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The University of Minnesota Duluth will engage in its first road series of the young 2018-19 season this Friday and Saturday (Oct. 12-13) when Bulldogs pay a visit to Houghton, Mich., for a pair of non-conference bouts with Michigan Tech University. The puck drops at 6:37 p.m. (CT) on Friday and 6:07 p.m. the following evening at the John J. MacInnes Student Ice Arena (4,466) on the Michigan Tech campus.

THE RECORDS: The defending NCAA national champion Bulldogs, who are 0-1-1 this year, won 11 of their final 14 games of the 2017-18 season to finish 25-16-3 overall while placing third in National Collegiate Hockey Conference at 13-11-0-0. Michigan Tech, which will be making its 2018-19 debut this Friday night, was 22-17-5 overall and 12-11-5-2 in Western Collegiate Hockey Association play (fifth place) one year ago. The Huskies went on to capture the WCHA playoff title and advance to the NCAA Tournament (where they bowed out to the University of Notre Dame in the East Regional semifinals).

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

	uscho.com	USA Today
UMD	No. 3	No. 2
MTU	No. 19	RV

ON THE AIR: The two UMD-Michigan Tech bouts this weekend will carried on KDAL-Radio (610 AM and 103.9 FM) with Bruce Ciskie handling the play-by-play responsibilities. The broadcast can also be heard at: kdal610.com.

Both ends of this weekend's series will be televised locally on My9, which has been the Bulldogs' television home for the last 11 seasons with one-time KBJR-TV sports director Zach Schneider on the call.

In addition, Friday's and Saturday's games will both be streamed and available at: www.flohockey.tv.

THE RIVALRY: This weekend's series will mark the 231st and 232nd meetings ever between UMD and Michigan Tech. The Huskies hold a 121-88-21 lead in the all-time series, which began on Dec. 31, 1952 at the old Duluth Curling Club. The two clubs last collided on Oct. 7, 2017 in Duluth where Michigan Tech prevailed 4-3 the Ice Breaker Tournament title game. The opportunistic Huskies converted on their first three man advantage opportunities of the night and scored on four of their 17 shots in that win.

LAST WEEK: The Bulldogs launched their 75th season of intercollegiate hockey by skating to a 1-1 overtime draw with the University of Minnesota at AMSOIL Arena on Saturday before falling 7-4 to their long-time intrastate rivals the next night in Minneapolis, Minn. Senior center Peter Krieger -- on the power play -- accounted for UMD's lone goal in the opener and junior goaltender Hunter Shepard finished with 27 saves. In the rematch, UMD dug itself a 3-0 first-period hole and got within one goal only once (3-2 with 5:19 to go in the second period). Rookie left winger Jackson Cates scored twice while his brother (and freshman linemate), Noah Cates, and sophomore defenseman Mikey Anderson each had a goal for the Bulldogs, who saw their program-best nine-game unbeaten streak (8-0-1) against Minnesota come to an end. UMD outshot the Gophers 46-22 on the night and 19-3 in the second period.

SOME MACINNES MOJO: The Bulldogs are unbeaten in eight of their last nine visits to the MacInnis Student Ice Arena, going 7-1-1. That lone loss came in UMD last road bout against the Huskies -- on Dec. 13, 2014 when Michigan Tech struck with 18.4 seconds to go in regulation to win 4-3.

NO STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT: UMD has faced off with Michigan Tech more times (230) during its 75-year history than all but two opponents -- North Dakota (239) and Minnesota (234).  The Bulldogs and the Huskies have met at least once every year since the 1961-62 season except for one winter (2015-16).

GIVING IT THEIR BEST SHOT: The 46 shots UMD put on net in Sunday's 7-4 setback to the Minnesota were its most since a 56-shot effort against Providence College in the NCAA Northeast Region semifinals (a 2-1 double-overtime Bulldog triumph).

SPREADING THE WEALTH: A dozen different Bulldogs came away with at least a point in the home-and-home series with Minnesota. That includes three freshmen --forwards Jackson Cates (a team-high two goals),  Cole Koepke (one assist) and Noah Cates (one assist). Along with that trio, two other rookies -- defenseman Jake Rosebaum and right winger Tanner Laderoute -- also made their collegiate debuts over the weekend. Sophomore defenseman Mikey Anderson was the only Bulldog to mark in the points  column each night.

FOR PETE'S SAKE: Senior center Peter Krieger leads all active Bulldogs in career appearances against Michigan Tech, although six of his seven lifetime games were registered while he was a member of the University of Alaska Fairbanks program (2014-16).

GREAT SCOTT!: Scott Perunovich, who owns a share of the 2018-19 Bulldog scoring lead with two points, became just the second UMD freshman to ever collar All-American first team honors last year (center Murray Keogan was the other in 1969-70). He was the recipient of the 2017-18 Tim Taylor Award (Hockey Commissioner's Association National Rookie of the Year) as well as both NCHC Rookie of the Year and NCHC Offensive Defenseman of the Year honors (both UMD program firsts). The Hibbing, Minn., product and All-NCHC first team pick also became the second defenseman to ever lead UMD in scoring and the first rookie to do it in 15 years. He racked up 36 points (a record for a first-year Bulldog blueliner and the most of any freshman defenseman in the country) on 11 goals and a team-leading 25 assists in 42 games. Among NCAA rookies, Perunovich ranked first in plus-minus rating (+22) and third in both points and assists.

