It was only an exhibition game, but the University of North Dakota men’s hockey team showed it will be a force to be reckoned with in the 2015-16 season. UND easily handled the University of Manitoba 8-3 Saturday night in Ralph Engelstad Arena. Sophomore forward Johnny Simonson of Grand Forks led the way with a hat trick, but the highly touted freshman class also played a huge role in the victory. Newcomer Shane Gersich scored twice, while classmates Brock Boeser and Joel Janatuinen each added a goal and an assist. Another freshman, Chris Wilkie, also had an assist. Veteran Drake Caggiula chipped in the other goal. Junior defenseman Troy Stecher recorded three assists as did sophomore forward Austin Poganski. Sophomore goaltender Cam Johnson played most of the game, stopping 12 of 15 shots. UND captain Gage Ausmus, a senior defenseman from East Grand Forks, led UND with a plus-5 rating, while Boeser, Simonson and Bryn Chyzyk were all plus-4.
Unheralded
