The Bemidji State University men’s ice hockey team continues its 2015-16 nonconference season this weekend when it clashes with No. 1 University of North Dakota in a home-and-home series. The Beavers host UND at Sanford Center Friday before the teams travel to Grand Forks, N.D. and Ralph Engelstad Arena Saturday to wrap up the two-game set.

For the second consecutive week, Bemidji State will go head-to-head with one of the nation’s elite teams. After defeating then-No. 2/3 University of Minnesota Duluth, 3-2, at Sanford Center to open the season Saturday, BSU now welcomes the nation’s top-ranked team in UND. Since Bemidji State made the jump to the NCAA Division I level prior to the 1999-2000 season, the Beavers are 3-9-0 versus the nation’s No. 1 team, which includes an 0-2-0 mark versus UND.

North Dakota totes a 1-0-1 record to Bemidji Friday after a 5-2 victory over Lake Superior State and a 1-1 tie with Maine in the IceBreaker Tournament. UND is led offensively by senior Bryn Chyzyk, who has two of the team’s six goals this season. Fellow senior Drake Caggiula and junior defender Troy Stecher each have a pair of assists to round out UND’s top scorers. In the crease, sophomore Cam Johnson looks to shoulder the bulk of UND’s goaltending duties this year following the departure of Zane McIntyre. Johnson is 1-0-1 this season with a 1.44 goals against average and a .935 save percentage after getting just two appearances and 43 minutes in net as a rookie.

In a series that dates back to 1970, North Dakota holds a 27-3-3 advantage over BSU. The Beavers are 2-8-1 when hosting UND in Bemidji, Minn., while they are 2-18-2 on UND’s home ice in Grand Forks, N.D., which includes a 5-1 BSU victory to open the 2014-15 season at Ralph Engelstad Arena. Despite the win-loss differential, five of the last nine meetings between the teams have been decided by one goal or less, and BSU is 2-5-2 in those games.