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The University of Minnesota Duluth will open up the home portion of its 2017-18 National Collegiate Hockey Conference schedule this Friday and Saturday (Nov. 10-11) when the Bulldogs host Western Michigan University in a two-game series. The puck drops at 7:07 p.m. both nights at AMSOIL Arena (6,756) in downtown Duluth.
 
THE RECORDS: UMD is an even 4-4-2 overall and 0-2-0-0 in NCHC play while Western Michigan sports a 5-3-1 record in all games to go with a 2-0-0-0 NCHC mark.

HOW THEY RANK: This is how UMD and Western Michigan stacked up in this week's USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls.

	USCHO.com	USA Today
UMD	No. 12	No. 14
WMU	No. 18	No. 15

ON THE AIR: The two UMD-Western Michigan clashes will be carried live on KDAL-Radio (610 AM and 103.9 FM) with Bruce Ciskie handling the play-by-play responsibilities and Bulldog hockey alumnus Kraig Karakas the color commentary. This marks the 50th year KDAL has been the radio home for Bulldog hockey. The broadcast can also be heard at: kdal610.com.

Both ends of this weekend's series will also be televised locally on My9 (Channel 6.3; Channel 9 on Charter, Mediacom, and Dish Network and Channels 19 and 519 on Paul Bunyan Cable), which has been the Bulldogs' television home for the last 10 seasons. KBJR-TV sports director Zach Schneider and former UMD standout forward Judd Medak will serve as the on-air talent. The two telecasts are available on-line for a fee at: nchc.tv/umd.

THE RIVALRY: UMD and Western Michigan have butted heads on 21 occasions previously, including five times last winter (when they went 1-1 in each other's building before UMD prevailed 5-2 in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff semifinals on March 17). The Bulldogs lead the all-time series 13-7-1 and are 9-7-1 against Western Michigan since the two clubs joined the NCHC ranks in 2013-14:

LAST WEEK: UMD was upended twice by St. Cloud State in the NCHC debuts for the two clubs. The Huskies snapped a six-game home losing streak to the Bulldogs with a 5-3 triumph on Friday night before completing the sweep by blanking their intrastate rivals 5-0 the following afternoon. In the series' opener, the Bulldogs led 2-1 late in the second period on goals from senior right winger Karson Kuhlman (a shorthander) and freshman defenseman Matt Anderson (on the power play) before St. Cloud State scored three straight times to take the lead for good midway through third. Senior center Sammy Spurrell struck with 2:58 to go in regulation to cut the deficit to 4-3, but the Huskies iced the win -- its first over UMD in St. Cloud since Feb. 15, 2014 -- a little over two minutes later with an empty net goal. On Saturday, St. Cloud State rookie netminder David Hrenak turned aside all 29 shots the Bulldogs sent his way and helped hold UMD scoreless on all six of their power play opportunities en route to the shutout victory.

Western Michigan flexed some serious scoring muscle and swept defending NCAA champion and No. 1-ranked Denver, winning 6-5 Friday and 7-4 one night later in Kalamazoo, Mich. Sophomore forward Wade Allison, the reigning NCHC Offensive Player of the Week, racked up five points (four goals and one assists) on the weekend, which included a hat trick on Saturday. Corey Schueneman chipped in five assists over the two games on his way to being chosen the NCHC Defenseman of the Week.

BATTERED BULLDOGS: UMD was without the services of four of its regulars last Friday night due injury -- sophomore left winger Joey Anderson, sophomore defenseman Jarod Hilderman, senior left winger/center Avery Peterson, and freshman winger Nick Swaney. Rookie defenseman Mikey Anderson joined that foursome the following evening. Those five Bulldogs have accounted for nearly 36 percent of UMD's total goals this season (10 of 28).

NOT SO SWEEP: Prior to last weekend, the Bulldogs had not been swept in their previous last 22 regular season series since falling to North Dakota twice on Feb. 19-20, 2016. Last winter marked just the third time 56 years of competing at the NCAA I level that UMD went through an entire regular season without being beaten on back-to-back nights by the same opponent. UMD also accomplished that feat in 2010-11 (when it won its first, and only, NCAA championship) and in 2014-15.

