North Dakota
Bulldogs blast North Dakota to reach NCHC championship
GRAND FORKS, N.D. — Minnesota Duluth will go for its fourth NCHC Frozen Faceoff championship next weekend following a 5-1 victory over regular season champion North Dakota in the league tournament semifinals before a crowd of 9,902 fans at Ralph Engelstad Arena.
The fourth-seeded Bulldogs — who last won an NCHC postseason title in 2022 — will travel to second-seeded Denver, which beat third-seeded Western Michigan 2-1 in overtime Saturday. UMD and the Pioneers will play for the league title at 7 p.m. CDT Saturday at Magness Arena.
“I don’t think there are much bigger feelings,” said sophomore wing and UMD’s leading scorer, Max Plante. “Biggest game we played in yet in college hockey. We got it done, so one more stepping stone to achieve our first goal.”
Sophomore forwards Callum Arnott, Max Plante, Jayson Shaugabay and Harper Bentz scored for the Bulldogs, as did senior center Kyle Gaffney.
Senior wing Dylan James scored for North Dakota’s lone goal less than two minutes into the third period.
Bulldogs sophomore goaltender Adam Gajan made 33 saves — 17 in the opening 20 minutes — while North Dakota freshman Jan Spunar — the NCHC Goaltender of the Year — finished with 17 stops.
“This guy was great,” Bulldogs coach Scott Sandelin said, pointing to Gajan in the chair next to him at a news conference Saturday. “All game, but especially in the first period. He made some key saves for us.”
Eric Hylden / Grand Forks Herald
Scott Sandelin broke up his top line Saturday. He jumbled all the forward lines, and it led to five goals by his forwards.
“We tried it,” Sandelin said. “It’s great when it works.”
Sophomore wing Harper Bentz played alongside the Plante brothers, Zam and Max, while Shaugabay and freshman Luke Bibby were centered by Arnott.
Freshman wing Hunter Anderson took Arnott’s spot on the wing alongside seniors Scout Truman and Kyle Gaffney — a trio UMD has used this season, at times. Freshman Daniel Shlaine returned to the lineup, but at wing with senior center Kyle Kovich.
Redshirt freshman wing Trevor Stachowiak dressed for just his fourth game of the season and sixth game in two years at UMD after missing most of last year to a leg injury.
Sandelin said he wanted to create more balance in the lineup — having a good idea who North Dakota would try and match up against the Plantes — and it’s possible he returns to the usual combinations next weekend.
Eric Hylden / Grand Forks Herald
“There’s always conversations,” Sandelin said about mixing up the lines, including breaking up the top line of Shaugabay and the Plantes. “How can we make our team better? I think we felt good with Cal in the middle. He played there last year, played there early. Not easy to take Shaugs off the top line — doesn’t mean he can’t go back with them.”
Sandelin broke up his top line one other time in 2025-26 in two losses at Denver, separating Shaugabay and Plantes for the third period of a 4-3 loss on Friday. They started Saturday’s 1-0 loss apart, but were back together by the 10-minute mark that night.
The changes stuck on Saturday, and considering the results, there were no complaints by UMD’s forwards.
“I don’t think it’s much of a change,” Bentz said. “We got a lot of good players who can play with anybody. Obviously that top line’s been special all year, so being able to go up there, is a big slot to fill.
“But Shaugs and that third line, they had a great night, too. Spread it out and get more lines going.”
Bibby got his first two college points and his line got rave reviews. Bibby sprung the attack that led to Shaugabay’s goal in the second period to make it 3-0, and made a pass to Gaffney for the fifth UMD goal of the night.
“I thought Bibby played really well tonight,” Bentz said.
Eric Hylden / Grand Forks Herald
Bibby, Shaugabay and Arnott finished a combined plus-6 in Saturday’s semifinal.
“Bibbs plays a physical game, it was nice to see him get a couple points there,” Arnott said. “Shaugs is skilled, so you just have to get open to shoot and it makes my life pretty easy.”
