North Dakota comes up short in 4-3 loss to Michigan in NCAA Regional Semis - University of North Dakota Athletics (2024)

David Snyder, Lindenwood Athletics

• Box Score

Game Recap: Men's Hockey | 3/30/2024 12:32:00 AM | Alec Stocker Johnson, FightingHawks.com

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. – North Dakota had its season come to an end on Friday night, 4-3, to Michigan in the NCAA Regional Semifinals from the Centene Community Ice Center in Maryland Heights, Mo.

UND finishes the season with a 26-12-2 overall record and falls short of its ultimate goal after Michigan (22-14-3) exploded for a trio of goals in the final 20 minutes to advance to the regional final to play top-seeded Michigan State on Sunday.

The Fighting Hawks, who entered the game a perfect 20-0-0 this season when leading after two, held a 2-1 advantage at the end of 40 minutes on a pair of tallies from Hunter Johannes (12) and Jackson Blake (22), but the Wolverines potted back-to-back goals in the opening 2:23 of the third to grab the lead for good.

Defenseman Keaton Pehrson dished out a pair of assists against his former team for his first game with multiple points in a UND sweater, while Blake closed his fantastic sophom*ore campaign with another goal to give him 60 points (22g, 38a) in just 40 games.

Goaltender Ludvig Persson returned to the pipes for his first game since March 9 at Omaha, stopping 26-of-30 in the defeat.

NoDak got off to a strong start in the opening 20 minutes, grabbing a 1-0 lead just 4:46 into the contest when Johannes rifled home a great feed from Abram Wiebe during 4-on-4 play to put the green and white ahead. The Hawks had multiple chances to increase their lead, including a post from Jake Schmaltz and another golden opportunity by Jackson Kunz, but the lead remained one after a period.

Michigan knotted the game early in the second period, but UND came right back to restore the lead. Owen McLaughlin worked a puck up the wall to Pehrson, who had his point shot deflected into the net by Blake to give UND a 2-1 advantage with just over half of regulation remaining.

The lead remained one for UND heading into the third, but Michigan tied the game just 50 seconds into the frame before taking its first lead just over a minute later on a pair of wacky deflections to quickly turn the contest on its head.

After the Wolverines added a fourth goal to make it a 4-2 game just past the midway point of the third, Kunz brought the Hawks within a goal with his ninth of the year on the rebound to breathe some life into the green and white with just over five minutes to play.

UND nearly tied the contest in the dying moments, firing a bevvy of shots towards the goaltender, but the Wolverines escaped with the 4-3 victory.

Postgame Notes

• UND ends the season with a 26-12-2 record, tied for the most wins since 2019-20
• Jackson Blake finishes his season with 60 points, one of only two UND players this decade to hit the mark
• Hunter Johannes scored his 12th goal of the season, ending the year with goals in three straight games
• NoDak entered tonight 20-0-0 when leading after two periods, suffering its first loss of the year
• Keaton Pehrson dished out two assists for his first multi-point game at UND
• Jackson Kunz scored his ninth goal of the year and finished with a career-high 19 points
• UND blocked 11 shots, with Kunz leading with three and Bennett Zmolek blocking two
• Zmolek finishes the season with 91 blocked shots
• Both teams went 0-for-1 on the power play
• Michigan finished with a 30-27 shot advantage
• The Hawks lose their first game in regulation to a non-CC/Omaha team since Nov. 3 at BU
• Michigan held a 32-29 advantage in the dot, with Louis Jamernik V pacing UND at 12-7

How It Happened

First Period
04:46 | UND – Hunter Johannes snipes home a great feed from Abram Wiebe to make it 1-0 UND

Second Period
01:37 | UM – Frank Nazar III ties the game at 1-1 off a weird bounce in front
08:18 | UND – Jackson Blake restores the UND lead with a tip on a Keaton Pehrson shot

Third Period
00:50 | UM – Dylan Duke evens the contest off a deflection
02:23 | UM – T.J. Hughes pounces on a rebound to give Michigan a 3-2 lead
11:56 | UM – Duke scores his second of the night on a 2-on-1 rush
14:31 | UND – Kunz pulls UND within a goal with his ninth of the year

For more information on North Dakota hockey, visit FightingHawks.com or follow on social media @UNDmhockey.