For just the second time this season, the University of Minnesota Duluth men's hockey team will hit the road this weekend when it travels to Oxford, Ohio to face the Miami University (Ohio) in a National College Hockey Conference series at Goggin Ice Center. The puck drops at 6:05 p.m. central time both Friday and Saturday.night.



MISSING IN ACTION: The Bulldogs have been plaqued with injuries early  in the season, and last Saturday that number ran to three forwards after senior captain Dominic James was injured Friday night against North Dakota.

The good news for the Bulldogs is that James is back and so is junior Jack Smith (he missed the last three games), and are expected to return to the ice this weekend. Freshman Max Plante, who has missed the past eight games, is listed as probable.

HE DID IT FIRST: Anthony Menghini's hat trick last Friday is the first hat trick by any player so far this season across the entire NCAA.

THE SERIES: The Bulldogs own the all-time match up quite handidly with a record of 32-7-4, including a 3-0-1 effort against the RedHawks just last season.

Ironically, their first head-to-head was a RedHawk win in the 2009 NCAA West Regional Semifinal in Minneapolis, Minn. Miami defeated UMD 2-1, despite a late push by the Bulldogs and goal from MacGregor Sharp with 2:01 left in the third period.

In addition to their NCAA Tournament run in, UMD and Miami have met four times in NCHC Tournament play, where the Bulldogs are a perfect 4-0.

UMD enters the weekend on a four-game unbeaten streak against Miami and a three-game winning streak. Over the past 10 games between the two sides, UMD holds a 6-2-2 advantage. Over the past decade (since 2014), the Bulldogs are 12-4-2 in Oxford. 

Over the past decade, UMD has averaged 3.38 goals a game. The returners who have logged two or more points in their career against the RedHawks are listed below, with senior defenseman Owen Gallatin leading the way with seven points (1g, 6a) in 10 games against.

Returning Players vs Miami (OH)

Owen Gallatin GP=10 G=1 A=6 P=7

Kyle Bettens GP=6 G=1 A=3 P=4

Dominic James GP=6 G=0 A=3 P=3

Luke Bast GP=4 G= A=2 P=2

Aiden Dubinsky GP=5 G=0 A=2 P=2

Last season, UMD averaged 3.75 goals a game against Miami while allowing just 2.00 a game. The Bulldogs outscored the RedHawks 15-9, but barely outshot them 115-106. UMD averaged 9.25 penalty minutes a game over those four games .

Of the 15 goals UMD scored, Ben Steeves accounted for almost half of them --seven.

The two sides last met at AMSOIL on Jan. 26-27, a series sweep for the Bulldogs. On Friday night, UMD scored three goals in the second period (Luke Loheit, Ben Steeves and Kyle Bettens) to push out to a 4-1 lead, and scored another two unanswered in the third to offensively overwhelm the RedHawks. Zach Steiskal had 22 saves in net for UMD, who outshot Miami 30-24.

On Saturday, it took overtime to get past the RedHawks, who came back from a two goal deficit in the second period (both Steeves and Riley Bodnarchuk scored to make it a 2-1 skate). Miami equalized with just 1:49 left in regulation, but Anthony Menghini netted the overtime winner 3:15 in extra time for the win. Steiskal had 31 stops in the game -- Miami  outshot UMD 33-24.

Last 10 vs Miami (6-2-2)

Jan. 27, 2024 3-2 Win Home (OT)

Jan. 26, 2024 6-2 Win Home

Dec. 9, 2023 3-1 Win Away

Dec. 8, 2023 3-3 Tie Away

Feb. 25, 2023 1-4 Loss Home

Feb. 24, 2023 3-2 Win Home

Feb. 26, 2022 0-4 Loss Away

Feb. 25, 2022 3-1 Win Away

Jan. 15, 2022 2-2 Tie Home (OT

Jan. 14, 2022 4-1 Win Home

LAST TIME OUT: The Bulldogs were swept by the No. 10 University of North Dakota last weekend at AMSOIL Arena by scores of 7-3 and 4-1.

On Friday night, the Bulldogs couldn't quite dig out of the early goal deficit it spotted the Fighting Hawks, who took an early 2-0 lead less than seven minutes into the first period, but it was the second period that crippled UMD. After the Bulldogs gave up three goals, including two over a 3:06 span from 7:05 through 14:18, the Fighting Hawks led 5-0 after 40 minutes of play.

UMD pushed back offensively in the third period, however, despite a North Dakota power play tally – it's second of the night – just 1:37 into the frame. Anthony Menghini scored his first of three power play goals at 6:52, banking the puck through the goaltender. The Fighting Hawks struck for a shorthanded tally at the 11:07 mark, but just 1:42 later, Menghini struck again.

