BEMIDJI – Three years ago, Carter Randklev’s hockey career came full circle.
The Fergus Falls native moved to Moorhead when he was in seventh grade with the hopes of finding increased recognition as a collegiate prospect.
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It worked.
Randklev traded his maroon and tinted gold Otters colors for black and orange. He played in three state tournaments and became a Minnesota Mr. Hockey Finalist in 2018 for the Spuds.
The local kid stayed local, inking his commitment to North Dakota to continue his playing career at the collegiate level.
However, in his first USHL season with the Fargo Force, Randklev tore his ACL. On Dec. 1, 2018, Randklev’s hockey trajectory changed. UND pulled his offer to play for the Fighting Hawks, forcing Randklev to pivot to Niagara.
So when the Purple Eagles opened the 2021-22 season in Grand Forks, Randklev finally got his Ralph Engelstad Arena homecoming.
“It didn’t go very well, we got smoked,” Randklev quipped.
Niagara lost the season opener 6-2. North Dakota shut out the Purple Eagles the next night 4-0.
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But for Randklev, that weekend was bigger than hockey.
“I just remember my family being able to come and watch me play,” Randklev said. “One person that made it super special for me was my grandma. Grandma Nora was able to make it there, so going back there brings back some memories of my last game with her watching before she passed away.”
Randklev’s memories will resurface on Saturday when Bemidji State makes its annual trip to the Ralph. After all, he grew up wearing a lighter shade of green than the one he wears now.
The fifth-year forward isn’t alone. His freshman teammate, Jaksen Panzer, also grew up a UND fan. This will be his first trip to the Ralph as a collegiate hockey player.
“As a kid, you grow up watching those guys,” Panzer said. “Whether you’re watching or playing against them, it’s something you grow up with as a kid wanting to do – be them or play them. It’s hard not to be excited.”
Panzer, an East Grand Forks native, has had his opportunities to play at the Ralph in youth hockey, but this weekend could be his first at the college level.
“Once you step on the ice and look around, it’s a pretty big rink,” Panzer said. “All you see are seats. But once the game gets going, it’s pretty easy to see the ice and focus on the game. … You want to get out there and soak it in, but at the end of the day, it’s another hockey game with the same goal. We’re going out there to win, and I want to play my game.”
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Despite being five years apart in age, Panzer and Randklev share a similarity. Panzer was committed to North Dakota until last March before he flipped to Bemidji State.
Panzer committed to play for the Fighting Hawks in eighth grade. He grew up with the Ralph in his back yard. His father, Jeff, and uncle, Jay, both won national titles for UND.
“When I was a kid, when my dad was done playing hockey, he'd take me there every weekend we could get there,” Panzer said. “We’d watch the game and he’d take me down to the locker room. All of my memories are with my dad, just being around him and him showing me everything about it.”
This weekend, Panzer could play his first game in Grand Forks as a Beaver. For Randklev, though, it’s guaranteed to be his last.
“From the hockey side of things, I think it’s just so different for me having all of my family members be there,” Randklev said. “They get to go see me play in the Ralph one last time. That’s where my hockey dreams started, so to have all of them there is pretty special. … There’s a mix of emotions in wanting to do really good for my team but also really good for my family.”
Randklev recalls his childhood at the Taj Mahal of college hockey. While growing up in Fergus Falls, he took in his first UND game with some friends in a suite.
“The people we went with had a box there for a while, and some friends and I got to go up there for our first games,” Randklev said. “I remember playing knee hockey in the suite. We’d pull the garbage can out and use it as a net. I remember the band that came walking by and playing their music. It’s hard not to love it when those are your first memories.”
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Both Randklev and Panzer expect to have dozens of family and friends in attendance for the second half of BSU’s home-and-home series against UND.
“All of those people believe in you,” Panzer said. “It gives you a little bit more confidence knowing they’re all there to watch you. Any time you get to put the jersey on and go play, you get pretty juiced up.”
However, their days as UND fans are behind them. Once the sentimental side of this weekend wears off, Panzer and Randklev are looking to bank another win over a ranked opponent this season.
“At the end of the day, we’re all having fun, we’re all kids,” Ranklev said. “I might be 25, but I’m still a kid at heart. But at the same time, we know we can beat these teams. We’ve proven that this year. These teams don’t look at us lightly, they know we can take it to them. Going in there with a little bit of swagger is important.”
“Every game you want to win,” Panzer said. “But some games mean more. I’d love to beat these guys.”
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