Preview: No. 3 Boston University vs. No. 7 UND – Grand Forks Herald

GRAND FORKS – Boston University coach Jay Pandolfo played for the Terriers from 1992 to 1996.

Boston University played UND twice during his years. Both matches took place in Boston.

This weekend will be his first time seeing a game in Grand Forks.

“It's probably the No. 1 thing for me in college (among other places) I've never been to,” Pandolfo said Wednesday. “The facility is supposed to be incredible. I played against North Dakota so I know what their fans are about, but it’s really exciting to do it in their building.”

No. 3 Boston University and No. 7 UND play at Ralph Engelstad Arena on Friday at 7:07 p.m. and Saturday at 6:07 p.m.

The match features two teams that are similar in many ways.

They are full of skills.

Boston University has 13 NHL draft picks. If defenseman Sascha Boumedienne enters early in next summer's draft, he will be a 14th overall pick. AND has 13.

In the back of their minds they are both young.

The Terriers are expected to field a defensive corps with just one upperclassman – fifth-grader Brehdan Engum. Because of Bennett Zmolek's injury, UND is expected to field a defensive corps without a single upperclassman.

Both have an experienced transfer in the net.

Boston University is expected to start with Brown transfer Mathieu Caron. UND will likely start Arizona State transfer TJ Semptimphelter in the series opener.

“They're a team that when you give them time and space, they make plays,” UND coach Brad Berry said. “Their D-men are talented on offense when it comes to joining the rush and staying in the zone. You have to play fast, you have to be alert and you have to give yourself time and space and yourself.” “Have to play a physical game.”

Last season, Boston University and UND split in Boston.

The Terriers won the first night 3-2. The Fighting Hawks won the series finale 5-4 in overtime.

This series featured two of the three Hobey Baker Hat Trick finalists – UND's Jackson Blake and Boston University's Macklin Celebrini, who won the award. Both are now in the NHL – Celebrini with the San Jose Sharks and Blake with the Carolina Hurricanes.

While they're away, both sides have plenty of star power.

The Terriers' headliners are high-scoring first-round NHL pick Cole Eiserman, power forward Shane Lachance, first-round pick defenseman Tom Willander and dynamic defenseman Cole Hutson, whose brother Lane scored a hat trick against UND last season.

UND's offensive leaders through three games are senior Cameron Berg and NHL first-rounder Sacha Boisvert. Both have four points.

The highlight of the series opener will be Dixon Ward's return to skating, “One More Shift.” Ward is the only player with 100 goals and 100 assists in UND hockey history.

“I think our coaches set the schedule years in advance for this exact reason,” said captain Louis Jamernik V. “Pair-wise is a big deal. We want to schedule these non-conference games early because we're playing playoff hockey right away. If you ask me, I think our entire season is playoff hockey. Iron sharpens iron.”

Matt Woolverton / Boston University Athletics

National rank in brackets. Categories include overall record, offense (goals per game), defense (goals conceded per game), power play percentage, penalty kill percentage, faceoff percentage and team save percentage.

AND – D Caleb MacDonald (probable, upper body), D Bennett Zmolek (doubtful, lower body)
BU – None

Yes, Boston University lost Hobey Baker Award winner Macklin Celebrini to the San Jose Sharks, but they replaced him with Cole Eiserman – the all-time leading scorer in USA Hockey's National Team Development Program. Eiserman, the No. 20 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, is already off to a fast start. He scored four goals in his first three games as a Terrier. Three of the four goals came in the power play.

Eliza Nuestro / Boston University Athletics

Last year, this series was wide open, unhindered hockey with opportunities on both sides. UND junior forward Owen McLaughlin thrives in this type of game. In the two games against Boston University last season, he scored four points – an assist in the opening game and a goal and two assists in the series finale. McLaughlin is one to keep an eye on this weekend.

Eli Swanson / The Rink Live

Both teams have top-notch attacking skills. Both teams can score on all four lines. Both teams have a power play rate of over 30 percent so far this season. All signs point to a successful weekend at The Ralph.

