The University of Minnesota Duluth will take its show on the road this Friday and Saturday night (Feb. 22-23) for a pair of National Collegiate Hockey Conference bouts with the University of North Dakota. The puck drops at 7:38 p.m. Friday and 7:07 p.m. the following night at Ralph Engelstad Arena (11,634) in Grand Forks, N.D.

THE RECORDS: The defending NCAA champion Bulldogs are 18-8-2 overall and 11-6-1-0 in NCHC play (second place) while North Dakota sports a 14-13-2 record in all games to go with a 8-9-0-0 NCHC mark (fifth place).

HOW THEY RANK: Here is how UMD and the Fighting Hawks stacked up in the most recent USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls as well as the PairWise rankings:
 

	USCHO.com	USA Today	PairWise
UMD	No. 3	No. 3	No. 3
UND	RV	NR	No. 21

            
ON THE AIR: The two Bulldog-Fighting Hawk clashes this weekend will be carried on KDAL-Radio (610 AM and 103.9 FM) with Bruce Ciskie on the call. The broadcast can also be heard at: kdal610.com.

Friday's series opener will be televised nationally on the CBS Sports Network with Ben Holden, Dave Starman and Shireen Saski serving as the on-air talent.

My9, which has been the Bulldogs' television home for the last 11 seasons, will air Saturday's outing. That telecast is available on-line at: nchc.tv/umd.

THE RIVALRY: UMD will meet for the 242nd time on Friday night. North Dakota holds a 146-86-9 lead in the all-time series, which began on Nov. 26, 1954 at the old Duluth Curling Club. Earlier this season (Nov. 30-Dec. 1), the two long-time rivals traded wins at AMSOIL Arena. UMD, behind sophomore left winger Kobe Roth's two goals and a shutdown performance from junior goaltender Hunter Shepard, throttled the Fighting Hawks 5-0 in the opener. The Bulldogs, who erupted four goals in the second period, also got two-point nights from sophomore defenseman Mikey Anderson, sophomore center Justin Richards and senior right winger Parker Mackay. In the rematch, North Dakota struck twice in a 91 second span early in the first period and hung on for a 2-1 triumph. Freshman right winger Tanner Laderoute accounted for the lone UMD goal (his second of the weekend).

LAST WEEK: UMD returned from its final bye week of the 2018-19 regular season and split a two-game NCHC home set with the University of Denver. Sophomore center Justin Richards scored twice on Friday as UMD took down the No. 7 Pioneers 5-2. Rookie left winger Cole Koepke collected a goal and an assist and was a +3 to boot in the victory. In the series finale, Denver's Devin Cooley stopped all 27 shots the hosts sent his way for his second shutout of the year against UMD.

North Dakota followed up a convincing 5-1 triumph over No. 9 Western Michigan on Friday by falling 4-2 to the host Broncos the ensuing evening.

GETTING OFFENSIVE: Justin Richards, who produced the first multiple-goal game of his collegiate career this past weekend, was selected the National Collegiate Hockey Conference Offensive Player of the Week.

Richards, a 5-11, 190-pound sophomore center out of Columbus, Ohio, tallied two times to help lead the Bulldogs to a 5-2 victory at Denver on Friday night. He struck at 4:01 of the first period to draw UMD even (1-1) with the Pioneers before potting the eventual game-winner midway through the third period. For the weekend, he put five shots on goal and was a +1.

This marked the first NCHC weekly citation of any kind for Richards.

FAMILIAR FOES: The Bulldogs have faced North Dakota on more occasions (241) than any other opponent in their 75-year history. Minnesota (233) is next on that list followed by Michigan Tech (232).

THE PUCK STOPS HERE: No NCAA I club in the nation has given up less totals goals (51) this season than UMD.

THEY'VE HAD THEIR NUMBER: The Bulldogs are 9-2-0 in their last 11 matchups with North Dakota. During that stretch the Bulldogs reeled off a program-best eight consecutive wins over the Fighting Hawks -- a run that ended at lat March's NCHC Frozen Faceoff (a 4-1 loss in the third place game).

