The University of Minnesota Duluth is off next Friday and Saturday night and it couldn't have picked a better way to go into the bye week.

The No.4 Bulldogs, behind a two-point night from Tanner Laderoute and an exceptional puckstopping performance from Hunter Shepard, throttled the University of Nebraska Omaha 4-1 Saturday to complete the sweep of their two-game National Collegiate Hockey Conference series with the Mavericks.

Just like it had done one night earlier in a 3-2 triumph, UMD never trailed the entire game en route to its ninth straight win over Omaha. The Bulldogs (17-9-2 overall and 12-4-2-0 in the NCHC) and Mavericks were knotted at 1-1 in the waning seconds of the second period when senior defenseman Nick Wolff, following a monster save by Shepard, hit Laderoute with a stretch pass off the boards and the sophomore right winger broke in and beat Omaha goalie Austin Roden with a backhand. At 2:52 of the third period, a streaking Jade Miller took a pass from Laderoute in the slot and lifted in a shot for his first goal of the season to make it 3-1 Bulldogs. Sophomore right winger Cole Koepke iced the victory with an empty net goal with 68 seconds to go in regulation.

Junior center Justin Richards potted the other Bulldog goal (1:54 into the second period which put UMD up 1-0) while Shepard was credited with the secondary assist on Laderoute's tally. It was his first assist of the year and fourth of his career.

For just the seventh time in 28 games this year, the Bulldogs were held scoreless on the power play as they and Omaha both went 0-for-3. Shepard, making his NCAA-record 109th straight start, finished with 31 saves. 

"Going into the third period, I told our guys we have two things going for us," said UMD head coach Scott Sandelin. "We got No. 32 (Shepard) playing great and we got 13's (Laderoute's) goal. 

The Bulldogs will return to the ice on Feb. 21 to begin a two-game NCHC series at Western Michigan University.

"This will be a good week to get some rest, heal up and get ready for the home stretch," added Sandelin. "It doesn't get any easier in two weeks."