The University of Minnesota Duluth will open a three-game homestand this Friday and Saturday (Feb. 5-6) with a pair of National Collegiate Hockey Conference engagements with Colorado College. The puck drops at 7:07 p.m. both nights at AMSOIL Arena (6,756) in downtown Duluth.  

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THE RECORDS: UMD owns a 9-11-5 overall record and a 5-8-3-1 NCHC mark (tied for fourth place with Miami University and the University of Nebraska-Omaha) while Colorado College is 6-19-1 in all games and 4-11-1 in NCHC play (eighth place).

ON THE AIR: The two UMD-Colorado College 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. Friday's game will be televised on Fox Sports North and Fox College Sports Central (tape delayed). 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 277-272-75 overall record -- including a 155-112-38 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 Colorado College have collided on 182 previous occasions in a rivalry which began on Jan. 4, 1961 at the old Duluth Curling Club. The Bulldogs lead the all-time series 94-80-8,  and earlier this season (Nov. 20-21) not UMD only swept the Tigers on the road, but did so without allowing a goal with 5-0 and 6-0 triumphs.

LAST WEEKEND: The Bulldogs bounced back from a 4-3 loss to Northern Michigan Friday by downing the Wildcats 3-1 the following evening in Marquette, Mich.  In the opener, UMD held a 3-2 lead with 93 seconds gone in the third period on goals from junior center Dominic Toninato, rookie left winger Adam Johnson and senior defenseman Andy Welinski only to see the host club strike twice and collared the game-winner on the power play with 4:46 to go in regulation.  UMD, which outshot the 17-9 in the third period and 39-28 on the night, grabbed a quick 2-0 on its first three shots on net with less four minutes into the game on Saturday and never looked back. Toninato, senior center Tony Cameranesi and freshman right winger Parker Mackay accounted for the Bulldog scores in the rematch.

Colorado College traded with the then No. 12 Omaha in Colorado Springs, skating off with a convincing 5-1 triumph  on Friday before falling 6-1 to the Mavericks 24 hours later. Five different Tigers potted goals in the opener, including Luc Gerdes, Mason Bergh and Trevor Gooch, who each were also credited with one assist. Jacob Nehama turned aside 35 of 36 shots for Colorado College which won for the fourth consecutive time at home -- the first time that has happened since the start of the 2011-12 season. Hunter Fejes had the lone Tiger tally the next night.  

AYE, AYE, CAPTAIN: Andy Welinski has been entrusted with the Bulldogs' team captaincy duties in 2015-16 after handling an assistant role as a junior last winter. The senior forward trio of Tony Cameranesi, Cal Decowski and Austin Farley are serving as assistant captains.

DANDY ANDY: Andy Welinski who figured in on half of the UMD goals in its two-game series split at Northern Michigan last weekend, was chosen the NCHC Defenseman of the Week. Welinsk scored once (which put his club up 3-2) and assisted on another goal in a 4-3 setback to the Wildcats Friday then helped set up UMD's final goal of the evening in the rematch as the Bulldogs prevailed 3-1. The 2014-15 All-NCHC second teampick also anchored a UMD penalty killing unit that held Northern Michigan to one score in 10 power play opportunities. This marks the second time this season Welinksi has been bestowed with a NCHC Defenseman of the Week citation, with the other coming on Dec. 7.

TIGER TAMERS: The Bulldogs have registered more wins at Colorado College's expense (they are 94-80-8 against the Tigers all-time) than any opponent in their 72-year history.

TIGER TAMERS II:  UMD has endured just five losses in its last 25 bouts with the Tigers (17-5-3) and currently sports an eight-game unbeaten streak against its long-time rivals,  piecing together a 7-0-1 mark since falling 3-1 in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Oct. 18, 2013.

TIGER TAMERS III: Colorado College is the only NCHC opponent that has never tasted victory at AMSOIL Arena, going 0-5-1 in six lifetime visits to that downtown facility, which opened its doors for business on Dec. 30, 2011.

OH-OH: By backstopping UMD to 5-0 and 6-0 win over Colorado College this past November, sophomore Kasimir Kaskisuo became the first Bulldog goaltender to post a shutout in both ends of a weekend series. In four career starts against Colorado College, the 2014-15 NCHA All-Rookie team honoree has amassed a 4-0-0 record to go with a 0.98 goals against average and a .953 saves percentage in addition to holding the Tigers scoreless for 132:15.

POWER OUTAGE:  The Bulldogs are mired in a eight-game  0-for-36 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. After that outing with the Broncos, the Bulldogs ranked 17th in the nation in power play efficiency at 21.7 percent. They are now are 43rd with a 14.3 mark. Farley, who is a team-leading +17 on the seasosn, continues to lead the NCHC and is tied for fourth nationally in power play goals with seven (which is two behind NCAA leader Tage Thompson of the University of Connecticut).

BACK ON TOP: Tony Cameranesi, who comes into this weekend armed with a four-game scoring streak, has taken over sole possession of first place on UMD's points charts with nine goals and 15 assists. Cameranesi is one of just 12 NCHC skaters averaging a point a game or better this season.

