Goalie Hobie Hedquist steps in and helps UND to 5-1 win over Miami in playoff opener

GRAND FORKS — UND coach Brad Berry wouldn’t divulge many details about what ailment kept starting goaltender Ludvig Persson out of Game 1 of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference playoffs Friday night.

“It presented itself that way,” Berry said, keeping vague as hockey coaches often do when it comes to ailments at playoff time. “That’s all I’m going to leave it at.”

Hobie Hedquist made sure it didn’t matter.

UND’s freshman goalie stopped 23 of 24 shots and helped the Fighting Hawks cruise to a 5-1 win over Miami University in the best-of-three NCHC quarterfinal series.

Hedquist, making his first start since Jan. 13, turned aside six shots in the first, six in the second and 12 in the third as he improved to 4-0 in his rookie season.

“I thought he was exceptional,” Berry said. “Coming to the rink this morning, finding out he was going to play and doing what a professional does, he dialed in and was prepared to have success at night. He’s done that the whole year. It’s not a surprise to me, because he was patient. He worked hard. He was team-first. He’s a humble guy — all of the things we want character-wise for players at North Dakota.”

He had some help, too.

Junior forward Jake Schmaltz snapped a 33-game goal drought by scoring the game’s opening goal with 1.1 seconds left in the first period. It was his first tally since last year’s NCHC quarterfinal series.

Hobey Baker Award contender Jackson Blake scored his 20th goal of the season and tallied two points, moving to 54 on the season. He’s just four points shy of becoming UND’s first player since Zach Parise to reach 100-career points as a sophomore.

Captain Riese Gaber also scored a goal and tallied two points. He now is tied with Drake Caggiula for the most career points of any UND player in the last decade (128). Twenty-four of them have come against Miami.

Sophomore forward Owen McLaughlin and freshman defenseman Jake Livanavage also scored goals and tallied two points.

“It was awesome,” Livanavage said of his first playoff game at UND. “You obviously battle for home ice throughout the entire year to be able to play in front of these fans. To get to do it night in and night out is something so special. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

The Fighting Hawks will have a chance to close out the series at 6:07 p.m. Saturday and earn a trip to next week’s NCHC Frozen Faceoff in St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center.

Miami’s season will be on the line.

Berry didn’t tip his hand on starting goaltender for Game 2.

“I do not know,” Berry said. “I’ll let you guys know tomorrow when you get to the rink.”

Hedquist is giving UND reason to be confident when he’s in net, though.

The Heron Lake, Minn., product filled in for Persson early in the second semester, winning back-to-back games against Alaska 6-4 and 6-2.

Hedquist has now started twice against NCHC opponents — Omaha on Jan. 13 and Miami on Friday — stopping 45 of 47 shots (.957 save percentage) in grabbing two wins.

“He’s just great,” Schmaltz said. “He’s a great guy. It’s not always easy when you don’t play for a bit, then you get the nod that you’re in — in a big game — then he comes in and he plays just unreal. It’s fun to root for a guy like that.”

Hedquist said goalie coach Karl Goehring informed him before morning skate that he was getting the start.

“I was excited about it, but I was a little shocked,” Hedquist said. “You never want to see your starter going down at this time of year. He’s been the backbone of our team all year. It was good to get a playoff game and get the win.”

Hedquist became the first UND freshman goalie to start a playoff game since Zane McIntyre in 2012-13.

“I felt good,” Hedquist said. “I felt like the guys really helped me. There was an incredible amount of blocked shots that really helped. We played really well defensively. I felt like I made saves when I had to and I felt like the guys bailed me out.”

Notes: UND played without forward Carson Albrecht (illness). Defenseman Bennett Zmolek returned to the lineup after missing three games with a lower-body injury. . . Miami played without injured forwards William Hallen and Frankie Carogioiello, as well as injured defenseman Michael Feenstra.

Schlossman has covered college hockey for the Grand Forks Herald since 2005. He has been recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors as the top beat writer for the Herald’s circulation division four times and the North Dakota sportswriter of the year once. He resides in Grand Forks. Reach him at bschlossman@gfherald.com.