The University of Minnesota Duluth will return to National Collegiate Hockey Conference play this Friday and Saturday (Jan. 30-31) when the Bulldogs travel to Denver, Colo., for a two-game series with the University of Denver. The puck drops at 8:36 (CT) Friday and 8:06 p.m. the following night at Magness Arena (6,026) on the Denver campus.

Complete Release (pdf)

Scott Sandelin Weekly Press Conference

THE RECORDS: UMD is 14-9-1 overall and 8-5-1-0 in the NCHC (third place) while Denver comes into the weekend owning a 14-8-1 record in all games to go with a 7-6-0-0 WCHA mark (fifth place).

HOW THEY RANK: Here is how the Bulldogs and Pioneers stacked up in the latest USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls as well as the PairWise rankings:
 

Team	USCHO.com	USA Today	Pairwise
UMD	No. 7	No. 7	No. 7
Denver	No.11	No. 12	No. 11

    
ON THE AIR: The two UMD-Denver bouts will be carried 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.

Friday night's series opener will be televised live on ROOT Sports Rocky Mountain (Dish Network Channels: 414 & 414, 5414(HD); Direct TV Channels: 683, 684 & 683(HD); Charter Channels: Not Available) and on TSN2 (Canada). My9 TV (KBJR DT 6.2/KRII DT 11.9) will air both games in the Duluth-Superior market.

In addition, Saturday's videostream can be seen at: 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 261-254-68 overall record -- including a 139-94-31 mark since the 2008-09 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 head coaching the Junior Elite Hockey League's Fargo-Moorhead Junior Kings after working in that same capacity (and doubling as general manager) the previous winter with the Fargo-Moorhead Express of the American Hockey Association. 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 NCHC 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 Denver have collided on 197 occasions previously -- mostly while both were members of the WCHA. The Pioneers hold a 111-75-11 lead in the rivalry, which began on Dec. 28, 1961 in Denver. The two clubs traded wins earlier this year (Oct. 24-25) in their respective 2014-15 NCHC debuts at AMSOIL Arena where Denver prevailed 3-1 in the opener before UMD bounced back with a convincing 6-1 triumph the next night.

LAST WEEKEND: UMD put the clamps on its longest winless drought since last February -- four games (0-3-1) -- by skating past the University of Minnesota 2-1 on Saturday afternoon in the third place game of North Star College Cup at St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center. The Bulldogs, who were ambushed by Bemidji State University 4-0 one night earlier in the tourney semis, got both of their goals from senior right winger Adam Krause in the victory over the then-No. 17 Gophers.

Denver split a two-game NCHC road set with Miami University, winning 3-1 on Friday (behind a two-goal outing from Trevor Moore) before dropping a 4-1 decision 24 hours later.

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.

IT'S BEEN AWHILE: This weekend will mark only UMD's second series at Magness Arena since Nov. 7-8, 2008. The Bulldogs last paid a visit to Denver on Nov. 4-5, 2011 when both teams were members of the WCHA.
ROAD, SWEET ROAD: Since the start of the 2013-14 season, the Bulldogs are an impressive 20-11-1 away from Duluth. They've gone 9-5-0 in someone else's building this winter while outscoring the opposition 20-10 in the third period. Those nine victories are tops among all NCHC clubs and rank third nationally.

THE STRETCH RUN: UMD will enter the final third of its 2014-15 regular season schedule this weekend. The following is a statistical breakdown of the each of the first two thirds (12 games):
 

	First 12	Last 12
Record	8-4-0	6-5-1
Goals	40	32
Goals Per Game	3.33	2.67
Goals Allowed	25	32
Goals Allowed Per Game	2.08	2.67
Power Play Goals	16	4
Power Play Pct.	23.5	9.1
Shorthanded Goals	5	0
Penalty Kill Pct.	82.0	78.4
Saves Pct.	.926	.892
Plus/Minus	+48	+18
Shots Per Game	31.9	34.7
Scoring 4-Plus Goals	4	2

NO WALK IN THE PARK: Only five (Bemidij State last Friday night, Western Michigan on Jan. 16-17 and Colorado College on Dec. 5-6) of UMD's 24 games thus far have been against unranked opponents. The Bulldogs, who continue to lead the nation in strength of schedule, are 12-7-0 against nationally-ranked clubs this winter (3-2-0 vs. No. 1s) and an even 2-2-1 against the rest.

