The University of Minnesota Duluth will renew one of its oldest and fiercest rivalries this Friday and Saturday (Feb. 21-22) when the Bulldogs play host to the University of North Dakota in a two-game National Collegiate Hockey Conference series. The opening faceoff is set for 7:07 p.m. both nights at AMSOIL Arena (6,756) in downtown Duluth.

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THE RECORDS: Unbeaten in seven of their last nine outings (4-2-3), the Bulldogs are 13-11-4 overall and an even 8-8-2-2 in NCHC play (tied for fifth place with Western Michigan University) while North Dakota sports a 16-9-3 record in all games to go with a 11-7-0-0 league mark (second place).

HOW THEY RANK: Here is how UMD and North Dakota stacked up in the latest USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls as well as the PairWise Rankings:

    USCHO.com    USA Today    Pairwise
UMD    No. 20    RV    No. 16(t)
UND    No. 11    No. 11    No. 11(t)

ON THE AIR: FOX Sports North Plus will air Friday's bout with My9 (KBJR DT 6.2/KRII DT 11.9) doing so the  following night. Veteran sports anchor Tom Hansen and former UMD standout forward Judd Medak will serve as the on-air talent. Both telecasts will be videostreammed as well and can be viewed for a fee: americaonesports.com

The two UMD-North Dakota clashes this weekend 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 in Grand Rapids/Hibbing and KQ 106.7 in Ely/Virginia as part of the Bulldog Sports Radio Network and is available on the internet at: 94xrocks.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 14th season behind the UMD bench where he has compiled a 244-240-67 overall record -- including a 122-80-30 mark (for a .590 winning percentage) since the 2008-08 opener. Besides capturing the school's first NCAA championship three years ago, his Bulldogs have won 22 or more games in four of the last five seasons while advancing to four NCAA tournaments (2004, 2009, 2011 and 2012), two Frozen Fours (2004 and 2011) and seven of the past 11 Western Collegiate Hockey Association Final Five playoff events. 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. Sandelin has also seen 16 of his UMD pupils go on to do time in the National Hockey League, with the latest being winger Justin Fontaine earlier this season (Minnesota Wild). 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, 49, 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-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 active National Collegiate Hockey Conference coaches to do time in the NHL, 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.

Dave Hakstol (North Dakota, 1996) is in his 10th season at North Dakota and has a 251-128-40 record to show for it, including a 19-7-3 career mark against UMD. Hakstol, who succeeded Scott Sandelin as a North Dakota assistant coach in the summer of 2000, has led his troops to five NCAA Frozen Four appearances (2005-08 and 2011), two WCHA regular season championships (2011 and 2009) and four WCHA Final Five tournament titles (2010-12 and 2006). Hakstol patrolled the blueline for 107 games during a four-year career at North Dakota (1989-92) and captained the club as a senior. He went on to skate for a two seasons each with the Indianapolis Ice (1992-94) and the Minnesota Moose (1994-96) of the International Hockey League before being appointed head coach of the United States Hockey League's Sioux City Musketeers. Hakstol spent four seasons with that franchise and landed the USHL's Coach of the Year award in 1997-98.

THE RIVALRY: This weekend's series will mark the 223rd and 224th meetings ever between UMD and North Dakota. North Dakota holds a 137-76-9 lead in the all-time series, which began on Nov. 26, 1954 at the old Duluth Curling Club, and is unbeaten in nine of its last 12 engagements with the Bulldogs (8-3-1). Earlier this year in Grand Forks, N.D. (Nov. 15-16), the two clubs faced off for the first time as NCHC members and trade wins. UMD fell 4-2 to the hosts in the series opener (in a game which was tied at 2-2 midway through the third period), before rebounding with a convincing 6-3 victory the next night. Sophomore Alex Iafallo scored once and assisted on junior right winger Adam Krause's power play goal in the 4-2 setback for the Bulldogs, who outshot North Dakota 36-23. Krause pumped in a pair of goals on Saturday while Iafallo turned in another two-point effort (one goal and one assist). Sophomore center Tony Cameranesi and rookie defenseman Willie Raskob were each credited with three assists in the victory.

