Get Fired Up Thursday: UND Hockey, Grand Forks Spitfire Softball and Your Thursday Sports Feature!
The Spitfire Sparks Cheering Squad pictured below.
Good Evening and Happy Thursday June 18th, 2026 UND and Grand Forks Spitfire Fans! I hope you absolutely crushed your goals today, achieving remarkable success and making significant progress in everything you set out to accomplish. May your hard work, determination, and positive energy have propelled you towards excellence, leaving you feeling proud and fulfilled by the end of this incredible Thursday. Today I have an epic blog for you where I will discuss UND Hockey, the Spitfires' games from the week so far, and present a Thursday Sports Feature.
In an exciting development for UND Hockey, former goalie Cam Johnson has clinched the 2026 Kelly Cup with the Florida Everblades, marking a significant milestone in his professional career. This championship represents Johnson's fourth professional title, further solidifying his impressive hockey legacy. The achievement is particularly noteworthy for North Dakota hockey, as it continues a remarkable streak of success in the ECHL. For the fifth consecutive season, a former UND player has emerged victorious in the league's championship, following Chris Jandric's triumphant win in 2025. Johnson's latest victory not only highlights his individual skill and determination but also underscores the strong hockey tradition and talent development program at the University of North Dakota, which continues to produce exceptional professional players who excel at the highest levels of hockey.
The Grand Forks Spitfires and Mankato Habaneros engaged in an intense two-game baseball series on Monday, June 15th, and Tuesday, June 16th, 2026. The first game saw the Habaneros emerging victorious with a 16-12 win, drawing a crowd of 283 passionate fans. The following day's game proved to be a completely different story, with the Spitfires demonstrating remarkable defensive and offensive skills. The Tuesday matchup began quietly, with no scoring in the first two innings. The tension broke in the third inning when Sofia Meer of the Spitfires launched a critical run, putting Grand Forks ahead 1-0. Moments later, teammate Ally Hetzel followed suit, extending the lead to 2-0. The fourth inning remained scoreless, maintaining the suspenseful atmosphere. In the fifth inning, Ally Hetzel, playing as the Spitfires' catcher, scored again, pushing the team's lead to 3-0. The sixth inning saw another breakthrough when Taylor Larson added another run, solidifying the Spitfires' commanding 4-0 advantage. The seventh inning passed without additional scoring, and the Grand Forks Spitfires ultimately secured a decisive 4-0 victory over the Mankato Habaneros, showcasing their skill and determination on the softball field.
This week's Thursday Sports Feature is featuring UND Men's Basketball's Eli King and Grand Forks Spitfire Ally Hetzel. Eli King, is a standout guard for the UND Men's Basketball team, has made significant contributions to the program during his senior year in the 2025-2026 season. Hailing from Caledonia, Minnesota, King has pursued a Marketing degree while demonstrating remarkable athletic prowess on the basketball court. Throughout his collegiate career, he has participated in an impressive 89 games, accumulating 2,606 minutes of playing time. King's offensive capabilities are highlighted by his 106 career 3-point field goals and 134 made free throws. During the 2025-2026 season specifically, he maintained his strong performance, appearing in 35 games and logging 1,110 minutes. His scoring achievements for that year include 46 3-point field goals and 74 successful free throws, underscoring his consistent offensive impact for the UND Men's Basketball team.
Ally Hetzel is a softball player who showcases her skills both for the Grand Forks Spitfires during the summer season and the University of Washington Huskies during the academic year. Wearing jersey number 11 for the Spitfires, Hetzel serves as a catcher, demonstrating her versatility on the field. Hailing from Snoqualmie, Washington, she has made a significant impact in her freshman year in 2026. With the Huskies, Hetzel displayed impressive offensive capabilities, maintaining a batting average of .316. Her performance included 6 doubles, 6 home runs, and 24 runs batted in across 52 games. With the Grand Forks Spitfires, she has been equally impressive, participating in all 6 games of the season and accumulating 10 runs, 9 hits, and 7 RBIs. Her academic path remains undeclared, but her athletic prowess is clearly evident on the softball field.
Step up to the plate, lace up your skates, and drive hard to the basket! The comment section is officially open for court, ice, and softball field chatter. I want to huddle up and chat with you. If you have any requests for next week's Thursday Sports Feature, let me know in the comments! We play hard, but we play fair here. Foul play, trash talk, or negative penalties will not be tolerated. Keep it respectful, or you will get ejected from the game. If you're new, look around the blog and if it interests you, click the follow button at the bottom of the menu bar, which is located at the top left-hand corner of the blog, to join the blog family. To the rookies making their blog reading debut: welcome! To the seasoned blog family and MVP regulars, I thank you and appreciate you for every read, every comment, and every share! Spread the word about the blog and share it with your friends and family! Let's grow this blog!
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