NORTH ANDOVER — After winning the Hockey East Championship, the Merrimack College men’s ice hockey team learned that they next opponent, the toughest they will have faced the last six months:
No. 2 ranked University of North Dakota.
The Merrimack team, coaches, staff and administrators packed the locker room next to Lawler Arena to watch the NCAA Div. 1 Selection Show on ESPNU.
While Merrimack was praised by the show’s commentators for their resolve the second half of the season and its run through the Hockey East Tournament — wins over Lowell (5-3), No. 1 seed Providence (3-2, in OT), No. 2 UMass Amherst (2-0) and No. 3 UConn (2-1) — it was noted that the South Dakota region’s top seed had the “easiest” run to the Frozen Four in Las Vegas.
The team strangely showed little emotion after hearing the comments.
“Nothing surprises us,” said captain Mark Hillier, a grad student. “We know the team we have. It doesn’t matter what other people think.”
The Warriors first NCAA game in three years will be on Thurs., March 26 at 8:30 p.m. (EST) at Denny Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls, S.D.
The winner will play the winner of the Quinnipiac-Providence game (played earlier on Thurs.) on Sat., March 28 with a trip to the Frozen Four in Las Vegas at stake.
This marks the fourth time that Merrimack will compete in the NCAA Tournament and the second time in four seasons that they’ve qualified.
In 1988, Merrimack defeated future Hockey East opponents Northeastern 10-8 on aggregate (5-3 L, 7-3 W) before falling to eventual national champions Lake Superior State in a two leg quarterfinal by a score of 8-5 (4-3 W, 5-1 L).
In 2011, the Warriors fell to Notre Dame 4-3 in overtime in the regional semifinals, and in 2023, Merrimack was defeated by the eventual national champs, Quinnipiac, 5-0.
Merrimack and North Dakota will play for the first time since 2009, a set in Grand Forks that the Fighting Hawks were victorious in both games by scores of 5-2 and 3-2.
North Dakota (27-9-1) finished in second place team in the NPI and won the NCHC regular season championship. But they were defeated in the NCHC semifinal round by Minnesota Duluth, 5-1.
“We are ready,” said head coach Scott Borek. “We’ve been building for this for a long time this season. After we were swept by Maine (in February) and didn’t play well, we answered. We never lost again. Nothing this team has done surprises me. I’ve been doing this a long time and they have stayed together through it all. I’m so proud to coach this team.”
Hillier said Saturday will be a night he will never forget.
But, he believes, there is more in the Merrimack tank, not really buying into the Cinderella story brewing among the college hockey experts.
“I’m just so proud of this group. We worked so hard to get here, to get that trophy. This was probably the best thing that’ll ever happen to me in my life, so I’m going to carry that with me for as long as I live,” said Hillier. “We believe in ourselves, the entire team.”
Merrimack will lead their entourage to S.D. on Tuesday, practice on Wednesday before chasing more history on Thursday night.