No. 10 North Dakota Beats No. 5 Western Michigan 4-1 in Series Finale

Ralph Engelstad Arena Finale Sees Fighting Hawks Hand Broncos 4-1 Defeat

Grand Forks played host to a decisive shift in NCHC momentum on Saturday night, as #10/10 North Dakota defended home ice with a 4-1 victory over #5/5 Western Michigan at Ralph Engelstad Arena. The loss drops the Broncos to 6-2-1 overall and 0-1-1 in conference play, while the Fighting Hawks improved to 5-3-1 and 1-0-1 in the NCHC. For a Western Michigan squad that arrived in North Dakota carrying a higher national ranking, Saturday’s finale brought a sharp halt to their early-season surge.

North Dakota set the tone early in the opening period. Gavin Lindberg struck first just 1:14 into the contest, sparking a home-team scoring spree that kept the Bronco defense on its heels. Cody Croal added a second-period goal at the 7:54 mark, building a commanding 3-0 lead for the Fighting Hawks heading into the second intermission. Quentin Miller stood his ground in the net for Western Michigan, stopping 24 shots, but the early offensive deficit proved too steep to clear.

Adam Benák Scores to Ignite Third-Period Offense

The Broncos found life in the third period when freshman forward Adam Benák broke through at the 8:23 mark. Benák’s goal pushed his team-leading point total to 15, consisting of 5 goals and 10 assists. In doing so, he became the first WMU freshman to score in three straight contests since Ty Henricks accomplished the feat during the 2024-25 campaign. Any hopes of a late comeback were extinguished at 17:57 of the final frame, when Croal netted his second of the night into an empty net to secure the 4-1 final score for North Dakota, backed by Jan Špunar’s 17 saves.

11-7-26 Western Michigan at North Dakota Highlights

The matchup marked the only scheduled regular-season meeting between the two programs this year. Last season, North Dakota took four of six points in their final regular-season series, clinching the Penrose Cup with a 5-3 win before dropping the finale in overtime.

Looking Ahead to Lawson Arena

Western Michigan returns home to prepare for its next test against #11/11 Colorado College, scheduled for November 13 at 7:00 PM at Lawson Arena. The upcoming two-game series streams on NCHC.tv. This season carries added weight in Kalamazoo as the program marks its final campaign at historic Lawson Arena. Named after the founding father of the program, Harry W. Lawson, the venue has housed Bronco hockey since the 1974-75 season, with a year-long celebration planned featuring special events and ‘Fan Friday’ giveaways to honor five-plus decades of on-ice history.