Coming off its first bye weekend of the 2015-16 season, the University of Minnesota Duluth returns to the ice this Friday and Saturday (Dec. 4-5) to host Western Michigan University in the first two legs of a four-game homestand. Opening faceoff for both nights of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference series is set for 7:07 p.m. at AMSOIL Arena (6,756) in downtown Duluth.

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THE RECORDS: UMD is an even 5-5-3 overall and 2-3-1-1 in the NCHC (tied for fifth place with Miami University) this season while Western Michigan, which has lost six straight, sports a 4-8-1 record in all games and a 2-4-0-0 NCHC mark (seventh place).

HOW THEY RANK: Here is how the Bulldogs and Broncos stacked up in this week's USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls:

    USCHO.com    USA Today/USA Hockey
UMD    No. 17    RV
WMU    NR    NR
    
ON THE AIR: The two UMD-Western Michigan bouts will be carried live on 92.1 FM The Fan with Bruce Ciskie handling the play-by-play responsibilities and ex-Bulldog winger Kraig Karakas providing color commentary. The broadcast can also be heard on KQ 105.5 FM in Grand Rapids/Hibbing, Minn.; KQ 106.7 FM in Ely/Virginia, Minn.; 105.7 FM The Fan Siren/Pine City, Minn., and Red Zone Sports Radio 930 in Aitkin, Minn., as part of the Bulldog Radio Network and at: 921thefan.com or free via the iHeartRadio app.

Both ends of this weekend's series will also be aired on My9 (KBJR DT 6.2/KRII DT 11.9) with Tom Hansen and former UMD standout forward Judd Medak serving as the on-air talent. The two telecasts are available on-line for a fee 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 16th season behind the UMD bench where he has compiled a 273-266-73 overall record -- including a 151-106-36 mark since the 2008-09 opener. Besides capturing the school's first NCAA championship four years ago, his Bulldogs have won 20 or more games in five of the last seven seasons while advancing to five NCAA tournaments (2004, 2009, 2011,2012 and 2014), 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 2014). 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 Western Michigan have butted heads on only 14 occasions previously, including four times last season, and the Bulldogs lead the all-time series 8-5-1.

LAST WEEKEND: UMD has been idle since sweeping Colorado College -- and holding the hosts scoreless in the process -- on Nov. 20-21. In the series opener, senior left winger Austin Farley scored 1:12 in and capped off a 5-0 UMD triumph with his second goal of the night with 7:36 to go in the third period. He also set up one other score while junior defensemen Carson Soucy and Willie Raskob each picked up a goal and an assist. Sophomore goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo made 19 saves in the win, and then proceeded to turn aside all 26 shots the Tigers sent his way the following night as UMD prevailed 6-0. Farley once again flexed plenty of offensive muscle for the Bulldogs, scoring twice and assisting on two other goals while going a +4.

The Broncos spent Thanksgiving weekend at the Shillelagh Tournament in South Bend, Ind., where they fell 4-1 to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the opening round on Friday and 3-1 to host University of Notre Dame one day later. Corey Schueneman (vs. RPI) and Frederik Tiffels (Saturday -- with an assist from Schueneman) accounted for the two Western Michigan goals.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH: For their stellar performances in Colorado Springs, Austin Farley and Kasimir Kaskisuo were both recognized by the NCHC with a weekly award. Farley was chosen the league's Offensive Player of the Week after turning in a seven-point weekend and finishing a +6. Kaskisuo, the NCHC Goaltender of the Week, stopped 45 of the 45 shots he faced over the two games and held the Tigers scoreless on all six of their power play opportunities in the series sweep.

MAKING THEMSELVES FEEL RIGHT AT HOME: Western Michigan is 4-1-1 in six lifetime visits to AMSOIL Arena and that .750 winning percentage is the second best of any NCHC club. (North Dakota's .800 mark off a 4-1-0 record is tops). The Broncos are also unbeaten in their last four games in Duluth, going 3-0-1 since dropping a 4-3 decision on Dec. 14, 2013.