SOME "RALPH" REMINISCING: UMD's last visit to Ralph Engelstad Arena (Jan. 20-21, 2017) certainly was a memorable one for the Bulldogs. UMD upended North Dakota twice -- 5-3 and 4-0 -- and in the series finale became the first team to shut out the Fighting Hawks on their home ice since Oct. 28, 2011 (4-0 to St. Cloud State University). The series sweep was also the Bulldogs' first in Grand Forks in 22 years (Jan. 27-28, 1995).

SOME "RALPH" REMINISCING II: In that Jan. 20-21 road sweep of North Dakota, then-rookie left winger Riley Tufter turned in back-to-back two-point nights to land NCHC Offensive Player of the Week honors .

BACK IN THE DAY: UMD bench boss Scott Sandelin and Fighting Hawks' head coach Brad Berry were teammates -- and fellow defensemen -- at North Dakota for three seasons (1983-86). Those two are the only NCHC head coaches to do time in the National Hockey League. Bulldog associate head coach Jason Herter is also a former North Dakota blueliner (1988-91).

A REAL BUZZ KILL: UMD continues to rank first in the nation in penalty kill efficiency at .918. The Bulldogs have given up just three power play goals in their last 17 games and the last 58 times they've been a man down. Omaha is the only opponent that has struck on the power play in both ends of a weekend series this season (Jan. 25-26). Bulldog foes are a mere 8-for-98 on the power play this season, with those eight goals spread over eight different games.

A REAL BUZZ KILL II: UMD has won only one of the last nine games (1-7-1) in which it has given up multiple power play goals. That came last year -- a 6-5 triumph at Colorado College on Jan. 12, 2018, when the Tigers struck twice with the man advantage.

A REAL BUZZ KILL III: The Bulldogs' penalty kill on the road is a NCAA-leading .945 (52-of-55) while its .857 mark at home (38-of-43) ranks eighth nationally. In addition, both of UMD's two shorthanded goals this season were registered away from AMSOIL Arena,

A REAL BUZZ KILL IV: The UMD program record for best penalty kill percentage in a season is .885 set in 2007-08.

PUCK HUNTER: Hunter Shepard, the reigning Hockey Commissioner's Association National Goaltender of the Month and a two-time NCHC Goaltender of the Month award recipient in 2018-19 (November and January), ranks second among NCAA puckstoppers in goals against average (1.73) and is tied for third in wins (18) shutouts (5). He's now made 67 consecutive starts (an ironman run that began on Oct. 21, 2017), which is nine starts shy of the team record set by current UMD volunteer goalie coach Brant Nicklin between Oct. 12, 1996 and March 15, 1998.

Shepard, a 2017-18 All-NCHC second team selection and Mike Richter Award semifinalist (most outstanding NCAA goalie), owns UMD records for shutouts in both a season (eight in 2017-18) and a career (13). One of those 13 lifetime blankings came at the hands of North Dakota (5-0 on Nov. 30 in Duluth).

FLEXING SOME SOPHOMORE MUSCLE: UMD possesses the third-highest scoring sophomore class in the country (120 points on 43 goals and 77 assists) and that group has accounted for 50.2 percent of the Bulldogs' entire point production thus far and 48.3 percent of their goals.

'TOP DOG: Sophomore center Justin Richards holds down the No. 1 spot on the UMD scoring charts with a career-high 27 points (10 goals and 17 assists). Richards, who has taken shifts in all 72 games since joining the Bulldogs one year ago (when he went without a goal), has collected a point in 10 of his last 12 games.

Prior to Jan. 18, 2019, the last time someone other than sophomore Scott Perunovich topped the Bulldogs in points entering a weekend was on Nov. 9, 2017.

BONUS HOCKEY HAS BEEN JUST THAT: UMD is now unbeaten in the last 22 games that have gone into overtime, going 10-0-12, since falling 2-1 to host North Dakota on Feb. 19, 2016. Just three current Bulldogs -- Parker Mackay, Cole Koepke and Nick Swaney -- have an overtime goal as a collegian. Mackay has two, striking in the 2017-18 season opener against Minnesota and in the 2018 NCAA West Regional semifinals versus Minnesota State. Keopke did his in a 4-3 triumph at Denver on Nov. 17, 2018 and Swaney his damage in UMD's 4-3 overtime takedown of Minnesota State-Mankato in the 2018 Desert Hockey Classic semifinals.

