Box Score COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The University of Minnesota Duluth knew it effort Friday wasn't going to be good enough to win many games in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. So UMD, hungry for its first NCHC triumph, made sure it wasn't going to make the same mistake on Saturday night.
 
The No. 20 Bulldogs came out flying, were hard to play against all night and outshot Colorado College, 43-13, in a 5-1 victory at World Arena in Colorado Springs.  The victory ended a seven-game road winless skid for UMD (which dated back to a loss in Colorado Springs last February)  and boosted its record to 30-0-4 since Oct. 15, 2011 when scoring four or more goals.
 
UMD started the game with the same sense of urgency it possessed in the final period last night, outshooting Colorado College, 16-6, in the opening period. The consistent pressure finally paid off with 1:39 left in the first. After UMD created a turnover at the offensive blue line, Caleb Herbert took a pass from Alex Iafallo and coasted towards the goal. As he glided into the bottom of the left circle, he made a perfect cross-crease pass to Iafallo, who gathered and sent a quick shot to the back of the net for his first collegiate goal.
 
Another turnover by Colorado College led to UMD's second goal midway through the middle period. A strong forecheck and good stick by Kyle Osterberg helped deflect a pass and give the Bulldogs the puck. Following a shot off the end-wall by Tim Smith, a shot wide of the target by Herbert bounced behind the goal line. Justin Crandall quickly picked it up, spun and banked a shot off Thorimbert and in to double the UMD lead.
 
Then, after Colorado College converted to cut the lead in half entering the second intermission, Crandall found the back of the net again just seconds into the third – this time on the power play – to help the Bulldogs jump back ahead by two.
 
Iafallo and Osterberg each tallied in the closing minutes of the game to blow the game open. Although untested for long stretched, senior goaltender Aaron Crandall was solid when he needed to be, turning away 12 shots in his first start of the young 2013-14 season.
 
The Bulldogs (1-1-0 NCHC; 2-1-1 overall) will be back in action next Friday and Saturday when it the University of  Notre Dame at AMSOIL Arena.