THEY'RE BACK: Since the NCHC first began play in 2013-14, Western Michigan has paid more visits to AMSOIL Arena (10) than any league club.

ROOKIES ON THE RISE: UMD currently possess the nation's second-highest scoring freshmen class (the Bulldogs are tied for that spot with the University of New Hampshire, Bowling Green State University and Sacred Heart University) as that group has amassed 27 points on seven goals and 20 assists. Only the University of Massachusetts' rookies (with 40 points) have generated more.

ROOKIES ON THE RISE II: Mikey Anderson and Scott Perunovich have both produced the fifth-most points (seven) of any rookie defensemen in the country and Perunovich also has five power play points, which leads all NCAA first-year blueliners.

BLOCK PARTY: Defenseman Dylan Samberg, one of 10 Bulldogs who has seen ice time in all 10 games thus far, has blocked 18 shots this season. That not only leads UMD, but it's the third highest total of any NCAA rookie.

IRONMAN KUHLMAN HAS SOME CLASS: Senior team captain Karson Kuhlman, who leads all current Bulldogs in career goals (28), assists (36), points (64) and plus-minus rating (+36), has not missed a game since joining the Bulldog program in 2014-15. His active ironman streak of 132 consecutive appearances is the longest in NCAA I hockey at the moment. Last week, Kuhlman was announced as one of 20 candidates for the 2017-18 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, which is presented annually to an NCAA I athlete in 10 sports (men's hockey, baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's lacrosse, softball, football, men's and women's soccer and women's volleyball) based on achievement in the "Four C's" -- classroom, character, community and competition.

SPEAKING OF KARSON ... : Last Friday night in St. Cloud, Karson Kuhlman potted UMD's first shorthanded goal of the season -- giving him three for his career. No other 2017-18 Bulldog has ever scored with a man down as a collegian.

FIRE AWAY: UMD has outshot its opponents 361-243 this season and that +118 shot differential -- and the +11.8 per game average -- tops all NCAA I schools. In addition, the Bulldogs rank fifth nationally in shots taken (36.10 per game) and are eighth in shots allowed (24.30). UMD has held the upper hand in shots in nine of its 10 games to date with last Friday's outing at St. Cloud State being the one exception.

FIRE AWAY II: UMD sophomore left winger Riley Tufte has put 44 shots on net this year, which is the second most in NCAA I hockey and bettered only by Northeastern University forward Dylan Sikura's 47.

WORKING OVERTIME: The Bulldogs are unbeaten in the last 16 games that have gone beyond regulation, going 7-0-9 since falling 2-1 to North Dakota on Feb. 19, 2016 in Grand Forks, N.D. That includes a 1-0-2 in three extra sessions this season (Only Quinnipiac University with four has played in more overtime games this season than UMD). Just two current Bulldogs -- senior team captain Karson Kuhlman and junior assistant team captain Parker Mackay (one each) -- have an overtime goal to his collegiate credit.

SPREADING THE WEALTH: Of the 23 non-goalies who have taken a shift this season, only three (freshman right winger Koby Bender, senior defenseman Matt McCormack and rookie left winger Kobe Roth) are still without a point.

SPREADING THE WEALTH II: Eight different Bulldogs have scored a power play goal in 2017-18, including both freshmen Mikey Anderson and Nick Swaney, who have a team-leading two.

BRONCO BUSTERS: Junior right winger Parker Mackay's first collegiate goal came at the expense of Western Michigan (Dec. 4, 2015) while both senior right winger Karson Kuhlman and sophomore left winger Joey Anderson registered their career highs for goals (two) against the Broncos (Dec. 4, 2015 and March 4, 2017, respectively).

GET SHORTIE: The shorthanded goal the Bulldogs gave up last Saturday at St. Cloud State night was just their second since Dec. 12, 2015 (a run of 75 games). The other was to Colorado College on Jan. 6, 2017.

