The University of Minnesota Duluth will engage in its final non-conference series of the 2015-16 season this Friday and Saturday (Jan. 29-30) when the Bulldogs pay a visit to Marquette, Mich., to take on Northern Michigan University. Opening faceoff is set for  6:07 p.m. (CT) both nights at the Berry Events Center (4,260) on the NMU campus.

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THE RECORDS: UMD owns an 8-10-5 overall record and a 5-8-3-1 NCHC mark (fourth place) while Northern Michigan, is 9-9-6 in all games and 7-7-4 in Western Collegiate Hockey Association play (tied for fifth place with Bemidji State University).
    
ON THE AIR: The two UMD-Northern Michigan bouts will be carried live on 92.1 FM The Fan with Bruce Ciskie handling the play-by-play responsibilities. 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 locally on My9 (KBJR DT 6.2/KRII DT 11.9)and those two telecasts are available on-line for a fee at: wcha.tv
 
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 276-271-75 overall record -- including a 154-111-38 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 18 different All-NCHC/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 Northern Michigan will meet for the 73rd and 74th time this weekend. The Bulldogs hold a slim 35-33-4 lead in the all-time series, which
began on Nov. 27, 1981 in Marquette. The two clubs last met one year ago (Feb. 7) at AMSOIL Arena, where the then No. 7 UMD skated off with 3-1 and 6-3 victories.

LAST WEEKEND: The Bulldogs were ambushed twice on the road by then No. 15 Denver, falling 3-2 on Friday night and 2-1 the following evening. In the NCHC series opener, the Bulldogs jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead, getting even-strength goals from sophomore right winger Karson Kuhlman and senior left winger Austin Farley within the first 6:13 of play, but Denver countered by striking twice in the final four minutes of the  first period. Danton Heinen's goal at 12:04 of the second period stood up as the game-winner for the Pioneers, who were outshot 46-29 on the night.   On Saturday, First-period scores by Heinen and Dylan Gambrell put Denver up 2-0 and UMD was unable to solve Pioneer netminder Evan Cowley (who stopped 73 of 74 shots on the weekend on his way to being named the NCHC Goalie of the Week) until 7:07 remained in regulation when Tony Cameranesi potted his team-leading eighth goal. of the year

Northern Michigan has been idle since trading WCHA wins with the University of Alaska-Fairbanks on Jan. 15-16 in Marquette.  The Wildcats, despite a 35-save performance from goaltender Mathias Dahlstorm, succumbed to the Nanooks in overtime (3-2) on Jan. 15 but rebounded in the rematch with a 5-3 triumph. Northern Michigan got goals from six different players over the weekend, including a pair from defenseman Barrett Kaib.

HOME ICE SURE IS NICE: UMD is unbeaten in all but eight of its 34 lifetime home games against the Wildcats (24-8-2), but has managed just 11 victories in its 37 bouts in Marquette (11-24-2).

BIG ICE SURE IS NICE: In its three previous games this season at venues with Olympic-sized ice sheets (like the Berry Events Center contains) this season, the Bulldogs are a perfect 3-0-0 and have outscored the opposition 14-1.  That includes wins at Minnesota (3-1 on Oct. 16), and Colorado College (5-0 and 6-0 on Nov. 20-21).

THE BIG 1-0-0: Senior left winger Austin Farley, who figured in on two of the Bulldogs' three goals in its double setbacks at Denver last weekend, needs just three more points to become the 57th member of UMD's Century Club.  In 130 career outings, Farley has generated 42 goals and 55 assists. Only six current NCHC combatants have eclipsed the 100-point mark, including Bulldog senior center Tony Cameranesi, who accomplished that feat last month.

NEITHER HERE NOR THERE: The Bulldogs have almost identical home (4-5-2) and road (4-5-3) records this season.

FIT TO BE TIED: Northern Michigan has played to more draws (six) than all but one NCAA I club thus Far (Notre  Dame with seven) while UMD is tied -- pun intended -- for ninth nationally in that department with five deadlocks (three shy of the program record set in 2008-09).

AN IRONMAN STREAK NO MORE:  Last Saturday marked the first time in almost a year that someone other than Kasimir Kaskisuo started in goal for the Bulldogs as senior Matt McNeely got the nod and responded by stopping 27 of 29 shots in a 2-1 loss to Denver. McNeely's last start prior to that came on Feb. 7, 2015 against Northern Michigan (a 6-3 UMD win) before Kaskisuo proceeded to start the next 34 games. Saturday was also the first NCHC contest in the last two seasons that Kaskisuo did not patrol the UMD goal crease. The current owner of the NCHC's second-best goals against average (1.92) and fourth-best saves percentage figure (.921), Kaskisuo already has four shutouts this season  -- including a program-high three in a row between Nov. 20-Dec. 4, which is one whitewash shy of the team record held by both Alex Stalock (2008-09) and Brant Nicklin (1997-98). The Vantaa, Finland, native and 2014-15 NCHC All-Rookie Team honoree also appeared in the highest percentage of his team's overall minutes (93.42) than any NCHC netminder.

AN IRONMAN STREAK SOME MORE: Senior team captain and minutes-munching defenseman Andy Welinski has taken a shift in all 137 games since joining the Bulldog program in 2012-13. The 2014-15 All-NCHC second team honoree is one of two league defensemen (Denver's Will Butcher is the other) with a shorthanded goal to his credit this season. That came in the 2015-16 opener at Bemidji State -- the second shortie of his career. Last winter, 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 was the last, accomplishing that feat four times from 1980-84).  He currently ranks third among all 2014-15 Bulldogs in points with 11.

CHECK, CHECK AND CHECK: In all eight of their victories to date, the Bulldogs have scored first (they are 8-2-2 when doing so), led at the second intermission (8-0-0) and outshot the opposition (8-7-5).

