The No. 4 University of Minnesota Duluth men's hockey team will head west to Colorado Springs, Colo. this weekend to face Colorado College in a National Collegiate Hockey Conference clash at elevation. The Friday-Saturday series will get underway Friday at 8:07 p.m. CDT, while Saturday's skate is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. CDT.
UMD Men's Hockey Weekly Press Conference, November 19, 2025 -- Head Coach Scott Sandelin, Senior Defenseman Riley Bodnarchuk
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: UMD is unbeaten in series openers or Friday night games, a perfect 7-0 headed into the the weekend. The Bulldogs have also outscored teams on Friday 32-10.
THESE DEFENSEMEN ARE OFFENSIVE: Over UMD's past six games, the Bulldog blueliners have scored more than half -- eight of 17 goals -- for UMD. In fact, last Friday, Bulldog defense accounted for four of the five -- three from Ty Hanson and one from rookie Grayden Siepmann.
In fact, UMD's had had just four games where Bulldog defenseman haven't scored a goal -- and two of those games UMD was shutout.
THEY'RE STILL THE ONE (AND TWO AND FOUR): For a second week in a row, the brothers Max and Zam Plante lead the nation in scoring. Last week, the pair became the first-ever pair of brothers to lead the NCAA in scoring. Max currently leads the nation with 23 points on 10 goals and 13 assists, while Zam is right on his skates with 22 points on seven goals and 15 helpers.
While the Plante brothers occupy the 1-2 spots in NCAA point leaders, their linemate Jayson Shaugabay is right behind them, tied for fourth. Shaugabay has 19 points on five goals and 14 assists. The trio are all averaging way over a point a game -- Max Plante at 1.64 ppg, Zam Plante at 1.57 ppg and Shaugaby at 1.36 ppg.
HANSON'S ON ONE: Ty Hanson started his second season as a Bulldog earning the "A" on his sweater, and the sophomore defenseman has been on a tear ever since.
Hanson leads the NCAA among all defenseman with 16 points (6g, 10a) and also is tied for the third highest +/- rating among all players. Hanson -- who has had five multiple point games already this season, including a hat trick last Friday night against Omaha - has surpassed his last season total of 14 points (4g, 10a) over 36 games in just 14 games this season.
Overall, Hanson ranks as the 12th highest scorer in the nation among all skaters. His hat trick Friday was the first by a Bulldog defenseman in 25 years.
BLOWING PAST CAREER BESTS: It took Zam Plante just 13 games to blow past his rookie out point of 20 total points. Plante currently owns the same amount of goals he did as a freshman (7) through 33 games, but his 15 assists in 13 games pushed him past his total point output in less than half the games of a season ago.
THAT'S THE GOAL: The Bulldogs currently own the second most goals in the country (49) in just 14 games. UMD has already scored half the goals they did over the entire 2024-25 season (99), and is averaging more than three goals a game (3.50) for the first time since the 2020-21 season. The Bulldogs averaged three goals a game that season and scored a total of 84 in a COVID shortened season of 28 games.
STILL ON THE 50 UNDER 50 HUNT: Both Zam Plante has a chance to join his brother in reaching 50 career points before 50 career games. Plante is currently at 47 games with 42 points.
TAKE THEIR POINTERS: The Bulldogs have three scorers in the top-five of the NCAA, a feat that hasn't been done by a UMD side since its first title-winning season of 2011-12. That season, the Bulldogs landed three players in the top-12 in the final NCAA statistics -- No. 2 Jack Conolly with a a 1.46 points per game average, No. 4 (tie) Travis Oleksuk with a 1.29ppg, and No. 12 (tie) J.T. Brown with a 1.20ppg average.
By comparison, Max Plante at 1.64 ppg, Zam Plante at 1.57 ppg and Jayson Shaugaby at 1.36 ppg.
BET ON THIS LINE: UMD's offensively overwhelming first line currently leads the NCAA as its most productive. Sophomores Jayson Shaugabay, Max and Zam Plante have combined for 64 of UMD's 129 points so far this season, and have scored just under half of the Bulldogs 49 goals so far this season with 22.
Of their 22 goals, just four have been scored without one of their linemates -- Max Plante has scored two unassisted tallies, while Shaugabay has two goals with just Ty Hanson as the lone assist.
The trio has also racked up a pile of multiple point games too -- Max Plante has done it seven times, while both Zam Plante and Shaugabay have done it six times.
POWERED PLAY: Currently, UMD owns the NCAA's seventh-best power play with a 26.9 conversion rate. The Bulldogs penalty kill is sixth among teams that have played eight or more games.
HE'S A WINNER: Goaltender Adam Gajan has already won 11 games so far this season -- and is already the first Bulldog goaltender to reach that mark in four seasons -- since Ryan Fanti turned in 20 triumphs in 2021-22.
Gajan's 11 wins ties him for the nation's lead, and has also played the second most minutes (824) and is in a tie for the most games played (14).
SANDELIN'S ALMOST GRAND: Head coach Scott Sandelin is marching closer to coaching in his 1,000th game on the Bulldog bench. Sandelin, who enters the weekend at 995 games, is expected to reach the incredible milestone on Dec. 12 against Arizona State at AMSOIL Arena.
Sandelin will be the 27th head coach in D1 NCAA hockey history ever to reach the milestone, and he is set to become just the fifth current head coach to coach in 1,000 or more games. With his first season at UMD back in 2000-01, Sandelin is currently in his 26th season with UMD -- the longest serving head coach in program history.
THE SERIES: The Bulldogs and Tigers have previously met 112 times, dating back to to their first head-to-head inside the Duluth Curling Club in Duluth, Minn. on Jan. 4, 1961 -- a 6-4 UMD win.
