The University of Minnesota Duluth will make its last  2011 home appearances this Friday and Saturday (Nov. 18-19) when the Bulldogs welcomes Minnesota State University-Mankato to town for  a two-game Western Collegiate Hockey Association series. The puck drops at 7:37 p.m. Friday and 7:07 p.m the following night at AMSOIL Arena (6,726 capacity) in downtown Duluth.

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THE RECORDS: The defending NCAA champion Bulldogs, who are riding an eight-game unbeaten streak (6-0-2), own a 7-3-2 overall record and a 5-2-1 WCHA mark (tied for second place with the University of Nebraska Omaha) while the Mavericks are 3-7-0 in all games and 2-4-0 in WCHA play (10th place).

HOW THEY RANK: Here is how the UMD and MSU stacked up in the latest uscho.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls.

    uscho.com    USA Today
UMD    8th    8th
MSU    NR    NR    

ON THE AIR: Both UMD-MSU clashes will be carried locally on 94X (94.1/104.3 FM) with Bruce Ciskie handling the play-by-play. The broadcast can also be heard on KQ 105.5 in Grand Rapids/Hibbing and KQ 106.7 in Ely/Virginia as part of the Bulldog Radio Network and can be accessed on the internet at: www.fan1490.com.

In addition, My9 (KBJR DT 6.2/KRII DT 11.9) will televise both ends of this weekend's series. Veteran sports anchor Tom Hansen and former Bulldog puck standout Judd Medak will serve as the on-air talent. My9, which is scheduled to carry 20 games during the 2011-12 regular season, is also available locally on Charter and Mediacom cable. The telecast will be videostreammed as well and can be viewed for a fee through America ONE at www.b2tv.com.

THE COACHES: The runnerup for the 2010-11 Spencer Penrose Award (American Hockey Coaches Association NCAA Division I Coach of the Year) and recipient of that honor in 2003-04, Scott Sandelin is in his 12th season behind the UMD bench where he has compiled a 199-203-54 overall record -- including a 77-43-17 mark (a .624 winning percentage) since the 2008-09 opener. Besides capturing the school's first NCAA championship one year ago and rolling up the team's best overall record in 19 years (26-10-6), his Bulldogs have posted three consecutive 22-plus win seasons, and advanced to three NCAA tournaments (2004, 2009 and 2011), two Frozen Fours (2004 and 2011) and six of the past nine WCHA Final Five events. In March 2009, UMD became the first play-in game participant to ever claim the Final Five title and, later that spring, strung together a school-record six-game postseason winning streak before it fell to Miami University 2-1 in the NCAA West Regional final. Eight years ago, Sandelin, 47, turned UMD into a NCAA Frozen Four participant for the first time in nearly a generation, marshaling 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 1992-93. 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 that winter. One year earlier, he guided 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 signed on as a member of the Bulldog staff on March 31, 2000 following six years of assistant coaching deployment 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 as a senior, 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 National Hockey League, was the Montreal Canadiens' second round pick in the 1982 NHL draft (40th choice overall). He served as Team USA's head coach at the 2005 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championships and directed that club to a fourth-place finish. This winter, Sandelin will be an assistant coach with the U.S. juniors as they defend their IIHF gold medal.

Troy Jutting (MSU, 1987), the 2002-03 WCHA Coach of the Year, is also in his 12th season of head coaching duty at MSU and has a 175-207-53 record to show for it (including a 13-18-5 mark against UMD). Jutting, who directed the Mavericks to their only NCAA Division I post-season berth nine years ago, was named MSU's head coach on March 27, 2000 (four days before Scott Sandelin officially accepted the head coaching job at UMD) following a 10-season tenure as a Maverick assistant. He was a four-time hockey letterman with the Mavericks (1982-86) and attained All-Northern Collegiate Hockey Association honors as a senior.

THE RIVALRY: This weekend's series will mark the 41st and 42nd meetings ever between the Bulldogs and Mavericks. UMD holds a 20-15-5 lead in the rivalry, which began on Oct. 17, 1997 in Duluth. The two clubs traded wins in their lone two matchups one year ago (Feb. 18-19 in Mankato) and have not collided in Duluth since Oct. 16-17, 2009.