LAST WEEKEND: The Bulldogs were ambushed twice (5-3 and 4-3) by St. Cloud State University last Friday and Saturday night in St. Cloud State. UMD dug itself a 4-0 hole 17 minutes in on Friday before getting goals from sophomore defenseman Andy Welinski, freshman left winger Kyle Osterberg and sophomore left winger Austin Farley over the final two periods. The following night, the Bulldogs trailed 3-1 at the game's midpoint but struck for two unanswered goals (including rookie left winger Alex Iafallo's equalizer five minutes into the third period) only to see the Huskies pocket the game-winner with 1:49 to go in regulation. Iafallo and junior center Caleb Herbert both turned in a one-goal, one-assist outings Saturday for the Bulldogs, who reached the 40-shot mark for the second straight night and outshot the Huskies 81-69 on the weekend.

North Dakota swept a two-game NCHC home set with Miami University, following up a 3-2 triumph on Friday with a 9-2 rout in the series finale.

NCHC FORECAST: In the inaugural NCHC Preseason Media Poll, UMD was projected for a sixth-place finish in the upstart league this winter while Miami received top billing among the conference's eight schools with 115 points and seven first-place votes. The RedHawks were followed by North Dakota (109 pts., and five first-place votes), St. Cloud State (99 pts. and the remaining four first-place votes) the University of Denver (66 pts.), Western Michigan (61 pts.), UMD (43), Colorado College (42 pts.) and the University of Nebraska-Omaha (41 pts.).

AYE, AYE CAPTAIN: Senior right winger Joe Basaraba and junior right winger Adam Krause have both been entrusted with team captaincy responsibilities for the Bulldogs in this, their 70th season of intercollegiate hockey. Krause is the first non-senior to serve as a UMD team captain since 2006-07.

LIKE AN OLD SHOE: During their 70-year history, the Bulldogs have faced off against North Dakota on more occasions (222) than all but two opponents -- Michigan Tech University (225) and the University of Minnesota (223). UMD and North Dakota have met at least once each year since the 1962-63 season.

A REAL KILLJOY: The Bulldogs currently rank 11th nationally and are second among NCHC clubs in penalty kill efficiency (85.6 percent). In its last seven home appearances, UMD has given up just one goal in 30 power play opportunities to the opposition.

ONE HOT HERBERT: Junior center Caleb Herbert will enter this weekend's series toting a career-high seven-game scoring streak. He's amassed three goals and eight assists during that stretch and now holds a four-point lead in the 2013-14 UMD scoring race (25 points). All eight of Herbert's goals this season are of the even-strength variety --  only four other NCHC skaters have more.

GET SHORTIE: The Bulldogs are still in search of their first shorthanded goal at AMSOIL Arena, which opened its doors for business on Dec. 30, 2011 and has hosted 61 UMD games thus far. Overall, the Bulldogs have generated four shorties over the past three seasons with two of those being registered at Michigan Tech University (by current junior Adam Krause on Nov. 30, 2012 -- his first tally at UMD -- and by Keegan Flaherty on Dec. 2, 2011) and the others by Dominic Toninato in UMD's 6-2 thrashing of Minnesota on Nov. 24, 2013 and freshman left winger Kyle Osterberg against Minnesota State University-Mankato on Jan. 24. Over that same period, the Bulldogs have been scored on nine times while a man up, including thrice this season. Toninato and Osterberg are two of the three NCHC freshmen with a shorthanded goal on their stat line this season.

THEIR BEST YET: Junior right winger and team co-captain Adam Krause, who entered the year with two collegiate goals in 66 lifetime games, has scored five times already this season with three of those coming in UMD's two-game set at North Dakota in late October. Krause, a 2013-14 WCHA Scholar-Athlete Award winner, has now seen ice time in 82 straight games -- the longest active ironman streak on the club. He is one of five Bulldogs to establish career bests for points this season, joining sophomore defenseman Willie Corrin,
junior right winger Justin Crandall, sophomore center/wing Cal Decowski and sophomore left winger Charlie Sampair.

