THe University of Minnesota Duluth men's hockey team will return to the confines of AMSOIL Arena in Duluth, Minn. to face the No. 5 University of Denver this weekend in National Collegiate Hockey Association action. Friday's game will get underway at 7:07 p.m., while Saturday's skate will start slightly earlier at 6:07 p.m.
CONFERENCE CLIMBERS: UMD enters the weekend just one point behind Denver in the NCHC standings. The Bulldogs have recorded 16 so far, the Pioneers 17, although UMD has played 12 total league games to the DU's 10.
Both teams have won three out of their last four games.
A SECOND SEASON: The Bulldogs have had a vastly different record since returning from the holiday break. Winners of three of their last four games (all against top-20 teams), UMD is 4-2-1 so far since defeating Bemidji State University on Dec. 31.
The Bulldogs went 5-10-0 in their opening 15 games before the break.
SPECIAL TEAMS SHOWDOWN: Denver enters the weekend with the nation's No. 1 power play with a 32.5 conversion rate.
While UMD's overall season-long statistics are more challenging, the Bulldogs have allowed just three power play goals over their last six games and four over their last eight. UMD has averaged 4.2 penalties over those last eight games.
FRESHMAN FRUITION: Halfway through the season, the Bulldog rookie class has been as good as advertised.
30 of UMD's 65 goals so far this season have been scored by its 11 rookies, and three of the Bulldogs top five goal scorers are freshman.
Jayson Shaugabay has 17 points through 22 games -- UMD's third leading scorer -- and the native of Warroad, Minn. ranks in a tie for second with eight goals scored. Shaugabay is currently tied for the second most goals by a rookie in the NCHC.
Other Bulldog rookies in the top-6 are
Zam Plante (22 GP) 15 points (4g, 11a) and Max Plante (9 GP) 12 points (5g, 7a).
PASSING POINTS BY PIONK: Sophomore defenseman Aaron Pionk, with 19 points, is currently UMD's second-highest scorer, and 18 of those points are assists. With 18 assists, Pionk has now surpassed his rookie year mark of 17 helpers over 37 games just 22 games into his second-year campaign.
Pionk is one of just two other defenseman since the 2020-21 season to record 18 or more assists. Current senior Owen Gallatin had 23 helpers last season as a junior, and Wyatt Kaiser posted 18 assists in 2022-23
Pionk currently ranks third in the NCHC and tenth in the NCAA with 0.82 assists per game.
TO THE MAX (PLANTE): The reigning NCHC Rookie of the Week Max Plante led all UMD scorers in the Colorado College series with three points (1g, 2a), including a two-point effort in Saturday's win which marked his third multiple point game out of the nine he has been able to play in. Plante has notched a point in his last six games for the Bulldogs, compiling five goals and four assists for nine points. Plante has also scored at least a goal in five of his last six skates.
Currently, Plante ranks second in the NCHC with a 1.33 ppg average (and would be tied for 6th if the NCAA recognized his stats). Despite missing 10 games to injury early in the season and three to U.S. Junior National Team duty, Plante has recorded 12 points (5g, 7a) in just nine collegiate games.
THE SERIES: The Bulldogs and Pioneers have met in a total of 230 games, and UMD trails the all-time series 89-137-13.
Most of those occasions (191) came while the two programs were part of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. The two sides first met back on Dec. 28, 1961 in Denver, a 3-1 loss for the Bulldogs.
UMD has struggled as of late against DU, and since the 2014-15 season, has only mustered a 15-27-3 record in 103 skates. The Bulldogs longest winning streak was five games, beginning on Nov. 9, 2019 and extending to Dec. 12, 2020.
2-8 in their last 10 showdowns, UMD has not defeated DU at AMSOIL since Nov. 9, 2019, a 5-2 triumph.
At AMSOIL, the Bulldogs are upside down against Pioneers with a record of 44-50-8.
UMD will face DU for the first time this season and first time since the Pioneers swept the NCHC Quarterfinals in Denver on March 15-16 by scores of 4-0-5-2. The Bulldogs were winless against DU over the entire 2024-25 season, outscored 8-19 in those four outings.
