Men’s Hockey: No. 8/9 Terriers host No. 3/4 North Dakota for big weekend showdown

By Stevie Potter

For the first time in 10 years, Boston University men’s ice hockey (3-2-1, 1-1-1 HE) will host the North Dakota Fighting Hawks (4-1-1, 0-0-0 NCHC) at Agganis Arena. It will be the first time in six years that these two hockey programs will face off. 

The last time the Terriers and the Hawks met was in the 2017 NCAA regional semifinals in Fargo, ND. BU went on to win the game 4-3. In their last five encounters, the Terriers hold a 4-0-1 record against the Hawks. That being said, North Dakota has the edge historically, with BU posting an 11-12-2 record. 

Despite their tumultuous start to the season, BU possesses an ever-evolving weapon in freshman forward Macklin Celebrini. At just 17 years of age, Celebrini leads the Terriers in points with 11 (8g, 3a). In just the last week, he managed to earn the titles of Hockey East Player of the Week, Hockey East Player of the Month for October, and National Rookie of the Month for October. His offensive prowess will be key in securing a win over the Fighting Hawks. 

A prime aspect of North Dakota’s success has been their senior goaltender Ludvig Persson, who has a .933 SV% and a 1.65 GAA. As a result of his impressive performance, Persson was named NCHC’s Goaltender of the Month for October. It will be imperative for the BU forwards to discover his weak points and take advantage if they want to conduct a successful offensive attack against the Fighting Hawks. 

While the Terrier point leaders are a freshman and a sophomore (forward Jeremy Wilmer), North Dakota has heavily relied on their veteran players for offensive production. Fifth-year defenseman Garrett Pyke leads the Hawks in assists with seven, and graduate forward Hunter Johannes leads their squad with five goals. 

BU has had a rough start to their season thus far, but in their most recent series against UMass, glimpses of the preseason No. 1 ranked team shone through. The question that remains is whether it will be enough to tackle the powerhouse that is North Dakota. 

Puck drop for the first game of the series will take place at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 3, followed the next day by the second game, also at 7 p.m.