The run started at the National Collegiate Hockey Conference Frozen Faceoff two years and ended at that same event this afternoon.

The University of Minnesota Duluth entered Saturday sporting a program-best eight-game winning streak against the University of North Dakota but the Fighting Hawks were finally able to get the best of their longtime rivals, skating to a 4-1 triumph in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff third place game at St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center.

No. 14 North Dakota, which fell to UMD in both the 2016 Frozen Faceoff semifinals (the start of the eight-game skid) and in last year's title bout, scored once in the first period (when it was outshot 11-6) and tacked on another goal 7:09 into the second. The Fighting Hawks spent the final five minutes of regulation on the power play after UMD sophomore defenseman Nick Wolff was assessed a major penalty for kneeing, and capitalized twice, the first of those coming at the 15:51 mark. Mikey Anderson got the No. 8 Bulldogs on the board 46 seconds later when he beat North Dakota goaltender Cam Johnson with a shot from inside the right faceoff circle for his first collegiate shorthanded goal. North Dakota then cashed in on the 5-on-3 power play with just under a minute to play to round out the scoring.

Sophomore goaltender Hunter Shepard, who has now made 35 consecutive starts, was credited with 27 saves while surrendering four goals for just the second time in his last 18 appearances.

The Bulldogs (21-16-3 overall) will learn of their NCAA Tournament fate tomorrow at 11 a.m. when the 16-team field is officially announced on ESPNU. UMD has advanced to the NCAA postseason in six of the past nine years, including the last three in row. No Bulldog team has ever competed in four straight NCAA tournaments.

"It's really important that the guys -- especially the younger ones -- get to experience these kinds of games," said UMD head coach Scott Sandelin. "It's hard to win at this time of the year, it's hard. Tonight is what you are going to see if we do advance -- it will be do or die."