QUALITY NOT QUANTITY: The 2018-19 Bulldog roster includes only three seniors -- right wingers Billy Exell and Parker Mackay and center Peter Krieger, who transferred to UMD two years ago from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. That's UMD's smallest senior class since it moved to the NCAA I ranks in 1961-62. It also ties the Bulldogs for the NCAA I lead with nine other schools: American International College, Boston University, Clarkson University, the University of Connecticut, Denver, the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, St. Lawrence University and the University of Vermont.

TAKE IT TO THE BANK: Since falling 4-3 at Denver in the NCHC playoff opener on March 13, 2015, the Bulldogs are 55-0-3 when taking a lead into the third period. (They were 23-0-1 in that situation one year ago.) On the flip side, UMD was a mere 2-16-2 when it didn't lead at the second intermission last season. The second of those two wins (3-2 in overtime) came in the NCAA West Regional semifinals against a Minnesota State University-Mankato club that was 25-0-0 when ahead after two periods last season. The other triumph was registered in the 2017-18 opener versus Minnesota (4-3 in overtime).

PUCK HUNTER: Junior Hunter Shepard, a 2017-18 All-NCHC second team selection and semifinalist for the Mike Richter Award (most outstanding NCAA goaltender), has now made 41 consecutive starts -- a run that began on Oct. 21, 2017. Shepard, who came into 2017-18 with just two collegiate appearances to his name, finished the year with a 1.91 goals against average, a .925 saves percentage and eight shutouts (all program single-season bests) while going 25-14-1 in 41 outings.

The six goals Shepard allowed on Sunday night against Minnesota were a career single-game high.

BONUS HOCKEY HAS BEEN A BONUS: The Bulldogs are unbeaten in the last 19 games that have gone into overtime, going 8-0-11 since falling 2-1 to host North Dakota on Feb. 19, 2016. That includes a 2-0-3 mark in five extra sessions last season. Just one current Bulldog -- senior team captain Parker Mackay -- has an overtime goal to his collegiate credit. Mackay has two, striking in the 2017-18 season opener against Minnesota and in the 2018 NCAA West Regional semifinals versus Minnesota State.

MY, HOW TIME FLIES: This marks Scott Sandelin's 19th season of presiding over the Bulldog hockey program, making him the longest-serving bench boss in team history (UMD Athletic Hall of Famer and one-time Michigan Tech coach Mike Sertich spent 18 years in that role). Sandelin, whose tenure is also the second longest of any NCHC head coach. (Enrico Blassi is in his 20th year at Miami), currently ranks 12th among all active NCAA I coaches in career victories (he's now 340-301-86 overall).

LIFE OF RILEY: Junior right left winger Riley Tufte tops all current Bulldogs in career goals (25) and plus-minus rating (+26).

IT'S HOW YOU FINISH THAT COUNTS: UMD has gotten off to a 2-0-0 start only once in the past 17 seasons and that came in 2016 when the Bulldogs swept Michigan Tech (6-0 and 4-3 on Oct. 1-2 in Duluth).

THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT THOSE HUSKIES: Scott Sandelin has posted more career victories over Michigan Tech (he is 31-17-10 lifetime) than any other opponent. His first collegiate head coaching victory was against the Huskies as well (5-3 on Nov. 11, 2000 at the DECC).

MORE POWER TO THEM: UMD went 3-for-10 on the power play during its two-game set with Minnesota with three different Bulldogs striking while a man up.

MORE POWER TO THEM II: The last time UMD finished a season with a better power play percentage than it did in 2017-18 (23.2 percent) was in 2003-04 when the NCAA Frozen Four semifinalist Bulldogs compiled a 25.9 mark.

MORE POWER TO THEM III: Going back to Dec. 4, 2015, UMD is 18-1-2 when scoring multiple times with the man advantage. That lone loss came last Sunday night at Minnesota when UMD went 2-for-5 with the man advantage.

GET SHORTIE: Senior right winger Parker Mackay (one -- on Jan. 26, 2018 against St. Cloud State), and sophomore defenseman Mikey Anderson (in the 2018 NCHC Frozen Faceoff against North Dakota) are the only two active Bulldogs who have ever scored while a man down as a collegian.

GETTING THE FIRST ONE OUT OF WAY: Both sophomore defenseman Scott Perunovich (a goal) and center Justin Richards (an assist) registered their first collegiate points at the expense of Michigan Tech at last year's Ice Breaker Tournament.

UP NEXT: UMD will host the University of Maine next Friday and Saturday (Oct. 19-20) in the Black Bears' first Duluth appearances since Jan. 7, 1989).