Box Score There were plenty of storylines that emanated from the University of Minnesota-Duluth's  8-0 National Collegiate Hockey Conference triumph over Western Michigan University on Friday night in Kalamazoo, MIch.

For openers, senior Karson Kuhlman registered his first collegiate hat trick. Sophomore goaltender Hunter Shepard set a Bulldog record with his sixth shutout the season (and third in as many games, which equals another club mark). The margin of victory was UMD's largest since a 9-1 takedown of visiting Yale University on Oct. 25, 2005 and the eight goals were the most by a Bulldog club in nearly three years (8-2 over the University of Nebraska-Omaha on March 7, 2014 in Duluth).

No. 9 UMD, on the second period goals by Kuhlman and rookie defenseman Dylan Samberg (his first as Bulldog), took a 2-0 lead into the second intermission before erupting for five goals in the opening 8:32 of the final period. Those scores came from sophomore left winger Riley Tufte (his team-leading 14th of the year), Kuhlman, rookie right winger Nick Swaney, freshman defenseman Scott Perunovich and senior left winger Blake Young. Kuhlman capped off the hat trick -- and the night's scoring with 7:00 minutes remaining in regulation.

Senior center Jared Thomas was credited with three assists (for the second three-point night of his career) and was a team-high +4 to boot.

Shepard, who also picked up his first collegiate assist Friday, finished with 22 saves in his 28th straight start and has now gone 190:51 without allowing a goal. His Western Michigan counterparts, Trevor Gorsuch and Austin Cain combined to make 34 stops.

UMD (17-13-3 overall and 11-10-0 in the NCHC) went 2-for-6 on the power play and held the No. 17 Broncos off the board on all three of their man advantage opportunities to run its streak of consecutive penalty kills to 39 going back fo Jan. 19.

The two clubs will meet again on Saturday night in the Bulldogs' 2017-18 regular season road finale.