Top-7 Returning UMD Players vs DU
Owen Gallatin GP=14 G=0 A=10 P=10
Dominic James GP=8 G=2 A=2 P=4
Aiden Dubinsky GP=8 G=1 A=2 P=3
Kyle Bettens GP=8 G=1 A=2 P=3
Joey Pierce GP=8 G=0 A=2 P=2
Last 10 Games, UMD vs DU
(2-8-0)
Mar. 16, 2024 UMD 2, DU 5*
Mar. 15, 2024 UMD 0, DU 4*
Feb. 17, 2024 UMD 2, DU 5
Feb. 16, 2024 UMD 4, DU 5 OT
Feb. 18, 2023 UMD 6, DU 5
Feb. 17, 2023 UMD 2, DU 6
Dec. 10, 2022 UMD 3, DU 4 OT
Dec. 9, 2022 UMD 2, DU 3 OT
Mar. 26, 2022 UMD 1, DU 2+
Mar. 18, 2022 UMD 2, DU 0^
*NCHC Quarterfinal
^NCHC SemiFinal
+Loveland Regional Final
Back on March 15-16 in the league quarters, the Bulldogs were shutout in the opening game 4-0, which included an empty-netter. The Pioneers outshot UMD 24-17 in the game, with defenseman Aaron Pionk and Joey Pierce the long Buldlogs to log three or more shots on goal. Matthew Thiessen had 20 saves for UMD.
In game two, the Pioneers used three goals in the second period, including a power play tally to open the scoring at 3:53 to get out to a 3-0 lead midway the contest.
UMD struck twice in the third period with goals from Luke Loheit (7:00) and Kyle Bettens (17:56), but two empty net goals by the Pioneers sealed the playoff series sweep. Thiessen had 25 stops for UMD, who was equal on the shot chart with 30 shots on goal apiece.
EXTRA NOTES ON UMD-DENVER: Since the 2020-21 season, seven of UMD-DU's 16 games have been decided by 1 goal, and three of those having gone into OT. UMD is 3-4 in those one goal games, and 0-3 specifically in overtime.
-- UMD's last overtime game against the Pioneers was the first game between the two sides of the 2023-24 season on Feb. 16, a 5-4 setback after the Bulldogs had pulled even at 4-4 with 1:45 left in the third. DU scored just 1:46 into the OT.
--That overtime loss also doubled as current senior defenseman Owen Gallatin's career point night -- Gallatin had four assists -- one on each of UMD's four goals.
--The Bulldog senior class has never defeated the Pioneers at AMSOIL Arena.
--UMD went just 2-6-1 against teams from the state of Colorado last season, including 1-3 at AMSOIL.
LAST TIME OUT: UMD split with Colorado College last weekend in Colorado Springs by scores of 7-2 and 4-1.
In game one, the Tigers blew out the Bulldogs, by scoring five unanswered goals in the first and second period before UMD even got on the board. Rookie defenseman Ty Hanson scored a shorthanded goal on a rebound at 16:44 of the second to make it a 5-1 game, but CC added another goal in the second and third before Callum Arnott scored the Bulldogs only other goal at 8:42 of the third period.
Both teams had seven power plays on the night -- CC went 2-of-7 while UMD went 1-of-7. Klayton Knapp allowed four goals in the loss making nine saves in 23:16 of action, while Zach Sandy turned in 36:45, 14 saves and three goals against. CC barely outshot UMD at 30-29.
On Saturday night, UMD never trailed, and it started with a power play goal from Max Plante at 18:53 of the first. After the Tigers equalized less than a minute later, UMD tacked on two goals in the second period from Blake Bechen and a power play strike from Jayson Shaugabay to extend the lead to 3-1. The Bulldogs iced any chance of a CC comeback with an even strength goal from Anthony Menghini with just 2:01 left in the third period.
Knapp was superb in his fourth collegiate win, and made 28 saves on 29 Tiger shots on goal. The Bulldogs went 2-of-6 on their power play, while CC was held scoreless in three attempts.
NOTES FROM THE COLORADO COLLEGE SERIES: UMD is now 111-89-12 against the Tigers all-time and 4-5-1 in the last 10 games between them. Since the 2014-15 season UMD is 10-4-2 in Colorado Springs.
--Friday night's defeat was the most goals allowed by a UMD team since it gave up seven against the University of Minnesota on Oct. 7, 2018.
--The Bulldogs were without injured forwards Carter Loney, Harper Bentz and Trevor Stachowiak last weekend, as well injured goaltender Adam Gajan.
