grandforksherald
GRAND FORKS — Jack Kernan's goal with 3 minutes, 58 seconds left broke a 3-3 tie and sent North Dakota to a 4-3 victory over Bemidji State on Saturday night, completing a weekend sweep for the Fighting Hawks.
The play began with a faceoff in the offensive zone. UND senior center Hudson Malinoski won the draw cleanly back to defenseman Sam Laurila. Kernan then skated from the wall to the slot, drawing Bemidji State defenseman Aiden Ziprick with him. Laurila jumped up the wall into the vacated space and fed the puck toward the net, where Kernan tipped it past goaltender Raythan Robbins.
"I knew that 'D' was going to follow me and Sam would have a lot of space," Kernan said. "Then, just get to the net, a lot of bodies there. We had 40-some shots and just knew it would be a greasy one."
It was the second straight game decided in the final five minutes. On Friday, Cole Reschny scored the winner with 4:39 remaining in a 3-2 UND victory.
"That's a great team over there," Kernan said. "The last eight series have been one-goal games, almost every one. So, it's definitely a barn burner and it was just awesome to get that one."
UND is now unbeaten in five straight against Bemidji State, though nearly all of those games have been tightly contested. One was a tie, one went to overtime, and this weekend's matchups were both decided late in the third period.
"I want to get one of these games from these guys," said Bemidji State head coach Tom Serratore, who is retiring at the end of the season. "It happens too much where we lose by a goal and it's a battle. But at the end of the day, I can't ask any more out of these guys."
Sophomore forward Will Zellers delivered another standout performance for UND, scoring two power-play goals and adding an assist for a three-point night. He finished the weekend with six points. Zellers is the first UND player to record back-to-back three-point games to open a season since Zach Parise in 2002, and the first to tally six points on opening weekend since Brock Boeser in 2016.
"We were watching him through camp and we were just saying he does things at a high level," UND coach Dane Jackson said. "He's got some special ability. He works. He's competitive. He's got an elite stick. His agility and tenacity around the net are special. I think he has a great chance to play in the NHL some day."
Zellers had a hand in UND's first six goals of the season.
"You knew it was going to happen once he got a year under his belt in this league," Kernan said. "He's a phenomenal player. It's not surprising to anyone. He's going to have a great career. It's great what he's doing for this team right now."
Junior winger Mac Swanson also had a big night, contributing a goal and two assists for three points. UND outshot Bemidji State 44-22, and sophomore goaltender Jan Špunar made 19 saves.
The Fighting Hawks jumped out to a 2-0 lead with back-to-back power-play goals in the first period. Zellers finished feeds from Cole Reschny and Ethan MacKenzie. But the Beavers responded with a first-period goal by Rylan Gould and a second-period tally from Ethan Miedema.
Swanson put UND ahead 3-2 late in the second period, but former East Grand Forks Senior High winger Jaksen Panzer tied it off the rush with 4:51 remaining in the third. It was Panzer's fourth point in six games against UND and snapped a 32-game goal drought dating back to Feb. 8, 2025.
"It's been a long time since I put one in the net," Panzer said. "I didn't really know what to do — I blacked out. But it feels good. Now I can settle down and play my game."
The tying goal didn't rattle the Fighting Hawks, who led the nation last season with a plus-40 third-period goal differential.
"Goldfish memory," Kernan said. "Forget about it. It does no good whining about it. Just get back to work and see what happens. It worked out in our favor this time."
Key Analysis
UND's ability to stay composed after surrendering a late equalizer proved decisive, as the team quickly regained the lead and held on for the sweep. Zellers' torrid start has provided a major offensive boost, while the team's resilience in tight games against a familiar foe like Bemidji State could be a sign of things to come this season.
Originally reported by grandforksherald.