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The University of Minnesota Duluth will engage its final two road assignments of the 2017-18 regular season this Friday and Saturday (Feb. 23-24) when it pays a visit to Kalamazoo, MIch. for a two-game National Collegiate Hockey Conference series with Western Michigan University. The puck drops at 6:05 p.m. (CT) both nights at Lawson Arena (3,667)

THE RECORDS: UMD is 16-13-3 overall and an even 10-10-0-0 in NCHC play (tied for third place with the University of North Dakota) while Western Michigan sports a 14-14-0 record in all games to go with an 9-10-1-0 NCHC mark (fifth place).

HOW THEY RANK: This is how the Bulldogs and Broncos 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. 9	No. 11	No. 8(t)
WMU	No. 17	RV	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. 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 on My9 (KBJR DT 6.2/KRII DT 11.9), which has been the Bulldogs' television home for the last 10 seasons. KBJR-TV sports director Zach Schneider will be on the call. The two telecasts are available on-line for a fee at: nchc.tv/umd.

THE RIVALRY: UMD and Western Michigan have butted heads on 23 occasions previously, including twice early this season (Nov. 10-11) in Duluth where the two clubs traded shutout wins. UMD made its 2017-18 NCHC home debut by taking down Western Michigan 3-0 in the opener have the Broncos turn the tables with a shutout victory of its own (5-0) one night later. In the series' opener, senior left winger Avery Peterson tallied twice (including once on the power play) after junior center Peter Krieger had given the Bulldogs all the scoring they would need with an even-strength goal midway through the first period. Sophomore goaltender Hunter Shepard took care of matters at the other end of the rink, stopping all 22 shots Western Michigan fired his way. Even though they were outshot 31-20, the Broncos kept UMD off the board the ensuing evening, thanks to the puckstopping heroics of Ben Blacker, who went on to be named the NCHC Goalie of the Week.

The Bulldogs lead the all-time series 14-8-1 and are 10-8-1 against Western Michigan since the two clubs joined the NCHC ranks in 2013-14:

LAST WEEK: Hunter Shepard and his teammates did something no other Bulldog team had ever done in program history -- shut out an opponent in both ends of a home series. Shepard made 16 saves on Friday night as UMD throttled Miami University 4-0 then saw his workload increase dramatically 24 hours later with a 34-stop performance while backstopping the Bulldogs to a 3-0 triumph. Freshman defenseman Mikey Anderson and sophomore center Jade Miller each scored once and assisted on another goal Friday. Sophomore right winger Joey Anderson duplicated that feat in the series finale and junior center Peter Krieger also contributed two points (a pair of assists) to the UMD scoring coffers.

PUCK HUNTER: By keeping Miami scoreless over the weekend, Hunter Shepard was selected the NCHC Goaltender of the Week, the league-high fourth time he has been so honored this season. Shepard, who has now made 27 consecutive starts going back to Oct. 21, now has five shutouts, which ties a school-single season record held by four others -- including his two predecessors (Hunter Miska in 2016-17 and Kasimir Kaskisuo in 2015-16) as well as UMD volunteer goaltending coach Brant Nicklin (1997-98).

The former North American Hockey League Goaltender of the Year (2015-16) currently ranks first (tied) in the NCHC with those five shutouts, is third in saves percentage (.921) and fourth in goals against average (2.15). His 16-11-1 record is a bit deceiving in that in three of his losses he has allowed just one goal.

The first of Shepard's three career shutouts against a NCHC foe came in UMD's 3-0 victory over Western Michigan on Nov. 10 at AMSOIL Arena.

Shepard has now gone 130:51 without allowing a goal (Denver's Dylan Gambrell scored at 9:09 of the third period in a 4-3 Pioneer home win on Feb. 3). That's still less than halfway to the Bulldog program record for scoreless minutes of 263:58 set by Kaskisuo between Nov. 4-Dec. 15, 2015.

YOU'RE KILLING ME: UMD's opponents are just 2-for-44 with the man advantage over the past 10 games (4.5percent) and have been held scoreless on their last 36 power play opportunities. North Dakota's Trevor Olson was the last player to strike on the power play against the Bulldogs, doing so in the first period of a 5-3 UMD home triumph on Jan. 19. Six days earlier (prior to their series finale bout at Colorado College), the Bulldogs ranked 52nd out of 60 NCAA I schools in penalty kill percentage at 77.2. They''ll come into this weekend with the 18th best mark in the country (83.1 percent).

GREAT SCOTT!: UMD scoring leader Scott Perunovich, the NCHC Rookie of the Month for November, is currently eighth among all NCAA freshmen in points (25 -- the highest total of any first-year defenseman in the country) and is tied for seventh in both assists (18) and plus-minus rating (+12)

TAKE IT TO THE BANK: Since falling 4-3 in overtime at Miami on Feb. 21, 2015, the Bulldogs are 49-0-3 when taking a lead into the third period. They were 17-0-2 in that situation last year and are 15-0-1 thus far in 2017-18. On the flip side, UMD is a mere 1-13-2 when it hasn't held a lead at the second intermission this season.

