Michigan, the main challengers for UND for top NCHC honors.

I've seen enough of this UND team to know that the strength of this team is in its quality depth. The fourth line can be as dangerous offensively as the top line, making it difficult if not impossible for any opponent to try to match up a checking line against UND.

Of the 24 skaters on the roster, 19 of them have scored one goal or more, attesting to the depth of this team.

UND is balanced defensively as well and has had strong play in goal from both freshman Jan Spunar and graduate transfer goalie Gibson Homer. So quality depth shows throughout this team this year, a trump card indeed for head Coach Dane Jackson and his strong staff.

There are 15 new players in the program this year, 10 freshmen and five transfers from other collegiate programs, so there's that newness to this team to go along with a revamped coaching staff.

So now crunch time has arrived, five more weekends of play, then the league playoffs followed by the NCAA playoffs.

And it is a nice way to kick off that final push now with a weekend trip to warm and sunny Arizona.

That's a nice break for the fans, for the players.

But the immediate goal this weekend is a bit different for the team.

Win two, come home in first place in the NCHC race and solidify the national rankings in the process.

Go Hawks.