THE BIG 1-0-0: Both center Tony Cameranesi, who had his career-high nine-game scoring streak snapped in last Friday 4-0 setback to Bemidji State, and defenseman Andy Welinski are expected to skate in their 100th career games Saturday night in Denver. That junior duo has taken a shift in every outing since joining the Bulldog program two years ago.

LIKE TWO PROS IN A POD: UMD's Scott Sandelin and Denver's Jim Montgomery are the only two NCHC head coaches to do time in the NHL. Sandelin took part in 25 NHL games with Montreal, Philadelphia and Minnesota (North Stars) before calling it quits in 1992 due to nagging injuries while Montgomery's NHL career spanned 121 outings between 1993-2003 with stops in St. Louis, Montreal, Philadelphia, San Jose and Dallas.

OH, SHOOT(OUT): UMD is now 2-1 in lifetime NCHC shootouts (all of three of which have been contested at AMSOIL Arena) and sophomore left winger Alex Iafallo is the lone current Bulldog to score in the post-overtime event (he's done it twice, including on UMD's first-ever NCHC shootout attempt against Denver on Jan. 18, 2014). The following are NCHC shootout statistics for current Bulldogs:
 

Player	Att.	Made	Missed	Pct.
Alex Iafallo	3	2	1	.667
Kyle Osterberg	2	2	1	.000
Cal Decowski	1	0	1	.000
Austin Farley	1	0	0	.000
Andy Welinski	1	0	1	.000

 

Player	Att.	Saves	Pct.
Kasimir Kaskisuo	3	1	.333

FAST STARTS: The Bulldogs have drawn first blood in 24 of their 30 victories the last two seasons, going 24-7-2 in that situation -- 10-3-0 this winter). On the other hand, they are a mere 6-18-3 when the opposition has taken a 1-0 lead during that stretch (4-6-1 in 2014-15).

AN AWARD-WINNING WEEKEND: The last time UMD and Denver sparred (Oct. 24-25, 2014 at AMSOIL Arena), a pair of Bulldogs turned in performances that were NCHC award worthy. Junior left winger Austin Farley was chosen the league's Offensive Player of the Week after he accumulated three points (two goals and one assist) over the weekend while putting 19 shots on net (including a 2014-15 Bulldog-best 10 in the rematch) and finishing a +1. Goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo started both ends of that series and finished with a .923 saves percentage and a 2.02 goals against average en route to claiming the NCHC Rookie of the Week honor. Over the two nights, he allowed just two even-strength goals, with the first coming just 33 seconds after the opening puck drop in the opener.

LET'S KEEP IT THAT WAY: UMD is one of just three NCHC clubs (North Dakota and Omaha are the two other) that have not been swept in a series (league or non-conference) this season.

LEAD 'DOG: Sophomore center Dominic Toninato, who assisted on both UMD goals last Saturday in its 2-1 downing of Minnesota, continues to hold down the No. 1 spot on the UMD scoring charts with 21 points. His 13 goals are a career-high and are second only Omaha forward Austin Ortega's 14 among NCHC combatants. In addition, Toninato paces the NCHC in road goals (nine), road points (16) and road plus-minus (+9 -- he shares that spot with teammate Alex Iafallo and Miami's Matt Caito). The two-time NCHC Offensive Player of the Week honoree has also struck for a goal a league-high 11 times, is also second among NCHC combatants in even-strength goals (eight), is tied for sixth in plus-minus (+13), and is one of five league players in the country with two shorthanded goals to his credit. A team-best 17 (nine goals and eight assists) of Toninato's points this season have been generated in Bulldog victories.

THEIR BEST YET: Dominic Toninato is among three Bulldog veterans who have already established career bests for points this winter:
 

Player	Yr.	Pts.	Previous High
Dominic Toninato	So.	21	15 (2013-14)
Carson Soucy	So.	7	6 (2013-14)
Austyn Young	Jr.	4	2 (2013-14)

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IT'S WORTH A SHOT: UMD has been outshot in just four of its 24 games to date and currently ranks seventh in the country -- and second in the NCHC -- in both shots taken (33.29 per game) and allowed (26.38 spg).

GET SHORTIE: The five shorthanded goals UMD has amassed this year are fourth only to North Dakota's nine and the University of Massachusetts' and Union College's six among NCAA schools and are one more than its entire 2013-14 output. The school single-season record for shorties is 12 set by the 1992-93 Bulldogs. That club was captained by current UMD assistant coach Derek Plante (who scored four times that year while his team was a man down). UMD has now gone 16 games (since Nov. 1 vs. visiting Miami) without scoring while a man down.