Since then, the Bulldogs have pulled ahead in the all-time series with a record of 111-89-12. Over the past 12 games between them, they two programs are knotted up at 5-5-2, including a road split with the Tigers a season ago. Since the last decade (2015-16 season), however, UMD is 18-4-2 in Colorado Springs.
Last season on the road, the Bulldogs were outscored by CC 8-6 in the series, despite UMD averaging 29 shots a game to the Tigers' 26.
Last 10 Games, UMD vs CC (4-5-1)
Jan. 18, 2025 UMD 4, CC 1
Jan. 17, 2025 UMD 2, CC 7
Mar. 2, 2024 UMD 1, CC 4
Mar. 1, 2024 UMD 2, CC 2 OT
Jan. 13, 2024 UMD 2, CC 3 OT
Jan. 12, 2024 UMD 3, CC 2 OT
Dec. 3, 2022 UMD 4, CC 0
Dec. 2, 2022 UMD 0, CC 3
Nov. 5, 2022 UMD 3, CC 1
Nov. 4, 2022 UMD 0, CC 5
Top UMD Scorers vs CC
Max Plante, 2 GP 3 points (1g, 2a)
Callum Arnott, 2 GP 2 points (1g, 1a)
Jayson Shaugabay, 2 GP 2 points (1g, 1a)
Zam Plante, 2 GP 2 points (2a)
Braden Fischer, 4 GP 2 points (2a)
Behind a four-goal second period offensive burst on Jan. 17 last season, CC opened the series with a 7-2 win.
CC got a goal from Noah Laba in every period for a hat trick, and the Tigers bookended their four score second period with two goals in the first period and Laba's third in the final stanza.
Ty Hanson banged in a shorthanded rebound from Zam Plante at 16:44 of the second period to make it a 5-1 skate, but just 14 seconds later, CC pushed the Bulldog deficit back to five goals.
On the power play 8:42 into the third period, rookie forward Callum Arnott tipped in a Aaron Pionk shot from the point to get UMD's second goal on the board, but the Tigers held on to their five-goal lead for the 7-2 final.
Both teams had seven power plays on the night CC went 2-of-7 while UMD went 1-of-7. Four goalies in all played between the two sides –Klayton Knapp allowed four goals in the loss and made nine saves in 23:16 of action. Zach Sandy turned in 36:45, 14 saves and three goals against.
In game two, UMD earned the series split with a 4-1 win. The Bulldogs never trailed in the contest, scoring in each period to pile on to their lead. Max Plante opened up the scoring with a power play goal late in the first. but CC answered 42 seconds later.
UMD took the lead for good at 10:17 of the second period when Blake Bechen tipped a shot, and the Bulldogs followed that up with their second power play goal of the night on another M. Plante and Jayson Shaugabay connection, this time it was Plante that found Shaugabay for a one time rocket and 3-1 lead at the 17:22 mark. The Bulldogs tacked on another with 2:21 left for the 4-1 win.
LAST TIME OUT: UMD split with Omaha last weekend at AMSOIL Arena by scores of 5-2 Friday night and 2-0 Saturday.
Friday night, despite falling behind 1-0 in the first period, the Bulldogs rode the first collegiate hat trick of sophomore defenseman's Ty Hanson's career. Hanson scored once in the first and twice in the third, and along with a goals from Joey Pierce and Callum Arnott in the second period, UMD piled on the goals.
Adam Gajan was again solid in net for the Bulldogs – the sophomore netminder had 23 saves and UMD outshot the Mavericks a whopping 43-25. UMD went 1-of-3 on its power play, while Omaha (4-5-0, 2-3-0) was held scoreless in four attempts.
The Mavericks held UMD off the scoreboard Saturday night, while Omaha scored in the second period and a power play goal in the third for the 2-0 win.
The Bulldogs owned a 32-21 shots on goal advantage in the game, but were held scoreless on five power play attempts. Gajan made 19 saves, while his rookie counterpart in the Mavericks goal, Dawson Cowan had 32. Omaha finished 1-of-5 on its power play.
NOTES ON THE OMAHA SERIES: UMD is now 30-21-4 all-time against the Mavericks, and are still just 1-6 in their last seven games.
--Ty Hanson's hat trick last Friday was the first by a defenseman since Andy Reierson rang up three tallies in the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center in a 5-1 win over Michigan Tech University on Nov. 11, 2000.
Jayson Shaugabay leads all UMD players in scoring against the Mavericks with five points (2g, 3a) over four games.
--UMD is now 5-2-0 at AMSOIL this season.
CHART TOPPERS: UMD has a number of players in the NCAA top-10.
Max Plante currently leads the nation with 23 points, first in plus/minus at +18 and first in points per game (1.64) and fourth with 13 assists.
Zam Plante currently ranks second in the NCAA in points (22), 6th in the NCAA in power play goals (5), second in assists and ppg (1.57) and 3rd with a plus/minus +14) rating.
Jayson Shaugabay sits tied for fourth in the NCAA with 19 points and third in assists (14).
Ty Hanson -- the reigning NCHC Defenseman of the Month owns the most points by a defenseman (16), third in plus/minus (+14), and tied for eighth in game-winning goals (3).
Like Hanson, Adam Kleber also ranks third in the NCAA with a +14 plus/minus rating.
Goaltender Adam Gajan owns an NCAA tying tops 11 wins and also is tied for the most games played (14) and second in minutes (824).
YOUNG GUNS: 42 of UMD's 49 goals have been scored by underclassmen so far this season.
The sophomores have netted 35, while the freshman have scored seven.
Scout Truman leads the upperclassmen with five.
