Talk about a great way to head into the Holidays.

The University of Minnesota Duluth got goals from four different players and some terrific third-period puckstopping work from Hunter Shepard and held on for a 4-3 road victory over the University of Nebraska Omaha Saturday night. In the process, the Bulldogs completed their second National Collegiate Hockey Conference series sweep of the season as they begin a 22-day layoff for the Christmas Holidays.

UMD, which improved to 9-6-1 overall and 6-1-1-0 in the NCHC, spotted the Mavericks a 1-0 lead 10:06 into the first period before reeling off three straight goals. Cole Koepke, who scored twice in Friday's 6-3 triumph, got the first of those tallies by forcing a turnover and then backhanding in a shot at the 14:20 mark of the first period. Less than three minutes later and with UMD a man down, Justin Richards  struck for his second shorthanded goal of the season put the Bulldogs up for good. Junior left winger Kobe Roth picked up the only goal of the second period, burying  a wicked wrister on the power play. The Mavericks (6-6-2 overall; 1-4-1-0 NCHC) cut the deficit to 3-2 just 1:39 into the third period only to have the Bulldogs answer midway through that same period on sophomore center Jackson Cates' sixth goal of the season. Cates took a 2-on-1 feed from his younger brother, Noah, and launched a shot from the left face off circle that beat Omaha netminder Austin Roden. With Roden pulled for an extra attacker and the Mavericks on the power play, Taylor Ward scored with 38 seconds to go but that would be the last of 14 shots Omaha would put on Shepard that period (it outshot the Bulldogs 14-3).

Shepard, a 2018-19 All-American making in 98th consecutive start, finished the night with 26 saves while Roden and starting Omaha netminder Isaiah Saville combined for 28 stops.

Junior left winger Nick Swaney added two assists for the Bulldogs, who are off to their second best NCHC start in program history.

UMD won't return to the ice until Dec. 29-30 when they pay a first-ever visit to Merrimack College for its final non-conference assignments of the 2019-20 season.