No. 4 UND opened its 2026-27 season with a 4-1 exhibition win over Augustana on Saturday night at Ralph Engelstad Arena, according to UND Athletics.
How it went
UND Athletics reported a sellout crowd of 11,658 and goals from Ollie Josephson, Carson Carels, Will Zellers and Cody Croal. Josephson and Zellers each added an assist. Per UND Athletics, UND went 3-for-5 on the power play and held Augustana scoreless on six chances. The Grand Forks Herald reported that the Vikings' chances included a 5-on-3 lasting 1:31.
The Herald described Carels, a freshman defenseman, as the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, and said he scored on the power play. It also reported that Croal iced the game with an empty-netter. Sophomore goaltender Jan Spunar played all 60 minutes, and UND Athletics credited him with 16 saves on 17 shots; it put shots on goal at 22-17 in UND's favor. Coach Dane Jackson called the night a great opportunity to set the tone and identity of who the team wants to be, the Herald reported.
Sunday: Manitoba
UND closes the exhibition slate Sunday at 3:07 p.m. at Ralph Engelstad Arena against Manitoba, per UND Athletics' game notes. Those notes call it the 26th exhibition meeting between the programs; UND won the previous 25 and is 30-1-0 all-time against the Bisons. Check the Herald or fightinghawks.com for the final.
Next up: Bemidji State
- Friday, Oct. 9: UND at Bemidji State, Sanford Center, 7:07 p.m., per Ticketmaster listings.
- Saturday, Oct. 10: Bemidji State at UND, Ralph Engelstad Arena, 6:07 p.m., per Ticketmaster listings.
- Kasper Magnussen, who transferred from Bemidji State after three seasons, will face his former team.
- Cole Reschny was named UND's captain Sept. 16.
Check fightinghawks.com for regular-season broadcast and ticket details.