LAST WEEKEND: The Bulldogs turned in their second consecutive home sweep of 2011-12 by derailing the University of Alaska Anchorage twice last weekend at the AMSOIL Arena. UMD rolled to a 5-0 triumph in the opener, getting goals from five different players and a 27-save performance from senior goaltender Kenny Reiter, before skating past the Seawolves 3-1 the following evening. Two-time All-American center Jack Connolly, rookie defenseman Derik Johnson and senior center Travis Oleksuk all scored once for the Bulldogs Saturday while sophomore right winger J.T. Brown picked up a pair of assists.

MSU split a two-game WCHA home set with St. Cloud State University, falling 3-2 Saturday after taking the opener 4-2.

THIS IS YOUR CAPTAIN SPEAKING: Two-time All-American center Jack Connolly has been entrusted with team captaincy responsibilities for the 2011-12 season while a pair of fellow seniors -- defenseman Brady Lamb and center Travis Oleksuk -- are serving as the team's two active assistant captains.

THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT THOSE MAVS: The Bulldogs are not only unbeaten in nine of their last 10 overall confrontations with MSU (8-1-1), but they haven't lost at home to the Mavericks since being swept by them on Jan. 27-28, 2006, going 5-0-1 in the interim.

THE BIG 2-0-0: Scott Sandelin's next victory will give him 200 for his Bulldog career -- a milestone only one other UMD bench boss (Mike Sertich) has ever reached. Sandelin picked up his first collegiate win at home against Michigan Tech University on Nov. 11, 2000, his 50th versus visiting Minnesota State-Mankato on Nov. 29, 2003 and his 100th at Alaska Anchorage on Dec. 2, 2006.

HANKERING FOR A HOBEY: With two goals and two assists in the weekend sweep over Alaska Anchorage (and a WCHA Offensive Player of the Week award for his efforts) team captain Jack Connolly jacked his career scoring harvest to a nation-leading 154 points on 52 goals and 102 assists. That moved the 2010-11 Hobey Baker Memorial Award finalist into 18th place on UMD's all-time scoring charts, nine points behind the No. 17 occupant, three-time All-WCHA honoree Mike Peluso (1994-98) and 10 points behind his former linemate, Justin Fontaine (2007-11) at No. 16. The 154 points Connolly has rolled up as a collegian are 32 more than the next closest active NCAA skater (University of Maine senior Brian Flynn). Connolly, the country's top returning scorer from a year ago (he finished third in the NCAA with a career-high 59 points), has been a model of consistency when it comes to offensive contributions. Case in Point: Since the start of the 2009-10 season, he has been held pointless for more than one game only once (Jan. 23 and Jan. 29, 2010). Connolly, who has suited up in all 137 outings over the past four seasons, will take a 10-game scoring streak -- one shy of his personal best -- into Friday's clash with MSU. He currently leads the WCHA in overall power play points with 11, is tied for second in scoring (17 points) and for fourth in assists (11). A member of the All-WCHA first team and WCHA All-Academic Team the past two winters, Connolly is just the second two-time All-American the Bulldogs have ever had in their lineup (defenseman Norm Maciver, in 1985-86, was the other).

ACTIVE NCAA CAREER SCORING LEADERS
Player (Yr, School)    GP    G    A     TP
1.    Jack Connolly (Sr., UMD)    137    52    102    152
2.    Brian Flynn (Sr., Maine)    123    55    67    122
2.    Brian O'Neill (Sr., Yale)    109    50    70    120
4.    Austin Smith (Sr., Colgate)    125    53    66    119
5.    Cameron Burt (Sr., RIT)    116    38    75    113

THE “REIT” STUFF: After posting his second consecutive shutout and third in the last four games Friday night against Alaska Anchorage, Kenny Reiter finally surrendered his first goal in 166:45 of crease time the ensuing night when Seawolves center Eric Scheid tallied 5:18 into the first period. For his puckstopping heroics, Reiter was chosen the WCHA Defensive Player of the Week for the second time in as many weeks. That 166:45 shutout streak is a school record and exactly 19 minutes more than the previous standard set by All-American Alex Stalock from March 19-March 27, 2009. Over the last eight games Reiter has compiled a 6-0-2 record, a 1.23 goals against average and a .955 saves percentage in eight starts. He's also surrendered just one goal in his last 221:27 of work. The three-time WCHA Scholar-Athlete Award recipient currently ranks second in the WCHA with an overall goals against average in 2.05 and is fifth in saves percentage (.923). In addition, his three shutouts this season are bettered by only one other NCAA netminder (Minnesota's Kent Patterson with five). Reiter is now 36-19-7 for his career with the with Bulldogs. That translates into a .637 winning percentage, the second best mark in club history behind All-American Rick Kosti's .753 figure (60-18-2 between 1983-85). Going back to the start of the 2011 NCAA playoffs, the Pittsburgh, Pa., native has lost just twice in his last 15 appearances (11-2-2).

