SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The North Dakota Fighting Hawks are headed to Sin City.
North Dakota defeated Quinnipiac 5-0 in the Sioux Falls Regional Championship Saturday night at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center.
“We just saw a really skilled, fast, excellent transition team,” UND head coach Dane Jackson said in his postgame press conference. “They built quite a bit of their offense from stacking numbers in that neutral zone and kind of quickly transitioning off their turnovers.”
Jack Kernan, Cody Croal, Dylan James and Cole Reschny all scored for the Fighting Hawks – with Kernan scoring two goals in the win.
For the first time in program history, a goalie pitched back-to-back shutouts in the NCAA Tournament. Jan Spunar finished with 22 saves to earn his second straight NCAA postseason victory.
Five Fighting Hawks were named to the All-Tournament Team – Forwards Croal, James and Kernan; Defenseman Abram Wiebe; and Spunar in net. The netminder was named the tournament MVP.
North Dakota will take on Wisconsin, who won the Worcester Regional Saturday in a 4-3 overtime game. The semifinals will be on April 9 at T-Mobile Arena, the home of the Vegas Golden Knights. Game times have not been set.
The top side of the bracket will feature either Michigan or Minnesota-Duluth against either Western Michigan or Denver.
