The University of Minnesota Duluth will undertake its first National Collegiate Hockey Conference road assignments of the 2014-15 season this Friday and Saturday (Nov. 7-8) when the Bulldogs pay a visit to St. Cloud, Minn., for a two-game series with St. Cloud State University. The opening face is set for 7:37 p.m. Friday and 7:07 p.m. the following night at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center (5,371) on the St. Cloud State campus.

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THE RECORDS: UMD is off to a 4-4-0 start and is 2-2-0-0 in NCHC play (tied for first place with the University of North Dakota) while defending NCHC regular season champion St. Cloud State owns an even 3-3-0 mark in all games and will be making its 2014-15 league debuts this weekend.

HOW THEY RANK: Here is how UMD and St. Cloud State stacked up in the latest USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls:

    USCHO.com    USA Today    
UMD    No. 17    RV    
SCSU    No. 7    No. 6    

ON THE AIR: The two UMD-St. Cloud State clashes will be carried locally on 94X (94.1/104.3 FM) with Bruce Ciskie on the call. The broadcast can also be heard on KQ 105.5 FM in Grand Rapids/Hibbing; KQ 106.7 FM in Ely/Virginia; Red Zone Sports Radio 1350 AM in Pine City; and KKIN-AM 930 in Atkin as part of the Bulldog Radio Network and at: 94xrocks.com.

Fox Sports North Plus and Fox College Sports will televise Friday's game and Charter Communications (Channel 823) will air the rematch. The videostream for both evening is available at: www.nchc.tv/umd.

THE COACH: 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 15th season behind the UMD bench where he has compiled a 251-249-67 overall record -- including a 129-89-30 mark (for a .581 winning percentage) since the 2008-08 opener. Besides capturing the school's first NCAA championship four years ago, his Bulldogs have won 22 or more games in four of the last six seasons while advancing to four NCAA tournaments (2004, 2009, 2011 and 2012), two Frozen Fours (2004 and 2011) and seven of 11 Western Collegiate Hockey Association Final Five playoff events between 2002-13. He has also helped produce a pair of Hobey Baker Memorial Award winners (Jack Connolly in 2011-12 and Junior Lessard in 2003-04), six NCAA All-Americans and 17 different All-WCHA selections. In addition, Sandelin has seen 16 of his UMD pupils go on to do time in the National Hockey League and one take part in the Winter Olympic Games (Justin Faulk for Team USA in last winter). During the course of the 2011-12 season, the Bulldogs set a team record by going unbeaten in 17 straight games and were ranked first in both major weekly polls (USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine for a program-best nine consecutive weeks. 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. Nine years ago, Sandelin, 50, 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 charges 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 member 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 with the Bulldogs on March 31, 2000 following six years of assistant coaching deployment at North Dakota (which won two NCAA titles during his tenure). Prior to that, 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-American second team selection and All-WCHA first team pick as a senior, Sandelin went on to play professionally for seven years, 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 active National Collegiate Hockey Conference coaches to do time in the NHL (Denver's Jim Montgomery is the other), 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, directing that club to a fourth-place finish, and was an assistant coach for the U.S. entry at that same event in 2011-12.

THE RIVALRY: UMD and St. Cloud State have met on 108 previous occasions in a rivalry which stretches back to the 1946-47 season. The Huskies hold a 60-40-8 lead in the all-time series and are 57-36-7 versus the Bulldogs since joining the NCAA Division I ranks in 1987-88. UMD was swept in its two series with the Huskies one year ago (4-3 and 5-4 on Feb. 14-15 in St. Cloud and 5-1 and 4-2 on Dec. 6-7 in Duluth) and is 1-6-1 against its long-time instrastate rival over the past three seasons.

LAST WEEKEND: UMD put the wraps on a four-game homestand by shading Miami University 4-3 Saturday after the RedHawks had skated away with a 3-2 victory the previous evening. Rookie right winger Karson Kuhlman and junior defenseman Andy Welinksi (on the power play) accounted for the two UMD goals in the opener while four different Bulldogs -- Welinski (a shorthander), senior right winger Justin Crandall, sophomore right winger Alex Iafallo and sophomore defenseman Willie Raskob (power play) -- scored on Saturday. Sophomore left winger Kyle Osterberg was credited with three assists in that 4-3 triumph for the Bulldogs, who outshot Miami 40-33 that night. They also held the RedHawks scoreless on the power play (0-for-5) after the visitors had cashed in on two (both 5-on-3) of their eight attempts with the man advantage on Fridays.

St. Cloud State traded non-conference home wins with the University of Minnesota, taking the opener 4-1 Friday at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center before falling to the No. 1-ranked and previously unbeaten Gophers 4-3 in overtime 24 hours later in Minneapolis. Junior Jonny Brodzinski figured in on three goals in the series' opener, scoring once and assisting on two other tallies.