REITER'S CAREER SHUTOUTS
Date    Opponent    Score    Saves
11/11/11    Alaska Anchorage    5-0    27
11/5/11    @Denver    4-0    29
10/29/11    Bemidji State    1-0    23
3/25/11    Union College#    2-0    32
1/21/11    @Michigan Tech    5-0    14
1/14/11    Wisconsin    2-0    22
3/14/10    Colorado College*    4-0    25
1/30/10    Wisconsin    4-0    28
1/2/10    Mercyhurst+    6-0    26

#NCAA East Regional (Bridgeport, Conn.)
*WCHA Playoffs   
+in Burlington, Vt.

A REAL POWER OUTAGE: After giving up eight power plays in 18 opportunities to the opposition during the first two weekends of the 2011-12 season, UMD has allowed just one goal (at Providence College on Oct. 22) in 30 man advantage chances since.

T.O. IS STILL ON THE GO: Senior center Travis Oleksuk has racked up a WCHA-leading 11 goals this season, two of which came at the expense of Alaska Anchorage last weekend. The Thunder Bay, Ontario, product, who is a plus-6 on the year, has picked up at least one point in all but one of UMD's 12 outings this season. Oleksuk, Connolly (six) and junior left winger Mike Seidel have combined to score exactly half of UMD's goals thus far. Seidel has five tallies to his 2011-12 credit, including three on the power play, but has been blanked in that department in each of the past six games.

DRAWING A CROWD: The UMD is averaging 6,338 spectators a night during its first full season at AMSOIL Arena. Only five other schools in the country -- the University of Wisconsin (11, 098), North Dakota (10,754), the University of Minnesota (8,839), Colorado College (7,263) and Boston College (6,480) -- have drawn more. Since moving into that $80-million, 6,726-seat facility on Dec. 30, 2010, UMD has compiled a 10-7-2 record (5-3-0 in 2011-12).

A SENIOR MOMENT: UMD sports the highest-scoring senior class in the NCAA at the moment. The seven Bulldogs in the group, including goaltender Kenny Reiter (one assist) and left winger Cody Danberg, who suffered a season-ending knee injury on the opening night, have combined to rack up 21 goals and 35 assists for 56 points -- 19 points more than their nearest competitors (Clarkson University and Colgate University).

ON THE LAMB: Senior Brady Lamb, who had his career-high five-game scoring streak terminated in Saturday's 3-1 victory over Alaska Anchorage, is currently third among WCHA defensemen in points with 12 and has managed at least a goal or an assist in nine of UMD's 12 outings to date. The 12 points are two more than the Calgary, Alberta product accumulated all of last year.

LEAD 'DOGS: Since the 2010-11 opener, UMD is 25-1-2 when taking a lead into the final period of play with the lone loss coming at the hands of Bemidji State University at the WCHA Final Five last March.

BREAKOUT TIME: Scott Kishel currently owns a four-game scoring streak, which is a career high for the senior defenseman. Kishel whose nine points this season are bettered by only four other WCHA blueliners at the moment, has already skated in five more games this year than he did all of last season (seven).

BOMBS AWAY: The Bulldogs have outshot the opposition in all but one game thus far (at Denver on Nov. 6) and hold a 427-322 advantage in that department. UMD's 35.6 shots per game average is the sixth best figure in the NCAA.

BOMBS AWAY II: Sophomore right winger J.T. Brown, a 2010-11 WCHA All-Rookie League team pick and the reigning Frozen Four Most Outstanding Player, shares second place with linemate Travis Oleksuk on the UMD scoring charts with 14 points and has put a team-leading 61 shots on goal -- 18 more than the next closest Bulldog (Mike Seidel). Brown has marked in the points column in each of the past five games, collecting one goal and seven assists during that stretch.

