GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- College hockey lasts the longest of any collegiate sport, touching seven months of the year with games being played, beginning in early October and ending in mid-April with the NCAA championship game.

It is one reason why I think it is good for teams to celebrate milestones achieved along the way, both for the good of the players and for something for the fans to celebrate.

So while North Dakota currently sits alone in first place in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference and is ranked No, 3 nationally in the poll that matters, the ultimate goal, of course, is to skate away with its 9th NCAA championship in April in Las Vegas.

While that is certainly a goal within reach of this team, there's plenty of milestones to celebrate before the Frozen Four is played in Nevada.

The hockey season goes on so long that it is imperative, I believe, for players, teams, fans, to celebrate goals reached along the way.

With that in mind, UND is closing in on winning the NCHC regular-season title, an important milestone for certain, and the goal that can be checked off in the next two weekends by taking care of business at hand.

The battle for the league title has, barring any major upheaval, been narrowed down to UND and Western Michigan. And those two teams meet the last weekend of the regular season at Western Michigan, keeping that intrigue alive.

But the Fighting Hawks play their next four games at home before finishing at the WMU Broncos, so they can take the suspense of that final weekend off the board if UND can sweep Miami and St. Cloud State in Grand Forks the next two weekends.

No question, this has been a fun team to watch, an exciting season to follow.

This team is a bit different in that it relies more on quality depth that one or two dominant scorers to carry the offense. The fourth line on this team is as likely to be a difference-maker in a key game than the top line. 

The depth of this team continues with a solid defensive corps and two goalies, freshman Jan Spunar and graduate transfer Gibson Homer, who can get the job done in goal.

That this team came together in the manner it has continues to impress me. With a new coaching staff headed by Dane Jackson, and a roster heavy with freshmen (10) and transfers (5), not many pundits out there could see this team being as successful as it has been.

But now it's crunch time, as the chase for the league title is in the picture and positioning for post-season play will be a factor coming up soon as well.

Good health and excellent play will be big factors as the playoffs beckon soon, so every game will matter.

Michigan State and Michigan are the only teams in the country currently ranked ahead of North Dakota in the national poll. A strong finish for UND would allow the Fighting Hawks to earn a No. 1 seed, likely in the nearby Sioux Falls Regional, where UND fans would pack the arena.

No fans travel like UND fans do. It would almost be like a home game should UND be seeded into the Sioux Falls Regional.

But first things first, right? Take care of Miami and St. Cloud and wrap up the NCHC title and hang another banner from the rafters in The Ralph.

Virg Foss covered UND hockey for the Grand Forks Herald from 1969 until his retirement in 2005. Since then, he has written on UND hockey for UND Athletic Communications for 21 seasons. He can be reached at virgfoss@yahoo.com.