GREAT SCOTT!: Since the start of the 2017-18 season, only two other defensemen in the country have generated a higher plus-minus rating (+30) than Scott Perunovich. Here is how the Hibbing, Minn., native ranks among his NCAA I blue line brethren in scoring during that stretch:

    Player (Yr., Team)                                 G      A    TP    +/-
1.  Joseph Duszak (Jr., Mercyhurst)          24    48    72    +15
2.   Phil Beaulieu (Jr., No. Michigan)         16    54    70    +26
3.   Jimmy Schuldt (Sr., St. Cloud State)   18    45    63    +27
4.    Adam Fox (Jr.,Harvard)                      14    48    62    +19
5.    Scott Perunovich (So.,UMD)            14    46    60    +30
6.    Chase Priskie (Sr.Quinnipiac)             25    35    60    +20

Perunovich 's 24 points this season take a backseta to only two other NCHC defensemen (St. Cloud State's Jimmy Schuldt and Jack Ahcan each have 25) while his 21 assists are the second highest total accumulated by a league point man.

GIVING IT THEIR BEST SHOT: The Bulldogs are averaging 36.32 shots per game to trail only Penn State (40.17 spg) and the University of Michigan (36.93)among NCAA I schools. UMD's shot differential (+13.46) continues to lead the country as does its shots allowed per game average (22.86).

GETTING BETTER ALL THE TIME: Five UMD veterans have established or equaled career collegiate bests for points this winter:

Player                   Yr.    Pts.    Previous High
Justin Richards    So.     27    9 (2017-18)
Parker Mackay     Sr.     22    19 (2017-18)
Nick Wolff              Jr.    13    13 (2017-18)
Kobe Roth             So.    10    9 (2017-18)
Koby Bender          Fr.     4     1 (2017-18)

... while two others are knocking on the door:

Player              Yr.    Pts.    Previous High
Nick Swaney    So.    20    22 (2017-18)
Louie Roehl      So.     8       9 (2017-18)

POWER SURGE: UMD is connecting at 23.0 percent with the man advantage -- the 12th best average in the country and third highest mark in the NCHC.

POWER SURGE II: The Bulldogs' 23 power play goals to date have been generated by 12 different players, including junior left winger Riley Tufte and sophomore right winger Kobe Roth, who both have a team-leading four tallies.

POWER SURGE III: Going back to Dec. 4, 2015, UMD is 21-1-2 when scoring multiple times with the man advantage. That lone loss came earlier this year (Oct. 7) at Minnesota when UMD went 2-for-5 with the man advantage in a 7-4 setback.

LIFE OF RILEY: One fifth of junior left winger Riley Tufte's career goals (six of 30) have come at the expense of North Dakota. Tufte who paces the actove Bulldogs in lifetime scoring against North Dakota (nine points in 10 games), is one of seven NHL draftees on the UMD 2018-19 roster and one of four first-round NHL draft picks in program history.

TAKE IT TO THE BANK: Since falling 4-3 at Denver in the NCHC playoff opener on March 13, 2015, the Bulldogs are 71-1-3 when taking a lead into the third period. (They were 23-0-1 in that situation one year ago and are 16-1-0 this season). The only loss during that stretch was inflicted by Western Michigan -- 3-2 on Dec. 7, 2018 in Kalamazoo, Mich.

NOT SO SWEEP: UMD has been swept only three times in its last 55 regular season series overall (going back to Feb. 19-20, 2016) and all three of those occurred last 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).

CLAP FOR THE WOLFFMAN: Junior Nick Wolff, who has taken shifts in a team-high 101 straight games, is a +17 on the year -- the third best mark among NCHC blueliners. Wolff's career plus-minus rating (+39) tops all current Bulldogs.

CLAP FOR THE WOLFFMAN II: Nick Wolff is the NCHC overall leader in both penalties (20) and penalty minutes (70) and ranks ninth in blocked shots (44).

