For a consecutive night, the University of Minnesota Duluth men's hockey team fell behind the University of North Dakota by multiple goals in the first period, andin the end, it was too big of a hole for the Bulldogs to climb out of.

The No. 10 Flying Hawks notched all three of their non-empty net goals in the opening frame to help them push back UMD 4-1 Saturday night at AMSOIL Arena in Duluth, Minn. Both sides opened National Collegiate Hockey Conference play with the series, and the Bulldogs fell to 3-6 overall and 0-2-0 in league play, while North Dakota improved to 5-4-0 overall and 2-0 in the NCHC.

"We had our opportunities, we need to work on our starts," said freshman forward Harper Bentz, who landed the Bulldogs lone goal on the night. "I think our starts are getting us in trouble and we have to play catch up, but I think there is a lot of good too. I think we have to build off that good and come into next weekend and hopefully get two big wins,"

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. 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.

"Obviously it felt good to get on the board and get the first one," said Harper on scoring his first collegiate goal. "I grew up kind of watching UND games being from the Moorhead area, kind of just watching the rivalry and all that and it was super cool to get my first one."

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

"You never know when you are going to be thrown in, that's what we talk about all the time, you have to be ready to go whenever your number is called," said Knapp about playing this weekend against UND. "It's not how you want to draw it up, I feel bad for Gajan, he's an unbelievable goalie, unbelievable kid and I've been there before too and it's hard. It's not a good feeling to get taken out of the game, but we'll keep working, we'll keep getting better, all three goalies and the entire team, and like I said, much needed road trip together and hopefully get a couple wins against Miami."

UMD went 1-of-4 on its power play while the Fighting Hawks were 1-of-3. Goaltender T.J. Semptimephelter had 26 stops for UND, who now has a six-game winning streak against the Bulldogs dating back to Nov. 10, 2023.

The Bulldogs will hit the NCHC road next weekend to face Miami University in Oxford, Ohio for a Friday-Saturday series that will get underway Friday night at 6:05 p.m.

BULLDOG NOTES: UMD was without senior captain Dominic James, who was injured Friday night … the Bulldogs were missing two other forwards from the line-up due to injury – junior forward Jack Smith and freshman forward Max Plante ... with an assist Saturday night, sophomore blueliner Aaron Pionk now has five assists over his past four games and nine through UMD's first nine games .