The University of Minnesota Duluth will put  the finishing touches on its regular season home schedule this Thursday and Friday (Feb. 23-24) with a pair of National Collegiate Hockey Conference bouts against Miami University. The puck drops at 7:07 p.m. both nights at AMSOIL Arena in downtown Duluth.

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THE RECORDS: UMD, which has gone nine straight games without a loss (7-0-2), is 19-5-6 overall and occupies second place in the NCHC standings (two points back of league-leading University of Denver) at 13-4-3-3 while Miami owns a 9-15-6 record in all games to go with a 5-11-4-2 NCHC mark (seventh place).

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

	uscho.com	USA Today	PairWise
UMD	No. 2	No. 2	No. 2
Miami	NR	NR	No. 32

ON THE AIR: The two UMD-Miami clashes will be carried live on 92.1 FM The Fan with Bruce Ciskie and Bulldog hockey alumnus Kraig Karakas on the call. The broadcast can also be heard at: network1sports.com/station/kqds.

Both ends of this week's series will also be televised on My9 (KBJR DT 6.2/KRII DT 11.9), which has been the Bulldogs' television home for the last nine seasons. KBJR-TV sports director Zach Schneider and former UMD team captain Judd Medak will serve as the on-air talent both nights and those two telecasts are available on-line for a fee at: nchc.tv/umd.
 
THE RIVALRY:  UMD and Miami will square off for just the 14th time ever Friday night. The Bulldogs hold a 9-3-1 lead in the all-time series that started at the 2008 West Regional title game in Minneapolis (where the RedHawks put the clamps on the UMD's school-record six-game postseason winning streak with a 2-1 victory). The Bulldogs went 5-0-1 against Miami one year ago and posted back-to-back weekend sweeps over the RedHawks last March (5-0 and 3-1 in the 2015-16 regular season finales and 5-4 and 3-1 in the quarterfinal round of NCHC playoffs).

LAST WEEKEND: UMD managed to skate away with five of a possible six points in a two-game set at Colorado College. The two long-time rivals battled to a 2-2 overtime time on Saturday (with the Bulldogs picking up the extra league point via by winning the sudden death shoot) after UMD had downed the Tigers 2-1 one night earlier.  Junior Blake Young and sophomore center Adam Johnson accounted for the two Bulldogs' goals in the series opener with Johnson's score coming with 4:46 to go in regulation, breaking a 1-1 deadlock. The ensuing evening, seniors Dominic Toninato (power play) and Alex Iafallo (shorthander) both struck within the opening 1:47 of play before the Tigers rallied with a goal late in the second period and the equalizer at 18:02 of the third.    
 
Miami suffered consecutive 5-2 setbacks at the hands  league-leading Denver Friday and Saturday night in Oxford, Ohio.

THIS IS YOUR NIGHT: Friday's regular home season finale with the RedHawks has been designated as the Bulldogs' annual Senior Night and UMD will recognize its seven seniors -- the third largest class in Scott Sandelin's 17-season head coaching tenure -- during a special pre-game ceremony. That group of graduating Bulldogs, who were freshmen during UMD's first year of competition in the NCHC, includes center and 2016-17 team captain Dominic Toninato, wingers Alex Iafallo and Kyle Osterberg, and defensemen Brenden Kotyk (an assistant team captain), Dan Molenaar, Willie Raskob and Carson Soucy (an assistant team captain). The only two times Sandelin has worked with Bulldog roster that was comprised of more seniors than the current one was in 2004-05 (11) and 2015-16 (eight). UMD sports the country's fifth-highest scoring senior class at the moment as that seven-member ensemble has combined to rack up and 108 points on 42 goals and 66 assists -- all NCHC bests.

HAWKISH ON THE REDHAWKS: UMD is unbeaten in eight of its last nine meetings with Miami (7-1-1) and went 5-0-1 against the RedHawks last winter (winning the last four of those bouts). Scott Sandelin's lifetime winning percentage against the RedHawks (.730 off a 9-3-1 record) is his best versus any NCHC foe.

WELCOME BACK: The RedHawks have paid the fewest visits to AMSOIL Arena (just six coming into this week) of any NCHC club. St. Cloud State, on the other hand, has made the most with 14. Here is how UMD's seven league adversaries have fared at AMSOIL Arena since that downtown Duluth facility opened its doors for business on Dec. 30, 2010:
 

Team	GP	W-L-T	Pct.
Denver	8	5-1-2	.750
North Dakota	9	6-3-0	.667
St. Cloud State	14	7-5-2	.571
Western Michigan	10	5-4-1	.550
Nebraska Omaha	10	3-4-3	.450
Colorado College	8	1-6-1	.187
Miami	6	1-5-0	.167

Miami made its AMSOIL Arena debut on Oct. 31, 2014 and posted a 3-2 victory, which is the RedHawks' first -- and last triumph in Duluth.