NCHC FORECAST: In the 2014-15 NCHC Preseason Media Poll, UMD was projected for a fifth-place finish in the second-year circuit while North Dakota received top billing among the conference's eight schools with 181 points and 12 first-place votes. North Dakota was followed by Miami (167 pts.; nine first-place votes), defending NCHC regular season champion St. Cloud State (151 pts. and the remaining four first-place votes), Denver (117 pts.), UMD (112 pts.), the University of Nebraska-Omaha (73 pts.), Western Michigan University (67 pts.), and Colorado College (32 pts.).

AYE, AYE, CAPTAIN: For the second straight season, Adam Krause has been entrusted with the Bulldogs' captaincy duties (he shared that role with the since-graduated Joe Basaraba in 2013-14) while fellow senior right winger Justin Crandall and junior defenseman Andy Welinski are serving as assistant captains.

SOMETHING SPECIAL: Talk about making the most of your special teams play! UMD currently ranks first in the nation in both power play goals (12) and shorthanded goals (5). The Bulldogs have also had more power play opportunities (50) and have been on the penalty kill more times (47) than any NCAA I team. Ten different Bulldogs have a power play goal to their 2014-15 credit, including junior left winger Austin Farley and sophomore left winger Alex Iafallo, the only UMD skaters with two. In addition, UMD has converted on the power at least once in all eight games thus far.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES: UMD is 0-4-0 on Friday nights this season and 4-0-0 in series/tournament finales. Here are is a statistical
breakdown of the two:

	Fridays	Finales
Goals	10	19
Goals Per Game	2.50	4.75
Goal Allowed	15	6
Goals Allowed Per Game	3.75	1.50
Power Play Goals	4	8
Power Play Pct.	12.9	29.6
Power Play Goals Allowed	7	1
Penalty Kill Pct.	.860	.952
Shorthanded Goals	1	4
Saves Pct.	.860	.952
Shots Per Game	31.8	34.2
Scoring 4-Plus Goals	1	3

TOP 'DOG: Despite being blanked on the score sheet last weekend against Miami, sophomore center Dominic Toninato still continues to reside among the NCAA leaders in a bevy of statistical categories including goals (tied for fourth with a NCHC-leading six), shooting percentage (tied for fourth - 2.73), points (tied for for 16th with eight) and shorthanded goals (he's one of only four skaters in the nation with two). The six goals he's scored already this season are just one shy of his entire rookie-year harvest. Toninato, the first NCHC Offensive Player of the Week honoree for 2014-15, is also tied NCHC lead in penalty minutes with 25, a distinction he shares with two teammates -- senior defenseman Derik Johnson and sophomore left winger Kyle Osterberg.

IT'S BEEN AWHILE: UMD gave up its first penalty shot goal in almost 20 years last Saturday night when Miami's Blake Coleman connected early in the third period. The last Bulldog opponent to turned that trick was the University of Vermont's Eric Perrin, who scored with 0.6 seconds remaining in regulation in an eventual 2-1 overtime victory for the visiting Catamounts on Dec. 3, 1994.

THE PUCK STOPS HERE: Rookie goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo, who has now made five straight starts, is and even 3-3-0 on the season and has allowed just nine even strength goals in his six appearances to date. The Vantaa, Finland, native is the sixth European to enlist his services with the Bulldogs and first non-North American to play for 15th-year head coach Scott Sandelin. The five previous Europeans include goaltender Nicklas Axelsson (Sweden, 1993-95), winger Pasi Korhonen (Finland; 1999-2000), winger Sergei Petrov (Russia, 1993-97), defenseman Roman Sindelar (Czechoslovakia; 1984-86) and center Max Wikman Sweden, 1995-97).

OHHHHHH-VER TIME: The Bulldogs have won just one of their last 13 games that have gone into overtime, going 1-4-8 with that lone victory coming in the opening round of the North Star College Cup at St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center -- 5-4 over Minnesota State University-Mankato. Sophomore right winger Alex Iafallo is the only active Bulldog to ever strike in overtime -- he tallied with 26.5 seconds left in sudden death against the Mavericks that night.

ROAD, SWEET ROAD: Since the start of the 2013-14 season, the Bulldogs are 13-7-1 away from Duluth and 7-13-3 at home. UMD is 2-1-0 on the road this year with the lone loss (4-3) coming at that hands of Minnesota in the season-opening Ice Breaker Tournament at the University of Notre Dame on Oct. 10.

