It was something old and something new as North Dakota got four goals from seniors and two from freshmen in a 6-2 exhibition victory over the visiting University of Manitoba Bison.
Fighting Sioux senior forward Ryan Duncan, the 2007 Hobey Baker winner, picked up two goals while seniors Matt Watkins and Andrew Kozek each tallied for UND. Kozek’s goal at 14:56 of the second period stood as the game winner.
UND freshman forward Jason Gregoire opened the scoring with a power-play goal at 11:41 of the first period. Third-year Manitoba goalie Steve Christie kept the game close, making 16 saves in a 1-0 game at the end of one period.
Watkins gave UND a 2-0 lead with a power-play goal at 12:25 of the second period. Sioux senior goalie Aaron Walski played nearly the first 28 minutes before being replaced by freshman Brad Eidsness. Walski stopped all 10 of the shots he faced.
The Bison made it a one-goal game when third-year forward Riley Dudar scored on the power play, tipping a slapshot from the point past Eidsness. But the Sioux answered with two even-strength goals to end the second period with a 4-1 lead.
Kozek capitalized on a two-on-one rush with sophomore forward Evan Trupp, rifling the puck past Christie from the slot. At the 18:36 mark, freshman forward Brett Hextall got his stick on a loose puck in the crease and knocked it home to give the Sioux a three-goal lead.
Manitoba got back in the game with a power-play goal by third-year defenseman Stephane Lenoski to make it 4-2, but Duncan slammed the door with his two third-period goals.
The Calgary native tipped in a cross-crease pass from junior center Chris VandeVelde at 6:24. Duncan followed that with a power-play goal at 15:48, firing in a rebound off a shot by senior forward Brad Miller.
UND freshman goalie Graeme Harrington played the final 6:17 of the game and stopped the two shots he faced. Eidsness had eight saves on 10 shots.
With the Sioux outshooting the Bison 51-22, Christie ended the game with 45 saves, several of them from point-blank range. He also stopped Duncan on a shorthanded breakaway.
UND went 3-7 on the power play while Manitoba was 2-7.
The 11,571 fans who saw the game at Ralph Engelstad Arena set a record for the largest attendance for an exhibition game in men’s hockey history.
UND heads east to face Boston University Oct. 10 at the Ice Breaker Invitational and will play Massachusetts on Oct. 11.