Friday: Boston University 5, AND 4
Saturday: AND 4, Boston University 3

Rating
14 Cameron Berg (NYI), Sr, F, 2-2-4
9 Sacha Boisvert (CHI), fr, f, 1-3—4
26 Dylan James (DET), jr, f, 2-0-2
27 Louis Jamernik V, sr, f, 1-1—2
22 Owen McLaughlin (PHI), jr, f, 0-2-2
25 Abram Wiebe (VGK), so, d, 0-2-2
15 Carter Wilkie, sr, f, 1-0-1
18 Jayden Perron (CAR), so, f, 1-0-1
4 Jake Livanavage, so, d, 0-1-1
6 EJ Emery (NYR), fr, d, 0-1-1
16 Andrew Strathmann (CBJ), fr, d, 0-1-1
19 Cody Croal, fr, f, 0-1-1
2 Bennett Zmolek, Jr., d, 0-1-1
8 Jake Schmaltz (BOS), sr, f, 0-0-0
29 Jackson Kunz (VAN), sr, f, 0-0-0
21 Ben Strinden (NSH), jr, f, 0-0-0
7 Mac Swanson, fr, f, 0-0-0
13 Caleb MacDonald, so, d, 0-0-0
3 Jayden Jubenvill, fr, d, 0-0-0
5 Dane Montgomery, jr, vd, 0-0-0
10 Tanner Komzak, so, d, 0-0-0
20 Cade Littler (CGY), fr, f, 0-0-0
35 TJ Semptimphelter, sr, g, 0-0-0
30 Hobie Hedquist, so, g, 0-0-0
28 Dalton Andrew, fr, f, dnp
1 Kaleb Johnson, jr, g, dnp
goalkeeper
35 TJ Semptimphelter, sr, 2-0, 2.00, .918
30 Hobie Hedquist, so 0-1, 2.08, .923
1 Kaleb Johnson, Jr., dnp

Top logger
1. Abram Wiebe, D, 23:48
2. Jake Livanavage, D, 23:21
3. EJ Emery, D, 22:36
4. Caleb MacDonald, D, 21:10
5. Bennett Zmolek, D, 20:48
6. Cameron Berg, F, 18:34
7. Owen McLaughlin, F, 18:03
8. Carter Wilkie, F, 17:15
9. Dylan James, F, 16:44
10. Mac Swanson, F, 16:12

Rating
18 Shane Lachance (EDM), su, f, 1-4—5
34 Cole Eiserman (NYI), fr, f, 4-0-4
9 Ryan Greene (CHI), jr, f, 2-2-4
17 Quinn Hutson, jr, f, 2-2-4
61 Alex Zetterberg, fr, f, 2-1-3
12 Jack Harvey (TBL), so, f, 1-2-3
5 Tom Willander (VAN), so, d, 1-2-3
44 Cole Hutson (WSH), fr, d, 1-1-2
11 Kamil Bednarik (NYI), fr, f, 0-2-2
4 Jack Hughes (LAK), sr, f, 0-2-2
8 Brandon Svoboda (SJS), fr, f, 1-0-1
2 Gavin McCarthy (BUF), so, d, 0-1-1
21 Devin Kaplan (PHI), jr, f, 0-1-1
10 Brehdan Engum, 5th, d, 0-1-1
3 Tristan Amonte, Sr, f, 0-1-1
15 Matt Copponi (EDM), SR, F, 0-0-0
78 Sascha Boumedienne, fr, d, 0-0-0
22 Aiden Celebrini (VAN), so, d, 0-0-0
14 Mick Frechette, so, d, 0-0-0
23 Doug Grimes, so, f, 0-0-0
62 Mathieu Caron, sr, g, 0-0-0
26 Jack Gorton, so, f, dnp
7 Nick Roukounakis, fr, f, dnp
19 Jack Page, sr, d, dnp
33 Max Lacroix, so, g, dnp
1 Billy Girard, 5th, g, dnp
goalkeeper
62 Mathieu Caron, sr, 3-0, 1.67, .947
33 Max Lacroix, so dnp
1 Billy Girard, 5th, dnp

Top logger
1. Cole Hutson, D, 23:52
2. Gavin McCarthy, D, 23:39
3. Tom Willander, D, 20:54
4. Ryan Greene, F, 19:56
5. Shane Lachance, F, 17:53
6. Sascha Boumedienne, D, 17:38
7. Quinn Hutson, F, 17:24
8. Jack Harvey, F, 16:11
9. Jack Hughes, F, 16:03
10. Matt Copponi, F, 15:33

NCHC non-conference
Boston University in North Dakota, 7:07 p.m
Stonehill in Minnesota Duluth, 6 p.m
Lindenwood in Miami, 6:07 p.m
Arizona State at Northern Michigan, 6:07 p.m
Augustana at St. Cloud State, 7 p.m
Omaha at Minnesota State, 7:07 p.m
Wisconsin at Denver, 8 p.m
Colorado College in Alaska Anchorage, 10 p.m
Other non-conference
Clarkson at Michigan Tech, 6 p.m
St. Lawrence at Penn State, 6 p.m
Bowling Green at Ohio State, 6 p.m
New Hampshire at Quinnipiac, 6 p.m
Michigan State at Canisius, 6 p.m
Long Island at Notre Dame, 6:05 p.m
Colgate at RIT, 6:05 p.m
St. Thomas, Minnesota, 8 p.m
Atlantic Hockey
Air Force at American International, noon
Holy Cross at Sacred Heart, 6 p.m
Niagara at Robert Morris, 6 p.m
Bentley at the Army, 6 p.m
ECAC
Union at RPI, 6 p.m
CCHA
Bemidji State at Ferris State, 6:07 p.m
Hockey East
UConn at UMass, 6 p.m
Maine in the Northeast, 6 p.m
Providence, Vermont, 6 p.m