UND finally got that Friday win they were looking for.
A dominating performance by the Pony Express yielded a 6-1 victory Friday night over Alaska-Anchorage at Ralph Engelstad Arena.
Evan Trupp had a goal and an assist, and Matt Frattin notched his 22nd of the season to pace the Fighting Sioux (19-8-2, 15-6 WCHA), who had six different skaters score.
A sold-out crowd of 11,927 – the fifth-largest crowd at REA in history – watched UND pick apart the usually-tight Seawolves defense for their first Friday night win since January 7th.
There would be no slow start this Friday night. Two quick goals — Frattin’s, followed by a Jake Marto goal on a 2-on-1 rush — put the Sioux at a two goal advantage early. UAA used their timeout to try and regroup, but would not be able to climb back. Instead, UND kept building.
“It was important to get off to a good start and get a lead,” said coach Dave Hakstol. “Most importantly, once we had the lead we were able to build it.”
The lead was indeed built further thanks to forward Mario Lamoureux, who redirected a Derek Forbort shot from the point to make it 3-0. It was Lamoureux’s second goal of the season.
“it was definitely our goal to come out hard and fast in the first five minutes,” Frattin said. “We just ran away with it after that.”
Jason Gregoire scored his 13th goal early in the second on another rush, as well as another Forbort pass. It was the freshman’s fourth game of the season with multiple points.
Hakstol said he thought Forbort, the game’s third star, has played with a lot more confidence in the last few games. He credited that in part to Forbort being paired with veteran defenseman Ben Blood.
“He’s really stepped forward. he’s reacted really well with being partnered with Ben Blood,” he said.
“Chemistry is a tough thing to figure out. Sometimes it’s just there.”
The lone Alaska-Anchorage goal was scored a little ways into the third period to break the shutout attempt for goaltender Aaron Dell (21 saves).
But unlike UND’s season opener in which they blew a 5-1 lead to these very same Seawolves, the Sioux clamped down on defense and was able to answer with a Trupp goal to make it 6-1 and erase any hope of a comeback.
That goal was set up by Frattin, whose 22 goals lead the conference. Frattin’s two assists – his 11th and 12th of the season – were a big part of the game, said Hakstol.
“It speaks volumes in terms of how unselfish he is.”
UND outshot the Seawolves (10-14-3, 9-12-2) 35-22. It was a far cry from the average 25 shots per game that UAA usually allows.
UAA’s Chris Kamal had 29 saves.
It’s hard to believe that this is a team that was missing its captain, Chay Genoway, as well as forward Danny Kristo. But Hakstol said that he doesn’t think the team is shorthanded.
“We’ve had guys out of the lineup all year. We’re not shorthanded; twenty guys dressed tonight.
“Those 20 guys go out with a mentality that they have to go out and do a job.”
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