The University of Minnesota Duluth will put the finishing touches on its 2004-05 regular season schedule this Friday and Saturday (March 4-5) when the Bulldogs host the University of Wisconsin in a two-game Western Collegiate Hockey Association series. Game time is set for 7:07 p.m. both nights at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center (5,333).

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UMD vs. Wisconsin Game Notes

THE RECORDS: UMD, which owns a three-game winning streak, is 14-15-5 overall and 10-13-3 in WCHA play (sixth place). Wisconsin, which is winless in six of its last seven outings (1-4-2), is 21-10-3 in all games and holds down third place in the WCHA standings with a 16-8-2 mark.

HOW THEY RANK: Here is how UMD and the Badgers stack up in this week’s USCHO.com/CSTV and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls as well as the most recent PairWise Rankings:

Team USCHO.com USA Today PairWise

UMD NR NR 20th

UW 6th 7th 7th

ON THE AIR: Both ends of this weekend’s UMD-Badger series will also be televised by WDIO-TV (Channels 10 and 13). Steve Jezierski and former Bulldog left wing Kraig Karakas provide the on-air talent for the ABC-TV affiliate, which is slated to carry 16 regular season games in 2004-05. Those 16 telecasts are available on the internet at umd.tv on a pay-per-view basis.

All Bulldog games during the 2004-05 season will be carried live by KDAL-Radio (610 AM). Veteran play-by-play announcer Kerry Rodd and color analyst Mike Sylvester will handle the broadcast responsibilities for the Duluth-based station, which is in its 45th consecutive year of airing UMD hockey. The broadcast can be heard as well via the internet at: www.umdbulldogs.com.

THE COACHES: The 2003-04 American Hockey Coaches Association NCAA Division I Coach of the Year (Spencer Penrose Award), Scott Sandelin is in his fifth year at UMD where has compiled an 84-93-21 overall record -- including a 64-43-14 mark (for a .587 winning percentage) since the start of the 2002-03 season. Last winter, Sandelin, 40, turned UMD into a NCAA Frozen Four participant for the first time in nearly a generation while directing his troops to their most victories (they were 28-13-4 overall and highest WCHA finish (second place on a 19-7-2 mark) since the 1992-93 season. For his efforts, the Hibbing, Minn., native was chosen the WCHA Coach of the Year as well as the national coach of the year by both insidecollegehockey.com and uscho.com. In 2002-03, Sandelin's Bulldogs went 22-15-5 overall and captured fifth place in the WCHA with a 14-10-4 mark while experiencing the greatest one-season turnaround of any league club. One year earlier, he directed UMD to a 13-24-1 record in all games-- nearly doubling the number of victories from the previous season (7-28-4). Sandelin officially became a member of the Bulldog staff on March 31, 2000 after six years of assistant coaching duty at North Dakota. Prior to joining the Fighting Sioux (who won two NCAA titles during his tenure), Sandelin 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. He 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, which included 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 choice overall). He served as Team USA’s head coach at the recent World Junior Hockey Championships in Grand Forks, N.D., where he directed that club to a fourth-place finish.

Mike Eaves (Wisconsin, 1978), who starred at Wisconsin during the mid-1970s and remains the school’s all-time scoring leader, is in his third season behind the Badger bench and has a 56-46-15 record to show for it, including a 4-3-1 mark versus UMD. Eaves, a two-time All-American forward during his final two years with the Badgers, (1976-77 and 1977-78), spent a pair of seasons (2000-02) as the head coach with the U.S. National Team Development Program prior to his appointment in Madison. His resume also includes head coaching stints in the Helsinki Finnish Elite League (1996-97), at Shattuck-St. Mary’s High School (1994-96), with the American Hockey League’s Hershey Bears (1991-93) and at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (1986-87) where he posted a 9-19-0 mark. He also did time as an assistant coach with the National Hockey League’s Philadelphia Flyers and Calgary Flames, and at St. Cloud State University.

THE SERIES: This weekend’s series will mark the 142nd and 143rd meetings ever between UMD and the Badgers. Wisconsin holds an 80-52 lead (with nine ties) in the rivalry, which began on Jan. 6, 1968 in Madison, Wisc. Earlier this year (Dec. 3-4), UMD dropped identical 3-2 road decisions to Wisconsin, despite limiting the Badgers to just 43 shots on goal during the entire two-game series.

