Seldom do childhood dreams become reality. Jaksen Panzer's dream is coming true at the rink.

"I mean growing up, I just wanted to play hockey. I didn't think of anything more than that, not committing or playing juniors. It was mostly just play hockey and have fun. It just works out sometimes," said Panzer.

It's almost like Jaksen was destined to be a star on the ice.

The Grand Forks Central and Grand Forks Red River boys hockey teams met for the first time this season Thursday night, and the two programs wasted no time turning in a classic rivalry matchup.

Signing day with the North Dakota State football program on Wednesday included the usual assortment of linemen with growth potential, athletes with Division I FCS promise and local players hoping to make an impact.

When James Madison University rolls into Fargo for the FCS semifinal game Friday, Dec. 17, it'll be their last matchup against the Bison before next year's transition to the FBS.

Sam Griesel came back to the lineup last week. On Monday night, the North Dakota State senior guard really came back.

The Bison are a different team with their leader on the floor and never was that more evident than in a 77-70 victory over Indiana State before an energetic crowd at Scheels Center at Sanford Health Athletic Complex. Griesel, getting calculated rest breaks from head coach Dave Richman, helped rally the Bison from an 11-point second half deficit with 25 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists.

No matter the sport, when Red River and Central go head to head emotions are high. This Grand Forks rivalry though, isn't always heated. Seniors Paine Parks and Sam Strandell are both starters in basketball, they're also all-state football players. Despite lining up on opposite ends, their friendship dates back nearly a decade.

NDSU fell on the road to powerhouse Arizona 59-47. During the first few minutes of the game, Bismarck's Lauren Ware fell to the ground with a right knee injury and never returned to the game. Arizona's head coach Adia Barnes said Ware will be out for a week or two.

As of Wednesday, Dec. 8, thousands of tickets were still available for NDSU's game Saturday in the quarterfinals with East Tennessee State. Dom Izzo says fans are getting bored with just having a winning team, and he has some ideas to get them back to the Fargodome.

With the victory, the Rams (4-1) snapped the Spuds' (2-3) two-game win streak and earned some revenge against the team who ended their season in the Section 8AA final for the second consecutive season this past spring.

The East Tennessee State University Buccaneers have notched a number of close-but-big wins this season, including a near-miraculous come-from-behind victory to advance to the FCS quarterfinals, where they will face the North Dakota State Bison for the first time ever.