ANOTHER WEEK, ANOTHER NCHC HONOR:  For his stellar performance in last weekend's two-game series at Colorado College, Hunter Miska was chosen the NCHC Rookie of the Week. It marked the Bulldog netminder's fifth NCHC weekly citation this season -- only University of Denver defenseman Will Butcher has corralled more (six). Miska registered 20 saves while backstopping the Bulldogs to a 2-1 victory over the Tigers on Friday and made 34 stops the ensuing night as the two longtime rivals played to a 2-2 overtime draw. He shut down the Tigers during the 3 x 3 overtime in the series rematch even though Colorado College was on the power play for all but eight seconds of that five-minute session. For the weekend, Miska turned aside 54 of 57 shots (for a .947 saves percentage) and allowed just one even-strength goal in 125:00 of work.

ON A ROLL: UMD's current nine-game unbeaten streak is the third longest in the country at the moment. It's also the longest such run by a Bulldog club since they went a school-record 17 consecutive games without suffering a defeat between Oct. 21, 2011 and Jan. 13, 2012.

A POINT TO REMEMBER: In last Friday's 2-1 triumph at Colorado College, senior left winger  Alex Iafallo assisted on UMD's first goal en route to becoming the 57th member of UMD's 100-point club. In 140 lifetime outings, the Eden, N.Y, product has generated 41 goals and 61 assists. He joins Miami's Anthony Lewis and the University of Nebraska Omaha's Austin Ortega as the only three current NCHC combatants to reach the century mark for points. Iafallo continues to top the Bulldogs in points (32, the fifth-highest total in the NCHC) and goals (14) and is tied for the team lead in assists (18) -- career highs in all three of those of those departments. He's also one of nine league skaters with a hat trick on his 2016-17 resume. In fact, by scoring three times in UMD's 5-2 home win over North Dakota on Oct. 28, Iafallo became the first Bulldog to record a hat trick since current Tampa Bay Lightning winger J.T. Brown struck for four goals at the University of Alaska Anchorage on Feb. 3, 2012.

FREE HOCKEY: UMD is unbeaten in its last nine games that have gone beyond regulation, having gone 0-3-6 since falling 2-1 to North Dakota on Feb. 19, 2016 in Grand Forks, ND.  Just three active Bulldogs -- senior left wingers Kyle Osterberg (three) and Alex Iafallo (one) and junior right winger Karson Kuhlman (one) -- have a sudden death goal on their collegiate resume. Osterberg and Miami's Josh Melnick are the only players in the nation with two overtime goals in 2016-17. This season, UMD has outshot the opposition 33-9 in eight overtime sessions and those 33 shots and +24 shot margin leads all NCAA I schools.

IT'S LONELY AT THE TOP: After a three-week stay atop the USCHO.com poll, the Bulldogs slipped to No. 2 in the latest rankings. In all,  UMD has spent a school-record 11 weeks slotted first in the USCHO.com Poll during the course of the 2016-17 season.

THEY'LL BE BACK: The Bulldogs have already clinched a home berth for the the upcoming NCHC playoffs -- the third time they've done so in the league's four-year history.  UMD has racked up a program-best 13 NCHC victories this winter and with one more win, the Bulldogs would assure themselves of a first-ever top two finish in the NCHC standings as well. Since it last captured a regular season conference title (WCHA) in 1992-93, UMD has turned in a pair of league runner up finish (2003-04 and 2011-12).

THE COMEBACK KIDS: UMD has trailed the opposition 11 times at the second intermission this season and has suffered only three losses in those outings (4-3-4). The Bulldogs' four comeback wins are tops in the nation at the moment (Air Force, Miami. Princeton University and Union College also have four victories) while their .545 winning percentage in that situation is without rival among all 60 NCAA I clubs.

SAVING THEIR BEST FOR LAST: The Bulldogs have outscored the opposition 30-13 in the third period this season and that +17 goal differential is the third-best figure in the country (Notre Dame is at +21 and Boston University is at a +18).

SAVING THEIR BEST FOR LAST II: UMD has given up the fewest third-period goals (13 or just 0.43 per game) of any NCAA club to date.

SAVING THEIR BEST FOR LAST III: Since falling to host Miami 4-3 in overtime on Feb. 21, 2015, the Bulldogs are 28-0-2 when taking a lead into the third period. They were 14-0-0 in that situation last winter and 12-0-2 so far in 2016-17.

