The University of Minnesota Duluth will take on No. 11/14 Colorado College in the last away series of the regular season.
LAST TIME OUT The two National Collegiate Hockey Conference opponents split a dramatic series in Duluth earlier this season, with each team coming away with an overtime win. On Friday, January 12, scoring started late, with sophomore Jack Smith netting the game's first goal in the second period. Owen Gallatin followed suit in the next period. CC's Stanley responded with two, but leading-scorer Ben Steeves only needed 1:06 in overtime to decide the game. The next night, Carter Loney scored (SHG) and Kyle Bettens, but the overtime frame ended in the Tigers' favor.
SOME RECENT HISTORY The programs last met in Colorado Springs in November 2022, a series that ended in another split. Current Bulldogs Steeves, Gallatin, and Blake Biondi scored in their 3-1 win. The teams have not met in March since 2010, when they faced off in the first round of the Western Collegiate Hockey Conference Tournament. UMD emerged on top, winning Game 1 (3-2) and Game 3 (4-0).
STANDOUT SPECIAL TEAMS The Bulldogs are currently first in the NCHC in power play percentage (.280) and second in power play percentage (.828). On the man advantage, UMD ranks fourth in the NCAA. Steeves has been one of the keys to the Bulldog power play's success. He's second in power play goals (12).
STEEVES FOR HOBEY Steeves has impressed beyond just his power play prowess. The sophomore forward is UMD's Hobey Baker Memorial Award for the second season in a row. He's fourth in the country in goals per game (.71), ahead of NCHC rival Western Michigan's Dylan Wendt by one goal. Steeves is also tied for fifth in game winning goals (5) with four other players.
TANDEM GOALTENDING Fifth year Matthew Thiessen and senior Zach Stejskal have shared the net all season, trading weekends or splitting series. Both goaltenders have been named NCHC Goaltender of the Week this season (Stejskal: 10/9, 10/23; Thiessen: 11/6). In February, the two netminders split the series against Omaha, Denver, and North Dakota.
DUBINSKY SCORES BIG Sophomore defenseman Aiden Dubinsky scored his first collegiate goal in the series against Denver and added an assist the next night. Last weekend against North Dakota, he had another two-point weekend, including his second career goal. These two series mark his first multi-point weekends this season and first career back-to-back multi-point series.
NCHC OUTLOOK The last series between these two ended in equal points, but over a month later UMD and CC are separated in the NCHC standings. The Bulldogs sit in seventh place (21 pt), the Tigers in fourth (34 pt). While CC is close to the surrounding teams, there is no outcome this weekend that would move UMD up or down in the standings. They're seven points behind Omaha and 14 ahead of Miami.
