A bounce-back victory was what the University of Minnesota Duluth was looking for Saturday night and a bounce-back victory is exactly what it got.

After falling 5-3 to Western Michigan University in their National Collegiate Hockey Conference series opener 24 hours earlier (and giving up  a 3-2 lead and three, third-period goals in the process), the No. 4 Bulldogs rebounded with a gritty 2-1 takedown of the host Broncos to improve to 18-10-2 overall and 13-5-2-0 in NCHC play.

It took just 35 seconds for the Bulldogs to get on the board as junior center Justin Richards scored a shorthanded goal off a breakaway. Richards took a clearing pass just outside the UMD blue line  from sophomore right winger Cole Koepke and raced in untouched for his 11th goal of the year and the Bulldogs' sixth shortie. No. 19 Western Michigan, which came into the night sporting a seven-game home winning streak, then got the equalizer at the 14:02 mark of the first period. The score remained deadlocked at 1-1 until midway through the third period when UMD rookie left winger Quinn Olson took a shot that appeared to be heading over the Western Michigan goal but was deflected in off the stick of a Bronco defender. Nick Swaney, who had a pair of assists in Friday's series opener, was credited with the primary assist on the game winner.

UMD outshot Western Michigan 33-21 on the night, but was held scoreless on the power play for just the eighth time in 30 games this season. Two-time All-American goaltender Hunter Shepard finished with 20 saves in his NCAA-record 111th straight start.

The Bulldogs will be in Colorado Springs, Colo., next Friday and Saturday (Feb. 28-29) to take on NCHC rival Colorado College in their final two road assignments of the 2019-20 regular season.