The University of Minnesota Duluth men's hockey team will face Bemidji State University both home and away this weekend, starting with a Friday night skate at the Sanford Center in Bemidji, Minn. at 7:07 p.m. Saturday night, the Bulldogs will return to AMSOIL Arena to drop the puck against the Beavers at 6:07 p.m.

Weeky Press Conference, Oct. 15, 2025




THAT'S THE POINT: Despite being shutout last Saturday, the Bulldogs have two players averaging more than a point a game.

Sophomore forwards Max Plante and Jayson Shaugabay both are averaging more than a point a game -- Plante is sitting at 1.50 ppg, while Shaugabay is at 1.25.

Plante is tied for fifth in the NCHC in points per game, and is tied for ninth in the NCAA with the most points registered (3g, 3a).

Shaugabay is tied for second in the NCHC with four assists and tied for eighth in the NCAA with a 1.00 assist per game average.

THEY LIGHT THE LAMP: The Bulldogs enter the weekend averaging 3.33 goals a game and have scored 13 goals in their first four games -- the ninth most in the NCAA. Their opponent on the weekend, BSU, has scored 18 goals in four games -- the fourth most in the nation and owns a 4.50 goals per game average and sits seventh overall in the NCAA in goals per game average.

FACE PLANTE: Sophomore center Zam Plante is tied for second in the NCAA in faceoff wins ahead of the weekend. Plante has 51 wins compared to 41 losses, and is just one win shy of the top slot. 

As a team, UMD ranks eighth in the NCAA with a 55.6 winning percentage.  Overall, the Bulldogs have won 133 draws while losing just 103.

NO SHOT: In three of four games, UMD has held their opponent to 17 or less shots, including allowing just 33 by Augustana over the entire series. Through four games, the Bulldogs are allowing just 18.5 shots a game while putting 32.8 shots a game on their foes.

GAJAN'S THE GUY: Adam Gajan has logged the fourth most minutes in the NCAA so far this season, and trails the goaltenders ahead of him by just a minute. One of only four netminders to have manned the pipes for more than 230 minutes or more, of the four, Gajan has the second lowest goals against average (1.26) and second highest saves percentage (.931) in 238:32 minutes of duty.

THE SERIES: UMD is to 29-17-5 all-time against BSU, and is unbeaten against the Beavers in eight of its last nine games.

The two sides last met on Dec. 31, 2024 to ring in the new year, a 4-2 Bulldog win inside the Sanford Center in Bemidji, Minn. The triumph moved UMD to a 1-1 season split with the Beavers, and avenged the 4-3 overtime loss for the Bulldogs to open last season at AMSOIL Arena.

UMD scored goals in the first and second periods, while the Beavers scored two in the second to set up a 2-2 third period. But the Bulldogs struck twice, including the fourth goal of the game netted by Harper Bentz at 15:44 of the the third period to ice the game at 4-2.

Besides the career night of Bentz, (1g, 2a), Zam Plante had a multiple point game with two assists. With a goal in the game, Jayson Shaugabay also finished his head-to-head action against the Beavers with four points in two games (3g, 1a).

--Notably, UMD was not only without Max Plante and Adam Kleber, but also goaltender Adam Gajan.

Klayton Knapp had  26 saves for UMD, who outshot BSU 34-28, and went 1-of-3 on its power play. 

Top Career Scorers Against BSU:

Jayson Shaugabay GP 2, 3-1=4

Zam Plante GP 2, 1-3=4

Harper Bentz GP 1, 1-2=3

Aaron Pionk GP 4, 1-2=3

Last 10 Games Against BSU:  (6-2-2)

Dec. 31, 2024 UMD 4, BSU 2 (A)

Oct. 5, 2024 UMD 3, BSU 4 OT (H)

Oct. 21, 2023 UMD 5, BSU 4 (A)

Oct. 20, 2023 UMD 4, BSU 0 (H)

Jan. 7, 2023 UMD 5, BSU 2 (H)

Jan. 6, 2023 UMD 1, BSU 1 2OTSW (A)

Oct. 9, 2021 UMD 2, BSU 1 (H)

Oct. 8, 2021 UMD 4, BSU 2 (A)

Oct. 14, 2017 UMD 0, BSU 0 OT (H)

Oct. 13, 2017 UMD 2, BSU 5 (A)

Since 2015, UMD is 4-2-1 in Bemidji, and and 3-2-2 at AMSOIL.

LAST TIME OUT: UMD split with Augustana University at AMSOIL last weekend with a 4-1 win Friday before sufferng a 4-0 loss on Saturday. 

On Friday, UMD scored four goals in the second period to blow open the scoreles game. Scout Truman lit the fire with a shot point blank in the slot that deflected up and over Augustana goaltender Josh Kobal 5:28 into the period. Just over a minute and a half later, UMD doubled up on the Vikings, this time with a wrister through traffic by sophomore defenseman Ty Hanson to push the Bulldogs ahead 2-0. 

But UMD wasn't done, and it finally netted its first power play goal of the year after a 1-2 play between Callum Arnott and Grayden Siepmann that Arnott finished out with a one-time snipe from the left circle at the 9:28 mark.

Max and Zam Plante tacked one on later in the period to round out the Bulldogs four-goal scoring spree at 17:59.

 The Vikings did finally manage to get on the board with a power play tally with less than five minutes left in the game to deny UMD goaltender Adam Gajan a shutout – Gajan had 16 saves in the game including four that came off Augustana power plays. 

The Bulldogs outshot the Vikings 37-17 and each team was 1-of-3 with an extra skater. 

In game two, UMD put a whopping 40 shots on Viking goaltender Josh Kotai, including 16 in the second period and 15 in the third, but the Viking's goaltender never broke against a Bulldog team that is still averaging 3.30 goals a game through its first four games of the season.

Five players had four or more shots in the game, including sophomore forward Jayson Shaugabay, who had six and sophomore forwards Max and Zam Plante who each had five. The Bulldogs outshot Augustana overall 40-16, holding the Vikings to a season-tying low shots on goal allowed. UMD was scoreless in its two power play attempts, while the Vikings (1-1-0)  went 1-of-5 with the extra skater.

NOTES ON THE AUGUSTANA SERIES: Since the post COVID bubble season of 2020-21, UMD is 3-1-1 when it opens up AMSOIL's ice for the first time.

--The Bulldogs are now 1-1 all-time against Augstana -- last weekend was their first ever meeting.

--Senior Scout Truman has scored three goals over his last three games after netting one Friday night against the Vikings.

--UMD had two player register their first points last Friday -- senior forward Kyle Gaffney and freshman defenseman Grayden Siepmann each logged an assist.

BULLDOG NOTES: UMD is averaging 13.32 penalty minutes a game on 53 minutes in four skates, the 12th most in the NCAA ... Brady Cleveland leads the NCHC with six penalties in four games played ... captain Joey Pierce ranks third in blocked shots with 11 for a just under three a game average.