Player    Yr.    Pts.    Previous High
Willie Corrin    So.    6    1 (2012-13)
Justin Crandall    Jr.    17    16 (2012-13)
Cal Decowski    So.    11    8 (2012-13)
Adam Krause    Jr.    10    4 (2012-13)
Charlie Sampair    So.    6    2 (2012-13)

In addition, sophomore defenseman Andy Welinski (16 points), senior right winger Joe Basaraba (15 pts.) and junior defenseman Derik Johnson (three pts.) all are within two points of matching their respective personal highs.

ROAD, SWEET ROAD: The Bulldogs have compiled a 9-6-1 record away from Duluth (compared to a 4-5-3 home mark) and are averaging over a goal a game more on the road (3.44) than they are at AMSOIL Arena (2.25).

SHOOTOUT STATS: The Bulldogs have won both of their NCHC shootout to date, defeating visiting Denver 2-1 in four rounds on Jan. 18 and Colorado College 1-0 in three rounds on Feb. 8. The following are UMD's individual shootout numbers:

Player    Att.    Made    Missed    Pct.
Caleb Herbert    2    2    0    1.000
Alex Iafallo    2    1    1    500
Cal Decowski    1    0    1    .000
Kyle Osterberg    1    0    1    .000
Andy Welinski    1    0    1    .000

Goalie    Att.    Saves    Pct.
Aaron Crandall    7    6    .857

BULLDOG BITS: The seven-member UMD freshmen class has collectively racked up 30 goals and 42 assists for 72 points -- the best rookie output among any NCHC institution and the eighth highest total nationally. Four Bulldogs rank among the NCHC's top 15 point-producing newcomers -- forwards Alex Iafallo (third; 21 points), Kyle Osterberg (fifth; 18 pts.) and Dominic Toninato (13th; 12 pts.) and defenseman Willie Raskob (14th-tie; 11 pts).

• UMD is 5-8-2 against nationally-ranked opponents in 2013-14 with those wins coming against No. 1 Minnesota (6-2 on Nov. 24 in Minneapolis, Minn.), No. 2 Notre Dame (5-1 on Oct. 26 in Duluth), No. 13 North Dakota (6-3 on Nov. 16 in Grand Forks, N.D.) and No. 20 Western Michigan (5-2 and 3-1 on Jan. 31-Feb. 1 in Kalamazoo, Mich.).

• Alex Iafallo, the reigning NCHC Rookie of the Month, is the lone active Bulldog with an overtime goal to his collegiate credit. The Eden, N.Y., product tallied with 26.5 left in sudden death to seal a 3-2 semifinal-round win over Minnesota State in the North Star College Cup on Jan. 24.  Iafallo holds the distinction of being the first Bulldog to ever score in an NCHC shootout (vs. Denver on Jan. 18) and is the NCHC's only three-time Rookie of the Week award winner this season.

•  Going back to a 5-4 home loss to Minnesota on Oct. 15, 2011, the Bulldogs are unbeaten in the 41 games that they've struck for four or more goals (36-0-5). That includes a 7-0-1 record in 2013-14.

• UMD's eight defensemen have combined to score five goals (to go with 39 assists) in 2013-14 and sophomore Andy Welinski has all five of them. In fact, junior Derik Johnson (one) is the only current UMD blueliner besides Welinski (nine) with any career goals.
Welinski, a 2012-13 WCHA All-Rookie Team pick who pieced together an eight-game scoring streak earlier in the year (the longest by any 2013-14 Bulldog), leads UMD in home scoring this winter with nine points on two goals and seven assists.

• 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 University advantage by scoring four goals in the final 20 minutes to upend the Huskies 5-3 at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center. UMD is 0-36-3 in that situation since then (0-10-0 in 2013-14).

• Left winger Kyle Osterberg, who twice has been cited as the NCHC's Rookie of the Week this season and received that conference's Rookie of the Month honor for October, has scored the game's opening goal a NCHC-best four times this winter. In addition, all but two of Osterberg's 11 goals to date have come in UMD triumphs.

• The Bulldogs have drawn first blood in 12 of their 13 wins to date and are 12-3-2 overall when jumping out to a 1-0 lead.