NO WALK IN THE PARK: UMD's 2014-15 schedule thus far has included games exclusively against current USCHO.com Poll Top 20 clubs: No. 1 Minnesota (0-1), No. 10 Denver (1-1), No. 11 Miami (1-1), No. 13 Minnesota State-Mankato (1-1) and No. 15 Notre Dame (1-0). In addition, the Bulldogs' next three series are with No. 7 St. Cloud State, Minnesota (home-and-home on Nov. 14-15) and No. 19 Nebraska Omaha (Nov. 21-22 in Omaha).

PUTTING THE BISCUIT IN THE BASKET: UMD is scoring at a 3.62 goals per game clip, which is tops among all NCHC schools and the eighth best average in the NCAA I ranks heading into the weekend.

BULLDOG BITS: UMD's defensemen have already produced more goals in 2014-15 (six) then they did all of last winter (when current junior Andy Welinski had all five). The Bulldog blueliners' scoring output this year (19 points) is bettered by only four other NCAA outfits and just one from the NCHC -- North Dakota with 22 points.

• The Bulldogs have drawn first blood in 17 of their 20 victories the last two seasons. On the other hand, they are a mere 2-15-2 when the opposition has taken a 1-0 lead.

• Junior center/left winger Cal Decowski will bring a three-game scoring streak -- a career-high for him and the longest on club on at the moment  -- into Friday's bout at St. Cloud State.

• Of the eight NCHC head coaches, only one (Miami's Enrico Blasi with 16 seasons) has been behind the bench at his current school longer than Scott Sandelin (15).

• Carson Soucy, the only Bulldog ever to be drafted by the Minnesota Wild, currently ranks third among NCHC defensemen in scoring with six points (a career-high two goals and three assists) and is tied for first in plus-minus rating (+5). Both he and fellow sophomore Willie Raskob, who pumped in his first collegiate goal -- the game-winner -- last Friday night against Miami, both top all league blueliners in power play points with four. Soucy owns the best career plus-minus rating (+11) of any active Bulldog.

• Going back to a 5-4 home loss to Minnesota on Oct. 15, 2011, the Bulldogs are unbeaten in the 46 of the 47 games that they've struck for more than three goals (41-1-5). The lone setback during that stretch was inflicted by Minnesota State-Mankato earlier this season (5-4 in overtime on Oct. 17).

• Both sophomore wingers Alex Iafallo and Kyle Osterberg pace the 2014-15 Bulldogs in assists with six -- the 11th highest harvest in the country.

•  Senior right winger Adam Krause, who is UMD's ninth multi-year captain and first since 2008-09 (left winger Andrew Carroll), missed last weekend's series while nursing a wrist injury which incurred against Denver on Oct. 25 and is sidelined indefinitely. The 2013-14 NCHC Scholar-Athlete Team honoree had taken shifts in each of the previous 94 games -- the longest active ironman streak on the club -- going back to his freshman year.

• The five shorthanded goals UMD has generated this season are one more than their entire 2013-14. The school single-season record for shorties is 12 set by the 1992-93 Bulldogs, who were captained by current UMD assistant coach Derek Plante (who scored four times that year while his team was down).

• The Bulldogs have outscored the opposition 11-3 in the third period this season.

• UMD sports the nation's second-highest scoring sophomore class in the country as that eight-member group has combined for 13 goals and 22 assists for 35 points. Only the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, with 36 points, has more.

• For the first time in 48 years, the UMD roster is devoid of any player who skated (as a Bulldog) at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center. The $80-million, 6,756-seat AMSOIL Arena officially opened its doors for business and became the Bulldogs home on Dec. 30, 2010. .

•  Dominic Toninato is part of the 10th father-son combination to skate for the Bulldogs (his dad, Jim Toninato, was a UMD forward between 1982-86). Senior defenseman Derik Johnson, the oldest 2014-15 Bulldog (he'll celebrate his 25th birthday this February), is the son of Jim Johnson, another UMD hockey alumnus (1981-85) and now an assistant coach with the NHL's San Jose Sharks.

• The last time the Bulldogs overcame a second-intermission deficit to win was on Nov. 10, 2010 when they erased a 2-1 Michigan Tech advantage by scoring four goals in the final 20 minutes to upend the Huskies 5-3. UMD is 0-43-3 in that situation since then .

• The 10 shots Austin Farley put on target two weeks ago against Denver (Oct. 24) were the most by a Bulldog in a regulation game in over two years (J.T. Brown also had 10 vs. Colorado College on Feb. 25, 2012).

• Tony Cameranesi, the leading career scorer among active Bulldogs (61 points) and fellow junior Andy Welinski, who leads all 2014-15 UMD defensemen in lifetime goals (12), assists (30) and points (32), have both taken part in all 82 games since joining the UMD program two years ago.

UP NEXT: The Bulldogs will renew their long standing intrastate rivalry with the University of Minnesota on Nov. 14 before completing the home-and-home series the next night at AMSOIL Arena.