March 15, 2022
Gamebreaker Gaber
UND Sophomore Gives Fighting Hawks a Fighting Chance in St. Paul
by Jordan McAlpine/CHN Reporter (@jordan_mcalpine)
(photo: Russ Hons)
Riese Gaber did the same thing he’s done all season last Saturday night. To be exact, he’s done it a team-leading 15 times for the North Dakota Fighting Hawks: Find the back of the net.
However, what Gaber brings to the UND lineup goes far beyond what shows up in a box score. His speed constantly causes problems for opposing defensemen and he’s shown a knack for creating offense.
The sophomore winger also embodies the leadership and team-first mentality that has made his UND team so successful this season. At this point, nothing Gaber does with the puck on his stick comes as a surprise to UND head coach Brad Berry. But Gaber has only continued to impress as the season has gone on.
“There's a number of items that you want (in a player),” Berry said. “I know each program kind of values different things as far as when they recruit players and one of those is being a smart player. We call it knowing the next play. And again, Riese Gaber is a very intellectual and smart player. He knows the next play and you can't have enough of those players.”
Gaber broke onto the scene last year and was named to the NCHC All-Rookie Team after a 21-point campaign. The potential of a sophomore slump quickly went out the window and Gaber has been simply electric in year two. Especially on the power play.
When you ask the Manitoba native what's been the key to his success, it goes back to his freshman season.
“I think the biggest thing for me was just learning from the guys we had last year,” Gaber said. “With the amount of pros we had on our team with guys like Shane (Pinto) and (Jacob Bernard-Docker), I just tried to learn how they take care of their body and be a sponge. And I think I learned and grew a lot because of them.
“Now I want to pass that along to the younger guys that are coming in with me and help keep the standard we have here.”
This season Gaber has set quite the standard himself. A First-Team All-NCHC selection, the speedy forward has put up 36 points (15-21) in 32 games. In NCHC play specifically, he racked up nine goals and 23 points over 19 regular-season games. His 1.21 points per game ranked third in the conference and Gaber is a finalist for the NCHC Player of the Year.
Especially when you consider the talent throughout the NCHC, those honors mean even more.
“It means a lot. It really does,” Gaber said. “There could have been a ton of players picked in my spot, but just being able to see my name on there means a ton and I take a lot of pride in it. That shows how highly some people think of me, so it's really cool to see. Definitely a big feather in my cap.”
But there’s something else Gaber has taken a lot of pride in this season. Representing UND.
“Being here at North Dakota is something I don't take for granted,” he said. “I want to give this program absolutely everything I have and seeing that I'm respected by coaches and everyone around the league too, it's pretty humbling. One of the things I always tell myself is to just kind of keep quiet, put my head down and go to work. And I think that's exactly what we do here at North Dakota.
“I know that as long as I work hard, good things will come out of that. And I think it's really important for me to always be mindful of that. No matter how tough the times get, I think it’s super important for me to keep working hard and eventually I’ll have success.”
Gaber’s message is exactly what the Fighting Hawks have done this season, put their heads down, go to work, and let their play do the talking. After losing eight players to NHL contracts, the Fighting Hawks entered this season picked third in the NCHC Preseason Poll. Many expected UND to take a step back, but inside the program, expectations never dipped.
After a strong first half, the Fighting Hawks dropped four straight games after the Christmas break. But since a Jan. 22 loss at Western Michigan, UND has been one of the hottest teams in college hockey. UND closed out the regular season on a 9-2-1 run and swept Colorado College last weekend in the NCHC quarterfinals.
UND has been constantly plagued by injuries and illness the last two months too, yet they’ve continued to find a way to win.
Gaber himself was one of several players who missed time (five games) in the second half. He returned to the lineup last weekend and scored the game-winning goal Saturday to propel UND into the NCHC Frozen Faceoff.
“It’s been a very interesting season to say the least,” Gaber said. “I don't think at Christmas or even right now anyone expected us to be where we are. But I really think it has everything to do with the culture within the group here.
“There’s a high bar here and when we lose a game it almost kind of feels like the end of the world. I think having that culture is huge though. Obviously there's going to be ups and downs, but I think just with the way we've battled, I don’t think anybody in our locker room is surprised.”
One of those five games Gaber missed came earlier this month in Omaha. That night the Fighting Hawks celebrated winning a share of the Penrose Cup. However, Gaber, Jake Sanderson and Ethan Frisch all watched the game from the stands in a suit and tie.
The celebration shot might be the perfect image of this second half for UND. Without three of their top guns in the lineup, the Fighting Hawks found a way to get it done, and it goes back to that next man up mentality.
“Just look at looking back at our season and the run we’ve went on, especially in the second half, it's pretty remarkable,” Gaber said. “I think that just goes to show how special the culture is here at North Dakota. I know everyone's been super proud of how we’ve all battled, but we’re not done yet.”
This weekend Gaber hopes to be a part of another celebration photo in St. Paul. Except this time, not in a suit and tie.
“We know we have a job to do and we know what our end goal is,” Gaber said. “I think it's just a matter of coming into the rink every day like we’ve done all year and putting our heads down and going to work. We know what we’ve got to do this weekend. But that being said, we're really looking forward to that Friday night.”