North Dakota, Spunar Rebound Strongly

Fighting Hawks One Step From First Frozen Four in 10 Years

Mar. 27, 2026 at 12:00pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

North Dakota's freshman goaltender Jan Špunar recorded a shutout in the team's 3-0 win over Merrimack in the NCAA Tournament, bouncing back from a tough loss in the NCHC Tournament semifinals. Cody Croal scored twice and Dylan James added a goal as the Fighting Hawks advanced to the Regional Final against Quinnipiac, seeking their first Frozen Four appearance since 2016.

Why it matters

North Dakota's return to the NCAA Tournament after missing out last year is a significant milestone, and Špunar's standout performance in net has been crucial to the team's success. The Fighting Hawks are looking to make their first Frozen Four in a decade, which would be a major accomplishment for the program.

The details

Špunar turned aside all 31 shots he faced, including key saves on a Merrimack breakaway and a slot redirect, to earn his first career NCAA Tournament shutout. Croal scored the opening goal and added an empty-netter, while James doubled the lead early in the third period. North Dakota dominated possession and outshot Merrimack throughout, improving to 21-0-0 when leading after two periods.

  • North Dakota last had a freshman goaltender win an NCAA Tournament game in 2013 (Zane McIntyre).
  • The last time a North Dakota freshman netminder recorded a shutout was in 2004 (Jordan Parise).
  • Thursday's win marked the first NCAA Tournament victory for North Dakota since 2021.

The players

Jan Špunar

A freshman goaltender from Olomouc, Czechia, who is the first goaltender in North Dakota program history to win his first 10 starts and the first rookie netminder in NCHC history to win the conference's Goalie of the Year award.

Cody Croal

A North Dakota forward who scored the opening goal and added an empty-net tally, embracing his role as a grinder who contributes in ways beyond just scoring goals.

Dylan James

A North Dakota forward who scored the team's second goal, part of a tic-tac-toe sequence that doubled the Fighting Hawks' lead in the third period.

Dane Jackson

The head coach of the North Dakota Fighting Hawks, who praised his team's commitment and attention to detail in front of Špunar after the loss to Minnesota-Duluth.

Will Zellers

A North Dakota forward who expressed confidence in Špunar's ability to bounce back after the previous game, citing the goaltender's calm demeanor.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“When we play a strong game in front of him, he rarely lets bad goals in. He just makes all the saves that he should.”

— Dane Jackson, Head Coach, North Dakota

“After that last game (against) UMD, we kind of put him in a tough spot not playing the best in front of him. For him to come out like that with so much confidence, it just gave us a bunch of confidence knowing he's got us back there. He's so calm, you never see him make a bad play out there.”

— Will Zellers, Forward, North Dakota

“I think a lot of great teams have roles like that. Obviously you're not going to score as many goals as all those skill guys, but you got to contribute somehow. Whether it's hitting somebody, blocking a shot, getting to the net, getting greasy goals. So I've embraced that role. I'm gonna keep playing that role, and I'm not gonna change anything.”

— Cody Croal, Forward, North Dakota

What’s next

North Dakota will take on Quinnipiac in the Regional Final on Saturday, with a chance to advance to the Frozen Four for the first time since 2016 when they won the national championship.

The takeaway

Jan Špunar's standout performance in net and the balanced scoring effort from North Dakota's forwards have the Fighting Hawks one win away from their first Frozen Four appearance in a decade. This resilient team is determined to make the most of its NCAA Tournament opportunity after missing out last year.