The University of Minnesota-Duluth will launch its 60th year of intercollegiate men’s hockey Saturday (Oct. 4) when the Bulldogs travel to Grand Forks, ND, to take on the University of North Dakota in the United States Hockey Hall of Fame Game. Opening faceoff time is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at Ralph Engelstad Arena (11,407) on the North Dakota campus.

THE RECORDS: The Bulldogs closed out the 2002-03 season with a 22-15-5 overall record and placed fifth in the final Western Collegiate Hockey Association at 14-10-4. North Dakota, which will also be marking its 2003-04 debut, sported a 26-12-5 mark in all games last winter and a 14-9-5 WCHA record (fourth place)

NATIONAL RANKINGS: UMD was ranked 15th in both the preseason USCHO.com and USA Today/American Hockey Magazine polls. North Dakota held down the No. 5 spots in each of those same two polls.

ON THE AIR: For the 44th consecutive year, all Bulldog home and away games are being carried live by KDAL-Radio (610 AM). Kerry Rodd handles the station's play-by-play duties with Rik Jordan providing color commentary. The broadcast can be heard via the internet at: www.umdbulldogs.com.

THE COACHES: Scott Sandelin (North Dakota, 1987) is beginning his fourth year at UMD where has compiled a 42-67-12 overall record. Last winter, Sandelin's Bulldogs racked up their best overall mark (22-15-5) and WCHA finish (fifth place on a 14-10-4 record) and while experiencing the greatest one-year turnaround of any WCHA club. One year earlier, he directed the Bulldogs to a 13-24-1 record in all games-- nearly doubling the number of victories from the previous season (7-28-4) -- while going 6-19-3 in the WCHA. Sandelin officially became a member of the Bulldog staff on March 31, 2000 after six years of assistant coaching duty at North Dakota -- including the last three seasons as an associate head coach. Prior to joining the Fighting Sioux, Sandelin, 39, spent the 1993-94 season as the head coach of the Fargo-Moorhead Junior Kings of the Junior Elite Hockey League after working in that same capacity (and doubling as general manager) the previous winter with the American Hockey Association's Fargo-Moorhead Express. A native of Hibbing, MN, Sandelin capped off his four-year playing career at North Dakota in 1985-86 by being named one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award. An All-WCHA first team pick and an All-American second team selection, Sandelin went on to play seven years of professional hockey, including National Hockey League stints with the Montreal Canadiens (1986-88), Philadelphia Flyers (1990-91) and Minnesota North Stars (1991-92). Sandelin, one of just two current WCHA coaches to do time in the NHL, was the second round pick of the Montreal Canadiens in the 1982 NHL draft (40th selection overall). He is 4-7-1 in 12 lifetime confrontations with his alma mater.

Dean Blais Minnesota, 1977) is in his 10th year as the head coach at North Dakota and has a 232-107-30 overall record to show for it, including a 22-10-2 mark against UMD. Blais has directed the Fighting Sioux to a pair of NCAA titles (2000 and 1997), four WCHA championships (1997-99 and 2001) and four successive berths in the NCAA playoffs. Prior to being appointed North Dakota's 14th head coach in May 1994, Blais spent two years as the boy's hockey coach at International Falls High School (1992-94) and at Roseau High School (1989-91). A Fighting Sioux assistant coach for nine seasons (1980-89), Blais was employed as the head hockey coach at Minot (ND) High School for three seasons (1977-80) and was an assistant coach with the United States entry at the 1992 Olympic Games in Albertville, France.

THE SERIES: Saturday’s game will mark the 187th meeting ever between the Bulldogs and North Dakota. The Fighting Sioux hold 114-66-6 lead in the rivalry, which began on Nov. 26, 1954 in Grand Forks, ND. UMD was undefeated (2-0-1) in its three matchups with the Fighting Sioux one year ago. The two teams last squared off in the opening round of the 2003 WCHA Final Five Tournament in St. Paul (a 2-1 UMD victory on March 20).

TEAM CAPTAINS: Senior Beau Geisler, UMD’s top scoring defenseman from a year ago, will serve as team captain for the Bulldogs in 2003-04 while senior right wing Junior Lessard, who topped the UMD in goals last winter with 21, and junior right wing Luke Stauffacher, who collected a club-leading five game-winning tallies as a sophomore, have been entrusted with alternate team captain responsibilities.

UMD THIRD IN WCHA COACHES POLL: The Bulldogs were predicted to fished tied for third place in the 33rd annual Grand Forks Herald WCHA Coaches Poll.

