Miami has faced many difficult tests this season in its return to relevance — and has passed many of them — but this weekend’s series may be its most challenging.
The RedHawks are 1-19-1 in their last 21 meetings with North Dakota and have dropped 10 straight vs. the Fighting Hawks.
And UND is not only the NCHC leader with 42 points, the Fighting Hawks are the highest-ranked team in the conference at No. 3.
VFG takes a look at the upcoming series:
WHO: No. 20 Miami RedHawks (17-9-2, 8-8-2 NCHC) at No. 3 North Dakota Fighting Hawks (23-7, 13-5).
WHERE: Ralph Engelstad Arena (11,568), Grand Forks, N.D.
WHEN: Friday–8:07 p.m.; Saturday–7:07 p.m.
ALL-TIME SERIES: North Dakota leads, 33-8-4.
VIDEO STREAMING: Both nights–NCHC.tv ($).
MIAMI RADIO: Miamiredhawks.com, Greg Waddell (PxP).
NORTH DAKOTA RADIO: Both nights–KQHT-FM (96.1), Grand Forks, N.D.
NOTES: North Dakota is third in both major polls, and also third in the NCAA in scoring, averaging 3.86 goals.
Surprisingly, fourth-year UND starter Ben Strinden leads the team in points with 28, more than double his previous career high of 16 last season.
Seven Fighting Hawks have racked up at least 20 points, including freshman 18th overall Calgary selection Cole Reschny, who has four goals and a UND-high 21 assists, although he has missed four games and is questionable for this series.
Senior Dylan James has netted 17 goals, third-most in the conference, and Clarkson transfer Ellis Rickwood has a 7-18-25 line after notching 35 points in 2024-25.
Freshman Will Zellers has been a major power play threat, with six PPGs and 14 goals and 23 points overall.
Junior Evan Livanavage is the backbone of the Fighting Hawks’ defense, leading the team by far in ice time at 24:51 and plus-minus at plus-21. He also paces all blueliners in assists (19) and points (23).
Defenseman Abram Wiebe has 19 points and fellow blueliner Keaton Verhoeff — just two months older than 17-year-old Miami forward Ilia Morozov — has scored six goals and dished for 11 assists.
In net, freshman Jan Spunar has wrestled the starting job away from Gibson Homer (a former Miami commit), starting seven of North Dakota’s last eight games and winning five of his last six.
Spunar is 14-3 with a 1.76 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage. Homer is 7-4 with a GAA of 2.57 and a save percentage of .893.
North Dakota is sixth in the NCAA with a 28.3 percent power play and is major threat on the penalty kill, scoring six shorthanded goals.
Miami has been battling injuries in recent weeks, most notably to defenseman Vladislav Lukashevich.
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