DOUBLE YOUR FUN: Senior team captain Adam Krause registered the second, two-goal night of his college career last Saturday in the Bulldogs' 2-1 triumph over Minnesota. Krause, UMD's first two-time team captainsince 2008-09), is is one of 20 NCAA I hockey players who have been chosen as candidates for the 2014-15 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award and also is among 15 individuals up for this year's Hockey Humanitarian Award,

POWER SHORTAGE: The Bulldogs, who went 0-for-6 on the power play at last weekend's North Star College Cup, have managed just four man advantage goals over the past 12 games, going 4-for-44 (9.1 percent) during that stretch.

FOUR'S A CHARM: Going back to a 5-4 loss to visiting Minnesota on Oct. 15, 2011, the Bulldogs are unbeaten in 48 of the 49 games they've struck for more than three goals (43-1-5). The sole setback during that stretch was inflicted by Minnesota State Mankato earlier this year (5-4 in overtime on Oct. 17 in Duluth).

BULLDOG BITS: UMD possesses both the NCHC's second-highest scoring junior and sophomore classes. The Bulldogs' eight, third-year players have combined for 71 points on 26 goals and 45 assists (only St. Cloud State, with 88 points, has more) while the eight sophomores have been credited with 70 points (nine back of league-leading Omaha).

•Junior Andy Welinski has the second most goals (six) and the sixth-best plus-minus rating (+8) of any NCHC defenseman to date. He's also one of just three league blueliners with a shorthanded goal in 2014-15. Collectively, UMD's eight-member back end corps has combined for 13 goals this year -- after mustering just five (all of which were produced by Welinski) during the entire 2013-14 season -- and 43 points.

• UMD has managed to win just three of its last 16 games that have gone beyond regulation, going 3-4-9. Those three three victories came at the expense of Colorado College on Dec. 6, 2014 (3-2), St. Cloud State on Nov. 7, 2014 (3-2) and Minnesota State-Mankato (5-4 in the opening round of the North Star College Cup in St. Paul on Jan. 24, 2014). Only three current Bulldogs -- sophomore left wingers Alex Iafallo and Kyle Osterberg and junior center Cal Decowski -- have an overtime goal to their collegiate credit (one each).

• Goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo, the Hockey Commissioners' Association Rookie of the Month for November, made 20 consecutive starts before sitting out last Saturday's bout with Minnesota. Among the nation's first-year netminders, Kaskisuo reigns as the leader in victories (12), is third in winning percentage (.625 off a 12-7-1 record), sixth in saves (478) and seventh in goals against average (2.33). The Vantaa, Finland, native and former Minnesota Wilderness (North American Hockey League) puckstopper is the sixth European to enlist his services with the Bulldogs and the first non-North American to play for 15th-year head coach Scott Sandelin.

• Junior Matt McNeely, in just his second appearance -- and first start -- since Oct. 17, 2014, turned aside 31 of 32 Minnesota shots Saturday while backstopping the Bulldogs to a 2-1 triumph.

•All three of Austin Farley's lifetime goals against Denver have come on the power play.

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

• UMD's 32 third-period goals are the most of any NCHC club as are its overtime wins (two).

• Junior right winger Austyn Young collected his lone collegiate game-winning goal to date in UMD's last meeting with Denver (a 6-1 victory this past October at AMSOIL Arena).

•Sophomore Carson Soucy, the only UMD skater ever to be drafted by the Minnesota Wild (fifth round in 2013), has the second best career plus-minus rating (+13) of any active Bulldog.

•UMD has rallied from a second-intermission deficit to win twice in 2014-15 (3-2 at Omaha on Nov. 21 and 3-2 in overtime on Dec. 6 vs. Colorado College in Duluth). Coming into this year, the Bulldogs hadn't accomplished that feat since 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 at the DECC. UMD was 0-43-3 in that situation prior to the Nov. 21 matchup with Omaha.

• Among NCHC newcomers, right winger Karson Kuhlman is tied for second in shots on goal (51), for seventh in goals (five) and for eighth in scoring (12 points), and remains the only league rookie with a shorthanded goal on his 2014-15 stat line.

UP NEXT: The Bulldogs will take part in their final non-conference activity of 2014-15 on Feb. 6-7 by welcoming Northern Michigan University to AMSOIL Arena.