LONG IN THE TOOTH: The 18 seasons Scott Sandelin has presided over the UMD puck program is the second longest tenure of any NCHC head coach. (Enrico Blassi is in his 19th year at Miami). It also ties him with Mike Sertich (1982-2000) as the longest-serving bench boss in Bulldog history. Sandelin currently ranks 15th among all active NCAA I coaches in career victories (he is 319-288-84 overall).

TAKE IT TO THE BANK: Since falling 4-3 to host Miami in overtime on Feb. 21, 2015, the Bulldogs are 35-0-3
when taking a lead into the third period. They were 17-0-2 in that situation last season and 2-0-1 thus far in 2017-18.

TAKE IT TO THE BANK II: Going back to a 5-4 loss to visiting Minnesota on Oct. 15, 2011, the Bulldogs are unbeaten in 83 of the 85 games in which they have scored more than three goals. The sole two setbacks during that stretch were inflicted by Minnesota State-Mankato on Oct. 17, 2014 in Duluth (5-4 in overtime) and Western Michigan on March 3, 2017 (7-4).

OH, SHOOT: UMD is 4-3 lifetime in NCHC shootouts, but no current Bulldog has ever participated in this post-overtime event.

A YOUTHFUL BACK END: UMD has dressed five freshmen defensemen (believed to be a program first) in two of the past three games.

SEEING TRIPLE: The 2017-18 UMD roster includes three Andersons (Matt and brothers Joey and Mikey). This marks the sixth time three or more individuals with identical last names have played for the Bulldogs in the same year (Nate, Nick and Rob Anderson in 2001-02 and 2000-01; Colin, Nate, Richie and Rob Anderson in 1999-2000; Colin, Nate and Richie Anderson in 1998-99; and Brad, Brian and Jim Johnson in 1983-84).

COMEBACK KIDS: UMD has trailed the opposition 17 times at the second intermission since the 2016-17 opener and has suffered only seven losses in those outings (5-7-5).

MAKE ROOM IN THE RAFTERS: In a special pre-game ceremony this Saturday night, UMD will officially retire Curt Giles' No. 4 jersey, making the UMD Athletic Hall of Fame charter member the fifth Bulldog male in any sport to be so recognized. He'll join Keith "Huffer" Christiansen (No. 9) Brett Hull (No. 29), Glenn "Chico" Resch (No. 1) Bill Watson (No. 14) and in that exclusive club.

A two-time All-American and All-WCHA first team honoree (1977-78 and 1978-79), Giles joined the hockey Bulldogs as a highly-talented 16-year old rookie defenseman in the fall of 1975. He twice served as UMD's team captain, including in 1978-79 when the Bulldogs placed third in the final WCHA standings -- their highest finish ever at that point -- and nailed down the program's first No. 1 national ranking. In 143 lifetime games, Giles racked up 171 points (36 goals and 135 assists), a then-school record for a defenseman. His 1.20 points per game average remains the best career mark ever turned in by a Bulldog blueliner while he continues to also hold or share overall UMD single-game records for points (six, which he accomplished twice) and assists (six). Voted UMD's Outstanding Senior Athlete for 1978-79, Giles joined the Minnesota North Stars in 1979, launching a NHL career that spanned 14 seasons and also included stints with the New York Rangers (1986-88) and St. Louis Blues (1991-93). He was an integral part of two Stanley Cup finalists (1981 and 1991) with the North Stars and was three-time recipient of the Bill Masterton Memorial Cup as that franchise's Most Valuable Player (1980-81, 1984-85 and 1988-89). Giles, who skated in 895 regular season career NHL games (and had 242 points to show for it) and another 103 playoff outings, captained the North Stars during the 1989-90 and 1990-91 seasons. His hockey resume also includes helping Canada capture a silver medal at the 1992 Winter Olympics and a bronze medal at the 1987 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships.

For the past 18 winters, Giles, a native of the Pas, Manitoba, has served as the head boy's hockey coach at Edina High School where his Hornets have won three Minnesota State Class AA Tournament titles (2010, 2013 and 2014) while rolling up a 357 wins.

UP NEXT: UMD will return to the road to face NCHC rival Miami on Nov. 17-18.





 
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