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GRAND FORKS — It won’t be an easy first month of the Dane Jackson era at UND.
The Fighting Hawks will play Manitoba in a preseason exhibition before jumping into another challenging nonconference schedule.
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UND will play a home-and-home against St. Thomas, the Central Collegiate Hockey Association’s third-place team last season, to open regular-season play. The series will open Friday, Oct. 10, in Grand Forks. The series finale will be Sunday, Oct. 12, in St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center.
Then, UND hosts reigning Big Ten-champion Minnesota in a rivalry series before traveling to Clarkson to take on the ECAC’s runner-up.
Its other nonconference series are a home-and-home against Bemidji State on Thanksgiving weekend and a home series against Mercyhurst in January.
There are several side stories with the nonconference foes.
St. Thomas’ roster is expected to feature Grand Forks native Bauer Berry, the son of former UND coach Brad Berry, and East Grand Forks graduate Mason Poolman, the son of longtime UND athletic trainer Mark Poolman.
The Clarkson series will be a homecoming for UND senior Ellis Rickwood, who is transferring from the Golden Knights this offseason.
And this is Mercyhurst coach Rick Gotkin’s 38th and final season at the helm. College hockey’s longest-tenured coach is retiring after the season.
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There are several highlights to the NCHC schedule.
UND opens league play against Minnesota Duluth on Oct. 31-Nov. 1. UND junior forward Anthony Menghini will play against his old team.
Arizona State will make its first trip to Grand Forks on Nov. 14-15. The Sun Devils have never played in Ralph Engelstad Arena.
UND gets to visit Tempe, Ariz., in January for the second-straight season. The Fighting Hawks play at Arizona State on Jan. 24-25. UND goaltender Gibson Homer will play against his old squad in that series.
The Fighting Hawks close the regular season Feb. 27-28 at defending NCHC Penrose Cup and NCAA national champion Western Michigan.
UND does not travel to Miami or Denver.
Colorado College and Western Michigan do not travel to Grand Forks.
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The NCHC playoffs move entirely to home sites this year and will start a week earlier.
If UND reaches the NCAA tournament, it could be placed in any regional site. UND does not host one.
The NCAA Frozen Four will be in Las Vegas for the first time.
Home games in all caps
Oct. 4 — MANITOBA (exhibition)
Oct. 10 — ST. THOMAS
Oct. 12 — at St. Thomas (Xcel Energy Center)
Oct. 17-18 — MINNESOTA
Oct. 24-25 — at Clarkson
Oct. 31-Nov. 1 — MINNESOTA DULUTH
Nov. 7-8 — at Omaha
Nov. 14-15 — ARIZONA STATE
Nov. 22 — U.S. UNDER-18 TEAM (exhibition)
Nov. 28-29 — at Bemidji State/BEMIDJI STATE
Dec. 5-6 — at St. Cloud State
Dec. 12-13 — OMAHA
Jan. 2-3 — MERCYHURST
Jan. 9-10 — at Colorado College
Jan. 16-17 — DENVER
Jan. 23-24 — at Arizona State
Feb. 6-7 — at Minnesota Duluth
Feb. 13-14 — MIAMI
Feb. 20-21 — ST. CLOUD STATE
Feb. 27-28 — at Western Michigan
March 6-8 — NCHC quarterfinals (at higher seed)
March 14 — NCHC semifinals (at higher seed)
March 21 — NCHC championship (at higher seed)
March 26-29 — NCAA Regionals (Sioux Falls, S.D., Loveland, Colo., Albany, N.Y., Worcester, Mass.)
April 9-11 — NCAA Frozen Four (Las Vegas)
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