FREE HOCKEY: The Bulldogs are now unbeaten in 30 of their last 34 overtime games (13-4-17, 0-1-2 in 2011-12) stretching back to the start of the 2008-09 season. A school-record 15 of UMD's 42 engagements last winter (35.7 percent) required an extra session, and UMD was 7-2-6 in those. The seven sudden-death victories also eclipsed the previous club standard of five set in 1984-85. Senior left winger/center Travis Oleksuk leads all active Bulldogs in career overtime goals with three, including one at Bemidji State last October, and assisted on Kyle Schmidt's sudden death score in UMD's 3-2 win over Michigan in the 2011 NCAA Frozen Four title game:

Player            OT Goals
Travis Oleksuk    3
J.T. Brown    1
Jack Connolly    1
Cody Danberg    1

BULLDOG BITS:  Following this weekend's series with MSU, the Bulldogs won't be back at AMSOIL Arena for another two months (Jan. 20-21, 2012 versus the University of Alabama-Huntsville) ... UMD has gotten more scoring production out of its defensemen (35 points) than all but one blueline crew in the entire country (the University of Michigan with 38 points) ... Center Caleb Herbert, who was credited with an assist in both victories over Alaska Anchorage last weekend, is third in the WCHA rookie scoring race with 10 points ... During their eight-game unbeaten streak (the second longest in he country at the moment), the Bulldogs have outscored the opposition 29-10 ... Junior defenseman Wade Bergman tops the 2011-12 Bulldogs in plus-minus rating (+9) and is +22 for his career. That's second only to Jack Connolly's +37 figure among current Bulldogs ... UMD has struck at least once with the man advantage in 11 of 12 outings this season (they were stymied by Denver on Nov. 5) ... Jake Hendrickson's goal with 7:31 to go in the first period last Friday night against Alaska Anchorage ended a 15-game pointless drought for the junior center ... UMD is undefeated (11-0-2) over the last two seasons when sophomore winger Max Tardy has marked in the points column ... The Bulldogs have outscored the opposition 15-6 in the third period this season ...The last time Bulldogs and Mavericks squared off (Feb. 19, 2011 in Mankato), current UMD sophomore goaltender Aaron Crandall stopped 23 of 25 shots en route to earning a 6-2 victory -- his last win to date. In his nine career road games, Crandall is 6-2-1 with a 2.31 goals against average and a .914 saves percentage -- a noticeable contrast to his home numbers (4-2-0, 3.74 and .851 in eight outings). He and rookie left winger Justin Crandall are the first brothers to play together for the Bulldogs in 11 seasons. Defenseman Ryan Coole, then a senior, and his younger brother, freshman goaltender Adam Coole, were the last siblings to turn that trick in 2000-01 ... The three-game losing streak which the Bulldogs extinguished at Providence College three weeks ago was their longest drought since Feb. 19-26, 2010 when they also dropped three straight outings, including a pair to North Dakota. UMD was one of just two teams in the entire country (Boston College was the other) who went through the entire 2010-11 season without suffering any back-to-back losses ... The 2011-12 active UMD roster (junior center Aaron Jamnick, a transfer from Providence College, has to sit out all of this season in accordance to NCAA rules) consists of seven seniors, six juniors, five sophomores, and seven freshmen ... Sophomore defenseman Tim Smith is the first UMD newcomer with previous Division I experience (Providence College in 2009) since Jesse Unkelsbay, who joined UMD as junior in 2002-03 following two years at Alaska Anchorage ... When rookie Derik Johnson took his first shift earlier this season, it completed the ninth father-son combination to play for the Bulldogs. Derik's father, Jim Johnson, also patrolled the UMD blueline and, during his senior season in 1984-85, and served as team captain before going on to enjoy a 13-year National Hockey League career. The father of senior center Travis Oleksuk -- Bill Oleksuk -- also played for the Bulldogs as a left winger and captained UMD in 1981-82. He's currently the school's 11th all-time leading scorer ... UMD is unbeaten in 22 of its 27 games away from Duluth since the start of the 2010-11 season (16-5-6). That includes a 2-0-2 mark this year.

ON TAP: The Bulldogs will be idle next weekend before returning to the ice on Dec. 2-3 to face Michigan Tech in Houghton, Mich.