MORE POWER TO THEM: After cashing in on 13 of 24 power play opportunities (a sizzling 54.1 percent) during a six-game stretch from Dec. 29 to Jan. 20, the Bulldogs are just 1-for-18 in the seven outings since

MORE POWER TO THEM II: The Bulldogs have struck for two or more power play goals seven times this season. They are 6-0-1 in those seven games and, going back to Dec. 4, 2015, are 14-0-2 when striking multiple times with the man advantage.

MORE POWER TO THEM III: Some 14 different Bulldogs have scored a power play goal in 2017-18, including junior right winger Parker Mackay, who has a UMD-leading (and career-high) four.

IRONMAN KUHLMAN: Senior team captain Karson Kuhlman, who leads all current Bulldogs in career goals (33), assists (39), points (72) and plus-minus rating (+37), has not missed a game since joining the Bulldog program in 2014-15. His active ironman streak of 154 consecutive appearances is the longest in NCAA I hockey at the moment. Kuhlman is one of 10 finalists for the 2017-18 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, which is presented annually to an NCAA I athlete in 10 different sports based on achievement in the "Four C's" -- classroom, character, community and competition.

ROOKIES ON THE RISE: The Bulldogs sport the NCHC's highest-scoring freshmen class at the moment as that ensemble has collectively amassed 92 points on 21 goals and 71 assists.

ROOKIES ON THE RISE II: In addition to amassing the fifth most points in the country, the UMD rookie class also ranks second nationally in blocked shots (5.75 per game),third in power play points (32) and fourth in both shots (9.53 per game) and power play goals (10).

OH, FOR PETE'S SAKE: Junior center Peter Krieger, who is debuting with the Bulldogs this season after transferring from the University of Alaska Fairbanks one year ago and sitting out all of 2016-17, is currently tied for the NCAA lead in game-winning goals with five. That's still four shy of the program single-season record of nine set by Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner Chris Marinucci in 1992-93.

COMING UP EMPTY: The Bulldogs have collectively posted six shutouts this season, which is the most in program history.

COMING UP EMPTY II: On the flip side, after entering the 2017-18 season having gone 66 straight games without being shut out, the Bulldogs have already been held scoreless by the opposition on six occasions this year. That gives them a share (with the 2007-08 club) of the team record for most times shut out in a single season.

HITTING HIS STRIDE: After managing just two goals and three assists in his first 11 appearances of the season, Joey Anderson, a 2016-17 NCHC All-Rookie Team pick, has amassed 16 points (five goals and 11 assists) in his 13 games since.

WORKING OVERTIME: The Bulldogs are unbeaten in the last 17 games that have gone beyond regulation, going 7-0-10 since falling 2-1 to North Dakota on Feb. 19, 2016 in Grand Forks, N.D. That includes a 1-0-3 in four extra sessions this season. 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.

LIFE OF RILEY: Sophomore left winger Riley Tufte, the only 2017-18 Bulldog to reach the double-digit mark for goals this season (13), has generated 12 points (seven goals and five assists) over his last 12 games.

FIRST THINGS FIRST: UMD is 14-6-0 when it has scored first this season and just 2-7-3 when it hasn't done so.

FIRST THINGS FIRST II: The Bulldogs have scored the sxth-most first period goals (34) in the nation this season and their +14 goal differentia during that period ranks first among all NCAA schools.

BLOCK PARTY: Defenseman Dylan Samberg has blocked 57 shots this season. That not only leads UMD but it's the second highest total of any NCAA rookie.

OH SHOOT(OUT): UMD is 4-3 lifetime in NCHC shootouts, but hasn't competed in one since Feb. 18, 2017 (when it won 1-0 at Colorado College). No current Bulldog has ever participated in that post overtime event.

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 Blasi 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.

GET SHORTIE: The Bulldogs have allowed just three shorthanded goals in their last 97 games (at Denver on Feb. 3, 2018 at Denver, at St. Cloud State on Nov. 4, 2017 and versus Colorado College on Jan. 6, 2017 in Duluth).

GET SHORTIE II: Senior right winger Karson Kuhlman (four, including two this year) and junior right winger Parker Mackay (one) are the only two 2017-18 Bulldogs who have ever scored while a man down as a collegian.

KING OF THE ROAD: Eight of senior right winger Blake Young's 10 points this season have been registered away from AMSOIL Arena. Rookie defenseman Scott Perunovich tops all 2017-18 Bulldogs in road scoring with 14 points (four goals and 10 assists).

NOT SO SWEEP: UMD has been swept only three times in their last 30 regular season series overall (going back to Feb. 19-20, 2016) and all three of those have come this year -- at St. Cloud State (5-3 and 5-0 on Nov. 3-4) and against Denver (1-0 and 2-1 on Dec. 1-2 and 1-0 and 4-3 on Feb. 2-3). 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.

HOMEWARD BOUND: The Bulldogs will return to AMSOIL Arena next weekend (March 2-3) to take on the University of Nebraska Omaha in the 2017-18 regular season finales for both clubs.











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