Kasimir Kaskisuo prefers to stay busy while tending goal and Friday night he got his wish.

The sophomore netminder made a career-high 49 saves in backstopping the University of Minnesota Duluth to a 4-1 National Collegiate Hockey Conference road triumph over No. 3 St. Cloud State University. The Bulldogs scored three times in the first 18 minutes play and got a three-point night (two goals and one assist) from sophomore right winger Karson Kuhlman.  UMD, which has won three straight at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center, improved to 12-14-5 overall and remaining tied with Miami University for fourth place in the NCHC standings with a 8-10-3-1 mark.

"This was the first time I may have stolen a game this season," said Kaskisuo, who faced a club that was averaging 4.27 goals per night.  "I like it when I see a lot of shots, when I'm feeling the pucks all time time."

It took the Bulldogs just 39 seconds after the opening faceoff to break the ice as freshman right winger Adam Johnson punched in his fifth goal of the year off a scrum in front of the St. Cloud State net. Junior defenseman Brenden Kotyk put UMD up 2-0 on a wrister from between the face off circles during a delayed penalty at 16:26 of the first and 1:41 later --- on the ensuing penalty -- the Bulldogs extended that lead to 3-0 on Kuhlman's unassisted power play score.

Mikey Eyssimont got the Huskies (27-7-1; 15-5-1-1) on the board midway through the second period, but Kaskisuo shut the door after that, including a wide-open third period when St. Cloud State sent 21 shots his way. The Bulldogs wound up being outshot (50-35) for just the fifth time in 31 games this season.

The two teams will meet again Saturday at 7:07 p.m. in St. Cloud.

Notes: This marked UMD's first victory of the year in a game in which the opposition held the advantage in shots ... The Bulldogs are now 9-1-0 in their last 10 outings on an Olympic-sized ice sheet. ... Karson Kulhman's three points were a career high  ... The last time the Bulldogs gave up 50 shots was on Jan. 11, 2014 against Nebraska-Omaha ... UMD held the nation's second most effective power play unit scoreless in their two opportunities with the man advantage.