GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) - The fledgling National Collegiate Hockey Conference had never seen anything like it: North Dakota scored four goals in each of the first two periods and coasted to a 9-2 win over Miami (Ohio) Saturday, netting the most goals ever scored by an NCHC team.
UND (16-9-3, 11-7-0) won for the 11th time in 14 games despite having two goals by Mark MacMillan waved off in the first eight minutes.
“We had a great start and did a lot of good things,” UND coach Dave Hakstol said. “It’s nice to come into a third period … with the ability to go out, have fun, and play hard.”
Rocco Grimaldi scored a goal and assisted on three others. Nick Mattson had two goals and an assist and fourteen different UND players scored points.
“You don’t really expect that from a team with that much talent,” Mattson said of the RedHawks.
UND took 31 shots on goal. Ryan McKay started in nets for the RedHawks, but was replaced by Jay Williams early in the first period. Williams was replaced by McKay in the second. The two goalies combined to make 22 saves.
UND goalie Zane Gothberg made 27 saves in his return. He missed the last five games to an injury.
North Dakota set season highs for margin of victory, most goals in a game, and most goals in the first and second periods. It took over sole possession of second place in the NCHC, three points behind conference leader St. Cloud State.
North Dakota appeared to score 47 seconds into the game when Mark MacMillan rushed the net and scored while crashing into McKay. But the goal was waved off and MacMillan was called for elbowing.
Three minutes later, MacMillan fed Jordan Schmaltz, who beat McKay with a wrister from the slot at 3:35.
Two minutes later, McKay got tangled up out of the net for the second straight game and Colten St. Clair scored for a 2-0 lead at 6:34.
It stayed that way until 8:56 when Rocco Grimaldi put the fifth UND puck in the net for a 3-0 advantage.
McKay was replaced by Williams in goal after giving up four goals (excluding those waved off) and making five saves in 12:58. He later returned and made nine total saves. Williams had 13.
“We came out of the gates ready to go,” Hakstol said. “We put a stamp on it early, but I like the way the team played through the second period with the lead and building the lead.”
North Dakota swept the two-game series, having won the opener 3-2.
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