The University of Minnesota Duluh men's hockey team settled for a 2-2 tie Friday night against the University of Alaska Fairbanks before winning the shootout at AMSOIL Arena in Duluth, Minn. 

The tie, the first of the season for the Bulldogs, does keep UMD unbeaten in its last two games, but the maroon and gold wasn't satisfied with the result.

'I thought we started really good and then, I don't know, we got a little too comfortable and started making plays that we shouldn't be making," said senior forward Carter Loney, who had UMD's first goal of the game Friday. "We need to keep it simple and get pucks in behind and I thought we just, again, got away from that."

It was Loney that gave the Bulldogs their first lead of the game at 9:14 of the opening period. Loney picked up the puck from above the left circle and ripped it over Nanook goaltender Lassi Lehti's left shoulder for his unassisted and third goal of the season.

After that lead held the rest of the first period, Alaska Fairbanks drew even just 2:27 into the second period to make it a 1-1 game. But UMD again retook the lead, this time on Aaron Pionk's first goal of the season at 15:43 of the frame. Jack Smith, rushing up the left boards and pushed the puck over to Pionk, who went 1-on-1 with Lehti and put it past the Nanook goaltender. 

Again, the Bulldogs went into the final period with a 2-1 lead,and until Friday, when UMD entered the third period with a lead, they were 5-0-0. That record didn't hold, however, and Alaska Fairbanks pulled back into a 2-2 stalemate at 5:00, a score that would hold for the following 15 minutes, as well as five minute overtime.

UMD had reluctantly pocketed the tie before its fourth skater in the shootout, Anthony Menghini, finally got one past Lehit. Freshman goaltender Klayton Knapp, who was outstanding all game for UMD, kept the door shut in the shootout, and finished the game with a career-high 34 saves. The Nanooks outshot the Bulldogs 36-20, but fell to 6-9-4 overall on the season.

The Bulldogs (6-10-1) will return to AMSOIL tomorrow night for round two with Alaska Fairbanks. Game-time is set for 6:07 p.m.

BULLDOG NOTES: UMD stays unbeaten against the Nanooks (6-0-1), but Friday marked the first time UMD hasn't defeated Alaska Fairbanks in seven all-time meetings… Klayton Knapp has started the last two games for the Bulldogs in net … Friday was his third start of the season.