CLAP FOR THE WOLFFMAN III: In 10 lifetime outings against North Dakota, Nick Wolff has been held off the scoresheet, but has racked up 12 penalties for 57 minutes (almost a third of his career total of 181).

FOR PETE'S SAKE: Senior center Peter Krieger has racked up more collegiate points (80) than any other Bulldog, with 46 of those coming during his time with at UMD (2017-present) and the rest while he was a member of the University of Alaska-Fairbanks program (2014-16).

THE EARLY GOAL GETS THE WIN: The Bulldogs are 16-1-0 when they've drawn first blood this season and have won 20 of the last 21 games in which they have gotten on the scoreboard first (going back to March 9, 2018). Their one loss in that situation was inflicted by St. Cloud State on Jan. 12, 2018.

OH, BROTHER: The rookie brother tandem of Jackson and Noah Cates have both struck for goals in the same game three times this season.

SOME CLOSE SHAVES: Going back to the opening round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament, the Bulldogs have won each of their last won nine of the last 12 games decided by one goal.

WE'LL SECOND THAT: The Bulldogs have outscored the opposition 43-16 in the second period this season. UMD's +27 second-period goal differential is tops among all NCAA I schools while its goals per game average (1.54) ranks second nationally. In addition, 48.3 percent of the Bulldogs' goal scoring has taken place in the second period, a figure unmatched in the country.

A TWO-FER: Sophomore right winger Kobe Roth turned in the second two-goal night of his career earlier this season (Nov. 30) against North Dakota. It was also the first multiple-power play goal outing by a Bulldog since Austin Farley struck twice with the man advantage against Western Michigan on Dec. 5, 2015.

VIEW FROM THE TOP: UMD has sat atop the USCHO.com Poll on four occasions this season and its threeweek stay at the No. 1 position (Oct. 29-Nov. 12) was the program's longest since piecing together another three-week run between Jan. 30-Feb. 13, 2017.

The Bulldogs have now cracked every USCHO.com Top 20 Poll since March 7, 2016.

GET SHORTIE: Sophomore right winger Nick Swaney, the NCHC Player of the Month for January, has both of UMD's two shorthanded goals in 2018-19 (at Miami on Jan. 18 and at Notre Dame on Oct. 26)Swaney, sophomore defenseman Mikey Anderson (one) and senior right winger Parker Mackay (one) are the only other two Bulldogs with a man down goal to their collegiate credit.

AT THE HEAD OF THEIR CLASS: Nine Bulldogs earned NCHC Academic All-Conference Team status for 2018-19. That group includes senior Billy Exell, junior Jade Miller and Nick Deery and sophomores Matt Anderson, Mikey Anderson, Koby Bender and Nick Swaney, and redshirt freshman Ben Patt. With the exception of Miller (a first-time honoree) all are repeat qualifiers -- Matt Anderson (twice), Mikey Anderson (twice), Bender (twice), Deery (four times), Exell (four times), Patt (twice), Richards (twice) and Swaney (twice).

in addition, Matt and Mikey Anderson were also named NCHC Distinguished Scholar-Athletes for 2018-19.

To be eligible for the NCHC Academic All-Conference Team, a student-athlete must compile a 3.0 cumulative grade-point average or better while having completed at least one academic year at his current institution. Those student-athletes who have accrued a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or above are cited as NCHC Distinguished Scholar-Athletes as well.

THREE'S A CHARM: UMD is 2-3-3 in eight lifetime 3-on-3 NCHC overtimes. The Bulldogs' last 3-on-3 overtime victory came on Jan. 6, 2017 against visiting Colorado College.

OH SHOOT(OUT)!: The Bulldogs are 4-4 all-time in NCHC shootouts, but only three UMD shooters -- Cole Koepke (0-for-1), Scott Perunovich (0-for-1) and Kobe Roth (0-for-1) -- have ever participated in that post-overtime event (and all did so this season). Hunter Shepard has stopped two of the three shootout attempts he's faced (all coming in 2018-19 as well).

ON TAP: The Bulldogs will host Miami on March 1-2 in their regular season home finales.