The Bulldogs jumped out to a 2-0 first period lead via goals by Arnott and Max Plante, with Arnott scoring just over two minutes into the game. Gajan said that lead was important after UMD spent both quarterfinal wins over St. Cloud State at Amsoil Arena chasing the Huskies and only leading at the very end of the OT wins.
“It was key to play with the lead the whole game,” Gajan said of Saturday’s win. “They made it 3-1, two goals is kind of tight, and then huge goal by Bentz. That helped us so much. It was a great game.”
Arnott cashed in a rebound created by senior captain and defenseman Joey Pierce, who recorded just his second assist and fifth point to give UMD a 1-0 lead.
Plante was sprung loose for a breakaway by sophomore defenseman Ty Hanson — he’s now got 34 points — to put UMD ahead by two 7:16 into the game. His goal came 13 seconds after the Bulldogs killed off a controversial minor penalty that had been reviewed for a major.
UMD dodged an early major penalty on Bibby for spearing. The referees called for a video review themselves after the blade of Bibby caught the groin region of North Dakota freshman Keaton Verhoeff. They came away with just a minor for slashing. The Bulldogs were able to kill off the penalty and Plante put UMD ahead by two off the kill.
“I was ready to kill Bibby after he took the penalty,” Sandelin said, “especially if it was a major. But he felt bad. As the guys talked about on the bench, we have to kill it off whether it is two or five (minutes). Just dig in and help him out. Our guys did that.”
Two-goal leads are the most dangerous leads in hockey, dontcha know? And that has been the case this season for the Bulldogs against North Dakota.
UMD has now scored the first goal in four of its five games against the Hawks and led by two goals in two of the four regular season contests, winning both, but only in 3-on-3 overtime after North Dakota rallied to tie and force OT.
Shaugabay, of nearby Warroad, gave UMD its first 3-0 lead over the Hawks just 86 seconds into the second period by coming from behind to put away a rebound off the scoring chance of Arnott.
“The tale of the tape was a little different than the first couple times we played them,” Max Plante said. “We got up early this time, so we had to learn to play with a lead. The biggest part of that was blocking shots. Gajan played big in between the pipes.”
It was a good day for Section 8. In addition to Warroad’s Shaugabay — from the current Class A state champion Warriors — Moorhead’s Bentz also gave the Bulldogs a three-goal lead on Saturday, making it a 4-1 lead with 11:51 left in regulation. He tipped through a shot by sophomore defenseman Adam Kleber after North Dakota had pulled within two early in the third period.
“Being an hour away from home, I had a lot of family here,” Bentz said. “Being able to put one in felt great, and it was in a big part of the game.”
Gaffney somehow snuck a puck through the smallest of holes with 7:11 left in the game to make it 5-1, and send the non-sellout crowd in green for the exit early in what wound up being the last game of 2025-26 at The Ralph. North Dakota would have hosted the championship next week with a win.
“It feels amazing,” Arnott said of the win. “They don’t like us, we don’t like them. It’s nice to do it in their home barn.”
Minnesota Duluth 2-1-2—5
North Dakota 0-0-1—1
First period
1. UMD, Callum Arnott (Joey Pierce), 2:14
2. UMD, Max Plante (Ty Hanson), 7:16
Second period
3. UMD, Jayson Shaugabay (Arnott, Luke Bibby), 1:26
Third period
4. ND, Dylan James (Cole Reschny, EJ Emery), 1:59
5. UMD, Harper Bentz (Adam Kleber, Zam Plante), 8:09
6. UMD, Kyle Gaffney (Bibby, Riley Bodnarchuk), 12:49
Saves — Adam Gajan, UMD, 33; Jan Spunar, ND, 17.
Power plays — UMD 0-1; ND 0-3. Penalties — UMD 3-6; ND 1-2.
The Bison are in the game. For real, this time.
When EA Sports brought back its College Football title in 2024 after a decade-plus hiatus, FCS teams were not included. That’s still the case as the game moves into the third year of its revival, but, of course, North Dakota State has moved up to the FBS level, as members of the Mountain West.
And one of the perks of that move is inclusion in the popular sports simulation. Participating players get $1,500 plus a free copy of this year’s game, College Football 27.
