The University of Minnesota Duluth men's hockey team will head north on New Year's Ever Tuesday to wrap up a home-and-home with Bemidji State University. The puck will drop inside the Sanford Center in Bemiji, Minn. at 7:07 p.m.

 

NEW YEAR'S EVE BULLDOG BASH: For the first time since 1968, UMD is playing a regular season game on New Year's Eve. While UMD did drop the puck in an exhibition game against the University of St. Thomas on Dec. 31, 2022 at AMSOIL Arena, a 2-1 win for the Bulldogs,  there have been no other contests on that day since UMD played Boston University on Dec. 31, 1968, a 10-4 loss for the Bulldogs.

KLEBER AND PLANTE NAMED TO 2025 U.S. NATIONAL JUNIOR TEAM: Freshmen duo Adam Kleber and Max Plante were named to the 2025 U.S. National Junior Team roster. The pair are two of 25 players currently representing the United States in the 2025 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship from Dec. 26-Jan. 5 in Ottawa, Canada.

The pair will miss UMD's game against Bemidji State, instead facing off against Canada that night in Ottawa at 8:00 p.m.

Currently, through two games, Plante has two points (1g, 1a) and is +1. Kleber has suited up for two games and is now +2.

Kleber is one of eight defensemen on the squad, while Plante is one of 14 forwards and one of 19 alumni of the USA Hockey's National Team Development Program. Kleber, a product of Chaska, Minn. has skated in all 15 games for the Bulldogs, and has logged one assist and 33 shots. Kleber is a 2024 NHL Entry Draft Pick of the Buffalo Sabres, taken in the second round at 42nd.

Plante, a native of Hermantown, Minn. and already owning one NCHC Rookie of the Week honor, missed 10 games for the Bulldogs after suffering an injury in the season opener against Bemidji State University back on Oct. 5. Since his return on Nov. 22, the rookie has scored two goals and added two assists for four points in four skates, and currently has six points in his first five games for UMD, including two multiple point outings. One of three current Bulldogs invited to the 2024 USA Hockey World Junior Summer Showcase, Plante spent his two seasons before hitting the ice in Duluth with the NTDP.

MAXED OUT: Max Plante now has six points in his first five collegiate games this season (2g, 4a), and had back-to-back goals against ASU in the series. In all, Plante had three points against the Sun Devils (2g, 1a) figuring in over half of UMD's goals on its last weekend of action (five goals total by the Bulldogs.)

SMALL STREAKERS: Three players scored in both games against the Sun Devils on Dec. 6-7 and two of them will bring a two-game scoring streak into the BSU game. 

Max Plante (2g, 1a) (who will be in Ottawa with the U.S. Junior National Team), Zam Plante, (1g, 1a), Aiden Dubinsky (2a).

This marks the second time this season that all three have had two-game scoring streaks. Dominic James has has a team-most two-game scoring streaks so far this season with three.

POWERED PLAY: Despite not getting on the board with an extra skater in Tempe, the Bulldogs currently still rank 19th in the NCAA and fourth in the NCHC with 12 power play goals through 13 games. UMD sits third in the conference and 23rd in the NCAA with a 21.1 conversion rate.

Dominic James leads the Bulldogs with four power play goals the third most in the NCHC and 11th most in the country. Anthony Menghini ranks sixth in the conference with three, while Jayson Shaugabay owns two.

The Bulldogs are 3-5-0 when they score at least on power play goal in a game.

THE SERIES: UMD is 28-17-5 all-time against the Beavers in a series that started all the way back on Feb. 8, 1948 (11-3 UMD win). The two sides kicked off the 2024-25 season on Oct. 5 at AMSOIL Arena in the first of a home-and-home series, 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.

Top Career Scorers Against BSU:

Owen Gallatin GP=7 G=0 A=3 P=3

Matthew Perkins GP=3 G=1 A=2 P=3

Jayson Shaugabay GP=1 G=2 A=1 P=3

Dominic James GP=5 G=0 A=2 P=2

Kyle Bettens GP=5 G=2 A=0 P=2

Riley Bodnarchuk GP=4 G=1 A=1 P=2

Aaron Pionk GP=3 G=1 A=1 P=2

Max Plante GP=1 A=2 P=2

Zam Plante GP=1 G=1 A=1 P=2

Goaltender: Zach Sandy 

GP=1 SV%=.826 GA=4 Record 0-1-0

Last 10 Games Against BSU:

Oct. 5, 2024 UMD 3, BSU 4 OTß

Oct. 21, 2023 UMD 5, BSU 4

Oct. 20, 2023 UMD 4, BSU 0

Jan. 7, 2023 UMD 5, BSU 2

Jan. 6, 2023 UMD 1, BSU 1 2OT SW

Oct. 9, 2021 UMD 2, BSU 1

Oct. 8, 2021 UMD 4, BSU 2

Oct. 14, 2017 UMD 0, BSU 0 OT

Oct. 13, 2017 UMD 2, BSU 5

Dec. 17, 2016 UMD 2, BSU 1

Extra UMD vs BSU: A season low one penalty was taken by UMD in their one head-to-head matchup this season, which also doubles as one of three games UMD had 40 or more shots on goal. 

--Over the past decade, UMD is 3-2-1 on the road in Bemidji. -

-All-time, the Bulldogs are 2-5-5 in overtime against BSU.

LAST TIME OUT: The Bulldogs 1-of-2 with four shots on theirs that lasted for a combined 6:40. UMD goaltender Adam Gajan had 16 saves in the loss.

NOTES FROM THE ASU SERIES: UMD is now 2-2 all-time against the Sun Devils -- 2-0 at home while 0-2 in Tempe.

In those four games, UMD has averaged 3.00 goals. a game (12 total tallies). 

--Max Plante's three points in the series (2g, 1a) is a program series best, as well as a career best by a Bulldog against ASU.

SEEING/SCORING DOUBLE: In nine  games so far this season, the Bulldogs have had player six different players score two or more goals, including Dominic James, who leads the team with three, two goal outings players, and Anthony Menghini who has done it twice.

Those players include Blake Bechen (vs Miami, Nov. 16), Aiden Dubinsky (vs Minnesota, Oct. 18), James (vs Stonehill, Oct. 25 and 26, vs ASU, Dec. 6), Menghini ((3) vs. UND Nov. 11, (2) vs Miami, Nov. 16),  Zam Plante (vs WMU, Nov. 22), and Jayson Shaugabay (vs Bemidji St., Oct. 5).

In fact, UMD has had six players score two or more goals over six of its last 11 games.

NCHC TOP DOGS: Dominic James ranks in the top-three in multiple categories, including face-offs won (3rd, 171), points per game (3rd, 1.21ppg), power play goals (3rd, 4) and game-winning goals (4th, 2). 

Sophomore defenseman Aaron Pionk ranks third in assists per game (0.80 with 12 total), while Anthony Menghini is fifth in goals per game (0.54) and tied with 18 players nationally and first in the NCHC with a hat trick this season.