FACEOFF The University of Minnesota Duluth returns to action after a bye week rested and ready to open National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) play against Denver. The opening puck drop between the No. 7 Bulldogs and the No. 1 Pioneers is set for just after 7 p.m. both Friday and Saturday night at AMSOIL Arena, broadcasting live locally on My9 Sports Network and KDAL 610-AM and 103.9 FM.

LAST TIME OUT UMD bounced back in a big way with a series sweep over in-state rival and Big Ten Conference foe Minnesota (R.V.), winning 5-2 in Minneapolis on Friday night before returning home for a 2-0 victory at AMSOIL Arena in the finale on Saturday. Senior goalie Hunter Shepard earned his 17th career shutout, while rookies Quinn Olson and Brandon Puricelli tallied their first career goals in the sweep.

FLAVOR OF THE WEEK A pair of Bulldogs earned NCHC weekly honors on Oct. 28 after the series sweep of the Gophers. Shepard collected the tenth Goalie of the Week honor of his career, allowing just two goals while making 39 saves, good for a .951 save percentage on the weekend. 

Scott Perunovich led the UMD defense both in helping Shepard securethe shutout with four blocked shots on the weekend and in producing points from the blue line. He scored a power play goal and added a pair of assists in the road win on Friday. He earned his first Defenseman of the Week honor since his rookie campaign, having last been tabbed as the NCHC Offensive Player of the Week last season on Oct. 22.

AGAINST THE COMPETITION Opening conference play, the Bulldogs now face off in some of their most storied rivalries. UMD and Denver have faced off 13 times in the past three seasons, including each postseason and the Pioneers' 3-2 win over the Bulldogs in the 2017 NCAA National Championship game. UMD finished 3-2-0 against Denver last season, but the Pioneers own the historical series edge, 124-77-12 all-time against the Bulldogs. Scott Sandelin holds a 21-43-5 record against Denver in his coaching career.

LAST MEETING UMD shut out Denver 3-0 at the NCHC Frozen Faceoff at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul last season on March 22, 2019. The Bulldogs scored three unassisted goals in the third period – two from Cole Koepke and another from Louie Roehl – while Hunter Shepard stopped all 25 shots he faced. The defense held Denver to just six shots in the third while the offense came alive on the other end. The two teams split each of their weekend series in 2018-19.

BULLDOGS IN THE POLLS Despite being idle last week, UMD slid one spot in both major national polls, slotting No. 7 ahead of their conference opener. Each of the Bulldogs' four opponents so far this season have ranked in the top 20 or stood among the teams receiving votes when competition started. The top-ranked Pioneers hold tight to 49-of-50 first-place votes. Other NCHC representation in this week's poll includes No. 10 North Dakota and No. 20 Omaha. Western Michigan and St. Cloud State each land among the teams receiving votes just outside the top 20.

NCAA SUPERLATIVES UMD's special teams play has been effective early in the season, currently ranking no. 11 in penalty killing, shutting down opponents on 90.9 percent of power plays while also ranking no. 24 with the man advantage, scoring on 19.2 percent of their own power play opportunities. Allowing 2.50 goals per game, the Bulldogs rank no. 20 in the nation.

A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN UMD ranks in the top half of the NCHC in power plays (fourth) and penalty kills (third), as well as scoring defense (fourth). Their early bye week keeps the Bulldogs ranked lower in counting stats. Scott Perunovich still ranks tied for seventh in the conference with his six points (two goals, four assists) as Jackson Cates ranks tied for 18th with his five points (three goals, two assists).

ICE CHIPS While the team's been known for its late season runs in recent years, UMD has gone 24-13-7 in October during the past six seasons ... Race to 3? The Bulldogs are 3-0-0 when allowing two or fewer goals this season ... UMD has been effect on special teams this season, holding opponents to just two goals on 22 power play chances (9.1 percent), while scoring on 19.2 percent of their own opportunities with the man advantage (5-for-26) ... meanwhile, opponents have scored 12 even-strength goals against the Bulldogs while UMD has tallied eight through six games.