Not bad, huh?
I can only imagine how cool it is for a kid like Abraham Myers, a tight end from Sioux Falls Washington High School, to see himself as a playable character on a millions-selling PlayStation game, but it’s cool for fans, too.
If you’re a Bison fan, it’s all right there. The Fargodome (sorta, EA didn’t bother to include the name, calling it ‘North Dakota State Stadium’), Tim Polasek, the Bison mascot — OK, that’s really about all the detail they went into, and Polasek’s likeness leaves a bit to be desired. Then again, they still haven’t made much effort to make Kalen DeBeoer look like Kalen DeBoer, so whatever, I guess.
In the past you could still play as NDSU, or SDSU, or USD, or Augustana, or Roosevelt High School, or St. Mother Theresa’s Middle School for the Deaf, or any other team, real or imagined, because of the game’s “Create a team” engine, and that’s still there on this year’s game. There are already a few Jackrabbit teams up on the servers that you can download if you’re an SDSU fan and want to play as the Jacks.
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But Bison fans (and Sac State fans, and Missouri State fans, etc., etc.) don’t have to do that. Their team is in the game, with their actual stadium and their actual coach and their actual players, and when I fired up the game on Thursday just an hour after it officially launched, I’ll admit it, the first thing I did was start a game in Fargo, pitting New Mexico against the Bison in the Fargodome for a Mountain West clash that sent former SDSU assistant Jason Eck up against his old Dakota Marker nemesis.
The game started up and there they were: Nathan Hayes under center for the Bison, with DJ Scott carrying the ball, Jackson Williams running free over the middle and Myers teaming with Reis Kessel at tight end to create problems in the red zone.
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I went right down the field and scored on the opening drive, with Hayes finding Williams on a drag route for the touchdown.
Despite the best efforts of New Mexico’s star linebacker and former Brookings Bobcat Jaxton Eck (Jason’s son), I had no trouble dispatching the Lobos 31-10.
Later I played around with some other fun matchups.
I brought Nebraska into the Dome, and while we all know the Huskers stink now, for someone like me who’s old enough to remember their Glory Days, it was fun to see the iconic Nebraska uniforms on the Fargo turf, and wonder if someday that could actually happen now that NDSU is in the FBS.
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Later I played a game at the Big House in Ann Arbor, sending the Bison up against the Wolverines. Michigan got the ball first and after a holding penalty pinned them deep in their own territory, Keenan Wilson’s strip-sack of Bryce Underwood gave the Bison first and goal, and with the Miaze and Blue crowd of over 100,000 roaring, I quickly turned it into a short touchdown pass from Hayes to Myers.
Ultimately I couldn’t keep that up against the Wolverines, falling 31-21.
I played around with some other teams, mostly the ones with familiar faces. Jimmy Rogers and Iowa State, Matt Entz at Fresno State, Missouri State, Kennesaw State, Sac State, Delaware and other former FCS powers.
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I also played a few series of the Tennessee vs. Alabama rivalry game to get an early glimpse of what kind of teams South Dakota’s two favorite SEC sons (DeBoer and Josh Heupel) might have in store for 2026.
Much has been made of trying to predict how successful the Bison will be in year one at the FBS level. Some have already anointed them a favorite to grab a G6 playoff spot. Others think they’ll at least win the Mountain West, while few seem to think they’ll finish much lower than third or fourth.
What does EA think?
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The Bison are given an overall team rating of 75 (99 is the highest possible), which is higher than many if not most G6 teams. James Madison, for one, gets a 77.
