DULUTH, Minn. (Northern News Now) – Scott Sandelin and his University of Minnesota Duluth men’s ice hockey team are on the road this weekend for their final series of 2024, but are venturing somewhere much warmer. One without snow, lots of sunshine and hopefully a few wins in the forecast.

Arizona State University (ASU) is in its first season in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.

According to the United States College Hockey Association, the Sundevils earned their first top-20 ranking this season, finishing at No. 19 after knocking off leaders second-place Denver University (DU).

ASU handed DU back-to-back losses for its first two losses of the 24-25 season.

This weekend, ASU and UMD meet for the first time since meeting at AMSOIL Arena in 2022.

Sandelin said this is not a vacation, they have to give their best for 60 minutes every night and it starts on Friday evening.

“There were a lot of good moments, just as there were a lot of not so good moments. And that’s what you’re going through, right? You have to ride those waves, and I think one of the jobs of this group is to ride those waves better,” Sandelin said.

“We can’t have the peaks and valleys, which I think are far too steep at the moment. You have to deal with the moments when things aren’t going well or you’re behind on a goal or have achieved a goal. You have to learn to deal with it. That’s what wins hockey games.”

Sandelin shared that fifth-year winger Joe Molenaar is questionable with a lower-body injury, freshman winger Trevor Stachowiack is out long-term due to an injury in practice and freshman goalkeeper Adam Gajan is also questionable for this weekend with an ankle injury is injury.

Puck drop for the first game is scheduled for Friday, December 6th at Mullett Arena at 8 p.m.

Click here to download the Northern News Now app or our Northern News Now First Alert weather app.

Copyright 2024 Northern News Now. All rights reserved.