MINNESOTA SPORTS AWARDS Sports Minneapolis, a division of Meet Minneapolis, announced last month that the 2018-19 UMD Bulldogs received a pair of nominations for the 2019 Minnesota Sports Awards. Head coach Scott Sandelin stands alongside Rocco Baldelli of the Minnesota Twins and Adrian heath of Minnesota United F.C. as a candidate for Coach of the Year, while former Bulldog captain Parker Mackay ('19) landed a nomination for the Men's Collegiate Athlete of the Year honor. The charity gala and award announcements will take place on Dec. 11 at the Renaissance Minneapolis Hotel, The Depot.

LEADING THE PACK UMD stood atop the NCHC Preseason Poll released Sept. 19, receiving 23 of 28 first-place votes and 218 points overall, 40 more than second-place Denver (178) and 62 more than third-place Western Michigan (156), teams which received two and three first-place votes respectively. North Dakota (143) and St. Cloud State (138) round out the top five.

BEST OF THE BEST Four Bulldogs landed on the seven-man Preseason All-NCHC Team. Hunter Shepard was the lone unanimous selection as the goaltender on all 27 ballots, joined by junior forwards Justin Richards and Nick Swaney, and junior defenseman Scott Perunovich. Each member of the quartet had previously earned NCHC All-Conference designation in the postseason.

SHEP, NO, CAPTAIN SHEP! The reigning team MVP and one of his strongest defenders will lead the Bulldogs this season as senior goaltender Hunter Shepard and senior defender Nick Wolff were selected team captains. Wolff served as an Alternate Captain in 2018-19, setting a new career high in points on the blue line as he scored five goals to go with 13 assists in UMD's historic season. Shepard becomes the first Bulldog goalie since Rick Heinz in 1976-77 to serve as a team captain.

'A' FOR EFFORT Junior forward Justin Richards donned the 'A' to serve as an alternate captain for the UMD for the team's exhibition opener with Alberta, answering questions to who else would receive captaincy duties for the Bulldogs this season. The Columbus, Ohio native has skated in 86 games in his UMD career, scoring 32 points last season.

SERVING HIS COUNTRY UMD head coach Scott Sandelin will serve as the head coach of the U.S. Junior National Team at the 202 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship Dec. 26, 2019 - Jan. 5, 2020. Sandelin has been a part of three previous U.S. National Junior Team coaching staffs, including as head coach in 2005 and as an assistant coach in both 2012 and for last year's silver medal-winning club.

"UNPRECEDENTED" COVERAGE Fans around Bulldog Country will enjoy the opportunity to watch 21 UMD hockey games from the comfort of their couch thanks to local, regional, and national television partnerships. The first Bulldog series that will not be available on television is Nov. 15-16 at Miami. This weekend's series will be available locally on My9 Sports Network, with Fox9+ picking up a simulcast for the Twin Cities market on Saturday night.

BULLDOGS IN THE LIMELIGHT The defending NCHC Frozen Faceoff Champions have been selected for a pair of showcase games on CBS Sports Network beginning later this season. UMD will host North Dakota on Friday, Jan. 24 at AMSOIL Arena before a national TV audience, while the Bulldogs will travel to Western Michigan on Friday, Feb. 20 for another national broadcast. Additionally, the NCHC Frozen Faceoff semifinals and championship game will air live on CBS Sports Network. UMD is 27-7-1 on national TV broadcasts in the last three seasons.

THE PUCK STOPS HERE Hunter Shepard raked in the accolades for his statistical achievements last season, receiving All-American honors from the AHCA in addition to being a top-5 semifinalist for the Mike Richter Award. During the NCHC, he earned the Goaltender of the Year award in addition to landing on the All-NCHC First Team. 

In the postseason, he represented UMD as the Most Outstanding Player in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff and landed on both the NCAA Midwest Regional and Frozen Four All-Tournament teams.