The other Mountain West teams earned the following ratings:
Air Force – 74
Hawaii – 76
Nevada – 73
New Mexico – 76
Northern Illinois – 70
San Jose State – 72
UNLV – 78
UTEP – 72
Wyoming – 73
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As for the NDSU players, here are their top rated personnel:
Griffin Empey (LG): 87
DJ Scott (RB): 83
Keenan Wilson (DT): 80
Darius Glance (SS): 79
Myles Mitchell (RB): 78
Josh Magin (RT): 78
Donovan Woolen (LB): 78
Keith Williams (LB): 78
Logan Larson (DT): 77
Jackson Williams (WR): 76
Matthew Stenbroten (DE): 76
Zach Vanderpool (DT): 76
Alijah Wayne (DT): 76
Jaylin Crumby (FS): 75
Kelton McCaslin (DE): 75
Reis Kessel (TE): 75
Nathan Hayes (QB): 74
Nate Tastad (RG): 74
Taylen Eady (FS): 73
Ryan Babatz (LT): 73
Alex Jenkins (LT): 73
DJ Volts (CB): 72
Mekhi Collins (WR): 71
Jack Liwienski (OG): 71
EJ Davis (CB): 71
Will Steil (FS): 70
Drew Klein (K): 70
Makes you wonder how players like Chase Mason and Charles Pierre would measure up. Maybe someday the Jacks, Coyotes and Fighting Hawks will be in the game and we’ll find out.
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Matt Zimmer is a Sioux Falls native and longtime sports writer. He graduated from Washington High School where he played football, legion baseball and developed his lifelong love of the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. After graduating from St. Cloud State University, he returned to Sioux Falls, and began a long career in amateur baseball and sports reporting. Email Matt at mzimmer@siouxfallslive.com.
BISMARCK — A West Fargo attorney has been appointed to the North Dakota Ethics Commission.
According to a release, Lisa Edison-Smith was appointed to the commission Tuesday, July 7, to fill the unexpired term of Commissioner Ronald Goodman, who will retire from the board.
Edison-Smith works for Vogel Law Firm, from which she plans to retire at the end of the year, the release said. She specializes in employment and labor law and is also the editor of the North Dakota Employment Law Letter, a monthly publication providing guidance to employers.
Edison-Smith graduated from North Dakota State University and Hamline University School of Law. She was a clerk for the Minnesota Supreme Court and worked in finance and accounting roles at GTE Corp., the release said.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to bring my legal experience and problem-solving skills to the important work of the Commission,” Edison-Smith said via release. “Together, I believe we can improve public trust and deepen the Commission’s commitment to accountability and transparency in North Dakota.”
Commissioners are appointed by consensus of the governor and majority and minority leader of the North Dakota Senate.
Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.
North Dakota
Schulz to transition from ND Parks and Recreation to ND Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Gov. Kelly Armstrong today announced that North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department Director Cody Schulz is leaving the agency next month to assume the role of chief financial officer in the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, effective Aug. 17.
Schulz has led Parks and Recreation since being appointed director by then-Gov. Doug Burgum in October 2021. Armstrong reappointed Schulz to the position upon taking office in December 2024. Schulz previously served 13 years in the state Department of Emergency Services (DES), including as business manager and finance officer for seven years and as the state’s director of Homeland Security from 2018 to 2021. Prior to joining DES, he spent nearly 13 years in the private sector as a business owner, account specialist and government and public affairs analyst.
“Parks and Recreation has thrived under Cody’s leadership, opening a new state park at Pembina Gorge, expanding and improving existing parks, making major investments in infrastructure and enhancing visitor experiences,” Armstrong said. “While we will miss his leadership of the agency, we’re excited that he has decided to continue serving the citizens of North Dakota at DOCR, where his experience in finance and accounting will serve the department well.”
“This was an incredibly difficult decision, one driven primarily by the desire to travel less and spend more time with family, especially my aging parents. At the same time, my new role at DOCR allows me to work in finance and public safety – two passions that have shaped much of my career,” Schulz said. “I am filled with gratitude for the team at Parks and Recreation, and I leave with complete confidence in this organization. This is an exceptionally talented team filled with capable, dedicated people who care deeply about one another, our mission, and the citizens we serve.”
A native of New Salem, N.D., Schulz earned an associate’s degree from Bismarck State College, a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Dickinson State University and an MBA from the University of North Dakota. He also served on the Morton County Commission from 2012 to 2020, including as chairman in 2016, 2017 and 2020, and as a member of the Morton County Park Board for eight years.
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