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North Dakota, Michigan Lead the Pack as Conference Tournaments Heat Up

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North Dakota, Michigan Lead the Pack as Conference Tournaments Heat Up


Conference tournament season is in full swing, and the college hockey landscape is beginning to take shape ahead of the upcoming NCAA tournament. The final weeks of the regular season mixed up the deck, and last weekend’s conference results shuffled it again. Some teams took care of business, others stumbled, and a few saw their seeding hopes took a serious hit.

At the top, Michigan and North Dakota look poised to claim No. 1 seeds regardless of what happens this weekend. Denver and Minnesota Duluth are set for a heavyweight clash in the NCHC championship with seeding implications on the line. 

Meanwhile, Quinnipiac is reeling after a shocking ECAC quarterfinal loss at the hands of Clarkson, and Providence’s overtime loss to Merrimack raised some eyebrows. Here is a look at where things stand heading into championship weekend.

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1. North Dakota

North Dakota’s Abram Wiebe celebrates. | North Dakota Athletic
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North Dakota fell last weekend in the NCHC semifinals, losing 5-1 to Minnesota Duluth. The Fighting Hawks have lost five straight semifinals and are 2-9-0 since the league was formed in 2013. UND will likely be a top seed in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2021.

2. Michigan 

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March 8, 2025; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines forward William Whitelaw (8) celebrates a goal in the second period with teammates at Yost Ice Arena. | Brian Bradshaw Sevald-Imagn Images

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Michigan advanced to the Big Ten championship after skating to a 5-2 victory over Penn State. The Wolverines will face off against Ohio State for the Big Ten crown on Saturday. Regardless of the outcome, the Wolverines should be a lock for a No. 1 seed in the tournament. 

3. Michigan State

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Jan 31, 2026; State College, PA, USA; Michigan State Spartans forward Charlie Stramel (15) celebrates with teammates after a goal against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. | James Lang-Imagn Images

Michigan State was stunned in a 3-2 overtime loss to Ohio State, missing out on a Big Ten championship appearance. The Spartans have been among the nation’s best all year; the only question that remains is whether or not they will drop to a No. 2 seed. Probably not.

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4. Denver 

Denver’s goalie Johnny Hicks blocks the puck. | Denver Athletics

Denver continues its recent tear with a 2-1 overtime victory over Western Michigan to advance to the NCHC championship. The Pioneers will play Minnesota Duluth for the Frozen Faceoff crown, and with a win, they could earn an additional No. 1 seed for the NCHC. 

5. Western Michigan 

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Apr 12, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, UNITED STATES; Western Michigan Broncos pose for a photo with the national championship trophy after defeating the Boston University Terriers to win the Frozen Four college ice hockey national championship at Enterprise Center. | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The defending NCHC champions lost 2-1 in overtime to Denver in the Frozen Faceoff semifinals. The Broncos currently sit at No. 4 in the NPI poll and could use some outside help to keep its hopes of being a top seed alive. 

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6. Providence

Providence players celebrate after scoring a goal. | Providence Athletics
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Providence was upset in overtime, losing 3-2 to Merrimack in the Hockey East quarterfinals. The Friars certainly wanted to make a deep run in the conference tournament, but this loss doesn’t derail the whole season. 

7. Minnesota Duluth

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Minnesota Duluth players defend the net against North Dakota. | Minnesota Duluth athletics

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Minnesota Duluth jumped on North Dakota, scoring two goals in the first period en route to a 5-1 victory and a berth in the NCHC championship. The Bulldogs will be looking for another signature victory in the Frozen Faceoff championship against Denver.

8. Cornell

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Cornell players celebrate after advancing to the ECAC semifinals. | Cornell Athletics

Cornell was stunned in game one of the ECAC quarterfinals before it ripped off two wins to advance past Harvard. The Big Red will skate against Princeton on Friday, with a ticket to the ECAC championship on the line. The more wins and momentum that they build before the NCAA tournament, the better. 

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9. Quinnipiac

Quinnipiac Bobcats Victor Czerneckianair, goalie Vinny Duplessis, Cristophe Tellier and CJ McGee watch as a shot from Boston College forward Jack Malone heads into the net to win the NCAA Regional Hockey Final 5-4 in overtime for the Eagles. | Kris Craig/Providence Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Quinnipiac was shocked by Clarkson, losing game one 3-0 and game two 4-3. The Bobcats are in no danger of missing the NCAA tournament, but the last few weeks have not been their best. They have dropped out of the top 10 in the NPI poll behind both Cornell and Dartmouth. 

10. Dartmouth

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Dartmouth bench players celebrate. | Dartmouth Athletics

Dartmouth advanced to the ECAC quarterfinals, beating Colgate 4-1 in back-to-back nights. The Big Green have a favorable matchup against Clarkson in the semifinals. If it can advance to the conference championship, and win, there’s no telling how deep this team could go. 

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Fire burns at Pallet Green Recycling storage yard in rural Williston

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Fire burns at Pallet Green Recycling storage yard in rural Williston


WILLISTON, N.D. (KFYR) – UPDATE (5/10/2026 at 11:45 p.m.): A fire broke out at a Williston recycling business Sunday evening, and no one was injured.