FOREVER YOUNG: Senior right winger Austyn Young is the first of the Bulldogs' 19 veteran forwards and defensemen to set a career high for scoring this season. Young's seven points (five goals and two assists) are two more than his previous best which he amassed one year ago.

POWER OUTAGE:  The Bulldogs are mired in a eight-game  0-for-27 power play drought, having not scored with the man advantage since senior left winger Austin Farley cashed in midway through the third period of UMD's 6-2 home triumph over Western Michigan on Dec. 5. Farley, who is a team-leading +15 on the seaosn, continues to lead the NCHC and rank third nationally in power play goals with seven (which is two behind NCAA leader Dan Correa  of the University of New Hampshire).

FIRE AWAY: UMD is averaging 36.87 shots on goal per night -- the third highest average in all of college hockey, taking a backseat to only Penn State University (43.96) and the University of Michigan (37.30). Senior center Tony Cameranesi is 24th nationally in shots per game (3.71) and ranks third among NCHC skaters in that department. On that same league chart junior center Dominic Toninato is tied for 8th with a 3.17 mark while left winger Adam Johnson is  12th over all among all rookies (2.95 spg). The Bulldogs have held the upper hand in shots in 20 of their 23 games this season and are 0-3-0 when they've not done so. On the flip side, UMD has allowed the sixth fewest shots in the nation (25.22 per game), an average bettered by just one other NCHC club -- North Dakota (24.31). UMD's shot margin average (+11.65) ranks third nationally to Penn State (+13.12) and Minnesota State-Mankato (11.88)

WHEN IT RAINS IT POURS: Nearly half of UMD's entire 2015-16 goal harvest (29 of 59) have come in five of its 23 games thus far -- 5-0 and 6-0 at Colorado College on Nov. 20-21, 7-0 and 6-2 vs. Western Michigan on Dec. 4-5, and 5-2 at Miami on Jan. 9.

WHEN IT RAINS IT POURS II: The Bulldogs have outscored the opposition 37-6 (including 10-0 in the opening period of play) in their eight wins to date while going 12-for-35 on the power play (35.6 percent). They've connected at just 5.2 percent (3-for-59) with the man advantage in their other 15 games.

OHHHH-VERTIME: UMD has won just three of the last 24 games that have required overtime, going 3-5-16. 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 most recent extra-session victory came on Dec. 5, 2014 -- a 3-2 decision over Colorado College at AMSOIL Arena in which Osterberg scored the game winner.

A SENIOR MOMENT: UMD currently sports the nation's 10th-highest scoring senior class. The eight, fourth-year Bulldogs have combined for 28 goals and 44 assists for 72 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).
 
FOUR'S A CHARM: Going back to a 5-4 loss to visiting Minnesota on Oct. 15, 2011, the Bulldogs are unbeaten in 58 of the 59 games they've struck for more than three goals (53-1-5). The sole setback during that stretch was inflicted by Minnesota State University-Mankato on Oct. 17, 2014 in Duluth (5-4 in overtime).

BULLDOG BITS: UMD is 3-2-2 outside of NCHC play this season and that includes a home-and-home sweep of current No. 20 Minnesota on Oct. 16-17.

• The last time UMD and Northern Michigan hooked up (Feb. 7, 2015), current sophomore center Jared Thomas equaled a career best for points with two in a 6-3 UMD triumph.

• In his 16 seasons as the Bulldogs head coach, Scott Sandelin has amassed a 74-41-16 non-conference record (a .626 winning percentage).

• Junior left winger Kyle Osterberg, who has collected two goals and five assists in 20 games this season, has been sideline the past three games with an upper body injury.

• Since rallying for a 4-2 victory over visiting St. Cloud State on Feb. 13, 2015, the Bulldogs are 0-12-4 when they've trailed at the second intermission (0-8-3 this winter).

• Senior center Tony Cameranesi holds the distinction of being the first player to score in a NCHC 3-on-3 overtime and did so following UMD's 1-1 home tie with Denver on Nov. 14.

• Senior defenseman Carson Soucy, who sat out last Friday's series opener at Denver with an illness, returned to the Bulldog lineup the next night and picked up an assist on the lone UMD goal to snap an eight-game scoreless slump. Sophomore center Jared Thomas and senior right winger Austyn Young have both now gone eight games since they last recorded a goal or an assist.

• 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).

• UMD has already given up two more shorthanded goals this season (four, including a pair on Nov. 7 in Omaha) than it did all of 2014-15 (in 40 games). Among NCAA I clubs, only the University of Alaska-Anchorage (seven), Mercyhurst College (six) and Army, Bemidji State, Colorado College, Penn State and Union College and (all with five) have been scored on more times while on the power play than the Bulldogs in 2015-16. UMD has not surrendered a shortie since Dec. 12 against North Dakota in Duluth, which came with an empty net.

• Senior center Tony Cameranesi currently paces all active Bulldogs in lifetime points (107) while senior left winger Austin Farley ranks first in both career goals (42) and power play scores (22). Junior defenseman Carson Soucy, the lone Bulldog to ever be drafted by the Minnesota Wild (fifth round in 2013),  and Cameranesi both sport UMD's best career plus-minus figure (+18).

• Freshman left winger Adam Johnson, whose ninepoints this winter tie him for the Bulldog rookie lead, 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).

UP NEXT: UMD will embark on a three-game homestand, beginning with an NCHC series against Colorado College on Feb. 5-6. Bemidji State then comes to town on Feb. 9 to face the Bulldogs in a makeup from the two clubs' 2015-16 season opener, which was postponed due to a power outage at AMSOIL Arena on Oct. 9.