The University of Minnesota Duluth men's hockey team will travel to Lowell, Mass. this weekend to face the University of Massachusetts Lowell in a non conference series that gets underway at 6:15 CT time Friday night before concluding at 5:05 p.m. CT on Saturday. Both games will be on ESPN+ and can be listened to on KDAL 610 AM / 103.9 FM in Duluth or onlines.
SHAUGABAY REWINDS HISTORY: It's been a long time -- 55 years or more -- since a Bulldog freshman compiled three points in his first-ever collegiate game until rookie forward Jayson Shaugabay did just that last Saturday night against Bemidji State University. The Warroad, Minn. native recorded two goals and an assist in his UMD debut, including a power play goal, to force the examination of decades of UMD men's hockey history. Unfortunately, there are missing and incomplete records beginning with the 1969-70 season, so for the time being, we are at 55 years -- at least -- since a rookie in their debut did what Shaugabay did Saturday night.
Of note, there are multiple times over multiple seasons a rookie notched two points, though none were two goals -- another stat that is at the 55 years or more mark. Besides Shaugabay, both Plante brothers logged two official points in their first skate as Bulldogs -- Zam Plante scored a goal and added an assist, while Max Plante contributed two assists.
A GOOD DAY TO BE DOG FAN: The Bulldogs home opener Saturday brought 6,587 fans to AMSOIL Arena -- the most for a home opener since the 2018-19 season kicked off with 7,362 fans against the University of Minnesota (a night that also involved an NCAA banner hang and ranks as the fourth most attended game at AMSOIL in program history).
RANK AND FILE: The Bulldogs fell out of the No. 18 spot, but are receiving 37 votes in the USA Hockey/The Rink Live poll this week, and are also receiving votes (47) in this weeks USCHO.com national poll
The Red Hawks are also receiving votes in both polls -- four in the USA Hockey/The Rink Live poll and seven in the USCHO.com ranking.
12 FORMER BULLDOGS EARN NHL SPOTS ON OPENING NIGHT: 12 former UMD players -- the most since the Bulldogs had 12 on rosters in 2022-23 -- will hit the ice this week on National Hockey League rosters.
Those players include forwards Cole Koepke and Riley Tufte with the Boston Bruins, forward Joey Anderson and blueliner Wyatt Kaiser with the Chicago Blackhawks, defenseman Mikey Anderson with the Los Angeles Kings, forward Noah Cates of the Philadelphia Flyers, defensemen Justin Faulk and Scott Perunovich of the St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks defenseman Carson Soucy, and defensemen duo Neal Pionk and Dylon Samberg and forward Alex Iafallo of the Winnipeg Jets.
UMD is tied for fifth this season among all NCAA programs with Bulldogs on opening night rosters, and also ranks ninth all-time in the NCAA for NHL alums (69). The Bulldogs have the second most alumni of any team in the National College Hockey Conference.
The Bulldogs are also represented on benches, in several front offices around the league, and even have an NHL linesman among alumni in the NHL.
Former Bulldog Norm Maciver is the associate general manager of the Chicago Blackhawks, where he is joined by from UMD great and father of current Bulldogs Zam and Max Plante Derek Plante, who is an assistant coach with the Blackhawks. (Also in the Blackhawk organization is pro scout Brigette Laquette, a former UMD women's hockey player.) Derik Johnson is in his first season as an assistant coach with the LA Kings after spending last season as a skill coach. In all, Johnson has been with the organization in some capacity since 2018
Hockey Hall of Fame Inductee and UMD legend Brett Hull returns as ambassador to the St. Louis Blues. Additional Bulldogs include: Jim Johnson (Anaheim Ducks Director of Player Development, second season), Parker Mackay (third season as a Boston Bruins Amateur and College Scout), and UMD alum Travis Gawryletz returns for his eighth season as an NHL linesman
THE SERIES: UMD and UMass Lowell will meet for the 19th time in program history this weekend, a series that UMD owns the 12-4-3 all-time advantage in. The Bulldogs and Red Hawks first head-to-head showdown was back on Jan. 4, 1985 (a 12-1 UMD win).
In their past 10 meetings, UMD has a 5-2-3 lead and is averaging 2.90 goals a game. Those past 10 games have also come under the tenure of currnt long-time head coach Scott Sandelin. Over the past 10 games, the Bulldogs are 2-0-1 in Lowell, Mass., 0-1-0 at neutral sites and 3-2-1 at AMSOIL.