NO WALK IN THE PARK: Colorado College (Jan. 6-7 and last weekend) is the only opponent UMD has faced this season that, at the time, was not ranked or received votes in the USCHO.com Poll. Then-No. 17 Michigan Tech paid a visit to AMSOIL Arena for the 2016-17 season openers back on Oct. 1-2 while No. 8 UMass Lowell hosted UMD the ensuing weekend. On Oct. 15-16, it was No. 5 Notre Dame's turn to take on UMD in Duluth and No. 1 North Dakota followed suit on Oct. 28-29. UMD then faced No. 8 St. Cloud State, Western Michigan (receiving votes), and Omaha (receiving votes) the ensuing three weekends, No. 2 Denver on Dec. 9-10 and No. 15 Bemidji State just before holiday break. St. Cloud State (receiving votes) came to town on Jan. 13-14 and one week later No. 8 North Dakota hosted UMD. Minnesota (No. 6) and St. Cloud State (received votes) were the Bullldogs' two North Star College Cup and on Feb. 3-4 Omaha (received votes) was at AMSOIL Arena. UMD currently ranks first in the country in strength of schedule after placing second in that department during the 2015-16 regular season and first one year earlier.

WHERE SHOTS GO TO DIE: In UMD's most recent home outing (Feb. 4), goaltender Hunter Miska backstopped the Bulldogs to a 5-0 takedown of visiting Omaha. That gave the rookie out of Stacy, Minn., five shutouts on the season, equalling the program record held by Kasimir Kaskisuo one year ago Alex Stalock in 2008-09 and Brant Nicklin in 1997-98. Miska, who has now made 24 consecutive starts, currently is tied for first among all NCAA I puckstoppers in shutouts, is sixth in goals against average (1.93) and winning percentage (.769 off an 18-4-4 record) and eighth in victories and daves percentage (.929). The first Bulldog netminder to ever begin his career by going 6-0-0, Miska is a five-time NCHC Goalie/Rookie of the Week honoree and was the league's Rookie of the Month for January. In his last seven starts, he has compiled a 5-0-2 record, an 1.10 goals against average and a .962 saves percentage with two shutouts.

THREE'S A CHARM: The Bulldogs are 2-2-2 all-time in 3-on-3 NCHC overtimes with sophomore defenseman Neal Pionk (on Jan. 6, 2017 vs. Colorado College) and Tony Cameranesi (on Nov. 14, 2015) being the lone Bulldogs to score during that session. Cameranesi's goal, which came against Denver at AMSOIL Arena, was the NCHC's first 3-on-3 tally ever.

SHOOTOUT SKINNY: UMD is 4-3 lifetime in NCHC shootouts and senior left winger Alex Iafallo (four times -- including the league's first-ever successful attempt vs. Denver on Jan. 17, 2014) and senior center Dominic Toninato (once) are the lone two current Bulldogs to score in the post-overtime event.

MAKING A POINT ON THE POINT: Sophomore Neal Pionk has already set personal bests for goals (six) and assists (18) and his 24 points place him third on the NCHC defensemen scoring charts. Four of Pionk's six goals this year have been scored in the third period.

GOOD LUCK CHARMS: The Bulldogs are 10-0-1 this season when senior left winger Kyle Osterberg has collected a goal and 6-0-2 when senior center Dominic Toninato has done so.

HITTING HIS STRIDE: After being held pointless in his first 14 collegiate games, freshman left winger Riley Tufte has accumulated nine points (five goals and four assists) in the 12 outings since. The first round pick of the Dallas Stars in the 2016 NHL draft, Tufte also has posted two-point nights in three of the past eight games.

TAKE IT TO THE BANK: Going back to a 5-4 loss to visiting Minnesota on Oct. 15, 2011, the Bulldogs are unbeaten in 74 of the 75 games -- including the last 41 in a row -- they've struck for more than three goals (68-1-6). The sole setback during that stretch was inflicted by Minnesota State-Mankato on Oct. 17, 2014 in Duluth (5-4 in overtime).

BLOCK PARTY: UMD has blocked more shots this season (14.20 per game) than any NCHC member and ranks 14th nationally after finishing 54th out of 60 NCAA I squads one year ago (10.9 bpg). Senior defenseman Brenden Kotyk paces the Bulldogs in the blocks department (2.00 a night -- the fifth highest total in the NCHC at the moment).

A SENIOR MOMENT: UMD sports the country's fifth-highest scoring senior class as that seven-member ensemble has combined to rack up and 108 points on 42 goals and 66 assists -- all NCHC bests.

THE BIG 3-0-0: Last month (Jan. 14) in a 4-3 overtime triumph over St. Cloud State, UMD's Scott Sandelin became the 16th active NCAA I coach to reach the 300-win mark. Of all-time Bulldog bench bosses, only Mike Sertich served longer and has rolled up more victories than Sandelin (he closed out his 18-year UMD career in 1999-200 with a 350-328-44 lifetime record). Sandelin's 17 seasons is also the second longest continuous tenure of any NCHC head coach. (Enrico Blasi is in his 18th year at Miami).