• Senior goaltender Aaron Crandall has established career-bests this season for appearances (23), starts (22) and victories (11). Crandall's career winning percentage of .577 (off a 27-19-6 record) is the third highest in program history at the moment, trailing only Rick Kosti (.753 between 1983-85) and Kenny Reiter (.657 from 2008-12).

• The Bulldogs have been swept twice this season and both of those are courtesy of St. Cloud State.

• Junior right winger Justin Crandall, who is expected to skate in his 100th career game this Friday, continues to pace the 2013-14 Bulldogs in power play goals with six even though he's hasn't scored with the man advantage since Dec. 14 vs. Western Michigan (a span of 12 games).

• UMD is unbeaten in four of its last five home appearance (2-1-2).

• Sophomore left winger Austin Farley returned to the Bulldog lineup last weekend after being sidelined the previous four games with an upper body and picked up three points (one goal and two assists) in the two-game set at St. Cloud State.

• Rookie center Dominic Toninato, one of 12 Bulldogs to reach the double-digit point mark this winter (four goals and seven assists), is part of the 10th father-son combination to skate for the Bulldogs. Dominic's dad, Jim Toninato, was a four-year winger/center (1982-86) at UMD. Junior defenseman Derik Johnson's father, Jim Johnson, is also a UMD hockey alumnus (1981-85) and now an assistant coach with the NHL's San Jose Sharks. Derik Johnson ranks second among Bulldogs in blocked shots (43, including a UMD season-best eight against Western Michigan on Dec. 14).

• UMD has managed just one victory -- against Minnesota State-Mankato in the North Star College Cup last month -- in its last 12 overtime games (1-3-8).

• Defenseman Tim Smith, one of just four seniors on the 2013-14 Bulldog roster, is a team-leading +8 for his career (he shares that honor with junior center Caleb Herbert) while rookie point man Carson Soucy tops the 2013-14 Bulldogs in that department at +6.

• Freshman right winger Sammy Spurrell leads UMD in shooting percentage this winter, scoring on three of the 15 shots he's put on net (a .200 mark).

• Both UMD bench boss Scott Sandelin (1982-86) and one of his assistant coaches, Jason Herter (1988-91), are North Dakota hockey alumni.

• UMD's home attendance thus far (6,270 per night) is the seventh highest in the country.

• Sophomore center Tony Cameranesi, who has taken part in all 66 games since joining the Bulldog program one year ago, has put a team-high 93 shots on goal. That puts the 2012-13 WCHA All-Rookie Team selection eighth among NCHC combatants.

• The Bulldogs are 11-0-3 when taking a lead into the third period this season.

• Four of freshman defenseman Willie Raskob's 11 career points (all assists) have come at the expense of North Dakota.

• UMD has put 35 or more shots on goal in eight of its last nine games.

WELCOME BACK, BOYS!: Members of the UMD's 2003-04 Frozen Four-qualifying club will be the Bulldogs' guests of honor at AMSOIL Arena Saturday night. The Bulldogs closed out that memorable season -- their 60th year of intercollegiate hockey -- with a heartbreaking 5-3 loss to WCHA rival Denver in the NCAA Championship semifinals in Boston, Mass., but not before compiling a 28-13-4 overall record. Along the way, they captured the NCAA Midwest Regional title by defeating the University of Minnesota 3-1, placed second in the final WCHA standings with a 19-7-2 mark (which was their highest conference finish since the 1992-93 season) and strung together what was, at the time, a school-record 14-game unbeaten streak. UMD's lineup featured the likes of senior forward and Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner Junior Lessard, the nation's scoring leader with 63 points, senior defenseman and team captain Beau Geisler (who joined Lessard on the NCAA All-American first team), junior center Evan Schwabe (the USCHO.com Most Improved Player) and sophomore goaltender Isaac Reichmuth (NCAA Midwest Regional Most Valuable Player). Scott Sandelin, then in his fourth season behind the Bulldog bench, received the Spencer-Penrose Award as the American Hockey Coaches Association NCAA I Coach of the Year.

ON DECK: UMD will pay a first-ever visit to Miami University on Feb. 28-March 1 for its final two road assignments of the 2013-14 regular season.