Move over 1983-84 Bulldogs, you now have company.

For the second time in school history the University of Minnesota Duluth will be playing for a national hockey championship, earning that right by holding off the University of Notre Dame 4-3 in the NCAA Frozen Four semifinals Thursday before 19,139 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.  

“This group of kids has been very resilient all year,” UMD head coach Scott Sandelin said.  “I can't say enough. I'm not going to keep saying we haven't lost back‑to‑back games, because I said it a hundred times, but they find a way.  They find a way.  And I think it all goes back to they all believe in each other. We're very fortunate, this means a lot to our program.”

The Bulldogs (25-10-6) got goals from four different players and a three-assist performance from rookie defenseman Justin Faulk and senior right winger Justin Fontaine while junior goaltender Kenny Reiter made 31 saves, including 14 in the final period of play.

The afternoon got off to an auspicious start for the Bulldog, who were making their fourth Frozen Four appearance, as the Fighting Irish struck just 49 seconds in. But freshman right winger J.T. Brown answered on the power play nearly three minutes later on UMD's first shot. Notre Dame pulled back ahead on a goal midway through the first period, only to see the Bulldogs counter again with tallies from senior left winger Kyle Schmidt and junior left winger Mike Connolly to take a 3-2 into the intermission.

Junior All-American center Jack Connolly stretched the Bulldogs' advantage to 4-2 at the 5:51 mark of the second period hen he snapped a quick shot into a yawning net for UMD's third power play goal of the game. Brown set the play up with a perfect pass through the slot from the bottom of the circle, allowing Connolly to convert on an easy tap-in.

“We drew penalties by moving our feet,” Jack Connolly said.  “It was hard work that drew those penalties.  And we take it upon ourselves to try and capitalize for our team.  We're out there for a reason, and that's to get some momentum and try to put the puck in the net when we can.  Fortunately, we were able to do that tonight.”

Notre Dame gave the Bulldogs all they could handle in the final 20 minutes of regulation and scored a shorthander two minutes into the period, cutting their deficit to 4-3.  The Irish held UMD to just two shots in the third and held a sizable 34-21 shot advantage for the game.

Freshman defenseman Justin Faulk had a hand in each of the first three Bulldog goals, giving him 33 points on the year, which eclipsed the club single-season record by a first-year blueliner held by 1984 Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner Tom Kurvers. An All-Western Collegiate Hockey Association third team pick, Faulk grew up  five minutes from the Xcel Energy Center, also became the nation's top-scoring freshman defenseman for 2010-11, skipping past Union College's Mat Bodie.

“I go out there and try to play pretty solid defensively against the other team's top lines” said Faulk. “When points come offensively, they come.”

NCAA East Regional MVP Kenny Reiter, who improved to 15-7-5 on the season, played a major role in keeping Notre Dame (25-14-5 overall) scoreless in five power play chances. With the extra man, the Bulldogs went 3-for-6 and moved to 8-of-23 on the power play for the tournament.

“We went with Kenny because we knew he was capable of playing that way," Sandelin said.  "We've seen it in his time here, and so we had confidence going into the regional, and he's lived up it.”

UMD will now face the  University of Michigan, a 2-0 victory over the University of North Dakota in the other semifinal clash Saturday for the NCAA championship.

“This is something that's never been done, and I couldn't be more proud of the guys and our coaching staff," Jack Connolly said.  “We've worked hard all year, and this is our ultimate goal is to get to this game on Saturday.”