Team Points

1. Minnesota 81

2. North Dakota 73

3. UMD 58

3. Colorado College 58

5. Denver 48

6. MSU-Mankato 46

7. Wisconsin 31

8. St. Cloud State 28

9. Michigan Tech 17

10. Alaska Anchorage 10

The last time Bulldogs were picked to finish this high by the WCHA coaches was in 1992-93. UMD was also pegged for third place that season and eventually went on to win the WCHA regular season title.

AN EARLY SEASON DEBUT: When the puck drops Saturday night in Grand Forks, it will mark the earliest regular season start ever for a UMD hockey team. That distinction currently belongs to the 1987-88 Bulldogs, who kicked off campaign on Oct. 9 of that year at the University of Denver.

GREAT GAINS: UMD experienced the greatest one-year turnaround of any WCHA club in 2002-03, accumulating 17 more points than it did a year ago. Minnesota State-Mankato was next with a 13- point improvement

ROAD WARRIORS: The Bulldogs’ .600 winning percentage (on a 11-7-2 record) away from the DECC last year was their best since the 1984-85 season. The 11 road victories were one win shy of the school single-season record. Conversely, UMD fashioned an 11-8-3 record at home in 2002-03, for a .568 percentage.

ROSTER UPDATE: The 26-man UMD roster contains four seniors, 12 juniors and seven sophomores and just three freshmen.

AVOIDING THE WHITEWASH: The Bulldogs haven’t been shut out in their last 82 outings -- the second longest current streak of any WCHA team, trailing only Minnesota (91). The last time UMD came up empty on the scoreboard was on March 11, 2001 (4-0 to North Dakota in the opening round of the WCHA playoffs).

IMPROVEMENTS WHICH SOME MAY FIND OFFENSIVE: During Scott Sandelin’s maiden head coaching season in 1999-2000, the Bulldogs averaged a mere 2.64 goals per game. Two years ago, that figure increased to 2.97 and, in 2002-03, UMD scored goals at a 3.64 per game clip. Overall, the 153 goals the Bulldogs amassed last year were their most since 1992-93.

BULLDOG BITS: Center Tim Stapleton became just the third freshman ever (NCAA I era), and the first in 26 years to top the Bulldogs in scoring. Stapleton collected 14 goals and a team-high 28 assists for 42 points -- the most by a UMD rookie since 1984-85 when Brett Hull was credited a freshman-record 60 points. Stapleton finished third among all NCAA I newcomers in assists last winter and was fifth in overall points ... The Bulldogs lost only four players to graduation, including two individuals (center Jon Francisco and right wing Drew Otten) who played in more than half of the club’s games one year ago ... Sophomore goaltender Isaac Reichmuth posted a Bulldog-record 2.58 goals against average during his collegiate debut season and recorded the second best single-season saves percentage figure (.905) in club history. An All-WCHA third team selection and a member of the WCHA All-Rookie Team, Reichmuth’s 18 victories (he was 18-11-3 overall) were the second most ever turned in by a UMD rookie (All-American Rick Kosti was 27-9-2 in 1983-84) ... Senior defenseman Beau Geisler will skate in his 69th consecutive game Saturday night ... Junior center T.J. Caig, who became eligible to play with the Bulldogs last January 2, averaged more points per game in league play (1.25) than any WCHA rookie in 2002-03 ... UMD’s overall winning percentage (.583) and victory total (22) last season was its best in 10 years ... Sophomore right wing Luke Stauffacher, one of eight Bulldog veterans who set a personal high for scoring in 2002-03, tied for first among WCHA skaters in league game-winning goals with five ... Junior right wing Junior Lessard spread his Bulldog-best 21 goals over 20 games las season ... All but three of UMD’s 15 losses in 2002-03 were by two or fewer goals ... No team had more individuals selected as the WCHA Rookie of the Week in 2002-03 than UMD. Some five Bulldog newcomers -- center Tim Stapleton (twice), center T.J. Caig, defenseman Steve Czech, wing Justin Williams, and goaltender Isaac Reichmuth -- all were bestowed with that honor ... UMD never lost more than two games in a row during the 2002-03 regular season -- something which hadn’t happened since 1992-93.

UP NEXT: UMD will pay its first visit to East Lansing, MI, in 23 years to take part in the Icebreaker Invitational on Oct. 10-11. The Bulldogs and Boston College will meet in one opening round game followed by host Michigan State University’s clash with the University of Findlay.

The Bulldogs will be idle the following week before heading to the University of Minnesota for their 2003-04 WCHA openers on Oct. 24-25.