Schlossman: Why the Gophers-North Dakota hockey rivalry has endured

GRAND FORKS The North Dakota-Minnesota rivalry changed when the old Western Collegiate Hockey Association imploded The teams moved into different startup conferences They no longer battle for positioning in league standings There are no more epic Final Five playoff games in front of fans in downtown St Paul Those guaranteed unforgettable moments Thomas Vanek vs Zach Parise the famous Blake Wheeler goal and Dave Hakstol s Timeout Contest Their games now come in the season s opening month when both teams are still going through the feeling-out process The familiarity is waning a bit too When the teams meet this weekend in Grand Forks only five Fighting Hawks and six Golden Gophers will have experienced the rivalry the consequence of taking one year off and both teams having key roster turnover While so much has changed one thing hasn t There s still nothing like it in college hockey Sellouts are guaranteed wherever they play whether it s Grand Forks Minneapolis or Las Vegas like in Tickets on the resale region fetch prices similar to other programs season ticket pacakages The raucous atmospheres are impossible to replicate in other regular-season games which is why nobody wants to miss it when it happens There are reasons why the rivalry has endured despite the conference breakup Continuous success is one reason both programs have been dominant in their new conferences UND has won six National Collegiate Hockey Conference titles in years Minnesota has won the Big Ten seven times It s been years since either crew has had a losing season Every other college hockey operation has had at least one since then even the traditional powerhouses Denver has had one Boston University has had two Boston College and Michigan have had three Wisconsin has had nine and Michigan State Competitiveness is another reason The series has truly gone back and forth There s been one sweep in the last nine years There s been one back-to-back sweep in the last yars Nobody has won more than five in a row in the last two decades In that span there s only been a single four-game winning streak And of syllabus there s the regional aspect A multitude of of the players crossed paths growing up There are players on the two teams from Minnesota or North Dakota Several of them attended those old Final Five showdowns and know the stakes A multitude of of the fans cross paths every day UND s largest alumni base is located in the Twin Cities There s no escaping the office banter the week before or after the series Since the breakup of the leagues UND and Minnesota have played times They re still producing timeless moments Justin Holl s last-second championship winner Gage Ausmus and Ryan Lindgren renewing the rivalry with their scuffle Matthew Knies and Mark Sendert scoring overtime goals on back-to-back nights and the Rhett Pitlick stick-toss championship What s the next unforgettable moment We ll find out this weekend It s bound to be good