LAST WEEKEND:UMD disengaged from WCHA activity and posted 4-1 and 5-2 victories in a home-and-home series with College Hockey American front-runner Bemidji State University. Junior center Tim Stapleton and freshman center Matt McKnight each scored once and had an assist while senior defenseman Tim Hambly helped set up two goals in the 4-1 triumph Friday at the DECC. The following night in Bemidji, Minn., UMD exploded with four unanswered goals in the second period -- including a pair of shorthanded tallies by junior left wing Justin Williams and senior left wing Luke Stauffacher 38 seconds apart -- to complete the sweep. Hambly, McKnight and senior center Evan Schwabe all enjoyed two-point nights (one goal and one assist) in that victory, UMD’s 13th in 11 lifetime engagements with the Beavers. Junior goaltender Isaac Reichmuth made 62 saves over the weekend and allowed just one even strength goal in the process.

Wisconsin officially withdrew from the WCHA regular season title chase by managing just one point (a 1-1 overtime tie Sunday afternoon) in a two-game set at North Dakota. The Fighting Sioux scored three straight goals Saturday to erase a 2-1 second-period deficit and upend the Badgers 4-2.

HOME ICE STILL POSSIBLE: For the Bulldogs to gain the fifth, and final, home ice berth for next weekend’s WCHA playoffs they have to sweep the Badgers and St. Cloud State must take at least three points in its two-game home series with North Dakota (which currently occupies the No. 5 spot in the WCHA standings). UMD is seeking to host its third consecutive WCHA playoff series, something the Bulldogs haven’t done since the mid-1980s

SENIOR SWAN SONG: A school-record 11 UMD seniors -- wings Nick Anderson, Tyler Brosz, Brett Hammond, Josh Miskovich, Marco Peluso, and Luke Stauffacher centers T.J. Caig and Evan Schwabe, and defensemen Tim Hambly, Neil Petruic and Todd Smith -- will make their final regular season home appearances as Bulldogs Saturday night and will be recognized in a special pre-game “Senior Salute”.

MAKING THEMSELVES FEEL RIGHT AT HOME: Since being swept by the host Bulldogs on Feb. 2-3, 1996, Wisconsin has been victorious in 11 of its 12 ensuing visits to the DECC. The lone UMD victory during that stretch was registered on Nov. 16, 2002 -- a 2-1 overtime verdict.

DRAWING A CROWD: UMD is averaging 4,950 spectators a night this season at the DECC -- 260 more per game than it averaged in 2003-04 and over 900 more than the Bulldogs did just two seasons ago.

LEAD ‘DOG: Senior center and 2004-05 team captain Evan Schwabe currently occupies the No. 3 spot on both the WCHA scoring (34 points in conference play) and power play points charts (20) in addition to ranking in a tie for fourth in league power play goals (8). The 2003-04 All-WCHA second team pick continues to pace the Bulldogs in virtually every offensive category including goals (a career-high 19), assists (25), points (44), power play goals (10) and game-winning tallies (4). Over the past two years, no other WCHA skater has amassed more points (101) than Schwabe, who will take part in his 99th straight game -- the longest such streak of any current Bulldog -- when UMD hosts Wisconsin this Friday. Schwabe has 51 goals to his lifetime credit but not one has come at the expense of Wisconsin (he has five assists in 12 career outings against the Badgers.)

THE FIRST GOAL’S A BIGGIE: They may not draw first blood often, but when the Bulldogs do, good things usually follow. Indeed, UMD has taken a 1-0 lead in 11 of its 34 games thus far, but has been defeated only twice when it has done so (7-2-2). In league play, the Bulldogs are an impressive 6-1-1 when they’ve tallied first.

RIGHT ON THE MARC-O: Unheralded senior left wing Marco Peluso has picked up at least one point in all but four of 23 games since he sat out the Nov. 20 home clash with Brown University as a healthy scratch. Peluso, who missed Saturday’s game at Bemidji State nursing minor injuries, is currently fifth in scoring among WCHA combatants (31 points vs. league competition) and is tied for third in goals (16). He is one of six Bulldog veterans (joining senior defenseman Todd Smith, senior wings Brett Hammond and Josh Miskovich, junior defenseman Steve Czech and sophomore right wing Bryan McGregor) who has equalled or established a career-high for scoring this season.

FOR THE RECORD: The Bulldogs have assembled a better record on the road (8-7-2) than they have at home (6-8-3) thus far in 2004-05. In the 11 games UMD has failed to win at the DECC this season, opposing goalies have compiled a 2.02 goals against average and a .949 saves percentage figure while facing an average of 41.1 shots per night.

WHOSE LINE IS IT, ANYWAY?: In its 34 outings to date, UMD has used 60 different forward line combinations and 16 different defensive pairings. The trio of senior left wing Marco Peluso, senior center Evan Schwabe and sophomore right wing Bryan McGregor have skated together a team-leading 13 times in 2004-05 while freshman Jay Rosehill and junior Steve Czech, have been paired more times (27) than any other Bulldog defensive tandem.