COMING UP EMPTY: Sophomore Kasmir Kaskisuo, who against Colorado College became the first netminder in team history to post shutouts in both ends of a weekend series, has not been scored on in his last 170:20 of crease time - a UMD record (the old mark of 166:45 was set by Kenny Reiter between Nov. 4-12, 2011). The last goal he and the Bulldogs have surrendered came at 14:40 of the first period in their 1-1 overtime tie with visiting Denver on Nov. 14. Kaskisuo a member of the 2014-15 NCHC All-Rookie Team who last spring became just the third NCAA I-era (1961-present) freshman to be named UMD's Most Valuable Player, has tended goal for all of his team's NCHC games (30 thus far) since the start of the 2014-15 season -- the only individual who can make that claim. The Vantaa, Finland product has now made 25 consecutive starts going back to Feb. 13, 2015 and a NCHC-leading 13 of those have been registered this season. He also paces that circuit in minutes played with 772:58.    

POWER SURGE: Senior left winger Austin Farley is tied (with Miami's     Jack Roslovic) for the NCHC lead in power play goals as five of his team-leading eight scores this season have come with the man advantage. Farley currently sits atop the Bulldogs scoring charts (he shares that spot with senior center Tony Cameranesi) and of his 13 points, just one (a power play goal vs. the University of Massachusetts-Lowell on Oct. 31) has been registered at AMSOIL Arena.

THE SHORT END: On the other side of the coin, UMD has already given up two more shorthanded goals this season (three -- all on the road, including a pair on Nov. 7 in Omaha) than it did all of 2014-15 (in 40 games). Among all NCAA I clubs, only the University of Alaska Anchorage, Bemidji State University and Sacred Heart University (all with four) have been scored on more times while on the power play than the Bulldogs in 2015-16.

THE SHORT END II: UMD senior team captain Andy Welinski, who has taken shifts in all 127 games since joining the Bulldog program in 2012-13, is one of two NCHC defensemen with a shorthanded goal to his credit this season. The other is Denver's Will Butcher.

FIRE AWAY: UMD is averaging 36.7 shots on goal per night -- the fourth highest average in the country, bettered only by Penn State University (45.0), University of Michigan (38.3) and Robert Morris University (36.9). Junior center Dominic Toninato is 14th nationally in shots per game (4.15) and ranks third among NCHC skaters in that department. Tony Cameranesi sits right behind Toninato at fourth with a 3.73 mark.The Bulldogs have held the upper hand in shots in 10 of their 13 games this season and are 0-3-0 when they've not done so. UMD has allowed the eighth fewest shots in NCAA I hockey (26.0).

BRONCO BUSTERS: Senior left winger Austyn Young (Feb. 1, 2014 in Kalamazoo, Mich.) and junior defenseman Brenden Kotyk (Jan. 16, 2015 in Duluth) both registered their first Bulldog goals against Western Michigan while junior defenseman Dan Molenaar's initial collegiate point came at the expense of the Broncos (an assist on Dec. 14, 2013). In addition, junior left winger Kyle Osterberg set career bests for both goals (two) and points (four) when UMD and Western Michigan butted heads on Jan. 31, 2014 in Kalamazoo. Senior defensemen Willie Corrin has twice turned in two-point nights (personal bests) at Western Michigan (Jan. 31, 2014 and March 6, 2015) and of his 22 lifetime points, six have been collected in games with the Broncos.

FOUR'S A CHARM: Going back to a 5-4 loss to visiting Minnesota on Oct. 15, 2011, the Bulldogs are unbeaten in 55 of the 56 games they've struck for more than three goals (50-1-5). The sole setback during that stretch was inflicted by Minnesota State-Mankato on Oct. 17, 2014 in Duluth (5-4 in overtime).

THE BIG 1-0-0: Senior center Tony Cameranesi, who scored the NCHC's first-ever 3 x 3 power play goal against Denver the last time UMD was home (Nov. 14), currently ranks sixth among his league comrades in points per game (1.16). The Bulldogs' leading scorer in two of the past three seasons, Cameranesi has racked up a 98 points as a collegian, which means he needs just two more to become the 55th member of UMD's Century Club. The last Bulldog to crack the 100-point career plateau was center Travis Oleksuk during the 2011-12 season.

