Riese Gaber delivers another big game as UND sweeps Miami – Grand Forks Herald

GRAND FORKS — Riese Gaber walked into the postgame press conference Saturday night.

He stood at the podium and prepared to answer questions about UND’s 5-1 win over Miami to finish off a two-game sweep.

He got through one sentence.

Then, his voice failed.

There’s an illness going through UND’s locker room. It caused first-line center Owen McLaughlin to miss Saturday’s series finale. It zapped energy from others and it cost Gaber his voice.

But on the ice, UND’s captain was his usual self.

Gaber scored two goals, created a turnover that led to a third and helped the Fighting Hawks win their fifth-straight game.

“He was one of the guys who wasn’t feeling well,” UND coach Brad Berry said. “He’s such a leader. He’s on the bench. He can barely get words out talking. His voice is gone. And he’s barking all the time trying to rally the troops.

“He’s noted for scoring goals, making high-end offensive plays, but his play away from the puck — his tracking, his defensive qualities, his willingness to block shots — it sets the bar for our team. You couldn’t have a better captain doing it. High accolades for him. Despite not feeling the greatest this week, I thought he did an outstanding job.”

Griffin Ness, Jackson Blake and Jayden Perron also scored for UND.

Goaltender Ludvig Persson, playing against his old team, stopped 21 of 22 shots to earn his ninth win of the season. He never won more than eight in a season during his three years at Miami.

UND is now 9-2-1 and poised to become the nation’s No. 1-ranked team Monday when the polls come out.

The Fighting Hawks entered the weekend at No. 2. Top-ranked Wisconsin lost twice to Michigan State.

“We used two words this weekend — consistency and complacency,” Berry said. “The ultimate compliment you can get as a player or as a team is that you’re consistently a good team. You play the same way.

“Conversely, on the other end of the spectrum, it’s complacency. If success goes to your head and you get complacent. . . I didn’t think we were complacent. We were a little bit loose in some categories this weekend, but we had the battle level.”

Gaber continued to torment Miami.

He scored his first collegiate goal in his first collegiate game against the RedHawks in December 2020 and hasn’t slowed down.

Gaber now has 12 goals and 19 points in 11 career games against Miami. He has at least a point in all 11.

“He’s a special player, so it doesn’t surprise me one bit,” UND defenseman Bennett Zmolek said. “He shows it day in and day out in practice when no one sees it. I’m just happy for him. He’s an unbelievable player.”

Blake also continued to thrive against the RedHawks. The sophomore has played Miami six times in his college career. He’s scored a goal in all six games.

“It’s awesome for our confidence,” Gaber said in a broken voice. “At the end of the day, I was proud of how we battled.”

UND is developing a pattern of scoring early this season.

On Saturday, Gaber started the scoring at 8:27 of the first period, finishing off a rebound of a Garrett Pyke shot to make it 1-0. UND has now scored first in 11 of its 12 games.

Miami’s P.J. Fletcher evened it on a rebound at 10:56 of the first, but the Fighting Hawks blew the game open with three goals in the final 5:07 of the opening period.

Griffin Ness got his first of the year on a fortunate bounce. His centering attempt went off the stick of Miami’s John Waldron and past goalie Logan Neaton (17 saves). Grand Forks natives Jackson Kunz and Dane Montgomery assisted on it.

Gaber added to the lead with 1:26 to go in the first, forcing Waldron to turn the puck over high in Miami’s offensive zone before skating on a breakaway and scoring with his forehand.

In the waning seconds of the first, Gaber forced a turnover on Miami’s William Hallen, leading to a Blake breakaway. He finished it and drew a power play with 4.4 seconds left in the first.

“I think it was a good weekend,” Zmolek said. “I think today in the second period, we got complacent, which wasn’t good. But I thought we came back out in the third and showed who we were again.”

Berry acknowledged UND has areas it needs to improve before next weekend’s home series against Bemidji State (7:07 p.m. Friday, 6:07 p.m. Saturday). But he’s happy with his team’s 4-0 start to National Collegiate Hockey Conference play this season.

“You’re playing NCHC hockey,” Berry said. “It’s not a perfect night every night. You’re going to have good teams you’re playing against. It’s about playing with consistency.”

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 [email protected].