Powered by the four point nights of brothers Zam and Max Plante, the No. 10/11 University of Minnesota Duluth men's hockey team knocked off the No. 8 University of North Dakota 4-3 in overtime inside Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, N.D.
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Despite a late third period effort push by the Fighting Hawks that brought the game even late in the final fream, the Bulldogs needed just 43 seconds in overtime to secure their first win over UND in nine meetings and stay perfect on the road this season with six wins.
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UMD's first goal was a foreshadowing of what was to come (and the overtime scoreline), and it came off a 3-on-1 odd man rush on the penalty kill. Ty Hanson's initial shot was saved, but the puck bounced back out to the low slot where Max Plante patiently flipped it over a diving Gibson Homer for the 1-0 lead.
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UND scored a shorthanded goal of its own at 14:26 of the second period to equalize, but it was a short-lived 1-1 score. The brilliant passing sequence between Max Plante, Jayson Shaugabay and eventual goal scoring swipe from Zam Plante pushed UMD back ahead 2-1 at 19:06, the lead the Bulldogs would take into the second intermission.
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UMD's potent power play tacked another goal on to make it a 3-1 game at 12:47 of the third when Max Plante sniped in the slot a feed from Shaugabay for his second goal of the game.
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The Fighting Hawks put up a fight late in the third, however, scoring at 16:02, and then again on the 6-on-5 empty net extra skater advantage with just 1:11 left in regulation to force both teams first overtime game of the season.
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UMD needed just 43 seconds in extra time to close the book on UND for good, and Hanson, who had been close to scoring a few times throughout the night, finally got his goal to seal the win. After Homer made an all-out save on Zam Plante, Hanson gloved down the airborne puck on the doorstep and snuck it under the UND goaltender to extend the Bulldogs current winning streak to five games.
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Adam Gajan picked up his eighth win of the season with a 25 save effort, and while the Bulldogs went 1-of-3 with the extra skater, they held UND 0-of-2 on its power play. The Fighting Hawks outshot UMD 28-23 in the game, but fall to 4-3-0 overall and 0-1-0 in NCHC play.
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The Bulldogs, off to their best start since the 2009-10 season with a record of 8-1-0 and 1-0-0 in conference play, will attempt to register their third-straight sweep Saturday night at Ralph Engelstad Arena. The puck is scheduled to drop at 6:07 p.m.
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BULLDOG NOTES: UMD has its best start since the 2009-10 season (8-1-0) and now has been 8-1-0 in its first nine games just three times in program history – 1989-90, 1982-83 (8-1-0) and now 2025-26 … the Bulldogs have won six games on the road – the most since the 2014-15 season … that season included a neutral site win … UMD snapped an eight game losing streak Friday night to UND … Max Plante recorded four points for just the second time in his career Friday … his two goal, two assist night ties his previous career high set against Bemidji State on Oct. 17 earlier this month … Zam Plante also tied a career high of four points (1g, 3a) … Plante also rang up four points (2g, 2a) against the Beavers on Oct. 18 … Zam Plante and Jayson Shaugabay extended their current collegiate long scoring streaks … Plante now has 12 points (6g, 6a) over his past five games … Shaugabay now has a goal and six assists for seven points over his last five skates … UMD has now scored at least a power play goal over its past five games … 10 power play goals in all over that span for a 2.00 power play goals per game average ... the Bulldogs as a program are now 3-6 when playing on Halloween night ... Friday night's win on the holiday was its first since the 2009-10 season when UMD defeated Clarkson University 4-2.