CHECK, CHECK AND CHECK: In all nine of their victories to date, the Bulldogs have scored first (they are 9-2-2 when doing so), led at the second intermission (9-0-0) and outshot the opposition (9-8-5).

THE BIG 1-0-0: Senior left winger Austin Farley needs just two more points to become the 57th member of UMD's Century Club.  In 130 career outings, Farley has generated 42 goals and 56 assists. Only seven current NCHC combatants have eclipsed the 100-point mark, including Bulldog senior center Tony Cameranesi, who accomplished that feat this past December.

ROAD, SWEET ROAD: The Bulldogs have compiled more wins on the road this season (they are 5-6-3 away from AMSOIL Arena) than at home (4-5-2). North Dakota is the only NCHC club that can make that claim.

ROAD, SWEET ROAD II: Of UMD's seven lifetime NCHC sweeps, five 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) and Omaha (Jan. 10-11, 2014). The Bulldogs' other two sweeps came on Dec. 4-5, 2015 vs. Western Michigan and on Dec. 5-6, 2014 against Colorado College -- both in Duluth.

ONE FOR THE OLD SCRAPBOOK: Alex Iafallo and Kyle Osterberg, who has been sidelined the past five outings with a upper body injury, registered their first collegiate goals against Colorado College in the same game (Oct. 19, 2013) while fellow juniors Dominic Toninato and Carson Soucy picked up their first points (an assist) in a UMD uniform that night. Junior Brenden Kotyk's (an assist on Dec. 6, 2014) and rookie winger Billy Exell's (an assist on Nov. 20, 2015) first points as Bulldogs also came at the expense of Colorado College.

LET 'ER RIP: UMD is averaging 36.36 shots on goal per night this winter -- the third highest average in all of college hockey, taking a backseat to only Penn State University (43.88) and the University of Michigan (37.36) -- but are 55th among the 60 NCAA I schools in shot percentage (.072).   Senior center Tony Cameranesi is 26th nationally in shots per game (3.65) and ranks fourth among NCHC skaters in that department. On that same league chart, junior center Dominic Toninato is 9th with a 3.08 mark while left winger Adam Johnson is 16th overall and second among all rookies (2.79 spg). The Bulldogs have held the upper hand in shots in 22 of their 23 games this season -- including the last 15 in a row --  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 (26.12 per game), an average bettered by just one other NCHC club -- North Dakota (24.71). UMD's shot margin average (+11.24) ranks third nationally to Penn State (+11.65) and Minnesota State-Mankato (11.54).

MAKING A POINT ON THE POINT: Minutes-munching team captain Andy Welinski has taken a shift in all 139 games since joining the Bulldog program in 2012-13. The  Duluth  native 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 point men 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 2015-16 Bulldogs and seventh among NCHC blueliners in points with 14.  

WHEN IT RAINS IT POURS: The Bulldogs have outscored the opposition 40-7 (including 13-0 in the opening period of play) in their nine wins to date while going 12-for-42 on the power play (28.6 percent). They've connected at just 4.8 percent (3-for-63) with the man advantage in their other 16 games.

OH, SHOOT: UMD is 2-3 lifetime in NCHC shootouts (all of which have been contested at AMSOIL Arena) and junior left winger Alex Iafallo (twice -- the first of which came at the hands of Denver on Jan. 17, 2014 at AMSOIL Arena) and junior center Dominic Toninato (once) are the lone two current Bulldogs to score in the post-overtime event. The following are all-time NCHC shootout statistics for current Bulldogs:
 
THE PUCK STOP HERE: Sophomore goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo, who has started 36 of the past 37 games, is the owner of the NCHC's second-best goals against average (1.97) and fourth-best saves percentage figure (.919). The Vantaa, Finland product 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). This winter, Kaskisuo has appeared in the highest percentage of his team's overall minutes (93.84)  of any NCHC netminder.  

FOREVER YOUNG: Despite being mired in a 10-game pointless skid, 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.

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 ninth-highest scoring senior class. The eight, fourth-year Bulldogs have combined for 30 goals and 48 assists for 78 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-Mankato on Oct. 17, 2014 in Duluth (5-4 in overtime).

BULLDOG BITS: Junior defenseman Willie Raskob (upper body) and sophomore right winger Blake Young (illness) both sat out last weekend's two-game set at Northern Michigan. Raskob is averaging the third most shots on goal (2.57 per game) of any NCHC blueliner at the moment.

• 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. The Bulldogs are 1-2-0 in 3-on-3 overtimes this season.

• 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).  The Bulldogs haven't surrendered a shortie since Dec. 12 against visiting North Dakota, which came with an empty net.

• Freshman left winger Adam Johnson, whose 10 points 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).

SOME GOOD KARMA:  Over 300 Mentor Duluth program participants will UMD's  guests of honor this Saturday as part of the 17th annual Mentor Duluth Appreciation Night. Admittance to the Mentor Duluth Appreciation Night is free to all mentors, mentees and children enrolled in the Mentor Duluth program through donations (for tickets and a concession stand voucher) from the alumni and friends of the UMD Sports Information Office. The Bulldogs are an impressive 12-4-1 all-time on Mentor Duluth Appreciation Nights.

UP NEXT: UMD will remain at home to face Bemidji State this Tuesday night 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.