OHHHH-VERTIME: UMD has won just three of the last 22 games that have required overtime, going 3-5-14. Only three active Bulldogs -- junior left wingers Alex Iafallo and Kyle Osterberg and senior center Cal Decowski -- have an overtime goal on their collegiate resume. UMD's last extra-session victory came on Dec. 5, 2014 -- a 3-2 decision over Colorado College at AMSOIL Arena in which Osterberg scored the overtime winner.

A SENIOR MOMENT: UMD currently sports the nation's 8th-highest scoring senior class. The eight, fourth-year Bulldogs have combined for 18 goals and 25 assists for 43 points and includes forwards Tony Cameranesi, Cal Decowski, Austin Farley, Charlie Sampair and Austyn Young, defensemen Willie Corrin and Andy Welinski and goalie Matt McNeely. The last time a Bulldog roster was comprised of more seniors than the current one was in 2004-05 (11).

HOW SWEEP IT IS: Five of UMD's six lifetime NCHC sweeps have been registered on the road -- Colorado College (Nov. 20-21, 2015), St. Cloud State (Nov. 7-8, 2014), Miami (Feb. 28-March 1, 2014), Western Michigan (Jan. 31-Feb. 1, 2014), Omaha (Jan. 10-11, 2014). The other sweep turned in by the Bulldogs came on Dec. 5-6, 2014 against Colorado College in Duluth.

BULLDOG BITS: In their five wins to date, the Bulldogs have outscored the opposition 19-2 and have gone 5 of 21 on the power play (23.8 percent). They've connected at just 8.3 percent (3 of 36) with the man advantage in their other eight games.  

• The double 4-2 setbacks to Omaha last month ago marked first time the Bulldogs had been swept in a regular season series since Feb. 21-22, 2014 (North Dakota at AMSOIL Arena). Last winter, UMD did something last winter it had done only one other time (2010-11) in 54 years of competing at the NCAA I level -- go through an entire regular season without being swept. North Dakota was the only other 2014-15 NCHC school to accomplish that feat.

• UMD is averaging just 1.8 goals at home this season and 3.25 away from AMSOIL Arena.

• Senior center Tony Cameranesi currently paces all active Bulldogs in lifetime points (98) while senior left winger Austin Farley ranks first in both career goals (39) and power play scores (20). Junior defenseman Carson Soucy, the lone Bulldog to ever be drafted by the Minnesota Wild (fifth round in 2013), sports UMD'S best career plus-minus figure (+18).

• Of the eight NCHC head coaches, only one (Miami's Enrico Blasi with 17 seasons) has been at his current school longer than Scott Sandelin (16 seasons).

• The Bulldogs' eight defensemen finished with 25 goals in 2014-15 -- the seventh highest output in the nation. Those 25 goals were also the most by a UMD blue line ensemble since 2003-04 (also 25) and 20 more than the previous winter when all five scores came off the stick of Andy Welinski. Welinski became the first individual in 31 years to lead all Bulldog blueliners in scoring for a third straight winter. (Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner Tom Kurvers did it four times from 1980-84). He and Neal Pionk are the lone two UMD defensemen to collect a goal thus far in 2015-16. Welinski has a pair, including the second shortie of his career against Bemidji State in the season opener, while Pionk (one) is the only UMD rookie -- defenseman or forward -- to score through 13 games.

• Freshman left winger Adam Johnson is part of the 11th father-son combinations that have been part of the UMD program. His dad, Davey Johnson, was a four-year letterman and captained the Bulldogs as a senior center in 1980-81. Junior center Dominic Toninato also followed in his father's footsteps (forward Jim Toninato, 1982-86).

• The Bulldogs retain 21 of 25 lettermen from last year's club and those 21 veterans accounted for 85 percent of UMD's scoring production (255 of 300 points) and 81.7 percent of its goal total (94 of 115).

• This past October, UMD announced that it will host the 2017 Ice Breaker Tournament. Joining the Bulldogs in the four-team field at AMSOIL Arena will be Minnesota, long-time rival Michigan Tech University and 2014 NCAA champion Union College.

UP NEXT: The Bulldogs will put the wraps on 2015 next weekend (Dec. 10-11) with pair of NCHC home showdowns against North Dakota.