The two sides last met on Oct. 11-12, 2019, a series played in Duluth, Minn. that was a split. The Bulldogs lost the opening game 2-3 before rebounding the following night with a 2-1. In UMD's win on Oct. 12, UMD got a shorthanded goal from Justin Richards in the second period and then an eventual game-winner from Nick Swaney 4:58 into the third period. Three players who will open up on 2024-25 NHL rosters had assists in the game -- Cole Keopke (Boston Bruins) on the first goal, and Scott Perunovich (St. Louis Blues) and Dylan Samberg (Winnipeg Jets) on Swaney's goal.
UMD's last 10 Games vs
UMass Lowell:
Oct. 13 UMD 3, UMass Lowell 2
Oct. 12 UMD 2, UMass Lowell 3
Oct. 8 UMD 1, UMass Lowell 1 OT
Oct. 7 UMD 4, UMass Lowell 4 OT
Oct. 31 UMD 3, UMass Lowell 6
Oct. 30 UMD 2, UMass Lowell 1
Jan. 1 UMD 2, UMass Lowell 1
Jan. 26 UMD 4, UMass Lowell 1
Jan. 25 UMD 1, UMass Lowell 0
Oct. 14 UMD 7, UMass Lowell 3
Oct. 13 UMD 3, UMass Lowell 3 OT
LAST TIME OUT: The Bulldogs skated twice over the weekend, dropping the puck on the 2024-25 season against Bemidji State on Saturday night in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Beavers.
The Bulldogs had three players record two or more points – all freshmen on the same line, in fact – in their collegiate debut, led by Warroad, Minn. native Jayson Shaugabay's two goals and an assist for a three point effort on the night. Hermantown product Zam Plante turned in a one goal, one assist performance, while his brother Max Plante added two assists.
The Beavers struck just 1:41 into the first period, but it was Shaugabay that buried the equalizer in the closing seconds of the frame. After Zam Plante dug the puck out of the corner and found Max Plante in the slot, the younger Plante slid the puck over to Shaugabay all alone on the back door to send the game knotted up at 1-1 at the first intermission.
BSU grabbed the lead back 3:21 into the second frame, but again Shaugabay pulled UMD even with a power play goal at 7:50 that awarded another first point to a Bulldog freshman – this time Ty Hanson had the first assist and Max Plante was on the other helper, his second of the skate.
A late goal in the second period by the Beavers gave them a 3-2 advantage after 40 minutes, but UMD rallied late in the third, and the result was Zam Plante's first-ever goal in a Bulldog sweater. After senior center Dominic James skated into the BSU zone and unloaded a shot on Beaver goaltender Raythan Robbins, Plante shoveled the puck through traffic to draw UMD even at 3-3 with just 2:42 left in regulation.
The Bulldogs, who outshot BSU in every period, including 14-4 in the third, did so again in overtime (5-1), but it was Beaver Jackson Jutting that netted the game-winner 3:47 into extra time that subsequently handed UMD both its first loss of the season and broke its seven-game unbeaten streak against BSU.
Junior netminder Zach Sandy had 19 saves for UMD, who outshot BSU 40-23 in the outing. Overall, five players recorded points in the outing for the Bulldogs, who went 1-of-4 on the power play and held BSU scoreless in its lone extra skater attempt.
Sunday afternoon, the Bulldog shuffled their lines and their offensive exploded in an exhibition game against the University of Manitoba in a 7-2 triumph. Behind a barrage of five second period tallies, led by the two goals and three total points from senior captain Dominic James. James had a three point effort, while sophomore blueliner Aaron Pionk also added three points (1g, 2a). In all, six different players logged goals, while 14 players registered at least a point in the skate.
Two freshman goaltenders made their UMD debuts in net – Adam Gajan made 15 saves over two periods of action, while Klayton Knapp stopped eight of the nine shots he faced. The Bulldogs, led by James, went 2-of-5 with an extra skater, UMD's third power play goal on the weekend in nine total attempts and outshot the Bison 61-25.
In addition to Pionk and James, three players registered multiple point nights, including Bettens (1g, 1a), Bentz (1g, 1a) and Joey Pierce (2a). In all, 14 player picked up points, including goaltender Adam Gajan.
NOTES ON OPENING WEEKEND: All-time UMD is now 28-17-5 against the BSU. The Beavers ended a seven-game unbeaten streak UMD had that dated back to Oct. 14, 2017. Since 2015, UMD is 3-2-2 at AMSOIL and 6-2-3 against BSU over the past 10 overall games. The Bulldogs are now 0-3 against BSU in season openers in program history.
--Since head coach Scott Sandelin took over the program ahead of the 1999-00 season, UMD is 10-7-8 in its first game of the season. The Bulldogs are averaging 3.33 goals in opener, and have now gone into overtime eight times.
-The Bulldogs will be without freshman forward Max Plante for a few weeks after the Hermantown, Minn. native suffered an upper body injury Saturday night against BSU.