The sophomore forward struck again from the slot after he finished off a one-timer and brilliant passing sequence from Blake Bechen and Jayson Shaugabay, and then, with just 2:02 left in the game, Menghini completed the power play hat trick. 

UMD played two freshmen goaltenders in the game – Adam Gajan started and payed 34:18 with 15 saves and five goals against, while Klayton Knapp made his first official appearance in Bulldog sweater and made eight saves on 10 shots faced. The Fighting Hawks outshot UMD 35-30, and both teams were 50% on the power play – the Bulldogs went 3-of-6, while UND was 2-of-4.

North Dakota notched all three of their non-empty net goals in the opening frame Saturday night. Similar to Friday night, the Fighting Hawks got on the board twice in the first 5:38 of action. North Dakota then tacked on a power play at the 15:19 mark of the frame, and just like that, the Bulldogs were down 3-0 before the first intermission.

Outshot 17-7 in the first period, UMD fought back in the second and outshot the Fighting Hawks 13-5. The Bulldogs biggest break of the game gave them their best scoring opportunity – a five minute major called on UND at the 11:26 mark for facemasking. Harper Bentz and the Bulldogs used that power play to strike at the end of it when Bentz redirected a shot from Aaron Pionk to cut the lead to 3-1 at 16:24, a score that would hold up until late in the third.

UMD battled in the third, outshooting the Fighting Hawks 7-6, but the lone goal of the period went to UND on an empty net at 17:37 to ice the game.

The Bulldogs started freshman goaltender Gajan in net, but he was pulled after just 5:38 of work, six saves and two goals against. Rookie Knapp had a young career-high 18 saves in 54 minutes of time, and allowed just one goal over that span.

UMD went 1-of-4 on its power play while the Fighting Hawks were 1-of-3. 

NOTES FROM THE NORTH DAKOTA SERIES: UMD has now lost six-straight games dating back to Nov. 10, 2023 and fell to 89-159-11 in 259 total games against North Dakota all-time.

--UMD outshot North Dakota Friday night 35-30, the second time this season its outshot an opponent in a loss ... in all, the Bulldogs have outshot the other side four out of its nine games ... UMD has won one game in which it was outshot -- Oct. 11 against UMass Lowell (29/38).

--With an assist last Saturday night, sophomore blueliner Aaron Pionk now has five assists over his past four games and nine through UMD's first nine games. Those nine helpers are a team-high.

--On Friday, Anthony Menghini scored the first hat trick by a Bulldog since Ben Steeves rang one up last season on Jan. 26, 2024 against Miami.

--Menghini's power play trio was also the first by a Bulldog since Steeves ran one up two seasons ago on Jan. 27, 2023 against St. Cloud State … Meghini's trio of power play tallies took 11:04 to come to fruition, Steeves ran off a slightly quicker tab (and a natural hat trick) ... Steeves net those three power play scores in just 10:33.

--Jayson Shaugabay's three assists Friday night was the second three-point game so far this season, and also served as Owen Gallatin's second, two assist skate … Gallatin has recorded a point in five of his last six games … over that span, he has one goal and six assists for seven points.

RANK AND FILE: The Bulldogs fell out of the No. 18 spot they started the season with, and are no longer receiving votes in the latest USA Hockey/The Rink Live poll this week or this weeks USCHO.com national poll 

Miami is also currently not ranked.

NCHC TOP DOGS: Senior forward Dominic James currently ranks first in the NCHC in goals per game with six in eight games for a 0.75 gpg). James also sits sixth in points per game 1.25 and is tied for second in game-winning goals with two and is tied for eighth in the NCAA.

James isn't alone in the top-10 -- sophomore defenseman Aaron Pionk ranks seventh in assists per game (1.00) and is also tied for seventh in the NCAA, and 12th in points per game (1.00).

.

EXTRA BOOK ON THE BULLDOGS:  UMD is 3-0 when leading after the first period so far this season

--The Bulldogs are 10-of-39 on its power play this season -- a whopping four of those goals with an extra skater against Stonehill College.

--UMD has twice scored five goals this season through seven games -- against Minnesota on Oct. 18 and Stonehill College on Oct. 25.

--Four different players have scored two or more goals in a game so far this season: Anthony Menghini (three goals, North Dakota, Nov. 8) Dominic James (two goals, twice, Stonehill), Aiden Dubinsky (two goals, Minnesota, Oct. 18) and Jayson Shaugabay (two goals, Bemidji State, Oct. 5).