2 weeks Ago By Abby Sharpe
GRAND FORKS — UND forward Jackson Kunz carved out a role on the power play last year as the net front screen on the top unit. On Friday, during No. 7 UND’s 7-2 win over No.
3 Boston University, Kunz showed he can score on the power play, too. ADVERTISEMENT Kunz slipped in front of Terriers starter Mathieu Caron — who was pulled from net after UND’s fourth goal in the first period — and backhanded a shot for his first goal of the season and the Fighting Hawks’ first of the night. “I just think we started pounding pucks on their D and playing our game,” Kunz said.
“Drew a penalty, and our power play cashed in a couple times there in the first. We just stuck to what we were doing well and kept it going, and it worked. “Feels good.
Credit to my teammates. Couple nice passes there from J.P.
(Jayden Perron). We played well, and hoping to do the same thing tomorrow.” UND coach Brad Berry said scoring the first goal of the game was key in the Hawks’ dominating win.
“When you score the first goal, you get momentum,” he said. “Our power play did a good job of that. They came out and they maximized their opportunities on it.
Ended up scoring one. I think there was only eight seconds left on the first power play when we scored, but we found a way to get that goal, and then we got the second power play goal, and then it just kept rolling.” Kunz scored again early in the third period.
The alternate captain from Grand Forks caught a pass from defenseman Caleb MacDonald near the left faceoff dot and rifled in his second goal of the night. “First of all, the accuracy of the shot, knowing the spots that are open,” Berry said. “That's pre-puck awareness, knowing where the goal is.
It’s tough to do without a screen in front of the net. To blow it by a goaltender from a long way out tells you you have strong hands, and you have a knack for finding the open spots. And he did that.
ADVERTISEMENT “He's a guy, a scorer on our team that you need. We have a lot of passers on our team, but you need a guy that can finish, and he can finish.” UND shuffled lines again Friday night and Kunz was put on the top line with center Cameron Berg and Owen McLaughlin.
That shows how Kunz has continued to develop since finding his footing last season. “I thought he did an outstanding job,” Berry said. “He brings some size and heaviness to that line and he possessed pucks.
He made really good plays, and he complimented that line. And then those guys obviously complimented him. “But it's really nice to see the transition from his freshman year to where he's at now, as far as his development.
It wasn't the easiest for him his first couple years, but he stuck with it, and now you're seeing the dividends pay off here of him putting the work in and maturing in this game. You can just tell he’s turned into a man.”.