Multiple crews responded to Pallet Green Recycling just before 8:30 p.m., according to the Williston Fire Department. Crews arrived at the scene where they fought heavy smoke and flames.

Industrial storage containers were on scene, and officials say it is unclear what, if any, chemical residue was inside them. Officials believe there is no danger to the public.

Williston Fire Chief Corey Johnson said the fire was contained to the business’s exterior storage yard, and crews were not concerned about it spreading beyond the property.

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“Right now, the structures are protected in the area. We’re not concerned about the fire spreading off of the lot,” Johnson said.

Multiple departments from across Williams County responded, and extra water trucks were brought in due to the fire’s remote location.

The cause remains under investigation.

This is a developing story. Your News Leader will provide updates as more information becomes available.

ORIGINAL STORY (5/10/2026 at 9:39 p.m.): Crews responded to a large fire at a storage yard in rural Williston on Sunday night.

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The fire is located at Pallet Green Recycling, according to the business owner.

Sylvia Luebke captured video of the scene from a distance around 8 p.m. The fire sent a large plume of smoke over the area. Luebke said it was still burning as of around 9 p.m.

Williston Rural Fire is working to battle the fire. The department was unable to comment at this time.

The cause of the fire is unknown.

Copyright 2026 KFYR. All rights reserved.

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ND Guard officer in charge of DC special mission

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ND Guard officer in charge of DC special mission


Submitted Photo
U.S. soldiers with the Nebraska and North Dakota National Guards, assigned to Joint Task Force-District of Columbia in support of the DC Safe and Beautiful mission, pose for a group photo at a hotel in Alexandria, Virginia, April 28. N.D. National Guard 2nd Lt. Caleb Hill, front row, far left, served as the officer in charge of the mission when soldiers assigned to JTF-DC responded to the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner April 25. About 2,500 National Guard members are supporting the DC Safe and Beautiful mission, providing critical assistance to the Metropolitan Police Department to help ensure the safety of residents, commuters and visitors throughout the District. U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Thomas Norris.

WASHINGTON – U.S. soldiers with the North Dakota, Arkansas and Nebraska Army National Guard, assigned to Joint Task Force-District of Columbia in support of the DC Safe and Beautiful mission, responded to a shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner (WHCAD) at the Washington Hilton in Northwest Washington April 25.

The Guardsmen were at the WHCAD at the request of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) as an additional patrol unit created specifically for the event, which celebrates the contribution of news organizations and independent journalists alike who provide notable coverage relating to the presidential administration.

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“Our mission was to assist the U.S. Secret Service with crowd control,” said Capt. Kevin Peatrowsky, an operations officer with the Nebraska National Guard (NENG) assigned to JTF-DC.

As the Guardsmen were monitoring their area of operations, they saw USSS agents sprint toward the hotel entrance.

“They were running full speed with their weapons drawn,” said Sgt. 1st. Class Allen Haney, a team member with the Arkansas National Guard. “We immediately followed suit.”

Staff Sgt. Kirsten Confer, a NENG combat medic and battle captain, recalled her response to the incident: “We fell back on our basic training. You run toward danger and move in a way that makes sense for the situation.”

According to Confer, the Guardsmen entered the hotel and immediately began securing the scene and ensured that the guests evacuated safely. At the direction of a federal agent, Confer began a rapid trauma assessment on the suspect which resulted in finding knives and ammunition on the shooter. Simultaneously, the Arkansas soldiers moved outside to provide crowd control at a pedestrian barricade outside the hotel.

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“From there, we assisted wherever we could,” said 2nd Lt. Caleb Hill, a National Guardsman from North Dakota who served as the officer in charge for the mission. “We were initially helping with crowd control. After that, we realized that the USSS had begun rerouting everyone in the hotel, so we moved to the doors. We were controlling entry into the venue, so we had moved a couple more people outside, so we had five inside, eight outside.” Both Arkansas and Nebraska worked well alongside one another and, alongside the federal agencies. Hill also noted that relying on his soldiers allowed him to move to different teams, which helped allow him to plan and coordinate with different agencies.

According to 1st Lt. Jonathan Goins, a platoon leader with the Arkansas National Guard, Arkansas soldiers also helped establish a security perimeter for the staging of the presidential motorcade. Later, the team assisted federal agencies and MPD with crowd control, which helped clear the way for the president and administration officials, he said.

“Guardsmen on this mission represent the very best of the nation,” said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Leland Blanchard II, the interim commanding general of the District of Columbia National Guard. “The world got a brief glimpse, but I see them each day serving and doing amazing things across the District.”



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Stampede stay alive with 2-1 OT win in Fargo

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Stampede stay alive with 2-1 OT win in Fargo


FARGO, N.D. (KELO) — The Sioux Falls Stampede staved off elimination with a 2-1 overtime win over the Fargo Force in game four of the USHL Western Conference Finals Saturday night.

Thomas Zocco scored the game-winner 12 minutes into the extra period. Arseni Marchenko put Fargo on the board first in the first period. Noah Mannausau tied the game for the Herd in the second period.

Sioux Falls outshot Fargo 53-49, including 9-5 in overtime. Linards Feldbergs made 48 saves.

Three of the four games of the series have gone to overtime. The winner-take-all game five is Tuesday at the Premier Center.

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