Fighting UND crowns Golden Knights

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mike deal / winnipeg free prEss University of North Dakota�s Mario Lamoureux (9) swings the puck around from behind the Clarkson net with Adam Pawlick (16) on his heels. Goaltender Paul Karpowich gets his stick into the play, tripping Lamoureux for a penalty. It took a while for UND to get going, but once they did, they ended up with a �W� in the school�s first game in Manitoba.

CARTER ROWNEY scored twice and goaltender Aaron Dell made 21 saves as the University of North Dakota beat the Clarkson University Golden Knights 3-1 in the inaugural U.S. College Hockey Classic in front of 7,075 fans at the MTS Centre Saturday night.

The first UND game in Manitoba in the 60-plus years of the program was a sluggish affair, as North Dakota couldn't find a rhythm until the midway mark of second period. Eventually they found their legs, though, relying on an energetic forecheck that forced Clarkson into mistakes as the night wore on.

It was exactly the type of play UND head coach Dave Hakstol wanted to see from his young club.

"These are the types of games that as we go into the end of our season, we have to be prepared for," Hakstol told reporters after the game, dismissing the suggestion that coming up to Winnipeg was a distraction for his players.

"As you go into the national tournament, you go into buildings that you've never played in before against teams that you're relatively unfamiliar with. This is a good test run for us."

After Clarkson University (based out of Potsdam, N.Y.) opened the scoring on a first-period goal from Julien Cayer. Rowney, a junior from Sexsmith, Atla., put the Grand Forks-based school on the board when he followed up his own wrap-around chance at the 9:14 mark of the second period.

Rowney scored again three minutes later when he jumped on another rebound and buried it into the top of the net past Golden Knights goaltender Paul Karpowich. He was feeling it at that point, he said afterwards, but couldn't complete the hat-trick on a short-handed breakaway chance early in the third.

"My eyes lit up a little bit when I got that breakaway," Rowney said. "I came down, I thought I had the far side glove, and just missed it. Then I just missed the rebound. It was close."

Three Manitobans -- freshmen Brendan O'Donnell and Stephane Pattyn, along with sophomore Taylor Dickin -- skated in the game for the North Dakota side. Not one registered a point Saturday, but the experience of playing in a NCAA game in their home country in front of loved ones more than made up for the lack of presence on the shore sheet.

Hakstol singled out Pattyn as one of the players who grabbed his attention on the ice. The Ste. Anne-product said playing in front of 150 friends and family probably figured in his performance.

"I had a bit of extra motivation -- for sure," he said. "Also, I'm starting to feel more comfortable every game. Hopefully I can just keep it going the rest of the season."

Mark MacMillan added the other goal for North Dakota.

Karpowich made 32 saves in the Golden Knights net.

North Dakota resumes WCHA conference play when they take on the University of Minnesota at the Ralph Engelstad Arena next weekend. The Golden Gophers (11-3) lost to Notre Dame in exhibition action Saturday night.

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 8, 2012 B5