The University of Minnesota Duluth men's hockey team reeled off five unanswered goals between the first and second periods to overcome an early deficit and defeat Bemidji State University 7-3 Friday night inside the Sanford Center in Bemidji, Minn.
The Bulldogs top-line of Max Plante, Zam Plante and Jayson Shaugabay were responsible for five goals between them, including two power play goals and a shorthanded tally. Each of the sophomore forwards logged four points on the evening – the Plante brothers had two goals and two assists each, while Shaugabay had a goal and three assists.
UMD fell behind 2-0 in less than five minutes to open the game, but just over a minute later after the Beavers took their 2-0 lead, Jayson Shaugabay took a feed off a faceoff and beat BSU goaltender Max Hildebrand at 5:59. The Bulldog then equalized on a give and go between Shaugabay and Max Plante at the 12:00 minute, the first of Plante's two goals in the game.
Senior defenseman Joey Pierce's wrister from the point snuck through to give UMD a 3-2 lead at 17:31, and after falling to a quick deficit, the Bulldogs went into the first intermission up a goal.
UMD blew the game open midway through the second, scoring three goals in just over two minutes. It started with a shorthanded goal from Max Plante after he tipped the puck away in the Bulldog defensive zone and finished it all on his own at 7:58. Less then a minute later, freshman forward Daniel Shlaine wheeled on a rebound in the slot for his first goal as a Bulldog, and then at 10:08 on the power play, Zam Plante one timed a puck from the circle to extend UMD's lead to 6-2.
BSU added a power play goal of their own to end the second period, but just 1:36 into the third period, Zam Plante walked in from the left circle and sniped his second power play goal of the game to make it a 7-3 contest.
UMD outshot the Beavers 25-20 in the game and got 17 saves from sophomore goaltender Adam Gajan. Overall, the Bulldogs were 2-of-5 on their power play while BSU went 1-of-5.
The Bulldogs (4-1-0) and Beavers (2-3-0) will do it all over again tomorrow night at AMSOIL Arena in Duluth, Minn. on the home end of the home and away series. The puck is set to drop at 6:07 p.m.
BULLDOG NOTES: UMD's trio of four point players on the night – Max Plante, Zam Plante and Jayson Shaugabay all registered career highs against the Beavers … Aaron Pionk was the last Bulldog player to log four points in a game previously … Pionk did it against the University of Minnesota last season on Oct. 18, 2024 … UMD's seven goals is the most of the season and the most since the Bulldogs put up seven against Miami University (Ohio) last season on Nov. 16, 2024 … UMD has now won two-straight games against BSU dating back to Dec. 31 of last season.
