The University of North Dakota men’s hockey are opening up the 2022-23 season ranked No. 4 in the nation by DCU/USCHO and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine.
This is the third straight season UND has been ranked in the top-10 at the start of the season. The Fighting Hawks are also looking to win a fourth straight NCHC title.
UND is returning 20 players from last season's team. The returners include All-NCHC First Teamer Riese Gaber, NCHC Defensive Defenseman of the Year Ethan Frisch, captain Mark Senden (Graduate student), and fifth year forward Gavin Hain (returning from a season-ending injury). Three transfers will be joining the Hawks in goaltender Drew DeRidder from Michigan State, defenseman Ty Farmer from Massachusetts, and defenseman Ryan Sidorski from Union. There will also be four freshmen for UND - Jackson Blake, Dylan James, Owen McLaughlin, and Ben Strinden.
The Fighting Hawks will open the 2022-23 campaign on Saturday, Oct. 1 in an exhibition vs the University of Manitoba. They will open the regular season hosting Holy Cross on Oct. 7-8.
USCHO Preseason Top 25
1. Denver (37 first-place votes), 974 points
2. Minnesota (8), 914
3. MSU-Mankato (3), 826
4. North Dakota, 787
5. Minnesota Duluth, 748
6. Michigan (2), 680
7. Quinnipiac, 669
8. Northeastern, 641
9. Notre Dame, 588
10. UMass, 520
11. Harvard, 455
12. Boston University, 396
13. St. Cloud State, 386
14. Western Michigan, 333
15. Providence, 283
16. Ohio State, 225
17. UMass Lowell, 220
18. Clarkson, 189
19. Cornell, 118
20. Michigan Tech, 90
Also receiving votes: Boston College 72, Penn State 65, UConn 62, Northern Michigan 61, Bemidji State 40, American International 39, Arizona State 29, Bowling Green 15, Maine 15, Omaha 15, Wisconsin 15, Colgate 10, Sacred Heart 7, Merrimack 6, Air Force 5, Brown 1, Canisius 1