In the 60 years it has fielded a men's hockey team, the University of Minnesota-Duluth has faced the University of Minnesota more times than any other opponent. But as far as the Bulldogs are concerned, none of the previous 192 matchups could compare in significance to the one the two arch rivals staged Sunday afternoon at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, MI.

For the first time ever, the Bulldogs and two-time defending national champion Minnesota squared off in an NCAA playoff game. And, thanks in part to a sparkling performance for the second straight day by sophomore goaltender Isaac Reichmuth, UMD earned its first NCAA Frozen Four berth in 19 years by upending their Western Collegiate Hockey Association mates 3-1 in the NCAA Midwest Regional championship.

\"It's great to be part of this,\" said Reichmuth, who stopped 23 of 24 Gopher shots after shutting out Michigan State 5-0 in the tournament semifinals one day earlier. \"It's great to see the progress we've made as a program and now to be heading to the Frozen Four.\"

Evan Schwabe gave the Bulldogs (28-12-4 overall) a lead they would never relinquish when he opened the scoring with just under two minutes remaining in the first period. Schwabe, who has 14 points during the Bulldogs' seven game playoff run, came in on a breakway off a Minnesota turnover and beat Gopher goalie Kellen Briggs with a backhand for his 19th goal of the year.

\"After we won last night, we were pretty excited to get another shot at the Gophers,\" said Schwabe. \"This morning we got up, had a team meal and talked about what we needed to do. Then we went out and did it.\"

Just shortly after a UMD goal was waved off because of a man in the creas, Luke Stauffacher scored on a wrist shot from just near the right face off dot 1:37 into the final period of play to put the Bulldogs up 2 0.Minnesota's Grant Potulny countered four minutes later on the power play, but Jesse Unklesbay's second goal in as many games at the 10:19 mark sealed the Bulldogs' six win in their last seven outings with the Gophers.

\"We really gutted this one out,\" said head coach Scott Sandelin, whose Bulldogs will meet WCHA rival Denver in the Frozen Four seminfinals on April 8 at Boston's FleetCenter. \"We got some big saves from Isaac at key times and seemed to save our best hockey for that third period.\"

Reichmuth was named the Midwest Regional Most Valuable Player and joined senior right wing Junior Lessard, and Schwabe on the six member All-Tournament Team.

The Bulldogs, who are unbeaten in all but four of their last 25 outings (19-4-2), will be making their third NCAA Frozen Four appearance, having played in that national event in both 1984 and 1985.

\"It's a great time for this program and our players,” said Sandelin. “Our guys have competed so hard that they deserve it because they worked for it.”

NOTES: The Bulldogs set a school record by registering their 13th road win of the season Sunday ... Minnesota outshot UMD 23-20 and the two teams combined for just 23 shots on goal through the first two periods ... Junior left wing Marco Peluso extended his career-high scoring streak to five games with an assist Sunday and has now had at least one point in eight of the last nine contests ... The 28 overall wins the Bulldogs have rolled up this season are the third most in club history.