PATENTLY OFFENSIVE In addition to attaining Second Team All-American status from the AHCA (his second consecutive year to receive top national honors), Scott Perunovich earned All-NCHC First Team honors last season while the league tabbed him as its best Offensive Defenseman for the second-straight season. Perunovich earned a spot on the NCAA Midwest Regional All-Tournament Team during the postseason. Despite playing on the blue line, Perunovich ranked third on the UMD scoring charts in 2018-19.

GETTING DEFENSIVE Rising junior forward Justin Richards book-ended Perunovich's award last season  as the NCHC's Best Defensive Forward in additional to notching an All-NCHC Second Team selection. He finished with 32 points, the second-highest output of any Bulldog, scoring 21 more points than his rookie output.

A ROOK' TO REMEMBER Rising sophomore Noah Cates   earned the distinction of top overall vote-getter on the NCHC All-Rookie Team, leading Bulldog newcomers in goals (9), assists (14), and points (23).
MORE HARDWARE Rounding out the returners to receive All-Conference honors, Nick Swaney represented UMD as an All-NCHC Honorable Mention. In addition to his four game-winners, Swaney totaled 15 scores on the year and 25 points. He came through in the clutch for the Bulldogs, tallying a nationwide-best three overtime goals.

HIT THE BOOKS Not just impressive on the ice, UMD saw nine student athletes land on the NCHC Academic All-Conference Team a year ago, including returners Matt Anderson, Koby Bender, Jade Miller, Ben Patt, Justin Richards, and Nick Swaney. Matt and Mikey Anderson each attained NCHC Distinguished Scholar Athlete honors.

THE TEAM'S BEST Shepard received the prestigious Keith "Huffer" Christiansen Award as the Bulldogs' Most Valuable Player last season. He set a program record with his 1.76 goals against average and nearly matched his own program high with seven shutouts on the season. Additionally, Noah Cates received the Jerry Chumola Rookie of the Year Award, Parker Mackay received the Goldie Wolfe Award (Most Inspirational Player), and rising junior forward Justin Richards earned the Mike Sertich Award as the Most Improver Player. Rising senior forward Jade Miller added the Pat Francisco Community Service Award to his career accolades. 

ROSTER BREAKDOWN Along with a four-member senior class, the Bulldogs return eight juniors who know nothing but winning championships in their careers. The 12 upper classmen break down as six defensemen, five forwards, and one goaltender. Eight return for a sophomore go-around with UMD,  two blue-liners, five forwards, and one goalie. The five first-year Bulldogs are goalie Ryan Fanti and forwards Luke Loheit, Brady Meyer, Quinn Olson, and Brandon Puricelli.
WHERE THEY'RE FROM Exactly 60 percent of the UMD roster hails from the Land of 10,000 Lakes with 15-of-25 student athletes growing up in Minnesota. Five cross the border from Canada, including two from Ontario and two from Alberta. The remaining five  Bulldogs include one each from the states of California, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, and Ohio.

FEELING A DRAFT Incoming freshman Quinn Olson became the 112th all-time Bulldog to be selected in the NHL Entry Draft in 2019, selected by the Boston Bruins in the third round with the no. 92 overall pick. He joins Noah Cates (Philadelphia), Cole Koepke (Tampa Bay) Luke Loheit (Ottawa), Scott Perunovich (St. Louis), Dylan Samberg (Winnipeg), and Nick Swaney (Minnesota) among current Bulldogs.

A HEALTHY LOOK Last summer, 12 current Bulldogs had the chance to flash their skills at NHL Development camps. UMD sent three student athletes to both the Bruins (Quinn Olson, Justin Richards, Nick Wolff) and Flyers (Matt Anderson, Jackson Cates, Noah Cates) camps, while the Minnesota Wild took a look at both Louie Roehl and Nick Swaney. Rounding out the group were Cole Koepke in Tampa Bay, Luke Loheit in Ottawa, Scott Perunovich in St. Louis, and Dylan Samberg in Winnipeg.

PARTING IS SUCH SWEET SORROW In addition to graduating three seniors - Billy Exell, Peter Krieger, and Parker Mackay, UMD saw two underclassmen move on to the professional ranks as Mikey Anderson signed with the Los Angeles Kings and Riley Tufte with the Dallas Stars.

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