ON THE REBOUND: The Bulldogs have posted a 10-6-1 record in the rematch game of their 17 series this winter and are 7-2-0 on the road in that department.

THE ‘REICH’ STUFF: Junior goaltender Isaac Reichmuth, who turned aside 62 of 65 Bemidji State shots in the home-and-home series sweep last weekend, already ranks fourth among Bulldogs in all-time victories (he’s 49-30-10 in 94 games) and owns the school’s best lifetime goals against average (2.71) and saves percentage (.905) figures. In addition, his .607 career winning percentage is second only to the .753 mark two-time All-American Rick Kosti registered from 1983-85. Reichmuth, a two-time All-WCHA honoree, is 2-3-1 with a 1.94 goals against average and a .927 saves percentage mark in his six lifetime confrontations against Wisconsin.

WCHA HONORS: The Bulldogs have been bestowed with WCHA Offensive Player of the Week recognition on four different occasions this winter. Junior center Tim Stapleton received that honor last week while Senior center Evan Schwabe was the league's second award recipient of 2004-05 (Oct. 18). Senior left wing Marco Peluso attained that distinction on two occasions (Oct. 25 and Jan. 31).

OOHHHHHHHHVERTIME: Since upending Minnesota State University-Mankato 5-4 on Nov. 29, 2003, the Bulldogs are winless in 10 overtime games (0-3-7, including an 0-2-5 mark this winter) and have produced victories in just three of their last 29 contests which have required an extra session (3-10-16).

BULLDOG BITS: Tim Stapleton will enter Friday’s matchup against the Badgers with a six-game scoring streak in tow. Stapleton, who has 10 multiple-point nights to his 2004-05 credit (only Evan Schwabe, with 13, has more), has racked up five goals and four assists during that six-game stretch. The junior center is looking to becoming only the second UMD player ever to start off his career with three consecutive 40-point seasons. (He currently is tied for second on the club in scoring with 16 goals and 19 assists in 34 games)... In Saturday’s 5-2 triumph over Bemidji State, the Bulldogs were outshot 37-15, including 16-5 in the final period of play. The 15 shots on goal were a 2004-05 single game low for UMD ... The Bulldogs have not held an opponent scoreless at the DECC since Brant Nicklin turned the trick back on Feb. 28, 1998 (7-0 versus North Dakota) -- a stretch of some 137 games. During that same period, UMD has posted six shutouts on the road ... Senior right wing Luke Stauffacher and junior right wing Justin Williams both pumped in their second shorthanded goals of the year during the second period of Saturday’s 5-2 road victory over Bemidji State. The Bulldogs have racked up nine shorthanded goals this winter -- the last time they had more was in 1992-93 when UMD scored a school-record 12 times while the opposition was on the power play ... Senior left wing Brett Hammond, one of just seven Bulldogs who has appeared in all 34 games to date, tops UMD this winter in plus-minus rating (+17). He has one goal and five assists over the past two weekends and now has a personal-best 23 points on the year ... After snapping a 17-game pointless drought (the longest of his collegiate career), on Jan. 15, junior right wing Justin Williams has collected three goals and six assists in the 11 outings since. And, talk about a sparkplug: UMD is 9-2-1 this winter when Williams’ name has appeared on the scoring summary ... Over the last three seasons, UMD is a whopping 18-3-0 when fifth-year senior right wing Nick Anderson (the oldest player in the WCHA) scores a goal ... Nine of sophomore right wing Bryan McGregor’s career-high 10 points this winter have been registered over the past 15 games. McGregor bypassed both ends of the Bemidji State series because of an injury ... Senior center T.J. Caig has gone pointless since assisting on a goal in UMD’s 4-4 overtime tie to the University of Denver on Dec. 17, 2004 at the DECC -- a span of 14 games ... Freshman right wing Mike Curry returned to the Bulldog lineup this past Saturday night after being shelved the previous eight games with an ankle injury ... UMD has converted seven of its last 22 power play opportunities (31.8 percent) over the past four games ... This weekend's series will feature the only two WCHA coaches (Scott Sandelin and Mike Eaves) with NHL playing experience.

ON DECK: The Bulldogs will either host or be at North Dakota next weekend for the opening round of the 2005 WCHA playoffs. That best-of-three game series starts Friday.

THE SCOTT SANDELIN SHOW: The Scott Sandelin Show airs every Wednesday at 6 p.m. throughout the 2004-05 season on KDAL-Radio. Longtime UMD play-by-play announcer Kerry Rodd hosts the one-hour program.