While UND did not take UMD out to the proverbial woodshed, they did outplay UMD is almost all phases of the game except shots on goal. By midway through the second period the Sioux were winning almost all of the little battles for the puck. UND was winning the puck possession battle. As far as I am concerned, UMD got outplayed on their home ice. The first 5-10 minutes were concerning because of the scrambles in front of the UND net. After that, the defense settled down. It was clearly evident the UND defense outplayed the UMD defense. UND is already exceeding what I expected them to be able to do this year. If they win tonight, they are in position to be able to take the Penrose Cup next week.
Having said that, UMD appears to be a young team with a lot of skill. They could definitely be a strong contender the next couple of years. Iafalo especially could be something special, skill with speed.