THAT'S A PLUS: Five of the NCHC's top seven plus-minus leaders are Bulldogs -- sophomore defenseman Neil Pionk (second at +19), senior left winger Alex Iafallo and senior center Dominic Toninato (both tied for third at +18), junior right winger Karson Kuhlman (fifth at+17), and senior defenseman Brenden Kotyk (tied for sixth at +16). Of the 23 Bulldog forwards and defensemen who have taken a shift this season, only junior center Jared Thomas (-2) owns a negative plus-minus rating.

DEBUTING IN STYLE: Right winger and IIHF World Junior Championship gold medalist Joey Anderson currently is tied for 14th nationally and for third among NCHC rookies in scoring with 24 points on seven goals and a league-best 17 assists. The Roseville, Minn., native and NCHC Rookie of the Month for November paces the Bulldogs in even-strength points (18 -- the sixth highest total of any NCAA newcomer).

BULLDOG BITS: The Bulldogs have converted at least once on the power play in eight of their last nine games.

• Sophomore right winger Parker Mackay, the cousin of Bulldog senior defenseman Carson Soucy, was sidelined for six games with a hand injury before returning to the Bulldog lineup last Friday night.

•The last time the Bulldogs played on a Thursday was Oct. 18, 2012 when they beat the University of Notre Dame 3-1 in South Bend, Ind.

• Junior right winger Blake Young's goal last Friday night was his second of the season  -- and his career -- while junior center Jared Thomas snapped a 14-game pointless skid by assisting on Young's score.

• Dominic Toninato is on a four-game scoring streak, the longest of any Bulldog at the moment.

• UMD has collected five shorthanded goals this winter, three of which have come at the expense of North Dakota. That includes a school-record tying two in the Bulldogs' 3-0 victory over the Fighting Hawks on Oct. 29. The most recent shortie came at Colorado College last Saturday night off the stick of senior left winger Alex Iafallo -- the first of his career.

• Conversely, the Bulldogs have given up just one shorthanded goal since Dec. 12, 2015 (a stretch of 53 games) and that was to Colorado College's Sam Rothstein on Jan. 6, 2017.

• Junior center Avery Peterson, who transferred to UMD from the University of Nebraska-Omaha one year ago and sat out the next two semesters, took his first shift as a Bulldog on Dec. 17 at Bemidji State. In 11 games, the Grand Rapids, Minn., native has contributed seven points (five goals and two assists) to the UMD scoring coffers and is a +10 to boot.

• UMD has more senior defensemen (four) on its 2016-17 roster than any other program in the country (It shares that distinction with Princeton University and St. Lawrence University)

• Junior right winger Karson Kuhlman, who is a team-leading +38 for his career, has hit the ice in all 110 games over the last three seasons -- a claim no other Bulldog can make.

• Sophomore right winger Adam Johnson has picked up at least one point in 10 of the past 14 games.

• UMD's opponents are connecting at 16.2 percent on the power play at AMSOIL Arena compared to 23.1 percent away from Duluth.

• Nine different Bulldogs have received some kind of NCHC Player of the Week honor in 2016-17 with rookie goalie Hunter Miska (five) and sophomore defenseman Neal Pionk (three) both being multi-time recipients.

• Senior left winger Alex Iafallo has been credited with five of UMD's last 10 empty net goals (dating back to the 2014-15 season) while freshman right winger Joey Anderson has two.

• There is almost seven years age difference separating senior Brenden Kotyk(who turned 25 last Aug. 27 and is the oldest player in NCAA I hockey) and the youngest Bulldog (freshman Joey Anderson, whose 19th birthday doesn't come up until June 19). Kotyk also holds the distinction of being the only former NCAA Division III player who is competing in the NCAA I ranks this season. (He transferred to UMD in September 2013 after a one-season stint at the College of St. Scholastica).

• Senior center Dominic Toninato is the second straight Duluth East High School alumnus to serve as the Bulldogs' team captain. Defenseman Andy Welinski handled that responsibility in 2015-16.

• All three of Willie Raskob's goals this season have come on the power play. He is one of 12 Bulldogs who has scored with the man advantage in 2016-17

• Prior to this year, the last time UMD sported only freshmen goaltenders on its roster was in 1985-86. That was also the last time three different Bulldogs all made their collegiate goalie debuts in the same season.

• The 2016-17 UMD roster contains two former Minnesota Mr. Hockey Award recipients in freshman left winger Riley Tufte (2015-16) and junior center Avery Peterson (2013-14).

UP NEXT: The Bulldogs will take on No. 8 Western Michigan University next Friday and Saturday night in the regular season finales for both NCHC rivals.