The Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs finished Saturday's game with a  huge 4-0 win against the Colorado College Tigers. UMD, with a now 4-4 conference record, will finish the series with three points. 

On the night freshman Ben Steeves notched three goals, along with Darian Gotz with one goal. Luke Loheit notched three assists. Isaac Howard, Derek Daschke, and Dominic James all recorded one assist each. 

The game started early for the Bulldogs. Just 2:36 in, Loheit took and won a face-off in the offensive zone. Gotz picked up the puck at the blue line and held it for a couple seconds to wait for a clear shot and set it to the top shelf past Mbereko. UMD then successfully killed off a two minute penalty, while not allowing any shots on goal. One minute after they were back at full strength UMD took a face-off just outside the offensive zone. Though won by the Tigers, Steeves took the puck off the stick of the CC skater and scored the Bulldogs second goal of the game.  UMD was then faced with a five minute penalty kill. UMD had … shorthand opportunities. The Bulldogs killed off the major penalty and only allowed one shot on goal that came at the last second. UMD held the Tigers shot-less till the last three minutes of the period, and led at the end of the first 12-5.

Going into the second period, up by two the Bulldogs were itching to extend it more. The Tigers took one penalty during the period at 7:16. Daschke received the puck at the blue line off the first face-off of the power play. Daschke made a pass to Howard on the boards. Howard passed it through the crowd of skaters in front of the net to Steeves who was waiting at the side of the net and flicked the puck in the net. The Bulldogs were then put ahead by three goals. UMD did not take any penalties during the period and were tied in shots with nine. 

Early in the third period, Steeves ripped a shot on goal but was defected by Mbereko. The Bulldogs picked up the rebound and reset for another shot. James fired a shot on net, where Steeves was ready for the rebound and sent his hat trick goal into the net. UMD then sat with a 4-0 lead over the Tigers. Both teams stayed out of the box in the third period, to not allow any power play opportunities. The Bulldogs only got five shots on goal, compared to the Tigers who had 10 at the end of the period. 

As the Bulldogs shutout Colorado College, that marked senior Matthew Thiessen's first career shutout and UMD's first shutout of the year. Steeves' hat trick was the first of his career. The last time a rookie scored a hat trick was 26 years ago by Mike Peluso on Nov. 19 1994. 

UP NEXT Minnesota Duluth will stay at home to face-off with Denver next weekend Dec 9-10.