It didn't take long for him to impact the game.
Mismash scored a goal, registered three shots on goal and a plus-2 rating during UND's 5-1 win over American International in the first round of the NCAA tournament in Fargo's Scheels Arena.
"I thought he did an outstanding job," UND coach Brad Berry said. "He kept it simple. He had a lot of energy. He was finishing checks, playing a big, heavy game on that line with (Shane) Pinto and Juddy Caulfield. That's a big, heavy line. I thought they sustained a lot of O-zone play today and made some good plays. We missed on a few in the third period, but hopefully we can dial in tomorrow and finish off some of those chances that line had.
"It's pretty good for the first game. Now, tomorrow, it's keeping it simple and keeping shifts short again, knowing that he just got back in the lineup here over the course of the last week."
Mismash played left wing on a line with Pinto and Caulfield, instead of his most-often used spot at left wing with Collin Adams and Jordan Kawaguchi.
He also jumped back into power-play duties, playing the middle of UND's second power-play unit. Mark Senden had played there down the stretch, but he sustained an injury in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference Frozen Faceoff two weeks ago and did not play Friday against the Yellow Jackets.
Mismash's goal came at 14:16 of the first period. He snapped a shot from the slot past American International goaltender Stefano Durante to give the Fighting Hawks a 3-0 lead.
It marked the 10th goal of the season for Mismash, his career-high. He also became the fifth UND player to hit double digits in goals this season, joining Pinto (15), Jasper Weatherby (14), Adams (13) and Riese Gaber (11). Kawaguchi has nine.
Mismash has 19 points in 19 games this season for the 22-5-1 Fighting Hawks.
Weatherby stays hot
Weatherby, a junior, continued his torrid scoring pace in the second half of the season by scoring a pair of first-period goals against the Yellow Jackets.
Weatherby has a career-high 14 on the season -- more than he put up in his first two seasons at UND combined (13). He now sits just one goal behind Pinto for the team lead.
After scoring three goals in the first 16 games of the season, the Ashland, Ore., product has buried 11 goals in the last 12 games.
Since Jan. 29, the only player in the country with more goals than Weatherby's 11 is Wisconsin's Cole Caufield (20), the likely Hobey Baker Award winner.
"What he's brought to the table, especially in the second half of the season, I can't be more proud of him," Berry said. "I know he's hungry. He wants more. And you love to see a guy like that on your bench."
Weatherby said he enjoyed his first NCAA tournament experience Friday.
"These are the games you want to play in," he said. "I've been looking forward to playing here my whole life. It's been awesome so far. We're just looking to continue that."
AIC falters out of conference
American International's out-of-conference struggles continued.
The Yellow Jackets are 3-18 (.143) outside of Atlantic Hockey since Christmas 2017. Two of those wins came this season against first-year program Long Island University. The other was against St. Cloud State in the 2019 NCAAs.
During that same timeframe, the Yellow Jackets are 65-25-5 (.711) against Atlantic Hockey teams.
American International forwards Chris Dodero and Julius Janhonen, who were only on the ice for one even-strength goal against all season, were on the ice for two each Friday.
American International coach Eric Lang was happy with how his team responded in the second and third periods after giving up four goals in the opening frame.
"We ran into a team that's very, very good," he said.
Notes
- During the last two games, UND has flipped Pinto and Kawaguchi to opposite sides on the first power-play unit. The power play went 2-for-4 against St. Cloud State in the NCHC title game, but it was 0-for-4 against the Yellow Jackets.
- The officiating crew was from the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. They were all Minnesota Section 8 alums -- referees Bobby Lukkason (East Grand Forks) and Brady Johnson (Roseau), and linesmen Tyler Landman (Roseau) and Nathan Voll (Roseau).
- Gaber left the game in the second period after he was checked from behind into the boards, but he returned to the bench about 10 minutes later and played during the third period.
- Adams has nine points and a plus-10 rating in four playoff games this season.
- Weatherby on UND goalie Adam Scheel, who stopped 24 of 25 shots: "He's amazing. With a goalie like that, he gives us a chance to win every night. I love the guy. I came in with him as a freshman. He works so hard and we're so confident with him in the back end. The saves he makes are truly unbelievable. It gives us a lot of confidence."
- Berry on Scheel's save on Elijiah Barriga in the second period: "He's made a couple of great glove-hand saves in tight, preserving us from giving up a goal. Sometimes, your best penalty killer is your goaltender, and in that case, Scheeler was."
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